LIMESTONE COUNTY-On Friday Bethany Shockney, President and CEO of the Limestone County Economic Association issued this statement regarding the following press release from the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce:
“The North Alabama region continues to see frequent investments in our community. Our job openings show our area has a diverse range of jobs for people who live here and people who are relocating here. The Limestone County Economic Development Association stands ready to help our industries and communities with the growth we are seeing in the region.”
Today (Friday, September 25) the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber is announcing a number of economic development projects that will bring 510 new jobs and more than $71 million in investment to the community. Today’s announcement includes eight companies that have expanded or located here this year, but have not had an announcement.
“We want to celebrate every expansion, but this year, it has been challenging to do that in a safe way,” said Lucia Cape, the Chamber’s senior vice president of economic development. “These companies are important to our community and to the people they employ, and we want to recognize their growth.” Companies that have expanded or located in the Huntsville Metro this year include:
- Dynetics will add up to 200 new jobs associated with weapon development work and has hired hundreds of people this year in support of the Human Landing System and other projects, bringing their local employment to 2,740.
- Torch Technologies has had two recent expansion projects. The two projects total 120 jobs and $32.3 million in investment. The first project was the construction of the Technology Integration and Prototyping Center (TIPC), a two-story office space with an attached 10,000-square-foot high-bay facility. The facility was constructed by Freedom Real Estate & Capital.
- Invariant Corporation, a Huntsville-based engineering services and software development company founded in 2001, is creating 23 new jobs with investment of $430,000. The Invariant and second Torch expansions are a part of a mixed-use facility in South Huntsville. The 92,000square-foot facility, also being built by Freedom, is slated to be complete in summer 2021.
- Nippon Express USA is located on the campus of Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A. Within the next two years Nippon Express will hire 101 new employees and invest $19.1 million.
Other companies that have added jobs and investment this year are Aldez, Palco, Ridgeview Industries, Inc., and TriRx Pharmaceutical Services.
Year to date for 2020, new projects, expansions, and increased scope of previously announced projects will result in 852 new jobs and more than $1 billion in new capital investment in the Huntsville Metro.
“With COVID-19, this has certainly been a challenging year, but in spite of all that is happening,
Huntsville still continues to see job growth in all parts of our City,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.
“Whether it’s Torch Technologies in South Huntsville, Dynetics in Cummings Research Park, or TriRx in Chase Industrial Park, there are buildings going up and sites being delivered. When you combine that with the ongoing work at North Huntsville Industrial Park with Facebook and Toyota and the numerous projects at Mazda Toyota, it’s a remarkable statement to the resiliency of the Huntsville market and its industries.”
“Throughout 2020, Madison County and Huntsville have continued the work in bringing new and innovative business and industry to our community while also supporting expansions among our industry partners,” said Madison County Commission Chairman Dale W. Strong. “Our diverse economy continues to be robust year after year. With a focus on workforce development the future of the Rocket City and Redstone Arsenal will continue to drive the economy of Alabama and southern Tennessee.”
“It is exciting to see these quality organizations continuing to grow, building off of their previous successes and adding even more jobs in our community,” said Madison Mayor Paul Finley. “I am excited about the opportunities these companies bring for our region as we continue to grow together.”
“These economic development projects have changed the future of our county by their investments and job creation,” said Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly. “The opportunities provided to our community through these projects will have a lasting impact for years to come.”
Media Release/Blake Williams Communications
