Redstone Arsenal
Madison County is home to a thriving aerospace and defense technology industry, much of which centers on the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal, a 38,000-acre federal installation located in the center of the community. The arsenal is a Federal Center of Excellence with 65 tenant organizations, including the FBI and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and contributes $36.2 billion to Alabama’s economy, accounts for 58% of the Gross Regional Product for the Tennessee Valley and provides more than 90,000 jobs in the region.
The installation’s newest tenants include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering and Support Center, the Army Futures Command Contested Logistics Cross-Functional Team and the Space Development Agency.
To accommodate growth, the arsenal is partnering with the city of Huntsville, Alabama Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration on an interchange modification project to increase access from I-565 to the Arsenal. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.
FBI
The FBI’s presence on the arsenal continues to grow. Employment has risen from 500 full-time employees in 2018 to more than 2,000 today, with the capacity for 5,000 by 2028.
A 250,000-square-foot Innovation Center dedicated to training, cyber-threat intelligence and digital forensics recently was completed. Projects in the works include Tech Buildings 2 and 3, expected to be completed at the end of 2026, and warehouse, shipping and receiving expansions. A multipurpose range complex, which will accommodate small- and large-scale training events, and practical problem venues that provide realistic testing and training scenarios are in the preconstruction phase.
Marshall Space Flight Center
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville is celebrating its 65th year of service to the U.S. space program in 2025. The team at Marshall is leading development of NASA’s Space Launch System to carry explorers and payloads deeper into space than ever before. Other active missions and programs include the Human Landing System that will take astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis program, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and supporting the International Space Station.
Marshall is one of NASA’s largest field centers and has a significant economic impact by supporting thousands of jobs and investing millions of dollars in research and development. In 2024, NASA accounted for 35,494 jobs and more than $265 million in state tax revenue, according to the annual update it provided the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber in December. Marshall also regularly collaborates with local K-12 and higher education institutions to support STEM education.
CUMMINGS RESEARCH PARK
The country’s second-largest science and technology research park is home to more than 300 companies, including Fortune 500 companies, high-tech enterprises, U.S. space and defense agencies, business incubators and higher education institutions. Anchor tenants include Teledyne Brown Engineering, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Lockheed Martin, Calhoun Community College, Adtran, Dynetics and HudsonAlpha, and Cummings Research Park (CRP) continues to attract leading companies.
Last year, the city of Huntsville approved a development agreement with Glaukos Corp., a global ophthalmic pharmaceutical and medical technology company, to build a multimillion-dollar research, development and manufacturing facility in CRP on 25 acres adjacent to the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. The multi-year, $82 million project will bring 154 full-time jobs to the region by 2030.
CFD Research Corp. expanded its operations in CRP with the addition of a 21,967-square-foot facility in the former Davidson Technologies building.
Also last year, Special Aerospace Service broke ground on a 40,000-square-foot facility, which includes 30,000 square feet of flexible manufacturing space. The new facility will create up to 60 new jobs.
HudsonAlpha
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology’s 152-acre campus in Cummings Research Park is home to more than 50 associate companies that support genomics-based research to improve human health and well-being.
In 2024, HudsonAlpha earned the Innovate Alabama Network Designation and was awarded a $250,000 Innovate Alabama grant to support two key initiatives:
funding the HudsonAlpha Shared Lab on the Huntsville campus to support startups and entrepreneurs with small R&D operations and minimal capital and
funding a maker’s space in the Izell Reese Community Center in Dothan, a collaboration with HudsonAlpha Wiregrass.
In 2023, HudsonAlpha opened a 93,000-square-foot building that serves as a global headquarters for Discovery Life Sciences and unites the company’s products and services, including genomics, proteomics, molecular pathology, flow cytometry and cell biology, under one roof. It also houses one of the world’s most extensive commercial biospecimen inventories. The facility was funded by the state of Alabama, Madison County and the city of Huntsville.
MANUFACTURING
The manufacturing industry in Madison County consists of aerospace, defense, automotive, electronics and other advanced technology production companies.
Blue Origin joined Madison County’s manufacturing community in 2020 when it opened a rocket engine production facility in Cummings Research Park. The company conducts tests at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and recently launched its inaugural New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral.
