Huntsville Alabama

Categories: Events / Festivals
Tags: car wash, school supplies

Statewide home sales fell nearly 27 percent in June, the 10th consecutive monthly decline in Alabama.

The Alabama Center for Real Estate reported a total of 4,290 homes sold in the state in June. That’s a nearly 27 percent drop from June 2007 and a more than 6 percent drop from May.

Homes on Lake Martin, reportedly one of the state’s most populated second-home destinations and the only lake ACRE tracks, recorded a drop in home sales in June of more than 44 percent compared to the same month last year and a more than 34 percent drop over May.

Statewide median selling price dropped nearly 6 percent to $130,066 in June from $137,930 in the same month last year, while average selling price also dropped 6 percent to $158,522.

Inventory of for-sale homes increased nearly 6 percent to 45,135 last month from 42,597 in June of last year. That represents a 10.5-month supply of homes on the market. The five-year average between 2003 and 2007 was 6.7 months.

“June ends a second quarter that experienced a 24 percent decline from the same period last year - unprecedented and a period without a close second,” said ACRE’s monthly report.

Categories: Real Estate
Tags: alabama real estate

Jim Lawrence, president of Birmingham’s LAH Real Estate Inc., today announced his company’s involvement in the formation of a new statewide network of independent residential real estate brokers in Alabama.

LAH, he said, has joined seven other established independent firms in the state to form Alagroup, Alabama’s Real Estate Network, which will link agents, buyers and sellers together from companies across the state.

According to Lawrence, it is the first ever affiliation of real estate brokers in Alabama and it’s exclusive to one company per market in the state.

“From the Shoals to the Shores,” Alagroup consists of Averbuch Realty Co. Inc. of Huntsville, Real Estate Shoals of Florence, LAH, Hamner Real Estate Inc. of Tuscaloosa, Aronov Realty of Montgomery, James Grant Realty Co. of Dothan, Dauphin Realty of Mobile and Meyer Real Estate of Gulf Shores.

Lawrence said the group will remain independent and retain their respective names and identities. It offers the affiliated agents the best of both worlds, with some of the advantages of a franchise residential real estate firm, while retaining individuality, he said.

Lawrence said Alagroup will operate in select markets in the state, where member firms are located. Other cities in Alabama the group is looking into include Auburn/Opelika, Decatur, Anniston and Gadsden.

Categories: Real Estate
Tags: alabama, brokers, real estate

Leaders from Caddo and Bossier parishes went to alabama last week to get information they hope will help launch Shreveport-Bossier into a different stratosphere.

Local leaders believe the Cyber Innovation Center will launch Bossier-Shreveport into a different stratosphere.

They went to Huntsville, Alabama, last week to get information on how that community transformed itsefl into one of the world’s premiere technology centers.

KTBS 3’s Trish Williford tagged along on their quest for knowledge.

Categories: Real Estate
Tags: Shreveport-Bossier, technology

ActiveAccess (http://www.activeaccess.com), a digital content delivery platform offered by BIA Information Network (BIN), announced today that WEUP-FM, Huntsville, Alabama’s leading urban radio station, has launched “WEUP On Your Desktop,” a computer desktop application for listeners to remain connected to the station when a radio isn’t nearby but they want access to live streaming broadcasts, station promotions, breaking news and WEUP’s video of the week delivered directly to their computers.

WEUP On Your Desktop” will also take advantage of the Active Access technology by providing a built-in RSS reader so its listeners can store their favorite RSS feed, and will send relevant text alerts and crawls through the application on topics such as news, weather, and AMBER Alerts. Other benefits include local and national weather, a quick-search Yahoo! bar, and easy participation in station contests and giveaways.

“We invested in ActiveAccess because of the opportunity it affords us to give radio a visual impact to our listeners so that they can build a better connection with WEUP and its deejays, video promotions, and our new dimension of interactivity,” said Hundley Batts, Sr., co-owner and operator of WEUP-FM’s parent company, Broadcast One. “The ActiveAccess technology also allows us to communicate directly with our audience through text alerts and notices to their computers, so they can respond to in real-time.”

