On Wednesday, Gov. Kay Ivey delivered remarks to the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce at an event in Montgomery, touting Eli Lilly's recent commitment to building a $6 billion operation in Huntsville as well as U.S. Space Command's planned relocation to North Alabama.
"These are exciting times for Madison County, the Tennessee Valley and all of Alabama," Ivey told those in attendance. "Less than three months ago, I was up in Huntsville to help break the monumental news of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly coming to our state. Their $6 billion advanced manufacturing operation in Huntsville is the largest initial investment in state history."
The governor compared the significance of Eli Lilly's planned operation to a decision from Mercedes-Benz three decades ago that helped shape a thriving automotive manufacturing industry in Alabama.
"Thirty years before this historic announcement, Alabama also shocked the world by revealing Mercedes Benz would be locating its first U.S. manufacturing plant near Tuscaloosa," Ivey recalled. "That historic decision transformed Alabama into a destination of choice for some of world’s top auto and aerospace manufacturers, including Honda, Hyundai, Mazda-Toyota, Airbus and more."
"In a similar fashion, Lilly Medicine’s arrival in Sweet Home Alabama is expected to transform our state into a global leader of biotechnology and advanced manufacturing. We often overuse the term 'game changer,' but not in this case."
Ivey cited a recent report from a Canadian news outlet showing that the Yellowhammer State has surpassed Canada in GDP per capita.
"Our neighbors up north in Canada have even taken notice," Ivey said. "Recently, one of that country’s leading newspapers said Canada could learn a thing or two from Alabama in economic development."
Ivey closed with an optimistic message on U.S. Space Command's relocation to Redstone Arsenal.
"And let’s not forget the federal government’s recent decision to locate the headquarters for Space Command in Huntsville," she said. "It also drew national headlines. All of you know this didn’t happen by accident. We worked hard for it!"
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