Alabama's Chemical Industry

Chemicals are Alabama's No. 3 export, generating more than $2 billion annually.

Alabama has a long history of supporting and investing in the chemical industry; as a result, chemicals are the state's second-largest export. More than 200 chemical companies employing over 11,000 workers are based in the state. Nearly $690 million in new capital investments since 2019 have bolstered the chemical industry's workforce and manufacturing. With dedicated investment initiatives to develop manufacturing facilities, top chemical engineering education programs and access to one of the largest deep-water ports in the U.S. reaching global markets, Alabama is the perfect place to do business.

Alabama Power has partnered with the Mobile Chamber of Commerce and leaders of the state's chemical sector to create the MAST initiative. It is a coordinated investment in the 60-mile stretch known as the Chemical Corridor or MAST. This area stretches from Mobile County to Washington County, including the Port of Mobile. Chemical operations in this area are primarily focused on resins and synthetic rubbers, adhesives and coatings, synthetic fibers and filaments, refinery operations, Chlor-alkali production, and specialty chemicals. The MAST initiative is developing new chemical manufacturing sites and training a growing workforce. This unprecedented joint investment is creating a uniquely fertile territory to relocate, grow, or expand your business in Alabama.

Five of Alabama's universities have top-ranking chemical engineering undergraduate and graduate programs. In 2020, Bishop State broke ground on an 80,000 square feet, state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center that will utilize world-class equipment to train a world-class workforce. These nationally ranked programs have created a pipeline of specialized workers for the chemical industry's workforce here in Alabama. 

To learn more about locating and growing your chemical company in Alabama, please contact: