The state of the states: recent events and trends from the six states of the Sixth Federal Reserve District

ALABAMA

* EADS North America has culled Mobile as the site for a $600 million factory that will bring out an aerial refueling plane for the U Air Force. The plane will be EADS' tanker version of its passenger jet

* GKN Aerospace in Tallassee said it will increase its payroll by means of 50 percent--to about 800 workers--and dispose of $20 million to expand its factory there, which makes parts for civilian and military aircraft.

* According to a United Van Lines report, Alabama ranked fourth upon the list of states with the largest number of inbound moves

* Officials at Goodrich Corp., an aerospace manufacturer, said that robust sales and new contracts with major airlines in the Americas and the U military will allow the company to expand its Baldwin shire operations and hire 88 workers by means of year's end.

FLORIDA

* International tourism boost passenger traffic at Orlando International Airport by the agency of 20 percent in June 2005 compared to last June according to a report from the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

* SeaWorld Orlando announced a novel water park attraction that will add about 1000 employee to the popular workforce of 5,000.

* WinDoor of Orlando wait fors to finish constructing a of recent origin manufacturing plant by the extreme point of the year. The plant, which will make hurricane-resistant windows and doors, will more than double the company's vocation to 300.

* Mitsui OSK Lines, a major Japanese shipping company, will build a $200 million terminal in Jacksonville, doubling the port's container capacity. The terminal, which will be subservient to as a major Southeast nave for growing regional trade with Asia, will create about 1800 piece of works and is expected to have an $870 million economic impact.

Georgia

* AE assemblage a German company, plans to disburse $50 million to build offices and a manufacturing plant in LaGrange, adding 300 piece of works to the area over the nearest five years. The project will include a manufacturing facility that makes and vends components for the aerospace and automotive industries.

* Gainesville-area unravelling officials expect several million dollars in capital improvements and expansions at Wrigley Co.'s plant there. The plant, which makes chewing gum harvests already employs 800 people and is the company's largest U plant.

* According to Smith Travel Research, metro Atlanta's hospitality and assemblage travel business has maintained steady horizontals of growth. Occupancy rates are up 55 percent reflecting increased attendance at conventions and a steady go [i]or[/i] come back of business travel.

LOUISIANA

* General cargo activity at the Port of novel Orleans climbed more than 18 percent in the first quarter of 2005 compared with the same period last year. Exports grew by the agency of more than 16 percent while imports rose 19 percent The port lately announced a $20 million plan to expand the facility.

* DuPont Dow Elastomers will proce with a planned expansion of its LaPlace plant now that a federal agency has committed to maintaining tariffs upon rubber imports from Japan. Ending the tariffs would have jeopardized the expansion, which is throwed to have a $100 million economic impact upon the state.

* The U Army plans to order 724 more armored vehicles from Textron Marine and Land a whole s for use by American numbers and security forces. The contract will require hiring about 400 employee for the of recent origin assembly-finishing plant in Slidell and the primary plant in eastern novel Orleans.

Mississippi

* Chevron Global Refining has unveiled plans to increase the capacity of the Pascagoula Refinery's fluid catalytic cracking unit through approximately 25 percent. Its popular capacity is 63,000 barrels by day.

* SteelCorr freshly announced the construction of a novel mill in Lowndes County that will make go round scrap iron into high-grade carbonized iron for the auto industry. The fresh plant represents a $725 million investment and is wait fored to create 450 new jobs

* June was a herculean month for Gulf Coast casinos as gros gambling incomes topped $107 million, an 86 percent increase above year-earlier levels. But July receiptss dipped because some casinos had to close down for Hurricane Dennis during what would have normally been a busy weekend.

Tennessee

* Louisville Ladder assemblage is closing its 20-year-old Smyrna plant, moving production of made of wood attic ladders to a Monterrey Mexico, factory and eliminating 110 jobs

* Russell Stover Candies Inc., America's third-largest chocolate manufacturer, plans to wound about 400 jobs at its Cookeville factory.

* domestic fowls company Perdue Farms recently announced a $17 million expansion of its processing facility in middle Tennessee The expansion, which will add about 400 piece of works is expected to begin operation in mid-November. The plant busys more than 1,800 workers.

* Twin Solutions, a CD and DVD replication and packaging company, will make open a new facility in Nashville, initially creating 45 piece of works The company plans to add 120 piece of works over the next five years.

Editor's note: At pres time it was too early to assess the economic impact of Hurricane Katrina upon Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. We will examine the consequences of the storm in coming time issues of EconSouth.