Progress, Prosperity & Partnerships

At the heart of business and community is the Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, Inc., and the Enterprise Coffee Geneva Economic Development Corporation (ECGEDC). Working in partnership with the City, the chamber and economic development provide a positive climate for business and community development.

The Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, Inc. has been the voice of the business and community since it was founded in 1941. Accredited by the U.S. Chamber for over 30 years, the chamber is actively involved in economic diversity to include business recruitment, retirees, tourism, military affairs, agriculture, education, downtown revitalization and community development. With the motto, “in business for business,” the chamber continues to work on defining and meeting the needs of businesses and the community.

Founded in 1994, the Enterprise Coffee Geneva Economic Development Corp. is a public-private partnership that represents the local government and a diverse section of the Enterprise business and industry community. ECGEDC works to help develop and recruit new industry, expand and diversify existing industry, and promote economic development for the City of Enterprise, the City of Daleville and the counties of Coffee and Geneva. ECGEDC is located in the business incubator building at Yancey Parker Industrial Park as part of a continual effort to help new and expanding business development in the region.

Residents can be justifiably proud of City government. The municipality functions with a mayor/council system of government and quality administrators. They continually strive to provide the most comprehensive services available for the tax dollars spent. The City of Enterprise has a rate of growth in the last decade of over 5 percent.

The professional attitudes, the “can do” spirit and working together with a progressive government are prime examples of the cooperative and supportive business attitude of community leaders.

Economic diversity and adaptation has been a common theme in Enterprise since its inception over a century ago. When the Boll Weevil devastated the cotton harvests in 1915, the farmers of Coffee County learned early on to react, adapt and diversify. That ingenuity is still alive and well represented in the agricultural offerings found throughout Enterprise. While peanuts and poultry have been around for nearly 100 years, other agricultural commodities include cattle, cotton, dairy, hay, corn, forage crops, oats, vegetables and many others. Today, Coffee County sells approximately $180 million dollars worth of agricultural products per year. Farmer Futures Magazine, 2005, ranks Coffee County as the number one agricultural producer in the state of Alabama, and in the top 100 out of nearly 3,000 counties nationally. This statistic is truly amazing due to the fact that Enterprise is a growing urban area and has other industrial offerings. But since Enterprise participates heavily in farm-city type activities, it ensures that everything possible is done to promote strong relationships between the urban and farm communities.

While the Enterprise area is still one of the leading agricultural producers in the state of Alabama, there is also a diverse business and industrial sector that flourishes throughout the region. Enterprise is home to a vast array of large and small businesses throughout the City. Major industries include aviation, peanut processing, automotive, textiles, electronics, die-cast metal, truck trailers, and poultry processing.

The largest single employer in the area is Fort Rucker, Home of Army Aviation. Situated seven miles from Enterprise, Fort Rucker provides training for helicopter pilots. Centers for related aviation research and development are also located on the post. Fort Rucker has a post population of approximately 18,000 and an active duty military strength of 5,000.

The oldest industry in Enterprise is the Sessions Company. Sessions Company shelled peanuts for the first time in 1917. Today the company is still a buyer and seller of peanuts. Sessions processes peanut butter for many of the products seen in grocery stores. Sessions also exports its products to many foreign countries.

Another well known corporation in the region is Enterprise Electronics Corporation (EEC). Founded by a group of radar engineers in 1971, EEC manufactures meteorological radar systems for markets around the world. With a constant focus on innovation, public safety and improving weather prediction, EEC developed the world’s first Doppler weather radar system in 1981. Today EEC is a multi-million dollar corporation with over 800 radar installations in the United States and 85 other countries.

The newest industry in Enterprise is H.S. Alabama Automotive; a tier one supplier for Hyundai Motors. Located in the Yancey Parker Industrial Park, HSAA has provided the area with an increase of 250-300 new jobs. The Enterprise plant is the first location in the United States for this South Korean-based company.

Other employers that play an important role in the diverse economic community of Enterprise include: