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COMPANIES TO WORK FOR
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Benchmarks
Jasper Lumber edges close to completing $135M upgrade
JASPER LUMBER CO. is getting closer to completing its $135 million investment to upgrade its sawmill facility with high-technology equipment. Work began on the mill improvements in 2020 and should be complete in 2026.
“This is huge for Jasper and comes at a time when many companies are looking at ways to downsize,” said Jasper Mayor Gary Cowen. “Jasper Lumber has long been a major employer in our city and is making an investment that really shows their commitment to the area.”
Production capacity at the mill will increase to nearly 225 million board feet annually, up from 65 million, through mechanical and technological upgrades. These upgrades will require a highly skilled labor force to operate and maintain the mill.
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TOPS FOR TOURISM
Tourists spent $23.9 billion in Alabama in 2024, setting a single-year record for the fourth consecutive year, according to Alabama Tourism. About 29 million tourists vacationed in Alabama throughout the year, the report says.
TOP PICK
For the second consecutive year, Huntsville International Airport has been named Best Small Airport in Newsweek magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards.
TOPS IN TRADE
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey recognized five Alabama companies for their international success with
the 2025 Governor’s Trade Excellence Awards in early May.
The companies recognized were Central Steel Service (Pelham), SEA Wire and Cable (Huntsville), Silver Ships (Theodore), Special Shapes Refractory Co. (Bessemer) and System Studies & Simulation Inc. (Huntsville).
GOOD LIVING
Hoover is on Livability.com’s list of the “Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S.” It’s the third year in a row that Hoover has made that list.
COMMERCE KUDOS
The Alabama Department of Commerce won national recognition from Business Facilities magazine, honoring
“This entire investment is based on the dedication of our existing workforce and their commitment to embrace the opportunity to upgrade their skills and operate a state-of-the-art sawmill,” said Plant Manager Cliff Beall. “We are excited about this project and its positive impact on our employees and the community, and we would like to thank the city of Jasper and the Jasper Industrial Development Board for their support.”
Cowen added, “Electrical and digital maintenance skills will be required, and with the upcoming developments in workforce training at Bevill State Community College and our local school system, this will be a catalyst for a more skilled workforce in Jasper and will lead to a higher living wage for our labor force.”
Jasper Industrial Development Board Chairman Jerry Byars said the JIDB had a two-fold mission: “to recruit new industry to Jasper and to aid in the growth of existing industry. We are pleased to be able to be part of supporting our existing businesses that are willing to grow with Jasper.”
Green Suttles, JIDB executive director, added, “Area harvesting and transport for wood required to feed the mill will increase, and this will lead to other offshoot job opportunities, stemming from the investment made in the mill.”
Jasper Lumber Co. has been manufacturing southern pine lumber for more than 25 years, according to its website. In 2008, it received its first “Green” certification from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and in 2012 received its Chain of Custody and Forest Management certifications from the Forest Stewardship Council.
Commerce for the new AIDT Electric Vehicle Technology Center now under construction at the Alabama Robotics Technology Park in Tanner. The center will train workers for Alabama’s burgeoning electric vehicle production.
NEW AT THE TOP
Mark Rader has been named president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Former CEO Chris Susock has been promoted to chief manufacturing officer for Hyundai Motor North America
PRESIDENTIAL
Two Alabama universities have inaugurated new presidents — Catherine Wehlburg at Athens State University and
Charles Smith at the University of Mobile Willie L. Todd Jr. has been named president of Talladega College. He comes to Talladega from South Carolina, where he has served as president and CEO of Denmark Technical College since 2020. Meanwhile, John W. Stewart III is stepping down as president of the University of Montevallo after 15 years at the helm. He will leave the job at the end of July.
SPACE SPACE
Karman Space & Defense has opened a new 30,000-squarefoot facility in Decatur. Karman is based in Huntington Beach, California.
Jasper Lumber expects to triple its capacity.
Training center opens to boost workforce for aerospace, defense and other industrial sectors
AAA USA INC., a joint venture of Drakkar and the Daher Group, has opened a new entry-level and advanced-level training facility in Mobile. The center will boost the company’s contract labor services capacity for its clients.
AAA USA is a provider of technical workforce solutions, production engineering services and contract assembly for the aerospace, ground transportation, defense and industrial sectors.
“Our new facility’s strategic location on the U.S. central Gulf Coast is perfectly located to serve the industrial sectors in this region, and beyond,” said Perry Rucker, AAA USA vice president and chief operating officer. “Its resources and capacity enable a significant increase of throughput to support our customers’ manpower, workforce and production needs, while also positioning us to meet new requirements in the evolving marketplace.”
Included in the site are labs for electrical, structural, mechanical, quality and engineering training, along with a large classroom space. This is supplemented by an operations center that provides a major expansion of the company’s contract assembly services in response to customers’ current and future needs.
“There’s a huge gap in the American workforce today, which impacts our clients’ capabilities to meet their production targets and to attain the needed levels of quality,” Rucker said. “Our total value proposition is bringing in and training the new workforce — whether it comes from schools, from different sectors of
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TRUMP IN T-TOWN
President Donald Trump spoke at the University of Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum on May 1 in advance of UA’s graduation ceremonies May 2-4. The ticketed event was open to all spring 2025 graduates, according to the university.
MORE AT MERCEDES
Mercedes has announced plans to add another vehicle to the production lineup at MercedesBenz U.S. International in Tuscaloosa County. According to the company, the plant will add the GLC SUV to its lineup.
SUVS STAY HOME
Mazda will begin redirecting SUVs made for Canada in its Alabama plant to U.S. buyers,
industry or from other sources.”
The company works with schools throughout the region including the University of South Alabama, Bishop State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College and others. Recently, the company donated a plane to Saraland High School for the school’s airframe technology program.
increasing production of the CX-50 for the American market by 10%. This is in response to President Donald Trump’s auto tariffs and the Canadian response.
FUNDS FOR FIRMS
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation creating the Alabama Development Fund, which will provide funding for the state’s economic development efforts. The initiative will become effective on June 1, 2026.
FIRE PREP
The city of Montgomery has opened a new $19 million fire station on Court Street on the city’s west side. City officials said they hope the new facility will spur growth in the area.
GENEROUS
• A $5 million gift from Birmingham’s Billy Harbert will establish the BL Harbert Real Estate Center at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Harbert, who holds an MBA from Emory, is chairman and CEO of BL Harbert International.
• Birmingham’s Killion family has donated $10 million to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to research Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases, as well as ALS.
• Six historically black colleges and universities in Alabama are among 23 recipients of grants from Home Depot for campus upgrades. Selma University and Shelton State Community College received $250,000 grants, while Alabama A&M University, J.F. Drake State Community & Technical College, Miles College and Stillman College received $75,000 grants.
• A new advanced manufacturing instructional facility has opened at Drake State Community & Technical College in Huntsville, funded in part by a $1.75 million gift from Leidos
Trainees polish their skills in AAA USA’s electrical lab.
Pursell Agri-Tech CEO Tim Ferguson speaks during an April groundbreaking ceremony for the planned fertilizer plant that it’s building with Wastech Group in Malaysia.
Alabama firm teams to produce fertilizer in Southeast Asia
Sylacauga-based PURSELL AGRI-TECH is partnering with Wastech Group, an agricultural and landscaping solutions provider based in Southeast Asia, to build a facility in Malaysia that will produce advanced controlled release fertilizers.
The partnership will create a sustainable fertilizer to be used across Malaysia and the Southeast Asia region. The facility will also serve Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan.
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HIGH MARKS FOR MARKET
Birmingham’s Farmers Market at Pepper Place has been named the 7th best farmers market in the U.S. on USA Today’s 10Best list. USA Today readers voted on the 10Best. Farmers markets in South Carolina, Florida and Ohio topped the list.
TOOT! TOOT!
Amtrak will offer morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans starting this summer. The Amtrak Mardi Gras Service will include twice-daily departures and will include stops in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay Saint Louis in Mississippi. Moreover, American Cruise Lines, known for its river cruises, has announced that it will stop in Mobile four times a year beginning in 2026.
TRAILING ON
The city of Anniston has opened the Chief Ladiga Trail Extension, an additional 6.5 miles that brings the trail to 39.5 miles. That trail connects to the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia for a total of 105 miles. Anniston calls it the longest paved pedestrian path in America.
BIGGER & BETTER
Nelson Brothers LLC, a joint venture between Nelson Brothers Inc. and Orica USA Inc., will invest $19.4 million in an expansion in Walker County. Nelson Brothers, which is based in Walker County, produces
“Partnering with Wastech to build a plant in Malaysia is ideal,” Pursell CEO Tim Ferguson said. “It’s located near key substrate and material suppliers and creates opportunities to address the diverse nutrition needs of customers in the region in a predictable, prescriptive and profitable way.”
“Alabama continues to be a leader in agricultural innovation, and this partnership between Pursell Agri-Tech and Wastech Group is a testament to the state’s ability to foster global collaborations that drive both technological advancement and economic growth,” said Christina Stimpson, chief officer of global business for the Alabama Department of Commerce. “As this groundbreaking project in Malaysia unfolds, it will not only benefit the Southeast Asia region but also underscore Alabama’s role in shaping the future of sustainable agriculture.”
specialty chemical products and commercial explosives.
Birmingham-based Coca-Cola Bottling Company United opened its $15 million sales center and warehouse complex in McComb, Mississippi, in April.
TECH CHAMP
Birmingham-based ProxyLink, a software developer for AI customer support founded by John Walter, received $75,000 as winner of Alabama Launchpad’s inaugural technology track competition.
NEW DIGS
Alfa Insurance is in negotiations to purchase the existing Capitol Commerce Center off I-85 in Montgomery as its new corporate headquarters.
Mobile’s Lewis creative agency has moved from its long-time site in a historic Midtown home to a historic automobile dealership downtown.
MORE TREATS
Frios, the frozen treat company based in Mobile, is planning to expand nationally in 2025. The frozen pop company already has added 10 locations this year and plans to add another 25 before the end of the year. Frios has more than 100 franchises around the country.
FLY ME TO NEW YORK
Delta Air Lines has added a non-stop flight and return flight from Huntsville to New York. The flights – leaving Huntsville at 7 a.m. and leaving New York
Ecotourism center opens in Gulf Shores
The city of Gulf Shores and the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability opened the GULF COAST ECOCENTER in late April. The new campus, located on 12 acres adjacent to preserved wetland, will serve as a regional hub for experiential environmental education, sustainable tourism and community connection to nature.
The Ecocenter was designed by Birmingham-based ArchitectureWorks LLP, in collaboration with Fairhope-based Watershed LLC. The center is pursuing LEED Gold and Fortified Commercial Silver certifications for its resilience and sustainability.
Set on 12 acres adjacent to preserved wetland, the center will be a hub for environmental education and tourism.
“The buildings and campus were designed in close collaboration with both educational and maintenance staff, so that they serve as a living laboratory for sustainable living and ecological research,” said Rebecca Dunn Bryant, founder and principal at Watershed. “We used historical climate responsive elements like deep porches, dog trots and thermal chimneys so that visitors don’t have to retreat to the air-conditioned interiors to be comfortable. It was important to owners and operators that the campus invite visitors to explore and appreciate the unique ecology of the gulf coast.”
Located adjacent to Gulf State Park, the new campus was funded through the Restore Act and constructed by The
BUSINESS BRIEFS
at 9:30 p.m. – operate Sundays through Fridays.
MORE FUN IN ARAB
The city of Arab has broken ground on a recreation center that will provide space for basketball, volleyball and other indoor sports. Construction of the 38,000-square-foot athletic facility is scheduled to be completed by fall 2026.
ON CAMPUS
Jacksonville State University has broken ground on its West Village Housing Project. The 700-bed residence hall, set to open in fall 2026, will be the campus’ largest residence hall. A new program will allow eligible Bank Independent customers who enroll at the University
of North Alabama to receive a 20% scholarship.
MORE CHICKEN
Guthrie’s, the Haleyville-based chicken finger chain, is opening its first locations in North Carolina and South Carolina, beginning with one in Lexington, S.C. Guthrie’s has more than 70 locations in 13 states.
NEW IN TOWN
Georgia-based Rado
Mechanical Group will open a new facility at Scott Davis
Industrial Park in Bibb County
The 22-acre site will include an existing 20,000-square-foot building.
REOPENING HISTORY
Selma’s St. James Hotel, the
Green-Simmons Co. The architecture incorporates the facility’s surroundings, using biophilic design, durable materials and an open-air campus model. The campus includes nature-based camps, STEM field studies, bike programs, organic gardening and rope courses. It contains 17,000 square feet of educational and support space.
The Gulf Coast Ecocenter will provide an array of outdoor learning programs, including the “Ambassadors of the Environment” curriculum developed by the Ocean Futures Society, and will serve as a link between Gulf Shores City Schools, Gulf State Park and the coastal community.
only surviving pre-Civil War hotel in the Southeast, will open again May 1 after being closed for two months. The hotel closed so new management, Spire Hospitality, could re-train staff.
PARK PLACE
Springbrook Park in Tuscaloosa has reopened after undergoing $1.7 million in upgrades. The park features two playgrounds, a walking track and emergency blue light, among other amenities.
DITTO DOINGS
Work was slated to begin this spring on a $10 million redevelopment of Ditto Landing in Madison County after the County Commission approved a construction
contract. The project will convert 2.5 acres into an event destination.
TANK TAKE-HOMES
Three startups in North Alabama won $27,000 in Singing River Trail’s 2025 Launch Tank Competition. Winners were Relax and Release Shampoo & Sleep Spa ($10,000), Welcome Home Magazine ($5,000) and Bare Bottom Farms ($3,000). Six finalists won $1,500 each.
BUILDERS TAKE NOTE
Alabama’s first Lego store has opened at Bridge Street in Huntsville. The 2,379-squarefoot store features sets and immersive experiences for Lego lovers.
BuildSouth honors companies, individual for construction work
The ALABAMA ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS named its BuildSouth Award winners, highlighting innovative projects, skilled contractors and individuals. Submissions range from safety and project management to community relations and environmental sensitivity. Among the individuals honored were Marc Dempsey, of B. H. Craig Construction in Florence, and John White-Spunner, of White-Spunner Construction in Mobile, who were inducted into the Alabama Construction Hall of Fame.
Company winners included: Rogers & Willard, which was recognized with the Gary Savage Workforce Development Award. Construction Channel/Stone Building was presented the Innovations in Commercial Construction award. The Community Involvement award was presented to Martin & Cobey Construction for the Alabama Veteran’s Park in Athens. Specialty Contractor was awarded to Marathon Electrical Contractors Inc. for its work at Cooper Green Medical Center in Birmingham.
Five awards recognized renovation work. Taking home the Renovation Under 5 Million Building Construction award was Doster Construction Co. for its work at UAB Lee Branch Clinic in Birmingham. Wiregrass Construction Co. was presented the Renovations Under 5 Million Highway Construction for Motley Street improvements in Albertville. The Renovation Building Construction award went to Rives Construction Co. for Total
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BUILDING BRIDGES
Kiewit Massman Traylor, based in Louisiana, is the new team selected to design and build the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project. The project received a big boost when the U.S. Department of Transportation approved a $550 million grant to break ground on the project.
EMBEZZLEMENT ACTION
The former vice president of First Community Bank in Cullman will plead guilty to federal embezzlement charges, according to court records. Kellie Johnson is accused of embezzling more than $2.3 million from the bank between 2013 and 2023.
EYE ON THE ROAD
Demopolis will be construction headquarters for the West Alabama Highway, envisioned as a four-lane, 83-mile stretch connecting Thomasville to Moundville. Brasfield & Gorrie is general contractor for the project, which is expected to employ about 700 people at peak construction.
BUILDING SITES
Birmingham’s Robins & Morton has completed construction of Fifth Third Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina, home to the Hub City Spartanburgers, a minorleague baseball team. The firm has also started work on the sixstory Carilion Taubman Cancer Center in Roanoke, Virginia, and
Dermatology in Birmingham. Dunn Construction Co. won the Renovation Under 5 Million Construction Management award for its work on U.S. Highway 31 in Chilton County. APAC-Alabama won the Renovation Construction Management award for its work at Dothan Airport RW 14-32 in Dothan.
BL Harbert International took home the International Construction award for the new U.S. Embassy in Windhoek, Namibia. Brasfield & Gorrie won the New Heavy Industrial Construction award for the Hydraulic Instrumentation Facility in Tuscaloosa. The New Municipal Utility Construction award went to Russo Corp. for Carson Loop Phase 6D in Leeds. Stone Building Co. won the New Highway/Transportation Construction award for its work at the Birmingham Air Cargo Facility.
Goodwyn Mills Cawood was awarded the New Construction Management award for Dauphin Island East End Beach and Dune Restoration work. The New Under 5 Million Design-Build award was presented to Timberline Construction Group for FEMA Transportable Temporary Housing Unit in Maui, Hawaii. Middleton Construction was presented the New Under 5 Million Building Construction award for Rivers Farm Project in Fairhope. White-Spunner Construction won the New Building Construction award for Dave & Buster’s New Prototype in Mobile.
has completed the $26 million AdventHealth Meadow Pointe ER in Pasco County, Florida.
TECH BOOST
Huntsville’s Davidson Technologies has partnered with California firm D-Wave Quantum Inc. to boost its quantum computing capabilities in support of defense projects.
HANGAR RISING
Work on a $32.7 million aircraft maintenance hangar should begin at Pryor Field Regional Airport in Tanner this summer. Those involved with the hangar include Alaska-based Aleut Real Estate, Huntsville design engineering firm Strata-G Solutions and Decatur-based Fite Building Co.
FIGHTING ALZHEIMER’S Huntsville-based HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is partnering with Phenome Health and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging for a pilot study assessing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The study will look at how genetics and lifestyle influence a person’s risk of developing dementia.
SAVING THE SALAMANDER
Samford University is making changes to its proposed Creekside development in Birmingham to protect a salamander habitat and the Shades Creek watershed. The track and soccer facility originally planned for the
Work at Cooper Green Medical Centers won kudos for Marathon Electric.
The new facility will help boost U.S. defense capabilities.
Northrop Grumman opens $20M facility in Madison
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP. has opened a component integration center for the Integrated Battle Command System in Madison, a $20 million investment. The system will support the U.S. Army’s accelerated modernization plan for air and missile defense.
The new Enhanced Production and Integration Center (EPIC) builds on Northrop Grumman’s ability to scale production and manufacture critical components at speed, expanding capacity for high-rate production programs.
EPIC doubles the size of the previous
center. It has 129,500 square feet of flexible production space and totals 175,500 square feet of covered production space. In addition, it also has 35,000 square feet of office space, accommodating several hundred employees, growing the company’s economic impact in Alabama.
“Our investment in American manufacturing with this new facility enables us to continue supporting critical modernization efforts such as production capabilities like IBCS at scale and speed,” said Kenn Todorov, vice president and general manager, command and control & weapons integration, Northrop Grumman.
“With this investment, we’re doubling our integration space and significantly enhancing our storage and classified testing capabilities, ensuring America leads the world in military strength.”
IBCS is a command-and-control system that unifies current and future systems regardless of source, service or domain. Through its network-enabled, modular, open and scalable architecture, IBCS fuses sensor data, giving warfighters a picture of the full battlespace.
IBCS is in production, currently fielded in Poland, and planned for fielding in combatant commands in Europe and the Indo-Pacific to include Guam as part of the U.S. Army program for integrated air and missile defense modernization.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
development will move about a mile to the west.
MARGARITAVILLE IN THE WORKS
Construction on the Margaritaville Resort Orange Beach was slated to kick off in May, ahead of a planned 2027 launch of the resort’s first phase. The resort, part of The Wharf entertainment complex, will include residences, resort units, restaurants, retail and boat parking.
TAILOR IN VOGUE
Robert Hill, founder of Birmingham-based Robert Hill Custom Tailors, is among tailors featured in a Vogue magazine article
about Black tailors. Hill opened his tailor shop in 1983.
SO LONG
Alabama Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Angela Till resigned effective May 31. Erika McKay has been appointed deputy secretary, and Rachel Madore has been promoted to chief officer of business intelligence.
DOC MALL
The Homewood City Council has approved a plan to convert the former Belk space at Brookwood Village into a facility for Andrews Sports Medicine,
an orthopedic clinic. The development received unanimous approval.
HUNTSVILLE TRANSITION
Rob Buddo, president and CEO of Downtown Huntsville Inc., stepped down at the end of May to return to Charlotte, North Carolina, his hometown.
SADLY MISSED
Mobile native Alexis Herman, the first Black U.S. secretary of labor, died in April. She was 77. Herman served in President Bill Clinton’s administration from 1997 until 2001.
STEEL STANDING
Like the structures it makes, FabArc Steel in Oxford has grown from the ground up
By CARY ESTES —
Michael “Dylan” Roszell crafts steel beams at FabArc Steel Supply.
Photos by CARY NORTON
In 1979, three men set up a flimsy tent cover in a field near Oxford and began working on one of the world’s heaviest materials.
That was the humble beginnings of FabArc Steel Supply, which in the ensuing decades has forged itself into becoming the largest steel fabrication subcontractor in Alabama. FabArc is now a $300 million-plus company with a production capacity expected to reach 46,000 tons this year. And all this happened without ever leaving that original plot of ground just off I-20.
“It is amazing to think about how this company started and what it has become since then,” FabArc Senior Vice President Justin Cox says. “We have pretty much been under constant expansion since 1979.”
Initially, expansion for FabArc did not mean much more than sticking a few extra pieces of rebar into the ground and adding another tent covering. The trio of founders — Gene Heathcock, Cary Lewis and David Pugh — began as a company that worked on small fabrication jobs such as farm tools, largely by hand.
FabArc’s home today has plenty of light and air but a whole lot more structure than the company’s original home in a tent.
“It was just about as much of a small-time startup as you could get,” says current FabArc President and CEO Tom Adams, who first met the company’s founders in the mid-1980s. “They were physically doing the work. They were fabricating steel just like we do today, but in a crude fashion.”
Slowly but steadily, one successful job led to another, and then to a dozen more. As FabArc grew so did the work, as the company began creating the steel skeletons for increasingly larger structures, all while transitioning its area of focus based upon changes in the marketplace.
Many of FabArc’s earliest major projects involved hospitals and medical facilities. Then in the late 1990s, the company shifted gears and became heavily involved in the expansion of the auto industry into Alabama and other Southern states.
“Over the last 25 to 30 years, we’ve been one of the top builders of automotive manufacturing in the country,” Adams says. “We’ve worked for almost every car manufacturer that has a facility in the U.S. BMW, Honda, Mercedes, GM, Ford, Chrysler, Subaru, Hyundai, Kia. It’s been a big part of our business.”
More recently, FabArc has seen an increase in work involving electric-vehicle battery plants. For example, FabArc currently is helping in the creation of a $1.9 billion plant near Memphis in Marshall County, Mississippi, that will produce battery cells for commercial electric vehicles.
FabArc Senior Vice President Richard Hughes says the facility is “massive,” spread out over 2 million square feet and requiring 30,000 tons of fabricated steel. The plant contains columns and beams that weigh more than 500 pounds per foot, and trusses
The FabArc leadership team, from left, Senior Vice President Justin Cox, President and CEO Tom Adams and Senior Vice President Richard Hughes.
FabArc’s projects are found around the country.
that top 20 tons each. The company simultaneously is working on a slightly smaller EV plant in Indiana.
