Business Alabama - November 2022 by Business Alabama

NOV 2022

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RANDY THOMAS AND NAI CHASE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ARE AMONG THOSE FUELING A DEVELOPMENT BOOM IN HUNTSVILLE

Page 46 CANINE DETECTORS 24 AUBURN ARE ON THE SCENT ACHE WORKS TO

34 KEEP GRADS HERE SPOTLIGHT: CULLMAN,

55 WALKER & WINSTON COUNTIES

NOVEMBER 2022

Volume 37 / Number 11

CONTENTS

Starting with puppies, Paul Waggoner and the team at Auburn train the dogs that sniff out danger at airports and beyond. Photo by Julie Bennett.

Features 14

EDUCATION FUNDING BLITZ UA crowdsourcing site brings in big money donations.

BUILDING TO LEARN Home Builders Association teams with community college to grow supply of capable workers.

FOLLOWING THE SCENT Auburn’s canine detection research helps keep the country safe.

THE CHALLENGING HISTORY OF THE CLOTILDA South professor Kern Jackson helps unearth the history for movie “Descendant.”

RETAINING AND RECALLING ALABAMA’S GRADUATES Getting graduates to stay and attracting others back to Alabama are key components to building the state’s workforce. REAL ESTATE CREEPING ALONG Pandemic disruptions and financial headwinds have slowed the commercial real estate market.

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HUNTSVILLE IS BOOMING All types of real estate developments are under construction across Huntsville — trying to keep up with job growth that is outpacing the nation. SIDELINES CREDIT AND CRUNCH Credit union exec finds relaxation — and profit — at his North Alabama pecan farm. RETROSPECT PETER JOSEPH PATT: VETERINARY SURGEON Renowned Mobile vet treated horses, created cure-alls for man and beast, and transitioned his downtown stables to auto parking as times changed.

On the Cover: Randy Thomas, executive vice president of brokerage at NAI Chase Commercial Real Estate, sees national investors buying up valuable real estate in Huntsville. Photo by Jeff White

50: Redstone Credit Union leader Joe Newberry has a sidelline at his family pecan farm. Photo by Jeff White. 29: Lorna Woods and Jocelyn Davis are among the Clotilda descendants featured in the new film “Descendant.” University of South Alabama Professor Kern Jackson helped gather the history for the film. Photo by Chad Riley. 34: Alabama’s university graduates often look out of state for their life work; ACHE wants to change that.

TOP RANK 23 PUBLIC TWO-YEAR COLLEGES 33 PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES 37 INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 49 COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FIRMS SPECIAL SECTIONS 39 EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATORS 77 BUSINESS COUNCIL OF ALABAMA

GEOGRAPHIC SPOTLIGHT 55 CULLMAN, WALKER & WINSTON COUNTIES

Departments

86 87

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

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NOVEMBER 2022 BusinessAlabama.com Volume 37 / Number 11

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 WEB PRODUCER Mattie Naman / mattie@pmtpubishing.com DIGITAL EDITOR Kathryn Bell / kbell@pmtpublishing.com CIRCULATION Anita Miller / anita@pmtpublishing.com ACCOUNTING Keith Crabtree / acct@pmtpublishing.com ADMINISTRATION/OFFICE MANAGER Lauren Sullivan / lsullivan@pmtpublishing.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Birmingham: 205-802-6363 Hal Cain / Ext. 111 / hcain@pmtpublishing.com Lee Mills / Ext. 102 / lmills@pmtpublishing.com Mobile: 251-473-6269 Joe Hyland / Ext. 214 / jhyland@pmtpublishing.com DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED MEDIA & EVENTS Sheila Wardy / swardy@pmtpublishing.com BIRMINGHAM OFFICE 3324 Independence Drive / Homewood, AL 35209 205-802-6363 MOBILE OFFICE 166 Government Street / Mobile, AL 36602 251-473-6269 CORPORATE T.J. Potts, President & CEO Thomas E. McMillan, Partner & Director Business Alabama is published monthly by PMT Publishing Co., Inc. Copyright 2022 by PMT Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission prohibited. Letters to the editor are welcome.

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Moving? Please note US Postal Service will not forward magazines mailed through its Bulk Mail unit. Four to six weeks before moving, please send old mailing label and new address to Business Alabama, P.O. Box 43, Congers, NY 109209922 or call 1-833-454-5060.

Benchmarks

Novelis breaks ground in Baldwin County for $2.5B aluminum plant NOVELIS INC. broke ground in early Oc-

tober on a $2.5 billion aluminum recycling and rolling plant on the Baldwin County Mega Site in Bay Minette. The plant is expected to employ 1,000 people and produce 600 kilotons of finished goods each year. State and local economic development officials called it “one of the largest economic deals in Alabama history.” The company plans to pay an average wage of $65,000, some 53% higher than the county’s current average wage. Steve Fisher, president and CEO of Novelis, said, “Through this investment, we want to demonstrate the strength of our growing customer partnerships, the commitment we have to sustainably grow our business into the future, and the innovative, forward-thinking approach we are taking to modern manufacturing. We are especially proud to celebrate our ground-

B U S I N E S S GOOD WORK PLACE Area Development, a national economic development publication, has ranked Alabama No. 6 on its 2022 Top States for Doing Business list. The list includes various categories, including speed of project permitting (Alabama tops that list), workforce development programs (Alabama ranks 4th) and energy availability and costs (Alabama ranks 3rd). PROST Alabama’s Department of Commerce was recognized by the German state of Niedersachsen as its Outstanding Economic Development Partner of the Year. The award came at an international trade show in

breaking of this state-ofthe-art facility on National Manufacturing Day, which highlights the exciting career opportunities available in our industry.” Officials break ground for the new Lee Lawson, Novelis plant. Photo by Mike Kittrell. president and carbon recycling and rolling facility by our CEO of the longtime partners at Novelis will benefit Baldwin County Economic Development the Coca-Cola system, our customers and Alliance, added, “Novelis’ economic consumers, while reducing impact on the impact will be felt in this community for environment.” many years to come and we are proud to Beyond aluminum beverage cans, the partner with them for the betterment of plant will produce aluminum for the Baldwin County and our residents. We are automotive industry, which hopes to work eager to drive our community forward and toward sustainability goals in part through adding an emphasis on the importance of the use of the lighter weight metal. Novelis recycling and manufacturing to our area notes that its aluminum products are now helps us do that. We are excited to see meafound in 225 vehicle models around the surable results immediately and looking to world. the future.” The plant is expected to open in 2025. “Aluminum cans are an important form Novelis had net sales of $17.1 billion in of packaging that, when recycled, play a fiscal year 2022. A subsidiary of Hindalco vital role in our overall efforts to reduce Industries Limited, Novelis is called the waste,” said John Murphy, chief financial metals flagship company of the Aditya officer of the Coca-Cola Company, when Birla Group, which is based in Mumbai. the new plant was announced in May. “The announcement of this new, low-

B R I E F S Chicago. The award was given by a group called Invest in Niedersachsen. NEW AT THE TOP Holly Dean is the new CEO of Shelby Baptist Medical Center, the hospital where she was born. She replaces interim CEO Jeremy Clark. Dean Mitchell, formerly executive director of the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, has been named director of the new HudsonAlpha Wiregrass. Chuck Karr has been named president of University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he had been interim president. David Perry, formerly the state finance director and chief of staff to the governor, has been named CEO of Concourse

Financial Group, a division of Protective Life. BIGGER & BETTER Douglas Manufacturing is investing $2 million to double capacity at its Pell City plant, where it makes conveyor components and engineering conveying solutions. In Athens, Systems Automotive Interiors Alabama and Toyota Boshoku, seat makers for Mazda Toyota, plan to add another 100 employees, bringing the workforce to 500. Invariant Corp., based in Huntsville, has broken ground for a 23,000-square-foot wing to include electronics, optics labs and more.

NEW IN ALABAMA French search engine developer Sinequa has opened an office in Huntsville, where it hopes to cater to federal agencies and others in the aerospace and defense industries. Kayak Bass Fishing also plans to build its headquarters in Huntsville at Ditto Landing. OVERDRAFT FEE Regions Bank has been ordered to pay $191 million — including at least $141 million refunded to consumers — in a settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The CFPB accused the bank of levying “surprise” overdraft fees on some ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases from August 2018 through July 2021.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 7

BENCHMARKS

Southeast Alabama companies plan $92 million expansions Two Houston County companies plan to make $92 million in infrastructure improvements, resulting in at least 70 new jobs. SMARTLAM NORTH AMERICA, which makes crosslaminated timber, will invest $50 million to build a new glulam manufacturing facility. Peak Renewables will build a $30 million wood pellet production facility. The SmartLam facility will be able to produce 84 million board feet of beams and columns annually. “Most mass timber glulam beams and columns are manually produced,” said SmartLam North American CEO Derek Ratchford. “The new glulam plant will be automated allowing SmartLam to significantly increase production and simultaneously deliver multiple mass timber projects. We are currently the largest CLT manufacturer in North America and with the CLT automation upgrades and the new glulam addition, SmartLam will become the largest mass timber producer in North America.” The company also announced plans to automate its Dothan sawmill, allowing it to produce 2 million cubic feet of timber annually. PEAK RENEWABLES plans to expand on 30 acres with Genesee & Wyoming Railroad spurs to create a round-the-clock plant. “This facility and the investment will further strengthen the overall forestry economy and bring a world-class wood fiber operating facility to the Dothan area, producing 180,000 MT of

B U S I N E S S AUTO SUPPLIER FINED OVER CHILD LABOR SL Alabama, an Alexander Citybased supplier for Hyundai, and a temporary employment agency have been fined by federal court and the Alabama Department of Labor after investigators found employees as young as 13 years old in one facility. DRILL WORK British Columbia-based South Star Battery Metals in September moved drills into place for test drilling in Alabama’s Ceylon graphite deposit in Coosa County.

SmartLam North America is expanding its cross-laminated timber facility in Dothan, where it makes beams and columns.

wood pellets annually,” said Peak Renewables CEO Scott Bax. “The forest products industry has long been a central pillar for Alabama’s economy, and its vitality is attracting significant levels of new investment and driving job growth across the state,” said Greg Canfield, Alabama’s commerce secretary. “These new investment projects in Dothan will inject additional vigor and innovation into this critical sector.” The combined projects are one of the largest industrial investments in the history of the Wiregrass region, according to the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce. The SmartLam expansion should be operational in 2024, and the new pellet plant should open in 2023.

B R I E F S FISH FARM Nocera, a Taiwanese seafood company, has purchased 229 acres within the Montgomery city limits for use as a fish farm. It’s Nocera’s first U.S. fish farming project. CONTRACTS Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $311 million contract for 1,800 more Troymade Javelin missiles to help replenish stocks for Ukraine. Woolpert Inc., based in Ohio and with an office in Athens, has been awarded a $49.9 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contract for land, beach and shallow water mapping. Selmabased American Apparel has been awarded a one-year

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extension, valued at $22 million, on its contract to make coats for the U.S. Army and Air Force. LW Support Services, based in Hazel Green, has been awarded a $21 million Army contract for procurement of machine gun mounts. G&G Steel, based in Russellville, has been awarded an $11.7 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contract to make mitre gates for two upper Mississippi River locks. Canvas Inc., in Huntsville, has been awarded a $7.5 million contract modification to perform program service support for the U.S. Army Aviation Mission Systems and Architecture Program Office.

NEW TOOL Huntsville’s Aerobotix has introduced a new tool, made in conjunction with Austrian firm FerRobotics, that automates orbital sanding processes, reducing workers’ dust exposure. COASTAL ENGINEERING Auburn University has announced plans for a coastal engineering center in Orange Beach with a focus on water and resiliency after natural and manmade disasters. PARTNERSHIP Three universities in Alabama are among 20 around the region teaming with IBM to establish Cybersecurity

BENCHMARKS

$120 million Cooper Green facility gets final approval Construction on a new COOPER GREEN medical facility should begin this winter now that the University of Alabama board of trustees has given final approval for the $120 million facility. The 207,000-square-foot, five-story building will be built on the site of the former Cooper Green Hospital parking deck, which was demolished earlier this year. Under an agreement between Jefferson County and the UAB Health System, the Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority was created in April 2020 to manage Cooper Green. “We are building a first-class medical facility to serve the residents of Jefferson County,” said David Randall, chief strategy officer for the UAB Health System and board president and CEO of the Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority. “Jefferson County leadership and UAB are committed to providing the highest-quality health care for Cooper Green patients, and this new facility is an important step to achieve that goal.” The general contractor on the project is Brasfield & Gorrie. The architect is Gresham Smith.

