Area Development magazine has awarded Alabama a “Gold Shovel” for its economic development efforts, one of just four states to receive the award this year.

Alabama was selected for the award, the national trade magazine wrote, because of “planes, ships and automobiles.”

Last year, Airbus announced plans to construct a $600 million aircraft assembly plant in Mobile, the global company’s first factory in the U.S. Also in Mobile, Austal USA announced a major expansion of its military ship-building complex. Both projects are expected to result in the creation of thousands of jobs.

As for automobiles, a 900-employee expansion at Hyundai’s Montgomery production facility rounded out the big projects largely responsible for Alabama winning the Golden Shovel award.

Other economic development projects cited by the magazine included 300 new employees at SiO2 Medical Products in Auburn; 450 jobs at Walter Energy’s Blue Creek mine in Berry; and 300 new hires at BBVA Compass banking facilities in Birmingham.

A spokesperson for Area Development magazine said Alabama and the other Gold Shovel honoree states are places where “economic development leaders have been building relationships with existing businesses and newcomers alike, making strong cases for their communities, working to become ever more business-friendly, crafting enticing deals and incentive packages … and hitting pay dirt.”