A variety of industry sectors thrive in Coffee, Dale and Geneva counties, including aerospace, agriculture, food distribution, advanced manufacturing and automotive. The region is also home to Fort Novosel, the primary training location for U.S. Army Aviation and one of the largest employers in the state.
Elba, the county seat of Coffee County, has recently welcomed several new businesses, including DJ’s Peanut Patch RV Park, Lee Milliner State Farm Insurance Agency, All In Credit Union, Kaye Ellis Realty, Elba Florist and Gifts, and Ms. Linda’s Restaurant.
Kansas-based Sunbelt Solomon, one of the world’s largest providers of commercial and industrial electrical distribution equipment, opened a 23,000-square-foot service center in Elba in October 2023. The company invested $5 million in the new facility.
The city of Enterprise received a $5.7 million grant through Alabama’s Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) program that will be used to purchase nearly 300 acres to expand and develop industry-ready sites at the Enterprise Commerce Park.
The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs opened the Command Sgt. Bennie G. Adkins Veterans Home in Enterprise. The 182,000-square-foot skilled nursing facility can house 174 residents.
Enterprise recently celebrated the grand opening of its new Recreation and Aquatics Center. The 70,000-square-foot facility is the largest municipal facility in the city.
In Dale County, Averitt Express, a freight transportation company, will make use of a $180,000 Community Development Block Grant to relocate its service center and warehouse. The funds will be used to resurface and make improvements to Dale County Road for better access to the new facility, which is expected to bring 20 new jobs to the area.
Ag-tech startup company SetaTech, a graduate of HudsonAlpha’s Gener8tor program, announced it will operate a manufacturing site in Ozark. The company turns nutrients from natural hair and chicken feathers into eco-friendly products that can be used in agriculture, as deer deterrents and for cleaning up oil spills.
Ozark Corporate Park received $221,000 in funding through Growing Alabama with Pea River Electric Cooperative as the tax credit donor. The funds were used for clearing and re-seeding the property and adding lighting and signage.
Plans to revitalize the Ozark Civic Center, including lighting and mechanical upgrades and sound and stage improvements, have been finalized. The project, valued at more than $1.2 million, is a partnership between the city of Ozark and Alabama Power.
Last year, Ozark’s historic Holman House opened a military museum that honors the legacy of Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel, the namesake of Fort Novosel, and the legacy of the Warrant Officer Corps.
The Geneva County Commission received $1 million in state funds for a new multipurpose agricultural complex. The approximately 50,000-square-foot Ag-Plex will be built on the property of the current Geneva County Farm Center and will be used by local schools, the Cattlemen’s Association, the Auburn Extension office and for agricultural events. The facility is expected to be complete this fall.
The city of Geneva also celebrated the opening of a new splash pad in May 2024. It is the first phase of a project that plans to bring an amphitheater, playground, pavilions, walking trails and Wi-Fi to downtown Geneva.
Regional industry is fueled in part by a variety of workforce development programs and high school dual enrollment opportunities offered by Enterprise State Community College; the Alabama Aviation Center, a unit of ESCC; and Wallace Community College – Dothan.
The city of Enterprise and ESCC broke ground on a $10 million workforce development center. The new facility will house the college’s mechatronics, automotive and welding programs. Construction is expected to be complete by fall 2025.
In response to growing demand, ESCC has added a nursing bridge program, a three-semester practical nursing program and an associate degree nursing mobility program, as well as new dual enrollment programs in welding and automotive technology.
Through the Alabama Community College System’s Innovation Center Skills for Success program, ESCC students and area high school students can participate in free industry-recognized non-credit training in areas including heavy equipment operation, mental health assistant, fiber optics and more.
WCCD’s Workforce Development division and Wiregrass area high schools have also partnered to provide free career training programs through the ACCS Skills for Success initiative. The hybrid training model combines online theoretical instruction with hands-on lab experiences either at the high schools or on WCCD campuses.
The Alabama Aviation College offers career training in automation and manufacturing through its Mechatronics program. The college also has partnerships with several school systems in the region to train high school students for high-demand careers in aviation maintenance, avionics and mechatronics.
Katherine MacGilvray is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
For more on Coffee, Dale & Geneva counties, see the links below:
This story appears in the March 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