“WEUP On Your Desktop” is available through a light-weight download from http://www.103weup.com/pages/pages.php?page=34. To operate, it requires about as much memory as a single webpage, containing no adware, spyware or malware. “WEUP On Your Desktop” can operate at work or home and does not interfere with corporate servers or network environments. Once installed, the application sits as an icon on a PC desktop and requires Internet access. As with all ActiveAccess desktop applications, “WEUP On Your Desktop” can deliver targeted content based on user preferences and zip code.

Categories: Small Business
Tags: huntsville radio, weup

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
announced today that it will build a U.S. automotive production facility in
Chattanooga, Tenn., where it will produce a car designed specifically for
the North American consumer and invest $1 billion in the economy. The
announcement is an important element of the company’s overall U.S. strategy
of connecting with its customers, increasing its competitiveness and
tripling its U.S. customer base in the next decade.

    “The U.S. market is an important part of our volume strategy and we are
now very resolutely accessing that market,” said Prof. Martin Winterkorn,
CEO of Volkswagen AG. “Volkswagen will be extremely active there. This
plant represents a milestone in Volkswagen’s growth strategy. We will be
selling 800,000 Volkswagens in the U.S. by 2018, and this new site will
play a key role. This, along with our growth strategy, is a prerequisite
for the economic success of the company in the dollar region. We look
forward to establishing an important mainstay for ourselves when we become
the biggest European carmaker there.”

    “This is a significant step forward in achieving our goals in the U.S.
market and a clear sign of the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to the North
American consumer. Today’s decision is a fundamental part of our new
strategic direction in the U.S. and our five-pillar strategy,” said Stefan
Jacoby, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. “Chattanooga is
an excellent fit for the Volkswagen culture, having an exceptional quality
of life and a long manufacturing tradition.”

    The company will build the facility in the Enterprise South Industrial
Park, located 12 miles northeast of downtown Chattanooga. The 1,350-acre
site is 100 percent owned by the city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County
and is certified as an industrial megasite by the Tennessee Valley
Authority. Enterprise South is adjacent to Interstate 75. Initial
production capacity for the facility is anticipated to be 150,000 vehicles,
including a new midsize sedan designed specifically for the North American
market. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2011.

    “I’m enormously pleased by the announcement from Volkswagen Group of
America and grateful for the company’s investment in Chattanooga and in the
people of Tennessee,” said Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen. “I believe
Volkswagen chose Tennessee because of our shared values, our commitment to
innovation and our strong respect for the environment. This project will
have a significant impact on the economy of Tennessee and the region for
decades to come.”

    “I couldn’t be more pleased that the spirit of partnership between the
state of Tennessee, Volkswagen and the government and business leadership
of Chattanooga and Hamilton County has resulted in this significant
investment in Enterprise South,” said Matt Kisber, commissioner of the
Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “Volkswagen’s
investment in this community means the hard work and dedication
demonstrated by people at the state and local level to create one of the
best business climates in the country is paying off.”

    “We started with a vision of transforming an idle Army facility into
the source of thousands of family-wage jobs,” said Hamilton County Mayor
Claude Ramsey. “Over the last 14 years, I’ve worked with four different
city mayors as well as county commissioners, city councilmen and countless
others in overcoming barriers and objections to that plan. Today, we stand
with our new friends from Volkswagen to make a historic announcement that
will create new opportunities for our community for years to come.”

    “Volkswagen and Chattanooga have a lot in common,” said Chattanooga
City Mayor Ron Littlefield. “Both are serious about environmental
sustainability and 21st Century manufacturing.”

    Environmental responsibility is a core value of the Volkswagen Group.
The company’s focus on sustainable mobility and environmentally responsible
manufacturing are right in line with Chattanooga’s strong environmental
commitment. As an expression of this shared commitment, the state of
Tennessee, Volkswagen and Chattanooga-area organizations are partnering to
distribute two saplings for every tree displaced by the project. The new
trees will be planted by local school children.

