Business Alabama - December 2024

DEC 2024

AIR TRANSPORT

31 FOR CARGO

COMPANIES TO 39 BEST WORK FOR IN ALABAMA SPOTLIGHT ON

72 CHAMBERS & TALLAPOOSA

BEYOND

BORDERS FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IS STILL A SWEET SPOT IN ALABAMA’S ECONOMY, SAYS GREG BARKER OF THE EDPA

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BusinessAlabama.com

Volume 39 / Number 12

DECEMBER 2024

CONTENTS

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Quincy Compressor in Bay Minette is once again among the Best Companies to Work for in Alabama.

Features 13

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YEAR IN REVIEW A ROUNDUP OF ALABAMA BUSINESS NEWS IN 2024 From new and expanding businesses to closures ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE WORLD AT OUR DOORSTEP Foreign direct investment has massive impact on Alabama’s economy

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FEDERAL CONTRACTING MISSION CONTROL FOR DEFENSE FINANCES Huntsville’s Thompson Gray on the frontlines of DOD’s audit compliance

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PHILANTHROPY DOC ROCK Health care pros band up to support USA Health

BILLION-DOLLAR BABIES An update on four of Alabama’s biggest projects — two have opened; two are still in the works ALABAMA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES A listing of contacts for economic and industrial development agencies throughout the state INTERNATIONAL TRADE TAKING TO THE SKIES Long a seaport and rail port, Alabama looks more to the skies as it moves cargo

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GROUPS THAT GIVE Alabama businesses find creative ways to support their communities RETROSPECT CITY BUILDER Josiah Morris: A Birmingham founding father

On the Cover: Greg Barker, outgoing president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, says Alabama’s low tax rates and government support are key to attracting, retaining and expanding foreign direct investment.

Photo by Art Meripol.

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72: Lake Martin draws people to Tallapoosa and Chambers counties.

13: Hospitals around the state have been newsmakers in 2024, including the brand new Thomasville Regional Medical Center that closed abruptly.

90: Josiah Morris used his real estate and financial acumen to help create the city of Birmingham.

Departments 7

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TOP RANK 21 INDUSTRIAL PARKS

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GEOGRAPHIC SPOTLIGHT 72 CHAMBERS & TALLAPOOSA COUNTIES

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SPECIAL SECTIONS 27 BUSINESS COUNCIL OF ALABAMA 39 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

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BENCHMARKS: MONTHLY BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFING CAREER NOTES: WHO’S MOVING UP BA INDEX: HUNDREDS OF LEADS EACH MONTH COMPANY KUDOS: A MONTH OF ACHIEVEMENTS HISTORIC ALABAMA: A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE ALABIZ QUIZ: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 5

DECEMBER 2024 BusinessAlabama.com Volume 39 / 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 COPY EDITOR Nedra Bloom / nedra@pmtpublishing.com ART DIRECTOR Vic Wheeler / ads@pmtpublishing.com DIGITAL EDITOR Abby Parrott / abby@pmtpublishing.com ACCOUNTING Keith Crabtree / acct@pmtpublishing.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Birmingham: 205-802-6363 Lee Mills / Ext. 102 / lmills@pmtpublishing.com Carrie Hicks / Ext. 111 / carrie@pmtpublishing.com DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED MEDIA & EVENTS Sheila Wardy / swardy@pmtpublishing.com ADMINISTRATIVE Rachel Mayhall / rmayhall@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

Four firms honored as manufacturers of the year The BUSINESS COUNCIL OF ALABAMA and the ALABAMA TECHNOLOGY NETWORK have presented their 2024 Manufacturer of the Year awards to four employers.

Winners were selected by an independent panel of judges based on criteria that includes customer focus, employee commitment, operational excellence, continuous improvement, profitable growth and investment in training and development.

“Manufacturing is crucial to shaping Alabama’s economic landscape and future. It’s more than just producing Made-in-Alabama products; it’s about creating jobs, fostering innovation and being one of the top economic drivers in our state,” said BCA President and CEO Helena Duncan. “The Manufacturer of the Year awards honor the exceptional spirit of our state’s manufacturers and their positive impact on their communities.”

This year’s winners are Specification Rubber Products Inc., Ox Bodies Inc., Human Dynamics Hyundai Power Transformers USA and Asahi Kasei Plastics North America.

Specification Rubber Products, of Alabaster, specializes in rubber components and solutions for industrial applications, including rubber parts, seals, gaskets and vibration isolators. It serves the automotive, aerospace and manufacturing industries. It was recognized as Small Manufacturer of the Year.

Ox Bodies, of Fayette, received the Medium Manufacturer of the Year award. It manufactures heavy-duty truck bodies and equipment for the construction, agriculture and transportation industries. Some of its products include dump bodies, flatbeds and specialty truck equipment.

Taking home the Large Manufacturer of the Year award was Human Dynamics Hyundai Power Transformers USA in Mont-

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

BIGGER & BETTER Mobile-based Aerostar is planning a $4.7 million expansion of its headquarters at Brookley Aeroplex. The company says the expansion will add 50 jobs to the industrial complex, more than doubling employment. South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley is opening a 200,000-square-foot expansion and rebranding as Baldwin Health. Birmingham-based Capstone Building Corp. has opened a regional office in Tampa, Florida. Chase Pattillo will oversee the office. Capstone also has a regional office in Huntsville.

Huntsville. The new facility has an annual output of 2 GC.

SOLAR GO Runergy Alabama has begun producing solar modules in

HOT MARKET Huntsville is ranked No. 1 on CBRE’s list of up-and-coming North American tech talent markets. The Scoring Tech Talent report ranks 75 U.S. and Canadian markets.

NEW AT THE TOP Miller Girvin has been named president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. Chad Brown has been named CEO at Mobile-based engineering firm Thompson Holdings.

Current CEO John Baker will become executive chairman.

Andy Wilson has been named executive director of the Mobile Airport Authority. Wilson, a 40-

The Hyundai Power Transformer plant in Montgomery makes the workhorse transformers that run electrical grids.

Photo by Cary Norton.

gomery. The company produces power transformers and related equipment, serving the North American electrical infrastructure market. Its products are designed to meet the evolving needs of the energy sector and support the development of power grids.

The Emerging Manufacturer of the Year award was presented to Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, which provides plastics and composites for the automotive, industrial and consumer markets.

“Alabama’s manufacturing sector continues to lead with cutting-edge solutions and sustainable practices,” said Keith Phillips, executive director of ATN. “With a highly skilled workforce and a commitment to excellence, Alabama manufacturers not only support local communities, but also play a critical role in shaping the future of our industry.”

This year’s Manufacturer of the Year awards marked the 25th time the awards have been presented. 

year industry veteran who most recently was director of aviation at Hill International, replaces Chris Curry. Jesse Fosnaugh is the new director of the Gulf Shores International Airport, which is transitioning from a general aviation airport to a commercial airport. Lee Holland has been named president of Huntsville-based Freedom Real Estate & Capital LLC. Anthony Mollica has been named CEO of Birmingham-based Upstream Rehabilitation.

HISTORIC RECOGNITION Two of 10 National Preservation Awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation have gone to Alabama entities. Mobile’s Barton Academy of Advanced World Studies won the Richard H.

Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award, and Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church won the Trustees’ Emeritus Award for Historic Site Stewardship.

BATTERY BOOST Innovate Alabama is investing $1 million in Johnson Energy Storage through its InvestAL venture capital program. JES has developed an all-solidstate-battery. The company was founded by Lonnie Johnson, a former NASA engineer, Mobile native and Tuskegee University graduate who holds more than 140 patents including for the Supersoaker. He was honored

by Business Alabama as a lifetime achievement winner at this year’s Business Alabama Awards.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 7

BENCHMARKS

Sierra Pacific opens in Phenix City Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and other local dignitaries were on hand to cut the ribbon on SIERRA PACIFIC WINDOWS’ new manufacturing facility in Phenix City.

The $60 million investment, once fully operational, is expected to bring between 300 and 500 jobs to the area. The jobs range from technicians and engineers to machine operators, maintenance and others.

Sierra Pacific is a large millwork producer and lumber company that builds wood and vinyl windows and doors. In mid-May 2023, the company announced plans to expand, choosing 113 acres in Phenix Window maker cuts the ribbon on its City. The location includes 610,000 new $60 million facility in October. square feet of manufacturing and warehousing space.

At the time of the expansion announcement, company officials Alabama as the right location for our company to advance is said the additional manufacturing space would produce the same undeniable. We wanted a location that gives us the room to grow products as its California and Wisconsin locations. With the and expand. With our significant and rapidly growing demand Phenix City facility operational, the company will have more for our windows and doors, locating in Phenix City is an obvious than 2 million combined square feet of manufacturing space for choice — from easy access to transportation corridors to the its window division. skilled labor forces in the greater Russell County area.”

At the time of the expansion announcement, Sierra Pacific Sierra Pacific Windows is a division of family-owned Sierra Windows President Tom Takach said, “The attractiveness of Pacific Industries. 

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

SR CHANGES Josh Carpenter has stepped down from his role as president and CEO of Southern Research.

Coleman Loper will take the post on an interim basis.

Ainsworth, a former national president of the Aerospace States Association.

SPACE TO GROW SpaceFactory, which develops construction technology for space and terrestrial projects, is moving its headquarters from New York City to Huntsville. The company is investing $2 million to prepare space near Campus 805.

SPACE BOOSTER The newly formed Alabama Aerospace and Defense Council will advocate for policies to grow Alabama’s aerospace and defense industries. The new council was announced by Lt. Gov. Will

WANNA BET? Wind Creek Chicago Southland, owned by Atmore’s Poarch Creek Indians’ Wind Creek Hospitality, has opened.

The 70,000-square-foot facility features 1,400 slot machines, 56 table games and more. A hotel is scheduled for completion in 2025.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Gulf Packaging Inc., a corrugated product manufacturer that operates in Bay Minette and Tallassee, has been acquired by Pennsylvaniabased SupplyOne. The Watson Firm, a Birmingham-based boutique law firm, is merging with Intellectual Property

8 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

Consulting, a law firm based in New Orleans. The merged firms will operate under the IPC brand. Dothan-based Construction Partners has acquired Asphalt Inc., doing business as Lone Star Paving in Austin, Texas. Continuing its wave of acquisitions, Birmingham-based wealth management company Waverly Advisors has acquired Ohio’s 9258 Wealth Management.

It’s Waverly’s 17th acquisition since 2021 and the seventh this year. Huntsville-based Special Aerospace Services has acquired Concordia Technologies, another Huntsville company. SAS says the purchase of Concordia, which has expertise in missile and hypersonic weapons, among other things,

underscores SAS’ commitment to advancing national security space initiatives. Birminghambased Protective Life has acquired ShelterPoint, a life insurance company based in New York State. It marks Protective’s 60th acquisition since becoming part of Dai-ichi in 2015.

HOSPITAL SHUFFLE Birmingham-based Medical Properties Trust has announced the sale of Prospect’s managed care business to Astrana Health.

Medical Properties Trust says it will receive about $200 million in the deal.

HAIL AND FAREWELL Lilly Ledbetter, whose fight against Gadsden’s Goodyear plant led to the Fair Pay Act of 2009, has died at age 86. A

BENCHMARKS

Austal expands again, this time for submarine work Dirt flies for Austal’s newest facilities on Mobile’s waterfront.

AUSTAL USA has started construction on a new manufacturing

facility to make submarine modules for the U.S. Navy. The new building will provide 369,600 square feet of indoor manufacturing space and should be fully operational by late 2026.

This project, combined with a recent groundbreaking for another manufacturing building, represents more than $750 million invested in the company’s Mobile facility. The two buildings, once fully operational, also will add more than 2,000 jobs to Austal USA. “Austal USA’s continued expansion in Mobile is a testament to Alabama’s growing leadership in the defense industry and our commitment to supporting our nation’s security needs,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “This new facility for submarine module manufacturing

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B R I E F S

feature film about her, “Lilly,” starring Patricia Clarkson, premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

ZYDECO GOES QUIET Zydeco, one of Birmingham’s best-known and oldest live music venues, has closed its doors with plans to reopen sometime in 2025 or after.

Zydeco presented live music for 35 years in its Southside location.

PAY, BUT HOW MUCH? The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a judgment against Outokumpu Stainless USA saying the steelmaker improperly calculated wages at its Calvert plant. The court vacated the $13 million awarded in damages and asked the lower court for more information on its reasoning.

NASA HONORS The Poarch Creek Indians’ Media Fusion company was awarded the Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

COMINGS & GOINGS AT PROTECTIVE Birmingham-based Protective Life Corp. is selling Concourse Financial Group Securities and Concourse Financial Group Agency, two of its subsidiaries, to Cetera Financial Group and Simplicity Financial, respectively.

Protective is part of Dai-ichi Life Holdings.

FUN TIME Community leaders celebrated

reinforces Austal’s vital role in delivering the advanced capabilities required by these vital submarine programs. The creation of 2,000 jobs and the investment in cutting-edge manufacturing technologies further demonstrates Austal’s dedication to both Alabama’s economy and our national defense.”

In mid-September, Austal USA received a $450 million contract from General Dynamics Electric Boat to fabricate more submarine modules for the U.S. Navy. In 2022, Austal USA began submarine module production.

In July, Austal started construction on a new assembly building to enable the erection of large steel modules for Navy and Coast Guard ships. That building will provide more than 192,000 square feet of new indoor manufacturing space. That project will include a ship lift system that features an articulated lifting platform approximately 450 feet long by 125 feet wide, providing a reliable system to launch ships as they are completed.

“Austal USA is committed to supporting national security initiatives like the Navy’s Virginia and Columbia-class submarine programs, evidenced by our aggressive infrastructure and workforce expansion efforts,” said Austal USA President Michelle Kruger.

With the completion of these announced expansions, Austal USA’s Mobile facility will include a 117,000-square-foot steel panel line, two module manufacturing facilities totaling more than 1 million square feet of covered manufacturing space, and seven assembly bays providing more than 400,000 square feet of indoor erection space. In all, the Mobile facility will cover 180 acres and more than 1.5 million square feet of indoor manufacturing space. 

the groundbreaking for the $15 million Family Fun Center in the Five Points West area of Birmingham. The addition to the Birmingham CrossPlex campus will include a skating rink, jump park, e-sports center, bowling alley and more.

SOLAR IN DOTHAN Florida-based CKR Solar & Storage, which specializes in residential solar systems, has opened an office in Dothan, its first in Alabama.

NEAR WATER The Alabama Department of Commerce has provided a $4.6 million grant to Etowah County to build water transmission lines to the county’s new NEAR Megasite.

GENETIC FREEBIE Patients across Alabama will have access to free genetic tests and insights about medications and risks for certain chronic diseases.

Southern Research is offering the initiative, Catalyst, allowing patients statewide to receive testing ordered through their primary care providers MED MONEY Innovate Alabama has invested in Kalm Therapeutics, the InvestAL program’s largest investment to date and first life science investment. The funds will go toward the company’s Investigational New Drug submission. The Huntsville company is planning to start clinical trials on its eczema drug in 2025.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 9

BENCHMARKS

More containers at Mobile port; new logistics park nearby

Already the fastest-growing container Fourth expansion at APM Terminals will allow facility in the nation for the past six handling of 1 million units annually. years, the ALABAMA PORT AUTHORITY in October kicked off a fourth expansion that will double container capacity at the Mobile Port.

Additional facilities will allow the port to handle more than 1 million twenty-foot-equivalent units – port language for shipping container size.

“Forbes recently named the Port of Mobile the second fastest-growing port of entry to the United States over the past decade,” the port noted in announcing the start of the expansion.

“The launch of the fourth phase of our container terminal expansion marks another transformative efficient ports serving existing and new customers and markets step for the Port of Mobile,” said John Driscoll, director and in the state of Alabama and states beyond,” said Brian Harold, CEO of the Alabama Port Authority. “As trade patterns continue managing director of APM Terminals. to evolve, this expansion ensures that we remain a reliable, effiThe Port-APM Terminals partnership improves both capacity cient and sustainable gateway for commerce. We are investing to and efficiency, port officials note. ensure the Port of Mobile meets the needs of current and future “While turn times for drivers at ports nationwide average anybusiness partners across the globe and enhances our role as a key where from two to three hours, Mobile has a unique competitive driver of Alabama’s economy.” advantage, with drivers at the Port of Mobile typically completing The port partners with APM Terminals Mobile to operate the their dual transactions in just 45 minutes or less,” Port officials container facilities. noted.

“This increased capacity will enable APM Terminals in Mobile The expansion includes an inter-terminal connector bridge to continue as one of the country’s fastest growing and most allowing on-dock railway access — a project financed with

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B R I E F S

BUILDING IN PROGRESS Construction has begun on a new 30,000-square-foot office space for Morgan Stanley in Homewood. FiveStone Group and Hoar Construction are working on the project. Hooverbased HBH Realty has broken ground in Trace Crossings for an office the company says will be a “one-stop shop” for real estate with lenders, inspectors, closing attorneys, title companies, security services, moving companies and more.

BIG TOOLS FOR LEARNING The North Alabama Homebuilding Academy, based in Huntsville, has added a CMLabs heavy equipment simulator for its students and graduates. The machine allows training for articulated dump truck, backhoe, excavator, skid steer and wheel loader.

COURT SUPPORT Birmingham-based Hibbett Sports has teamed with Nike on a new philanthropic initiative, First String. The program’s first donation was $50,000 to Wenonah High School in Birmingham.

WORKING TOGETHER Radiance Technologies and Ignite Fueling Innovation, both based in Huntsville, have formed a joint venture called Radiance Ignite Technologies. The joint venture will deliver solutions in systems engineering, AI and more for government clients.

CLOSING UP SHOP The discount store Dirt Cheap will close stores in nine Alabama

10 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

cities by the end of the year.

The Mississippi-based chain will close all of its stores in the state, including in Anniston, Atmore, Birmingham, Demopolis, Dothan, Jackson, Mobile, Thomasville and Tuscaloosa.

ON CAMPUS The University of Mobile has dedicated the Celia Wallace College of Health Professions, which includes nursing, nurse anesthesia, health and sports science programs and the Center for Excellence in Healthcare Practice. A research project led by Birmingham’s Miles College has landed a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The money will support the Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ Ujima Collective, an

initiative led by Miles to enhance research across five HBCUs. CONSTRUCTION UPDATES Birmingham-based Robins & Morton has completed construction of the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Medical Office Building in Panama City Beach, Florida. The four-story, 80,000-square-foot facility includes primary care, an urgent care center and a surgical center. Robins & Morton has also finished construction of two freestanding emergency departments for Universal Health Services, one in Florida and one in Texas. Birminghambased Brasfield & Gorrie has broken ground on the new $32 million Chilton County Courthouse on Highway 145.

$200 million in federal funding secured by former Sen. Richard Shelby.

The port is also deepening and widening channels to allow for “super post-Panamax” vessels — the largest than can travel through the Panama Canal.

The port is also building two rail-accessed inland container transfer facilities — one in Montgomery and one in Decatur.

Almost the same day, ground was broken near the port for a new logistics park, RAILPORT LOGISTICS MOBILE, a 4.7 million-square-foot project with plans for 10 buildings.

The project has been selected as a Platinum CSX site, and it lies close to the Port of Mobile, Mobile International Airport and the junction of Interstates 10 and 65.

“The park will be particularly appealing to companies that use both container shipping and rail service in their businesses,” said Bill Linville, managing director at Scannell Properties. “That could be refrigerated food products, dry goods, and some manufacturing too, because of the rail connection and the heavy power located here.”

“Scannell Properties will focus on approximately 390 acres in this first phase of the development. Approximately 149 acres will be set aside for conservation, and the remainder is planned for nine industrial buildings, at least four of which will have rail service by CSX,” said David Salinas, senior development manager at Scannell Properties.

In announcing the Platinum designation, CSX said, “Mobile is a hotspot for industrial growth with the recent expansions at the Port of Mobile. The 500+ acre RailPort Logistics Mobile park is ripe with opportunities for industrial users who need to harness the benefits of rail and proximity to the port.”

Christina Bottomley, CSX vice president of business development and real estate, added, “Alabama and the Gulf Coast are critical to our day-to-day operations as we connect communities across our vast rail network to the global marketplace.”  December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 11

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YEAR IN REVIEW

A last glance at the business of 2024 Health care was hot and cold. Building was big and bold. Companies were bought and sold. Such was Alabama business in 2024, a year that saw major new projects announced, changes in some high-profile leadership positions and, as always, billions of dollars in government contracts for Alabama companies. Here’s Alabama’s business year in review, taken mostly from the pages of Business Alabama. These highlights just scratch the surface of a year that saw some lofty highs and frustrating lows.

By ALEC HARVEY

Thomasville Regional Medical Center.

HEALTH CARE More than in other recent years, 2024 saw health care front and center with some major merging. On the flip side, rural hospitals continued to suffer, with closures that left some areas without convenient care.

• In August, Orlando Health bought Tenet’s 70% stake in the fivehospital Baptist Health System for $910 million.

• Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System officially became UAB St. Vincent’s in November, following the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s purchase of the system for $450 million. That purchase came on the heels of Ascension selling

Providence Hospital in Mobile to the University of South Alabama Health System for $85 million in 2023.

• In January, Huntsville Hospital Health System announced it was acquiring the DeKalb Regional Medical Center in Fort Payne. That acquisition came after others the Huntsville group has made in North Alabama.

• The nearly new Thomasville Regional Medical Center closed its doors, with officials sighting staffing shortages for the hospital closing “until further notice.” Stringfellow Memorial Hospital in Anniston closed in July.

• The University of South Alabama broke ground in December 2023 on a new $200 million medical school building. The Frederick P. Whiddon

College of Medicine building is set to open in 2026. BL Harbert International, based in Birmingham, is the builder.

• Birmingham-based Medical Properties Trust raised a lot of cash and dealt with some financially troubled tenants in 2024. The company’s largest tenant, Steward Health Care, filed for bankruptcy in May (and MPT severed ties with the company). Cash was raised through transactions such as MPT’s sale of 11 freestanding health care facilities in Colorado to the University of Colorado Health for $80 million and November’s $200 million sale of Prospect’s managed care business to Astrana Health.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 13

YEAR IN REVIEW

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Inc. plant and headquarters.

BUILDING BIGGER AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT From North Alabama to South and points in between, major projects were announced and completed, and many existing companies expanded in a big way.

Here are some investing $100 million or more: • A $2.2 billion mixed-use development in Mooresville was announced in May. Plans have it sitting on 411 acres at I-65 and I-565.

