TK Building Honors Late Executive

TK Building Honors Late Executive (Added: September 15, 2009)

The life of a former Thyssenkrupp executive killed in the Air France crash last June is celebrated as company officials name a learning center in his memory. (more)

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The life of a former Thyssenkrupp executive killed in the Air France crash last June is celebrated, as company officials name a learning center in his memory.

By: Jessica Taloney | WKRG-TV
Published: September 15, 2009

Erich Heine dreamed of one day seeing the completion of a $4.65 million steel complex in Southwest Alabama.

Heine, a member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, played a critical role in the negotiations that brought the German steel giant to Calvert.

"This project and the town of Mobile really had a special place in Erich's heart," said his wife, Alet, who joined Alabama Governor Bob Riley and Heine's former colleagues as Thyssenkrupp unveiled a learning center in his memory.

Heine, 41, died in June when Air France flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. None of the 228 passengers traveling from Rio De Janeiro to Paris survived.

The Erich Heine Learning Center began training workers several weeks ago, but Tuesday's ribbon cutting was the official dedication of the building.

"He was so passionate," said Edwin Eichler, CEO of Thyssenkrupp Materials. "We have to fulfill his mission."

A spokesperson for the steel maker says production at parts of the Calvert plant will begin in 2010.