Birmingham – Gov. Bob Riley and other state officials are headed to Hawaii to recruit industry for Alabama.
Economic development recruiters from the state will be in Maui beginning Jan. 2 for an event they call "Sweet Home Alabama."
It's a promotion that highlights Alabama as an industrial site. And it coincides with the Mercedes-Benz Championship golf tournament in Maui.
The event has been held at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Hoover in recent years. But officials decided to change the location and move it to Hawaii because of the state's ties to Mercedes.
The head of the Alabama Development Office, Neal Wade, says meeting with site consultants is probably the most important part of luring new industry to the state. And the Mercedes golf tournament provides a great opportunity to do just that.
The Alabama Development Office and corporate sponsors are splitting the cost of the event, which is about $110,000.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)