• Arizona-based First Solar Inc. opened its $1.1 billion thin-film solar manufacturing plant in Lawrence County in September.

• In early November, J.M. Smucker, the food seller based in Ohio, opened a $1.1 billion plant in McCalla. The facility will manufacture the company’s Uncrustables line.

• Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced plans in May for an $800 million data center to be built in Montgomery. Meta already has a $1.5 billion data center in Huntsville.

• Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Inc. broke ground in June on a

$330 million plant and headquarters in Birmingham’s Kingston community. The facility includes an office complex and warehouse.

• Mobile shipbuilder Austal USA broke ground in July on an additional final assembly line that should add 1,000 employees. The new line, which includes a shiplift First Solar Inc. system, is expected to be operational in 2026. Just a couple of months later, the company broke ground for another facility to make submarine modules.

• Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson in March announced plans for a $300 million entertainment district, including an arena, to replace the city’s 60-year-old Civic Center. That followed the announcement in late 2023 of a planned $100 million development along the city’s waterfront. River Walk Plaza will include a hotel, residences, office space,

14 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

retail and restaurants.

• In late 2023, Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa announced a $280 million expansion of its plate mill, a project scheduled for completion in 2027.

• Meridiam broke ground in March on a $230 million fiber infrastructure project in Selma. It will bring broadband access to more than 300 miles of Alabama’s Black Belt.

• Norfolk Southern Corp. is investing more than $200 million in a key rail line in Alabama. The improvements

YEAR IN REVIEW

will come on the 3B Corridor, which connects markets in northern and central Alabama to the Port of Mobile.

• The University of Alabama at Birmingham in June broke ground on a $190 million building to house the Biomedical Research and Psychology Building.

• In June, South Korea-based Samkee Corp. opened its first U.S. auto parts

production facility in the Tuskegee Commerce Park. The $128 million plant is a Tier 1 supplier to Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery.

• Two Rivers Lumber Co. said in April it plans a second operation in Alabama, a $115 million sawmill in Coosa County.

• Raytheon broke ground in April on a

$115 million expansion of its Missile Integration Facility in Huntsville.

• Auto supplier Iljin announced in September a nearly $100 million investment in a new operation in Auburn. The new plant for the company that manufactures industrial bearings and chassis is expected to employ 160 people.

CHANGES AT THE TOP

Nick Saban retired in January after 17 seasons at the Capstone.

• Chris Susock was named president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in January.

• Joseph Pelfrey was named director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville in February.

• Josh Snow was named CEO of USA Health University Hospital in Mobile in January.

• In April, Finis St. John IV stepped down as chancellor of the University of Alabama System to lead the new Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership at

UA. Sid Trant was named his interim successor.

• Founding Plant President Masashi Aihara stepped down at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing in Madison in March and was replaced by Mitsunobu Mukaida.

• Federico Kochlowski was named president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in April.

• Michelle Kruger, interim president of shipbuilder Austal USA since the resignation of Rusty Murdaugh, was named president in April.

Investment Program to the Mobile River bridge and bayway project.

• Huntsville-based Teledyne Brown Engineering was awarded a $476 million contract in September to provide Earth observation data and related services for NASA. • Boeing received a $460 million Missile Defense Agency contract in May for systems engineering, work that is being performed in Huntsville.

• Four Alabama companies were among 12 selected by NASA in March for a $478 million contract involving the International Space Station: Axient Corp., Tec-Masters and Teledyne Brown, all in Huntsville; and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

• Huntsville-based VetTech LLC in June won a $348 million contract to provide services for the Missile Defense Agency.

A number of CEOs and other executives came and went in 2024. Here are some of the most notable: • At the end of 2023, Greg Canfield stepped down as secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce after 12 years. Ellen McNair, formerly with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, replaced him.

• University of Alabama football Coach

CONTRACTS GALORE Alabama is always a player when it comes to defense contracts, but some stand out among the rest: • MartinFed Consulting, based in Huntsville, won a whopping $8 billion contract in June to procure IT supplies and support for the FBI. • In August, Mobile-based Austal USA began work on an Offshore Patrol Cutter, the first under a contract that has a value of up to $3.3 billion. In September, the company also was awarded a $450 million contract from General Dynamics Electric Boat to expand its submarine module construction capabilities.

• Lockheed Martin in May received a $756 million contract to support the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon System. The contract includes the company’s Huntsville and Courtland facilities.

• The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $550 million grant in July from the Bridge

A rendering of the Mobile Bay bridge.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 15

YEAR IN REVIEW

Birmingham-Southern College closed this year.

Miles College is purchasing the campus.

AND THERE’S MORE Some other notable Alabama business news from 2024: • Japan’s Nippon Steel announced it wanted to purchase U.S. Steel, the Pittsburgh-based steel producer with a long history in Birmingham, for $14.1 billion, but the deal hadn’t closed as of November.

• Birmingham-Southern College ceased operations on May 31 after an 18-month effort to obtain bridge funding to put the 168-year-old college 16 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

on sound financial ground. Miles College eventually bought the campus.

• Birmingham retailer Hibbett was acquired by UK retailer JD Sports Fashion. The price tag? $1.1 billion.

• Airbus in August marked the completion of its 500th commercial aircraft in Mobile. In September, Huntsville-based Toyota Alabama celebrated the 10 millionth engine assembled at its plant.

• In January, a rocket built by United Launch Alliance in Decatur powered a private moon lander carrying two payloads to the moon. In June, a ULA rocket lifted Boeing’s Starliner and two astronauts to the International Space

Station.

• The Alabama Department of Commerce in 2024 announced that Alabama companies exported $27.4 billion in goods and services in 2023, an annual record.

• Alabama auto exports jumped to $11.2 billion in 2023, moving the state ahead of South Carolina to lead the nation in auto exports.

• In May, employees at MercedesBenz U.S. International in Vance voted against joining the United Auto Workers union.

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

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

THE WORLD AT OUR DOORSTEP Foreign direct investment has massive impact on Alabama’s economy

Greg Barker, president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.

Photo by Art Meripol.

W

hether it is through mergers or acquisitions, joint ventures or subsidiaries, foreign direct investments (FDI) are having a major influence on the Yellowhammer State’s economy.

FDIs are investments made in a country by companies or people based overseas.

“A lot of Alabama’s most recent economic development successes have been built on the back of successful FDI campaigns,” says Greg Barker, president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.

The numbers tell the story. In Alabama, 732 international companies are employing 120,000 U.S. workers, and some 65,800, about 55%, of those jobs are in the manufacturing sector, according to a

By GAIL ALLYN SHORT report by the Global Business Alliance.

Moreover, from 2016 to 2021, FDI employment rose 8% while private sector employment during the same period in Alabama rose just 3%. In addition, most of the international employers in Alabama are from Germany, Japan and Canada.

Furthermore, the Alabama Department of Commerce says that since 2018, foreign companies have launched investment projects valued at more than $13 billion across Alabama, generating 17,000 job commitments.

The German appliance maker Miele recently revealed its plans in 2024 to open its first U.S. production hub in the city of Opelika.

Investors from other countries are also selecting Alabama to start up operations and grow.

18 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

In 2024, Boresight, an Australian aerospace company that provides aviation system engineering, integration and manufacturing services, announced it would set up operations in Huntsville.

Meanwhile, in Macon County, South Korean auto parts manufacturer Samkee Corp. opened a new production facility in Tuskegee Commerce Park.

Experts say FDI brings several advantages to a state such as economic stimulation, human capital development, jobs and access to management expertise, skills and technology.

The disadvantages, however, include exposing a host country to foreign political influences, experts say. Moreover, foreign investors can influence interest and exchange rates or even overtake a domestic industry that is no longer competi-

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tive in the market.

Attracting foreign investors in the first place, however, requires several factors, Barker says.

“You’ve got to have the right livability so that you could attract executives to a community,” he says. “You’ve got to have cost-effective tax rates, and state and local governments eager to work with these new industries as they’re getting started up.”

And while snagging FDI for a town or county is advantageous, having those foreign companies grow their operations, bringing in increased capital investments and operating capital to an area, is even better, Barker says.

“It’s validation,” says Barker. “Did the company make the right decision by picking the community? Has the community benefitted from the investments from the company?”

For example, last summer Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC announced plans to spend $290 million to enhance production of its sport utility vehicles in Montgomery, including $190 million for tooling and equipment upgrades to prepare for production of the new fifth-generation Santa Fe. In Selma, Seoyon E-Hwa Interior System, which produces molded plastic interior trim parts for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, is adding 60 more jobs to the current 440 through a $4 million expansion project for its Alabama facility.

“Announcing that you’re going to put a facility in a community is a great thing,” says Barker, “but what validates the state, and what validates the company’s presence, are the expansions.”

BIRMINGHAM

The greater Birmingham region is host to nearly 110 FDI companies with representation from nations like Australia, Germany, Japan, Canada, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, France and South Korea.

Twenty-seven of the companies are based in Germany, 21 in Japan and 17 in Canada. Furthermore, foreign companies have brought almost $2.6 billion in capital investment, and over the last decade, more than 4,000 jobs to Birmingham,

Gov. Kay Ivey speaks as Airbus celebrates one of several expansions since it selected Mobile as the site of its only U.S. final assembly lines.

according to data from the Birmingham Business Alliance.

Many of the foreign companies serve Alabama’s auto manufacturing industry, says Trevor Sutton, the economic development director for the Birmingham Business Alliance. He says the Birmingham metro area has especially seen an uptick in foreign companies setting up business services operations.

In 2022, for example, the German company MBN Automotive Inc., which makes assembly line machines, opened a sales and customer support office in Birmingham, with plans to grow its sales team in Alabama.

Sutton says an advantage of foreign direct investment is that foreign companies that have remained in Birmingham and expanded can be helpful during recruitment tours to attract other foreign-based companies to the area.

“It’s easier for us to go internationally and to bring along a partner who has had a great experience here to speak for us, rather than us showing up, cold calling, trying to sell Birmingham or Alabama as a whole,” Sutton says.

“To have a partner who can say, ‘I do business here, and it’s great,’ is extremely helpful,” says Sutton.

MONTGOMERY

Over three years in Montgomery, from 2022 to 2024, FDIs have reached more

than $1.12 billion, says Charlie Bass, director of research and GIS at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.

“And that’s just specific to the foreign direct investment,” says Shelby Stringfellow, senior vice president of economic development for the Montgomery Chamber. “That doesn’t include additional economic investments that are non-FDI related.”

FDI is also responsible for around 11,600 jobs in the Montgomery area, the Chamber reports.

The majority of the FDI in Montgomery is automotive-related, Stringfellow says, and many are South Korean companies that support Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, which is located in Montgomery.

In fact, Montgomery and the River Region are home to about 40 South Korean companies, the majority of which support automotive manufacturing, Stringfellow says.

“I would say the impact from foreign direct investment to Montgomery has been huge,” says Stringfellow. “Hyundai, for example, and its suppliers have about a $2.4 billion impact annually, and it makes up around 20% of our GDP here in Montgomery.”

Other major foreign businesses in Montgomery include the food manufacturing company Viscofan with corporate offices in Navarra, Spain, which makes

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 19

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sausage casings, and a Canadian company, Premier Tech, that makes horticulture and agriculture products.

Stringfellow says FDI has afforded the region with several benefits, including higher wages.

“The automotive manufacturers are near the top of wage payers, and so foreign direct investment really helps raise

the middle class,” Stringfellow says.

“We also work with the Alabama Department of Commerce, and they have project managers who are located internationally to help funnel foreign interests back to the state of Alabama,” Stringfellow says.

“And those programs can funnel projects back here to Montgomery.”

MOBILE

Around the port city of Mobile, aviation, ship building, steel processing and chemical plants make up the bulk of FDI, says Bradley Byrne, president and CEO of the Mobile Chamber.

“Since 2020, over the last five years, we’ve announced $2.32 billion in foreign direct investment just in Mobile County, and we know that we’ve got one to three more announcements before the end of this year. So, that figure is going to go up. By the end of the year, it’ll go over $2.5 billion,” Byrne says.

Some of the most recent announcements include AM/NS Calvert, the steel company that received an incentive of more than $280 million from the U.S. government to build a plant that will make non-grain-oriented electrical steel.

Another is from the ship manufacturer Austal USA, a subsidiary of the Australian ship builder Austal. Austal USA recently won a $450 million contract from General Dynamics Electric Boat to expand its production capacity in support of the U.S. Navy submarine industrial base.

And Evonik, a German specialty chemical company, committed to building a new $176.5 million plant at the Mobile location to boost its animal nutrition business line.

And one of Mobile’s most recognized companies is European aviation giant Airbus, with its only U.S. final assembly line in the Port City along with an engineering office.

“In the last three years, we’ve announced 6,000 new jobs, all from foreign direct investments,” Byrne says.

Byrne says one advantage of FDI in the Mobile region is the tax contributions to local schools.

“In most of these cases, they’re getting incentives that are tax abatements, but we cannot, under law in Alabama, abate school taxes,” says Byrne. “So, it has an enormous impact on our school system because of what they’re generating in their taxes for the schools.”

Gail Allyn Short is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

20 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

INDUSTRIAL SITES

Alabama’s Largest Industrial Sites

Ranked by available acreage. In cases of a tie, the sites are listed in alphabetical order.

RANK

compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

SITE NAME

CITY

COUNTY

AVAILABLE ACRES

TOTAL ACRES

TRANSPORTATION

ZONING

1

Southern Land Parcel

Stockton

Baldwin

4,615

4,615

Highway

Industrial

2

Miller Tract/Weyerhaeuser

Linden

Marengo

2,677

2,677

Interstate

Industrial

3

Tosco Tract

Demopolis

Marengo

2,283

2,283

Adjacent Rail Track, Highway

Light Industrial

4

Childersburg Industrial Park

Childersburg

Talladega

2,171

2,195

Rail Onto Site, Interstate

Heavy Industrial

5

Former International Paper Site

Courtland

Lawrence

1,806

1,806

Rail Onto Site, River, Interstate, Air

Heavy Industrial

6

Black Creek Mega Site

Brilliant

Marion

1,600

1,600

Highway, Interstate

Industrial

7

Murphy

Tanner

Limestone

1,300

1,300

Interstate, Air

None

8

Crossroads of America

Boligee

Greene

1,240

1,500

Rail Spur Available, River, Interstate

None

9

NE Opelika Industrial Park

Opelika

Lee

1,200

2,200

Interstate, Rail Served

Heavy Industrial

10 NEAR Mega-Site

Attalla

Etowah

1,091

1,091

Rail Onto Site, Interstate

None

11 Altmayer

Mobile

Mobile

1,000

1,000

Interstate, Port, Air

Industrial

12 Tuscahoma-River Property

Butler

Choctaw

938

938

Highway

None

13 Greenbrier I-565

Huntsville

Limestone

926

926

Interstate, Rail Served

Industrial

14 Mallard Fox West Industrial Complex

Trinity

Lawrence

907.4

1,068.22

Rail Onto Site, Interstate

None

15 Alabama River Partners Site

Lowndesboro

Lowndes

900

900.00

Rail Adjacent Track, Port, Interstate

None

16 Harris Site

Huntsville

Madison

895

Interstate, Highway, Air

Industrial

17 Coop District of Winston County

Lynn

Winston

818

818.00

Interstate, Highway

None

18 Airport Ind. & Commercial Park

Montgomery

Montgomery

770

1,044.00

Air, Interstate

Light Industrial

19 Montgomery Regional Airport Site

Montgomery

Montgomery

752

850.00

Air, Interstate

Heavy Industrial

20 I-65/Tyson Road Site

Hayneville

Lowndes

735

735

Rail Onto Site, Interstate, Air

None

21 Hays Opportunity Site

Huntsville

Madison

725

725

Highway

Industrial

22 Craig Industrial Park

Selma

Dallas

700

700

Rail Served

None

22 Lawrence County Industrial Airpark

Courtland

Lawrence

700

700

Highway, Rail Served

None

22 Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park

Tuskegee

Macon

700

700

Interstate

Industrial

25 Rivercane Industrial Site

Atmore

Escambia

660

660

Interstate

Light Industrial

26 Northeast AL Technology Site

Dutton

Jackson

651

651

Interstate

None

27 Butler County Bolling Site

Georgiana

Butler

646

646

Rail Adjacent Track, Interstate

None

28 Chilton Site

Clanton

Chilton

560

560

Interstate

Agricultural

29 Chilton County Industrial Park

Clanton

Chilton

512

512

Interstate

Agricultural

30 RailPort Logistics Mobile

Mobile

Mobile

500

500

Interstate

Light Industrial

30 South Dallas Industrial Park

Selma

Dallas

500

600

Rail Served

None

32 Valley Industrial Park North

Valley

Chambers

462.76

463

Interstate, Rail Served

Industrial

33 City of Prattville Doster Road Industrial

Prattville

Autauga

460

460

Highway

Heavy Industrial

34 Westgate Super Site

Dothan

Houston

446

446

35 JFTMA Railside Tract

Atmore

Escambia

445

445

Rail Adjacent Track, Highway

None

36 Phenix City Industrial Park

Phenix City

Russell

442.2

442

Highway, Interstate

Light Industrial

37 Frazier-White Site

Decatur

Limestone

430

430

Interstate, Air

Agricultural

38 Marion County Airport Site 2

Hamilton

Marion

405

405

Interstate, Rail Served

Industrial

39 Shorter Technology Park

Shorter

Macon

400

500

Rail Served, Interstate

None

39 TCIDA Cedar Cove Tech. Park

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa

400

950

Interstate, Rail Served

Heavy Industrial

41 Pace Property

Dothan

Houston

390

390

Highway

None

For more sites, visit BusinessAlabama.com

Industrial

Source: Economic Development Partnership of Alabama

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 21

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BILLION-DOLLAR BABIES An update on four of Alabama’s biggest projects — two have opened; two are still in the works

By GAIL ALLYN SHORT

Around Alabama, national companies, internationally owned subsidiaries and even the state’s Department of Transportation are building billion-dollar projects that are giving local cities and towns a welcome boost to their economies.

Last year, we introduced four of these projects — a solar plant in Lawrence County, a J.M. Smucker plant near Birmingham, an aluminum plant in Baldwin County and a bridge to ease traffic across the waters between Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Since then, two are open; two are still in the works.

Here’s a quick status report.

The J.M. Smucker Co.

THE J.M. SMUCKER CO. On Nov. 7, the J.M. Smucker Co. held a grand opening for its new $1.1 billion, 900,000-square-foot plant in McCalla, a town located 19 miles southwest of Birmingham in Jefferson County.

The consumer-packaged goods company, which is headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, produces everything from frozen, handheld sandwiches, sweet baked goods, peanut butter, jams and preserves, to pet food, pet snacks and well-known coffee brands like Folgers, Dunkin’ and Café Bustelo. The company also produces packaged goods for schools, offices, restaurants and hotels.

The company spokespersons say

the McCalla factory will begin producing Smucker’s Uncrustables sandwiches in 2025, increasing the company’s current production capacity for the Uncrustables brand to help meet demand.

Nicole Newell, J.M. Smucker director of operations, says the McCalla plant is already producing salable product.

The company says the new facility is its third manufacturing location to produce the Smucker’s Uncrustables brand. The other locations are in Kentucky and Colorado.

And Newell says that while the company is still completing some aspects of the project, it is confident the final cost will be in line with the original projections.

The company announced that the new plant’s construction and production would create up to 750 jobs.

And today, the company is hiring.

“We are hiring for select roles to help support our facility workforce. Most

22 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

technician hiring is being managed by Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT),” Newell says.

“We also have current roles we are recruiting for on the Smucker Careers website.”

Jobs include warehouse supervisor, plant buyer, facilities/utilities technician, electrical and instrumentation technician, controls engineering lead, maintenance mechanics and education and training coordinators.

NOVELIS In the fall of 2022, Novelis broke ground to begin construction on its new greenfield aluminum rolling and recycling plant in Bay Minette.

The original estimated cost for the plant was $2.5 billion. But a third quarter earnings report for the fiscal year 2024 on Feb. 12 reported that the cost of the project would skyrocket by nearly 65%.

Novelis spokesperson Callie Cox confirms that the new estimated cost is around $4.1 billion.

“The major driver of the cost increase was related to civil engineering and construction of the site, the additional construction materials due to the specific requirements for the site location and plant configuration,” Cox says.

“Inflation on both labor and materials

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Besides the Lawrence County plant, First Solar operates three other factories in Ohio, bringing the company’s domestic nameplate manufacturing capacity to almost 11 gigawatts. The company says that once fully ramped, the plant will bring the company’s global capacity to over 21 gigawatts.

The Novelis site in early October.

created additional cost increases. Since our cost update nearly a year ago, the project has made significant progress, staying on track and consistently meeting key milestones as we lay the groundwork for long-term success,” she says.

Cox says the company expects to commission the new factory in the second half of 2026.

Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group. The Aditya Birla Group is a strong global player in the metals sector.

Cox says that approximately twothirds of the production at the plant will support domestic beverage packaging customers, as local demand currently outpaces local supply.

The Novelis plant, says Cox, is expected to create up to 1,000 jobs.

FIRST SOLAR INC. In Lawrence County, First Solar Inc., a global solar technology company

First Solar Inc.

headquartered in Tempe, Arizona., recently inaugurated its $1.1 billion manufacturing facility in the small town of Trinity, 6.5 miles west of Decatur.

The new plant produces First Solar’s Series 7 TR1 solar panel modules.

In its press statement on Sept. 26, First Solar says its new, fully vertically integrated thin-film solar manufacturing facility will use Alabama sourced steel.

It also will add 3.5 gigawatts of fully vertically integrated nameplate solar manufacturing capacity in the United States.

In the same press statement, Alabama Department of Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair said, “First Solar’s $1.1 billion manufacturing facility in Lawrence County is likely the largest investment project ever undertaken in one of our rural counties, demonstrating that our rural communities are prepared to meet any challenge.”

The First Solar plant promises to create more than 800 new energy technology manufacturing jobs in the state.

INTERSTATE 10 BRIDGE AND BAYWAY PROJECT Down south in the Port City, the State of Alabama plans for its I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project got a boost this summer, thanks to a federal grant.

The Alabama Department of Transportation plans to build a new sixlane, 215-foot-tall cable-stay bridge and a 7.5-mile elevated bayway. The project is designed to ease traffic congestion in the area and the state says the project will cost an estimated $3.5 billion.

In July, the project got a boost from a $550 million federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program.

In a press statement from Gov. Kay Ivey’s office, ALDOT Chief Engineer Ed Austin said the grant would allow the project to proceed as the agency wraps up the loan process in the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program, which offers credit assistance for qualified regional and national projects.

Mobile River Bridge Project Manager Edwin Perry added that ALDOT was still in the design phase, with about 40-50% of that completed.

ALDOT’s written request for qualifications and proposal that was published in 2022 says the project would foster economic growth and create a direct interstate route for transporting hazardous material while lessening any adverse impacts to the maritime industries.

Gail Allyn Short is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 23

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Economic Development Agencies in Alabama An alphabetical listing of the 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

Blount County Economic Development Council

Don R. Mitchell

6700 County Rd. 1 Cleveland, AL 35049

205-446-1180 blountedc.com

don@blountedc.com

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

256-266-1655 cherokeecountyida.org

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

Jason Sturdivant

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

205-459-2414 choctawcountyal.gov/probate-judge

jasonsturdivant13@gmail.com

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

Jessica Dent

111 Court St. Evergreen, AL 36401

251-578-2095 conecuhcountyeconomicdevelopment.com

jdent@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 & Robyn Snellgrove Industrial Development Authority

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

Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce

Colton Cureton

102 Jamestown Blvd.

Dothan, AL 36302

334-792-5138 dothan.com

ccureton@dothan.com

24 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

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

AGENCY

CONTACT

ADDRESS

PHONE/WEBSITE

EMAIL

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

Miller Girvin

1320 1st Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35233

205-943-4700 edpa.org

mgirvin@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

John Johnson

406 S. Trammell St. Atmore, AL 36502

251-368-5404 escambiaida.com

jajohnson@escambiaida.com

Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce

Philip Clayton

333 E. Broad St. Eufaula, AL 36027

pclayton@eufaulachamber.com

Franklin County Development Authority

Sherye Price

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

334-687-6664 eufaulachamber.com/economics/economic-development 256-332-8726 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

Arthur Crawford Sr.

P.O. Box 396 Greensboro, AL 36744

334-624-8740

arthurcrawford555@hotmail.com

Henry County Economic Development Authority

Rhonda Harrison

101 N. Doswell St. Abbeville, AL 36310

334-575-5486 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

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. 10 256-974-2899 Moulton, AL 35650 lawrenceidb.com

tpace@lawrenceidb.com

Limestone County Economic Development Association

Bethany Shockney

101 S. Beaty St., Ste. B Athens, AL 35611

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

Marengo County Economic Development Authority

Angie Miller

2400 E. Coats Ave. Linden, AL 36748

334-295-4418 marengoeda.com

angie.miller@marengoeda.com

Marshall County Economic Development Council

Matt Arnold

524 Gunter Ave. 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

251-564-7233 mmceda.com

director@mmceda.com

Monroeville/Monroe County Mike Colquett Economic Development Authority

sprice@franklineda.com

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 25

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AGENCY

CONTACT

Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Morgan County Economic Development Association

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

John Sweatman

204 S. 7th St. Opelika, AL 36801

334-705-5116 opelika-al.gov/916/Economic-Development

jsweatman@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

ccobb@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

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 shoalseda.com

kjackson@shoalseda.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 and The University of West Alabama

Allison Brantley

205-652-3618 uwaworks.com

abrantley@uwa.edu

Talladega County Economic Development Authority

Calvin Miller

Office of Economic and Workforce Development, UWA Station 45 Livingston, AL 35470 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 & Clarke Counties Economic Development

Rosalyn Sales

2003 College Ave. Jackson, AL 36545

251-282-9099

rsales@cmcgas.com

Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce

1001 Earl Hilliard Rd. Camden, AL 36726

334-682-4360 wilcoxareachamber.com

director@wilcoxareachamber.com

Winston County Economic Development Authority

P.O. Box 628 Haleyville, AL 35565

205-489-9449 winstoneda.com

P.O. Box 310130 Enterprise, AL 36331

334-393-4769 wiregrassedc.com

Wiregrass Economic Development Corp.

Jesse Quillen

ADDRESS

jquillen@wiregrassedc.com Source: Business Alabama surveys and agency websites

26 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

INTERNATIONAL TRADE Air cargo planes move goods from Alabama to the world.

TAKING TO THE SKIES Long a seaport and a rail port, Alabama looks more and more to the skies as it moves cargo

T

he three largest Alabama airports are aiming for blue skies with their international air cargo traffic. From spiffing up infrastructure to adding incentive programs for new carriers and routes, the airports are looking to land more business in this sector.

HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Huntsville International Airport – HSV – is an entity of the Port of Huntsville along with other cargo operations.

The port currently supports international nonstop cargo flights to and from Europe, South America and Asia, says Barbie Peek, chief business development officer for the port. Arriving and departing cargo flights total 20 per week, with four of these going to and from international destinations, she says.

“Our region has attracted many advanced manufacturing companies, and they rely on these HSV global connections to move their products. Industries depending on rapid air cargo service from Huntsville primarily include pharmaceuticals — thanks to our ample cold storage

By NANCY R. RANDALL facilities — as well as automotive parts, medical equipment, oil and gas equipment, high-value cargo, electronics and e-commerce goods,” Peek explains.

The Port of Huntsville is currently served by five air cargo carriers — Atlas Air, Cargolux, FedEx, LATAM and UPS. Expansion plans are ongoing. “We are always working to attract new routes and carriers for air cargo by meeting with our airline partners, logistics companies and freight forwarders,” Peek says. “One of the key ingredients is putting all the amenities in place to serve our customers. This includes infrastructure, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, access to Foreign Trade Zone No. 83 and other components to make the Port of Huntsville a one-stop shop for business and industry.”

The port’s current air service incentive program aims to attract additional cargo carriers and/or new routes, Peek notes. It also includes details on increasing passenger traffic.

As noted on the Port of Huntsville website, the incentive program, which began in May 2024, runs through June 30, 2025. The perks include waiving landing

and ramp fees and awarding increased frequency if cargo carriers significantly increase landing weights. Marketing support is also provided.

The Port of Huntsville contributes $1.8 billion to the Alabama economy, according to a study of 2019 data commissioned by the Aviation Council of Alabama. This includes more than $272 million, or 38.5%, of the state’s aviation jobs payroll, the most of any airport in Alabama.

MOBILE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

In October 2024, the airport — BFM for short — celebrated the placement of the final steel beam on a new terminal.

Construction for the terminal and a new parking garage is expected to be complete in early 2026, at which point all commercial air traffic from Mobile Regional Airport will relocate to BFM. “Mobile Regional’s relocation to BFM marks a significant development for Mobile and Baldwin counties,” says Andy Wilson, executive director of the Mobile Airport Authority. “We expect this will create additional air cargo opportuni-

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 31

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

ties. Cargo forwarders and consolidators currently serving Mobile Regional Airport will transition to support scheduled carriers at BFM.” Airport officials expect that passenger carriers — Delta, American and United — will add belly cargo — goods carried in the lower deck of a passenger plane.

Moreover, “many of the existing air cargo partners operating in the area will benefit from any future expansion at BFM,” Wilson says, noting that improvements to the complex allow increased flexibility and efficiency for all cargo operations.

FedEx currently operates daily scheduled cargo flights between its Memphis hub and BFM, with international cargo arriving or departing BFM being processed through Memphis.

In addition, BFM accommodates direct international air cargo operations supporting the Airbus Final Assembly Line (FAL), with shipments originating from Mirabel, Canada, and Toulouse,

France.

Like Huntsville, BFM is working to attract new international cargo carriers, starting with freight forwarders and logistics companies, which serve as intermediaries between cargo carriers and local businesses, Wilson says. Carriers are showing an increased interest in BFM, but he notes that they usually approach freight forwarders first before making direct inquiries.

“Increased international air cargo traffic would further strengthen Mobile’s multimodal transportation network, giving local businesses faster, more efficient access to international markets,” Wilson says. That’s a particular benefit to industries that rely on timely shipments of parts, supplies and perishables, he says.

In addition, “the added capability would create economic ripple effects, such as job creation and growth opportunities for local suppliers and service providers,” he says.

As BFM moves forward with its new

32 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

terminal, Mobile Regional Airport will remain open and continue to support tenants like Airbus Space and Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard Training Facility.

BIRMINGHAM-SHUTTLESWORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

In June 2024, the Birmingham airport, BHM, celebrated a new 53,000-squarefoot air cargo building. The building has helped launch a new line of business for the airport.

In February 2023, the Birmingham Airport Authority announced a new partnership with global logistics company Kuehne+Nagel. Weekly international cargo flights began in April 2023 with imports from Stuttgart, Germany. Industries served include automotive, pharmaceutical and aerospace.

Until the new facility was ready, the flights operated out of a temporary location at BHM. Kuehne+Nagel moved in immediately following the facility’s completion in June. K+N leases the entire

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

facility from the Birmingham Airport Authority and is the only logistics company currently moving international cargo at BHM, says Kim Hunt, vice president of communications, Birmingham Airport Authority.

Atlas Air operates the flights for K+N, Hunt says.

In late September 2024, K+N also began exporting cargo from Birmingham to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands, Hunt notes. This continues now with a weekly flight. The targeted export sectors are aerospace, chemicals, automotive and electronics.

This new international traffic has somewhat impacted job creation in Birmingham. When K+N began to operate in Birmingham, it hired AGI — Alliance Ground International — to handle the cargo, Hunt says.

“The benefits of building this international cargo business are many, particularly when it comes to making central Alabama more attractive to new business-

es that are looking for a place to locate but need quick access to international markets,” Hunt explains. “A manufacturer can really zero in on managing the manufacturing operation and their inventory when they have access to efficient imports and exports. Local and state economies will benefit as our supply chain becomes more competitive,” she says.

The BHM business development team is also assessing the market for sectors “ripe for development,” Hunt says. “As a secondary market, the process of getting cargo into our new facility and out to customers can be much quicker than at larger, more congested airports. We are centrally located with great access to major highways that make it very convenient and more efficient to move cargo. We are convinced this will continue to be a selling point for Birmingham as we continue to grow this line of business.”

“

The benefits of building this international cargo business are many, particularly when it comes to making central Alabama more attractive to new businesses that are looking for a place to locate but need quick access to international markets.”

— Kim Hunt, vice president of communications, Birmingham Airport Authority

Nancy R. Randall is a Tuscaloosa-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 33

FEDERAL CONTRACTING

MISSION CONTROL FOR DEFENSE FINANCES Huntsville’s Thompson Gray on the frontlines of DOD’s audit compliance

C

ongress fired a warning rocket across the bow of the Department of Defense in 1990 with a demand that the federal agency get its bookkeeping in order.

Huntsville-based government contractor Thompson Gray is making its “bread and butter” as one of the businesses helping the DOD with this massive effort.

“Thompson Gray is a provider of professional services to the federal government,” explains Todd Johnston, Thompson Gray vice president of strategy and operations. “We primarily focus on the areas of financial management, financial management systems and business process improvement-type initiatives.”

Unlike most government agencies, the DOD has never been thoroughly audited.

“The Department of Defense, believe it or not, has never passed third-party financial audits,” Johnston says.

“In 2010 they had a National Defense Authorization Act, which essentially said for the first time, ‘You guys have to comply with the 1990 CFO Act. We have to draw a line in the sand, so we’re going to draw that line in the sand at 2018 and then we’ll start through audits from 2018 on.’”

That 1990 Chief Financial Officers Act gave the White House Office of Management and Budget added authority to direct federal financial management, modernize government financial management systems and strengthen reporting requirements for the Defense Department.

As a result, Thompson Gray “has thrived during that period because we understand how these financial management systems need to think, work and operate, coupled with our understanding of the

By DEBORAH STOREY

Thompson Gray Leadership Summit.

audit piece and how business processes need to be set up and structured and aligned,” says Johnston.

“That is where we have made our bread and butter,” he adds.

Such an enormous scope of work makes a lot of toast. Thompson Gray’s revenue alone is more than $50 million.

The federal demand for better accounting practices has been significant because of DOD’s gargantuan reach and budget — this year topping $841 billion. The department employs more than 3 million people, plus contractors.

“This is unprecedented,” Johnston says. “There’s no other organization in the history of mankind that has gotten to this size, scale, scope and complexity without passing a financial audit for a variety of reasons.”

DOD’s financial management has been on the Government Accountability Office’s high-risk list since 1995, in part because records are so complex that it’s

hard to track the funding.

Pentagon officials admitted that flawed business systems and practices are common within the agency but said it would take decades to get all of the agency accounts in order, and the DOD has established its own internal goal to modernize its systems environment by 2028.

In January 2024, Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced that the DOD Office of Inspector General would issue the “Audit of the DOD’s Plans to Address Longstanding Issues with Outdated Financial Management Systems.”

That has created huge opportunities for a company like Thompson Gray that can help the department comply.

The impact of more stringent financial reporting requirements has been “massive” for the DOD, Johnston says. After all, the agency can’t bring military maneuvers to a halt around the globe while they focus on their bookkeeping.

“It’s just hard when you have an orga-

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 35

F E D E R A L CO N T R AC T I N G

nization that’s been around for that long and really was never designed to pass a financial audit, then reengineer processes and systems to achieve that effect without interrupting ongoing operations,” Johnston says. “It’s quite the balance.”

Thompson Gray, he says, comprehends the complexity of working through these issues while mission operations are ongoing.

“We have an understanding of the operating environments within the DOD,” Johnston says. “We’re doing a lot of financial management business process-type support while still knowing that systems piece, making sure those things stay married together.”

The company’s approach to all this has two parts, Johnston says. Their tactical side provides consultant work to help with guidance and policy. In the area of strategy, Thompson Gray assists financial analysts in understanding invoicing programs pushed out by the Treasury Department, for example.

“

36 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

Thompson Gray is a provider of professional services to the federal government. We primarily focus on the areas of financial management, financial management systems and business process improvement-type initiatives.”

— Todd Johnston, Thompson Gray vice president of strategy and operations

“Most companies do one of those things,” he says.

Their employees in Northern Virginia “do a lot of what I call tactical consultant work where we’re helping them with guidance and policy to help address a lot of these things.”

As the Department of Defense continues addressing these operational challenges, Thompson Gray helps with modernizing financial processes, systems and tools to comply with audit mandates. Areas of expertise include enterprise resource planning systems, robotic process automation, data visualization and modeling, audit readiness and program management.

Lyndsey Shelton, Thompson Gray executive vice president of business solutions, explains that part of their work involves helping DOD employees stay up to date on procedures.

“Anything the government goes out there and puts money into, we’re out there supporting those budget analysts and financial analysts and auditors in

those functions,” Shelton says, “not only in the day-to-day transactions in the system, training them how to use it, but federal policies and procedures that the Army is developing.”

Thompson Gray isn’t allowed to prescribe fixes directly, Johnston says, but can provide very high-level guidance.

There’s still plenty of work to be done in straightening out the accountability of the nation’s largest and most critical federal agency.

As a company news release puts it, “Thompson Gray empowers DOD agencies to continue to compete, fight and win, without sacrificing the financial transparency the American people expect.”

Ron Gray is now CEO and president of Thompson Gray. He took over from Richard Manley, who retired in September.

Sheila Thompson founded the forerunner of Thompson Gray — Thompson Programmatic Services Inc. — in 2008.

A former civil servant, she understood that the Army financial management community would need help navigating the General Fund Enterprise Business System. She sold the company to Huntsville couple Ron and Cindy Gray in 2013.

Thompson passed away unexpectedly in 2018.

In July 2023, the company transitioned to a 100% employee-owned operation, or ESOP. The Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce has repeatedly named it one of the Best Places to Work in Huntsville. The company’s philanthropic efforts have contributed significantly to the community.

Thompson Gray currently has a staff of more than 250 and offices in Huntsville and Northern Virginia, as well as a presence — but no office yet — in Orlando.

Their roster of clients includes the Assistant Secretary of the Army Financial Management and Comptroller office, the Army Installation Management Command, Army Materiel Command, Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center and Program Executive Office Aviation.

Deborah Storey is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 37

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2024 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA What makes a great place to work? More than a job, it’s a combination of benefits, the camaraderie and the appreciation for a job well done 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 2024 winners.

PROFILES BY EMMETT BURNETT, KATHY HAGOOD, NANCY MANN JACKSON AND DEBORAH STOREY

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

THANK YOU TO

OUR SPONSORS

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 39

2024

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

LARGE COMPANIES (250 or more total company employees)

WEBSITE

# OF ALA. EMPL.

BUSINESS FOCUS

2500 Acton Rd. Birmingham, AL 35243

205-979-4100

warrenaverett.com

691

Accounting

Don Murphy

1121 Riverchase Office Rd. Birmingham, AL 35244

1-833-CPA-BMSS

bmss.com

286

Accounting

River Bank & Trust

Jimmy Stubbs, CEO

2611 Legends Dr. Prattville, AL 36066

334-290-1012

riverbankandtrust.com

342

Banking

Finalist

Alabama Credit Union

Steve Swofford, CEO

401 University Blvd. E. Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

888-817-2002

alabamacu.com

Finalist

Avadian Credit Union

Linda Cencula, President & CEO

1 Riverchase Pkwy. S. Hoover, AL 35244

205-985-02828

avadiancu.com

274

Financial Services

Finalist

Bank Independent

Macke Mauldin, President & CEO

710 S. Montgomery Ave. Sheffield, AL 35660

256-386-5000

bibank.com

681

Banking

Finalist

Edward Jones

Colleen Baird, Financial Advisor. Other Financial Advisor Offices are throughout Alabama

4000 Meadow Lake Dr., Ste. 120 Birmingham, AL 35242

205-991-3179

edwardjones.com

425

Financial Services

Finalist

Guardian Credit Union

Heath Harrell, CEO

418 Madison Ave. Montgomery, AL 36104

334-244-9999

myguardiancu.com

266

Credit Union

Finalist

Gulf Distributing Holdings LLC

Elliot B. Maisel, CEO

3378 Moffett Rd. Mobile, AL 36607

251-476-9600

gulfdistributing.com

1,313

Distribution

Finalist

Higginbotham

Gabe Clement, Managing Director

2100 South Bridge Pkwy., Ste. 540 Birmingham, AL 35209

205-221-3621

higginbotham.com

210

Insurance

Finalist

Mauldin & Jenkins LLC

Chris Anderson

307 Clinton Ave. W., Ste. 500 Huntsville, AL 35801

256-533-9105

mjcpa.com

46

Accounting

Finalist

MAX Credit Union

Martin Head, President & CEO

400 Eastdale Circle Montgomery, AL 36117

334-260-2600

mymax.com

305

Credit Union

Finalist

Panda Restaurant Group Inc.

Nancy Cai, 245 S. Colonial Dr. Vice President of Operations Alabaster, AL 35007

205-620-9102

pandarg.com

Restaurant

Finalist

PCH Hotels & Resorts

James Buckalew, Chairman & CEO

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

251-338-5600

pchresorts.com

Hospitality

Finalist

Quincy Compressor LLC

Elizabeth Byrd, General Manager

701 N. Dobson Ave. Bay Minette, AL 36507

251-239-2826

quincycompressor.com

223

Air Compressors

Finalist

Rausch Coleman Homes John Rausch, CEO

4058 N. College, Ste. 300 Fayetteville, AR 72703

844-472-4663

rauschcolemanhomes.com

53

Construction

Finalist

Sentar Inc.

Bridget McCaleb, Catalyst & CEO

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

256-430-0860

sentar.com

109

Technology

RANK

PHONE

COMPANY

KEY INDIVIDUAL

ADDRESS

1

Warren Avrett LLC

Mary Elliott, CPA, CEO

2

BMSS LLC

3

The team from Warren Averett.

40 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

Alabama Credit Union.

Credit Union

RANK

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

KEY INDIVIDUAL

ADDRESS

PHONE

WEBSITE

# OF ALA. EMPL.

BUSINESS FOCUS

1

Swagelok

Patrick Werrlein

7290 Cahaba Valley Rd. Birmingham, AL 35242

205-988-4812

swagelok.com

50

Distribution

2

Roberts Brothers

Teresa Williamson, President

3601 Spring Hill Business Park Mobile, AL 36608

251-344-9220

robertsbrothers.com

33

Real Estate

3

Petra

James Brown IV, President & CEO

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

205-354-2700

petrarms.com

43

Insurance - Non Healthcare

Finalist

The American Equity Underwriters Inc.

Adele Hapworth, CEO

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

866-238-8754

amequity.com

88

Insurance - Non Healthcare

Finalist

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong PC

Brandon Smith, Managing Partner

305 Quality Circle Huntsville, AL 35806

256-533-1040

anglincpa.com

68

Accounting

Finalist

First Metro Bank

Rodney Howard, President & CEO

406 Avalon Ave. Muscle Shoals, AL 35661

256-386-0600

firstmetro.com

138

Banking

Finalist

Fite Building Co.

William J. Fite, President & CEO

3116 Sexton Rd. SE, Ste. A Decatur, AL 35603

256-353-5759

fitebuilding.com

141

Construction

Finalist

Heritage South Credit Union

Jamie Payton, CEO

60 Gene E Stewart Blvd.

Sylacauga, AL 35150

256-245-4776

myhscu.com

63

Credit Union

Finalist

Kassouf & Co. Inc.

Jonathan Kassouf, CPA, PFS, Managing Director

2101 Highland Ave. S., Ste. 300 Birmingham, AL35205

205-443-2500

kassouf.com

90

Accounting

Finalist

League of Southeastern Credit Unions

Samantha Beeler, President

3692 Coolidge Court Tallahassee, FL 32311

859-699-6432

lscu.coop

26

Business Services

Finalist

Machen McChesney

Michael Machen, Managing Partner

1820 E. University Dr. Auburn, AL 36830

334-887-7022

machen.cpa

60

Accounting

Finalist

McShane Construction Co. LLC

Dave Meadows, Vice President & Regional Manager

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

334-887-8181

mcshaneconstruction.com

58

Construction

Finalist

Rolin Construction Inc.

Seth Smith, President

8320 Spanish Fort Blvd., Ste. 200 Spanish Fort, AL 36527

251-368-0072

rolinbuilds.com

19

Construction

Finalist

Seay, Seay & Litchfield PC

Jimmy Seay Jr., 1115 S. Court St. 0Senior Principal Architect Montgomery, AL 36104

334-263-5162

sslarch.com

42

Architecture

Finalist

Silver Ships Inc.

