Spotlight on Colbert & Lauderdale counties

These two counties tout their musical heritage in attracting businesses and residents to the area

Downtown Florence. Photo by @billingsley_photography.

Colbert and Lauderdale counties, in the northwest corner of Alabama, are known as the Shoals. With beautiful natural resources, tourism, quality of life for residents and visitors and robust economic development, the four main cities — Florence, Tuscumbia, Muscle Shoals and Sheffield — are very desirable places to live.

The Tennessee River, pretty downtowns and major projects that add amenities for all ages are common here. Many throughout the world have heard of the Shoals’ music heritage; Tuscumbia is the childhood home of Helen Keller; and W.C. Handy, the “father of the blues,” hailed from Florence. All these things provide a rich historical backdrop and popular events that attract visitors worldwide. The Shoals area is known for sports tourism as well.

The Shoals Economic Development Authority has several goals in mind with a multi-faceted approach. While they have targeted automotive suppliers, information technology, advanced manufacturing and aerospace industries, another very tangible target is music and film production, officials say.

Rattlesnake Saloon. Photo courtesy of the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

That sector, building on the area’s heritage as the Hit Recording Capital of the World, is growing through the Shoals Music Makers Recording Incentive, a support and point of contact for those who wish to record or film in the area. Eligible applicants for the incentive program can receive up to 30% of their budget back.

Since it started two years ago, the program has brought in 31 artists and musicians, $240,000 and generated one Grammy.

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Another successful, out-of-the-box program is Remote Shoals, which offers workers from all over the chance to receive up to $10,000 to relocate to the Shoals. Launched in 2019, and recently funded again through June 2025, the Remote Shoals program has brought 130 remote workers to the region and a total of 260 newcomers. To date, more than 3,000 people have applied.

Another program, the Shoals Alabama Launchpad, is a competitive grant-awarding program that nurtures startup businesses. The Shoals Business Incubator, open since 1992, has encouraged more than 150 businesses and created more than 1,500 jobs. And Shoals Shift works to expand the area’s digital technology cluster and build a tech hub.

The economic development agency owns all of the industrial parks in the two counties, and its work is supported by a half-cent sales tax that goes into the Shoals Economic Development Fund. The fund helps pay for speculative buildings, incentives and other assistance. This has resulted in major industry announcements that bring many jobs. Two new spec buildings are planned.

The largest manufacturing employers in the Shoals include North American Lighting, an auto supplier; Constellium, which makes aluminum; Essity, a paper products company; Linamar, which makes EV battery trays; Tarkett Alabama, which makes vinyl flooring; and Southwire Co., which makes insulated copper wire.

Another major economic engine is the Florence-Lauderdale County Port Authority, handling tons of material, storing and shipping products locally and beyond. The port continues to grow, as does the Northwest Alabama Regional Airport.

Aerospace is still a major goal. Recently, Florida-based AE Industrial Partners acquired the 2 million-square-foot, 638-acre facility originally built to produce railroad cars. The goal is to renovate it to serve as an aerospace center of excellence, officials say.

The Renaissance Tower provides a birds-eye view of Wilson Lake. Photo by @billingsley_photography.

The Shoals also is a health care and retail hub for the region. School systems work to provide opportunities for K-12 students, as well as adult learners. An Innovation Center will soon open in Florence for Lauderdale County schools, and a partnership will open a Workforce Development Center for students and adults who need skills training or retraining. The region also is home to the University of North Alabama, a community college and a four-year private college.

Cities are always busy with improvement projects. The Tennessee River provides a beautiful backdrop for riverwalk parks, trails and other amenities. Several high-dollar projects, such as a new UNA stadium, a sportsplex in Muscle Shoals and more, highlight the growth here.

Lori Chandler Pruitt is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

For more on Colbert and Lauderdale counties, see the links below:

Economic Engines

Health Care

Higher Education

Movers & Shapers

Community Development

Culture & Recreation

This story appears in the October 2024 issue of Business Alabama.

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