HENDERSON, WESTERN AUSTRALIA - Governor Bob Riley continued his overseas economic development and jobs mission today in Western Australia, making an official visit to the Western Headquarters of ship-building mega company Austal, Ltd., which operates a 1,000-worker ship assembly facility in Mobile.

Austal’s Mobile, Alabama facility is the largest aluminum shipyard in the world. Recent projects have included construction of the largest-ever aluminum ferry in the United States as well as the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the first of which is currently preparing for sea trials. Austal is also in the pre-construction design phase on the first of ten Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) for the US Department of Defense.

The company plans to add another 1,000 jobs over the next year with the addition of a new state-of-the-art Modular Manufacturing Facility (MMF), the first facility of its kind in the world

“The people of our state have benefited tremendously from the partnership we’ve forged between Alabama and Austal,” Governor Riley said. “Austal is a world class company that has created more than 1,000 jobs in Alabama. My visit to the company’s headquarters helps promote and strengthen that partnership.”

Governor Riley said that building and maintaining relationships with existing companies is key to bringing new ones to Alabama.

“Through the years we have found that our best industrial recruiters often times are international companies currently operating in Alabama,” Governor Riley said. “Companies like Austal, Mercedes, and countless others have seen first-hand the benefits of locating in Alabama and they take that knowledge and share it with other firms in their home countries. Building upon our relationship with Austal and the people of Australia can only help us as we try to bring more international companies to Alabama.”

Officials from Austal took the opportunity to recognize Governor Riley and the State of Alabama for helping to foster Austal’s growth in North America. Austal Managing Director Bob Browning said the State of Alabama’s continued efforts to attract business by offering a range of financial incentives had significantly contributed to Austal USA’s establishment.

“I wish to formally thank Governor Bob Riley for his ongoing support of Austal Ltd and applaud the state’s efforts to attract new business to the region,” Browning said. “This support has played a key role in Austal’s decision to establish our facility in Alabama, creating a significant number of new jobs, which in turn has obvious benefits for the community of Mobile.”

Since Austal USA’s establishment in 1999, the State of Alabama has contributed more than $10 million in economic incentives in exchange for the company creating significant employment and training opportunities in the Mobile area. Recently, the state provided Austal USA with $5 million worth of incentives to assist with the construction of the MMF.

The state is also preparing to break-ground on a maritime training facility in Mobile, two-thirds of which will be used to train Austal workers. The facility is designed to better prepare the state’s workforce for the influx jobs in the expanding maritime industry in Alabama.

“The ship-building industry in Alabama has grown tremendously over the last several years, and we’re poised for even more growth, said Governor Riley. “That’s why we’re over here - to try and expand on Alabama’s reputation as a great place to do business. We have a tough economy right now and a lot of people are struggling. It’s more important than ever to get out and sell Alabama to the rest of the world, bringing new jobs and opportunity that will keep our state moving forward.”