Steven Clarke, Co-Owner & CEO

9243 Bellingrath Rd. Theodore, AL 36582

251-973-0000

silverships.com

101

Manufacturing

Finalist

United Bank

Michael R. Vincent, President & CEO

200 E. Nashville Ave. Atmore, AL 36502

251-446-6003

unitedbank.com

216

Commercial Bank

Finalist

White-Spunner Construction

John White-Spunner, Jeff Carrico

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

251-471-5189

white-spunner.com

116

Construction

Finalist

Wilkins Miller

W. Allen Carroll, Partner

41 W. Interstate 65 Service Rd. N. Mobile, AL 36608

251-410-6700

wilkinsmiller.com

79

Accounting

The American Equity Underwriters Inc.

Kassouf & Co. Inc.

White-Spunner Construction.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 41

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

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

SWAGELOK REPEATS AS TOPS AMONG SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANIES

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////•///Work-life /////////balance: ///////Promoting //////////practices /////////// that allow team members to balance their personal and professional lives effectively.

• Community engagement: Supporting involvement in community service and outreach programs to foster a sense of purpose and connection.

Swagelok team members.

Founded in 1961 as Franklin Valve & Fitting Co., SWAGELOK ALABAMA-

CENTRAL & SOUTH FLORIDA-WEST TENNESSEE is now an exclusive distributor

for Swagelok Co., a worldwide leader in industrial fluid system manufacturing and support.

With a reputation for its knowledgeable team and reliable service, the local Swagelok office is a key provider of products and services across numerous industries in Alabama, Central and South Florida, West Tennessee, Puerto Rico and parts of Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, the Caribbean and Central America, says Kim Musgrave, director of finance and HR. “We have a passion for quality and service,” Musgrave says. “We aim to be a consultant and collaborator, offering numerous areas of support designed to solve customer challenges.”

The team serves as a partner for its clients that need help with fluid system management, offering solutions to address all fluid system needs. That includes high-quality product provision for tube and tube fittings, valves, regulators, hoses and flexible tubing, and tubing accessories, as well as unique problem resolution through construction support, field engineering, onsite services, fabrication

services, mechanical seal support systems and training capabilities.

Like many high-performing companies, one of the secrets to Swagelok’s success is happy employees. And its Alabama-based employees are happy because the company is a great place to work, Musgrave says.

“The combination of a positive culture, respect and support for each other and a focus on team member well-being makes Swagelok Alabama a great place to work,” she says. The company focuses on six key priorities on a daily basis that make work positive, including:

• Team collaboration: Encouraging open

communication and collaboration among team members to foster innovation and problem-solving.

• Employee well-being: Prioritizing mental and physical health through wellness programs and access to needed resources.

• Professional development: Offering opportunities for skill development, training and career advancement to support personal and professional growth.

• Recognition and appreciation: Celebrating achievements and contributions to create a culture of appreciation and motivation.

The employee-centered focus at Swagelok Alabama helps create a positive culture that team members enjoy. “Our culture at Swagelok Alabama is collaborative, supportive and focused on continuous improvement, both personally and professionally,” Musgrave says.

For example, team members work closely together across different departments, fostering a sense of camaraderie and collective achievement. The workplace promotes diversity and encourages respect for all individuals, creating an environment where everyone feels valued, Musgrave says. And team members are often recognized for their contributions by peers and leaders, which boosts morale and reinforces a sense of belonging.

Swagelok employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas, feedback and concerns with management and each other, because there’s a focus on transparent communication, she says. In addition, leaders are approachable and supportive, often providing guidance and encouragement for personal and professional development.

Finally, Swagelok Alabama is committed to excellence and continuous improvement. With an emphasis on learning and development, team members take part in regular training sessions to help them enhance their skills, which keeps the work environment dynamic and engaging. “Our team members take pride in the quality of their work, reflecting a strong commitment of excellence to each other and our customers,” Musgrave says.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 43

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

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

WARREN AVERETT MOVES UP TO TOP SPOT AMONG LARGER FIRMS

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////ery///five ////years. /////The ////sabbatical /////////“provides /////////time //////

Warren Averett team members gathered for a service project at Valiant Cross Academy.

One of the largest accounting firms in the Southeast, WARREN AVERETT has 14 office locations and more than 800 team members, including more than 300 CPAs. Ranking among the top firms in the United States, Warren Averett provides its clients with depth and experience in a number of industries, including health care, manufacturing, financial services, construction, real estate, government contracting, life sciences and technology, nonprofit and public sector, says Trista Cooper, communications supervisor. The firm’s services span beyond audit and tax to include staffing and recruiting, technology consulting, financial outsourcing and retirement plan administration.

For more than 800 team members, Warren Averett is more than just a workplace.

It’s also a place for learning, growing, collaborating and building relationships and careers.

“Each and every individual brings unique perspectives, skills and resources to the firm, its clients and to each other — truly making Warren Averett a great place to work, where collaboration, diversity, integrity and kindness are all held in high regard,” says Jess Brawner, director of people operations. “The firm’s strong culture

provides mutual support, promotes trust, rewards team efforts and ensures that employees know their work is meaningful. At the end of the day, the firm exists to help its clients, communities and employees accomplish what’s important to them.”

Most of all, Warren Averett employees value that the firm provides them with flexibility at all levels and positions, including the ability to work remotely and adjust schedules around personal needs, Brawner says. They also value the many opportunities for growth and professional development, including the ability to share staff at various offices and work outside geographical boundaries, and the opportunity to gain exposure to diverse clients and work experiences. Finally, employees value the firm’s supportive company culture, which emphasizes relationships, financial assistance during catastrophic events, leave programs to support unforeseen life events, and community groups for others with common interests, such as female leaders, moms/caregivers, animal advocates and adoptive parents.

In addition to a competitive benefits plan, Warren Averett offers some unique additional employee perks, such as a fourweek sabbatical for eligible team members with more than 10 years of experience ev-

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for team members to rest and rejuvenate and exposes others to more opportunities while supporting the firm’s overall succession planning,” Brawner says.

The firm also has a talent development team that provides professional support and training opportunities to team members at all levels, including individualized coaching, leadership and business development programs, as well as a formal five-year member succession program. And to help employees build families, Warren Averett recently added assisted reproductive technology benefits to its employee medical plan coverage, as well as offering Carrot Fertility, an inclusive fertility and family-forming service that provides resources and support for learning about fertility health.

Warren Averett is focused on employees’ personal lives as well as their work lives, and the firm believes that the right mix of client work and opportunities contributes to more satisfied employees. “To help ensure team members have rewarding work experiences, we are focused on attracting and retaining the best clients possible, with opportunities to work on challenging and rewarding engagements,” Brawner says.

“We’ve seen evidence of success in these efforts through a 5% decrease in attrition since 2021. We also encourage team members to choose major and minor areas of focus to expose them to new opportunities, build their expertise in specific fields and leverage clearly defined career paths.”

With defined times for employee raises and promotions, Warren Averett ensures that employee career paths are clear. The people operations team constantly reviews market data to ensure that compensation packages are generous and competitive, Brawner says. Employees are also given the opportunity to have a stake in the company’s success in the form of profit sharing.

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

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RUNNERS-UP AMONG SMALL AND MEDIUM COMPANIES

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ROBERTS BROTHERS CAPTURES SECOND PLACE Founded in 1946 by two brothers returning from World War II, Mobile-based ROBERTS BROTHERS has grown to now serve both the Mobile Bay and Central Gulf Coast regions with home sales and property management.

The company was sold to HomeServices of America Inc., the country’s largest residential brokerage firm, a Berkshire Hathaway Affiliate, in 2005.

Roberts Brothers provides both standard benefits and unusual ones, including employees’ ability to begin contributing to their retirement plan on their first day of hire and an annual company cruise, ranging from four to seven days, that allows employees to bring a plus one.

Roberts Brothers employees at one of their annual events.

PETRA TAKES THIRD PLACE Birmingham-based PETRA RISK MANAGEMENT SERVICES combines risk management and insurance offerings to provide customized insurance plans for individuals and businesses in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida.

Beyond Birmingham, Petra has Alabama offices in Sylacauga, Tuskegee and Mobile.

Petra emphasizes work/life balance for employees, including a paid time off policy of 22 days plus 12 holidays. The company offers a remote hybrid schedule for client managers and three health care plans from which employees can choose.

Other benefits include a matching retirement contribution of 50% of up to 6% of employee contributions and an employee stock ownership plan.

The Petra Team participates in the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cookoff.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 45

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

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RUNNERS-UP AMONG LARGE COMPANIES

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// BMSS TAKES SECOND PLACE Team members work in the community.

BMSS ADVISORS & CPAS began 30 years

ago with three accountants in one location.

Today, with 325-plus people in six offices, the company is one of the top 100 accounting and advisory firms in the U.S. Company strengths include vigorous advancement opportunities. BMSS stresses soft skills development, personal growth, mentorships and professional development. In filling job vacancies, promotion from within takes precedence.

In addition to competitive benefit packages, BMSS shows value for employees through cutting-edge communications such as BMSS TV, which runs in all offices, internal newsletters and monthly firm meetings.

RIVER BANK & TRUST RANKS THIRD RIVER BANK & TRUST is one of Alabama’s

leading community banks, with a deep commitment to shareholders, customers and communities — all cared for through 24 locations and 350 team members.

The bank’s dedication to the team is demonstrated through a 401(k) ESOP, in which team members are the largest shareholder of the bank. This opportunity fosters a deep sense of pride and commitment.

Additional opportunities for growth and advancement include professional development, an emphasis on promoting from within and being part of a forward-moving organization.

A coveted perk is the “Big Fish Award.”

This quarterly accolade, based on team member nominations, celebrates those who go above and beyond delivering personal attention, hospitality and local banking expertise.

River Bank & Trust's Clanton team costumes up for Halloween.

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BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

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FIFTEEN COMPANIES RANK AS FINALISTS IN THE SMALL-MEDIUM CATEGORY

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

THE AMERICAN EQUITY UNDERWRITERS INC.

With a national reach, The American Equity Underwriters, based in Mobile, provides workers' compensation insurance for waterfront employers and program administrator for the American Longshore Mutual Association (ALMA).

The group self-insurance fund ALMA was authorized to cover liabilities of its members under the United States Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. The average tenure of AEU employees is 8.3 years. Medical insurance benefits include three plans to choose from and the ability for full- and part-time employees to sign up on their first day of hire. Other benefits include adoption assistance, identity theft protection, business travel insurance, maternity and paternity leave.

AEU employees enjoy their 2023 Christmas party at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

ANGLIN REICHMANN ARMSTRONG PC

Founded in Huntsville in 1990, Anglin Reichmann Armstrong has grown to serve clients in government contracting, construction, health care and other industries. The company has merged with several other firms, including Adamson + Co. in Winter Haven, Florida, in 2023.

Services include tax advisory, audit and assurance services, business consulting, CFO services, outsourced accounting, human resources consulting, specialized tax credits and business valuations. Anglin is an active member of CPAmerica/Crowe Global.

The company gives monthly All-Star awards with gift cards and holds 360-degree evaluations for all staff annually. Other perks include a coffee truck and a twice-a-year ice cream truck.

Coffee truck day at Anglin.

FIRST METRO BANK

Since 1988, First Metro Bank has helped neighbors raise families, open businesses and plan for the future. The bank’s business philosophy is to let customers know that they are more than just a number.

Bank officials say that choosing First Metro Bank isn’t just establishing a financial relationship — it’s becoming a part of their family.

With 11 locations throughout Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale and Limestone counties in North Alabama, First Metro offers customers all the conveniences of a hometown bank.

At First Metro's annual golf tournament, honoring a former Lexington branch manager.

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BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

FITE BUILDING CO.

Fite Building Co. is a full-service general contracting and construction management firm serving commercial and industrial customers across the Southeast and beyond.

With expertise in sectors such as manufacturing, hospitality, multi-family, senior living, medical, religious and institutional, the company is dedicated to delivering projects on time and within budget.

Fite has earned a reputation as a leader in design-build, negotiated fee and construction management project delivery methods.

Company leaders say success is measured not only by structures they build but also the positive impact on the community. Moreover, leaders say their employees are their greatest asset.

Cutting the ribbon on Fite's new Huntsville office.

HERITAGE SOUTH CREDIT UNION

Originally chartered in 1937 to provide basic financial services to employees of Avondale Mills, Sylacauga-based Heritage South Credit Union now serves more than 14,000 members. The credit union, which has more than $160 million in assets, covers Talladega, Jefferson, Shelby, Tallapoosa, Coosa, Lee, Calhoun, Clay, St. Clair, Elmore, Chambers, Randolph, Cleburne and Chilton counties.

HSCU prides itself on being active in all of its communities and promotes a healthy work/life balance for employees.

The credit union recently added a new employee perk, the HSCU store. Team members are able to earn HSCU bucks that can be spent on a wide range of gift items.

KASSOUF & CO. INC.

Birmingham-based Kassouf & Co. specializes in business and tax consulting, providing accounting, auditing, advisory, wealth management and planning services. The firm has a significant presence in the health care industry.

Boasting an on-site fitness center and podcast studio, the company pays employees’ membership fees in professional organizations, provides continuing professional education and offers a summer flex schedule.

The company features both a women’s initiative and personalized career mapping for team members, which the firm says helped boost its management team by 18% this year.

Kassouf ’s employee engagement committee organizes events and treats for team members. The company supports more than 30 charitable organizations annually.

Heritage South Credit Union staff attending a local event, Sylacauga Mental Health Day.

Kassouf employees showcase their school spirit for National College Colors Day.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 51

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

LEAGUE OF SOUTHEASTERN CREDIT UNIONS

Representing almost 300 credit unions in Alabama, Florida and Georgia, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates represents nearly 300 credit unions. Those institutions have $189 billion in assets in total and more than 12.4 million members.

The League provides member credit unions with advocacy, compliance services, education and training, cooperative initiatives and communications.

LSCU employees can take advantage of flexible schedules, gym reimbursements and discounts on tickets to theme parks, performances and sporting events. Funding is available for training, certifications and educational opportunities for staff members.

The League’s foundation gives back to communities by offering grant programs and disaster relief efforts.

MACHEN MCCHESNEY

Based in Auburn, Machen McChesney is a business advisory company offering accounting, audit and assurance, business tax and advisory, business valuation, family and elder care, individual tax planning and consulting, and outsourced client accounting services.

First established as a bookkeeping and tax practice at the famous Toomer’s Corner, the firm celebrated its 70th anniversary this year and now includes a Montgomery office.

Employees are recognized for their years of service to the firm as well as their birthday. Employee engagement includes milk shake trucks, Kona Ice and tailgating, as well as activities such as bowling and a lake party.

MCSHANE CONSTRUCTION CO.

Founded in suburban Chicago more than 40 years ago, McShane Construction Co.’s Southeast regional office is based in Auburn. The national industrial, multifamily and commercial general contracting firm builds a wide variety of product types, including affordable housing, public and private health care facilities, fitness centers and office buildings.

Company leaders typically have worked for the company for more than 20 years, and the average length of employment for staff is six years.

Semi-annual engagement surveys keep things fresh with activities, including tailgating at Auburn football games with families, grilling together at lunch, or closing the office early for a volunteer event.

52 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

Machen McChesney employees celebrate the company's 70th anniversary.

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

ROLIN CONSTRUCTION CO.

Located in Spanish Fort, general contractor Rolin Construction builds diverse projects along the Alabama Gulf Coast, operating in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. The company says it’s proud of its collaboration with some of the region’s top architects, developers and property owners.

Rolin builds in various market sectors, including commercial, industrial and private development, in addition to taking on local, state and federal government projects.

Comprehensive construction services include pre-construction consultation, design-assist and design-build expertise, along with general contracting solutions.

The company engages employees by providing extra benefits, milestone celebrations, award recognition, company events, professional programs, meals and entertainment and creative givebacks.

SEAY, SEAY & LITCHFIELD PC

Rolin Constuction team members showing support for Breast Cancer Awareness.

SS&L staff, friends and family gather at Riverwalk Stadium to take in a Montgomery Biscuits game.

Based in Montgomery, Seay, Seay & Litchfield Architects has expanded its reach during almost a half century since founding and now has branch offices in Dothan, Auburn and Huntsville. Support staff are also located in the Birmingham area and Tennessee.

In addition to a flexible work schedule, the company pays overtime at 1.5 hourly rate, a relatively rare practice in architecture. In addition, employees are given relocation reimbursement and provided with profit sharing as part of their 401 (k).

To encourage professional development, training and testing for additional professional licenses is funded and a $1 an hour raise is given for each licensing test passed.

SILVER SHIPS INC.

Silver Ships Inc. produces high-quality aluminum boats for military, federal, state and municipal governments, as well as commercial applications through collaboration with highly skilled design, engineering and production resources.

With corporate headquarters in Theodore, Silver Ships’ production facilities are situated on a 25-acre plant site and utilize state-ofthe-art boat-building equipment.

The company’s vision is to provide customers with a boat designed, built, outfitted and best suited to meet their operational needs while offering the maximum in crew safety and outstanding performance.

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Silver Ships employees take to the water.

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

UNITED BANK

United Bank builds relationships, opportunities and the local economy by helping to facilitate a prosperous future for families, individuals, businesses, schools and organizations in Southwest Alabama and Northwest Florida.

As a Community Development Financial Institution, the bank helps communities improve and rebuild infrastructure and facilities by financing senior centers, medical facilities, parks, community centers and affordable housing for families.

The bank defines its business model as growth through good.

Silverhill Crawfish Customer Appreciation.

WHITE-SPUNNER CONSTRUCTION

An employee-owned firm, White-Spunner Construction is a general contracting, construction management and design-build company headquartered in Mobile.

The company was incorporated in 1981 and has a reputation for delivering competitive pricing, superior client services and excellent finished products to every customer. White-Spunner Construction has provided contracting and construction management services to a wide variety of clients — including Fortune 500 companies — and has completed projects in 28 states.

White-Spunner takes summer associates and friends for a day of deepsea fishing.

WILKINS MILLER

Mobile-based Wilkins Miller is a full-service accounting firm that takes a multi-disciplinary approach to provide financial advisory, wealth management, IT, forensic accounting, litigation and valuation services.

Serving clients for more than 50 years, Wilkins Miller is the largest accounting and consulting firm in the Mobile Bay region.

Holiday fun includes team lunches or socials and gifts for those being recognized. During the busy season, the company features Takeout Tuesdays, deadline lunches, treats throughout the week, and specialty coffee orders.

Wilkins Miller also provides employees with concierge services. The company offers two four-tier fully insured health plans through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.

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The Wilkins Miller team connecting with clients and friends of the firm at the annual Buckets and Brews March Madness watch party.

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BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

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FOURTEEN COMPANIES NAMED FINALISTS AMONG LARGE COMPANIES

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ALABAMA CREDIT UNION

Organized in 1956 to serve the University of Alabama, this Tuscaloosa-based, not-for-profit financial cooperative quickly became a favorite among the university community.

Known for personal service, low-cost loans and higherthan-average dividends on deposits, Alabama Credit Union now serves more than 160,000 members with its personal service focused on giving back to their members and team members.

With 37 locations across Alabama and North Florida, it is the credit union of choice for employees at UA, MercedesBenz, Airbus and Austal USA.

ACU Kid’s Triathalon.

AVADIAN CREDIT UNION

Avadian Credit Union has 18 branches across the state, two offices in Birmingham, and assets of more than $1.3 billion.

“At Avadian, we put a big emphasis on career growth,” says Tracie Bayliss, Avadian’s vice president of human resources. “No matter your initial position, you have the opportunity to advance. We take pride in the number of employees who have spent careers here and moved up through the organization.”

Avadian’s benefits exceed industry standards in health care coverage, generous vacation time, a strong 401(k) contribution match policy and more. Unique benefits include a relaxed dress code, tuition reimbursement, a student loan repayment program, flexible work arrangements, potential bonuses and company-paid volunteer hours.

The credit union’s culture focuses on valuing employees as individuals with an emphasis on strong communication at all levels of the organization.

Helping Habitat is a favorite service project for Avadian team members.

BANK INDEPENDENT

In 1947, when Leighton, Alabama’s only bank unexpectedly closed, a group of farmers and business people pooled resources to open a bank. After mergers, name changes and other transitions, Bank Independent emerged in 1982.

Today, headquartered in Sheffield, Bank Independent operates branches throughout the Shoals area.

In addition to health and dental coverage, retirement and pension plans, life insurance and other benefits, the bank offers continuous professional growth and development, plus training opportunities. Other employee benefits include tuition reimbursement programs, paid volunteer opportunities for community involvement, collaboration and inclusiveness.

Bank Independent team members Anne Mauldin Osborne, Preuit Mauldin, and DeMarco McClain award the Edward Fennel Mauldin Endowed Scholarship to a first-generation college student.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 59

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

EDWARD JONES

Ted Jones, son of business namesake Edward Jones, believed that those working for the company are a source of its success and should share the benefits of success. Today with more than 1,500 branches in the U.S. and Canada, the company strongly adheres to that belief.

Workers are eligible for profit sharing benefits from day one. Also, bonuses are given throughout the year, rewarding teams and individual workers.

Edward Jones believes that investing in employees pays dividends. Benefits include maternity and paternity leave programs.

Edward Jones team members join the Walk to End Alzheimer's.

GUARDIAN CREDIT UNION

This financial institution originally served Alabama National Guard members and their families. Founded in 1958, Guardian began by offering savings and loan accounts to those service members. The company now operates as a full-service institution, offering its services to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in the 13 counties it serves.

The credit union has branches across Autauga, Butler, Chilton, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, Russell and Tallapoosa counties.

With 240 employees, Guardian provides a wide variety of personal loan types and savings accounts, as well as wealth management, checking and supplemental insurance through Aflac.

Guardian team members help bring the fun to community events.

GULF DISTRIBUTING HOLDINGS

Gulf Distributing Holdings LLC or “Gulf ” is a familyowned and operated beer and beverage distribution company.

Founded in 1973 in Mobile, the business operates out of five state-of-the-art warehouse facilities, servicing thousands of retail accounts spanning the entire state of Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and 19 counties in Mississippi.

Company leaders consistently increase wages and invest in technology, trucks, equipment and warehouses.

Gulf employs more than 1,200 and partners with more than 100 local, regional, national and global beverage manufacturers as their exclusive distributor.

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Gulf opens its new facilities in McCalla.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 61

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

HIGGINBOTHAM

With 116 locations nationwide, including 12 in Alabama, Higginbotham is a privately held independent insurance broker ranked within the top 20 nationwide.

