Alabama represented at Airbus conference

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The search for Airbus suppliers to set up shop in Mobile or in other parts of Alabama may be bearing fruit.

Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said four companies have told him they want to visit Alabama.

Canfield is attending the 2012 Airbus Global Supplier Conference in Toulouse, France.

And, business people in Mobile are keeping a close watch on developments there, and at other supplier conferences.

If suppliers came to Brookley today, this is what they would see:  crews getting the infrastructure ready for the new Airbus facility.

One important piece of infrastructure work: overhauling the Michigan Avenue Bridge.

Bill Sisson, the Executive Director of the Mobile Airport Authority, said, "The Michigan Avenue Bridge, we are told, will be reopened by the end of the year."

Right now, traffic has to detour, but once the Michigan Avenue Bridge is open there will be a straight shot all the way down South Broad Street to the Airbus site.

But, for now, Sisson, and others, are busy working to attract suppliers.

He said, "There was a supplier conference, actually an association meeting, in Berlin last week, and, I was invited, as well as the Chamber of Commerce, to speak about the Airbus project here at Brookley."

But, here's the big question.

When asked if he got any commitments from them to either come here or visit here, Sisson said, "You know, at this point I think a lot of people are fact finding. I think a lot of people are doing research. Suppliers, we've been reaching out to for years."

Governor Robert Bentley is going to reach out again.

He said during a speech in Point Clear this past weekend, he's heading to Germany after Thanksgiving to talk to a group of suppliers.

Bentley said, "Bringing Airbus to Mobile was important, but bringing all the supplier companies was even more important, because that's what's going to create most of the jobs."

So, when will suppliers start arriving?

Sisson said many may want to see product first.

he said, "Certainly there will need to be a critical number of equipment aircraft being produced every month. Those sort of things will help push the supplier in the direction if thinking, hey, I can actually locate closer."

Sisson said there will be a number of conferences for suppliers around the world within the next year.