Governor Bob Riley welcomed the recent announcement that automotive supplier North American Lighting is expanding its operations in Muscle Shoals and will add almost 100 new jobs.
Governor Riley said the company, which manufactures signal lamps for automobiles, is investing $10.2 million in machinery to expand its operation that has been located in the Northwest Alabama Regional Airport Industrial Park since 2006.
The expansion is another positive sign that Alabama’s economy is climbing out of the national recession, the Governor said during a celebration event at Muscle Shoals City Hall with local leaders and representatives from North American Lighting.
“We’re seeing more economic activity, more new jobs and more industry expansions. It’s already started. Now it’s up to us to maintain that momentum,” Governor Riley said.
The Governor noted that over the past 12 months Alabama has led the nation in reducing the unemployment rate and an economic report released this month shows Alabama is home to five of the nation’s top 10 metro areas with the biggest drop in unemployment. The Florence-Muscle Shoals Statistical Metropolitan Area had the second biggest drop in unemployment in the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Our work to climb out of this recession is not over, but it is off to a great start. When it is over, we’ll be able to look back and say it started in places like the Shoals,” said Governor Riley.
Governor Riley pointed to two other recent industry expansion announcements in Northwest Alabama -- E.S. Robbins Corp., which manufactures office products and is adding 25 new employees, and Thacker Caskets, which is adding 40 employees. When their expansions are finished, both companies will each employ more than 200.
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