Hadrian plant is ‘game changer’ for Alabama
THE ISSUE: The joint project of the U.S. Navy and Hadrian is a “once in a lifetime” industrial announcement that could become a “game changer” for northwest Alabama, bringing in more than 800 high technology artificial intelligence jobs that will shape the future of our industrial manufacturing.
Amidst the pomp of Friday’s ribbon cutting for the $360 million submarine components production facility at the Barton Riverfront Industrial Park was an equally important sidenote: This could be just the first of at least three defense industry projects for northwest Alabama.
Last week when the project was announced, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., hinted the joint project between the U.S. Navy and Hadrian would unleash “a new Maritime Golden Age.” And then on Thursday, Shoals Economic Development Authority (SEDA) President Kevin Jackson hinted at such a possibility, calling the industrial project a “game changer” for the area.
“We are super excited about what the future is for the Shoals and what we hope is going to be our own mini-Redstone Arsenal,” Jackson said. “We will become a destination for maritime and defense manufacturing.”
Friday, U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan capped the pre-event hype with his own prediction: The Hadrian facility that will be build at the Barton Riverfront Industrial Park will be the first of three plants focusing on construction of the Columbia and Virginia Class of submarines. And while Phelan said he couldn’t talk about specifics. He did acknowledge there are ongoing conversations with Hadrian about the possibilities of locating other facilities in Barton Riverfront Industrial Park.
The Hadrian plant will bring an estimated 888 jobs to the Shoals with an average wage of $35.24 an hour. And Jackson said those 800plus jobs area a conservative estimate that could top 1,000 before the first phase of Hadrian’s project is completed.
Best of all is the type of jobs Hadrian will bring to the Shoals – high-tech artificial intelligence jobs that combine advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing and ribbon machine welding to make submarine components. It’s the kind of jobs that will shape the future of industrial manufacturing.
There were two additional positives Jackson outlined before Friday’s ribbon-cutting on Thursday, one of which is a much-needed component of Hadrian’s operation.
“We’re actively working on getting our port built in Barton,” Jackson said. “We have a good partnership with TVA on that. They have been very helpful and we’re going to develop a port for this project and everything at that campus. It’ll be designed for defense components and high value national security assets.”
Second, there will be the spinoff industries that will come as part of the project. Jackson noted some of those industries have already indicated an interest in becoming part of defense efforts at the park. Other spinoffs will develop as the project nears completion. Some of those industries could opt to locate in the Shoals, but others will likely set up operations in nearby cities and counties.
How much the area benefits depends on how residents of northwest Alabama embrace the challenge Hadrian has accepted to improve the U.S. Navy.
“This isn’t a contract, it’s a commitment,” Hadrian founder and CEO Chris Power said. “The important thing of all of this is: Yes, we’re going to be highly automated. But the Alabama people come to work and step up to the fight and in this moment of production it’s going to come down to whether folks in Alabama can step up and deliver in an absolute time of need.”
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said the project’s long-term success will rely on the people living and working in this area.
“He (President Donald Trump) knows the people of Alabama can get it done for this country,” Tuberville said.
