Alabama Breaks Record: $14.6B in New Business Growth

Alabama just proved that smart planning and hard work can transform an entire state's future.

Governor Kay Ivey announced this week that 234 companies either moved to Alabama or expanded their operations there in 2025, investing a record-breaking $14.6 billion. That historic investment will create 9,388 new jobs for Alabamians in communities large and small.

The wins came from all directions. Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is spending more than $6 billion to build an advanced medicine manufacturing plant in Huntsville, creating 450 high-skilled jobs for scientists, engineers, and lab technicians. ArcelorMittal is investing $1.2 billion in Mobile County to produce specialty steel for electric vehicle motors, adding over 200 jobs.

But here's what makes this story truly special: rural Alabama didn't get left behind. Small towns and targeted rural counties pulled in $2 billion in investments and more than 2,000 new job opportunities. Georgia Pacific is spending $800 million to expand its mill in tiny Perdue Hill, making it the largest softwood pulp mill in the entire country.

The Ripple Effect

This isn't just about numbers on a spreadsheet. When a pharmaceutical company builds a billion-dollar facility, it needs construction workers, suppliers, restaurants for employees, and housing. When manufacturing plants open in rural counties, young people can stay close to home instead of moving away for opportunity.

The growth spans industries that shape our future: biosciences, advanced technology, automotive, aerospace, and renewable materials. Foreign companies invested $3.6 billion, showing that Alabama's reputation now reaches across oceans.

Governor Ivey credits a strategic plan focused on workforce development and long-term thinking rather than quick fixes. Since 2017, the state has attracted $69 billion in total investments and created over 100,000 jobs. That consistent approach, paired with programs helping communities prepare industrial sites and infrastructure, created the foundation for this breakthrough year.

Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair says their new "Catalyst" strategic plan is just getting started, meaning more growth could be coming for communities across Alabama.

Prosperity that reaches from big cities to small towns shows what's possible when everyone gets a seat at the table.