Alabama's Economic Success Will Continue with Port of Mobile Upgrade

Alabama continues to rank as to one of the top ten states in the Nation for its success in drawing companies to the state to do business.

There are a lot of reasons the state has been so successful in economic development, such as top notch workforce training and a competitive business incentives program. When it comes to bringing new companies and a business friendly climate, Alabama annually makes the list because of its commitment to economic development.

Area Development Magazine recently awarded the state the title due to Alabama’s success in bringing new jobs to the state. Alabama received high marks in specific categories, particularly for low property taxes, the overall cost of doing business and a favorable regulatory framework. And based on this new ranking, the state’s strategy to compete around the world for new capital investment is working.

Now a new addition to Alabama will move the state to the next level. This past week the Port of Mobile just celebrated the completion of dredging to create a 50-foot channel depth, making it the deepest container port in the Gulf of America.

With the deeper channel comes more capacity for more ship traffic, which means additional cargo flowing to Alabama. The port also allows for more ships to deliver products at a more efficient capacity. The state has been competing with other ports for both national and international trade, but now Alabama has another weapon in their arsenal to attract new businesses to the state and support existing companies.

This has been a long term project for the Alabama Port Authority, but with it complete, the wait was worth it, for the future of the state’s economic success is bight.

Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul_DeMarco

Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers