Officials celebrate local industry for making 2023 a record-setting year for jobs, new investment

Benjamin Bullard, The Cullman Times, Ala.
Updated ·3 min read

Feb. 3—Leaders of local industries both big and small were the guests of honor this week at an annual industry appreciation event hosted by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, Feb. 1. That celebration gave the area's economic development officials a chance to reflect on the industrial sector's record-setting cumulative investment in Cullman County throughout the past year.

Taking the measure of the current climate of local teamwork that connects the county's private industrial investors with the public leadership network that supports them, Cullman Economic Development Agency director Dale Greer likened Cullman's present-day economic stewardship to that of "Flying 50" team of civic-minded local leaders who lured the milestone King Edward Cigar project to the area back in the 1950s.

"It was really the first economic development group in Cullman," said Greer at Thursday's event, crediting the group with establishing the attitude of community cooperation that today's public-private partnerships continue to sustain. "They were 50 businessmen, and they chartered a plane and flew to Jacksonville, Fla., and they recruited King Edward Cigars. They raised more than $60,000 in community [capital] at that time. Today, that would be closer to a million dollars. ... They get the credit for the foundation in this community that we believe we have to support industry and create jobs."

Citing data from the Alabama Department of Commerce, Greer said last year marked the county's biggest ever in terms of attracting private industrial capital.

"Cullman County set an all-time record in 2023 for new capital investment of $488,997,600," he said, noting that last year's figure broke a local record ($288 million and 670 jobs) set one year earlier.

"You can see how significant the growth has been in the past couple of years. and if you go back 10 years, industry has invested more than $1.7 billion in this county and created over 5,300 jobs," he said, eliciting a round of hearty applause.

Kenneth Boswell, the director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, related congratulations on behalf of Gov. Kay Ivey as the event's featured speaker.

"It is very apparent, when you come to Cullman, Ala., that everybody is pulling in the same direction," said Boswell, acknowledging the combined tenacity of Alabama Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) and House representatives Randall Shedd (R-Fairview), Tim Wadsworth (R-Arley) and Corey Harbison (R-Good Hope) in seeking industry-bolstering support through ADECA. "You have the strongest legislative delegation in the state of Alabama."

In separate remarks, Gudger, along with Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs and county commission Chairman Jeff Clemons, emphasized teamwork between Cullman's public and private sectors as the trait that continues to define the climate for the area's economic growth. That cooperative spirit, added Cullman County Economic Development director Matt Kinsland during his remarks, "is a testament to the public-private partnerships that we have in this community.

"It's like nowhere else in this state," Kinsland said. "There are a lot of communities that look at us — and wish they could have that and emulate it."

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.