“And while we’re doing all that, we’re still taking care of our other customers, the 100- to 500-ton jobs,” Hughes says. “There are bigger fabricators than us, but they have multiple plants. We produce everything out of this one facility.”
At first glance, the FabArc facility does not necessarily look like a multi-million-dollar company capable of handling such large projects. FabArc has fewer than 300 employees working within approximately 300,000 square feet of manufacturing space. A few old houses that have been on the property since before the company was formed are now used as makeshift office space.
But the company’s modest appearance belies the amount of success FabArc has had. Plus, it fits well with the overall ambience of the company, which maintains a family atmosphere partly because there are so many families that have multiple members who work together at FabArc.
“Over the last 25 to 30 years, we’ve been one of the top builders of automotive manufacturing in the country,”
— FabArc President and CEO Tom Adams
“In a lot of ways, this is still a small company,” says Cox, who has been with FabArc for 17 years. “You see a lot of the same people every day. It’s always had that family feel to it.”
In addition, Adams says FabArc embraces its small-town roots by staying closely connected to the Oxford and Calhoun County area.
“Most of our workforce lives probably within 30 miles of here,” Adams says. “This community is a vital part of what we do, so we want to outreach and be an active part of Calhoun County.”
Or as Hughes puts it, “If you live in this area, you know someone who works here, if not several people.”
As a result of all the familiarity and community connections, FabArc leadership decided about a decade ago to begin exploring the possibility of transitioning to employee ownership. Two of the three founders had already retired, leaving Heathcock with nearly 90% ownership of the company, and he was drawing close to
a retirement decision as well.
“There came a time when we had to look at how Gene could retire out of the company without bankrupting the company,” says Adams, who joined FabArc in 2012. “By that point his stake in the company was tremendously significant. So, we started talking about an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). I’d previously worked for an ESOP company in Kansas City and thought it was a great thing.”
So FabArc started the change in 2017, beginning with 23% employee ownership that year. And just as the company did with its overall growth, FabArc made the transition slowly with no specific timetable in mind. It took seven years, but the company became 100% employee-owned last October.
“There has been a conversation about doing this since I came here (in 2014),” Hughes says. “In a business like this where you are always trying to get talent and retain talent, it helps to tell people that they can be an owner in the company.”
In this case, it is a company that is part of an industry with a long and storied history in Alabama and throughout the United States. The city of Birmingham basically was built by the steel industry. Some of the country’s most iconic structures, such as the Empire State Building in New York and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, are monuments to the strength and durability of the material. Cox calls steel “the backbone of America.”
“Steel is the most versatile building product out there,” Hughes says. “You can’t create a lot of these shapes with wood or concrete, or these massive spans. We were a sub (contractor) for the Boeing manufacturing facility in Charleston, and we were working on a roof system that had 700-foot-long trusses. What else can you use to do that? Not concrete. It’s just so impressive.”
Adams agrees. “There is a lot of satisfaction in riding by a building that our company worked on,” he says. “It’s like having a plaque in your office that everyone is able to see.”
Cary Estes and Cary Norton are Birmingham-based freelance contributors to Business Alabama.
Alabama’s Largest Manufacturers
Ranked
LEGACY MEETS TECHNOLOGY
How TVA crafts the hard-to-find parts for America’s energy future
By DEBORAH STOREY
Shiny classic cars are cool to watch as they rumble by, but you have to wonder where their owners get parts.
The federally owned electric utility company Tennessee Valley Authority has a similar issue. When they need to repair or refurbish a hydro turbine for a 100-year-old dam or an electric motor for a 1970s nuclear plant, they can’t exactly order parts from Amazon.
Components become obsolete or difficult to find.
TVA’s Power Service Shops, in the northwest corner of Alabama, are solving that problem – using 3D printing to make the parts they need.
A team of 300 experienced technicians, engineers, project managers and craftspeople in Muscle Shoals use 3D metal printing technology. The technique is new, but the shops have been cranking out parts for the generating fleet since the 1930s.
The additive manufacturing process deposits material to build the pieces one
layer at a time. Union craft employees can mobilize in hours to make an urgently needed part.
“We’re kind of like the emergency room for TVA,” explains Corey Saint, power shops manager.
Today, the horizontal lathe can turn components up to 12 feet in diameter,
50 feet long and as heavy as 120 tons.
And the shops are adding a PietroCarnaghi vertical turning lathe that’s due to come online this year as part of a $39.9 million investment in the shops, allowing increased turning capacity for parts for TVA’s hydroelectric and nuclear generation.
TVA has a team of 300 technicians, engineers, project managers and craftspeople at work in its Muscle Shoals shops.
Inside its Power Service Shops in Muscle Shoals, TVA crafts the pieces to keep its dams and generators in top flight condition.
The impact of Wilson Dam
TVA-owned Wilson Dam in the Shoals has an intriguing history that is part of Alabama lore.
TVA acquired the neoclassical-style dam in 1933. The treacherous namesake shoals once blocked navigation on the river.
As strange as it seems today, the whole Shoals area almost became the “Detroit of the South” partly because of its power generating capability.
Construction of Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River began in 1918, one year after the U.S. entered WWI. The federal government built two nitrate plants at the Shoals to make explosives, and the dam would supply the needed electricity.
In 1921, automobile magnate Henry Ford wanted to lease the two federally owned fer-
With a critical 24/7 operation, TVA’s need for parts is ongoing.
The utility’s holdings include three nuclear plants, 29 hydroelectric dams, four fossil plants, nine turbine gas plants and nine solar energy sites with future expansion planned.
The first TVA service shop dates to the 1930s and supported war efforts after Wilson Dam was built, says Saint.
“The original power service shop location is at Wilson Dam,” he says. “That’s known as the ‘U’ Building today. But our current location where we’re at was constructed from ’49 to ’50.”
Expansion continued in 1951. The Muscle Shoals “reservation,” or TVA property, now has three or four shops.
“We’ve got some storage warehouses, too, that we conduct work in from time to time,” Saint adds.
The shops serve the entire generating fleet for TVA.
“We service the coal, gas, hydro and nuclear components to support today’s
tilizer plants and Wilson Dam for 99 years. He wanted to buy the city of Muscle Shoals and the dam for $5 million, then build a 75-mile-wide city and major manufacturing hub.
Opponents in Congress and elsewhere were concerned about private control over public resources. Debate continued for years and Ford finally withdrew his proposal in 1924.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act in 1933 and created the government-owned power company to generate electricity and control rampant flooding. Today, TVA supplies power to 10 million people in the Southeast, primarily in North Alabama and Tennessee.
Crafting the parts that keep the energy flowing.
By the Numbers
TVA’s present service area covers 80,000 square miles in seven states, primarily Tennessee and Alabama. The utility has $12.3 billion in annual revenue and lists $57.7 billion in assets, with more than $19 billion in expansion and improvements planned through 2029.
TVA provides electricity for 153 local power companies, including the roughly 230,000 electric customers of Huntsville Utilities. The others in Alabama are:
• Albertville Municipal Utilities Board
• Arab Electric Cooperative
• Athens Utilities
• Bessemer Electric Service
• Cherokee Electric Cooperative
• Courtland Electric Department
• Cullman Electric Cooperative
• Cullman Power Board
• Decatur Utilities
• Electric Board of Guntersville
• Florence Utilities
• Fort Payne Improvement Authority
• Franklin Electric Cooperative
• Hartselle Utilities
• Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Corp.
• Marshall-DeKalb Electric Cooperative
• Muscle Shoals Electric Board
• North Alabama Electric Cooperative
• Russellville Electric Board
• Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative
• Scottsboro Electric Power Board
power generation needs,” says Saint. “We specialize in center-line turbine work while also servicing components of a multitude of areas.”
The shops service components for other government agencies, too, such as the Corps of Engineers Bureau of Reclamation.
“We have crews that go out into the field and remove components and bring them back to the shop,” Saint says. After repairs, the parts go back into the field for reinstallation to “put the megawatts back on the grid,” he says.
“We service all the generating assets,” he says, including motors for TVA’s nuclear plants.
Most of the refurbishment work is done in what TVA calls the “outage season” — slow periods in spring and fall when the power demand is lower because of moderate temperatures.
As many as 700 or 800 employees could be in the power shops during that time to service generating assets. Local apprentice shops train employees to work there.
“We’ve got approximately 350 annual TVA employees counting all our support resources,” says Clarissa McClain, senior strategic communicator for TVA’s South
Region. “We flex about 500 contractors.”
“We provide a competitive advantage to TVA by being here,” says Saint. “Our people take pride in working here and you can see the results of that work that goes out of the shop.”
In addition to meeting ever-increasing technology demands, “we have to arm our workforce with the knowledge to conduct
Who powers Alabama?
According to the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, which promotes energy efficiency, Alabama’s sole investor-owned utility, Alabama Power, serves 57% of Alabama electricity customers. TVA, cooperatives and municipalities serve the rest.
safe and error-free work,” Saint adds.
“We’ve been very fortunate with TVA continuing to invest and maintain this asset to be able to service or generate the fleet,” Saint says. “I think it’s a huge cost savings to TVA being able to self-perform work versus having to depend on vendors or OEMs because you just have to get in line.”
Future additions include a laser welder, 3D metal light printer and 10-meter vertical turning lathe to work on parts as large as 50 feet. They know of only four vertical lathes that size in the country.
“Otherwise, you just have to get on a list and wait for your turn to get on a machine of this capacity in the U.S.,” Saint says.
Deborah Storey is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
SmartLam North America CEO Derek Ratchford oversees the 144,000-square-foot cross-laminated timber facility in Dothan, as well as the company’s Montana operations.
WOODN’T IT BE NICE…
Dothan firm makes cross-laminated timber to bring strength and warmth to buildings big and small
By DEBORAH STOREY — Photos by STEW MILNE
You may not know what biophilia is, but you’ve probably experienced it. The term means that humans tend to seek connections with nature.
It’s not a word you expect a corporate executive to use, so when SmartLam North America CEO Derek Ratchford brings it up, you can’t help but be intrigued.
SmartLam makes wood construction products at two locations — Dothan and Columbia Falls, Montana.
The company just invested $60 million in a new manufacturing facility in Dothan adjacent to the existing
cross-laminated timber, or CLT, plant. The new facility spans 144,000 square feet and is designed to produce 84 million board feet of glulam beams and columns each year.
Glulam is glued, laminated timber that bonds boards, or lams, to create a building product that can be as strong as steel.
Dothan’s glulam beam manufacturing division and the CLT plant are about 75 yards apart. A total of 113 people work in manufacturing and another 10 in management. The Montana division employs roughly 100.
In all, he says, “we’re right at 223 employees.”
Finger joints connect individual pieces of wood together.
SmartLam is the largest mass timber – an umbrella term for CLT and glulam – producer in North America. The Dothan operation can produce beams up to 60 feet long.
The company started in Montana in 2012. In 2019, they acquired IB X-Lam in Dothan, a CLT and glulam plant that had been operating since 2018.
“We were the first CLT producer in the U.S.,” says Ratchford. “The Europeans have been doing this for about 36 or 38 years with cross-laminated timber and glulam components, because their building practices use less concrete and steel than the U.S. does.”
All buildings were once made of wood only, he notes, “until you wanted 100-story buildings, and they start using steel and concrete.”
SmartLam’s products are showing up in high-profile projects across the country, including a flagship Apple store in Florida.
Ratchford compares the product’s engineering concept to a support beam across a garage door in a house. Forces are trying to push that beam down, creating tension at the bottom and compression at the top. The strength of lumber needed differs depending on the stresses.
“The beams are engineered to handle the compression and tension loads,” says Ratchford. “The columns that we make are all in
SmartLam starts with carefully selected wood, then they glue it, press it, plane it, sand it, seal it and attach hardware so it’s just right for the job.
compression and it’s just one single grade. What you do is design the columns and then you attach the beams to them.
“We do framing-grade, industrial and architectural commodity for residential and light duty commercial,” he says. “But all of our project glulam that we do for these large jobs where beams are exposed is architectural.”
You can’t buy the wood they use at Lowe’s or Home Depot, Ratchford explains. SmartLam sources its raw material directly from sawmills.
“We’re not using your typical lumber. We are high-grading lumber, visually grading each stick of lumber, and it’s selected based on its strength. Then it goes into an engineered layup that we have in a computer program that lays it up that way,” he says.
“We glue it, we press it, we plane it, we sand it, and then we seal the CNC project glulam, and we attach hardware.”
The company creates 3D models for each building project to determine where the product will go. Using tags and QR codes, construction crews know exactly where to place the beams.
“Every single individual column or beam or CLT panel has a panel ID and a number. Then it goes in a specific location. You cannot use one column everywhere,” he says.
“You set your columns first and they’ve got the steel attached to them,” he adds. “Then you take your beams that have the steel
attached to them and you connect them, pick the crane up, set them down, connect them, and it’s just like Legos to a degree.”
Beams can be covered with sheetrock or left exposed for architectural design impact. SmartLam’s “Smartshafts” are used in elevator and stairwell shafts.
The Dothan location works with mostly yellow pine but can process spruce and Douglas fir, too. The Montana operation gets about half of its wood from Montana and the remainder from Oregon, Washington and Canada.
Most of the company’s pine comes from mills in the Southeast that are owned by four shareholders.
“We kind of pick and choose and they each pull certain specific grades for us,” says Ratchford. “We do buy some on the open market.”
Quality pine is abundant in the Southeast, he says, making the expansion at the Alabama operation an easy decision.
“We’re in the best wood basket in North America,” he says. “The Southern pine fiber basket and our shareholder ownership has 1.6 billion board feet of fiber available to us.”
The mass timber demand is growing as builders use it for LEED certification, a specific architectural design or lower carbon emissions from a natural material. Wood is more forgiving in earthquake zones, too, because it flexes. City leaders are choosing it for downtown regentrification projects, he says, and universities are incorporating the wood look in many new buildings.
“There’s a million reasons why people may or may not build with this product,” Ratchford says. “They want a different look, a different feel versus just sheetrock and tile ceilings. They just want the uniqueness and comfort of wood and the warmth of wood.”
The renewable resource is becoming common in grade school designs from France to Japan. Studies show that students whose schools have a lot of exposed wood score 3% to 5% higher on tests, Ratchford says.
According to an article in School Construction News, “School interiors that feature wood and bring nature indoors provoke positive psychological responses similar to how trees elicit biophilic responses. Wood in classrooms has even been shown to reduce stress and heart rates in students.”
“Whether it’s aesthetics or the biophilia, people just feel better in wooden buildings,” says Ratchford. “They like wood. It’s the same reason you build a log home.
“People just feel calmer and more productive in wooden buildings than just cold, sterile sheetrock and ceiling tiles. And you can mix and match. You can have some of both.”
SmartLam products have been used at the Wiregrass Innovation Center in Dothan, at Auburn University, a Virginia Microsoft data center, at the Walmart campus in Arkansas and The Offices at Southstone Yards near Dallas.
“We’ve done the only Apple store out of mass timber in Miami,” he says.
Ratchford expects the company will grow with the expanding market, but for now they are “just focused on filling both plants out and maximizing the capacity.”
Next year is shaping up to be “phenomenal,” he says.
Deborah Storey and Stew Milne are freelance contributors to Business Alabama. She is based in Huntsville and he in Auburn.
Efren Men adds hardware to a laminated beam.
TOP RIGHT: A beam on the press.
BOTTOM RIGHT: CFO Brian Davidson explains the SmartLam process.
THE RISE AND RISE OF LOGISTICS PARKS
Across the state new logistics parks are springing up to handle cargo transport
By GAIL ALLYN SHORT
Chances are, that pair of jeans you ordered online and several parts of your vehicle’s engine passed through a logistics park.
Logistics parks are properties with numerous warehouses — leased by retailers, manufacturers, assemblers and such to store, assemble and pack goods or perform light manufacturing before shipping those goods out to customers, retailers, fulfillment centers or factories.
Typically close to major highways, airports, rail lines and waterways, these logistics parks form an important link in the supply chain, making shipping more efficient and less effective.
And today, logistics parks, featuring high-quality, Class A warehouses, are springing up all around Alabama.
It’s happening because Alabama has well-connected roads, rail lines, rivers and airports — and lies in the heart of the southeastern market, says Lauren Hyde, executive director of the Alabama Business Intelligence Center of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. Consequently, warehouse and industrial building developers see Alabama as an attractive location for logistics parks.
“Just geographically, [Alabama] is well positioned, and the infrastructure that we have is definitely a strength,” Hyde says.
“We have six interstate highways that converge in Alabama. That makes us a one-day drive time from the center of Alabama reaching west to Dallas and Fort Worth, north to Chicago, east to Charleston and south to Fort Lauderdale, which is important when you think about what truck drivers can do legally in one
day to reach those important markets,” she says.
“We also have five Class One rail companies here, several intermodal facilities and continued investment in those intermodal facilities,” Hyde says.
“
Just geographically, [Alabama] is well positioned, and the infrastructure that we have is definitely a strength.”
— Lauren Hyde, Business Intelligence Center of the EDPA
The Samkwang Co. has leased Building 100 at the Regional East Alabama Logistics Park.
One of the newest logistics parks in Alabama is the Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park, a 700-acre master-planned industrial park in Macon County that sits along the I-85 corridor.
Farpoint Development and Doster Construction announced in 2023 the completed construction of Class A Building 100, at REAL Park. The park lies inside a Qualified Opportunity Zone 10 miles from downtown Auburn.
Farpoint estimates the park is equidistant from the Kia West Point Assembly Plant in West Point, Georgia, and Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery and 200 miles north of the Port of Mobile.
The next year, in 2024, Port Alabama Industrial Center broke ground in Loxley, Baldwin County, for a 902-acre site at the southwest corner of I-10 and Highway 59 with plans for Class A warehouse space for storage and logistics.
In nearby Mobile County last October, developers broke ground on RailPort Logistics Mobile in Theodore. Developers say the site will feature 4.6 million square feet of industrial space that is close to the CSX railroad, less than 13 miles from the Port of Mobile and 11 miles from the Mobile International Airport.
In March of this year, Baldwin Cold Logistics, the newest cold storage facility in Baldwin County, announced plans to develop a $27 million storage facility in Foley.
Baldwin Cold Logistics announced that Phase 1 construc-
tion would begin in the second quarter of 2026 and that the building would include freezer storage, cold storage, machine handling equipment storage and office space.
And up north in Limestone County, the Huntsville Logistics Center is open for leasing. Built in 2023, two Class A indus-
“
It’s a good sign of what’s going on in our overall economy, and every one of those that gets built adds additional jobs.”
— Glenn Richey, Auburn University
And we see the driving demand, both from not only the grocery industry, but also the restaurant industry, and serving our regional market with the refrigerated frozen product is important to the supply chain down here.” “
— Lee Lawson, Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance
trial buildings cover more than 1.04 million square feet on 132 acres. The site is just a mile from I-565, five miles from Huntsville International Airport and three miles from Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA.
Glenn Richey, the Harbert Eminent Scholar in the Supply Chain Management Department at Auburn University, says the growth of manufacturing and the automotive industry in Alabama necessitated the need for more logistics parks in the state.
“The combination of the massive growth in industries like that, and the growth of capacity at the Port of Mobile really requires a number of different locations around the state where companies can pre-stage things and bring things in and let them rest until they’re ready to be connected with their final location,” Richey says.
Furthermore, Richey says the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent shortages of goods that occurred at the time sparked a greater need for logistics hubs.
“We found out pretty quickly that if one link in the chain fails, for instance, if the ports in China fail, or we have a part of the country that goes on lockdown, then it shuts down the flow of everything else. So, if you have these kinds of backup logistical facilities, you add some contingency planning and flexibility to what is a pretty tight network,” Richey says.
And the number of recent groundbreakings for logistics parks in Alabama is positive news, he says.
“It’s a good sign of what’s going on in our overall economy, and every one of those that gets built adds additional jobs,” Richey says.
And Hyde points to Catalyst, the economic development strategic plan the state rolled out last year that called logistics a priority sector that would enable the success of all other sectors.
In fact, several of state’s newest logistics parks are already finding tenants to occupy spaces in their warehouses and bring jobs to the communities.
Last year, South Alabama Logistics Park near Mobile signed new tenants, Simpson Strong-Tie, a manufacturer of fastening systems, and Veyer, a wholly owned subsidiary of Office Depot that provides ecommerce fulfillment, transportation and omnichannel distribution services for ecommerce and other companies.
And in April, Farpoint Development and Opportunity
Alabama (OPAL) announced that South Korean manufacturer Samkwang Co. had signed a lease agreement for the 168,000-square-foot Building 100 at the REAL Park.
Samkwang plans to use the building to produce injection, paint and assembly-based components for its global customers as well as create local jobs and train a skilled workforce, according to a company announcement in March 2025.
“They found that our location was strategically located, equidistant to the Hyundai manufacturing facility in Montgomery, as well as Kia’s manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia.,” says Justin Patwin, a principal with Chicago-based Farpoint.
“Now we’re focused on phase two, which will be much larger in scale and include more potential buildings out there,” Patwin says.
In Baldwin County, Lee Lawson, president and CEO of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance, says, “There hasn’t been a lot of new space built in our market. There’s been some around the Port of Mobile, but honestly, not a whole lot else in the region.
“And we see the driving demand, both from not only the grocery industry, but also the restaurant industry, and serving our regional market with the refrigerated frozen product is important to the supply chain down here,” Lawson says.
And at the Port Alabama Industrial Center, phase one construction on the site will begin soon, which will include the first structure, a 300,000-square-foot, Class A spec building, Lawson says.
“There’s a lot of tenant demand in our marketplace for that kind of space,” says Lawson, “and not a lot of that space being built in our market. So those discussions are ongoing, and we expect, hopefully, to have some tenant news before the building is ever finalized.”
Patwin says that for his company, Farpoint Development, interest in leasing rose after the November elections.
“What we saw last year was that leasing was dead. No one seemed to want to make a big decision before the election,” says Patwin. “It was slow all last year.”
“But now, leasing activity has picked up everywhere.”
Gail Allyn Short is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama
THE DRIVE TO FIND DRIVERS
Students can take advantage of multiple CDL training options at various schools across the state
By KATHY HAGOOD
Trucking companies are pleased to have additional licensed drivers available to replace retiring drivers and allow for business expansion”
— Gary Weaver, Alabama Community College System
Demand for truck drivers remains strong even as the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) provides free Skills for Success training programs for would-be drivers to obtain their commercial driver license (CDL). The rapid-training workforce development program kicked off in early 2022, thanks to a special appropriation from the Alabama State Legislature.
The community college system’s efforts to partner with the trucking industry to create educational programming for new drivers is paying off with more job applicants who have the needed skills, says Gary Weaver, ACCS regional director of workforce and economic development. “Trucking companies are pleased to have additional licensed drivers available to replace retiring drivers and allow for business expansion,” he says.
ACCS CDL training programs offer Alabama workers more opportunities for gainful employment. “Not everyone needs a college degree to be a success,” Weaver says. “My father drove a tractor-trailer and fed and clothed our family.” Weaver points to current employment opportunity data.
Some students are able to complete their lab work and master their skills in three weeks, but for others it can take four to five months”
— Adam Willis, Northwest Shoals Community College
While monthly job postings for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers across the nation for a region our size averaged 855, Alabama saw high activity at 1,338 postings, according to first quarter 2025 Lightcast data. In addition, the national average driver employment for a region our size is 32,681, while Alabama employs 42,853 at an average median salary of $49,184.
“Alabama is a hotspot for this kind of job,” notes the Lightcast report, which is based on government and other data.
Skills for Success CDL training programs are offered at most of the state’s 24 community and technical colleges as part of the state’s rapid-training, workforce development push, says Houston Blackwood, workforce director for the ACCS Innovation Center, which created the Skills for Success program. So far, the center has created 52 free innovative, skills-based curriculums for high-demand jobs including truck driving, construction trades,
David
heavy equipment operation, health care and hospitality.
Many students who opt for the Skills for Success CDL training programs are seeking a career change, former military or have farm equipment or other truck driving experience, Blackwood notes. “Not everyone needs traditional classroom instruction for the theory part of the training, so online course work can be a good way to speed up the process,” he says. “We can get participants behind the wheel completing their lab work sooner. Some students are able to develop their hands-on skills (to their instructors’ satisfaction) within three weeks.”
who
In addition to passing the theory part of a certified CDL course, whether online or in person, CDL candidates must apply with proper documentation for their commercial learner’s permit from the Alabama Department of Public Safety before taking hands-on lab work. After students develop their behind-the-wheel truck driving skills, they then take their CDL skills test before they receive their license.
CDL training is offered to students seeking a Class A license (for heavy and tractor-trailer driving) or Class B license (for lighter-weight vehicles including straight trucks, box trucks and large buses). Training is also available for Hazmat, Passenger and School Bus license endorsements.
From January 2022 through April 21, 2025, Blackwood says, “the Skills for Success program supported 2,281 Class A CDL completers, 400 Class B completers. 1,442 School Bus endorsement completers and 372 Hazmat endorsement completers.”
Weaver and Blackwood have worked together to foster the system’s CDL training programs. “We offer the Skills for Success programs as well as traditional CDL training programs with classroom instruction,” Weaver says. “Some students want or need more assistance from an instructor through class work.”
Traditional programs are offered at an average cost of $3,750, Weaver notes. “Some students can qualify for federal funding that covers tuition and others have employers that are willing to pay for it,” he says.
Federal funding also may be available to cover tuition for eligible students at certified private CDL training programs across the state. Tuition typically varies among schools in the $3,500 to $4,500 range per program, according to the Alabama Trucking Association.
One such CDL training program is Summerdale-based CDL of AL. The school began serving students in 2008, says Elizabeth Pate, spokesperson for the company. “We offer multiple classes every month to accommodate the variety of schedules and interests of our students,” she says.
One recent ACCS success story is David Kelley of Florence,
Kelley,
passed his CDL test after completing his community college CDL program.
who went through the Northwest Shoals Community College (NWCC) Skills for Success CDL program. Kelley finished his online course and hands-on lab work before passing his CDL skills test on January 27. He then was hired by Clark Gas and began work on February 24. “I credit prayer and fasting (in addition to his NSCC training program) with helping me get a job just 5 minutes from where I live,” he says.
Kelley had worked at a local paper mill for 21 years before deciding it was time to do something else. “I went by the local community college to see what opportunities might be out there for me,” he says. “When I found I could receive CDL training for free, I was immediately interested in learning more.”
Kelley initially opted to get a manual transmission CDL Class A license, but after having trouble passing his manual skills test opted to go after an automatic license as most newer trucks have automatic transmissions. After getting his job with Clark Gas he went back for his Tanker and Hazmat endorsements. “If I had it to do over again, I would have gone ahead and signed up to go for the endorsements to begin with as they open up more driving opportunities,” he says.
While Kelley hasn’t been on the job very long, he’s already enjoying it. “It’s a total change of pace, and I have appreciated how I’ve been treated by my employer,” he says.
Northwest Shoals offers Skills for Success CDL program only because the community college had not offered a traditional program before, says Andrew Robbins, NSCC executive director of workforce development and training. One of the perks the college provides through its adult education department is a CDL permit class. “The class covers the costs of obtaining a drivers permit, which can range from $200 to $225, for participating students,” Robbins says.
The Northwest Shoals CDL program is so popular that its CDL hands-on labs run three trucks from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, says Adam Willis, NSCC coordinator of workforce development. Two more trucks are being added to the fleet. “Some students are able to complete their lab work and master their skills in three weeks, but for others it can take four to five months,” Willis says.
Each college’s Skills for Success CDL training program is set up uniquely based on student needs. J.F. Ingram State Technical College, for example, serves Draper Instructional Service Center, Frank Lee Work Release in Deatsville, Montgomery Women’s Facility, Red Eagle Work Center, and the Perry County Probation and Parole Reentry Education Program Center in Uniontown. The college’s ISTC Foundation covers licensing fees for all the program’s eligible participants.
So far, 109 students have earned their commercial driving license since the program kicked off in 2019, says Samantha Rose, public relations coordinator at the technical college. “Each CDL certification represents both a personal victory and a contribution to Alabama’s economic growth,” she says.
Kathy Hagood is a Homewood-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
“Not everyone needs traditional classroom instruction for the theory part of the training, so online course work can be a good way to speed up the process. We can get participants behind the wheel completing their lab work sooner. Some students are able to develop their handson skills (to their instructors’ satisfaction) within three weeks.”
— Houston Blackwood, Alabama Community College System Innovation Center
FROM CODER TO CATALYST
Deon Gordon’s vision for Birmingham’s tech future
By
HARVEY
ALEC
— Photos by JOE DE SCIOSE
Deon Gordon, president and CEO of TechBirmingham.
When Deon Gordon talks about his college years, it’s not to boast about perfect grades or rigorous classes. Quite the opposite.
“I was a terrible student,” he says, laughing.
“Instead of going to architecture class, I’d head to the library and teach myself how to code.”
That pivot — away from the classroom and into a world of self-taught tech — would change not only Gordon’s life, but also the landscape of Birmingham’s innovation economy.
Today, as president and CEO of TechBirmingham, Gordon is at the helm of the city’s tech ecosystem, guiding its growth with a vision rooted in community, equity and storytelling.
A PATH LESS TRAVELED
Born and raised in Birmingham, Gordon graduated from Ramsay High School before attending Auburn University. There, he enrolled in the architecture program but quickly discovered a different passion.
“I didn’t even know computer science was a discipline when I got to college,” he says. “No one told me this could be a career.”
Instead, he learned by doing, experimenting with online ventures. “I wasn’t creating the next Facebook or anything like that,” Gordon says. “But I started some small businesses, and once money started coming in, as a college kid, I’m like, ‘Oh, well, this is the path.’”
Gordon was eventually earning enough to catch the attention of Birmingham entrepreneur John Garrett. Garrett invited Gordon to work at his firm, which would become Chronicle Studio, a full-service digital agency.
That experience gave Gordon a crash course in entrepreneurship and operations, working with clients like the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Royal Cup Coffee.
TECHBIRMINGHAM: A UNIFYING FORCE
A couple of career stops later, Gordon ended up as president and CEO of TechBirmingham.
Founded in 2002 under former Mayor Bernard Kincaid — with great assist from attorney Jim Rotch, Gordon says — TechBirmingham began as a city task force. It has since evolved into an influential trade association for the region’s tech and innovation industries.
Gordon came to TechBirmingham at the end of 2017, and at the beginning of 2020, TechBirmingham, along with Apple, TechAlabama, the Alabama Power Foundation and Birmingham City Schools, launched the tech education initiative Ed Farm. “We incubated it in Birmingham, and they’re just growing like gangbusters,” Gordon says. “It’s one of the best things I feel I’ve ever done in my life. It truly can develop into a national platform, and I’m just so super proud to have been a part of that experience.”
Under Gordon’s leadership, TechBirmingham focuses on five pillars: marketing, advocacy, growth, innovation and community. All are part of what Gordon calls “helping members create magic” — a nod to Birmingham’s historic nickname, The Magic City.
“We’re member-driven,” he says. “But increasingly, we’re
supported by corporate partners, philanthropic dollars and our foundation, which helps us run programs like Next In Tech, which provides free access to events for students and early-career professionals.”
The organization also is closely aligned with Innovation Depot, where TechBirmingham is a tenant and Gordon is a board member.
SLOSS TECH: A SPOTLIGHT ON THE SOUTH
One of TechBirmingham’s most visible successes is Sloss Tech, a multiday innovation conference that started in 2016 as a companion to the now-defunct Sloss Music & Arts Festival, known as Sloss Fest.
Inspired by South by Southwest in Austin, Sloss Tech was designed to showcase Birmingham’s growing tech scene — and that goal hasn’t changed.
This year’s conference, slated for June 25-27 at Birmingham’s Lyric Theatre and other nearby venues, features a first: a pitch competition sponsored by the Regions Foundation, awarding $50,000 to the winner.
“That kind of money is nothing to sneeze at,” says Gordon, adding that the conference also will include speakers (keynoters include Zack Kass, Rashaun Williams, Ruha Benjamin and Johnny Cupcakes), a startup showcase, founders house and some nighttime events.
Deon Gordon chatting with others in the hallway of Innovation Depot, where TechBirmingham is located.
Gordon is quick to note that Sloss Tech isn’t just for Birmingham — it’s a platform for the entire state.
“About 30% of attendees are coming from over an hour away,” he says, a number that continues to grow.
“It’s very affirming and reassuring and exciting, and so, over the next two years, we’re going to see the rise of Birmingham, but also the entire state and recognizing that we’re all going to be stronger together.”
TECH, MOBILITY AND THE NEXT WAVE
As the state moves further into innovation-driven economic development, Gordon sees mobility as a major opportunity.
“Think of Alabama as a diamond,” he says. “You’ve got Mercedes to the west, Honda to the east, Toyota and Mazda to the north, Hyundai to the south — and Birmingham is right in the middle.”
That centrality is why TechBirmingham is launching a new mobility accelerator. The program will attract startups focused on electric vehicles, drone delivery, autonomous logistics and more.
And the beauty of Alabama’s ecosystem, Gordon notes, is that each region plays to its own strength: aerospace and defense in Huntsville, maritime logistics in Mobile, inland port infrastructure in Montgomery.
“We all have our own unique lanes and industries that allow us to play to our strengths without necessarily competing with one another,” he says.
CHANGING THE NARRATIVE
Gordon believes that Birmingham’s story — both its past and future — needs to be told more fully and more accurately.
“What happened here led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and what happened in Montgomery and Selma led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and those were things that started to shake the conscience of the nation and move it in a better direction,” he says. “It inspired the world, but most people are more familiar with the tragedy, not the triumph. We’ve got to change that.”
He argues that a city’s reputation impacts its ability to attract tech talent. “If graduates don’t see Birmingham as aligning with their values, we lose them before we even have a shot.”
That’s why TechBirmingham invests heavily in brand awareness and storytelling. “Birmingham is a city that’s gritty in all the right ways,” Gordon says. “It’s scrappy. It’s a city where you don’t have to wait in line to make an impact, if you want to roll up your sleeves and fight for the underdog.”
From the food scene to the people, from affordability to grit, Gordon sees Birmingham as a hidden gem. “We just have to tell that story,” he says. “We have to be incredibly vocal and aggressive and consistent about it.”
BUILDING FOR WHAT’S NEXT
Looking ahead, Gordon wants to see continued growth: more TechBirmingham members, more startups and more statewide collaboration. The mobility accelerator is just one initiative that will position the state as a national leader in innovation.
And Sloss Tech, he hopes, will become a fixture on national calendars. “One of the ultimate goals is to make sure that Sloss Tech is so well known that people nationally are circling the dates of it,” he says. “People are already getting hired because of who they meet there.”
For Gordon, it all comes back to building the kind of ecosystem he didn’t have growing up.
“I’m grateful for my convoluted, crazy path,” he says. “It’s obviously given me a certain perspective and appreciation. But my goal now is to make sure that there are pathways and avenues that provide clear on-ramps into these industries.”
Alec Harvey is executive editor of Business Alabama, working from the Birmingham office. Joe De Sciose is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor.
Deon Gordon, left, talking with Matt Jaeh, managing director for Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator.
ALABAMA AGC: 105 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP FROM ALABAMA AGC
By BILLY NORRELL CEO, ALABAMA ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS
Thank you for reviewing the Alabama AGC directory. Alabama AGC continues its focus on helping our members and the construction industry overcome its challenges. Like your businesses, we remain committed to delivering to our members what they need to be successful. We are proud of what we did in 2024 and look forward to continuing to bring relevance and value to you.
Here are some highlights of 2024:
• Alabama AGC remained in solid financial shape as we closed out 2024, and we look forward to delivering again in 2025 and beyond. Special thanks to our board of directors, led by President Mac Caddell and Chair Rob Middleton, for the excellent oversight and support.
• Following an exceptional BuildSouth annual officer installation and project recognition banquet in April, we followed up with an annual convention in Sandestin with more than 450 attendees, substantive educational programs, business development opportunities, networking and dynamic speakers. We also had another well-attended 40 Under 40 event in the fall, recognizing future leaders of Alabama’s construction industry. The section meetings were all well received by the members, as expert speakers and elected officials covered topics ranging from Alabama Department of Transportation project opportunities, to generational transitions in family-owned businesses to cyber defense for company assets.
• Incredible political support was evident as the Alabama AGC board of directors once again provided 100% support to the AGC of America Political Action Committee by receiving a contribution from every member of the board. The Federal PAC supports Congressional candidates throughout the country and in Alabama.
• Excellent Alabama AGC staff work — as well as the same with AGC
of America in D.C. — was evident throughout the sections in the state including Mobile, Montgomery, Huntsville, Florence and the home office in Birmingham. The staff worked around the clock in giving members the information they needed in these challenging times.
I thank you for responding to the association’s legislative action alerts that were launched by Alabama AGC and AGC of America. Because of your action and that of construction professionals like you, members of the Alabama Legislature, the U.S. Congress, the president and other administration officials received hundreds of thousands of emails and tweets in support of the industry’s priorities. And it made a difference.
Our victories in Alabama and Washington, D.C., were made possible because of you. The association will again need your help to protect and advance the interests of your construction career, business and industry by contacting your elected leaders.
We are grateful for your support and encourage you to invite your friends in the industry to join the Alabama AGC family. A unified voice speaks more strongly than individual voices — and Alabama AGC is proof. Thank you so much for your support.
Like your businesses, we remain committed to delivering to our members what they need to be successful.
2025 ALABAMA AGC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Greer Walker Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc.
6200 Stringfield Rd. NW Huntsville, AL 35806 256-533-4727 gwalker@ wiregrassconstruction.com
VICE PRESIDENT
Mike Scarborough Rabren General Contractors Inc. 2110 Devereux Cir., Ste. 100 Birmingham, AL 35243 205-832-0068 mikescarborough@ rabren.com
2ND VICE PRESIDENT
Hasting Sykes Sykes Weaver LLC 870 Vestlake Ridge Dr. Vestavia Hills, AL 35242 205-441-5396 hasting@sykesweaver.com
TREASURER
Chad C. Ammons Ammons & Blackmon Construction LLC 9695 Stagecoach Commercial Park Cir. Spanish Fort, AL 36577 251-626-0656 chadammons@ammblk.com
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Mac Caddell Caddell Construction Co. (DE) LLC
P.O. Box 210099 Montgomery, AL 36121 334-462-7904 Mac.caddell@caddell.com
BIRMINGHAM SECTION
Bradley Brock Marathon Electrical Contractors Inc.
John Hanson BL Harbert International LLC
Brad Tew Brasfield & Gorrie LLC
CENTRAL SECTION
Russell Harris
Bailey Harris Construction Co. Inc.
Josie Young Russell Construction of Alabama Inc.
Alex Whaley II Whaley Construction Co. Inc.
DOTHAN SECTION
Eric McCord APAC-Alabama Inc.
Ron Reeves Reeves & Shaw Construction LLC
Ricky Saliba Saliba Construction Co. Inc.
EAST SECTION
Kanda Floyd Hale Building Co. Inc.
Megan Smith Hurst Construction LLC
MOBILE SECTION
Wes Cooke Persons Services Corp.
Scott Cassity Cassity Bros. Construction Inc.
Timothy McInnis McInnis Construction LLC
NORTH SECTION
Conn Crabtree Doster Construction Co. Inc.
Brian Nelson Martin and Cobey Construction Co. Inc.
Justin Posey Dunn Building Co.
SHOALS SECTION
Trav Hovater H&N Construction Inc.
Hatton Marbury B.H. Craig Construction Co. Inc.
Frankie Tubbs Shoals Electric Co. Inc.
WEST SECTION
Patrick Sanshu NC Morgan Construction Co. Inc.
Scott Nichols McAbee Construction Inc.
STATE ASSOCIATE BOARD PRESIDENT
Rachel Moore Christian & Small LLP
STATE ASSOCIATE BOARD VICE PRESIDENT
Chad Brown Thompson Engineering Inc. CLC PRESIDENT
Joshua Green
Timberline Construction Group LLC
ELECTED NATIONAL BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Mac Caddell (Central) Caddell Construction Co. (DE) LLC
Rob Middleton (Mobile) Middleton Construction LLC
Al Stanley (North) Stanley Construction Co. Inc.
Mike Tew (Mobile) S.J. & L. Civil Contractors Inc.
Alex Whaley II (Central) Whaley Construction Co. Inc.
NATIONAL LIFE GOVERNORS
Marc Dempsey (Shoals) B.H. Craig Construction Co. Inc.
Milton A. Kopf III (Mobile) Turner Insurance & Bonding Co.
Paul Moore (Birmingham) Moore Construction Services LLC
Ben Nevins (Birmingham) BL Harbert International LLC
Rick Pate (Central) Commissioner, Alabama Dept. of Agriculture & Industries
Eddie Stewart (Central) Caddell Construction Co. (DE) LLC
Johnny Walton (Mobile) Wiregrass
Alex Whaley Sr. (Central) Whaley Construction Co. Inc.
2025 ALABAMA AGC ASSOCIATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Rachel Moore
Christian & Small LLP
505 20th St. N., Ste. 1800 Birmingham, AL 35203 205-250-6640 rjmoore@csattorneys.com
VICE PRESIDENT
Chad R. Brown Sr. Thompson Engineering Inc. P.O. Box 9637 Mobile, AL 36691 251-666-2443 cbrown@thompsonengineering.com
2ND VICE PRESIDENT
Josh Price CAC Agency 115 Office Park Dr. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 256-596-0086 Josh.price@cacgroup.com
PAST PRESIDENT
Joe Lindsey Thompson CAT Rental Store 2011 Northern Blvd. Montgomery, AL 36110 334-262-1101 joelindsey@thompsontractor.com
BIRMINGHAM
Rachel Moore
Christian & Small LLP
505 20th St. N., Ste. 1800 Birmingham, AL 35203 205-250-6640 rjmoore@csattorneys.com
Ryan McClendon
Marsh & McLennan Agency 10 Inverness Center Pkwy., Ste. 400 Birmingham, AL 35242 205-585-8553
Ryan.mcclendon@marshmma.com
DOTHAN
Chip Grouby
Chipstuff LLC
1809 Century Ln. Opelika, AL 36801 334-705-6824
Chip.grouby@gmail.com
EAST
Jim Barber
Webb Concrete & Building Materials
P.O. Box 35 Heflin, AL 36264
256-463-2195
jbarber@webbconcrete.com
Ty Parnell Parnell Insurance
400 Snow St. Oxford, AL 36203 256-831-8887
Ty@parnellinsurance.com
MOBILE
John E. Murphy III
Thompson Engineering Inc. P.O. Box 9637 Mobile, AL 36691 251-666-2443
jmurphy@thompsonengineering.com
Corey A. Wall
Beard Equipment Co. 2480 E. I-65 Service Rd. N. Mobile, AL 36617 251-456-1993 cwall@beardequipment.com
MONTGOMERY
Heath Stewart Ready Mix USA, A Division of CEMEX 2101 Poplar Ave.
Opelika, AL 36804 334-737-1818 Vanh.stewart@cemex.com
Carol Harris Section Manager 251-344-8220 carol@agcmobile.org
Katherine Galanos Section Associate Director 251-344-8220 katherine@ agcmobile.org
2025 AGC MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY - FULL MEMBERS
In alphabetical order by company name.
Acme Roofing & Sheet Metal Co. Inc. Mary Miller, John Miller Jr. bam@acmeroof.com
37 Banner St. Dothan, AL 36303
Acton Flooring Inc. G. Fred Acton, Jim Acton actoncommercial@aol.com P.O. Box 43312 Birmingham, AL 35243
Aderholt Masonry Inc. Ray Aderholt rayaderholt@yahoo.com
Air Conditioning Assoc. Inc. Jared Metcalf, Jeff Metcalf jared@acassociatesinc.net, jeff@acassociatesinc.net
700 County Rd. 138 Florence, AL 35634
1346 Ross Clark Cir. Dothan, AL 36301
Al Hill's Boiler Sales & Repairs Inc. Michelle Grantham, J. Randall Sanford secertary@alhillboiler.com P.O. Box 662 Theodore, AL 36590
Alabama Guardrail Inc. Keith Dillard, Wes Dillard Kdillard@alguardrail.com, wdillard@alguardrail.com
Alabama Painting Inc. Richard Baugh, Bryan Tardo Rbaugh@alabamapainting.com, Btardo@alabamapainting.com
Alabama Railroad & Construction Co. Emily Crigler Smith, Robert Crigler Jr. Emily@alabamarr.com, info@alabamarr.com
Alscan Inc. Edward Goldberg egoldberg@alscaninc.com
P.O. Box 126 Cleveland, AL 35049
3021 Central Ave. Muscle Shoals, AL 35661
P.O. Box 2430 Daphne, AL 36526
237 Oxmoor Cir., Ste. 101 Birmingham, AL 35209
Amason & Associates Inc. Robert M. Amason Jr., Chet S. Cowsar ramason@amason-associates.com, ccowsar@amason-associates.com P.O. Box 1729 Tuscaloosa, AL 35403
AMC Mechanical LLC Lori Knepper, Scott Knepper lori@amcmech.com
Ammons & Blackmon
Construction LLC Alaina Ammons, Chad Ammons ammblk@ammblk.com, chadammons@ammblk.com
Anderson Construction Co. of Fort Gaines Jay Adams, Trey Anderson Jay.Adams@accofg.com, trey.anderson@accofg.com
10167 US Hwy. 231 Cropwell, AL 35054
9695 Stagecoach Commercial Parkway Cir. Spanish Fort, AL 36527
58 Crozier Ln. Fort Gaines, GA 39851
APAC-Alabama Inc. Bob Watson, Ramona Jones robert.watson@apac.com, ramona.jones@apac.com P.O. Box 385025 Birmingham, AL 35238
APAC-Alabama Inc. Eric McCord, Bobby Dykes eric.mccord@apac.com, bobby.dykes@apac.com
APAC-Alabama Inc. Dell McDonald, Heath Thomas dell.mcdonald@apac.com, heath.thomas@apac.com
381 Twitchell Rd. Dothan, AL 36303
107 Jetplex Ln. Madison, AL 35758
APAC-Alabama Inc. Stephanie Weaver, Ken Donoghue stephanie.weaver@apac.com, ken.donoghue@apac.com P.O. Box 8039 Mobile, AL 36689
APAC-Alabama Inc. Charlie Cook, Lynn Popwell charles.cook@apac.com, Lynn.Popwell@apac.com 4238 West Blvd. Montgomery, AL 36108
APAC-Alabama Inc. Hunter Barkley, Thomas W. Cramer II Hunterj.Barkley@apac.com, Thomas.Cramer@apac.com 23010 Hwy. 72 Tuscumbia, AL 35674
Armor's Contracting Inc. Christopher Armor armor@hiwaay.net
Arrington Curb & Excavation Inc. Kristen Arrington, Matt Arrington Kristen@arringtoninc.net, TMA@arringtoninc.net
812 Bradley St. Decatur, AL 35601
P.O. Box 20 Flomaton, AL 36441
334-983-3577 Composite & Metal Roofing
205-967-4001 Flooring
256-349-5680 Brick, Masonry
334-792-1106 HVAC Installation and Maintenance
251-653-0361 HVAC
205-625-3880 Highway
256-383-2462 Commercial Painting
251-660-4244 Highway
205-945-0003 Building
205-345-9626 Building
205-525-0040 Install, Machinery Construction
251-626-0656 Heavy
229-768-2555 Construction
205-995-5917 Highway
334-712-7575 Highway
256-774-8084 Highway
251-342-3025 Highway
334-288-8311 Highway
256-383-5981 Highway
251-439-5016 Industrial (warehouse, distribution)
256-355-2686 Utilities
251-296-3276 Site Development Contractor Ashton and Co. Inc. Scottie McClure, Leslie Bryan scottie.mcclure@ashtonandco.com, leslie.bryan@ashtonandco.com
P.O. Box 407 Saraland, AL 36571
251-410-5600 Industrial Assurance Service Group Inc. Bill Gibson ldtbill@bellsouth.net P.O. Box 248 Thomasville, AL 36784
B & B Quality Construction Inc. James Barden, Kevin Blackwell james@bbqconstruction.com, kevin@bbqconstruction.com
P.O. Box 230 Springville, AL 35146
B & G Equipment & Supply Patty Walker pwalker@brasfieldgorrie.com 2748 Mary Taylor Rd. Irondale, AL 35210
B & L Cable Construction LLC Jo Ann Peters, Beverly Rabren Jpeters@bandlcable.com 11446 Brooklyn Rd. Andalusia, AL 36421
B Electric Inc. James Bowles, Karen Bowles jbowles@belectricinc.com, kbowles@belectricinc.com 6644 Hwy. 17 Florence, AL 35634
B W Hobson Construction Co. Inc. Mike Davis, Michael Hobson mhobson17@gmail.com
7290 Charlie Shirley Rd. Northport, AL 35473
B&H Contracting Inc. Mary Bennett, Gwen Brightwell Gwen@bhcontractinginc.com 2610 Cone Dr. Birmingham, AL 35217
B. G. Watkins Construction Co. Inc. Graves Watkins graves@bgwatkinsconstruction.com P.O. Box 353 Northport, AL 35476
B. H. Craig Construction Co. Inc. Brad Jones, Tim Spurgeon bjones@bhcraigconst.com, tspurgeon@bhcraigconst.com
Badger Building Inc. Rusty Gentry, Blake Rutherford Rusty@Badger-Buildinginc.com, Blake@Badger-Buildinginc.com
P. O. Drawer 129 Florence, AL 35631
126 First Ave. W., Ste. A Alabaster, AL 35007
Badger Infrastructure Solutions Jody Lenderman, Tommy Edwards Jlenderman@badgerinc.com, Tedwards@badgerinc.com 629 Springdale Rd. Tarrant, AL 35217
Bagby Elevator Co. Inc. Steve Taylor, James Hogan staylor@bagbyelevator.com, jameshogan@bagbyelevator.com 3608 Messer Airport Hwy. Birmingham, AL 35222
Bailey Harris Construction Co. Inc. Allen Harris, Russell Harris Aharris@bailey-harris.com, Rharris@baileyharris.com 1600 Bailey Harris Dr. Auburn, AL 36830
Baird Contracting Co. Inc. Scott Burdette, Louis Carruba scottburdette@bellsouth.net, ljcarruba@bellsouth.net
276 Snow Dr. Homewood, AL 35209
Baldwin Road Builders Inc. Lane Willis, Dick Sute Lanewillis90@gmail.com 18520 County Rd. 9 Silverhill, AL 36576
Ballcon Inc. Richard Ball, Ilona Ball ballcon43@gmail.com 2070 Repoll Rd. Mobile, AL 36695
Bama Utility Contractors Inc. Frances Jones, Gavin Jones frances@bamautility.com, gavin@bamautility.com P.O. Box 788 Fultondale, AL 35068
Barcis Design + Construct LLC Bo Fabbro, Robert Fabbro bo@barcisdc.com, rob@barcisdc.com P.O. Box 10 Gulf Breeze, FL 32562
Barlovento LLC Jack Manley, Jane Solomon jmanley@barlovento8a.com, jane@barloventollc.com 431 Technology Dr. Dothan, AL 36303
Bayshore Construction Co. Inc. Jeff Redmon, Jerry Redmon Jerry_bayshore@bellsouth.net P.O. Box 1481 Bay Minette, AL 36507
Beasley & Co. LLC Larry Beasley, Allen Chandler bcompan02@aol.com P.O. Box 925 Brewton, AL 36427
Ben M. Radcliff Contractor Inc. Ben Radcliff III, Ben Radcliff Jr. ben3@benradcliff.com, benjr@benradcliff.com P.O. Box 8368 Mobile, AL 36689
334-636-2300 Building
205-467-2928 Building
205-833-3033 Equipment & Supply
334-427-0888 Utilities
256-366-0369 Electrical Contractor
205-339-1724 Highway
205-841-6010 Utilities
205-758-9408 Building
256-766-3350 Building
205-403-6511 Building
205-352-5147 Hydroexcavation
251-432-7732 Elevator
334-821-0807 Industrial
205-942-1095 Utilities
251-988-8128 Utilities
251-458-0160 Utilities
205-849-7823 Utilities
850-436-3139
ALABAMA ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS SPECIAL
Benchmark Construction LLC Mark Patton, Tim Rogers bmconstruction@bellsouth.net
Big River Electric Inc. Jeff Talbot jeff@bigriverelectric.net
Bigbee Steel Buildings Inc. Mel Booker, Rodney Harris mbooker@bigbee.com, rharris@bigbee.com
P.O. Box 1936 Albertville, AL 35950
P.O. Box 344 Killen, AL 35645
P.O. Box 2314 Muscle Shoals, AL 35662
Birmingham Backhoe & Excavating Co. George Boohaker bhambackhoe@yahoo.com 4624 Dolly Ridge Rd. Birmingham, AL 35243
Birmingham Electric Contractors Walt Bedsole Wbedsole@BirminghamEC.com 5299 Southland Cir. Bessemer, AL 35022
BL Harbert International LLC Johnny Garlington, Blake Rhodes Jgarlington@blharbert.com, Blakerhodes21@gmail.com
Blackwood Construction Co. Inc. John Blackwood Sr., Donna Heptinstall john@blackwoodconstruction.net, donna@blackwoodconstruction.net
Blalock Building Co. Inc. Brett Biel, Steven Blalock bbiel@blalockbc.com, sblalock@blalockbc.com
P.O. Box 531390 Birmingham, AL 35253
P.O. Box 2097 Cullman, AL 35056
7309 Gadsden Hwy. Trussville, AL 35173
Blydan Construction Co. LLC Dustin Love Dlove@blydanbuilt.com 3629 Woodvale Rd. Birmingham, AL 35223
Bob Smith Construction Inc. John Friedberg, Barbara Smith JohnF@bobsmithconstruction.com
Bobby Terry Co. Inc. Darrell Colvett, Charlsa Greenhaw dispatch@bobbyterry.com, charlsa@bobbyterry.com
Clements Dean Building Co. LLC Randy Clements, Justin Dean rclements@clementsdean.com, Jdean@clementsdean.com 5455 Hwy. 51 Wilsonville, AL 35186 205-678-4295 Building
Commercial Construction and Maintenance Inc. Jeremy Ragland, Megan Sizemore JeremyR@ccminc.net, MeganS@ccminc.net
Conally Industrial LLC Levi Baker, Dustin Norrell Levi@conallyindustrial.com, Dustin@conallyindustrial.com
Construction Labor Services Inc. Deborah Bishop, Tammy Parker debbie@cls-midway.com, Tammy@cls-midway.com P.O.
Cooper Construction Cameron Robulack, Jay Shaddix cameronr@cooperconstruction.com, JayS@cooperconstruction.com
Cooper Construction Tyler Loper, Ryan Ferris Tylerl@cooperconstruction.com, RyanF@cooperconstruction.com
COMPANY EXECUTIVES EMAIL
Corbitt Power & Light LLC Shannon Corbitt Shannon@corbittpower.com
Cornerstone Civil Contractors LLC Edmund Colgrove edmund@cornerstonecivil.com
203 Pecan Ave. Albertville, AL 35950
1268 James Rd. Gallion, AL 36742
Crimson Contractors Inc. Chad Levins, Jill Holder greatroofs@aol.com 1808 14th Ave. Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
CRL - Lovelady Construction LLC Gail Lovelady, Randall Lovelady CRL@crllovelady.com, randy@crllovelady.com 890 Ravenwood Dr. Selma, AL 36701
Crucible Construction LLC John Morgan, George Yates jmorgan@crucibleconstruction.com, gyates@crucibleconstruction.com
Cunningham DeLaney Construction LLC Jacob Cunningham, Mark DeLaney Jacob@cunninghamdelaney.com, Mark@cunninghamdelaney.com
29891 Woodrow Ln. Ste. 300 Spanish Fort, AL 36527
P.O. Box 1040 Magnolia Springs, AL 36555
Cypress Contracting LLC Brian Benson cypresscontractingllc@comcast.net P.O. Box 3047 Florence, AL 35630
D. R. Davies Contractors LLC D. R. Davies, Joey Davies JoeySDavies@aol.com 1835 Cobbs Ford Rd. Millbrook, AL 36054
David Isom Drywall & Acoustical LLC David Isom carol.isom@aol.com 1410 County Hwy. 184 Hodges, AL 35571
David Jordan & Co. Inc. Amanda Jordan amandaj3698@att.net
3698 U. S. Hwy. 80 E. Lowndesboro, AL 36752
Dexter Fortson Associates Inc. Donna Lee, Andrew Fortson Dlee@dfa-inc.com, afortson@DFA-INC.com 5511 Powder Plant Ln. Bessemer, AL 35022
Distinct Construction Solutions LLC Kevin Axton Kevin@distinctconstructionsolutions.com 2900 Porter Lundsford Rd. Enterprise, AL 36330
Dixie Acoustical Contr. Inc. Dalton Yerby, Herschel Yerby dalton@dixieacoustical.com, hmyerby@bellsouth.net 1901 29th Ave. N. Birmingham, AL 35207
Dixie Painting & Sandblasting Inc. Hugh Bass, Jennifer Bass hugh@dixiepainting.com, jennifer@dixiepainting.com
6703 Boggan Level Rd. Andalusia, AL 36420
Donald H. Allen Development Inc. Donald Allen, Hank Allen dallen@dallendev.com, hallen@dallendev.com P.O. Box 1130 Auburn, AL 36831
Dortch, Figures & Sons Inc. Rashawan Figures dortchfiguresandsons@gmail.com
Doster Construction Co. Inc. Allan Dedman, Manny Norrell adedman@dosterconstruction.com, mnorrell@dosterconstruction.com
Doster Construction Co. Inc. Conn Crabtree, Ty Sims ccrabtree@dosterconstruction.com, tsims@dosterconstruction.com
408 Franklin St. SE, Ste. 100 Huntsville, AL 35801 256-513-5316 Building
Dothan Awning Co. Inc. Pat Thomas pat@dothanawning.com P.O. Box 1563 Dothan, AL 36302
Dothan Glass Co. Tony Williams, Earl Pitman III Tony@DothanGlass.com, Epitman@dothanGlass.com P.O. Box 1308 Dothan, AL 36302
Doyle Restoration Inc. Jay Doyle sales@doylerestoration.com P.O. Box 1066 Pell City, AL 35125
Dunn Building Co. Justin Posey, Patrick Hereford Jposey@dunnbuildingcompany.com, Phereford@dunnbuildingcompany.com 627 Roy Long Rd. E. Athens, AL 35611
Dunn Building Co. LLC Brett Clark, Andrew E. Edwards bclark@dunnbuildingcompany.com, Aedwards@DunnBuildingCompany.com P.O. Box 11546 Birmingham, AL 35202
Dunn Building Co. LLC Daniel K. Mosley dmosley@dunnbuildingcompany.com
520 Saraland Blvd. S. Saraland, AL 36571
Dunn Building Co. LLC Blake Wilson BMWilson@dunnbuildingcompany.com P.O. Box 11546 Birmingham, AL 35202
Dunn Building Co. LLC Allan Gustin, Colin Rutledge agustin@dunnbuildingcompany.com, crutledge@dunnbuildingcompany.com
520 Saraland Blvd. Saraland, AL 36571
Dunn Construction Co. Inc. William Bo Welden Bwelden@dunnconstruction.com P.O. Box 11967 Birmingham, AL 35202
Eagle Solar and Light Joe Bennett Jbennett@eaglesolarandlight.com 4005 2nd Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35222
East Bay Electric Inc. Mike Crim mikecrim@att.net
Eaves Construction Co. Inc. Lane Eaves, Teresa Eaves Lane@eavesconstruction.com
Empire Construction Daryl Allen, Jere Miller dallen@empire-concrete.com, jmiller@empire-concrete.com
Engineered Systems Inc. Watson Downs, Wayne Palmer watson@engsystemsinc.com, wayne@engsystemsinc.com
Esfeller Construction Co. Inc. David Esfeller, Patricia Esfeller desfeller@esfellerconstruction.com, pesfeller@esfellerconstruction.com
Evergreen Siteworks LLC John Kittrell, Tom Lanier Jkittrell@evergreensiteworks.com, Tlanier@evergreensiteworks.com
F. L. Crane & Sons Inc. Chapman Cooper, Doug Lesley Ccooper@flcrane.com, dlesley@flcrane.com
F. L. Crane & Sons Inc. David Thomas, Taylor Gass Dthomas@flcrane.com, Tgass@flcrane.com
P.O. Box 201 Robertsdale, AL 36567
5925 County Rd. 19 Demopolis, AL 36732
P.O. Box 1786 Daphne, AL 36526
P.O. Box 1207 Dothan, AL 36302
P.O. Box 114 Coden, AL 36523
3100 Wyndham Industrial Dr. Opelika, AL 36804
1357 Investigator Dorrnell Cousette St., Ste. N Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
116 Jetplex Cir. Madison, AL 35758
334-792-4129 Protective Covers, Furnishings and accessories
334-793-1161 Entrances and storefronts, Curtain Wall, Glazing
205-591-1114 Concrete & Masonry Cleaning and Restoration
Construction Co. Inc. Frank V. Turner, Ryan Turner RyanT@ftconst.com 10140 Tanner Williams Rd. Mobile, AL 36608 251-649-1148 Utilities
Fred Owen Railroad Construction Inc. Laura Owen, Ron Owen Office@FredOwenRR.com 3351 Buckhead Dr. Birmingham, AL 35216 205-981-7474 Heavy
Fresh Works LLC
dba Rivers Edge Construction Charlie Burchell, John Fulmer Charlie@fresh-works.com, Fulmer.John@yahoo.com 695 County Rd. 118 Florence, AL 35633
Fueling Solutions Inc. Dale Simmons dale@fueling-solutions.com 1021 Gadsden Hwy. Birmingham, AL 35235
615-945-5454 Industrial
205-655-2111 Fueling Systems, Storage Tanks
Fulcrum Construction Group LLC Nathan Dunn nathan@fulcrumgroup.com P.O. Box 950 Daphne, AL 36526 251-380-8375 Building
G. W. Norrell Contracting Co. Inc. Pam Kearley pnkearley@yahoo.com 203 Independent Cir. Greenville, AL 36037 334-376-2605 Highway
G.A. West & Co. LLC Gary West, Josh Black bids@gawest.com, Josh.black@gawest.com 1200 Radcliff Rd. Creola, AL 36525
Gaillard Builders Inc. Peter Gaillard, Crenshaw Poole shunt@gaillardbuilders.com, Crenshaw@DeltaServicesGroupLLC.com 1505 Telegraph Rd. Mobile, AL 36611
251-410-6271 Industrial
251-433-9315 Building
ALABAMA ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS
Garnet Electric Co. Inc. Charles Crow, John Charles Crow ccrow@garnetelectric.com, jccrow@garnetelectric.com
Garrison Steel Erectors Inc. Jason Garrison, John Garrison JasonGarrison@garrisonsteel.com, jgarrison@garrisonsteel.com
1615 State St. Sheffield, AL 35660
1122 Industrial Park Dr. Pell City, AL 35125
Giddens Inc. Mackie Giddens, Dawn Hardiman giddensinc@yahoo.com P.O. Box 1186 Sylacauga, AL 35150
Glasgow Construction Co. Inc. Bettie Glasgow, Ronnie Glasgow Glascc@yahoo.com
Golden Railroad Construction Inc. Ben Golden, Buford Golden ben@goldenrr.net
1872 11th Ave. W. Guin, AL 35563
256-381-4062 Electrical Contractor
205-884-4766 Building
256-249-8196 Utilities
205-468-2252 Building
11260 U.S. Hwy. 43 Linden, AL 36748 334-295-4480 Heavy
Grady Ralls & Son Inc. Amanda Ralls rallsgrady@gmail.com 9262 Hwy. 84 Red Level, AL 36474
Grant Nichols Construction Inc. Sam Spencer, Grant Nichols Sam@gn-const.com, Grant@gn-const.com P.O. Box 183 Orange Beach, AL 36561
Grayson Carter and Son Contracting Inc. Halston Carter, Chris Lovoy Halston@graysoncarterandson.com, Clovoy@graysoncarterandson.com
146 Roy Long Rd. W. Athens, AL 35611
Grayson Construction LLC John Payne john@graysonconstructionllc.com 1945 Patton Chapel Hoover, AL 35226
Gulf Electric Co. Inc. of Mobile Brian Freeman, Ret Seibt Bfreeman@gulfelec.com, rseibt@gulfelec.com
Gulf Hauling & Construction Inc. Jeff McKenzie, Steve McKenzie JMcKenzie@gulfdirt.com, smckenzie@gulfdirt.com
Gulf Services Carol Gengo, Lyman Ramsay carol.gengo@gulfservices.us, lyman.ramsay@gulfservices.us
Gulf South Contracting LLC Connor Harris, Josh Harris connor@gulfsouthcontractingllc.com, Josh@gulfsouthcontractingllc.com
H & N Construction Inc. Greg Hovater, Trav Hovater ghovater@hovaterconstruction.com, thovater@hovaterconstruction.com
H.N. Donahoo Contracting Co. Inc. Peter Lacy, William Hoffman Placy@hndonahoo.com, Whoffman@hndonahoo.com
Hale Building Co. Inc. Kanda Floyd, Steve Hale kanda@halebldg.com, steve@halebldg.com
Hall Taylor Construction Co. Inc. Hunter Taylor, Roger W. Taylor Hunterhtcc@gmail.com, rogert@halltaylorconstruction.com
Harris Contracting Services Inc. Brian Harris Brian@harriscontractingservices.com 5413 Lott Rd. Eightmile, AL 36613 251-377-3132 Building, Industrial, Utilities
Harris Robinson Construction Inc. Larkin Delk Ldelk@harrisrobinson.com
Hayneville Holding Co. Inc. Evelyn Causey, Howard Powell Ecausey@htc.net
Hensel Phelps Construction Co. Chuck Davis, David Milford cdavis@henselphelps.com, dmilford@henselphelps.com
Herndon Electric Inc. Justin Herndon Jherndon@herndonelectric.net
Higgins Electric Inc. of Dothan John Shelley, Randy Smith JohnShelley@higginselectric.com, RandySmith@higginselectric.com
Hill Brothers Inc. Jamie Montgomery, Charlie Hill jamie@hillbrothersgc.com, Charlie@hillbrothersgc.com
Holland Mfg. Co. Inc. Doyle Holland, Steve Holland
Hollis & Spann Inc. Brady LoBue, Hayne Hollis Blobue@hollisandspann.com, hhollis@hollisandspann.com
2611 Commerce Blvd. Irondale, AL 35210 205-317-6247 Building
P.O. Box 175 Hayneville, AL 36040
334-548-2101 Utilities
5258 Norman Bridge Rd. Montgomery, AL 36105 Building
2221 W. Carroll St. Dothan, AL 36302
P.O. Box 447 Dothan, AL 36302
P.O. Box 2200 Robertsdale, AL 36567
P.O. Box 5568 Dothan, AL 36302
P.O. Box 1530 Dothan, AL 36302
Hovater Metal Works Inc. Greg Hovater hovatermetal2017@gmail.com 5525 Waterloo Rd. Russellville, AL 35653
Howell LLC Vicki Howell vicki@howell-llc.com
Hudmon Construction Co. Inc. Brendy Baker, David Hudmon bbaker@hudmonconst.com, davidh@hudmonconst.com
Hurst Construction LLC Todd Hurst, Megan Smith todd@hurstconstruction.com, megan@hurstconstruction.com
Hutcheson Construction Co. Inc. John Hutcheson, Paul Hutcheson john@hutchesonconstruction.com, paul@hutchesonconstruction.com
ICS Inc. Wendell Morgan wendellmorgan@windstream.net
101 Merriweather Rd. Pike Road, AL 36064
1900 Industrial Blvd. Opelika, AL 36801
P.O. Box 3364 Oxford, AL 36203
P.O. Box 11053 Montgomery, AL 36111
P.O. Box 1404 Ashville, AL 35953
Ikaros LLC Keith Andrews, Chris Poling kandrews@ikarosllc.net, cpoling@ikarosllc.net 8501 New Watermelon Rd. Tuscaloosa, AL 35406
IMS Construction LLC Jackson Wallace, Keith Jones Jackson@imsbuilders.com, keith@imsbuilders.com 5690 Watermelon Rd., Ste. 400 Northport, AL 35473
Ingle Demolition & Salvage Inc. Steven Sanders, Dennis Ingle Steven@ingledemolition.com, dennis@ingledemolition.com
J. A. Lett Construction Co. Inc. Christine Atchison, Josh Kirkland christine@jalett.com, jkirkland@jalett.com
P.O. Box 306 Adamsville, AL 35005
P.O. Box 1330 Auburn, AL 36830
J. R. Robinson Construction Co. Inc. Jeffery Robinson JRC486@aol.com 1801 S. Lakeshore Birmingham, AL 35216
James B. Donaghey Inc. Bob Clapper, Judson Sanders bclapper@donagheymechanical.com, jsanders@donagheymechanical.com
P.O. Box 66647 Mobile, AL 36660
James Paving Co. LLC Larry James JamesPavingco@outlook.com P.O. Box 480 Pelham, AL 35244
Jerry Kyser Builder Inc. Jake Kyser, Kyle Kyser jake@kyser.com, kyle@kyser.com
Jesse Stutts Inc. Kenny Beck, Jay Stutts Kbeck@jessestuttsinc.com, Jay@jessestuttsinc.com
JLS International Inc. Jeffrey Smith jlsinternational@yahoo.com
John Plott Co. Inc. Stephanie Woolley, Hunter L Plott swoolley@jplott.com, hlplott@Jplott.com
2257 Taylor Rd. Ste. 200 Montgomery, AL 36117
3414 9th Ave. SW Huntsville, AL 35805
P.O. Box 928 Robertsdale, AL 36567
P.O. Box 20183 Tuscaloosa, AL 35402
Johnson Contractors Inc. Thomas Counts, Caleb Willis tcounts@johnsoncont.com, Cwillis@johnsoncont.com P.O. Box 3779 Muscle Shoals, AL 35662
Joiner Fire Sprinkler Co. Robert Joiner, Harold MacFarland hmacfarland@joinerfire.com P.O. Box 10804 Birmingham, AL 35202
Jones Electric Co. LLC Brandon A. Jones, Jake Lee BAJones@jonesec.com, Jlee@jonesec.com 506 S. Maple St. Florence, AL 35630
Jones Masonry Construction Inc. Kristy Fife kfife0522@comcast.net 1140-A Whigham Place Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
Jordan Excavating Co. LLC Janice Jordan, Steve Jordan jordanexcavating@bellsouth.net 2085 Old Montgomery Hwy. Birmingham, AL 35244
Jordan Pile Driving Inc. Katie Jordan Kjordan@jordangroup.com
