Business Alabama - December 2023

DEC 2023

CHIPS, CHICKS AND CARS —

37 FROM ALABAMA TO THE WORLD

47 BEST COMPANIES TO

WORK FOR IN ALABAMA SPOTLIGHT ON LEE,

83 RUSSELL & MACON COUNTIES

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT PHENIX CITY REINVENTS ITSELF AS A WHITEWATER DESTINATION

Page 86

Volume 38 / Number 12

DECEMBER 2023

CONTENTS

37

International exports from Alabama range from big-ticket items like Mercedes-Benz SUVs and Airbus aircraft to day-old chicks from Aviagen. Photo courtesy of NAITA and Aviagen.

Features 15

YEAR IN REVIEW BILLIONS AND MILLIONS Some projects with big price tags highlight the year in business in Alabama.

22

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HOW SOON? A quick update on four billion-dollar projects in progress in Alabama.

29

37

42

FLY BY NIGHT Or by day, or overseas or laden with passengers or cargo.

Alabama’s airports are stepping up service to meet demand and grow trade.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE ALABAMA GOES GLOBAL Export Alabama helps businesses find a smooth path in the rough-and-tumble world of international trade.

TRADE TIDBITS So, what do we trade and who trades the most?

4 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

86

IN FOCUS A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT World-class rapids, and the kayakers who visit them and compete on them, are a game-changer for Phenix City.

RETROSPECT 106 “A BIRMINGHAM PRODUCT” Requiem for Alabama-made Golden Flake Snacks.

On the Cover: Phenix City is drawing worldwide visitors to its whitewater rapids.

Photo courtesy of Phenix City Whitewater.

7

7: Children's of Alabama is at work on a $55 million expansion.

47: Employees of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions help with hurricane relief. Many of the winners in the Best Companies to Work For in Alabama competition, like the League, offer workers time for volunteer work.

106: Remembering the golden days at Birmingham's Golden Flake.

TOP RANK 27 ALABAMA’S LARGEST INDUSTRIAL SITES WITH RAIL 33 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES

Departments 7

47

SPECIAL SECTIONS 43 BUSINESS COUNCIL OF ALABAMA 47 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA GEOGRAPHIC SPOTLIGHT 83 LEE, RUSSELL & MACON COUNTIES

106

BENCHMARKS: MONTHLY BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFING 105 CAREER NOTES: WHO’S MOVING UP 108 COMPANY KUDOS: A MONTH OF ACHIEVEMENTS 109 BA INDEX: HUNDREDS OF LEADS EACH MONTH 111 HISTORIC ALABAMA: A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE 111 ALABIZ QUIZ: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 5

DECEMBER 2023 BusinessAlabama.com Volume 38 / Number 12 PUBLISHER Walker Sorrell / wsorrell@pmtpublishing.com ASSISTANT PUBLISHER Stephen Potts / snpotts@pmtpublishing.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Alec Harvey / alec@pmtpublishing.com EDITOR Erica Joiner West / ewest@pmtpublishing.com ama. s. All Alab All Busines MAR

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COPY EDITOR Nedra Bloom / nedra@pmtpublishing.com ART DIRECTOR Vic Wheeler / ads@pmtpublishing.com DIGITAL EDITOR Kathryn Dorlon / kdorlon@pmtpublishing.com ACCOUNTING Keith Crabtree / acct@pmtpublishing.com ADMINISTRATION/OFFICE MANAGER Lauren Sullivan / lsullivan@pmtpublishing.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Birmingham: 205-802-6363 Hal Cain / Ext. 111 / hcain@pmtpublishing.com Lee Mills / Ext. 102 / lmills@pmtpublishing.com Mobile: 251-473-6269 Joe Hyland / Ext. 214 / jhyland@pmtpublishing.com DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED MEDIA & EVENTS Sheila Wardy / swardy@pmtpublishing.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE 3324 Independence Drive / Homewood, AL 35209 205-802-6363 MOBILE OFFICE 166 Government Street / Mobile, AL 36602 251-473-6269 CORPORATE T.J. Potts, President & CEO Thomas E. McMillan, Partner & Director Business Alabama is published monthly by

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Benchmarks Keep on learning

SPRING HILL COLLEGE,

The Spring Hill College campus in Mobile also in Mobile, will offer won honors from Southern Living as among the to all incoming prettiest in the South, as did Tuskegee University. freshmen a tuitionfree graduate degree as part of its mission to provide affordable and accessible education.

“As an institution actively supporting the goals and ambitions of those who seek more from life, we are excited to help students transition from the classroom to the real world with a tuitionfree graduate degree in their field,” said Dr. Nathan Copeland, vice president of advancement and admissions at Spring Hill College. education,” said Dr. Mary Van Brunt, president of Spring Hill The initiative College. includes a wide array of graduate programs, from business and Spring Hill College is the oldest Catholic college in the health care to the arts and sciences. Spring Hill College is also Southeast and the third oldest Jesuit college in the U.S. The committed to offering a comprehensive selection of new and wellcollege is actively exploring partnerships with local and national established graduate degrees. organizations to provide internships, collaborations and real“We believe every student should have the opportunity to world experiences to students, further enhancing their career pursue their dreams and unlock their full potential. With this prospects.  initiative, we are doubling down on the value structure of higher

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

TECH SUPPORT Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded a total of nearly $1 million to three groups in Alabama to assist in producing innovative products and procedures. Grants were given to HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Southern Research in Birmingham and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

hundred regions competed for the designation. The goal now is to be among the five or 10 hubs to be selected by the U.S. Economic Development Administration for significant investment.

PIPES IN SELMA Plastic pipe maker Colclasher Enterprises is investing $9 million to retrofit a plant at Selma’s Craig Industrial Park. Plans call for a three-line plant with the first two opening in 2024.

POWER JUMP The Tennessee Valley Authority has expanded its Colbert Combustion Turbine Plant in Tuscumbia. The facility added 750 megawatts of natural gas-powered generation — a $508.2 million project producing enough power to serve 400,000 homes.

BIGGER & BETTER Navistar Inc. has added 110,000 square feet to its Huntsville plant, providing space for production of the International S13 Integrated Power Train. Navistar has invested more than $200 million since the plant opened in 2008.

TECH TALK Birmingham is one of 31 regions designated a federal Tech Hub, which allows it to compete in a program that might lead to $75 million into the area economy. Two

CELEBRATE! Airbus gathered the dignitaries and shot of the plumes of red, white and blue to celebrate its current expansion — addition of a third final assembly line and related structures — due to open next year and increase the workforce by 1,000 people.

CONNECTED The Poarch Band of Creek Indians has invested $5.5 million to bring high-speed internet access to previously underserved areas of the reservation. Installed

by BearCom, the network is managed by Escambia Community Utilities.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 7

BENCHMARKS

Children’s of Alabama plans $55M expansion CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA

is set to launch a $55 million expansion.

The hospital has received approval for a certificate of need from the State Health Planning and Development Agency that will allow it to more effectively care for patients in behavioral health, critical care and the neonatal intensive care unit.

The project involves building out the 12th floor of the Benjamin Russell building, which currently is a shell, to serve as a 50-bed unit for critical care patients.

The hospital also will renovate the fifth floor of the McWane Children’s of Alabama building to add 11 additional in Birmingham serves beds to the behavioral health youngsters from unit. Six bassinets also will be across the state. added to the NICU. “The expansion will provide room to serve more patients who need critical care, behavioral health services and the NICU,” said Tom Shufflebarger, president and CEO of Children’s of Alabama.

The licensed bed capacity for the hospital will remain at 332. The expansion should be complete in the fall of 2026.

Children’s of Alabama was established in 1911 and is one of the largest pediatric medical facilities in the United States at more than 3.5 million square feet. In 2012, Children’s of Alabama added the Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children, which houses the Russell Surgery Center and inpatient services. The McWane building, which was formerly the main hospital building, houses some inpatient beds in the Dearth Tower and many of the hospital’s specialty clinics. 

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

GENEROUS Tuscaloosa-based Bryant Bank has donated $250,000 to the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The money is going to three programs: The College of Nursing, the College of Business and the Department of Athletics.

since 2017, helps the bank support affordable housing in Alabama, Florida and other states.

COMMUNITY FUNDS Atmore-based United Bank has been awarded $9 million in federal Capital Magnet Funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. The award, the fourth the bank has received

NEW AT THE TOP Dennis Gilliam is the new president of Talladega’s Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. Gilliam, who succeeded John Mascia, is the school’s 18th president. Gilliam was most recently vice president of instructional programs at the school. Jim Scanlon has been named president of Huntsville’s Radiance Technologies.

Jonathan Koh has been named president of Shelton

8 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

State Community College in Tuscaloosa and Frazier Payne has been named interim president at Coastal Alabama Community College, replacing Craig Pouncey, who is retiring.

Alex McCrary, vice president for regulatory affairs at Alabama Power, has been elected president of the Alabama Parks Foundation, which oversees fundraising for Alabama’s 21 state parks. Dr. Steven Furr, a family physician in Jackson, has become president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, with nearly 130,000 family physicians, residents and medical students nationwide.

Jon Barganier has been named president and CEO of Manufacture Alabama. He succeeds George Clark, who founded the trade association in 1996.

FUN SPACE A $10 million renovation will turn Huntsville’s State Docks Building at Ditto Landing into an outdoor destination and renovated indoor space.

Officials intend for the new space to draw weddings, family reunions, conferences and other gatherings.

BENCHMARKS

Laurel Hotel at Auburn wins top AAA honors The LAUREL HOTEL & SPA in Laurel Hotel & Spa is in its first year of operation.

Auburn has been awarded a Photo by Heidi Geldhauser.

Five Diamond designation by AAA Travels, the only hotel in Alabama to hold the distinction. Only 89 hotels across the U.S. carry the recognition.

“I am ecstatic that The Laurel Hotel & Spa has received this fantastic recognition in its very first year of operation,” said Hans van der Reijden, founder and CEO of Ithaka Hospitality Partners.

“This is fantastic news for our owners, our students and academic partners, and for our entire hotel team, led by General Manager Josh Head.

We are immensely proud to be the first hotel in the state of Alabama to receive a Five Diamond designation and are partnership with Auburn University. excited to share this accolade The Laurel Hotel & Spa is a teaching hotel adjacent to the Tony as part of our larger goal to establish Auburn as a world-class & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, which houses Auburn’s destination for both hospitality and education.”

School of Hospitality Management. The hotel features a rooftop The Laurel Hotel & Spa is the only hotel in Alabama ever lounge, infinity pool and garden, the latter of which is operated in to receive the Five Diamond designation, according to van der partnership with Auburn’s Department of Horticulture. The garReijden. den provides produce used at 1856, the restaurant at the hotel. Auburn-based Ithaka Hospitality Partners operates the hotel in

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

LIVING SPACE Village Creek Development has unveiled a $32.5 million mixed-use development in West Homewood featuring two restaurants — El Barrio and Paramount — and retail, more dining and residential development. It’s planned for the site of a former Econo Lodge.

lots, adding a traffic circle and improving storm water drainage.

PLAY SPACE The city of Tuscaloosa cut the ribbon on improvements at Sokol Park North, which hosts a variety of sports tourism and leisure activities. Improvements included repaving parking

CLOSER TO HOME Cullman Regional Medical Center has announced plans for an ambulatory surgery center in Hartselle, due to open in 2026.

It’s across from the freestanding emergency department Cullman Regional is building now, that’s due to open in 2024.

NEW HOME ALABAMA Alabama Futures Fund has invested in CModel Data, an AI company formerly headquartered in San Francisco, California. Because

of the Alabama Futures Fund investment, the company will relocate to Birmingham.

FORE! Topgolf Mobile, the third Topgolf venue in Alabama, opened in November. The venue has 60 outdoor climatecontrolled hitting bays as well as a restaurant, video wall and more entertainment.

INTERNATIONAL DOWNSIDE Mexico is threatening to forcefully seize property owned there by Vulcan Materials if the Birmingham-based company doesn’t accept a $360 million

offer for the property by next year. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt is urging the Biden Administration to send a strong message that the U.S. will stand up for the rights of American businesses operating abroad.

BACK TO WORK UAW union members ended a nearly month-long walkout at Tuscaloosa-based ZF, a Mercedes-Benz supplier. The strike by 190 workers ended after a tentative agreement had been ratified.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 9

BENCHMARKS

Canfield steps down from Commerce leadership After 12 years at the helm of the Alabama Department of Commerce, GREG CANFIELD is stepping down, heading back to the private sector where he began his career.

Ellen McNair, an economic developer for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, will take the helm at the start of 2024.

Canfield’s 12 years at Commerce have included enormous steps on the state’s economic development trail — a strategic plan called Accelerate Alabama, a new brand called Made in Alabama, big wins like Mazda Toyota, and a shift so that the agency’s focus is broader, more international and more knowledge based.

Like many a Baby Boomer, his career has zigged and zagged — sometimes grabbing a passing opportunity and sometimes creating one.

A self-described “Birmingham boy,” he started at the University of Alabama, met his future wife Denise and followed her back to Birmingham — where she is still a banker, some 40 years later — finished his degree at UAB and joined the workforce.

Starting at Purolator Courier — a delivery service that once posted him to Memphis in the backyard of competitor FedEx — he picked up the varied skills that took him all the way to Commerce, such as cold calling potential customers, managing operations, traveling for

Greg Canfield has led Commerce for 12 years.

Photo by Julie Bennett.

work, and handling the finances. Joining Transus Freight System, he learned the skills of working with international business partners.

“I was traveling all the time,” he says.

“I was getting on an airplane on Mondays and flying back on Fridays, doing that about 3 or 4 weeks a month. After our first child, Rachel, was born, my wife said, ‘This has got to change.’”

A timely call from a headhunter opened the door to insurance work and though the particular job wasn’t a longterm career for him, he says, “I decided this insurance thing was interesting.”

A couple of years later, he opened his own small firm, Canfield Insurance and Financial Services, in Vestavia Hills — check off entrepreneur on his job history — and settled into a new work style.

But as he settled into running a business and working with other small business owners, talk began to shift to the city itself and how it could be better.

Those talks gave rise to a grass-roots political organization, a bi-partisan effort — and before long, Canfield was elected

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

B&G BUILDS BLUE BELL Brasfield & Gorrie, based in Birmingham, is the general contractor for a 100,000-squarefoot expansion of the Blue Bell Ice Cream facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. It will be the 32nd project Brasfield & Gorrie has completed with Blue Bell since 1995.

WASTIN’ AWAY FOR THE FIRST TIME Margaritaville, the late Jimmy Buffett’s tropically inspired restaurant and bar, will open its first Alabama location in Gulf Shores. The restaurant will be part of the Legendary Marina and Yacht Club, set to open in early 2024.

10 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

to Vestavia Hills’ city council and chosen as its president.

Not long after, the state representative from his District 48 was stepping aside, and Canfield became the candidate, winning in a run-off in 2006.

With parts of Vestavia Hills, parts of Mountain Brook and nearby affluent neighborhoods, the district “was very focused on quality education,” Canfield says. But like every district in the state, it’s best-laid plans often fell victim to the funding slash of proration. Canfield led the charge to create the rolling reserve budget act and avoid annual proration.

“It’s what I’m most proud of,” he says, noting that “since we passed it, we have not had proration in more than 12 years.”

Canfield had earned a place in House leadership and was chairing the commerce and small business committee when Gov. Robert Bentley asked him to take over what was then the Alabama Development Office in 2011. Uncertain whether it was a good move, he turned to veteran legislator Jabo Waggoner for advice.

Waggoner’s reply: “Don’t worry about it.

ON CAMPUS With the help of a $20 million gift from the family of the late Adtran founder Mark Smith, the University of Alabama has broken ground on a performing arts center to house drama, dance and opera. Faulkner University has broken ground for the final phase of its College of Health Sciences on the site

of a former shopping mall in Montgomery. Four Alabama community colleges — Wallace State in Hanceville, Northeast Alabama in Rainsville, Snead State in Boaz and Southern Union State in Wadley — have been selected to join a field of 150 community colleges competing for the 2025 Aspen Prize. Wallace

BENCHMARKS

You just need to do it.”

From his first international trip on the new job, he discovered a problem. “I would hand my business cards out and they didn’t know what an ADO was. It didn’t translate well.” To some potential trade partners, it sounded like he was planning a real estate project.

But everyone knows what a Department of Commerce is, he says.

“It was a no brainer to change the name. It provided instant recognition.

That was easy,” he says. “What was hard was that it felt like we didn’t have a brand, a way to tell our story. We were allowing the Alabama story to be told by others and it was very rarely positive.”

He brought in Big Communications, which helped launch the Made in Alabama brand.

“That has been the brand and the storytelling vehicle to deliver the message about what’s happening in Alabama,” he says. Now companies that have picked Alabama tell their stories about “what they’ve seen once they plant a flag here.”

And it’s worked, he says. “We’re a flyover state,” he says. But since adopting the Made in Alabama brand in 2012, when he’s working with international firms, “They may not know where we are on a map, but they damn sure have heard of us.”

Canfield is full of praise for the team at Commerce. “Over these 12 years, we’ve been able to build on that team and create what I think is the best team in commerce among the 50 states, particularly given the fact that Alabama is such a small state.

Even Mississippi’s equivalent agency has a budget probably twice our size.

“We punch above our weight class,” he says, “because of a strong team.”

Together, they’ve built a stronger and more diversified economy, he says.

“Automotive is incredible and continues to grow and in my opinion will continue to grow. The footprint of aerospace is incredible. We have a strong history of space and defense, but with Airbus and Boeing and Aerojet, Blue Origin — there’s a lot happening in aerospace that’s exciting.”

Growing up, Canfield recalls, Alabama industry was mostly agriculture, textiles, forest products and basic metals manufacturing.

“OVER THESE 12 YEARS, WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD ON THAT TEAM AND CREATE WHAT I THINK IS THE BEST TEAM IN COMMERCE AMONG THE 50 STATES, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT ALABAMA IS SUCH A SMALL STATE. EVEN MISSISSIPPI’S EQUIVALENT AGENCY HAS A BUDGET PROBABLY TWICE OUR SIZE." “Today, those are still important sectors, but our biggest GDP is coming from automotive and aerospace and the advanced metals to support them,” he says. Data centers, including Google and Facebook, are highlights; the chemical industry is growing to support battery technology, and there’s a growing focus on medical products and biotech.

In fact, with the growth in biotech and life sciences, the state revised its original Accelerate Alabama plan, creating version

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

State Community College in Hanceville has acquired a heavy-duty EV Kenworth truck that will be used in its diesel technology program. The truck was purchased with funds from a three-year $1.3 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Alabama Community College System has opened its Innovation

Center in Decatur, offering Skills of Success programs.

EEOC PAYMENT Dollar General will pay $1 million to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit involving Bessemer job applicants. The lawsuit stems from job offers at its Bessemer Distribution Center

2.0 in 2014 to sharpen the focus on those knowledge-based jobs.

“It’s all about strategy and having a plan and having the team,” Canfield says.

Does he have favorites? Not really.

He’s proud of the growth of Airbus, recognizing an important story in a state where one administration woos a company, and the following administration makes good on the deal.

He’s proud of Mazda Toyota, where two immensely important Japanese companies chose to create a joint venture and to locate it in northern Alabama.

He’s proud of Carpenter Technology — the sleeper success story — bringing a quiet company that’s doing important work in metals and alloys and powder alloys.

He’s proud of J.M Smucker because it shows the state’s ability to pivot from basic agriculture to food production and processing.

And he’s proud of Kimber — “for people who are really serious about gun collecting, Kimber is a great win for us… and they’ve had a great experience in Troy.”

Commerce gathered statistics about his tenure crediting it with $70 billion in investments; 180,000 new private sector jobs and trade missions to 30 countries.

And now, he says, it’s time to move on.

“My plan is to go back to private sector,” Canfield says. Adding Commerce and the Legislature and the Vestavia Hills City Council, “that’s about 24 years in the public sector. That’s a long time.

“I have begun to feel the ache to get back to where my roots are,” he says.

Details? Wait till closer to the end of the year to find out what’s up next.

that the EEOC says violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act. MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Mobile-based Thompson Engineering has acquired environmental specialist firm Barry A. Vittor & Associates, also based in Mobile. Birmingham-

based investment firm Waverly Advisors has acquired Rainsberger Wealth Advisors, its first acquisition in Colorado.

It’s the ninth acquisition for Waverly since December 2021.

Construction Partners, based in Dothan, has acquired three hot-mix asphalt plants in North and South Carolina from Reeves Construction Co.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 11

YEAR IN REVIEW

BILLIONS AND MILLIONS Some projects with big price tags highlight the year in business in Alabama

A couple of new billion-dollar construction projects. Hundreds of millions in major expansions across the state. Defense contracts that reach to the hundreds of millions and into the billions.

Those are among the highlights of Alabama’s year in 2023.

In the next few pages, we celebrate the year that was, taking a look back at the major events in Alabama business during the last 12 months.

By ALEC HARVEY

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has new projects in the works.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 15

YEAR IN REVIEW

Big new

projects Nucor is building a steel plant in Decatur.

T

he Alabama Department of Transportation announced it’s moving forward with the $2.7 billion I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway.

[Read more on page 22.]

First Solar Inc. plans a $1.1 billion factory in Lawrence County’s Mallard Fox West Industrial Park, the company’s fourth photovoltaic solar module manufacturing plant in the U.S. [Read more on page 22.]

Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp., based in Seattle, Washington, announced a $232 million microreactor assembly plant in Gadsden.

The $200 million Huntsville Logistics Center is a new industrial park under construction in Limestone County.

Korean automaker Samkee announced a $128 million plant in Tuskegee.

Steelmaker Nucor is building a $125 million plant in Decatur that will manufacture transmission towers.

Construction began on the $120 million Cooper Green Mercy Health Clinic in Birmingham.

A $65 million project in downtown Huntsville will include a pedestrian skybridge and River Walk.

Samford University, in Birmingham, broke ground on a $65 million recreation and wellness complex.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham announced plans for a $76 mil-

Sierra Pacific Windows' first Southeast facility will be in Phenix City.

Korean automaker Samkee is building in Tuskegee.

lion Biomedical Research and Psychology Building.

Sierra Pacific Windows announced a $60 million plant in Phenix City. It’s the

16 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

company’s first facility in the Southeast.

A $50 million amphitheater is moving ahead in Birmingham near Protective Stadium.

YEAR IN REVIEW

Wind Creek Hospitality, which is based in Alabama, has purchased a major casino in Florida.

W

ind Creek Hospitality’s PCI Gaming purchased the Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida, for a reported $600 million.

In an $85 million deal, USA Health System has acquired Providence Hospital.

Major

acquisitions

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 17

YEAR IN REVIEW

Cerrowire expanded its Hartselle operation.

MAJOR

EXPANSIONS

Auburn's Shinhwa Auto USA expansion is under way.

Southwire is planning a major expansion in Florence.

K

ronospan announced a $350 million expansion at its site in Oxford, including a new plant for oriented strand board.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama announced plans to invest $290 million in its Montgomery plant, paving the way for the plant to build the next-generation Santa Fe SUV. The City of Decatur approved $140 million in building permits for planned expansion at United Launch Alliance.

At the end of December 2022, Mobile broke ground on a $330 million project, including a new terminal and parking structure, at Mobile International Airport.

[Read more on page 29.]

Shinhwa Auto USA announced plans to invest $114 million to expand its man-

Kronospan is building a new oriented strand board plant in Oxford to the tune of $350 million.

ufacturing operation in Auburn.

Cerrowire opened a $100 million expansion in Hartselle to make metal-clad cable.

Georgia-based Chart Industries will open a second site in Theodore with an investment of $74 million.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham kicked off a planned $73 million expansion of its emergency services.

18 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

APM Terminals is investing $60 million to improve rail service at its container cargo facilities at the Port of Mobile.

Children’s of Alabama has launched a $55 million expansion in Birmingham.

The project will build out the 12th floor of the Benjamin Russell building that’s currently a shell. [Read more on page 8.]

Southwire announced a major expansion in Florence.

YEAR IN REVIEW

Boeing's Space Launch System work with NASA will continue with a new $3.2 billion contract.

B

oeing’s Huntsville operations received a $3.2 billion NASA contract for more Space Launch System rockets after the successful Artemis I mission.

Lockheed Martin and Joint Technical Solutions, in Huntsville, were awarded an $840 million contract to work on hypersonic weapons. nTSI, a joint venture of Huntsville’s Modern Technology Solutions and Nou Systems, was awarded a $637 million contract for work on Missile Defense Systems.

ITSC Secure Solutions, in Huntsville, was awarded an Air Force contract for up to $415 million.

PCI Productions, in Atmore, was awarded a $217 million NASA contract to manage communications for the agency.

B.L. Harbert International was awarded a $210 million construction contract for a weapons generation facility at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. The company was also awarded a $122.4 million contract for a new material exploitation center at Redstone Arsenal.

Arrow’s Edge LLC, of Huntsville, was awarded a $200 million U.S. Navy contract for support of the Fleet Readiness Center.

KBR was awarded a $156.7 million Army contract for work on the Black Hawk helicopter fleet.

General Dynamics won a $152 million contract to manage Alabama Supercomputer Authority centers.

Huntsville-based Gradkell Systems was awarded a $150 million contract to

maintain and modernize the financial management system for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Austal USA has been awarded a $113.9 million contract to build up to seven ocean surveillance ships for the U.S. Navy.

MAJOR DEFENSE CONTRACTS

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 19

YEAR IN REVIEW

OTHER

BITS OF

BUSINESS

Helena Duncan was selected this year as president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama.

S

en. Richard Shelby retired in January after representing Alabama in Washington for 44 years.

Cynthia Crutchfield was named the first CEO of Innovate Alabama.

