Business Alabama - August 2024

AUG 2024

LOOKING LIKE THE

PROS

DOTHAN’S IZELL REESE AND HIS RCX SPORTS BRING LEAGUE BRANDING, LIKE NFL FLAG, TO YOUTH SPORTS.

PAGE 12 MAXIMIZING

33 MAIN STREET 37 ALABAMA’S LARGEST 39

LAW FIRMS SPOTLIGHT ON CHILTON COUNTY

Volume 39 / Number 8

AUGUST 2024

CONTENTS

33

Mary Wirth leads Main Street Alabama, helping downtowns rediscover their vitality and bring back shopping, dining, jobs and revenue. Photo

by Joe De Sciose.

Features 12

15

20

25

BUSINESS OF SPORTS A TASTE OF THE PROS Izell Reese’s RCX Sports brings NFL, NBA, others to youth athletics SUCCESS ON THE SIDELINES These 10 Alabamians demonstrate that you don’t have to be on the playing field to win in sports

29

ALABAMA’S TRAILBLAZER David Bronner helped bolster the state’s image through creation of the RTJ Golf Trail

33

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MARKETING MAIN STREET Nonprofit is breathing new life into small towns

66

RETROSPECT SOUTHERN PARNASSUS The rise and fall of Huntsville’s Hotel Monte Sano

PUBLIC COMPANIES STATE OF THE STOCKS BA Yearly Index solidly in the black despite tenacious inflation

4 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

ALABAMA’S PUBLIC COMPANIES A directory of public companies headquartered in the state

20

On the Cover: Izell Reese developed RCX Sports to encourage kids to play sports — with pro brand deals as an attractive plus.

44

20: Ross Bridge is one of the courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail that helps lure newcomers to Alabama — as individual tourists and as magnets for new business. Photo by Jonathan Hoomes/RTJ Golf.

44: Maymay Makes It has garnered tens of thousands of social media followers for crafter and teacher Maymay Helms of Clanton.

15: Gene Hallman, president of Eventive Sports, is one of 10 Alabamians we feature for making a success in sports without being on the field or court. Photo by Cary Norton.

Departments 7

TOP RANK 30 PUBLIC COMPANY PERFORMANCES 32 CEO PAYCHECKS 37 ALABAMA’S LARGEST LAW FIRMS GEOGRAPHIC SPOTLIGHT 39 CHILTON COUNTY SPECIAL SECTIONS 60 BUSINESS COUNCIL OF ALABAMA

15

BENCHMARKS: MONTHLY BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFING 65 COMPANY KUDOS: A MONTH OF ACHIEVEMENTS 68 BA INDEX: HUNDREDS OF LEADS EACH MONTH 70 CAREER NOTES: WHO’S MOVING UP 71 HISTORIC ALABAMA: A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE 71 ALABIZ QUIZ: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 5

AUGUST 2024 BusinessAlabama.com Volume 39 / Number 8

PUBLISHER Walker Sorrell / wsorrell@pmtpublishing.com ASSISTANT PUBLISHER Stephen Potts / snpotts@pmtpublishing.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Alec Harvey / alec@pmtpublishing.com EDITOR Erica Joiner West / ewest@pmtpublishing.com COPY EDITOR Nedra Bloom / nedra@pmtpublishing.com ART DIRECTOR Vic Wheeler / ads@pmtpublishing.com DIGITAL EDITOR Kathryn Dorlon / kdorlon@pmtpublishing.com ACCOUNTING Keith Crabtree / acct@pmtpublishing.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Birmingham: 205-802-6363 Lee Mills / Ext. 102 / lmills@pmtpublishing.com Mobile: 251-473-6269 Joe Hyland / Ext. 214 / jhyland@pmtpublishing.com DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED MEDIA & EVENTS Sheila Wardy / swardy@pmtpublishing.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE 3324 Independence Drive / Homewood, AL 35209 205-802-6363 MOBILE OFFICE 166 Government Street / Mobile, AL 36602 251-473-6269 CORPORATE T.J. Potts, President & CEO Thomas E. McMillan, Partner & Director Business Alabama is published monthly by

PMT Publishing Co., Inc. Copyright 2024

by PMT Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission prohibited.

Letters to the editor are welcome.

Moving? Please note US Postal Service will not forward magazines mailed through its Bulk Mail unit.

Four to six weeks before moving, please send old mailing label and new address to Business Alabama, P.O. Box 43, Congers, NY 109209922 or call 1-833-454-5060.

Use this QR code to subscribe to Business Alabama 6 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

Benchmarks UAB Health to acquire Ascension St. Vincent’s hospitals

Ascension St. Vincent’s Birmingham.

UAB HEALTH SYSTEM AUTHORITY has announced plans

to acquire Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System in central Alabama for $450 million.

The agreement was approved unanimously by the University of Alabama System board of trustees in a special called meeting in late June.

UAB and Ascension St. Vincent’s launched an alliance in 2020 to increase access to medical care to patients. The acquisition — a natural next step according to a release from UAB — is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals and pending satisfaction of closing conditions and approval by the Catholic Church.

“As you all know, the University of Alabama System and the UAB Health System exist to improve the lives of Alabamians and beyond,” said Dawn Bulgarella, UAB Health System CEO. “This acquisition will go a long way to that end and will move the UA System toward fulfilling its vision of becoming the preeminent public system of higher education and health care in the United States.”

Under the acquisition agreement, UAB Health System Authority will assume all Ascension St. Vincent’s sites including the hospitals at Birmingham, Blount, Chilton, East and St. Clair, as well as the One Nineteen Campus; the Trussville Freestanding Emergency Department; and imaging centers and other clinics that are part of Ascension Medical Group. The transaction will include current Ascension St. Vincent’s services, facilities, caregivers and associates, including a robust network of providers serving the region.

“Our mission and vision to provide life-changing care and be

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

BIGGER & BETTER Pell City-based Allied Mineral Products has launched a $23.5 million expansion of the plant where it makes heat containment refractory products used in industrial applications.

said it would concentrate on its Huntsville campus instead.

CAMPUS NEGOTIATIONS Birmingham’s Miles College has signed a letter of intent to begin negotiations to buy the former Birmingham-Southern College campus. BSC shut down May 31. Huntsville-based Alabama A&M also expressed interest, but when its offer was rejected,

HOSPITAL EXPANSION Southeast Health in Dothan has announced plans for a $50 million expansion, adding space in the emergency department and more patient space and procuring new equipment.

SELMA SPIFF UP The city of Selma and the Alabama Department of Transportation will soon begin Phase 1 of a $4.5 million

the leader in improving the health and lives of all we serve aligns with the outstanding St. Vincent’s caregivers and associates who have served these communities for years,” said Bulgarella. “We look forward to supporting continued operations and providing opportunities for Ascension St. Vincent’s caregivers and associates to essentially remain in their current positions; our goal is to support fulfilling and meaningful careers in service to our patients and communities.”

Jason Alexander, CEO of Ascension St. Vincent’s and senior vice president of Ascension, said, “It became clear that adding Ascension St. Vincent’s to UAB Health System’s network of owned hospitals — and combining and optimizing our collective strengths — is the solution to ensure that our community retains access to sustainable, high-quality health care. Among other benefits, patients will gain access to a larger network of local services through UAB.” Currently, the UAB Health System is made up of a statewide network of 17 hospitals — both owned and affiliated.

In May of 2023, Ascension sold Providence Hospital in Mobile to the University of South Alabama Health System for $85 million.

riverfront redevelopment project. The first phase, which is projected to cost $800,000, includes a boardwalk and boat ramp.

FROZEN The University of West Alabama in Livingston has frozen tuition for the seventh consecutive year.

SAFETY FIRST Tuskegee University is using $2.4 million of a $20 million gift for campus life, specifically safety, including hiring fulltime residential directors and additional campus safety staff.

The $20 million anonymous gift in April matched the singlelargest contribution to the university.

BLAST OFF Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed its 1,000th delivery of both the solid rocket boost motor and Liquid Divert and Attitude Control System for the Missile Defense Agency’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System from its facilities in Huntsville.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 7

BENCHMARKS

Samkee opens its first U.S. auto parts plant in Tuskegee South Korea-based SAMKEE CORP. has opened its first U.S. auto parts production facility in the Tuskegee Commerce Park. The plant will employ more than 170 people making aluminum components, such as parts for engines, transmissions, electric vehicles and batteries, along with alloys.

“We are excited to have our first U.S. manufacturing footprint here in Tuskegee,” said Chihwan Kim, CEO of Samkee Corp. “This important investment will help us continue our sustainable growth in the auto industry as well as strengthen automotive supply chain in the U.S.” The plant, which will be a Tier 1 supplier to Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery, was first announced in February 2023.

“Samkee is a first-class addition to Alabama’s dynamic auto industry, and the opening of this state-of-the-art facility in Tuskegee demonstrates that the industry continues to gain horsepower in the state,” said Alabama Department of Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair.

The Utilities Board of Tuskegee played a major role in the recruitment of Samkee. The board has invested in upgraded utilities at Tuskegee Commerce Park, and a new electrical substation is being built to accommodate Samkee’s future needs.

“Attracting them and pulling this project off was a hardfought effort,” said Gerald Long, general manager of UBT. “We will continue to work to ensure that Samkee’s new entry to Tuskegee is a successful and prosperous one.”

The Macon County Economic Development Authority and the City of Tuskegee were also involved in bringing the plant to the area. Site improvements and access road updates were done to accommodate the plant.

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

TA-TA TOLL Demolition of the Foley Beach Express toll plaza has begun after the state took over the bridge and eliminated tolls. The toll booth had stood there for 20 years.

at Dothan-based AAA Cooper Transportation. Former CEO Reid Dove has moved to chairman. Nan Baldwin, vice president at Birmingham Business Alliance, has been named CEO of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough has been named interim president of Talladega College. Anna Clem has been named interim director at Singing River Trail in North Alabama.

NEW AT THE TOP John Ofenloch has been named president at AE Shoals Manufacturing & Technology Center, which private equity firm AE Industrial Partners LP acquired from the Retirement Systems of Alabama. Charlie Prickett has been named CEO

CHARGE IT The state has allocated

8 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

Cutting the ribbon on Samkee’s new plant in Tuskegee.

“The City of Tuskegee is very thankful and excited to begin casting a bright future with our newest partner, Samkee America,” said Tuskegee Mayor Tony Haygood. “Our rapid deployment and success in such a short period of time is an outstanding example of what we can accomplish when we all work together. The new jobs and investments throughout the county will benefit our citizens for years to come.”

The University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research analysis projects that the Samkee factory will generate $140.2 million in annual economic output in Macon County, contributing more than $37 million to the county’s GDP. New direct taxes revenues for schools and the community from the project are estimated at nearly $1.5 million per year.

According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, since 2015, international companies have invested more than $2 billion in growth projects in Alabama’s rural counties, with auto-related projects accounting for a large share of the total.

“Alabama’s rural communities offer manufacturers like Samkee all the essentials they need to find long-term success with their ventures,” said Brenda Tuck, rural development manager for the Alabama Department of Commerce.

$11.2 million in grants to build 13 new EV charging stations convenient to the state’s interstate highways, plus a grant to Bevill State Community College to help train people to install and maintain electric chargers.

FLY AWAY In its first foray into Alabama, Spirit Airlines is launching service between Birmingham and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, beginning Oct. 10. The nonstop service will continue with one-stop connections to Latin

America and the Caribbean.

In late June, United Airlines inaugurated twice-daily direct flights from Mobile Regional Airport to Washington, D.C. WELCOME TO ALABAMA CModel Data Inc., a business software developer based in San Francisco, is relocating its headquarters to Birmingham.

The company developed an AIpowered program for business decision-makers. The move came as part of a financial deal with Alabama Futures Funds.

Skyfire Consulting, an Atlanta-

BENCHMARKS

Biotech incubator first on tap for Edgehill at Southtown Court in Birmingham A mixed-use development on the site of the former Southtown Court public housing community in Birmingham is moving forward after the signing of a ground lease.

That means construction will move forward on the property between 24th Street and the Red Mountain Expressway.

The Housing Authority of the Birmingham District will own the property, while private developers will develop the property, called Edgehill at Southtown Court.

“Our vision is to build on current assets in the community, including key medical and research institutions,” said Robert Simon, CEO of Corporate Realty, which is one of the companies that make up Southside Development. “The lease is the first step in bringing to life a vibrant, multi-dimensional community that not only offers inclusive housing but also includes places to work, shop, eat, relax and play.”

The first commercial building is expected to be 150,000 square A rendering of Edgehill at feet at the corner of Southtown Court. Photo courtesy University Boulevard of Corporate Realty. and 24th Street and

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

based consulting firm that works with drones, is moving its headquarters to Huntsville to be part of a 2,000-acre FAA designated test site.

Birmingham-based Sabre Finance to help underserved entrepreneurs and their small businesses.

THINK SMALL Innovate Alabama has received almost $98 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide loan and venture capital funds to small businesses. Gener8tor and Bronze Valley have unveiled Tech Row, a Birmingham workspace for startups. Synovus has invested $500,000 in

SCHOOL TO HOTEL The Birmingham Board of Education approved a letter of intent to sell its headquarters, paving the way for a new hotel.

The building will be sold to A&R Group, which also owns the nearby Tutwiler Hotel. The BOE will move about a block away.

ON CAMPUS The University of Alabama at Birmingham has launched

to house an incubator for biotech businesses, part of what is being called the BIRMINGHAM BIOMEDICAL INNOVATION CORRIDOR. The site is expected to eventually be home to about 800,000 square feet of commercial space for the biomedical industry, as well as 50,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a hotel and apartment units.

There are two housing complexes under construction in the area that will serve many of the residents who lived in Southtown Court.

a new master’s degree linking artificial intelligence to the field of medicine. The University of Alabama is creating a Center for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence within its College of Engineering.

Gadsden State Community College has opened its new Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Skills Training Center to provide a handson learning environment for students interested in advanced manufacturing careers.

Alabama A&M University has approved plans for a $58 million

student Amenities Center. The Alabama School of Math and Science in Mobile opened its Edward O. Wilson Science Research Center, the only college-level science research facility at an Alabama public school. The Madison County Career Technical Center will team with the Alabama Fire College to offer a new fire science program. University of Alabama in Huntsville professor Dr. Federico Fraternale has been awarded an $842,000 NASA heliophysics grant, to develop new global

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 9

BENCHMARKS

Austal kicks off major expansion; Shape opens second plant Mobile shipbuilder AUSTAL USA broke ground in July on an additional final assembly line that should bring an additional 1,000 employees. The new line, which includes a shiplift system, is expected to be operational by summer 2026.

The newest facility — 192,000 square feet of covered workspace — will enable assembly of U.S. Navy TAGOS-25 ocean surveillance ships, Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessels and large steel modules for other surface ships and submarines. The project builds on capabilities of the steel panel line that opened in 2022.

The shiplift system helps provide a safer launch system for new ships and allows them to be brought back to landside for renovation or repair.

“Austal USA is poised for significant growth, and this infrastructure expansion plan reflects that,” said Austal USA President Michelle Kruger. “Austal USA’s investment in this latest facility expansion project reflects our commitment to supporting the implementation of the National Defense Industrial Strategy and our commitment to investing in the Mobile region.”

Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. is lead for design and construction of the new line, while Pearlson & Pearlson Inc. is program manager and Pearlson Shiplift

Corp. is designing and building the shiplift system.

In Tanner, Tier 1 automotive supplier SHAPE CORP. has opened its second facility in Alabama, a $74 million investment that should bring 100 new jobs.

The new 202,306-square-foot location in Southpoint Industrial Park will produce lightweight aluminum and steel crash management and structural components for automobiles. In addition to aluminum and steel welding, the facility will introduce roll-forming capabilities.

Shape Corp.’s existing facility in Athens will continue to specialize in plastic injection molding.

“This new facility represents our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in the automotive industry,” said Mark White, president and CEO An architectural rendering of the final of Shape Corp. assembly line now under construction “By expanding on the Mobile waterfront. our operations in

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

models of the heliosphere that incorporate interstellar neutral atoms that can help reveal the properties of space. Randolph School in Huntsville has added 26 acres, making its campus 77 acres and allowing lower, middle and high schools to be on the same site.

FIBER BOOST The Alabama Fiber Network launched its middle-mile broadband service in July.

Officials say the network, spanning 5,000 miles across all counties in the state, will create more than 4,000 jobs and produce an economic impact of $657 million.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS Unite Inc., an organization dedicated to increasing college access for Black students in rural Alabama, has been awarded a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Birmingham-based Command Alkon, which develops software for heavy industries like aggregates and asphalt, has acquired Marcotte Systems, a

10 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

Alabama, we are not only increasing our production capacity but also investing in the local community through job creation and economic growth.”

Collin Day, Limestone County Commission chairman, said, “For 50 years, Shape Corp. has been at the forefront of innovation in the automotive industry, and their decision to open a second site in Limestone County is a testament to their team’s hard work and dedication.

This $74 million investment over the next five years is not just a commitment to a new site and equipment; it’s a commitment to the future of our community.”

Headquartered in Grand Haven, Michigan, the company employs 4,200 people across 14 manufacturing plants and five tech centers worldwide.

Canadian firm that specializes in plant automation and AIdriven technologies for similar industries.

CONTRACTS Huntsville-based MartinFed Consulting has been awarded an $8 billion contract to procure IT supplies and support for the FBI. Mobile-based Alabama Shipyard has been awarded an $11.3 million contract for work on the replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha. Work will be performed in Mobile.

Austal USA has been awarded

a $47.5 million contract for work on Littoral Combat Ships, mostly to be completed in Mobile.

Huntsville-based Sentar Inc. has been awarded a $32 million task order by the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic. The task order includes one year and four option years.

DELIVERED Northrop Grumman has delivered the first full set of Integrated Battle Command System equipment to the U.S. Army. The work, being completed at Northrop

BENCHMARKS

New on Campus

A rendering of the Biomedical Research and Psychology Building under construction at UAB.

Officials at the UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, the

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE and the UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA all recently an-

nounced plans for major new facilities.

UAB broke ground for a $190 million building to house the Biomedical Research and Psychology Building. Funding for the eightstory, 228,735-square-foot building includes $152 million in federal funding.

“The addition of this state-ofthe-art facility will help us build on our $780 million in annual research expenditures and continue the most successful era of research in UAB history,” said UAB President Ray L. Watts. “Most importantly, it will allow us to expand our research portfolio to save and improve more lives.”

The new building will include wet and dry research laboratories and research support spaces.

Williams Blackstock Architects of Birmingham designed the new facility, and Birmingham-based Brasfield & Gorrie is general contractor.

UAH announced plans to reimagine the 58-acre Executive Plaza into a multi-use “college town” area with a university research building, student housing, retail and entertainment, commercial and office space.

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

Grumman’s facilities in Huntsville, is part of a $145 million contract awarded the company in May.

ICU nurses and tele-intensivists stationed at UAB. Whitfield’s eight-bed ICU will be monitored remotely 24/7 by the UAB TeleICU team.

GENEROUS The Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability in Gulf Shores has received $50,000 from Louisiana-based Drax Foundation.

DOC ON TAP Whitfield Regional Hospital has partnered with the University of Alabama at Birmingham to offer 24-hour tele-ICU support that includes

ATTENTION CHOCAHOLICS Huntsville’s Pizzelle’s Confections has been ranked the top chocolate shop in the U.S. by USA Today. The ranking comes from a combination of a panel of experts and reader voting.

NEW MANAGEMENT The Sanders Trust, a Birmingham-based health

The university has partnered with Rieth Jones Advisors and PFM Financial Advisors to guide it through the process, but is looking for a development firm to collaborate on the project.

