Governor Ivey Highlights Alabama Success at Farnborough International Airshow

MONTGOMERY - Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday announced that Alabama's strong showing in the Farnborough International Airshow last week resulted in two major industry announcements and more than 50 meetings between the Alabama Department of Commerce's recruitment team and aviation, aerospace and defense companies.

Alabama's presence and visibility at the Farnborough International Airshow was larger this year in terms of team members and meeting space. The week-long showcase is one of the top industry events worldwide, gathering the most prominent companies and suppliers in one spot to display their latest innovations. More than 1,500 exhibitors from 60 countries were expected this year.

"Alabama's 10th and final Farnborough airshow under my Administration featured our best effort yet while also netting two major industrial announcements and more than 50 productive meetings with aviation, aerospace and defense companies," said Governor Ivey. "We brought our A-game, positioning our economic development recruiters and our elected policy makers to highlight Alabama's advantages for new business and expansion. We have a long history in aviation, aerospace and defense. But with more than 40 percent job growth in these sectors in just the last decade, Alabama is poised to break new frontiers. The sky is truly the limit for Sweet Home Alabama!"

The air show had a strong start for Alabama last week with two announcements. Redwire, an aerospace and defense company, is expanding its Huntsville operations and Doncasters, a U.K.-based manufacturer of superalloys and high-precision casting components, is adding a second Alabama site in Auburn. Together, those announcements represent capital investments of about $68 million and 220 new jobs.

"Alabama leaders have made a calculated decision to grow the state's footprint in the industries that already thrive here," said Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair. "From rockets in north Alabama to airplanes in south Alabama to the companies that support the missions of our military installations, Alabama is established in this space. As the U.S. and our allies increase their defense budgets and industries increase their capabilities in response, Alabama is ready to welcome these operations. Farnborough was about putting Alabama's skilled workforce, available industrial space and pro-business attitude in front of the world and showing these companies why they should be Made in Alabama."

McNair co-led this year's state delegation to Farnborough with Liz Filmore, Governor Ivey's chief of staff. Delegation members also included U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, Congressman Dale Strong, Alabama Workforce Secretary Greg Reed and several higher education and community and economic development leaders.

"Industry announcements at Farnborough or Paris are always significant," said Bob Smith, Commerce's aerospace industry specialist. He's been attending Farnborough and its sister event, the Paris Air Show, for the state since 2009.

"Almost every aerospace company in the world has a presence here, as do the industry trade publications," Smith said. "So, it's great global publicity for the fact that Alabama is an aerospace and defense destination."

While the state has long had a large booth with meeting rooms in one of the giant pavilions, this year it also had a chalet along the flight line. Alabama is the first state to have a chalet at the airshow, putting the giant red "Made in Alabama" brand in front of thousands in the aviation and defense sectors as they watched the aircraft exercises and visited industry chalets. GE Aerospace, which has sites in Huntsville and Auburn, had a large chalet four doors down from Alabama's.

The additional space gave the state and communities traveling with it more space to host prospective companies.

"Alabama state leaders have made key investments in recent years to expand our global industrial recruitment reach," said Christina Stimpson, Commerce's chief officer of global business. "The creation of the Alabama Development Fund last year let us expand our international presence, investing more in our European office and re-establishing our offices in Korea and Japan. Combined with the state's investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in career tech education and industrial site development, we are reaching more prospective companies and showing them exactly why Alabama is the best choice for their international expansions."

The meetings were a mix of companies already doing business in Alabama and those that would be new to the state. Several of them were pre-scheduled ahead of the massive biennial trade show outside London. But some were impromptu. All could lead to significant investments in the state. The Commerce team also learned about several new projects that would be good fits for Alabama.

"Being at the Farnborough Airshow on the world stage is critical for our state's aerospace and defense sector," Smith said. "The intense business climate at Farnborough comes directly from having every significant aerospace company's entire management and decision-making team available in one location for several days. We've been preparing for months making appointments and finding ways to leverage our state leadership at the show with company CEOs and top management."

Smith and Veronica Crock, a senior project manager and aerospace and defense specialist with Commerce, had a combined nine meetings with companies with existing facilities or commitments in Alabama and 14 meetings with companies seeking locations for new projects. Another nine meetings were with companies exploring prospective projects in the preliminary development stage. The Commerce team also had more than 20 meetings with consultants, site selectors and others who keep the state connected with potential projects.

"Farnborough once again demonstrated why Alabama continues to be recognized as a global leader in aerospace and aviation," said Crock. "Throughout the week, our team had the opportunity to announce Doncasters' continued investment in Alabama while holding meetings with existing industry partners and new companies exploring Alabama for future investment. These conversations reaffirm that Alabama's reputation for a world-class workforce, strong business climate and collaborative approach continues to resonate with aerospace and defense companies around the world."

The state's meeting numbers are on top of those of local communities that attended the show to make their own connections.

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