Business Alabama - April 2024 by Business Alabama

APRIL 2024

POWERING

JABER ABU QAHOUQ IS A KEY SCIENTIST IN UA EFFORTS TO EXTEND EV BATTERY LIFE

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JOHNSON LABS TAKES

32 SCENT TO ANOTHER LEVEL 40 PREPPING FOR TAX TIME SPOTLIGHT ON BUTLER,

49 COVINGTON, CRENSHAW & LOWNDES COUNTIES

APRIL 2024

Volume 39 / Number 4

CONTENTS

Karla Johnson is CEO of Johnson Labs in Troy, which makes products based on the chemical ingenuity of her husband, Louis Johnson, who is president and certified chemist. Photo by Stew Milne.

Features 13

27 32

HIGHER EDUCATION LIFE LESSONS Alabama Cooperative Extension System translates research into practical life skills A CLASS IN CALAMITIES JSU’s Emergency Management program prepares students for careers in disaster planning and response

MAKING THE MOST OF EV BATTERIES UA researchers discover ways to extend battery life

EVENTS BUSINESS ALABAMA HONORS PROFESSIONALS, COMPANIES More than 40 individuals and companies were honored for their achievements

STEM STELLAR STEM School programs prepare students for tomorrow’s jobs

ACCOUNTING PREPPING FOR TAX TIME Accountants offer advice for making April less of a crunch

CHEMISTRY IN ACTION Johnson Labs creates products for hunting, cleaning, agriculture

RETROSPECT FORGE OF WAR The Selma Ordnance and Naval Foundry

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On the Cover: Jaber Abu Qahouq is a key scientist working on UA’s efforts to extend the usability of EV batteries. Photo by Zach Riggins, courtesy of the University of Alabama

27: Autauga County Schools students have wide options for STEM programs, including this robotics activity. 37: Business Alabama Awards recognize businesspeople from entrepreneurs with startups to lifetime achievers. 63: Andalusia Ballet is an arts headliner for south central Alabama.

Departments 7

TOP RANK 36 INCUBATORS IN ALABAMA 43 ALABAMA’S LARGEST ACCOUNTING FIRMS GEOGRAPHIC SPOTLIGHT 49 BUTLER, COVINGTON, CRENSHAW & LOWNDES COUNTIES SPECIAL SECTIONS 23 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA 45 BUSINESS COUNCIL OF ALABAMA

BENCHMARKS: MONTHLY BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFING 65 COMPANY KUDOS: A MONTH OF ACHIEVEMENTS 68 CAREER NOTES: WHO’S MOVING UP 69 BA INDEX: HUNDREDS OF LEADS EACH MONTH 71 HISTORIC ALABAMA: A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE 71 ALABIZ QUIZ: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 5

APRIL 2024 BusinessAlabama.com Volume 39 / Number 4

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

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Benchmarks

Conecuh Sausage plans second plant in Andalusia

CONECUH SAUSAGE, maker

A second facility in Andalusia will join the original

Conecuh County plant in producing these popular of hickory-smoked sausages in Conecuh Sausage products. Conecuh County, announced plans in February to invest $57.8 million to open a second production facility in Andalusia, creating 110 jobs. Founded in Evergreen in 1947, Conecuh Sausage is a familyowned business that produces meats with a patented blend of seasonings. Its products are sold directly through the company’s online and gift stores, as well as through local grocery stores, national retailers and independent distributors. “Conecuh Sausage is a landmark homegrown brand, and I am thrilled to see that the company continues to grow and thrive right here in ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’” said Gov. Kay Ivey. before deciding to remain in its home state. Conecuh Sausage owners John Crum Sessions, president, “We have been working for decades to be prepared when a and his son, John Henry Sessions, said, “We are eager to join company like Conecuh Sausage was ready to expand here, and the Andalusia community and add jobs and growth to the local we appreciate the Sessions family for their confidence in our economy while remaining in the state of Alabama. We are thrilled community and the investment they are making here,” said with the opportunity to expand our production facilities and Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson. “I cannot overstate the positive increase distribution to serve our loyal customers.” impact this facility and the jobs it will generate will have on our Conecuh Sausage looked at other locations in the Midwest community in the coming years.”

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

NEW AT THE TOP University of Montevallo graduate Willie Wright, interim chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for about a year, has been appointed chair. FERC regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, electricity and more. Rob Houghtlin has been named CEO of Mspark Media and Tim Halfmann has been named chief revenue officer.

FLY AFAR Airports in Huntsville and Mobile announced new long-distance flight options. Breeze Airways has added a twice-a-week nonstop flight from Huntsville to Los Angeles. United Airlines has added a twice-daily flight from Mobile to Washington D.C. Also, a $7 million grant for Huntsville International Airport will fund renovation projects, including an expanded concourse, a new nursing room and terminal escalators.

LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS… More than 1.1 million people attended Mardi Gras festivities in Mobile, including more than 200,000 who were downtown for the Fat Tuesday celebration, Mayor Sandy Stimpson said.

CARGO RECORD The International Intermodal Center in Huntsville set a record in 2023, with 24% more rail lifts than in 2022. The IIC handles cargo by air, rail and highway.

HIGH RENT DISTRICT The Daphne/Mobile/ Fairhope metro area has the highest average monthly rent in Alabama, followed by Tuscaloosa and Huntsville, according to the Waller, Weeks and Johnson Rental Index. The report shows rent in metro areas in Alabama increased an average of more than 6% over the last year. BUILDING BIGGER The Novelis aluminum manufacturing plant under construction in North Baldwin County may end up costing $4.1 billion, more than 60% over what was originally planned. The plant, originally scheduled to open in 2025, is now looking toward a 2026 completion.

SMALL BUSINESS KUDOS The team behind Tuscaloosa’s Transformation Partners, a consulting firm, has been honored by the Small Business Administration as Alabama’s top small business persons of the year. The federal group will pick a national winner from the stateby-state honorees in late April. Selma’s The Coffee Shoppe was also honored for small business disaster recovery. CLOUDY An Alabama federal judge has ruled that the Treasury Department can’t require small business owners to report details on their owners under the Corporate Transparency Act.

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 7

BENCHMARKS

Meridiam breaks ground on $230M fiber optic project in Selma

Company plans broadband service in Alabama’s Black Belt. MERIDIAM has broken ground on a $230 million fiber

infrastructure project in Selma that will bring broadband across more than 300 miles of Alabama’s Black Belt. The company is building a high-speed fiber-optic network that it says will enable fiber broadband to 53,000 households and businesses. Yellowhammer Networks, a network developer owned and financed by Meridiam, is funding 100% of the project.

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TOP RANKERS BL Harbert International topped the government list, and Brasfield & Gorrie led the sports complex list in the Associated Builders and Contractors list of the 2024 Top Performers in the nation.

back-up camera housings, bumper corner covers and door hardware. Specification Rubber Products in Alabaster is acquiring a 120,000-squarefoot warehouse to expand the facilities where it makes and handles molded rubber products for the waterworks industry. DC Blox, which opened its data center in Birmingham in 2019, announced the completion of an expansion that will facilitate demand for High-Performance Compute (HPC) applications.

BIGGER & BETTER Douglas Manufacturing has begun work on an $11.7 million expansion in Pell City, where it makes conveyor system components. Parry Labs plans to will add a 36,000-squarefoot facility on its campus in Huntsville. The digital systems integrator will invest $8.7 million in the expansion, which will be three times the size of its current location. Cast Products has announced plans for a $6.7 million expansion of the Athens plant where it makes cast aluminum products like

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Southern States Bancshares Inc., parent of Anniston-based Southern States Bank, and CBB Bancorp, parent of Century Bank of Georgia, are merging later this year, giving Southern States a stronger presence in Georgia. BlueHalo,

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“Meridiam is dedicated to filling critical fiber infrastructure gaps and helping eliminate the divide that excludes millions of people from our digital society and compromises economic growth for all,” said Nicolas Rubio, Meridiam’s CEO for the Americas. “Yellowhammer Networks is determined to make high-speed fiber broadband accessible to residents throughout Selma and the region regardless of their income levels.” The Selma project is part of a series of Meridiam investments, totaling more than $2.7 billion, that will connect more than 1.3 million homes around the country, many in rural and underserved areas. Meridiam is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

a Virginia-based company with a hub in Huntsville, has announced it will acquire Eqlipse Technologies. The company says the acquisition will accelerate its advancements in space, autonomous systems, cyber and artificial intelligence, all priorities for the Department of Defense. Birminghambased Motion Industries, a distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, is acquiring Perfetto Manufacturing and SER Hydraulics, both located in Sudbury, Canada. MST CPAs and Advisers, based in Montgomery, has merged into Montgomery-based Jackson Thornton. EMERGENCY CARE Ascension St. Vincent’s East has opened a free-standing emergency department in

Trussville providing roundthe-clock emergency care. Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham has started an expansion of its Emergency Department, which should be complete later this year. The project will add 3,600 square feet of space. AIRBUS GROWS AGAIN Airbus, known in Alabama primarily for the commercial planes it builds in Mobile, has expanded another facet of its Port City operations — adding a hangar to the site where it upgrades and overhauls military aircraft. SITTING ON THE DOCK American Queen Voyages, the river cruise company that made stops in Florence and Decatur, has shut down. The company said it could not recover from

BENCHMARKS

BL Harbert International to build med school at South Alabama BL HARBERT INTERNATIONAL, based in Birmingham, has won

a competitively bid $182 million contract to build the new University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine building. The five-story, 295,000-square-foot building — a $200 million project slated for completion late in 2026 — will include 54,000 square feet of classroom space, a 16,000-square-foot anatomy lab, 92,000 square feet of research labs and a 32,000-square-foot vivarium. The new facility will allow South to increase its medical school enrollment from 80 to 100 students per graduation class. Speaking for BL Harbert International, Senior Vice President Dan Price said, “We’re honored to work with the University of South Alabama on a legacy project that will significantly benefit our organizations.” Design firms for the project are New Orleans-based Eskew+Dumez+Ripple and Chicago-based Perkins + Will. In other construction news: HPM is managing and WHITE-SPUNNER is general contractor for a major sports complex in Saraland, with baseball, tennis and other sports facilities. Birmingham-based construction firm ROBINS & MORTON and Jupiter Medical Center in Florida celebrated the grand opening of the Johnny and Terry Gray Surgical Institute in Palm

Rendering of Saraland sports complex.

Beach County. Robins & Morton has also broken ground for the Okaloosa Gas District headquarters in Valparaiso, Florida. DOSTER CONSTRUCTION CO. has completed the second phase of renovations for the UAB Hospital Highlands in downtown Birmingham. The renovations include a new outpatient sports medicine clinic. Birmingham-based CAPSTONE BUILDING CORP. has kicked off work on Phase II of its Herndon Square project near Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The $57 million project will include 201 residential units. Work is beginning on the $34 million Huntsville West Industrial Park. Permits have now been issued to TRIAD PROPERTIES principal Fuller McLendon and to builder ARCO/ MURRAY NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION CO. Birmingham-based HOAR CONSTRUCTION celebrated the

topping out – the beam placement signifying the completion of exterior construction – of UAB Medicine’s inpatient rehabilitation facility. The $128 million, 11-story building is expected to be completed in early 2025.

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B R I E F S

the effects of the pandemic. Parent company Hornblower Group, which also operated the Mobile Bay Ferry, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy but said the ferry service would continue.

HOOP SPIN Kentucky-based Brown-Forman Corp. is selling its cooperage in Trinity, Alabama, though the facility will still make barrels for the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. The cooperage will change its name from the Jack Daniel’s Cooperage to the Alabama Cooperage.

OPEN WIDE The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry has opened a dental clinic in Dothan, using a $3.4 million state grant. The clinic will be staffed by UAB dental professors at first and later by dental graduates serving their residency programs.

CONTRACTS Integrated Innovation Inc. (I3), based in Huntsville, has been awarded a $187 million contract to develop training programs for the Navy. Huntsville-based Axient has been awarded a $20 million contract for launch systems and new entrant certification support. It includes certification support for the Vulcan and New Glenn launch systems.

GOOD EATS Tuscaloosa’s Urban Bar & Kitchen is the one Alabama spot that made it on USA Today’s 2024 Restaurants of the Year list.

FINDING KENTUCK The Kentuck Festival of the Arts will take place in Tuscaloosa’s Snow Hinton Park Oct. 19-20. The festival moved after 50 years in Northport. This year’s festival will be held in a renovated section of the Tuscaloosa park. GRANTS FOR WOMEN The Women’s Foundation of Alabama has awarded $1.2 million in grants to 46 Alabama programs in 44 counties, chosen in the areas of women and work, women and leadership, and women and wellbeing.

NORTHPORT WATER FUN, FEAR While the Northport City Council approved an initial step toward a $350 million water park, some people said they’re concerned about the mixed-use development called University Beach. Residents brought up objections including

the development’s effect on the environment, property values and traffic. JOINING FORCES Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates has joined the Texas-based insurance group Higginbotham, which already includes WRM Group among its ranks. WRM comprises Byars|Wright, Pritchett-Moore and Flowers Insurance. TAKE A HIKE The city of Birmingham has received a $21.5 million grant to construct a Birmingham urban trail and a multimodal corridor. The grant was given by the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the “Birmingham Civil Rights Crossroads: Reconnecting Historic Neighborhoods Through Active Mobility” project.

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 9

BENCHMARKS

SEEDS grants provide $30M for industrial site development Alabama’s first SEEDS GRANTS, more than $30 million, will be used to help develop industry-ready sites across the state. SEED funding of $30.1 million will be matched with $38.4 million in local funds at 29 different industrial sites encompassing nearly 8,400 acres. SEEDS is an acronym for the Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy Act. “SEEDS represents an important tool that will allow us to keep winning those economic development projects that trigger lasting impacts for Alabama citizens,” Gov. Kay Ivey said in announcing the grants. “The awarding of the first grants under the program represents a milestone in our efforts to make sure Alabama remains competitive for game-changing growth projects.” Site assessment grants went to Autauga, Clay, Chilton, Conecuh, Dale, Greene, Lamar, Lowndes and Marion counties. Land purchase grants went for Enterprise Commerce Park in Coffee County, Atmore Industrial Park in Escambia County, and

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The NEAR site is in Attalla in Etowah County.

potential industrial sites alongside Brookley Field in Mobile. Global Location Services, a firm based in Greenville, South Carolina, assisted in the evaluation process, and the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama will administer the SEEDS grants program. After the SEEDS application process opened in October 2023, organizations across the state requested a combined total of $42 million in funding. Those not chosen for funding can apply for future funding, and some of them benefited from free feedback from GLS as part of the evaluation process.

BENCHMARKS

Leadership change at MTM in Madison MAZDA TOYOTA MANUFACTURING has

announced a change of leadership at its plant in Madison. Founding Plant President Masashi Aihara, who took the helm of the new plant in 2018 as part of his 40-year career with Mazda Motor Corp., is stepping aside at the end of March.

hope is to leave the same kind of positive impact on MTM and Alabama, that they have had on me and on my family over the past five years.” Mukaida has been with Mazda 35 years, most recently as executive officer in charge of global production. He has also served as CEO and president of Mazda Powertrain Manufacturing in Thailand.

“My mission at MTM as a joint venture plant is to further realize the synergy between Toyota and Mazda through their respective strengths, and to develop it as a ‘best in town’ facility that is loved by our team members and the local community,” said Mukaida. “I will continue to work with determination to put down roots in Huntsville.”

Masashi Aihara, founding president.

Mitsunobu Mukaida, incoming president.

Mazda veteran Mitsunobu Mukaida will become plant president. Mazda shares a plant with Toyota, where Mazda CX-50 and Toyota Corolla Cross are made. “It has been a great challenge to start an automotive facility of this size from cotton fields, to where MTM is now,” Aihara said. “We received much support from the local governments, communities, suppliers, our team members and other stakeholders that has led to our success — two new lines, two shifts, producing two vehicles. My April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 11

BENCHMARKS

Southern Roots Nut Co. plans $17M plant in Dothan

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New Mexico-based SOUTHERN ROOTS NUT CO. plans to open a pecan processing facility in Dothan, creating 120 jobs. The company chose Dothan over a competing location in Georgia. The company will invest $16.6 million to outfit an existing building and construct a new facility in Houston County that will process, store and

Pecan plant would bring 120 jobs.

distribute raw pecans. “Year after year, the skilled hands working at Alabama’s food production business prove there is a good reason the state’s agriculture industry has earned a national reputation,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “Southern Roots Nut Co. is a welcome addition to the business community in Sweet Home Alabama, and I know that its planned facility in Dothan will find success thanks to a dedicated and skilled workforce.” Southern Roots is a pecan grower and processor specializing in shelled and unshelled pecans, flavored pecans, pecan oil and more. “My family has called Dothan home since early 2018, and I couldn’t think of a better place to continue our family’s tradition shelling and processing pecans than Dothan,” said Brandon Harrell, Southern Roots’ chief operating officer and president of sales. “We are truly excited to partner with business-friendly state, county and city officials who truly want the best opportunities for their respective areas.” Southern Roots is committed to creating 120 jobs over a two-year time frame with an annual payroll exceeding $4.1 million, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce. “The people of Houston County are thankful for the opportunities that Southern Roots Nut Co. is bringing to our area. The company’s high standard of sourcing world-class pecans aligns well with the agriculturally rich Wiregrass community,” said Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe. The state of Alabama and the city of Dothan will provide some tax credits and AIDT will provide workforce development services to the project. In addition, the city and the Industrial Development Board are providing the company assistance through the AMEA Capital Fund Program, local statutory tax abatements and discretionary support. 

HIGHER EDUCATION

Life Lessons Alabama Cooperative Extension System translates research into practical life skills

By GAIL ALLYN SHORT

ant to learn how to raise chickens, plant a garden, eat healthier or fly a drone to survey your land? Or maybe you just want to know how to pack potato salad for the cookout without making your guests sick. If you do, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) could have the answers you are looking for. “We fill an educational role much like a K-12 school system would, but it’s providing a lot of information having to do with environmental issues and with all sorts of things that people deal with in their lives every day, from proper eating habits to the environment to even an interest in space sciences,” says ACES Director J. Mike Phillips. ACES is a partnership between two public landgrant universities, Auburn University and Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, and is part of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ACES divides duties between the two institutions, with Auburn managing research and programming for rural communities and Alabama A&M focusing on urban and suburban communities. Some of the organization’s more familiar services include the 4-H programs for urban and rural youngsters, food safety classes and the county extension agents who can answer questions from the public about gardening and landscaping. ACES, in fact, supports research and positions extension agents in all 67 counties in the state. “We have extension agents who go out to homes and help individuals with gardens, and we assist a lot of community gardens,” says ACES Associate Director Jennifer Wells-Marshall at Alabama A&M. “We also help people identify pests, and we do pest management as well.” In ACES, researchers at Auburn and Alabama A&M conduct studies in areas such as agriculture, the enviOne of the areas the Alabama Cooperative Extension System works in is poultry production. Here, from left, are Jess Campbell, Extension specialist with the National Poultry Technology Center; Jim Branche with Daviston’s King Trail Farms; and Jeremiah Davis, director of the National Poultry Technology Center. April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 13

H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

“

We fill an educational role much like a K-12 school system would, but it’s providing a lot of information having to do with environmental issues and with all sorts of things that people deal with in their lives every day, from proper eating habits to the environment to even an interest in space sciences.” — J. Mike Phillips, ACES Director

ronment, and family and consumer sciences. ACES then passes on that knowledge through extension agents to people — from farmers and ranchers to city slickers — through classes, workshops and other outreach programs. The goal is to help people enhance their own work and economic well-being, health, homes and lifestyle. ACES’s budget in FY 2022 was $67.6 million, which included federal, state and county appropriations and grants and contracts, according to the agency’s annual report. With that budget, ACES is supporting research at Auburn University, for example, that is helping restore depleted oyster reefs along Alabama’s Gulf Coast. “We have a couple of specialists located there and they work with the various state and federal partners to do not only educational outreach but also addressing the research priorities to help that industry from year to year,” Phillips says. ACES partners with several state agencies and nonprofits such as the Alabama Department of Agriculture, the Alabama Forestry Association and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for various research projects. One such project is the Alabama Drought Reach (ADR) program that the Auburn University Water Resources Center and the Alabama Office of the State Climatologist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville developed. Extension staffers and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn are collaborating to gather data regarding drought conditions in Alabama and build awareness about the impact that drought is having on agriculture across the state. ACES is also helping farmers mitigate the drought conditions with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “For beef cattle producers, there likely will be a hay shortage in the coming winter. So, our beef and forage team has been instrumental in identifying sources for hay in other states to bring here to help these producers out through the winter months,” Phillips says. Besides research, ACES maintains teams of educators or extension agents who work with academic departments to develop educational classes and workshops to show farmers, ranchers and others how to apply the latest research to their own farms and communities. 14 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

Extension agents offer instruction on topics ranging from basic farming, seed conditioning, beef systems, foraging, scheduling irrigation, methods for preserving soil moisture, and even flying drones to apply spot treatments of herbicides over crops, Phillips says. The Alabama Extension at Auburn also oversees the 4-H programs that give children and teens hands-on experience with gardening and livestock management. Another program is the Alabama Master Naturalist program out of Auburn University where anyone who lives or works in Alabama can train to become a master naturalist and qualify to teach others about Alabama’s environment. ACES also administers the Master Gardeners program, a popular course that has existed for more than 40 years, which trains individuals in horticulture and pest-control methods. “There are a lot of adults in the state that have been affiliated with master gardeners. They have plant sales, and they do a lot of community service projects associated with gardens. It’s one of our long-term benchmark programs that’s been hugely successful,” Phillips says. ACES in Auburn also manages the Forest Business Resources Program that teaches private landowners how to produce income from timber and non-timber products and understand the markets. ACES recently launched a new initiative to assist farmers experiencing mental health struggles. The program lets farmers contact their local county extension office for information and for lists of available mental health counselors. In its home sciences division, ACES offers the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) that teaches nutrition education to underserved, rural area adults and children and helps them apply what they learn. Meanwhile, the urban division of Alabama Extension maintains teams of extension agents whose mission is to share with the public research from Alabama A&M University on health, nutrition, urban agriculture, the environment and youth development. From that research, they create evidence-based programs like 4-H Youth Development, which, among other things, instructs youngsters on healthy living habits and introduces them to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. “We’re in every discipline. The only difference is our focus is going to be on urban affairs in urban audiences,” she says.

H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

In fact, Wells-Marshall oversees Alabama Extension in nine urban centers across the state, which includes Anniston, Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Florence, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa and serves more than 27 counties in those regions. One A&M program targets seniors, presenting them with activities like bird watching, birdhouse building, gardening

and landscaping, Wells-Marshall says. “We’re helping seniors to be more in tune with the environment, and it’s a way to help keep them active mentally and physically,” she says. Another popular Alabama Extension urban initiative is the Community Health, Aerobic Motivational Program Initiating Optimal Nutrition program, or CHAMPION.

“CHAMPION is a series of lessons designed to help participants make better food choices and adopt physical activity,” Wells-Marshall says. “The physical activity component is based on what people have access to in urban areas. So, we may focus on going to neighborhood parks and exercises that people can do in small spaces like riding a stationary bike,” she says. Extension agents with CHAMPION include registered dietitians who teach skills such as mastering nutrition terminology, interpreting food labels and managing chronic health conditions like diabetes, she says. Alabama Extension at Alabama A&M also operates several mobile units that visit communities to teach nutrition and water conservation and visit schools so students can participate in hands-on STEM experiments. In addition, Alabama Extension’s urban division administers a workforce development program called Career Countdown. “Career Countdown helps young people identify a career interest and see what’s available in the current job market in the area where they live, as well as in areas they may want to move to,” WellsMarshall says. “It also helps them create and navigate a path to the type of career they want to have whether that’s through the military, a two-year degree, a four-year degree or a post-graduate degree,” she says. As Alabama Extension continues to evolve over the years, the agency promises to continue bringing cutting-edge discoveries and new technologies to both rural and urban communities, Phillips says. He points to the new telehealth station that ACES rolled out last March in rural Chambers County to make it easier for residents to access healthcare. “Technology changes are going to be a challenge for all of us,” says Phillips, “but we’ve got to move along with those technology changes and address the needs of all of our citizens out there in the state the best we know how.” Gail Allyn Short is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

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H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

A Class in Calamities JSU’s emergency management program prepares students for careers in disaster planning and response By CARY ESTES

y its very nature, a public emergency is not a scheduled event. At best, you might have a few days of advance notice, as in the case of hurricanes or weather that might produce tornadoes. Worst-case scenario, the emergency hits without warning — an active shooter, terrorist attack or earthquake. Either way, an emergency is not the time for on-the-ground planning. For the past 25 years, Jacksonville State University has been helping students and working professionals prepare for a career

“

in, well, being prepared, through degree programs in emergency management. What began in 1999 as a basic on-campus Bachelor of Science degree has evolved into an online program that includes a master’s degree as well as the only doctorate degree in emergency management offered in Alabama — and one of the few in the nation. “We teach students how to make plans for preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery,” says Tanveer Islam, professor and chair of the JSU Department of

Emergency Management and Public Administration. “What are the plans that need to be in place to respond to a disaster? What mechanisms are needed to reduce the impact of the disaster? When it hits, how do you respond to save people? Then once the disaster is over, what are the short-term and long-term recovery plans? “We’re basically covering everything before, during and after the disaster. This program helps not only the emergency managers, but it also helps the communi-

We’re basically covering everything before, during and after the disaster. This program helps not only the emergency managers, but it also helps the communities to be more resilient and prepared.” — Tanveer Islam, professor and chair of the JSU Department of Emergency Management and Public Administration April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 17

H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

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We saw with Hurricane Katrina (in 2005) what can happen if you’re not prepared. We’ve learned so much since then. If you can mitigate things in the beginning, you are less likely to be as mired down in the recovery process.” —Allison Newton, program director and assistant professor with the JSU Department of Emergency Management and Public Administration ties to be more resilient and prepared.” Islam says there currently are approximately 500 active participants taking some level of the JSU emergency management program, including about 60 doctoral students. They range in age from teenage college students to EMA professionals in their 50s and 60s who want to advance in their careers. Islam says the department also is working with the U.S. Secret Service National Computer Forensics Institute in Hoover to develop a cybersecurity course for the agency. In addition, JSU recently extended its original 10-year agreement with the FEMA Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston for another 10 years, a partnership that enables the university and CDP leaders to collaborate on research, internships and academic credits. “This is an important partnership, as

18 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

it brings together the academic with the practitioner,” CDP Superintendent Tony Russell said in January during a meeting announcing the agreement extension. “You have to have both those to shape the future of preparedness, response and recovery, and to really impact the national goal of a secure nation.” It is all part of JSU’s effort to provide the education and training needed for a wide variety of careers in emergency management, from standard public information roles all the way to Homeland Security positions and anti-terrorism specialists. “There are always going to be emergencies. So, there is always going to be a need to learn more about them and how to deal with them and recover from them,” says Allison Newton, program director and assistant professor with the JSU Department of Emergency Management & Public Administration. “How do you develop and implement policy so everything moves as smoothly as possible? “We saw with Hurricane Katrina (in 2005) what can happen if you’re not prepared. We’ve learned so much since then. If you can mitigate things in the beginning, you are less likely to be as mired down in the recovery process. This program teaches individuals how to be better prepared when emergencies happen, whatever they might be,” Newton says. Accomplishing that requires much more than the creation of a things-to-do checklist. Instead, the classes take a deep dive into various emergency situations, carefully moving students through the factors that can lead to an emergency all the way to the final recovery efforts. “I teach a class on hazard mitigation where students learn about the different potential hazards, both man-made and natural,” Islam says. “They learn how to do a risk analysis and a vulnerability analysis. There are structural and non-structural strategies within the plan. Then at the end, they have to submit a term paper that has an actual mitigation plan. It’s a very comprehensive emergency management education.” That education has paid significant dividends for JSU graduate Michael Barton, who received a B.S. degree from the program in 2005 and currently is enrolled

in the master’s program. Barton was the director of emergency management for Calhoun County when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. “In emergency management, we face natural and technological hazards all the time. But nobody had gone through a pandemic in about three generations,” says Barton, who currently is the director of public safety and chief of police for JSU. “So, I really had to rely on what I had learned in the program. As we began to understand that there was a hazardous virus out there and began to prepare for that, I went back and used some of those academic best practices as guidance. “Then I reached out to some of the faculty, who helped refresh me with resources and expertise. So, while the education was important, the relationships I had built with the professors also was important. All of it prepared me to not only work in emergency management, but also to lead in that field.” Cary Estes is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

“

In emergency management, we face natural and technological hazards all the time. But nobody had gone through a pandemic in about three generations.” —Michael Barton, JSU master’s program candidate

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 19

H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

Dr. Jaber Abu Qahouq and Zhiyong Xia, who recently completed his Ph.D., work on a UA project to extend the useful life of EV batteries.

Making the most of

EV BATTERIES UA researchers discover ways to extend battery life By DEBORAH STOREY

lectric vehicles are gaining traction as many consumers choose a more environmentally friendly way to get around. But what happens if all those used-up EV batteries end up in landfills? Researchers at the University of Alabama are finding ways to extend the life of old EV batteries for use in charging

20 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

stations and even homes and solar panels. One of the main goals is to provide a safer and “more techno-economically viable” system to use the old batteries, researchers say. Specifically, they want to find ways to extend their life, reduce the carbon footprint and ultimately lessen the demand on the nation’s power grids. Supported financially by the U.S.

Department of Energy and in partnership with Alabama Power and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., the research is part of the Alabama Mobility and Power Center at Tuscaloosa, which focuses on the EV market. After EV batteries are retired, they are likely to become hazardous waste if not reused or recycled, explains Dr. Jaber

H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

Abu Qahouq, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UA. He is also director of the Energy and Power Electronics System and Devices Laboratory and chief scientific officer of the Alabama Mobility and Power Center. Lithium-ion battery packs are replaced when they can no longer store a charge of more than 70% to 80% of their original capacity. The battery modules, or cells, degrade unevenly, causing operational risks. The UA project connects those modules to power converters with control algorithms that monitor the used batteries’ health to avoid overstressing. The batteries could charge back up during times of low power demand and recharge an EV during peak demand.

to support electrified transportation infrastructure and electric vehicles but in a less demanding stationary application.” The closest simple comparison, he says, is with the use of batteries in a camera flashlight versus a TV remote controller. “The camera flashlight demands instant high power from the batteries and therefore one needs new highly healthy, high-quality batteries in order to operate properly,” Qahouq explains. “On the

other hand, a TV remote controller is likely to function well with older, weaker batteries and/or batteries with lower quality or lower health.” Batteries no longer used for vehicles on a daily basis still have a certain percentage of their initial capacity, Qahouq says. They can continue to support charging stations but must be monitored. “These batteries can also be utilized in homes and buildings as emergency

“

Fortunately, the retired EV batteries can continue to be used in a variety of less demanding second-use applications in order to utilize them to their full potential.” — Jaber Abu Qahouq, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UA, director of the Energy and Power Electronics System and Devices Laboratory and chief scientific officer of the Alabama Mobility and Power Center “Fortunately, the retired EV batteries can continue to be used in a variety of less demanding second-use applications in order to utilize them to their full potential,” Qahouq explains. As alternative energy storage they can be used as backup power for buildings and homes, for example. The EV battery modules get a second life, Qahouq says, “where they continue April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 21

H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

“

Battery life research is a core component of our domestic battery industry strategy and key to unlocking the potential of our advanced battery technologies and accelerating EV adoption among consumers.” — Michael S. Malley Jr., associate research professional for the Alabama Transportation Institute and Alabama Mobility and Power Center

backup power source when grid power is not available or to store photovoltaic solar panels energy to be used during times when electricity pricing is high or during peak power demand hours,” he says. Old EV batteries include toxic material and can catch fire if not handled appropriately, notes Qahouq. Using them in new ways and later recycling the materials “can help in reducing impact on the environment by reducing landfill waste and the demand for new raw materials.” The recycled batteries “store clean and renewable energy for later use.” In addition to the benefit to the environment, reusing batteries can save money. “It can potentially be more cost effective compared with manufacturing new batteries,” says Qahouq. Maximizing the economic benefit “is something we are and will be considering as we progress in this project,” he says. And when the batteries can no longer provide useful power, says Qahouq, “Later their material can potentially be recycled.” That can be a benefit, too, because the jump in EV sales also triggers a jump in the need for the minerals lithium and graphite — projected to grow as much as 4,000% in coming decades. PART OF A BROADER PROGRAM

Michael S. Malley Jr. is an associate research professional for the Alabama Transportation Institute and Alabama Mobility and Power Center, a partner in this effort. The center at the university 22 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

supports this research in power technology and delivery and provides a chance for university students to apply their skills after graduation. The AMP Center focuses on three areas, Malley explains: use-inspired research, economic development and workforce development. The center directs and supports R&D projects related to advanced battery components and energy storage systems. It also commissions reports to inform the public and “steer state and local directives around transportation electrification,” he says. In addition, it helps actively recruit businesses across the EV ecosystem and develops learning programs to support EV-related careers. The AMP Center is headquartered in the Smart Communities and Innovation Building on the UA campus. It includes three facilities, Malley explains. First, the Laboratory for Advanced Battery Component Research develops battery and energy storage technologies. It addresses raw materials production, materials processing and cell manufacturing, module and pack manufacturing and end-of-life recycling and reuse, Malley explains. The second component is the Laboratory for Power Research. “This cutting-edge facility is a test bed for the research and development of customerfocused energy storage products and services to enable a new energy economy,” Malley says. “It includes a working microgrid, solar array, charging infrastructure and more.”

