Honestly, if you haven’t been paying attention to the Yellowhammer State lately, you’ve missed a total transformation. I’m not talking about small-town gossip or minor shop openings. We are talking about staggering, "billion-with-a-B" numbers that are fundamentally shifting the South’s economic gravity.
Alabama business news today is dominated by one massive figure: $14.6 billion.
That is the total capital investment the state pulled in over the last twelve months. Governor Kay Ivey just dropped that stat during her address to the Business Council of Alabama on Tuesday morning, January 13, 2026. It is officially the best year for capital investment in Alabama’s history. And it’s not just coming from one place. We are seeing a mix of pharma, coal, aerospace, and shipping that most states would kill for.
The Huntsville Pharma Jackpot and the "Lilly Effect"
People used to call Huntsville "Rocket City" and leave it at that. But lately, it’s looking more like "Biotech Alley."
The biggest needle-mover? Eli Lilly. They recently confirmed a $6 billion investment for an advanced manufacturing site in Huntsville. They’ll be making active pharmaceutical ingredients there. This wasn't a "gimme" project either; it was a brutal national competition. Alabama won because of a mix of site readiness and, frankly, a workforce that knows how to handle complex tech.
About 450 people will be working there once it’s fully operational. It’s the kind of project that changes the DNA of a city.
Why Alabama Business News Today Matters for Your Wallet
You might think, "Cool, big companies are spending money, but what about me?"
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Well, the NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business) just weighed in on this. While the headlines focus on the giants, the state actually raised the exemption for business personal property taxes to $100,000. That is a massive relief for the "Main Street" businesses—the coffee shops, the local mechanics, and the independent retailers who usually get crushed by overhead.
It’s an interesting play. The state is using the tax revenue from the $14 billion giants to subsidize breathing room for the little guys.
Coal and Steel: Not Dead Yet
While everyone talks about "green energy," Warrior Met Coal just reminded everyone that steel still needs carbon.
They were just awarded federal coal leases by the Bureau of Land Management. Secretary Doug Burgum signed off on these today. This expansion is expected to bring roughly 500 new mining jobs to rural Alabama. These are high-paying, "buy-a-house-and-a-truck" kind of jobs. It’s a boost for the metallurgical coal industry, which is a fancy way of saying "the stuff we need to make American steel."
The Port of Mobile is Getting Deeper and Busier
If you’ve driven through Mobile lately, you’ve seen the cranes. They look like something out of a sci-fi movie.
The Alabama Port Authority isn't slowing down. They are moving forward with a $131 million container berth expansion.
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- Deep Draft: They recently finished deepening the harbor to 50 feet.
- Triple Threat: The new expansion allows the port to handle three "Ultra-Large Container Vessels" at the same time.
- The Timeline: Groundbreaking for the next phase starts later this year, in 2026.
Essentially, Mobile is positioning itself to be the premier gateway for the entire Gulf. When the West Coast ports get clogged or East Coast labor disputes flare up, Alabama is the escape valve.
What’s Happening in the Sky?
In Decatur, United Launch Alliance (ULA) is cranking out the Dual Engine Centaur upper stage for the Atlas V.
And there’s a major ownership shift happening. L3Harris is selling a 60% stake in its Space Propulsion and Power Systems business—basically the famous RL10 engines—to AE Industrial Partners for $845 million. They’re reviving the "Rocketdyne" name. It’s a bit of nostalgia mixed with a lot of private equity cash, and most of that work happens right here in Alabama.
The Reality Check: Housing and Headwinds
It’s not all sunshine and ribbon-cuttings.
The real estate market in Alabama is... well, it's complicated. While business is booming, the 2026 Alabama Economic and Real Estate Outlook suggests that home sales are still recovering from the high-interest rates of the last couple of years.
- Inventory is rising: This is good for buyers.
- Price stability: We haven’t seen the "crash" some predicted, but growth has flattened.
- The "6% Anchor": Forecasters think rates will stay in the 6% range for a while, keeping some people in their current homes longer than they’d like.
Honestly, the biggest risk to Alabama's growth right now isn't a lack of interest from companies; it's whether we have enough houses for the 9,000+ people who are supposed to fill these new jobs.
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What You Should Do Next
If you are an entrepreneur or an investor, there are three clear moves based on the state of Alabama business news today:
Watch the "Innovation Center" training: The Alabama Community College System has launched a new Innovation Center specifically to prep workers for these high-tech pharma and aero jobs. If you’re looking to pivot careers, that’s your entry point.
Follow the Port supply chain: With the Port of Mobile expanding, the real money isn't just in the shipping—it's in the "value-added logistics" and storage on the 25 acres of land adjacent to the new berth.
Small Business Tax Breaks: If you own a small business, make sure you're taking advantage of the new $100,000 personal property tax exemption. Don't leave that money on the table.
Alabama is in the middle of a massive "long game" that started 20 years ago with Mercedes and Hyundai. Now, it’s about diversifying into medicine and space. It's a wild time to be doing business in the South.