Helena Duncan was selected as president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama.

Jeff Peoples was named president and CEO of Alabama Power.

Dawn Bulgarella was named CEO of the UAB Health System.

Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh resigned in August. Michelle Kruger is acting president.

Hyundai’s plant in Montgomery began assembling the Genesis Electrified GV70 SUV, the first Genesis model assembled outside of South Korea.

A nearly two-year strike by United Mine Workers at Warrior Met came to an end.

Jimmy Rane, owner of Great Southern Wood Preserving in Abbeville, was Alabama’s lone representative on Forbes’

20 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

Alabama's longest mining strike came to an end at Warrior Met.

annual list of billionaires.

Alabama will receive $1.4 billion from the U.S. Commerce Department to improve broadband access in underserved areas.

With an annexation vote in July, Mobile became Alabama’s second-largest city,

surpassing Birmingham.

At the end of the year, Greg Canfield stepped down as secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce after serving for 12 years. [Read more on page 10.]

Montgomery’s Ellen McNair will succeed him.

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

How Soon?

A quick update on four billion-dollar projects in progress in Alabama

By KATHERINE MacGILVRAY

Some of the largest economic development investments in the state’s history have been announced in the past year or so. The projects underway include Smucker’s $1.1 billion manufacturing plant in Jefferson County, Novelis’ $2.5 billion aluminum recycling and rolling plant in Baldwin County and First Solar’s $1.1 billion photovoltaic solar modules plant in Lawrence County — plus a $2.7 billion bridge over Mobile Bay at Mobile.

Here are the latest updates.

Smucker

Construction is underway at the J.M. Smucker plant in McCalla.

S

everal thousand people showed up for a hiring fair held by the J.M. Smucker Co. in July. The company’s manufacturing and distribution facility in McCalla is on schedule to begin production in May of 2024 and will bring 750 to 800 jobs to Jefferson County. Positions being filled include production, quality assurance, maintenance, logistics, engineering, electrical and management. The first round of operating technician hires began training at the company’s Colorado facility in

22 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

October.

The plant will be the third in the country dedicated exclusively to producing Smucker’s Uncrustables premade frozen sandwiches, one of the company’s fastest growing brands. The new facility will help the brand reach its stated goal of $1 billion in annual net sales, according to Nicole Newell, director of operations at the McCalla Plant. Newell has also said it’s possible that production in McCalla might expand beyond Uncrustables in the future.

First announced in November 2021, the project broke ground last year at the 225-acre property located in Jefferson Metropolitan Park. The $1.1 billion facility is the largest capital investment in Jefferson County history.

To accommodate the expected traffic growth near the industrial development, Jefferson County is investing millions of dollars in infrastructure, including three major projects on Old Tuscaloosa Highway, McAshan Drive and Bell Hill Road.

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

Novelis

Groundwork is in progress for the new Novelis aluminum plant at Bay Minette.

L

ast October, Novelis broke ground on a $2.5 billion aluminum recycling and rolling plant in Baldwin County. The plant, located on a 3,000-acre Mega Site north of Bay Minette, will be the first fully integrated aluminum recycling and rolling mill built in the U.S. in 40 years, says Callie Cox, communications lead for Novelis Corp. The facility will have an initial 600 kilotonnes of finished aluminum goods capacity annually, primarily serving the North American beverage can market but with flexibility for automotive aluminum production as well.

The low-carbon plant aims to be net carbon neutral for Scope 1 and Scope 2,

will be powered with renewable energy, use recycled water and will be a zero-waste facility. In addition, Novelis has set a goal to achieve a 30% reduction in its carbon footprint by 2026 and aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner. AL Circle recently recognized Novelis as the world’s largest recycler, with over 2.2 million tonnes of recycled aluminum during FY2022.

The project is expected to bring 1,000 high-paying jobs to the area. “We aim to hire most of our workforce from Baldwin County but will extend our recruiting efforts within a 60-mile radius of the Bay Minette community,” says Cox. The company is also building

a corporate center for advanced manufacturing and leadership training at the Daphne Innovation and Science Complex.

Cox says that other than normal design challenges that have caused some minor delays in obtaining certain materials, the project has not experienced any unexpected difficulties or delays, and the plant is on track to be operational in the second half of 2025.

“The project is moving along according to timelines and is set to become operational on time and on schedule.

Significant progress continues to be made at the project site, and we are pleased with the milestones that continue to be made.”

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 23

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

First Solar

First Solar plans a solar module plant in Lawrence County, similar to this one in Ohio.

T

empe, Arizona-based First Solar Inc. announced at the end of 2022 that Lawrence County’s Mallard Fox Industrial Park will be the location of its newest American photovoltaic (PV) solar module manufacturing facility. The 2.4 million-square-foot plant has a planned annual capacity of 3.5 gigawatts (GW) and is part of a previously announced investment in scaling the company’s American manufacturing footprint to more than 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2025. The fully vertically integrated facility will be the company’s fourth, joining three factories in Ohio. In August, First Solar also announced plans for a fifth facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, expected to be complete in the first half of 2026.

The Alabama facility, on schedule to be complete by 2025, will manufacture the Series 7 TR1 solar panel modules. Designed in California and Ohio, they are the company’s newest and most advanced panels and combine First Solar’s thin film cadmium

24 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

telluride (CadTel) technology with a larger form factor and an innovative galvanized steel back rail mounting system to improve efficiency, installation and lifetime energy performance for utilityscale PV projects.

The plant represents an investment of approximately $1.1 billion and is expected to create more than 700 new direct manufacturing jobs in the state and bring the company’s total number of direct jobs in the U.S. to more than 3,000 by 2025.

Of the world’s ten largest solar manufacturers, First Solar is the only one headquartered in the U.S. The Lawrence County project is expected to bring the company’s total investment in American manufacturing to more than $4 billion.

In July, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced it had secured 279 megawatts of advanced thin film solar panels for its Lawrence County Solar Project that is planned to begin commercial operation in 2027.

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

Mobile Bay Bridge and Bayway Project

Envisioning a new bridge over the Mobile River to replace trafficclogged tunnels.

A

plan decades in the making is finally underway as Mobile and Baldwin counties prepare to break ground on the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project. It is estimated to cost $2.7 billion, making it the most expensive road project in the state’s history, and includes building a new bridge over the Mobile River and replacing the interstate across Mobile Bay. Currently, the I-10 corridor around the Wallace Tunnel in downtown Mobile averages more than 78,000 vehicles daily — two and a half times its design capacity — and is the cause of regular traffic congestion, a condition that worsens each year. The new project aims to increase the capacity of I-10 to meet existing and future traffic volumes, provide a direct route for vehicles transporting hazardous materials, minimize impacts to Mobile’s maritime industry, and facilitate economic growth by improving access to major industrial and freight destinations in the Mobile area.

The Alabama Department of Transportation is finalizing contracts with two design-build joint venture teams. KiewitMassman-Traylor will build a new six-lane I-10 bridge with a minimum of 215 feet of air draft clearance over the Mobile River, and Mobile Bay Constructors will build a new wider and

higher Bayway, designed to meet current standards. Since the current structure is not able to meet capacity and storm surge requirements, it will be demolished once the new Bayway is open to traffic. Upgrades to appropriate I-10 interchanges in Mobile and Baldwin counties are also planned.

The completed project will include an all-electronic toll system with a proposed rate of $2.50 per trip for cars with transponders, $5.50 for those without transponders and a $40 per month unlimited use option. Only new infrastructure will require tolls, with the Wallace Tunnel, the Bankhead Tunnel, the Africatown Bridge and the Causeway remaining free options.

“The Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project is a testament to the collective dedication and vision of our community,” says Mobile Chamber President & CEO Bradley Byrne. “This initiative is more than just an infrastructure upgrade; it’s a lifeline for our region’s economic growth and our standing as a key player for companies looking to locate here.”

Construction is scheduled to start in 2024 and is expected to take five years to complete.

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

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 25

26 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

INDUSTRIAL SITES

Alabama’s Largest Industrial Sites With Rail Service

compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

RANK

Ranked by available acreage. Source: Economic Development Partnership of Alabama SITE NAME

CITY

COUNTY

AVAILABLE ACRES

TOTAL ACRES

RAIL SERVICE

ZONING

1

Tosco Tract

Demopolis

Marengo

2,283

2,283

Adjacent Track

Light Industrial

2

Childersburg Industrial Park

Childersburg

Talladega

2,171

2,195

Onto Site

Heavy Industrial

3

Hatter Tract

Saraland

Mobile

1,500

1,500

Adjacent Track

None

4

Crossroads of America

Boligee

Greene

1,240

1,500

Spur Available

None

5

NE Opelika Industrial Park

Opelika

Lee

1,200

2,200

Rail Served

Heavy Industrial

6

NEAR Mega-Site

Attalla

Etowah

1,091

1,091

Onto Site

None

7

Mallard Fox West Industrial Complex

Trinity

Lawrence

907.4

1,068.22

Onto Site

None

8

Montgomery Mega Site

Montgomery

Montgomery

900

1,869.90

Adjacent Track

None

9

Alabama River Partners Site

Lowndesboro

Lowndes

900

900

Adjacent Track

None

10 I-65/Tyson Road Site

Hayneville

Lowndes

735

735

Onto Site

None

11 Craig Industrial Park

Selma

Dallas

700

700

Rail Served

None

12 Butler County Bolling Site

Georgiana

Butler

646

646

Adjacent Track

None

13 Sandy Site

Huntsville

Limestone

640

640

Rail Served

None

14 South Dallas Industrial Park

Selma

Dallas

500

600

Rail Served

None

15 Barton Riverfront Industrial Park

Cherokee

Colbert

490

1,900

Adjacent Track

None

16 Fincher Property

Roanoke

Randolph

478

478

Onto Site

None

17 JFTMA Railside Tract

Atmore

Escambia

445

445

Adjacent Track

None

18 Shorter Technology Park

Shorter

Macon

400

500

Rail Served

None

19 Tucker Property

Moundville

Hale

395

395

Rail Served

None

20 Highway 199 Site

Tuskegee

Macon

374

374

Rail Served

Agricultural

21 Shoals Research Airpark

Muscle Shoals

Colbert

373

536

Spur Available

Heavy Industrial

22 North Clarke Industrial Park

Thomasville

Clarke

365

1,185

Rail Served

None

23 Jasper Industrial Park

Jasper

Walker

355

405

Adjacent Track

M3

24 Weekly Site

Bay Minette

Baldwin

354

354

Rail Served

None

25 McMillan Property

Evergreen

Conecuh

351

351

Onto Site

None

26 Westport Russell Site

Montgomery

Montgomery

320

320

Adjacent Track

Light Industrial

27 Atmore Industrial Park

Atmore

Escambia

313

510

Rail Served

Heavy Industrial

28 Roanoke Industrial Park

Roanoke

Randolph

310

310

Onto Site

Industrial

29 Hamm Property

McIntosh

Washington

309

309

Onto Site

None

30 City of Prattville's South Industrial Park

Prattville

Autauga

308

450

Onto Site

Heavy Industrial

31 Eyster/Steed Site

Trinity

Morgan

298

298

Rail Served

Agricultural

32 Millard Maritime

Theodore

Mobile

280

300

Rail Served

Heavy Industrial

33 Grand River

Leeds

Jefferson

279

279

Rail Served

Industrial

34 Beck's Turf Farm 5

Tuskegee

Macon

277

277

Onto Site

None

35 Hanchey Field Road Site

Daleville

Dale

253

253

Adjacent Track

None

36 Interstate Industrial Park

Montgomery

Montgomery

252

700

Adjacent Track

Heavy Industrial

37 Cowley Industrial Property

McCalla

Bessemer

251

251

Rail Served

Light Industrial

38 North River Industrial Site

Berry

Fayette

250

250

Onto Site

None

39 Vincent Industrial Park

Vincent

Shelby

240

240

Adjacent Track

Light Industrial

40 CNJ Property

Montgomery

Montgomery

230

230

Adjacent Track

Heavy Industrial

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 27

RANK

INDUSTRIAL SITES

SITE NAME

CITY

COUNTY

AVAILABLE ACRES

TOTAL ACRES

RAIL SERVICE

ZONING

41 U.S. Highway 72 Industrial

Athens

Limestone

230

230

Rail Served

None

42 Salco 43 Industrial

Creola

Mobile

220

220

Adjacent Track

None

43 Scott G. Davis Industrial Park

Woodstock

Bibb

217

565

Adjacent Track

None

44 Virginia Station Phase II

Creola

Mobile

217

280

Rail Served

None

45 Tuscaloosa Co. Airport Industrial Park

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

200

1,000

Spur Available

Light Industrial

46 American Brass Inc.

Headland

Henry

200

200

Rail Served

None

47 Linden Industrial Park

Linden

Marengo

197

300

Rail Served

Light Industrial

48 Kershaw Industrial Property

Montgomery

Montgomery

190

190

Onto Site

Light Industrial

49 Glen Allen Rail Site

Winfield

Fayette

124

124

Rail Served

Light Industrial

50 North Industrial Park Property

Brundidge

Pike

184

184

Adjacent Track

None

51 Smelley Property

Talladega

Talladega

179

179

Rail Served

None

52 Daniel Payne Industrial Park

Birmingham

Jefferson

164

283

Rail Served

Light Industrial

53 Virginia Station Phase 1

Creola

Mobile

160.6

168

Spur Available

None

54 Bridgeport Waterfront Site

Bridgeport

Jackson

133

133

Adjacent Track

Agricultural

55 I-10 Rangeline Industrial Park

Mobile

Mobile

129

129

Adjacent Track

Heavy Industrial

56 Dobbins 127

Sylacauga

Talladega

127

127

Adjacent Track

None

57 Devaney Site

Tanner

Limestone

123

123

Adjacent Track

None

58 Evergreen L.P. Site

Evergreen

Conecuh

123

123

Rail Served

None

For more sites, visit BusinessAlabama.com

28 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

Pryor Field, in Tanner, is upgrading a taxiway and access road and has plans to add a new hangar.

Fly By Night

Or by day, or overseas, or laden with cargo or to Disney World or Washington, D.C. Alabama’s airports are stepping up service for passengers and cargo.

By NEDRA BLOOM

R

eady for a bad pun? Alabama’s airports are flying high.

Except it isn’t a bad pun – it’s an apt description of work in progress at most of the state’s biggest airports and even some of the little ones.

At the top of the state, Huntsville has seen more passengers, more destinations, more private aviation options and more cargo destinations.

“At HSV, we have seen one of our best years financially as a result of the recovery of passenger traffic,” says CEO Butch Roberts.

At the other end of the state, Mobile is making significant progress toward a new passenger terminal and a new parking garage at a new location, with a new tower in the offing, more property acquired and in the works, and generally building on its location alongside the port, with easy freeway and rail access, and one of the nation’s key aviation players, Airbus, on site..

“We are poised for significant growth,” says CEO Chris Curry. “For us, it doesn’t stop with just the passenger aspect. We are co-located with the Alabama State Port, so in our future there’s a large opportunity for cargo, as well as passengers. That sets us apart from most airports.”

Let’s look at the airports from Huntsville to Mobile, with another half dozen in between.

Birmingham Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is the state’s busiest, serving more than 3 million passengers in 2021.

Alongside commercial passenger traffic, BHM is working on three major projects — a new air cargo facility, work on taxiways B and F and the overflow apron and safety area improvements on runways 6, 24 and 36.

The air cargo facility, 100% funded by the Birmingham Airport Authority, is due to be complete in spring 2024 and then to be leased to global logistics firm Kuehne+Nagel. The firm has been operating at BHM since April of this year.

The 53,000-square-foot facility is designed to transport goods between aircraft and trucks, and it includes offices, conference rooms and related space.

Huntsville HSV in Huntsville serves more than 1.4 million passengers annually and several key projects are designed to make that experience more appealing. An almost complete cell phone lot (a $600,000 project) will make passenger pick up easier and upgrades underway in the terminal (a $13 million project) will make the trek from TSA to the gate simpler and more attractive. Rental car space is being expanded, too. And the airport December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 29

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

Mobile built this no-frills terminal at the Downtown Airport, now the Mobile International Airport, and is adding a second terminal to handle the rest of the airport's commercial passenger traffic.

Birmingham is adding new cargo facilities to accommodate new tenant, Kuehne + Nagel.

has added nonstop leisure destinations with the addition of low-cost carrier Breeze Airways.

But HSV is more than passenger services.

Cargo has been a game-changer for HSV since global supply chain logistics company DSV located there. Most recently, LATAM has added flights to Brazil and Qatar Airways Cargo has added HSV operations, giving north Alabama cargo service to Mexico, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the long-standing services to Europe and Asia through its eight carriers.

“Real opportunities exist for us in attracting big developers and big companies that want to take advantage of the assets we have to offer at HSV,” Roberts says. “Our intermodal facilities combined with large tracts of land ready for development make us particularly well-suited for warehousing and distribution centers.”

Meanwhile, Signature Flight Support has an $11.3 million upgrade in progress, creating a more appealing first impression when private jets pick HSV. “It’s important for people looking to make investments in Huntsville to experience an airport that lives up to the national superlatives our city is known for as one of the best places to live in the U.S., as having the best tech job market, for prosperity, and for income growth,” says Roberts. “Signature is the first and last image that corporate executives and

decision-makers representing large commercial interests from the federal side to private industry will remember about our community.”

And while all the improvements for passengers and cargo are in progress, HSV is all set whenever Sierra Space Dream Chaser is ready to land. The airport received federal approval in 2022 to land that particular model of spacecraft as it returns from missions.

Mobile Mobile is making progress toward what will feel like a whole new airport. Commercial passenger service will move from the Mobile Regional Airport on the city’s far west side to the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley — joining Airbus and a host of other aviation firms that have clustered there for two or more decades.

Moving to the new terminal and adding a new parking garage total a $350 million project, says Airport President Curry. The new terminal will open with 5 gates and the capacity to expand to 12, while the low-cost carrier terminal nearby will offer another 2 gates.

Design is about half done and construction should begin early in 2024.

The terminal should be ready — and debt free — by November 2025.

As the new terminal rises and Airbus continues with its third — and possibly fourth — expansion, the next project will be a new tower.

“The tower we have today is not

30 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

suitable for the development plans of the airport going forward,” Curry says.

Beyond commercial air travel plans — and the airport would love to attract more carriers — Airbus is jumping from building 7 aircraft a month to a target of 20 per month. “They’re tripling their production,” Curry says, adding, “and once that’s completed, we’ll be the fourth largest location for aircraft assembly in the world.”

Once the airport selects a suitable site — able to see the entire length of both runways without obstruction — the new tower could be done in two years, he says.

The airport recently purchased 100 acres on its eastern edge – toward the port and downtown — which will be invaluable if Airbus wins a contract to build a new Air Force tanker. The airport would also like to purchase another 300 acres nearby.

Montgomery New technology and destinations are hot topics at Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM).

The airport broke ground in October for electric aircraft chargers, called BETA systems for Battery-powered Electric Terminal Aviation. The BETA systems provide quick battery charging, which translates to quick turnaround times for flights.

Wade A. Davis, executive director of MGM, says, “The future is here with the introduction of BETA electric aircraft

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

Huntsville's airport is upgrading its concourse, with phase one expected to be finished in late 2024.

chargers at MGM. This groundbreaking initiative signifies a significant leap forward for the future of aviation, our airport and the aviation industry as a whole.”

Auburn Auburn University Regional Airport is owned and operated by the university but strongly supported by the cities of Auburn and Opelika and by Lee County, says Bill Hutto, the airport’s executive director.

While it offers no commercial passenger flights, it is home to two flight schools — RD Aire teaches fixed-wing aircraft flying for the public and South Atlanta Helicopter teaches rotor-wing flying — plus the university’s own aviation program with nearly 900 students in flight and aviation management programs.

Aircraft broker JetEffect is also new at the airport. The firm helps connect buyers and sellers for private aircraft.

Also in the works at the airport are new hangars for privately owned planes.

A 10-bay hangar for smaller planes, most of which are used for recreational purposes, is done and a 6-bay hangar for larger corporate planes is in progress.

Due to the size and types of planes now using the airport more frequently, the airport is extending the safety area at the end of the runway from 300 to 1,000 feet.

The Auburn airport is also in line for a new tower. At present, planes approach on a see-and-avoid basis, communicating with each other as they take off or land, Hutto explains. That system is augmented with a temporary tower on football game days when traffic is much heavier.

But with more takeoffs and landings — an expected 95,000 operations this calendar year — the airport will join the top 200 busiest airports in the country and needs a new tower. The estimated cost is $8 million.

It's worth it, he says, because airport growth is “critical to continued economic growth of our community.”

Pryor Field Pryor Field in Tanner broke ground this fall on a concrete taxiway and access road, steps on the way to a new cargo ramp.

“Pryor Field handles a tremendous amount of on-demand freight for partners in the North Alabama area, as well as several from Tennessee,” Airport Director Adam Fox explains. “Our northwest development will not only allow us to facilitate our freight operations, but also provide space for businesses to build facilities to accommodate their needs.”

Four companies have sent letters of intent to the airport authority, indicating plans to locate on the northwest side of the site, and the authority has

approved plans for construction of a 12,000-square-foot hangar north of the terminal.

“We recently completed an Airport Master Plan with Goodwyn Mills Cawood, our aviation planning and engineering partners, and are proud to now begin checking projects off the list,” says Fox.

Tuscaloosa The City of Tuscaloosa has authorized $7 million to improve and expand runways at Tuscaloosa National Airport in hopes of bringing commercial passenger service back to the airport.

The 862-acre airport has 62 hangars, two fixed-base operators, a flight school and a car rental firm.

The airport offers special services on University of Alabama football game days.

Demopolis Demopolis Municipal Airport is in the midst of a $5 million project to renovate and improve facilities, including a new terminal. Although the airport does not offer commercial passenger service, it provides services for flight training, emergency medical flights, agricultural flights and others.

