Media Center
Mobile on the Move. Mobile’s expansive growth and diversification is a hot topic in well-respected economic development trade journals across the U.S. The area has been ranked one of the nation’s top growing metro areas and best places to live as well as designated the Coastal Alabama Aviation Triangle. Its wise and aggressive team approach to winning the largest nongovernment economic development project in U.S. history – ThyssenKrupp - has been recognized across the globe.
Find out what the experts are saying about the Mobile Area’s advantages and the Chamber’s economic development team by clicking on the
links below.
Financial Times was one of dozens of media outlets announcing EADS
North America would enter the $35 billion U.S. Air Force competition as the prime
contractor. EADS, if successful, will build its refueling tanker to
replenish the U.S. Air Force's aging fleet in Mobile.
April 21, 2010
EADS to Make Solo Bid for U.S. Tanker Contract
Financial Times.com
Ranked among the 200 largest metropolitan statistical areas, Mobile landed
at No. 62 in Forbes’ annual Best Places for Business and Careers
list. Both projected economic growth and projected job growth categories
earned the No. 5 rank. In the cost of doing business category, Mobile ranked
No. 35.
April 13, 2010
Best Places for Business and Careers
Forbes.com
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ThyssenKrupp
earned the lead paragraph in a story published in the March 13-17 issue of
The Economist, a weekly international news and business publication with a
circulation of more than 1 million. The feature on Alabama's economy also
highlighted Mobile's No. 12 ranking by Moody's Economy.com for job growth.
March, 2010
Alabama's Small Cities are Poised for Recovery
The Economist
In its Building Up America series, CNN featured Mobile, Ala., Horizon
Shipbuilding's effort to win international customers, and the state's
international trade efforts.
March
18, 2010
Building Up America
CNN
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Mobile is ranked near the top nationally in showing strong progress toward
recovering from the nationwide recession, according to a November 2009
report from MoodysEconomy.com. In
the category of expected employment growth, Mobile ranked fourth out of 387
metro areas across the United States.
November, 2009
Moody's Economy.com
Alabama Cities Get Top Ranking in
Economic Report
As economists are declaring an end to the recession, BusinessWeek teamed up
with Moody's Economy.com to identify top performing metro areas for first
quarter job growth in 2010. Mobile ranked No. 13 out of 25.
November, 2009
America's 25 Next Recovering Job Markets
BusinessWeek
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Mobile's Press-Register covered the same report and included
information of a second study that predicted the upswing in job growth would
begin in the second quarter of 2010.
November 19, 2009
Mobile, Ala., forecast at
No. 13 for job growth next spring
Al.Com
An article in The New York Times highlighted investments made in downtown
Mobile by David Bronner, chief executive of the Retirement Systems of
Alabama. The article starts out with Mobile's ability to prove it was worthy
of Bronner's plans -- and when the citizens voted yes for the education
referendum in 2003, it was the proof he needed. Now six years later, Mobile
has a renovated Battle House and RSA's Battle House Tower, one of the
tallest office towers along the Gulf Coast, a new cruise port, and plans for
the AmSouth landmark office building.
October 28, 2009
Alabama Pension Fund Plows Millions Into
Property in Its Own Backyard
The New York Times
Alabama Seaport magazine explored the recently formed Offshore Alabama
initiative and the Oil & Gas Task Force,
led by the Mobile Area Chamber. The entity, made up of 27 companies, formed
in August 2008. Current chairman, Paul Dieffenthaller, head of ExxonMobil's
operations, said, "This group has enabled us for the first time to
collectively define the strengths that position Mobile to favorable compete
with other communities along the Gulf Coast in this business sector."
September 2009
Offshore Alabama Brings Collaboration
of Alabama's Oil & Gas Industry Leaders
Alabama Seaport
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Top Cities for Recession Recovery
Last summer, Forbes.com listed Mobile as one of the 10 Best Cities for
Recession Recovery for medium-sized cities. Forbes used projected gross
domestic product data from Moody's Economy.com, an independent provider of
economic analysis, unemployment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
and the National Association of Home Builders' home prices, incomes and
affordability statistics.
