In just under four years in the Shoals, Empire Electronics has grown to 25 employees and moved from the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center into a 30,000-square-foot building in Tuscumbia.

The Troy, Mich.-based company manufactures lighting and wiring harnesses and is a supplier for North American Lighting in Muscle Shoals.

Empire started its Alabama operation with five employees at the entrepreneurial center's Sheffield facility before moving into a building in the Florence-Lauderdale County Industrial Park.

The business has continued to grow, and has just opened at the site in Tuscumbia.

When looking to expand into Alabama, Empire initially was searching for a partner to help provide products for North American Lighting, according to Giles McDaniel, executive director of the entrepreneurial center. Instead, company officials learned about resources to allow the company to create a division of its own.

"Empire electronics is a good example of the flexibility that we have built into our model for economic development," McDaniel said. "They came into the community wanting to develop a presence in the southern United States, where they had never been.
"They had a presence in Michigan, and North American Lighting wanted them here, so they decided to come down here and try it."

Empire officials initially contacted the Shoals Economic Development Authority, which put them in contact with the center.

"We worked with them and told them they could set up and start as small as they want," McDaniel said. "They have expanded and developed relationships with additional industries in the southern United States.
"They're a good company and will be here for years to come."

Barry Moore, materials manager for the company, said the concept of an incubator program appealed to them when they initially were looking for a Shoals site.

"The idea of an incubator program, where we could start small and grow our business in an environment that was in place just to help us grow, appealed to us," Moore stated in an entrepreneurial center release. "I pitched it to the management in Troy and we decided to go in that direction. It's worked well for us."