P. O. Drawer 3004 Mobile, AL 36652
Kevin Miller Development Inc. Kevin Miller, Penny Miller KMD_uc@yahoo.com, PWMrealtor@gmail.com P.O. Box 324 Helena, AL 35080
King & Associates Inc. Robbie King, Darrell Quails reking@kingassoc.net, dquails@kingassoc.net 601-F East Pasadena Ave. Muscle Shoals, AL 35661
Kingdom Construction Group Inc./Covenant World Construction Harvey Hall, Spencer Ruggs dreambuilderscmg@gmail.com, spencerruggs@hotmail.com 4710 Belle Isle Ln. Mobile, AL 36619
251-645-6069 Painting and Wall Covering Contractors, Masonry Materials
251-202-5290 Multi-family projects
256-882-6200 Highway
256-710-5809 Civil, Highway, Dirtwork
251-408-0770 Highway
251-633-9131 Specialty Trade Contracting, Utility Services, Heavy Construction Monumental Contracting Service LLC Christopher L Swain cswain@monumentalcs.com
Moon Construction Services Inc. Morgan L. Moon, Richard Moon mmoon@moonconstructionservices.com, Rmoon@moonconstructionservices.com
Moore & Thompson Inc. Jerry Thompson, Sheila Moore
P.O. Box 8361 Birmingham, AL 35218
P.O. Box 19048 Huntsville, AL 35804
1120 McCaig Rd. Lincoln, AL 35096
Moore Construction Services LLC Paul Moore Paul@moorecsllc.com P.O. Box 1247 Pell City, AL 35125
Moore Contracting LLC Jason N. Moore Jason@moorecontractingllc.com P.O. Box 464 Guntersville, AL 35976
Morrow Railroad Builders Inc. Donald Cales, Tiffany Morrow don@mrrbusa.com, tiffany@mrrbusa.com
MW Rogers Construction Co. LLC Zach Morgan, John Otts Zach@mwrogers.net, John@mwrogers.net
N. C. Morgan Construction Co. Inc. Billy Falls, Patrick Sanshu bfalls@ncmorganconstruction.com, psanshu@ncmorganconstruction.com
P.O. Box 839 Dolomite, AL 35061
25 Midtown Park W. Mobile, AL 36606
P.O. Box 70367 Tuscaloosa, AL 35407
Newell & Bush Inc. Debra Turner, M. Ben Hitson Dturner@newellbush.com P.O. Box 240397 Montgomery, AL 36124
Newell, Park & Eleazer
Construction LLC Luke Newell, Colt Greer Luke@NewellPE.com, Colt@newwllpe.com
Nordan Contracting Co. Inc. Chris Nordan, Claud W. Nordan Jr. cbnordan.ncci@gmail.com, ncciemail1@gmail.com
North Alabama Fabricating Inc. Craig Rainbolt crainbolt@nafcofab.com
2081 Columbiana Rd. Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
P.O. Box 336 Saraland, AL 36571
2101 Old Columbian Rd. Ste. 400 Birmingham, AL 35216
Omni Industrial Services Inc. Bunky Kateon, John Kateon John.Kateon@omni-is.com 2515 Leroy Stevens Rd. Mobile, AL 36618
Ozark Striping Co. Inc. Jeff Webb, Leon M Gross III jeff@ozarksafety.net, leegross@centurytel.net 1273 W. Roy Parker Rd. Ozark, AL 36360
P. L. Russell LLC Ben Russell Ben@plrussell.com
251 Saint Anthony St. Mobile, AL 36603
Palmer Electric Construction Co. David Palmer, Larry Palmer dpalmerelectric@comcast.net 1023 N. Beverlye Rd. Dothan, AL 36303
Park Lane Construction LLC Doug Stell, Scott Parker doug@parklane-construction.com, scott.parker@parklane-construction.com
Parkes Mechanical & Metals Inc. Ty McConnell, Chris White ty@parkesmechanical.com, chris@parkesmechanical.com
Pat Kirk General Contractor Inc. Pat Kirk patkirkgc@gmail.com
197 Cahaba Valley Pkwy. Pelham, AL 35124
P.O. Box 2607 Muscle Shoals, AL 35662
390 Adderholdt Rd. Piedmont, AL 36272
Pate Landscape Co. Inc. Jason Walker, Scott Blackwell Jason@patelandscape.com, Scott@patelandscape.com 3408 Greenpine Cir. Montgomery, AL 36108
Pennington Group Inc., The Corey Weaver corey@thepennington-group.com P.O. Box 190305 Birmingham, AL 35219
Pennington Group Inc., The Bill Pennington Bill@thepenningtongroup.com 1844 Lancaster Rd. Birmingham, AL 35209
205-788-6275 Utilities
256-489-1448 Industrial
205-763-7111 Measurement & Control instrumentation materials & methods
205-410-8590 Industrial
256-572-6672 General Construction
205-744-9642 Railroad Track Construction & Maintenance
205-917-3770 Building Pensacola Glass Co. Woody Watters ww@pensacolaglass.com
P.O. Box 18903 Pensacola, FL 32523
Persons Service Corp. Wes Cooke, Wright Cox wes@personsservices.com, wcox@personsservices.com 4474 Halls Mill Rd. Mobile, AL 36693
850-433-8348 Glass, Curtain Wall, Glazing
251-660-0132 General Contractor, Site Work Pettus Plumbing and Piping Inc. Tony Robertson, Grover Johnson trobertson@pettushvac.com, gjohnson@pettushvac.com
Petty Line Construction Co. Inc. Edwin Petty, William Petty edwin@PettyLine.com, Bryan@PettyLine.com
Phillip Pouncey Builder Inc. Phillip Pouncey, Ken Sexton phillippounceybuilder@yahoo.com, ken.phillippounceybuilder@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 1048 Rogersville, AL 35652
P.O. Box 1697 Clanton, AL 35046
256-389-8181 Plumbing, HVAC Contractors
205-755-2591 Electrical Contractor
P.O. Box 11693 Montgomery, AL 36111 334-288-6000 Building
Pierce & Allred Construction Justin Allred, Brenda Myrick Brenda@jarprop.com P.O. Box 1301 Florence, AL 35631
256-757-5122 Industrial Powers & Associates, Gen. Contractor Inc. Dayle Goodwin, Tom Powers powers8300@msn.com 175 Main St. Trussville, AL 35173
Price Ceiling Inc. Bob Cochran, Brad Price brad@priceceiling.com 2000 Lay Dam Rd. Clanton, AL 35045
Professional Roofing and Construction Jerry Jackson jerryprorc@gmail.com
Progressive Insulation LLC Russell Killen, Marketa Jetton rkillen@progressivein.com
R & H Electric Inc. Marvin Ratley Jr., Edward Hughes Jr.
5200 Cahaba River Rd. Birmingham, AL 35243
205-823-0400 Building
216 E. I-65 Service Rd. N. Mobile, AL 36607 251-202-5290 Roofing
415 Gerrard Dr. Florence, AL 35630
256-275-3878 Process Piping, Drywall, Plastering, Acoustical and Insulation
701 N. McDonough St. Montgomery, AL 36104 334-262-6442 Electrical Contractor
R & S Paving and Grading Inc. Logan Rawson naomi@rspaving.org P.O. Box 1264 Foley, AL 36536 251-943-2071 Highway
Rabren General Contractors Jon Rabren, Matt Rabren jonrabren@rabren.com, mattrabren@rabren.com
Rabren General Contractors Jacob M. Drescher, Mike Scarborough Jacobdrescher@rabren.com, mikescarborough@rabren.com
306 Persimmon Dr. Auburn, AL 36830
2100 Devereux Cir. Ste. 100 Vestavia Hills, AL 35243
Rast Construction Inc. Bobby Rast, Thomas Rast II brast@rastconstruction.com P.O. Box 2072 Birmingham, AL 35201
Reeve Electric Co. Inc. Ken Reeve, Robert Reeve ken@reeve-electric.com, robert@reeve-electric.com
Reeves & Shaw Construction LLC Ron Reeves, Douglas Shaw Rreeves@reevesandshawconstruction. com, dshaw@reevesandshawconstruction.com
REV Construction Inc. Jason Brown, Grady Pugh jbrown.revc@att.net, gradypugh@yahoo.com
Rhodes Electric LLC Brandon Rhodes, Dusty Rhodes Brandon@RhodesElectricLLC.com, Dusty@RhodesElectricLLC.com
Ridgeline Construction HSV Inc. Josh Taber Jtaber@ridgelineconstructionhsv.com
Ridgeline Construction HSV Inc. Terry Marsh
334-826-6143 Building
205-832-0068 Building
205-942-6888 Utilities
2428 2nd Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35233 205-252-4141 Electrical Contractor
PMB 389 / 104 Apple Ave. Ste. 3 Dothan, AL 36303
5801 Grover Burchfield Dr. Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
113 Caring Cross Florence, AL 35633
11390 US Hwy. 31 S., Unit B Spanish Fort, AL 36527
Tmarsh@ridgelineconstructionhsv.com 13800 Mooresville Rd. Athens, AL 35613
Riley Bridge Co. Inc. Cynthia Riley rbridge1@bellsouth.net P.O. Box 716 Russellville, AL 35653
Rives Construction Co. Inc. Brad Avery, Chris Rives Brada@rives.com, chris@rives.com
5200 Grantswood Rd. Birmingham, AL 35210
RJ Mechanical Inc. Joseph Martin, Mike Rodda mrodda@rjmechanical.com 3153 Bellwood Dr. Birmingham, AL 35243
Rob Middleton Construction LLC Rob Middleton, Jimmy Robinson rob@rm-const.com, jimmy@rm-const.com P.O. Box 91355 Mobile, AL 36691
Robinson & Sons Construction Services Inc. Ranee Robinson, James F. Robinson Jr. robinsons5763@ymail.com
80 Fifth Ave. Halleyville, AL 35565
Rob't. J. Baggett Inc. Beau Baggett, Charles 'Chuck' Dicks Jr. beau@rjbaggett.com, Chuck@rjbaggett.com 759 Holcomb Ave. Mobile, AL 36606
Rogers & Willard Inc. Manson Brooks, Mike Rogers mbrooks@rogerswillard.com, mrogers@rogerswillard.com
550 Saint Michael St., Ste. A Mobile, AL 36602
334-677-5600 Commercial and Institutional Construction
205-349-1860 Natural Gas Distribution
256-762-1828 Plumbing and Electrical Contractor
251-307-5512 Building
256-617-5912 Roofing
256-332-9583 Highway
205-443-5000 Utilities
205-968-0991 Plumbing, HVAC Contractors
251-661-1637 Highway
205-486-5763 Building
251-473-3290 Utilities
251-479-2675 Full Service Commercial and Industrial Construction
ALABAMA ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS
Rogers Group 'Northeast Alabama Construction' Walton Ashwander, David South Walt.ashwander@rogersgroupinc.com, David.South@rogersgroupinc.com
Rogers Group Inc. Scot Cornelius, Rebecca Brown scot.cornelius@rogersgroupinc.com, rebecca.brown@rogersgroupinc.com
Rogers Group Inc. Nick Scott nick.scott@rogersgroupinc.com
2512 Trina Blvd. SW Huntsville, AL 35805
520 Three Mile Ln. Tuscumbia, AL 35674
149 Parks Chapel Rd. Lacey's Spring, AL 35754
Rogers Group Inc. Rock Division Ben Adomyetz ben.adomyetz@rogersgroupinc.com 9271 Hwy. 31 Tanner, AL 35671
Rolin Construction Inc. Chase Boyce, Stephanie Rolin chase@rolinbuilds.com, stephanie@rolinbuilds.com
8620 Spanish Fort Blvd. #200 Spanish Fort, AL 36527
Russell Construction of Alabama Inc. Scott Grissom, Josie Russell Young sgrissom@russellala.com, jrussell@russellala.com 6101 Brewbaker Blvd. Montgomery, AL 36116
Russell S. Lee Floor & Tile Co. Inc. Judith Suther jsuther@rslee.com
Russo Corp. Keith Brown kbrown@russocorp.com
P.O. Box 20166 Tuscaloosa, AL 35402
P.O. Box 190048 Birmingham, AL 35219
Russo Corp. Sam Brown Sbrown@russocorp.com 1421 Mims Ave. SW Birmingham, AL 35211
S & S Sprinkler, a Pye Barker Co. Justin Merrick, Derick Boutwell derick.boutwell@sssprinkler.com
S & W Electric Co. Inc. Richard Stewart, Joe Willoughby Jr. rstew12@aol.com, joejr@sandwelectric.com
S.J.&L., Civil Contractors Inc. Michael Tew, Cory Holcomb mtew@sjlcontractors.com, Cory@sjlcontractors.com
Saliba Construction Co. Inc. Jane Saliba, Ricky Saliba rsaliba@salibaconstruction.com
Scarborough & Associates Inc. Phillip Meredeth, David Scarborough pmeredeth@sai-dothan.com, dscarborough@sai-dothan.com
Schmidt Environmental Construction Inc. Aaron Schmidt aaron@schmidteci.com
P.O. Box 7453 Mobile, AL 36670
P.O. Box 10186 Birmingham, AL 35202
P.O. Box 190034 Mobile, AL 36619
P.O. Box 1205 Dothan, AL 36302
P.O. Box 7127 Dothan, AL 36302
P.O. Box 369 Auburn, AL 36831
Scholt Industries Inc. Latisha Scott, Marasu Scott lscott@scholtindustries.com, mscott@scholtindustries.com 102 Park Square Ln. Madison, AL 35758
Scott Bridge Co. Inc. Michael Terrell mterrell@scottbridge.com P.O. Box 2000 Opelika, AL 36801
Sentry Heating & Air Inc. Charlie Conklin, Pam Conklin Cconklin@sentryheating.com, Pconklin@sentryheating.com 2490 Rocky Ridge Rd. Vestavia Hills, AL 35243
Service Steel Inc. Herb Taylor, Matt Taylor mtaylor@servicesteelinc.com 4208 E. Schrimscher Ln. Huntsville, AL 35805
Shannon Brothers Tile Inc. Billy Shannon, Mike Shannon mike@sbtile.com 1309 Putman Dr. NW Huntsville, AL 35816
Sheltons Railroad Construction Inc. Bobby Shelton BL.Shelton@yahoo.com 15531 Hasting Rd. Athens, AL 35613
256-533-0505 Highway
256-383-1645 Highway
256-650-3992 Highway
256-650-3992 Highway
251-368-0072 Building
334-215-1617 Building
205-345-1735 Tile, Marble, Terrazzo and Mosaic Contractors
205-923-4434 Utility Services, Site Prep
205-902-5421 Utility Services, Site Prep
251-473-6000 Fire Protection
205-595-8103 Utilities
251-661-7926 Utilities
334-792-9871 Industrial
334-794-2781 Electrical Contractor
334-887-0334 Utilities
205-276-8521
334-749-5045 Industrial
205-979-9864 Piping , Plumbing and HVAC Contractors
256-837-6520 Tile, Marble, Terrazzo and Mosaic Contractors
256-233-4375 Heavy Shoals Electric Co. Inc. Frankie Tubbs, Jamie Prater ftubbs@shoalselectric.com, jprater@shoalselectric.com
704 Davison Ave. Muscle Shoals, AL 35661
Shoals MPE LLC Sam Copeland, Josh Wilburn Scopeland@shoalsmpe.com, JWilburn@callmpe.com 3311 County Rd. 47 Florence, AL 35630
Shook & Fletcher
Mech. Contr. Inc. Jimbo Traywick, Lindy Henderson Lindy@shook-fletcher.com P.O. Box 10803 Birmingham, AL 35202
Simpson Plastering LLC Woody Kennedy, John Kolen Wkennedy@simpsonplastering.com, Jkolen@simpsonplastering.com 4800 Division Ave., Bdg. 200 Birmingham, AL 35222
Skipper's General Contractors Inc. Beverly Skipper sgcinc79@aol.com
5400 County Rd. 22 Evergreen, AL 36401
Slaughter Construction Co. Inc. Robert Slaughter slaucon@slaughterconstruction.com 1002 McConnell Ave. Bay Minette, AL 36507
Sloan Utility Contracting Kim Ellis, David Sloan sloanutilitycont@bellsouth.net, Tunco@bellsouth.net 6949 Turner Mountain Rd. Hokes Bluff, AL 35903
Smith Electric & Associates dba
T. K. Smith & John Little Electric Co. Inc. Tammy Guidry, Terrel 'T.K.' Smith tammy@smithelec.com
2570 Halls Mill Rd. Mobile, AL 36606
Smith General Contractors LLC Justin Vandiver, Marty Vandiver jvandiver@smithgeneralcontr.com, mvandiver@smithgeneralcontr.com 450 Rose Dr. Florence, AL 35630
Snow-Blakeney Construction Hank Snow Hsnow@snow-blakeney.com
P.O. Box 3086 Tuscaloosa, AL 35403
Southeast Industrial Construction Kayla Trachsel, Daniel Pittman ktrachsel@seiconstruction.com, dpittman@southeastindustrial.com 1725 W - 1st North St. Morristown, TN 37814
Southeastern Sealcoating Inc. Brandon Streety, David Henderson david@southeasternsealcoating.com 1330 Adamsville Ind. Pkwy. Birmingham, AL 35224
Southeastern Steel Services Ron Pharr ronpharr@s3steelservices.com P.O. Box 360 Vincent, AL 35178
Speegle Contracting Co. Inc. Bart Stricklin Daphne@speeglecontracting.com
SPJ General Contractors Inc. Steve Pace steve@spj1.com
P.O. Box 2215 Cullman, AL 35055
P.O. Box 610 Trinity, AL 35673
Stanley Construction Co. Inc. Al Stanley, Thornton Stanley Jr. astanley@stanley-hsv.com, wrice@stanley-hsv.com 4410 A Evangle Cir. Huntsville, AL 35816
Stone Building Co. Brett Drummond, Justin Drummond bdrummond@stonebuilding.com, jdrummond@stonebuilding.com 8011 Liberty Pkwy., Ste. 201 Vestavia Hills, AL 35242
Strozier Construction Inc. Greg Strozier, Jeff Strozier strozier@ymail.com
P.O. Box 101295 Birmingham, AL 35210
Stuart Construction LLC Gil Amos, Bill Mitchell Gamos@stuartconstructionllc.com, Bmitchell@stuartconstructionllc.com P.O. Box 579 Bay Minette, AL 36507
Sue Jac Inc. Brett Bryan, James Hooper brett.bryan@sue-jac.com 1402 Southfield Dr. SE Decatur, AL 35603 256-355-0977 Industrial
Summerville Construction Co. Inc. Bob Summerville, Katie Summerville Bob@summco.com, Katie@summco.com
P.O. Box 97 Faunsdale, AL 36738 334-546-2735 Light Commercial
Summit Electrical Construction Inc. Mike Custred, Shawn Custred mcustred@summiteci.com, scustred@summiteci.com 711 39th St. N. Birmingham, AL 35222 205-591-0155 Electrical Contractor
Summit Waterproofing Inc. Dan Stegall dan@summit-waterproofing.com P.O. Box 1948 Pelham, AL 35124
205-664-3105 Industrial
Sykes Weaver LLC Rusty Weaver, Hasting Skyes Rusty@SykesWeaver.com, Hasting@SykesWeaver.com 870 Vestlake Ridge Dr. Vestavia Hills, AL 35242 205-529-9377 Building
Synergy Drywall & Acoustical Contractors Jason Hill jasonhill@synergysc.net
T & F Inc. Gene Freeman tfinc1@aol.com
T. E. Stevens Construction Inc. Patrick McLaughlin, Tom Stevens pmclaughlin@testevens.com, tstevens@testevens.com
Taylor & Miree Construction Inc. Wes Taylor, Nick Byram wes@taylor-miree.com, nick@taylor-miree.com
Taylor Electric Inc. Chris Holladay, Collin Holladay chris@TaylorElectricUtility.com, Cholladay@TaylorElectricUtility.com
TDG Development Co. LLC John Stacy, Steve Chester John@dobbinsgroup.net, Steve@dobbinsgroup.net
TerMac Construction Inc. Adam Weaver, Conan K Terrell aweaver@termac-construction.com, cterrell@termac-construction.com
P.O. Box 964 Oneonta, AL 35121
P.O. Box 320036 Birmingham, AL 35232
2511 Ruffner Rd. Birmingham, AL 35210
Eleven Dexter Ave. Birmingham, AL 35213
5592 Wall Triana Hwy. Madison, AL 35758
2914 Linden Ave. Birmingham, AL 35209
7282 Dolphin St. Daphne, AL 36526
Thomas Industries Inc. Derek Thomas, Kyle Thomas derek@thomasconst.com, Kyle@thomasconst.com 362 Commercial Park Dr. Fairhope, AL 36532
Timberline Construction Group Clay Curtis, Joshua Green Ccurtis@timberlinecg.com, Jgreen@timberlinecg.com
87 Pardue Rd. Birmingham, AL 35124
Tortorigi Construction Jeremy Tortorigi, Joseph Tortorigi jeremyt@tortorigi.com, jtortorigi@tortorigi.com P.O. Box 824 Trussville, AL 35173
Triptek Construction LLC Miles Smith Miles@triptekllc.com 1626 Jack Springs Rd. Atmore, AL 36502
TTL Inc. Ryan Costanzo rcostanzo@ttlusa.com 3516 Greesboro Ave. Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
TTL Inc. Dean McClure dmcclure@ttlusa.com P.O. Drawer 1128 Tuscaloosa, AL 35403
Two Oaks Construction LLC Joseph D. Winters, David Rice jwinters@twooaksconstruction.net, Drice@twooaksconstruction.net
428 Main St., Ste. B Trussville, AL 35173
Underground Inc. Kevin Nezat uground316@aol.com 11251 Moffett Rd. Wilmer, AL 36587
Vail Painting LLC Warren Vail vailpaintingLLC@yahoo.com 4007 Shaw Dr. Tuscaloosa, AL 35404
Victor Sign Co. LLC Justin Thompson Justin@victorsign.com
Virginia Wrecking Co. Inc. Kyle Maddox, Daniel Schambeau kmaddox@virginiawrecking.com, dschambeau@virginiawrecking.com
205-657-4030 Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
251-653-7143 Building
251-626-3907 Wrecking/Demolition Contractors
205-484-0830 Industrial
205-428-0556 Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
251-456-6576 Utilities
334-279-8765 Building
334-215-8000 Highway
205-680-3799 Utilities
205-758-4723 Building
500 Southland Dr. Ste. 101 Birmingham, AL 35226 205-824-4088 Building
330 Homeland Way Montevallo, AL 35115
205-665-1183 Industrial Whaley Construction Co. Inc. Alex Whaley II, Alex Whaley Sr. aw2@whaleycci.com, a.whaleysr@whaleycci.com
Whitesell Green Inc. Steven Locklear, Kemp Wilson elocklear@whitesell-green.com, kemp@barcisdc.com
White-Spunner Construction Brandon Miller, John WhiteSpunner brandon.miller@white-spunner.com, john.white-spunner@white-spunner.com
Wiggins Building Corp. Michael Wiggins, Victor Wiggins Michael@wigginsbuildingcorp.com, Vic@wigginsbuildingcorp.com
Williams Electric Co. Inc. Ron Weaver, Keith Sockwell ron@williamsele.net, keith@williamsele.net
P.O. Box 768 Troy, AL 36081
P.O. Box 2849 Pensacola, FL 32513
2010 W. I-65 Service Rd. S. Mobile, AL 36693
600 Vestavia Pkwy. Ste. 120 Birmingham, AL 35216
706 Hwy. 43 S. Tuscumbia, AL 35674
Wilson Properties Inc. (WPI) H Bennett 'Benji' Wilson Jr. benjiwilson@aol.com 801 N. Patton Florence, AL 35630
Wiltew Wesley William III, Wes Williams Jr. j.williams@wiltew.com, sales@wiltew.com P.O. Box 6 Semmes, AL 36575
Winston Contracting LLC Don Duncan, James Duncan donduncan@winstoncontracting.com, jamesduncan@winstoncontracting.com P.O. Box 129 Pelham, AL 35124
Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc. Jamie Owens, Jamey Padget Jowens@wiregrassconstruction.com, Jpadget@wiregrassconstruction.com 8974 N. US Hwy. 231 Ariton, AL 36311
Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc. Renee Boshell, Catherine Duckworth Rboshell@wiregrassconstruction.com, cduckworth@wiregrassconstruction.com 110 Office Park Cir. Ste. 300 Birmingham, AL 35223
Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc. John Combs, Ryan Brooks Jcombs@wiregrassconstruction.com, ryan.brooks@constructionpartners.net P.O. Drawer 929 Dothan, AL 36302
Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc. Greer Walker, Jeff Johnson gwalker@wiregrassconstruction.com, jjohnson@wiregrassconstruction.com 6200 Stringfield Rd. NW Huntsville, AL 35806
334-566-4630 Building, Utilities
850-434-5311 Building
251-471-5189 Building, Utilities
205-823-6161 Building
256-383-0414 Electrical Contractor
256-764-5544 Building
251-661-9770 ASME, Pressure Vessels and Repairs, Structural Steel
205-620-6110 Highway
334-762-2397 Highway
205-620-4132 Highway
334-762-2397 Highway
256-852-2827 Highway
Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc. Shaun Stapleton, Blake LaMont sstapleton@wiregrassconstruction.com, blamont@wiregrassconstruction.com P.O. Box 81222 Mobile, AL 36689 251-342-6250 Highway
Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc. Brett Armstrong, Joey Armstrong barmstrong@wiregrassconstruction.com, jarmstrong@wiregrassconstruction.com 1342 Carmichael Way Montgomery, AL 36106 334-356-2560 Highway
Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc. Brandon Owens, Dan Richardson browens@WiregrassConstruction.com, Drichardson@wiregrassconstruction.com 951 Dow St. Pelham, AL 35124 205-620-4132 Highway
Wright Construction Co. Mike Kontio, Colton Bryant mike@wcc-huntsville.com, colton@wcc-huntsville.com 3105 12th Ave. SW Huntsville, AL 35805 256-529-4993 Building
Youngblood Barrett Construction & Engineering LLC Erwin Barrett, Chris Dunning erwin.barrett@ybce.net, Chris.Dunning@ybce.net 5482 Todd Acres Dr. Mobile, AL 36619
251-443-5682 Building, Utilities
TAKING TO THE SKIES
Her airline gig was meant as a gap year; instead it became a high-flying career
By NANCY RANDALL
Michielle Sego-Johnson, vice president of inflight services and catering operations at United Airlines.
