Houston County
Health Care: Lifeline of the region
Houston County’s health care industry is not only Dothan’s largest employer but a regional hub for medical services in southeastern Alabama, southwest Georgia and the Florida Panhandle. Anchored by major institutions such as Southeast Health, Flowers Hospital and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM), the health care sector contributes significantly to both employment and economic output in the region.
Southeast Health alone employs thousands of professionals and serves hundreds of thousands of patients annually. Its comprehensive services — including a regional trauma center, advanced cardiovascular care and a robust cancer center — draw patients from a tri-state area. Meanwhile, ACOM contributes to the training and retention of medical professionals, ensuring a sustainable pipeline of talent and innovation within the region.
Health care also fosters numerous auxiliary industries, including pharmaceuticals, medical equipment suppliers and health IT services, creating ripple effects throughout the local economy.
Steel: Forging strength and stability
Houston County’s steel industry plays a vital role in the local economy. Home to several steel-processing and fabrication companies, the city has become a niche center for steel production and transformation. Companies like Qualico Steel, Covenant Steel, APEC Metals, Dothan Steel, Sabel Steel and many more companies provide specialized products for a wide range of applications including construction and industrial manufacturing.
This sector benefits from Dothan’s proximity to raw materials, rail infrastructure and regional highways, enabling efficient distribution and supply chain integration. Steel’s importance to other regional industries, such as aerospace and construction, makes it a backbone of the industrial landscape in Houston County.
Distribution: Logistics hub of the Wiregrass
Thanks to its strategic location near the crossroads of U.S. Highways 231, 431 and 84, Houston County has emerged as a logistics and distribution hub for the Southeast. Distribution centers in Dothan serve retailers, food and beverage companies and industrial suppliers.
Notably, Dothan’s infrastructure includes an efficient rail system and the Dothan Regional Airport, enhancing its appeal for companies looking for multi-modal logistics solutions. The city’s industrial parks house warehouses and logistics providers that benefit from low operational costs and quick access to major markets like Atlanta, Birmingham and the Gulf Coast.
The growing demand for e-commerce fulfillment and last-mile delivery is expected to further boost this sector, driving continued investment in distribution facilities and supply chain services.
Major distribution companies in the Houston County market are AAA Cooper Transportation, McLane Trucking, Dothan Warehouse, AMX Trucking, Summerford Trucking and others.
Aviation and aerospace: Soaring toward the future
The Dothan Regional Airport provides fast and reliable service to Atlanta via Delta multiple times per day. The Dothan and Houston County region has carved out a growing niche in aviation and defense-related services. A key player in this sector is Commercial Jet Services, which operates a large maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the Dothan Regional Airport. The facility provides aircraft maintenance for commercial airlines and military contracts, employing skilled technicians and engineers.
CAE USA also calls the Dothan Regional Airport home. CAE USA provides live, virtual and constructive training to the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force, plus many other customers. This facility provides fixed- and rotary-wing training for more than 800 military pilots annually.
In addition, Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker), located nearby, is a major training base for U.S. Army aviation. While technically outside Dothan’s city limits, its economic impact on the region is significant, generating business for aviation parts suppliers, training contractors and simulation technology companies.
Dothan’s technical colleges and workforce development programs also are instrumental in preparing the labor force for careers in aerospace and advanced manufacturing.
Food processing: Feeding the region and beyond
Houston County’s agricultural roots have evolved into a thriving food processing industry that leverages local produce and livestock to supply national and international markets. Often referred to as the “Peanut Capital of the World,” Houston County is surrounded by vast peanut fields and is home to multiple processing facilities that convert raw peanuts into consumer products.
Major players include Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts and Southern Ag Carriers, which process, package and ship peanuts and other agricultural commodities across the globe. In addition to peanuts, Dothan supports poultry processing, dairy product manufacturing and frozen food packaging. These operations not only sustain local farmers but also provide critical employment opportunities in plant operations, logistics and quality control.
With rising global demand for food exports and increased automation, Dothan’s food processing industry is poised for further growth, especially as companies look for cost-effective and strategically located production centers.
Forestry and wood products: From forests to finished goods
Forestry is another longstanding industry in the Wiregrass region, and Houston County plays a central role in processing and distributing wood and timber-based products. Surrounded by pine forests, the area supports a range of operations from sawmills to furniture manufacturers.
Houston County is home to businesses that produce various wood products, such as SmartLam, Peak Renewables, Summerford Pallet and many more, which are shipped across the United States and the globe. These manufacturers benefit from local timber resources, skilled labor and efficient transportation networks.
Environmental sustainability is becoming a focal point for the industry, with many companies investing in reforestation, renewable energy integration and green building materials. These developments help ensure the long-term viability and economic impact of the forestry sector in and around Houston County.
General manufacturing: A diverse industrial base
Dothan’s general manufacturing sector is a diverse and dynamic part of the local economy, encompassing everything from plastics to electronics and fabricated metal products. This diversity provides a cushion against economic downturns in any single industry and supports a broad employment base.
Companies such as Michelin North America, Dunbarton Corp., Key Fire Hose Corp., MaTex Hose, U.S. Coupling & Accessories, ID Associates, Globe Motors (now a division of Allied Motion) and many more have operations in or near Dothan, producing high-value components for domestic and international markets.
Workforce training programs tailored to manufacturing skills — like CNC machining, robotics and industrial maintenance — ensure a steady supply of qualified labor. These initiatives position Dothan and Houston County as a competitive location for both existing manufacturers and new industrial investments. Most recently, Southern Roots Nut Co. now calls Dothan home, where they process, store and distribute pecans.
Henry County
Agriculture and forestry
Agriculture and forestry are Henry County’s main economic engines. Abbeville is home to Great Southern Wood Preserving, makers of YellaWood. Combined with its sister company, Greenbush Logistics Inc., the operation has approximately 1,200 employees in 16 locations.
In addition, Abbeville’s TriDelta Systems is the second-largest industrial employer in Henry County. TriDelta is a multi-faceted systems automation, engineering, industrial design manufacturing and technology company.
Golden Peanut, in Headland, offers a full line of premium wholesale peanut products, including raw peanuts, peanut oil, peanut flour or hull and fiber.
Business Briefs:
HOUSTON COUNTY
MAY 2025: National tech repair retailer uBreakiFix by Asurion has opened in Dothan.
JUNE 2024: Peak Renewables opens its $30 million pellet manufacturing facility with 25 workers.
MAY 2024: Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce partners with the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and Innovate Alabama in Fuel Alabama, aiming to attract and retain college interns.
APRIL 2024: Southern Roots Nut Co. announced plans for a pecan processing and distribution center in Sam Houston Industrial Park, a $17 million investment creating 120 jobs.
MARCH 2024: Dothan’s Industrial Development Board, with support from the state of Alabama, city of Dothan and Houston County, acquires a 446-acre industrial site with the Alabama SEEDs program.
FEBRUARY 2024: Dothan’s Industrial Development Board breaks ground on an 86-acre industrial park at Napier Field Road. The project is a partnership among the board, the city, Houston County, Alabama Power Co. and the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce.
JULY 2023: Construction is completed on a 100,000-square-foot speculative building at Sam Houston Industrial Park.
JANUARY 2024: Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and Engineered Systems Inc. were recognized by the Business Council of Alabama and Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama as the small business of the year.
SEPTEMBER 2023: Grow Dothan, a public-private partnership for economic development at the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, celebrates 30 years.
AUGUST 2023: Wiregrass legislators announced funding for $20 million for the new Wiregrass Innovation Center. The facility will be built in downtown Dothan in a partnership with the city, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and the Wiregrass Foundation.
HENRY COUNTY
MARCH 2025: Oldcastle APG opens a 14,000-square-foot wood mulch bagging facility in Abbeville, a $5.4 million investment creating 20 jobs.
DECEMBER 2024: Abbeville Municipal Airport celebrates completion of a $10 million project to extend the runway by more than 5,000 feet.
2024: Five existing industries in Henry County invested $11.4 million in expanding and improving their facilities: Greenbush Wood Products, Abbeville Fiber, Headland Wood Products, Red Star Yeast and Alabama Crop Improvement Association.
This article appears in the July 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