B U S I N E S S Leadership Centers to help fill unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. Alabama A&M University, Talladega College and Tuskegee University are among the schools working with IBM on the project. STARTUP BOOST Three Alabama companies — QuantHub, Rippleworx and Smart Alto —are among the 85 selected for Venture Atlanta, a conference that helps raise capital for tech startups. HAPPY HUNDRED Men’s clothing store Shaia’s in Homewood has been recognized as an Alabama Centennial Retailer. The store opened in 1922, four years

“We are excited to know that the next stage of Cooper Green’s long service to Jefferson County is moving forward,” said Cal Markert, Jefferson County manager. “The collaboration between the county and the UAB Health System has brought us to this pivotal moment, and we’re thrilled we will soon be able to offer our patients a truly world-class medical facility.” Medical Director Raegan Durant, M.D., added, “We will be offering services

to our patients in the new facility in a more patient-centered manner than we have previously been able to offer in our current building. But patients will also continue to see familiar faces among our staff. We will blend the best of the past 50 years of service with the benefits the new facility will bring, as we look forward to the next 50 years of caring for our patients.” The Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority provides health care to all residents of Jefferson County, regardless of ability to pay. It offers primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care, physical, occupational and speech therapy, laboratory services, imaging and pharmacy. 

Rendering of the new Cooper Green Mercy facility in Birmingham.

B R I E F S before its dirt-road location became part of the city of Homewood. TERMINAL UPGRADE Tuscaloosa National Airport is getting a $1.053 million federal grant to improve its terminal. Funds come from the American Rescue Plan. UAB GIFT The University of Alabama at Birmingham has received a $10 million gift from alumnus J. Frank Barefield Jr., to support the criminal justice and entrepreneurship programs, which will both be named in his honor. It’s UAB’s largest gift from an alumnus.

TRADE TALK The Alabama Department of Commerce took a delegation of small business owners to Munich and Augsburg, Germany, in September, to provide a chance for them to make international connections. WHAT FUN! Atlanta-based Fairway Social, which offers games such as football, golf, soccer and carnival games, will open at Parkside District’s Urban Supply in Birmingham. The third location of the popular Atlanta entertainment spot will include a restaurant and bar and outdoor gather space, in addition to the gaming bays. Construction is set to begin the first quarter of 2023.

PICKLE IT Camp Pickle, a pickleball facility with food, drink and more, will open in Huntsville’s MidCity District in 2024. Camp Pickle will feature indoor and outdoor pickleball, as well as classic games like horseshoes, darts and bowling. FARM SCHOOL Jones Valley Teaching Farm has raised $8.3 million to build a food education center in Birmingham, with lessons for students and teachers, plus apprenticeship opportunities. WATER SETTLEMENT The Gadsden Water Works and Sewer Board has settled a lawsuit against several

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Amazon awards $1.2 million to Tuskegee University to create high-tech programs AMAZON is teaming up with TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY to establish advanced

training programs in mechatronics, robotics, supply chain management and logistics operations. The programs will be funded by $1.2 million donated by Amazon. The programs will also include scholarships and provide a pipeline for leadership roles at Amazon, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Amazon’s contribution allows us to enhance our academic curriculum to provide our students with a foundation in supply chain and logistics for all majors, and a specialty for engineering majors in robotics and mechatronics,” said Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, provost at Tuskegee. “This creates training opportunities for our students to engage in cutting-edge technology and business practice that Amazon is known for while preparing them for career opportunities with one of the world’s most valuable brands.” The Amazon Tuskegee partnership will provide training in design, distribution, risk assessment and other topics through classroom and lab instruction. The College

B U S I N E S S companies it accused of putting dangerous chemicals in the river that supplies water for the city. The suit was against 3M Company, Shaw Industries, Mohawk Carpet, Mohawk Industries and Industrial Chemicals. ON CAMPUS Drake State in Huntsville is kicking off construction of an advanced manufacturing facility in January, offering programs like engineering design and mechatronics. The University of North Alabama raised nearly $23 million in a recently completed fundraiser, nearly twice as much as its previous record. Auburn University is adding an Institute for Real

The partnership between Amazon and Tuskegee University will create programs in mechatronics, robotics and more. Photo: Tuskegee University.

of Business and Information Science will lead the supply chain initiative, and the College of Engineering will lead the mechatronics and robotics program. “When a company like Amazon, a global online retailer and tech services provider, makes such a significant investment, that

speaks volumes about the importance of Tuskegee University and also the community that surrounds it,” said Brenda Tuck of the state Commerce Department. “We are excited to see this partnership unfold and see Tuskegee students play a key role in Amazon’s future,” she added.

B R I E F S Estate Development, building on its expertise in architecture, construction and business. Registar USA Inc. is the namesake sponsor for a new e-sports arena on the Faulkner University campus. CONTRUCTION WRAP UP Birmingham-based Brasfield & Gorrie recently completed a 1,600-square-foot expansion of Milo’s Tea in Tulsa. The project included filling and labeling rooms, as well as loading docks and parking. MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Meriplex, a Houston-based technology solutions company, has acquired Huntsville’s F1 Solutions. F1 Solutions is

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a veteran-owned company that has served the defense industry and other North Alabama businesses for 25 years. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Crowne Health Care has acquired the Oakwood skilled nursing and assisted living facility in north Baldwin County from Infirmary Health. Agape Care Group has acquired Journey Hospital in Birmingham. Reich Brothers has purchased a 1.5 million-squarefoot multi-tenant distribution facility in the Auburn-Opelika area, bringing its state footprint to 2 million square feet. DECELERATOR Huntsville-based CFD Research Corp. is one of six companies

across the country awarded contracts to work on NASA’s inflatable aerodynamic decelerator. PAIN PLAN Mobile-based Sure Med Compliance has won $1 million in early-stage funding, mostly from Birmingham’s ProAssurance, to launch its platform designed to make painkiller prescriptions safer for patients to use and providers to prescribe. GAMING TEAM-UP Mobile-based Red Square Agency has partnered with Nevada-based Foundry to create Good Giant, an agency based primarily on gaming clients.

