Creating Opportunity in Prattville, AL
You can find your next great job or build your career here.
Growing businesses are expanding their facilities, investing in the community and creating jobs in Prattville and Autauga County, where they find an unparalleled quality of life, a low cost of living, a job-ready workforce and a logistics-perfect location along Interstate 65.
James Hardie, the world’s leading producer of high-performance fiber cement building products, is expanding its manufacturing capabilities in Prattville and creating more than 200 new jobs.
“James Hardie’s partnership has flourished with the City of Prattville, Autauga County and the community, and it played a vital role in expanding the facility. Prattville will soon host James Hardie’s largest manufacturing facility worldwide as it becomes one of the city’s largest employers,” says T. Bryant Whaley, the City of Prattville’s director of economic development.
“As a partner of Prattville, James Hardie’s $400 million investment into our community is expanding manufacturing while providing citizens with quality employment opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for all,” Whaley says.
Others are investing in Prattville, as well. The Mill – the restoration of Daniel Pratt Gin Company into 127 loft apartments – will be complete in the summer of 2023.
“Evolve Communities’ $37 million revitalization investment in this project brings urban living into the Historic District in the heart of downtown Prattville. We are also excited to partner with and welcome Guardian Credit Union’s first headquarters to Prattville,” Whaley says.
Autauga County is actively encouraging new business development. The Autauga County Industrial Development Authority, the Autauga County Commission and the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce have broken ground for commercial and retail development at the Interstate Business Park. Fifteen lots are expected to bring more business, such as banking, medical offices and retail.
Open for Business
The 15 commercial lots are designed to attract services and retailers to the Pine Level-Marbury community, allowing residents to access goods and services closer to home in this fast-growing area of Autauga County.
“These lots, just like all the lots in the Interstate Business Park, operate in the same way as the Staples Red Easy Button. We’ve already done the work for you; simply choose your lot,” says Kristi Pieper, director of economic and community development for Autauga County. “When people shop local, more money is kept in the community, and spending locally helps grow other businesses as well as the local tax base and employment opportunities.”
Interstate Business Park is home to the headquarters of Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, HYUNDAI TRANSYS, and Bomb Party, which produces fizzy bath bombs filled with custom-designed jewelry, and the Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief Center.
Interstate Business Park is home to nearly 500 employees. In the past year, $3.8 million in investment has been made in the park, Pieper says.
Interstate Business Park, located less than one mile from I-65, is a Class-A mixed-use business park that is a certified Economic Development Partnership of Alabama AdvantageSite.
In spring 2023, a groundbreaking was held for Building III, a Class-A Industrial Spec Building. Building III will be a 50,000-square-foot facility, expandable to 100,000 square feet, featuring a 32-foot ceiling and 2,000 square feet of office area and other space. It will be designed to suit light manufacturing and assembly operations or warehouse and distribution. The building will also include truck docks and modern column spacing and design features.
Proud Partners
“The Autauga County Commission is proud to partner with Autauga County Industrial Development Authority and Central Alabama Electric Cooperative on the Interstate Business Park. The construction of the new spec building is just one more step to increased employment and economic opportunities for Autauga County and the entire region,” Pieper says.
Autauga County businesses give back to the community. At the end of 2022, International Paper’s Prattville Mill awarded $63,000 in International Paper Foundation grants to 12 local organizations, demonstrating the company’s commitment to education, hunger, health and wellness, disaster relief, and other initiatives.
The mill makes containerboard liner used to make boxes. With 675 employees, it is the largest manufacturing employer in the county. The mill ships about 40 trucks and 40 railcars per day. Destinations include International Paper plants and customers in the U.S., Canada and Central America.
“We are pleased to support local organizations in their efforts to make a difference. Our company cannot succeed if our communities do not succeed, and these grants are an investment in our family, friends and neighbors,” says Doug Black, mill manager.
Taking the Lead
Speaking of investment, a Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce program called Leadership Autauga County invests in area professionals. During the program, participants meet once a month over nine months to develop leadership skills and learn more about Prattville and Autauga County. Every annual program features a total of 15-20 individuals, and a highlight of each class is a monthly visit to sites throughout Autauga County to learn about sectors, including government, health care, education, economic development, police and fire, businesses, and nonprofits.
Nelda Sorrells retired in 2020 from Prattville Baptist Hospital, and she was a graduate of the 2007 Leadership Autauga County class.
How did you get involved with Leadership Autauga?
Prattville Baptist Hospital enrolls an employee every year in the class because it helps the hospital get our names and faces out in public so that people know us and feel more comfortable when they come to the hospital. Other companies, like International Paper and Alabama Power, also enroll an employee every year. It’s an excellent program, including for newcomers to Prattville/Autauga County.
What was the best part of the overall experience for you?
The best was developing relationships with fellow classmates, many of whom I still keep in contact. Today, I am also on the board of Leadership Autauga County.
What was your favorite individual session?
Learning about city government was probably my favorite day. It triggered my attention the most. I don’t think residents fully realize how challenging it is to run Prattville.
Did any other session stand out?
All sessions were good, and I remember learning about the safety task forces we have in our city, and the excellent training grounds Prattville has for our fire medics and police. Our leadership class actually got to shoot guns at the place where the police do their training. That was interesting.
Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.
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