    According to United States Sen. Bob Corker, who was mayor of
Chattanooga when the city and Hamilton County acquired the land and
established Enterprise South as an industrial park, the Volkswagen
announcement represents a new chapter in Chattanooga’s success story.
“Through twists and turns, our community has maintained focus, invested
wisely and exercised tremendous effort and energy in recruiting a major
employer to Enterprise South. The breaking of this final barrier and the
realization of the vision to which we have held true will take us to levels
we can only begin to imagine,” said Corker.

    He continued, “Volkswagen is the very best manufacturer and partner we
could possibly have in terms of our shared values, and as a result of their
enormous investment, not only will Chattanooga be forever changed, but our
entire state will reap great benefits from the new suppliers that this
facility will attract to the region. I am proud to have been part of a
dedicated team that has worked seamlessly on this effort and celebrate this
outstanding achievement for our city and our state.”

    United States Sen. Lamar Alexander praised Volkswagen’s decision to
locate at Enterprise South, saying, “Volkswagen and Chattanooga, the ideal
marriage: one of the world’s most admired companies and one of America’s
most livable cities. This decision keeps Tennessee on the road to becoming
the No. 1 state in auto jobs. Congratulations especially to Gov. Bredesen,
Sen. Corker and Mayors Ramsey and Littlefield for their leadership,”
Alexander concluded.

    “Over the past seven months, more than 100 Tennesseans at the local,
state and federal level have worked odd hours on short deadlines to help us
reach this day,” said Trevor Hamilton, vice president of economic
development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. “From this day
forward, we dedicate ourselves to partnering with Volkswagen to move from
construction to production as quickly as possible. We will unify our team
with Volkwagen’s to ensure long-term success for the company, our community
and the state of Tennessee.”

    With the new plant, Volkswagen will bring about 2,000 direct jobs to
the area, and will add a significant number of jobs in related sectors. It
is expected that these jobs will come from the tri-state area, pulling from
the labor force of Tennessee as well as Georgia and Alabama. Volkswagen of
America received an attractive, comprehensive package of incentives for the
new facility from Gov. Bredesen’s office and the Tennessee Department of
Economic and Community Development. The statutory incentives are tied to
job creation and capital investment. Additional support includes assistance
for public infrastructure and job training, each designed to ensure the
local economy best leverages Volkswagen’s investment to benefit the local
work force and ensure the facility’s success.

    “This area has a deep base of well-trained labor, with excellent
engineering and manufacturing programs at the universities and technical
colleges,” added Jacoby. “Thanks to the visionary leaders and people of
Chattanooga, we’re confident that the values of this area are compatible
with our own, and we envision a long and productive partnership.”

    Last year, Volkswagen outlined a new strategic direction in the U.S.
based on five pillars: product, brand positioning, dealer network,
organization and local production. As it moved forward to assess the
potential for local production, the company considered many other site
options and earlier this year had narrowed its search to Alabama, Michigan
and Tennessee.

    “We reviewed three excellent sites, all of which had the specific
qualities necessary to build a plant in the United States,” said Jacoby.
“Both Gov. Granholm and Gov. Riley were strong advocates on behalf of their
states and the citizens they represent. This was a difficult decision, but
we look forward to continuing our relationships with both states. I thank
both governors and their staffs.”

    About Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Volkswagen AG, the world’s fourth largest automaker and the largest
carmaker in Europe. It houses the U.S. operations of a worldwide family of
distinguished and exciting brands including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti,
Lamborghini and Volkswagen, as well as VW Credit, Inc. Founded in 1955, the
company’s headquarters are in Herndon, Va.

    Volkswagen Group of America brings to the U.S. vehicles that marry the
science of engineering and the art of styling, with the goal of offering
attractive, safe, and environmentally sound automobiles that are
competitive and set world standards in their respective classes.

    The company has approximately 2,500 employees in the United States and
sells its vehicles through an 800-strong dealer network. With increasing
popularity for its brands in the U.S., the company has set the goal of
reaching one million car sales in the country by 2018.

