POWERGRAMS

The disappointment and dismay many people in Alabama felt in 2011 was so real you could cut it with a knife. After a nationally- publicized political dogfight in the halls of Congress and the United States Defense Department, the Air Force chose Seattle over Mobile's Brookley Aeroplex to build a replacement for the aging KC-135 midair refueling tanker. But an old aeronautical adage eventually rang true: There's a silver lining in every cloud. Today at Brookley stands the silver lining: the $600 million Airbus 320 jetliner factory – the first Airbus assembly plant in the United States – where more than 1,000 employees are building one of the world's most popular single- aisle twin-engine airplanes. Alabama Power employees played a pivotal role recruiting Airbus. On one hand, the company provided the technical expertise for the electrical power the plant would need to make cost-effective airplanes in the highly competitive airliner industry. At the same time, APC unleashed the strength of its 103-year-old economic development department to provide a wealth of services to local and state officials: demographic information; logistics, incentives and workforce analysis; cost comparison studies; and future supplier initiatives. "As far as our recruiting role, we didn't want to be viewed as a utility but as a corporate partner playing a supportive role," said Patrick Murphy, vice president of Alabama Power's Economic Development department. The company succeeded. "Alabama Power played an instrumental role in making ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 2 COMPANY HELPED BRING AIRBUS TO STATE by Gilbert Nicholson Perfect Landing

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