Helix Electric's $45 Million Alabama Factory Will Bring 160 Jobs to Jackson County

Electrical contractor Helix Electric broke ground on Tuesday on a $45.3 million facility in Jackson County that will create 160 jobs, in a release from the Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey dated October 27, 2026. The plant in Hollywood, Alabama, is a multi-phase project in the Jackson County Industrial Park behind the Kevin Dukes Career and Innovation Academy, and its first phase is expected to create approximately 160 jobs for electricians, welders, CAD and BIM operators and other skilled tradespeople. The campus will make prefabricated electrical components and large modular electrical assemblies used in construction and industrial projects. For Metaintro readers in Northeast Alabama, this guide covers what the plant will build, which trades it plans to hire, what those trades pay nationally, how to train for them and where to watch for openings.

What Is Helix Electric Building in Jackson County?

The project is called the Advanced Fabrication Campus, and it is a factory rather than a construction jobsite. Its products will include underground duct banks, duct bank risers, hangers, electrical devices and modular electrical skids.

The rural facility will allow the company to expand those capabilities while establishing a manufacturing presence closer to its existing teams and East Coast customers.

The campus will run as an advanced fabrication and assembly operation, producing electrical components and systems. The project fits the metals and advanced materials strategy under Catalyst, the 10-year economic development plan of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

Jackson County is also a designated Target County, part of the state's push to bring new investment and jobs to rural communities.

Which Jobs Will the Hollywood Campus Hire For?

The roles named so far are hands-on and technical. The first phase is expected to offer opportunities for electricians, welders, computer-aided design (CAD) and building information modeling (BIM) operators, and other skilled tradespeople.

The job figures vary slightly by source. The state counts 160 jobs, while the local groundbreaking coverage gives approximately 160 jobs in its first phase and more than 160 anticipated jobs. No job count has been given for later phases of the multi-phase project.

The investment figure differs in the same small way. The state uses $45.3 million, and the local paper prints $45.28 million.

CAD and BIM work is a real part of Helix's business today. Helix runs a CAD Department of 30 professionals and has used Building Information Modeling (BIM) for more than a decade to model electrical installations.

A $45 million investment and 160 new jobs will provide life-changing career opportunities for our residents and stimulate our local economy for years to come, Jackson County Economic Development Authority president and CEO Nathan Lee said, according to the Office of the Governor release.

When Will Hiring Start, and What Might These Trades Pay?

Neither the state release nor the groundbreaking coverage gives a hiring date, a construction timeline or pay rates for Hollywood. Applications for the company go through the Helix Electric careers page, which links to the company's open roles board.

National pay data gives a fair starting point. The median annual wage for electricians was $63,190 in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $42,640 and the top 10 percent earning more than $108,510 in U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Welders earn somewhat less at the median. The median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers was $53,750 in May 2025, and the top 10 percent earned more than $77,530. For comparison, the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980 in May 2025.

These are national figures, not Helix offers, so treat them as a range to compare against once real listings appear, along with the pay ranges in what welders really earn and the highest-paying positions.

How Do You Train for Electrician and Welder Roles?

Electricians usually come up through an apprenticeship. Most electricians learn their trade in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship program, and for each year apprentices typically receive 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training as well as some technical instruction.

There are shortcuts for people with some background. Workers with electrical experience from the military or construction may qualify for a shortened apprenticeship based on their experience and testing, and graduates of technical school programs usually receive credit toward their apprenticeship. Most states require electricians to be licensed.

Welding has a shorter on-ramp. Welders typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, combined with technical and on-the-job training, and some employer-based apprenticeships are available for entry-level workers who have no prior experience or training.

Helix runs its own entry pathway too. Its careers page lists apprenticeships and entry-level roles with hands-on training, mentorship, and a clear pathway into the electrical industry, an employer-run version of the skilled trades apprenticeship and licensing path.

Why Does the Kevin Dukes Career and Innovation Academy Matter?

The plant sits next to a career tech school, and the company tied its choice of site to that school. A visit to the academy during the search became another deciding factor in choosing Hollywood, and Helix representatives met Jackson County Schools Superintendent Jason Davidson and other education leaders there.

The academy is the county school district's career tech campus. Davidson described it at its opening as a career tech facility that offers programs ranging from nursing, healthcare to welding, and he said its 30-acre campus would support all Jackson County Schools with college and career technical courses.

Helix executive Casey Long spoke directly to school officials about hiring. He said the academy's location next to the new campus could allow students to move directly from technical training into employment, and he told school officials, "When they’re ready, we’ll be here to hire them."

Students from the academy were also invited to participate in photographs at the ceremony. For a student in the academy's welding program, the new plant sits right next door.

Who Is Helix Electric?

Helix is a national electrical contractor. Founded in 1985, it calls itself one of the largest electrical contracting companies in the nation, and its current page lists 2900+ Employees Nationwide and Annual Revenue of $950M.

The company started in San Diego, California, and works on hospitals, airports, manufacturing facilities, data centers, high-rise buildings and other major infrastructure projects.