June, 2009
10 Best Cities for Recession Recovery
Forbes.com
Cost Effective
fDi named Mobile among its Top 5 Best Cost Effectiveness for Small
Cities. The magazine is published by London-based Financial Time. Magazine
editors believe this year’s winners embody what it takes to compete in an
intense competition for foreign direct investment projects.
April/May 2009
North American Small Cities
of the Future
fDi
Among the Best Cities for Jobs
Mobile came in at No. 10 on Forbes.com Top 10 Best Mid-Sized Cities for
Jobs, citing job growth in the city’s natural resources, mining,
construction and transportation sectors.
April, 2009
Best Mid-Sized
Cities for Jobs
Forbes.com
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he July 30 edition of The Economist features Mobile’s optimism about its
economic future. The article cites the area’s recent successes as the foundation
for its “sunny outlook despite the current economic woe,” specifically naming Austal’s growth, activity at ThyssenKrupp and the port’s container terminal. The
author also mentions recent accolades by Moodys.com and Forbes.com, as well as
the city’s position to reconnect with Cuba.
July 30, 2009
Let’s Have a Party
The Economist
A May article, Alabama on Cuba: Tear down this embargo, in the LA Times
featured Jimmy Lyons with the Alabama Port Authority and the impact reviving
a trading policy with Cuba would have on Alabama.
May 7, 2009
Alabama on Cuba
Los Angeles Times
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GlobeSt.com, a real estate online
publication, featured the Port of Mobile and Alabama Port Authority, quoting
Director Jimmy Lyons. Lyons told reporter Amy Wolff Sorter, while activity
is down, he believes it is temporary and there are positive signs. “We’ve
seen increases in the container side, and that’s spurred other activity.”
May 3, 2009
Gulf
Coast Ports Show Strength
GlobeSt.com
Destination – Alabama
The May issue of Meetings and Conventions featured Mobile’s convention
center renovations, the upgraded cruise ship coming this fall, the infamous
Robert Trent Golf Trail and the Battle House Spa.
May 2009
Alabama
Meetings & Conventions
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Bright Spot
A story in the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, March 31, listed Mobile,
Ala., as one of 10 metropolitan areas where consumer loan balances grew the
most in the fourth quarter. According to the article, Many Smaller Cities
Dodge Crunch in Consumer Lending, consumer-lending activity is a key to
riding out the recession compared to larger metro areas and rural areas.
March 2009
Many Smaller Cities Dodge Crunch in Consumer Lending
The Wall Street Journal/Business
story in Mobile's Press-Register reported Baldwin and Mobile counties were among the 10 fastest-growing counties
in Alabama in 2009. The data was released by
the U.S. Census Bureau.
March 19, 2009
Mobile, Baldwin
Counties Among State's Fastest-Growing
Press-Register
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Mobile's reputation for aviation is climbing. The city was recognized in a
special Southern Business & Development Bonus Edition 101 Great Locations in the
South for Aviation & Aerospace.
Aggressively targeting the robust market for high-end steel, SSAB is mounting a
$460-million expansion in Alabama. In the process, the Swedish company's first
big U.S. move since its $7.7-billion IPSCO acquisition further broadens 'Bama's
burgeoning concentration of steel-making operations.
November 2008
Roll, Steel, Roll
The Site Selection
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Read a play-by-play recap of how Mobile won the largest nongovernment economic
development project in U.S. history – ThyssenKrupp
July 2008
How We Won The Big One
Business Alabama
Mobile serves as an example of American cities wooing foreign investment.
July 2008
Foreign Investment - Love me, love me not.
The Economists
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Mobile's economy continues to expand, earning a number of significant economic
development projects with team effort
June/July 2008
Bay City Boom
Thicket
For its 15th anniversary Southern Business & Development created a series of
best places list. Mobile earned the lucky number 7 spot on the mid markets list.