UNA, meanwhile, broke ground on the $65 million Bank Independent Stadium.

The 10,000-seat stadium will include a 360-degree fan concourse, 13 suites, a stadium club and outdoor gathering areas.

care real estate investment and development company, has acquired PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for $34.2 million.

Stellex Capital Management has sold Winfield’s Continental Global Material Handling to Iowa-based Precision Pulley & Idler. CGMH designs and manufactures material handling conveyor systems. Birminghambased Commercial Sector Insurance Brokers has been acquired by Chicago’s Monarch E&S Insurance Services. CSIB specializes in contract binding,

the mining industry and coastal property placements.

HAIL AND FAREWELL Thomas Edwin Doster III, founder of Doster Construction Company in Birmingham, has died. Doster founded the company 55 years ago. Andalusia’s Dean Jacobs, known for her seven-layer cakes in grocery stores and her own store, Dean’s Cake House, has died at 89. Jacobs, known as “Miss Dean, the Cake Lady,” sold her cakes in markets in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 11

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

RCX Sports Founder and CEO Izell Reese grew up in Dothan and played football for the University of Alabama at Birmingham before his pro career. Photos courtesy RCX Sports.

A TASTE OF THE

PROS

Izell Reese’s RCX Sports brings NFL, NBA, others to youth athletics

By ALEC HARVEY 12 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

W

hen Dothan native Izell Reese finished his football career as a player — first as a walk-on at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, followed by a pro career that started and ended with the Dallas Cowboys, with stints in Denver and Buffalo in between — he wasn’t finished with sports. Far from it.

He hung up his cleats in 2005 and immediately went into youth sports and engagement.

“That was really just to give back and get involved with kids,” he says. “It grew into something else.”

That something else was RCX Sports, the company he founded in 2019 that aligns itself with professional sports leagues to provide children across the country the opportunity to wear jerseys and use equipment branded with pro teams. The company’s mission? To create accessible, inclusive youth sports experiences for all children.

They’re off to a good start, with in-school PE programs, free events like Major League Baseball’s Pitch, Hit and Run, and league play that includes pro affiliations such as NFL Flag (the program that launched RCX), Major League Soccer, NBA and WNBA basketball, NHL street hockey and, in a pilot program that includes Enterprise, the United States Tennis Association.

“Between our events and our league play, we’re at 2 million-plus kids that we’re touching and impacting around the country,” Reese says.

TAKING DOWN BARRIERS Reese himself played in similar leagues growing up in Dothan.

“I played football, basketball, any sport I had an opportunity to play at the local park and rec,” he says. “I also played basketball at the Boys and Girls Club and obviously at school. … These programs were vitally important in terms of affordability and accessibility. I’m a kid that came from humble beginnings, and that was something that gave me the opportunity to fall in love with sports and be able to play and learn all the values that come from sports at a young age.”

NFL Flag is the youth sport that launched RCX Sports.

A goal of RCX Sports is to get more boys and girls playing youth sports.

RCX partners with many of those same groups — Boys and Girls Clubs, park and recreation associations, YMCAs, school systems, churches and nonprofits — to offer their leagues. The groups buy jerseys and other pro-branded items for their players from RCX. And while many leagues charge athletes a participation fee, RCX is also working to make these leagues accessible to all, through grants from the RCX Foundation to families who are struggling financially.

“We’re trying to take down as many barriers as possible,” Reese says.

BUILDING FUTURE FANS For the leagues involved, it’s an opportunity to build future fans, according to Reese.

“They get more kids playing their sports,” he says. “As a kid, if you put on a Dallas Cowboys jersey as an 8-year-old, that’s something you never forget. … More importantly, these leagues want to see kids playing sports, and multiple sports, for that matter.

By locking arms with us and being able to add this experience, it has definitely led to more kids being excited about playing and increased participation. Everybody wins. It’s building fandom, but more importantly, getting kids playing.”

About 15,000-20,000 of those participants are in Alabama, a place that remains near and dear to Reese’s heart. He splits his time between RCX’s headquarters in the Atlanta area and Dothan, where in 2021 he created the Izell Reese Community Center.

That center, built from a shuttered elementary school, is home to Grandview Field, the first-ever NFL Flag-branded field. The field is wide enough for soccer and other sports, and NHL street hockey is played in the parking lot.

“We’re running street hockey in Dothan, which is pretty cool,” Reese says. “I never thought I’d be saying that, that we’d be running a hockey program in Dothan.”

A key part of Alabama’s success with August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 13

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

RCX Sports is a partnership with the Alabama Recreation & Parks Association, which brings the sports programs to more than 500 agencies affiliated with ARPA. It’s RCX’s first such partnership.

“What we do is very important in Alabama,” Reese says. “Our kids deserve these opportunities. Even states like Alabama, who don’t have sports teams,

can give kids something to experience. … And if I can do these programs in Alabama, which is in the bottom tier of obesity rates of kids, includes a lot of rural communities and no pro teams, I can do them anywhere.

“It’s easy to grab the low-hanging fruit where some pro teams are located, but I’m also trying to address challenges,” he

adds. “I know what it’s like in Dothan. I know what it’s like in Hartford, Alabama.

I know what it’s like in a major city like Birmingham. I’m trying to touch all of those types of communities, and Alabama’s a great place to do that.”

ACCOMPLISHING GOALS Reese is well on his way to accomplishing three major goals for NFL Flag, the program that launched RCX Sports and now has more than 700,000 participants, boys and girls, across the country. He wanted to get flag football into the Olympics, make it a collegiate sport for women and make it as big as the Little League World Series.

“Flag is on pace for Los Angeles’ 2028 Olympics, so check that box,” he says.

“We’re also going to submit the application for flag to be an emerging sport with the NCAA.” In addition, the first NFL Flag championship was held in July at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, airing on ESPN, Disney and ABC, and a high-school girls tournament is planned for September.

Reese and his wife, Raven, whom he met at UAB, live in Roswell with their daughter and son. Both children followed in their father’s footsteps and have been involved in sports.

He calls bringing that opportunity to other young athletes his mission.

“I want to continue to do this work, but it doesn’t feel like work,” he says. “I want to continue this mission that I love, giving kids these opportunities that I had growing up. I’m giving these kids a piece of the pros and giving them an opportunity to enjoy and play sports like I did, without all of the financial barriers.”

It’s a dream job for the former pro football player who got his start playing flag and tackle football, as well as other sports, in Dothan.

“It has been a great journey,” Reese says. “I turned something I love to do into a career.”

Alec Harvey is executive editor of Business Alabama, working from the magazine’s Birmingham office.

14 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

SUCCESS ON THE

SIDELINES

These Alabama 10 demonstrate that you don’t have to be on the playing field to win in sports

By CARY ESTES

MICHELLE MCKENNA

A

n interest in Fantasy Football led to a 10-year career in real football for Enterprise native and Auburn graduate Michelle McKenna.

In 2012, McKenna was looking at the National Football League’s website to do some research involving her Fantasy Football team when she spotted a link for job openings with the league. At the time McKenna was working as the chief information officer for Constellation Energy in Baltimore, and she noticed that the NFL was seeking to fill the same role.

So, McKenna applied and three months later was hired as the NFL’s first CIO.

Working for the NFL was something of a dream job for McKenna. She grew up in a football family (her brother was an offensive lineman for the Alabama Crimson Tide), and she worked in the Auburn athletic department during the 1980s at the height of head football coach Pat Dye’s successful tenure with the Tigers.

“I love football, and being able to be a part of bringing the game to the world means a lot,” McKenna said during an interview in 2020. “I always joke that my dad knew his kid would make it to the NFL, he just bet on the wrong one. It ended up being his Auburn girl rather than his Alabama boy.”

During her time with the NFL, McKenna was responsible for the league’s technology strategy across all activities, including the increased use of technology on the field. She also worked with the 32 NFL teams on increasing their technological footprints.

McKenna left the NFL in 2022 to become a senior advisor for the investment banking firm Evercore, with a focus on technology, entertainment and sports.

GENE HALLMAN

I

n the 1990s, Gene Hallman helped turn a bunch of old guys playing golf into one of the state’s premier non-football sporting events, launching a career for Hallman in sports event management that has lasted more than 30 years.

A native of South Carolina, Hallman arrived in Birmingham in 1991 to take over as director of a new Senior PGA Tour (now Champions Tour) golf tournament.

While the event involved a number of famous pro golfers, including Arnold Palmer, the players were all a decade or

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 15

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

more removed from their prime.

So, Hallman transformed the tournament into an unabashed social gathering. In particular, the normally staid pro-am events that preceded tournament play developed a festive atmosphere with the addition of a variety of celebrities, athletes and coaches joining the pros on the course.

“Just like in any business discipline, being innovative is so important,”

Hallman said in a 2015 interview. “So often, sporting events are exercises in just getting through it. We don’t believe in that. We knowingly create extra work for ourselves because we want to take it to another level. We could have a sleepy proam. But by doing what we do, we attract non golf fans to the tournament.”

As the tournament grew, Hallman and Bruno’s Supermarkets CEO Ronald Bruno co-founded the Bruno Event Team

DR. JAMES ANDREWS

I

f they ever start a Hall of Fame specifically for sports surgeons, Dr. James Andrews is sure to make the cut.

A native of Homer, Louisiana, and a graduate of LSU (where he won an SEC championship in pole vaulting), Andrews worked at the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, Georgia, in the mid1980s. While there, he made pioneering advancements in arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the type of joint injuries that often occur among athletes.

Andrews moved to Birmingham in 1986 to start his own practice. He gained national attention after performing successful shoulder surgery on Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemons, and quickly garnered a reputation as being the surgeon of choice for athletes facing potentially career-ending injuries.

HUTCH HAMMOND

E

ven as football grew into a multi-billion dollar business, one element of the game remained stuck in a cheap-looking past.

Less than 10 years ago, sideline down markers still were primarily a manually operated contraption with numbers painted on plastic or metal plates that had to be flipped by hand, as if they were the world’s tallest rolodex.

That began to change in 2015 when Hutch Hammond, the vice president of operations at Victory Game Clocks — a sport-timing equipment manufacturer based in Roanoke — enlisted Auburn University’s School of Industrial and Graphic Design to create a digital LED

16 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

Andrews has estimated that approximately 40% of his surgery clients have been professional athletes. His list of patients includes Troy Aikman, Drew Brees, Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan, Peyton and Eli Manning, Jack Nicklaus, Emmett Smith, John Smoltz, Tiger

in 1996. The company expanded over the years to provide management services to a variety of sports beyond golf, including Olympic soccer, football, baseball, auto racing, gymnastics, tennis and boxing.

In 2023, the company was renamed Eventive Sports, which was then acquired by the golf-related hospitality service company Troon this past January.

Hallman continues serving as president of Eventive.

Woods and even wrestler Hulk Hogan.

Much of this work was done out of the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham.

He also founded the American Sports Medicine Institute, a non-profit dedicated to injury prevention, education and research.

Andrews officially retired earlier this year at age 81, bringing to a close a surgical career that positively affected numerous athletes. Former major league pitcher Al Leiter, for example, was about to quit baseball in 1991 after several injuries. But following an arthroscopic procedure performed by Andrews, Leiter pitched for another 13 seasons, winning two World Series titles and making $68 million.

“No question about it,” Leiter told mlb.com, “that doesn’t happen if not for Dr. Andrews.”

down marker. “It’s one of those ideas that still sturdy enough to continue operating is so good, you wonder why it hadn’t if dropped or run into by a player. been done before,” AU Industrial Design “The old dial-a-downs were so Professor Randy Bartlett cumbersome and top heavy, said to Auburn’s online news “It’s one of those ideas they were just a pain to move service in 2016. that is so good, you wonder around,” Marquez told the A group of 16 students why it hadn’t been done Auburn Undercover website worked on the project in 2016. “The feedback for before.” under the guidance of — AU Industrial Design Professor these has been awesome.”

Auburn Football Equipment Auburn unveiled Randy Bartlett Manager Dana Marquez and the markers — called others. They developed a eDown — at the start of battery-operated marker with a bright 15the 2016 season. Several other teams inch LED light display in a rectangular began purchasing eDown markers that box at the top signifying the down. At year, including the NFL’s Los Angeles less than 9 pounds, the design was lighter Rams, and now they are commonplace than the manual markers being used, yet throughout football.

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

JEFF ALLEN

A

football game played in front of 100,000 fans and a national TV audience is no place to expect privacy. Yet that is what University of Alabama head athletic trainer Jeff Allen longed for whenever he tended to an injured athlete on the sidelines during Crimson Tide games. Instead, young players – many still in their teens – received initial treatment for potential torn ligaments or broken bones while fully exposed for all to see.

So, Allen began tinkering with the idea of a sideline medical tent that could be easily raised and collapsed whenever needed. Then in the summer of 2015, Dean of Engineering Charles Karr asked Allen if he had any project ideas his students could work on. Allen mentioned his concept, and Karr assigned it as a

senior design project.

Within a month, students Jared Cassity and Patrick Powell helped Allen create and test a prototype of such a tent. Through the use of a circular hub, the tent could spring open in 5 seconds – complete with an examining table connected to the frame’s interior – and then fold over to form a secure covering that zipped closed.

Head trainer Jeff Allen (right) with the team that “We created a private uses the SidelinER medical tent. environment in an area that has zero privacy,” Allen said in a 2017 interview. “This thing is a game-changer SidelinER, formed a business called when it comes to increasing the level of Kinematic Sports (now Kinematic care you’re able to give an athlete on the Company) and began marketing the tent. sidelines.”

It was such an immediate hit that within Allen and the students acquired a two years the tent was used at all NFL patent for the product they dubbed games in addition to college.

BILL BATTLE

B

irmingham native Bill Battle saw the value in name, image and likeness long before the term “NIL” became part of the sports vocabulary. In 1981, Battle formed Collegiate Licensing Company, with the University of Alabama as his first client.

Through CLC, universities began exercising their legal right to trademark the nicknames and logos of their sports teams. Before that, manufacturers that had been producing such products as hats, T-shirts, coffee mugs and posters adorned with a team’s official nickname / logo were able to keep the profits for themselves instead of sharing the revenue with the schools.

Allowing colleges to license these products might seem obvious now, but it

PAT DYE JR.

F

ormer Auburn head football coach Pat Dye titled his biography “In the Arena.” That was appropriate, considering he spent most of his College Football Hall of Fame coaching career squarely in the sports spotlight.

Dye’s namesake oldest son, however, has been content to stay largely on the edges of the arena. In 1987, just as the elder Dye was starting a run of

seemed a strange concept back in 1981 when Battle began pitching the idea to officials at the University of Alabama, where he had played football in the early 1960s.

“I must have gone to six or seven

offices asking where the licensing department was,” Battle told the Sports Business Journal in 2012. “They said, ‘Licensing for what?’ Nobody knew what I was talking about.”

They sure do now. As of 2021, according to the Sports Business Journal, sales of collegiate-licensed merchandise totaled nearly $7.7 billion. Battle made a few bucks off his idea as well, selling CLC to IMG for $108 million in 2007.

That was not the only impact Battle made in sports during his career. He was a member of the 1961 Crimson Tide national championship football team, was named head coach at Tennessee in 1970 at age 29 and led the Vols to a 59-22-2 record over seven seasons, and spent four years as the University of Alabama athletic director from 2013-2017.

winning three consecutive Southeastern Conference championships at Auburn, Pat Dye Jr. began his career as an NFL player agent. Seven years later, in 1994, Dye Jr. founded his own agency in Atlanta, SportsTrust Advisors, which he still runs today as the CEO. With his football upbringing and interest in legal issues — he has a law degree from Samford University — Dye Jr. decided to pursue a career as a sports August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 17

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

attorney and player agent. He did so without exactly receiving the blessing of his father, who apparently did not have a high regard for the sports agent profession.

“When I first approached him about it, he said, ‘You’re out of your mind. I don’t

PAUL FINEBAUM

A

fter Paul Finebaum arrived in Alabama from his native Tennessee in 1980 to work as a sportswriter for the Birmingham Post-Herald, he stirred up animosity with

IVAN MAISEL

F

or anybody interested in a career in sports media, the primary benchmarks over the years have been Sports Illustrated and ESPN. Mobile native Ivan Maisel has worked for both.

After graduating from Samford University in 1981, Maisel’s sports-writing career got off to a fortuitous start when he was hired by The Atlanta Constitution and assigned to cover the Clemson football team. It seemed like a good fit for a 22-year-old rookie reporter, since the Tigers had gone 6-5 the previous season and were not expected to be a major story.

But Clemson surprised the college football world by turning in a 12-0 campaign and winning the national championship, providing exposure for Maisel’s work that helped propel his career.

18 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

want you doing that. It’s got a horrible reputation,’” Dye Jr. told the Mobile-Press Register in 2010. “I think he knew a lot better than I did what I was getting into and how difficult it was going to be.”

But Dye Jr. ended up forging a

successful, long-term career. His firm has represented more than 30 NFL Pro Bowl players over the years, including fourtime Pro Bowler Andrew Whitworth.

SportsTrust currently represents more than 40 NFL players.

some unexpected commentary. Namely, he occasionally criticized legendary Alabama head football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, something that few of his peers at the time were willing to do.

This might not have led to many friendships for Finebaum in his new home, but it did lead him into what has become a long and lucrative career. From his columns with the Post-Herald to his syndicated sports talk radio show to his current television roles with ESPN and the SEC Network, Finebaum has displayed a willingness to offer scathing critiques of

any figure within the world of sports (and sometimes politics).

While there are those who took offense to his caustic comments, many others simply took notice. Sports Illustrated selected the highly rated Paul Finebaum Radio Network one of the top 12 sports radio shows in the country in 2004, then named Finebaum as one of the 20 most powerful people in all of sports media in 2013. He has garnered similar accolades over the years from numerous newspapers and other outlets such as Bleacher Report. And in 2020, Finebaum received the Mel Allen Media Award for his career contributions to sports media.

In a 2014 interview with Birmingham Magazine, Finebaum insisted that he did not pay much attention to any of the praise he received. “I’ve always been rather cynical,” Finebaum said. “I’ve never believed my own press clippings, so to speak. But I still get on the air.”

Things progressed rapidly from there, with stops at the Orlando Sentinel, Dallas Morning News and Newsday. That was followed by a five-year run at Sports Illustrated, before he was hired in 2002 to be the first full-time college football writer for the ESPN.com website. In that role, Maisel regularly made appearances on ESPN television and radio shows.

Maisel spent nearly 20 years at ESPN before joining Nashville-based On3Media in 2021 as vice president and senior writer. “Our goal at On3 is to be the college sports destination for the fans who love not just the games, but the spectacle,” Maisel wrote in announcing the decision.

Maisel has been honored eight times for Best Story by the Football Writers Association of America, and in 2016 received the FWAA’s Bert McGrane Award for career achievement. He also

was named one of the 10 best sports columnists in the nation by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2019.

DANNY SHERIDAN

F

or anyone who has had an interest in sports gambling over the past 40-plus years, odds are they are well familiar with Danny Sheridan. The Mobile native arguably is the most famous oddsmaker in the country, having been propelled into national prominence through his 30-year role as a sports analyst for USA Today beginning in 1982.

A former Mobile-area real estate agent, Sheridan began receiving national attention in the late 1970s for his sports prognostications. He made appearances on such television shows as Good Morning America and was profiled by such publications as the New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Esquire.

In the 1977 Sports Illustrated article, Sheridan accurately predicted his own future. “I’d love to quit real estate,” he was quoted as saying. “I have this talent.

Maybe start a tip sheet or something.”

“I’d love to quit real estate,” he was quoted as saying. “I have this talent. Maybe start a tip sheet or something.”