With nearly 2,000 employees, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama is among the top ten industrial employers in Madison County. The Huntsville plant supplies more than a third of all engines for Toyota’s North American operations, and last year it celebrated the assembly of its 10-millionth engine.
PORT OF HUNTSVILLE
The Port of Huntsville serves as Alabama’s inland gateway for international commerce and is the busiest air cargo and intermodal facility in the state. The Port encompasses 7,400 acres and is home to Huntsville International Airport (HSV), the International Intermodal Center, Jetplex Industrial Park and Spaceport. The Port has a total regional economic impact of more than $1.8 billion. Revenue sources include commercial passenger air service, rail cargo, air cargo, land purchase and lease and airport-owned and leased facilities.
HSV, the largest commercial airport in north Alabama, set a new travel record in 2024, serving more than 1.6 million travelers, an 11% increase over 2023.
The International Intermodal Center serves as a single hub for receiving, storing, transferring and distributing domestic and international cargo by air, rail and highway. U.S. Customs and Border Protection port inspectors, USDA inspectors, freight forwarders and customs brokers are located onsite.
The 4,000-acre JetPlex Industrial Park is home to more than 70 companies representing seven countries and a variety of industries, including automotive suppliers, electronics, aviation/aerospace, office and lab, aircraft MRO, unmanned aerial systems and office development.
TOURISM
Madison County remains the second most-visited county in Alabama, after Baldwin County. According to the Alabama Tourism Department’s economic impact report, Madison County welcomed nearly 4 million visitors in 2023 with an economic impact of roughly $2.4 billion, a 15% increase over 2022 and a new record for the county. As a result of those travel expenditures, households in Madison County saved more than $1,300 in additional taxes. Tourism also supports 23,355 jobs in the county.
Sports tourism is starting to have a significant impact in Madison County, and 2024 was a record-setting year. Huntsville hosted 68 events with an economic impact of more than $50 million. The Conference USA men’s and women’s basketball championships were hosted for the first time in Huntsville and had a $3.2 million impact. Other notable events included the USA Table Tennis National Championships, the NJCAA Division II men’s and women’s soccer championships, the Major League Fishing Toyota Series Championship at Ditto Landing, the NCAA Division II Cross County South Regional and the Huntsville Marathon, which set a record with 4,000 participants.
HIGHER EDUCATION
The University of Alabama in Huntsville and Alabama A&M University are both leading employers in Madison County and contribute millions annually through employment, research and student spending. The county also is home to Drake State Community & Technical College and Oakwood University, and Calhoun Community College and Faulkner University both have satellite campuses in Huntsville.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
MARCH 2025: The city of Huntsville receives a $50,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Greater Huntsville to help fund an arboretum project in John Hunt Park. The three-acre park will meet the Arbor Day Foundation requirements for a level II arboretum and include 100 different species of native trees.
MARCH 2025: Huntsville Hospital begins a $150 million tower expansion project that will add 120 private beds, a new Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, a new Neuro Intensive Care Unit, three floors of acute medical space and a new Emergency Department vehicle entrance.
FEBRUARY 2025: Pearce Construction Co. receives a nearly $2.5 million contract to add a second floor to the open-air pavilion at John Hunt Park’s sand volleyball courts and make other improvements to the facility. The two-phase project is expected to wrap up by fall 2026.
FEBRUARY 2025: Science and Engineering Services LLC opens a new 111,000-square-foot facility at Huntsville International Airport. The company provides system development, maintenance, modification, integration, training and contractor logistics support of rotary and fixed wing aircraft for the U.S. government and foreign military partners.
FEBRUARY 2025: Bank47, formerly LifeSteps Bank and Trust, establishes its headquarters in Huntsville.
JANUARY 2025: The city of Huntsville and Breeze Airways reach an agreement that will add six new non-stop destinations from Huntsville International Airport. The airline will receive $10,000 per month in base incentive payment to meet the threshold.
SEPTEMBER 2024: Toyota Alabama assembles its 10-millionth engine, an i-Force MAX 2.4-liter for the Tacoma hybrid. The facility assembles more than 777,000 engines a year, a third of all Toyota engines in North America.