length of the training, their first question was, ‘How did it take that much to be trained to serve Coke and Diet Coke?’ I said, well, let me tell you what it really takes. They came to my graduation, and they were so proud then because they [had] the insight that they didn’t have [previously],” she recalls.
United flight attendants learn the basics of the operating systems of multiple aircraft, whether it’s the Boeing 777 or an Airbus product. Each aircraft has unique features and emergency procedures, along with specific communication systems, Sego-Johnson explains.
At a newer Houston facility, United flight attendants are trained in “ditching” in case of a water landing, she says. A fuselage mock-up stands at one end of a very large pool. Flight attendants jump out of the fuselage with life vests on, then board a raft.
They also learn customer service skills like how to de-escalate tense situations with passengers. “Sometimes it’s as simple as how you speak to someone and how you offer to help them,” she says.
United posts its flight attendant openings about four times a year. In one day, the company receives about 10,000 applications, Sego-Johnson says. “We are highly selective in who we choose, and only a very small percentage of people are selected for the position and for training. That’s great because we only want the best of the best.”
With decades in the airline industry, Sego-Johnson has witnessed many changes in technology. When she first started flying, she carried a beeper/pager, which alerted her that she was needed for a flight. “You waited to be beeped, and then you had to rush to the airport,” she says.
Beepers are no longer used to flag flight attendants. Paper airline tickets have gone by the wayside, along with paper drink tickets. Passengers have all the flight information they need on their cell phones via the United app, explains Sego-Johnson. During her career, she has experienced destinations that weren’t top of mind growing up in Alabama. Family vacations consisted of summer trips to Destin or Panama City, plus some other U.S. locales, she says.
As vice president of inflight services and catering operations at United Airlines, Michielle Sego-Johnson oversees much of what goes on inside the airplane cabin.
“But we didn’t travel internationally,” she explains. “To be able to have that opportunity has been really fantastic.”
A recent business trip took her to New Delhi, India. “It was nowhere on my bucket list, but it was fascinating,” she says.
More than a year ago, she traveled to Dubai as part of her responsibility for United’s catering operations, which span 140 kitchens around the world. “I had the opportunity to go there as we set up our kitchen for routes we were restarting from Newark to Dubai. That was an incredibly interesting place to visit,” Sego-Johnson notes.
“It really is an exciting time to be at United,” she says. “We’re officially now the largest airline in the world.”
Nancy Randall is a Tuscaloosa-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
Mobile County
by EMMETT BURNETT
Who knew that a county born from ships, that mastered maritime commerce 117 years before Alabama became a state and whose biggest city is nicknamed “The Port City,” would become a center for aerospace? In Mobile County, the sky’s the limit.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s words were prophetic nine years ago. “Mobile recognizes that the aerospace industry is in a prime position for growth,” the mayor noted and added, “particularly with delivery of the first Airbus A320 from the Mobile final assembly line in 2016.”
Fast-forward to 2024. In October, Airbus announced a $150 million expansion, transforming the workforce from 1,800 to 2,800 employees.
Also in November, Aerostar, a provider of aerospace repair services, announced plans to grow its Brookley Aeroplex operations in Mobile. The $4.7 million project is expected to create 50 jobs within the next three years.
In addition, in December 2023, MAAS, known for its aircraft painting expertise, announced expansion plans for its Mobile operations. Addressing the news, MAAS Aviation Chief Operating
Officer Geoff Myrick notes, “Mobile has proven to be an ideal location to grow our business, and we are looking forward to expanding our footprint at Brookley Field.”
Aerospace is not competing with Mobile County’s maritime industry but rather complimenting it. The praise is well deserved — in 2025 Mobile’s ports are shipshape.
The Port of Mobile generates $98.3 billion in economic value to Alabama and 351,359 jobs either directly or indirectly are associated with the port. Activity at the public and private terminals generates one in seven jobs statewide. Forbes Magazine ranks the Port of Mobile as the second fastest-growing port in the U.S.
And a new international airport at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley is slated to open next year, offering easier access to commercial flights — closer to downtown and more convenient to Interstates 10 and 65 than the current regional airport.
But one of the biggest Mobile stories
was neither sky nor sea, but a 60-year-old Civic Center being demolished to make way for a new one. Mobile is tearing down the city icon and constructing a new, world-class entertainment destination suited for concerts, family shows and sporting events. The project is valued at approximately $237 million.
On a similar note, the city of Saraland’s $70-plus million Sportsplex, “The Land,” is open for softball and baseball. Tennis, pickleball, rock climbing, basketball, nature trails and more are set to open in late 2025 or early 2026.
On the other end of the county,
Mobile County
A drone view of The Land in Saraland.
USS Battleship Alabama Memorial Park. Photo by Emmett Burnett.
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Madison County: $83,528
Baldwin County: $75,019
Jefferson County: $64,589
Washington County: $60,503
Montgomery County: $58,153
Mobile County: $58,119
Clarke County: $49,167
Escambia County: $44,447
Dauphin Island recently opened its long-awaited Community Center. The nearly 13,000-square-foot building includes a stage, catering kitchen, restroom facilities and two meeting rooms that will seat both 100 and 350 people.
Health care remains a major employer for Mobile County, accounting for 15% of the workforce. Of that, Infirmary Health, on average, sees more than 1.5 million patient visits per year and holds more than 50% of the health care market share in Mobile and Baldwin counties.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
POPULATION Total Alabama Population: 5,157,699
Jefferson County: 664,744
Madison County: 423,355
Mobile County: 412,339
Baldwin County: 261,608
Montgomery County: 225,894
Escambia County: 36,330
Clarke County: 22,142
Washington County: 15,018
Many health care workers are trained in Mobile County’s colleges and universities. The University of South Alabama includes a medical school, while it and the University of Mobile, Bishop State, Spring Hill College, Faulkner University and others offer nursing or other health care programs.
On a recreational note, old favorites like the USS Alabama Battleship Park and Bellingrath Gardens and Home attract thousands annually to Mobile. Both are in Alabama’s Top 10 most popular attractions.
Mobile County continues its growth in 2025 — from shipbuilding to aircraft construction to cargo handling to new civic facilities. The city of Mobile, and neighbors from Saraland and Semmes to Dauphin Island, report a surge in business and residential growth. And whether it’s shipping, industry, retail or aviation — collectively, Mobile County’s towns and cities reach for the sky.
Emmett Burnett is a Satsuma-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Economic Engines
AVIATION
Mobile is the 4th largest manufacturing location for commercial aviation in the world. Aerospace is the city’s fastest growing industry sector, with large employers in the region showing 56% growth in 5 years.
Leaders in flight include Airbus US Manufacturing Facility with more than 2,000 employees and Continental Aerospace Technologies with a 375-plus workforce, and an array of supplier firms.
Mobile County education institutions — college level and high schools — have greatly emphasized aerospace industry success. Several schools are leading in implementing a strategic framework within
the Mobile County Public School System. Aviation curriculums allow high school students to pursue aviation technology career pathways that lead directly to employment.
Both Bishop State Community College and Coastal Alabama Community College have designed curriculums that align with the demand of the region’s job market.
The Alabama Aviation Center at Coastal Alabama offers specialized tracks in aviation manufacturing, airframe technology and powerplant technology. Bishop State features adult education pathways and dual enrollment opportunities leading to certificates in aerospace manufacturing.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
APRIL 2025: Primo A/S opens a plastic extrusion facility in Mobile, its first in the U.S., to support SLB OneSubsea, which makes subsea cables and umbilicals.
FEBRUARY 2025: Birminghambased trucking firm Robbie D. Wood Inc., which specializes in transportation of chemical products and hazardous waste, has broken ground for a terminal in Saraland. It expects to employ 100 people.
FEBRUARY 2025: ArcelorMittal announces plans to invest $1.6 billion in a new mill alongside AM/NS Calvert to produce non-grain-oriented electrical steel.
OCTOBER 2024: Birdon announces a major expansion at its Bayou La Batre shipyard. The move will create 136 new jobs.
JULY 2024: Stimpson StrongTie is investing $7.5 million in a move to the South Alabama Logistic Park.
TAXES
PROPERTY TAX
mills
TAX
Cities within the County Bayou La Batre: 4.5%
Chickasaw: 4.5%
Citronelle: 4%
Creola: 4%
Dauphin Island: 4%
Mobile: 5%
Mount Vernon: 4%
Prichard: 5%
Saraland: 4.5%
Satsuma: 4.5%
Semmes: 4%
STATE OF ALABAMA: 4%
Source: Alabama Department of Revenue
ALABAMA PORT AUTHORITY
Established in 1928, the Port of Mobile contributes $98.3 billion annually in economic value to Alabama. It provides 351,359 direct and indirect jobs, and state and local revenues topping $2.4 million. The Alabama Port Authority serves
OCTOBER 2024: The Alabama Port Authority and APM Terminals kick off the fourth major expansion of cargo facilities to double the capacity for containerized cargo.
OCTOBER 2024: Austal breaks ground for a new submarine module facility at its Mobile plant as part of its $450 million contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat.
OCTOBER 2024: Proplate announces plans to invest
$1 million in a new facility in Chunchula. Proplate is a turnkey provider of manufacturing services.
AUGUST 2024: SSAB is set to enhance its Mobile operations with a $12 million capital investment to increase production capacity.
OCTOBER 2024: Aerostar announces a $4.7 million expansion at its plant at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, adding 50 jobs.
Primo A/S opens a plastic extrusion facility in Mobile.
Largest Industrial Employers
AUSTAL USA | MOBILE
Shipbuilding • 3,000
AIRBUS US MANUFACTURING
FACILITY | MOBILE
Aircraft assembly • 2,000
AM/NS CALVERT | CALVERT
Carbon steel • 1,800
OUTOKUMPU STAINLESS | CALVERT
Stainless steel manufacturing • 1,000
EVONIK CORP. | THEODORE
Specialty chemicals • 800 plus
KIMBERLY-CLARK CORP. | MOBILE
Paper products • 625
SSAB AMERICAS | AXIS
Steel • 590
BASF | MOBILE
Speciality chemicals • 580
LENZING FIBERS | AXIS
Tencel Fibers • 495
CONTINENTAL AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES | MOBILE
Gasoline and jet aircraft engines • 375
Sources: Local economic development officials
Ground is broken for Austal’s Module Manufacturing Facility, its second expansion in 2024, preparing for submarine module construction.
all 67 counties in Alabama and oversees the deep-water public port facilities in Mobile. The Port Authority’s container, general cargo and bulk facilities have immediate access to two major interstates, five Class I railroads, four short-line railroads, and nearly 15,000 miles of inland waterways.
The port is also adjacent to the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, an industrial complex and airport. The scope of connectivity at the port allows reach of 50% of the U.S. population within 48 hours of unloading cargo.
It has invested more than $1.4 billion in the last 20 years to modernize and grow its facilities.
SHIPBUILDING
A center for shipbuilding for centuries, Mobile is now home to the massive Austal
BUSINESS BRIEFS
AUGUST 2024: Frito-Lay announces plans for a 25,000-square-foot distribution center in Prichard to open in June 2025. The facility will serve as the direct store delivery hub for the greater Mobile area.
JANUARY 2024: Meyer Companies reported plans to expand its operations by constructing a state-of-theart 10,000-square-foot steel building to house its coatings department in Mobile County.
JANUARY 2024: Eco Material Technologies announces a project to produce supplementary cementitious material (SCM) using coal ash from Alabama Power generation. SCM is used in construction projects including roads and bridges.
JULY 2024: Veyer, a wholly owned subsidiary of Office Depot, is moving to the South Alabama Logistics Park.
USA plant, consistently the county’s largest industrial employer. Silver Ships, Master Boat Builders and Birdon craft vessels along coastal waterways.
CHEMICALS, METALS & PAPER
From stainless steel to tissue paper, Mobile County’s chemical and metal manufacturing covers a wide path of production.
Prominent participants in the industrial field include metal producers Outokumpu Stainless, AM/NS Calvert and SSAB Americas.
In a 2024 announcement, European steel producer ArcelorMittal revealed plans for a $1 billion electrical steel plant near Calvert, in Mobile County. With construction expected to begin in 2025, the target start-up date is 2027.
Alabama plays a leading role in the
JUNE 2024: Gulf Sterilization announces plans for a medical device sterilization and decontamination facility in Mobile.
FEBRUARY 2024: Austal USA announces plans to increase manufacturing capacity with an additional final assembly building and ship lift. The $228 million expansion will add more than 1,000 jobs.
DECEMBER 2023: MAAS Aviation plans to add two additional paint hangars to its current three at Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. The project is a $1.6 million expansion.
JULY 2023: Core Industries entered into an agreement with CM Biomass to construct a processing and storage facility at its Theodore location, an $8.75 million investment.
Source: Economic developers
U.S. chemical industry. The Alabama Gulf Coast chemical corridor is home to a cluster of chemical companies stretching 60 miles through the Mobile area. Chemical manufacturing is Mobile’s top export and Alabama’s second largest export. Chemical producers include Evonik Corp., Lenzing Fibers and BASF.
Kimberly-Clark Corp. makes paper products, including bath tissue and paper towels under the Scott, Cottonelle and K-C Professional brand names.
HEALTH CARE
In addition to being a regional center for medical care, research and education, according to Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, approximately 15% of Mobile’s workforce is employed in the health care sector.
Mobile also has a cancer research center, associated with the University of South Alabama.
The top three employers in healthcare are the University of South Alabama,
which educates physicians, nurses and other health care workers and provides several hospitals and multiple clinics, and has 9,400 employees; Infirmary Health System with 4,700 employees across multiple hospital facilities and clinics, and Springhill Medical Center with 1,600 employees.
Mobile is also a regional center for medical care, research and education. The health care workforce is directly built through health and science career pathways at all local high schools.
and professionals experienced in logistics, supply chain management and international trade.
LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION
The Port of Mobile is a major hub in the United States, requiring a diverse workforce with skilled laborers, engineers
To meet this demand, every four-year educational institution in the Mobile area provides comprehensive training and educational programs to prepare students for logistics careers.
Once a luxurious ocean liner, the SS United States is docked in Mobile while it’s being prepared for new life as a fishing reef. Photo by Emmett Burnett.
Higher Education
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
The University of South Alabama and USA Health, with nearly 12,000 employees combined, represent the largest employer in the region. Jo Bonner, formerly the U.S. Representative from Southern Alabama, took office in 2022 as the university’s fourth president.
USA’s highlights over the past two years includes:
• USA purchased Ascension Providence Hospital in October 2023 for $85 million.
• Enrollment has increased in each of the past two years, reaching more than 14,000 students in fall 2024.
• Construction is underway on the 250,000-square-foot Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine Building, which is scheduled for completion in January 2027. The $200 million state-of-the-art facility will allow USA to increase medical school graduates from 80 to 100 annually, with the capability of increasing to 125 in the future.
• In December 2024, USA purchased a 156-unit apartment complex across the street from campus for $20.2 million to help meet increasing demand for on-campus housing.
• The university is building a $10 million facility that will house the Jaguar Marching Band. The indoor-outdoor facility will
This rendering shows the new $182 million USA Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine building, which will join nursing, allied health, health simulation and medical library buildings at the corner of North Drive and University Boulevard. Slated for completion in 2026, BL Harbert International is constructing the facility.
include a full-sized lighted practice field identical to the Abraham A. Mitchell field at Hancock Whitney Stadium. It will allow the marching band to increase from its current 250 members to 350.
• Initiated in 2022, enrollment in USA’s Marine and Environmental Sciences undergraduate program has increased more than four-fold to 186 students in the last two years.
• Among other programs, USA has added numerous academic initiatives, including an aerospace engineering degree, and strengthened support for active-duty military and their dependents through the new Office of Military Services.
SPRING HILL COLLEGE
Spring Hill College is the oldest college in Alabama, the oldest Catholic college in the Southeast and among the oldest Jesuit institutions in the country. With a 13:1 student to faculty ratio, the college prides itself on offering an exceptional, well-rounded education rooted in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis — care for the whole person.
Students are encouraged to grow intellectually, morally and spiritually, developing the skills needed for success in the classroom and beyond. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and is in the process of building a $35 million Health and Science Innovation Center
where nursing and STEM students will take their classes.
In addition to its on-campus offerings, Spring Hill College also has online bachelor’s degrees and master’s programs in business administration, nursing and theology with flexible online learning options for inquisitive minds at any stage of life.
BISHOP STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Bishop State Community College is a state-supported, open-admission, urban community college located in Mobile, with four campuses serving residents of Mobile and Washington counties.
Bishop State is part of the Alabama Community College System, the state-supported network of two-year community, junior and technical colleges that serves the residents of Alabama.
Bishop State offers university transfer programs for students wanting to continue their education at a four-year school, or for those who seek to start careers right away, the college’s one and two-year career programs can put students on the fast track to rewarding jobs. Career programs are tailored to labor-market trends and job requirements.
Recent updates include:
• Bishop State’s fall 2024 enrollment has reached 4,107 students, a 15% increase over fall 2023.
• Students and alumni of Bishop State Community College contributed $263.8 million to the
state’s economy, an amount equal to about 1.0% of the region’s total gross regional product, according to an independent report.
• Earlier in 2025, the school celebrated the opening of the $10.6 million Carver Instructional Site. The fa-
cility is home to welding, culinary, arts, barbering, hairstyling and other adult education training.
• The culinary arts program qualified for a five-year reaccreditation by the American Culinary Federation Educational Foundation.
UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE
With an enrollment of 1,989, from 34 states and 23 countries, the University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences university, integrating faith and learning.
The 880-acre campus has more than 75 academic programs. In addition, UM’s 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio offers small class sizes for more personal attention and mentoring for students. Programs of study are organized into the Alabama School of the Arts, College of Arts & Science, College of Health Professions, School of Business, School of Christian Studies and the School of Education.
Charles W. Smith Jr. was named the sixth president of the University of Mobile in 2024. He succeeded Lonnie Burnett, who served from 2019 until he retired in 2024. During Burnett’s tenure, the school added the J.L. Bedsole Sports Performance Complex and the Lonnie & Lynne Burnett Event Center, a new performance and conference venue.
COASTAL ALABAMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CACC, part of the Alabama Community College System, has 12 locations on the Gulf Coast, including The Alabama Aviation Center at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. Established January 2001, students experience hands-on instruction in airframe technology and powerplant technology. With 15 courses focused on aircraft maintenance, students can choose the program that suits their career goals. The curriculum prepares students to take the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification.
FAULKNER UNIVERSITY
Faulkner University offers more than 60 on-campus majors and more than 23 online majors. The school has maintained a Mobile campus for more than 30 years.
Scholastic offerings at the Mobile site include four associate degrees — liberal arts, science, computer and information science and legal studies.
Twelve bachelor’s degrees also are offered at the Mobile campus.
The University of Mobile nursing program has an enviable record for performance on national licensing exams.