Nedra Bloom is a Mobile-based writer/editor for Business Alabama.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 31

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E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

Economic Development Agencies in Alabama An alphabetical listing of economic development entities in Alabama.

compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

AGENCY

CONTACT

ADDRESS

PHONE/WEBSITE

EMAIL

58 Inc. | Shelby County Economic Development Corp.

Amy Sturdivant

1126 County Services Dr. Pelham, AL 35124

205-620-6658 58inc.org

asturdivant@58inc.org

Alabama Department of Commerce

Ellen McNair

401 Adams Ave. Montgomery, AL 36130

800-248-0033 madeinalabama.com

contact@madeinalabama.com

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs

Kenneth Boswell

401 Adams Ave. Montgomery, AL 36104

334-242-5100 adeca.alabama.gov

contact@adeca.alabama.gov

Auburn Economic Development, City of

Phillip Dunlap

144 Tichenor Ave. Ste. 2, Auburn, AL 36830

334-501-7270 pdunlap@auburnalabama.org auburnalabama.org/economic-development

Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance

Lee Lawson

1100 Fairhope Ave. Fairhope, AL 36532

251-970-4081 baldwineda.com

llawson@baldwineda.com

Bibb County Commission

Brian Davis

157 SW Davidson Dr. Centreville, AL 35042

205-926-3114 bibbal.com

bdavis@bibbal.com

Birmingham Business Alliance

Steve Ammons

505 20th St. N., Ste. 200 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-324-2100 birminghambusinessalliance.com

sammons@birminghambusinessalliance.com

University of West Alabama Division of Outreach Services Station 35 Livingston, AL 35470 625 2nd Ave. Oneonta, AL 35121

205-652-3665 blackbelteda.com 205-446-1180 blountedc.com

dmitchell@blountedc.com

Black Belt Economic Development Alliance Blount County Economic Development Council

Don Mitchell

Bullock County Development Authority

David Padgett

106 Conecuh Ave. Union Springs, AL 36089

334-738-5411 bullockcountyalabama.com

david.padgett@bullockcountyalabama.com

Business Council of Alabama

Helena Duncan

2 N. Jackson St., Ste. 501 Montgomery, AL 36104

334-834-6000 bcatoday.org

hduncan@bcatoday.org

Butler County Commission for Economic Development

David Hutchison

P.O. Box 758 Greenville, AL 36037

334-371-8400 bcced.com

dhutchison@bcced.com

Calhoun County Economic Development Council

Don Hopper

1330 Quintard Ave. Anniston, AL 36202

256-237-3536 calhouncountyedc.org

dhopper@calhouncountyedc.org

Chambers County Development Authority

Chris Busby

4445 51st Ave. SW Lanett, AL 36863

334-642-1412 chamberscoida.com

cbusby@chambersida.com

Cherokee County Industrial Development Authority

Daniel Steele

260 Cedar Bluff Rd., Ste. 103 Centre, AL 35960

256-9266-1655

danielsteele@cherokeecounty-al. gov

Chilton County Industrial Development Authority

Christine Brown

620 Second Ave. N. Clanton, AL 35045

205-990-2070 growchilton.org

chiltonida@gmail.com

Choctaw County Probate Judge

Dewayne May

117 S. Mulberry, Ste. 9 Butler, AL 36904

205-459-2417

probatejudge15@tds.net

Clay County Economic Development Council

Chance Jones

P.O. Box 1237 Ashland, AL 36251

256-276-9319 claycountyeconomicdc.org

ccedc2020@gmail.com

Conecuh County Economic Development

Jeffery Taylor

111 Court St. Evergreen, AL 36401

251-578-2095 conecuhcountyeconomicdevelopment.com

jtaylor@conecuhcounty.us

Covington County Economic Development Commission

Rick Clifton

21754 Bill Benton Ln. Andalusia, AL 36421

334-222-7040 covingtoncountyedc.com

rick.clifton@covingtoncountyedc. com

Crenshaw County Economic & Industrial Development Auhority

Robyn Snellgrove

3 S. Forest Ave. Luverne, AL 36049

334-335-4468 crenshawcountyeida.com

robyn@crenshawcounty.net

Cullman Economic Development Agency

Dale Greer

200 1st Ave. NE Cullman, AL 35055

256-739-1891 cullmaneda.org

cullmaneda@cullmaneda.org

DeKalb County Economic Development Authority

Jimmy Durham

2414 Airport Rd. W. Fort Payne, AL 35968

256-845-7957 dekalbeda.com

JDurham@dekalbeda.com Source: Agency websites

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 33

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

AGENCY

CONTACT

ADDRESS

PHONE/WEBSITE

EMAIL

Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce

Colton Cureton

102 Jamestown Blvd.

Dothan, AL 36302

334-792-5138 dothan.com

ccureton@dothan.com

Economic Development Association of Alabama

Jim Searcy

2 N. Jackson St., Ste. 302 Montgomery, AL 36104

334-676-2085 edaa.org

jim@edaa.org

Economic Development for Clarke and Washington Counties

Rosalyn Sales

2003 College Ave. Jackson, AL 36545

251-282-9099

rsales@cmcgas.com

Economic Development Partnership of Alabama

Greg Barker

1320 1st Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35233

205-943-4700 edpa.org

gbarker@edpa.org

Elmore County Economic Development Authority

Lisa Van Wagner

194 Fort Toulouse Rd., Ste. B Wetumpka, AL 36092

334-312-6886 elmoreeda.com

lisa.vanwagner@elmoreeda.com

Escambia County Industrial Development Authority

Jess Nicholas

406 S. Trammell St. Atmore, AL 36502

800-601-0340

jnicholas@centerfire.email

Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce

Philip Clayton

333 E. Broad St. Eufaula, AL 36027

334-687-6664 eufaulachamber.com

info@eufaulachamber.com

Franklin County Development Authority

Sherye Price

16109 Hwy. 43, Ste. C. Russellville, AL 35653

256-332-8726 franklineda.com

sprice@franklineda.com

Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority

David Hooks

The Venue2, 99 E. Chestnut, Gadsden, AL 35903

256-543-9423 gadsdenida.org

davidhooks@gadsdenida.org

Greene County Industrial Development Authority

Phillis Belcher

111 Main St. Eutaw, AL 35462

205-372-9769 gcida.com

gcida@uwa.edu

Grow Southeast Alabama

Melody Lee

P.O. Box 1406 Dothan, AL 36302

334-618-3318

melody@likemindmarketing.com

Hale County

Leland Avery

P.O. Box 396 Greensboro, AL 36744

334-624-8740

judgeaveryhaleco@bellsouth.net

Henry County Economic Development Authority

Rhonda Harrison

101 N. Doswell St. Abbeville, AL 36310

334-575-5165 hellohenrycounty.com

hceda@henrycountyal.net

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce

Lucia Cape

225 Church St. NW Huntsville, AL 35801

256-535-2033 asmartplace.com

lcape@hsvchamber.org

Industrial Development Authority of Winston County

David Roberson

P.O. Box 368 Haleyville, AL 35565

888-489-1101 winstonadvantage.org

droberson@rcginc.net

Jackson County Economic Development Authority

Nathan Lee

817 S. Broad St. Scottsboro, AL 35768

256-574-1331 jacksoncountyeda.org

jceda@scottsboro.org

Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance

Denise Walls

P.O. Box 1105 Alexander City, AL 35010

256-750-5253 lakemartineda.com

dwalls@lakemartineda.com

Lawrence County Industrial Development Board

Tabitha Pace

12001 Alabama Hwy. 157 Ste. 10 Moulton, AL 35650 Bethany Shockney 101 S. Beaty St., Ste. B Athens, AL 35611

256-974-2899 lawrenceidb.com

tpace@lawrenceidb.com

256-232-2386 lceda.com

bshockney@lceda.com

Lowndes County Economic Development Commission

Jim Byard Jr.

10 Commerce St. Hayneville, AL 36040

334-414-2560 growlowndescounty.com

jim@byardassociates.com

Macon County Economic Development Authority

Joe Turnham

608 Dibble St., Ste. 7 Tuskegee, AL 36083

334-444-2672 madeinmacon.com

info@madeinmacon.com

Marshall County Economic Development Council

Matt Arnold

2208 Ringold St., Ste. 1-A Guntersville, AL 35976

256-582-5100 marshallteam.org

mattarnold@marshallteam.org

Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

David Rodgers, CEcD

451 Government St. Mobile, AL 36602

251-431-8657 mobileeconomicdevelopment.com

drodgers@mobilechamber.com

15 N. Mount Pleasant Ave. Monroeville, AL 36460

251-743-1332 mmceda.com

jturberville@mmceda.com

Limestone County Economic Development Association

Monroeville/Monroe County Jodi Turberville Economic Development Authority

34 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T

AGENCY

CONTACT

Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Morgan County Economic Development Association

ADDRESS

PHONE/WEBSITE

EMAIL

Shelby Stringfellow 41 Commerce St. Montgomery, AL 36101

334-240-9420 montgomerychamber.com

sstringfellow@montgomerychamber.com

Jeremy Nails

300 Market St. NE, Ste. 2 Decatur, AL 35601

256-353-1213 mceda.org

mceda@mceda.org

North Alabama Industrial Brooks Kracke, Development Association (NAIDA) Jason Wright

410 Johnston St., Ste. A Decatur, AL 35601

256-353-9450 naida.com

bkracke@naida.com

North Alabama International Trade Association (NAITA)

Anne Burkett, Amanda Berkey

P.O. Box 2457 Huntsville, AL 35804

256-990-5055 naita.org

naita@naita.org

Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance

Tom Wisemiller

4020 US Hwy. 43 Guin, AL 35563

205-468-3213 northwestalabamaeda.org

twisemiller@northwestalabamaeda.org

Opelika Economic Development, City of

Lori Huguley, CEcD

204 S. 7th St. Opelika, AL 36801

334-705-5115 opelika-al.gov/294/Economic-Development

lhuguley@opelika-al.gov

Ozark-Dale County Economic Development Corp.

Holle Smith

3247 S. U.S. Hwy. 231 Ozark, AL 36360

334-443-2000 odedc.com

info@odedc.com

Phenix City Economic Development

Shaun Culligan

931 Broad St. Phenix City, AL 36867

334-448-2856 phenixcityal.us/edo

sculligan@phenixcityal.us

Pike County Economic Development Corp.

Chase Cobb

100 Industrial Blvd.

Troy, AL 36081

334-670-2274

pcedc@pikecountyedc.net

Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce

Patty Vanderwal

131 N. Court St. Prattville, AL 36067

334-365-7392 prattvillechamber.com

pvanderwal@prattvillechamber. com

Randolph County Economic Development Authority

Bryant Whaley

1218 US Hwy. 431 Roanoke, AL 36274

334-863-7243 randolphcountyeda.com

info@randolphcountyeda.com

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 35

E CO N O M I C D E V E LO PM E N T AGENCY

CONTACT

ADDRESS

PHONE/WEBSITE

EMAIL

Selma & Dallas County Economic Development Authority

Wayne Vardaman

912 Selma Ave. Selma, AL 36701

334-875-8365 selmaeda.com

wvardaman@selmaeda.com

Shoals Economic Development Authority

Kevin Jackson

20 Hightower Place, Ste. 1 Florence, AL 35630

256-349-5632 seda-shoals.com

kjackson@shoalseda.com

Southeast Alabama Council for Economic Development

Melody Lee

P.O. Box 1406 Dothan, AL 36302

334-618-3318

melody@likemindmarketing.com

St. Clair County Economic Development Council

Don Smith

500 College Cir., Ste. 306 Pell City, AL 35125

205-814-1440 stclairedc.com

dsmith@stclairedc.com

Sumter County

Ken Walker

Division of Outreach Services Guy Hunt Hall, Rm. 128 Station 35, Livingston, AL 35470

205-652-3665

kwalker@uwa.edu

Talladega County Economic Development Authority

Calvin Miller

225 N. Norton Ave. Sylacauga, AL 35150

256-245-8332 tceda.com

millercalv@tceda.com

Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority

Justice Smyth

2204 University Blvd.

Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

205-394-1414 tcoeda.com

justice.smyth@tcoeda.com

Walker County Development Authority

David Knight

3000 Hwy. 78 E. Jasper, AL 35501

205-302-0068 wceida.com

davidk@wceida.com

Washington County Economic Development

34 Court St. Chatom, AL 36518

251-847-2208 wcalabama.com

info@wcalabama.com

Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce

1001 Earl Hilliard Rd. Camden, AL 36726

334-682-4929 wilcoxareachamber.com

director@wilcoxareachamber.com

P.O. Box 310130 Enterprise, AL 36331

334-393-4769 wiregrassedc.com

jquillen@wiregrassedc.com

Wiregrass Economic Development Corp.

Jesse Quillen

Source: Business Alabama surveys and agency websites

All Business. All Alabama.

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businessalabama.com 36 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E

Cargo destined for other countries gets loaded onto the plane. Photo courtesy of the North Alabama International Trade Association.

Alabama Goes Global Export Alabama helps businesses find a smooth path in the rough-and-tumble world of international trade

T

By JENNIFER WILLIAMS

oday’s technologies have opened the global market like never before, but there’s so much more to shipping internationally than simply printing a shipping label.

Each country has its own rules, regulations and red tape for importing goods, and it can be overwhelming for many small or mid-sized businesses to get started.

Fortunately, Alabama companies have many resources at their disposal — the trick, experts say, is knowing about them and connecting with the right people and information…then having the patience to see the process through.

“Technology has really changed the landscape for Alabama businesses, because now businesses of all sizes can really profit from doing business overseas, and it’s become much easier for them to do that,” says Christina Stimpson, director of trade for the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Office of International Trade.

Export Alabama is a coordinated effort to partner local, state and national organizations, combining their efforts and reducing redundancy while helping companies of any size succeed in the global marketplace, she says. Export Alabama provides comprehensive international trade services, all on a confidential basis, including advocacy, export education workshops, export finance

An Aviagen employee prepares to export day-old chicks. Photo courtesy of NAITA and Aviagen.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 37

I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E

Alabama Department of Commerce team members are on hand to help smalland mid-size companies learn the ins and outs of international trade.

The Port of Mobile handles a large portion of the state's international trade.

38 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

assistance, identifying foreign distributors and buyers, international market research, and trade missions and shows.

Trade organizations involved with Export Alabama include the Alabama District Export Council, the Alabama Export Assistance Center, the Alabama International Trade Center, the Alabama Port Authority, the North Alabama International Trade Association and the Alabama World Trade Association. By helping Alabama businesses succeed in the global marketplace, Export Alabama contributes to the state’s economic development and prosperity, says Stimpson.

“Alabama is really seen as a model to other states on how to do it right,” she says. “We really develop and coordinate our programs to benefit companies, from trade education events to providing market research identifying what foreign markets would be best for a company’s product.”

“Technology has really changed the landscape for Alabama businesses, because now businesses of all sizes can really profit from doing business overseas, and it’s become much easier for them to do that.”

— Christina Stimpson, director of trade for the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Office of International Trade

FOCUSED ON SMALL AND MID-SIZE BUSINESSES

Focusing on small to mid-sized businesses is key, says Stimpson, because while the majority of the value of Alabama exports comes from the larger companies with high-dollar value products like Mercedes and Airbus, about 80% of the state’s exporters are small or medium-sized businesses. “We really focus on [these] companies because typically the larger companies already have the resources in place for exporting goods, but it’s the smaller companies that really need the assistance.”

The challenge, says Anne Burkett, executive director for the North Alabama International Trade Association, is getting the word out that these resources are available to them — often at no cost.

“We want to help all businesses, no matter their size, because if we could help December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 39

I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E

Export Alabama at the Governor's Trade Excellence Awards.

increase Alabama companies’ exports by just a little bit, it would have a big effect on our export trade numbers statewide.”

Alabama spent decades recruiting large manufacturers and has been very successful, says Brian Davis, director of the Alabama International Trade Center (AITC) at the University of Alabama.

“So now the state has a really strong, diverse manufacturing sector made up of many global companies already well-versed in exporting and importing around the world. Most smaller companies just don’t have the resources the larger companies do, but they still have to do all the same things to be able to export.”

The AITC helps companies with research to understand and navigate the regulations and compliance needed to get their goods out of the U.S. and into other countries around the world. “There are specific hoops companies need to jump through with each country,” says Davis. “And while these things are not difficult, it can be very time-consuming trying to figure it all out on your own.

We try to help companies shortcut some of the time to dig into all of that; providing them with the most accurate information and pointing them in the right direction from the beginning.”

Some of the assistance offered through AITC includes one-on-one trade advising, customized market research and trade training programs. The center also offers no-cost trade financial consultants and can link companies with other resources as needed. An Export Readiness Assessment is available on their website to help companies determine what assistance they may need to get started

40 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

exporting their goods.

Parrish Lawler, director of trade and development with the Alabama State Port Authority, says that seeking advice and assistance from the available Export Alabama partners is key for any company wanting to get involved in international trade. Lawler gets inquiries from smaller companies who are not really sure where to start.

“So now the state has a really strong, diverse manufacturing sector made up of many global companies already well-versed in exporting and importing around the world. Most smaller companies just don’t have the resources the larger companies do, but they still have to do all the same things to be able to export.”

— Brian Davis, director of the Alabama International Trade Center at the University of Alabama

I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E

“The last thing you want to do is make a mistake and be subject to any types of penalties or fines or problems in shipping your products,” he says. “The important thing is to find someone who can help you navigate and prepare the paperwork, the customs clearances — all the types of things that need to be in order for you to clear the cargo and get access to it.”

And while doing research and filling out the right forms and paperwork is very important, patience is also key for many businesses getting started. It can take a few years to get through all the red tape involved in international trade, says Davis, and many smaller businesses just do not have a dedicated employee to handle exports — especially starting out.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS

One Huntsville company, Aviagen, organizes shipments from the U.S. to approximately 35 countries around the globe, mainly using air cargo to ship its product — day-old baby chicks. “Our company is a research and development company that specializes in genetics and our commodity is chicken breeding stock,” explains Kelly Wheeler, Aviagen’s export manager.

Aviagen faces its own set of challenges shipping live animals safely across the globe, recently opening two state-of-theart chick holding rooms at its London Heathrow Warehouse Holding Facility.

“We constantly strive to get closer to perfection at handling this very valuable and sensitive cargo,” says Carlo Rebuffi, Aviagen global account manager. “Our goal is to help…safely and securely deliver chicks to their destination, and we are proud to contribute to feeding the world.”

Even if you’re not coordinating the shipment of live animals around the world, there’s still a lot to consider when exporting your product, says Allan Staib, export manager for Birmingham-based Bud’s Best Cookies.

“There are some significant barriers for all lower-value products — like cookies,” he says. “You have to consider the total cost to ship your products overseas — depending on what you are shipping and where, the shipping cost can be as much as 30% or 40% of the value of the

Agencies with Expertise The Export Alabama Alliance (EAA) combines the resources of several trade agencies to help Alabama companies grow their business internationally. Member organizations include:

• • • • • • •

Alabama Department of Commerce madeinalabama.com Alabama International Trade Center aitc.ua.edu Alabama District Export Council alabama-dec.com Alabama State Port Authority alports.com North Alabama International Trade Association naita.org U.S. Small Business Administration sba.gov U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial ServiceInternational Trade Association trade.gov/alabama

of the goods in the container. And you also have to consider the import duties and taxes and all that.”

“Say you ship a container of goods with a total value of $12,000 and it costs $4,000 to ship the container,” says Staib.

“Then, when it lands in the foreign market, the import duty — let’s say it’s 25% — is charged not just on the $12,000 but it’s charged on the landed cost, which includes the shipping cost. And value-added tax (VAT) countries like China have a 17% VAT that’s charged on top of not just the value of the goods but the freight cost. So, the total cost could become a real problem.”

Add to that the cost of getting your

product to a port or on an airplane, he says, and it can be challenging for any company — particularly smaller ones — to run a successful export business. But there are ways to address these challenges, he says, including finding creative ways to pack your shipment containers and increasing your shipping options.

The trick, says Staib, is determining your best overseas markets where you can maximize your profits.

And that’s where Export Alabama partners can help. From market research to securing funding to completing necessary paperwork and figuring out the best shipping strategies, organizations across the state are ready to help Alabama

Allan Staib, of Bud's Best Cookies, says the trick to trading overseas is determining your best market for your product.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 41

I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E

businesses thrive in international trade, says Stimpson.

“Each one of our partners brings their own area of expertise,” she says. “When a company reaches out to one of us, they get all of us because we are going to

work to understand what that company’s need is and then get them to the right person to ensure that they get the information they’re looking for…we want to ensure that companies looking to expand internationally have a strong foundation

and that they have the pieces in place to be a successful business when scaling up to serve the global market.”

Jennifer Williams is a Hartselle-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

Trade Tidbits

By JENNIFER WILLIAMS

Alabama exports soared to a new record in 2022, with $25.5 billion of Made-in-Alabama goods sent to 196 countries around the globe. And while the state’s top exported products — Alabama-made vehicles, aerospace parts, chemicals, minerals, metals and paper products — may not be that surprising, the state’s top metro area exporters might be, along with a few other interesting Alabama export facts.

Several Alabama locations ranked among the largest metropolitan area exporters in the U.S., according to a 2022 comparison of the country’s nearly 400 largest metropolitan areas.

The comparison, prepared by the Office of Trade & Economic Analysis, Industry & Trade Analysis, International Trade Administration of U.S. Department of Commerce, shows the total value of exported goods in 2022. It’s helpful to note, however, that some dollar figures are withheld to protect the individual industries’ trade secrets, occasionally skewing the numbers.

44 Tuscaloosa, $9,236.4 million, mostly transportation equipment 89 Mobile, $3,102.2 million, mostly chemicals and primary metal manufactures 117 Birmingham-Hoover, $1,790.7 million, mostly transportation equipment 129 Huntsville, $1,558.7 million, mostly machinery and computer & electronic products 157 Montgomery, $1,103.5 million, mostly transportation equipment 257 Anniston-Oxford, $363.7 million, mostly transportation equipment 242 Decatur, $400.6 million, mostly chemicals 311 Dothan, $185.6 million, mostly transportation equipment 316 Auburn-Opelika, $172 million, mostly machinery and transportation equipment 324 Florence-Muscle Shoals, $149.2 million, mostly chemicals and electrical equipment 375 Gadsden, $34.4 million, mostly processed foods 42 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

And while most Alabama exports go to Germany, China, Canada, Mexico and Japan, there also are much smaller countries on the list. Out of the 196 countries that imported Alabama goods last year, three island nations — the Caribbean’s Anguilla and Montserrat and the world’s least-visited country, Nauru in the Central Pacific — imported less than $5,000 in goods. But what are they getting?

Anguilla Furniture, miscellaneous Montserrat Furniture, miscellaneous Nauru Medical instrument parts

$4,499 $3,270 $3,312

A few Northern Balkan countries where products exported from Alabama increased from 2,000% to 8,000% in 2022 over the previous year showed their product of choice from Alabama. The product was… coal.

Croatia Slovenia

Coal Coal

$26.5 million $20.9 million

And countries where a single product accounted for increases of 100% to 700% were: Southern Balkans Kosovo Medical instruments & parts $1.6 million Albania Medical instruments & parts $161,000 Caribbean Guadalupe Medical instruments & parts $1.8 million

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

2023 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA What makes a great place to work? More than a job, it’s a combination of the benefits, the camaraderie and the appreciation for a job done well that makes employees happy to come to work.

Each year, companies around the state compete to prove that their company offers the best combination of those qualities. They provide a glimpse into the culture of their workplace, in hopes they’ll be named the best among the best companies to work for in Alabama.

Companies submit their information to The Best Companies Group, which evaluates the responses and interviews employees before picking the best of the best.

Business Alabama salutes the 2023 winners.

PROFILES BY GAIL ALLYN SHORT, EMMETT BURNETT, JANE NICHOLES & DEBORAH STOREY

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

THANK YOU TO

Best Companies to Work For in

OUR SPONSORS

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 2023 GOLD SPONSORS

WHITE-SPUNNER CONSTRUCTION

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 47

2023

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

RANK

LARGE COMPANIES (250 or more total company employees) COMPANY

KEY INDIVIDUAL

ADDRESS

PHONE

WEBSITE

# OF ALA. EMPL.

BUSINESS FOCUS

1

Sentar Inc.

Bridget McCaleb, Catalyst, CEO

675 Discovery Dr., Ste. 205 Huntsville, AL 35806

256-430-0860

sentar.com

81

Defense

2

Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors

Mary Elliott, CPA, CEO

2500 Acton Rd. Birmingham, AL 35243

205-979-4100

warrenaverett.com

705

Accounting

3

Edward Jones

Brenda Armstrong, Financial Advisor

200 Pratt Ave. NE, Ste. B2 Huntsville, AL 35801

256-922-1349

edwardjones.com

329

Financial Services Other

Finalist

Alabama Credit Union

Steve Swofford, CEO

220 Paul Bryant Dr. Tuscaloosa, AL

888-817-2002

alabamacu.com

354

Credit Union

Finalist

Avadian Credit Union

Linda Cencula, President/CEO

1 Riverchase Pkwy. S. Hoover, AL 35244

205-985-2828

avadiancu.com

268

Credit Union

Finalist

Bank Independent

Rick Wardlaw, CEO

710 S. Montgomery Ave. Sheffield, AL 35660

256-386-5000

bibank.com

650

Banking

Finalist

Guardian Credit Union

Heath Harrell, CEO

418 Madison Ave. Montgomery, AL 36104

334-244-9999

myguardiancu.com

255

Credit Union

Finalist

Max Credit Union

Martin Head, President/CEO

400 Eastchase Cir. Montgomery, AL 36117

334-260-2600

mymax.com

311

Credit Union

Finalist

PCH Hotels & Resorts

James Buckalew, Chairman & CEO

11 N. Water St., Ste. 8290 Mobile, AL 36602

251-338-5600

pchresorts.com

1,335

Hospitality/Travel/ Tourism

Finalist

ProAssurance Corp.

Edward Rand, CEO

100 Brookwood Birmingham, AL 35209

205-282-6242

proassurance.com

256

Insurance

Finalist

Quincy Compressor LLC

Elizabeth Byrd, President

701 N. Dobson Ave. Bay Minette, AL 36507

251-937-5900

quincycompressor.com

222

Manufacturing

Finalist

Rausch Coleman Development Group

Jayson Williams, Division President

3825 Lorna Rd., Ste. 214 Hoover, AL 35244

205-306-0306

rauschcolemanhomes. com

36

Construction

Finalist

SouthState

Richard Murray, President

2430 Mall Dr. North Charleston, SC 29406

205-313-8100

southstatebank.com

298

Banking

Finalist

T-Mobile Birmingham CEC

Dave Thompson, Director, Customer Care

820 Tom Martin Dr. Birmingham, AL 35211

205-290-6526

t-mobile.com

606

Telecommunications

Finalist

Total Quality Logistics

Mackenzie Collins, Group Sales Manager

26000 Bass Pro Dr. Bldg. E200 Ste. 214 Spanish Fort, AL 36527

800-580-3101

tql.com

192

Transportation

PHONE

WEBSITE

# OF ALA. EMPL.

BUSINESS FOCUS

RANK

SMALL TO MEDIUM COMPANIES (14 to 249 total company employees) COMPANY

1

Swagelok Alabama | Central & South Florida | West Tennessee

Patrick Werrlein, President

7290 Cahaba Valley Rd. Birmingham, AL 35242

205-988-4812

alfl.swagelok.com

49

Distribution

2

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C.

Brandon Smith, Managing Partner

305 Quality Cir. Huntsville, AL 35806

256-533-1040

anglingcpa.com

70

Accounting

KEY INDIVIDUAL

ADDRESS

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 49

RANK

SMALL TO MEDIUM COMPANIES (Continued) COMPANY

KEY INDIVIDUAL

ADDRESS

PHONE

WEBSITE

# OF ALA. EMPL.

BUSINESS FOCUS

Byars|Wright Insurance, A Member Of The WRM Group

Haig Wright II, CEO

1700 Fourth Ave. Jasper, AL 35502

205-221-3621

byarswright.com

60

Insurance - Non Health Care

Finalist

Aerobotix

Keith Pfeifer, President

125 Jetplex Cir. Madison, AL 35758

256-772-9035

aerobotix.net

54

Defense

Finalist

Crow Shields Bailey

Gina McKellar, CPA, CVA, Managing Shareholder

3742 Professional Pkwy.

Mobile, AL 36609

251-343-1012

csbcpa.com

54

Accounting

Finalist

First Metro Bank

Rodney Howard, President & CEO

406 Avalon Ave. Muscle Shoals, AL 35661

256-386-0600

firstmetro.com

137

Banking

Finalist

Flowers Insurance Agency, A Member Of The WRM Group

Shane Sinquefield, Managing Partner

2501 W. Main St. Dothan, AL 36301

334-350-5480

flowersinsurance.com

19

Insurance

Finalist

Heritage South Credit Union

Jamie Payton, President/CEO

60 Gene E. Stewart Blvd.

Sylacauga, AL 35150

256-245-4776

myhscu.com

57

Credit Union

Finalist

Jackson Thornton

John Fendley, President & CEO

200 Commerce St. Montgomery, AL 36104

334-834-7660

jacksonthornton.com

187

Accounting

Finalist

Kassouf & Co.