B U S I N E S S B R I E F S CAPITAL PLAN The City of Montgomery is asking for public reaction to a new block-by-block plan for downtown redevelopment, aiming to boost downtown tourism and capitalize on the city’s riverfront. SUB STRATEGY Austal USA, based in Mobile, is taking the lead on an additive manufacturing program for the U.S. Navy, working especially to develop “recipes” for submarine parts and increase their availability. The Navy center will be in Virginia. CONSTRUCTION KICK OFF Birmingham-based Robins & Morton has begun construction on the first of two medical center buildings for the University of Miami Health System. Birminghambased Doster Construction has begun work on a 306-unit apartment village in Sugar Hill in Gwinnett County, Georgia. REV ‘EM UP Huntsville-based Aerojet Rocketdyne has successfully tested its next-generation large solid rocket motor. The rocket was designed and fabricated in Huntsville and cast and cured in Arkansas. BIG SALE Birmingham-based Medical Properties Trust is selling three Connecticut hospitals to Prospect Medical Holdings to the tune of almost a half-billion dollars. The hospitals will sell for about $457 million. PLANE DONATIONS Continental Aerospace Technologies in Mobile has donated aircraft to Coastal Alabama Community College’s Aviation Center for hands-on training. That training gives Coastal Alabama’s 250 students another step toward completing their program and certification. COMMAND COLLEGE Jacksonville State University has initiated a Command College to help law enforcement officers learn leadership skills. The program is free for Alabama police officers ranked sergeant and above. DOWNTOWN GROCERIES A Publix has opened next to Auburn’s campus, the first grocery downtown in years. Daniel Corp. is the developer.

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BENCHMARKS

Glove plant set for Geneva ISA CORP.

announced plans in mid-October for a glove manufacturing plant in Hartford in Geneva County. The Oregonbased company plans to make nitrile and latex gloves in the 45,000-square-foot speculative building in Geneva County Industrial Park. Plans call for 80 employees at the plant. In announcing the plans, the Alabama Department of Commerce describes ISA Corp. as a multi-national company involved in manufacturing, engineering, design, research and development that produces over 100 million dipped nitrile latex parts annually. ISA Alabama Corp.’s product profile involves nitrile gloves, latex gloves and boot coverings that supply an array of industry sectors. John Feusner, president of ISA Alabama Corp., said the investment was possible because of the teamwork of local authorities and utilities. “ISA Alabama represents the best in latex product manufacturing and will be a great addition to Alabama’s diverse manufacturing base and will be a premiere employer in Southeast Alabama,” said Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield.

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Brenda Tuck, rural development manager for the Department of Commerce, said the new company will have a major impact on 2,600-residents of Hartford. “Alabama’s rural communities have shown time and time again that they can support sophisticated manufacturing operations thanks to the skills and dedication of the local workforces,” Tuck said. “This is another illustration that rural Alabama has a lot of advantages to offer companies from all over the world.” 

HIGHER EDUCATION

n April, some of the University of Alabama’s most innovative and enduring campus projects and programs got a financial boost of nearly $6.2 million from 1,329 gifts during an event known as Bama Blitz. “We hit a big number with the $6.19 million, which surpassed our previous record of $3.6 million,” says Bob Pierce, UA’s vice president for advancement. “It’s impossible to know exactly what the final number will be each year, but it’s something that we work very hard to maximize.” In its fifth year, Bama Blitz is a two-day crowdfunding event that takes place entirely online to raise money for several “passion projects” on campus. Crowdfunding is a method of fundraising where small money donations are collected online to support a specific project. “Bama Blitz offers an opportunity for us to present a few projects that people might not have heard about and give them a chance to support them,” says Mary Beauchamp, UA’s director of annual giving. This year’s Bama Blitz raised funds for a number of projects such as scholarships for student athletes, social work student travel expenses and UASpace, an undergraduate engineering organization that aims to build a ground station capable of communicating with aircraft and even satellites. The success of this year’s Bama Blitz mirrors the rise in higher education philanthropy that is occurring around the country today. Evidence of this rise in giving is discussed in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Voluntary Support of Education survey for 2020-2021, which says that despite the pandemic, U.S. colleges and universities raised $52.9 billion in 2021, up from $49.5 billion the year before. That is

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an increase of 6.9% that, when adjusted for inflation, is a 5.1% jump. Further, alumni alone donated $12.3 billion to their alma maters in 2021, up 10.8% from $11.1 billion in 2020. Sue Cunningham, CASE president and CEO, writes in the report that, “The connection between institutions and contributors is powerful and lasting, and in times of need, donors who can do so invest in the institutions they care about and whose missions they most align with. When faced with sweeping challenges such as those in our present historical moment, our human impulse to care for each other inspires generosity.” So, what did it take to attract contributors to Bama Blitz? Pierce says the campaign always takes months of planning. “We have conversations with donors, not necessarily year round, but certainly by the time we move into the first quarter of the calendar year, we’re talking with donors about making major gifts and whether they have an interest in tying those to Bama Blitz,” Pierce says. Beauchamp says her office works closely each year with faculty, staff and the deans from each college to pick which projects to highlight. This year, the UA College of Human Environmental Sciences, for example, picked the Capstone Family Therapy Clinic. The Capstone Clinic is a research and training facility for graduate students studying marriage and family therapy. In addition, the Clinic also provides counseling services to UA students and local residents. The Clinic raised more than $6,300 in donations. During the campaign, selected projects like the Capstone Clinic are displayed on the Bama Blitz crowdfunding site at bamablitz. ua.edu. There, visitors to the site can read text

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

Vice president for advancement, University of Alabama

or watch videos about each project and, with just a few clicks, donate to the ones they want to support. “The whole concept behind crowdfunding is that there’s a viral aspect to it,” says Pierce. “That allows a person to tell others about something that’s important to them to generate charitable funds to support that particular project.” The Bama Blitz crowdfunding site comes equipped with a donor wall as well as a leader board showing which campus projects are collecting the most gifts. Among the programs benefitting from the 2022 Bama Blitz are athletics, $80,229; the School of Business’ Undergraduate and International Programs in Business, $61,385; the Culverhouse Executives Society, $49,083; and the Nursing Student Pandemic Relief Fund, $17,710. Some donations benefit specific projects. For example, the College of Community Health Sciences raised $65,705

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“We hit a big number with the $6.19 million, which surpassed our previous record of $3.6 million. It’s impossible to know exactly what the final number will be each year, but it’s something that we work very hard to maximize.”

