Montgomery, Ala. - Governor Kay Ivey announced that Global Trade Magazine, a magazine whose focus is international business, selected Alabama as the nation’s top state for manufacturing.
According to a press release from the governor’s office, the magazine cited the growth of Alabama’s auto manufacturing industry, its leadership in aerospace production and also job training provided by the workforce development agency, AIDT.
“Alabama has a strong heritage in manufacturing, which remains a key pillar in the state’s growing economy,” said Ivey. “Alabama workers have shown the world that they have the expertise to manufacture high-quality products that set industry standards, and this ranking is more confirmation of that fact.”
Global Trade also credited AdvantageSites, a program which pre-certifies sites for development and is known for rapid permitting, for the state’s success in the manufacturing industry.
The state’s manufacturing workers represent over 13 percent of Alabama’s workforce with more than 270,000 employees. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, this is the fifth highest concentration among the states.
“The state has seen a continued influx of manufacturing investment — much of it from the international auto industry — and it’s not hard to understand why,” Global Trade writes.
Ivey launched in early 2018 a strategic workforce initiative that targets an addition of 500,000 high-skilled employees to the Alabama workforce by 2025.
