SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Huntsville’s growing reputation as a national hub for aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing drew attention from Washington this week as U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer visited Boeing’s Huntsville operations as part of the Department of Labor’s nationwide “America at Work” tour.
The visit marked the 47th stop in the tour’s effort to hear directly from American workers, employers, and local leaders about the realities shaping today’s workforce. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) welcomed Chavez-DeRemer to North Alabama, emphasizing Huntsville’s role as one of the country’s most significant centers for high-tech industry and defense manufacturing.
Secretary Chavez-DeRemer has described the initiative as a way to carry the voices of workers and business owners back to Washington to help inform federal labor policy.
“D.C. bureaucrats shouldn’t be telling modern-day business owners and workers what’s best for them,” she said in earlier remarks. “As a businesswoman and former mayor, I’ve always found that getting the best results requires listening first.”
During the Huntsville stop, Chavez-DeRemer and Strong toured Boeing’s local facilities, where approximately 3,000 employees support major programs ranging from missile defense and space exploration to systems engineering, integration, design, and fabrication. Officials say Boeing’s Huntsville workforce plays a critical role in national security initiatives and emerging aerospace technologies.
Boeing is one of Alabama’s largest aerospace employers, with a presence in the state dating back more than 60 years. The company’s continued growth in Huntsville reflects the region’s expanding importance within the national defense and space economy.
“It was a privilege to welcome the Secretary of Labor to Huntsville for her Alabama leg of the ‘America at Work’ tour,” Strong said. “Her visit highlighted the talent, innovation, and hard work that define our community.”
Strong, now serving his second term in Congress, is also Vice Chair of the U.S. House Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee — the panel responsible for funding agencies including NASA and the FBI. In that role, he said he has secured more than $33.3 million in FY2026 project funding for North Alabama, supporting priorities such as workforce development, transportation improvements, and public safety.
The visit underscored Huntsville’s continued rise as a powerhouse in America’s industrial and technological future, with federal leaders increasingly recognizing the city’s skilled workforce and growing economic influence.