Site Selection Magazine has ranked Baldwin County among most successful
Micropolitan area in the United States for the expansion and/or new location
of corporate entities in 2008, according to its March, online edition.
Tied for second place with Tupelo, Mississippi; Baldwin county is among
Micropolitan areas (counties) with a population of over 50,000 but no one
city larger than 50,000. Statesville-Mooresville, N.C., area was selected
for the top position. The US Census Bureau lists almost 600 Micropolitan
areas nationwide.
Baldwin county projects submitted during 2008 accounted for 342 jobs and $38
million in investments.
According to Robert Ingram, President/CEO of the Baldwin County Economic
Development Alliance, “Qualifying companies must be manufacturing,
distribution or corporate headquarters related, including call centers and
other back office operations. Projects must include construction and meet
minimum job and investment criteria.”
Site Selection is the official publication of the Industrial Asset
Management Council, and distributed to over 44,000 executives responsible
for site selection and facility planning decisions around the world.
“The Site Selection ranking, which is based on very objective and meaningful
criteria, indicates that we live in a great county and that we can compete
against anyone,” said Dave Rauch, 2009 Alliance chairman.
Ingram indicates that the qualifying entities (companies) are exactly the
type high paying companies the Alliance is targeting to better diversify the
Baldwin County economy. “This makes three years in a row that Baldwin County
has been ranked in the top 1% which indicates that we have a plan which is
working and that we have great public and private leadership in Baldwin
County,” Ingram states.
The list of the major new and expanded projects submitted to Site Selection
in 2008 include: Marine Specialty and Kelco Metals in Spanish Fort; Gulf
Packaging expansion in Bay Minette, Segers Aerospace in Fairhope; Meyer
Fulfillment Center and South Alabama Commercial Laundry in Foley; A&S Marble
and Ecovery LLC in Loxley; and the CRC expansion in Robertsdale.
Other Alabama cities that made the list included Decatur and Tuscaloosa