Sheridan’s fame and influence increased over the ensuing decades. In 1993, The Sporting News ranked him number 52 on its list of the “100 Most Powerful People in Sports.” He even has been parodied on Saturday Night Live, a sure sign that a person has crossed over from just sports to overall cultural significance.

Now in his 70s, Sheridan remains a highly sought-after voice when it comes to sports odds and predictions. His website states that during football season he does “15-20 national radio, newspaper and TV interviews weekly.”

The irony in all this is that while Sheridan has become rich and famous setting odds and predicting games, he insists that he personally does not wager on sports. “But I’m glad people do,” Sheridan said in 2018, “because I make a living off of it.”

Cary Estes is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 19

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

Hampton Cove, located in Owens Cross Roads near Huntsville, is the northern gateway to the trail.

Alabama’s Trailblazer David Bronner helped bolster the state’s image through creation of the RTJ Golf Trail

By CARY ESTES — Photos by JONATHAN HOOMES, courtesy of RTJ Golf Trail

I

n 1990, the state of Alabama was only a few decades removed from some of the most violent visuals of the civil rights era. In fact, a mere four years earlier, George Wallace — known throughout the country primarily as a staunch 1960s segregationist — had not yet finished his fourth term as the state’s governor.

Those memories could not be easily erased from the national consciousness.

But David Bronner, CEO of the Retire-

20 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

ment Systems of Alabama, was determined to try to move the state past its reputation. He decided the best way to accomplish this was, of all things, to build a series of golf courses forming a sort of trail across the state.

Nearly 35 years later, Bronner’s vision — the 26-course Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail — has become one of the leading tourist attractions in Alabama. A total of approximately a half-million rounds of golf are played at the 11 RTJ sites each

year, and the Alabama Tourism Department has estimated that about half those rounds are by golfers who live outside the state.

“When we started the project, George Wallace was all some people knew about Alabama,” Bronner says. “RTJ gave us the opportunity to talk about something else.

I wanted to see if we could change the world’s impression of Alabama through the use of a sport. I wanted something that would give us a constant flow of a

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

Cambian Ridge, in Greenville, has 27 holes on three courses.

Pictured is one of the holes on the Canyon course.

positive image.”

At first, Bronner simply was trying to come up with a way to effectively diversify the assets of the RSA pension fund. In the process, he decided he also wanted to help change the conversation away from Alabama’s controversial past and instead focus on the state’s attributes, namely as an outdoor recreation location for tourists and a business-friendly environment for industry.

“Back then, when recruiters in Alabama were looking to bring in industry, businesses still had visions of fire hoses and police dogs,” says former Jacksonville State University Professor Mark Fagan, whose book “The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail: Its History and Economic Impact” was published in 2016 and updated and re-released this year. “He wanted a quality-of-life attraction for industries and their employees, and a tourism attraction to get people to stop here and spend

“

I wanted to see if we could change the world’s impression of Alabama through the use of a sport. I wanted something that would give us a constant flow of a positive image.”

— David Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama

money instead of just passing through on the way to Florida or New Orleans.”

Once the idea was formed, Bronner needed places to build the courses, as well as somebody within the industry to create them. He says he chose the approximate locations simply by sticking pins in a wall map near the cities he thought should be represented on the trail. “I didn’t know the exact site,” Bronner says. “I just knew the areas I wanted to be in.”

Finding a golf course architect willing to take on such an enormous project was a bit more challenging, and Bronner admits that a few people turned him down.

But he found a willing partner in Robert Trent Jones, a British-born designer who had worked on more than 500 courses in 35 countries throughout his career.

“If I was going to establish an animal like this in Alabama,” Bronner says of the trail concept, “then I needed somebody with credibility in the world of golf. BobAugust 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 21

BUSINESS OF SPORTS

Grand National, in Opelika, is built around Lake Saugahatchee with 32 of its 54 holes draped along its shores.

by had just finished a project in Florida. I went and looked at it and said, ‘Let’s try to get him.’ What did we have to lose?”

Jones accepted, though he was 84 years old at the time and unable to handle some of the on-site work involved in creating even a single golf course, let alone seven at one time. So, he enlisted a younger course architect, Roger Rulewich, for assistance.

Then, as Fagan puts it, Bronner gave the duo “a canvas so they could do their artistry.”

In 2012, during an event at the RTJ Oxmoor Valley course in Birmingham marking the 20th anniversary of the Trail’s opening, Rulewich recounted how the project formulated quickly, and progressed into a rare opportunity for elaborate creativity from the course designers.

“I was over in Ireland at the time,” Rulewich said, “and I get a call from Bobby and he says, ‘There’s something going on in Alabama, I think you’d better get there.’ So, I came directly here, met Bobby, and he took me out to this very site.

“The way we worked with this project was probably what every golf course architect would like to do but never gets 22 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

a chance to. We scratched out a road for these golf courses, then we walked them, staked them, adjusted them, changed them. Bobby and I probably did 99 percent of all the markings to decide where these holes were going to go, and then it was free‑form from there.

“We weren’t working off the detail and the planning that we would normally see on a golf course. We did what we wanted to do, and we adjusted everything to what we thought was the way it should be done. We sort of did this by the seat of our pants. We built holes that we wanted to build. We built ponds, dams. Whatever hazards we wanted were available to us.”

And all this happened at a rapid pace.

The first four courses opened in 1992, a mere two years after Bronner initially contacted Jones, and three more followed in 1993. The trail was so expansive and different that it gained national and even global attention. It also became the hot property to have in Alabama. “As word started getting out how popular they were,” Fagan says, “communities around the state wanted one of these golf courses.”

So, courses were added in four more locations: Prattville, Point Clear (at the Grand Hotel), Muscle Shoals and Hoover.

But expansion lost steam after Jones passed away in 2000. Still, by that time, the RTJ Golf Trail was firmly established as one of Alabama’s premier attractions.

“It can be very difficult to do things that take longer than a week or two to develop,” Bronner says. “When you elect politicians, you want them to get rid of 20 years of errors in an hour and a half, but it can’t be done. You have to go stepby-step.

“We’re just part of the big puzzle.

You need politicians, mayors, economic development people. But you also have to have something to sell to industry and tourism to get them to come here. When Mercedes and the other automotive companies started coming here (in the 1990s), I saw the impact the Trail could have. I think it has made a positive difference in Alabama.”

Cary Estes is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 23

PUBLIC COMPANIES

State of the stocks

BA Yearly Index solidly in the black despite tenacious inflation

F

our things remained firmly on the economic upswing this year: interest rates, inflation, the labor market’s consistent strength and the consumer’s desire to spend money. The last two, labor and spending, contributed to the stubborn persistence of the last bit of inflation, and therefore, the Federal Reserve’s reluctance to lower interest rates.

As our year ended May 31, 2024, there were signs of consumers becoming a bit more cautious in spending, and the labor market’s fever cooling, but the central bankers are still concerned about lowering rates before their 2% benchmark inflation rate is steadily evident in the prevailing economic data.

Business Alabama’s index performed well and ended easily in positive terrain. The Alabama Index posted stellar increases, moving ahead 488.4 points, or 24.19%, and closing at 2,507.51.

Advancing issues overtook declining issues at a 10-to-6 count. The Comprehensive Index added 271.65 points, or 12.83%, and ended at 2,389.34. Advancing issues easily bypassed declining issues by a 39-to16 count.

The Federal Funds rate remains high.

Talk about recession, which was prevalent last year, seemed to fade away as the year went on, and the idea of the so-called “soft landing” became widespread.

A hidden aspect of inflation this year also kept prices mulishly high. It is sometimes called “greedflation,” and refers to the higher prices companies began to charge for goods during the pandemic because of supply chain snarls and other obstacles. When supply chain problems eased, prices didn’t come down. In late May, Target, and then other retailers including Amazon, Walmart and Walgreens, started lowering prices.

by MARGOT CRABTREE

INDEX VALUE 5/31/24

INDEX VALUE 5/31/23

NET CHANGE

PERCENT CHANGE

BA Alabama Stock Index

2,507.51

2,019.08

488.43

24.19%

BA Comprehensive Stock Index

2,389.34

2,117.68

271.65

12.83%

Dow Jones Industrial Average

38,686.32

32,908.27

5,778.05

17.56%

S&P 500 Index

5,277.51

4,179.83

1,097.68

26.26%

NASDAQ Composite

16,735.02

12,935.29

3,799.73

29.37%

MARKET HIGHLIGHTS ALABAMA INDEX* LARGEST $ GAINER TOP $ LOSER LARGEST % GAINER TOP % LOSER INDEX RECAP

{

COMPREHENSIVE INDEX**

Vulcan Materials Co. 60.27

Carpenter Technology Corp. 65.26

TruBridge Inc. -14.45

Boeing Co. -28.09

Hibbett Sporting Goods Inc. 140.37%

Endo International 625.00%

TruBridge Inc. -60.56%

IN8bio Inc. -60.86%

Advancers: 10

Advancers: 39

Decliners: 6

Decliners: 16

*Alabama public companies. **Companies of interest to Alabama. Source: Trade Trends

Despite keeping their wallets open, higher prices and inflation did take a toll on consumers’ mood. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index whipsawed around during the year. It began in May 2023 with a reading of 102.3, jumped to a high of 114 in July and then slid gradually downward until a November reading of 102. In December, the index rose again to 108, then January 2024’s 110.9, and then slipped again after that until April’s reading of 97.5 and May’s reading of 102, ending almost where it started in 2023.

Job creation and labor market strength remained high throughout the year.

Although job creation began to slow at the end of our session, it still remained remarkably robust during 2023 and 2024, with 2023 posting the highest job creation in the last decade, adding almost 2.7 million jobs. Monthly job creation

totals tallied by the Labor Department consistently defied analysts’ expectations.

In the reporting period for which we have figures (March 2023 through March 2024), the most shocking figure came in July 2023, when 250,000 jobs were forecast, but 528,000 jobs were actually created.

Manufacturing in the U.S. struggled to move beyond contraction, as measured

by S&P Global’s Manufacturing PMI. In that index, where figures below 50 indicate contraction and above 50 expansion, manufacturing began with a low reading of 46.3 in June 2023, stayed below 50 until October, and then fell again in November and December 2023. The reading reached 50.7 in January and has remained above 50 through the May 2024 reading of 51.3.

The other economic arena showing signs of struggle was the beleaguered August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 25

PU B L I C CO M PA N I E S

Alabama Stocks - Year in Review EXCHANGE

TICKER SYMBOL

PRICE 5/31/24

NASD

ADTN

Adtran Holdings Inc.

5.55

NASD

AUBN

Auburn National Bancorporation Inc.

NASD

ROAD

NASD

PRICE 5/31/23

52WEEK HIGH

NET CHANGE

PERCENT CHANGE

8.91

-3.36

-37.71%

11.02

18.31

22.24

-3.93

-17.67%

Construction Partners Inc.

58.21

27.67

30.54

CULL

Cullman Bancorp Inc.

10.21

10.67

NYSE

EHC

Encompass Health Corp.

86.39

NASD

FUSB

First US Bancshares Inc.

10.08

NASD

HIBB

Hibbett Sporting Goods Inc.

NYSE

MPW

OTC

52WEEK LOW

SHARES OUTSTANDING

MARKET ($000) CAPITALIZATION

4.34

79,120

439,116

23.20

16.61

3,490

63,902

110.37%

62.35

27.96

43,830

2,551,344

-0.46

-4.31%

11.59

9.91

7,250

74,023

62.02

24.37

39.29%

87.94

57.55

100,690

8,698,609

7.32

2.76

37.70%

11.19

7.13

5,790

58,363

86.58

36.02

50.56

140.37%

87.13

34.96

11,950

1,034,631

Medical Properties Trust Inc.

5.36

8.25

-2.89

-35.03%

10.74

2.92

600,100

3,216,536

OAKC

Oakworth Capital Inc.

28.00

30.50

-2.50

-8.20%

36.50

22.76

4,880

136,640

NYSE

PRA

ProAssurance Corp.

14.37

12.15

2.22

18.27%

19.38

11.76

51,010

733,014

NYSE

RF

Regions Financial Corp.

19.35

17.27

2.08

12.04%

21.08

13.72

915,830

17,721,311

NASD

SFBS

ServisFirst Bancshares Inc.

61.80

40.30

21.50

53.35%

70.84

39.27

54,510

3,368,718

NASD

SSBK

Southern States Bancshares Inc.

26.53

20.00

6.53

32.65%

30.74

19.61

8,910

236,382

NASD

TBRG

TruBridge Inc.

9.41

23.86

-14.45

-60.56%

26.73

7.55

15,010

141,244

NYSE

VMC

Vulcan Materials Co.

255.77

195.50

60.27

30.83%

276.58

190.51

132,250

33,825,583

NYSE

HCC

Warrior Met Coal Inc.

68.43

32.78

35.65

108.76%

71.91

34.15

52,300

3,578,889

COMPANY NAME

Note: Computer Programs & Systems (NASD: CPSI) changed its name to TruBridge and its ticker to TRBG. Cullman Bancorp announced plans in July to delist from the NASDAQ and move to OTCQX.

S&P 500 Index 2023-2024 5,400 5,200 5,000 4,800 4,600 4,400 4,200

5/ 1/ 23 6/ 1/ 23 7/ 1/ 23 8/ 1/ 23 9/ 1/ 2 10 3 /1 /2 11 3 /1 /2 12 3 /1 /2 3 1/ 1/ 24 2/ 1/ 24 3/ 1/ 24 4/ 1/ 24 5/ 1/ 24

4,000

housing sector, waiting for interest rate cuts that never came.

Housing also sagged from the lack of availability. Many homeowners who refinanced their mortgages during the pandemic years were leery of venturing into the fray when mortgage rates were so much higher this year and last. While existing home sales jumped to 6.12 million homes in 2021, in 2022, sales of previously-owned homes dropped to 5.03 million homes sold, to 4.09 million in all of 2023. In 2024, the figure is forecast at 4.62 million.

The National Association of Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index also measured the fluctuations in the housing market during this time. From a reading of 50 in May 2023, sentiment rose and then soured to 34 in November. It rose again gradually,

17,000 16,500 16,000 15,500 15,000 14,500 14,000 13,500 13,000 12,500 12,000

41,000 40,000 39,000 38,000 37,000 36,000 35,000 34,000 33,000 32,000

26 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

5/ 1/ 23 6/ 1/ 23 7/ 1/ 23 8/ 1/ 23 9/ 1/ 2 10 3 /1 /2 11 3 /1 /2 12 3 /1 /2 3 1/ 1/ 24 2/ 1/ 24 3/ 1/ 24 4/ 1/ 24 5/ 1/ 24

Dow Jones Industrials 2023-2024

5/ 1/ 23 6/ 1/ 23 7/ 1/ 23 8/ 1/ 23 9/ 1/ 2 10 3 /1 /2 11 3 /1 /2 12 3 /1 /2 3 1/ 1/ 24 2/ 1/ 24 3/ 1/ 24 4/ 1/ 24 5/ 1/ 24

Nasdaq 2023-2024

PU B L I C CO M PA N I E S

hitting 51 in both March and April, before falling again to 45 in May 2024.

“A lack of progress on reducing inflation pushed long-term interest rates higher in the first quarter and this is acting as a drag on builder sentiment,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “The last leg in the inflation fight is to reduce shelter inflation, and this can only occur if builders are able to construct

more attainable, affordable housing.”

Dietz’s voice echoed in others’ assessments about the economy and interest rates. As our year recap closed in May 2024, Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management, said: “The pickle for the Fed is whether growth will slow faster than inflation. The road to lower inflation has been like a joyride so far, but the last mile will be more challenging.”

Alabama stocks mirrored the upswing in the larger markets, too, but one of our top contenders took a larger bite. Vulcan Materials, the largest company in the local pantheon measured in market capitalization for the years 2021-2023, again bared its teeth as the top dollar gainer in the Alabama Index, leaping 60.27 points, or 30.83%. For 2023, VMC posted annual revenues of $7.78 billion, compared to

National Companies with Alabama Interests EXCHANGE

NYSE

TICKER SYMBOL

COMPANY NAME

MMM

3M

100.14

Airbus Group

169.00

OTC

EADSF

NYSE

BHE

NYSE

CRS

ASX

NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE

NASD NYSE NYSE

NASD NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE TOR

ASB BA

CSTM DXC

EMR

ENDP GL GT

INAB IP J

JCI

LMT

MAA NFI

NYSE

NOC

NYSE

PNC

NYSE NYSE NYSE

NASD NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE

NASD NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE NYSE

NASD

NUE PII

RTX

SANM SO SR

SCS STE

SNV TDY TFC

TRMK TSN X

VFC

WWR WRK

WTW

PRICE 5/31/24

Austal Limited

1.58

Benchmark Electronics Inc.

43.07

Boeing Co.

177.61

Carpenter Technology Corp.

110.87

Constellium N.V.

21.67

DXC Technology Co.

15.55

Emerson Electric Co.

112.16

Endo International

0.29

Globe Life Inc.

82.76

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

12.31

IN8bio Inc.

1.19

International Paper Co.

45.09

Jacobs Solutions Inc.

139.34

Johnson Controls Inc.

71.91

Lockheed Martin Corp.

470.34

Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc.

133.71

NFI Group Inc.

11.30

Northrop Grumman Corp.

450.77

Nucor Corp.

168.85

PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

157.39

Polaris Industries Inc.

83.60

Raytheon Technologies Corp.

107.81

Sanmina-SCI Corp.

68.54

Southern Co.

80.14

Spire Inc.

61.29

Steelcase Inc.

13.66

Steris Corp.

222.88

Synovus Financial Corp.

39.69

Teledyne Technologies Inc.

396.95

Truist Financial

37.75

Trustmark Corp.

29.15

Tyson Foods Inc.

57.25

United States Steel Corp.

38.35

VF Corp.

13.28

Westwater Resources Inc.

0.50

WestRock Co.

53.64

Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Co.

255.29

PRICE 5/31/23

93.31

NET CHANGE

6.83

52WEEK HIGH

PERCENT CHANGE

7.32%

131.50

37.50

28.52%

23.61

19.46

82.42%

1.29

0.29

205.70

-28.09

14.90

6.77

45.61

22.48%

14.12

145,830

3,160,136

80.69

572,100

64,166,736

92,270

7,636,265

-10.34%

29.44

15.65

53.16%

59.70

12.21

-1.85

109.60 444.01

29.74 26.33

147.06

-13.35

435.49

15.28

115.83

41.56

6.52

132.06

4.78

36.79

107.71

-24.11

53.04

15.50

92.14 69.75 64.57 6.49

15.67

30.47 20.88 50.64

0.65

46.10

347,330

47.90

673,680

393.77

73.31%

18.30

5.98

158.76

235,220

59.55

479.50

-9.08%

178,910

284,690

5.93%

74.23

49,610

11.26

111.94

115.56

44,120

125,210 239,940 116,830 62,420

5,500,261 2,782,051 68,214

3,504,534 52,503

15,661,110 17,446,761 48,444,329

112,853,380 15,621,339 705,346

3.51%

496.89

414.56

147,990

66,709,452

35.88%

162.24

109.40

397,910

62,627,055

27.86%

-22.38% 17.01% 29.22% -5.08%

203.00 138.49 107.82 69.76 80.14 68.04 14.54

137.90 79.61

61.56

1,090,000

87,352,600

6.65

93,840

43.41 53.77

2.14%

448.19

355.41

39.61%

31.23

18.96

-3.94

-22.88%

25.63

91.50%

83.32%

-40.48%

16.65%

62.04 50.20 21.17 0.96

54.37

278.86

4,724,236

143,387,300

195.47

40.51

56,510

40,483,476

1,330,000

254.00 40.92

239,760

68.56

11.46%

13.05%

36.44

16.51

0.28

154.50

20.45%

6.61

-0.34

0.31

27.14%

23.89%

8.27

0.84

218.85

3.16

7.28

17.43

28.01

-60.86%

46.51%

20.92 17.22

38.95

12.60 8.30

27.09

132.00

110.48%

388.65

14.79

-19.79%

7.17

22.91

28.89

46.65

116.76

14.90%

199.97

112.75

44.39%

10.39 -3.28

563,270

23.20

-1.42

3.04

1,552,674

45.44%

625.00%

13.73

36,050

109,031,227

0.25

-20.42

0.04

356,500

22.66

133,665,480

613,880

-37.87%

103.18

1.07

44.85

55,413,470

790,920

159.70

-9.48

34.48

553,360

127.76

MARKET (000) CAPITALIZATION

267.54

143.08%

77.68

71.36

187.00 1.88

SHARES (000) OUTSTANDING

-13.66%

65.26

25.03

106.04

52WEEK LOW

55,450 57,750

3,800,543 3,539,498 1,281,854

98,900

22,042,832

47,420

18,823,369

24.40

146,440

26.57

1,340,000

44.94

286,020

16,374,645

11.00

388,890

5,164,459

20.90 0.40

27.12

195.29

61,200

224,850 57,190

258,270

102,240

5,812,204

50,585,000 1,783,980 8,622,998 28,595

13,853,603

26,100,850

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 27

PU B L I C CO M PA N I E S

Hibbett Sports Yearly Price Changes

$7.32 billion in the year before. Earnings came in at $933.2 million, or $7.02 per share, versus earnings of $575.6 million, or $4.33 in 2022. Vulcan closed out May 2024 with a share price of 255.77.

