Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair led an Alabama delegation at the 46th annual Southeast U.S.-Japan (SEUS-Japan) Alliance joint meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, this week to reinforce ties with one of the state’s key economic partners.
The three-day event, which began Sunday, brought together leaders from the Southeast U.S. and Japan to strengthen economic ties, explore new business opportunities and foster collaborative relationships in key sectors.
The SEUS-Japan Alliance, established to promote trade and investment between Japan and seven Southeastern states, has been a vital platform for enhancing Alabama’s partnerships with Japanese businesses.
The state is home to numerous Japanese companies, particularly in the automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors.
“Alabama’s relationship with Japan is one of the cornerstones of our state’s economic growth,” McNair said. “Over the years, Japanese investment has created thousands of jobs in Alabama, from automotive manufacturing to chemicals and materials production.
“This meeting gives us the chance to not only reinforce those ties but also explore new areas of collaboration in emerging industries like EVs and renewable energy,” she said.
At the joint meeting, McNair and other Alabama leaders held talks with senior executives from top Japanese firms with operations in Alabama and across the Southeast. Discussions focused on expanding investment in the state’s growing industries, such as electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, aerospace and renewable energy.
The theme of the joint meeting at the Charlotte Convention Center was “Shaping the Future with Partnership, Innovation and Growth.”
Pharmavite has operated a factory in Opelika since 2013 and employs more than 600 workers. The company is investing $12 million to expand and improve its operations. (Adam Sparks)
Economic bonds
Alabama has seen steady growth in Japanese foreign direct investment during the past decade, with significant contributions to the state’s automotive and industrial manufacturing base.
Japanese businesses have a significant presence in Alabama, spanning various industries.
The strongest sector is automotive manufacturing, led by major companies such as Honda, Toyota and Mazda, as well as a host of suppliers including Topre America and North American Lighting. These firms are critical players in the state’s automotive industry.
Other Japanese companies in Alabama are active in sectors like chemicals, steel, advanced materials and pharmaceuticals.
Daikin and Toray are involved in the manufacturing of materials like chemicals and composites in Decatur. Pharmavite, a subsidiary of Japan’s Otsuka Holdings, produces vitamins at a facility in Opelika. Asahi Kasei has a plant in Athens that manufactures industrial plastic pellets.
These companies not only contribute to Alabama’s economy through capital investments but also through job creation, with thousands of jobs linked to these operations across the state.
Additionally, Japan is a prime destination for Alabama exports, which totaled nearly $1 billion in 2023, according to Alabama Department of Commerce data.
“Our goal at SEUS-Japan is to showcase Alabama as a premier destination for investment and innovation,” said Christina Stimpson, director of the Office of International Trade within the Department of Commerce.
“The partnerships we’ve built with Japanese companies have fueled significant economic momentum, and we’re committed to continuing this progress by strengthening our trade ties and attracting new investment to key sectors that will drive our economy into the future,” Stimpson said.
The Alabama Mobility and Power (AMP) Center at the University of Alabama serves as an innovation hub for electric vehicle technology and is represented at this week’s Southeast U.S.-Japan Alliance meeting. (contributed)
Alabama team
Members of the Alabama delegation at SEUS Japan included Ed Castile, director of AIDT and deputy commerce secretary; Mark Jackson, honorary consul general of Japan for Alabama; and Mike Swinson, executive director of the Japan-America Society of Alabama.
Also attending were representatives from the Alabama operations of Japanese companies, community leaders and economic development specialists from across the state.
Oliver Hampton, chief data officer of Birmingham’s Southern Research, and Mike Oatridge, executive director of the Alabama Mobility and Power Center (AMP) at the University of Alabama, took part in panel discussions at the event.
Oatridge said the AMP Center serves as an innovation hub for electric vehicle (EV) technology, supporting manufacturing, supplier, raw materials and consumer economies. This combination of innovation and support in one location provides the capacity for the AMP Center to lead the transformation of the Southeastern EV ecosystem, he said.
“Electric vehicles, power infrastructure and related supply chains will bring significant economic development opportunities to the region, for both existing industry and new startup businesses,” Oatridge said. “The AMP Center intends to grasp these opportunities by leveraging the significant research capabilities of the University of Alabama, providing private industry use-inspired solutions to critical issues that hinder mass adoption of electric vehicles.”
This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.