The National Training Center, the third part of the AMP Center, is a collaborative space where industry, academia and government develop high-tech training and joint ventures. “Students, faculty and staff do a lot of the work,” Malley says, but other colleges, workforce development agencies and EV companies support the work being done there. “Battery life research is a core component of our domestic battery industry strategy and key to unlocking the potential of our advanced battery technologies and accelerating EV adoption among consumers,” Malley says. Extending the life and usefulness of EV batteries brings several major benefits, he explains. Malley agrees with Qahouq in saying that one of the biggest is a reduction in the environmental impact. “This is realized in several ways, such as a diminishing need for extracted resources (like lithium, cobalt and nickel), reductions in waste due to the less frequent disposal of batteries,” he says, as well as “lower manufacturing emissions by way of declining demand for new batteries.” The other good thing to come from the ongoing research is “better overall energy efficiency as a byproduct of improved battery longevity and innovation,” he adds. The battery-life research project team at Alabama also includes specialists from Southern Company Services. Deborah Storey is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

STEM

STELLAR STEM School programs prepare students for tomorrow’s jobs

he U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs in the United States are set to rise 11% by 2031, more than two times faster than the total for all occupations. In fact, the bureau reported that in 2021 close to 10 million workers in the United States already held STEM jobs. “In an ever-changing, increasingly complex world, it’s more important than ever that our nation’s youth are prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions,” the report states. Because of this growing trend, many school systems in recent years across the

By GAIL ALLYN SHORT Students from Autauga County Schools participate in the robotics competition. At left, an Opelika student works with a robot.

nation, including Alabama, have adopted STEM education. The STEM Education Research Center defines STEM education as an interdisciplinary approach using hands-on, problem-based learning in the classroom. Around Alabama, school systems over the last several years have adopted various STEM programs introducing K-12 students to subjects ranging from computer coding, architecture and robotics to physics and engineering. Some schools have even created their own labs — or what are called makerspace rooms — where students come to conduct experiments, explore, inquire and design using a variety April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 27

STEM

of materials, tools and technologies. Even many high schools have folded STEM into their career technical education (CTE) programs. Advance CTE, a national association of state CTE directors, even argues that CTE is a STEM strategy. Advance CTE writes, “While a state’s CTE programs may not encompass everything within a state’s STEM strategy, high-quality CTE programs can provide a strong foundation for and serve as a delivery system of STEM competencies and skills for a broader range of students.” To help bolster STEM education in Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey, by executive order in 2020, established the Alabama STEM Council, a body that would advise school systems in the state on how to improve STEM education, career awareness and workforce development. The Alabama STEM Council says STEM programs should teach students a number of skills, including how to reason both abstractly and quantitatively, argue

from evidence, solve problems, work collaboratively with others and communicate effectively. Here are just a few examples. TRUSSVILLE CITY SCHOOLS

Just outside of Birmingham, Trussville City Schools provides STEM education for students starting in elementary school through high school, says Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Lisa Berry. “Foundations are built at the elementary school through lessons in the core content areas, weekly STEM lessons and makerspace opportunities,” Berry says. For example, at the Cahaba, Magnolia and Paine elementary schools, young children visit with a STEM teacher each week to learn coding using Coding.org and robotics using small, yellow plastic robots, called Bee-Bots that teach children programming and problem solving, she says. “We’re lucky that we’ve been awarded

robotics grants from the state for the last few years. So, we have Bee-Bots in every school and Hummingbird Bit robotics kits, which have microbits,” Berry says. Older students attending Hewitt-Trussville Middle School and Hewitt-Trussville High School can explore their STEM interests through CTE courses, electives and clubs,” says April Chamberlain, Trussville City School’s technology supervisor. Middle school students, for example, can participate in a medical detective unit where they learn about the human body and symptoms and solve medical mysteries. They also can learn concepts in areas like pre-engineering and computer science through classroom experiments. At Hewitt-Trussville High School, students can choose to take classes in one of several career “academies,” or pathways, such as engineering, biomedical sciences, computer science, sports medicine and modern manufacturing where instructors show students how scientific, mathematical, technological and digital concepts are used in real-world jobs. AUTAUGA COUNTY SCHOOLS

Autauga County Schools’ Department of Curriculum and Instruction organized a program to bring hands-on STEM and STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) lessons and activities on two refurbished school buses to their students. The STREAM bus is for younger K-4 students while the STEM bus targets older students. Teachers can sign up for a bus to come to their campus, Holly McNider, Autauga’s director of curriculum and instruction, says. “It’s kind of like a field trip without ever leaving campus,” she says. Most recently, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama awarded Autauga County Schools a $114,750 grant for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years as part of its Hyundai Initiative for Robotics Excellence (HIRE) program. The grant funds VEX robotics kits for students in grades K-12, as well as materials needed to compete in VEX robotics competitions. The funds also pay for teacher training through Auburn University’s Southeastern Center of Robotics 28 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

STEM

Autauga schools recently expanded their STEM facilities, and officials gathered for a ribbon cutting.

Education. In addition, a pilot program to expose the fourth-grade gifted class at Prattville Elementary School to various STEM career fields is taking place in partnership with Central Alabama Community College, McNider says. Through the program, the class each month participates in hands-on experiments and other activities to help them explore various STEM careers, from welding and aviation to healthcare. OPELIKA CITY SCHOOLS

At Opelika High School, students can explore a career in engineering. Opelika High School offers the CTE STEM engineering pathway for grades 9-12. The first class is Foundations of Engineering and Technology, the school’s engineering teacher and robotics coach

Brenda Howell says. “Anybody can take it. It’s predominantly your underclassmen, the ones who think they might want to be an engineer, and this is how they get a little taste of it and see if it really is for them,” she says.

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 29

STEM

“

We look at global food security and how engineering can help with that, and, in particular, genetically modified organisms as food sources. We look at renewable fuel sources and particularly biofuels.” — Brenda Howell , Opelika High School engineering teacher and robotics coach “As far as the learning objectives, they’re learning the engineering design process and how to use the CAD (computer-aided design) software SolidWorks.” Those who choose to continue the engineering pathway can elect to take an

30 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

environmental engineering course to learn how engineers find solutions for problems such as providing safe and abundant water, she says. “We look at global food security and how engineering can help with that, and, in particular, genetically modified organisms as food sources. We look at renewable fuel sources and particularly biofuels,” she says. Afterward, students can take an applications of engineering course involving physics and mathematics to understand concepts like motor efficiency, vector forces, robotics systems and thermodynamics. “Typically, we like for them to wait until 11th grade to take that one just because it has trigonometry in it. They’ve had enough math in high school that they can handle that,” Howell says. Meanwhile, middle school students in the Opelika school district are learning robotics, digital literacy and computer technology and participating in robotics competitions.

MONTGOMERY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Montgomery Public Schools introduces STEM to students throughout the system. The websites for Garrett and Dalraida elementary schools, for example, boast of their schools’ STEM labs, rooms where students as young as kindergarten can visit to learn and conduct hands-on STEM projects, from learning about animals and building simple robots to experiencing virtual reality. Moreover, at the Bear Exploration Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology School, an MPS magnet elementary school, students take part in hands-on projects in both the school’s science and technology labs, and enjoy field trips to places like Maxwell Airforce Base in Montgomery to learn about aviation. Meanwhile, at Montgomery’s Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School, STEM is woven into the CTE curriculum, Brewbaker Principal Jason Norred says. “Our CTE is really the backbone of this school. That’s what makes us a magnet school. All our students go through an academy and through those academies, and through our regular coursework, STEM is embedded,” he says. Brewbaker students can choose to study in one of several career academies that include architecture and design, medicine, engineering and information technology, as well as finance and advertising design. In the IT academy, for example, MPS students learn to write computer code. Students can also learn about cybersecurity and how to prevent digital attacks. IT students have even competed in CyberPatriot competitions offered by the National Youth Cyber Education Program, which is a STEM program of the Air & Space Forces Association. In the engineering academy, Norred says, students learn to build robots using VEX educational robotics kits. Gail Allyn Short is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 31

STEM

Chemistry in action Johnson Labs creates products for hunting, cleaning, agriculture By EMMETT BURNETT — Photos by STEW MILNE

Karla Johnson is CEO and Louis Johnson is founder, president and certified chemist.

32 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

STEM

he front lawn sign sums the company well. “The Science of Nature,” is more than a catchy motto – it is a creed, practiced and aligned with Johnson Labs. Today is no exception. On this visit, beyond the sign, inside the 15,000-square-foot facility, formulas move from paper to production. Chemicals are mixed, products are packed, and delivery is at hand. Such is a day typical of Troy, Alabama’s woman-owned, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) focused company. What started as a two-person operation was recently named the 2023 Alabama Manufacturer of the Year. “We are proud to be recognized,” says company CEO Karla Johnson, displaying the award given by the Business Council of Alabama and Alabama Technology Network. What a difference 36 years make. The company has come a long way since its 1988 founding. In 2024, Johnson Labs is a chemistrymanufacturing center with more than 150 formulas, 12 patents and a national

customer base. In 1988, Johnson Labs was Johnson’s kitchen. During the company’s early days, company founder Louis Johnson and wife, Karla, held other jobs. He was a chemist with a food company. She was a highschool English teacher. “After we married, Louis had an idea for a hunting product, a scent eliminator,” recalls Karla Johnson. The invention, B Scent Free, originated in the newlyweds’ kitchen sink. “That was our flagship,” adds Louis Johnson. “We built the business, starting with that product.” At the start, both worked full time in other jobs. He still does, as pastor of Vine Church in Troy. But he’s still the company president and its certified chemist — researching projects, creating formulas, implementing product development and troubleshooting. Two weeks after Louis Johnson became a fulltime minister, Johnson Labs received the biggest contract it ever had. “Before that order, we did everything small scale by hand,” Karla Johnson remembers. “We

had to pivot the business at that point.” She had been a teacher for 30 years, but retired to become full-time CEO of Johnson Labs. “I never dreamed I would move from teaching high school English to running a STEM company,” she says. “I had a high-school background education in science and always had an interest in it, but not much training at the college level.” Louis Johnson adds about the startup days, “We worked together, then and now. I am always available to help, but Karla is very good with managing people and organizing. She has done a tremendous job to grow the business.” Neither of the two had marketing experience, so that part was hired out, allowing the duo to concentrate on science, production and a budding business. Employees experienced a learning curve and so did the CEO. Karla Johnson honed her STEM skills — fast. She also trained employees and still does. “We have a saying around here,” she says, discussing her workers and job re-

Savannah Herndon, an employee at Johnson Labs, pours a solution into a mixer at the labs’ facility in Troy.

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 33

In addition to its original B Scent Free product for hunters, Johnson Labs makes a variety of cleaning and other products.

quirements. “You have got to go math it.” Two such employees are Brittany Black and Savannah Herndon. “The job requires a lot of math and calculations,” Black notes, as she monitors progress of a deer scent formula hunters cannot get enough of. “We constantly check viscosity, pH values and other factors. It has to be mixed just right. There is no error room.” In a separate area Herndon mixes what will be a shower soap. “We mix and add chemicals based on the specific formula,” she says, while working the shower soap into a finished product. Karla Johnson notes about her employees, “It takes about six months of training before one is fully ready to be a mixer. It is a key role. We find that our best mixers start at entry level positions and show interest. They tend to stay and develop into the job roles.” She continues, “Our employees preferably come from STEM backgrounds, especially our mixers, who must know basic chemistry. It is a big learning curve if they haven’t had that training. We take high school and college students who have STEM backgrounds and take them a step further.” Karla Johnson notes, “We work in the science world. Viscosity, pH levels, formulas and other aspects of chemistry were learned in classes. We are the real-life application for what they learned.” On a side note, the CEO says, “Currently, all of our mixers are women. That’s kind of unusual and unplanned but it’s where we are now. There is a push for more women in STEM. I have learned 34 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

much more about chemistry and science than I had from the beginning days of this company.” A knowledge of chemistry through STEM is vital, according to Louis Johnson. “STEM skills learned in school can be applied anywhere. If you have a science and math education background, it definitely moves you to the top of the list.” He also explains, “Good STEM knowledge is applicable to workplace safety as well. Johnson Labs’ workers know the characteristics and the science behind the chemicals. The STEM training you learn in school provides a good foundation for understanding safety data sheets and the proper use of personal safety equipment (PPE).” Currently, the hunting, fishing and outdoors market leads Johnson Labs’ product line. But Louis Johnson sees that changing. “I think agriculture will eventually pass the hunting and fishing market. Hunting is big but it is seasonal. Whereas with agriculture, it is always the growing season somewhere in the world.” Other Johnson Labs markets include laundry, janitorial and cleaning, restaurants and fleet management. More will be coming. As manufacturers, the company wants to always create new products, improve existing products, and get into more markets, Louis Johnson says. It’s a big step from those humble kitchen-table beginnings. Emmett Burnett and Stew Milne are freelance contributors to Business Alabama. Burnett is based in Satsuma and Milne in Auburn. April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 35

TOP R ANK

INCUBATOR/ CONTACT

ADDRESS

PHONE / WEBSITE

B.C. Hornady Industrial Incubator Darlene Thompson, Executive Director

188 Sheffield Rd. Monroeville, AL 36460

251-743-1332 mmceda.com

Bessemer Business Incubation System Devron Veasley, Executive Director

1020 Ninth Ave. SW Bessemer, AL 35022

205-481-2000 bessemerincubator.net

Business Technology Development Center Inc. – Biztech Larry Lewis Jr., CEO

515 Sparkman Dr. NW Huntsville, AL 35816

256-704-6000 biztech.org

Covington County Business Development Center Rick Clifton, CEO

21754 Bill Benton Ln. Andalusia, AL 36421

334-222-7040 covingtoncountyedc.com

The E-Center John Joseph IV, Executive Director; Donna Whitten, Director of Operations

1629 Fourth Ave. SE Decatur, AL 35601

The Edge Theresa Welbourne, Executive Director

# OF COMPANIES GRADUATED

# OF CURRENT COMPANIES IN INCUBATOR

Listed in alphabetical order. Sources: Business Alabama surveys and the incubator websites.

Compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

SPECIALTY AREAS

DATE FOUNDED

Alabama's Incubators

Heavy industry/distribution Service, light industrial/manufacturing and information technology

1996

Small companies developing emerging technologies

1997

Education (Andalusia campus of Alabama Aviation College); light manufacturing

2009

256-476-7006 the-ecenter.org

Light manufacturers, massage therapy, pest control, technology, insurance, mental health, sports, marketing

2010

2627 10th Ave. Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

205-348-3343 edge.culverhouse.ua.edu

None

2012

Enterprise Business Incubator Jesse Quillen, Executive Director

102 Commerce Dr. Enterprise, AL 36330

334-393-4769 wiregrassedc.com/doingbusiness/business-incubator

Small manufacturing firms

2000

The Generator Student Incubator at the University of North Alabama Mitch Hamm, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

541 W. College St. Florence, AL 35632

256-765-4825 una.edu/business/the-generator

Innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, makerspace

2015

Hatch Rick Miller, Center Director

36 N. Section St. Fairhope, AL 36532

251-270-2670 hatchfairhope.com

Technology startups

2020

Innovation Depot Brooke Gillis, CEO

1500 First Ave. N. Birmingham, AL 35203

205-250-8000 innovationdepot.org

Technology and bio-focused, high growth businesses

1987

Innovation Portal Todd Greer, Executive Director

358 St. Louis St. Mobile, AL 36602

251-202-7165 Innovation-Portal.com

Entrepreneurship education, startups, co-working space, acceleration and Industry 4.0 focus

2016

Invention to Innovation Center Rigved Joshi, Director

850 Ben Graves Dr. Huntsville, AL 35816

256-824-6058 uah.edu/i2c

New and existing science and engineering high-tech companies

2019

Lake Martin Innovation Center Jacob Meacham, Executive Director

175 Aliant Pkwy. Alexander City, AL 35010

256-414-6100 lakemartininnovationcenter.com

Professional services, small warehousing, health care

2017

Marengo County Business Development Center

2400 E. Coats Ave. Linden, AL 36748

334-295-4418 marengoeda.com

Culinary, public safety, food processing and agricultural businesses

2008

Mixson Business Center

545 W. Main St., Ste. 100 Dothan, AL 36301

334-836-0217 mixsonbusinesscenter.org

Entrepreneurs and small businesses

2004

New Venture Accelerator at Auburn University Lucian Bifano, Director

540 Devall Dr., Ste. 101 Auburn, AL 36832

334-844-7498 harbert.auburn.edu nva.auburn.edu

Student, faculty and local area startups

2020

Northeast Alabama Entrepreneurial Center Lucas Gockel, Managing Director

1400 Commerce Blvd. Ste. 1, Anniston, AL 36207

256-831-5215 neaes.org

Service and light manufacturing companies

1998

Ozark Technology Center for Developing Industry Holle Smith, President, or Lisa Dauster, Office Manager, Ozark-Dale County Economic Development Corp.

3269 U.S. Hwy. 231 S. Ozark, AL 36360

334-443-2000 odedc.com

Light manufacturing, distributing, technology, consulting service

2006

Pike County Economic Development Center Chase Cobb, Director

100 Industrial Blvd. Troy, AL 36081

334-670-2274 troy-pike-edc.org

Shoals Business Incubator Giles McDaniel, Executive Director

3115 Northington Ct. Florence, AL 35630

256-760-9014 shoalsbusinessincubator.com

36 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

Office, manufacturing, technology 55

265

Startups and emerging companies: Digital technology, research, manufacturing, logistics and food production

1992

BUS I N E S S

A L A BA M A

A W A R D S

2 0 2 4

Business Alabama honors professionals, companies More than 40 individuals and companies from across the state were honored for their achievements in 2023 Photos by ART MERIPOL

Elliot B. Maisel, CEO of the Year.

inners in seven categories and five noted for Lifetime Achievement were honored at a luncheon in Birmingham on March 1, as part of the second annual Business Alabama Awards. In addition, singer-songwriter and businessman Jimmy Buffett, who died in September, was honored with a special recognition award. “The Business Alabama Awards are an opportunity to recognize some of the best that the Alabama business community has to offer,” said Alec Harvey, executive editor of Business Alabama magazine. “The finalists show the depth and breadth of Alabama business, from North Ala-

Lucy Buffett accepted for her brother, Jimmy.