Hibbett Sports, a venerable company in Alabama and an OG member of the

28 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

Alabama Index, made waves and boosted its share price by 50.56 points, or 140.37%. As announced in these pages in April 2024, the company will be acquired

by UK retailer JD Sports Fashion. The $1.1 billion deal is expected to close in the latter part of 2024. HIBB began its life in

1945 as Dixie Supply Co., and renamed Hibbett & Sons in 1952 after its founder, Rufus Hibbett. The name was changed to Hibbett Sporting Goods in 1969. As May ended, Hibbett Sports closed at 86.58 and was the top percentage gainer in Alabama stocks this year. To see a graph of Hibbett annual share prices over the years, please see the sidebar at left.

TruBridge, which re-branded from Computer Programs & Systems in March, 2024, fell 14.45 points, or 60.56%, after swinging to a loss from the year before.

For 2023, TruBridge reported a loss of $45.8 million, or $3.15 per basic share, compared to earnings of $18.9 million, or $1.08 per basic share. Revenue for this year was $339.4 million, versus $326.6 million in 2022. TruBridge ended at 9.41 and was the top dollar and percentage loser in Alabama stocks.

Margot Crabtree covers stocks for Business Alabama, under contract with her company, Trade Trends.

PU B L I C CO M PA N I E S

Directory of Alabama Public Companies For Fiscal Year 2022

Compiled by MEGAN BOYLE

COMPANY NAME TICKER/EXCHANGE

ADDRESS

PHONE WEBSITE

CEO

TYPE OF BUSINESS

Adtran Holdings ADTN/NASDAQ

901 Explorer Blvd.

Huntsville, AL 35806

256-963-8000 adtran.com

Thomas Stanton

Provides networking and communications equipment for service providers, cable/multiple system operators and distributed enterprises in the United States and internationally.

Auburn National Bancorp. (1) AUBN/NASDAQ

100 North Gay St. Auburn, AL 36830

334-821-9200 auburnbank.com

David Hedges

Bank holding company for AuburnBank that provides various banking products and services in East Alabama.

Construction Partners ROAD/NASDAQ

290 Healthwest Dr., Ste. 2 Dothan, AL 36303

334-673-9763 constructionpartners.net

Fred Smith III

Infrastructure and road construction company that provides construction products and services to public and private infrastructure projects.

Cullman Bancorp.

CULL/NASDAQ

316 Second Ave. SW Cullman, AL 35055

256-734-1740 cullmansavingsbank.com

John Riley III

Bank holding company for Cullman Savings Bank.

Encompass Health Corp.

EHC/NYSE

9001 Liberty Pkwy.

Birmingham, AL 35242

205-967-7116 encompasshealth.com

Mark Tarr

Provides facility-based and home-based post-acute healthcare services.

First U.S. Bancshares FUSB/NASDAQ

3291 U.S. Hwy. 280 Birmingham, AL 35243

205-582-1200 fusb.com

James House

Bank holding company for First US Bank that provides commercial banking products and services.

Hibbett (2) HIBB/NASDAQ

2700 Milan Ct. Birmingham, AL 35211

205-942-4292 hibbett.com

Michael Longo

Together with its subsidiaries, engages in the retail sales of athleticinspired fashion products through its stores.

Lakeland Industries (3) LAKE/NASDAQ

1525 Perimeter Pkwy.

Ste. 325, Huntsville, AL 35806

256-350-3873 lakeland.com

Charles Roberson

Manufacturer of protective clothing for industrial workers.

Medical Properties Trust MPW/NYSE

1000 Urban Center Dr., Ste. 501 Birmingham, AL 35242

205-969-3755 medicalpropertiestrust.com

Edward Aldag Jr.

Self-advised real estate investment trust to acquire and develop netleased hospital facilities.

ProAssurance Corp.

PRA/NYSE

100 Brookwood Pl. Birmingham, AL 35209

205-877-4400 proassurance.com

Edward Rand Jr.

Through its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty insurance and reinsurance products in the United States.

Regions Financial Corp.

RF/NYSE

1900 Fifth Ave. N. Birmingham, AL 35203

800-734-4667 regions.com

John Turner Jr.

Financial holding company that provides banking and bank-related services to individual and corporate customers.

ServisFirst Bancshares SFBS/NYSE

2500 Woodcrest Pl. Birmingham, AL 35209

205-949-0302 servisfirstbank.com

Thomas Broughton III

Bank holding company for ServisFirst Bank that provides banking services to individual and corporate customers in the United States.

Southern States Bancshares (4) SSBK/NASDAQ

615 Quintard Ave. Anniston, AL 36201

256-241-1092 southernstatesbank.net

Mark Chambers

Bank holding company for Southern States Bank.

TruBridge Inc. (5) TBRG/NASDAQ

54 Saint Emanuel St. Mobile, AL 36602

251-639-8100 trubridge.com

Christopher Fowler

Provides healthcare information technology solutions and services in the United States and St. Maarten.

Vulcan Materials VMC/NYSE

1200 Urban Center Dr. Birmingham, AL 35242

205-298-3000 vulcanmaterials.com

J. Thomas Hill

Produces and supplies construction materials primarily in the United States.

Warrior Met Coal HCC/NYSE

16243 Hwy. 216 Brookwood, AL 35444

205-554-6150 warriormetcoal.com

Walter Scheller III

Produces and exports metallurgical coal for the steel industry.

(1) David Hedges was named president and CEO of Auburn National Bancorp. effective January 1, 2023, following the retirement of Robert Dumas.

(2) On April 23, 2024, Hibbett Sports announced a definitive agreement in which JD Sports Fashion plc will acquire all outstanding shares of Hibbett. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2024.

(3) James Jenkins was appointed president and CEO of Lakeland Industries effective May 20, 2024.

(4) Mark Chambers was named CEO of Southern States Bancshares effective April 28, 2023, following the retirement of Stephen Whatley.

(5) TruBridge Inc. was formerly known as Computer Programs and Systems Inc./CPSI prior to rebranding and name change effective March 4, 2024.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 29

PU B L I C CO M PA N I E S

Public Company Performances

STOCK PRICE GROWTH (%)

2023 STOCK PRICE 2022 STOCK PRICE

EQUITY GROWTH (%)

2023 SHAREHOLDER EQUITY 2022 SHAREHOLDER EQUITY

NET INCOME GROWTH (%)

2023 NET INCOME 2022 NET INCOME

EPS GROWTH (%)

ASSET GROWTH (%)

1

Vulcan Materials

7,781.9 7,315.2

6.38

14,545.7 14,234.6

2.19

7.02 4.33

62.12

934.9 576.5

62.17

7,483.4 6,928.6

8.01

$223.60 $175.11

27.69

2

Encompass Health

4,801.2 4,348.6

10.41

6,102.4 5,636.5

8.27

3.51 2.72

29.04

463.0 365.9

26.54

2,255.2 1,826.3

23.48

$66.72 $59.81

11.55

3

Hibbett Sports

1,728.9 1,708.3

1.21

909.2 939.2

-3.19

8.34 9.89

-15.67

103.2 128.1

-19.44

419.0 376.2

11.38

$69.40 $66.13

4.94

4

Warrior Met Coal

1,676.6 1,738.7

-3.57

2,357.1 2,028.1

16.22

9.21 12.42

-25.85

478.6 641.3

-25.37

1,874.4 1,447.5

29.49

$60.97 $34.64

76.01

5

Construction Partners

1,563.5 1,301.7

20.11

1,219.7 1,095.5

11.34

0.95 0.41

131.71

49.0 21.4

128.97

516.6 455.9

13.31

$36.56 $26.23

39.38

6

Adtran Holdings

1,149.1 1,025.5

12.05

1,682.5 1,943.5

-13.43

-3.41 -11,266.67 -0.03

-259.3 -8.8

-2,846.59

593.8 1,303.6

-54.45

$7.43 $18.79

-60.46

7

ProAssurance

1,137.20 1,106.70

2.76

5,631.9 5,700.0

-1.19

-0.73 -7,200.00 -0.01

-38.6 -0.4

0.72

1,112.0 1,104.0

0.72

$13.79 $17.47

-21.06

8

Medical Properties Trust

871.8 1,542.9

-43.50

18,304.8 19,658.0

-6.88

-0.93 1.50

-162.00

-556.1 903.8

-161.53

7,633.9 8,594.4

-11.18

$4.91 $11.14

-55.92

9

TruBridge

339.4 326.6

3.92

434.4 431.0

0.79

-3.15 1.08

-391.67

-45.8 15.9

-388.05

186.6 231.7

-19.46

$11.20 $27.22

-58.85

129.8 122.3

6.13

153.7 142.9

7.56

0.79 0.22

259.09

5.4 1.9

184.21

123.4 120.0

2.83

$18.01 $14.48

24.38

10 Lakeland Industries

2023 EPS 2022 EPS

COMPANY

REVENUE GROWTH (%)

2023 REVENUE 2022 REVENUE

RANK

2023 ASSETS 2022 ASSETS

compiled by MEGAN BOYLE Ranked by Sales in 2023. Figures are in millions except for percentages and share prices.

Stock prices are quoted at close of last trading day of companies’ fiscal years.

Non-Financial Companies

(1) Figures for assets, net income and shareholder equity are in millions of dollars. Figures for assets and shareholder equity represent period-end balances for the given fiscal year.

(2) Per share data based on basic earnings per common share unless otherwise noted.

(3) Represents closing price on last day of company’s fiscal year 2023.

(4) Represents closing price on last day of company’s fiscal year 2022.

STOCK PRICE GROWTH (%)

2023 STOCK PRICE (3) 2022 STOCK PRICE (4)

EQUITY GROWTH (%)

2023 SHAREHOLDER EQUITY (1) 2022 SHAREHOLDER EQUITY

NET INCOME GROWTH (%)

2023 NET INCOME (1) 2022 NET INCOME

EPS GROWTH (%)

2023 EPS (2) 2022 EPS

ASSET GROWTH (%)

Ranked by assets. Figures are in millions except percentages and share prices. Stock prices are quoted at close of last trading day of companies’ fiscal years.

2023 ASSETS (1) 2022 ASSETS

COMPANY

RANK

Financial Companies

1

Regions Financial

152,194.0 155,220.0

-1.95

2.11 2.29

-7.86

2,074.0 2,245.0

-7.62

17,429.0 15,947.0

9.29

$19.38 $21.56

-10.11

2

ServisFirst Bancshares

16,129.7 14,595.8

10.51

3.80 4.63

-17.93

206.9 251.4

-17.70

1,440.4 1297.9

10.98

$66.63 $68.91

-3.31

3

Southern States Bancshares

2,446.7 2,045.2

19.63

3.63 3.08

17.86

32.0 27.0

18.52

215.0 181.7

18.33

$29.28 $28.95

1.14

4

First U.S. Bancshares

1,072.9 994.7

7.86

1.42 1.13

25.66

8.5 6.9

23.19

90.6 85.1

6.46

$10.31 $8.68

18.78

5

Auburn National Bancorporation

975.3 1,023.9

-4.75

0.40 1.08

-62.96

1,395.0 10,346.0

-86.52

76.5 68.0

12.50

$21.28 $23.00

-7.48

6

Cullman Bancorp (5)

411.6 423.2

-2.74

0.56 0.59

-5.08

4.0 4.2

-4.76

101.7 100.2

1.50

$10.77 $11.49

-6.27

(1) Figures for assets, net income and shareholder equity are in millions of dollars. Figures for assets, income and shareholder equity represent period-end balances for the given fiscal year.

(2) Per share data based on basic earnings per common share.

(3) Represents closing price on last day of company’s fiscal year 2023.

(4) Represents closing price on last day of company’s fiscal year 2022.

(5) Cullman Bancorp Inc. announced July 8, 2024, that it plans to delist from the NASDAQ Stock Market and to withdraw the registration of its common stock with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Following the NASDAQ delisting, the company plans to have its shares quoted on the OTCQX Market.

30 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

PU B L I C CO M PA N I E S

Largest Stock Price Increase, Non-Financial Stocks STOCK PRICE GROWTH (%)

Largest Return on Assets, Non-Financial Stocks 2023 NET INCOME

2023 ASSETS

RETURN ON ASSETS (%)

2,357.1

20.30

COMPANY

RANK

2022 STOCK PRICE

RANK

2023 STOCK PRICE

COMPANY

1

Warrior Met Coal

$60.97

$34.64

76.01

1

Construction Partners

$36.56

$26.23

39.38

Warrior Met Coal

478.6

2 3

Vulcan Materials

$223.60

$175.11

27.69

2

Hibbett Sports

103.2

909.2

11.35

4

Lakeland Industries

$18.01

$14.48

24.38

3

Encompass Health

463.0

6,102.4

7.59

5

Encompass Health

$66.72

$59.81

11.55

4

Vulcan Materials

934.9

14,545.7

6.43

1,219.7

4.02

$69.40

$66.13

4.94

Construction Partners

49.0

6

Hibbett Sports

5

153.7

3.51

$13.79

$17.47

-21.06

Lakeland Industries

5.4

7

ProAssurance

6 7

ProAssurance

-38.6

5,631.9

-0.69

8

Medical Properties Trust

$4.91

$11.14

-55.92

8

Medical Properties Trust

-556.1

18,304.8

-3.04

9

TruBridge

$11.20

$27.22

-58.85

9

TruBridge

-45.8

434.4

-10.54

10

Adtran Holdings

$7.43

$18.79

-60.46

10

Adtran Holdings

-259.3

1,682.5

-15.41

RETURN ON EQUITY (%)

RANK

2023 2023 SHAREHOLDER NET INCOME EQUITY

Net Income Growth, Non-Financial Stocks

COMPANY

1

Warrior Met Coal

478.6

1,874.4

25.53

2

Hibbett Sports

103.2

419.0

24.63

3

Encompass Health

463.0

2,255.2

20.53

4

Vulcan Materials

934.9

7,483.4

12.49

5

Construction Partners

49.0

516.6

9.49

6

Lakeland Industries

5.4

123.4

4.38

7

ProAssurance

-38.6

1,112.0

-3.47

8

Medical Properties Trust

-556.1

7,633.9

-7.28

9

TruBridge

-45.8

186.6

-24.54

10

Adtran Holdings

-259.3

593.8

-43.67

Largest Stock Price Increase, Financial Stocks

2023 NET INCOME

2022 NET INCOME

NET INCOME GROWTH (%)

5.4

1.9

184.21

RANK

Largest Return on Equity, Non-Financial Stocks

COMPANY

1

Lakeland Industries

2

Construction Partners

49.0

21.4

128.97

3

Vulcan Materials

934.9

576.5

62.17

4

Encompass Health

463.0

365.9

26.54

5

Hibbett Sports

103.2

128.1

-19.44

6

Warrior Met Coal

478.6

641.3

-25.37

7

Medical Properties Trust

-556.1

903.8

-161.53

8

TruBridge

-45.8

15.9

-388.05

9

Adtran Holdings

-259.3

-8.8

-2,846.59

10

ProAssurance

-38.6

-0.4

-9,550.00

Largest Return on Assets, Financial Stocks

STOCK PRICE GROWTH (%)

2023 NET INCOME

2023 ASSETS

RETURN ON ASSETS (%)

RANK

2022 STOCK PRICE

RANK

2023 STOCK PRICE

COMPANY

COMPANY

1

First U.S. Bancshares

$10.31

$8.68

18.78

1

Auburn National Bancorporation

1,395.0

975.3

143.0

2

Southern States Bancshares

$29.28

$28.95

1.14

2

Regions Financial

2,074.0

152,194.0

1.4

3

ServisFirst Bancshares

$66.63

$68.91

-3.31

3

Southern States Bancshares

32.0

2,446.7

1.3

4

Cullman Bancorp

$10.77

$11.49

-6.27

4

ServisFirst Bancshares

206.9

16,129.7

1.3

5

Auburn National Bancorporation

$21.28

$23.00

-7.48

5

Cullman Bancorp

4.0

411.6

1.0

6

Regions Financial

$19.38

$21.56

-10.11

6

First U.S. Bancshares

8.5

1,072.9

0.8

2023 NET INCOME

2022 NET INCOME

NET INCOME GROWTH (%)

COMPANY

1

Auburn National Bancorporation

2

2023 2023 SHAREHOLDER NET INCOME EQUITY

Net Income Growth, Financial Stocks RANK

RANK

Largest Return on Equity, Financial Stocks

COMPANY

1

First U.S. Bancshares

8.5

6.9

23.19

2

Southern States Bancshares

32.0

27.0

18.52

14.36

3

Cullman Bancorp

4.0

4.2

-4.76

17,429.0

11.90

4

Regions Financial

2,074.0

2,245.0

-7.62

8.5

90.6

9.38

5

ServisFirst Bancshares

206.9

251.4

-17.70

4.0

101.7

3.93

6

Auburn National Bancorporation

1,395.0

10,346.0

-86.52

RETURN ON EQUITY (%)

1,395.0

76.5

1,823.53

Southern States Bancshares

32.0

215.0

14.88

3

ServisFirst Bancshares

206.9

1,440.4

4

Regions Financial

2,074.0

5

First U.S. Bancshares

6

Cullman Bancorp

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 31

PU B L I C CO M PA N I E S

CEO Paychecks

compiled by MEGAN BOYLE

NON-EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN COMP.

NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION

CHANGE IN PENSION VALUE AND NON-QUALIFIED DEFERRED COMP. EARNINGS

NON EQUITY LTI GRANTED (CASH)

ANNUAL CASH INCENTIVE

ALL OTHER COMPENSATION

TOTAL COMPENSATION

2023 COMPANY NET INCOME

TOTAL COMPENSATION AS % OF COMPANY NET INCOME

SHARES OWNED

% OF TOTAL SHARES

2,400,000

0

0

0

0

113,662

17,854,051

-556,092,000

-3.21

3,914,998

<1%

6,274,449

1,568,691 4,038,900

0

-72,005

0

0

485,718

13,530,753

934,900,000

1.45

362,874

<1%

4,453,685

951,957

2,313,612

0

0

0

0

66,922

8,836,176

46,300,000

19.08

901,428

<1%

0

0

0

0

0

1,866,667

1,522,280

0

8,222,280

2,074,000,000

0.40

1,033,833

<1%

0

3,753,490

0

1,762,671

0

0

0

0

322,142

6,667,795

478,629,000

1.39

363,633

<1%

913,699

0

4,918,164

0

0

0

0

0

0

15,798

5,847,661

259,343,000

2.25

587,493

<1%

ProAssurance Edward Corp.

