Governor Kay Ivey honored the German company Evonik Corporation and four other Alabama companies for their accomplishments in selling products in markets around the world and contributing to the robust exporting activities.
Governor Ivey presented leaders of the companies with a 2024 Governor’s Trade Excellence Award at a ceremony at the Old House Chamber in the State Capitol. Additionally, Governor Ivey proclaimed May as World Trade Month in the state of Alabama.
Evonik Corporation was the first German company to open an Alabama operation and has facilities in Mobile (specialty chemicals) and Birmingham (medical device technology). Evonik came to Alabama in the 1970s and continues to invest in the state.
Evonik employs approximately 1,000 people in Alabama at its sites in Mobile and Birmingham. In Mobile, Evonik manufactures specialty chemicals including coating additives for wind turbine blades, structural foams for aircraft, and amino acids for livestock farming. In Birmingham, Evonik specializes in bioabsorbable polymers and drug delivery techniques for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. Evonik is also part of the Birmingham Biotechnology Hub, a regional consortium that recently received a federal Tech Hub designation.
“The Governor’s Trade Excellence Award is a great honor for Evonik, and we are pleased to contribute to the booming bioscience industry in Birmingham,” said Hans Thullesen. “Receiving the award underscores the importance of biotechnology not just in Alabama, but across the globe.”