    For more information, visit http://www.volkswagengroupamerica.com .

    About Volkswagen of America, Inc.

    Volkswagen of America, Inc. is the brand organization of the Volkswagen
Group of America that markets Volkswagen vehicles in the U.S. The company
recently announced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard equipment
on all its 2009 vehicles. As a result, Volkswagen is one of the only
original equipment manufacturers to offer an electronic stability control
system on their entire product line - ahead of the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) deadline requiring vehicles in the 2012
model year to include stability control systems. Volkswagen’s ESP
technology works in conjunction with anti-lock brakes and helps reduce loss
of control and rollovers to avoid crashes. NHTSA predicts nearly 10,000
lives could be saved each year if automakers included stability systems as
standard equipment.

    Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in
Herndon, Va. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in
Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of
passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit,
New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat Wagen,
Eos, Tiguan and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers.
Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com .

    About The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

    The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) is
the primary job recruitment and retention agency for the state of Tennessee
with responsibility for the FastTrack Infrastructure Development and
FastTrack Job Training Assistance programs as well as the development of
energy policy. ECD’s mission is to attract new investment to Tennessee and
to help existing industries expand. Since 2003, more than 145,000 new jobs
have been created in Tennessee as a result of ECD programs with more than
$21 billion in new capital investment. In March 2008, Tennessee was named
winner of Site Selection magazine’s national Competitiveness Award, ranking
first among all 50 states for business climate. For more information, go to
http://www.tnecd.gov .

Categories: Huntsville Auto
Tags: huntsville, volkswagen. chattanooga, vw

Times Sunday, July 13, 2008

Monday

“Lease to Own,” seminar, Realty World South, 1874 Slaughter Road, Madison, 6 p.m., learn how to improve your credit score and become a homeowner; every Monday, free reservations at 325-8500.

Tuesday

“Ethics Scenarios - How Does Your Company Handle a Caller’s Concerns?” North Alabama Business Ethics Roundtable, Davidson Technologies, 530 Discovery Drive, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., $10 including lunch, reservations, Sherryl Marsh, 503-3755.

Toastmasters High Noon Club, First Baptist Church, 600 Governors Drive, Room 342, noon, every Tuesday, 655-8571.

Redstone Toastmasters, Radisson Hotel, 8721 Madison Blvd., Madison, dinner meeting, 6 to 7:30 p.m., every Tuesday, bijvoet@aol.com or 774-2982.

Real estate career seminar, Weichert Realtors - The Executive Group, 2304 S. Memorial Parkway, 7 p.m., every Tuesday, free, 533-7210.

Wednesday

“Need Money for Your Small Business?” monthly loan clinic, Women’s Business Center of North Alabama, Crestwood Women’s Center, 185 Chateau Drive, 10 to 11 a.m., free, reservations www.wbcna.org or 256-213-2727.

“Small Business Certifications,” monthly lunch and learn, speaker Susan Baxter of Small Business Association, Women’s Business Center of North Alabama, Crestwood Women’s Center, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., lunch by Jason’s Deli for $7, www.wbcna.org or 256-213-2727.

“Financial Benefits of Sound Strategic Planning,” seminar, speaker Foster Campbell, senior business lending officer of Colonial Bank, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce Redstone Room, 3 to 5 p.m., $25, 372-8667.

“Law of Attraction,” book discussion, facilitator Rita Moore, Linda Lifer Real Estate, 904 Bob Wallace Ave., Suite 216, 6 to 7 p.m., free, first of four sessions on channeling a force in your life in finance, career, relationships and health, continues next three Wednesdays, 256-797-0479 or so.whtdouwant@yahoo.com.

Personalized success seminar, presented by Sheila Collins, also July 23; Heritage Club, 8 to 10 a.m., $50, www.consultmsc.com or 489-7570.

Strategic Speakers Toastmasters Club 6054, Redstone Arsenal Von Braun Complex, Building 5220, Room 3018, 11:30 a.m., every Wednesday, C. Purifoy at 651-3621 or cpurifoy@bellsouth.net.