• Large Company of the Year – Hud-

bama down to the Gulf Coast.” Winners and finalists in the seven competitive categories were: • CEO of the Year – Elliot B. Maisel of Gulf Distributing; Finalists: Bridget McCaleb, Sentar; Tom Stanton, Adtran; Ray Watts, University of Alabama at Birmingham; and Haig Wright II, Byars|Wright and WRM Group.

sonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology; Finalists: Austal USA, BL Harbert International and Regions Financial. • Small Company of the Year – Thomas Accounting and Income Tax Service; Finalists: David Christopher’s, Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes, Essnova Solutions, HPM and Vanguard Pacific. • Alabama Expat of the Year – Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP; Finalists: Gen. Lloyd Austin, U.S. secretary of Defense; Noopur Davis, executive vice president, chief information security and product privacy officer, Comcast Corp.; Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, director April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 37

B A AWA R DS

of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health; and Willie Phillips, chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. • Startup of the Year – Cahaba Fire Company; Finalists: AI-Ops, Croux, Domestique Coffee and VivoSphere. • Project of the Year – Montgomery Whitewater; Finalists: Aerojet Rocketdyne expansion, Cerrowire expansion, City Walk BHAM, Discovery Life Sciences new global headquarters, Innovate Alabama, Hyundai’s production of the Genesis GV70, development of the Nextec building, Tropic Falls addition to Owa Parks & Resort, USA Health’s purchase of Providence Hospital and Wicker Point Golf Club at Russell Lands. • Philanthropic Project of the Year – Huntsville Classic, Huntsville Hospital Foundation; Finalists: Alabama Power Foundation, Bank Independent Life Without Limits Half-Marathon, Full Moon BBQ’s Backpack Blessings and Redstone Federal Credit Union’s $2 million donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama. Lifetime Achievement recipients were:

• Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the

SuperSoaker water gun and president and founder of Johnson Research & Development Company. • Don Logan, former CEO of Southern Progress, chairman of Time Warner’s Media and Communications Group and owner of the Birmingham Barons and the B.A.S.S. organization. • James W. Rane, CEO of Great Southern Wood Holdings. • Frank and Pardis Stitt, owners of the Stitt Restaurant Group, which includes Highlands Bar and Grill, Bottega and Chez Fonfon. Business Alabama took nominations for the Business Alabama Awards, and a selection committee named a winner and finalists in each category. For more information on the Business Alabama Awards, see the March 2024 issue of Business Alabama. Art Meripol is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama. 38 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

From the top, Lifetime Achievement honoree Jimmy Rane; Lifetime Achievement honorees Pardis Stitt and Frank Stitt; and CBS 42’s Andrea Lindenberg, Candi Williams of AARP and Business Alabama’s Alec Harvey.

Some enjoying the Business Alabama Awards included, clockwise from bottom left, Lifetime Achievement honoree Lonnie Johnson and his wife, Linda Moore; the team from HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology; the team from Montgomery Whitewater; and the team from Huntsville Hospital. April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 39

ACCOUNTING

Prepping for tax time Accountants offer advice for making April less of a crunch

ffective tax preparation is essential for the financial health and success of any business, but navigating the ins and outs of tax laws and filing requirements that frequently change can present challenges for new and established companies alike. Lyvonnia Poppell, who serves as principal-in-charge of Montgomery-based Jackson Thornton’s tax practice, acknowledges that the process can be complex and tedious. She also understands that business owners may be more inclined to focus on their products and services than on the intricacies of accounting. “The devil is in the details when it comes to business accounting,” Poppell says. “Whether you’re a new or experienced business owner, assessing your willingness and time to devote to the accounting function of your business is crucial. If you decide to hire or outsource the accounting function, make this decision promptly to avoid a period with no reporting and a subsequent catch-up period.”

40 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

By KATHERINE MacGILVRAY

What other advice do Alabama tax experts have for their business clients to make tax preparation go more smoothly? Recommendations to stay organized, start early and communicate regularly are at the top of their lists. “Our general advice to business owners is to start early and be organized,” says Rachel Taylor, CPA at JamisonMoneyFarmer PC in Tuscaloosa. “Staying on top of your bookkeeping is important. It is much easier to keep your books updated all throughout the year than it is to catch

up at the end of the year.” Gerry Kassouf, director at Birmingham-based Kassouf & Co. Inc., wants to see records that are compliance-ready. “If the accounting is being done in-house and then transmitted to an external accounting firm, we want to see detailed cash receipts and disbursement journals with good descriptions of income and expenses.” He adds that it’s also important to keep payroll records in good order, particularly as having remote workers and out-of-state employees is increasingly more common. “There are special tax return items that need to be accounted for in “If the accounting is being those situations.” Amy Stapler is a CPA done in-house and then with BMSS and manages transmitted to an external the tax department of the accounting firm, we want firm’s Huntsville office, and she says BMSS regularly to see detailed cash receipts emphasizes to its clients the and disbursement journals importance of getting their with good descriptions of information to their tax preparer in a timely manner. income and expenses.” “As soon as your books are — Gerry Kassouf, director closed, contact your CPA, because last-minute preparaat Kassouf & Co. Inc. tion doesn’t benefit anyone.”

ACCO U N T I N G

Stapler is also a strong advocate for regular commu“Staying on top of your nication throughout the year, especially when big changes bookkeeping is important. occur — like starting a new It is much easier to keep product line or buying or your books updated all disposing of large assets. “We don’t know what we don’t throughout the year than it know,” she says. “We rely on is to catch up at the end of our clients to give us inforthe year.” mation so that we can make sure that their tax prepara— Rachel Taylor, CPA at tion is successful and that JamisonMoneyFarmer PC we’ve helped reduce their tax liability, which is ultimately our goal.” Megan Randolph, CPA at Warren Avinclined to focus on getting day-to-day erett in Birmingham, agrees that commuoperations up and going rather than on nication is the key to building a successful record keeping. relationship with clients. “Planning “We often find that start-ups and new ahead of any transaction is vital and can companies don’t always know what to help ensure taxes are minimized. The tax do,” says Stapler. “You’re a new company, preparation process should really be the you’re worried about cost, and we totally culmination of planning with your client understand that. But it’s critical when and being aware of their business, any you’re a newly formed business to know new issues that arose during the year and that tax planning and communication tax projections prepared during the year.” is an investment rather than an expense. It’s understandable that new and The initial preparation for getting your younger companies are going to want company on track is not something that to concentrate their efforts on the initial you want to cut costs on; it’s going to add success of their business and may be more value.” Young businesses that find they need frequent or even daily assistance should consider hiring an in-house accountant, Poppell advises. “If not, outsourcing the accounting function to a CPA firm that provides services such as payroll, sales and use tax, business personal property tax, and income tax reporting can be beneficial.” And, again, getting a head start never hurts. Randolph encourages businesses to meet early with their tax preparer to establish a timeline for gathering data and to set due dates for tax preparation documents. “Each business is unique,” says “As soon as your books Kassouf. “We find some clients are very are closed, contact your organized, and others need to be coached CPA, because last-minute on organization.” He also suggests that new clients work with their accountants preparation doesn’t throughout the year to avoid any surprisbenefit anyone.” es. “The purpose for that is so the accoun— Amy Stapler, tant can take a look at what’s being done early on and make recommendations to CPA with BMSS the client of things that they can be doing differently in those early years.”

In the end, Randolph says, “It’s not necessarily the age of the company but rather the financial sophistication of the business owners that impacts the importance placed on the tax data collection process.” “Every once in a while, we all need a little push,” says Kassouf. Older companies face their own challenges. Poppell points to the importance of having a plan in place to handle the loss, particularly due to retirement, of experienced in-house accounting personnel. “The accounting industry is currently facing a talent shortage, making it difficult to find and retain skilled personnel,” says Poppell. “Succession planning is key to long-term success. Identifying retirements and potential staffing losses early and implementing a succession plan can

“The tax preparation process should really be the culmination of planning with your client and being aware of their business, any new issues that arose during the year and tax projections prepared during the year.” — Megan Randolph, CPA at Warren Averett April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 41

ACCO U N T I N G

help mitigate these risks.” Overall, more established businesses are more likely to realize the importance of and prioritize the tax preparation process. “Maybe they’ve learned hard lessons from the past,” says Stapler, “but they also understand the value of communication in tax planning, which is really what makes the return preparation easier. Once you get to the tax return, it’s putting numbers onto a form; but it’s that planning and preparation that really makes the key to success.” If a business finds an error on a previously filed tax return, it’s their responsibility to identify the cause and decide on the best way to correct it, typically in consultation with their CPA. “I don’t think you should ever let it pass without doing anything about it,” says Kassouf. In some instances, the preparer may find that amending the return is not the best course of action. As Randolph explains, “Assume a company fails to report

42 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

“The accounting industry is currently facing a talent shortage, making it difficult to find and retain skilled personnel.” — Lyvonnia Poppell, principal-in-charge, Jackson Thornton

$1 in income. In a case like that it doesn’t make sense to incur the cost of amending. Also, the IRS is getting better at matching items, such as W-2s, interest and dividends and K-1s. So, in many cases errors are identified quickly by the IRS, and rather than filing an amended return, you just pay the additional tax.” Mistakes happen, but what if a business suspects an employee is misusing company finances? “I think that’s a situation where the lawyer receives a call, the accountant needs to be involved and potentially the insurance company for the business,” says Kassouf. “And that’s one reason we recommend a fidelity bond coverage.” “It’s a good idea to do frequent reviews of bank activity and records in order to detect anything out of the ordinary,” recommends Taylor. Katherine MacGilvray is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

ACCO U N T I N G

Alabama's Largest Accounting Firms

Ranked by number of CPAs. In case of a tie, those firms are ranked by number of Alabama employees. Compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST RANK

FIRM NAME TOP EXECUTIVES

ADDRESS

PHONE

WEB SITE

YEAR FOUNDED

CPAs in ALABAMA

PARTNERS IN ALABAMA

EMPLOYEES IN ALABAMA

Warren Averett Mary Elliott, CEO

2500 Acton Rd. Birmingham, AL 35243

205-979-4100

warrenaverett.com

1972

222

553

Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC Chad Pinson, CEO, Managing Partner

901 Boll Weevil Cir., Ste. 200 Enterprise, AL 36330

334-348-1316

cricpa.com

1997

129

288

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Terry Sparks, Managing Partner

569 Brookwood Village, Ste. 851 Birmingham, AL 35209

205-414-4000

pwc.com

1849

129

169

BMSS Advisors & CPAs Don Murphy, Managing Member & CEO

1121 Riverchase Office Rd. Birmingham, AL 35244

205-982-5500

bmss.com

1991

281

Jackson Thornton & Co. PC John S. Fendley, President & CEO

200 Commerce St. Montgomery, AL 36104

334-834-7660

jacksonthornton.com

1919

211

Ernst & Young Grant R. Haines, Office Managing Partner

1901 6th Ave. N., Ste. 1200 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-251-2000

ey.com

1989

176

Deloitte & Touche LLP Amy Jordan, Audit Managing Director

420 20th St. N., Ste. 2400 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-321-6028

deloitte.com

1940

249

Pearce, Bevill, Leesburg, Moore PC Carlos McDonald, Director

110 Office Park Dr., Ste. 100 Birmingham, AL 35223

205-323-5440

pearcebevill.com

1981

140

RSM US LLP Allen Dunn, Market Leader

420 20th St. N., Ste. 2600 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-278-0001

rsmus.com

1926

117

KPMG LLP Casey Bartok, Office Managing Partner

420 20th St. N., Ste. 1800 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-324-2495

us.kpmg.com

1897

119

Kassouf & Co. Inc. Jonathan Kassouf, Managing Director

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

205-443-2500

kassouf.com

1931

107

Aprio LLP (formerly Culotta, Scroggins, Hendricks & Gillespie PC) Rob Shirley, Birmingham Office Leader

1200 Corporate Dr., Ste. 200 Birmingham, AL 35242

205-991-5506

aprio.com

2017

Mauldin & Jenkins LLC Bill Curtis, Chris Anderson, Partners-in-Charge

2000 Southbridge Pkwy., Ste. 501 Birmingham, AL 35209

205-445-2880

mjcpa.com

2004

JamisonMoneyFarmer PC Scott Goldsmith, President

2200 Jack Warner Pkwy., Ste. 300 Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

205-345-8440

jmf.com

1920

Wilkins Miller LLC W. Allen Carroll Jr., Managing Partner

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

251-410-6700

wilkinsmiller.com

2009

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong PC Brandon Smith, Managing Partner

305 Quality Cir. Huntsville, AL 35806

256-533-1040

anglincpa.com

1990

Forvis Heather Wallace, Office Managing Partner

800 Shades Creek Pkwy., Ste. 500 Birmingham, AL 35209

205-212-5300

forvis.com

1950

Tidwell Group LLC J. Barry Tidwell, National Managing Partner

3595 Grandview Pkwy., Ste. 500 Birmingham, AL 35243

205-822-1010

tidwellgroup.com

1997

110

Machen McChesney LLP Michael D. Machen, Managing Partner

1820 E. University Dr. Auburn, AL 36830

334-887-7022

machen.cpa

1954

Aldridge Borden & Co. PC Rhonda Sibley, Partner/Resident Manager

74 Commerce St. Montgomery, AL 36104

334-834-6640

aldridgeborden.com

1918

Smith, Dukes & Buckalew LLP Timothy Smith, Managing Partner

3800 Airport Blvd., Ste. 101 Mobile, AL 36608

251-343-1200

smithdukes.com

1933

Crow Shields Bailey PC Gina McKellar, Managing Shareholder

251-343-1012

csbcpa.com

1986

Banks, Finley, White & Co. CPAs James C. White Jr., Managing Partner

617 37th St. S. Birmingham, AL 35222

205-326-6660

bfwcpa.com

1973

Dent Moses LLP Michael Baker, Managing Partner

2204 Lakeshore Dr., Ste. 300 Birmingham, AL 35209

205-386-6662

dentmoses.com

1952

3742 Professional Pkwy. \ Mobile, AL 36609

For more accounting firms, visit BusinessAlabama.com.

Source: Business Alabama Surveys.

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 43

utler, Lowndes, Covington and Crenshaw counties, in the center of South Alabama, are close to automotive manufacturers, transportation routes and the Florida panhandle. In Butler County, several business sectors have been positively impacted by recent acquisitions, says David Hutchison, executive director of the Butler County Commission for Economic Development. For example, Coastal Forest Products was purchased by Boise Cascade, REF Corp. was purchased by Hubbell Inc. and Ozark Materials was purchased by Ingevity Corp. Together these three companies currently employ more than 700 people. “They represent three distinct industrial sectors — wood products, machined metal parts and transportation/specialty chemicals,” Hutchison says. “We are excited about our new corporate partners and the continued economic diversity they bring to our rural community.” The county’s largest manufacturer is Hwashin America Corp. in Greenville, which makes automotive chassis. Other economic engines in the county include wood products, transportation/logistics and health care. Greenville, the county seat, is planning to develop an entertainment venue in a former theater. More housing is planned here, too, and cabins are going up at a popular lake. Lowndes County’s largest employer is Saudi Basic Industries Corp., which makes engineered plastics, followed by Daehan Solutions Alabama and Sejong Alabama LLC, both automotive suppliers. The county is focusing on beefing up and promoting its existing industrial parks, says Jim Byard Jr. of the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission. “Lowndes County has industrial sites located near rail, the interstate and the Alabama River,” he says. “Our Lowndes County Industrial Park is located just off I-65 and offers 143 available acres. It is home to Hyundai supplier Daehan Solutions Alabama. Our I-65/Tyson Road site is our only AdvantageSite and is adjacent to I-65 and CSX. It covers 735 acres. “Both of these sites are nine miles from the new Alabama Port Authority’s Inland

Butler, Lowndes, Covington & Crenshaw Counties by LORI CHANDLER PRUITT

SPOTLIGHT

Lowndes County Butler County Crenshaw County

Covington County

The 1,000-acre Lake Frank Jackson, located in Opp, is the main attraction of Frank Jackson State Park.

Port in Montgomery,” he adds. The county’s Alabama River Partners site offers 900 acres and is located adjacent to rail and to the Alabama River, and the Fort Deposit Industrial Park offers 188 acres and is home to Sejong Alabama. The county also is working on expanding broadband, road projects and sewer repair and updates, he says. In Covington County, the largest manufacturer is Shaw Industries, a carpet yarn maker, and American Apparel, which makes military uniforms and recently won a multi-million-dollar contract to make U.S. Marine Corps combat and utility uniforms. Other sectors include aviation and health care. A huge addition to the economy in the county was just announced — Conecuh Sausage, an iconic maker of hickory smoked sausages, revealed plans to invest nearly $58 million to open a second production facility in Andalusia in Covington County, creating 110 jobs. The company was founded in Evergreen in neighboring Conecuh County in 1947 and that location still operates. In the cities of Andalusia and Opp, several building and renovation projects are in progress. For example, in Andalusia, The Shoppes at Covington is a complete renovation of Covington Mall and is completely leased with national retailers, officials say. Another building downtown is being renovated. A new park downtown, Heritage Park, is underway that will include a 1.4-

acre pond, a concrete walking path, an exterior multi-purpose asphalt trail and an amphitheater. The city also plans to add a gazebo, pavilion and carousel. A hotel company has expressed interest in locating in the Timmerman Building downtown. Opp has renovated its municipal building’s second floor for a larger public room and courtroom, and the first floor will be devoted to the court system. The city moved the police department to another building. The city also has remodeled its fire department, with the second floor becoming a training space and doubling as a distribution point for services as needed, he says. The police department will be housed in a newly acquired Wells Fargo bank building. Downtown, the city finished an openair farmers market and moved its recycling center to another location. Most of the space available in the heart of downtown on Covington Avenue is occupied. Crenshaw County’s largest manufacturing employers include automotive suppliers — with the top two largest being ITAC Alabama LLC (formerly Smart), which makes automotive frames for Hyundai vehicles, and Dongwon Autopart Technology Alabama, which makes door frames, inner assembles and more. Distribution is strong, as well as wood/ lumber products and health care. The biggest project in Crenshaw County’s history, officials say, is a $15 million sports complex underway in Luverne. The complex will have eight baseball and April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 49

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

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

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

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

softball fields, two soccer fields, a track and field area, an RV park and a lake. It is expected to be finished in a couple of years and is being paid for with tax dollars. Also, in the town of Brantley, officials anticipate the opening of the South Central Alabama Mental Health Crisis Diversion Center, expected to serve Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw and Escambia counties, says Brantley Mayor Bernard Sullivan. A Community Development Block Grant will provide the

50 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

water and sewer services for the facility. It is being built on five acres that is part of the city’s new light industrial park. It will be open 24 hours and expected to create at least 65 new jobs. The industrial park also has attracted a couple of new light industries, Sullivan says. Lori Chandler Pruitt is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

Economic Engines TAXES PROPERTY TAX NOT INCLUDING MILLAGE FOR SCHOOLS AND MUNICIPALITIES

BUTLER COUNTY: 11.5 mills LOWNDES COUNTY: 23.5 mills COVINGTON COUNTY: 10.5 mills CRENSHAW COUNTY: 23.5 mills STATE OF ALABAMA: 6.5 mills

The site of Conecuh Sausage’s new facility in Andalusia. Photo courtesy of Skip Enzor/Can’t Skip This.

