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Target Industries

Companies across diverse industry sectors thrive in the Wiregrass Region. We are well-positioned for continued growth in several specific clusters already thriving here, including aerospace/defense, advanced manufacturing, automotive, agriculture, and food warehousing and distribution.

Aerospace/Defense

At the center of the Wiregrass Region’s aerospace industry is Fort Novosel, located in Dale County, home to the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, the primary training location for Army Aviation.

Quick Facts

  • Alabama Aviation College offers specialized avionics and aviation mechanics training.
  • M1 Support Services, which provides aircraft maintenance and modification, flight support, and supply chain management, is Dale’s County’s largest employer.
  • Arista Aviation and Commercial Jet are among the major MRO service providers in the region.
  • Bell Helicopter offers OEM-direct services at its Ozark Service Center.
  • Aviation simulation technology and equipment providers are also significant contributors to the area’s aerospace and defense industry.

Advanced Manufacturing

The Wiregrass Region is prime for advanced manufacturing companies, thanks to a capable workforce experienced with utilizing technology to create products ranging from diecast machinery parts to architectural components.

Quick Facts

  • Enterprise Community College launched a Mechatronics program in 2019 nationally recognized as a “School on the Rise” by NC3.
  • Wallace Community College offers advanced manufacturing degrees in Applied Engineering Technology, Engineering Graphics, Industrial Maintenance Technology, and Manufacturing Skills Standards Council.

Automotive

With Michelin North America as a major employer, one could say the Wiregrass Region is a key place where the rubber meets the road in Alabama’s booming statewide automotive industry.

Quick Facts

  • Alabama is home to Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, Mercedes Benz, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota.
  • Hwaseung Automotive Alabama is among several automotive parts manufacturers in our region.

Agriculture

Peanuts, poultry, and paper top the list of most notable goods produced by our robust agriculture industry.

Quick Facts

  • Large employers in our agriculture sector include poultry companies Pilgrim’s Pride and Wayne Farms.
  • According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, we grow more than half the peanuts in the U.S. within 100 miles of our region.

Food Warehousing & Distribution

The Wiregrass Region offers an excellent location for food warehousing and distribution companies to serve customers throughout the Southeast.

Quick Facts

  • Ben E. Keith, one of the largest family-owned distribution companies in the U.S., operates its Southeast regional headquarters and two warehouse facilities in Elba and New Brockton.
  • Sysco, the global leader in selling, marketing, and distributing food products to restaurants, and other customers who prepare meals away from home, operates its large Sysco Gulf Coast facility in Geneva.