IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Montgomery, Ala. – March 8, 2019 – The “Big 5 Chambers” of Alabama and the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama (CCAA) have united with the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) to urge their support for Governor Kay Ivey’s Rebuild Alabama bill. The Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, and The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama support the legislation to strengthen Alabama’s infrastructure.
"The BBA supports the Rebuild Alabama Act and its intended purpose of increasing Alabama’s public investment in transportation infrastructure, promoting economic growth and increasing public safety on Alabama’s roads,” stated Greg Curran, Chairman of the Firm, Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C. and Vice Chairman of the BBA’s public policy committee.
Increasing Alabama’s public investment in infrastructure is a top priority critical to the economic development community. The Rebuild Alabama legislation will help fund projects across the state, ultimately spurring job growth and ensuring that Alabama is able to successfully compete for new business. The Governor’s plan will provide a long-term solution to improve transportation infrastructure throughout Alabama.
“Transportation infrastructure is vital to the economic vitality of our region and the State. We applaud the efforts of Governor Ivey, Speaker McCutcheon, Senate Pro-Tem. Marsh, members of the Alabama House and Senate for crafting the Rebuild Alabama Act,” stated Chip Cherry, president and CEO of the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce. “The increase in funding for transportation infrastructure projects will make the roads safer for our citizens, support economic development, and provide one of the key foundational elements needed for future growth and development.”
“It is incredibly important that we come together as a business community to support this bill,” said Bill Sisson, the Mobile Area Chamber’s president and CEO. “As companies look to locate and expand here, they are carefully analyzing our infrastructure capabilities. The Port of Mobile is the gateway for Alabama’s exports to reach the world. The better our ports, roads, bridges and traffic patterns are, the faster we will rise on their short list of viable locations.”
“Rebuild Alabama is critical in order for local communities and our state to be a competitor in economic development, not to mention providing a better quality of life and safety for our citizens,” stated Willie Durham, Chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. “Governor Ivey knows that infrastructure is key to creating jobs, and we applaud her for her leadership.” Read the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Position Statement here.
“Governor Ivey’s Rebuild Alabama package also creates unprecedented accountability and oversight of transportation revenue,” said Jim Page, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. “Our chambers urge Alabama lawmakers to approve this long overdue legislation. Failure to do so has too great a cost – in lost economic opportunities and, most importantly, in lives.”
“The road to our future must be paved,” said Business Council of Alabama President and CEO Katie Boyd Britt. “Alabama’s transportation system is crucial to our economic growth, and BCA is proud to stand united with these chambers and so many others to support Governor Ivey and the legislature to Rebuild Alabama. Economic development and infrastructure go hand in hand.”
“Chambers of Commerce are the pillars of our communities, and we are strongest when we stand together,” said Jeremy Arthur, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama which represents more than 100 local chambers in Alabama. “We can no longer sit idling while every other state around us improves their infrastructure and lands the jobs and industries that otherwise would come to Alabama.”
The BCA, the 5 largest chambers of commerce throughout the state and CCAA, an organization that serves chamber professionals and the hundreds of chambers across the state of Alabama that they represent, all agree that increasing Alabama’s investment in transportation infrastructure to sustain and promote economic growth, job creation, quality of life and public safety is a necessity. It is critical for all of our communities that Governor Ivey’s plan passes.
ABOUT THE MONTGOMERY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Montgomery Chamber of Commerce is a fully-integrated economic development organization that works to improve the business community of Montgomery, Alabama, through the creation and preservation of jobs. Key focus areas of the Montgomery Chamber include recruiting industry and expanding existing businesses, developing minority and small businesses, growing tourism and convention development, expanding military and federal affairs, and fostering cyber and innovation programs. A long history of trusted public-private partnerships has allowed Montgomery to grow its thriving workforce, improve quality of life and attract more jobs to the region.
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Contact:
Anna Buckalew, President & CEO Elect
abuckalew@montgomerychamber.com
W 334-240-9424
C 334-391-2454
