Economic development officials from St. Clair County joined others from Southeastern states for the 45th annual SEUS (South East United States)-Japan Conference in Tokyo in October.
St. Clair Economic Development Council Executive Director Don Smith, Director of Industry and Work Force Jason Roberts and Commission Chairman Stan Batemon were part of the Alabama delegation led by Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield.
While there, they met met with the new president of Unipres and discussed ways to assist their expansion of the plant in Steele while networking with the Alabama Department of Commerce and Japanese business owners. Topics of trade and investment between the two companies were also discussed.
Unipres is preparing for a $10 million expansion with 20-25 jobs. With over 300 employees, Unipres is one of the county’s largest employers and has invested over $100 million in St. Clair County over the past 10 years.
Unipres is a leader in metal stamping technology for the automotive sector. They have dozens of plants worldwide with three of those locations in the Southeast. They include facilities in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Steele, Alabama. Founded in 1998, they are celebrating their 25th anniversary.
“The SEUS-Japan summit is a valuable event for us,” said Smith. “It provides incredible data and networking opportunities as well as creating a base camp for us to visit the top leadership positions making decisions regarding our local Alabama companies.”
Secretary Canfield said the annual SEUS Japan gathering allows members of the Alabama delegation to reinforce bonds that have been established over decades and to explore pathways to future collaborations.
“The long-standing partnership between Japan and Alabama continues to spark economic growth, create opportunity and foster deep friendships,” he said. “That’s why I am looking forward to seeing this relationship blossom for decades to come.”
Today, an estimated 90 Japanese companies have established operations in Alabama, according to data from the Alabama Department of Commerce. The roster of Japanese companies includes global names such as Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Daikin, Rheem and Dai-Ichi Life.
“The impact of Japanese investment in Alabama has been massive,” Canfield said. “Back in 1999, Honda announced plans to open an auto assembly plant in Alabama, and since that milestone, nearly $10 billion in Japanese investment has flowed into the state.”
Christina Stimpson, who serves as director of Commerce’s Office of International Trade, said the commercial ties with Japan have become an increasingly important economic driver for Alabama.
“The Japanese-Alabama relationship is stronger than ever. Not only do we have significant foreign direct investment from Japan, but for the first time ever Alabama exports to Japan last year reached over $1 billion,” Stimpson said.
“This is a 42% increase from 2021 and represents the largest percentage increase among our top trading partners.”
Besides Alabama, the states represented at SEUS-Japan are Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi and Florida.