The company’s leadership is spread throughout its locations from Los Angeles to Miami. Good communication is essential for such a vast landscape of employees. Weekly reports, shout outs, company news, highlights and current events are generated almost daily, keeping workers in the know.

In addition to health insurance, medical compensation, holidays and other industry standards, Higginbotham offers unique benefits, too. “Healthy Higg” highlights wellness programs, incentives and updates, encouraging employees to live a healthy lifestyle.

The company emphasizes employee development through webinars, learning opportunities and resources for careers and advancement.

Higginbotham teams members and families enjoy an outing.

MAULDIN & JENKINS LLC

Headquartered in Huntsville, Mauldin & Jenkins prides itself on “Providing opportunities for our people, as the center of why we do, what we do, every day.”

The century-old accounting, financial and consulting service nurtures employees with defined career pathways.

Strong emphasis on mentoring and buddy programs, especially for new hires, assist those just starting in their careers.

The company is recognized as a business where everyone is in the loop because everyone wants to be in the know.

M&J’s comprehensive benefits, include 401(k) plans, paid parenting leave, full term – short term disability coverage, health care, retirement plans, wellness resources, financial consulting, Women’s Alliance and a DEI Committee, and a flexible remote schedule.

Mauldin & Jenkins employees volunteer at the Athens Lions Club Kiddie Carnival.

MAX CREDIT UNION

Max Credit Union is a full-service financial institution serving Central Alabama’s Montgomery, Auburn, Opelika, Prattville, Wetumpka and Troy. The company’s 2023 Annual Report shows company assets of $2.1 billion, significantly higher than its 1955 start up with $125 in a cigar box.

Max offers employees health insurance, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) with employer match, sick leave, paid vacation, tuition reimbursement and pet insurance.

The company supports children non-profit organizations through its MAX4Kids.

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Max team members volunteered at the Montgomery Biscuits.

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BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

PANDA RESTAURANT GROUP INC.

Panda Restaurant Group, the parent company of Panda Express, Panda Inn and Hibachi-San, is dedicated to becoming a world leader in people development.

The company is family owned and operated with more than 2,500 locations worldwide and more than 53,000 associates. Their mission is to deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.

Leaders say that what makes Panda a great place to work is the rich and purpose-driven culture that focuses on values that promote growth and progress for their employees and business.

PCH HOTELS & RESORTS

PCH Hotels & Resorts Inc. is a premier

Celebrating at Panda.

hospitality management company with a portfolio that spans across Alabama from Florence to Point Clear.

Consistently rated among the best properties in the country by its guests,

PCH is committed to service excellence, providing an exceptional workplace for associates, making a positive impact in communities and generating the best possible return for its owners.

Its leaders believe in providing “hospitality with heart and soul.”

The Marriott Shoals team celebrate "Holy Cow, You're Awesome" Day. 64 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

QUINCY COMPRESSOR LLC

Bay Minette-based Quincy Compressor is a designer and manufacturer of reciprocating and rotary screw air compressors and vacuum pumps.

Benefit packages include a full range of health care, life insurance, vacation time off and 13 company paid holidays.

The company supports ongoing professional development of full-time employees through continuing education courses.

Quincy’s 401(k) program provides savings for retirement and other future needs. Employees have options of investing in a variety of funds.

The Quincy team celebrates veterans.

RAUSCH COLEMAN HOMES

Rausch Coleman Homes’ mission statement notes, “Improving quality of life, one home at a time.’’ With more than 65 years in business, RCH’s “one home at a time” now totals some 30,000 homes.

Starting up in Arkansas, the construction company has become one of the top homebuilders in the United States.

Alabama sites include Birmingham, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa.

Employee benefits cover comprehensive insurance in medical, vision, dental, critical illness, short- and long-term disability and more.

Also covered are paid family medical leave, parental bonding leave, chaplain services and employee assistance programs.

Rausch Coleman teams members pitch in on a community service project.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 65

BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN ALABAMA

SENTAR INC.

A 34-year-old company based in Huntsville, Sentar is known for developing technologies and pursuing concepts ahead of their time, such as artificial intelligence for the U.S. intel community. The company’s

focus is intelligence and analytics, systems and software engineering, and cybersecurity.

Workers enjoy robust benefit packages surpassing industry standards for medical, dental, life insurance, military leave and more. The company recently added a ma-

ternity package to its employee offerings.

Professional development and job growth training are emphasized for every employee. Workers receive bonuses and other perks in recognition of jobs well done.

TOP: Celebrating CEO Bridget McCaleb when she's honored among Women Who Shape the State of Alabama.

MIDDLE: The Huntsville team support the Rocket City Trash Pands.

BOTTOM: The Sentar team takes time out to celebrate Halloween.

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PHILANTHROPY Second Line Society.

The Shotcallers.

Health care pros band up to support USA Health

By KATHLEEN FARRELL t’s a battle of the bands. It’s a fundraiser for USA Health.

And it features an unexpected twist.

Each of the bands includes at least one member with a direct tie to USA Health — doctors, nurses, specialty therapists all band up to raise funds for their employer.

On Jan. 30, 2025, five bands will take to the stage at Soul Kitchen Music Hall in downtown Mobile with the common goal of supporting USA Health.

Doc Rock, a battle of the bands-style philanthropy event, raised more than $47,000 to benefit research and clinical needs at USA Health entities when it was last held in March 2024. Raising money through audience votes, bands compet-

ed on behalf of USA Health University Hospital, Children’s and Women’s Hospital, the Mitchell Cancer Institute, USA Health Providence Hospital and the Physician Enterprise.

To qualify to participate, each band must have at least one member affiliated with USA Health.

“We’ve been amazed by the musical talent within our USA Health community, from physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists to our patients and friends, making this a great way for everyone to showcase their skills, unwind and support their hospitals,” says Shanna Thorpe, director, constituent engagement, medical affairs development at the University of South Alabama (USA).

Doc Rock grew from a desire to engage

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with a new demographic by offering a lower-cost ticketed fundraiser with a casual atmosphere. When a USA graduate attending a Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine young alumni event in Knoxville, Tennessee, mentioned he had participated in a battle of the bands fundraiser, the USA Office of Development team knew this format was the perfect fit for their purposes and would attract community interest.

“Since the concept was shared at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had time to develop it, get buy-in and recruit some amazing local talent,” Thorpe says. The first event was in 2022, and it has grown each year with significant increases in attendance providing higher ticket sales, more money raised through

PH I L A N T H RO P Y

By the Way.

voting and greater visibility.

Ryan Wright, a respiratory therapist at USA Health for five years, has participated in Doc Rock since its beginning. He sings lead vocals and plays rhythm guitar for The Shotcallers. The group plays a mix of music from the 1960s and ’70s along with newer songs and raises money for Children’s and Women’s respiratory therapy department.

“Each year gets a little better,” says Wright.

“Bringing home the Crowd Favorite award definitely improved the experience for us.”

Funds raised have been used to buy a new transport ventilator for the hospital.

“As someone who has worked in that department and seen firsthand the good that they do, it feels good to give back,” Wright says. “Not only do I get the chance to play on the stage at Soul Kitchen and play rock star for the night, but I get to help the great respiratory therapists at Children’s and Women’s continue to provide excellent care for their patients.” The Shotcallers have applied to compete again in 2025.

Guitarist for By the Way, Dr. Joseph Jones is a radiation oncologist at Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI). He grew up in Mobile and was treated at USA when he had cancer at 18 years old. Jones worked as an engineer for about 10 years before turning to medicine. By the Way members have enjoyed playing Doc Rock for the past two years and plan to apply again.

“The other bands are great, and we’ve raised a lot of money for MCI,” says Jones.

“The venue and production quality are outstanding.”

With the mission to discover, develop and deliver innovative solutions to improve cancer outcomes for patients across the Gulf Coast, MCI is the largest academic fellowship-trained medical oncology practice in the region.

“It’s great to be able to spend time with my friends and raise money for excellent causes,” Jones says. “I’m partial to MCI and cancer research, but the group representing Project Inspire last year also did a phenomenal job and raised a significant amount of money and awareness for their project.”

Project Inspire, represented at the 2024 event by gospel music group Society Hill, is USA Health’s multi-week, hospital-based injury prevention program that combines trauma center exposure, mentorship and career development through an ongoing partnership with the Strickland Youth Center. Through touring the Fanny Meisler Trauma Center, learning life-saving skills and shadowing staff in clinical and administrative areas of the hospital, local juvenile offenders are given an opportunity to complete career planning activities and participate in community service projects.

Project Inspire aims to curb violent crime among at-risk youth and help participants become the best versions of themselves.

After the participating bands are announced, fundraising will begin through an online voting system where supporters can exchange $1 for a vote for their favorite group. Participating bands create a custom fundraising page and must raise at least $1,000.

Online voting continues until the end of the show, when organizers calculate the grand totals. QR codes are posted throughout the venue to make it easy for attendees to scan and vote. All funds raised by the bands go toward their designated USA Health entity. Additionally, four special prizes are up for grabs: Rock the Mission (the highest fundraising total), $5,000; Fanatic Award (highest number of individual donors), $4,000; Technical Award (decided by guest judges), $3,000; and Crowd Favorite (noise-tested during the event), $2,000.

The growing amount of interest means that each year Doc Rock organizers have had to turn away more bands.

“We will have some incredibly talented bands this year. It was a difficult process to choose them, and we hope the bands that didn’t get chosen will apply again next year,” says Thorpe. “We wish we could accept all the bands, but we have to limit the show to five for time’s sake.”

Doc Rock 2025 will be held during the week of the Reese’s Senior Bowl but scheduled on Jan. 30 — an evening without conflicting activities — with the hope of attracting out-of-town visitors.

Doors of the Soul Kitchen, located at 219 Dauphin St., will open at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets and votes for participating bands can be purchased at usahealthsystem.com/ docrock.

Kathleen Farrell is a Mobile-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 69

PH I L A N T H RO P Y

ABOVE LEFT: Meet Short the Squirrel, the official mascot for childhood literacy in Alabama.

ABOVE RIGHT: Employees of Thompson Burton build beds for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a program that provides beds for people who need them.

LEFT: The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama has been a beneficiary of AmFirst credit union employees.

GROUPS THAT GIVE Alabama businesses find creative ways to support their communities

I

By STEVEN CASTLE n Alabama, businesses and charitable organizations are reimagining what philanthropy looks like, transforming what once was merely a financial obligation into creative and meaningful long-term investments in the communities that need them most.

AMFIRST CREDIT UNION

“I have the best job,” says Jody Mattson, director of philanthropy and community engagement at AmFirst. Founded in 1936, the AmFirst credit union has expanded into almost two dozen branch locations throughout central Alabama and Mobile.

The impact these locations have on their communities, says Mattson, goes beyond traditional lending. “We do what we call 70 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

our Community First Initiative, where our employees nominate and vote on organizations to raise money for each year… It started out with one organization, then went to two, and now we’re up to four each year.”

In 2024, AmFirst selected SafeHouse, Pathways, Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama and Cahaba Valley Health Care, bolstering efforts supporting health care, domestic abuse survivors, homelessness and more. AmFirst raised more than $150,000 for those groups, plus countless volunteer hours from employees in more than 900 community events annually.

“It starts at the top here. Our CEO is going to be the first one you see [at] a United Way Campaign, whether it’s working on a board or volunteering his time. I’ve seen him at a nonprofit event

PH I L A N T H RO P Y

when it was raining and he was in the parking lot, directing traffic,” she says. “Banks [are] required to give back certain amounts to the community, but we’re not required to do that as a credit union. We do it simply because that’s who we are… Whether it’s our food drive, our book drive, our holiday toy drive; whether it’s our volunteer hours, or just … a table somewhere at a nonprofit… I never have to pull teeth to get someone to go and do those things and represent us. It really, truly is part of our culture.”

SHORT THE SQUIRREL

Short the Squirrel is a community literacy program that focuses on promoting reading during downtime. As the group’s mission statement says: “Waiting time is reading time.”

The program was co-founded in 2020 by Dr. Dee Bennett, a professor in the College of Education at Troy University, and Monica Anderson Young, head of organizational effectiveness at Allianz Technology of America.

The star of the program is Short, an adventurous squirrel with a magical cape that not only appears in the program’s many interactive booklets, but also as an in-person mascot at school and community events throughout Alabama. “Until you see it in person,” says Anderson Young, “you just don’t realize the impact that this six-foot furry squirrel makes on a child’s mindset toward reading… there’s just no describing how rewarding that is.”

In 2020, Short was named the official mascot for childhood literacy in Alabama. Since then, the Short program has distributed tens of thousands of booklets in key waiting spaces throughout the state with the help of various Chambers of Commerce and grants through organizations such as the Alabama Law Foundation, Alabama Department of Mental Health and Alabama Power. According to Bennett, those grants are investments in the state’s future workforce.

“We pretend to be a literacy organization; we’re really an economic organization for the state of Alabama,” she says. “We are future-forward… these children will not be able to lead Alabama into the future without building this foundation. We want business leaders to pick up that flag with us.”

“We call this our love letter to Alabama,” says Anderson Young. “At the core of innovation is a young person who knows how to read,” says Bennett. “We’re helping grow those students who are going to be our future workforce and our future business leaders… and hopefully our future innovation for the state.”

THOMPSON BURTON LAW FIRM/SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE

In August of this year, the Thompson Burton law firm provided the funding and — teaming with Columbia High School — the labor to build beds for a program known as Sleep in Heavenly Peace in Huntsville.

“We built 47 beds in about two and a half hours,” says Mary Ena Heath, an attorney with Thompson Burton and president of the Alabama-Huntsville chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

According to Heath, beds are essential items that highlight the diverse needs of Alabamians. “The estimates are that 2-3% of the [Alabama] population needs a bed… It could be a grandmother that all of a sudden has three or four grandchildren that she’s

taking care of… or it could be a mother that, like the one we delivered to on Friday, just escaped from a terrible situation with absolutely nothing…

“We also work with Global Ties, a group in Huntsville that brings in legal refugees from Syria, Guatemala, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and puts them up and gets them apartments, and we deliver beds to the children there.”

“I think there’s something valuable for all of us in doing something for somebody that can never pay you back,” says Heath.

“But there’s a huge return… you’re changing somebody’s life.

You’re making it where somebody has a space of his own for the first time, maybe in his life, and something secure for a place in a home. That’s what we see… and Thompson Burton did that for them…

“The very first person that we delivered to on October 16, 2022, we’re still in touch with… She said, SHP delivers more than beds; they deliver hope.”

THOMPSON FOUNDATION

“We formed the Thompson Foundation in 2003, when Thompson Engineering turned 50 years old,” says Chad Brown, chief legal officer and incoming CEO of Thompson Holdings. “We wanted to do something that represented our philanthropy in the communities we serve.”

The Thompson Foundation has supported more than 250 different organizations throughout its eight-state footprint. “In 2020, we gave our millionth dollar back to the communities we serve,” says Brown. And that million-dollar figure has now surpassed $1.5 million today, just four years later.

“We combine corporate giving, employee giving and our community fundraiser to support our foundation’s efforts,” says Brown.

Much of the foundation’s focus is on supporting STEM education. “In the past, we’ve participated personally with Airbus around their program meant to engage youth in STEM services,” says Kendall Kilpatrick, CEO of Thompson Engineering. Some of those programs include Flight Path, a program for high-school students, which was then expanded to Build It Better, meant for middle-school-aged students, and ultimately the new We Will Build It Better program, aimed at getting elementary-school students interested in STEM fields and aviation science.

The Thompson Foundation also funds the Thompson Engineering Foundation Scholarship at Auburn University and helped build and fund the STEM Studio at ACCEL Day and Evening Academy in Mobile.

“There’s a real shortage of STEM professionals out in the field right now,” says Brown, “Our dream would be for a student who learns from a We Will Build It Better kit to one day work for us.”

Kilpatrick concurs with the long-term benefit of STEM education investment. “We’re reinvesting in the community… as we grow the aviation industry, we’re investing in the future of [Alabama].”

Steven Castle is a Mobile-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 71

SPOTLIGHT Tallapoosa Chambers County County

Lake Martin, which touches Tallapoosa, Elmore and Coosa counties, covers more than 40,000 acres.

Chambers & Tallapoosa Counties

by LORI CHANDLER PRUITT

C

hambers and Tallapoosa counties, in east-central Alabama, benefit greatly from the region’s crown jewel, Lake Martin, and a variety of other natural resources.

Quality of life is emphasized here, with downtown revitalization, parks, trails, attractions, schools and more.

Both counties have diverse manufacturing economic sectors including automotive, wood and forest products, foods and beverages. Both also are seeing industry expansions.

In Chambers County, 2024 capital investment is about $113 million with 75 new jobs created. Many companies are expanding their facilities.

Chambers County has seen an increase in residential growth over the past five years. With the kickoff of the Holland Homes smart homes project, more developers have started planning and constructing new homes in the area. One of note is Quail Run, an existing subdivision in the eastern part of the county that is expanding, targeting a more affordable market. For the Valley area, a new senior housing development and new single-family homes are planned along Interstate Exit 77. Other developments are in the works that will help provide housing for new residents of the area.

To ensure continuous medical care in the county, in December 2024, EAMC-Lanier, a hospital in Chambers County, plans to transition from a regular acute care hospital to a rural emergency hospital, becoming a new Medicare-provider type of facility.

While the hospital will not have inpatient beds, it will provide 24-hour emergency care and many other services.

In 2025, Chambers County will officially launch a Leadership Chambers County program with a goal to train, educate and inspire existing and future leaders in the community.

Tallapoosa County has had growth in different sectors as well.

For example, the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance recently announced that Two Rivers Lumber is building its $115 million sawmill in the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park. The park is a partnership among the City of Alexander City, Tallapoosa County and the Coosa County Commission.

Two Rivers Lumber will manufacture dimensional lumber and employ 130 people.

72 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

The 8-foot tall Joe Louis statue, in Lafayette in Chambers County, was sculpted by Casey Downing Jr.

Also in Tallapoosa County, the newly opened Benjamin Russell Center for Advanced Care on the Russell Medical campus is a huge addition to the area. It is part of the Russell Legacy Project, made possible by a $25 million donation from Ben and Luanne Russell. The center focuses on geriatrics and other specialties.

The project also includes an independent living community, an assisted living facility and more.

At Lake Martin, the demand for lakefront living has not slowed at all. Russell Lands, which owns, manages and develops commercial and residential real estate primarily along 41,000 acres of water and 880 miles of shoreline, announced that it has a new luxury residential development, The Heritage, which includes a Coore & Crenshaw golf course and Wicker Point Golf Club at The Heritage.

Opened in 2023, it is the first in the state to be designed by famed architect Bill Coore and golf legend Ben Crenshaw. The Heritage is within the city limits of Alexander City, and lots are selling quickly. Another major amenity in The Heritage is The

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

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

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

Madison County: $78,058 Elmore County: $73,258 Baldwin County: $71,039 Jefferson County: $63,595 Lee County: $59,288 Montgomery County: $56,707 Mobile County: $55,352 Tallapoosa County: $53,282 Coosa County: $52,279 Randolph County: $49,879 State of Chambers County: $48,805 Alabama Clay County: $48,074 $59,609 Macon County: $41,206 Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Jefferson County: 662,895 Madison County: 412,600 Mobile County: 411,640 Baldwin County: 253,507 Montgomery County: 224,980 Lee County: 183,215 Elmore County: 90,441 Tallapoosa County: 40,677 Chambers County: 34,079 Randolph County: 22,786 Macon County: 18,370 Clay County: 14,111 Coosa County: 10,268 Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Benjamin Lake Club, a resident lake club that will open in June 2025.

The Benjamin will provide gathering spaces and recreational opportunities for property owners in The Heritage. The centerpiece for The Benjamin is the two-story clubhouse. The main level will provide large indoor gathering spaces suitable for receptions, community events and more. In addition to meeting spaces, the site includes fitness facilities.

Immediately adjacent to the clubhouse is a two-pool complex, a snack bar, a trails system that leads to an amphitheater, lakeside beach and community dock system. Near the clubhouse is the tennis and pickleball facility, pro shop, event lawns and parking areas.

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

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businessalabama.com December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 73

Economic Engines

John Soules Foods, in Valley in Chambers County, employs 450 workers.

AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING SUPPLIERS

The automotive industry continues to be an important economic engine in both counties. Situated in the middle of the triangle of Kia in nearby West Point, Georgia, Hyundai in Montgomery and Honda in Talladega County, it is a hub for Tier 1 suppliers.

In Chambers County, automotive suppliers — primarily located in the Chambers County Industrial Park in Cusseta — are some of the largest manufacturing employers in the area and many are expanding. The largest of these is AJIN USA, a metal stamping company and automotive supplier. Other large ones include Wooshin USA, Daedong Hi-Lex of America, Saehaesung Alabama

B U S I N E S S DECEMBER 2024: EAMC-Lanier, in Chambers County, transitions from a regular acute care hospital to a rural emergency hospital. It will no longer have inpatient beds but will provide 24-hour emergency care and many other services.

OCTOBER 2024: Sejin America, an automotive supplier in Dadeville, begins construction on a 50,000-square-foot expansion of its facility in the

Inc., Leehan America and KMIN USA Inc. AJIN USA recently announced two expansions. Between 2023 and 2024, the automotive sector accounted for almost $140 million of the capital investment made in the county.

In Tallapoosa County, Alexander City is currently home to several auto suppliers, including C&J Tech, and the county’s largest employer, SL Alabama.

Further southeast in the county, the city of Dadeville is home to two additional Hyundai and Kia Tier I suppliers, Sejin America and KwangSung America. Sejin recently announced an expansion.

RUSSELL LANDS

Russell Lands and the entire Lake Martin area are booming. Long a popular place

to live, it is still experiencing huge demand. The company owns, manages and develops commercial and residential real estate on Lake Martin.

Russell Lands is a major economic engine in the area, providing much of Tallapoosa County’s total ad valorem tax yearly. For example, the newest luxury residential development under way, The Heritage, is a 230-home development with an average lot price of $1 million. The development, inside the Alexander City city limits, translates into millions in building permit revenue, sales tax and property tax for the city and the county. A percentage of total sales tax revenue goes to the city schools, and more than $6 million of sales tax revenue goes to Tallapoosa County, all of which benefits the school system.

New in 2023 at The Heritage is the Coore & Crenshaw-designed Wicker Point Golf Club golf course. The designer is one of the top golf course design firms in the world and this is its only course in Alabama.

