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TARGET SECTORS

Shelby County Target Sectors Reflect Strategic Positioning for Sustainable Growth

Among Alabama’s most diverse economies, Shelby County is well-positioned for long-term business competitiveness as a leader in the Birmingham metro. Target sectors for the county, below, build on institutional assets, workforce skill strengths, and existing business clusters.

Software & IT

  • One in three (1:3) tech workers in Alabama live and work within 45 minutes of the Hoover/Shelby County tech corridor 
  • 35242 is the No. 1 zip code for tech workers living and working in the 50th largest US metro Birmingham-Hoover region, and 60% of the population hold a four-year degree or higher – nearly double the national average
  • Available inventory of Class A office real estate in park settings within a burgeoning technology cluster along Highway 280 and Riverchase 
Existing Companies: McLeod Software (HQ), Lake Homes Realty (HQ), EBSCO Industries (HQ), Regions Financial (Operations Center), FIS Global (Operations Center)

Biotech

  • A 20-minute drive to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) – a leading bio research institution – ranked 15th in NIH funding and the 8th largest hospital in America
  • A 20-minute drive to Southern Research, an independent, non-profit scientific research organization where scientists and engineers have discovered seven FDA-approved anticancer drugs 
Existing Companies: Avanti Polar Lipids (HQ), BioHorizons (HQ), BioGX (HQ), Discovery BioMed, Therachem, Amytrx Therapeutics, BioCryst

Business, Insurance, & Financial Services

  • Third-largest banking center in the U.S. Southeast, 12th in the nation employing 39,000 workers in the Birmingham region
  • The highest concentration of financial examiners in the nation – five times the average U.S. metro
Existing Companies: Regions Financial (riverchase Operations Center), FIS Global (Operations Center), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (HQ), Allstate (Claims Office)

Automotive

  • Within two hours of four automotive OEMs (Mercedes Benz, Honda, Hyundai, and Mazda Toyota Manufacturing) and within three hours of three other OEMs SEE MAP
  • Over 25 automotive suppliers within the Birmingham region
  • Approximately 18,000 skilled automotive workers in Central Alabama, twice the U.S. metro average
Existing Companies: AGC Automotive (Automotive Glass), Sunbelt Paper and Packaging (Automotive Packaging), Kontane Logistics (Automotive Packaging)

Advanced Manufacturing

  • Strong manufacturing legacy with Birmingham known as “The Magic City” because of the rapid growth of iron and steel manufacturing in the early 20th century
  • Approximately 20,000 workers are currently employed by over 600 metals and machinery manufacturers in the Birmingham region
Existing Companies: ProcessBarron (Industrial Equipment), MacLean Power (Utility Hardware), Vulcan Steel (Threaded Rod), SEPCO (Sealing Equipment), Specification Rubber Company (Molded Rubber)