Governor Bentley Announces Funding for Alabama Robotic Technology Park Phase III

MONTGOMERY – Governor Robert Bentley on Wednesday announced the release of $6 million needed for construction of a third building at the Alabama Robotic Technology Park in Tanner, across U.S. 31 from Calhoun Community College.

“The Alabama Robotic Technology Park is one of the biggest assets we can have for companies,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “The park allows us to provide an opportunity for a technically trained, highly skilled and educated workforce for jobs in Alabama.  The Robotic Technology Park is an opportunity that can help companies be successful in Alabama.

The planned 50,000-square-foot building is designed to let employees of companies train on new equipment and software before a company installs it in a factory. Using the park’s planned Phase III building will let employees test ahead of time how well new products will work together.

The building also will include an area for training employees to use robots and manual spraying to paint vehicle parts or other products.

The building is expected to cost $9 million to build and equip and could be open in about 12 months, according to park project manager Rick Maroney.

AIDT (Alabama Industrial Development Training), the state workforce training agency that runs the Alabama Robotic Technology Park, got $3 million of the construction cost last year from a state bond issue.

The remaining $6 million, from another state bond issue, was released today by the Alabama Incentives Financing Authority, which is led by Governor Bentley.

About 75 employees sent for training by companies such as Honda, Navistar, Toyota and many auto suppliers, use the park in a typical month, Maroney said. They attend classes on safety, maintenance, welding or operating robots and programmable controllers. Most classes offer 40 hours of training.

A company must have a plant in Alabama to send employees to the park, which does not charge for the training. The park has been open since early 2011.

The park’s Phase 1 building, which covers 60,000 square feet, cost the state $17.3 million to build and equip. In it, technicians learn how to maintain automated equipment. The building is equipped with 40 robots and has a lab for automated welding.

The park’s Phase II building, which covers 43,000 square feet, cost the state about $8 million. In it, company workers test new robots or other automated equipment. Outside is a mile-long track for testing unmanned vehicles.

Besides the state dollars spent on those two buildings, companies have loaned equipment worth about $40 million for use at the park.

Business Facilities magazine in its March/April issue gave one of its annual economic development awards to the Alabama Robotic Technology Park, for achievement in workforce training. The magazine wrote that the park “is considered one of the world’s most innovative and futuristic training centers.”

Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield said, “There really is no other facility in the nation that can offer advanced manufacturers the level of hands-on training this one can. Expanding the center through this third phase will make its capabilities even more valuable to companies while giving Alabama another advantage in industrial recruitment.’’ AIDT is a division of the Commerce Department.