Research Park Toastmasters Club, Army Corps of Engineers Building, 4820 University Square, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., every Wednesday, David Lake at 859-2352 or Ronda Asta at 971-5561 or ronda.asta@jacobs.com.

Exchange Club of Greater Huntsville, Holiday Inn downtown, noon to 1 p.m., first and third Wednesdays, Shane Smith at 947-0243 or Scott Reeves at 722-0799.

DNA Selling Process Class, two-day seminar concluding Thursday, for sales people, speaker Ted Gulas, BizTech, 515 Sparkman Drive, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., $895, 464-9046.

Thursday

Huntsville Post Society of American Military Engineers, Redstone Arsenal Officers and Civilians Club, 11:30 a.m., buffet lunch for $10, reservations 256-895-1834 or amber.d.martin@usace.army.mil.

Business Networking International, Victoria’s Cafe, 7540 S. Memorial Parkway, 7 a.m.; share information about your business and learn how attendees promote each other’s business, $9, every Thursday, rickatras@yahoo.com or www.bnialabama.com.

TBE Nooners Toastmasters Club, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Building 1, 300 Sparkman Drive, 11:45 a.m., every Thursday, 726-1000, www.toastmasters.org.

Organization Supporting Business Owners, Coffee and Contacts, Theresa’s Sewing Workroom and FHE Solutions, 2317 Meridian St., 8:30 to 10 a.m., reservations at rsvp@osbo.org or Jim Campbell at jcampbell@osbo.org or 866-533-0769.

Business Volunteer Council, The Volunteer Center of Madison County, 2939 Johnson Road, noon, Auburn Brasher at 539-7797 or auburn@volunteerhsv.org.

Friday

“Building an Awesome Web Site,” workshop led by Tim Knox, founder of Digital Graphiti, sponsored by Women’s Business Center of North Alabama, Crestwood Women’s Center, 9 to 11 a.m., $25, reservations www.wbcna.org or 256-213-2727, some scholarships.

“Coffee and Cards,” Average to Art, 905 Meridian St., 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., every Friday, 658-0657 or www.averagetoart.com.

Saturday

Fibromyalgia symposium, sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation, speakers including nurse practitioner Tim Byrum, chiropractor Dr. Anthony Houssain and neurologist Dr. Jeffrey Harris on safe exercise, research and self-help imagery, UAH School of Nursing, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., $25, or $50 for professionals seeking CEU credit; lunch included, fibrohuntsville.kintera.org or Mandy Moulin at 256-837-5177, ext. 314.

Tennessee Valley Toastmasters, Radisson Inn, Madison, 9 a.m., first and third Saturdays, 876-8706 or amy.donlin@us.army.mil.

July 21

“The Convergence of Logical and Physical Security,” joint meeting of North Alabama chapters of Information Systems Security Association and American Society for Industrial Security; speaker Sharon Ing of NASA, Redstone Federal Credit Union, 220 Wynn Drive, 11 a.m., $15; reservations, Jaime Cifuentes at 256-468-5833 or jaime.cifuentes@knology.net; http://asis18.googlepages.com and northalabama.issa.org/index.html.

“Virtualization,” speaker Blaine Barton, Huntsville NT Users Group, nonprofit, no-dues group for developers and others interested in Microsoft Windows and other technologies, Intergraph Building 15B Auditorium, 6 to 8:30 p.m., www.huntug.org.

Speaking Easy Toastmasters for Communication and Leadership Skills, Java Jay’s Cafe, 1736 Sixth Ave., Decatur, 5:30 p.m., first and third Mondays, (256) 350-2823.

July 22

Mason-Dixon Toastmasters Club, Eleanor E. Murphy Library, 7910 Charlotte Drive, 6:30 p.m., second and fourth Tuesdays, Nancy Wade at 797-0700.

Organization Supporting Business Owners, Coffee and Contacts, hosted by Sprint/Nextel, 700 Airport Road, 8:30 to 10 a.m., promote yourself and your business; learn from other business owners, free, www.osbo.org, reservations Jim Campbell at jcampbell@osbo.org or 866-533-0769.

