The Huntsville Times called it “the ultimate recycling project.” I call it “the ultimate Hat Trick.”

During the past month David Bronner, the head of the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA), has reversed the biggest miscalculation of his career, restored his Superman status with industrial leaders in North Alabama and temporarily saved a potentially disastrous $625 million loan by RSA.

Back in 2007, RSA loaned a Canada-based company, National Steel Car, the money to build a railcar production plant near Tuscumbia in northwest Alabama on assurances it would produce 1,800 jobs. A 2-million-square-foot building, nearly a mile in length, was built but the recession started and the company defaulted, requiring RSA to assume ownership of the empty plant three years ago.

However, last week Navistar International, a Fortune 500 company that operates two truck engine plants in Huntsville, announced plans to lease the facility for 10 years and make it the cornerstone of an expansion strategy to increase annual company revenue from $14 billion to $20 billion. It’s anticipated that Navistar’s investment will provide over 2,000 jobs for the northwest corner of the state.

 Navistar is the nation’s top producer of school buses and medium-duty trucks and among the national leaders in the production of 18-wheeler trucks. The company also produces vehicles for the military.

Bronner says that forming a partnership with Navistar is the best scenario for the area. He said the company immediately will be able to provide the economic impact that would have taken 10 years or longer for the rail car plant to provide. It also may have an economic impact on the entire state because of the potential for supplier jobs across the state’s vehicle manufacturing spectrum.

So the good doctor deserves commendation for pulling this one out of his hat.

A Montgomery

surprise

This week the political newsletter, Inside Alabama Politics (IAP), reported that Leura Canary, the recently retired U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, will join Bronner’s RSA staff in January at a salary “in the $175,000 to $200,000 range.

At last report, Dr. Bronner’s salary was nearing $600,000, and he already has at least a half-dozen staffers over the $200,000 threshold and dozens more over the $100,000 level.

The report has raised a lot of eyebrows around Goat Hill. Canary, a Republican, was appointed U.S. Attorney by former President George W. Bush shortly after Bush took office in 2001. She continued to hold onto the job well over two years into the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama.

Canary is married to William Canary, president of the Business Council of Alabama and a well-known Republican political operative in Washington and Alabama. During her tenure, she stepped down from participating in several high-profile political corruption cases. She never provided an explanation for any of these recusals.

Canary retired this past June. She spent more than 20 years with the U.S. Department of Justice and will draw a very nice retirement check from the federal government.

Bronner told IAP he will hire Canary in January to “beef up” his legal department and because she will bring courtroom experience to his legal staff and replace the retiring Lindy Beale, who has handled legislative and legal matters, and Bill Kelly who will transfer from the legal office to handle another RSA Division.

Two capitol observers told me they believe Canary is being hired because of other reasons; one of them being that Bronner needs to improve RSA’s relations with the Republican-controlled legislature.

Bob Martin is editor and publisher of The Montgomery Independent. Email him at: bob@montgomeryindependent.com.