Baldwin County Takes No. 2 Spot

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A magazine that tracks economic development
projects nationwide has named Baldwin County 2008's second most
successful non-metro area at growing and attracting business.
The county tied with Tupelo, Miss., for the No. 2 spot on the
annual list that ranks 600 areas with more than 50,000 people but
no large cities.
Baldwin County had for years been a part of the Mobile
metropolitan area, but is now designated the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley
micropolitan area by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The ranking appears in Site Selection's March online issue.
Robert Ingram, president of the Baldwin County Economic
Development Alliance, pointed out that Baldwin County has ranked in
the top 1 percent of micro areas for three consecutive years.
The county reports it landed projects promising $38 million in
investment and 342 jobs in 2008.
In compiling its rankings, the industrial recruitment magazine
considers projects in which companies invest at least $1 million,
build a structure of at least 20,000 square feet or hire at least
50 people.
Baldwin had 12 such projects in 2008.
Site Selection also ranks the top metros. In Alabama, Decatur
tied for third and Tuscaloosa tied for eighth among the smallest
metro areas -- those with 200,000 or fewer people.
As for top micros, Statesville-Mooresville, N.C. was in the No.
1 spot. Other Alabama areas that made the list were Cullman at No.
14; Valley at 26; and Fort Payne, which tied for 65th.