PARIS — A group of economic development specialists, airport leaders and government officials from the Birmingham region has landed at the 2023 Paris Air Show with a strategic plan to elevate the profile of Alabama’s largest metro area in the aerospace industry.
“Team BHM” is telling industry decision-makers about ambitious growth initiatives at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, the expanding presence of a high-tech defense company and the region’s prime location in a major aerospace/defense cluster, among other things.
“The trajectory and growth of the aerospace industry has exponential growth opportunities ahead of it,” said Steve Ammons, president and CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance, a core member of the regional team attending the Paris Air Show.
“Alongside our excellent partners in the community like City of Birmingham, Jefferson County and the Birmingham Airport Authority, we’re working to position the Greater Birmingham Region to have success in the industry for years to come,” he added.
Though the Birmingham region boasts the largest economy among the state’s metro areas, its aerospace/defense sector is smaller than other areas. An analysis by the University of Alabama in Huntsville calculated that the Birmingham region’s defense sector generates an annual economic impact of around $580 million, with 2,500 direct and indirect jobs.
That compares to $27 billion and 140,000 jobs for Redstone Arsenal, the sprawling federal complex in Huntsville, and $9 billion and 29,000 jobs for Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker) in Southeast Alabama, according to UAH.
Ammons said the region’s advantages far outweigh its underdog status — a clear message that Team BHM is reinforcing at the global aerospace industry’s most important business development event this year.
“Our goal in Paris is to build long-term relationships. Right now, our footprint in the aerospace and aviation industry is small, but there’s an abundance of opportunity ahead of us,” Ammons said.
“The stronger our relationships are, the higher the likelihood it is for us to recruit bigger and better aerospace projects into the Greater Birmingham Region,” he added.
Though not a regular participant in international air show missions led by the Alabama Department of Commerce over the years, Team BHM is stepping up its game. In Paris, it’s hosting a brunch and joining other Alabama organizations to throw a reception for industry representatives. It’s also engaging in appointments and the air show’s abundant networking opportunities.
“The aerospace industry is a significant growth area for the Greater Birmingham Region. I have been encouraged by the Birmingham Airport Authority’s investment in capital improvements, which are already creating benefits,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said.
“The City of Birmingham is an intentional partner in public-private ventures and an excellent place where businesses can start, grow and relocate,” he added. “As a region, we look forward to sharing our vision at the Paris Air Show.”
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