Rand Jr.

57 1,000,000

0

2,200,000

0

420,000

0

0

0

0

105,822

3,725,822

-38,604,000

-9.65

169,422

<1%

8

Construction Partners

Fred Smith III

54

605,769

370,281

793,024

0

615,000

0

0

0

0

62,318

2,446,392

49,001,000

4.99

147,725

<1%

9

TruBridge

Christopher Fowler

48

614,539

0

1,625,994

0

64,256

0

0

0

0

2,000

2,306,789

-45,789,000

-5.04

128,311

<1%

10

ServisFirst Bancshares

Thomas Broughton III

68

721,000

264,968

757,050

0

340,673

0

0

0

0

56,297

2,139,988

206,853,000

1.03

833,559

1.50%

11 Hibbett Inc.

Michael Longo

62

900,000

0

1,200,001

0

0

0

0

0

0

19,451

2,119,452

103,158,000

2.05

92,721

<1%

12

Cullman Health Corp.

John Riley III

59

265,000

79,500

474,267

148,488

0

0

43,233

0

0

142,942

1,153,430

3,953,000

29.18

499,016

6.90%

13

Lakeland Industries

Charles Roberson

61

425,000

0

425,000

0

94,963

0

0

0

0

11,550

956,513

5,425,000

17.63

73,626

<1%

Southern 14 States Bancshares

Mark Chambers

60

470,000

45,000

51,875

51,875

286,465

0

0

0

0

39,210

944,425

31,952,000

2.96

81,804

<1%

James House

71

390,000

0

81,755

0

230,654

0

0

0

0

22,263

724,672

8,485,000

8.54

165,775

2.83%

David Hedges

45

300,000

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

41,224

341,224

1,395,000

24.46

1,663

<1%

400,000

13,940,389

2

Vulcan Materials

J. Thomas Hill

65 1,235,000

0

3

Encompass Health Corp.

Mark Tarr

62 1,050,000

0

4

Regions Financial

John Turner Jr.

62 1,100,000 3,733,333

5

Warrior Met Coal

Walter Scheller III

63

829,492

6

Adtran

Thomas Stanton

59

7

15

First U.S. Bancshares

Auburn 16 National Bancorp

BASE SALARY

60 1,000,000

AGE

Edward Aldag Jr.

CEO

Medical Properties Trust

COMPANY

1

RANK

STOCK AWARDS

0

BONUS

OPTION AWARDS

What the CEOs of Alabama’s public companies get paid, and how it compares to company performance. CEOs are ranked according to their total compensation. Figures reported here are from each public company’s proxy statement for fiscal 2023.

32 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

CO M M U N I T Y D E V E LO PM E N T

MARKETING

MAIN STREET Nonprofit is breathing new life into small towns

tion, design and economic vitality.

The promotion approach includes ideas such as developing a bigger social media presence or establishing a “buy local” proBy GAIL ALLYN SHORT — Photo by JOE DE SCIOSE gram.

A strategy of organizing teaches Main Street towns to develop t is no secret that many of America’s small-town downeffective leadership, build community engagement and develop towns fell into decline over the last few decades. public-private partnerships.

Dwindling populations, economic downtowns, an influx The design prong includes ideas for celebrating a town’s historof big box retailers — all played a role. And the result has ic character through preservation and creating inviting, inclusive, been boarded up storefronts, dilapidated historic buildings and a “people-centered” public spaces downtown. loss of tax revenue.

The fourth prong, economic vitality, focuses on building a But across rural Alabama, a nonprofit organization called diverse economic base through smart, new investment and supMain Street Alabama is providing small towns with the frameporting entrepreneurship. work needed to bring new life to their downtown districts.

A 2023 study by the private firm PlaceEconomics concluded “It’s really helping communities understand how to rebuild that Main Street Alabama’s economic impact between 2014 and and revitalize what’s important to them,” says Mary Wirth, presi2023 reached $1 billion, including $603.7 million invested in dent and state coordinator for Main Street Alabama. building improvements, $227.4 million in property purchases Main Street Alabama’s top priority is the renewal of downtown and $175.9 million in public investments. and neighborhood Main Street commercial districts Alabama members It’s really helping communities across the state, says also produced 1,200 Wirth, by providnet new businesses, understand how to rebuild and ing instruction, the 4,500 new jobs from revitalize what’s important to experts and resources businesses and 5,900 them.” needed to turn ailing jobs from properdowntowns into thrivty improvements, ing economic hubs. according to the — Mary Wirth, president and Main Street Alareport. Moreover, state coordinator for Main bama is part of the an estimate of more Street Alabama Main Street America than $18.1 million program, a nonprofit in sales taxes was dedicated to restoring paid by those net older and historic new businesses. downtowns and revi“What I say a talizing neighborhood lot to communities commercial districts that are starting to through a fourbe interested in the pronged approach: Main Street program promotion, organizais that it works every

I

“

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 33

CO M M U N I T Y D E V E LO PM E N T

single time if you work it,” Wirth says.

In May, some 2,000 people attended a Main Street Now conference hosted by Birmingham, Wirth says.

“It’s a big deal,” Wirth says. “Typically, they hold these meetings in much bigger cities. Last year we were in Boston, and in previous years we’ve been to

Seattle and Kansas City.”

During the conference’s opening plenary, Main Street America awarded Monroeville Main Street the 2024 Great American Main Street Award. The award honors communities that demonstrate “excellence in comprehensive, preservation-based commercial district

FOLEY MAIN STREET

W

hen the town of Foley joined Main Street Alabama in 2015, leaders there had already committed to a strategic plan to bring more life to downtown that included expanding the sidewalks, Darrelyn Dunmore, executive director of Foley Main Street, says.

“But they knew that for them to take the next step up, they needed a more structured and organized system of creating and keeping things moving downtown,” she says.

Today, Dunmore says Foley Main Street is working with developers to refurbish old buildings downtown, including one of Foley’s oldest structures, the historic Bakery Building at 118 West Laurel Avenue.

A developer is restoring the 10,000-square-foot, two-story Bakery Building, which sits within the Foley National Register Historic District. It once housed a bakery and apothecary, but sat empty for several years, Dunmore says.

“We helped the developer work with the state to get historic tax credits to help him bring this building back to what it was,” she says.

Dunmore says a restaurant is planning to move into the

Bakery Building soon.

“We’re not allowed to say who it is yet, but they’re bringing it back to its old glory,” Dunmore says.

The Hotel Magnolia.

Located on the direct path to Alabama’s beaches, Foley watched many a traveler drive straight through. Now Foley Main Street is conducting strategic marketing to get more of those travelers to stop and shop in downtown Foley. Tasks include a Downtown Dollars gift card that shoppers can use at more than 20 downtown stores and an ad reminding beachgoers that restaurant wait times are shorter in Foley.

“Now people, even local people, are beginning to recognize downtown Foley as a destination.”

MONROEVILLE MAIN STREET

I

n Monroeville, a city made famous in 1961 when resident and author Harper Lee won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the leaders there wanted to restore the town’s historic Old Courthouse Museum that is a National Historic Landmark.

Constructed in 1903, the former county courthouse served as a model for the courthouse depicted in the 1962 film adaptation of Lee’s novel.

Over time, the Old Courthouse Museum had begun to fall apart and by 2014, the building’s southwest wall was detaching from the building. But repairs to the building would cost thousands, says Anne Marie Bryan.

“It’s difficult to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in a community of 5,900 and in a county of roughly 29,000,” she says.

“A session I went to at my first national Main Street conference was all about the historic tax credit and how property owners and building owners could use that to save their build-

34 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

ings or restore them to what they looked like when they were built,” Bryan says.

Monroeville Main Street applied to compete for a Partners in Preservation grant offered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Old Courthouse Museum.

American Express.

Monroeville Main Street won a $125,000 grant.

The wall repair came in a little less than $30,000. So, the museum had enough funds to clean, reseal and repaint the courthouse dome, replace shingles on the roof and make other repairs.

“It was such a relief not just for the museum, but for our historic district to be able to preserve all those things in that building without it being a burden on the community and all the other nonprofits.”

CO M M U N I T Y D E V E LO PM E N T

revitalization.” The organization recognized Monroeville Main Street for its historical preservation projects, its establishment of a public arts program celebrating the town’s literary history and its work with developers to support the adaptive reuse of downtown buildings.

“We worked hard,” says Anne Marie Bryan, Monroeville Main

Street’s executive director. “We’re being recognized as an entire community for all the work that we’ve put in, and people notice that we’re doing really good things, especially in Alabama. It’s just a tremendous honor.”

Gail Allyn Short and Joe De Sciose are Birmingham-based freelance contributors to Business Alabama.

ATHENS MAIN STREET

“O

ne of the main issues with our downtown was that we didn’t have enough places to dine downtown,” says Tere Richardson, Athens Main Street’s executive director.

“There was pretty strong retail, but we had just a couple of restaurants.”

Athens Main Street worked to entice several restaurateurs from Huntsville and Madison to open dining establishments in Athens.

One of them was Black Bear Brewing Co., a brewery and restaurant in Madison that opened a new location in Athens, she says.

“What really drove the restaurants to come downtown was that we had a charming square. We’re now very walkable, and we had lots of great festivals,” Richardson says.

“But what we also offer restaurants and retailers is promotion through our social media network. We have over 18,000 followers,” she says.

Today visitors to downtown Athens can choose between a variety of restaurants, from coffee shops, cafes, grills and an English pub to eateries serving Southern comfort meals, Mexican and Italian.

Athens Main Street.

JASPER MAIN STREET

M

ike Putman, executive director of Jasper Main Street, says the city’s downtown has come a long way since joining the Main Street program in 2015.

“When I started, we were at 90% vacancy. It was a ghost town,” Putman says. “The courthouse has always been downtown, and you had attorneys downtown and a couple of stores, but there were no restaurants.”

But the work of Jasper Main Street has helped transform the town’s downtown area Main street Jasper (19th Street) at sunset. with new shops, restaurants, office buildings and a 5% vacancy rate, Putman says. have a six-month due diligence. And in those six months, I “It’s vibrant now with the streets lively even after 5 p.m.,” would try to find an appropriate buyer, and by appropriate he says. buyer, I mean, someone that fits into our market analysis, One of Jasper Main Street’s strategies involved buying someone who has a business that will fit downtown,” he says. buildings from owners who have expressed an interest in Additionally, Jasper Main Street offered matching façade closing their business or retiring, Putman says. grants up to $500 so business owners downtown could use “So, we would give them 10% down or something, and the money to spruce up the outside of their buildings.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 35

L AW

Alabama’s Largest Law Firms

compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

EMPLOYEES IN AL

YEAR FOUNDED

KEY PRACTICE AREAS

1

Maynard Nexsen PC Jeff Grantham

1901 6th Ave. N., Ste. 1700 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-254-1000 205-254-1999

maynardnexsen.com

262

422

2023

Corporate M&A, real estate, banking credit, litigation, employee benefits, health care, public finance

2

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Jonathan M. Skeeters

1819 Fifth Ave. N. Birmingham, AL 35203

205-521-8000 205-521-8800

bradley.com

240

471

1870

Commercial litigation, corporate M&A, construction, banking & finance, health care, real estate, economic development

3

Burr & Forman LLP Ed Christian

420 N. 20th St., Ste. 3400 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-251-3000 205-458-5100

burr.com

144

298

1905

Banking & financial services, corporate and tax, manufacturing, litigation, health care, labor & employment, cybersecurity & data privacy

4

Balch & Bingham LLP Stan Blanton

1901 6th Ave. N., Ste. 1500 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-251-8100 205-226-8799

balch.com

118

215

1922

Energy, business, environmental & natural resources, litigation, financial industries, labor & employment, government relations

5

Dentons Sirote PC Kyle Smith

2311 Highland Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35205

205-930-5100 205-930-5101

dentons.com

85

172

1946

Banking & finance, corporate M&A, labor & employment, litigation, real estate, tax, and trusts & estates

6

Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles PC Thomas J. Methvin

218 Commerce St. Montgomery, AL 36104

334-269-2343 334-954-7555

beasleyallen.com

81

241

1979

Personal injury, product liability, class action, mass tort, consumer fraud, toxic torts, whistleblower

7

Carr Allison Thomas C. Logan

100 Vestavia Pkwy.

Birmingham, AL 35216

205-822-2006 205-822-2057

carrallison.com

80

145

1997

Transportation, workers’ compensation, labor & employment, construction, professional liability, insurance coverage

8

Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC Roger L. Bates

104 Saint Francis St., Ste. 300 Mobile, AL 36602

251-432-5511 251-694-6375

handfirm.com

77

152

1941

Real estate development & community association representation, public finance, business commercial litigation, employment & labor, business & finance

9

Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys Alexander Shunnarah

2900 1st Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35233

800-229-7989

shunnarah.com

70

220

2001

Personal injury, auto accidents, trucking accidents, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, mass torts

10

Butler Snow LLP Executive Committee

1819 Fifth Ave. N., Ste. 1000 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-297-2200 205-297-2201

butlersnow.com

59

100

2011

Business services, labor & employment, finance & real estate, commercial litigation, correctional litigation, pharmaceutical & medical device, product liability, government contracting

400 20th St. N. Birmingham, AL 35203

205-581-0700 205-581-0799

lightfootlaw.com

59

97

1990

Appellate, commercial litigation, environmental & toxic torts, medical malpractice, product liability

205-328-0480 205-322-8007

bakerdonelson.com

57

114

1928

Financial institutions, real estate & finance, mergers & acquisitions, labor & employment, construction, litigation

100 Brookwood Place, 7th Floor, Birmingham, AL 35209

205-868-6000 205-868-6099

starneslaw.com

55

96

1975

Complex litigation: appellate, arbitration, class actions, product liability, commercial, medical malpractice

Phelps Dunbar LLP 14 Allen E. “Teeto” Graham, George Morris

101 Dauphin St., Ste. 1000 Mobile, AL 36602

251-432-4481 251-433-1820

phelps.com

46

83

1853

Admiralty, business, health care, insurance, labor & employment, litigation

Wallace, Jordan, 15 Ratliff & Brandt LLC Jay H. Clark

800 Shades Creek Pkwy., Ste. 400 Birmingham, AL 35209

205-870-0555 205-871-7534

wallacejordan.com

41

65

1987

Litigation, insurance, construction, banking, estate planning and more

Lanier Ford Shaver 16 & Payne PC Graham Burgess

2101 W. Clinton Ave., Ste. 102 Huntsville, AL 35805

256-535-1100 256-533-9322

LanierFord.com

39

78

1988

Litigation, corporate & business, real estate, tax, estate planning, intellectual property

Capell & Howard PC Courtney Williams

150 S. Perry St. Montgomery, AL 36104

334-241-8000 334-323-8888

capellhoward.com

38

65

1947

Litigation, business corporate law, estates & trusts, commercial real estate, construction law, employment law

Lloyd, Gray, 18 Whitehead & Monroe PC Stephen E. Whitehead

880 Montclair Rd., Ste. 100 Birmingham, AL 35213

205-967-8822 205-967-2380

lgwmlaw.com

37

69

1989

Professional liability defense, construction defect, insurance coverage, catastrophic injury defense, worker’s compensation defense, employment practices litigation defense

19

Adams and Reese LLP Guilford F. Thornton Jr.

RSA Battle House Tower 11 N. Water St., Ste. 23200 Mobile, AL 36602

251-433-3234 251-438-7733

adamsandreese.com

35

61

1951

Government relations, economic development, transactions, financial services, business litigation and more

20

Christian & Small LLP Greer B. Mallette

505 N. 20th St. S., Ste. 1800, Birmingham, AL 35203

205-795-6588 205-328-7234

csattorneys.com

34

56

2000

Appellate, bankruptcy and restructuring, business services and commercial litigation, governmental liability, health care, insurance, professional and product liability

RANK

ATTORNEYS IN AL

Ranked by Number of Attorneys in Alabama. In cases of a tie, firms are ranked by Number of Employees in Alabama.

FIRM MANAGING PARTNER

Lightfoot, Franklin 11 & White LLC Melody Eagan

ADDRESS

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, 1901 Sixth Ave. N., Ste. 2600 12 Caldwell & Berkowitz PC Birmingham, AL 35203 W. Patton Hahn 13

17

Starnes Davis Florie LLP William A. Davis IV

For more law firms, visit BusinessAlabama.com

PHONE FAX

WEBSITE

Source: Business Alabama Survey

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 37

SPOTLIGHT

L

Chilton County

ocated in the center of the state, Chilton County is best known for its peach production, as evidenced by its landmark giant peach water tower and an annual Peach Jam festival that brings tens of thousands of visitors to the area each June to celebrate the local peach industry.

Travelers driving between Birmingham and Montgomery are likely familiar with “Big Peach,” the 500,000-gallon water tower located just off I-65, but when Clanton Mayor Jeff Mims looks at the county’s interstate exits, he sees opportunity for growth.

“We’ve got five exits on this interstate that we haven’t in the past been able to develop.

There’s a goldmine out there, and we’re trying to take advantage of it.”

Since Mims took office as mayor of the county seat in 2020, a Starbucks and a Milo’s Hamburgers have opened at Exit 205, and construction is starting soon on a Hampton Inn by Hilton. Working closely with county officials, Mims is optimistic about developing the other Clanton interstate exits as well. “It’s been slow progress, but we’re getting there. Persistence is paying off.”

Chilton County’s major industries are agriculture, automotive and wood product manufacturing. Its prime central location in the state, roughly halfway between Montgomery and Birmingham, means that it falls within the labor shed of many of the state’s other leading industries, including aerospace and automotive manufacturing.

The Chilton County School System has a strong focus on creating career pathways for its students to enter local industries. Continuing education

Chilton County

by KATHERINE MacGILVRAY

1st place basket of strawberries from the Chilton County Strawberry Festival at Richard Wood Park in Thorsby.

opportunities are available through LeCroy Career Technical Center and the Chilton-Clanton Campus of Jefferson State Community College.

As the county continues its push to bring new businesses to the area, its towns have been busy with several revitalization projects and infrastructure upgrades.

The Chilton County Commission approved plans for a new courthouse that will be built on Highway 145 just south of the Jefferson State Community College

Chilton-Clanton campus and will house all county offices. When the old courthouse is demolished, plans are in place to construct a new police station on the site across the street from Clanton’s city hall.

Historic Main Street in downtown Jemison underwent extensive upgrades made possible by funds provided by the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Program. The revitalization project included replacing old sidewalks with ones that are ADA August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 39

S P O T L I G H T: OV E R V I E W

M E D I A N H O U S E H O L D I N CO M E

P O P U L AT I O N Total Alabama Population: 5,108,468

State of Alabama $59,609 Source: U.S. Census Bureau

compliant, landscaping and installing new light fixtures.

Outdoor recreation is a big draw for Chilton County residents and visitors.

Picturesque Lake Mitchell is ideal for fishing, boating, water skiing and kayaking.

In recent years, Minooka Park has renovated and expanded its camping facilities.

And this past year, Higgins Ferry Park on Lake Mitchell made improvements, including adding a new lakeside pavilion

40 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

with a nearby designated swimming area.

