Economic impact of new Airbus plant reaches beyond Mobile

Economic developers and business interests believe today's Airbus announcement could impact Birmingham and central Alabama.

Monday at the Alabama employee center in Birmingham, the Rev. Harold Crumbley was taking his 17-year-old son to look for work. News of Airbus gave Crumbley hopes that well paying jobs can be found.

"People are at the point they never had a job. The will accept anything. To have something like that in Mobile, is a great thing for Alabama," Crumbley said.

At the Birmingham Business Alliance there was also hopes of a positive impact for the surrounding counties.

"First of all, we share in the excitement of Alabama getting a major, big time economic development prize," Dave Rickey with BBA said.

Rickey says the potential is there for an economic boost to be felt all the way to central Alabama.

"On a prize this size there is always opportunity. Some you look at right now. Some that not show themselves for a year, two years down the road," Rickey said.

Birmingham architectural firms may share in the construction design of Airbus in Mobile while other Birmingham companies may contribute to constructing the massive plant. It could be like Mercedes and other auto manufacturing plants with supply companies developing to support and continue to help the aviation company operate.

"The people around the world are seeing we have the capability and the work force to build this kind of facility," Rickey said.

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