Jonathan Kassouf, CPS, PFS, Managing Director

2101 Highland Ave. S., Ste. 300 Birmingham, AL 35205

205-443-2501

kassouf.com

87

Accounting

Finalist

League of Southeastern Credit Unions

Patrick LaPine, Chief Executive

3692 Coolidge Ct. Tallahassee, FL 32311

866-231-0545

lscu.coop

31

Credit union organization

Finalist

Legacy Community Federal Credit Union

Glenn Bryan, President & CEO

100 Corporate Ridge, Ste. 200 Birmingham, AL 35242

205-930-5000

legacycreditunion.com

134

Credit Union

Finalist

McShane Construction Co.

Scott Hoppa, Senior VP and Regional Manager

3365 Skyway Dr., Ste. 300 Auburn, AL 36830

334-887-8181

mcshane.com

63

Construction

Finalist

Method Mortgage

Craig Tindall, Managing Partner

601 Vestavia Pkwy.

Birmingham, AL 35216

205-705-1650

methodmortgage.com

16

Financial Services Other

Finalist

O & A Inc.

Todd C. Ouellette Sr., President & CEO

201 S. Court St., Ste. 310 Florence, AL 35630

256-386-7800

longlewisauto.com

49

Services - Other

Finalist

Petra RMS

Steve Nesbitt, CEO

2140 11th Ave. S., Ste. 400 Birmingham, AL 35205

205-354-2700

petrarms.com

41

Insurance - Non Health Care

Finalist

Pritchett-Moore Insurance, A Member Of The WRM Group

Marlin Moore III, President

1120 Queen City Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

205-758-4441

pritchett-moore.com

30

Insurance - Non Health Care

Finalist

RFG Advisory

Bobby White, Founder/CEO

1400 Urban Center Dr., Ste. 475 Birmingham, AL 35242

205-397-2450

rfgadvisory.com

36

Financial Services Other

Finalist

Roberts Brothers Inc.

Teresa Williamson, President

3601 Spring Hill Business Park Ste. 101 Mobile, AL 36608

251-344-9220

robertsbrothers.com

39

Real Estate

Finalist

SPOC

Robert L. Mason, President & CEO

7363 Gadsden Hwy. Trussville, AL 35173

205-661-3642

spocautomation.com

151

Manufacturing

Finalist

The American Equity Underwriters Inc.

Adele Hapworth, CEO

11 N. Water St., 32nd Floor Mobile, AL 36602

866-238-8754

amequity.com

95

Insurance - Non Health Care

Finalist

United Bank

Mike Vincent, President & CEO

PO Box 8 Atmore, AL 36502

251-446-6000

unitedbank.com

205

Commercial Bank

Finalist

White-Spunner Construction

John White-Spunner, President & CEO

2010 W. I-65 Service Rd. S. Mobile, AL 36693

800-471-5189

white-spunner.com

86

Construction

Finalist

Wilkins Miller

W. Allen Carroll Jr., CPA/ABV, CVV, CVA

41 W. I-65 Service Rd. N. Ste. 400 Mobile, AL 36608

251-410-6700

wmwealthmgt.com

72

Accounting

3

50 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

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SWAGELOK AGAIN TOPS LIST OF SMALL/MEDIUM COMPANIES

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////to//know /////what //////////responsibilities //////////////by//submitting //////////those //////names //////// Swagelok team members at the Easter egg hunt.

For the second year in a row, SWAGELOK ALABAMA|CENTRAL & SOUTH FLORIDA|WEST TENNESSEE has cap-

tured the number one spot among the small-to-medium companies in Alabama.

Swagelok Alabama, headquartered in Birmingham, is a sales and service center for the parent company Swagelok, an international organization that designs and manufactures fluid management products, from valves and hoses to regulators and filters.

“We call everyone ‘team members,’” says Patrick Werrlein, Swagelok Alabama’s president, who oversees 49 employees. “We don’t use ‘associates’ or ‘employees’ because we’re on the same team.”

Werrlein says Swagelok Alabama holds two core values that he believes makes people want to work there.

“We’re a values-based, integrity-driven organization, which starts from the moment a part is machined all the way through to where something is delivered to our customers,” he says.

Second, Swagelok Alabama promotes continuous improvement and learning, he says. It also works to ensure that team members have the tools needed to be successful on the job.

“When we bring someone in, we want

they want to be in life, and how we can help them get there,” he says.

So, the company provides third-party coaching, shadowing opportunities across different departments, as well as internal technical training and cross training led by the most experienced team members, he says.

“We challenge ourselves to be better tomorrow than we were today. and people want to be a part of a company that really values that.”

One unusual benefit to working at Swagelok Alabama is its no layoff policy, Werrlein says. “We’ve never laid someone off. We won’t lay anyone off for lack of work. It’s not in our values as an organization,” he says.

“When we bring a new person in, we want to make sure it’s a good fit for them and it’s a good fit for us because it’s a significant investment by both parties. Some companies will make short-term decisions and hire to current needs, not knowing what the future holds.”

“In our business, we want to make sure that we’re being responsible when we bring someone in so that we don’t have a life disruption for them if business was to fall off. I run this business so we can withstand any headwind,” he says.

Moreover, Swagelok managers and team members take care to honor fellow team members who go beyond day-to-day

52 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

to what is called “Extraordinary Behaviors” on the human resources platform, Werrlein says. Those recognized then appear in the company’s daily communication, The Swagelok Scoop, and are honored during the company’s monthly business update meeting.

“It’s important that we have an environment of appreciation, empathy and gratitude,” he says.

Swagelok Alabama’s benefits package includes a 401k matching plan, vacations, paid time off and a quarterly performance pay structure with bonuses based on the company’s performance, he says.

“I’ve always felt that it’s important for the team to feel connected to our organizational outputs, our goals. As such, we have a quarterly performance program that represents the performance of the organization in real time versus waiting for year-end,” he says.

Swagelok Alabama perks also include free car washes and group and companywide lunches throughout the year, he says.

Team members also get one day off during the month of their birthday, he says.

Also in what is now a Swagelok Alabama tradition, team members can gather at the Birmingham office at 1:30 p.m. on Fridays for a half hour golf putting contest.

“The guys in the warehouse and in accounting really don’t have much reason to engage with each other,” Werrlein says.

“But you create the venue where everyone’s together and they’re having fun with it on a Friday afternoon. It always takes 30 minutes. It’s a minimal disruption to our business. We all come together, and we laugh.

“There’s a bit of competition there, too, but you feel connected. … You get a chance to get out of the office and engage with them at a different level.”

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

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SENTAR TOPS LIST OF LARGE COMPANIES /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////vance //////in//their /////careers, /////////////that ////features ///////educational ///////////resources /////////and////live////

Sentar's Halloween costume contest.

SENTAR INC., a Huntsville-based firm and

women-owned business, is the first-place winner of Best Companies to Work For in Alabama contest in the Large Company category.

Sentar provides cyber security and intelligence solutions to clients engaged in national security, from the U.S. Department of Defense to various intelligence agencies.

Bridget McCaleb is Sentar’s catalyst and CEO, overseeing close to 300 employees around the United States, including more than 80 at the company’s headquarters in Huntsville.

McCaleb says Sentar fosters a culture where team members feel free to ask for help without condemnation and a place where they can focus on their strengths.

“We believe in playing to everyone’s strengths,” she says. “If you have an interest in something and an aptitude for something, but you don’t know how to do it, we’re happy to train you and provide the education that you need. But, if there’s a component of your job that you’re weak in and you have no interest in learning how to do that, we’d rather pair you with someone whose strengths complement yours.

“We’ve never been a proponent of applying education and training in an attempt to shore up someone’s weakness if there is no interest in developing that skill,” McCaleb says.

For Sentar employees desiring to ad-

the company maintains a talent development program.

The program lasts 12 months and accepts 10 nominees a year. Then the 10 go through what McCaleb describes as a rigorous program to learn all aspects of the company.

“At the beginning of the program, we sit down and talk to the individuals about what they hope to get out of the program. Then we tailor it to the needs of that class,” she says.

The program includes in-house mentoring and a book club where students and presenters read the same business books together.

Once team members successfully complete the classes, the company places their names into a database for when team members are needed for new projects or new positions.

“We keep a database of skills and desires, and when we have a need, we go to that pool of people first before looking outside the company,” she says.

At Sentar, about half of the employees are military veterans, McCaleb says.

“Hiring veterans benefits everyone; Sentar gains a skilled workforce, customers receive experienced support and veterans find jobs. We’re working to develop our commitment to veterans into a formal advocacy program to help them transition to civilian life.”

Sentar also offers a benefits package that includes health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, a 401k plan and paid time off that employees can also use for sick days and vacations.

Moreover, Sentar gives team members access to its Building a Better YOU program on the Journey LIVE platform

and on-demand content featuring mental health and workplace wellness experts.

Outside of work, Sentar urges team members to volunteer with charitable organizations in their respective communities, McCaleb says.

“We’re encouraging everyone across the United States to participate in a service activity that means something to them, either as a group or on their own with their families and then come back and tell us about it,” she says.

In fact, she says one of the company taglines is, “Work hard. Play hard.”

“We work hard in the business and work hard in the communities where we’re in and play hard with the people we work with and our families,” she says. “So, we’re always looking to sponsor and motivate fun activities.”

She says, for example, that the new corporate headquarters building in Huntsville, unveiled last year, has space to host events like pizza parties for the teams.

For construction of the new headquarters building, McCaleb says she solicited employee input regarding the size of the office space.

“Everybody voted, and they wanted to move into a smaller space and upgrade the space. So, we went from 12,000 square feet to just under 9,000 square feet, and I think the quality of the space is so much nicer,” she says.

The changes included ditching separate offices for an open floor plan, she says.

“Why did we opt for an open floor plan?

We made this choice because our workspace is surrounded by exterior glass walls, allowing natural light and sunshine to flood in, which positively impacts people’s mood and well-being. Our decision was informed by valuable input from our employees, ensuring that we created a space that caters to their preferences and needs.”

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BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

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RUNNERS-UP AMONG SMALL AND MEDIUM COMPANIES

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ANGLIN REICHMANN RANKS SECOND AMONG SMALL/ MEDIUM COMPANIES Huntsville-based ANGLIN REICHMANN ARMSTRONG P.C. was founded more than 30 years ago.

With offices in Alabama and Florida, the firm has specialized, trained staff in three departments: Audit and Assurance, Tax Advisory Services and Solutions Services.

They are currently listed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as one of the 400 largest CPA firms in the United States, with the list including both international and national firms.

Brandon Smith is managing partner.

Field Day fun at Anglin Reichmann.

BYARS|WRIGHT NABS THIRD PLACE AMONG SMALL/MEDIUM COMPANIES BYARS|WRIGHT INC., a member of the WRM

Group, is an independent insurance agency based in Jasper.

Since 1946, it has expanded its scope of business to deliver a wide range of insurance products with quality coverage at competitive prices.

Relationship-driven and customer-focused, Byars/ Wright serves customers across the Southeast as a major provider of commercial insurance, personal insurance and employee benefit solutions. The agency earned recognition as a Best Practices Agency from the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America.

Haig Wright II is CEO of the firm.

Byars|Wright team members cook and serve at the Exceptional Foundation's annual chili cookoff.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 55

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

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RUNNERS-UP AMONG LARGE COMPANIES

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// WARREN AVERETT RANKS SECOND AMONG LARGE COMPANIES With client operations in 50 states and 36 countries, WARREN AVERETT is ranked as one of the top 50 CPA firms in the U.S. Flexible benefits, innovative perks and open communications score high in employee favorability.

“There are no layers of communication barriers for talking with leadership,” says Jess Brawner, the firm’s director of operations. “Advancement opportunities are in every employee’s grasp through mentoring and other programs.”

In addition, with 10 years of service and every five years thereafter, workers may take a four-week sabbatical. Participants “unplug” for a month. Offsite time includes no emails, work contact or business phone calls.

Warren Averett celebrates 50 years.

EDWARD JONES TAKES THIRD PLACE AMONG LARGE COMPANIES EDWARD JONES has more than a century

experience in the financial investments business, with regions across Alabama.

The company states, “We specialize in helping individuals rather than institutions.

As a privately-owned company, we are able to focus on relationships rather than shareholder returns.”

Edward Jones emphases employee relationships, too, including their branch office financial advisors throughout the state.

“You grow your business as fast as you want to,” says Edward Jones’ Financial Advisor Brad Wallace, who is based in Madison. “Leadership at the local level is largely voluntary. Much of our training is ‘near peer,’ meaning advisers with more experience training newer advisors.”

56 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

Team members celebrate Arbor Day.

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

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21 ADDITIONAL FINALISTS IN THE SMALLMEDIUM CATEGORY EARN BRAGGING RIGHTS AS AMONG THE STATE’S BEST PLACES TO WORK

///////////////////////////////Here /////////are //////the //////finalists //////////////in////alphabetical //////////////////////order: //////////////////////////////////////

AEROBOTIX

Aerobotix provides automated robotic solutions for the aerospace and defense industries. Headquartered in Huntsville, the company focuses on the cutting edge and is considered an industry leader. The company has more than 130 robotic systems installed in the U.S. and abroad, used in high-precision components, aircraft and vehicles. Aerobotix provides automated systems for sanding and coating, and its equipment and processes have been used in F-35s, F-16s and B2 defense aircraft as well as developmental programs. It employs 58 people, who maintain proper Department of Defense security clearances. Stress relievers for employees include axe throwing and go-kart racing.

The ugly sweater contest at Aerobotix Christmas breakfast.

CROW SHIELDS BAILEY

In business since 1986, Crow Shields Bailey is the Gulf Coast region’s premier accounting and consulting firm.

Its headquarters are in Mobile with additional offices in Daphne and Gulf Shores. The team has more than 35 years of expertise in accounting, tax, client advisory services and consulting services.

Gina McKellar is managing shareholder for the firm.

Enjoying the company field day at Crow Shields Bailey.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 59

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

FIRST METRO BANK

First Metro Bank prides itself on being the neighborhood hometown bank with roots in Muscle Shoals and the surrounding community. First Metro wants its customers to feel like part of the family. Founded in 1988 in Muscle Shoals, First Metro today has 137 employees and 10 locations in Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale and Limestone counties. Since 2013, it has opened student-operated locations in half a dozen high schools.

Employees may be found wearing jeans on Friday or celebrating “fun” holidays like National Pizza Day, where a branch manager buys them pizza for lunch.

First Metro's Tuscumbia team at the Metro on Main events.

FLOWERS INSURANCE AGENCY

Flowers Insurance, a member of the WRM Group, has offices in Dothan, Phenix City and Eufaula. Established in 1953, the company offers a full range of insurance products for businesses, employee benefits and personal needs.

The recent merger with WRM is a boon for both clients and employees, says Managing Partner Shane Sinquefield.

“Our primary goal at Flowers has always been to do what is best for our clients and employees,” Sinquefield says. “By bringing … three long-time agencies together, it elevates that same focus going forward. More resources, opportunities and industry-specific expertise puts us in an even better position to help our clients and employees prosper personally and in business.”

Workday stress relievers that are popular with employees include pet days at work and surprise days off.

60 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

Flowers Insurance Agency Managing Partner Shane Sinquefield.

HERITAGE SOUTH CREDIT UNION

Heritage South Credit Union was chartered in 1937 as the Avondale Employees Federal Credit Union.

The credit union was established to provide basic financial services to employees of Avondale Mills in Sylacauga. After many years and a couple of name changes, Heritage South Credit Union continues to have a strong presence in Sylacauga, Childersburg, Moody and Alexander City, as a fixture in the community and as a stable and secure financial institution. From those modest beginnings in 1937, Heritage South Credit Union has grown to more than $160 million in assets and more than 15,000 members.

Heritage South staffers enjoy costume day.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 61

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

JACKSON THORNTON

Jackson Thornton employees and interns try Escapaology.

Jackson Thornton is a Montgomerybased certified public accounting and consulting firm. Established in 1919, the firm also was among the first to participate in renovating Lower Commerce Street in downtown Montgomery during the 1980s.

The firm has 187 employees, and while it specializes in serving health care and construction industries, Jackson Thornton also serves clients in multiple business sectors, such as nonprofits, manufacturing, government, utilities and auto dealerships. Jackson Thornton has an official Fun Committee to plan events for employees, and it offers “surprise” treats like a visit from an ice cream truck.

KASSOUF & CO.

Kassouf sponsored a donut truck visit.

Founded in 1931, Kassouf & Co. Inc. is one of Alabama’s most established and respected public accounting and advisory firms.

Headquartered in Birmingham with offices in Auburn, Orange Beach and Baton Rouge, the firm serves individuals and businesses across a broad range of industries and specializes in tax, assurance, financial planning, wealth management, estate planning and business consulting with a strong emphasis in the health care industry. Kassouf employs 100 people and serves clients across the nation. The company has been nationally recognized for inclusiveness initiatives by Best Companies Group.

62 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

At Kassouf's pumpkin decorating contest.

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

LEAGUE OF SOUTHEASTERN CREDIT UNIONS

Headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions and Affiliates is the regional trade association serving credit unions in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The association provides services, events, training, education and advocacy, all with the mission of enhancing the growth and success of credit unions. Nearly 300 credit unions in the three states are part of the association, with a combined total of $177 billion in assets and more than 11.8 million members. The association was formed in 2009 through the consolidation of the Alabama Credit Union League and Florida Credit Union League. The Georgia Credit Union League joined in 2019.

League employees help with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 63

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

LEGACY COMMUNITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Legacy began in 1955 as University Credit Union to serve the University of Alabama at Birmingham community. For 50 years it served the education and health care industries. Then it expanded to include the seven counties that make up the Greater Birmingham Metropolitan Area, taking on the Legacy Community name at the beginning of 2006. Today, anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair, Walker, Chilton or Bibb counties is eligible for membership.

In addition to its main Birmingham office, Legacy has eight branch offices around the Birmingham and Alabaster areas, as well as ATMs in multiple locations around the state. Its 114 employees like to celebrate what the company calls “fun, silly holidays.”

Employee recognition and casual day at Legacy Community FCU.

MCSHANE CONSTRUCTION

McShane Construction is a leading national industrial, multi-family and commercial general contracting firm that was founded nearly 40 years ago on the principles of integrity, professionalism and family. The company builds multifamily and affordable housing communities, industrial facilities, public and private health care facilities, fitness centers and office buildings. The firm is ranked among the Top 100 U.S. Contractors by Engineering News-Record. Scott Hoppa is senior vice president and regional manager for the firm’s Alabama operations, based in Auburn.

McShane workers join up for an Auburn tailgate party.

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BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

METHOD MORTGAGE

The Method Mortgage crew at the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cookoff.

Method Mortgage, formerly Principal Mortgage, specializes in lending services.

Founded in 2007 in Birmingham, Method Mortgage focuses on helping people purchase or refinance a home they can afford.

With 16 employees, Method Mortgage gives back to the community through its corporate giving program, in which it selects a designated charity each quarter and donates $25 for each referral made to it. Method Mortgage was named as one of the Best Mortgage Companies to Work for by National Mortgage News for 2021, 2022 and 2023.

O&A INC.

O&A Inc., also known as Ouellette and Associates, is a management company primarily centered in the automotive industry, with six dealerships spanning Alabama. O&A Inc. provides support and resources to each of its companies in the areas of accounting, human resources, payroll, auto titles, sales and fixed operations processes, customer relations and social media management.

O&A employees volunteer at the BBB Shred Day.

PETRA RMS

Petra Risk Management Services proclaims that it is not an insurance agency, although it does sell insurance. Rather, it provides analysis of individual risk and offers plans intended to provide peace of mind. Headquartered in Birmingham, Petra RMS also has locations in Mobile, Sylacauga and Tuskegee, with additional offices in Tennessee and Georgia, though some offices carry different names. Petra RMS does business in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

Its 41 employees receive chair massages during Employee Appreciation Week and celebrate many holidays with time off and special meals.

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Petra RMS employees in Birmingham enjoy the holiday party.

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

PRITCHETT-MOORE INSURANCE

Halloween fun at Pritchett-Moore.

Pritchett-Moore Insurance is an independent agency based in Tuscaloosa. A member of the WRM Group, Pritchett-Moore has been serving clients for more than 70 years. The agency specializes in auto, home, business, nonprofits, group health and life insurance, but also offers a variety of coverage including liquor liability, restaurants and farm and ranch. PritchettMoore’s 30 employees are treated to “surprise leave-early days,” in-office cookouts and crawfish boils, among other perks. During periods of high-stress they may get “dance-itout” breaks.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 67

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

RFG ADVISORY

RFG Advisory team members.

RFG Advisory is an award-winning innovator in the wealth management industry.

Committed to serving independent financial advisors and their clients, RFG Advisory prides itself on being a service company first, a technology company second and a hybrid-RIA third. RFG Advisory delivers a turn-key integrated platform that provides advisors the tools and resources they need to be the CEO of their practice, not the COO, including turn-key technology, institutional-caliber investment management, marketing, compliance, business consulting and operational support.

ROBERTS BROTHERS INC.

Ever since John and David Roberts came home from World War II and opened a real estate company in their parents’ garage, Roberts Brothers has been a major part of the real estate market in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Today it’s part of HomeServices of America Inc., the largest full-service independent residential real estate brokerage firm in the country. Many a Roberts family member is still very much involved in the operation, however. In addition to buying and selling, property management is a major component. The company employs 39 people, and once a year they like to go on a company cruise, with plus ones welcome.

Awards night at Roberts Brothers.

SPOC

SPOC is a family of innovation companies specializing in variable speed drive automation and inverter technologies. SPOC and its customers collaborate to create power technologies that reshape how the world creates and uses energy.

Its primary focus has been on several sectors, including oil and gas (SPOC Automation), mobile power, critical power and marine (SPOC Grid Inverter Technologies). SPOC builds equipment for artificial lift, water disposal and gas compression applications. Robert Mason leads the Trussville-based company.

SPOC's Lift Up awards banquet.

68 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

THE AMERICAN EQUITY UNDERWRITERS INC.

The American Equity Underwriters Inc., an Amwins company, serves as program administrator for American Longshore Mutual Association Ltd., a group self-insurance fund authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor for waterfront employers in all 50 states under the United States Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. Headquartered in Mobile, AEU provides claims handling, loss control, longshore consulting and other support.

Workers from The American Equity Underwriters help paint a school room.

The desk decorating contest at The American Equity Underwriters.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 69

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

UNITED BANK

United Bank was founded in 1904 as the Bank of Atmore. It was intended to give the farm families of that rural area a safe place to keep their savings and a source of affordable loans when needed. Assets at that time totaled less than $45,000. Today those assets are $1.3 billion and employees number 210. United Bank has 20 locations from Foley north to Frisco City and east to Jay and Pace in Florida. Still, United remains a community bank. When one employee was deployed overseas, the bank hired a lawn care company to tend his several acres of yard so his wife could focus on their three young boys.

Employees also sent care packages and birthday cards to their co-worker.

Ice cream treats at United Bank.

WHITE-SPUNNER CONSTRUCTION

Over four decades, White-Spunner Construction has left visible marks in Mobile and surrounding areas. At one time the general contractor and design-build firm focused on commercial construction, but its project portfolio has grown to include everything from grocery stores to university campuses, auto dealerships, Hank Aaron Stadium, the Mobile Museum of Art and more spanning 28 states. In house, its 86 employees enjoy Food Truck Fridays, costumes at Halloween and a cubicle decorating contest at Christmas.

White-Spunner's annual blood drive.

WILKINS MILLER

Wilkins Miller, an accounting firm headquartered in Mobile, brings more than half a century of expertise to individuals and businesses. Its team of certified public accountants and financial advisors offers a wide spectrum of services, including tax planning, audit and assurance and comprehensive consulting. Renowned for its client-centric approach, the firm is dedicated to crafting financial solutions that prioritize clients’ unique needs. They pride themselves on commitment to integrity, innovation and community engagement.

A Wilkins Miller team at the Junior Achievement bowling event.

70 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

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TWELVE ADDITIONAL FINALISTS IN THE LARGE COMPANY CATEGORY ARE NAMED AMONG ALABAMA’S BEST PLACES TO WORK

///////////////////////////////Here /////////are //////the //////finalists //////////////in////alphabetical //////////////////////order: //////////////////////////////////////

ALABAMA CREDIT UNION

ACU provides an array of banking/financial products, including online services, investments and financial coaching. While tending to customers, the Tuscaloosa-based business also wants employees to feel good about their jobs.

Tools are in place for making goals a reality.

“We promote from within as much as possible,” says Marketing Manager Jasmine Howard. “We provide the resources for employee growth.

Learn the skills and you are rewarded for it.”

In addition to health, dental and vision insurance, ACU contributes to employee long-term disabilities, life insurance, critical illness care and more. Good work is appreciated in company activities such as “Staff Fest,” a combination of company business, productivity and enjoying a day together.

Alabama Credit Union team members wear red in support of the National Heart Association.

AVADIAN CREDIT UNION

Avadian is one of the largest credit unions in Alabama. The financial center began in 1934 with seven charter members and $70. Today, it serves 87,000 members and manages $1 billion in assets.

The firm regards its employees as assets, too.

Company goals include transforming worker jobs into careers. Many Avadian veterans are leaders of departments they once interned in. Some workers have 20-30 years with the company, including CEO Linda Cencula.

In addition to comprehensive insurance plans, 401k, medical leave and holiday pay, Avadian offers a student loan repayment program, tuition reimbursement, flexible work hours and a relaxed dress code.

Avadian Credit Union team members.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 73

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

BANK INDEPENDENT

Headquartered in Sheffield, Bank Independent operates branches there and throughout the Shoals area. In addition to a 401k plan, the bank is one of the few employers still offering a pension package. Its health care plan is free to team members and at low cost to their families.

Prominence is placed on employee growth and development in formal training such as the company’s Bank Independent University, and in personal development, learning from within or with mentors.