Life in Chilton County also centers on agritourism, and the county welcomes visitors from around the state and beyond for major annual events like the Peach Jam festival in Clanton and the Strawberry Festival in Thorsby. Downtown Maplesville welcomed thousands of visitors in December for its sixth annual Old Fashioned Christmas event. And throughout the year, Chilton County lures

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (estimates)

travelers along I-65 with popular roadside establishments like Peach Park, Heaton Pecan Farm, Durbin Farms Market and Penton Farms.

“We’re moving and shaking, like they say,” says Mims. “You’ve got to get everyone’s attention, and I think we’re getting their attention.”

Katherine MacGilvray is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

Economic Engines Gov. Kay Ivey attends the ribbon cutting for Alabama Mineral Springs Bottling facility in Jemison on June 5, 2024.

AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS AND METALWORKING

With 850 employees, the Adient plant in Clanton is the county’s largest employer and supplies automotive seating to multiple automakers. Also in Clanton, Kumi Manufacturing of Alabama (KMA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kamco Industries Inc., is a full-service provider of plastic injection molding parts and is the second largest employer in Chilton County. The KMA facility has more than

B U S I N E S S JUNE 2024: The University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System is purchasing Ascension St. Vincent’s, including the Chilton County hospital. The deal is expected to be finalized in the fall.

JUNE 2024: Gov. Kay Ivey cuts the ribbon at a new $6 million

20 injection molding machines, ranging from 110-ton to 2000-ton units.

The metalworking sector also ranks among the county’s top employers. Franklin Iron Works specializes in manufacturing ductile iron castings used in a wide range of industries, including water and wastewater management, power generation, vertical transportation, agricultural equipment and heavy trucking. The O-Flex Metal Finishing facility provides metal finishing and post-metal finishing

services for aluminum products.

Ubique Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Patrick Industries Inc., manufactures fiberglass and core kits for the marine industry.

WOOD PRODUCTS/PAPER/FOOD

In January, Boise Cascade Co., one of the largest producers of engineered wood products (EWP) and plywood in North America and a top U.S. wholesale distributor of building products, announced

B R I E F S Alabama Mineral Springs bottling facility near Jemison.

The facility can produce 30,500 cases of its “Simply Artesian” water per week.

MAY 2024: McSweeny Chevy GMC opens in Clanton. Brothers Michael and Matt McSweeny acquired the Stokes Automotive

building just off Interstate 65 at Exit 212.

MAY 2024: The City of Jemison completes a revitalization of its historic Main Street with ADA-compliant sidewalks, landscaping and lighting. The project was funded with ALDOT funds.

APRIL 2024: The Chilton County Commission approves construction plans for a new courthouse with a $32 million budget. The new building will be just south of the Jefferson State Community College Chilton-Clanton campus.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 41

S P O T L I G H T: ECO N O M I C E N G I N E S

TAXES PROPERTY TAX NOT INCLUDING SCHOOLS OR MUNICIPALITIES

CHILTON COUNTY 22.5 MILLS OUTSIDE MUNICIPALITIES 18.5 MILLS INSIDE MUNICIPALITIES STATE OF ALABAMA: 6.5 mills

SALES TAX CALHOUN COUNTY: 4% CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY:

CLANTON 3% JEMISON 4% MAPLESVILLE 3% THORSBY 3%

STATE OF ALABAMA: 4% Source: Alabama Department of Revenue

the addition of I-joist capabilities to its Thorsby EWP mill. The project is part of a $140 million investment to support the company’s EWP growth strategy. Boise Cascade is the third-largest employer in Chilton County.

West Fraser Lumber, a diversified wood products company based in British Columbia, operates a lumber mill in Maplesville, and South Carolina-based South Coast Paper, which specializes in converting services, engineering bond roll and manufacturing a large variety of paper products and corrugated packaging, has one of its three production facilities in Maplesville.

Taylor-Made Transportation Inc. offers transportation solutions, services and products for the pulp and paper industry. The company has more than 100

B U S I N E S S FEBRUARY 2024: ALDOT announces planned upgrades for parts of US Highway 31 in Chilton County. Dunn Construction Co. secured the 7.1-mile, $4.52 million project.

FEBRUARY 2024: Chilton County commissioners and the Chilton County park ranger reveal upgrades and additions

Chilton County commissioners, Chamber staff and community members visit Higgins Ferry Park to tour the recently renovated facility.

employees and operates 50 trucks, 126 trailers and chip vans to conduct business throughout the U.S. Merchants Foodservice, which operates a distribution facility in Clanton, recently joined Performance Foodservice.

HEALTH CARE

Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton opened in Clanton in 2016, and the 30-bed hospital continues to expand its services.

A wound care center opened in 2021, and in November 2023 the hospital launched a new outpatient speech therapy depart-

ment. In January, the Chilton County Health Care Authority broke ground on a $6 million, 25,000-square-foot medical office building on the Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton campus. It is expected to be complete this fall and bring 35 jobs to the area.

In June, Ascension and University of Alabama at Birmingham announced the sale of the hospital to UAB. The deal is expected to be finalized in the fall.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Birmingham-based Jefferson State Com-

B R I E F S made to Higgins Ferry Park, including a 30-by-30-foot wheelchair-accessible pavilion, a designated swimming area, a concrete seawall, steps to the boat launch and renovations to the John Trobaugh Pavilion.

JANUARY 2024: The Chilton County Health Care Authority breaks ground on a $6 million,

42 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

25,000-square-foot medical office facility on the Ascension St. Vincent’s hospital campus.

JANUARY 2024: Boise Cascade Co. announces the addition of I-joist capabilities to its Thorsby EWP mill. The project is part of a $140 million investment to support the company’s EWP growth strategy.

SEPTEMBER 2023: Marion Community Bank breaks ground on its third branch in Chilton County. Marion opened its first full-service branch in Maplesville in 2016 and a second in Jemison in 2018. The bank also operates a storefront branch in Clanton.

Source: Economic developers

munity College maintains one of its four campuses in Chilton County, offering a range of academic courses, career and technical training and other resources to support the educational needs of residents in the area.

The City of Clanton and Jefferson State Community College operate the Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center, a multi-purpose facility adjacent to the Clanton campus that hosts trade shows, special events and conferences.

Largest Industrial Employers ADIENT | CLANTON

Seat structure manufacturing 850 employees

KUMI MANUFACTURING | CLANTON Injected molded plastic products 250 employees

BOISE CASCADE | THORSBY

Paper manufacturing • 248 employees

MERCHANTS CORP. | CLANTON Food distribution • 227 employees

WEST FRASER | MAPLESVILLE Sawmill • 130 employees

SOUTH COAST PAPER | MAPLESVILLE Paper manufacturing • 75 employees

FRANKLIN IRON WORKS | CLANTON Metal working • 75 employees

O-FLEX METALS | CLANTON

Metal anodizing • 70 employees

THOMAS OIL | CLANTON

Oil distribution • 60 employees

TAYLOR-MADE TRANSPORTATION INC. | MAPLESVILLE

Diversified manufacturing • 50 employees

STELLA JONES | CLANTON

Railroad rolling stock manufacturing 48 employees

PATRICK INDUSTRIES DBA UBIQUE TECHNOLOGIES | CLANTON Manufacturing • 46 employees

Source: Economic developers

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 43

In Focus

Maymay Helms had a love for crafting long before taking to YouTube to teach it to others.

Photos courtesy of Joyanna Love and the Clanton Advertiser.

Maymay made it A Chilton County woman has found success with her crafting YouTube channel, other social media and retail store

W

hen Clanton’s Maymay Helms discovered YouTube in 2008, the fledgling video platform was just a few years old and still finding an audience.

“No one was making a career on YouTube at the time,” says Maymay, who would watch people do instructional videos. “They were just having fun. I said to my husband, ‘I think I can teach on here.’”

She was right.

In 2011, Maymay took to the internet, making one video a week to teach viewers aspects of crafting.

“Every time I’d post a video, someone would say, ‘Where did you get that product? Where can we get that?’” she says. “It just kind of turned into the business.”

44 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

By ALEC HARVEY

“The business” is Maymay Made It, a multi-faceted enterprise — social media, website, brick-and-mortar store on U.S. 31 in Clanton — that has made Maymay a star in the crafting world.

“We do paper crafting, anything with scrapbook papers,” she says. “We do memory-making, including folios and greeting cards and rubber stamping.

We design stamps that we release every month.”

Maymay — a nickname her now 22-year-old nephew gave her when he was 2 years old — had worked as a hairdresser, in car sales and apartment leasing before Maymay Made It, but she never was far from what she really loved to do.

“I’ve been a crafter as long as I can remember,” she says. “And I always wanted

to be a teacher. I love that I can teach what I love.”

Here’s how it works. Maymay and her team produce several videos and live shows a week in which she takes a scrapbook product — paper, folios, greeting cards, rubber stamps, for instance — and shows her viewers how they can use it. Those products are for sale online, through social media and at the Clanton store.

Maymay has more than 3,000 videos on her YouTube channel, which has more than 380,000 subscribers.

“Some of our most popular videos are what we call our ‘as many as’ videos,” she says. “We take a paper pack made by a scrapbook company … and we make as many cards, as many tags, as many book-

S P O T L I G H T: I N F O C U S

RIGHT TOP: Rubber stamps are a big part of Maymay Made It, which offers a subscription service in the form of a stamp-of-the-month club. RIGHT BOTTOM: Maymay Helms and her Maymay Made It store specialize in memory-making projects for scrapbookers and other crafters.

marks, as many memory albums as we can make from one paper pack. We show people how to get the most out of their scrapbook paper.”

Though her reach is international, all of this emanates from Clanton, in Maymay’s studio, which is between the 1,000-square-foot retail store and a 7,000-square-foot warehouse. In 2015, she and her husband, Vince, began working full-time on growing the company, and they now have nine full-time employees.

It’s quite the success story, considering that Maymay was 40 when she discovered YouTube and, at the time, didn’t even have a Facebook account.

“Social media has been such a blessing for me to have started so early on it,” says Maymay. “Most people weren’t even thinking about YouTube when I got lucky enough to find it.”

In addition to YouTube, Maymay Made It has a presence on Facebook and Instagram, but not TikTok … yet. “I’m not on TikTok, but only because I haven’t fallen into the flow of that,” Maymay says.

Always the teacher, Maymay also has worked with the City of Clanton and the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce to create the Merchants Association of Chilton County, a group of Clanton companies that share ideas and successes and work to boost business in Clanton overall.

“I feel called to help other businesses,” Maymay says. “I feel like that’s part of the ministry God has given me. I love to help people with their social media and their business models, especially if they’re brand new to business.

“I love the network we can create where we’re constantly talking about each other,” she adds. “One of the things I’m always saying to our business owners is whenever someone checks out at the counter, the last thing you should say to

them is, ‘Where are you going next?’”

People come from all over the country and beyond to visit Maymay’s store, but she also brings them in with two in-person events each year. “About 100 people come to the Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center twice a year,” she says. “We try very hard to bring people to Chilton County because we love it here, and we’re so proud of our area.”

Maymay says she and her team are “constantly doing new things” to build their audience.

“Especially with the social media side, algorithms and the way things are fed to people change so much,” she says. “If you get stagnant, you get left behind.”

If Maymay has anything to say about

it, neither she nor other Clanton businesses will get left behind. The city has a number of YouTubers, including Sew Charming, a quilt shop; Clack Shack, a handmade crafts and woodworking shop; Cog Hill Farm; and Simply Lake & Lace, among others.

For her part, Maymay wants to keep encouraging others and building on her own success.

“God has been good to me,” she says.

“He’s good to all of us. I don’t take any credit for this business. God handed it to me. I say this is the dream I didn’t know I had because God had it for me.”

Alec Harvey is executive editor of Business Alabama. He is based in the Birmingham office.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 45

Higher Education The Jefferson State Chilton-Clanton Campus, shown here and below, provides resources to students and the community.

JEFFERSON STATE CHILTON-CLANTON CAMPUS

The 30,000-square-foot facility that serves as the Chilton-Clanton campus of Birmingham-based Jefferson State Community College features classrooms, computer and science labs, a learning resource center and other resources to support the educational needs of the Chilton County community. Students can take classes in English, humanities and fine arts, natural sciences and mathematics, history, social and behavioral sciences, and nursing.

The City of Clanton and Jefferson State Community College operate the Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center, a multi-purpose facility adjacent to the Clanton campus that hosts trade shows, special events and conferences.

This spring, 88 high school students from the LeCroy Technical Center in Clanton participated in Jefferson State’s Skills for Success program, which is operated through the college’s Center for Workforce Education. Sixty-five LeCroy students completed the skid steer training classes, and 23 completed a fiber optics class. Skills for Success, the Alabama Community College System rapid workforce training program, launched in 2022 and is 46 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

offered at no cost to participants.

In June, the college honored the most recent graduates of its commercial driver’s license (CDL) training program. The CDL track offered at the Chilton-Clanton campus launched in the fall of 2022. The program’s community and industry partners include the Appalachian Regional Commission, the City of Clanton, Waste Management, Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority, Wood-Fruitticher and Spire.

The Chilton-Clanton campus regularly hosts job fairs that allow area students to connect with local businesses and industry employers.

Movers & Shapers CHRISTINE BROWN is the director of

Clanton CPAC for Jefferson State Community College, Clanton Campus. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Montevallo. She serves on several boards, including as chair of the Chilton Industrial Development Board, and as a member of North Central Alabama Works and Chilton S.P.A.N. Advisory Board.

TRAE CATON is a fleet specialist

for Alabama Power and has been with the company for 13 years. A Chilton County High School graduate, Caton earned a certificate in diesel mechanics from Lawson State Community College, followed by a bachelor’s degree from Liberty University where he is now working toward an MBA. Caton serves as the Chilton County 911 interim director and is the fire chief for the Collins Chapel Community Volunteer Fire Department. He is a member of the Clanton Lions Club, the Clanton Youth Baseball Board and the Peach Jam Committee.

LUCY EDWARDS is the Alabama

Cooperative Extension System’s coordinator for Chilton County.

Edwards earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture from Auburn University. Prior to this position, she served the Extension for several years as a regional agent for home horticulture in southeast and northwest Alabama.

Edwards also serves as co-chair of the Chilton County Farm-City Committee.

48 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

SUSIE ELLISON is executive assistant

to the city clerk and grant coordinator for the City of Clanton.

Prior to joining the city, Ellison spent 10 years working with the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools and the Alabama Education Association, advocating for PreK-12 public education and public-school employees in Alabama. The Montgomery native earned a bachelor’s degree at Troy University and a master’s degree at Auburn University at Montgomery. Ellison is active in the Alabama League of Municipalities Economic Development Academy and serves on the Isabella High School Parent Leadership Team.

MANDI FORTNER is a State Farm

Insurance agent who operates two offices in Clanton and Millbrook. She attended Mississippi College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree. She is a member of the Chilton and Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce, the Clanton Lions Club and serves as secretary of the Prattville-Millbrook Sunrise Rotary Club.

TIFFANY GAINES, along with her

husband, Johnathan, owns Olde Town Scoops, Old Town Boutique and Gifts, Scoops on Wheels and Gaines Electric LLC. She has been involved with the Merchants Association of Chilton County and is on the Jemison Planning Committee. Gaines graduated from Chilton County High School.

Chilton County Fast Facts:  Chilton County has a total area of 701 square miles.  In 1874, the county was named in honor of William Parish Chilton Sr., who became chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.  Clanton became the county seat in 1871 after the courthouse in Grantville burned.  The U.S. Census put the population at 45,014 in 2020.  It is known for its peaches.

DEBBIE STREET is executive assistant

to the mayor of Clanton.

She serves as president of the City of Clanton Arts Council, treasurer of the Industrial Development Board of Clanton and is a member of the Chilton County First Response Endowment Fund. She is a 2024 Leadership Chilton graduate. Street earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

DYLAN WALLACE is a sales represen-

tative for W.H. Thomas Oil in Clanton and studied electrical technologies at George C. Wallace State Community College. He is co-director of the Chilton County Baptist Association Kids Camp and a board member for Butterfly Ridge Children’s Advocacy Center. Wallace is also a 2024 Leadership Chilton academy graduate.

Health Care

Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton will soon become part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System, pending regulatory approval.

ASCENSION ST. VINCENT’S CHILTON

The 30-bed hospital is part of Ascension, the world’s largest Catholic health system. However, in late June plans were announced for St. Vincent’s and other central Alabama Ascension hospitals to be purchased by the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System. That change of ownership is expected to be complete later this year.

The hospital provides 24/7 emergency care along with specialty care services that include diagnostic imaging, inpatient and outpatient surgery, critical care, wellness, lab, gastroenterology and sleep disorders. Advanced imaging and diagnostic services, including X-ray, MRI, CT, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, mammography, bone density testing and stress testing, are available.

In November 2023, the hospital

launched a new outpatient speech therapy department. Previously, the hospital offered inpatient and only selective outpatient speech therapy services; with the expansion, patients will be able to complete their recovery locally. The outpatient wing can treat issues with swallowing, neurogenic disorders and Parkinson’s Disease and works with patients who have suffered a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

In January, the Chilton County Health Care Authority broke ground on a $6 million, 25,000-square-foot medical office building that will be added to the Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton hospital campus. The new facility, slated to be complete in the fall of 2024, is expected to bring 35 jobs to the area.

Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton earned an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety rating in recognition of its continued commitment

to patient safety. The facility also has been included in the top seven hospitals in the state for patient experiences based on Hospital Consumer Assessment for Healthcare Providers and Systems scores from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The hospital’s wound care center, which opened in 2021, was recognized by RestorixHealth, which assists in managing the center, as a center of excellence for the January-July 2023 period and the July-December 2022 period.

Ascension St. Vincent’s also received three five-star ratings for physician communication, nurse communication and care transitions from Becker’s Hospital Review. It was one of six hospitals in the state to earn a five-star rating for physician communication.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 53

54 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

Community Development

A

new courthouse is in the works for Chilton County. After years of discussion, the Chilton County Commission made the announcement early this year, and crews began clearing 13 acres on Highway 145, south of the Jefferson State Community College Chilton-Clanton campus. At a special meeting in April, the commission unanimously approved construction plans for the project.

While remodeling the current courthouse, built in 1963, was initially considered, bringing the facility up to Americans with Disabilities Act compliance (ADA) would have required a total renovation that community leaders deemed too costly.

The $32 million turnkey project calls for a two-story building with a basement that will house all of the county offices and is intended to serve as a one-stop shop for county residents. The facility will

be built on six acres with the other seven being reserved for future expansion.

The commission allocated $10 million towards funding the project, leaving them to finance the remaining $22 million.

Construction is expected to take 14 to 24 months to complete.

Clanton Mayor Jeff Mims says plans are in place to build a new police station on the site when the old courthouse is demolished. The current police station operates in a former post office building that was built in 1935. The new facility will allow for upgrades and additional courtrooms.

Higgins Ferry Park in Clanton has had some additions and upgrades in the past year, including a wheelchair-accessible pavilion, a designated swimming area, a concrete seawall and steps to the boat launch. The John Trobaugh Pavilion also was renovated.

Thorsby relocated its city hall last year

Graduates of the Leadership Chilton 2024 class pose for a photo at a banquet held in their honor on May 14. Leadership Chilton was recently reinstated in Chilton County through a partnership with the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce and the Chilton County Extension Center.

to provide more room for the city’s public utilities, planning and zoning departments and administration offices. The Thorsby Police Department moved into the old city hall location, and it is also home to city council meetings and the Thorsby Municipal Court.

The third annual Chilton County Strawberry Festival was held at Richard Wood Park in downtown Thorsby in April. This year’s event was the largest ever and its attractions included more than 150 vendors, food trucks, inflatables, a petting zoo and live music. The 2024 festival also introduced a Berry Blast 5k.

