Tag: Economy
Alabama Manufacturers’ Investments in EV
Alabama automakers and parts suppliers began investments in electric vehicles several years ago, and the list continues to grow.
Among the companies that have announced plans for new or expanded operations involving electric vehicles are New Flyer in Anniston, DURA Automotive Systems in Muscle Shoals, Hyundai in Montgomery and Honda in Lincoln.
Alabama Graphite Products plans a first-of-its-kind advanced graphite processing plant in Coosa County to help with the production of an essential material in batteries that power electric vehicles, electronics and other green energy products.
Read more.
Growing Demand, Industry Support Lead to State Investment in Electric Vehicle Chargers
Earlier this summer, the State of Alabama awarded 18 grants worth more than $4 million to help private entities add electric vehicle charging stations for public use. However, during the process, the state received 76 applications requesting more than $18 million.
“Eighteen million dollars in requests does show the demand for these charging stations,” Kenneth Boswell, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, told Alabama Daily News.
Those grants, mostly funded through a Volkswagen settlement over the automaker’s violation of the federal Clean Air Act, focused on the I-20, I-59 corridor. “It captured a small portion of the state,” Boswell said about the grants.
Now, ADECA is working on a statewide EV charging plan that will show where stations are needed, including along evacuation routes.
“It will cover all aspects of where charging stations need to be to cut down on fuel anxiety issues that an electric car owner would have,” Boswell said.
Read more.
Farmers Prefer Too Much Rain to Too Little but Say Enough’s Enough as They Watch Crops Drown
MONTGOMERY — Alabama farmers are looking at this summer’s unusually heavy rains as both a blessing and a curse.
Large amounts of rainfall are great for crops such as corn and wheat, but vegetable and fruit growers are having to abandon a large portion of their crop, especially in south Alabama.
“We’ve probably gotten a year’s worth of rain in three months,” Jeremy Sessions, a farmer in Mobile County told Alabama Daily News. Read more.
Developer Partners With Tuskegee Students, Minority-Owned Contractors to Revitalize Old American Red Cross Building
The former American Red Cross building that’s been sitting vacant for over 21 years will finally have new life, adding to dramatic redevelopment in downtown Birmingham. Read more.
Progress Reported Toward State’s Goal of Adding 500,000 Newly Credentialed Workers by 2025
MONTGOMERY — Alabama leaders say 45% of the state’s workforce now has an educational certificate or degree beyond high school, representing progress in the goal of adding 500,000 newly credentialed people to the workforce by 2025 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ed Castile, deputy secretary of the Workforce Development Division in the Alabama Department of Commerce, told Alabama Daily News the pandemic has even helped in some respects in reaching the half million goal.
“Oddly enough, it hurt us, but then it helped us,” Castile said. “The sad news is a lot of people lost their jobs, but that helped us a little bit by getting people into programs to give them a credential which added them to our numbers. But it also got them a job that could also not be so affected by something like the pandemic.”
Read more.
First U.S. Graphite Processing Plant to Be Built in Coosa County
MONTGOMERY — A first-of-its-kind advanced graphite processing plant in Coosa County will bring an overall investment of $124 million to Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday.
The plant, which will be known as Alabama Graphite Products, will help with the production of an essential material in batteries that power electric vehicles, electronics and other green energy products.
“This plant not only will make Alabama the U.S. leader in graphite production, the go-to place for this important resource in battery manufacturing, it also will elevate our standing even more as a major player in the fast-growing electric vehicle sector,” Ivey said. Read more.
Shipt Founder, Bill Smith, Brings His Latest Startup to Birmingham
Landing, an apartment rental company, will relocate it headquarters to Birmingham, creating more than 800 new jobs. Read more.
Help Wanted: Restaurant Industry Struggles to Find Workers
MONTGOMERY — After taking an initial hit at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic last year, Alabama’s economy has largely bounced back. Still, some businesses are having trouble finding enough workers, particularly in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
A drive down Zelda Road in Montgomery, the Capital City’s midtown eatery hub, shows “help wanted” signs in almost every store.
Information from the Alabama Department of Labor shows a 52% increase in advertised food prep and serving jobs in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2020. Advertised waitress and waiter positions have increased about 44%. Hotel desk clerk postings have more than doubled.
Mindy Hanan, president of the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association, said the state’s restaurants and hotels can’t get enough workers.
“We’re wide open and we need as many employees as we can have,” Hanan said. Read more.
Bill Puts Into Law Unemployment Benefit Fraud Protections
Earlier this month, Lad Drago received an email notification from the Alabama Department of Labor saying someone had filed an unemployment insurance claim against his Spanish Fort insurance agency.
He went to the state’s online system for more information.
“Lo and behold, Lad Drago was the claimant, and they had my Social Security number, as well as my date of birth,” Drago said.
This began hours of trying to get more information about the fraudulent claim, including telling a Department of Labor representative it was a fake.
He was pointed to a claims dispute webpage.
“That’s where everything really started getting frustrating,” Drago told Alabama Daily News. He said he tried multiple ways to convey to Labor that payments shouldn’t be made to the bank account set up to collect the money. He said there’s an out-of-state phone number attached to the claim and a strange email address.
On Monday, he received a notice of payment on the claim. Read more.
More from the Legislature this week:
Bill Would Ban All Chemical Abortions in Alabama
Legislature Nearing Passage of State Budgets as Session Nears End
Baby or Puppy? Both Are Relatively Cheap in Alabama
Baby or puppy?
Some people answer the question of whether to have a baby or do a practice run with a puppy by going with what’s in their hearts.
Another consideration, as heartless as it sounds, is cost. Potential grandparent wishes aside, a recent study delineates the costs of having a baby or puppy for the first year of both their little lives.
“Whether a puppy or a baby is right for you will ultimately be a highly personal decision that we could never hope to answer for you, but the cost cannot be ignored and those costs fluctuate wildly by state,” according to a study done by Honestpaws.com, an online retail outlet offering pet medical information.
Alabama leads the nation as the cheapest state to have a baby and care for it during the first year. It’s also a pretty cheap state to get and care for a puppy that first year. Read more.