Bank Independent recently made Newsweek’s list of “America’s Most Loved Workplaces,” and it was on Forbes’ list of “Best In-State Banks.”

Celebrating the grand opening of a new Bank Independent office.

GUARDIAN CREDIT UNION

Guardian Credit Union began in 1958, providing savings and loan accounts to Alabama National Guard members and their families. Today, the full-service financial institution serves 14 Alabama counties: Autauga, Butler, Chilton, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, Russell and Tallapoosa.

Guardian’s financial products include checking, savings, wealth management and insurance.

Team member benefits cover paid sick leave, vacation, insurance, tuition reimbursement and more. Guardian also pays employees for charitable volunteer hours.

Guardian employees attend a conference.

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BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

MAX CREDIT UNION

MAX leadership gets ready to open a branch.

Max Credit Union started in 1955 with $125 in a cigar box. Today, the Montgomery-based company’s emphasis on caring for each other registers favorably with customers and employees.

The full-service financial institution offers everything from checking accounts to investing, insurance and home mortgages to the latest in digital banking.

Max serves Central and East Alabama, including Montgomery, Auburn, Opelika, Prattville, Wetumpka and Troy.

The company encourages team members to give back to communities. More than $427,000 has been donated through 9,470 employee community hours, in 42 organizations supported.

PCH HOTELS AND RESORTS

PCH Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio spans across Alabama and is consistently among the top properties in their brands nationwide. Company leadership stability is exceptional, with tenure the norm for the hospitality industry.

PCH focuses on internal employee advancement, but also hires new talent from around the world. The company offers appealing benefits and employee discounts to take care of the people that create memorable experiences for guests.

PCH culture is driven by core values and developed through professional development programs, demonstrated by leadership, and rewarded through employee recognition. The company searches for ways to show appreciation to employees for their work and dedication.

76 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day at Marriott Shoals.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 77

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

PROASSURANCE CORP.

Birmingham-based ProAssurance specializes in health care professional liability, legal professional liability and workers’ compensation insurance.

Benefits include formal development programs that strengthen leadership skills, multiple medical plans, wellness programs and 24/7 access to an Employee Assistance Program. In addition, the company offers two personal holidays and two volunteer days a year, as well as paid parental leave for parents. Employees also have access to online learning programs, and they can participate in a tuition reimbursement program, among other benefits.

The company has a diverse roster of employees, committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Edward Rand is CEO of the company.

QUINCY COMPRESSOR

Headquartered in Bay Minette in Baldwin County, Quincy Compressor is a designer and manufacturer of reciprocating and rotary screw air compressors and vacuum pumps. As part of the Atlas Copco Group, the factory in Bay Minette not only designs and produces the premium and industrial products for the Quincy Compressor brand, but also serves as the reciprocating manufacturing center for the Atlas Copco family of brands for the U.S. market, as well as a multitude of commercial brands and OEM private labeling.

In addition to health care, life insurance and paid vacation time, Quincy encourages employee growth through various training opportunities including its Air Academy program. As a result, the company often promotes from within, which has led to the company having a number of employees with more than 30 years of service.

The company also encourages employee involvement in community service projects.

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ProAssurance Corp. employees enjoy a night of bowling.

Quincy Compressor’s Bay Minette location.

Quincy Compressor’s Bay Minette location.

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

RAUSCH COLEMAN HOMES

Rausch Coleman Homes, with more than 65 years’ experience and more than 30,000 homes built, is a construction leader in the United States. Division President

(Birmingham and Huntsville) Jayson Williams, explains, “The secret sauce is we are a faith-based business. We hire quality employees and take their feedback seriously.”

The company offers a variety of benefit packages, including innovative maternity leave extensions, parental bonding leave

and summer flex schedules.

Employee internships, education and career advancement programs are also provided by the company.

In addition to Alabama, Rausch Coleman Homes’ other locations include Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Texas.

Rausch Coleman's Birmingham Sales Team of the Year.

Rausch Coleman's Sales Summit.

An RCH celebration.

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BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

SouthState team members use volunteer days to support a food drive for students.

SOUTHSTATE

Headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida, with branch locations in Alabama, SouthState provides banking services for a million residential and business customers.

The company has more than 240 branches and ATMs in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Among SouthState’s employee benefits are education and tuition compensation, time off for community volunteering and a comprehensive benefit package.

SouthState’s honors include Forbes’ “2023 Best Banks” and American Banker’s 2022 “Best Banks to Work For.”

T-MOBILE

T-Mobile carries more people on 5-G service than any other carrier in America. Yet the company refers to itself as “The Un-Carrier,” referencing a think-outside-thebox attitude appreciated by customers and employees.

In a 2021 interview, Dave Thompson, T-Mobile’s Alabama director/general manager, explained, “Our spirit makes us stand out as a good place to work. We connect with the external - the buying public, but also reach the internal, our employees.”

All T-Mobile employees receive a minimum pay of $20 per hour. The company’s turnover rate fell 48% in the last three years.

T-Mobile Birmingham CEC's Peak Winner, headed for Maui.

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BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

TOTAL QUALITY LOGISTICS (TQL)

TQL employees show off their team spirit.

One of the largest freight brokerage firms on earth, TQL has 9,000 employees in 56-plus offices in 26 states. Two of those sites are in Alabama, in Birmingham and Spanish Fort.

The company’s numerous honors for employee satisfaction include Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” and Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers, 2022.” Employees give TQL high marks for traditional benefits such as health insurance and the non-traditional, such as career path planning, military veterans’ programs and employee assistance plans.

At TQL, 75% of company promotions are from within.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 81

SPOTLIGHT

L

ee, Russell and Macon counties are in east-central Alabama along the Alabama-Georgia border. Both states benefit from each other’s quality-of-life amenities, educational opportunities, economic development and workforce development.

For example, all three counties have automotive suppliers, many of which have continued to grow. And more are coming because of Hyundai in Montgomery County, Kia in West Point, Georgia, and others.

With highly ranked K-12 school districts, workforce development partnerships, stellar amenities and new housing, this area is growing.

Lee County is home to Auburn University, an ever-growing economic engine for the region and beyond. It is a major research university that attracts many high-tech businesses, offering more opportunities for students.

The county’s diverse industrial base has been built around small to medium-sized technology-based, value-added manufacturing companies employing more than 4,700 people. The industrial base includes 46 companies housed in four different parks producing a wide variety of parts including aviation components, engines, filtration parts, power transmission parts, medical plastics, plastics packaging, wireless technologies and automotive parts that range from axles and drive shafts to solenoid valves and textiles.

In Opelika, the county seat, the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park is strategically located on I-85 within the city limits and has all the needed infrastructure in place. Several industries and distribution companies call the park home, and there is room for more, officials say.

The area provides a healthy environment for entrepreneurs and new businesses. The Opelika Chamber of Commerce’s Forward Opelika campaign, which enables the chamber to tackle big issues facing the community, is renovating the former Opelika Library into a business incubator, visitor center, training facility and offices for both the Opelika Chamber and Auburn Opelika Tourism.

Another new incubator, Opelika Main Street’s downtown retail incubator and resource center, opened in a former gift

Lee, Russell & Macon Counties

LEE COUNTY MACON COUNTY

RUSSELL COUNTY

Samford Hall at Auburn University.

by LORI CHANDLER PRUITT

shop. The back half of the property is the Opelika Main Street office.

Opelika has several quality-of-life projects under way or recently completed, including pools, pickleball courts and a new fire station. Opelika is a retail hub for the region, and that sector is growing.

The city of Auburn has several robust entrepreneurial programs, made possible through the city’s partnerships with Auburn University and the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. Those include the New Venture Accelerator, the Auburn Center for Developing Industries, the Auburn Incubator for Manufacturing and the Additive Manufacturing Accelerator. The Yard is a new resource for local startups.

The city is wrapping up improvements to the Auburn Soccer Complex. Projects underway include a new community center, a public safety training center, roadwork and park renovations. The city’s new inclusive playground facility was selected as the 2022 Facility of the Year by the Alabama Recreation and Parks Association.

In Russell County, Phenix City, the county seat, is getting a downtown makeover that will create more urban design for the city, says Shaun Culligan, an economic development manager for the city. Improvements are underway, and it will be done in phases.

New retail is underway as well, including two new developments.

The city’s Public Safety Building on Broad Street has undergone complete renovation and expansion to include a larger city council chamber, an updated munici-

pal courtroom, additional office space and renovated existing office space. The city also plans a new fire training facility with classrooms, bay storage, burn building and drill tower behind Fire Station One. Phenix City and neighboring Columbus, Georgia, are home to a whitewater park — according to the cities the longest urban whitewater course in the world and a major tourist attraction.

In Macon County, Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park has announced its first tenant — Trendco USA, a nitrile glove maker that announced in August that it plans to invest $43 million in the plant that will have more than 250 employees.

The park, which lies along I-85, has 700 acres and expects more than $450 million in total economic output. It also lies in a Qualified Opportunity Zone, which means there are federal, state and local incentives available. It’s located in the fast-growing corridor between Kia’s plant in Georgia, and Hyundai in Montgomery, and the entire corridor is growing.

“We are targeting aerospace and forest products as well as warehouse, logistics and manufacturing,” says Joe Turnham, director of the Macon County Economic Development Authority. “We have had so many inquiries, and we’re confident that this park will be successful.”

Other economic news involves another automotive supplier, Samkee Corp., announcing in February 2023 it plans to invest $128 million to locate its first U.S. factory in the Tuskegee Commerce Park

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

and provide parts to Hyundai.

The county already has had some success in recruiting businesses, including travel centers, for its five interstate exits and is working on more, he says.

In Tuskegee, the county seat, a lot of excitement is centered around a new

community park. International recording star Lionel Richie, a native of Tuskegee and American Idol judge, visited the area and announced HELLO Park, one of 100 community projects that will be finished this year as part of Lowe’s Hometowns, a five-year, $100 million commitment from

M E D I A N H O U S E H O L D I N CO M E Madison County: $71,153 Elmore County: $67,597 Baldwin County: $64,346 Jefferson County: $58,330 Lee County: $57,191 Montgomery County: $52,511 Mobile County: $51,169 Tallapoosa County: $50,652 Chambers County: $47,232 Russell County: $44,065 State of Macon County: $39,303 Alabama $54,943 Barbour County: $36,422 Source: U.S. Census Bureau Bullock County: $29,063

84 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

Lowe’s to rebuild and revitalize community spaces nationwide. Richie donated an undeveloped plot of land that his family owns.

Lori Chandler Pruitt is a freelance writer for Business Alabama. She lives in Birmingham.

P O P U L AT I O N Total Alabama Population: 5,074,296 Jefferson County: 665,409 Mobile County: 411,411 Madison County: 403,565 Baldwin County: 246,435 Montgomery County: 226,361 Lee County: 180,773 Elmore County: 89,563 Russell County: 58,555 Tallapoosa County: 40,977 Chambers County: 34,088 Barbour County: 24,706 Macon County: 18,516 Source: U.S. Census Bureau Bullock County: 10,202

In Focus

Kayaking has become big business along the Chattahoochee River in Phenix City.

Photo courtesy of Phenix City Whitewater.

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

Crowds gathered in October to watch the Kayak Freestyle World Championships. Photo courtesy of Phenix City Whitewater.

ountry superstar Alan Jackson famously sings, “Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee,” reminiscing about learning how to swim, how to love and, yes, how to drink, all on the river that serves as the state line between Phenix City, Alabama, and Columbus, Georgia.

Jackson’s Chattahoochee, which he wrote about in 1993, is a far cry from the Chattahoochee of today, which in October hosted the Kayak Freestyle World Championships.

“Who would ever have thought that that would be in Alabama?” Dan Gilbert asks.

Gilbert is president of Atlanta-based Whitewater Express, which is the operator of what it calls the longest urban whitewater course in the world.

Specifically, that’s the two-and-a-half miles of rapids twisting and turning through Phenix City and Columbus,

bringing life (and people) back to a river that had been dammed up since the 1800s.

“The dams made for a very stagnant, unhealthy river, but in about 2010, a bunch of entities had put in about $40 million to bring the river back to health,” Gilbert says. With the infusion of money, the dams were blown up, and rapids were built to create a whitewater course.

“We opened Memorial Day 2012,” says Gilbert, whose company has held the license for whitewater operations in Phenix City and Columbus for a decade and has just renewed for another 10 years.

For the first couple of years, Gilbert says, visitors to the area were almost all local. Slowly but surely, though, word began to spread that the water at Phenix City was well worth a road trip, whether you were a canoeing novice or a worldclass kayaker.

“Now, about 90% of our people come

from more than an hour away,” says Gilbert, who says about 50,000 people yearly visit the area. “It’s become a regional destination, and it has had a big impact on the community.”

That success goes beyond people reserving hotel rooms and eating at local restaurants. It’s a source of community pride, Gilbert says.

“What they wanted was to give the city a new spark, which it has done,” he says.

“It’s not just people coming to town bringing in money. The people living here really enjoy their town more than they used to.

They enjoy seeing tourists come to town.

People will bring chairs and lunch and watch the rafters going down the river.

“What’s happened in Phenix City is really being watched by cities all over the country,” Gilbert adds. “About once a month, we have someone come from somewhere else to see what’s happened here and see if they can replicate it.”

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

Phenix City’s reputation has continued to spread, and Gilbert and others have welcomed the spotlight. About eight years ago, Gilbert says, a group of Canadian kayakers in Phenix City turned out to be the Canadian freestyle kayaking team, thrilled to have found a warm climate to train in.

“They said if they were back at home,

they’d be in the snow and ice,” Gilbert says.

“These elite athletes have to train yearround. There are two places in the world that people have gone for that training. Previously, they’d been going to the Nile River, because it’s got a good wave, and it’s warm.

But they’ve covered a lot of that up … We’re the go-to place in the wintertime now.”

Traveling athletes can stay for free on a piece of property next to the river, and they have use of a hospitality room with internet, cable TV, showers and a restroom.

“They come from France, Canada, all over the world in the wintertime, just to train where it’s warm,” Gilbert says.

Gilbert says that hospitality helped Phenix City and Columbus land the Kayak Freestyle World Championships. “We had all these kayakers from all over the world who had visited and said these waves are terrific,” he says.

Though the course in Phenix City and Columbus is shorter than most – the Ocoee in Georgia is five miles and the Nantahala in North Carolina is nine miles – “the difference is we have more intensive waves during that two-and-a-half miles,” Gilbert says.

Gilbert's team not only teaches kayaking and has guided tours down the river, zip lining has been added along the banks of the Chattahoochee. “It’s a beautiful canopy tour that will stand up against most in the country,” he says.

Shaun Culligan, economic development manager for Phenix City, acknowledges the whitewater industry has been a “game-changer” for his community.

“The culture that has been created around this water sport has been fun to watch,” he says. “The sky is the limit when it comes to future development around rafting, kayaking, zip lining, climbing, etc., and we are working hard to support riverfront development as it helps to drive more and more people downtown and to the river.”

It’s also bringing the communities of Phenix City and Columbus closer together, says Gilbert, who says he’s noticed a lessening of the divide that was evident when he first started visiting the area.

“The river has been that thing that has brought the cities together,” Gilbert says.

“It really feels like one community. It has given the two cities a common bond, a common thing to work with and a common thing to have fun with. I think it has made a tremendous difference.”

Alec Harvey is the Birmingham-based executive editor of Business Alabama.

88 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

Economic Engines provide parts to Hyundai, creating about 170 jobs, with plans to open in 2024.

THE PARK AT AUBURN

This suspended airplane is on display in Hangar #2 at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.

AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS

This sector is very strong in all three counties, with new companies coming in and many more expanding. This region’s close proximity to automotive plants in Alabama and Georgia guarantee much more growth.

In Lee County, automotive suppliers are well represented among the largest manufacturing employers, creating hundreds of jobs. Those include Mando America Corp., Hanwha Advanced Materials America, SCA Inc., Seohan Auto USA Corp., Shinhwa Auto USA Corp., Daewon America, KOAM and Donghee Alabama LLC. New companies in this sector, who have announced or have projects underway, include INICS Battery Solutions Corp., an electric vehicle battery component manufacturer, announcing plans to build a new facility in Auburn Technology Park West; Schmidt Automotive, which announced a production expansion and up to 25

B U S I N E S S LEE COUNTY OCTOBER 2023: Clear Springs Properties in Opelika announces an $8.3 million expansion that will create nine new jobs.

AUGUST 2023: Shinhwa Auto USA Group announces it will invest $114 million to expand its electric vehicle parts production in Auburn Technology Park West,

additional jobs and Rausch & Pausch, a German auto supplier, that plans an expansion.

Russell County is home to Daechang Seat Co. and ILJIN Alabama, both automotive suppliers. Daechang has announced a $23.4 million expansion that will provide 300 new jobs at Phenix City Industrial Park. The county is also home to trailer maker Pitts Trailers in Seale.

Macon County’s largest industrial employer is Hanon Systems, an automotive supplier in Shorter. The list also includes LogisAll, a facility that serves the busy Interstate 85 automotive manufacturing corridor with quality testing, inventory and distribution of auto parts.

Huge news for Macon County is the announcement in February 2023 that South Korean Tier 1 automotive supplier Samkee Corp. will invest $128 million to locate its first U.S. location in the Tuskegee Commerce Park. The company will

The Park at Auburn is a dynamic hub of innovation and discovery immediately adjacent to the main campus of Auburn University and only 90 minutes from Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport.

Established by Auburn University, the City of Auburn, the State of Alabama and the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, The Park’s more than 170 acres are a convergence zone where Auburn faculty and students connect with business expertise to bring knowledge-based solutions to market in a setting that encourages engagement, partnership and entrepreneurial endeavors.

An ever-growing number of research and mixed-use facilities call The Park home. The Park’s buildings include laboratory and executive office spaces, executive meeting spaces and an event center, as well as a new restaurant and bar. The Via College of Osteopathic Medicine is located in The Park, along with East Alabama Health’s Auburn Medical Pavilion, the Thomas Walter MRI Research Building, Big Blue Marble Academy (a child development center), and The Park’s own Research and Innovation Center. In November of 2022, the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service broke ground in The Park on a multi-million-dollar research facility, which will house the National Soil Dynamics Laboratory. Existing buildings

B R I E F S

adding 170,000 square feet and 50 jobs.

AUGUST 2023: INICS Battery Solutions Corp., an electric vehicle battery component manufacturer, is building a new facility on Innovation Drive in the Auburn Technology Park West, investing $14 million and creating 30 jobs.

AUGUST 2023: Manufacturing company Car Tech announces a $26.9 million expansion to its Opelika facility, adding 38 jobs. Car Tech is a Tier 1 supplier for the BMW Group.

JULY 2023: A trust of the late Pat Dye, Auburn University’s former head football coach, has given Dye’s 415-acre property, Crooked Oaks, to Auburn University’s College of

Forestry, Wildlife and Environment.

JUNE 2023: Donghee America is investing $63 million to expand its Auburn Technology Park West plant, where it will make EV battery pack cases, adding 195,000 square feet and 100 jobs.

MAY 2023: The city of Auburn’s Economic Development team celebrates the grand

opening of The Yard, a new resource for local tech and manufacturing startups.

MARCH 2023: PLF Ltd. purchases real estate in Opelika and is leasing the property to Orr DC LLC, which plans to build two warehouse buildings totaling 345,000 square feet, a capital investment of nearly $18 million, and creating about 120 jobs.

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encompass some 480,000 square feet of space and companies there employ more than 1,000 people.

The 7,000-square-foot New Venture Accelerator (NVA), housed in the Research and Innovation Center and operated jointly by the Harbert College of Business and the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, assists student entrepreneurs, faculty and staff startups as well as early-stage commercial ventures with business development — everything from building business plans to prepping for pitch competitions. To date, startups associated with the NVA have raised more than $81 million in funding, facilitated more than $4.3 billion in transactions in 22 countries, worked with more than 1.6 million business-to-consumer customers/ users and more than 6,400 business to business customers. NVA startups have done business in all 50 states, have hired more than 400 employees and have been featured in Forbes magazine.

AUBURN UNIVERSITY REGIONAL AIRPORT/MOTON FIELD

Auburn’s airport, owned and operated

by Auburn University, has strong partnerships with the cities of Opelika and Auburn and the Lee County community, serving as a vital link in transportation and a gateway for economic development. Its annual economic impact is more than $24.4 million, says Bill Hutto, airport director.

The airport has completed a new T-hangar for smaller aircraft, rehabilitating an aircraft apron and

B U S I N E S S FEBRUARY 2023: Cumberland Plastics in Opelika announces a $2.3 million expansion that is expected to add 10 jobs.

JANUARY 2023: Schmidt Automotive, a member of the MAT Foundry Group, announces a $7.7 million expansion, adding highly automated equipment and creating about 25 jobs.

finishing a rehab on the main northsouth runway, Hutto says. “We have really grown in the last three years in the number of corporate aircraft,” he says.

It is now working on runway safety by adding more ramp space for parking aircraft, as well as a new corporate aircraft hangar, he says.

The airport has recruited two new flight schools — RD Aire teaches fixed wing aircraft flying for the public and South Atlanta Helicopter teaches rotor wing flying, also for the general public, Hutto says. “These schools help meet the demand for many in the community who want to learn to fly,” he says. The airport also added JetEffect, a new tenant and aircraft broker.

While the airport is seeking funds to build a new control tower, last year it was accepted as a candidate into the Federal Contract Tower Program, he says. Based on the operations and types of users, the FAA will pay a contractor to provide an air traffic controller. “The push now is to find the funds for the tower. The cost is anticipated to be about $8 million,” he says. Until then, the airport has a temporary tower on wheels that it contracts to use from the FAA for home football weekends.

Auburn University also has a robust aviation program, the School of Aviation at the airport, which has attracted 639 students who are seeking a professional flight degree and 244 students who are pursuing aviation management, he says.

In Macon County, the historic Moton Field in Tuskegee, which was a training facility for the ground-breaking Army

TAXES PROPERTY TAX NOT INCLUDING SCHOOLS OR MUNICIPALITIES

LEE COUNTY: 13.5 mills RUSSELL COUNTY: 12.0 mills MACON COUNTY: 12.5 mills

STATE OF ALABAMA: 6.5 mills

SALES TAX LEE COUNTY: 4 % Cities within the county:

AUBURN: 4 % LOACHAPOKA: 1.5% NOTASULGA: 3 % OPELIKA: 4 % SMITHS STATION: 1 % WAVERLY: 2 % RUSSELL COUNTY: 4 % Cities within the county:

PHENIX CITY: 4.75 % HURTSBORO: 4 % MACON COUNTY: 2.5 % Cities within the county:

FRANKLIN: 3 % SHORTER: 5 % TUSKEGEE: 5 %

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

Air Corps Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, has a new terminal building and many other improvements, and is hoping to build more hangars because there is a waiting list for such services. The city of Tuskegee now owns the airport.

The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at the airport attracts many visitors. It is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

B R I E F S

JANUARY 2023: Rausch & Pausch LP (RAPA) announces it will invest $25 million and add 70 jobs in its Auburn Technology Park West plant, where it makes pneumatic and hydraulic chassis and transmission components.

JANUARY 2023: Opelika Main Street opens a new small business incubator, downtown resource

90 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

center and headquarters for the organization.

MARCH 2023: Hanwha Advanced Materials America LLC is investing $20.3 million in an expansion of its Northeast Opelika Industrial Park plant, adding equipment to support the firm’s EV business and adding 50 employees.

MARCH 2023: Pharmavite, which makes nutritional supplements, celebrates its 10-year anniversary in Opelika with a $6.5 million expansion that adds 81 jobs.

NOVEMBER 2022: Ground was broken at Auburn Research Park for a facility housing the National Soil Dynamics Laboratory.

The $220 million project is expected to employ more than 1,000 people.

MARCH 2022: Niagara Bottling LLC, a familyowned beverage manufacturer, announces it will locate in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park. The $112 million investment is expected to create 50 new jobs.

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

AGRICULTURE/PAPER/FOOD PRODUCTION/DIVERSE MANUFACTURING

This is a large sector in all three counties.

Auburn University opened the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center that prepares graduates for an array of careers within the hospitality industry, with a restaurant, hotel and food hall.

Also in Opelika, Niagara Bottling LLC, a family-owned beverage manufacturer, announced in 2022 it would locate in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park along Interstate 85, a $112 million investment that creates 85 jobs.

Another major development is the recent donation of the late Pat Dye’s Crooked Oaks, a 415-acre homestead, to Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment.

Lee County also has Golden State Foods, a major employer, and Aptar CSP Technologies Inc., which makes specialty plastics packaging. Another is Cumberland Plastic Solutions, which makes plastic injection molded parts for several sectors.

Russell County has several companies that are involved in this sector, including MeadWestvaco, which makes kraft container board in Phenix City. Johns Manville makes insulation, MV Corp./ The Game is a manufacturing/licensing sports production company, and Vectorply makes reinforcement material.

Russell County also has JVL Laboratories, which makes liquid cosmetics and other products.

Macon County has turf farms, agricultural research, Bonnie Turf Farms, Lifetime Natural Organic Farms, Moore and Davis Nurseries and EV Smith Research Center.

Diverse industries include Fiblast, which makes fiberglass technology, and Turner Hat Co. A major announcement for Macon County in August 2023 is Trendco USA’s plan to invest $43 million to launch manufacturing of nitrile medical gloves in the Regional East Alabama Logistics Park off I-85 in Macon County, locating in the park’s first spec building. It is expected to create 262 jobs over five years.

RETAIL

Retail is big business in this region.

Opelika is a retail hub that includes major shopping centers like Tiger Town, the largest outdoor shopping area in the county.

