Opelika, Alabama

for development there; we have over 1,600 acres still available including a 500-acre contiguous parcel available, which could be potentially rail- served, as well.” Opelika’s newest location for companies that are focused on emerging and innovative technologies will be the Opelika Innovation and Technology Park, to be located along US Highway 280. The new 105-acre Park is in a federally- designated Opportunity Zone, which offers industries cheaper build-to-suit leasing, stronger federal, state, and local incentives, and unique tax planning opportunities. Businesses will have easy access to East Alabama Medical Center, the Tiger Town shopping mall, downtown Opelika, Auburn University, and Southern Union State Community College. Regarding Southern Union, Krehling reports that Opelika City Schools system has partnered with the community college to create several programs for its high school seniors who would rather go straight into the workforce than attend a four-year college. “They go out and have hands-on, day-to-day work with our industries,” she says. “It’s another way to help develop that talent pipeline for all the companies that we’ve recruited to the area, and it also makes students aware of what opportunities there are,” Huguley adds. “So, it’s gratifying to see them participate in those tours of our industries; they’re fully engaged and we feel that this program is generating a lot of interest in going into jobs in our manufacturing companies, while also participating at Southern Union Community College to seek some of those skills that they’ll need to be successful at those jobs. Also, with the proximity of Auburn University, Southern Union has been a great partner as a feeder school. We have a lot of kids that will start at Southern Union and then transfer over to Auburn. So, I can’t say enough about the relationship that we have with Southern Union Community College and what it means to our area.” Krehling adds that the Opelika City Schools