2008
250 Best Places in the South to Locate Your
Company - Mid Markets
Southern Business & Development
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ThyssenKrupp ranked No. 2 on the Top 100
projects for jobs and earns Alabama first place in the
Hot Market state summary, and Mobile named
Top Mid Market of the Year
Spring 2008
Job 100
Southern Business & Development
CiCi stands for corporate investment and community impact. ThyssenKrupp
leads the investment list with $3.7 billion. Plus the magazine features a look
at Coastal Alabama and its new nickname – Aviation Triangle.
March/April 2008
CiCi Awards: Corporate Investment
Alabama's Coastal Gateway to Opportunity
Trade & Industry Development
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ThyssenKrupp USA named top project by capital investment and by the number of
jobs created.
This issue also features Austal's expansion
March 2008
Top Industries of 2007 - Sticker Shock?
Modular Logic - Mobile is just one outpost of a worldwide boom in shipbuilding
and railcar manufacturing
Site Selection
A city on the water – Mobile is a historic tourism destination, and even boaters
are making note of the area's economic development mega project – ThyssenKrupp
Water, Water, Everywhere: Much to do in Mobile
March 2008
Heartland Boating
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A look at the initial news that Northrop Grumman won the U.S. Air Force
refueling tanker project. Since then, Boeing officially protested the award and
the project is expected to be re-awarded by year end.
March 2008
Unseated! Northrop Grumman/EADS tanker win has Boeing defense business
scrambling
Aviation Week
Mobile is courting (successfully) the aerospace
industry - lately wooing Airbus' parent company, the European Aeronautic Defense
and Space Co., which has promised to build commercial airplanes and military
tankers in the Gulf Coast city. Other heavy industries (steel, auto makers,
etc.) are finding
March 11, 2008
In Mobile, aerospace is
just part of a bolder vision of global commerce
SeattlePI.com
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Australian shipbuilder Austal set up its U.S. operations in Mobile in 1999, and
ever since, the metro area has bloomed as a manufacturing center.
January 30, 2008
America's Fastest-Growing Metros
Forbes.com
Many changes taking place in Mobile's economic landscape.
October 2007
Mobile Bay: On The
Water; On The Move
US Industry Today
Alabama’s economic incentives lead to one of the largest developments in state
history - a German steel manufacturer’s $3.7 billion plant.
June 2007
Steel Heart of Dixie
Business Facilities, The Location Advisors
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Expansion Management named Mobile on its annual list of “America’s Hottest
Cities,” coming in at No. 27.
February 2007
America’s Hottest Cities
Expansion Management
Entrepreneur.com listed Mobile first on its annual list of “Hot Cities For
Entrepreneurs,” under the mid-sized cities category.
2006
Hot Cities For Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur.com
Commercial Property News mentions Mobile’s changing downtown, including $282
million of planned development.
April 2007
Regional Roundup – Mobile Moves On Up
Commercial Property News
In an by article the Financial Times anticipating container traffic to double over the next 15 years,
the author mentions the Port of Mobile’s new container terminal.
March 27 2007
US Ports Ready For A Cargo Surge
Financial Times
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Business Xpansion Journal highlights how the Port of Mobile is responding
to the evolving Alabama economy, and describes the nearly $400 million of
upgrades at the Port of Mobile.
February 2007
Maritime On A Mission
Business Xpansion Journal
Southern Business & Development Mobile Top 10 Southern Mid-Markets with
Highly-Diverse Economies.
Winter 2006
Top 10 Southern Mid-Markets with Highly-Diverse Economies.
Southern Business & Development
Parade evaluates school systems around the country, featuring the Mobile
Area Education Foundation and the involvement of business leaders.
May 10, 2006
Good Schools Can Happen
Parade Magazine
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The Wall Street Journal took a look at the role Mobile is playing in the
recovery of areas damaged when Hurricane Katrina hit the Central Gulf Coast in
2005. The area’s major new investors, projects and businesses were included.
August 23 2006
Ill Winds of ’05 Blew Some Good To Mobile, Ala.
The Wall Street Journal
Site Selection recognized the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce as one of its
Top Economic Development Groups. The issue also sites EADS as one of its Top 10
North American deals in 2005.
May 2006
Top Economic Development Groups
Site Selection