SEPTEMBER 2024: Teledyne Brown Engineering wins a $476 million NASA contract to provide Earth observation data and other services.
JANUARY 2025: Signature Aviation unveils a renovated facility at Huntsville International Airport that adds more than 2,500 square feet of new space for travelers, a redesigned entrance and ramp expansion and a dedicated lounge for military personnel.
DECEMBER 2024: The city of Huntsville approves a development agreement with Glaukos Corp. to build a multimillion-dollar research, development and manufacturing facility in Cummings Research Park. The multi-year project represents an $82 million capital expenditure and will bring 154 full-time jobs to the region by 2030.
DECEMBER 2024: QinetiQ US announces its expansion into Huntsville. The move allows the defense and national security company to better support critical programs such as the recently awarded U.S. Army Aerial Target Systems 3 contract, which supports the U.S. Army’s Threat Systems Management Office at Redstone Arsenal.
JULY 2024: UAH announces a search for a master developer to restore the 58-acre former Executive Plaza site into a multi-use “college town” district with housing, dining, entertainment, recreation, conference and hotel facilities.
NOVEMBER 2024: The city of Huntsville finalizes agreements for the Mill Creek redevelopment project, including formally accepting a $50 million Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The development is a partnership with Huntsville Housing Authority that will invest $350 million into a mixed-income community with workforce housing, medical and childcare services and retail options.
NOVEMBER 2024: SpaceFactory, an industry leader in space and terrestrial construction technology, announces it will relocate its headquarters to Huntsville, where it will expand its lunar research and advanced manufacturing divisions.
SEPTEMBER 2024: Construction wraps up on Arcadia, a $56.8 million, 250-apartment community in Cummings Research Park, offering studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units and an array of amenities.
JUNE 2024: MartinFederal Consulting LLC receives a Blanket Purchasing Agreement under the FBI IT Supplies and Support Services 2nd Generation (ITSSS-2) contract vehicle. ITSSS-2 has an estimated ceiling value of $8 billion and establishes a mechanism for providing contractor expertise to FBI programs over the next eight years and will be available for use by the FBI and all DOJ components.
JUNE 2024: Special Aerospace Services, a space and defense engineering, hardware and communications technology solutions platform, breaks ground on a 40,000-square-foot facility at Cummings Research Park. The new facility will create up to 60 new jobs.
JUNE 2024: Huntsville City Council approves funds for the Pinook Creek Pedestrian Access and Redevelopment Corridor project, including a proposed skybridge walkway over Memorial Parkway.
JUNE 2024: Skyfire Consulting, a public safety UAS consulting company, announces its relocation from Atlanta to Huntsville, thanks to a partnership between the city of Huntsville and Huntsville International Airport. The company’s new headquarters will be part of more than 2,000 acres of an FAA-designated test site.
MAY 2024: The U.S. Army awards Lockheed Martin a $756 million contract to deliver additional capability for the nation’s ground-based hypersonic weapon system, the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon.
MAY 2024: City officials celebrate the opening of the new Huntsville City Hall building. The seven-story building features 175,000 square feet of administrative space and houses city government departments, including the mayor’s office, city council and other offices.
APRIL 2024: Huntsville Hospital celebrates the opening of the Gateway Medical Clinic outside the gates of Redstone Arsenal. The clinic serves patients 18 and older and offers primary care services, labs, ultrasounds, complete physicals for sports participation or employment, preventative medical screenings, collaborative care of patients with chronic medical conditions and immunizations for those traveling abroad.
APRIL 2024: Raytheon, an RTX business, breaks ground on a $115 million, 26,000-square-foot expansion of the Redstone Raytheon Missile Integration Facility that will increase the factory’s space by more than 50%.
JANUARY 2024: Frontier Technology Inc. invests roughly $10 million to expand its cyber operations facility in Huntsville by 25,000 square feet. The company provides mission-tailored services and solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense and the intelligence community.
JANUARY 2024: The city of Huntsville approves a $15.3 million contract to expand the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall at the Von Braun Center. The project includes a 12,000-square-foot addition, as well as roughly 6,000 square feet of renovated backstage space.
This article appears in the May 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