Up the road, the city of Jemison’s August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 55

S P O T L I G H T: CO M M U N I T Y D E V E LO PE M E N T

Since 2023, Jefferson State Community College has been partnering with school systems around the state, including LeCroy Career Technical Center in Clanton, as part of the Alabama Community College System’s Schools for Success rapid workforce training program.

historic Main Street recently completed a revitalization project made possible by grant funds awarded by the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Program. The project involved replacing all the sidewalks, adding railings and making them ADA compliant; repainting the parking lot; adding new trees and landscaping; and installing light fixtures.

In support of the project, the Jemison City Council approved a new event planning committee in February. The committee is tasked with scheduling events throughout the year in the newly renovated Main Street area. The commission got things up and running right away with Jemison Cowboy Day and a Bike Night in April. Food Truck Friday, which will continue every third Friday of the month during the summer, kicked off in May. Alabama Mineral Springs LLC opened its new $6 million bottling facility near Jemison. The facility is capable of bottling 5,000 servings of water per hour and producing 30,500 cases of water per week.

Alabama Mineral Springs is being distributed by Piggly Wiggly, and the company plans to expand to other retailers in Alabama, as well as to Mississippi and the 56 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

Florida panhandle.

In February, the Alabama Department of Transportation announced the kick-off of its plans to upgrade parts of U.S. Highway 31 in Chilton County, including resurfacing, adding two feet of safety widening and installing a guardrail and new traffic striping from the intersection of Inverness Drive in Clanton to the intersection of Collins Street in Thorsby.

The highway also will be reconfigured from four lanes down to three lanes from just north of Cherokee Road to Medical Center Drive. The result will be one through-lane for north- and southbound traffic and a continuous left-turn lane to improve traffic conditions along the route. Dunn Construction Co. secured the 7.1-mile project at $4.52 million.

It is expected to take approximately six months.

Central Alabama Electric Cooperative announced in April that it will extend high-speed internet service to Chilton County, impacting more than 6,000 homes and businesses over the next two years. The expansion, which will also impact Autauga, Coosa and Elmore counties, is made possible by $23 million in state funding.

Career tech and creating pathways for students to enter local industries is a major focus of the Chilton County School System.

This spring, the State Department of Education awarded Verbena High School $50,000 to expand the career tech lessons offered through the school’s family and consumer science program for middle school students. A portion of the funds support students’ use of a virtual program that allows them to explore 50 different careers.

Since 2023, Jefferson State Community College has been partnering with school systems around the state, including LeCroy Career Technical Center in Clanton, as part of the Alabama Community College System’s Schools for Success rapid workforce training program. This year, 88 high school students from LeCroy participated in free Skid Steer training and fiber optics classes.

Last July, LeCroy completed the first year of its six-week summer construction program. Participating students were paid for each day they attended from a $100,000 donation by Mark McKinnon of McKinnon Automotive, and the program concluded with a job fair.

Culture & Recreation The Peach Jam Jubilee is held in June of each year.

Multi-platinum country recording artist Chris Janson entertains the crowd on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at Peach Jam.

JUST PEACHY

Each June, Chilton County residents celebrate the local peach industry with the Chilton County Peach Festival in Clanton that includes pageants, a fun run, fishing tournament, arts and crafts, a peach cookoff and charity auction, all culminating with the Peach Jam Jubilee.

Don’t miss the peach water tower. And load up on peaches at Peach Park or Durbin Farms. Both offer plenty of peaches and more.

EVERYTHING SWEDISH

Each October, the town of Thorsby celebrates its Swedish heritage with the Thorsby Swedish Festival — remembering the people of Scandinavian descent who founded the town in 1895, hoping to raise fruits to sell and use to make wine. The festival includes a parade, beauty pageant, car show and more.

58 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

STRAWBERRIES, TOO

Too early in the year for peaches? Try the Chilton County Strawberry Festival in April in Thorsby. Local vendors offer strawberries, of course, but also a dessert contest and more. Or pick your own berries at Penton Farms in Verbena. If you miss strawberry season, come back in the fall for a pumpkin patch, corn maze and more fall farm festivities.

PECANS APLENTY

Heaton Pecan Farm offers loads of nuts, candies, desserts and more.

ARTS OPTIONS

Visit the Chilton County Arts Festival in July for a chance to view or buy works by artists around the Southeast. Handcrafted works include wood, fabric, glass, pottery, jewelry, paintings and more. For something more exotic, try the March Gourd Madness featuring gourd art, fiber art, weaving, wood carving and more, plus classes in traditional arts.

POPULAR PARKS

Minooka Park in Jemison offers miles of ATV and off-road trails, plus fishing in Minooka Lake, hiking, grilling, walking trails and more. Higgins Ferry Park in Clanton is located on the Coosa River’s Lake Mitchell and provides a boat launch, fishing, swimming, RV camping and more.

MILL SITE

Yellowleaf Creek Mill in Clanton was built in 1850. Now restored, it’s a venue for weddings and other events.

SEE THE BIRDS

Follow the Maplesville Birding Trail through the 40-acre Maplesville City Park. A paved walking trail and unpaved paths give easy access to open bird habitat along the trail. Or enjoy the park’s two athletic fields.

SEE THE SPIRIT

Come back to Maplesville for the Old Fashioned Christmas celebration with live music, horse-drawn carriage rides, food and fun.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 59

Company Kudos

by ERICA JOINER WEST

Goodwyn Mills Cawood, of Montgomery, has been named the ENR Southeast 2024 Design Firm of the Year. The recognition marks a year of substantial growth — more than 30% in revenue over the previous year, marked by a number of high-profile projects including the Montgomery Whitewater Park that’s pictured here.

Photo by Edward Badham.

SEPTEMBER Building Alabama Insuring What Matters Drinking In History

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC, Adams and Reese LLP, Phelps Dunbar LLP and Maynard Nexsen are the Alabama law firms included on Construction Executive’s annual Top 50 Construction Law Firms list. Bradley topped the list.

under management. The Alabama firms on the list were Jackson Thornton Asset Management, BMSS Wesson Wealth Solutions, Kassouf Wealth Advisors and Wilkins Miller Wealth Management.

Savant Wealth Management, with locations in Huntsville and Birmingham, topped the list.

The Catalyst Center for Business and Entrepreneurship has been awarded a stage one Growth Accelerator Fund Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Luckie, of Birmingham, has been ranked in the top 100 healthcare marketing firms in North America by Medical Marketing + Media.

Children’s of Alabama has been recognized by Johnson Controls as an OpenBlue Pioneer, a company advancing a more sustainable, safe and healthy world.

Family Health, the primary care division of the Mobile County Health Department, has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Ambulatory Health Care and Primary Care Medical Home. Family Health also has been selected for the 2024 Uniform Data System Reporting Assistance and Process Improvement Discussion series — the only Federally Qualified Health Center in Alabama selected.

Three Honda models — the Passport, Ridgeline and Odyssey — were among the top 10 models in Cars.com 2024 American-Made Index. All three vehicles are made at Honda’s Alabama plant in Lincoln.

Accounting Today named its 2024 Wealth Magnets list, which recognizes CPA financial planning practices by assets

The University of Mobile School of Education has been awarded accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

The University of Montevallo has been named a 2024-25 College of Distinction for a 13th consecutive year. In addition, the university’s fishing team has won four consecutive Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia titles.

USA Health Providence Hospital has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Centers for Bariatric Surgery by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.

Wallace State Community College in Hanceville has been named a 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence finalist by the Aspen Institute.

The William F. Green State Veterans Home, in Bay Minette, has been recognized with a 2024 Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living.

AGC 40 Under 40 Geographic Spotlight: Pike, Barbour & Bullock Counties

OCTOBER Aerospace Takes Off in Alabama An Innovative Economy Banking’s Rising Stars Geographic Spotlight: The Shoals Check BusinessAlabama.com for daily business headlines and additional content

Follow us: Business Alabama @BusinessAlabama

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 65

RETROSPECT

Southern Parnassus The rise and fall of Huntsville’s Hotel Monte Sano

T

By SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND

here’s something about the air on Monte Sano. For generations, people have gone to the “mountain of health” overlooking Huntsville and the Great Bend region of the Tennessee River.

In the 19th century, people sought it out as a kind of curative for diseases like tuberculosis and as an escape from the scourge of yellow fever or malaria. For a brief time beginning in the late 1880s, a hotel atop the mountain beckoned some of the wealthiest American families to

that high Alabama locale. The hotel’s boosters called it a “Southern Parnassus,” a reference to the palatial domain of the Muses in Greek mythology. The Hotel Monte Sano was a symbol of the finery and excesses of the fleeting Gilded Age. Boosters in the region had long clamored for a resort atop Monte Sano.

The clean, crisp air, panoramic views and bubbling mineral springs made an enticing place for such an effort.

The North Alabama Improvement Co. was born out of the growing desire 66 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

TOP LEFT: A newspaper ad touting the new hotel. ABOVE: A chimney remains from the Hotel Monte Sano, which is marked by a historical plaque. Photo by Scotty Kirkland.

among area businessmen to reap the benefits (financial and homeopathic) of the mountain. Nearly a dozen regional leaders were joined in the endeavor by New York financiers Michael and James O’Shaughnessy. The investment company

purchased hundreds of acres on the mountain and made plans to connect it to Huntsville with a better system of roads and rails. In 1886, they announced plans for a 200-room hotel, built in the Queen Anne style. The initial cost of the hotel’s

R E T RO S PE C T

main building was $27,000, tantamount to nearly $1 million today.

The work began immediately.

Sixteen teams of horses were required to cart lumber and construction supplies to the site.

A steam-powered pump pulled water from Big Spring up the mountain to an 8,000-gallon tank for hotel guests to use.

“Everything is NEW and NICE,” read an advertisement from the hotel’s manager, S. E. Bates, on the eve of its June 1, 1887, opening day. Guests would have had no quarrel with the description. Every room was arranged to face outward, with large windows to let in the mountain air. Entertainment options included billiards, a bowling alley and among the largest ballrooms in the region.

Around the property were some 20 miles of new trails for walking and horseback riding. There was a salon and barber shop. Meals at the Hotel Monte Sano were prepared by Jessup Whitehead, an author of five acclaimed cookbooks.

Weekly rates began at $12.50 for adults and $7.00 for children plus the cost of meals. By mid-summer, the hotel had seen more than 1,000 guests, among them Helen Keller and her family.

Over the next few years, Birmingham industrialists Henry DeBardeleben and Truman Aldrich brought their families.

The hotel hosted members of the Astor, Vanderbilt and Gould families as well. So popular was the hotel that an expansion soon followed, with a 50room addition called “Memphis Row,” an acknowledgement of the number of residents from that Tennessee city who frequented the establishment.

Getting guests to the hotel proved to be the greatest challenge. The mid-1880s road that had made constructing the hotel possible provided a bumpy ride.

Engineers labored long to craft a railroad line connecting the Huntsville Depot and the hotel with a route up the steep, rocky terrain. Some 300 people worked to build the line. Weekly expenditures soared to

An exterior shot of the Hotel Monte Sano from 1890, and an interior shot from 1891.

Photos courtesy of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Special Collections.

$10,000. The costly railway proved to be an unreliable means of getting to the hotel, however. Many of Monte Sano’s more affluent guests found their own way from the city below or relied on the hotel’s “Tally Ho” stagecoach.

Mark Twain, who coined the term Gilded Age to describe the era from the end of Reconstruction to the beginning of the Great War, characterized it as a time of “unlimited reliance upon human promises.” There were promises in abundance about the ways to conquer the trek to Hotel Monte Sano.

The high-end clientele felt keenly the global financial panic of 1893-94.

In response, Monte Sano’s manager announced “reduced rates to suit the times.” As a seasonal business, the hotel’s fortunes were tied to a great many external factors, which were sometimes insurmountable. In the early spring of 1895, Huntsville newspapers carried a simple, declarative sentence: “Hotel Monte Sano will not open this season.” When the

hotel opened in subsequent years, occupancy was lower.

The music then began to fade from the mountaintop resort. Its demise was slow. New promises of revival peppered the pages of Alabama newspapers for almost a decade. Supposed saviors expressed interest in buying the property. There was yet the promise of another means of transportation up the mountain, this time an electric railway.

None of it happened.

In 1909, Horace Garth purchased the hotel and grounds for the sum of $20,000. In poor health, Garth used the hotel as a private summer convalescent home. He was attended to by his daughter, Lena, and a number of housekeepers. His death in 1911 brought renewed calls for reopening the hotel to the public. A Birmingham real estate firm leased the property in 1916 and began improvements. Again, however, the meddlesome mountain road proved the project’s undoing. Unable to raise $25,000 for the completion of an improved route, the project failed.

Raising funds for a resort proved difficult as war roiled in Europe. An era of excess was replaced by one of uncertainty and trauma.

Though its ballroom was occasionally used thereafter for charitable events, the Hotel Monte Sano never reopened.

In the early 1940s, the aged buildings were demolished for salvage. Wood from the hotel was sold at a mere $5 a load.

“Come and Get It,” read one ignominious newspaper ad. And so, like the Gilded Age itself, the glamorous Hotel Monte Sano met a mournful end. Furnishings from the hotel are today scattered in museums and antique stores. All that remains of the hotel property is one of its chimneys. An adjacent historical marker includes an illustration of “the Southern Parnassus” at the height of its popularity.

Historian Scotty E. Kirkland is a freelance contributor to Business Alabama. He lives in Wetumpka.

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 67

Index

A guide to businesses (bold) and individuals (light) mentioned in this month’s issue of Business Alabama.

A&R Group.........................................................9

Beauchaine, David........................................................70

Clanton Youth Baseball.....................................48

Foley Main Street.............................................33

AAA Cooper Transportation.................................8

Becker’s Hospital Review..................................53

Clanton, City of......................... 39, 44, 46, 48, 55

Football Writers Association of America.............15

ABC-TV.............................................................12

Bevill State Community College..........................8

Clem, Anna.....................................................................8

Fortner, Mandi..............................................................48

Accounting Today.............................................65

Birmingham Biomedical Innovation Corridor......9

Clemons, Roger............................................................15

Franklin Iron Works.................................... 41, 43

Acker, Kristi...................................................................70

Birmingham Board of Education.........................9

Clemson University..........................................15

Fraternale, Federico........................................................9

Adams and Reese LLP.......................................65

Birmingham Business Alliance...........................8

CModel Data Inc.................................................8

Gadsden State Community College.....................9

Adient Plc...................................................41,43

Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority....70

Cog Hill Farm, Clanton......................................44

Gaines Electric LLC............................................48

AE Industrial Partners LP....................................8

Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority.46

Collegiate Licensing Co.....................................15

Gaines, Tiffany..............................................................48

AE Shoals Manufacturing & Technology Center....8

Birmingham Magazine.....................................15

Garth, Horace................................................................66

Aerojet Rocketdyne............................................7

Birmingham Post-Herald..................................15

Collins Chapel Community Volunteer Fire Department...........................48

Aikman, Troy.................................................................15

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.....................................8

Alabama A&M University................................7, 9

Command Alkon..............................................10 Commercial Sector Insurance Brokers................11

Garth, Lena...................................................................66 Gener8tor and Bronze Valley..............................9 George C. Wallace State Community College......48

Birmingham-Southern College...........................7

Computer Programs & Systems Inc....................25

Black Bear Brewing Co......................................33

Conference Board, The......................................25

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.............65

Constellation Energy........................................15

BMSS Wesson Wealth Solutions........................65

Construction Executive.....................................65

Boeing Co........................................................25

Continental Global Material Handling...............11

Boise Cascade Co........................................ 41, 43

Cooper Marine.................................................70

Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability.........................11

Alabama Education Association.........................48

Boston Red Sox................................................15

Corporate Realty................................................9

Hallman, Gene.............................................................15

Alabama Fiber Network....................................10

Boys and Girls Club..........................................12

Cortes, Laura.................................................................70

Hammond, Hutch.........................................................15

Alabama Fire College..........................................9

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP...................65

Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools.............48

Hampton Inns by Hilton...................................39

Alabama Futures Fund........................................8

Brasfield & Gorrie.............................................11

Crawford Square Real Estate Advisors................70

Hamrick, Darren...........................................................70

Alabama League of Municipalities....................48

Brees, Drew..................................................................15

Cromwell, Keith............................................................70

Hand Arendall Harrison Sale.............................70

Alabama Metallurgical Corp..............................71

Brewer, J. Scott.............................................................70

Crow Shields Bailey..........................................70

Harris, Nathan..............................................................70

Alabama Mineral Springs LLC...................... 41, 55

Brock, Anna Beth..........................................................70

Crowne Health Care..........................................70

Haywood, Tony...............................................................8

Alabama Mining Associates..............................70

Bronner, David..............................................................20

Dallas Cowboys................................................12

Headley, Jeremy...........................................................70

Alabama Power Co............................................48

Brown, Christine...........................................................48

Dallas Morning News.......................................15

Heaton Pecan Farm..................................... 39, 58

Alabama Recreation & Parks Association............12

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant...............................70

Davis, Wesley................................................................70

Helms, Maymay...........................................................44

Alabama School of Math and Science...................9

Bruno Event Team............................................15

Day, Collin....................................................................10

Helms, Vince.................................................................44

Alabama Shipyard............................................10

Bruno, Ronald...............................................................15

Dean’s Cake House, Andalusia...........................11

Herron, Carolyn............................................................70

Alabama Tourism Department..........................20

Bruno’s Supermarkets......................................15

DeBardeleben, Henry...................................................66

Hibbett & Sons.................................................25

Aldrich, Truman............................................................66

Bryan, Anne Marie........................................................33

Diaz-Lucier, Miguel.......................................................70

Hibbett Sportings Goods...................................25

Alexander, Jason............................................................7

Bryant, Paul “Bear”.......................................................15

Dietz, Robert.................................................................25

Higgins Ferry Park, Clanton.............39, 41, 55, 58

Allen, Jeff......................................................................15

Bulgarella, Dawn............................................................7

Disney Channel................................................12

Hogan, Hulk.................................................................15

Allied Mineral Products......................................7

Bunting, Brooke...........................................................70

Dixie Supply Co................................................25

Home Trust Bancshares Inc................................70

Amazon Inc......................................................25

Butterfly Ridge Children’s Advocacy Center.......48

Dorsey, Shannon..........................................................70

Honda Alabama Auto Plant...............................65

American Academy of Nursing..........................70

Calhoun Community College............................70

Doster Construction Co.....................................11

Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce....................8

American Commercial Barge Line......................70

Calumet and Hecla...........................................71

Doster, Thomas Edwin III..............................................11

Hotel Monte Sano.............................................66

American Express.............................................33

Carpenter Technology Corp...............................25

Dove, Reid......................................................................8

Housing Authority of Birmingham......................9

American Health Case Association.....................65

Cassity, Jared................................................................15

Drax Foundation..............................................11

Hughes, Jackson..........................................................70

American Rescue Plan Act...................................9

Catalyst Center for Business and Entrepreneurship........................................65

Dunmore, Darrelyn.......................................................33

Hughston Clinic, Georgia..................................15

Dunn Construction Co................................. 41, 55

Huston, Lauren.............................................................70

Durbin Farms Market, Clanton.................... 39, 58

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.............8

Dye, Pat.........................................................................15

In8bio Inc........................................................25

Dye, Pat Jr.....................................................................15