BUTLER COUNTY AUTOMOTIVE

The automotive sector remains the largest employer in Butler County — approximately 1,110 workers — while automotive suppliers Hwashin America has more than 800 employees. The Tier 1 chassis and body parts supplier expanded in 2022 and 2023, with an investment of about $23 million bringing 167 jobs. Other auto supplier companies include Hyundai Steel and AIA Recycling/ Logistics. Together these automotive supply chain manufacturers employ approximately 200 people. WOOD PRODUCTS

Timberland accounts for more than 80% of the land use in Butler County and forestry activities contributed nearly

B U S I N E S S FEBRUARY 2024: Conecuh Sausage, a maker of hickory smoked sausages, announces it will invest nearly $58 million to open a second production facility in Andalusia in Covington County, creating 110 jobs. The company was founded in Evergreen in neighboring Conecuh County in 1947. FEBRUARY 2024: Old Gin Creek Country Store, in the town of Brantley, is expanding — adding a building, developing

SALES TAX 25% of the county’s total agricultural and forestry production, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Boise Cascade (formerly Coastal) employs approximately 400 people in plywood manufacturing. This wood products manufacturing giant continues to be the economic engine of south Butler County. Other wood products companies include Structural Wood Systems, which produces structural glued laminated timbers; and Dafor Heavy Timber Fabricators, which produces heavy timber trusses, custom beams and components. Together, Structural Wood and Dafor employ approximately 90 people. TRANSPORTATION/LOGISTICS

This sector includes Shoreline Transportation, JA Logistics, Evergreen

B R I E F S

warehouse space and upgrading into a fullservice grocery store. The expansion should be complete by September. JANUARY 2024: Lurleen B. Wallace Community College breaks ground on a $3.5 million, 10,000-square-foot Center for Building Construction on the Andalusia campus to help meet the need for construction industry training. It is expected to open in fall 2024.

JANUARY 2024: Dongwon Autopart Technology Alabama is retooling its plant in Luverne in Crenshaw County to accommodate EV production. The company provides automotive parts for Hyundai. NOVEMBER 2023: A new Family Dollar/Dollar Tree combination store opens in Fort Deposit in Lowndes County.

BUTLER COUNTY: 1.5% CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY:

GEORGIANA: 4.5% GREENVILLE: 4.5% MCKENZIE: 4%

LOWNDES COUNTY: 4% CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY:

FORT DEPOSIT: 2.5% GORDONVILLE: 2% HAYNEVILLE: 2.5% LOWNDESBORO: 2% MOSSES: 2% WHITE HALL: 2% COVINGTON COUNTY: 2.5% CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY:

ANDALUSIA: 3.5 % FLORALA: 3.5 % GANTT: 2% HEATH: 2% LOCKHART: 3.5% OPP: 3.5% RED LEVEL: 2.5% RIVER FALLS: 2% SANFORD: 2%

CRENSHAW COUNTY: 3.5% CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY:

BRANTLEY: 2.5% DOZIER: 1% GLENWOOD: 2% LUVERNE: 2.5% RUTLEDGE: 2%

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

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 51

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

Forest Products, Richway Transportation and Ingevity (Ozark Logistics). Together they serve the needs of automotive suppliers, wood products and chemical/ thermoplastic components, employ approximately 300 and enjoy the advantage of direct access to Interstate 65.

LOWNDES COUNTY

AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS

Two automotive suppliers are among the three largest manufacturing employers in Lowndes County. Daehan Solutions Alabama makes interior sound insulation components and Sejong Alabama LLC makes mufflers and exhaust systems. Many of the products are headed for the nearby Hyundai plant in Montgomery. PLASTICS/AGRICULTURE

The county’s largest manufacturing employer is Saudi Basic Industries Corp., which makes engineered, high-performance plastics used in office equipment, electronics, computers and more. Agriculture also is a leading sector, with Priester Pecans, Koch Foods and Bates Turkey Farm among the larger manufacturers. American Colloid Co., in Letohatchee, makes bentonite clay, used in animal feed supplements.

B U S I N E S S OCTOBER 2023: Shaw Industries receives a leadership award from the U.S Green Building Council for its longstanding commitment to sustainability. OCTOBER 2023: Hwashin America, one of Hyundai’s top suppliers, celebrated 20 years in Greenville and showcased its expanded plant — a 196,000-square-foot building that opened in 2022 and created 100 additional jobs. OCTOBER 2023: The town of Brantley in Crenshaw County will have a new South Central

COVINGTON COUNTY

HEALTH CARE

TEXTILES

The county’s largest employer by far is Shaw Industries, a carpet yarn manufacturer in Andalusia that employs about 1,050 people. The U.S. Green Building Council recently honored Shaw for its long-standing commitment to sustainability. Another major textile employer in the area is American Apparel, which makes military uniforms. AVIATION/AEROSPACE

The county’s South Alabama Regional Airport in Andalusia is busy with several projects and services. The airport’s industrial park is home to maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities and to a branch of the Alabama Aviation College, which recently added more classes. There is a heliport that provides hot and cold refueling to military and civilian helicopters. Recently McDermott Aviation LLC and Isolair Inc. added operations to the South Alabama Regional Airport. AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS

The county’s automotive suppliers make parts for Kia and Hyundai. Its largest supplier is SaeHaeSung in Andalusia’s industrial park.

With more than 500 people employed at the county’s two hospitals alone, along with rehab centers and other health care related facilities, this is a large economic sector. Both hospitals also are very active in the communities they serve. LURLEEN B. WALLACE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

LBWCC is one of the area’s largest employers and has a major economic impact on the region. It has four instructional sites, including the main Andalusia campus and the MacArthur campus in Opp in Covington County, Greenville in Butler County, and the Luverne Center in Crenshaw County. LBWCC offers academic and technical programs, specialized training for existing business and industry, workforce development, non-credit and continuing education, adult education and community services. It also works closely with area businesses by providing industry-specific training. In January 2024, the college broke ground on a $3.5 million, 10,000-squarefoot Center for Building Construction, which will facilitate the construction industry’s training needs in the state’s southeastern region.

B R I E F S

Alabama Mental Health Crisis Diversion Center. The $7 million center is expected to open by 2025 and will create about 65 jobs. JULY 2023: Mellisa King is named executive director of the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce. She has served on the chamber board since 2019 and has been the president for the last year. MAY 2023: Joni Lolley is selected as the new executive administrator of the Opp and Covington County Area Chamber of Commerce.

MAY 2023: American Apparel in Opp is awarded a five-year, $71.59 million contract to produce shirts and trousers for the U.S. Marine Corps’ combat and utility uniform. The Opp plant will produce the pants and the company’s location in Selma will make blouses and shirts. The two facilities employ a total of 500 people. MAY 2023: Class schedules at the Alabama Aviation College’s Andalusia campus are redesigned to allow students in Covington County and surrounding areas to

complete their first six classes of the college’s airframe and powerplant program. Students can continue their training at the college’s Ozark campus. APRIL 2023: A commercial driver’s license training program locates in the city of Georgiana in Butler County, thanks to a partnership between the city, the city’s Industrial Development Board and Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.

FEBRUARY 2023: Regional Medical Center of Central Alabama cuts a ribbon to celebrate reopening. It had been closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event also welcomed Patrick Trammell as hospital CEO. NOVEMBER 2022: PepsiCola Bottling Co. of Luverne receives a CDBG grant to provide the infrastructure needed to move to a new location in the south part of the city. The 100-year-old business moved from downtown to a larger, 75,000-square-foot building on a 170-acre site off U.S. Highway 31.

Source: Economic developers, EDPA 52 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

The college has 2,282 credit students and 469 non-credit students, along with 176 employees.

CRENSHAW COUNTY AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIERS

The top two largest manufacturing employers are ITAC Alabama LLC in Luverne (formerly Smart), which makes automotive frames for Hyundai vehicles, and Dongwon Autopart Technology Alabama, which makes parts such as door frames, inner assemblies and more. Both are retooling equipment for EV manufacturing needs. DISTRIBUTION/MANUFACTURING

Distribution is a major sector, with the

Officials with Lurleen B. Wallace Community College break ground on the new Center for Building Construction.

county’s third largest manufacturing employer, Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls Inc. that makes and ships goods throughout the country and Pepsi Bottling Co. of Luverne, which is expanding.

HEALTH CARE

The county is home to Crenshaw Community Hospital, with more than 160 employees, and Luverne Health & Rehabilitation, with about 150 employees.

Largest Industrial Employers BUTLER COUNTY

LOWNDES COUNTY

Hwashin America Corp.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

Auto chassis • 800 employees

Engineered plastics 315 employees

GREENVILLE

Boise Cascade | CHAPMAN

BURKVILLE

Plywood • 400 employees

Daehan Solutions Alabama

Hubbell Inc. | GREENVILLE

Interior sound insulation components • 285 employees

Electrical/electronic products 260 employees

AIA Recycling | GREENVILLE

Metal recycling • 109 employees

Hyundai Steel | GREENVILLE

LOWNDES COUNTY

Sejong Alabama LLC FORT DEPOSIT

Mufflers and exhaust systems 150 employees

Processed steel • 104 employees

Priester Pecans

Montgomery Technology Inc. | GREENVILLE

Pecans, candies, baked goods 80 employees

Security systems • 84 employees

Ingevity Corp. | GREENVILLE Highway marking systems 70 employees

Structural Wood Systems GREENVILLE

Glue laminated wood products 55 employees

Bluegrass Companies

Greenville Innovative cutting technologies 46 employees

Koch Foods | GREENVILLE

Chicken hatchery • 42 employees

FORT DEPOSIT

Koch Foods

LOWNDES COUNTY

Feed mill • 60 employees

American Colloid Co. LETOHATCHEE

Bentonite Clay • 36 employees

Bates Turkey Farm

LOWNDES COUNTY

Poultry/turkey processing 25 employees

COVINGTON COUNTY

Shaw Industries | ANDALUSIA Polypropylene yarn 1,050 employees

PowerSouth Electric Cooperative | ANDALUSIA Utility • 600 employees

American Apparel | OPP Military uniforms 200 employees

H.T. Hackney | OPP

Groceries, general line 182 employees

Andalusia Distributing Co. ANDALUSIA

Groceries, general line, distribution • 100 employees

Huhtamaki | ANDALUSIA Corrugated boxes, cartons 90 employees

Saehaesung Alabama ANDALUSIA

Automotive parts • 80 employees

Sonoco | OPP

Global packaging solutions 65 employees

CRENSHAW COUNTY

ITAC Alabama LLC (formerly Smart) | LUVERNE Automotive parts 750 employees

Dongwon Autopart Technology Alabama LLC LUVERNE

Automotive parts 260 employees

Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls Inc. LUVERNE

Breads, rolls, gifts 189 employees

Southern Field Maintenance & Fabrication | LUVERNE Industrial chimney/flue repair 150 employees

Pepsi Bottling Company of Luverne | LUVERNE Bottler/distribution 89 employees

Browder Veneer | LUVERNE Wood veneer, hardwood chips 71 employees

Chowel Weldparts | LUVERNE Robotic tips, welding 65 employees

Source: Economic developers

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 53

Higher Education

Students on one of the four campuses of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College. LURLEEN B. WALLACE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

LBW Community College, which provides academic, technical and workforce training programs, is a pivotal part of economic development in five counties in south Alabama. Programs are offered on four campuses. The main campus is in Andalusia, with additional sites in Greenville, Opp and Luverne. LBW serves Butler, Covington, Crenshaw, Coffee and Geneva counties in Alabama and attracts students from Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Washington counties in Florida. Many students attending LBW are the first in their family to attend college or pursue any type of formal education beyond high school. LBW offers dual enrollment for high-school students, technical training, transfer to two- and four-year colleges, adult education and community programs. It works with local leaders and industry to prepare students for nearby jobs. LBW notched its highest enrollment ever in fall 2023. Its workforce development and continuing education unit has expanded apprenticeship programs to include welding and nursing and added pre-apprenticeships in mechatronics, diesel technician and welding. LBW’s Skills for Success, a free skill training program where students can earn workforce credentials within a week’s time, has been instrumental in meeting the needs of local industry through CDL, heavy equipment, food and beverage training and more. LBW offers 16 career technical and health programs in nursing, EMS, construction, automotive, forestry and more. In January 2024, the college broke ground on a $3.5 million, 10,000-square-foot Center for Building Construction, which will have a classroom and labs that will prepare students with real-life scenarios. It is expected to open in fall 2024. LBW’s Alabama RISE Program, which was awarded the AlabamaWORKS Innovator Award and selected as a Region 6 Best Practice for Work-Based Learning, has gained statewide support within the Alabama Community College System. RISE, which stands for Reemerging Ideas for Successful Employment, is the vision of LBW President Brock Kelley to offer career

Lurleen B. Wallace Community College offers online, on campus and dual enrollment options for students.

exploration to an underserved population. About 70% of people with disabilities are not active in the workforce, so this program helps meet their needs through partnerships with local employers and K-12 systems. LBW also has the only two-year forestry and wildlife sciences program in the state, training students to be forest technicians. LBW has concurring enrollment and transfer agreements with Auburn University, Troy University, the University of West Alabama and Auburn University Montgomery. LBW is home to the Saints athletics featuring baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, golf, cross country and volleyball. The home course for the college’s golf team is located at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Cambrian Ridge in Greenville. ALABAMA AVIATION COLLEGE AT ANDALUSIA

The Alabama Aviation College campus in Andalusia is located at the South Alabama Regional Airport, where students learn from experienced aviation professionals. In 2023, class schedules at the AAC Andalusia campus were redesigned to allow students in Covington County and surrounding areas to complete the first six classes of the college’s airframe and powerplant program, including four general courses and the first two of the airframe certificate program. Students can then continue their training at the college’s Ozark campus. April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 55

Movers & Shapers JIM BYARD JR. is principal of

Byard Associates LLC, a strategic development consulting firm that contracts with the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission and assists with their community and economic development strategy and implementation. He is chair of the Main Street Alabama board and serves on the boards of DesignAlabama and YourTown Alabama. He is a past president of the Alabama League of Municipalities and has served on the boards of the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority.

RICK CLIFTON is president and CEO

of Covington County Economic Development Commission. He is a University of Alabama graduate with a law degree from Cumberland School of Law. He is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and a retired staff judge advocate at Maxwell Air Force Base. He is a member of the Economic Development Association of Alabama and the Southern Economic Development Committee.

THOMAS ELLIS is chair of the Lowndes

County Economic Development Commission. He and his family own and operate Priester’s Pecans. He also owns and operates Triple E Farm, where he raises cattle and poultry. He also is District 1 board representative for Dixie Electric Cooperative, a board member of Pintlala Water Authority and past president member of the Southeastern Livestock Exposition and the Lowndes County Farmers Federation. 56 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

DODD HAWTHORNE is

superintendent of Crenshaw County schools. A veteran educator, he also served as a teacher/ coach, assistant principal, principal and director of operations. He is a University of Alabama graduate with a master’s from Troy University Dothan. He is president of the Alabama High School Athletic Association District 2, central board member of the Alabama High School Athletic Association, president of the School Superintendents of Alabama District 3, and a member of the Luverne Kiwanis Club.

DAVID HUTCHISON is executive

director of the Butler County Commission for Economic Development. Working in economic development since 1975, he has helped start agencies in Louisiana, and in Escambia and Lowndes counties in Alabama. He was a senior project manager and acting director for the Alabama Development Office, now known as the Alabama Department of Commerce. He is a past president of the Economic Development Association of Alabama and in July 2021 he received the David Echols Distinguished Service Award. He is a graduate of Jacksonville State University and the International Economic Development Council’s Economic Development Institute.

NANCY IDLAND is director of the

Greenville Arts Council and has been a community volunteer since high school. Born and raised in Greenville, she owned and operated Elizabeth Wilson Florist for 25 years. She then served with Greenville

Main Street, where she spearheaded several initiatives. She also worked with the Greenville Middle School afterschool service program and served as grand marshal for the city’s annual Christmas parade in 2019. In 2020, she was named Citizen of the Year by the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce.

BROCK KELLEY is president of

Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, where he has developed the Alabama RISE program to help individuals with disabilities join the workforce. Earlier, he was regional director of workforce development for the Alabama Community College System. Before joining the community college system, Kelley served as director of workforce development for the Alabama Department of Education. Kelley is an LBW graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Troy University and a Ph.D. from Auburn University. He played baseball both at LBW and at Troy.