International Association of Administrative Professionals, Redstone Federal Credit Union Educational Center, 220 Wynn Drive, networking 11:30 a.m., meeting noon to 1 p.m., Stephany Wingard 885-7064 or www.iaaphsv.org.

National Society of Black Engineers Alumni Extension, Lockheed Martin, 4800 Bradford Drive, Conference Room 403 VTC-A, 5:30 p.m., Kimberly Battle at president@nsbe-northalabamaae.org or 859-2876.

National Association of Investors Corporation Computer Users Group, using software and the Internet to research stocks, Charles H. Stone Agricultural Center, 819 Cook Ave., 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., free, Tom Robinson at 883-7113 or trir@comcast.net.

Money management workshop, financial goal setting, budgeting, credit management, retirement and more, Family Services Center, 600 St. Clair Ave., Building 3, 5:30 to 7 p.m., 551-1610, www.fsc-hsv.org.

July 23

NewSouth Architects 20th anniversary, 100 Washington St., Suite 2, 4 p.m., free, 539-5845 or www.jamescaudle.com.

Harry Jaffe Toastmasters, Islamic Mosque, 1645 Sparkman Drive, 6 p.m., second and fourth Wednesdays, contact Said Belhadj at 721-8524 or rtoss1@yahoo.com.

July 24

New Business State Tax Workshop, Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St., 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., free, 256-922-1082, ext. 233.

Speakeasy Toastmasters, Meteor Buffet, 751 U.S. 72, E., 6 p.m., second and fourth Thursdays, 851-8247 or davewz@juno.com.

Unemployed people support group, for those seeking a new job, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Education Building Room 105, 301 Drake Ave., 7 p.m., second and fourth Thursdays, Tim Powell at 880-9288.

July 25

“Financing Your Small Business,” seminar, speaker Joanne Randolph, president of Women’s Business Center of North Alabama, Decatur Breakfast & Biz, Decatur Chamber of Commerce, 515 6th Ave., 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., 256-353-5312 or www.dcc.org.

Categories: Business Events
Tags: event, meetings, networking

Paul Schuppener of Keller Williams Realty in Huntsville, Ala. selected IDX, Inc. to customize the search section of his website and provide access to over 4,000 homes on the North Alabama MLS. As a result of this selection, Schuppener will be able to offer his clients an advanced search function on his website and ultimately an easier and more streamlined search process.

IDX Broker works by extracting information from the property database and transferring it to its seamlessly integrated search tool located on the agents Website. The integrated search function, designed to Schuppeners specifications, allows for a basic search or a more advanced search experience. The display of a step by step 1, 2, 3 guide is visually straightforward for the client to follow and easy for the client to use based on the individuals needs and desires.

Features that Schuppener chose to incorporate into his customized IDX package for display on his website included a drop down menu with choices between single family residential, multi family residential, lots and land, and commercial. After selecting one of these options the page then automatically updates to provide more customized options based on the previous selection. With the use of IDX Broker, Schuppener will be able to grow his client base and continue making the move to Huntsville easier than ever for his clients.

About Paul Schuppener
Before becoming part of the real estate industry, Schuppener worked for 16 years in the restaurant business, and in 2000 began working as a freelance web developer. As a real estate agent, Schuppener works with both first time home buyers and veteran home buyers and now works as a Huntsville real estate listing specialist including new home construction and purchasing and selling land in the greater North Alabama area. Schuppener has a wife and daughter and in his spare time enjoys, computers, cooking, home improvement-projects, gardening, and reading.

About IDX, Inc.
Based in Eugene, Oregon IDX, Inc. is nationally known as a leading provider of real estate search applications. IDX, Inc. manages over $1 trillion worth of active listings data from over 150 Multiple Listings Services (MLS). IDX Broker is IDX, Inc.s principle real estate software utility. The easy to manage and customizable software helps real estate professionals display home listing data from their multiple listing service (MLS) on their individual and/or office websites. For more information on the services provided by IDX, Inc., please visit www.idxbroker.com.