Another signature amenity will be The Benjamin Lake Club, a residentowned club designed by Atlanta-based

B R I E F S Thweatt Industrial Park, creating 95 new jobs.

JULY 2024: Russell Medical announces the opening of the Benjamin Russell Center for Advanced Care, designed to provide convenient health care to the aging population of Alexander City and surrounding areas. The center will offer geriatrics, rheumatology, endocrinology, psychiatry and podiatry.

JULY 2024: The Lake Martin Area Industrial Development Alliance is awarded $2.5 million in Growing Alabama funding from the Renewal of Alabama Commission for assistance with site development in the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park.

JULY 2024: AJIN USA announces two expansions in the Chambers County Industrial Park. One expansion is at the firm’s current facility, with a capital investment

of $63 million and adding 20 new jobs. The second expansion includes a new building on property the firm recently acquired next to its existing facility, with 20 more jobs and a $24 million investment.

JUNE 2024: Unite Inc., an organization that improves college access for Black students in rural Alabama, receives a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 75

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

architectural firm Cooper Carry. The club will open in June 2025. There is a two-story clubhouse, with the main level featuring large indoor gathering spaces, an owner’s bar, adjacent meeting room and expansive lake views. The lower level offers a fitness room and related facilities.

Plans call for two saline pools with an adjacent grill facility, snack bar and trails to an amphitheater, lakeside beach and community dock system. There also will be a tennis and pickleball facility, tennis pro shop and parking. Residents and their guests will also have an event lawn with covered pavilions, fire pits, beach area and community dock system.

With several events, such as a fall family festival, Christmas at Crossroads, Russell Forest Run in the Russell Forest benefiting the Alexander City Schools Foundation, the Lake Martin 100, boating safety courses, Derby Day, music festivals and Fourth of July fireworks, there is always something fun to do.

Russell Lands also includes other beautiful neighborhoods, hiking, biking and equestrian trails, Willow Point Golf & Country Club, marinas and Russell Crossroads, Russell Lands’ town center with restaurants, a grocery store and more.

Russell’s portfolio spans beyond its lakefront neighborhoods. The extensive development also includes Russell Do-It Centers, Russell Building Supply, Russell Home Décor and more. Russell Lands also built the Lake Martin Amphitheater.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

This sector is growing and continues to be a target for the Chambers County

B U S I N E S S Education for Chambers County students. The funding will increase the number of students served by Unite from 60 to more than 600 in the county.

APRIL 2024: WestRock Packaging Systems announces an expansion at its manufacturing facility located in the Huguley Industrial Park, an investment of $23.7 million.

Development Authority.

The county already has seen the success of John Soules Foods, which opened in 2021 and has become the second-largest employer in the county.

AGRICULTURE/WOOD PRODUCTS

TAXES PROPERTY TAX Not including cities or schools CHAMBERS COUNTY: 22.3 mills TALLAPOOSA COUNTY: 8.5 mills STATE OF ALABAMA: 6.5 MILLS

Agriculture continues to be a major industry in Chambers County. According to the Alabama Forestry Commission, Chambers County has 302,701 timberland acres. That timber has attracted industry including West Fraser’s oriented strand board mill and Smurfit WestRock’s cardboard packaging plant.

Haywood Forest Products plans a facility to manufacture cross ties, with additional plans for hardwood pallet components, assembly and sales.

In Tallapoosa County, Wellborn Forest Products makes cabinets and Two Rivers Lumber is building a $115 million mill to make dimensional lumber.

SALES TAX CHAMBERS COUNTY: 6% CUSSETA: 1% FIVE POINTS: 5% LAFAYETTE: 5% LANETT: 5% VALLEY: 5% TALLAPOOSA COUNTY: 2% ALEXANDER CITY: 4% CAMP HILL: 3.5% DADEVILLE: 3.5% DAVISTON: 2% JACKSONS GAP: 3% NEW SITE: 3% STATE OF ALABAMA: 4% Source: Alabama Department of Revenue

HEALTH CARE

Three hospitals in the two counties along with satellite clinics and rehab care makes health care a major economic driver in both counties. These hospitals are among the largest employers in the counties.

Russell Medical in Alexander City, a member of the UAB Health System, is adding The Russell Legacy Project, made possible by a $25 million donation by Ben and Luanne Russell. The project focuses on geriatric medicine and enhanced opportunities for seniors. The first facility, the Benjamin Russell Center for Advanced Care, recently opened and provides geriatric health care, specialty

care and more.

On the southern end of Tallapoosa County in Dadeville, Lake Martin Community Hospital has 46 beds and employs more than 200.

Reflecting the current challenges of rural hospitals, EAMC-Lanier in Chambers County expected to transition on December 1, 2024, from a regular acute-care hospital to a rural emergency hospital. This designation is a new Medicare provider type. The biggest change is that the hospital, which opened

B R I E F S APRIL 2024: The Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance announces the location of Two Rivers Lumber’s new $115 million sawmill in the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park. Two Rivers Lumber will manufacture dimensional lumber and employ 130 people.

FEBRUARY 2024: Chambers County school officials unveiled renderings of the new consolidated high school that combines Valley High and LaFayette High. The new Chambers County High School in Valley is scheduled to open in fall 2026.

MARCH 2024: Landkart LLC breaks ground on Crown Homes, a 55-home subdivision off King Road in Valley.

FEBRUARY 2024: Haywood Forest Products announces a new manufacturing facility in LaFayette with plans to initially

76 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

hire 25 employees. The facility will serve treating plants in Alabama and Georgia for cross ties and plans to expand into the hardwood pallet components, assembly and sales, a capital investment of $2.1 million.

JANUARY 2024: Wicker Point Golf Club, located on Lake Martin in Alexander City, is chosen as One of America’s Best New Private Golf Courses

by Golf Digest. The Coore &

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

Largest Industrial Employers CHAMBERS COUNTY AJIN USA | CUSSETA

Metal stamping • 575 employees

JOHN SOULES FOODS | VALLEY Perishable and prepared food 450 employees

WESTROCK | LANETT

Food packaging products 421 employees

Students at Central Alabama Community College.

in 1950, will no longer have inpatient beds. It will offer 24-hour emergency care and outpatient services, including a 64-slice CT scanner, 3-D digital mammography and an MRI, as well as laboratory services, cardiac rehab, physical therapy and infusion services.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Both community colleges in these counties are among the state’s five original community colleges in Alabama and have satellite offices and campuses so that students have a convenient place to earn a degree or training in a career path.

Southern Union State Community College has a location in Valley in Chambers County, along with locations in Wadley and Opelika.

Central Alabama Community College’s main campus is in Alexander City with three additional locations in Childersburg, Talladega and Prattville.

B U S I N E S S Crenshaw-designed course is the centerpiece of Russell Lands’ The Heritage, Lake Martin’s newest residential development.

NOVEMBER 2023: Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC announces a $3.6 million expansion at two of its Chambers County suppliers.

KNAUF INSULATION | LANETT

Both colleges are heavily involved in dual enrollment for high-school students who want to earn college credit before graduating from high school, career technical programs, academic transfer to four-year universities, adult education, training and retraining of the workforce and much more.

Fiberglass insulation • 238 employees

KMIN USA INC. | VALLEY

Automotive seat and ancillary parts 195 employees

DAEDONG HI-LEX OF AMERICA CUSSETA Door & window regulators 190 employees

AIRPORTS

In Chambers County, projects have been completed at Lanett Municipal Airport, located adjacent to Interstate 85 and near the Huguley Industrial Park. Recent ones include replacing an aging 3,100-foot runway with one that is more than 5,400 feet.

T.C. Russell Field, the city of Alexander City’s airport in Tallapoosa County, has been working on a master plan for several years. It recently finished an apron expansion to accommodate larger jets.

B R I E F S

AUGUST 2023: Hester Tag and Label Inc. announces an expansion at its Lanett facility. This expansion called for $1 million in capital investment.

OCTOBER 2024: Alexander City Schools is halfway towards completing a new $100 million Benjamin Russell High School to include a competition track,

WOOSHIN USA | CUSSETA

E-coat and plating • 175 employees

TALLAPOOSA COUNTY

SL ALABAMA | ALEXANDER CITY

Automotive supplier • 599 employees

KWANGSUNG AMERICA | DADEVILLE Automotive parts • 500 employees

SEJIN AMERICA | DADEVILLE

Automotive supplier • 460 employees

C&J TECH | ALEXANDER CITY

band practice field and football/soccer practice fields. The plan is for the new high school to open in January of 2026. It is located adjacent to the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex, home to the current softball, baseball and football stadium.

Source: Economic developers

Automotive supplier • 333 employees

WELLBORN FOREST PRODUCTS ALEXANDER CITY Wood cabinetry • 296 employees

RUSSELL BRANDS | ALEXANDER CITY Textiles • 133 employees

HELLAS FIBERS TALLAPOOSA COUNTY

Artificial turf • 90 employees Source: Economic developers

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 77

Higher Education

Central Alabama Community College.

Southern Union State Community College.

SOUTHERN UNION STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The second-oldest community college in Alabama, Southern Union State Community College (SUSCC), has three campus locations in Wadley, Opelika and Valley.

SUSCC serves residents of an eightcounty area of east and central Alabama, as well as neighboring Georgia counties.

The Valley campus in Chambers County is undergoing renovations, most of which are at the John R. Carmichael building. The renovation will expand space and enable the school to introduce new programs to the campus. Renovations are expected to be completed by December 2024.

CENTRAL ALABAMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CACC is one of Alabama’s five original

community colleges. The school has its main campus in Alexander City and three additional locations in Childersburg, Talladega and Prattville.

During the 2023-24 academic year, CACC enrolled 2,429 students in for-credit programs, and 1,055 high school students are enrolled in dual enrollment courses at the college. The college awarded more than 363 degrees and certificates in the 2023-24 academic year.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1, CACC offers associate in science, associate in applied science and associate in occupational technology degrees.

Students who choose the associate in science degree path can transfer to a fouryear college or university to finish their course of study. Students who choose the associate in applied science degree path can pursue a degree in computer science,

general business, office administration, nursing, automotive manufacturing technology, medical assisting technology and industrial electronics technology.

Finally, students who choose the associate in occupational technology degree can pursue cosmetology, machine shop or welding. Many career tech programs offer students the option to pursue a degree while earning certifications.

Major workforce development programs offered at the college include auto manufacturing, welding, nursing, industrial electrics technology, computer information systems, office administration, truck driving, machine shop, cosmetology and marine technology.

The dual enrollment program continues to grow rapidly at CACC, with students from some 30 high schools participating in both academic and technical courses.

CACC also offers several free community-based classes, adult education career pathways and the Ready-to-Work program. Its Skills for Success program offers a large variety of career technical programs free, including online or lab courses.

Recently, CACC introduced standalone practical nursing programs for the Alexander City campus. Now, this program is offered at every CACC campus.

CACC also offers AI Artificial Intelligence, an Intel program.

CACC has several agreements with other colleges to help students finish degrees, including a new arrangement with Auburn University for nursing students.

CACC also has a very successful sports program, and its head baseball coach, Larry Thomas, was recently inducted into the University of Maine Hall of Fame.

The campus is undergoing library and theater renovations.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 79

Health Care RUSSELL MEDICAL

Russell Medical, in Alexander City, is one of the largest employers in Tallapoosa County. It is a member of UAB Health System.

Russell Medical’s new Benjamin Russell Center for Advanced Care opened this summer, made possible by a $25 million legacy gift from Ben and Luanne Russell to honor Ben’s father, Benjamin Russell.

This 26,000-square-foot center is led by a geriatrician, Dr. Robert Edwards, who is now seeing patients in the new space.

Other specialties will follow. It is located near the hospital and is focused on increasing geriatric services in the area.

The facility will be home to specialties not seen before in the Russell Medical System, such as geriatrics, rheumatology, endocrinology, podiatry and psychiatry. Many who live on Lake Martin are retired, so a closer-to-home solution is needed.

The Russells’ gift also includes a senior living community that will have 26 independent living cottages on the Russell Medical campus. There also will be a 32bed assisted living center.

The three facilities are part of a threephase master plan called the Russell Legacy Project.

The hospital operates three rural health clinics in New Site, Dadeville and Goodwater.

LAKE MARTIN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

Lake Martin Community Hospital, a division of Ivy Creek Healthcare, is an acute care hospital. Services include urgent care for non-emergency medical needs that require immediate attention; a 24/7 emergency department; outpatient surgery; and diagnostic imaging that includes X-ray, ultrasound, mammograms and CT scans. The hospital recently opened a vein clinic.

The hospital’s Wellness Care Gym is open to the public and offers a variety of fitness equipment and classes.

For those needing special care, there is the Tallapoosa Patient First Program, which provides patients with faster access to ALS care, and provides well checks, follow-ups and telehealth visits for high utilization patients who do not necessarily

EAMC-Lanier, on Dec. 1, became a rural emergency hospital.

While it will continue to provide procedures and other medical services at its main facility and the Ambulatory Surgery Center, it will no longer have in-patient beds.

need emergency services.

The hospital also offers Ivy Creek Home Health, providing skilled nursing, physical therapy, wound care and more.

And Ivy Creek Hospice provides compassionate, end-of-life care, supporting patients and families with nursing, spiritual care and medication management.

EAMC-LANIER RURAL EMERGENCY HOSPITAL

Located in Valley in Chambers County, EAMC-Lanier was expected to transition on Dec. 1, 2024, from a regular acute-care hospital to a rural emergency hospital.

The biggest difference is that the hospital, which opened in 1950, will no longer have inpatient beds. However, it will provide 24-hour emergency care and

80 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

several outpatient services. Those services include imaging services highlighted by a 64-slice CT scanner, 3-D digital mammography and an MRI; laboratory services, cardiac rehab, physical therapy and infusion services.

Physicians in the hospital’s Ambulatory Surgery Center also will continue to provide outpatient procedures, including general and vascular surgery, orthopedic operations, gastroenterology services, ophthalmology procedures and pain management.

Attached to the hospital is a 103-bed nursing home that provides long-term care for residents. This facility is nearing the end of a major renovation that includes updating all 103 units and the support areas. The nursing home was named by Newsweek as one of America’s Best Nursing Homes 2025.

Through an affiliation with East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika that started in 2014, EAMC-Lanier can provide easy access to a wide range of specialty services including cardiology, neurology, urology, oncology and women’s health.

Movers & Shapers STEVEN ARNBERG is vice president

of real estate sales for Russell Lands on Lake Martin, one of the largest waterfront developers in the South. He has been with the company for more than 20 years, overseeing new development sales for Russell Lands and managing Lake Martin Realty.

Sales for the combined companies exceeded $400 million in the recently completed fiscal year. He holds an undergraduate degree from Auburn University and a master’s in divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and serves on the advisory board for the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama.

CURTIS “WOODY” BAIRD is mayor

of Alexander City. He brings a diverse background in public service, health care and business. He holds an associate’s degree in nursing from Troy State University and spent six years as a nurse before dedicating 20 years to the U.S. Army, where he served in the Special Forces. An entrepreneur, Baird operated a business in Alexander City for 24 years. An NRA-certified training counselor, he also holds leadership roles in the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority, the Lake Martin Economic Development Authority, the East Alabama Regional Planning Commission and the executive board of the Tallapoosa County Republican Party.

CHAD CALHOUN is vice president

of construction and real estate development at Russell Lands on Lake Martin and president of Classic Homes, Russell Lands’ residential construction company.

He graduated from Auburn University and worked for Brice Building Co. in Birmingham before coming to Russell Lands 18 years ago. His responsibilities include overseeing and managing the construction of new developments, corporate-owned facilities and residential construction projects. He is active in several volunteer and civic organizations, including the Rotary Club of Alexander City and the Lake Martin Auburn Club.

SARA NORRED CRUTCHFIELD is

office manager at Auburn Pediatric Dentistry, where she has been employed for 12 years. She is director of The Valley Local, a non-profit organization that she and her husband operate to help local small businesses advertise and contribute to the community. For example, the organization hosted Valley Fest ’24, which raised money for charitable groups, and has since hosted more. She serves on the Chattahoochee Humane Society board.

SANDRA FULLER is president and

CEO of Lake Martin Tallapoosa County Tourism, which she helped organize. A board member of the Alabama Travel Council, she was appointed by the governor to help rewrite the career technical education curriculum for hospitality and tourism.

Prior to joining tourism, she worked with Lake Martin Economic Development as

marketing and workforce development director. Her involvement in various projects resulted in the creation of more than 3,500 new jobs and $800 million in capital investment.

DEANNA HAND is executive director

of LaFayette Main Street.

She is a native and resident of LaFayette and Chambers County. She is a graduate of Auburn University Montgomery with a master’s degree from the University of Alabama. Prior to joining LaFayette Main Street in 2022, she served as state director for Alabama Mentor for 12 years and earlier worked for the state as a social worker advocating for social services and child welfare resources.

She is a licensed master social worker and serves on the board of Integrea Community Mental Health System. She is active with the Rotary Club of LaFayette.

JEFF LYNN is president of Central Ala-

bama Community College. He came to ACCS in 2016 from Louisiana Economic Development, where he developed LED FastStart, which was nationally recognized as the No. 1 workforce development program in the U.S. He also lived in Georgia, where he held a similar role in state workforce development leadership. He is a Certified Economic Developer Trainer. He specializes in large-scale manufacturing startups. He has served on numerous statewide workforce boards and currently serves on the boards of Lake Martin EDA, the Alexander City Chamber, Sylacauga SAFE and NCCER. He is a graduate of Auburn University.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 81

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

ERICKA MCCULLOUGH is office

manager at the Chambers County Development Authority. A native of Chambers County and a graduate of Auburn University, she brings more than 20 years’ experience to the agency, including 10 years in municipal government. She serves on the Interfaith Food Closet board and is a member of EDAA. She also holds economic development credentials from Auburn University.

JEFF NELSON is the sheriff of Cham-

bers County.

He is a former Alabama State Trooper assigned to Chambers County. He also served as a special agent for the Alabama Bureau of Investigations’ homicide/major crimes unit. He also has worked with the U.S. Department of Justice as a narcotics taskforce agent and received extensive training, including at the DEA Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He has been assigned to and worked with the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Capitol Police on congressional and presidential details.

ANDIE ROBERTS is a project man-

ager at Chambers County Development Authority. She is a graduate of Auburn University where she is currently pursuing a master’s degree. She also works in community marketing for the Chambers County Commission and Chambers County Highway Department. She serves on the Chambers County School District Counseling & Guidance committee and Innovation Center advisory board. She also is a founder of Leadership Chambers County. She has additional economic development credentials from the University of Georgia.

JOSE REYES JR. is superintendent of

the Alexander City Schools.

He has 28 years of experience in public education with 11 of those years in Alexander City.

He also has served as superintendent in Scottsboro and Calhoun County schools. He is a graduate of Troy University with a doctorate from Alabama State University.

82 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

DENISE WALLS is executive director of

the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance, which is the lead industrial development arm for Tallapoosa and Coosa counties.

She is a graduate of Auburn University at Montgomery, with additional economic development credentials from Auburn University. A native of Tallapoosa County, she serves as an ex officio member of the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce and is a representative on the East Alabama Regional Planning Commission board.

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84 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

Community Development

Quail Run, a master-planned community in Lanett in Chambers County, is expanding.

CHAMBERS COUNTY

Chambers County has seen significant growth in retail and commercial businesses this year, announcing Marshalls, Five Below, Petsense, Chick-fil-A, Scooters and Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to be opening new locations. Also, 4 Star Auto Auction opened in Chambers County earlier in 2024.

Chambers County has seen an increase in residential growth over the past five years. With the kickoff of the Holland Homes smart homes project, more developers have started planning and constructing new homes in the area. One of note is Quail Run. This is an existing subdivision in the eastern part of the county that is expanding, targeting a more affordable market. For the Valley area, a new senior housing development and new single-family homes are planned near interstate exit 77. Other developments are in the works that will help provide housing.

In 2025, Chambers County will officially launch a Leadership Chambers County program. Leadership Chambers County’s goal is to train, educate and inspire existing and future leaders in the community.

In the city of Valley, the former Fairfax Mill site will be repurposed for public use, officials say. The city has been holding public meetings for input. An idea that has gained some traction is developing it into a public park with green space. A landscape architect is developing a con-

ceptual plan.

The city of Valley and Chambers County Development Authority announced the expansion of The Village Square Shopping Center on Highway 29.

The shopping center will include three new businesses, Marshalls, Five Below and Petsense. There are still 4,500 square feet available for businesses. Also, the city announced the opening of an Express Oil Change in an out parcel of the shopping center, and a partnership will bring a Chick-fil-A to the city.

The city of LaFayette, the county seat, has a successful Main Street Alabama program that has received grant funding for several projects and help for merchants, says DeAnna Hand, director. Four new businesses have opened on the downtown square, and the organization won a Main Street Alabama award for its shop local campaign, she says. The city also has a new entrance sign.

LaFayette now has an OnMed telehealth station in LaFayette, one of the first OnMed stations in rural Alabama.

It is currently the most frequently visited OnMed station in the country. The station was a collaboration among the city of LaFayette, Auburn University, Chambers County Development Authority, Alabama Extension, Chambers County, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Alfa Foundation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. Right now, residents can utilize the OnMed

station for free.

The city of Lanett is moving forward with developing a city park near the Chattahoochee River. The Lanett City Council hired Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood to develop a conceptual plan. The city also has made many improvements to its airport, including a new terminal, a new box hangar and a longer runway. More improvements will include an apron expansion, an automated weather observing station and a Precision Approach Path Indicator System.

The city also received a grant to upgrade its gas system to replace its iron pipes, says Deborah Gilbert, city clerk.

Chambers County schools recently unveiled renderings of the new consolidated high school that will combine Valley High and LaFayette High into a new Chambers County High School. The new school, to be located in Valley, is scheduled to open in fall 2026.

The county school system’s Inspire Academy (formerly Chambers County Career Technical Center) offers several career technical programs.

Lanett City Schools is undergoing two renovation projects — a renovation at the high school auditorium and a field design/ turf project at the Morgan-Washburn Stadium. The system also has new HVAC systems, new doors and windows and new roofing. The high school also added a health science career pathway.

TALLAPOOSA COUNTY

Russell Lands’ lakefront neighborhoods and amenities already provide much of Tallapoosa County’s total ad valorem tax yearly, and the newest lakefront masterplanned community, The Heritage, is already offering Phase 4 lots for sale.

“Our sales pace has been rapid, but also our amenities help with sales,” says Steve Arnberg, vice president of Real Estate Sales for Russell Lands on Lake Martin.

