Site Selection:Let's conclude by sharing with readers a perspective on Alabama that you feel doesn't get the play it deserves.

      Shaia: Alabama's story has got to be communicated to where people understand that it is reflective of the people who live here in 2002 and not judge Alabama by things that have happened in the past. The state is working to move forward. The people who live here now are how the state should be viewed. So we encourage business to get to know our people.

      Hutchison: Emmett [Meyer] and Mike [Bunney] and others are our best sales people, when they say they would do it all over again. People in my office are paid to promote Alabama and its qualities. But we believe in building strong ties with the companies that are already here, too.

      Matlock: From an entrepreneurial perspective, I think the story is getting out there. I am working with a Japanese group right now that is looking to place one of its start-up business investments, and to be on their list is great. We are gaining in terms of the kinds of opportunities there are here for entrepreneurial development. It's a critical mass issue in that we are beginning to grow successful new businesses and receive recognition for the businesses we're growing, and ultimately what I anticipate will happen is that we will end up being able to attract from both coasts offices of some of the venture capital firms. I believe we will see that shortly.

      Castile: The fact that we are aggressively, from a state leadership perspective in particular with input from our very valuable employers, working to be out in front of a work force problem that might arise in the future -- the number of workers that are available, or trained workers that need to be available. We are a ways from that problem, but before we get there, we are aggressively putting in place things that will counteract that at every level of education. We tell employers that we will find them a work force and train it. It is important to us as a state to be able to continue to say that. So we have put in place strategies to manage this work force and keep us at the forefront and ahead of potential problems.

      Bunney: I'm a somewhat new voice in Alabama, and the past doesn't mean anything to me, because I wasn't here for that. What I see in Alabama is leadership. We are the world's best at what we do, and there are many places in Alabama that are the world's best. We have broad shoulders, we are a team together, and we are going to continue down that path of excellence and being world class in the things we do.

      Meyer: I echo those sentiments. Stereotypical notions of places are sometimes hard to overcome. Our experience is that Alabama has changed in a positive way. Speaking as an OEM, Alabama is a strong, supportive environment for automotive and related industries.