Hyundai to build innovative engine in Alabama
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama will be among the first plants in the world to produce an innovative engine the automaker has developed. Hyundai unveiled the world’s first continuously variable valve duration (CVVD) engine in South Korea earlier this month alongside the Smartstream G1.6 T-GDi engine that will feature the new technology. – ANC
Montgomery Airport in final phase of upgrades
A Federal Aviation Administration grant will allow the Montgomery Regional Airport to enter the final phase of a long-range refurbishment project the complex began almost a decade ago. The airport is receiving a $935,112 Airport Improvement Program grant from the FAA that will be used for improvements to MGM’s main taxiway, Taxiway Alpha. – AL.com
Alabama looks at ramping up online sales regulation
Many took to their computers and phones Monday to try to score the best deals possible during Amazon Prime Day. “It is becoming one of the biggest online shopping days, because of the promotion going into it,” said Melissa Warnke of the Alabama Retail Association. Lawmakers and retailers are paying close attention to online sales tax collection. – WIAT
Toyota Boshoku project progressing in Athens
Work on the future Toyota Boshoku manufacturing facility on West Sanderfer Road in Athens is now in its fourth month and is on schedule to wrap up in mid-2020, a company spokesperson said this week. Doug Shields, senior vice president for Toyota Boshoku America Inc., said steel framing should begin arriving at the site Wednesday, with installation set to last through October. Birmingham-based Gray Construction is the lead contractor on the project. – EnewsCourier
Alabama smart home device company acquired
A New Jersey-based smart device company has acquired Mobile’s Centralite Systems. Ezlo Innovation announced today it has acquired the company for an undisclosed amount. Centralite Systems is the maker of the Centralite line of consumer and white-labeled smart home devices. – AL.com
Visit by German official underlines investment in state
A key German minister swooped into the deep South last week to call attention to the huge investment in the State of Alabama by Mercedes-Benz to blunt a renewed push for European tariffs. The visit to Tuscaloosa, by German Minister for Economic and Energy Affairs Peter Altmaier, comes at the same time as new reports that the Trump administration is once again moving towards imposing tariffs on European-made goods, including vehicles. – The Detroit Bureau
Construction Partners acquires asphalt plant near Gadsden
Construction Partners Inc., a civil infrastructure company specializing in the construction and maintenance of roadways across five southeastern states, has acquired a hot mix asphalt manufacturing plant and paving company located near Gadsden. – News release