Those amenities include the Wicker Point Golf Club, a Coore & Crenshaw-designed course that opened in

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 85

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

Wicker Point Golf Club.

The new Benjamin Russell High School.

2023, and The Benjamin Lake Club for residents, set to open in June 2025. It will feature recreational opportunities, owners’ bar, fitness room, locker rooms, two resort pools, snack bar, trails, pickleball, tennis and a community dock system.

In Alexander City, Mayor Woody Baird highlights the completely redone Imagination Station at the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex. The old wooden equipment was torn down and new equipment installed, along with turf padding and much more, he says. The city raised $400,000 from individuals, companies, city and county government and more to make it happen.

The city also is working on the old Avondale Mills location to build another new playground, he says. The city is working on a new shopping center that will include Publix, Marshalls, Five Below and more.

The city also has two hotels in progress, a Holiday Inn and a LaQuinta, and is looking to add more, he says. The city took two older buildings down and is working on plans to revitalize the area.

The city of Dadeville, the county seat, is working on getting a motel developed on six acres, says Mayor Jimmy “Frank” Goodman. The city is working on fixing the access road to the property.

Within walking distance of downtown, Keebler Park is undergoing improvements that include sitting areas, exercise equipment, walking trails, bike racks, playground equipment and more picnic tables, he says.

Two new restaurants also have located downtown, he says.

Schools are important in Tallapoosa County.

The Tallapoosa County School System has its own career technical center and

86 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

offers several programs to help its students succeed, says Andy Chamness, principal and director of the center. The school system partners with higher education for training and other opportunities for students.

The system offers the Educators in Training program, an emergency and fire management program in partnership with the Alabama Fire College, law enforcement, health sciences, welding, business marketing, business education, computer science, heavy equipment, fiber optic training and more. Many programs offer certifications and dual enrollment options.

The system has a mobile STEM lab, an RV rigged with welding simulators, headsets, 3D printers, career exploration program and more. Each school has access to it for nine weeks, he says.

The system has finished a new Reeltown Elementary School to handle growth in that area.

The Alexander City Schools is building a new $100 million Benjamin Russell High School with a competition track, band practice field and football/soccer practice fields. The school is slated to open in January 2026 with a multi-story academic wing, auditorium, band hall, gym, weight room, culinary and other vocational spaces. The new high school is located adjacent to the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex, home to the current softball, baseball and football stadium.

The career tech program at Alexander City schools is very active, with all of its career tech programs under one roof at the current high school, says Josh Williams, career technical director. Programs include health sciences, hospitality/tourism, industrial/agricultural, educational training, business marketing, computer science and more. About 720 students are in career technical programs in the system. The system also has a popular ROTC program and cooperative education program.

The new high school will have an entire wing devoted to career technical programs, Williams says. That includes a shop facility, a full culinary kitchen, manufacturing lab areas and more. “This new space will help us expand career technical programs even further,” he says.

Culture & Recreation

Five Points Farm, in Chambers County.

Valley’s Merry-Go-Round is part of their Christmas festivities, opening in early December and running through Christmas Eve. Photo by Alex Newill.

JUMP IN THE LAKE

Tallapoosa and Chambers counties are known for their lakes — all offering an array of boating, swimming and other water sports. Lake Martin covers 44,000 acres with nearly 900 miles of shoreline. It is Alabama’s first and only lake to receive state designation as a “treasured” lake — ideal for swimming, boating, fishing, skiing and wakeboarding. Lake Harding covers 5,850 acres and has a shoreline of 156 miles, spreading along a 13-mile section of the Chattahoochee River. The lake stands behind Bartlett’s Ferry Dam, which has been producing electricity since 1926. West Point Lake extends 35 miles along the Chattahoochee, with 525 miles of shoreline, surrounded by deep forests and rolling fields. Check out the area around West Point Dam for songbirds, raptors, winter gulls and terns.

TAKE A HIKE

Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trails offers 26 miles of hiking trails around Lake Martin. Alligator Creek Nature Trail in

The Lake Martin Rodeo is held in June.

Lanett offers a choice between the onemile Alligator Creek Trail and the halfmile Beaver Creek Interpretative Trail.

Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail runs through Tallapoosa, Chambers and seven other counties with a plethora of birds to see. The old Chattahoochee Valley Railway line in Valley is now a rails-totrails project. In all, Tallapoosa offers some 175 miles of public hiking trails.

horseback riding, plus a splash pad, dog park and walking trails.

RIDE YOUR BIKE

AUTO SEE THIS

West Point Scenic Bike Trail travels about eight miles near West Point Lake.

You can hike here, too.

PADDLE AWAY

The Harold Banks Canoe Trail stretches 25 miles along the Tallapoosa River, a delight for naturalists, historians and other adventurers.

PLAY A GAME

Charles E. Bailey Sr. Sportplex in Alexander City provides fields for soccer, softball, baseball, disc golf, archery and

GO TO THE PARK

Wind Creek State Park, south of Alexander City, offers public access to Lake Martin, with more than 500 campsites. Beyond water sports, it offers archery, horseback riding, mini golf and ziplines.

The Wellborn Musclecar Museum in Alexander City celebrates the glorious era of great American muscle cars. Located in the original lot of a circa 1944 car dealership, it features an impressive collection of 1968-1971 muscle cars.

TEE OFF

StillWaters Lake & Golf Community is on Lake Martin in Dadeville, with tennis courts, community pool, walking track and playground, plus boat storage, and a public golf course, Highlands Golf Course and Harbor Pointe Marina.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 87

S P O T L I G H T: C U LT U R E & R EC R E AT I O N

festivities and events: RUSSELL FOREST RUN — Russell Forest | February An annual run to benefit

the Alexander City Schools Education Foundation.

RXR FEST — Russell Crossroads |

Memorial Day A mix of well-known

plus up-and-coming regional musicians entertain at the Green Stage. It’s free.

ART ON THE LAKE — Russell Crossroads | Memorial Day Dozens of artists display

fine arts and hand crafts.

JAZZ FEST — Alexander City | June The

Lake Martin.

city’s signature annual event in June celebrates with live music at Strand Park and The Amp on Lake Martin.

Lake Winds Golf Course in Alexander City offers rounded greens that require accurate short iron approach shots. Point University Golf Club in Lanett caters to golfers of any skill level. Private courses are available at Willow Point and Wicker Point.

SUN FESTIVAL — Alexander City |

June This nine-day community event

includes scavenger hunts, trivia nights, live music, dog parade and more.

FIREWORKS — Valley | 4th of July The

WHAT FUN

Russell Crossroads is the heart of Russell Land’s Lake Martin community, with shops, restaurants, an equestrian center, water sports needs, a naturalist cabin and loads of events year-round.

Main Street Alexander City offers dining and shopping in a historic downtown.

Don’t miss Carlisle’s, a long-standing soda fountain.

VISIT SOME HISTORY

Horseshoe Bend Military Park, established in 1959, dates to the Creek Indian wars. Fort Tyler is the site of the last known fort battle of the Civil War, seven days after the end of the war. Fort Cusseta in Cusseta is a rare surviving example of a log fort built to defend a frontier settlement.

MUSEUM MUSINGS

Chambers County Museum, in a former Central of Georgia railway depot in LaFayette, offers lots of local history, including a display on boxer Joe Louis.

MUSIC FEST — Russell Crossroads | Labor Day A two-day, four-band event that

features local, regional and national groups.

FALL FAMILY FESTIVAL — Russell

Crossroads | October Blacksmith,

pumpkin patch, petting zoo, pony rides, canning and baking contests are part of the fun.

CHRISTMAS AT CROSSROADS — Russell Crossroads | November Arts and crafts

for the kids, local artisans at a holiday bazaar and the Jolly Elf himself.

ROCKINGFEST ON THE SQUARE —

LaFayette | November The World’s

Largest Rocking Horse, plus ice skating, arts & crafts and more.

CHRISTMAS MERRY-GO-ROUND —

BOAT PARADE — Russell Marine | 4th

Merry-Go-Round was given to Valley area children as a holiday gift from the West Point Pepperell Mill Co. in 1956.

Kowaliga Marina to Children’s Harbor with prizes for Tallest Flag, Largest Flag, Most Creative Theme and Most Patriotic Crew.

There’s also a statue of this famous local man in downtown. The West Point Depot and Museum showcases local history, including a scale model of the Chattahoochee Valley Railway and the mill villages along its route. The Cannery at Langdale Mill reflects the life and times of a Southern textile mill village in the days when textiles were a major industry. The Cobb Memorial Archives have even more to tell about Chambers County history, including a genealogy bank, newspapers, paper projects from 1832-1915, the Chattahoochee Historical Society publications, LaFayette Sun abstracts, Chambers County church minutes and more.

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Crossroads | 4th of July Find your spot on the grassy lawn at The Amp.

city of Valley celebrates Independence Day. of July Scores of boats parade from

HEAD DOWNTOWN

CONCERT & FIREWORKS — Russell

Valley | December The Christmas

CHRISTMAS PARADE — Valley |

December The parade kicks off in West

Point, Georgia, travels through Lanett and winds up in Valley.

TOSS A LINE

Crank for Bank, which runs from April 1 to July 4, is a contest to catch one of 200 tagged fish in Lake Martin and win big prizes.

HONOR THE AGRICULTURE

The Chambers County Agricultural Arena in LaFayette offers great space for rodeos and other agri-tourism events.

Stables are available for livestock and concessions during events.

GO TO A SHOW

The Langdale Theater in Valley opened in 1937, then reopened in 1986 — offering concerts, plays and more.

Career Notes BRAD MALLETTE

STEVE PROVOST

TERENCE MCGOVERN ALLISON CASEY CALHOUN

by ERICA JOINER WEST

ADAM COMPTON

KASSIE MATHIS

VICKI KAROLEWICS MEREDITH MITCHELL HAMILTON

KERRY FLOWERS

KEAIRA TURNER

DEREK WALCOTT

ARCHITECTURE

Steve Provost, PLA, has joined Goodwyn Mills Cawood as vice president of landscape architecture in Birmingham.

Meredith Mitchell Hamilton, treasurer of Mitchell Automotive Group and general manager of Mitchell Mazda and Toyota of Dothan and operations manager of Mitchell Hyundai and Mitchell Chrysler Dodge Jeep, has been appointed to an at-large seat on the University of South Alabama board of trustees.

AVIATION

GOVERNMENT

Brad Mallette, founder of AMBL Studios, has received the Young Architect Award from the American Institute of Architects Alabama Component.

The Mobile Airport Authority has named G. Anderson Wilson as its executive director, succeeding Chris Curry, who served as president.

BANKING Adam Compton has been appointed chief financial officer at Bank Independent.

HEALTH CARE

BIOTECH HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology has hired Florencia Behn as its new vice president for research administration and development.

EDUCATION Kassie Mathis has been named vice president of student services at Calhoun Community College.

Vicki Karolewics, president at Wallace State Community College, has been selected as a participant in the second cohort of the Aspen Institute’s Presidents Fellowship.

The Housing Authority of the Birmingham District has added Keaira Turner as director of strategic communications.

HUMAN RESOURCES Landrum, a human resource company, has hired Brady Lowery as a business consultant in its HR Solutions division.

ORGANIZATIONS

Terence McGovern, M.D., has joined Diagnostic & Medical Clinic, an Infirmary Health facility.

Jeffrey Alvarez, MD, CCHP, chief medical officer of NaphCare Inc., has received the Bernard P. Harris Merit Award from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.

Paul Diaz, founder of Riverview Dental Designs in Tuscaloosa, has been inducted as a fellow in the International College of Dentists.

Allison Casey Calhoun, MD, FACOG, has joined USA Health Eastern Shore OB-GYN & Pediatrics. Kerry Flowers has been promoted to chief culture and experience officer at USA Health.

TIM COMSTOCK HOUSING

Randy Smith has retired as fire chief of the Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue and the city of Tuscaloosa.

The Poarch Creek Indians have hired Steven Stewart as chief information officer with the tribal government.

STEVEN STEWART

Ryan Cate Gibson, of Holistic Performance Group in Decatur; Paul DeMarco, of Parsons, Lee & Juliano PC of Vestavia Hills; and Eric Wright, of East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission in Anniston, were selected as members of the 20242025 class of Appalachian Leadership Institute, a leadership program of the Appalachian Regional Commission.

TRANSPORTATION BRW, a trucking, warehousing, logistics and fulfillment company, has appointed Derek Walcott as executive vice president of strategy and administration and Tim Comstock as executive vice president of operations.

TECHNOLOGY HC3, a data-driven statement provider, has named Kristin Jones chief financial officer.

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 89

RETROSPECT The Morris Building, in Birmingham, was converted into a hotel. Photos courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives & History.

City Builder

Josiah Morris: A Birmingham Founding Father

By SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND

H

e never sought or held public office, but elected officials turned to him often for assistance. He ranked among the richest men in 19th-century Alabama, but his face was unknown to many beyond the banking industry. Estimates of his fortune at the time of his death topped $3 million, most of it in real estate holdings that sprang from his early support of a place called Birmingham.

Josiah Morris was born in 1818, the eldest child of farmers Jeptha and Eliza Morris, along Maryland’s eastern shore.

By the age of 15, opportunities in the American South enticed young Morris from his home. He settled first in Columbus, Georgia, under the tutelage of a prominent local businessman. Morris married Sarah Harvey, daughter of a

A 1906 portrait of Josiah Morris, painted from a photograph.

90 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

Columbus physician, in 1844. Five years later, the couple relocated to New Orleans, where Morris worked as a commission merchant.

In 1852, Morris arrived in Montgomery and opened his own private banking interest. In business, Morris was generally risk averse. “Conservative” was the descriptor often applied by contemporaries and historians alike to describe his dealings. He directed his investments toward the permanent things, particularly land and its bounties: cotton, timber and iron.

During Reconstruction, the banker lent his name and finances to important railroad ventures. He was an early supporter of the South & North Alabama Railroad, alongside Charles T. Pollard, Daniel Pratt and Charles Linn. Morris’ reputation made him a crucial partici-

R E T RO S PE C T

pant. “More than any other man in Montgomery, he can command the confidence and secure the assistance of the Northern capitalists,” wrote one observer.

Morris was among a select few who saw the potential in a spot of mineral-rich land in Jefferson County’s Jones Valley, where the tracks of the South & North and Alabama & Chattanooga railroads were soon to cross. At the suggestion of his friend John T. Milner, chief engineer of the South & North, Morris agreed to purchase 4,150 acres of land in the valley.

On Dec. 19, 1870, Morris hosted a critical meeting in Montgomery. Located on Commerce Street, the Morris & Co. Bank was a modest, two-story structure.

There were certainly more ostentatious buildings in the capital city. Yet few played as large a role in Alabama history.

Here, in the city called the “Cradle of the Confederacy,” Alabama’s postwar economic behemoth Birmingham was born.

Morris and other interested parties met and organized the Elyton Land Co. They split a combined $200,000 in capital stock into $100 shares, divided among the 10 of them. Morris retained the majority stake of 437 shares, almost 21%.

He would eventually own nearly 600 of the original shares in the company.

The men met at the bank again the following month to elect officers and formally transfer the land to their newly incorporated company. They also settled upon the name for their new town: Birmingham, an homage to the English industrial city. Historians differ on whether Morris or Elyton’s first president James Powell suggested the name. The men platted out the streets of the new town and began selling lots on June 1, 1870.

Over time, Morris bought and sold some parcels of sought-after Birmingham land multiple times. In addition, by 1884 his monthly dividends in the Elyton Land

This sketch of a Birmingham real estate exchange appeared in the March 26, 1887, issue of Harper’s Weekly. The man depicted in the center background bears a strong resemblance to Josiah Morris.

Co. were a reported $5,000 per share.

His role as a founding father of the Magic City earned him a highly favored status there. “Even during the darkest days of Birmingham, he never wavered in his faith in its grand future,” wrote the editor of the Birmingham Iron-Age. Some of those days came in 1873, with the overlapping crises of a Birmingham cholera epidemic and a deepening global financial crisis. In the face of both, Morris was resolute. He traded on his good name with bankers in New York to shore up his financial interests in Montgomery and Birmingham, handling promptly all financial transactions through the long, uncertain time.

In 1880, Morris helped launch the City Bank of Birmingham. The new bank’s first cashier, W. J. Cameron, previously worked alongside Morris in Montgomery. A few years later, Morris announced the construction of a $200,000 multi-story building at the corner of First Avenue and 19th Street. The structure was later converted into the luxurious Morris Hotel. It stood until the 1950s.

More than one governor relied upon his financial acumen. During Reconstruction, he backed state bonds with gold and underwrote public works projects. In

1883, when Alabama Treasurer “Honest Ike” Vincent absconded with $250,000 from the state’s coffers, Gov. E. A. O’Neal appealed to Morris’ steadying hand to avoid financial calamity. The banker agreed to purchase $100,000 in state bonds, allaying the fears of the cashstrapped state’s creditors while the matter with Vincent was sorted.

While many residents of Montgomery likely did not know Morris personally, they grew accustomed to reading about his liberal support of local causes. He donated 40 acres of land for the new state fairgrounds, purchased new equipment for local firefighters and funded construction of an eye-care infirmary run by his son-inlaw, Dr. Benjamin Baldwin. His greatest act of munificence in Montgomery came in 1888 with a large addition to his beloved St. John’s Episcopal Church. Upon his wife’s death from pneumonia the following year, Morris had an elaborate new altarpiece built for the church in her honor.

A paralytic stroke befell Morris in 1889. Though he eventually resumed many of his duties, he did so haltingly, without the customary vigor of his long working life. Morris died at his home in Montgomery on March 9, 1891, at the age of 72.

Remembrances praised his sagacity and philanthropy. One editor likened Morris to a “Modern Aladdin who extracted millions from the earth.” At the time of his death, Morris remained the Elyton Land Co.’s largest shareholder. Today, Morris Avenue, named in his honor, still cuts its way through the land he purchased more than 150 years ago, a purchase that cleared the way for the rise of an industrial giant.

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

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 91

Index 4 Star Auto Auction...........................................85 9258 Wealth Management.................................8 ACCEL Day and Evening Academy .....................70 Adamson + Co..................................................39 Aerostar Inc........................................................7 AIDT.................................................................22 Aihara, Masashi............................................................13 Ainsworth, Lt. Gov. Will...................................................8 Airbus Group........................................ 13, 18, 31 AJIN USA.................................................... 75, 77 Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad......................90 Alabama Aerospace and Defense Council.............8 Alabama Bureau of Investigations....................81 Alabama Center for Real Estate.........................81 Alabama Cooperative Extension System............85 Alabama Credit Union......................................39 Alabama Department of Commerce....9, 13, 18, 22 Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs................................85 Alabama Department of Mental Health.............70 Alabama Department of Transportation.............22 Alabama Fire College........................................85 Alabama Forestry Commission..........................75 Alabama Industrial Development Training........22 Alabama Law Foundation.................................70 Alabama Mentor..............................................81 Alabama Municipal Electric Authority................81 Alabama National Guard...................................39 Alabama Port Authority....................................10 Alabama Power Co............................................70 Alabama State University..................................81 Alabama Technology Network.............................7 Alabama Travel Council....................................81 Alexander City Chamber of Commerce..............81 Alexander City Schools ............................... 75, 81 Alexander City, City of.....................72, 75, 81, 85 Alfa Foundation................................................85 Alliance Ground International...........................31 Allianz Technology of Alabama.........................70 Alligator Creek Nature Trail...............................87 Alvarez, Jeffrey.............................................................89 AM/NS Calvert..................................................18 AMBL Studios...................................................89 American Airlines.............................................31 American Equity Underwriters Inc., The.............39 American Institute of Architects........................89 AmFirst Credit Union........................................70 Anderson Young, Monica.............................................70 Anglin Reichmann Armstrong PC......................39 APM Terminals.................................................10 Appalachian Leadership Institute......................89 Appalachian Regional Commission...................89 Arnberg, Steve........................................................81, 85 Asahi Kasei Plastics North America......................7 Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System...............13 Aspen Institute................................................89 Asphalt Inc.........................................................8 Astrana Health.............................................8, 13 Atlas Air...........................................................31 Auburn Pediatric Dentistry...............................81 Auburn University...........................70, 79, 81, 85 Auburn University Montgomery.......................81 Austal USA............................................. 9, 13, 18 Austin, Ed.....................................................................22 Avadian Credit Union.......................................39 Aviation Council of Alabama.............................31 Avondale Mills........................................... 39, 85 Axient Corp......................................................13 Baird, Curtis “Woody”.............................................81, 85 Baker, John.....................................................................7 Baldwin Health..................................................7 Baldwin, Benjamin.......................................................90 Bank Independent............................... 39, 89, 94 Baptist Health System......................................13 Barker, Greg..................................................................18 Bartlett’s Ferry Dam..........................................87

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

Barton Academy, Mobile.....................................7 Bass, Charlie.................................................................18 Bayliss, Tracie................................................................39 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s................................................85 Behn, Florencia.............................................................89 Benjamin Lake Club................................... 75, 85 Benjamin Russell Center for Advanced Care................................. 72, 75, 80 Benjamin Russell High School.................... 75, 85 Bennett, Dee.................................................................70 Berkshire Hathaway.........................................39 Birmingham Airport Authority..........................31 Birmingham Business Alliance.........................18 Birmingham Iron-Age.......................................90 Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport....................................31 Birmingham-Southern College.........................13 Birmingham, City of...........................................9 BL Harbert International...................................13 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama....... 39, 85 BMSS Advisors & CPAs......................................39 Boeing Co........................................................13 Boresight Pty Ltd..............................................18 Bottomley, Christina.....................................................10 Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP...................94 Brasfield & Gorrie.............................................10 Brawner, Jess................................................................39 Brice Building Co..............................................81 Brown, Chad.............................................................7, 70 BRW Trucking...................................................89 Business Council of Alabama..............................7 By the Way.......................................................68 Byrne, Bradley..............................................................18 C&J Tech.................................................... 75, 77 Cahaba Valley Health Care................................70 Calhoun Community College............................89 Calhoun, Allison Casey.................................................89 Calhoun, Chad..............................................................81 Cameron, W.J...............................................................90 Canfield, Greg...............................................................13 Cannery at Langdale Mill..................................87 Capstone Building Corp......................................7 Cargolux Airlines..............................................31 Carlisle’s Soda Fountain....................................87 Carpenter, Josh...............................................................8 Central Alabama Community College.... 75, 79, 81 Central of Georgia Railway...............................87 Cetera Financial Group........................................9 Chambers County....................................... 72, 85 Chambers County Agricultural Arena................87 Chambers County Development Authority......................................... 75, 81, 85 Chambers County High School.................... 75, 85 Chambers County Industrial Park......................75 Chambers County Museum...............................87 Chambers County Schools.................................85 Chamness, Andy...........................................................85 Charles E. Bailey Sportplex......................... 85, 87 Chattahoochee Historical Society.......................87 Chattahoochee Humane Society........................81 Chattahoochee Valley Railway..........................87 Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trails............................87 Chick-fil-A Inc...................................................85 Chilton County Courthouse...............................10 City Bank of Birmingham.................................90 CKR Solar & Storage............................................9 Clarkson, Patricia............................................................8 Classic Homes..................................................81 Cobb Memorial Archives...................................87 Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Inc.............13 Columbia High School, Huntsville.....................70 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs..........................94 Compton, Adam...........................................................89 Comstock, Tim..............................................................89 Concordia Technologies......................................8 Construction Partners.........................................8