toward building a Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART) Gym for its Brewer Porch Children’s Center. To raise awareness of Bama Blitz, the UA Office of Annual Giving encourages students and others to become Bama Blitz Ambassadors and use social media platforms to help inform others about their college’s passion projects and programs. In one recent case, UA’s Million Dollar Band participated in Bama Blitz to raise the money needed to travel to New York City and perform in the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For the campaign, the Band used social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and the Bama Blitz crowdfunding site to reach out to their fans and tell them about the trip. “The Million Dollar Band has a big following online,” says Beauchamp. “They have a Facebook group of alums and fans that follow all of the Band’s activities.” Beauchamp says social media helps her

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Bob Pierce

keep alumni and other potential donors engaged with the university, even when she’s not asking for gifts. “We use a multi-channel approach to fundraising here at UA,” says Beauchamp, “which is the industry standard these days. These online events have emerged in the industry in the last decade.” That multi-channel approach in fundraising still, however, includes traditional forms of communication like direct mail, telemarketing and email, she says. Tony McLain, a UA grad and native of Lanett, says text messages and emails were among the tools used to alert him to the start of this year’s Bama Blitz. McLain studied mechanical engineering at UA, met his wife and graduated in 1994. He now lives in Atlanta working for American Cast Iron Pipe Co. (ACIPCO), managing a distribution network throughout

Mary Beauchamp Director of annual giving, University of Alabama

“We use a multi-channel approach to fundraising here at UA, which is the industry standard these days. These online events have emerged in the industry in the last decade.”

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 15

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

Tony McLain University of Alabama graduate and Lanett native

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the Southeast. “During these Blitz times, if we know of something that’s going on that we’ve seen [online], we may [give] towards that,” says McLain, who has donated to the College of Engineering’s UASpace group.

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“I see those student activities going on a lot, and that’s where my interest is, in helping the students. Many are no different from me, coming from small towns, not knowing what to expect. And then all of a sudden, they’re working on projects like these. It’s pretty exciting.”

Hewson at Lockheed Martin or Harper Lee with ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ or Millard Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity? All three, to some extent, may have changed the world. “I think we should do all we can to help these kids get that chance.” Gail Allyn Short is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

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

Building to Learn

Home Builders Association teams with community college to grow supply of capable workers By EMMETT BURNETT

LBW Community College, Building/Carpentry instructor, Andrew Meadows (on right) demonstrates carpentry techniques in a hands-on class session. 18 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

hen Kory Boling, director of the Home Builders Association of Alabama Foundation, was growing up, he says, you had to attend college to get the job you wanted. “Learning a trade was discouraged,” he says. “You did not want a job requiring dirty hands.” Not anymore. “The focus on university degrees for everybody has switched,” Boling says. “Maybe four years of college is not for everybody. Maybe a better decision for many is to receive a great education from a junior college and come out with a trade and no student loans.” He continues, “The national average salary for skilled residential construction trades starts at a little over $60,000 a year. In 10 years, graduates could have their own businesses with employees working for them.” However, the HBAA warns, the supply does not meet demand. “Residential construction is one of the largest labor forces out there,” says Boling. “It involves so many trades.” Alabama’s 8,000-member HBAA, among the largest in the nation, represents plumbing, builders, remodelers, HVAC, masonry, electricians and more. And every one of those industrial trades, he says, faces a worker shortage. The HBAA Foundation has always administered scholarship programs for trade class students. But in recent years, the association has become more proactive in promoting trades and spreading the word of good incomes from such occupations. Take carpentry, for example. According to Go Build Alabama, from 2016 to 2026, carpentry employment is projected to grow 8%.

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

Kory Boling Foundation director, Home Builders Association of Alabama

In addition, a recent study by property search website NeighborWho reported that from 2019 to 2020, Alabama’s new single-family residential construction permits increased 19.4%, the ninth-largest state increase in the U.S. HBAA is doing more than sounding the alarm. Last March the home builders organization partnered with Lurleen B. Wallace (LBW) Community College, providing an eight-week course in basic residential carpentry. No previous experience was required and participants did not have to be enrolled in the school to take the classes. Attendees were limited to 15 students per class. More than 60 applied. The HBAA has done similar projects with community colleges across Alabama but this was the first for LBW. “We opened the course to the community,” says Chad Sutton, LBW Community College’s director of workforce development. “We had students from all walks of life and all ages — high school to retired people in their 60s take the course.” Basic carpentry was chosen as LBW’s first such training because the subject covers many aspects. “Residential carpentry skills translate to other trades as well,” notes Sutton. “Many think it is all about framing houses.” But “carpentry involves framing windows, door installations, trim work and much more,” he says. “Carpentry is used throughout the entire construction process. A working knowledge of carpentry prepares students for other trades as well.”

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“The focus on university degrees for everybody has switched. Maybe four years of college is not for everybody. Maybe a better decision for many is to receive a great education from a junior college and come out with a trade and no student loans.”

The training was a basic crash course introduction, with hopes to encourage students to pursue carpentry and other residential building courses and consider making it a career. “We tell enrollees that once done with this course, you will not be ready to go out and build a house. But you will be productive on any construction site based on the skills taught here,” Boling adds. “The skills you get from this course can translate to other trades.” Having said that, the course is no cakewalk. Classes met every Tuesday and Thursday night for eight weeks. Students were advised not to be absent. “Even missing one session is hard to catch up,” notes Sutton. “Missing over two and you’re done — unless the instructor agreed for you to stay after class or come in early to catch up.” Training includes everything from framing stairways, interior trim, baseboards and finishes to reading tape measures and blueprints. “There is much to learn in carpentry,” says the college’s Building Construction Instructor Andrew Meadows. “Construction is much more than just sticks and bricks. It covers many grounds.” “It is exciting seeing students come together and pull their backgrounds together to grasp all aspects of carpentry,” Meadows adds. One such student is Daniel Estes. “I enrolled in the course to expand my resume,” the student says, recalling the eight-week endeavor. “Classes were fun

but challenging. Meadows was a big influence on me. In addition to teaching, he pointed out the good points of learning the trade — better jobs, good incomes. I am looking at pursuing carpentry as a career.” The teacher responded, “I am glad that the class touched a spark in Estes and others to where they want to see more of it in the classroom.” The course was free. All materials, tools, training, everything at no cost to the student. “The foundation underwrites the costs,” says Boling. “It is a good investment in a tool that gets folks into these much-needed fields.” While this was the first course for LBW Community College, it will not be the last. “I plan on doing this next year,” says Sutton. “Any time you offer this kind of skill and development training for people in the community, the response is good. Our carpentry program will continue to evolve and focus on skill development.” “We want students to take advantage of high wages and high opportunities out there,” he adds. “We want them prepared.” On the final class, graduation night was more like a celebration. Career possibilities were discussed. Some students were offered jobs. Several local industry leaders helped build influence and interest in the course with the community. “They ranged from sole proprietorships to major corporations,” recalls Meadows. Participants included such heavyweights as Wyatt November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 19