Some recent announcements include GolfSuites, the year-round golf entertainment franchise that will bring its

fourth national location to Opelika. Also, a new retail shopping center is coming that will feature 12 to 16 businesses, including a Publix store, that is about 15 minutes away from Auburn University.

Recent announcements in Phenix City include plans by Lindstrom & Company, a real estate development firm, to develop 11.6 acres off U.S. 280 that will bring a

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mix of well-known brands and essential services to the community. Those include Starbucks, Chipotle, Outback Steakhouse, Valvoline and Peachtree Immediate Care.

And Eighty West, a new retail development underway on Highway 80, already includes a Dollar Tree, Taco Bell, Popeyes, Sonic and Snappy Express fullservice car wash. Other new restaurants are underway.

Tuskegee has five exits on Interstate 85, and Macon County is attracting new development as well.

Largest Industrial Employers LEE COUNTY

Briggs & Stratton LLC | AUBURN

This area is a popular tourism destination for outdoor enthusiasts and youth sports.

Add to that Auburn University football and all types of historical attractions, community events and more, and this sector has a huge impact.

Phenix City and neighboring Columbus, Georgia, are home to a whitewater park, which they dub the longest urban whitewater course in the world. The park also has ziplines, disc golf, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing and more. The two cities were awarded the 2022 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Freestyle Kayak World Cup and the 2023 ICF World Championship, which drew competitors from around the world and thousands of spectators.

In Macon County, many attractions honor the Tuskegee Airmen, who made history as the first African American fighter pilots in World War II.

Gasoline engines • 740 employees

Kraft container board • 827 employees

Aptar CSP Technologies Inc.

AlaTrade Foods LLC | PHENIX CITY

Specialty plastics packaging 600 employees

Daechang Seat Co. | PHENIX CITY

AUBURN

Chicken processing • 820 employees Automotive • 225 employees

Pharmavite LLC | OPELIKA

Vitamins/supplements • 540 employees

TOURISM

RUSSELL COUNTY

MeadWestvaco | PHENIX CITY

Hanwha Advanced Materials America | OPELIKA

JVL Laboratories | PHENIX CITY Liquid cosmetics • 180 employees

Vectorply | PHENIX CITY

Automotive bumpers • 460 employees

Reinforcement material • 174 employees

Mando America Corp. | OPELIKA

Johns Manville | PHENIX CITY

Golden State Foods | OPELIKA

Trailer manufacturer • 150 jobs

Brake and steering/automotive parts 475 employees Food products • 323 employees

SCA Inc. | AUBURN

Automotive plastics • 300 employees

Seohan Auto USA Corp. | AUBURN

Insulation • 160 employees

Pitts Trailers | SEALE

MV Corp/The Game | PHENIX CITY Caps/licensing • 130 employees

MACON COUNTY

Hanon Systems | SHORTER

Automotive axles/driveshafts • 260 employees

Automotive supplier • 700 employees

Regal Rexnord Corp. | AUBURN

Beck’s Turf Farm | TUSKEGEE

Cumberland Plastic Solutions

Moore and Davis Nurseries |

Plastic parts supplier • 216 employees

Sod farm/kiwi tree saplings • 50 employees

GE Aerospace | AUBURN

EV Smith Research Center

Gear couplings • 230 employees

OPELIKA

Jet engine components • 215 employees

SiO2 Medical Products Inc. | AUBURN

Turf grass • 100 employees

SHORTER

MACON COUNTY

Agricultural research • 50 employees

Medical plastics • 215 employees

Sources: Economic development officials

B U S I N E S S RUSSELL COUNTY MAY 2023: Sierra Pacific Windows is expanding its high-end window and door production in Phenix City. The 610,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse space allows the company to add production capacity and meet demand.

JULY 2022: Masterbuilt, a grill company owned

B R I E F S

by Middleby Outdoors, opens operations in Phenix City in a 334,000-square-foot former textile plant. It’s a $1.5 million investment and will lead to 100 jobs.

MAY 2022: Daechang Seat Corp. USA breaks ground for an expansion in Phenix City Industrial Park. The $23.4 million investment is expected to create 300 jobs.

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MACON COUNTY AUGUST 2023: Trendco USA, which makes nitrile medical gloves, announces it will invest $43 million to launch a manufacturing operation in the Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park in Macon County.

It expects to create 262 jobs over five years.

JULY 2023: International recording star Lionel

Richie, who grew up in Tuskegee, is spearheading an effort to create a community park in the city, called Hello Park. It is one of 100 community projects that will be finished this year as part of Lowe’s Hometowns, a five-year, $100 million commitment from Lowe’s to rebuild and revitalize community spaces nationwide.

MAY 2023: Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park, a 700-acre, Class A industrial park in Macon County, opened for business with its first spec building, a 168,000-square-foot structure. The entire master-planned project lies in a Qualified Opportunity Zone and offers federal, state and local incentives.

Health Care EAST ALABAMA HEALTH

East Alabama Health in Opelika is a major employer in Lee County, with about 3,500 employees. East Alabama Medical Center, a regional referral hospital in Opelika with 340 beds, is the largest facility, providing care to patients in 11 counties. Other elements of the system are EAMC-Lanier in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and several other medical clinics and practices.

The hospital consistently receives awards of excellence, and in August, Forbes named East Alabama Health one of “America’s Best-in-State Employers.”

In 2024, East Alabama Health plans to start an expansion to its West Pavilion at EAMC in Opelika to add 30 critical care beds and an onsite LPN program. In January 2022, the East Alabama Surgery Center, a joint venture between EAMC and 16 area physicians, opened at the Auburn Medical Pavilion.

In 2023, the hospital earned designation as a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Cardiac Care and earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Inpatient Diabetes DiseaseSpecific Care Certification.

Other accolades include the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines – Stroke Silver Plus quality achievement award and the Robotic Center of Excellence distinction from the Surgical Review Corp.

JACK HUGHSTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Located in Phenix City in Russell County, Jack Hughston Memorial is a 70-bed advanced acute care hospital. It is located across the Chattahoochee River from the main Hughston Clinic campus in Georgia and offers a wide range of services including an ICU and a 24-hour emergency room.

The hospital has been ranked in the top 10% nationwide for both orthopedic and joint replacement care. For 11 years in a row (2012-2022), it has been listed among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery and Joint Replacement and also been included by Healthgrades in the top 5% of hospitals in the nation for overall orthopedic services and joint replacement.

The Hughston Clinic also has several

East Alabama Medical Center’s Freestanding Emergency Department at Auburn Medical Pavilion.

satellite locations, some with different specialties such as orthopedics and trauma, throughout the region and surrounding states.

REGIONAL REHABILITATION HOSPITAL

This 58-bed inpatient hospital in Phenix City offers comprehensive inpatient services for many conditions that include stroke, trauma, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, arthritis, chronic pain, neuromuscular disease, amputation and other disabling conditions that have caused loss of functional mobility. It is designed to return patients to the community leading active and independent lives.

Regional Rehabilitation employs approximately 220 healthcare professionals, including nurses; physical, occupational and speech therapists; and other support personnel. The hospital treats more than 1,600 patients yearly and is accredited by The Joint Commission.

Regional Rehabilitation Hospital has specialty certifications for stroke, brain injury and hip fracture.

CENTRAL ALABAMA VA MEDICAL CENTER – TUSKEGEE

This 220-bed hospital is part of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System, a system that also includes the Montgomery Veterans Medical Center and community-based outpatient clinics in Dothan, Fort Novosel, Monroeville and Columbus, Georgia.

The center offers a wide variety of comprehensive health and medical services.

The Tuskegee campus includes a 100-bed Community Living Center and serves as the region’s geriatrics, extended care and rehabilitation service Center of Excellence.

The campus also includes a regional office building, with staff providing many types of services to veterans.

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Movers & Shapers TIM AJA is the Opelika City councilman

for Ward 3, which encompasses the historic district and other Opelika communities. A resident since 2008, he and his family moved to Alabama while on active duty with the U.S. Navy, assigned to teach ROTC at Auburn University. In 2018 Aja became a licensed financial advisor, worked with a local firm for a couple years, and in 2020 he opened Aja Financial LLC.

RON ANDERS JR. is in his second term

as mayor of Auburn.

Anders served 20 years as the CEO of Anders Bookstore, a family-owned business established in 1966. Anders grew up working in the store and took over as owner and operator until the family sold the business in 2005. A lifelong resident and supporter of youth athletics, Anders worked to bring the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Super 7 football Championship to Auburn’s Jordan Hare Stadium as part of a rotating schedule.

He is a graduate of Auburn University and has served in local civic, community, recreation and charitable organizations.

JEREMY ARTHUR is executive director

of the Government & Economic Development Institute, Auburn University. He began his career at the Economic Development Institute at Auburn and then went on to serve as president of the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Most recently, he served as president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama. He is a two-time Auburn University graduate and is a Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration & Public Policy. Also, he holds the Certified Chamber of Commerce Executive designation.

DAVE ARWOOD has been with

WCGQ Radio and its local group of stations for 25 years.

He is the afternoon radio announcer on Q107.3. In addition, he is operations manager for PMB Broadcasting. He is chair of the East Alabama Chamber of Commerce and chairman of The Planning Commission for the City of Smith’s Station. He and his wife own The DJ Company.

AMY BRABHAM is workforce

development director for the city of Auburn’s Economic Development Department.

Previously, she served as the economic development director at the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce. She has 18 years of experience in the workforce development, corporate education, and training field as the vice chancellor for workforce development and career technical education for the Alabama Community College System. She has a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, a master’s degree from Troy University and a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Alabama.

ROBYN BRIDGES is president and

CEO of AuburnOpelika Tourism.

A Focus 40 over 40 honoree, she also has received awards and recognitions from the Southeast Tourism Society, the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association, the Alabama Tourism Department and the Southern Public Relations Federation. She is an adjunct professor at Auburn University, teaching classes in tourism PR and media writing. She is a planning commissioner for the city of Auburn and has served on several nonprofits, including United Way, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County, and more.

JARED CLAY is president of the

Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce. He has legacy status since his father, George, is a longtime Chamber member and former president. A native of Tuskegee, Clay is the CFO for the Utilities Board of Tuskegee. When he was elected chamber president in 2021, he acknowledged the 50-year history of the Chamber and vowed to build on that foundation for a strong future.

CHANCE CORBETT is a Russell

County commissioner. He started in public service at 15 as a volunteer firefighter before becoming the youngest EMT in the state. Beginning in 2001, he spent seven years as director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security for Russell County before joining Auburn University to create its emergency management program.

Corbett coordinates the Labor Day fair and monthly market in the Crawford community. He is on the boards of Chattahoochee Valley Community College Foundation and the Russell County Education Foundation and active in Phenix City Rotary Club.

KELLI FISCHER is in her second year as

principal at Opelika High School. She has served as an assistant principal at OHS for six years and has spent 13 years in education.

She is an Auburn University graduate with a master’s from Troy University. She serves on the board for 20 Under Forty as well as the Auburn University ELA Program Advisory Board.

JEREMY GRAY represents the

83rd District in the state House of Representatives and is minority whip of the Alabama House Democratic Caucus.

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S P O T L I G H T: M OV E R S & S H A PE R S

Gray was honored as the NAACP Legislator of the Year in 2021 and received the Millennial Action Project’s “Rising Star” award in 2022. In addition, he was recognized

by Tuskegee United Women Inc. as one of the Influential Men of Alabama. He was a professional athlete, business owner and nonprofit founder.

Supply, a company her parents started.

She is an Auburn University graduate with a master’s from the University of Arizona, Phoenix.

She serves on the board of directors for the Opelika Chamber, 3D Elite Youth Association, The Curtis House, and is a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustments for the City of Opelika.

LAURA GRILL is president and CEO

CRISTEN HERRING is superintendent

of the East Alabama Health Care Authority. She serves on the boards of the Alabama Hospital Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, the Business Council of Alabama, the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Foundation, the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation and AmeriFirst Bank. She has also served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity – Lee County and the Chamber of Commerce of Opelika. She is a nursing graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and holds an MBS from the University of Alabama.

S. KEITH HARGROVE is provost and

senior vice president of Academic Affairs at Tuskegee University. He has worked for other colleges and for three federal research laboratories and General Electric, General Motors and Boeing. He also served as a founder of C&H Consulting Engineers in Nashville. He is a Tennessee State University graduate with a master’s from Missouri University of Science & Technology and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and post-doc work at the University of Michigan. He is a founding board member of a STEMbased charter school in Nashville.

RAVEN HARVIS began her career in

television sales, then after focusing on family, she came back to the workforce joining H&S Commercial and Industrial

of Auburn City Schools. She has served as a teacher, reading specialist, principal, director and assistant superintendent before stepping into her current role.

She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Auburn University. She has been recognized with such accolades as The Outstanding Administrator Award from Auburn University’s College of Education, The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lee County’s Chairman’s Award, Who’s Who Among American Teachers, and Outstanding Young Women of America.

GERALD LONG is general manager of

the Utilities Board of Tuskegee. He is CEO of Gerald B. Long & Co., a local CPA firm, and a pastor and CFO of Fresh Anointing House of Worship in Montgomery.

Long, a graduate of UAB, serves on the boards of the Macon County Economic Development Authority and Fresh Anointing House of Worship. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants. Before coming to UBT, he also worked with the international accounting firm KPMG and the Alabama Public Service Commission.

TOMMY MILLER, mayor of Notasulga

in Macon County, is the former deputy chief of the Macon County Sheriff’s

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Department. He also previously served as the Notasulga Police Chief, a member on the Notasulga Recreation Board and was the president of Dixie Youth. He served in the United States Marine Corps. Miller has served on many boards including Macon E-911 from 1982-2007 and as director since 2007. He is an active member of the American Legion and a Freemason of the Notasulga & Dadeville Masonic Lodge.

KATIE MURRAY is the secondary

curriculum coordinator and director of career and technical education for Opelika City Schools. Previously, she taught math for 12 years and served as the instructional resource teacher for seven years at Opelika High School. She is an Auburn University graduate with a master’s from Troy University.

GRIFFIN O’CONNOR is the talent

attraction and retention coordinator for the city of Opelika’s Economic Development department. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University, is a graduate of Auburn’s Economic Development Institute, and is a board member of Lee County Young Leaders and co-founder of Opelika Young Professionals. He is a member of the Opelika Workforce Council and the 20 Under 40 2023-2024 class.

MACKENZIE POOLE is vice president

of the Opelika Chamber of Commerce. She has an undergraduate and master’s degrees from Troy University. She previously worked for the City of Troy in the community engagement and special projects department, as well as Troy University’s Student Involvement Office until she began her role at the chamber in 2019 as the director of leadership and

S P O T L I G H T: M OV E R S & S H A PE R S

events. She coordinates more than 170 events and programs annually and is the staff leader for the 20 under 40, Lee County Young Leaders, Opelika Young Professionals, REACH Campaign, and all program related committees.

TODD RAUCH is a retired U.S.

Army military police officer and currently serves on the Opelika City Council. Rauch also serves on the board of directors for the Lee Russell Council of Governments and the Alabama Association of Regional Councils. He was recently named the “Best Government Official” in the Auburn-Opelika area and was selected for a special delegation for the American Council of Young Political Leaders. He was awarded the Purple Heart for service in Iraq. He has an associate degree from Lake Land College and a bachelor’s from Auburn University.

DIONNE ROSSER-MIMS is vice

chancellor for the Troy University Phenix City Campus. She completed Harvard’s Women in Educational Leadership Institute and received the 2023 East Alabama Chamber of Commerce Individual Leader of the Year Award.

She has a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. She is active with the Alabama School Readiness Alliance, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, United Way of Chattahoochee Valley and Phenix City Rotary and a Piedmont University trustee.

JACKIE SCREWS is president of

Chattahoochee Valley Community College.

Her recent awards include the Sister’s Inc. Rosa Parks 2019 Women of Courage and the Courier Eco Latino Lift Her Up Award, and she is a graduate of Leadership Alabama. She is a member of the Phenix City Rotary Club,

and a board member for the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, the East Alabama Chamber, Synovus Bank (East Alabama), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Screws has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tuskegee University.

JOE TURNHAM is director of the

Macon County Economic Development Authority, working to attract key new industry. He and his board of volunteers have opened an office, created and executed a five-year strategic plan for industrial and retail development/ recruitment. In only six years, MCEDA has established seven industrial sites, including one of only three CSX Select Sites in Alabama, and aided in the recruitment of several new retail and major development. He is an Auburn University graduate.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 97

Higher Education

Southern Union State Community College's administration building.

Troy University - Phenix City Campus.

AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Auburn University has provided instruction, research and outreach to benefit the state of Alabama and the nation for 167 years and is among a distinctive group of universities designated as land-, sea- and space-grant institutions.

For the fifth consecutive year, Auburn University has set a record for its highest enrollment, exceeding 33,000 students, and welcomed the largest first-year class in its history. Auburn continues to educate more students from Alabama than any other institution in the state, officials say.

Auburn has 5,552 full time employees.

Auburn makes a $5.6 billion economic contribution to the state each year and provides more than 150 degree programs.

Consistently highly ranked, the university increased its national and public university rankings in the U.S. News and World Report’s “2024 Best Colleges” list, published in September 2023. Auburn increased its ranking four positions to No. 93 among national universities and maintained its place among the top 50 public universities at No. 47.

In the last 12 years, Auburn has invested $2 billion in projects, and has spent $697.3 million on 595 projects designed and built over the past five years. Among the projects are new and renovated student housing; a new building for the National Soil Dynamics Laboratory; a new $77 million building for the College of Education; and the

Woltosz Football Performance Center with indoor facilities and outdoor practice fields.

Auburn’s Real Estate Foundation and the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment also accepted a gift of 415 acres of Crooked Oaks farm that belonged to legendary Auburn football coach Pat Dye. It includes Dye’s main house, a guest cabin, lodge, pavilion, gazebo, two barns and a nursery office.

Five years after the Auburn Oaks at Toomer’s Corner were poisoned, the replacement trees are strong enough to allow students to resume the tradition of rolling the trees after athletic victories.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY

Tuskegee University, with 2,654 students, is ranked No. 4 among Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities by U.S. News and World Report, and the school ranks high for teaching and best value schools. It also is the only HBCU to be designated a National Historic Site, and is the top ranked HBCU in Alabama.

Tuskegee University also has been designated as a 2023 Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader by the U.S. Department of State, recognizing the school’s commitment to fostering global engagement and diversity within the Fulbright Program during the 2022-23 academic year.

Tuskegee University’s cutting-edge research in several areas has netted millions of grants over the years. In

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just one recent example, the Tuskegee University Research Centers in Minority Institutions Center for Biomedical Research (TU RCMI CBR) has received a $25 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to help researchers develop health solutions for minority populations, particularly around obesity and breast and cervical cancer. This is the largest research grant ever awarded to Tuskegee, which will partner with local and national health organizations to distribute research results directly to community members.

Tuskegee offers 42 bachelor’s degrees, 16 master’s degrees and six doctoral degree program options. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, as well as other accrediting with specialized fields and disciplines.

Tuskegee is the top producer of African American Ph.D. holders in materials science and engineering in the U.S. And its College of Veterinary Medicine produces 75% of the African American veterinarians in the world.

It also has the first nursing baccalaureate program in the state and one of the oldest in the U.S. SOUTHERN UNION STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Southern Union State Community College is the second oldest two-year college in Alabama with a current enrollment of 4,702. It is located close

S P O T L I G H T: H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

to Auburn University and offers a three-faceted educational emphasis on academic programs for transferability, technical programs for specialized career competencies and health sciences programs for specialized training in the health field.

SUSCC serves students through its campuses in Wadley, Opelika and Valley and serves an eight-county area of east and central Alabama, as well as neighboring Georgia counties.

In addition to an academic transfer curriculum, the Opelika campus boasts a full range of two-year programs in the technical and health science divisions.

The Higginbotham Academic Center’s Health Sciences building has a simulated health care facility where students of nursing, radiography and emergency medical services put individual learning to the test while gaining experience in a team setting. The Center for Integrated Manufacturing serves as a catalyst for workforce development in east central Alabama.

One of the newest certification and degree programs is Aviation Maintenance Technology, a six-semester program at the Opelika campus.

There are two areas of concentration — airframe and powerplant mechanics.

Students receive real-world training in a specially designed teaching facility where students work on a wide range of aircraft equipment and components.

The college fields several sports, and this fall the school added men’s and women’s soccer programs.

CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CVCC in Phenix City is a public, comprehensive, two-year community college serving a diverse population through traditional classroom and distance-learning formats.

CVCC offers associate degrees and certificates in more than 50 programs of study for traditional and nontraditional students.

Despite a national decline in community college enrollment, CVCC has seen significant growth in enrollment, with fall 2022 up 20% over the previous year and spring 2023 up 13% from the

previous year.

CVCC recently marked its 50th anniversary with ceremonies and other events and celebrated its reaffirmation of accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges for the next 10 years.

CVCC’s nursing program is very successful. The pass rate for students taking the National Council Licensure Examination is higher than the national average. In addition to classroom instruction, the program offers nurse apprenticeship opportunities. This initiative from the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship is the first of its kind in the nation. Students who qualify for the nurse apprenticeship program are paid for completing their clinical hours through partnerships with clinical facilities.

CVCC also recently held a Veterans Resource Fair, providing support to student-veterans and their families, organized by CVCC’s Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success.

CVCC has the only non-profit fire science program in Alabama, and the welding program has a 100% employment rate.

TROY UNIVERSITY, PHENIX CITY

Troy University’s Phenix City Campus offers degree programs that help meet the needs of students in east Alabama and nearby Columbus, Georgia, with a focus on convenient and flexible course options tailored to the needs of working adults, particularly working parents. Using a U.S. Department of Education grant, Troy is able to subsidize child care for student-parents.

The campus offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in several highdemand fields, including business and marketing, human resource management, education, psychology, social work, human services and counseling.

Also key to the Troy Phenix City mission is community engagement. The campus serves as a venue for numerous community meetings, workshops, conferences and other events. And Troy students, faculty and staff regularly participate in volunteer opportunities.

As part of that commitment,

Student Marshals Antonio Davis and Alexis Becker lead the recessional at Chattahoochee Valley Community College spring 2023 graduation.

the campus launched the ELITE — Empowering Leaders into Transformative Engagement — program this spring. It is designed to develop leaders who understand the role of government and how their individual contributions can advance and improve their neighborhoods, with sessions on communications skills, conflict resolution, civic engagement, government, health issues, jobs and more.

The campus also is a part of the effort to transform the region through the CHIPS4CHIPS program. In early 2022, Ben Moser, CEO and president of United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, took on the challenge of reducing the poverty rate in the Phenix City/Columbus, Georgia, area through high-paying jobs.

Passed with a bipartisan effort in August of 2022, the CHIPS Act is intended to bolster U.S. national security by reducing reliance on the foreign semiconductor supply chain and bringing the manufacturing back to the U.S. Putting these pieces together, the Chattahoochee Hub for Innovation and Production of Semiconductors was created in fall 2022.

The effort will work with more than 34 higher education institutions and K-12 systems in Alabama and Georgia.

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Community Development

Downtown Opelika.

LEE COUNTY

In the city of Opelika, the county seat, population is soaring and there is a great deal of housing demand, along with several new apartment complexes under development in the area, officials say.

The area also has broken records for new home development in the community.

Over the past five years, the city has built more than 2,000 single-family homes and hundreds of new apartments.

The Opelika Chamber of Commerce is executing a campaign called Forward Opelika, which is enabling the chamber to tackle big issues facing the community like talent attraction and alignment, entrepreneur education and more, says Ali Rauch, president and CEO. “We’re in the process of renovating the old Opelika Library and transforming it into a business incubator, visitor center, training facility and the offices for both the Opelika Chamber and Auburn Opelika Tourism,” Rauch says.

Another new incubator, Opelika Main Street’s downtown retail incubator and resource center, opened in the former Heritage Gifts and Gourmet building.

The back half of the property is the Opelika Main Street office.

The city of Opelika has competitive and recreational pools under construction at two parks, scheduled to be complete before summer 2024, says Joey Motley, Opelika city administrator. Also, 24 pickleball courts have opened, and a new city library is underway. Creekline Trails of Opelika and a city bike path are underway.

Opelika Police Department’s Together, Opelika campaign includes interactive education in the schools, an officer training program and more.

The city is getting a new fire station, and another fire station near the hospital will be updated, Motley says.

The city has a robust arts environment with events, including Songwriters Festival and East Alabama Arts Association.

Opelika, a retail hub, continues to attract new businesses. Some recent ones include GolfSuites, the year-round golf entertainment franchise that will bring its fourth national location to the city. A new retail shopping center is coming that will feature 12 to 16 businesses, including a Publix store, that is about 15 minutes away from Auburn University.

The city of Auburn’s population also is growing quickly — the population now exceeds 80,000 — and more amenities have been added. Downtown Auburn has continued to grow and evolve, welcoming several new additions in the last couple of years, including the new urban concept Target that opened in July and Publix that opened last October, officials say.

Auburn University’s Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center opened in fall 2022, with restaurants, hotels, spa and more to welcome guests and teach students.

Buc-ees has opened off Exit 50 on Interstate 85. In 2022, Auburn Bank opened its new headquarters, and new projects include Graduate Hotel and AC Hotel.

The city has several robust entrepreneurial programs, made possible through partnerships with the university and the Chamber of Commerce. Those include the New Venture Accelerator, the Auburn Center for Developing Industries, the Auburn Incubator for Manufacturing and the Additive Manufacturing

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Accelerator.

Toward that goal, the city received a $3 million federal appropriation to help finance an expansion of the Auburn Center for Developing Industries, which provides startups with incubator space and houses the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center to help develop skills for industrial jobs.