92 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

Cooper Carry ...................................................75 Cooper, Trista................................................................39 Coore, Bill.....................................................................72 Coosa County...................................................72 Cory Watson Attorneys.....................................94 Cory, Ernest...................................................................94 Cox, Callie.....................................................................22 Crank for Bank.................................................87 Crenshaw, Ben..............................................................72 Crown Homes, Valley........................................75 Crutchfield, Sara Norred...............................................81 CSX Corp.................................................... 10, 94 Curry, Chris...............................................................7, 89 Dadeville, City of........................................ 75, 85 Daedong Hi-Lex of America......................... 75, 77 Dai-ichi Life Holdings.........................................9 DeKalb Regional Medical Center.......................13 Delta Air Lines Inc.............................................31 DeMarco, Paul..............................................................89 Diagnostic & Medical Clinic...............................89 Diaz, Paul......................................................................89 Dirt Cheap/Channel Control Merchants.............10 Diversity & Flexibility Alliance..........................94 Doc Rock, Mobile..............................................68 Driscoll, John................................................................10 DSI Security Services.........................................94 Duncan, Helena..............................................................7 EAMC-Lanier............................................... 72, 75 EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital.............80 East Alabama Medical Center............................80 East Alabama Regional Planning Commission.......................................... 81, 89 Economic Development Association of Alabama..................................................81 Economic Development Partnership of Alabama..............................................7, 18 Edward Jones/Jones Financial Companies LLP...39 Edwards, Robert...........................................................80 Elyton Land Co.................................................90 Evonik Corp......................................................18 Express Oil Change...........................................85 Fairfax Mill, Valley...................................... 85, 95 FedEx Corp.......................................................31 First Metro Bank......................................... 39, 94 First Solar Inc............................................. 13, 22 Fite Building Co................................................39 Five Below Inc..................................................85 FiveStone Group...............................................10 Flight Path.......................................................70 Flowers, Kerry...............................................................89 Fort Cusseta.....................................................87 Fort Tyler..........................................................87 Fosnaugh, Jesse.............................................................7 Freedom Real Estate & Capital LLC.......................7 Fuller, Sandra................................................................81 Gatewood, Alex.............................................................94 General Dynamics Electric Boat............... 9, 13, 18 Gibson, Ryan Cate.........................................................89 Gilbert, Deborah...........................................................85 Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama...............70 Girvin, Miller...................................................................7 Global Business Alliance...................................18 Global Ties.......................................................70 Golf Digest.......................................................75 Goodman, Jimmy “Frank”............................................85 Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood.......................... 85, 89 Goodyear Tire & Rubber......................................8 Government Accountability Office.....................35 Gray, Cindy...................................................................35 Gray, Ron......................................................................35 Guardian Credit Union......................................39 Gulf Distributing Holdings LLC..........................39 Gulf Packaging Inc..............................................8 Gulf Shores International Airport........................7 Hamilton, Meredith Mitchell........................................89 Hand, Deanna.........................................................81, 85 Harbor Pointe Marina.......................................87

Harold Banks Canoe Trail..................................87 Harold, Brian................................................................10 Harvey, Sarah................................................................90 Haywood Forest Products..................................75 HBH Realty.......................................................10 HC3.io.............................................................89 Heath, Mary Ena...........................................................70 Hellas Fibers....................................................77 Heritage South Credit Union.............................39 Hester Tag and Label Inc...................................75 Hibbett Sports............................................ 10, 13 Higginbotham Insurance Agency Inc.................39 Highlands Golf Course......................................87 Hindalco Industries Ltd.....................................22 Hoar Construction............................................10 Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts.............................85 Holistic Performance Group..............................89 Holland Homes.......................................... 72, 85 Holland, Lee...................................................................7 HomeServices of America Inc.............................39 Honda Manufacturing of Alabama....................75 Horseshoe Bend Military Park...........................87 Housing Authority of the Birmingham District...89 HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology..........89 Huguley Industrial Park...................................75 Human Dynamics Hyundai Power Transformers USA...........................................7 Hunt, Kim.....................................................................31 Huntsville Hospital Health System....................13 Huntsville International Airport.................. 22, 31 Huntsville, City of..............................................7 Huntsville, Port of............................................31 Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce...................................................35 Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC.................................... 13, 18, 75 Ignite Fueling Innovation.................................10 Iljin USA Corp...................................................13 Infirmary Health........................................ 89, 94 Innovate Alabama..............................................7 Integrea Community Mental Health System......81 Intel Corp. .......................................................79 Intellectual Property Consulting.........................8 Interfaith Food Closet.......................................81 International College of Dentists......................89 International Space Station...............................13 Ivey, Gov. Kay........................................................8, 9, 22 Ivy Creek Healthcare.........................................80 J.M. Smucker Co......................................... 13, 22 John Soules Foods...................................... 75, 77 Johnson Energy Storage.....................................7 Johnson, Lonnie.............................................................7 Johnston, Todd.............................................................35 Jones, Edward..............................................................39 Jones, Joseph...............................................................68 Jones, Kristin................................................................89 Jones, Ted.....................................................................39 Kalm Therapeutics..............................................9 Karolewics, Vicki...........................................................89 Kassouf & Co. Inc..............................................39 Keebler Park, Dadeville....................................85 Kia Georgia Inc.................................................75 Kilpatrick, Kendall........................................................70 KMIN USA Inc............................................. 75, 77 Knauf Insulation..............................................77 Kochlowski, Federico....................................................13 Kruger, Michelle.......................................................9, 13 Kuehne + Nagel...............................................31 KwangSung America.................................. 75, 77 LaFayette High School................................. 75, 85 LaFayette Main Street.......................................81 LaFayette Sun...................................................87 LaFayette, City of..............................................85 Lake Harding...................................................87 Lake Martin.......................................... 72, 75, 87 Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance...................... 72, 75, 81

Lake Martin Community Hospital................ 75, 80 Lake Martin Realty...........................................81 Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park.......... 72, 75 Lake Martin Tallapoosa County Tourism.............81 Lake Winds Golf Course....................................87 Landkart LLC....................................................75 Landrum Talent Solutions.................................89 Lanett City Schools...........................................85 Lanett Municipal Airport...................................75 Langdale Theater..............................................87 LaQuinta Inns & Suites.....................................85 LATAM Airlines Group.......................................31 Leadership Chambers County............... 72, 81, 85 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity...............94 League of Southeastern Credit Unions...............39 Ledbetter, Lilly................................................................8 Leehan America................................................75 Linn, Charles.................................................................90 Linville, Bill...................................................................10 Locker Room, The.............................................94 Lockheed Martin Corp.......................................13 Lone Star Paving................................................8 Loper, Coleman..............................................................8 Louis, Joe......................................................................87 Louisiana Economic Development.....................81 Lowery, Brady...............................................................89 Lynn, Jeff......................................................................81 Machen McChesney..........................................39 Main Street Alabama........................................85 Main Street Alexander City...............................87 Mallette, Brad...............................................................89 Manley, Richard............................................................35 Marshall Space Flight Center.........................9, 13 Marshalls Inc....................................................85 MartinFed Consulting.......................................13 Mathis, Kassie...............................................................89 Mattson, Jody...............................................................70 Mauldin & Jenkins LLC.....................................39 Max Credit Union.............................................39 Mazda Toyota Manufacturing............................13 MBN Automotive Inc.........................................18 McCullough, Ericka.......................................................81 McGovern, Terence.......................................................89 McNair, Ellen..........................................................13, 22 McShane Construction Co..................................39 Media Fusion.....................................................9 Medical Properties Trust...............................8, 13 Mercedes-Benz U.S. International......................13 Meridiam Infrastructure North America Corp.....13 Meta Platforms Inc...........................................13 Miele & Cie KG..................................................18 Miles College............................................. 10, 13 Milner, John T...............................................................90 Milo’s Tea Co.....................................................94 Missile Defense Agency....................................13 Mitchell Automotive Group...............................89 Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley...............................7 Mobile Airport Authority........................ 7, 31, 89 Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce..................18 Mobile International Airport....................... 10, 31 Mobile Regional Airport...................................31 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project..... 13, 22 Mobile Sports Authority...................................94 Mobile, City of..................................................13 Mobile, Port of.................................................10 Mollica, Anthony............................................................7 Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce... 13, 18 Mooreville, Town of..........................................13 Morgan Stanley................................................10 Morris & Co. Bank.............................................90 Morris Hotel, Birmingham................................90 Morris, Eliza..................................................................90 Morris, Jeptha..............................................................90 Morris, Josiah...............................................................90 Mukaida, Mitsunobu....................................................13 Murdaugh, Rusty..........................................................13

Musgrave, Kim.............................................................39 NaphCare Inc....................................................89 NASA...........................................................9, 13 National Commission on Correctional Health Care..................................................89 National Trust for Historic Preservation...............7 NEAR Megasite, Etowah County...........................9 Nelson, Jeff...................................................................81 New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary........81 Newell, Nicole..............................................................22 Newsweek Magazine.................................. 80, 94 Nike Inc............................................................10 Nippon Steel....................................................13 Norfolk Southern Corp......................................13 North Alabama Homebuilding Academy............10 Northwest Shoals Community College..............94 Novelis Inc.......................................................22 Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa......................................13 O’Neal, Gov. E.A............................................................90 OnMed Telehealth............................................85 Orlando Health................................................13 Outokumpu Stainless USA..................................9 Ox Bodies Inc.....................................................7 Panda Restaurant Group Inc..............................39 Parsons, Lee & Juliano PC.................................89 Pathways.........................................................70 PCH Hotels & Resorts Inc...................................39 Peek, Barbie..................................................................31 Pelfrey, Joseph.............................................................13 Perry, Edwin..................................................................22 Petra Risk Management Services.......................39 Petsense by Tractor Supply...............................85 Phillips, Keith.................................................................7 Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail.........................87 Poarch Band of Creek Indians........................9, 89 Point University Golf Club.................................87 Pollard, Charles T...........................................................90 Port of Huntsville.............................................31 Port of Mobile..................................................10 Powell, James...............................................................90 Pratt, Daniel..................................................................90 Premier Tech Ltd...............................................18 Protective Life....................................................8 Providence Hospital, Mobile.............................13 Provost, Steve...............................................................89 Publix Super Markets Inc..................................85 Quincy Compressor LLC.....................................39 Radiance Technologies.....................................10 RailPort Logistics Mobile............................ 10, 94 Rausch Coleman Homes...................................39 Raytheon/RTX Corp...........................................13 Reeltown Elementary School............................85 Reese’s Senior Bowl..........................................68 Reyes, Jose Jr................................................................81 River Bank & Trust............................................39 River Walk Plaza, Mobile..................................13 Riverview Dental Designs.................................89 Roberts Brothers..............................................39 Roberts, Andie..............................................................81 Robins & Morton..............................................10 Rolin Construction Co.......................................39 Rotary International.........................................81 Runergy Alabama...............................................7 Russell Brands.................................................77 Russell Building Supply...................................75 Russell Crossroads..................................... 75, 87 Russell Do-It Centers........................................75 Russell Home Décor..........................................75 Russell Lands..................................72, 75, 81, 85 Russell Medical.................................... 72, 75, 80 Russell, Ben......................................................72, 75, 80 Russell, Luanne................................................72, 75, 80 Saban, Nick...................................................................13 Saehaesung Alabama Inc..................................75 SafeHouse........................................................70 Salinas, David...............................................................10 Samkee Corp.............................................. 13, 18

Scannell Properties..........................................10 Scooters Coffee.................................................85 Seay, Seay & Litchfield PC.................................39 Second Line Society..........................................68 Sejin America............................................. 75, 77 Sentar Inc................................................... 39, 94 Seoyon E-Hwa Interior System..........................18 Shelby, Sen. Richard.....................................................10 ShelterPoint Group Inc........................................8 Shelton, Lyndsey..........................................................35 Short the Squirrel.............................................70 Shotcallers, The................................................68 Sierra Pacific Industries......................................8 Silver Ships Inc.................................................39 Simplicity Financial ...........................................9 Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham......7 SL Alabama................................................ 75, 77 Sleep in Heavenly Peace...................................70 Smith, Randy................................................................89 Smurfit WestRock.............................................75 Snow, Josh....................................................................13 Society Hill.......................................................68 Soul Kitchen Music Hall, Mobile........................68 South & North Alabama Railroad.......................90 South Baldwin Regional Medical Center..............7 Southern Research.............................................8 Southern Union State Community College... 75, 79 Southern Veterinary Partners............................94 SpaceFactory Inc.................................................8 Special Aerospace Services..................................8 Specification Rubber Products Inc........................7 St. John, Finis IV...........................................................13 St. John’s Episcopal Church, Montgomery..........90 Statista Inc.......................................................94 Steward Health Care.........................................13 Stewart, Steven.............................................................89 StillWaters Lake & Golf Community...................87 Stimpson, Sandy...........................................................13 Storch, Robert P.............................................................35 Strickland Youth Center....................................68 Stringfellow Memorial Hospital........................13 Stringfellow, Shelby.....................................................18 SupplyOne Inc....................................................8 Susock, Chris................................................................13 Sutton, Trevor................................................................18 Swagelok Alabama-Central & South Florida-West Tennessee................................39 Sylacauga Safe.................................................81 T.C. Russell Field...............................................75 Takach, Tom....................................................................8 Tallahassee Memorial Health Care.....................10 Tallapoosa County............................................72 Tallapoosa County School System......................85 Tec-Master........................................................13 Teledyne Brown Engineering............................13 Tenet Healthcare Corp.......................................13 Thomas Hospital..............................................94 Thomas, Larry...............................................................79 Thomasville Regional Medical Center................13 Thompson Burton Law Firm..............................70 Thompson Engineering....................................70 Thompson Foundation......................................70 Thompson Gray Inc...........................................35 Thompson Holdings...........................................7 Thompson, Sheila.........................................................35 Thorpe, Shanna............................................................68 Thweatt Industrial Park....................................75 Todd Acres Industrial Park................................10 Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama Inc.........13 Trant, Sid.......................................................................13 Troy State University.........................................81 Troy University........................................... 70, 81 Turner, Keaira................................................................89 Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue......................................89 Tuscaloosa, City of............................................89 Tuskegee Commerce Park.................................18 Tuskegee University...........................................7

Two Rivers Lumber Co........................... 13, 72, 75 U.S. Army.........................................................81 U.S. Capitol Police.............................................81 U.S. Coast Guard...........................................9, 31 U.S. Customs & Border Protection......................31 U.S. Department of Defense..............................35 U.S. Department of Education...........................75 U.S. Department of Justice................................81 U.S. Department of Labor..................................94 U.S. Department of Transportation.............. 13, 22 U.S. Navy...........................................................9 U.S. News & World Report.................................94 U.S. Secret Service.............................................81 U.S. Steel..........................................................13 UAB Health System............................... 13, 75, 80 UAB Hospital....................................................94 Unite Inc..........................................................75 United Airlines.................................................31 United Auto Workers........................................13 United Bank.....................................................39 United Launch Alliance.....................................13 United Way......................................................70 Universal Health Services.................................10 University of Alabama.....................13, 39, 81, 94 University of Alabama at Birmingham...............13 University of Alabama in Huntsville..................94 University of Colorado Health...........................13 University of Georgia........................................81 University of Maine..........................................79 University of Mobile................................... 10, 94 University of South Alabama....................... 68, 89 University of South Alabama Health System......13 UPS/United Parcel Service Inc............................31 Upstream Rehabilitation....................................7 USA Health........................................... 13, 68, 89 USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital....68 USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute.................68 Valley High School..................................... 75, 85 Valley Local, The...............................................81 Valley, City of...................................................85 VetTech LLC......................................................13 Village Square Shopping Center, Valley.............85 Vincent, Ike...................................................................90 Viscofan USA....................................................18 Walcott, Derek..............................................................89 Wallace State Community College.....................89 Walls, Denise................................................................81 Warren Averett.................................................39 Watson Firm, The................................................8 Watson, Leila................................................................94 Waverly Advisors...............................................8 We Will Build It Better......................................70 Wellborn Forest Products............................ 75, 77 Wellborn Musclecar Museum............................87 Wenonah High School, Birmingham.................10 West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd................................75 West Point Dam................................................87 West Point Depot and Museum.........................87 West Point Lake................................................87 West Point Manufacturing Co............................95 West Point Scenic Bike Trail...............................87 WestRock Packaging Systems..................... 75, 77 White-Spunner Construction.............................39 Wicker Point Golf Club.....................72, 75, 85, 87 Wilkins Miller..................................................39 Williams, Josh..............................................................85 Willow Point Golf & Country Club................ 75, 87 Wilson, G. Anderson...........................................7, 31, 89 Wind Creek Chicago Southland...........................8 Wind Creek Hospitality.......................................8 Wind Creek State Park......................................87 Wooshin USA.............................................. 75, 77 Wright, Eric...................................................................89 Wright, Ryan.................................................................68 Zydeco, Birmingham..........................................9

December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 93

Company Kudos

by ERICA JOINER WEST

JANUARY Who’s Running the State?

Alabama’s Agricultural Roots Moving Health Care Forward

The Locker Room, in Tuscaloosa, is celebrating its 60th year in business. Started in 1964 on The Strip by Alex Gatewood with a $5,000 loan, the menswear clothier today is located on University Boulevard where it has tripled its space and continues to employ University of Alabama students.

Building the Work Force Geographic Spotlight: Montgomery County

FEBRUARY Alabama’s Automotive Sector Rolls On The Construction Industry: Building Alabama Geographic Spotlight: Shelby County

Check BusinessAlabama.com for daily business headlines and additional content

Follow us: Business Alabama @BusinessAlabama

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has been named a 2024 Compass Award recipient from the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. In addition, the firm has been named a 2024 Tipping the Scales firm by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance for a second year in a row.

has awarded initial accreditation to Northwest Shoals Community College’s diagnostic medical sonography program.

Cory Watson Attorneys has recovered more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of its clients across the country in its 30 years of operation.

The firm was founded in 1995 by Ernest Cory and Leila Watson.

Sentar Inc., a cyber-intelligence solutions company in Huntsville, has received the 2024 HIRE Vets Medallion Award from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Dothan-based DSI Security Services is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year. It now serves businesses in 33 states and has more than 5,400 employees.

Four Alabama-based companies made Newsweek’s ranking of America’s Top 200 Most Loved Workplaces. They are Milo’s Tea Co. (3), Southern Veterinary Partners (11), Bank Independent (54) and First Metro Bank (152).

The Mobile Sports Authority reported that during fiscal year 2024, 39 events were completed in the city and county of Mobile, generating an estimated $38.1 million for the economy, an increase over the previous year’s economic impact of $30.9 million.

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

94 | BusinessAlabama.com December 2024

RailPort Logistics Mobile, comprised of more than 500 acres in Mobile, has been designated a Platinum CSX Select Site.

Thomas Hospital, an Infirmary Health facility in Fairhope, has been ranked a U.S. News & World Report 2024-2025 Best Hospitals for heart attack and heart failure.

Newsweek and Statista have unveiled their ranking of America’s Best-In-State Hospitals for 2025, which includes UAB Hospital in Birmingham.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville’s College of Nursing is celebrating its 50th year with a number of events in December and through April 2025.

Students from the University of Mobile’s first graduating class from its nurse anesthetists doctorate program have achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Certification Exam. The average rate in the country is 83%.

Historic Alabama

LOOMING LARGE In this 1939 photo, high-speed spoolers are shown in use at the Fairfax Mill in Valley. Built in 1915, the mill in eastern Alabama produced towels and other cotton goods for the West Point Manufacturing Company. Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives & History. Donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Roy T. Carter, Birmingham News.

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. Beginning Dec. 20, work the quiz online and check your answers at businessalabama.com.

December 2024:

December 2023 (one year ago):

December 2014 (10 years ago):

Q: For the past few decades, Alabama has attracted a wealth of international firms, many operating manufacturing plants in the Yellowhammer State.

How many companies, employing how many people?

Q: Passenger operations have been growing at Alabama’s airports. Which ranks first for number of passengers, with about 3 million a year?

Q: Our philanthropy story focused on Alabama’s largest foundation, which at the time had awarded more than $150 million to causes around the state.

What company is it associated with?

A) 257 companies with 50,000 workers B) 504 companies with 75,000 workers C) 732 companies with 120,000 workers D) 922 companies with 110,000 workers

November 2024 (one month ago): Q: We featured nuclear power plants operated by TVA and Southern Company. When TVA’s Browns Ferry plant came online in 1974 it claimed a nationwide first. For what?

A) First to combine solar with nuclear B) First to combine wind power with nuclear C) First to produce a billion watts of power D) First to be built entirely of manmade materials

A) Birmingham-Shuttlesworth B) Huntsville International C) Mobile Regional D) Montgomery Regional

December 2019 (five years ago): Q: We looked back on the big business news of 2019, including a look at Jeff Bezos’ new plant, designed to make engines for United Launch Alliance. What is the name of Bezos’ company?

A) Blue Origin B) Dynetics C) Sierra Nevada D) Yulista Aviation

A) Alabama Power B) Mercedes-Benz C) Regions D) U.S. Steel

December 1999 (25 years ago): Q: One of Alabama’s premier tech companies was in a fight for its life, pitted against Intel Corp. It’s still in Huntsville today, but owned by another company. What was the company led by Jim Meadlock?

A) Brown Engineering B) Dynetics C) Intergraph D) CPSI Answers from September: D, B, B, A, C, E December 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 95