HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance
2007-YEAR END REPORT
The 2007-year has been another good one for BCEDA, despite a slowdown in manufacturing related to the housing slump and high-energy prices.
Our three main focus areas, Business Development, Existing Business support, and Community Development enhancement all made solid progress in 2007. On the new job front we provided assistance to manufacturers, distributors, and professional organizations, which created over 600 jobs and over $50,000,000 in capital investment.
In mid-year, Site Selection Magazine ranked Baldwin County as #4 out of over 690 Micropolitan Counties for new industrial, distribution and corporate office announcements. Policom ranked Baldwin County’s economy as the 34th strongest of all micropolitan areas, which puts us in the top 5% in the United States.
We continued to support the Alabama Development Office (ADO) in its recruiting efforts. BCEDA officials joined the Governor, ADO, and other state and local leaders in recruiting aviation suppliers at the 2007 Paris Air Show and joined Alabama Power, Alabama Electric Cooperative and Mobile Chamber of Commerce officials on a second international trip to call upon targeted aviation companies. In further targeting prime aviation prospects, BCEDA hosted supplier relations personnel from both EADS and Northrop Grumman on a three day Familiarization Tour in Baldwin County.
Our emphasis on selling ourselves to the top site location consultants in the U. S. continued in 2007. We hosted several consultants in Baldwin County, made individual calls on consultants in Atlanta and attended numerous regional meetings, which allowed one on one contact with such consultants. The SWEET HOME ALABAMA consultants’ event was not held by ADO in 2007 but we will participate in early 2008.
BCEDA continued our Community Development initiatives in the areas of workforce housing, workforce development, and in transportation. We hosted a very successful job fair and continued to operate our highly successful virtual incubator. We teamed with Baldwin EMC to host a government and business finance seminar, provided demographic and business data to dozens of developers and business prospects and worked closely with our five Baldwin County chamber partners, as well as with regional partners which can help us reach our goals.
Baldwin County will continue to grow. It is up to all of us to work together to insure that our growth adds value to the economy, improves the standard of living for our citizens, and is done in such a way as to enhance our wonderful quality of life.
We thank our Board and officers, our Investors, our partners and our elected officials for your help, support and friendship, and wish you a wonderful holiday season.
BCEDA Staff