Alabama’s Department of Commerce on Monday unveiled a new campaign designed to shine the spotlight on the state’s rural areas – and how they’re ripe for economic development.
Commerce unveiled its RurAL website and will soon launch a marketing campaign focused on Alabama’s towns and counties with fewer than 50,000 residents
“Economic development in rural communities faces specific challenges that are not present in big cities, but these areas also have significant growth potential to be unlocked,” said Greg Canfield, Alabama’s secretary of Commerce. “We think the rural Alabama campaign will help us move the needle in that direction.”
RurAL complements Made in Alabama, the website and campaign that Commerce uses to showcase the entire state.
“We are embarking upon a marketing campaign … so that rural Alabama can get the recognition it deserves for the industries that are here and the quality of life that exists throughout these areas,” said Brenda Tuck, rural development manager for the Department of Commerce.
Tuck said RurAL will build on success that rural areas have already seen.
“Our rural counties are home to some of Alabama’s greatest industries and businesses – the pulp and paper industry,” she said. Those include the pulp and paper industry and suppliers for the automobile manufacturers.
“The list goes on and on, but if you ask the average person in Alabama, they may not think that much is happening in rural Alabama,” Tuck added. “Like any other areas, metro or rural, there is much work to do to continue the success in some counties and bring up the level of competitiveness in others. The efforts of this department do bring this to the forefront.”
The goal of RurAL is to show that “rural communities in the state are well positioned for economic growth and job creation,” Canfield said. “The attributes and advantages present in rural Alabama are worth celebrating, and this campaign will allow us to widely chare those messages.”
