But local makers have been able to convince

When the leadership of EADS North America, the American subsidiary of the European aircraft manufacturer, has sought a new site to install his engineering in Uncle Sam centre, 30 States have volunteered. Seventy-two sites have been proposed... and pre-selected 4: Mobile in Alabama, Stennis (Mississippi), Charleston (South Carolina) and Melbourne (Florida). The engineering centre itself provides only 150 jobs. But if the projects of EADS in the United States win face his eternal rival Boeing, thousands of jobs for subcontractors who would see the day. EADS and its U.S. partner Northrop Grumman are courting the Congress for renewal of 500 AirTanker for the US Air Force contracts. And EADS Casa, alloy this time to the Raytheon group, tries to sell its C295 airplanes to the army.

It is ultimately Mobile, a metropolis of 570,000 inhabitants, which has been adopted: the engineering centre will open in 2007. This choice was not yet clear. The port lost of Alabama, located in the Middle, did not appear to be an asset. But local makers have been able to convince. They put forward the runway and spaces empty site of Brookley, the former base of the air force. They promised a fast link with the port for large equipment of aircraft arriving from Europe. And they have even demonstrated, trucks and large containers in support, how the manufacturer could carry its equipment from the port at Brookley. All the heavyweights of the State came in person to plead the case: Senators, elected to the House of representatives, politicians of Alabama, school principals... Mobile decision makers have learned the art and how to seduce the businesses after suffering serious setbacks: in 1968, the base of the air force closed its doors, 14,000 jobs have been lost in the debacle. A few years later, in 2000, the paper industry and its 3,000 jobs is going. William Sisson, Vice President of economic development in the Chamber of commerce, able to respond by aligning financial aid, grants and other benefits. "We can, at the local level, decide a relief of taxes for the city and the State ensures." For example, remove taxes on the property for 10 years. "Cherry on the cake, Mobile offers free customized business training. The formation of the Alabama Industrial Development Training teams studying with the management of the companies needs. They take care of the recruitment of future employees and their training. Alabama was able to attract automotive manufacturers such as Mercedes, Hyundai, Honda, from Detroit, the legendary capital of the automobile.

"The work ethic".

The French chemist Arkema (180 employees) has also benefited from the manna. "This training is three times the annual salary of an employee, assures Daryl Roberts, Director of the Arkema factory. The leaders of the joint-venture APM Terminal North America and CMA - CGM, which are building a new terminal of 300 million on the port of Mobile, like this system. As Bob Barnett, manager of Technip, manufacturer of pipelines for the oil industry. When this French company of 75 employees moved in 2001 on the ocean, "we do were not on the spot welders we needed", says Bob Barnett. 85 of the personnel were expatriates. But five years later, specialized workforce entirely local. Welders, working 72 hours per week, learned the trade. "The work ethic is strong here," says Bob Barnett. The paper industry licensees had desire to learn.

Mobile, which in 2003 had an unemployment rate of 7.5, shows today a rate of 3.5, well below the average national of 4.4. And to keep this good performance, makers of Alabama continue to extol the qualities of the cru with foreign companies including hexagonal. What's more normal for a city, death of Louisiana, who was a French time.