Movers & Shapers
OWEN BAILEY is CEO and senior associate vice president for medical affairs at USA Health in Mobile. A fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives, he serves on the Business Council of Alabama, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers boards; on Hancock Whitney Bank’s Alabama market advisory board; and is Alabama’s delegate to the American Hospital Association’s regional policy board. He is past chairman of the Alabama Hospital Association board. A graduate of Auburn University, where he was drum major for the marching band, he holds a master’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
JOSIAH “JO” ROBINS BONNER JR. is president of the University of South Alabama. For a decade, Bonner represented Alabama’s First District in the U.S. House of Representatives, followed by a term as chief of staff to Gov. Kay Ivey. He is a 2023 graduate and serves on the board of Leadership Alabama. He is an inductee of the Alabama Academy of Honor and recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor the U.S. Navy bestows on a civilian, and has been named the 2023 Patriot of the Year by Mobile Bay Area Veterans Council.
bama. He is a founding board member of the Beverly Burton Scholarship Trust and serves on South’s Foundation for Research and Commercialization board.
BRADLEY BYRNE is president and CEO of the Mobile Chamber. Earlier, he spent four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, served on the Alabama State Board of Education, in the State Senate and as chancellor of the two-year college system. He also chaired Alabama’s Workforce Planning Council. He has more than 30 years’ experience as an attorney in private practice.
DAVID CLARK is president and CEO of Visit Mobile, collaborating with the city, the county, Mobile Chamber, Carnival Cruise, Mobile Airport Authority, Amtrak and cultural heritage organizations to promote business and leisure travel and events. He is an ex-officio board member for the state’s first Tourism Improvement District (TID), which was established in 2024 to tell Mobile’s story in new ways. Clark serves in leadership roles on numerous industry, civic and cultural boards. He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and a lifetime member of the Professional Golfers Association of America.
modal rail depots. Driscoll is board chair of the New Orleans Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and a member of the Business Council of Alabama, among other community organizations. He is a University of Maryland graduate.
RANDALL DUEITT is a Mobile County commissioner. Dueitt is a 23-year veteran of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. As a commissioner, he works to encourage economic development and to support schools, community centers and local businesses.
SHOMARI C. FIGURES represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. A Mobile native, he attended public schools before earning undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Alabama. Before being elected to Congress, he held several roles across the federal government — federal law clerk, White House staff member under President Barack Obama, counsel to the U.S. Senate and at the Department of Justice and deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
PHILIP BURTON is the CEO of Burton Property Group (BPG), a commercial real estate investment, development and management firm with a focus on industrial real estate. Burton is a Mobile native and a graduate of the University of South Ala-
JOHN C. DRISCOLL is director and CEO of the Alabama Port Authority, overseeing major capital improvements in the port’s coal, container intermodal and freight rail business lines — a 10-year program valued at $2 billion. Under Driscoll’s leadership, the Port is also developing inland inter-
BRENT HARRISON is the superintendent of Saraland City Schools. Earlier, he was principal at Saraland High School, Enterprise High School and Charles Henderson High School. A Troy University graduate, he has a master’s from the University of Montevallo and a doctorate from the University of South Alabama. Under Harrison’s leadership, Saraland City Schools have consistently ranked among the highest-performing school districts in Alabama. In addition to an ar-
ray of career-focused options, the schools also offer Alabama’s only Coast Guard JROTC unit.
CONNIE HUDSON is a Mobile County commissioner. Earlier, she served nine years on the Mobile City Council. She has participated in major economic development initiatives, including the Mobile area’s site selection for the ThyssenKrupp Steel Plant (now AM/NS Calvert), Austal USA, the Airbus U.S. Final Assembly Line and others. A Troy University graduate, she has served on the board of Ascension Providence, the Association of County Commissioners of Alabama, Mobile Arts Council and America’s Junior Miss (now Distinguished Young Women).
MICHELLE KRUGER is president of Austal USA, leading an organization of more than 3,000 shipbuilding professionals headquartered in Mobile, with operations in Washington, D.C., San Diego and Singapore. Before joining Austal USA, Kruger held a number of leadership positions at General Dynamics including in its Electric Boat and Bath Iron Works units. Kruger is a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate with a master’s from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She commissioned into the U.S. Navy reserves in 1987.
Commissioners of Alabama. She is also active with the state Workforce Development Board. A native of Mobile’s Crichton neighborhood, she graduated with honors in 1970 from Toulminville High School. She holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama and a Master of Divinity degree from the Alabama Interdenominational Seminary.
PATRICK MURPHY is vice president with Alabama Power, overseeing community affairs in seven counties of southwest Alabama. He is chairman of the Mobile Area
Chamber of Commerce and has been recognized by Boy Scouts of America with the 2025 Golden Eagle Award. An Auburn University graduate, he is past president of the Economic Development Association of Alabama and a graduate of Leadership Alabama. He serves on the boards of the Auburn University Research and Technology Foundation, the Infirmary Foundation, the Mobile Industrial Development Board, the Coastal Alabama Partnership and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation.
MERCERIA LUDGOOD is a Mobile County commissioner. She is active with the executive committee of the National Association of Counties, where she worked on the Gulf Oil Spill Task Force, and is past president of the Association of County
JEREMIAH NEWELL is CEO of the non-profit Mobile Area Education Foundation (MAEF), which has raised more than $50 million to support schools in its 30 years. Newell is also the founder of MAEF Public Charter Schools. Earlier he taught middle and high school. He has been a Harvard Fellow and chief of staff for the Rhode Island Department of Education. Newell holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of South Alabama and a doctorate in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
MARK NIX is the president and CEO of Infirmary Health. He serves on several boards including the Alabama Depart-
ment of Public Health Licensure Advisory Board, Leadership Alabama, Mobile Arts and Sports Association, Regions Bank-South Alabama Advisory Board, Ernest G. DeBakey Charitable Foundation and the Mobile Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors.
HOWARD RUBENSTEIN is the mayor of Saraland.
During his tenure, Saraland’s population has grown almost 30% to 16,100 residents, the city has developed its own school system and a $71 million sportsplex is nearing completion. Rubenstein earned undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Illinois and completed his residency in family medicine in Pensacola. He is co-founder of the Saraland Medical Arts Clinic and Rubenstein Family Medical Associates. He earned the Emeritus Certified Municipal Official status from the Alabama League of Municipalities.
JEFFERY ST. CLAIR is president and CEO of Springhill Medical Center. St. Clair serves on the boards for the hospital, Gulf Coast Surgical Partners and Dauphin West Surgery Center. In the community, he serves the Alabama Kidney Foundation board and the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce board of advisors. He is also active with Business Council of Alabama, the Alabama Hospital Association and the American Heart Association. He is a University of Alabama graduate with a master’s from Kennedy-Western University.
TUERK SCHLESINGER is CEO of AltaPointe Health. He has led AltaPointe for nearly 30 years, growing it from 277 to 1,600 employees and increasing the annual budget from $17 million to $162 million. Today, the organization provides care for more than 45,000 individuals each year. In 2017, Schlesinger launched Accordia Health, AltaPointe’s primary care division, followed by Accordia Health & Wellness, a clinic for AltaPointe employees and their families. Schlesinger serves on the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce advisory board and is a Leadership Alabama alum. He is a graduate of Spring Hill College and Auburn University.
CHARLES SMITH has been president of the University of Mobile since March 2024. Earlier, Smith was senior vice president of institutional relations and assistant professor of Christian leadership at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College. A graduate of Mississippi College, he holds a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a Montgomery native.
RICHARD M. STIMPSON is an investment counselor and chairman of Leavell Investments where he has worked since 2006. Earlier he worked for FTN Financial and for Sterne Agee. He is a University of Alabama graduate and served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. His community involvement includes membership in the Rotary Club of Mobile and the Downtown
Mobile Alliance and serving on the board of the Alabama Policy Institute.
SANDY STIMPSON is the mayor of Mobile. Stimpson is a founding member of the Alabama Big 10 Mayors Association and has served as its chairman since 2014. He also is on the boards for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council of Alabama, UMS-Wright Preparatory School and Prichard Preparatory School. He currently serves on the President’s Cabinet for both the University of South Alabama and the University of Alabama. As mayor, he has worked to improve zoning and infrastructure and reduce blight and crime. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama.
MARY H. VAN BRUNT is president of Spring Hill College. In her first two years on The Hill, she has raised more than $13 million and has overseen planning and design for the new Health and Science Innovation Center, expected to open during the 2026-2027 academic year. This facility is designed to elevate Spring Hill’s nursing, pre-med, health sciences and natural science programs. Van Brunt holds a bachelor’s degree from Ursinus College, an MBA from St. Joseph’s University and a Ph.D. from Lehigh University.
In Focus
PAST PERFECT
Mike Rogers and
his
team are helping to rewrite Mobile’s story
By ALEC HARVEY
Mike Rogers doesn’t just build buildings — he revives stories, breathes life into forgotten spaces and rewrites the narrative of a city that for decades was known more for its “potential” than its progress.
A Mobile native and Auburn University graduate, Rogers has spent a good part of the last 35 years shaping the cityscape of his hometown. Through his company, Rogers & Willard, and his parallel venture, Porchlight, which brings together resources for community redevelopment projects, he’s helped restore some of Mobile’s most iconic — and long-abandoned — structures. But it didn’t begin with blueprints and backhoes. It started with heart pine.
“My father loved old buildings,” Rogers recalls. “He had a real love of heart pine, so every time they’d be tearing down an old barn or an 1800s house in the country or something, he’d ask if he could have the wood. He’d save it and build things out of it.”
That appreciation would later define one of Rogers’ signature strengths: historic restoration. Though not an intentional business niche from the start, it has become a cornerstone of his firm’s identity. After a few commercial jobs put Rogers & Willard on the map in the early 1990s, the company’s reputation for tackling complicated projects grew — and so did opportunities to save old buildings from the wrecking ball.
THE BUICK BUILDING AND THE BIRTH OF A TECH CORRIDOR
A turning point came in 2012 with the acquisition of the long-abandoned Buick Building on St. Louis Street. At the time, the once-grand corridor was a shell of its former self — a downtown street flanked by boarded-up warehouses and automotive relics.
“We bought a city block and a 40,000-square-foot building
Mike Rogers, shown at the top in his Mobile office, can also be found at his firm’s projects, such as the historic Chighizola house in downtown Mobile. That house will be Mobile Bay magazine’s Inspiration Home in early 2026.
for $220,000, and we sat on it a couple of years, trying to figure out what we were going to do,” Rogers says. “It had been vacant for 15 years.”
Rogers found his answer when a tech company, Rural Sourcing, approached him. If he could restore the building, they’d move in. He did — and he moved his own office there, too.
What followed was a snowball of restoration. The Buick Building received Alabama’s highest preservation honors and national recognition from the National Park Service. More importantly, it catalyzed change. Other buildings on St. Louis Street followed suit. What was once known for car dealerships in the 1920s and ’30s became known again — as “Automobile Alley,” now a registered historic district and one of Mobile’s liveliest redevelopment corridors.
The city’s current $16 million streetscape overhaul of St. Louis Street, complete with buried utilities and pedestrian-friendly amenities, is a direct result of that early vision.
CRAFTING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE
Rogers never intended to specialize in historical work — he simply followed where his interests and the opportunities led. From early renovations at Alabama Shipyard to restoring the tornado-ravaged First United Methodist Church in Cullman, his company’s resume grew organically.
But it’s in projects like the current restoration of the Dave Patton House that his passion for preservation is most evident. The late 19th-century home belonged to one of Alabama’s earliest Black entrepreneurs and was designed by renowned architect George Rogers. It now sits at the center of Mobile County’s new
Rogers & Willard purchased the vacant Buick Building on St. Louis Street in Mobile in 2012. A tech company, Rural Sourcing, moved its offices into the building, and Rogers & WIllard followed soon after.
Civil Rights and Cultural Heritage District.
“We’re restoring it as part of that effort,” Rogers says.
Another current project is the Chighizola House, an 1840s structure that Rogers & Willard is restoring. Once the renovation is complete, it will be Mobile Bay magazine’s Inspiration Home in March 2026.
Restoring historic structures comes with its own challenges, from navigating federal and state preservation standards to sourcing out-of-production materials, but it’s a creative puzzle Rogers enjoys solving.
“A lot of times the materials used originally aren’t readily available,” Rogers says. “You’ve got to go try to find old brick or old stone or old hardware or appropriate lighting, so nothing is really easy. … The (Chighizola House) is probably one of the harder ones I’ve ever done. It’s been a real challenge adding air conditioning and electricity and plumbing and figuring out how to do that without anyone seeing any of the ductwork.”
But the challenge is worth it when the puzzle is solved.
“One of the most rewarding things,” he says, “is when you take a building that’s been vacant for 10, 15, 20 years, and it comes alive with people.”
PART OF MOBILE’S MOMENT
Even as his company looks back to restore the past, Rogers is re-
A devastating tornado in 2011 heavily damaged the First United Methodist Church in Cullman, but Mike Rogers and Rogers & Willard restored the historic stone structure.
lentlessly looking forward, whether it’s with restoration projects, new builds, churches, schools, restaurants – Rogers & Willard is involved in an array of different kinds of projects.
Over the last five years, the company has seen its annual revenue grow from a consistent $30-50 million to closer to $70 million, and the company is embracing new technology.
That drive for innovation is baked into the company’s core values, which include “Relentless Progress,” “People Matter Most” and “Do the Right Thing, Whatever It Takes.”
More than three decades into the business, Rogers, whose wife, Cay, is a residential contractor, is thinking about what comes next — not just in terms of projects, but people. Succession planning is underway, and the company is grooming its next generation of leaders.
As much as Rogers has changed Mobile, he’s quick to credit the city for changing, too. For years, locals called it “the city of perpetual potential.” Now, Rogers believes that era is ending.
“We’ve got young people moving back again, and there’s a lot happening,” Rogers says. “We’ve got a long way to go, but I feel like we’re doing well. It has been fun to be part of that.”
Alec Harvey is executive editor of Business Alabama. He is based in Birmingham.
Community Development
MOBILE COUNTY
In FY 2024, as part of Team Mobile, the Mobile County Commission helped bring in about $130 million in new capital investments that are expected to yield more than 350 jobs over 10 years.
Commission projects include:
• The former Davis Avenue branch of Mobile Public Library opened after extensive renovation and expansion.
• Africatown Hall & Food Bank is the new home of the Africatown Redevelopment Corp. and a community food pantry.
• The Civil Rights & Cultural Heritage District Master Plan was developed with community input. The plan centers on the Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue corridor.
• Clotilda: The Exhibition at Africatown Heritage House, which opened in 2023, was named to USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards Best New Museums and was a key factor in Condé Nast Traveler’s naming Mobile to the Top 24 places to go in North America and the Caribbean in 2024.
• Mobile County Sportsplex is growing. The 40,000-square-foot Aquatic Center’s Phase I is under construction. In addition, initial plans for a 90-acre park, called Jubilee Park, will include a 20-acre waterpark and zip line, multi-use
sports facilities, hotel, shops, restaurants, festival grounds and more.
• West Mobile County Park is being renovated and new construction is planned for an additional field, dog park, playground, splashpad and more.
• The former Linksman golf course was renamed Cypress Creek Golf Course at Rivière du Chien Park. Construction is underway on the park, course, driving range and local youth teams’ practice area.
MOBILE
In 2023, Mayor Sandy Stimpson worked with the Mobile City Council and residents in West Mobile on an annexation plan that successfully increased Mobile’s population to more than 206,000 people, making it the second-largest city in Alabama. This critical effort prevented the city from becoming landlocked by surrounding communities, preventing future growth. The annexation also has made Mobile eligible for larger federal grants that are distributed based on an area’s population.
Also recently, after years of discussing how to address the functionally obsolete Mobile Civic Center, the city is poised to start construction on a new state-ofthe-art arena on the property. The goal is to attract world-class entertainment and sporting events to the Port City, while
also providing a new and improved facility for Mardi Gras balls and other traditional local events. The current facility, 60 years old, is being demolished. The city purchased one of the last undeveloped properties along the western shores of Mobile Bay. The city of Mobile now owns 300 acres to the east of the Brookley Aeroplex. This property will help support economic development, preserve and protect critical wetlands, and create a park with access to the waterfront.
The “Brookley by the Bay” park project is nearly 100% designed, and the master plan for the park, completed in late 2023, was driven by input from hundreds of community members.
In 2024, the city of Mobile continued to invest tens of millions of dollars into local infrastructure, including upgrades to roads, bridges, sidewalks and more. This includes 95 miles of road resurfacing, 13.7 miles of new or repaired sidewalks and 1,037 new ADA ramps.
Parks and Recreation maintained 2,126 acres of land, including 95 athletic fields and 31,500 plant beds. Hundreds of its events and programs served thousands of citizens of all ages.
Also in 2024, the Ketchum Fountain, focal point of Bienville Square in the heart of downtown, was reinstalled in the park. The fountain had been in the park since 1890 but had been removed for refurbishing.
CHICKASAW
“Chickasaw is making significant strides in enhancing its public spaces, senior services and critical infrastructure,” says the city’s mayor, Barry Broadhead. “With a focus on community improvement, the city has launched a series of projects to benefit residents of all ages. From recreational upgrades to senior transportation enhancements and vital infrastructure investments, Chickasaw is demonstrating a strong commitment to progress.”
During 2024 the city saw improvements to Brooks Park with a new kayak
The Mobile County Sportsplex is taking shape near the intersection of Interstates 10 and 65.
launch, picnic area enhancements and boat launch park improvements.
The city also is reporting extensive renovations to City Hall and the Civic Center. Upgrades will improve functionality, efficiency and aesthetics.
Chickasaw continues to embrace the growing demand for recreational activities by upgrading its parks and sports facilities. Existing tennis courts have been converted to pickleball use.
In addition to recreational and facility improvements, Chickasaw is making significant investments in its infrastructure, ensuring long-term sustainability and reliability.
DAUPHIN ISLAND
Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier notes, “Our town has made considerable improvements throughout this barrier island community over the past couple of years, many of which contribute greatly to the overall quality of life. In addition, a host of projects that support environmental stewardship while improving access to our bountiful natural resources have been completed.”
Dauphin Island projects include a massive shoreline restoration project on the island’s east end, a marsh restoration project along the island’s north side at Graveline Bay and construction of two living shorelines in Aloe Bay. It includes an eco-tourism area and kayak launch.
The town also recently completed a13,000-square-foot Community Center.
“Recognizing a healthy economy relies heavily on maintaining a healthy and vibrant environment,” says Collier. “Town leaders have invested heavily in the preservation of wetlands and other parcels that contribute to habitats critical to a variety of species that call Dauphin Island home.
“Finding the right balance between growth and environmental preservation has always been a challenge but these types of improvements seem to hit just the right mark.”
SEMMES
Semmes, incorporated in 2011, is one of the youngest municipalities in Alabama.
“We are known for our plentiful nurseries, rich history, excellent commu-
nity events and fast progression towards economic development, public safety and infrastructure,” says Semmes Mayor Brandon Van Hook.
“Over the last few years, the city of Semmes has rebranded and tackled economic development head-on, making significant improvements.”
“The financial standing of Semmes is better than ever,” the mayor adds. “The city pursued a plan which led to the passing of a legislative annexation bill. This brought a total of 40 already established businesses into the city limits, raising revenue.”
New businesses include a Publix grocery story, a car wash, a Wawa gas station and convenience store and a new urgent care facility.
Recently built recreation sites include a dog park, pickleball facility, splash pad and completely revitalized community center.
“Public Safety has been completely revitalized,” Van Hook notes. “The city has built a fully operational police department and made major improvements to the fire department.”
An existing building was transformed into a new public safety complex consisting of a fire station and police precinct. In addition, a new fire station was built and two new fire trucks acquired.
SARALAND
Calling itself “The Gateway to Progress” and with 16,500 residents, Saraland is Mobile County’s fastest-growing city. “A major catalyst of that growth,” according to Mayor Dr. Howard Rubenstein, “is the city’s school system.
“We are ranked among the best school systems in Alabama,” Rubenstein adds. “With a world class city school system, we have seen phenomenal growth with the construction of many new subdivisions as well as new commercial development.”
Other recent significant events in Saraland including dozens of new businesses. In March 2025 Rural King, a multi-faceted big-box store, opened in the former K-Mart Shopping Center Facility.
Other milestones include a new $72 million sportsplex project, now partially open. When completed, the complex will host venues for baseball, softball, football, soccer, tennis and pickleball, and an indoor recreational center with four basketball courts. Bike trails and walking paths also are slated for the facility. The complex will be opening in phases throughout 2025.
MOUNT VERNON
Mount Vernon continues to emphasize outdoor sports and activities with a new children’s outdoor play area and renovated public boat ramp.
On January 30, 2025, the town celebrated the reopening of the J.E. Turner Mount Vernon Public Boat Ramp. The $2 million renovation includes a new 170-foot floating access pier, expanded parking and a new weigh-in pavilion for fishing tournaments.
Cutting the ribbon on a new Rural King store in Saraland.
Health Care
INFIRMARY HEALTH
Infirmary Health System is comprised of three acute care hospitals, one post-acute care hospital, two rehabilitation hospitals, two freestanding emergency departments, more than 60 physician practice locations, four ambulatory surgery centers and other affiliates.
Infirmary Health employs more than 6,700 staff members and has more than 700 physicians on its medical staff, making it the largest private employer in the region. On average, the health system sees more than 1.5 million patient visits per year and holds more than 50% of the health care market share in Mobile and Baldwin counties.
Infirmary Health and UAB Health System entered into a strategic partnership in January 2024. Infirmary Cancer Care, Infirmary Health’s comprehensive oncology service line, is now an affiliate of the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. Through this partnership, Infirmary Cancer Care patients have access to UAB physicians, research and other resources while staying close to home. The partnership is revolutionary for cancer patients in the region, largely reducing the need for travel to receive world-class care.
Forbes Magazine & Statista recognized Infirmary Health as Alabama’s Best Healthcare System Employer for three consecutive years. The system and its affiliates are consistently recognized for providing exceptional patient care by national organizations, including US News & World Report, The Leapfrog Group, the American Heart Association, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and others.
Infirmary Health’s flagship hospital, Mobile Infirmary, opened in 1910 and has 681 licensed beds. The hospital is among leaders in the state for surgical volume and is home to a hybrid OR/Cath lab and a comprehensive structural heart program. Mobile Infirmary was the first hospital in the region to acquire the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, and since 2006, its physicians have performed more than 17,000 robotic procedures.
In addition, Mobile Infirmary holds certification from The Joint Commission for stroke care and for total hip and knee
replacement.
Infirmary Health’s Saraland campus offers more than 200,000 square feet of comprehensive services. Mobile Infirmary Emergency | Saraland is a 22,000-squarefoot freestanding emergency department with 11 exam rooms, two trauma bays, in-house lab and an imaging department equipped for MRI, CT, X-ray and ultrasound. On average, the department sees more than 26,000 patient visits each year. The campus is also home to the health system’s fourth ambulatory surgery center, outpatient physical therapy and physician office space for specialties including primary care, oncology, orthopedics, women’s health and others.
The Mobile Infirmary Internal Medicine Physician Residency Program welcomed its inaugural class of residents in June 2024. Residents from across the
globe selected Mobile Infirmary’s program as their residency of choice. At its maturity, the three-year program will train up to 85 residents per year. The program’s goal is to recruit new physicians to the area to serve the needs of the community and to create a centralized facility for learning and training. In addition to training under physician leaders in the hospital, the residents operate the Mobile Infirmary Internal Medicine Clinic, which provides outpatient primary care services to patients regardless of their insurance status.
