“Alabama is a welcoming home for high-tech businesses, and I’m thrilled to see Tquila Automation select Birmingham for its new growth project,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “In the Magic City, tech-focused companies can find skilled workers and all the advantages they need to build a successful operation.

“I look forward to seeing Tquila Automation grow and thrive in Birmingham.”

Tquila Automation will establish the hub in the former Edwards Motor Co. building at 1531 Third Ave. North, which has been rehabilitated by Nextec LLC. The 65,000-square-foot building is in the city’s innovation district, called The Switch.

“Business leaders are recognizing how future-proofing their operations with artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation can drive better business outcomes,” said Tom Abbott, CEO and co-founder of Tquila Automation.

“By investing in technology careers in the City of Birmingham and the State of Alabama, we’re on the front-line driving innovation in businesses, supporting the demand for new jobs and growing talented team members,” he added.

GROWTH POTENTIAL

Tquila Automation said the new location will allow it to tap into Birmingham’s world-class universities and the large workforce base in the metro area. New team members will enroll in its Tquila Tech Academy for training in the design and delivery of automation solutions. 

“We are incredibly excited to be developing our Delivery Center in Birmingham,” said Richard Denton, the company’s chief technology officer and co-founder. “The city is blossoming, and we have been incredibly impressed with the collaborative approach of all of the parties involved.

“The city, county and state have all provided assistance to bring us here, and we look forward to paying back to the community here through the creation of jobs in the exciting tech industry.”

The company currently has over 100 employees in offices located in Austin, London and Amsterdam as well as a regional delivery center in Cardiff, Wales and a global center in Bucharest, Romania.

“Birmingham is nurturing an increasingly dynamic high-tech business ecosystem, so it’s great news to see a company like Tquila Automation setting up an operation in the city,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“This project will not only create high-paying jobs but also reinforce the growth potential of the tech sector in the Birmingham region.”

‘TALENT PIPELINE’

Birmingham beat out Austin, Nashville, and Atlanta for the project.

The Birmingham Business Alliance was heavily involved in the recruitment of Tquila Automation and identified the Nextec building as a potential home for the company’s new operation. The BBA also connected Tquila Automation with other tech companies in the city and assisted with career fairs and talent acquisition, among other things.

AIDT, the state’s primary workforce development agency, will help the company assemble and train its workforce.

Other agencies joining the Alabama Department of Commerce and BBA as partners in the recruitment were the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), the City of Birmingham, Jefferson County Commission and Alabama Power.

Local leaders said Tquila Automation’s growth project will deliver major benefits for the Birmingham region’s tech sector.

“Birmingham’s talent pipeline in technology plays a critical role in attracting global companies like Tquila Automation,” Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin said.  “The company’s location in the new Nextec Building provides a continued boost for our innovation district and exciting workforce opportunities for our people. We are proud to welcome Tquila Automation to the Magic City.”

“This is another example that our investments in tech companies are paying off,” added Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons, chair of the Economic Development Committee.

“Tquila was drawn to our community because of the strong tech talent pipeline and the other companies that have recently located here like Shipt, Landing, and Fetch. This will continue to have ripple effects throughout the county.”