CHARLIE KING JR. is chairman of the

Lowndes County Commission, where he has served for 29 years. He is a lifelong resident of Lowndes County, where he grew up sharecropping alongside his mother for various landowners. He attended Cornell University and began his career at Hudson Thompson, prior to starting his own contracting business. King serves as co-chair of the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission and chair of the South Central Alabama Broadband Cooperative District.

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

DEXTER MCLENDON is mayor of

Greenville, where he has helped bring a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course to Cambrian Ridge, a YMCA and the Hwashin America and Hyundai-Steel America companies. He has received the Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Fellow Award and was named Man of the Year by the Greenville Jaycees. He serves on the city’s health care authority; the boards of Trustmark Bank, Southeast Gas District, Butler County Commission for Economic Development and Alabama Black Belt Adventures; and is active in the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce and Butler County E-911. He is a member of Leadership Alabama and the Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy.

MERYANE MARTIN MURPHY

is founder and artistic director of Andalusia Ballet. She is a graduate of BirminghamSouthern College with further studies at New York University. Moving to Andalusia in the late 1970s with her husband Mark, Murphy began teaching in the front room of their home and founded the Andalusia Ballet Association Inc. in 1982. Recently, Murphy spearheaded the partnership with the city of Andalusia to renovate the former Church Street School as a center for the arts and home for Andalusia Ballet. She was awarded the Andalusia Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award and the Rotary Club’s Spirit of Andalusia Award.

MITCHELL MYERS is CEO of

Mizell Memorial Hospital. A native of Covington County, he is a graduate of the University of Alabama with nursing degrees

from the University of South Alabama. At Mizell, he works to provide quality rural health care with access for underserved citizens.

ORBUTY OZIER is mayor of

Gordonville in Lowndes County and serves on the Lowndes County Economic Development Commission. She is also a member of the Lowndes County Industrial Development Board. She is a graduate of Trenholm State Community College in Montgomery and Wayne State Community College in Detroit, Michigan. Ozier is a member of the Alabama Black Mayors Association and the River Region United Way. She is the owner of Ozier’s Designer Plans and O&W General Contractors LLC.

NEAL PRESLEY is owner of Larry’s

Prescriptions Inc. in Opp. He is a graduate of Wallace Community College Dothan and received his pharmacy degree from Auburn University. He serves on the board of Mizell Memorial Hospital. He is a youth sports coach, sponsors the Opp High School Band, is a Gold Club Booster at the high school, supports city youth sports, is a member of Alabama Pharmacy Association and is president of the Covington County Pharmacy Association.

HUNTER ROYAL is owner of Old Gin

Country Store in Brantley, which he opened in 2015. Royal attended the University of West Alabama, playing football,

then transferred to Troy University. Royal worked in sales and management for 11 years until he purchased an old, abandoned gas station with a vision of turning it into a shopping destination not only for the local community but also for travelers. Old Gin Creek is expanding by adding a 10,000-square-foot grocery store that’s expected to open this fall.

TRACY SALTER is executive director

for the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce. Before joining the chamber, Salter spent 18 years in the newspaper industry with Greenville Newspapers LLC. In addition to chamber projects, Salter works with the city of Greenville and the Butler County Commission for Economic Development. She is a Greenville native and serves on the council for Mid-South RC&D; the boards of the Butler County Achiever Award Scholarship and the Butler County Commission for Economic Development; and she is active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Central Alabama advisory committee, the Camellia Society and the Butler County Historical & Genealogical Society.

KATHRYN SMYTH is a Luverne City

Council member and rural workforce coordinator for Crenshaw, Butler and Covington counties for Region 6 of Southeast AlabamaWorks. She also owns an antique shop in Luverne. She is retired executive director of Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center representing Butler, Crenshaw and Lowndes counties. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama. She is a board member of Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce, Crenshaw County Women for Christ, Crenshaw County Domestic Violence Task Force and the Alabama Network of Child Advocacy Centers.

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 57

Health Care Mizell Memorial Hospital (top) and its 24-hour emergency department (shown bottom left).

Crenshaw Community Hospital campus (shown here) includes its behavioral health unit (shown left) and its family care center (shown below right).

REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER OF CENTRAL ALABAMA

Regional Medical Center of Central Alabama in Greenville has more than 200 employees offering complete inpatient, outpatient, medical and surgical care, and it has affiliated clinics and specialty services. The hospital is in a partnership with UAB Medicine for services including general surgery and telemedicine. The hospital also offers psychiatric geriatric services. 58 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

The hospital operates a pediatric and family practice clinic in Greenville and a clinic in Georgiana that recently received new equipment. RMCCA offers diagnostic imaging in several areas, from ultrasound to MRI and mammography. It has an accredited sleep center. ANDALUSIA HEALTH

Andalusia Health, with about 300 employees, is an 88-bed acute care

facility that has served south Alabama since 1966. Andalusia Health is also accredited by the Joint Commission. The hospital offers a wide range of diagnostic, therapeutic, emergency and surgical services. Comprehensive cancer care is available on Andalusia Health’s campus with services provided by 21st Century Oncology offering radiation oncology. It is part of ScionHealth, a new company that launched in 2021 following

S P O T L I G H T: H E A LT H C A R E

LifePoint’s transaction with Kindred Healthcare. The hospital recently named Alabama native Vickie Demers as its new CEO. In December 2023, the hospital, LBW Community College and Covington County Schools joined forces to develop a new health care career tech pathway for high school seniors. A one-semester, patient care technician training program began in January 2024 to train students for the technician job while learning about other medical services and skills. And in November 2023, Andalusia’s Women’s + Family Health opened.

shaw Family Care Clinic in Luverne, with services ranging from physicals to treatment of minor illnesses to chronic diseases. It includes a walk-in and primary care option. The hospital offers a range of diagnostic, therapeutic, emergency and surgical services. In addition, the facility has added inpatient substance abuse stabilization

and detox services. Crenshaw Community Hospital operates a 20-bed adult behavioral health unit, for adult mental health services. Dr. Clint Kilcrease has joined the team, expanding primary care services, as well as wound care and a vein clinic. The facility has added new radiology equipment and a 128-slice CT scanner.

MIZELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Mizell Memorial Hospital employs more than 240 people. It is a full-service hospital operating 59 beds with 24-hour emergency room coverage; a five-bed ICU; general, orthopedic and podiatric surgery; endoscopy services; physical, occupational and speech therapy; a senior behavioral care unit; swing bed rehab services; infusion services; wound care; a sleep center; and 24-hour full-service lab and radiology services. Mizell also operates three outpatient rural health clinics and a specialty center clinic. Mitchell Myers, MSN, RN, was appointed CEO in December 2022. In 2023, Mizell received a $954,000 federal grant to upgrade the hospital facilities with improved water, heating and cooling systems and more. Improvements are expected to be complete by early summer of 2024. In October 2023, Mizell partnered with LBW Community College and Opp High School to train high school students to become patient care technicians. After completing the one-semester course, the students receive a $500 scholarship from the Mizell Foundation to attend LBW. In spring 2024, Mizell will add an urgent care clinic that will be open daily. CRENSHAW COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

Crenshaw Community Hospital in Luverne has 65 licensed beds and provides more than 150 jobs. The hospital also operates The CrenApril 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 59

Community Development

The restored depot in Opp now hosts events and tours.

orkforce development for K-12 and adults is a priority in these counties. Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, based in Andalusia with campuses throughout the region, recently broke ground on a center to train building construction workers. Also, the Alabama Aviation College in Andalusia added more courses for aviation training. And CDL classes are available in more locations. “Like many counties, we are working to find a skilled workforce who are able to work,” says Kathy Smyth, Luverne city council member and rural workforce coordinator for Region 6 of Southeast AlabamaWorks, representing Butler, Covington and Crenshaw counties. “There are real concerted efforts in K-12 with added career coaches to help develop work skills, and programs that allow students to earn credentials.”

BUTLER COUNTY Butler County is renovating facilities to better house its departments, says Kaye Lightfoot, county administrator. The county is renovating a former EMA building for the revenue department, partially funded through a grant. The county also installed an elevator and handicap restrooms in the courthouse. “We’re really trying to get all of our offices out of the attic, which was remodeled before but is not efficient to 60 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

cool,” Lightfoot says. The county also received a grant for community purchases, made possible with the assistance of the South Central Alabama Development Commission. Greenville, the county seat, plans to develop an entertainment venue in the former The Edge Theater building, says Mayor Dexter McLendon. Plans so far are to reduce the number of screens from eight to four or five, have a restaurant and activities for children. “This could be a great place for birthday parties and other events, and the person who operated the theater is now working for the city’s parks and recreation department who will also work with the project,” he says. “It’s exciting to have this opportunity.” A developer is interested in building 125 apartments on city-owned property near the theater, McLendon says. “We have a shortage of housing,” he says. The city also is in talks with a developer for a welcome center that would include other amenities and electric vehicle charging stations. The city also is building two cabins at Sherling Lake, where there already is a lodge and the Robert Trent Jones Cambrian Ridge golf course, McLendon says. If rentals are successful, the city will build more cabins and add more amenities, he says. The area also is near Forever Wild property. Future plans for the city include a new downtown park across from the

Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce, and a steakhouse, McLendon says. “We have a lot of amenities on our interstate exit, but we also have so much to offer downtown,” he says. In Georgiana, the Main Street Alabama organization worked with local volunteers and city workers to beautify downtown. Georgiana is the childhood home of Hank Williams Sr., and his boyhood home and museum attract fans from all over. It also hosts a Hank Williams Sr. Festival at the end of May, the 45th year of the celebration. The city also recently received grants for water improvements, and a grant for LED lighting, officials say. The grants were secured with help from the South Central Alabama Development Commission. Butler County schools have a robust career technical education program that provides students technical and leadership skills. The system offers dual enrollment with higher education, credentialing programs and more. Greenville High School has a new football stadium that opened in 2023, and a new gym is underway at McKenzie School. In May 2023, the Butler County Commission designated 25% of sales tax from online purchases for the schools.

LOWNDES COUNTY Lowndes County commissioners are applying for more road grants under the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program-II. The county was awarded a $400,000 grant in 2023 that is being used to complete work on three other roads in the county. The town of Hayneville recently launched a $10 million sewer repair and upgrade project, paid for with federal funds. Alabama Department of Environmental Management also has awarded the town a $2.9 million grant for drinking water system improvements. Hayneville Telephone Co. was awarded a $25 million USDA grant to fund broadband services in the county. It will be used to build 279 miles of fiber cable over about 216 square miles, giving service to about 4,646 residents. The town of Fort Deposit recently received a $2.5 million HUD grant

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

through the Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grant program for educational programs to alert communities to the risk. Life Changing Ministries has added a restaurant to its beauty supply and thrift shop operations and a new Family Dollar is coming. Lowndes County schools have an active career technical education program with a mix of academic and work-based learning in fields such as business, masonry, welding and JROTC. It also has dual enrollment with Trenholm State Community College.

COVINGTON COUNTY The city of Andalusia, recently named as one of the 10 small Alabama towns with great livability by the Alabama Association of Realtors, also is a regional retail destination. The Shoppes at Covington is a complete renovation of Covington Mall and is completely leased with national retailers, officials say. New retailers include Marshalls, Big Lots, Burke’s, Harbor Freight, Five Below, Verizon and Firehouse Subs. Big Mike’s Steakhouse is an integral part of downtown renovation, and Lost Pizza has opened on the historic Court Square as part of the renovations of the Prestwood Building. A new park downtown, Heritage Park, is underway, being built in the former railyard on South Cotton Street. The park will include a pond, a concrete walking path, a multi-purpose asphalt trail and an amphitheater. The city also plans to add a gazebo, pavilion and carousel. A hotel company is interested in locating in the Timmerman Building downtown. In the city of Opp, the Cameron Road sports complex has been undergoing renovations and improvements, says Jason Bryan, Opp city planner. Recent projects include renovations to the concession stand. Opp has renovated its municipal building’s second floor for a larger public room and courtroom, and the first floor will be devoted to the court system, he says. The city moved the police department to another building. The city also has remodeled its fire department,

Luverne is working to be named an Alabama Community of Excellence.

with the second floor becoming a training space and doubling as a distribution point for services as needed, he says. The police department will be housed in a newly acquired Wells Fargo bank building. Downtown, the city finished an open-air farmers market and moved its recycling center to another location. Most of the space available in the heart of downtown on Covington Avenue is occupied, Bryan says. Sidewalks are completed around the city’s middle school and stadium leading to the rest of the sidewalk system, he says. A splash pad recently opened, also. As for new businesses, Tractor Supply and a farm supply business have opened, as well as a Jack’s restaurant. “We have had a lot of private investment and

that has been a benefit,” he says. The Wheelhouse has brought fine dining to the city, offering coastal comfort cuisine. A project to upgrade the water and sewer system is underway, he says. Opp City Schools recently moved its central office into a former bank building, and have made security improvements in schools, Bryan says. The system also has an upgraded fiber optic network, he says. Covington County schools have added a new auditorium at Straughn School, an $8.2 million project that will seat about 900 people. County and city schools offer an array of career technical programs.

CRENSHAW COUNTY The biggest project in Crenshaw County’s April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 61

history, officials say, is a $15 million sports complex, underway on Highway 331 in Luverne. The complex will have eight baseball and softball fields, two soccer fields, a track and field area, an RV park and a lake. It is expected to be finished in a couple of years and is being paid for with tax dollars. “We hope it becomes a regional destination,” says Kathy Smyth, a Luverne city council member. The city is working to be named an Alabama Communities of Excellence, Smyth says, and it has developed a strategic plan, a leadership program, participating in the AIDT leadership program for business/industry and adults and working on a long-term comprehensive plan. The city has worked on several projects to improve infrastructure. The city hopes to open a splash pad by mid-summer at Turner Park. It has an updated and expanded Dollar General Market, and downtown has experienced rejuvenation. “I just feel like there’s a sense of momentum in the city,” Smyth says. “We’re excited about the things happening large and small.” In the town of Brantley, officials anticipate the opening of the South Central Alabama Mental Health Crisis Diversion Center. It is the only rural center in the state plan and will serve Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw and Escambia counties, says Brantley Mayor Bernard Sullivan. “We are 4.2 miles from the Crenshaw Community Hospital and they have a mental wing there,” Sullivan says. “We received so many letters of support along with our application.” Grant funding will provide the water and sewer services for the facility. It is being built on five acres that is part of the city’s new light industrial park. It is expected to create at least 65 new jobs. The industrial park also has attracted a couple of new light industries, Sullivan says. Shoppers will have the opportunity for more grocery shopping, as the Gin Creek Country Store in Brantley is undergoing an expansion. Crenshaw County schools have active career tech programs and a career coach.

62 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

Culture & Recreation festivities and events: CAMELLIA CITY FESTIVAL — March | Greenville

ALABAMA MEDIEVAL FANTASY FESTIVAL — March | Greenville

OPP RATTLESNAKE RODEO — March | Opp

HANK WILLIAMS FESTIVAL — May/ June | Georgiana

The Andalusia Ballet is celebrating its 41st Vibrant Dance season.

GLENWOOD FESTIVAL AT THE WELL — May | Crenshaw County

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOMINO TOURNAMENT — July | Andalusia VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT RODEO — August | Luverne

GEORGIANA FEST — August | Georgiana

WORLD’S LARGEST PEANUT BOIL — September | Luverne

OPP FEST — October | Opp

Visitors and residents gather for the Rattlesnake Rodeo in Opp, which includes musical acts, a Rattlin’ 100 car race, snake races and more. TAKE IT OUTDOORS

This region abounds with outdoor beauty, with loads of opportunities for camping, hiking, fishing, birding, swimming, canoeing, hunting and watersports. Check out Sherling Lake Campground and Park in Butler County, Cypress Landing RV Park on Gantt Lake, The Oaks – Family RV Park and Campground in Andalusia, Lake Jackson at Florala City Park, Frank Jackson State Park near Opp, Crenshaw County Public Fishing Lake, Prairie Creek in Lowndesboro and Conecuh National Forest. FLORAL FAVORITES

Beeland Park Camellia Garden in Greenville shows off some of the city’s oldest camellias. GO OFF ROAD

Boggs & Boulders Off Road Adventure

LITTLE BIG HORN MARCHING BANDS — October | Opp

Park and Campground in Andalusia offers a variety of terrain.

have been restored and open for tours and events.

PADDLE IT

SEE A SHOW

The Sepulga River offers a canoe and kayak trail. TEE OFF

Greenville is home to the Cambrian Ridge Golf Course, part of the awardwinning Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS

The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail crosses Lowndes County. You can visit the Lowndes Interpretative Center in White Hall and learn about the 1965 voting rights march. TRACK TRAINS

The cities of Greenville, Andalusia and Opp have historic railroad depots that

Historic theaters that have been restored and still in use include the Georgiana Opry House, the Ritz Theatre in Greenville and the Clark Theatre in Andalusia. DANCE MAGIC

Andalusia Ballet offers performances throughout the year. FEEL AT HOME

See historic homes along the Camellia Driving Trail. Or stretch your legs on the downtown Andalusia Art and History Walking Tour. Or take a tour with the Butler County Historical and Genealogical Society each October. April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 63

Company Kudos

by ERICA JOINER WEST

Martin Supply, a maintenance, repair, operation and production supplies company serving the industrial and construction markets, is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2024. Established in 1934 by Louis Martin in Sheffield, the company is now led by the third and fourth generations of the Martin family. Now headquartered in Florence, the company has 48 distribution centers across the United States.