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

Chad Sutton LBW Community College’s director of workforce development

Sasser, Wright Brothers Construction and Abram Homes. Graduates received National Center for Construction Education and Research credits and a certificate of completion from the HBAA. “It’s been a huge hit,” Sutton notes

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“I plan on doing this next year. Any time you offer this kind of skill and development training for people in the community, the response is good. Our carpentry program will continue to evolve and focus on skill development.”

about the college’s partnership with the home builder association. “We all came to this with the same vision.” LBW’s workforce director is also trying to build similar programs in elementary and middle schools. “If this happens, trade skill training will continue all the

way through high school and into college or a job,” says Sutton. “That is my vision and I think the home builders’ association dream as well.” Emmett Burnett is a Satsuma-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

“You’re never too old to learn.” Elroy Widow

Class of 2021 B.S. Occupational Safety and Health

Discover CSU’s flexible and affordable enrollment options

ColumbiaSouthern.edu/Online » 877.347.6050

Discover CSU’s flexible 20 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

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

Alabama Public Two-Year Colleges

compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

RANK

Ranked by student enrollment for Fall 2021 INSTITUTION

ADDRESS

PHONE / WEBSITE

PRESIDENT

FALL 2021

FALL 2020

FALL 2019

Calhoun Community College

P.O. Box 2216 Decatur, AL 35609

256-306-2500 calhoun.edu

Dr. Jimmy Hodges

8,702

8,278

9,315

Jefferson State Community College

2601 Carson Rd. Birmingham, AL 35215

205-853-1200 jeffersonstate.edu

Keith Brown

8,520

8,531

8,713

Coastal Alabama Community College

1900 Hwy. 31 S. Bay Minette, AL 36507

800-381-3722 coastalalabama.edu

Dr. Warren Craig Pouncey

7,065

6,651

7,537

Wallace State Community College - Hanceville

801 Main St. NW Hanceville, AL 35077

256-352-8000 wallacestate.edu

Dr. Vicki Karolewics

5,204

4,763

4,985

Shelton State Community College

9500 Old Greensboro Rd. Tuscaloosa, AL 35405

205-391-2211 sheltonstate.edu

Dr. Chris Cox

4,663

3,743

4,204

Gadsden State Community College

1001 George Wallace Dr. Gadsden, AL 35903

256-549-8222 gadsdenstate.edu

Dr. Kathy Murphy

4,308

3,994

4,599

Southern Union State Community College

750 Roberts St. Wadley, AL 36276

256-395-2211 suscc.edu

Todd Shackett

4,092

3,985

4,655

Wallace Community College - Dothan

1141 Wallace Dr. Dothan, AL 36303

334-983-3521 wallace.edu

Dr. Linda Young

3,899

3,686

4,478

Northwest-Shoals Community College

800 George Wallace Blvd. Muscle Shoals, AL 35661

256-331-5200 nwscc.edu

Dr. Jeff Goodwin

3,372

3,361

3,515

10 Bevill State Community College

1411 Indiana Ave. Jasper, AL 35501

800-648-3271 bscc.edu

Dr. Joel Hagood

3,371

3,204

3,787

11 Lawson State Community College

3060 Wilson Rd. SW Birmingham, AL 35221

205-925-2515 lawsonstate.edu

Dr. Cynthia Anthony

3,094

2,823

3,375

12 Northeast Alabama Community College

138 Alabama Hwy. 35 W. Rainsville, AL 35986

256-638-4418 nacc.edu

Dr. David Campbell

2,489

2,530

2,981

13 Bishop State Community College

351 N. Broad St. Mobile, AL 36603-5898

251-405-7000 bishop.edu

Olivier Charles

2,479

2,181

2,846

14 Snead State Community College

220 N. Walnut St. Boaz, AL 35957

256-593-5120 snead.edu

Dr. Joe Whitmore

2,245

2,012

2,239

15 Trenholm State Community College

1225 Air Base Blvd. Montgomery, AL 36108

334-420-4200 trenholmstate.edu

Dr. Kemba Chambers

1,826

1,526

2,042

16 Lurleen B. Wallace Community College

1000 Dannelly Blvd. Andalusia, AL 36420

334-222-6591 lbwcc.edu

Dr. Brock Kelley

1,816

1,666

1,767

17 Enterprise State Community College

600 Plaza Dr. Enterprise, AL 36330

334-347-2623 escc.edu

Danny Long

1,796

1,809

1,804

18 G.C. Wallace Community College - Selma 3000 Earl Goodwin Pkwy. Selma, AL 36702

334-876-9227 wccs.edu

Dr. James Mitchell

1,627

1,316

1,529

19 Central Alabama Community College

1675 Cherokee Rd. Alexander City, AL 35011

256-234-6346 cacc.edu

Jeff Lynn

1,578

1,546

1,802

20 Chattahoochee Valley Community College

2602 College Dr. Phenix City, AL 36869

334-291-4900 cv.edu

Jaqueline Screws

1,361

1,399

1,592

21 Drake State Community and Technical College

3421 Meridian St. N. Huntsville, AL 35811

256-539-8161 drakestate.edu

Dr. Patricia Sims

872

825

790

22 Ingram State Technical College

5375 Ingram Rd. Deatsville, AL 36022

334-285-5177 istc.edu

Annette Funderburk

400

399

485

23 Reid State Technical College

P.O. Box 588 Evergreen, AL 36401

251-578-1313 rstc.edu

Dr. Coretta Boykin

374

279

489

24 Marion Military Institute

1101 Washington St. Marion, AL 36756

800-664-1842 marionmilitary.edu

Col. David Mollahan

314

401

409

Source: Alabama Commission on Higher Education

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 23

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

Following the scent Auburn’s canine detection research helps keep the country safe By ALEC HARVEY — Photos by JULIE BENNETT

Paul Waggoner is co-director of Auburn’s Canine Performance Sciences program.

