McArtor: Relationship the key

Relationships. That's what it all boils down to, according to Airbus Americas Chairman Allan McArtor, as the reason his company chose Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Ala., for its A320 final assembly line. He wrote a guest column that accompanied CNBC's "America's Top States for Business 2013." McArtor wrote that Airbus felt Mobile and Alabama would be the ones to stand with the company and meet its needs. He pointed out that Airbus builds strong relationships with its customers, who work closely with the Airbus throughout the many years a plane serves a carrier. That's the same kind of relationship Alabama and Mobile formed with Airbus going back to the days the company was trying to win a contract to build Air Force aerial tankers. Groundbreaking on the assembly line, which will employ 1,000 workers, was in April. The first Mobile-assembled A320 will be delivered in 2016. (Sources: CNBC, 07/15/13, al.com, 07/16/13)