MAY Banks Build Communities Small Business — Big Impact Women in Technology Faces of Finance Geographic Spotlight: Baldwin County

Adtran, of Huntsville, has been recognized as one of STL Partners’ top 100 edge computing companies of 2024.

Amphitheater on Billboard’s 2024 Top Music Venue listing. It was one of 26 venues across the world recognized.

Alabama Housing Finance Authority has been recognized by Freddie Mac’s top producers for 2023, placing third in the region among small market HFAs with state populations under 6 million.

Huntsville came in at no. 16 on the Milkin Institute’s 2024 rankings of top performing cities.

Columbia Southern University, in Orange Beach, has earned programmatic accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, applying to the university’s programs at the associate, bachelor, master and doctorate levels in business administration. Tennessee-based First Horizon, which has three locations in Alabama, is celebrating its 160th anniversary. Four spas in Alabama have been recognized by Spas of America on the top 100 USA Spas of 2023 listing. They are: The Spa at the Shoals, The Spa at Ross Bridge, The Spa at Grand National and The Spa at Montgomery. The Orion Amphitheater, in Huntsville, has been selected as the Top East Coast

Three Alabama hospitals have been recognized by Chartis Center for Rural Health on its Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital 2024 listing. They are Lawrence Medical Center, Russell Medical Center and South Baldwin Regional Medical Center. Carr, Riggs & Ingram, of Enterprise; Jackson Thornton, of Montgomery; and Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors, of Birmingham, have been recognized on USA Today’s 2024 America’s Most Recommended Tax Firms and America’s Most Recommended Accounting Firms listing. In addition to these three firms, Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, of Huntsville, was recognized on the Most Recommended Accounting Firms listing. Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Wetumpka has come in second on Bombastic’s luckiest casino in the U.S. ranking.

JUNE Manufacturers Build Alabama’s Economy Alabama Associated General Contractors Directory Geographic Spotlight: Sumter, Hale, Greene & Marengo Counties Check BusinessAlabama.com for daily business headlines and additional content

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 65

RETROSPECT

Forge of War

The Selma Ordnance and Naval Foundry By SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND

Brooke guns, such as the one pictured here, were forged in Selma. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

n the final years of the Civil War, Selma was one of the most important sites of wartime production in the Confederacy. Facilities in the riverside town accounted for nearly half of all Confederate cannon and the majority of its small arms ammunition. A shipyard in Selma helped build and outfit Confederate ironclad vessels. Situated along a bluff overlooking the Alabama River, Selma was a town of fewer than 8,000 souls when the war began. In 1861,

The CSS Tennessee was one of four ironclad vessels built in Selma during the Civil War. Photo courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives & History.

66 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

R E T RO S PE C T

Colin McRae, who worked in Mobile as a Tennessee Valley, dogged by the forces merchant, secured funding to begin conunder the command of Confederate Gen. struction of a cannon foundry in Selma. Nathan Bedford Forrest. Along the way, Construction was well underway by the Union troops hobbled Alabama’s coal and spring of 1862 when New Orleans fell to iron mines at Oxmoor, Irondale, TanneUnion control. hill, Brierfield and Shelby. With Selma in This turn of events made the ConfedWilson’s sights, the Confederate governerate arsenal located at Mount Vernon, ment ordered Jones to transport out what Alabama, more vulnerable to attack. A guns and supplies he could and to destroy concerned Josiah Gorgas, who was chief of the rest. Parts were broken or melted down the Confederate Bureau of Ordnance, rein the forges. Cannon too cumbersome located the facility to Selma. Gorgas knew for shipment were pushed into the river. the vulnerabilities of the Mount Vernon Before the first Union soldier arrived at arsenal well, having been stationed there in the outskirts of the town, Selma’s wartime the 1850s. production was at a halt. McRae sold his foundry to the Confed- Catesby ap Roger Jones commanded When Forrest and his troops reached the Selma Naval Foundry. Photo courtesy erate government and took a position as a Selma for another stand, he found hunAlabama Department of Archives & purchasing agent for Gorgas in Europe. dreds of civilians with precious little comHistory. Lt. Col. James L. White oversaw the bat experience to aid in the defense of the relocation efforts and directed the arsenal for a time. The facility town. Since 1862, the Confederacy had worked to build up the grew to encompass some two dozen buildings in the town. town’s earthen defenses. Still, it mattered little without enough Ancillary wartime industries soon followed. soldiers to man the guns. The fight for Selma on April 2, 1865, None was more important than the Selma Naval Foundry was a quick, if bloody, affair. In the small hours of night, once under the command of Catesby ap Roger Jones, a Virginia nathe fighting concluded, fire swept through parts of the town. In tive of Welsh descent (hence the “ap” in his surname). A veteran the distance also burned hundreds of bales of cotton set ablaze of the Mexican War, Jones was a seasoned officer, fresh off the by retreating Confederates who sought to keep the fleecy staple Battle of Hampton Roads, the historic “clash of ironclads.” from Union clutches. His weathered, balding pate portrayed a hardscrabble life of 42 The morning after the battle, Wilson wrote to his superiors. years. “Large arsenals and foundries with their machinery are in my Upon his arrival at Selma, Jones found much work to do. He possession intact. I shall burn them today, with everything else secured the services of Englishman George Peacock, an expert useful to enemy.” And burn them he did. The work was delibfoundryman previously employed in besieged Natchez. erate, the destruction total. At the arsenal, Union soldiers razed Jones put the Selma foundry to work building powerful, two dozen structures, destroyed 15 large guns, 60,000 artillery large-caliber weapons called Brooke Guns, the invention of rounds and 1 million rounds of ammunition. “The explosions his former colleague Capt. John Mercer Brooke. The foundry continued for three hours,” wrote one observer, “much louder delivered its first hulking Brooke Gun — made of Alabama iron than any we had ever heard, and of sufficient violence to shake — in January 1864. It produced 70 more by war’s end. Under the earth for miles around, making the whole city a perfect Jones’ command, the foundry helped arm and equip four Conpandemonium.” federate ironclads, including the Tennessee, which was captured The buildings, remaining engines, boilers and nearly 30 guns during the Battle of Mobile Bay. forged at Jones’ crucial Naval Foundry were smashed or melted Wartime facilities came to dominate Selma’s landscape. down. Equipment and materiel at the nearby Selma Iron Works Industries stretched over some 50 acres, mostly parallel to the and a horseshoe factory met the same fate, as did the tracks and Alabama River. All hours of the day, busy workmen, free and roundhouses of the city’s railroads. “What a wreck of a place we enslaved and nearly 10,000 strong, fed the machines that prohave left,” wrote one Union soldier. duced weapons of war. In addition to heavy guns and ammuWilson and his troops departed on April 10, 1865, and nition, workers in Selma produced swords, bayonets, shovels, marched toward Alabama’s capital city. No one in Selma, neiwagons and a variety of clothing. “The importance of Selma to ther its besieged residents sifting through the smoldering ruin the Confederacy can hardly be overestimated,” a Yankee expat of their town nor their temporary occupiers, yet knew that Gen. who had lived in the city wrote to The New York Times. Robert E. Lee had surrendered his forces the previous day. The Selma was a prize, no doubt. It was also a target. The Union war had ended — for Selmians and for everyone else. general who ultimately broke its war machine was Illinois native Today, the remnant of an iron Brooke gun forged in war on James H. Wilson. Though not yet 30 years old, he ranked the banks of the Alabama River sits outside Selma’s City Hall, a among the ablest military leaders of the era. None who wore the silent reminder of a wartime legacy. Yankee blue did more to bring about the end to Alabama’s role in the war than did he. Historian Scotty E. Kirkland is a freelance contributor to Business Alabama. Wilson and his troops swept down Alabama from the He lives in Wetumpka. April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 67

Career Notes SHAWN GILLIS

BILL RHODES

SCOTT JENKINS

CHANCE MITCHELL

JESSICA BLACK

by ERICA JOINER WEST

TABITHA CAMBELL

JUSTIN STABLER

HEATHER WOODWARD KRISTIN PARSONS

Patrick Thompson to its Central Alabama Market board. CRAIG SAVAGE

KAREN JOHNSTON

CHRIS MCCOY

FRANK PISHLER

AUTOMATION

Hargrove Controls & Automation Process Safety Leader Chet Barton has been awarded the Functional Safety Expert Certification, which is the highest level of certification from TUV Rheinland.

Bill Rhodes, AutoZone president and CEO, has been appointed to the boards of Regions Financial Corp. and Regions Bank. Scott Jenkins has been named commercial relationship officer, senior vice president of Renasant Corp., parent of Renasant Bank.

CONSTRUCTION

BANKING

HPM has hired Chance Mitchell as senior preconstruction manager, working out of the firm’s Huntsville office.

Oakworth Capital Bank has named Charlie Baxley, Trey Heard, Curt Stokes and

PCI Federal Services, of Atmore, has promoted Jessica Black to marketing director; Tabitha Cambell to recruiting/ talent acquisition director; Justin Stabler to vice president of operations for H2PCI

Bryant Bank has hired Shawn Gillis as senior vice president, correspondent banking and capital markets.

JUAN RONDEROS

DONNA JACKSON

LLC; and Heather Woodward to human resources benefits/employee relations manager.

LEGAL

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Partner Hall Eady has been appointed chairman of the board for Make-A-Wish Alabama. Associate Lillie Hobson has been recognized by the Montgomery County Bar Association with the Tom Methvin Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award.

MANUFACTURING

Austal USA has named Kristin Parsons vice president human resources.

MEDICAL

Juan Ronderos, a neurosurgeon, has joined South Baldwin Medical Group at South Baldwin Regional Medical Center.

ORGANIZATIONS

Ron Sivak has been named president of the Habitat for Humanity Southwest Alabama board. Manufacture Alabama has added Donna Jackson, of International Paper in Prattville, and Craig Savage, of Airbus USA in Mobile, to its board. The association also has named Karen Johnston, of Toyota North America, vice chairman of the board.

REAL ESTATE

Commercial real estate investment firm Stoic Equity Partners of Daphne has added Chris McCoy as director of project management and retail development and Frank Pishler as director of investor relations.

SECURITY

DSI Security Services has added Wayne Hendley as its national training and compliance manager. In addition, the firm has promoted Kent Calhoun to vice president of technology solutions at its Security Technology Solutions division.

TECHNOLOGY

Quantalytix, a provider of Enterprise Bank Management software and Enterprise Data Management platform, has named Michael McCay director of mortgage technology.

68 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

Index 21st Century Oncology.....................................58 4-H Program.....................................................13 AARP...............................................................37 Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs..................................65 Adtran Holdings......................................... 37, 65 Advance CTE.....................................................27 Aerojet Rocketdyne..........................................37 AI-Ops..............................................................37 AIA Recycling/Logistics............................... 51, 53 Aihara, Masashi............................................................11 Air & Space Force Association.............................27 Airbus USA...................................................8, 68 Alabama A&M University..................................13 Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station..........13 Alabama Association of Realtors.......................60 Alabama Aviation College..................... 51, 55, 60 Alabama Black Belt Adventures........................56 Alabama Black Mayors Association....................56 Alabama Community College System.......... 55, 56 Alabama Cooperage...........................................9 Alabama Cooperative Extension System...... 13, 51 Alabama Department of Agriculture..................13 Alabama Department of Commerce............. 12, 56 Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.................................13 Alabama Department of Education....................56 Alabama Department of Environmental Management...............................................60 Alabama Development Office...........................56 Alabama Drought Reach...................................13 Alabama Forestry Association...........................13 Alabama High School Athletic Association.........56 Alabama Housing Finance Authority.................65 Alabama League of Municipalities....................56 Alabama Medieval Fantasy Festival, Greenville......................................63 Alabama Mobility and Power Center.................20 Alabama Network of Child Advocacy Centers.....56 Alabama Office of the State Climatologist..........13 Alabama Pharmacy Association.........................56 Alabama Port Authority....................................49 Alabama Power Co...................................... 20, 37 Alabama STEM Council......................................27 Alabama Technology Network...........................32 Alabama Transportation Institute......................20 Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program................................60 American Apparel................................. 49, 51, 53 American Association of Retired Persons...........37 American Colloid Co................................... 51, 53 American Queen Voyages...................................8 Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce........ 51, 56 Andalusia Ballet......................................... 56, 63 Andalusia Depot...............................................63 Andalusia Distributing Co.................................53 Andalusia Health..............................................58 Andalusia, City of..............................7, 49, 56, 60 Anglin Reichmann Armstrong...........................65 Appalachian Regional Commission...................56 ARCO/Murray National Construction Co...............9 Art and History Walking Tour, Andalusia...........63 Ascension St. Vincent’s East.................................8 Associated Builders and Contractors....................8 Atmore Industrial Park.....................................10 Auburn University...........................13, 27, 55, 56 Auburn University - Montgomery......................55 Auburn University Water Resources Center........13 Austal USA................................................. 37, 68 Austin, Gen. Lloyd.........................................................37 Autauga County Schools...................................27 AutoZone.........................................................68 Axient Corp........................................................9 B Scent Free......................................................32 B.A.S.S.............................................................37 Bank Independent...........................................37

A guide to businesses (bold) and individuals (light) mentioned in this month’s issue of Business Alabama. Barton, Chet..................................................................68 Barton, Michael............................................................17 Bates Turkey Farm...................................... 51, 53 Baxley, Charlie..............................................................68 Beeland Park Camellia Garden..........................63 Berry, Lisa.....................................................................27 Big Lots............................................................60 Big Mike’s Steakhouse......................................60 Billboard Magazine..........................................65 Birmingham Barons.........................................37 Birmingham-Southern College.........................56 Birmingham, City of...........................................9 BL Harbert International........................... 8, 9, 37 Black, Brittany...............................................................32 Black, Jessica................................................................68 Bluegrass Companies.......................................53 BlueHalo LLC......................................................8 BMSS Advisors & CPAs......................................40 Boggs & Boulders Off Road Adventure Park.......63 Boise Cascade............................................. 49, 53 Bottega Restaurant...........................................37 Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama.................37 Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP...................68 Branche, Jim.................................................................13 Brantley, Town of................................. 49, 51, 60 Brasfield & Gorrie...............................................8 Breeze Airways...................................................7 Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School......27 Brooke, Capt. John Mercer...........................................66 Browder Veneer...............................................53 Brown-Forman Corp............................................9 Bryan, Jason.................................................................60 Bryant Bank.....................................................68 Buffett, Jimmy..............................................................37 Buffett, Lucy..................................................................37 Burke’s Outlet.................................................60 Business Alabama Awards................................37 Business Council of Alabama............................32 Butler County....................................... 49, 56, 60 Butler County Achiever Award...........................56 Butler County Commission for Economic Development......................................... 49, 56 Butler County E-911.........................................56 Butler County Historical & Genealogical Society.................................................. 56, 63 Butler County Schools......................................60 Byard Associates LLC.........................................56 Byard, Jim Jr...........................................................49, 56 Byars|Wright................................................9, 37 Cahaba Fire Company.......................................37 Calhoun, Kent...............................................................68 Cambell, Tabitha...........................................................68 Camellia City Festival, Greenville......................63 Camellia Driving Trail.......................................63 Camellia Society...............................................56 Campbell, Jess.............................................................13 Capstone Building Corp......................................9 Carr, Riggs & Ingram........................................65 Cast Products.....................................................8 CBB Bancorp.......................................................8 CBS 42 TV.........................................................37 Central Alabama Community College................27 Century Bank of Georgia.....................................8 Cerrowire Inc....................................................37 Chamberlain, April.......................................................27 Chertis Center for Rural Health.........................65 Chez Fonfon.....................................................37 Chowel Weldparts............................................53 City Walk BHM.................................................37 Clark Theatre, Andalusia...................................63 Clifton, Rick...................................................................56 Coastal Forest Products.....................................49 Coffee Shoppe, The, Selma..................................7 Columbia Southern University..........................65 Comcast Corp...................................................37

Conecuh National Forest...................................63 Conecuh Sausage Co............................... 7, 49, 51 Confederate Bureau of Ordnance......................66 Cornell University............................................56 Corporate Transparency Act.................................7 Covington County............................................49 Covington County Economic Development Commission................................................56 Covington County Pharmacy Association...........56 Covington County Schools................................58 Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce......................56 Crenshaw Community Hospital............. 51, 58, 60 Crenshaw County....................................... 49, 60 Crenshaw County Domestic Violence Task Force......................................56 Crenshaw County Public Fishing Lake...............63 Crenshaw County Schools........................... 56, 60 Crenshaw County Women for Christ..................56 Crenshaw Family Care Clinic, Luverne...............58 Croux Inc..........................................................37 CSX Transportation Inc......................................49 Cumberland School of Law...............................56 Cypress Landng RV Park...................................63 Daehan Solutions Alabama................... 49, 51, 53 Dafor Heavy Timber Fabricators.........................51 David Christopher’s..........................................37 Davis, Jeremiah............................................................13 Davis, Noopur...............................................................37 DC Blox..............................................................8 Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy...56 Delta Regional Authority..................................56 Demers, Vicki................................................................58 DesignAlabama................................................56 Discovery Life Sciences.....................................37 Dixie Electric Cooperative.................................56 Domestique Coffee...........................................37 Dongwon Autopart Technology Alabama.......................................... 49, 51, 53 Doster Construction Co.......................................9 Dothan, City of.................................................12 Douglas Manufacturing......................................8 DSI Security Services.........................................68 Eady, Hall......................................................................68 Economic Development Association of Alabama..................................................56 Edge Theater, The, Greenville............................60 Elizabeth Wilson Florist....................................56 Ellis, Thomas.................................................................56 Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes..........................37 Enterprise Commerce Park................................10 Eqlipse Technologies..........................................8 Eskew+Dumez+Ripple.......................................9 Essnova Solutions............................................37 Evergreen Forest Products.................................51 Family Dollar/Dollar Tree............................ 51, 60 Federal Emergency Management Agency..........17 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission........7, 37 Fellowship of Christian Athletes Central Alabama..........................................56 FEMA Center for Domestic Preparedness............17 Firehouse Subs.................................................60 First Horizon Bank............................................65 Five Below.......................................................60 Flowers Insurance..............................................9 Forever Wild....................................................60 Forrest, Gen. Nathan Bedford.......................................66 Fort Deposit Industrial Park..............................49 Fort Deposit, Town of........................................60 Fountain, Parker, Harberger & Associates.............9 Frank Jackson State Park...................................63 Full Moon BBQ.................................................37 Georgiana Fest.................................................63 Georgiana Opry House......................................63 Georgiana, Town of...........................................60 Gillis, Shawn.................................................................68 Gin Creek Country Store........................ 51, 56, 60