24 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

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

ongo, Potter and Quarter have just returned from prison. They’ve just completed a fivemonth stint in the Big House in Florida, and now they’ve returned to Auburn, where they plan to resume their lives as productive members of society. But what they want more than that, perhaps, are bowls of water and lots of belly rubs. These cute dogs — yes, they’re 10-11-month-old puppies — were in prison as part of an Auburn University program that has extraordinarily serious consequences — they’re in the latter stages of the process to be weapondetecting dogs. It’s a program in which Auburn was a pioneer and continues to be a leader, even as priorities have shifted at the university over the decades. We’ll get back to the dogs in the prison yard, but first, a little history. PAN AM FLIGHT PROVES GENESIS

Auburn got involved in canine detection programs around the time Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, on Dec. 21, 1988, because of a bomb onboard, killing 270 people. “At that time, there was a big push with the FAA to improve aviation security, including new instrumentation for discovering explosive materials,” says L. Paul Waggoner, co-director (with Craig Angle) of Auburn’s Canine Performance Sciences program. “They knew there were dogs capable of detecting explosives, but they didn’t know how well or how reliably they could do it.” The Institute for Biological Detection Systems was born at Auburn, and researchers realized there was great interest in what dogs could do in the security arena. “The demand for information and for science to guide the use of dogs for doing these detection tasks increased,” Waggoner says. “I think the main driver of the increased demand was the product itself. We started to develop and put out information what was supportive of the use of dogs for detection, and there really hadn’t been that information out there before. Scientific information fueled more interest in understanding how dogs did this and how to train people to use the dogs to do this work.”

Paul Waggoner works with Quatro, one of Auburn’s canine detector dogs.

MILESTONE AT MCCLELLAN

A milestone for Auburn’s program was buying property at the former Fort McClellan in Anniston. That land allowed the university to evolve from research and development into also doing hands-on training of the dogs. “It began in about 2000 with a gift of dogs from the Australian Customs Service, who had really been among the first people to look at breeding dogs specifically for detection work,” Waggoner recalls. “We started a breeding program to determine how to best raise and produce dogs to do detection work.” In 2015, Auburn patented the Vapor Wake training process for dogs, in which

dogs could use the thermal “plume” left by people in motion (think of it like the trail an airplane leaves when it flies) to detect human-borne weapons. “That was sort of the first systematic attempt at using dogs for the detection of hand-carried and body-worn explosives.” In 2012, even before the patent, Auburn licensed Vapor Wake technology to American K-9 Detection Services, and they also licensed the company the use of the Fort McClellan land. Auburn turned its focus back to research and development, and what is now known as Canine Performance Sciences is part of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 25

BREEDING IS THE FOCAL POINT

The Auburn program today focuses on how to best breed and train dogs to be detection animals. “We probably have over 150 dogs in our program right now, and we produce through the breeding program anywhere from 40-60 puppies a year,” Waggoner says. Early on, from the ages of about 5 months until 10 months, the puppies in Auburn’s program go to prison, one of several prisons Auburn uses in Florida and Georgia. “You have to be among the very best inmates to be a part of the program,” Waggoner says. “Those inmates get instruction in general dog care and raising that can lead to credits that can be used for an associate degree.” During their time at the prison, the Auburn dogs are trained in how to recognize certain odors. “When they return to us, they’re in their last months of development until they’re about a year old and go into detection-dog training,” Waggoner says. After that, Auburn decides which dogs are ready to sell, meaning they’ll go to work providing security — perhaps at a large corporation or a police force or airport. “Almost all of our dogs are great at doing detection work,” Waggoner says. “The real difference in whether they’re sellable or not is what we call environmental soundness.” That means whether a detection dog can continue doing its thing when there are hundreds, maybe thousands of people around it. “It’s a different ballgame doing this at an 80,000-seat stadium event like an Auburn football game,” Waggoner says. “Those dogs with that extreme environmental soundness are the ones that get sold.” A high-end training dog from Auburn can sell for more than $10,000, Waggoner says, and once dogs are sold, they continue to be trained before they go to work. “They’re normally trained for many more weeks to the final product, but that’s done by the companies we sell them to,” he says. “That’s what we got out of the business doing at Fort McClellan.” Seeing a dog leave the program “can be 26 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

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

tough for our people, but this is what they do,” Waggoner says. “It’s probably harder in some ways for the people who take care of our young puppies in the nursery. It’s probably more difficult to see them leave to go to the correctional facilities.” DOGS ARE BEST ANIMALS FOR THIS

Waggoner says the attention is on dogs to do this work for a couple of reasons. First of all, they’re just able to do it. “Thankfully, dogs have evolved over time to have this very unique relationship with people,” he says. “There is not another animal that has evolved to be in a social relationship with people like dogs. Dogs are more sensitive to human directional commands, like pointing or gazing somewhere, without any training, than our closest genetic companions, monkeys and chimpanzees. Dogs do that naturally.” Secondly, dogs are just, well, so darned cute. “They are universally acceptable in

public,” Waggoner says. “If someone was walking around with their detection pig or whatever, it probably wouldn’t be as acceptable as people walking around with their Labrador retrievers.” Those retrievers, actually, have great demeanors to be detection dogs, Waggoner says, as do German shepherds, Belgian Malinois, German short-haired pointers, springer spaniels and even cocker spaniels. “All those dogs are usually pretty social with people,” he says. Auburn’s dogs, once they return from the correctional facilities, are usually housed at homes. “They live with their families and are generally like other dogs at home,” Waggoner says. “The only difference is if they don’t have a job to do, they’ll find one to do and you won’t be too happy with the results at home. Whether it’s dismantling the front porch or chewing the tires on the car, they’ll find work to do. … They really enjoy working. They enjoy using their nose

to find things, and they enjoy the treats they get for finding things.” PROTECTING THE COUNTRY

So, what might become of Pongo, Potter and Quarter? Dogs that came before them have gotten jobs with the New York City Counterterrorism Unit, at Disney theme parks or at major airports around the country. Assuming they make the detection grade, they’ll be helping to keep our country safe. “We love dogs, but at the end of the day, our mission is really not about that dog,” Waggoner says. “Certainly, it’s about its welfare and to be sure it’s healthy and happy, but our attention is really on what we can do to better protect the nation against threats.” Alec Harvey is executive editor of Business Alabama and Julie Bennett is an Auburn-based freelance contributor.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 27

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

Dr. Kern Jackson (right) meets with descendants of the Clotilda in Africatown.