USA HEALTH
USA Health is the only academic health system of its kind on the upper Gulf Coast. With 30 care delivery locations, USA Health serves as an essential safety-net health care organization, providing specialty services unique to the area and
USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital has added a new MRI system to enhance its imaging capabilities.
An aerial view of Mobile Infirmary.
backed by the clinical faculty of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine.
USA Health is recognized for operating the region’s only level I trauma center, the Fanny Meisler Trauma Center at University Hospital, and level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s & Women’s Hospital, one of only five freestanding hospitals in the nation dedicated to the care of women and children. In addition, USA Health provides leading-edge care for burn and stroke, and the Mitchell Cancer Institute advances its cancer treatment with basic scientific research.
USA Health has expanded its footprint in Mobile and Baldwin counties from seven clinical sites to 30 sites, creating one of the largest multi-specialty practices in the region. More growth is on the horizon as University Hospital adds new operating rooms and Children’s & Women’s Hospital unveils an expanded MotherBaby Unit and a new pediatric emergency center.
People who live and work in west Mobile are benefitting from a new freestanding emergency department, which opened in spring 2022 at USA Health’s west Mobile campus. The facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is supported by imaging capabilities including a CT scanner, an MRI, X-ray, mammography and ultrasound.
A new three-story medical office
building is expected to open this year at the west Mobile campus near the Freestanding Emergency Department. The 90,000-square-foot building will be the new home of the USA Health Mobile Diagnostic Center, as well as other USA Health specialty practices. USA Health also has received state approval to build a 28,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center on the site.
Construction plans were unveiled on a nearly 300,000-square-foot facility to house the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine. Expected to be completed in 2026, the facility is designed to bring research and education together to encourage collaboration and is supported by a $60 million federal appropriation, a $50 million earmark from Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and a $30 million gift from the University of South Alabama Foundation.
SPRINGHILL MEDICAL CENTER
Springhill Medical Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Since its 1975 opening on I-65 and Dauphin Street, Springhill Medical Center has more than quadrupled in size. In 2025 Springhill Medical Center’s services include cardiovascular and thoracic, primary care, orthopedics, structural heart, surgery, a heart center, hyperbaric medicine and birthing suites.
In February 2025, Springhill Medical Center was rated “Top 10 percent
of hospitals in the U.S. for coronary bypass quality” by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, which awarded the Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting program its highest rating of 3 Stars.
Springhill Medical Center supports the community with more than $5 million in tax revenues annually, in addition to thousands of dollars in contributions each year to support numerous social programs in the area. All hospital profits go directly into new and upgraded services for patients.
ALTAPOINTE HEALTH
AltaPointe Health is one of Alabama’s most comprehensive health care systems, delivering behavioral and primary care services, working with more than 45,000 individuals across Alabama annually. A national leader in behavioral health for more than 60 years, AltaPointe expanded its care model in 2018 to include primary care — reflecting a shift toward treating the whole person.
Through its primary care division, Accordia Health, AltaPointe operates six Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) sites that offer integrated care to underserved communities. This wholehealth approach improves outcomes, enhances patient satisfaction and addresses physical and mental health needs together. AltaPointe also has adopted the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model, which ensures access to a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, while focusing on care coordination and measurable outcomes.
AltaPointe’s continuum of care includes two psychiatric hospitals, a Behavioral Health Crisis Center, 16 outpatient behavioral health clinics and four in-house pharmacies. The organization also operates programs for residents and serves as the Department of Psychiatry for the University of South Alabama’s College of Medicine.
AltaPointe employs more than 1,600 staff members, including more than 50 physicians and nearly 100 nurse practitioners, physician assistants, therapists and case coordinators.
Springhill Medical Center, decked out for the holidays.
Culture & Recreation
ALL HANDS ON DECK
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, on the Causeway, is a tribute to history. Visitors can tour the ship, learn about life aboard and on land during World War II, clamber through a submarine or see the planes. A new “Kids’ Compartment” offers interactive exhibits for children.
ON THE WATERFRONT
The GulfQuest National Maritime Museum on the Gulf of Mexico lets you get your hands on history, with exhibits about early settlers, military history, trade and more, all in a massive waterfront structure designed to look like a full-sized container ship.
HISTORY & HERITAGE
Step on the Dora Franklin Finley African-American American Heritage Trail for an information tour through forgotten chapters of Mobile’s culturally diverse heritage. The narrated journey covers many of 44 African-American places and people that made significant contributions to the city of Mobile. For a more general view of Mobile’s
The bee is one of many dazzling displays during the Gulf Coast Chinese Lantern Festival at Bellingrath Gardens and Home.
Remember the past at the History Museum of Mobile.
Floral displays change with the seasons at Bellingrath Gardens.
Revisit the heritage at Oakleigh.
history, visit the History Museum of Mobile with more than 117,000 artifacts displaying the regions rich cultural heritage. Drop by Colonial Fort Conde, a replica of the fort that once guarded The Port City, offering a view of colonial life and insights into regional history. Or visit Fort Gaines, built at the tip of Dauphin Island to protect the mouth of Mobile Bay against invasion.
LAISSEZ LE BON TEMPS ROULER
Visit Mobile during Mardi Gras to immerse yourself in the carnival revelry of parades and masked balls and easy-going fun. During Mardi Gras or any time, visit The Mobile Carnival Museum to check the rich history and pageantry of kings, queens, parades, moon pies and more — with a must-see display of crowns, gowns and more.
FOR CHRIST & HIS KINGDOM
A University that Prepares You –and the Next Generation – to Find Your Calling.
You want to make a greater impact in your work. Or maybe you’re guiding your student who is seeking their calling. At the University of Mobile, we believe every career is a calling – and every leader can be a Kingdom leader.
Whether you’re in business, health care, education or another field, we offer graduate and professional programs designed to help you grow as a leader who serves for the glory of God and the good of the world. With flexible, online programs rooted in a biblical worldview, you’ll be equipped to make an eternal difference in your career and community.
If you’re mentoring the next generation, we’re here to partner with you. Send your students to a Christ-centered university where they’ll be prepared not only for a job, but for a life of meaning and mission - whatever career path they choose. A better career. A stronger workforce. For Christ & His Kingdom.
It starts at the University of Mobile.
Explore our online offerings today and start your journey at umobile.edu/business-al or scan the QR code now!
University of Mobile • Mobile, Alabama umobile.edu • 800.WIN.RAMS •251.442.2222
GARDEN STROLL
World-famous Bellingrath Gardens offers 65 acres of dazzling floral beauty at every turn, with special displays at Christmas, in spring and fall, plus the lovely 15-room Bellingrath home. Garden lovers should also see the Mobile Botanical Gardens, honored for its spectacular Winter Garden of camellias and its comprehensive collection of azaleas and Japanese maples.
ARTS ABOUND
Mobile Museum of Art displays some 6,400 works of fine and decorative art from across the centuries and across the world, all in a picturesque setting along the lake in Langan Park. Downtown, visit the Alabama Contemporary Art Center, committed to the work of living artists and hosting 10 to 12 exhibitions a year.
SCIENCE ANYONE?
Interactive exhibits, giant screen films and more treat visitors to the fun of science at The Exploreum Science Center.
SOMETHING FISHY
The Alabama Aquarium at Dauphin Island Sea Lab offers a close-up look at salt and fresh water fish, turtles, jellyfish, rays and other aquatic creatures of the Alabama Gulf Coast. If fish mean fishing to you, cast a line at the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, held each summer since 1929 on Dauphin Island. It generally attracts some 3,000 anglers and 75,000 spectators.
INTO THE AIR
Flightworks Alabama offers an immersive aerospace exhibition and education center for aerospace enthusiasts of all levels. Visitors can view some 40 exhibits and plan a tour of the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility.
MAGNIFICENT MANSIONS
Mobile offers an array of antebellum homes that showcase aspects of the city’s history. Best known is the 1833 Oakleigh House Museum in the heart of the city’s Oakleigh Garden Historic District. Also visit Richards DAR House Museum in De Tonti Square, which dates to the 1860s; Bragg Mitchell Mansion, built by Judge John Bragg in 1855; and CondeCharlotte Museum with each room decorated to represent a different era of the city’s early history.
Downtown Mobile in a festive mode.
FORE!
Magnolia Grove, Mobile’s element of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, features two courses, both recently upgraded. Magnolia Grove was named one of the Top 50 Public Courses by Golf World Magazine.
BOWL GAMES
Mobile plays host to two football bowl games. The Lending Tree Bowl matches teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the MidAmerican Conference in a postseason match. The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game showcasing the best NFL Draft prospects.
MOON (PIE) OVER MOBILE
Each New Year’s Eve crowds gather in downtown Mobile to watch the giant Moon Pie — usually a Mardi Gras treat — descend the RSA Trustmark Building to mark the new year.
Usher in the New Year with Moon Pie Over Mobile.
Career Notes
ACCOUNTING
Emma Gunter, a senior tax associate with Jackson Thornton, has been named 2025 Young Alumna by Auburn University Montgomery.
BANKING
DeMarco McClain has been promoted to area president for Madison County for Bank Independent.
CB&S Bank has hired Clint Kirkland as Madison County regional president, executive vice president. In addition, the bank has welcomed Mark Feagin as senior vice president and director of treasury management.
Jessica Bishop has joined SmartBank as treasury management officer.
ServisFirst Bancshares has hired Jim Harper as senior vice president and chief credit officer. In addition, Angela Floyd has been named merchant services director for ServisFirst Bank Birmingham.
CHAMBERS
Brenda Dennis, president and CEO of the Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce, has been named the Alabama Chambers 2025 Chamber Champion.
by ERICA JOINER WEST
CONSTRUCTION
Caddell Construction has hired Chas Torrence as chief administrative officer. In addition, the company has promoted Zach Moore and Jason Carnes to senior vice president and Ike Keene to vice president.
EDUCATION
Josh Wurman, with the University of Alabama in Huntsville, has been named to the National Storm Chasing Hall of Fame. Wurman co-leads the Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets in the Severe Weather Institute – Radar & Lightning Laboratories, part of the Earth System Science Center at UAH.
ENGINEERING
Josh Trippi, of Austal USA, has been named Architect of the Year by the Mobile Area Council of Engineers.
LEGAL
Kyle Smith has been reappointed to serve as president of Dentons Sirote for the next three years. He is a University of Alabama School of Law graduate.
John R. “Rance” Sapen has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as chief operating officer. He succeeds Joe Wood, who has retired. In addition, firm
Partner Tripp Haston has been appointed to the International Association of Defense Counsel on its Executive Committee of the Lawyers for Civil Justice board of directors.
Phillip Pullen has rejoined Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC as an associate. Pullen spent four years as a trial counsel for the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
MANUFACTURING
Sonya Mitchum has been promoted to president of Micor Industries
REAL ESTATE
Tyce Hudson has been promoted to vice president, advisory services at Freedom Real Estate and Capital
SECURITY
Deavours Clark has been appointed president of DSI Security Services. Eddie Sorrells will move into the CEO role, and Marty Clark will be chairwoman of the board. Also, Alan Clark will become vice chairman of the board. In addition, Jamie Ridenhour has been named vice president of the East Division and Kim Henry vice president of the West Division.
TOURISM
Dan Williams has been named president and CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau
CLINT KIRKLAND
IKE KEENE
DEAVOURS CLARK
EMMA GUNTER
ZACH MOORE
SONYA MITCHUM
PHILLIP PULLEN
CHAS TORRENCE
KYLE SMITH
DAN WILLIAMS
DEMARCO MCCLAIN
JASON CARNES
TYCE HUDSON
MARK FEAGIN
JOSH WURMAN
EDDIE SORRELLS
JESSICA BISHOP ANGELA FLOYD
JOSH TRIPPI
MARTY CLARK
ROCKET CITY REELS
The rise and fall of Huntsville’s Whitesburg Theatre
By SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND
Absent context, the front-page photograph of the June 10, 1980, issue of the Huntsville Times depicts a rather dystopian scene. Three young boys look upon a structure engulfed in flames. “HUNTSVILLE LANDMARK IS BURNED” reads the clarifying headline. That landmark was the Whitesburg Theatre, Huntsville’s first drive-in. When it was new, the Whitesburg was an out-of-the-way distraction amidst the pressures of the modern age, located beyond Huntsville’s city limits. By the time it closed in 1979 after three decades, the Rocket City had grown up around — and outgrown — the theater. Although it’s hard to think of that area today as being remote, the Whitesburg opened on June 16, 1949, amidst forests and fields, at what was then the end of Airport Road. The first film was the Universal Pictures comedy “The Senator Was Indiscreet,” starring William Powell as a dimwitted U.S. senator with presidential ambitions, a gossipy diary and fumbling feet of clay. Tickets were 40¢ for adults and 10¢ for children over five.
The Whitesburg Theatre showed movies in Huntsville for more than 30 years.
Walton and Martha Fleming, along with Charles A. Crute, ran the $100,000 theater under the aegis of Acme Investments
From left, David Norman, John DiBlacido and Denny Erbert watch the screen burn at the Whitesburg Theatre in Huntsville in June 1980. Photos courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History. Donated by the Alabama Media Group.
Inc., one of many. Contractors poured some 28,000 square tons on concrete at the site. The theater was laid out on a 70-degree angle, ensuring each car had an unobstructed view of the screen. The 400 parking spots were equipped with post-mounted speakers with individual volume controls. There was even a free bottle-warming service for the smallest moviegoer, so parents could enjoy a night out while avoiding the “no babysitter problem.” Playground equipment beneath the glow of the screen came soon thereafter for older fidgety youngsters to expend energy. After a few years, the company enlarged the screen to 60 feet high and 100 feet wide.
For much of the theater’s history, Robert Ross managed the snack bar, located in the center of the complex. He sourced produce and other ingredients from area farmers. “People said we had the best cheeseburgers in town,” he later recalled with pride. Drive-ins typically attracted the younger set as employees, which could present its own challenges. This was perhaps the reason behind a classified ad Ross placed in 1962 calling for a “Mature Lady” to work concessions.
In its later years, only this one piece of equipment remained of the playground that entertained kids for decades.
piece of children’s playground equipment remains,” he wrote. “A small merry-go-round, tilted at a forlorn angle.”
Memories of the places where we view the films of our youth — whether they be blockbusters, box-office busts or cult classics — stay with us, like distant friends. The Whitesburg was no different. There, north Alabamians seeking Cold War solace lost themselves in the lives of characters played by James Dean, John Wayne, Sidney Poitier, Irene Rich, Burt Lancaster, Lena Horne and countless others.
“Remember when Mom and Dad put us in our pajamas, piled us in the back of the station wagon and drove to the drive-in to see ‘Battle of Britain?’” a local reminisced on a Huntsville nostalgia social media page a few years ago.
Huntsville residents flocked to the Whitesburg to see sci-fi films like “Conquest of Space,” a 1955 interplanetary adventure that took place aboard an orbiting space station called The Wheel. One wonders how many star-gazing future scientists looked up at the flickering screen back then and dreamed. It is likely that any number of north Alabama business leaders and politicians — today the pillars of their communities, no doubt — snuck into the Whitesburg hiding in the trunk of a late-model, American-made automobile or were targeted by the theater’s flashlight crew and politely asked to leave for causing a ruckus or being, well, amorous.
By the late 1970s, the uniqueness of the drive-in had run its course. Huntsville’s drive-ins closed or converted to showing a certain type of film that cannot legally be detailed in these pages. Soon, time came for the Whitesburg as well. After the credits rolled on the James Bond film “Moonraker” on September 30, 1979, the marquee was blank, its parking spaces empty.
Surveying the facility some time later, Lane Lambert, a reporter for the Huntsville Times, found cobwebs in the snack bar and the iconic speakers removed. “Beneath the towering screen only one
“They became unpopular,” Charles Crute said plainly, as he reflected upon his erstwhile drive-in empire. “They weren’t unique anymore. And TV had a terrific effect.” In an age of sprawling shopping malls, home electronics and chain-store restaurants, the old drive-in was just too old-fashioned. Subdivisions and businesses had spring up around the theater.
Nine months after the last movie closed, the Whitesburg Theatre had a final feature. Fearful that the deteriorating screen might become a hazardous liability, the owners asked the city of Huntsville to raze it. “I don’t think I’ll be around for that,” 67-year-old Robert Ross told Lane Lambert as they walked the grounds a few days before the planned burn. “I’ve been out here a few times since we closed, but I don’t think I’ll watch that.”
At mid-morning on June 10, 1980, two local firemen chopped holes in the top of the structure that held the Whitesburg’s sturdy screen. They poured in a few bottles full of diesel fuel, dropped lighted torches inside and descended to safety. Within 20 minutes, the flames stretched high into a cloudless, Rocket City sky.
About 100 people from the surrounding community turned out for the theater’s finale. Among the young observers were David Norman, John DiBlacido and Denny Erbert. As they sat on the curb and wanted the conflagration, the Times’ Dave Dieter snapped his front-page photograph from behind them. It was an image of a changing era, of “progress,” with all of that word’s loaded connotations.
Sally Walker, daughter of Walton Fleming, handed out a raft of old tickets she had found on the floor of the abandoned snack bar. Robert Ross was there, too, having decided to attend after all. He walked amongst the crowd, telling stories of bygone days as the flames grew higher and were then extinguished. After a pause, he turned to Lane Lambert and said, “It’s just one of those things.”
Historian Scotty E. Kirkland is a freelance contributor to Business Alabama. He lives in Wetumpka.
Index
AAA USA Inc.......................................................9
Accordia Health 77, 89
Acme Investment Inc. 98
Adams, Tom 15
AdventHealth Meadow Point ER, Florida ...........12
Aerostar Inc. .............................................. 63, 66
Africatown Hall & Food Bank 85
Africatown Redevelopment Corp. 85
Ai Corporate Interiors 102
AIDT Electric Vehicle Technology Center 8
Airbus Americas .................. 59, 63, 66, 67, 77, 93
Alabama A&M University ...................................9
Alabama Aquarium, Dauphin Island 93
Alabama Associated General Contractors 12
Alabama Aviation Center 66, 73
Alabama Big 10 Mayors Association 77
Alabama Business Intelligence Center..............32
Alabama Community College System ...............35
Alabama Construction Hall of Fame 12
Alabama Contemporary Art Center 93
Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo 93
Alabama Department of Commerce ........ 8, 10, 13
Alabama Department of Public Health..............77
Alabama Department of Public Safety ..............35
Alabama Development Fund 9
Alabama Hospital Association 77
Alabama Interdenominational Seminary 77
Alabama Kidney Foundation ............................77
Stone Building Co............................................12
Strate-G Solutions 12 Subaru of America 15 Sun Belt Conference 93 Susock, Chris 8 Suttles, Green 8 System Studies &
JULY
Health Care in Alabama
The Business of Banking
Alabama’s Private Companies
Geographic Spotlight: Houston & Henry Counties
AUGUST
Alabama’s Legal Elite Sports = Serious Business
Alabama’s Public Companies & CEO Paychecks
Geographic Spotlight: Limestone & Morgan Counties
Company Kudos
by ERICA JOINER WEST
The International Interior Design Association – Alabama Chapter recently named its 2025 IDIE Award winners. Taking Best in Show and Best of Corporate (Large) awards was Williams Blackstock Architects for its work on the Hood McPherson building in Birmingham (left). Other companies recognized were Davis Architects, David Baker Architects, Chapman Sisson Architects, Ai Corporate Interiors, Business Interiors, Heidi Core Interior Design LLC, KPS Group Inc. and Chambless King Architects
Alabama State University has been designated a Research College and University by the Carnegie Classification of Higher Education Institutions, one of only 216 institutions nationwide to hold this classification. In addition, the college has been named a 2025 Colleges of Distinction.
AmFirst has won seven Diamond Awards from the Marketing, PR & Development Council of America.
Automation Personnel Services has won the Best of Staffing Client 10 Year Diamond Award for 2025 from ClearlyRated.
The Birmingham Zoo celebrates its 70th year of operation this year.
C3 of Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance has named King Kutter Inc. as its 2024 Industry of the Year and Tombstone Group CEO Bill Shook as its 2024 Champion of the Year.
Children’s Hospital Intervention & Prevention Service is marking its 30th year of operation. The CHIPS Center is inside Children’s of Alabama.
EverThrive Financial Group has been named to Top Defined Contribution Advisor Teams list, compiled by the National Association of Plan Advisors. EverThrive has appeared on the listing since 2017.
Faulkner University’s Legal Studies program has received reapproval from the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Paralegals. The university also recently set a record graduate enrollment of more than 1,300 students.
Howard Bentley Buick GMC, of Albertville, has earned its 10th consecutive Dealer of the Year Award by General Motors for its performance in 2024.
John Soules Foods was recently honored with H-E-B’s 2024 Signature Sponsor Award, highlighting the company’s quality and innovation. The company and H-E-B have collaborated for 15 years.
Mobile Infirmary has received the 2025 Women’s Choice Award for cancer care, comprehensive breast care, heart care, mammograms and women’s services.
The Partners for Environmental Progress, based in Mobile, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Sentar Inc., of Huntsville, has achieved Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Level 2 from the Department of Defense.
Troy Regional has earned a 2025 Women’s Choice Award for Best Hospital for Emergency Care from the Women’s Choice Award organization. The hospital also was honored with a 5-star rating for cleanliness by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
Four programs at the University of Alabama in Huntsville ranked among the top 10 federally funded programs in the U.S., according to the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development survey.
The University of Montevallo has been designated a Military Friendly School from Viqtory Inc. This is the fifth time UM has earned the designation.
Historic Alabama
TAXI DRIVER
A Red Taxi sits at the Pan-American station at the corner of Bibb and Coosa streets in Montgomery in February 1949. The taxi served as a rolling billboard, here advertising G&S Cleaners. Montgomery’s Elks Lodge is visible in the background on the opposite corner. Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives and 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
June 2025:
Q: Oxford-based FabArc Steel Supply, one of the nation’s largest steel fabrication subcontractors, began life in 1979 in what kind of structure?
A) Barge
B) Field
C) School
D) Tent
May 2025 (one month ago):
Q: Alabama saw $7 billion in new industrial investment in 2024, nearly half from firms based overseas. Which nation accounted for the most foreign direct investment?
A) Australia
B) India
C) Japan
D) South Korea
Challenge yourself with these puzzlers from past issues of Business Alabama magazine. Beginning June 20, work the quiz online and check your answers at businessalabama.com.
June 2024 (one year ago):
Q: One of Alabama’s publicly traded companies was sold to UK retailer JD Sports Fashion for $1.1 billion. Which company?
A) Constellium
B) Hibbett
C) Motion
D) Regions
June 2020 (five years ago):
Q: Alabama is home to the nation’s largest producer of vegetable and herb plants. We featured them as they teamed with AmpleHarvest to help stock the nation’s food pantries. What’s the first name of this home-grown plant company?
A) Bonnie
B) Burpee
C) Green Thumb
D) Gurney
June 2015 (10 years ago):
Q: We interviewed the CEO of a Minnesota company that began work in 2015 on a major new vehicle plant in Huntsville, the company’s 15th plant in the U.S., expected to employ more than 1,500 workers. What company?
A) Honda
B) Mazda Toyota
C) Polaris
D) Toyota
June 2000 (25 years ago):
Q: We featured Nexity, Alabama’s first all-virtual bank, one of only eight in the nation at the time. What’s its status today?
A) Absorbed by AmSouth Bank in 2010
B) Closed by FDIC in 2011
C) Repurposed as insurance group in 2018
D) Still operating virtually from its original Birmingham office
