Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority

What Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority does

Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority (JCEIDA), branded as JeffMet, is a governmental economic development authority created by the Jefferson County Commission in 1995 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The authority operates an industrial park portfolio totaling roughly 1,076 acres operational and approximately 2,176 acres including the developing JeffMet North site, comprising Jefferson Metropolitan Park at McCalla (739 acres, light industrial, rail- and interstate-adjacent), Jefferson Metropolitan Park at Lakeshore (337 acres, mixed-use IT/manufacturing), JeffMet Titusville (former Trinity Steel Brownfield, redeveloped for DC BLOX data operations), and JeffMet North (~1,100 acres, in development off I-65 Exit 275). JCEIDA provides a one-stop shop for site selection, utility coordination, soil studies, environmental site assessments, fully managed properties, and infrastructure readiness for manufacturing, distribution, technology, and data center tenants.

JCEIDA's tenant base includes major enterprises such as J.M. Smucker Co. ($1.1 billion McCalla facility, opening 2025, ~800 employees), Lear Corporation (~400 employees, Mercedes supplier), DC BLOX (HPC data center), Wells Fargo ($205 million data center refresh), Gulf States Distributing, Mobis US Alabama, and Brasfield & Gorrie. The authority's parks collectively host 4,878 employees and have generated approximately $4.5 billion in outside capital investment since inception, with $475.94 million and 816 jobs announced across 40 projects in 2023 alone, at an average announced wage of $62,109.

JCEIDA does not operate as a commercial enterprise; its funding derives from Jefferson County Commission appropriations, supplemental SEEDS Assessment Grants (e.g., a $191,365 grant matched for JeffMet North engineering), and partnerships with the Birmingham Business Alliance, Alabama Department of Commerce, and Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. The authority is led by Executive Director Othell Phillips (appointed November 2022), Director Andy Jocham, and Development Director David Freeman, with a total staff of approximately 4–5 people.

Name

Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority

Legal name

Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority

Website

https://jeffmet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Real Estate Development

NAICS

Administrative and Support Services (561)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Park Owners Association Management (BPAJAHAH)

Keywords

• Industrial site development
• Economic development services
• Site selection assistance
• Industrial park management
• Business attraction services

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Authority Funding: JCEIDA is a government authority formed by the Jefferson County Commission in 1995. The authority operates industrial parks and generates economic impact through attracting business investment and creating jobs, rather than through direct revenue generation from product/service sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

JCEIDA develops, owns, and operates publicly backed industrial parks in Jefferson County, Alabama, and delivers a one-stop shop of business assistance services—including site selection, utility coordination, soil studies, environmental site assessments, and fully managed properties—to manufacturing, distribution, and technology companies establishing or expanding operations. Its portfolio spans more than 2,100 acres of industrial land at Jefferson Metropolitan Park at McCalla, Jefferson Metropolitan Park at Lakeshore, and the developing JeffMet North Industrial Park.

Product overview

Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority (JCEIDA) operates a portfolio of industrial parks and commercial properties across Jefferson County, Alabama. The core offerings include Jefferson Metropolitan Park at McCalla (739 acres, light industrial zoning), Jefferson Metropolitan Park at Lakeshore (337 acres, mixed-use), and the newly developing JeffMet North Industrial Park (approximately 1,100 acres). JCEIDA serves as a one-stop shop for business assistance, providing site selection, infrastructure services, utilities coordination, and fully managed industrial properties for manufacturing, distribution, and technology companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JeffMet McCalla Industrial Park: 739-acre industrial park located in the southwest corner of Jefferson County, AL, bordered by Old Tuscaloosa Highway and Norfolk Southern Railroad. Zoned for light industrial use with infrastructure supporting large manufacturing facilities.
• JeffMet Lakeshore Information Technology Park
• JeffMet North Industrial Park
• JeffMet Titusville

Products and services

• JeffMet McCalla Industrial Park
• JeffMet Lakeshore Information Technology Park
• JeffMet North Industrial Park
• JeffMet Titusville
• JeffMet Trade Center 3
• Site Selection & Business Assistance Services
• Cowley Industrial Property
• Red Rock South Property

Named customers7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Birmingham Business AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) is the leading economic development agency for the Birmingham seven-county region, including Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby and Walker counties, focused on economic growth. BBA collaborates with JCEIDA on business recruitment and regional economic development initiatives.
• Alabama Department of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level economic development agency offering resources, available sites, and custom incentive packages for businesses. Works with JCEIDA to attract and retain businesses in Jefferson County.
• Economic Development Partnership of AlabamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate non-profit organization funded by more than 60 Alabama companies that works to attract, retain and grow jobs in Alabama, while encouraging innovation through its Alabama Launchpad program.
• Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides quality workforce development for Alabama's new and expanding businesses and expands opportunities for citizens through jobs created by businesses in JCEIDA industrial parks.
• Alabama Department of RevenueminorOthersState revenue agency that supports economic development through tax-related services and incentives for businesses locating in Alabama.
• City of BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Birmingham, Alabama is a municipal corporation and the largest city in the state with a population of approximately 212,237. Works with JCEIDA on economic development within the city limits, particularly at Jefferson Metropolitan Park at Lakeshore.
• Jefferson County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJCEIDA was formed in 1995 by the Jefferson County Commission. The county provides oversight, support, and infrastructure services including Inspection Services and Land Development & Zoning through its Development Services department.
• HBA / Prestige Development PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHBA partnered with Prestige Development Partners to build a 275,000 SF Class A tilt wall distribution/manufacturing facility (Premier JeffMET Trade Center 3) in McCalla, AL.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce (Mobile Industrial Development Authority): Another Alabama economic development authority operating industrial parks and competing with JCEIDA for manufacturing and distribution investment along the Gulf Coast logistics corridor.
• Huntsville/Madison County Industrial Development Authority: In-state Alabama peer operating industrial parks and recruiting manufacturing/logistics tenants in the Huntsville MSA, directly competing with JCEIDA for automotive and aerospace investment, especially for Toyota Mazda supplier overflow.
• Birmingham Business Alliance: Regional economic development partner of JCEIDA covering the seven-county Birmingham region, performing overlapping business recruitment and retention functions with shared deal flow.

Regional players

• Alabama State Port Authority (Port of Mobile): In-state port authority that competes with Jefferson County's inland logistics positioning for distribution and manufacturing tenants, particularly import/export-intensive operations.
• Greater Houston Partnership: Large regional economic development organization performing business recruitment, site marketing, and policy advocacy functions comparable to JCEIDA but at metro scale in a different geography.

Others

• Prologis: Largest global industrial REIT and developer; an adjacent capital provider that competes for industrial tenants via build-to-suit and speculative distribution facilities in the Southeast.
• Panattoni Development Company: Large private industrial real estate developer with active speculative and build-to-suit activity in the US Southeast, often competing with public EDAs for the same manufacturer/distributor tenants.

Broad incumbents

• Economic Development Partnership of Alabama: Private non-profit funded by more than 60 Alabama companies that recruits and retains jobs statewide; overlaps JCEIDA's mandate at a state level and operates the Alabama Launchpad innovation program.
• Tennessee Valley Authority: Federal economic development corporation operating across the multi-state TVA region, providing site selection, infrastructure, and recruitment services that overlap with JCEIDA's mission at much larger scale.
• Alabama Department of Commerce: State-level economic development agency that co-recruits with JCEIDA, packages incentives, and sets state industrial policy that affects JCEIDA's competitiveness.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jeffmet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority