PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 6, 2026
OPELIKA, Ala. – The City of Opelika, the Opelika Economic Development Office and the Opelika Industrial Development Authority are excited to announce that for the second year in a row, the Auburn-Opelika MSA ranked as one of the top 20 organizations in the country, earning a Mac Conway Award.
Mayor Eddie Smith said, “Winning the Mac Conway Award for the second year in a row is a tremendous honor and a powerful reflection of the momentum we are building as a city. This recognition belongs to the people, businesses, community partners and economic development leaders who work every day to make our city a place where companies want to invest, families want to live and opportunity continues to grow.”
The Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development is an annual award given to top economic development organizations in the U.S. for their roles in helping to deliver prosperity and development to their communities. Scores are awarded based on the following criteria: total projects, total investment and total jobs associated with corporate facility projects, 2025 Milken Institute Best Performing Cities Index and the 2025 Most Dynamic Cities report from Heartland Forward.
“The City of Opelika is honored to receive the Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development for the second year in a row. This recognition reflects a team effort behind that success. With the continued reinvestment of our existing industries and major new project announcements like Faith Technologies Inc., Opelika has attracted more than $2.6 billion in capital investment and helped create more than 5,700 good-paying jobs in recent years. We are grateful for the support of our stakeholders, partners, businesses and residents who continue to make Opelika a great place to live, work, play and do business,” said John Sweatman, Opelika Economic Development Director.
The award, named for Site Selection founder H. McKinley “Mac” Conway, a pioneer in the field of economic development, recognizes the efforts of those who work long hours in the trenches to bring projects large and small to their communities.
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