Prefabrication is already part of how it works. Helix uses three fabrication facilities to produce consistent products, and on renewable energy work it lists over 2 GW installed to date. Its core values include a preference to cultivate our own talent by promoting from within.

What Career Paths Does Helix Offer Beyond the Shop Floor?

Helix sorts its jobs into four tracks on its careers page. Field and trades roles run from apprentices to superintendents, with structured training, defined advancement pathways, and a safety-first environment for people building long-term careers in the electrical trades.

Office and support roles cover project management and engineering to estimating and safety. A separate track for students and recent graduates offers real-world experience supporting complex projects in engineering, project management, and operations.

None of these tracks is tied to the Hollywood campus yet. What they show is the ladder that sits above a first shop or apprentice job at the company, from the field into supervision or the office.

Has Helix Planned a Plant Like This Before?

Yes, in Arizona. In September 2021, Helix picked Goodyear for its first manufacturing facility in Arizona, a 112,000-square-foot facility to be used to make building components for electrical construction. Helix CEO Boris Shekhter said Goodyear had the right mix of a trained workforce, a great business climate and access to transportation networks.

That plan gives a rough picture of the job mix such a site can carry. The Goodyear project was set to create more than 100 jobs in engineering, production, quality control and administration, with parts shipped to existing Helix Electric markets nationwide.

The Alabama list names electricians, welders, CAD and BIM operators and other skilled tradespeople instead. Still, the Goodyear list shows that engineering, quality control and administration roles can sit alongside production jobs at a Helix fabrication site.

How Did Jackson County Win the Project?

The deal took time. The project was the culmination of approximately two years of planning, recruitment and collaboration, and the company evaluated locations throughout Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama before choosing Jackson County.

Site money helped. A key part was funding through Alabama's Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) program, which Lee said let the county's economic development authority clear and improve parts of the site. The SEEDS Act was created in 2023 and awards grants to local industrial development agencies to create and improve their sites, and its third round of funding covers $15.7 million for 21 projects.

Utilities were part of the team as well. The Tennessee Valley Authority and North Alabama Electric Cooperative both congratulated Helix on the milestone.

We will literally be building America from this property in Hollywood, Alabama, Helix Electric executive Casey Long said at the groundbreaking, according to The Clarion's groundbreaking report.

How Strong Is Alabama's Market for Skilled Trades Workers?

Alabama's trades workforce is growing faster than most. Skilled trades employment in the state grew 11.3% from 2019 to 2025 and ranks sixth nationally, reaching a skilled workforce of 366,240, in a study from The Alliance for America's Skilled Trades.

Training is not keeping up nationally. For every 100 skilled trades workers needed, training programs are producing just 55 people, and the state is projected to see an additional 8.1% growth from 2024 to 2034.

Demand for electricians is national. About 72,700 openings for electricians are projected each year over the decade, and electrician employment is projected to grow 9 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average. Welders face slower growth, but about 40,300 openings are still projected each year, mostly to replace workers who leave.

What State Training Can Alabama Workers Use?

The state already funds several routes into these trades. In the two most recent state education budgets, $250 million has been dedicated to expanding career tech programs in Alabama schools.

Adults have options as well. The Alabama Department of Workforce's Office of Apprenticeship has programs with more than 500 companies, training people in more than 150 occupations. Alabama Industrial Development Training, the workforce recruitment and training arm of the Commerce department, has trained more than 1 million employees for industries locating or expanding in the state.

For an adult in Jackson County who wants to train for these trades, the state's Office of Apprenticeship is one public place to start.

What This Means for Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

This is a factory job plan, not a list of open vacancies. The jobs are tied to a plant that only broke ground on Tuesday, and the work is shop-based fabrication for construction and industrial projects. The people best placed are those who can show trade skills when hiring opens.

• Watch the right board. Check the Helix Electric careers page for Hollywood or Alabama listings.
• Start the credential now. Graduates of technical school programs usually receive credit toward their apprenticeship, so a course started now gives you a head start.
• Learn CAD or BIM if you prefer a desk. Expected roles include CAD and BIM operators, and Helix already models electrical installations in BIM.
• Use the academy link. Students at the Kevin Dukes Career and Innovation Academy have an employer next door whose executive told school officials we'll be here to hire them when they are ready.

Lacey Kaelani, Metaintro's CEO, puts it this way: A new plant hires the people who are already trained when the doors open. Start the apprenticeship or welding course this year, not the month the listings go up.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many jobs will Helix Electric create in Alabama?

A: Helix Electric's Jackson County facility will create 160 jobs, and local coverage puts about 160 jobs in its first phase.

Q: What will the Helix Electric plant in Hollywood, Alabama make?

A: It will make underground duct banks, duct bank risers, hangers, electrical devices and modular electrical skids used in construction and industrial projects.

Q: How do I apply for Helix Electric jobs?

A: Openings are posted through the Helix Electric careers page, which covers field and trades, office and support, and apprenticeship and entry-level roles.

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