Industrial Development Board of Clanton.........48

Edgehill at Southtown Court...............................9

Innovate Alabama..............................................9

Edwards, Lucy...............................................................48

Instagram/Meta Platforms Inc...........................44

Ellison, Susie................................................................48

Isabella High School.........................................48

Chilton County........................................... 39, 41

Endo International...........................................25

Ivey, Gov. Kay................................................................41

Chilton County 911..........................................48

Engineering News-Record.................................65

Izell Reese Community Center, Dothan..............12

Chilton County Arts Festival..............................58

ESPN-TV...................................................... 12, 15

Jackson Thornton Asset Management...............65

Chilton County Baptist Association Kids Camp...48

Esquire Magazine.............................................15

Jackson, Bo...................................................................15

Chilton County Chamber of Commerce........ 44, 55

Eventive Sports................................................15

Jacksonville State University............................20

Chilton County Extension Center.......................55

Evercore Inc......................................................15

Jacobs, Dean................................................................11

Chilton County Farm-City Committee................48

Executive Plaza, Huntsville...............................11

Jacobsen, Brian............................................................25

Auburn University at Montgomery....................48

Chilton County First Response Endowment Fund........................................48

Facebook/Meta Platforms Inc............................44

Jaquess, Jennifer.........................................................70

Austal USA.......................................................10

Fagan, Mark..................................................................20

Jasper Main Street...........................................33

Chilton County Health Care Authority.......... 41, 53

Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC. 65

JD Sports Fashion.............................................25

Chilton County High School..............................48

Family Oriented Primary Health Care Clinic Inc..............................................65

Chilton County Peach Festival...........................58

Fannin, Jeb...................................................................70

Jefferson State Community College, Chilton-Clanton Campus....... 39, 41, 46, 48, 55

Chilton County Schools............................... 39, 55

Federal Bureau of Investigation........................10

Jemison, City of..............................39, 41, 48, 55

Chilton County Strawberry Festival...................58

Federal Reserve................................................25

Johnson Controls.............................................65

Chilton Industrial Development Board..............48

Fernandez, Jenelle.......................................................70

Joint Commission............................................65

Chilton S.P.A.N.................................................48

Finebaum, Paul............................................................15

Jones, Robert Trent.......................................................20

Bartlett, Randy..............................................................15

Clack Shack, Clanton.........................................44

Finnorn, Andrew...........................................................70

Jordan, Michael............................................................15

Bates, S. E......................................................................66

Clanton Arts Council.........................................48

FirstBank/FB Financial Corp...............................70

Kamco Industries Inc........................................41

Battiste, Lawrence IV.....................................................70

Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center.................... 41, 44, 46

Fletcher, Austin.............................................................70

Karr, Charles.................................................................15

Foley Beach Express............................................8

Kassouf Wealth Advisors..................................65

Alabama Community College System.......... 46, 55 Alabama Cooperative Extension System............48 Alabama Department of Commerce.....................8 Alabama Department of Education ...................55 Alabama Department of Transportation..........................7, 39, 41, 55

American Society of Landscape Architects..........70 American Sports Medicine Institute...................15 Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center...............................15

Caton, Trae....................................................................48 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services..........53 Central Alabama Electric Cooperative................55

Andrews, James...........................................................15

Champions Tour...............................................15

Annex Wealth Management.............................25

Children’s of Alabama......................................65

Appalachian Regional Commission...................46

Chilton and Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce.................................48

Ascension Medical Group....................................7 Ascension Providence Hospital, Mobile...............7 Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton................ 7, 41, 53 Aspen Institute................................................65 Associated Press Sports Editors.........................15 Athens Main Street...........................................33 Atlanta Constitution.........................................15 Auburn University...................................... 15, 48

Bakery Building, Foley.....................................33 Baldwin, Nan..................................................................8 Bank Independent...........................................70 Bank Independent Stadium, University of North Alabama........................11

Battle, Bill.....................................................................15

Clanton Lions Club...........................................48

68 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

Giardina, Warren..........................................................70 Good Morning America.....................................15 Goodwyn Mills Cawood.............................. 65, 70 Graboys, James............................................................70

INDEX

Kavinocky, Paul.............................................................70

Monarch E&S Insurance Services.......................11

Rieth Jones Advisors........................................11

Troy University.................................................48

Keller, Helen.................................................................66

Monroe, Jim.................................................................70

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.............................20

TruBridge Inc....................................................25

Kiewit Infrastructure South Co..........................10

Monroeville Main Street...................................33

Kim, Chihwan.................................................................8

Montgomery Whitewater Park..........................65

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail: Its History and Economic Impact, The...................................20

Trussville Freestanding Emergency Department.................................7

Kimbrough, Walter M.....................................................8

Montgomery, City of.........................................70

Ross, Jane Reed............................................................70

Tuck, Brenda...................................................................8

Kinematic Co....................................................15

NASA.................................................................9

RTJ Oxmoor Valley............................................20

Tuskegee Commerce Park...................................8

Kinematic Sports..............................................15

National Association of Builders........................25

Rulewich, Roger...........................................................20

Tuskegee University.....................................7, 70

Komm, Daniel...............................................................70

National Basketball Association........................12

Russell, David...............................................................70

Tuskegee, City of................................................8

Kruger, Michelle...........................................................10

National Center for Assisted Living....................65

S&P Global Inc..................................................25

Tutwiler Hotel, Birmingham...............................9

Kumi Manufacturing of Alabama................ 41, 43

National Collegiate Athletic Association.............12

Sabre Finance.....................................................9

Twain, Mark..................................................................66

Lake Mitchell............................................. 39, 58

National Football League............................ 12, 15

Samford University..........................................15

U.S. Army.........................................................10

Lawson State Community College.....................48

National Hockey League...................................12

Samkee Corp......................................................8

U.S. Department of Labor..................................25

Leadership Chilton County......................... 48, 55

National Trust for Historic Preservation.............33

Sanders Trust...................................................11

U.S. Navy.........................................................10

Leapfrog Group, The.........................................53

New York Times................................................15

Saturday Night Live..........................................15

U.S. Small Business Administration...................65

LeCroy Career Technical Center.............. 39, 46, 55

New, Ryan.....................................................................70

Savant Wealth Management.............................65

Ubique Technologies.................................. 41, 43

Lee, Amy S.D.................................................................70

Newsday..........................................................15

Schatz, Erik....................................................................70

Unite Inc..........................................................10

Lee, Harper...................................................................33

NFL Flag...........................................................12

Scoops on Wheels.............................................48

United Airlines...................................................8

Leiter, Al........................................................................15

Nicklaus, Jack...............................................................15

SEC Network.....................................................15

United States Tennis Association.......................12

Liberty University.............................................48

Nnedu, Cordelia...........................................................70

Limestone County............................................10

North Alabama Improvement Co.......................66

Little League World Series................................12

North Central Alabama Works...........................48

Long, Gerald...................................................................8

Northrop Grumman..........................................10

Los Angeles Rams.............................................15

O-Flex Metal Finishing................................ 41, 43

Louisiana State University.......................... 15, 70

O’Shaughnessy, James.................................................66

Luckie & Co.......................................................65

O’Shaughnessy, Michael..............................................66

Macon County Economic Development Authority.................................8

Ofenloch, John...............................................................8

Madison County Career Technical Center.............9 Madison Manor................................................70 Main Street Alabama........................................33 Main Street America.........................................33 Maisel, Ivan..................................................................15 Major League Baseball.....................................12 Major League Soccer.........................................12 Manning, Eli.................................................................15 Manning, Peyton..........................................................15 Maplesville Birding Trail...................................58 Maplesville Old Fashioned Christmas................58 Maplesville, Town of.........................................39 March Gourd Madness......................................58 Marcotte Systems.............................................10 Marion Community Bank..................................41 Markham, Doug...........................................................70 Marquez, Dana.............................................................15 MartinFed Consulting.......................................10 Maymay Made It..............................................44 Maynard Nexsen..............................................65 McKenna, Michelle.......................................................15 McKinnon Automotive......................................55 McKinnon, Mark...........................................................55 McNair, Ellen..................................................................8 McSweeny Chevy GMC......................................41 McSweeny, Matt...........................................................41 McSweeny, Michael......................................................41 Medical Marketing + Media..............................65 Mercedes-Benz U.S. International......................20 Merchants Association of Chilton County.................................. 44, 48

Old Courthouse Museum, Monroeville..............33 Old Town Boutique and Gifts.............................48 Olde Town Scoops.............................................48 On3Media........................................................15 One Nineteen Campus........................................7 Orlando Sentinel..............................................15 Osborne, Anne..............................................................70 Palmer, Arnold..............................................................15 PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital..................11 Parker Towing Co..............................................70 Patrick Industries Inc.................................. 41, 43 Paul Finebaum Radio Network..........................15 Peach Jam Committee......................................48 Peach Jam Jubilee............................................58 Peach Park.......................................................39 Peach Park, Clanton..........................................58 Pearlson & Pearlson Inc....................................10 Pearlson Shiplift Corp.......................................10 Penton Farms...................................................39 Penton Farms, Verbena.....................................58 Performance Foodservice..................................41 PFM Financial Advisors.....................................11 Phelps Dunbar LLP...........................................65 Piggly Wiggly LLC............................................55 Pipkins, Richard............................................................70 Pizzelle’s Confections.......................................11 PlaceEconomics................................................33 Powell, Patrick..............................................................15 Prattville-Millbrook Sunrise Rotary Club...........48 Precision Pulley & Idler....................................11 Prickett, Charlie..............................................................8

Merchants Corp................................................43

Pro Football Hall of Fame..................................12

Merchants Foodservice.....................................41

Putman, Mike...............................................................33

Miles College.....................................................7

Randolph School................................................9

Milo’s Hamburgers...........................................39

RCX Sports.......................................................12

Mims, Jeff...............................................................39, 55

Red Mountain Theatre......................................70

Minooka Park............................................. 39, 58

Reese, Izell....................................................................12

Missile Defense Agency......................................7

Reese, Raven................................................................12

Mississippi College..........................................48

RestorixHealth.................................................53

MLB.com..........................................................15

Retirement Systems of Alabama...................8, 20

Mobile County Health Department....................65

Reynolds, Sue...............................................................70

Mobile Press-Register.......................................15

Richard Wood Park, Thorsby........................ 39, 55

Mobile Regional Airport.....................................8

Richardson, Tere...........................................................33

Selma, City of.....................................................7

University of Alabama............................ 9, 15, 70

Senior PGA Tour................................................15

University of Alabama at Birmingham...................... 9, 11, 12, 48, 70

Sentar Inc.........................................................10 ServisFirst Bank...............................................70 Sew Charming, Clanton....................................44

University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System................................... 7, 41, 53

Shape Corp.......................................................10

University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research...............8

Sheridan, Danny...........................................................15

University of Alabama in Huntsville..............9, 11

SidelinER.........................................................15

University of Mobile................................... 65, 70

Simon, Robert.................................................................9

University of Montevallo............................ 48, 65

Simply Lake & Lace, Clanton.............................44

University of North Alabama.............................11

Singing River Trail..............................................8

University of South Alabama.............................70

Sively, Charles..............................................................70

University of South Alabama Health System........7

Skyfire Consulting..............................................8

University of Tennessee....................................15

SmartBank.......................................................70

University of West Alabama................................7

Smith, Emmett.............................................................15

USA Health Pediatrics.......................................70

Smith, Jack...................................................................70

USA Health Providence Hospital........................65

Smoltz, John.................................................................15

USA Today........................................................11

South Coast Paper...................................... 41, 43

Utilities Board of Tuskegee.................................8

Southeast Health, Dothan...................................7

Verbena High School........................................55

Southeastern Conference..................................15

Victory Game Clocks.........................................15

Southern States Bank.......................................70

Vogle, Ellen...................................................................70

Southpoint Industrial Park...............................10

Vulcan Materials Inc.........................................25

Southtown Court, Birmingham...........................9

W.H. Thomas Oil......................................... 43, 48

Spire Inc...........................................................46

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc............................25

Spirit Airlines.....................................................8

Wallace State Community College.....................65

SPOC Automation.............................................70

Wallace, Dylan..............................................................48

Sporting News.................................................15

Wallace, Gov. George....................................................20

Sports Business Journal...................................15

Walmart Inc.....................................................25

Sports Illustrated.............................................15

Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway Association.........70

SportsTrust Advisors.........................................15

Waste Management Inc....................................46

SSA Marine.......................................................70

Waters, Chloe...............................................................70

Starbucks Corp.................................................39

Watts, Ray L...................................................................11

State Farm Insurance........................................48

Wells Fargo......................................................25

Stella Jones Inc................................................43

West Fraser Lumber ................................... 41, 43

Stellex Capital Management.............................11

Whitaker, Stuart............................................................70

Stockman, Norman.......................................................70

White, Mark..................................................................10

Stokes Automotive...........................................41

Whitehead, Jessup.......................................................66

Street, Debbie...............................................................48

Whitfield Regional Hospital..............................11

Sullivan, Courtney........................................................70

Whitworth, Andrew......................................................15

Swift, Currie, McGee & Hiers LLP........................70

Wilkins Miller LLC............................................70

Synovus Financial Corp.......................................9

Wilkins Miller Wealth Management..................65

Talladega College...............................................8

William F. Green State Veterans Home...............65

Target Corp.......................................................25

Williams Blackstock Architects..........................11

Taylor-Made Transportation Inc................... 41, 43

Wirth, Mary...................................................................33

Tech Row, Birmingham.......................................9

Women’s National Basketball Association..........12

Tennessee Valley Authority...............................70

Wood-Fruitticher Grocery Co. Inc........................46

Thorsby Swedish Festival..................................58

Woods, Tiger.................................................................15

Thorsby, City of................................................55

Yellowleaf Creek Mill, Clanton..........................58

TikTok/ByteDance Ltd.......................................44

YMCA of the USA...............................................12

Tipton, Cameron...........................................................70

YouTube/Google LLC.........................................44

To Kill a Mockingbird........................................33 Troon Golf LLC..................................................15

August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 69

Career Notes BROOKE BUNTING

ANDREW FINNORN

ELLEN VOGLE

WARREN GIARDINA

by ERICA JOINER WEST

RYAN NEW

STUART WHITAKER

ANNE OSBORNE

NATHAN HARRIS

DARREN HAMRICK

LEGAL

JANE REED ROSS

CAROLYN HERRON

JENELLE FERNANDEZ

ACCOUNTING Brooke Bunting has been promoted to tax manager and Andrew Finnorn has been promoted to audit manager at Crow Shields Bailey.

Ellen Vogle, of Wilkins Miller LLC, has passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant examination. In addition, Anna Beth Brock has joined the firm as an associate.

BANKING Warren Giardina has joined Southern States Bank as senior vice president, Birmingham Market president.

Ryan New has been hired as market president for Mobile for SmartBank.

FirstBank opened its newest location in Birmingham on Highway 119 in May. Spearheading the branch are Sue Reynolds, financial center manager; and Laura Cortes, Austin Fletcher, Chloe Waters and Jackson Hughes, bankers.

ServisFirst Bank has promoted Stuart Whitaker to first vice president, commercial banking officer for the Huntsville region.

Bank Independent Senior Business Analyst Anne Osborne has graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at LSU. University of Alabama at Birmingham graduate Charles Sively has been named chief technology officer of Asheville, North Carolina-based HomeTrust Bancshares Inc., holding company of HomeTrust Bank.

EDUCATION Nathan Harris has been appointed vice president for strategic initiatives at the University of Mobile.

70 | BusinessAlabama.com August 2024

J. SCOTT BREWER

ERIK SCHATZ

DAVID BEAUCHAINE

Lauren Huston and Cameron Tipton have joined Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers LLP as associates in the firm’s Birmingham office.

Calhoun Community College has hired Shannon Dorsey as its cross country coach.

J. Scott Brewer has been appointed district judge, 29th Judicial Circuit, Place #1 in Talladega County. Brewer fills the vacancy created when Jeb Fannin retired June 1.

ENGINEERING

LOGISTICS

Darren Hamrick has joined Goodwyn Mills Cawood to lead its civil engineering practice in Birmingham. In addition, Senior Landscape Architect Jane Reed Ross has been named a 2024 Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway Association elected new board members Jeremy Headley of Parker Towing Co., Paul Kavinocky of Alabama Mining Association, Jim Monroe of SSA Marine, Richard Pipkins of Cooper Marine, David Russell of Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority, Jack Smith of American Commercial Barge Line, and Norman Stockman of Hand Arendall Harrison Sale.

GOVERNMENT The city of Montgomery has appointed Miguel Diaz-Lucier as its new communications director, James Graboys as interim chief of police and Lawrence Battiste IV as special advisor to the mayor for public safety.

HEALTH CARE The American Academy of Nursing has named its 2024 Fellows, representing 37 states. Those from Alabama are Kristi Acker and Amy S.D. Lee, of the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing; Wesley Davis, of the University of South Alabama College of Nursing; Cordelia Nnedu of Tuskegee University School of Nursing; and Courtney Sullivan, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing.

Carolyn Herron has retired from Madison Manor, a facility of Crowne Health Care, after 45 years of service.

She most recently served as the facility’s bookkeeper.

Jenelle Fernandez, M.D., FAAP, has joined USA Health Pediatrics in its gastroenterology division.

PERFORMING ARTS Jennifer Jaquess has been named executive director of Red Mountain Theatre. Keith Cromwell, former executive director, will become director of institutional advancement.

REAL ESTATE Erik Schatz, leasing manager for Crawford Square Real Estate Advisors of Birmingham, has been named by GlobeSt. as one of CRE’s Aspiring Leaders of 2024.

TECHNOLOGY Doug Markham has retired from his role as chief financial officer of SPOC and been appointed to the company’s board of directors. David Beauchaine, current executive vice president of finance, has been promoted to CFO.

UTILITIES Daniel Komm has been named the new site vice president for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant near Athens by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Historic Alabama

FROM THE BEDROCK… An employee works at the Alamet Division of Calumet and Hecla in Selma in April 1960. The plant processed dolomite from Shelby County to produce magnesium. The company formed in the late 1950s as the Alabama Metallurgical Corp., with Calumet and Hecla holding a 70% share of the business. In the mid-1960s, it was completely absorbed by Calumet and Hecla. Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives & History.

Do you have a photo you’d like us to consider for Historic Alabama? Send it to Erica West at ewest@pmtpublishing.com.

Alabiz Quiz

Challenge yourself with these puzzlers from past issues of Business Alabama magazine. If you feel pretty confident, send your answers via email to ewest@pmtpublishing.com or, beginning August 20, work the quiz online and check your answers at businessalabama.com.

August 2024:

August 2023 (one year ago):

August 2014 (10 years ago):

Q: Back in 1990, David Bronner and the Retirement Systems of Alabama chose to make an enormous investment in the state. What did they create?

A) Gulf State Park B) Marshall Space Flight Center C) Mercedes-Benz U.S. International D) Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

Q: In our annual review of Alabama-based public companies, one stood far ahead of the others in annual revenue, with $7 billion compared to the next highest at just over $4 billion. These are the top 4; which was at the top?

A) Encompass Health B) Hibbett Sports C) Vulcan Materials D) Warrior Met Coal

Q: A European company with an Alabama presence decided to ditch a complicated acronym (EADS) for a catchier name. What company?

A) Airbus B) Evonik C) Kronospan D) Mercedes

August 2019 (five years ago):

Q: An Alabama-based company reflected on its decision to venture from its bricks-and-mortar roots to internet sales and received 1,800 emails in its first two days. What company?

A) Books-A-Million B) Chicken Salad Chick C) Milo’s Hamburgers D) Warrior Met Coal

July 2024 (one month ago): Q: Major League Baseball offered up a game at Rickwood Field. Which two teams competed?

A) Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros B) Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals C) New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox D) San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals

Q: Auburn University needed a new president and turned to a former one who came back to lead the campus a second time. Who? A) David Bronner B) Jay Gogue C) Tommy Tuberville D) Ray Watts

August 1999 (25 years ago):

Answers from July: D, D, C, C, D, D August 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 71