Drake State Creates Endowed Scholarship Honoring Ellenae Fairhurst

Drake State Community and Technical College has established the Ellenae Fairhurst Endowed Scholarship in recognition of automotive executive and entrepreneur Ellenae Hart-Fairhurst. The scholarship honors her professional contributions and lasting impact on the industry. Once fully funded with a principal gift of $500,000, the endowment will provide a permanent source of financial support for Drake […]

Higher Education Powers Huntsville’s Economy, but May Face Headwinds

The city’s higher education leaders are bullish on the future. At the 2025 State of Higher Education event hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber, presidents from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Alabama A&M University, Calhoun Community College, and Drake State Community & Technical College outlined how their institutions are fueling Huntsville’s economic engine […]

Toyota Adds 350 Jobs to Huntsville Plant, Invests $282 Million in New Production Line

This week, Toyota Alabama began production on three new part lines for differentials that are vital to the company’s Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia trucks.  These new differential production lines represent a $282 million investment from the manufacturer, along with the addition of 350 jobs at the Huntsville plant.  A differential enables the wheels on the […]

Rocket City Rewind: Before Toyota — The Car That Almost Put Huntsville on the Map

Long before Toyota and Mazda established manufacturing plants in Huntsville, the state’s first automaker was producing cars at Redstone Arsenal. The Keller Motors Corporation (1947-1950), named after its president and former Studebaker executive George Keller, had designs on capturing an expanding market for station wagons as people began moving to the suburbs post-World War II […]

Transit or Development First? Huntsville Says Both

The age-old riddle about which came first, the chicken or the egg, was long ago solved. It was the egg. Eggs are prehistoric and predate the chicken, which is relatively new in the evolution of things. Sounds reasonable, but Dennis Madsen, manager of urban and long-range planning for the City of Huntsville, unveiled his own […]

HPD Reminds Drivers: Slow Down for Summer Safety

As summer begins, the Huntsville Police Department (HPD) is urging all drivers to be more aware and slow down – especially on city streets and in neighborhoods where more people are out walking, biking, and driving. The Summer Slowdown campaign, running from June 9 through Aug. 12, is aimed at curbing dangerous driving habits and […]

Local motor coach company brings transportation ‘spirit’ to Huntsville

Spirit Coach, in collaboration with the City of Huntsville, recently unveiled its newest theme-wrapped bus. It’s safe to say it’s not the usual mode of transportation. This is an advertisement on wheels. The bus, with a Huntsville theme that features images linked to the Rocket City like the space shuttle, the Lowe Mill water tower […]

Local college partners with FAME to train future manufacturing leaders

Drake State has partnered with the Huntsville Tech Federation Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) chapter in a move that will address workforce needs while providing high-paying jobs to program graduates.  Representatives from six leading manufacturing companies were present at Drake State on the morning of December 6 to formalize the partnership through a signing ceremony.  The […]

Toyota reports strong EV sales despite overall decline in September U.S. sales

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) reported a 20.3% drop in U.S. sales for September 2024, with 162,595 vehicles sold. Despite the overall decline, electrified vehicle sales—comprising hybrids, plug-in hybrids, EVs, and fuel cells—rose significantly by 22.4%, accounting for nearly 48.4% of total sales volume. This reflects a growing consumer shift towards eco-friendly vehicles. In the […]

Automotive supplier Shape Corp open new $74m facility at Southpoint Industrial Park

On Wednesday June 26, Shape Corp. celebrated the grand opening of its second facility in Alabama with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that took place at the company’s new 202,306 sq. ft. location in Southpoint Industrial Park.  In addition to the new facility, the  ceremony was also held to celebrate 50 years in business for the Michigan-based, […]