The city is wrapping up improvements to the Auburn Soccer Complex, with three new turf fields and a 56,000-squarefoot soccer/multipurpose complex that can be used for a wide range of recreational programming.

The city is working on the Lake Wilmore Community Center to bring parks and recreation amenities to an area of town currently without them.

The city also has a commercial development incentive program, and maintains a webpage identifying available commercial properties.

Capital projects underway include a Public Safety Training Center, several road projects and park renovations. The city is making renovations on the Jan Dempsey Art Center, and the city’s new inclusive playground facility was selected as the 2022 Facility of the Year by the Alabama Recreation and Parks Association.

Schools in Lee County and its cities serve about 25,000 students, offering an array of award-winning academic programs and career-tech options.

RUSSELL COUNTY

Russell County has a new walking trail and gazebo in the Crawford community.

Phenix City, the county seat, is getting a downtown makeover, says Shaun Culligan, economic development manager for the city. The city joined with Orchestra Partners to create a vision and plan, and improvements are underway. It is part of the city’s Fast Forward Phenix City plan, which addresses the future of the area.

The plans envision a downtown with more businesses, sidewalks, greenspace and restaurants; better walking and biking facilities; residential development; extending the riverwalk north and south and generally maximizing use of the Chattahoochee River frontage downtown.

Officials announced in July 2023 that

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

Lindstrom & Company, a real estate development firm, is developing 11.6 acres off U.S. 280. Plans call for a mix of well-known brands including Starbucks, Chipotle, Outback Steakhouse, Valvoline and Peachtree Immediate Care.

And Eighty West, a new retail development underway on Highway 80, already includes a Dollar Tree, Taco Bell, Popeyes, Sonic and Snappy Express fullservice car wash. Other new restaurants are underway.

Several road and wastewater treatment upgrades are also in progress. Also, the Public Safety Building on Broad Street has undergone complete renovation and expansion to include a larger City Council chamber, an updated municipal courtroom, additional office space and renovated existing office space.

The city also plans a new fire training facility that will include classrooms, bay storage, burn building and drill tower behind Fire Station One. Phenix City and neighboring Columbus, Georgia, are home to a whitewater park. Centered on the long whitewater course, the park includes ziplines, disc golf, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing and more.

Russell County and Phenix City schools emphasize STEM education, providing many career-tech options in fields as diverse as agriculture and computer coding.

revitalize community spaces nationwide.

Richie is donating an undeveloped plot of land that his family owns across from Tuskegee University for the project.

The Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce set up shop in a historic building, giving downtown Tuskegee a fresh shot of energy, attracting tourists and local residents during the daytime.

Meetings and events generate activity during evening hours.

The chamber showed off projects to Tuskegee University alumni during a homecoming tour in October, also offering a chance to meet with some of the visionary investors who are breathing new life into this community.

Shorter is growing manufacturing, gaming and retail — creating a diverse and dynamic economy off I-85. In 2022, The Big Dog and Small Rescue Ranch opened at a former greyhound training facility. The organizations works with neglected and abused dogs.

The town of Franklin has a fascinating

slice of history with the Harris Barrett School & Museum, where each brick that forms the building was made from elements extracted from the soil by Tuskegee Institute students under the eye of Booker T. Washington.

The town of Notasulga exudes agricultural charm, complete with a winery. The town is prioritizing projects and improvements through grant funding. One of the proposed projects is to replace 11 miles of water lines and the other is to revise the town’s zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan, officials say.

Notasulga also is implementing a local alert system through geo-fencing technology that provides businesses and residents with alerts via phone, text and emails.

Macon County schools have career technical education programs, many in partnership with Trenholm State Community College.

MACON COUNTY

The city of Tuskegee, the county seat, has five exits off Interstate 85 and it is working on developing those areas, says Joe Turnham, director of the Macon County Economic Development Authority. There already has been success with travel centers, restaurants and more.

Through a mix of government grants, private investment and philanthropic funding, many homes and businesses are now about to connect to fiber broadband.

International recording star Lionel Richie, a native of Tuskegee, is spearheading an effort to create a community park called Hello Park. It is one of 100 community projects that will be finished this year as part of Lowe’s Hometowns, a five-year, $100 million commitment from Lowe’s to rebuild and December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 101

Culture & Recreation Auburn University Homecoming Parade in downtown Auburn.

festivities and events: CITYFEST — April | Auburn TUSKEGEE AIRMEN MEMORIAL FLY-IN — May | Tuskegee ALL MACON COUNTY DAY — August | Tuskegee ON THE TRACKS — October | Opelika VICTORIAN FRONT PORCH CHRISTMAS — December | Opelika ENJOY THE ARTS

Whippoorwill Vineyards, an award-winning winery, is located in Notasulga.

PLAY IT YOURSELF

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National – Opelika offers two 18-hole championship courses and one renowned short course. This site was proclaimed by Jones as the “single greatest site for a golf course” he had ever seen.

VISIT HISTORY

LEE COUNTY SEE THE BIRDS

Check Auburn University’s Raptor Center during one of its on-site flight programs. The center also treats birds and releases them back into the wild. You can also see birds at the Opelika Wood Duck Heritage Preserve and Siddique Nature Park, a 73-acre wetland that’s on the state birding trail.

SEE THE TIGERS

Visit Jordan-Hare Stadium for football or honor basketball and gymnastics greats at Neville Arena/Lovelace Hall of Honor. More than 130 Auburn athletes and coaches are honored on the Tiger Trail of Auburn downtown.

SEE THE OTHER ANIMALS

Kreher Preserve and Nature Center, a 110-acre preserve operated by the university, has birding trails, reptile viewing area, butterfly garden and a pond, stream and waterfalls.

Drive or walk through the Opelika Northside Historic District to see beautifully restored turn-of-the-century homes or stop by the 1920-era Opelika Train Depot. Also in Opelika, adjacent to the courthouse, is the Museum of East Alabama with thousands of artifacts and memorabilia.

PARK IT

Auburn and Opelika area parks offer a wide variety of opportunities for fun.

Spring Villa Park in Opelika includes an antebellum home, hiking and biking and other sports in its 350 acres. Chewacla State Park includes a lake, hiking and biking trails, camping and more on 696 acres. Kiesel Park, with nature and walking trails and an environmental lab on its 124 acres, is also home to the Nunn-Winston house, one of Auburn’s finest examples of antebellum Greek revival architecture dating from the 1850s. And Opelika Municipal Park is home to the famed Rocky Brook Rocket, a vintage miniature train designed to carry passengers around the park. The SalemShotwell Covered Bridge is also here.

Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts at Auburn features permanent, traveling and temporary exhibitions of international, national and regional focus, with programs that offer insight into the works. One of the outstanding features is the entry rotunda’s 1,000-lb. blown glass chandelier sculpture created by famed glass artist Dale Chihuly. Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center provides visual and performing arts opportunities ranging from exhibitions to community theatre to ballroom dancing. On campus, the Gogue Performing Arts Center is the city’s newest performance space.

RUSSELL COUNTY

ENJOY THE RIVERFRONT

Phenix City Riverwalk, along the western bank of the Chattahoochee River, starts at the amphitheater, meanders past the river-crossing footbridge to Georgia, and provides views of the river’s whitewater activities.

HONOR A CULTURE

The Chattahoochee Indian Heritage Center recounts the history of the Creek Nation and the Trail of Tears on the nation’s former homeland.

WONDER AT IT

The Museum of Wonder is filled with Southern folks art. Next door, The Possum Trot is the site of storytelling and auctions.

VISIT HISTORY

Fort Mitchell Historic Site features historic carriages, along with an 1813 fort, restored log home and museum. Beside is the Fort Mitchell National Cemetery, one of the 130 national cemeteries. The National Infantry Museum displays more

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S P O T L I G H T: C U LT U R E & R EC R E AT I O N

than 70,000 artifacts from the last 240 years of American military history. The old Seale Russell County Courthouse, built in 1868, features Indian artifacts and paleontology. The Jones Museum in Smiths Station mixes local train history with Conway Twitty memorabilia.

ARTS ABOUND

Sarah West Gallery of Fine Art in Smiths

Station and the Phenix City Art Center offer classes, activities and more to help visitors appreciate the arts.

ZOOM

East Alabama Motor Speedway hosts Late Model, Limited Late Model, Hobby, Bomber and Road Warrior Class races on its dirt oval.

PARK IT

Idle Hour Park & Moon Lake feature a lake, walking trail, nature trail and water play.

TAKE A HIKE

In Crawford, try the walking trail and the Tuckabatchee Masonic Lodge, built in 1848 and restored in 2012.

FORE!

Lakewood Golf Course is a recently renovated John LaFoy-designed, 18-hole public golf course in Phenix City.

MACON COUNTY

REMEMBER THE AIRMEN

Moton Field was the only primary flight facility for African-American pilot candidates in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. CONSIDER THE HISTORY

The Tuskegee History Center is home to the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center, sharing the story of the county’s three distinct cultures and peoples. Little Texas Tabernacle has hosted camp meetings since the 1850s.

Built by black and white settlers, the original structure was made of handhewn timbers, wooden pegs, hand-split shingles and sawdust floors. In the Shiloh Community in Notasulga, see the Shiloh School, the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and the Shiloh Cemetery.

HONOR THE GREATS

Tuskegee includes tributes to great leaders with roots here. You can visit The Oaks — home of Booker T. Washington — and his grave on the Tuskegee University campus. At Tuskegee, you can also visit the grave of famed botanist George Washington Carver. And nearby is the birthplace of Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks.

GET OUTDOORS

Tuskegee National Forest lets you hike and bike among the wildflowers, flowering trees and wildlife habitat. At Lake Tuskegee, enjoy the 92-acre lake with fishing, sailing and waterskiing.

Nearby are Abbott and Henderson parks, both offering swimming, tennis, basketball, baseball and more.

LIFT A GLASS

Whippoorwill Vineyards is a familyowned and operated farm winery.

104 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

Career Notes LIZ MAHON

GUL DADLANI

BUD FOSHEE

RICHARD MENGER

KIRK PRESSLEY

GINGER HOGELAND

MICHAEL LINDSEY

JENNIFER POWERS

ACCELERATOR

Prosper Healthtech Accelerator has appointed Amanda Williams as its new program manager.

ACCOUNTING

Liz Mahon has joined Kassouf as the accounting firm’s newest health care adviser.

ADVERTISING

Davis South Barnette and Patrick has added Shannon Mason and Abby Henson as brand managers.

BANKING

ServisFirst Bank has announced the retirement of founding Chief Financial officer William “Bud” Foshee. He will be succeeded by Kirk Pressley. In addition, the bank has added Michael Lindsey as chief information and operations officer.

Ward Cheatham, head of corporate specialized banking and a member of Regions Bank’s executive leadership team, is retiring. He will be succeeded by Joel Stephens, who is current head of capital markets. Stephens will be succeeded in his position by Rit Amin, current head of corporate and institutional markets.

Trey Pollard has joined the Birmingham team of FirstBank, in the role of commercial relationship manager.

Jason Dorough, president of Metro Bank, has been awarded the 2023 Chairman’s Award from the St. Clair County Economic Development Council.

BEVERAGES

Conecuh Brands LLC has appointed Tyler Huff as distillery manager of the forthcoming Conecuh Ridge Distillery. The distillery is set to open in Troy in 2024.

by ERICA JOINER WEST

TREY POLLARD

EDGAR HARPER

JASON DOROUGH

TRACY BOYD

TYLER HUFF

RUSSELL BRODMERKLE

RYAN RHODEN

BRENT BARKIN

MATTHEW CARNES

Ginger Hogeland, a board member of the Cullman Regional Medical Center, has been elected to serve on the board of the Alabama Council of Hospital Trustees.

LEGAL

CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY

ABC Supply Co. Inc. has promoted Ryan Rhoden, branch manager of its Birmingham location, to managing partner.

EDUCATION

The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind has named Dennis Gilliam the 18th president of the institution. He succeeds John Mascia, who has retired.

ENGINEERING

Four engineers with Hargrove Controls & Automation — Matthew Bailey, Megan McIntosh, Chase Beard and Elliot Miller — have been listed in CFE Media and Technology’s class of 2023 Engineering Leaders Under 40.

FINANCIAL

Rod Kanter, a partner in the Birmingham office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, has been elected as a director of the board for the National Association of Bond Lawyers.

Tom Warburton, also a partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, was elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates. In addition, Lillie Hobson, an associate with the firm, has received the Montgomery Volunteer Lawyers Program’s Volunteer of the Year award.

Jennifer Powers has joined Phelps’ Birmingham business group.

Edgar Harper, chief operations officer of Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC, is taking on a second role — chief diversity officer.

Stoic Equity Partners, of Daphne, has added Brent Barkin, former CEO of Shoe Station, as director of business development.

LOGISTICS

HEALTH CARE

REAL ESTATE

Tom Laming has joined the Port of Huntsville as business development manager.

Jennifer Young Pierce, director of the Division of Cancer Control and Prevention at USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, has received the 2023 Mayer Mitchell Award for Excellence in Cancer Research.

Matthew Carnes has joined USA Health at the Mapp Family Campus in Baldwin County. Gul Dadlani has been named chair of the Department of Pediatrics at USA Health and a professor in the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama. In addition, neurosurgeon Richard Menger has been awarded the Samuel Hassenbusch Young Neurosurgeon Award from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons for a second consecutive year.

Tracy Boyd has joined Beach Homes Realty.

Russell Brodmerkle has joined Birmingham-based Landing, an apartment membership firm, as chief marketing officer.

RESTAURANTS

Vintage Café General Manage Robyn Johnston won Restaurant Manager of the year and Stan Barfield won Back of House Restaurant Employee of the Year in the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association’s Stars of the Industry Awards.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 105

RETROSPECT

Golden Flake employee Randy Fuller in 1989.

Photo courtesy Alabama Department of Archives & History

“A Birmingham Product” Requiem for Alabama-Made Golden Flake Snacks

B

By SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND

y now, the last bag of Golden Flake potato chips made in Alabama has been eaten. Snack foods under the Golden Flake brand were manufactured in Birmingham for a century. Though the company will continue on as a subsidiary of Utz Quality Foods, its products will, for the first time, be made entirely outside the Yellowhammer State.

It began a century ago as Magic City Foods, a creation of businessmen Frank Mosher and Mose Lischkoff, who started cooking chips and salted peanuts in the basement of a grocery store on Birmingham’s 15th Avenue North. It was a small operation. Mosher and a cook peeled and sliced the potatoes by hand and cooked them in kettles of hot oil. The chips were packaged simply, usually in a grocery bag that was stapled shut.

Their product line soon included sandwich cookies and other snacks, all marketed under the name Golden Flake, a reference to the salty chips at the core of the new enterprise.

In 1924, Magic City Foods hired Helen Friedman as a bookkeeper. She and her mother eventually bought out Lischkoff’s share of the company. Young Helen Friedman

106 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

became a spokesmodel for the growing enterprise, “the Golden Flake Girl,” some people called her. In 1928, she and Frank Mosher married. When the couple divorced six years later, Helen Friedman received control of the company in the settlement.

At about the same time, the advent of airtight, wax-sealed bags transformed the potato chip industry. The innovation meant that companies like Friedman’s could expand the reach of their products. Friedman purchased a small fleet of delivery trucks and began marketing Golden Flake beyond Birmingham and its environs. By the close of the 1930s, the company had a dozen trucks, 50 employees and an expanded 8,000-square-foot production facility on 5th Avenue North.

Although its basement days were long gone, Magic City Foods remained committed to using Alabama products as much as possible, which by then included a ton of Alabama-grown peanuts each week and lots of spuds. Almost 800,000 pounds of potatoes from farms in coastal Baldwin County and north Alabama’s Sand Mountain arrived each year. Advertisements for the

R E T RO S PE C T

snacks included the proud football coach. Advertisetagline: “A Birmingham ments across the state proProduct.” moted the Alabama-made Friedman sold Magic chips and Coca-Cola, “a City Foods in 1946 for Great Pair,” according a reported $1 million to to Coach Paul “Bear” Leo Bashinsky and his Bryant. brother-in-law, Cyrus By the 1980s, Golden Case. A Pike County naFlake employed more tive, Bashinsky worked as than 2,000 people and a cashier at Troy’s Farmer’s boasted annual sales and Merchants National of $130 million. With Bank before relocating to markets throughout the Birmingham. In 1956, South, Golden Flake Sloan Bashinsky purchased ranked among the largest the company from his and most successful Workers bagging Golden Flake chips in 1980. Below is a Golden Flake father. Having worked independent snack-food bag from 1967. Photos courtesy Alabama Department of Archive & History. both the production and firms in the country. sales sides for a decade, the Sales doubled every five younger Bashinsky knew the company well. The following year, years for two decades. he changed the name to Golden Flake Snack Foods.

“It’s been my life and I’m proud of it,” Sloan Bashinsky told A much-needed expansion soon followed. In 1958, Bashina Birmingham newspaper in 1985. Forbes magazine once resky relocated the company to its present site in Birmingham, ferred to Bashinsky as a “Junk Food King,” a reductive moniker, increasing production capacity by some 500%. “Every modern indeed, considering the success and diversity of his company manufacturing innovation is incorporated,” Bashinsky told The and the depth of his family’s philanthropy. His Bashinsky FounBirmingham News. These innovations including temperature dation offered college scholarships to the children of Golden and humidity controls and machinery to slice and cook up to Flake employees, creating new generations of business leaders, three tons of potatoes an hour. The business expanded by acquiteachers, doctors and lawyers. He died in 2005. sition as well. In 1963, Golden Flake purchased Don’s Foods, Business history is, at its core, a tale of mergers and acquisiadding the Nashville facility to its growing regional production tions, a story of change. Only a fraction of American businesses and distribution empire. lasts more than a generation. Precious few survive for a century.

In 1968, Golden Flake became a publicly traded company, And so it was with Golden Flake, the Birmingham snack-food offering 250,000 shares of common stock for $8 each. Bashcompany that had grown from simple, kettle-cooked begininsky used the proceeds to further enlarge his nings in the basement of a grocery store into a production capacity in Birmingham and to sprawling, multi-million-dollar operation. diversify the business into the realms of real In 2016, during Golden Flake’s 93rd year estate, commercial building and insurance. of operation, privately owned Utz Quality Although Golden Flake never rivaled the Foods acquired the company in a deal nationwide snack-food behemoths in terms worth nearly $150 million. Golden Flake’s of advertising budgets, the company held its brand would remain intact. But change own. Along the way, it created some of the was afoot. In April 2023, Utz discontinued most nostalgic campaigns in modern Alabama Birmingham-based production of Golden business history. In the 1950s and 1960s, Flake products.

Goldie, the company’s clown mascot, auctioned On June 9, 2023, the Magic City’s off items for empty Golden Flake bags over the mechanical potato slicers fell silent. On television and radio airwaves. For a time in the that final day of production, employee Jeff 1970s, Goldie ceded the mascot crown to the Clemmons held up a bag of “Sweet Heat” Gobbler, a hulking, 8-foot-tall monster with barbeque chips, turned to a reporter who red-orange hair designed by none other than was on hand to witness history and said with master puppeteer Jim Henson. pride, “This was made in Birmingham.”

Clowns and monsters aside, the greatest Yes, they were, Mr. Clemmons. Yes, they spokesperson for the company was actually a were. bear, or rather “the Bear.” From 1960 until 1982, Golden Flake was an official sponsor Historian Scotty E. Kirkland is a freelance of the weekly television show featuring a contributor to Business Alabama. He lives in certain legendary University of Alabama Wetumpka.

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 107

Company Kudos

by ERICA JOINER WEST

Hargrove, a global engineering, procurement and construction EPC firm headquartered in Mobile, has received the Partners for Environmental Progress’ Environmental Stewardship Award for its innovative approach to transforming an existing small refinery into a renewable diesel production facility in Mobile. Hargrove worked on the project with Vertex Energy, which acquired the property in 2021, and Turner Industries.

JANUARY Who’s Running Alabama?

Our annual listing of elected officials Growing Better, Agriculturally Workforce Wonders State of the Stocks: Our Eye on the Market Geographic Spotlight: Autauga & Elmore Counties

FEBRUARY Building Alabama A Look at the Construction Industry Enjoying Alabama Exploring Tourism and the Great Outdoors Planning the Perfect Meeting Geographic Spotlight: Fayette, Lamar & Marion Counties Check BusinessAlabama.com for daily business headlines and additional content

Follow us: Business Alabama @BusinessAlabama

BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions, of Huntsville, has celebrated its 50th anniversary and produced its 500 millionth catalyst at the plant.

Dalton Pharmacy, in Slocomb, celebrates 120 years of operation. Founded by Jep Paul “J.P.” Dalton in 1903, today Dalton Pharmacy includes nine pharmacies in Alabama.

Full Moon Bar-B-Que owners David and Joe Maluff have received the 2023 Humanitarian of the Year award from the Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association.

Jones Walker LLP, which has an office in Mobile, and Bradley, which has offices in Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery, have achieved Mansfield Rule 6.0 certification, recognizing their commitment to diversity.

Leavell Investment Management, for a fifth consecutive year, has been included in CNBC’s Top 100 Financial Advisory Firms ranking, coming in at no. 4 in the U.S. and no. 1 in Alabama.

Newsweek recently recognized its 2024 America’s Best-In-State Hospitals. Those facilities in Alabama making the grade are: UAB Hospital, Fayette Medical Center, Russell Medical Center, Ascension St. Vincent’s East, Huntsville Hospital, St. Vincent’s Birmingham, Grandview Medical Center, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital and Baptist Medical Center South.

108 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2023

ServisFirst Bank has been included in D.A. Davidson’s inaugural Best-of-Breed Bison report.

Stone Martin Builders, of Opelika, has been honored with a bronze award in the 2024 National Housing Quality Awards.

Trindgroup, an Auburn marketing, public relations and design firm, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.

Turner Construction, of Huntsville, has been recognized as a United Launch Alliance Supplier of the Year and Outstanding Quality Performance Supplier of the Year. The other Alabama supplier recognized by ULA was M&J Precision, of Decatur, as Production Operations Supplier of the Year.

USA Health Providence Hospital has achieved national accreditation for bariatric surgery.

Wayne J. Griffin Electric Inc., which has a regional office in Pelham, is celebrating its 45th anniversary.

Wilkins Miller, an accounting and advisory firm with offices in Mobile and Fairhope, has been named one of the Best Firms for Women by Accounting Today.

It is the only firm from Alabama to make the list and only one of 10 in the country to be recognized.

Wilson Lumber, of Huntsville, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024.

The company, founded by Clyde Wilson in 1949, now has six locations in Alabama and Tennessee and employs more than 350 people.