Glenwood Festival at the Well...........................63 Global Location Services...................................10 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co................................71 Gordonville, Town of........................................56 Gorgas, Josiah..............................................................66 Grandview Medical Center..................................8 Great Southern Wood Holdings.........................37 Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce.............56 Greenville Arts Council.....................................56 Greenville Depot..............................................63 Greenville High School.....................................60 Greenville Newspapers LLC...............................56 Greenville, City of................................. 49, 56, 60 Gulf Distributing..............................................37 H.T. Hackney....................................................53 H2PCI LLC.........................................................68 Habitat for Humanity........................................68 Halfmann, Tim................................................................7 Hank Williams Festival, Georgiana....................63 Harbor Freight.................................................60 Hargrove Controls & Automation......................68 Harrell, Brandon...........................................................12 Harvey, Alec..................................................................37 Hawthorne, Dodd.........................................................56 Hayneville Telephone Co..................................60 Hayneville, Town of..........................................60 Heard, Trey....................................................................68 Hendley, Wayne...........................................................68 Heritage Park, Andalusia............................ 49, 60 Herndon, Savannah......................................................32 Hewitt-Trussville High School............................27 Highlands Bar and Grill....................................37 Hoar Construction..............................................9 Hobson, Lillie...............................................................68 Hornblower Group.............................................8 Houghtlin, Rob...............................................................7 Houston County...............................................12 Howell, Brenda.............................................................27 HPM/Hoar Project Management.............. 9, 37, 68 Hubbell Inc................................................ 49, 53 Hudson Thompson...........................................56 HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology..........37 Huhtamaki N.A.................................................53 Huntsville Hospital Foundation........................37 Huntsville International Airport..........................7 Huntsville West Industrial Park..........................9 Huntsville, City of............................................65 Hutchison, David....................................................49, 56 Hwashin America Corp.....................49, 51, 53, 56 Hyundai Initiative for Robotic Excellence...........27 Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.....................................27, 37, 49, 51 Hyundai Steel America......................... 51, 53, 56 Idland, Nancy...............................................................56 Ingevity Corp....................................... 49, 51, 53 Integrated Innovation Inc...................................9 International Economic Development Council...56 International Intermodal Center, Huntsville........7 International Paper..........................................68 Islam, Tanveer...............................................................17 Isolair Inc.........................................................51 ITAC Alabama LLC................................. 49, 51, 53 Ivey, Gov. Kay................................................7, 10, 12, 27 JA Logistics......................................................51 Jack Daniel’s Cooperage.....................................9 Jack’s Restaurant.............................................60 Jackson Thornton................................... 8, 40, 65 Jackson, Donna............................................................68 Jacksonville State University...................... 17, 56 JamisonMoneyFarmer PC.................................40 Jenkins, Jo Ann............................................................37 Jenkins, Scott...............................................................68 Johnson Labs...................................................32 Johnson Research & Development Co................37

April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 69

INDEX

Johnson, Earl..................................................................7 Johnson, Karla..............................................................32 Johnson, Lonnie...........................................................37 Johnson, Louis.............................................................32 Johnston, Karen...........................................................68 Jones, Catesby ap Roger..............................................66 Jupiter Medical Center.......................................9 Kassouf & Co. Inc..............................................40 Kassouf, Gerry...............................................................40 Kelley, Brock...........................................................55, 56 Kentuck Festival of the Arts.................................9 Kia Motor Manufacturing Georgia.....................51 Kilcrease, Clint..............................................................58 Kindred Healthcare..........................................58 King Trail Farms, Daviston................................13 King, Charlie Jr.............................................................56 King, Mellisa................................................................51 Kiwanis International.......................................56 Koch Foods................................................. 51, 53 Lake Jackson at Florala City Park.......................63 Larry’s Prescriptions Inc....................................56 Lawrence Medical Center..................................65 Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grant.............................................60 Leadership Alabama.........................................56 Lee, Gen. Robert E.........................................................66 Life Changing Ministries..................................60 LifePoint Health...............................................58 Lightfoot, Kaye..............................................................60 Lindenberg, Andrea......................................................37 Little Big Horn Marching Bands, Opp.................63 Logan, Don...................................................................37 Lolley, Joni....................................................................51 Lost Pizza, Andalusia........................................60 Lowndes County................................... 49, 56, 60 Lowndes County Economic Development Commission.......................................... 49, 56 Lowndes County Farmers Federation.................56 Lowndes County Industrial Development Board.....................................56 Lowndes County Industrial Park.......................49 Lowndes County Schools..................................60 Lowndes Interpretative Center, White Hall........63 Lurleen B. Wallace Community College................................. 51, 55, 56, 58, 60 Luverne Health & Rehabilitation.......................51 Luverne, City of.......................................... 56, 60 Main Street Alabama.................................. 56, 60 Maisel, Elliot.................................................................37 Make-A-Wish Alabama......................................68 Malley, Michael S. Jr.....................................................20 Manufacture Alabama......................................68 Marrazzo, Jeanne.........................................................37 Marshalls/TJX Companies.................................60 Martin Supply..................................................65 Martin, Louis.................................................................65 Maxwell Air Force Base............................... 27, 56 Mazda Motor Corp............................................11 Mazda Toyota Manufacturing............................11 McCaleb, Bridget..........................................................37 McCay, Michael.............................................................68 McCoy, Chris.................................................................68 McDermott Aviation LLC....................................51 McLendon, Dexter..................................................56, 60 McLendon, Fuller............................................................9 McNider, Holly..............................................................27 McRae, Colin.................................................................66 Mercedes-Benz U.S. International................................20 Meridiam Infrastructure North America Corp.......8 Mid-South RC&D...............................................56 Milkin Institute................................................65 Mitchell, Chance...........................................................68 Mizell Memorial Hospital........................... 56, 58 Mobile Bay Ferry................................................8 Mobile, City of....................................................7 Montgomery County Bar Association.................68

Montgomery Public Schools..............................27 Montgomery Technology Inc.............................53 Montgomery Whitewater.................................37 Moore, Linda................................................................37 Motion Industries..............................................8 Mspark Media....................................................7 MST CPAs and Advisers.......................................8 Mukaida, Mitsunobu....................................................11 Murphy, Mark...............................................................56 Murphy, Meryane Martin.............................................56 Myers, Mitchell.......................................................56, 58 National Institutes of Health.............................37 National Poultry Technology Center..................13 National Youth Cyber Education Program..........27 New York Times................................................66 New York University.........................................56 Newton, Allison............................................................17 Nextec Building...............................................37 Norred, Jason...............................................................27 Northport, City of...............................................9 Novelis Inc.........................................................7 O&W General Contractors LLC............................56 Oakworth Capital Bank.....................................68 Okaloosa Gas District..........................................9 Opelika City Schools.........................................27 Opelika High School.........................................27 Opp and Covington County Chamber of Commerce...............................................51 Opp City Schools..............................................60 Opp Depot.......................................................63 Opp Fest..........................................................63 Opp High School........................................ 56, 58 Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo....................................63 Opp, City of................................................ 49, 60 Orion Amphitheater.........................................65 Owa Parks & Resort..........................................37 Ozark Materials................................................49 Ozier, Orbuty................................................................56 Ozier’s Designer Plans......................................56 Parsons, Kristin ............................................................68 PCI Federal Services..........................................68 Peacock, George...........................................................66 Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Luverne............... 51, 53 Perfetto Manufacturing......................................8 Perkins + Will....................................................9 Perry Labs..........................................................8 Phillips, J. Mike............................................................13 Phillips, Willie..............................................................37 Pintlala Water Authority...................................56 Pishler, Frank................................................................68 Poppell, Lyvonnia.........................................................40 PowerSouth Electric Cooperative.......................53 Prairie Creek, Lowndesboro..............................63 Presley, Neal.................................................................56 Prestwood Building, Andalusia.........................60 Price, Dan.......................................................................9 Priester’s Pecans.................................. 51, 53, 56 Pritchett-Moore..................................................9 Providence Hospital, Mobile.............................37 Qahouq, Jaber Abu.......................................................20 Quantalytix Inc.................................................68 Randolph, Megan.........................................................40 Rane, James W.............................................................37 Redstone Federal Credit Union..........................37 REF Corp...........................................................49 Regional Medical Center of Central Alabama.51, 58 Regions Financial Corp............................... 37, 68 Renasant Corp..................................................68 Rhodes, Bill..................................................................68 Richway Transportation....................................51 Ritz Theatre, Greenville.....................................63 River Region United Way..................................56 Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Cambrian Ridge..........................55, 56, 60, 63 Robins & Morton................................................9

70 | BusinessAlabama.com April 2024

Ronderos, Juan.............................................................68 Rotary International.........................................56 Royal, Hunter................................................................56 Rubio, Nicolas.................................................................8 Russell Medical Center.....................................65 Russell, Tony.................................................................17 SaeHaeSung Alabama................................. 51, 53 Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center....................56 Salter,Tracy....................................................................56 Saraland Sports Complex....................................9 Saudi Basic Industries Corp................... 49, 51, 53 Savage, Craig................................................................68 School Superintendents of Alabama..................56 ScionHealth/Knight Health Holdings LLC...........58 SEEDS Grants....................................................10 Sejong Alabama LLC............................. 49, 51, 53 Selma Iron Works.............................................66 Selma Naval Foundry........................................66 Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.....63 Selma, City of.....................................................8 Sentar Inc.........................................................37 Sepulga River...................................................63 SER Hydraulics...................................................8 Sessions, John Crum......................................................7 Sessions, John Henry.....................................................7 Shaw Industries................................... 49, 51, 53 Sherling Lake...................................................60 Sherling Lake Campground and Park................63 Shoppes at Covington................................. 49, 60 Shoreline Transportation..................................51 Shoupe, Brandon.........................................................12 Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls.............. 51, 53 Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy Act.................................................10 Sivak, Ron.....................................................................68 Smart Alabama LLC..................................... 49, 51 Smyth, Kathryn.......................................................56, 60 Snow Hinton Park, Tuscaloosa.............................9 Sonoco Products Co...........................................53 South Alabama Regional Airport................. 51, 55 South Baldwin Medical Center.................... 65, 68 South Central Alabama Broadband Cooperative District.....................................56 South Central Alabama Development Commission................................................60 South Central Alabama Mental Health Crisis Diversion Center.............................. 49, 51, 60 Southeast AlabamaWorks........................... 56, 60 Southeast Gas District.......................................56 Southeastern Center of Robotics Education........27 Southeastern Livestock Exposition....................56 Southern Co.....................................................20 Southern Economic Development Committee....56 Southern Field Maintenance & Fabrication.........53 Southern Progress............................................37 Southern Roots Nut Co......................................12 Southern States Bank.........................................8 Spa at Grand National, The................................65 Spa at Montgomery, The...................................65 Spa at Ross Bridge, The.....................................65 Spa at the Shoals, The.......................................65 Spas of America................................................65 Specification Rubber Products.............................8 Stabler, Justin...............................................................68 Stanton, Tom.................................................................37 Stapler, Amy.................................................................40 STEM Education Research Center.......................27 Stimpson, Sandy.............................................................7 Stitt Restaurant Group......................................37 Stitt, Frank.....................................................................37 Stitt, Pardis....................................................................37 Stoic Equity Partners.........................................68 Stokes, Curt...................................................................68 Structural Wood Systems............................ 51, 53 Sullivan, Bernard....................................................49, 60 Taylor, Rachel................................................................40

The Oaks-Family RV Park and Campground........63 Thomas Accounting and Income Tax Service.......37 Thompson, Patrick........................................................68 Time Warner....................................................37 Timmerman Building, Andalusia................ 49, 60 Toyota North America.......................................68 Tractor Supply..................................................60 Trammell, Patrick..........................................................51 Transformation Partners.....................................7 Trenholm State Community College............ 56, 60 Triad Properties..................................................9 Triple E Farm....................................................56 Troy University........................................... 55, 56 Troy University Dothan.....................................56 Trussville City Schools......................................27 Trustmark Bank................................................56 TUV Rheinland.................................................68 U.S. Air Force....................................................56 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics...........................27 U.S. Cooperative Extension Service....................13 U.S. Department of Agriculture................... 13, 60 U.S. Department of Defense..........................8, 37 U.S. Department of Energy................................20 U.S. Department of Transportation......................9 U.S. Forest Service............................................13 U.S. Green Building Council..............................51 U.S. Marine Corps....................................... 49, 51 U.S. Navy...........................................................9 U.S. Secret Service National Computer Forensics Institute........................17 UAB Hospital Highlands.....................................9 UAB Medicine...............................................9, 58 United Airlines...................................................7 University Beach, Northport................................9 University of Alabama................................ 20, 56 University of Alabama at Birmingham.................9 University of Alabama in Huntsville..................13 University of Montevallo....................................7 University of South Alabama.........................9, 56 University of West Alabama........................ 55, 56 Urban Bar & Kitchen...........................................9 USA Health.......................................................37 USA Today....................................................9, 65 Vanguard Pacific..............................................37 Verizon Communications Inc.............................60 Vine Church, Troy.............................................32 VivoSphere LLC................................................37 Volunteer Fire Department Rodeo, Luverne.......63 Wallace Community College Dothan.................56 Waller, Weeks and Johnson Rental Index............7 Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors............... 40, 65 Watts, Ray.....................................................................37 Wayne State Community College......................56 Wells Fargo Building, Opp................................49 Wells-Marshall, Jennifer..............................................13 Wheelhouse, The..............................................60 White-Spunner Construction Inc..........................9 White, Lt. Col. James I...................................................66 Wicker Point Golf Club at Russell Lands.............37 Williams, Candi............................................................37 Williams, Hank Sr.........................................................60 Wilson, James H...........................................................66 Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Wetumpka..............65 Women’s & Family Health, Andalusia................58 Women’s Foundation of Alabama........................9 Woodward, Heather.....................................................68 World Championship Domino Tournament, Andalusia................................63 World’s Largest Peanut Boil, Luverne................63 Wright, Haig.................................................................37 Wright, Willie.................................................................7 WRM Group.................................................9, 37 Xia, Zhiyong..................................................................20 Yellowhammer Networks...................................8 Your Town Alabama..........................................56

Historic Alabama

CHEMISTRY FOR THE FRONT LINES… During World War II, women filled the chemistry lab at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber plant in Gadsden. The plant closed in 2020, 91 years after it opened in 1929. The plant was busy during the war, producing a number of war-related products, including gas masks, tires for the Army, rubber-dipped fabrics and reclaimed and synthetic fiber. Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives & History. Do you have a photo you’d like us to consider for Historic Alabama? Send it to Erica West at ewest@pmtpublishing.com.

Alabiz Quiz

Challenge yourself with these puzzlers from past issues of Business Alabama magazine. If you feel pretty confident, send your answers via email to ewest@pmtpublishing.com or, beginning April 19, work the quiz online and check your answers at businessalabama.com.

April 2024:

April 2023 (one year ago):

April 2014 (10 years ago):

Q: Researchers at the University of Alabama are looking for ways to extend the useable lifespan of an important new product that could otherwise inundate landfills with a potential for hazardous waste. What product?

Q: We reported on the end of a lengthy strike at one of Alabama’s coal companies. Which company?

Q: The Alabama Tourism Department ranked the biggest draws among admission-charging attractions. These are the top four – which of them topped the list?

A) EV batteries B) Refrigerators C) Tires D) TV remote controls

March 2024 (one month ago): Q: Lonnie Johnson was one of those honored for lifetime achievement by Business Alabama Magazine. Among his many inventions is one found in many a household with children. What is it? A) Baby Bouncer B) Hi-rise High Chair C) Nerf products D) SuperSoaker water gun

A) Alacoal Co. B) Drummond Co. C) Pratt Coal & Iron Co. D) Warrior Met

April 2019 (five years ago): Q: Emma arrived at UAB. She weighed 90 tons, traveled from Germany by ship, then from Georgia on a special 20-axle, 78-wheel truck and was lifted by crane into her 4th Avenue South home. What is Emma? A) Cyclotron for cancer therapy B) Genetically engineered elephant C) Lifesize T Rex model D) Wiener schnitzel for a multi-year alumni banquet

A) Birmingham Zoo B) Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail C) U.S. Space & Rocket Center D) U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Park

April 1999 (25 years ago): Q: Bessie Ford, for many years our politics and government columnist, wrote about a hot topic between the governor, the legislature and the voters. What topic? Hint: it’s still a hot topic today. A) State-sponsored lottery B) Tax breaks to attract new industry C) Unionization of workers D) Underwriting salaries of UA and AU football coaches Answers from March: B, B, D, C, D, B April 2024 BusinessAlabama.com | 71