Helix Electric broke ground this week on a $45.3 million advanced fabrication campus in Hollywood, Alabama, a project expected to bring 160 jobs to Jackson County. The California-based electrical contractor held its groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, with Gov. Kay Ivey announcing the project as part of the state's push to land advanced manufacturing in rural communities.
The new campus will focus on manufacturing prefabricated electrical components and large modular electrical assemblies used in construction and industrial projects, according to madeinalabama.com. Planned products include underground duct banks, duct bank risers, hangers, electrical devices and modular electrical skids. The facility is meant to expand Helix Electric's manufacturing capabilities while putting production closer to its existing teams and East Coast customers, the outlet reports.
Founded in San Diego roughly four decades ago, Helix has grown into one of the largest electrical, engineering and contracting companies in the United States, according to al.com. The company evaluated locations throughout Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama before settling on Hollywood, per a separate report from Yahoo News.
Why Helix Chose Jackson County
Company representatives identified the workforce training programs at the nearby Kevin Duke Career and Innovation Academy as one factor in the decision to locate in the community, according to alreporter.com. Jackson County is a designated Target County under Alabama's economic development programs, and the Helix project is being framed as part of Alabama Commerce's broader effort to steer investment and jobs toward rural communities. The project also aligns with Commerce's metals and advanced materials strategy under Catalyst, the agency's 10-year economic development plan, the same report notes.
Jackson County's own resiliency plan has flagged infrastructure limitations, a relatively low labor force participation rate and a shortage of available industrial buildings as challenges to future growth, per the alreporter.com account. The Helix project is expected to bring investment and jobs to a county facing these challenges.
Conflicting Details on Size and Timeline
Construction Timeline Al.com reports that the campus will cover 1.2 million square feet, with its first phase employing 160 people. Yahoo News likewise describes a 1.2-million-square-foot campus whose first phase would employ 160 people. The two outlets also disagree on the construction schedule: al.com reports that work on the multiphase facility off U.S. 72 is expected to begin in January and take about a year, while alreporter.com reports the first phase is expected to take just under two years to complete.
Boris Shekhter said Hollywood, Alabama, is exactly the kind of community where Helix Electric belongs and that the company intends to establish a lasting presence there, according to madeinalabama.com. He added that the investment represents a long-term commitment to Jackson County and its residents.
State and Local Officials Weigh In
Gov. Ivey said Helix Electric's investment reflects confidence in Alabama's workforce, infrastructure and business climate and creates opportunities for Alabama families. Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair said the investment could create opportunities for local contractors, suppliers and small businesses. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong called the project another example of the economic growth happening across north Alabama, according to al.com.
State Sen. Steve Livingston called the groundbreaking a major milestone for northeast Alabama economic development and said the investment will benefit local citizens and communities for decades. Jackson County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Nathan Lee said the project will provide new career opportunities for area residents, adding that a $45 million investment and 160 jobs will stimulate the local economy for years to come.
Multiple organizations were credited with supporting the project, including the Tennessee Valley Authority, the North Alabama Electric Cooperative, the Jackson County Economic Development Authority and the Alabama Department of Commerce. Heidi Smith said the partner organizations share a commitment to job creation and investment in the communities they serve.
Part of a Broader Rural Investment Push
The Helix groundbreaking lands amid a larger wave of rural economic development activity across Alabama. Since 2020, economic development projects landing in the state's targeted rural counties have generated $7 billion in new capital investment and created nearly 9,000 jobs, according to a separate madeinalabama.com report. In 2024 alone, 57 such projects were announced in targeted counties, accounting for $1.2 billion in new investment and more than 1,600 new jobs.
As 256 Today reported on the groundbreaking, additional details on the facility's construction timeline, opening date and hiring opportunities are expected as the project moves forward. For now, Jackson County officials are treating the Helix investment as a marker of momentum in a county working to overcome the very infrastructure and workforce gaps its own resiliency plan has identified.