Index 3D Elite Youth Association.................................96 AAA Travels........................................................9 Abbott Park, Tuskegee....................................103 ABC Supply Co................................................105 AC Hotel, Auburn............................................100 Accelerate Alabama..........................................10 Accounting Today...........................................108 Additive Manufacturing Accelerator, Auburn............................. 83, 100 Aerobotix Inc...............................................47,59 Aerojet Rocketdyne..........................................10 Airbus Americas................................7, 10, 29, 37 Aja Financial LLC...............................................96 Aja, Tim.........................................................................96 AL Circle...........................................................22 Alabama Association of Regional Councils.........96 Alabama Community College System.......... 11, 96 Alabama Council of Hospital Trustees..............105 Alabama Credit Union................................ 47, 73 Alabama Department of Commerce....... 10, 15, 37 Alabama Department of Transportation....... 15, 22 Alabama Development Office...........................10 Alabama District Export Council........................37 Alabama Export Assistance Center.....................37 Alabama Futures Fund........................................9 Alabama High School Athletic Association.........96 Alabama Hospital Association...........................96 Alabama House of Representatives............. 10, 96 Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind.... 8, 96, 105 Alabama International Trade Center..................37 Alabama Office of Apprenticeship.....................98 Alabama Parks Foundation.................................8 Alabama Port Authority.............................. 29, 37 Alabama Power Co........................................8, 15 Alabama Public Service Commission.................96 Alabama Recreation and Parks Association................................. 83, 100 Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association................. 96, 105, 108 Alabama School Readiness Alliance...................96 Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants.96 Alabama Supercomputer Authority...................15 Alabama Tourism Department..........................96 Alabama World Trade Association......................37 AlaTrade Foods LLD...........................................92 American Academy of Family Physicians.............8 American Board of Trial Advocates...................105 American Equity Underwriters Inc., The....... 47, 69 American Heart Association..............................93 American Idol TV Show.....................................83 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.......................................96 American Legion..............................................96 AmeriFirst Bank...............................................96 Amin, Rit.................................................................... 105 Anders Bookstore.............................................96 Anders, Ron Jr...............................................................96 Anglin Reichmann Armstrong PC.................47.55 APM Terminals.................................................15 Aptar CSP Technologies Inc......................... 89, 92 Arrow's Edge LLC..............................................15 Arthur, Jeremy..............................................................96 Arwood, Dave...............................................................96 Ascension St. Vincent's East.............................108 Auburn Bank..................................................100 Auburn Center for Developing Industries.. 83, 100 Auburn Chamber of Commerce.........................83 Auburn City Schools.........................................96 Auburn Incubator for Manufacturing.................83 Auburn Medical Pavilion..................................93 Auburn Opelika Tourism..................... 83, 96, 100 Auburn Research and Technology Foundation.......................... 89, 96 Auburn Soccer Complex............................ 83, 100 Auburn Technology Park West...........................89 Auburn University.......... 9, 29, 83, 89, 96, 98, 100 Auburn University Regional Airport............ 29, 89 Auburn, City of..............................83, 89, 96, 100 Austal USA.......................................................15 Auto USA Corp..................................................89 Avadian Credit Union................................. 47, 73 Aviagen Inc......................................................37 B.L. Harbert International.................................15 Bailey, Matthew......................................................... 105 Bank Independent..................................... 47, 74 Baptist Medical Center South..........................108 Barfield, Stan............................................................. 105 Barganier, Jon................................................................8 Barkin, Brent.............................................................. 105 Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana...................15

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

Barry A. Vittor & Associates...............................11 BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions.........................................108 Bashinsky, Leo........................................................... 106 Bashinsky, Sloan........................................................ 106 Beach Homes Realty.......................................105 BearCom Group Inc.............................................7 Beard, Chase.............................................................. 105 Beck's Turf Farm...............................................92 Bentley, Gov. Robert.....................................................10 Big Blue Marble Academy.................................89 Big Communications........................................10 Big Dog and Small Rescue Ranch.....................100 Birmingham Airport Authority..........................29 Birmingham News.........................................106 Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport....................................29 Birmingham, City of.........................................15 Blue Bell Ice Cream...........................................10 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama....... 93, 96 Blue Origin LLC................................................10 BMW Group......................................................89 Boeing Co............................................ 10, 15, 96 Bonnie Turf Farms............................................89 Boyd, Tracy................................................................. 105 Boys & Girls Clubs............................................96 Brabham, Amy..............................................................96 Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP......... 105, 108 Brasfield & Gorrie.............................................10 Brawner, Jess................................................................56 Breeze Airways.................................................29 Bridges, Robyn.............................................................96 Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park........111 Briggs & Stratton LLC........................................92 Brodmerkle, Russell.................................................. 105 Bryant Bank.......................................................8 Bryant, Paul "Bear".................................................... 106 Buc-ee's Ltd....................................................100 Bud's Best Cookies...........................................37 Buffett, Jimmy..............................................................10 Bulgarella, Dawn..........................................................15 Burkett, Anne................................................................37 Business Council of Alabama...................... 15, 96 Byars|Wright Inc......................................... 47, 55 Byrne, Bradley..............................................................22 C&H Consulting Engineers................................96 Canfield Insurance and Financial Services..........10 Canfield, Denise...........................................................10 Canfield, Greg.........................................................10, 15 Canfield, Rachel............................................................10 Car Tech LLC......................................................89 Carnes, Matthew........................................................ 105 Carpenter Technology Corp...............................10 Carver, George Washington....................................... 103 Case, Cyrus................................................................ 106 Cencula, Linda..............................................................73 Central Alabama VA Medical Center, Tuskegee..........................................93 Cerrowire LLC...................................................15 CFE Media and Technology..............................105 Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama................................96 Chamber of Commerce of Opelika.....................96 Chart Industries...............................................15 Chattahoochee Indian Heritage Center............103 Chattahoochee Valley Community College.. 96, 98 Cheatham, Ward........................................................ 105 Chewacla State Park.......................................103 Chihuly, Dale............................................................. 103 Children's of Alabama..................................8, 15 Chipotle Mexican Grill....................................100 Clark, George..................................................................8 Clay, George.................................................................96 Clay, Jared....................................................................96 Clear Springs Properties...................................89 Clemmons, Jeff......................................................... 106 CModel Data......................................................9 CNBC.............................................................108 Coastal Alabama Community College..................8 Coca-Cola Co...................................................106 Colbert Combustion Turbine Plant, Tuscumbia.....7 Colclasher Enterprises........................................7 Conecuh Brands LLC.......................................105 Conecuh Ridge Distillery................................105 Congress of Neurological Surgeons.................105 Construction Partners.......................................11 Cooper Green Mercy Health Clinic.....................15 Copeland, Nathan...........................................................7 Corbett, Chance............................................................96

Craig Industrial Park, Selma...............................7 Creekline Trails of Opelika..............................100 Crow Shields Bailey.....................................47,59 Crutchfield, Cynthia......................................................15 Culligan, Shaun............................................. 83, 86, 100 Cullman Regional Medical Center............... 9, 105 Cumberland Plastic Solutions..................... 89, 92 Curry, Chris...................................................................29 Curtis House....................................................96 Dadlani, Gul............................................................... 105 Daechang Seat Co....................................... 89, 92 Daewon America..............................................89 Dalton Pharmacy, Slocomb.............................108 Dalton, Jep Paul........................................................ 108 Daphne Innovation and Science Complex..........22 Davis South Barnette and Patrick....................105 Davis, Brian...................................................................37 Davis, Wade A...............................................................29 Decatur, City of.................................................15 Demopolis Municipal Airport............................29 Dixie Youth......................................................96 DJ Company.....................................................96 Dollar General..................................................11 Dollar Tree Stores Inc......................................100 Don's Foods...................................................106 Donghee Alabama LLC......................................89 Dorough, Jason......................................................... 105 DSV A/S............................................................29 Duncan, Helena............................................................15 Dye, Pat...................................................................89, 98 EAMC-Lanier.....................................................93 East Alabama Arts Association.........................100 East Alabama Chamber of Commerce................96 East Alabama Health................................... 89, 93 East Alabama Health Care Authority..................96 East Alabama Medical Center............................93 East Alabama Motor Speedway.......................103 East Alabama Surgery Center............................93 Edward Jones & Co. LP................................ 47, 56 Eighty West Shopping Center..........................100 Escambia Community Utilities............................7 EV Smith Research Center........................... 89, 92 Export Alabama................................................37 Facebook Inc....................................................10 Farmer's and Merchants National Bank, Troy...106 Faulkner University..........................................10 Fayette Medical Center...................................108 Federal Aviation Administration.......................89 FedEx...............................................................10 Fiblast LLC........................................................89 First Metro Bank......................................... 47, 60 First Solar Inc............................................. 15, 22 FirstBank.......................................................105 Fischer, Kelli..................................................................96 Flowers Insurance Agency........................... 47, 60 Forbes Magazine...........................15, 89, 93, 106 Fort Mitchell Historic Site................................103 Foshee, William "Bud".............................................. 105 Fox, Adam.....................................................................29 Franklin, Town of............................................100 Fresh Anointing House of Worship, Montgomery...............................................96 Friedman, Helen........................................................ 106 Full Moon Bar-B-Que.......................................108 Furr, Steven.....................................................................8 GE Aerospace....................................................92 General Dynamics............................................15 General Electric................................................96 General Motors................................................96 Gerald B. Long & Co..........................................96 Gilbert, Dan..................................................................86 Gilliam, Dennis.......................................................8, 105 Gogue Performing Arts Center........................103 Golden Flake Snack Foods...............................106 Golden State Foods..................................... 89, 92 GolfSuites Inc........................................... 89, 100 Goodwyn Mills Cawood....................................29 Google Inc........................................................10 Gradkell Systems.............................................15 Graduate Hotel, Auburn..................................100 Grand National - Opelika.................................103 Grandview Medical Center..............................108 Gray, Jeremy.................................................................96 Great Southern Wood Preserving......................15 Grill, Laura....................................................................96 Guardian Credit Union................................ 47, 74 H&S Commercial and Industrial Supply.............96 Habitat for Humanity........................................96 Hanon Systems.......................................... 89, 92

Hanwha Advanced Materials America.......... 89, 92 Harber, Edgar............................................................ 105 Harbert College of Business, Auburn.................89 Hargrove Controls & Automation....................105 Hargrove Engineers and Constructors.............108 Hargrove, S. Keith.........................................................96 Harris Barrett School & Museum.....................100 Hartsfield Jackson Airport, Atlanta....................89 Harvis, Raven................................................................96 Head, Josh......................................................................9 Healthgrades Marketplace LLC..........................93 Hello Park, Tuskegee.......................... 83, 89, 100 Henderson Park, Tuskegee..............................103 Henson, Abby............................................................ 105 Henson, Jim.............................................................. 106 Heritage Gifts and Gourmet, Opelika...............100 Heritage South Credit Union....................... 47, 61 Herring, Cristen............................................................96 Hobson, Lillie............................................................ 105 Hogeland, Ginger...................................................... 105 HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology............7 Huff, Tyler................................................................... 105 Hughston Clinic...............................................93 Huntsville Hospital........................................108 Huntsville International Airport........................29 Huntsville Logistics Center...............................15 Huntsville, Port of..........................................105 Hutto, Bill...............................................................29, 89 Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.......................................... 15, 83, 89 I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway................22 Idle Hour Park & Moon Lake............................103 ILJIN Alabama............................................ 89, 92 INICS Battery Solutions Corp.............................89 Innovate Alabama............................................15 International Canoe Federation.........................89 Ithaka Hospitality Partners.................................9 ITSC Secure Solutions........................................15 Ivey, Gov. Kay..................................................................7 J.M. Smucker Co......................................... 10, 22 Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital............ 93, 108 Jackson Thornton....................................... 47, 62 Jackson, Alan................................................................86 Jan Dempsey Art Center, Auburn............ 100, 103 Jefferson County..............................................22 Jefferson Metropolitan Park.............................22 JetEffect Inc................................................ 29, 89 Johns Manville.......................................... 89, 92 Johnston, Robyn....................................................... 105 Joint Technical Solutions..................................15 Jones Museum...............................................103 Jones Walker LLP...........................................108 Jordan-Hare Stadium.....................................103 Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts..........103 JVL Laboratories......................................... 89, 92 Kanter, Rod................................................................ 105 Kassouf & Co...................................... 47, 62, 105 Kayak Frestyle World Championships...............86 KBR Inc............................................................15 Kia Georgia Inc.................................................83 Kiesel Park.....................................................103 Kiewit-Massman-Traylor...................................22 Kimber Manufacturing Inc................................10 KOAM LLC........................................................89 KPMG International Limited.............................96 Kreher Preserve and Nature Center.................103 Kronospan LLC.................................................15 Kruger, Michelle...........................................................15 Kuehne + Nagel...............................................29 LaFoy, John................................................................ 103 Lake Land College............................................96 Lake Tuskegee................................................103 Lake Wilmore Community Center....................100 Lakewood Golf Course....................................103 Laming, Tom.............................................................. 105 Landing Inc....................................................105 LATAM Airlines.................................................29 Laurel Hotel & Spa..............................................9 Lawler, Parrish..............................................................37 Leadership Alabama.........................................96 League of Southeastern Credit Unions......... 47, 63 Leavell Investment Management....................108 Lee County Young Leaders................................96 Lee Russell Council of Governments..................96 Legacy Community Federal Credit Union..... 47, 64 Legendary Marina and Yacht Club.....................10 Lifetime Natural Organic Farms.........................89 Lightfoot, Franklin & While LLC.......................105 Lindsey, Michael........................................................ 105

December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 109

INDEX

Lindstrom & Co......................................... 89, 100 Lischkoff, Mose.......................................................... 106 Little Texas Tabernacle....................................103 Lockheed Martin..............................................15 LogisAll USA.....................................................89 Long, Gerald.................................................................96 Lovelace Hall of Honor....................................103 Lowe's Companies Inc......................... 83, 89, 100 M&J Precision................................................108 Macon County Economic Development Authority................. 83, 96, 100 Macon County Sheriff's Department..................96 Made in Alabama.............................................10 Magic City Casino, Florida.................................15 Magic City Foods............................................106 Mahon, Liz................................................................. 105 Main Street Alabama.......................... 83, 89, 100 Mallard Fox West Industrial Park................. 15, 22 Maluff, David............................................................. 108 Maluff, Joe................................................................. 108 Mando America Corp.................................. 89, 92 Manufacture Alabama........................................8 Margaritaville Restaurant.................................10 Mascia, John...........................................................8, 105 Mason, Shannon....................................................... 105 Master Built/Middleby Outdoors.......................89 MAT Foundry Group..........................................89 Max Credit Union....................................... 47, 76 Mazda Toyota Manufacturing............................10 McCaleb, Bridget..........................................................53 McCrary, Alex..................................................................8 McIntosh, Megan...................................................... 105 McKellar, Gina..............................................................59 McNair, Ellen..........................................................10 15 McShane Construction Co............................ 47, 64 MeadWestvaco........................................... 89, 92 Menger, Richard........................................................ 105 Mercedes-Benz U.S. International......................37 Method Mortgage...................................... 47, 66 Metro Bank....................................................105 Miller, Elliot............................................................... 105 Miller, Tommy...............................................................96 Missouri University of Science and Technology...........................................96 Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley.............................29 Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce..................22 Mobile Bay Construction...................................22 Mobile International Airport....................... 15, 29 Mobile Regional Airport...................................29 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway......................15 Mobile, City of..................................................15 Mobile, Port of.................................................15 Modern Technology Solutions...........................15 Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.........10 Montgomery Regional Airport..........................29 Montgomery Veterans Medical Center...............93 Montgomery Volunteer Lawyers Program.......105 Moore and Davis Nurseries......................... 89, 92 Moser, Ben...................................................................98 Mosher, Frank............................................................ 106 Motley, Joey.............................................................. 100 Moton Field, Tuskegee.............................. 89, 103 Murdaugh, Rusty..........................................................15 Murray, Katie................................................................96 Museum of East Alabama................................103 Museum of Wonder........................................103 MV Corp./The Game.................................... 89, 92 NASA...............................................................15 National Association of Bond Lawyers.............105 National Infantry Museum..............................103 National Institutes of Health.............................98 National Soil Dynamics Laboratory.............. 89, 98 Navistar Inc........................................................7 Neville Arena.................................................103 New Venture Accelerator, Auburn........ 83, 89, 100 Newell, Nicole..............................................................22 Newsweek Magazine......................................108 Niagara Bottling Co..........................................89 North Alabama International Trade Association.........................................37 Northeast Alabama Community College............10 Northeast Opelika Industrial Park............... 83, 89 Notasulga & Dadeville Masonic Lodge...............96 Notasulga Recreation Board..............................96 Notasulga, Town of................................... 96, 100 Nou Systems....................................................15 Novelis Corp.....................................................22 nTSI, Joint Venture...........................................15 Nucor Corp.......................................................15

Nunn-Winston House, Auburn........................103 O'Connor, Griffin..........................................................96 O&A Inc...................................................... 47, 66 Opelika Chamber of Commerce........... 83, 96, 100 Opelika City Schools.........................................96 Opelika High School.........................................96 Opelika Municipal Park..................................103 Opelika Northside Historic District..................103 Opelika Train Depot........................................103 Opelika Wood Duck Heritage Preserve and Siddique Nature Park.................................103 Opelika Workforce Council................................96 Opelika Young Professional..............................96 Opelika, City of.................................. 83, 96, 100 Orchestra Partners..........................................100 Orr DC LLC........................................................89 Outback Steakhouse.......................................100 Park at Auburn, The..........................................89 Parks, Rosa................................................................. 103 Payne, Frazier.................................................................8 PCH Hotels & Resorts.................................. 47, 76 PCI Gaming......................................................15 PCI Productions................................................15 Peachtree Immediate Care..............................100 Peoples, Jeff.................................................................15 Petra RMS.................................................. 47, 66 Pharmavite LLC.......................................... 89, 92 Phelps Dunbar LLP.........................................105 Phenix City Art Center....................................103 Phenix City Industrial Park...............................89 Phenix City Riverwalk....................................103 Phenix City, City of ............................ 83, 86, 100 Piedmont University........................................96 Pierce, Jennifer Young............................................... 105 Pitts Trailers............................................... 89, 92 PLF Ltd.............................................................89 PMB Broadcasting............................................96 Poarch Band of Creek Indians..............................7 Pollard, Trey............................................................... 105 Poole, Mackenzie..........................................................96 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc........................100 Port of Huntsville...........................................105 Port of Mobile..................................................15 Possum Trot...................................................103 Pouncey, Craig................................................................8 Power, Jennifer.......................................................... 105 Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce...............96 Pressley, Kirk............................................................. 105 Princeton Baptist Medical Center....................108 Pritchett-Moore Insurance.......................... 47, 67 ProAssurance Corp...................................... 47, 78 Prosper Healthtech Accelerator.......................105 Protective Stadium...........................................15 Pryor Field, Tanner...........................................29 Publix Super Markets Inc.......................... 89, 100 Purolator Courier.............................................10 Qatar Airways Cargo.........................................29 Quincy Compressor LLC............................... 47, 78 Radiance Technologies.......................................8 Rainsberger Wealth Advisors............................11 Rand, Edward...............................................................78 Rane, Jimmy.................................................................15 Raptor Center, Auburn University....................103 Rauch, Ali................................................................... 100 Rauch, Todd......................................................96 Rausch & Pausch LP......................................................89 Rausch Coleman Development Group......... 47, 79 RD Aire...................................................... 29, 89 Rebuffi, Carlo................................................................37 Redstone Arsenal.............................................15 Reeves Construction Co.....................................11 Regal Rexnord Corp..........................................92 Regional East Alabama Logistics Park.......... 83, 89 Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, Phenix City..................................................93 Regions Bank.................................................105 RFG Advisory.............................................. 47, 68 Rhoden, Ryan............................................................ 105 Richie, Lionel................................................. 83, 89, 100 Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail...........................103 Roberts Brothers Inc................................... 47, 68 Roberts, Butch..............................................................29 Rocky Brook Rocket........................................103 Rosser-Mims, Dionne...................................................96 Rotary International.........................................96 Russell County Commission..............................96 Russell County Education Foundation...............96 Russell Medical Center...................................108 Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge......................103

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Samford University..........................................15 Samkee Corp........................................ 15, 83, 89 Sarah West Gallery of Fine Art.........................103 SCA Inc....................................................... 89, 92 Scanlon, Jim...................................................................8 Schmidt Automotive.........................................89 Screws, Jackie...............................................................96 Seale Russell County Courthouse....................103 Sentar Inc................................................... 47, 53 Seohan Auto USA Corp......................................92 ServisFirst Bank..................................... 105, 108 Shelby, Sen. Richard.....................................................15 Shelton State Community College.......................8 Shiloh Community, Notasulga........................103 Shinhwa Auto USA Corp.............................. 15, 89 Shoe Station...................................................105 Shorter, Town of.............................................100 Shufflebarger, Tom.........................................................8 Sierra Pacific Windows................................ 15, 89 Sierra Space.....................................................29 Signature Flight Support..................................29 Sinquefield, Shane.......................................................60 SiO2 Medical Products Inc.................................92 Smith, Brandon............................................................55 Smith, Mark..................................................................10 Smith's Station, City of.....................................96 Snappy Express Wash.....................................100 Snead State Community College.......................10 Sokol Park North................................................9 Songwriters Festival, Opelika.........................100 Sonic Corp......................................................100 South Atlanta Helicopter............................. 29, 89 South Baldwin Regional Medical Center..........108 Southeast Tourism Society................................96 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...96, 98 Southern Public Relations Federation................96 Southern Research.............................................7 Southern Union State Community College.................................................. 10, 98 SouthState................................................. 47, 80 Southwire Co. LLC.............................................15 Space Launch System........................................15 Spencer Cancer Center, Opelika.........................93 SPOC.......................................................... 47, 68 Spring Hill College.............................................7 Spring Villa Park, Opelika...............................103 St. Clair County Economic Development Agency.................................105 St. Vincent's Birmingham...............................108 Staib, Allan....................................................................37 Starbucks Corp...............................................100 State Docks Building at Ditto Landing, Huntsville.......................................8 State Health Planning and Development Agency.....................................8 Stephens, Joel........................................................... 105 Stimpson, Christina......................................................37 Stoic Equity Partners.......................................105 Stone Martin Builders.....................................108 Surgical Review Corp........................................93 Swagelok Alabama|Central & South Florida|West Tennessee................ 47, 52 Synovus Bank..................................................96 T-Mobile..................................................... 47, 80 Taco Bell........................................................100 Target Brands Inc............................................100 Tennessee State University...............................96 Tennessee Valley Authority...........................7, 22 The Oaks, Tuskegee........................................103 Thomas Walter MRI Research Building..............89 Thompson Engineering....................................11 Thompson, Dave...........................................................80 Tiger Town Outdoor Shopping Center................89 Tiger Trail of Auburn.......................................103 Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center................................. 9, 89, 100 Toomer's Corner...............................................98 Topgolf Mobile...................................................9 Total Quality Logistics................................. 47, 81 Transus Freight System.....................................10 Trendco USA............................................... 83, 89 Trenholm State Community College................100 Trindgroup, Auburn........................................108 Troy University.................................................96 Troy University-Phenix City...............................98 Troy, City of......................................................96 Tuckabatchee Masonic Lodge, Crawford...........103 Turner Construction........................................108 Turner Hat Co...................................................89

Turner Industries............................................108 Turnham, Joe................................................. 83, 96, 100 Tuscaloosa National Airport..............................29 Tuscaloosa, City of........................................9, 29 Tuskegee Airmen..............................................89 Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce....... 96, 100 Tuskegee Commerce Park........................... 83, 89 Tuskegee History Center.................................103 Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center........................103 Tuskegee National Forest................................103 Tuskegee United Women Inc.............................96 Tuskegee University........................... 96, 98, 100 Tuskegee, City of...................................... 83, 100 Twitty, Conway........................................................... 103 U.S. Air Force.............................................. 15, 29 U.S. Army.........................................................96 U.S. Army Air Corps.........................................103 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers............................15 U.S. Department of Agriculture.........................89 U.S. Department of Commerce.................... 15, 37 U.S. Department of Education...........................98 U.S. Department of State...................................98 U.S. Department of the Treasury..........................8 U.S. Economic Development Administration........7 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.............................11 U.S. Marine Corps.............................................96 U.S. Navy................................................... 15, 96 U.S. News & World Report.................................98 UAB Health System...........................................15 UAB Hospital..................................................108 Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp.....................................15 United Auto Workers..........................................9 United Bank........................................... 8, 47, 70 United Launch Alliance............................. 15, 108 United Mine Workers........................................15 United Way................................................ 96, 98 University of Alabama..........7, 10, 29, 37, 96, 106 University of Alabama at Birmingham... 10, 15, 96 University of Alabama in Huntsville....................8 University of Arizona........................................96 University of Georgia........................................96 University of Iowa............................................96 University of Michigan.....................................96 University of South Alabama...........................105 USA Health ....................................................105 USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute...............105 USA Health Providence Hospital................ 15, 108 USA Health System...........................................15 Utilities Board of Tuskegee...............................96 Utz Quality Foods...........................................106 Van Brunt, Mary..............................................................7 van der Reijden, Hans....................................................9 Vectorply Corp............................................ 89, 92 Vertex Energy................................................108 Vestavia Hills, City of........................................10 Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.................89 Village Creek Development................................9 Vintage Café..................................................105 Vulcan Materials Inc...........................................9 Waggoner, Jabo...........................................................10 Wallace State Community College.....................10 Wallace, Brad................................................................56 Warburton, Tom......................................................... 105 Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors............... 47, 56 Warrior Met Coal..............................................15 Washington, Booker T........................................ 100, 103 Waverly Advisors.............................................11 Wayne J. Griffin Electric Inc.............................108 WCGQ Radio.....................................................96 Werrlein, Patrick...........................................................52 Wheeler, Kelly..............................................................37 Whippoorwill Vineyards.................................103 White-Spunner Construction....................... 47, 70 Whitewater Express..........................................86 Who's Who Among American Teachers..............96 Wilkins Miller.................................... 47, 70, 108 Williams, Amanda..................................................... 105 Williams, Jayson...........................................................79 Wilson Lumber...............................................108 Wilson, Clyde............................................................. 108 Wind Creek Hospitality.....................................15 Wright, Haig II..............................................................55 WRM Group............................................... 55, 67 Yard, The, Auburn.............................................83 ZF Chassis Systems.............................................9

Historic Alabama

BLAST FROM THE PAST The Bibb Naval Furnace in Brierfield is shown in this 1907 photo. The site was originally developed in 1861, destroyed during Wilson’s Raid in 1865 and eventually closed for good in 1894. The Bibb County Commission created a park in 1976, now known as the Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park.

Remnants of the brick furnace remain in the park.

Photo from the Alabama Department of Archives & History.

Do you have a photo you’d like us to consider for Historic Alabama? Send it to Erica West at ewest@pmtpublishing.com.

Alabiz Quiz

Challenge yourself with these puzzlers from past issues of Business Alabama magazine. If you feel pretty confident, send your answers via email to ewest@pmtpublishing.com or, beginning Dec. 20, work the quiz online and check your answers at businessalabama.com.

December 2023:

December 2022 (one year ago):

December 2013: (10 years ago):

Q: An Alabama city is partnering with a neighbor in the next state on a river whitewater project. What two cities?

A) Grand Bay and Moss Point, Mississippi B) Mount Carmel and South Pittsburg, Tennessee C) Orange Beach and Warrington, Florida D) Phenix City and Columbus, Georgia

Q: Manna Capital Partners announced a $600 million investment to create a beverage park to be owned and operated by Manna Beverages and Ventures. Which city will be home to the new beverage park?

A) Albertville B) Hoover C) Montgomery D) Tuscaloosa

Q: Late in 2013, an Alabama business welcomed its 10 millionth customer. What business?

A) Carnival Cruise Line B) Full Moon BBQ C) Gayfers Department Store D) Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

November 2023 (one month ago): Q: Developer Patrick Lawler has returned to his Alabama roots to develop waterfront destinations.

Where is the first project, called City Harbor?

A) Eufaula B) Florence C) Guntersville D) Wetumpka

December 2018 (five years ago): Q: An Alabama landmark reopened in late 2018, after extensive storm damage had forced it to be rebuilt. What landmark?

A) Lodge at Gulf State Park B) Talladega Superspeedway C) Vulcan Statue in Birmingham D) Welcome Center rocket at Tennessee border

December 1998: (25 years ago): Q: Alabama had a new governor, described by one business leader as “a true chief executive officer compared to some armadillo wandering around the countryside.” Who was the newly elected governor?

A) Jim Folsom Jr. B) Fob James C) Bob Riley D) Don Siegelman

Answers from November: D, B, A, D, D, A December 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 111