The Forest Products Development Center (FPDC) facilitates forest-based economic development within Alabama by providing a wide range of technical information and analytical support to industrial clients, site location consultants, and economic developers. The FPDC works with existing industry to promote job creation and retention by providing services to facilitate business expansion, international trade, and operational efficiency. Expertise is provided in support of both bioenergy and forest products industry sectors.
The Center serves as a contact point for industry personnel wishing to explore new investment or market opportunities within Alabama. These opportunities may include enhancement of an existing business enterprise within the State or the development of an entirely new forest-based operation. In addition to providing assistance to those wishing to investigate specific opportunities, the Center seeks to identify opportunities on its own, and will, from time to time, work with appropriate State agencies to evaluate and advocate attractive projects to potential industry investors. While the Center’s mission and resources do not allow for extensive one-on-one consulting, the Center can either directly provide or assist in providing the following types of services:
- Forest resource studies
- Market studies
- Manufacturing technology evaluations
- Economic feasibility studies
- New product evaluations
- Capital project investment analyses
- Project financing investigations
- Technical training
- Operations analyses
- Input/output studies
