When asked about recent successes ADO has had in securing new projects in Alabama, Wade quickly pointed out, “We (ADO) don’t want to get the credit for getting projects. We want to identify projects and get them in the community. The way they are won is a team effort that takes the legislature, the governor and the local government. ADO is basically a facilitator to get this done.”

Wade explained that Alabama’s good fortune in securing more jobs for its citizens really began in 1993 when Mercedes-Benz chose to locate a manufacturing facility in Vance, Alabama.

“Mercedes’ announcement really changed economic development in the state,” he said, citing how it had been difficult to get appointments prior to that announcement. “Then, businesses across the country started saying “What is this Alabama?” and started inquiring about what we had to offer.”

Following the Mercedes win, Alabama began an aggressive economic development marketing campaign for the state. Corporate giants such as Honda, Boeing, Hyundai , ThyssenKrupp, and most recently EADS North America, have given Alabama a 12-year record of moving the state up in the ranks. For the past three years, Alabama has been named the best state economy for economic development efforts in the Southeast by Southern Business and Development magazine. In 2004, ADO was named by Site Selection magazine as the top state economic development agency in the country.

“We received these awards based on our successful efforts in formulating an aggressive marketing program with our agency and our partners throughout the state,” Wade explained.

In 2007, cooperative efforts between the ADO and other organizations throughout the state helped create more than 24,000 new jobs, one of the highest numbers recorded in the state. This number includes any jobs created through expansions or new companies locating and have not all been created through ADO.

“The bar has been set kind of high for us to crack the 20,000 mark every year – our goal annually,” Wade said, “but we are up for the challenge.”

In addition to a rigorous job creation goal, the ADO also has set out to achieve $10 billion in export sales of Alabama products and services annually, with the goal of a 10 percent increase each year. Wade said the number was set as a baseline to indicate how successful the agency is in introducing Alabama companies and their products and services to other parts of the world.