BHM: An Aerospace and Aviation Destination

The Birmingham Region is centrally located in the Southeastern United States, making it a natural logistics and transportation hub. It’s within a day’s drive of major metros like Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, Charlotte and the Gulf Coast, giving companies access to over 150 million consumers within a 500-mile radius.

Birmingham sits at the intersection of two major interstates (I-20 and I-65) and is served by additional highways (I-59, I-459), ensuring fast, efficient access across the region. It’s also a key stop on the Norfolk Southern and CSX rail lines, supporting both freight and industrial operations.

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) offers both passenger and cargo services, with direct flights to major business hubs and a growing cargo logistics presence. 

The region also boasts a river port and rail terminal located on the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, known as the Port Birmingham. 

The Greater Birmingham Region was built on steel because of the area's abundant iron ore, coal and limestone resources, a unique natural trifecta found in few places globally. This led to rapid growth, earning the region its nickname, "The Magic City." 

Today, Birmingham hosts a thriving industrial supply chain landscape with nearly 200 advanced materials and manufacturing firms, encompassing major sectors like metals, chemicals, plastics, composites, aggregates, mining and machinery.  

Notable employers include American Cast Iron Pipe Company, U.S. Steel, Altec, BLOX, Vulcan Materials Company, NUCOR Tubular Products, among others.

The Birmingham region’s people are its greatest asset. The economic and social well-being of a community’s residents ultimately defines the success of community and economic development efforts. The most effective method for elevating incomes is to elevate education levels and skill attainment. 

In today’s increasingly competitive environment for knowledge-intensive jobs, talent development is vital. Workers need to be adequately prepared for the jobs of tomorrow, not simply the jobs of today. To provide the skilled workers that companies are looking for, the Birmingham region is optimizing its education pipeline, while effectively retaining and recruiting talented workers to the region. 

Top flight colleges and universities, committed teachers and parents and involved businesses drive the present success and future promise of primary, secondary and higher education in Birmingham.

Workforce Pipeline 

• 1M residents

• 560,000 labor force

• 90% High school graduates or higher

• 43% associate’s degree or higher

• 36% bachelor’s degree or higher

Labor Availability - Production Occupation

• $37,800 Median wage

• 33,222 employees working production jobs 

Engineering Occupations 

• $98,200 Median wage 

• 5,135 employees working engineering jobs 

562,429 total labor force 

54,435 total manufacturing labor force

Alabama is soaring in the global aerospace and aviation arena. With decades of experience, a highly skilled workforce, and a robust pipeline of industry investment, the state has become a national leader in aerospace manufacturing, engineering, research and defense.

Statewide Highlights:

• Over 300 aerospace companies call Alabama home, including major names like Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation, Blue Origin and Raytheon.

   

• Huntsville, known as “Rocket City,” leads the charge with deep ties to NASA and the Department of Defense, housing the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Redstone Arsenal and the Marshall Space Flight Center.

   

• In Mobile, Airbus continues to expand its U.S. manufacturing presence, producing A320 and A220 aircraft in a state-of-the-art facility-the only commercial aircraft assembly site in the Western Hemisphere.

   

• Alabama is at the forefront of aerospace R&D, with strong university partnerships and innovation hubs that support everything from propulsion systems to advanced materials and cybersecurity.

   

• Alabama’s central location and infrastructure interstates, rail, air cargo and proximity to ports make it ideal for supply chain operations and global distribution.

The Birmingham Region is rapidly emerging as a Southern innovation hub, driven by a collaborative community, strategic investments and a growing talent pipeline. Once rooted in steel, the city has been transformed into a launchpad for tech, bioscience and entrepreneurial ventures. What does this matter? The Birmingham Region’s size is it’s advantage - it’s big enough to scale but small enough to connect. Entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and civic leaders collaborate closely to turn bold ideas into big impact.