Categories: Real Estate
Tags: huntsville real estate, idx

A local real estate developer has presented a unique opportunity on Lewis Smith Lake in North Alabama. He has just placed a large land parcel with wooded acreage & 1600 waterfront feet on beautiful Rock Creek on the market. The land, which is aptly named The Cove at Rock Creek Point, has approximately 18 heavily wooded acres surrounding a private cove, and is perfect for a family estate or small development. A variety of amenities are offered with this land including a newly constructed road into the property, a private entrance , a beautiful secluded cove, power & Arley city water in place, a fabulous view of Rock Creek, heavily wooded landscape with mature trees, natural rock formations, a waterfall, nearby marina, excellent fishing, an abundance of wildlife, incredible privacy, use of common areas, and a convenient location 3 Miles from the town of Arley, AL, and about an hour drive from Birmingham and Huntsville, AL.

This spectacular Smith Lake waterfront property is being offered at $999,900. For more information, visit www.smithlakecove.weebly.com or call 205.541.0740

Visit Huntsville Alabama real estate

Categories: Real Estate
Tags:

Volkswagen management chose Limestone County over Chattanooga for an assembly plant, according to the German publication Automobilwoche.

Citing “sources with direct contact to management board members,” the publication reported Friday that VW Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn and Jochem Heizmann, head of production, would make the final recommendation Monday.

VW’s supervisory board is expected to vote on the recommendation Tuesday, with a formal announcement expected before July 21.

Story disputed

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., however, disputed the reports that management has decided to recommend the Limestone County site.

Corker told WRCB-TV in Chattanooga that he talked to VW officials Friday morning and that Chattanooga is still in the running.

“I’ve read the accounts, and I can absolutely promise you that those comments and prognostications are total speculation,” Corker said.

Alabama officials quiet

Alabama officials have refused comment on the discussions.

The proposed Alabama site is nine miles northeast of downtown Decatur, in a portion of Limestone County that Huntsville recently annexed. It is northwest of Greenbrier Road and Old Alabama 20.

Alabama Department of Transportation is surveying the site for the purpose of widening and realigning Greenbrier Road for improved access to Interstate 565.

According to reports, the $800 million plant would employ 2,000 workers. Production would begin in late 2010, reaching full capacity of 300,000 cars per year in 2018.

According to the German report, VW prefers Limestone County because of a well-developed supplier base, proximity to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance and a skilled work force.

Alabama also was better able to meet VW’s construction timeline.

According to an Alabama official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Greenbrier property is much flatter than the Chattanooga property. It would therefore require less earth movement before construction could begin.

Some earlier reports have suggested Limestone County might get the assembly plant, with an engine plant going to Chattanooga.

The Automobilwoche report did not mention this possibility.

VW officials declined comment.

VW officials previously have said they hope a U.S. plant will help it triple its annual sales by 2018 to 1 million.

According to last week’s edition of Automobilwoche, VW would produce a compact sedan similar to the Jetta and a medium sedan similar to the Passat. It said Audi, a VW subsidiary, also wants to produce a compact sport utility vehicle, similar to its Q5, at the assembly plant.

Audi, a subsidiary of VW, said it also is considering a U.S. plant. Audi Chief Executive Rupert Stadler told the trade publication eGMcartech for its Friday online edition, “But of course it is also imaginable that we build cars together with Volkswagen in its planned U.S. factory.”

In addition to the Q5, Stadler said Audi was interested in producing its A5 in the United States.

Toyota

Also Friday, Toyota announced it would suspend production of V-8 engines at its Huntsville plant.

None of the plant’s 900 full-time employees will lose their jobs, and the plant will continue producing V-6 engines, officials said.

The suspension of V-8 production begins Aug. 8 and will last until mid-November.

While reducing production of its V-8 engines, Toyota said it would produce the Toyota Prius hybrid in the U.S. for the first time at a plant under construction in Tupelo, Miss.

Categories: Huntsville Auto
Tags: volkswagen alabama, vw