The challenge of the Clotilda South professor Kern Jackson helps unearth the history for movie ‘Descendant’

By JANE NICHOLES — Photos by CHAD RILEY

r. Kern Jackson was 5 years old when he first visited Africatown. Jackson himself is not a descendant of the Africans illegally captured and transported to Mobile on the Clotilda, considered to be the last slave ship that landed in America. Jackson is originally from Washington, D.C., but he had relatives in Mobile. His grandmother and his godmother taught at the Mobile County Training School, then a high school and now a middle school. That early exposure to the community established by the slaves and their descendants after the Civil War grew into a lifetime of community engagement and eventually filmmaking. Today Jackson is the director of African American Studies at the University of South Alabama and is co-writer and co-producer of the documentary “Descendant.” These days, the award-winning documentary, the involvement of former

“Mobile is ate up with its history, with its existence. You cannot walk downtown without bumping your head on a piece of signage about what somebody did or what was there that’s no longer there,” Jackson says. “Africatown is just sort of out there doing its own thing. They’ve been putting on programs for 145 years in Africatown celebrating the Clotilda.” THE STORY

Monument to Cudjoe Lewis in the Old Plateau Cemetery.

President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, and the discovery of the burned wreckage of the Clotilda in the Mobile River have put an international spotlight on what had been a relatively overlooked part of Mobile area history.

Slave trading was outlawed internationally in 1808, but in 1859 Timothy Meaher made a now infamous bet that he could smuggle a shipload of slaves into Mobile. He hired Capt. William Foster to sail the schooner Clotilda to the African kingdom of Dahomey, now the country of Benin. Foster bought 110 captives and transported them back to Mobile in horrific conditions in the cargo hold of the 90-foot ship. The 108 survivors were enslaved on a nearby plantation for the November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 29

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

next five years, and the ship was burned and sunk near Twelvemile Island. After the war, the group tried to find a way to return to their homeland but were unsuccessful. They eventually convinced Meaher to sell them some land on which Africatown was founded and established their own community. Through oral history, their stories were passed to their descendants, some of whom still live there. Familiar with the community from childhood, Jackson grew up to become a folklorist specializing in the Southeast American festival. He moved to Mobile in the mid-1990s, intending to study the city’s Mardi Gras Carnival traditions. “My aunt said, you need to study this. I said, ‘What is this?’ She said, ‘You know, Plateau, Magazine Point, Happy Hill.’ I said OK. She drove me out there and introduced me to some folks. Come to find out that Africatown, at the same time we had Mardi Gras, the last two weeks there’s an overlapping cultural festival and activity going on to celebrate Clotilda.” At one point Jackson served as the minority curator at Mobile’s history museum, and he did oral history interviews

for a project that was part of the city’s Tricentennial celebration. “The notion of the folklore, the whole narrative and the history of the Clotilda and its significance, sort of piqued my interest,” he says. “And when I did some work for the Tricentennial, I interviewed people in self-identified Black neighborhoods, and that was one of them.” Africatown residents also told some of the most interesting stories, he says. Although Jackson left Mobile to pursue a graduate degree, he stayed in touch with the people he had met. He returned in 2003 to take a position at the University of South Alabama. Over the years Jackson maintained his ties with Africatown, and he organized a couple of festivals. Meanwhile, his interest in Carnival history and customs led to a collaboration with Margaret Brown, a filmmaker who directed “Order of Myths,” a 2008 documentary about Mobile’s Mardi Gras. Jackson served as historical researcher for “Order of Myths.” It took a good look at the continuing separation of Black and white celebrations and traditions, as well

as the beginnings of the races coming together. That work led to the collaboration with Brown on “Descendant.” People whose ancestors were on the Clotilda told their stories, and Jackson appears in the film as well. “Descendant” received the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. The Obamas’ production company, Higher Ground, picked up the film for distribution, and the media company Participant is also involved. It has been shown at more than a dozen film festivals, Jackson says. WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

There are ongoing discussions about making Africatown a historical tourism site and about whether any of the Clotilda itself can be salvaged from the water and mud. Some basic infrastructure in Africatown is sorely needed — streetlights and sidewalks, for example. Running water wasn’t available until the 1960s. Once a bustling, albeit segregated, community with grocery stores, shops

Kern Jackson talks with Clotilda descendant Vernetta Henson.

30 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

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

and a passion for youth baseball that yielded major-leaguers like Cleon Jones, Africatown has steadily declined. Just 220 families live there now. Africatown’s proximity to heavy industry and the cancer rates among the descendants are major environmental concerns. It hasn’t been entirely ignored. The area is part of a National Parks Blueway system and the Dora Franklin Finley African-American Heritage Trail. A delegation from Benin visited in the 1980s to apologize for its role in the enslavement, and another visited after the site of the Clotilda wreck was discovered. However, basic communication needs improvement. Environmental journalist Ben Raines has documented his search for the actual wreck in his book “The Last Slave Ship,” and tells of years of misdirection by Timothy Meaher and the lack of cooperation by the Meaher family and its descendants. But Jackson says many people in Africatown have always known where the ship was burned and sunk. They didn’t have the level of water access and diving skills needed to search for the Clotilda, nor did they have the scientific expertise now being directed to it, but the location seems to have been something of an open secret. As for business redevelopment, Jackson wants to know why Africatown doesn’t have a grocery store or even one of the Dollar Generals that seem to pop up all over Mobile and Baldwin counties. Montgomery’s documentation of the history of slavery and the Civil Rights movement in Alabama through The Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice stands as an example of what the development of Africatown could become. But again, some soul-searching conversations will need to take place among Mobile-area government and business leaders as well as the people who still live there. Jackson also hopes the university will play a role. “Everybody wants to do something like [Montgomery]. But the trick is, how do you do something like that from a social justice standpoint?” says Jackson. “In Montgomery, they just said the hell with it. Tell it all. I’m not too sure that’s Mobile’s position.”

As for the role of “Descendant” in sparking some of these conversations, Jackson says this: “I’m hoping that this film is for that middle-schooler who’s going to become that city planner, who’s going to be able to come up with and execute that game plan. And I hope that person looks like the people in Africatown.

“What I hope the film does is it helps kick the can down the road, to help give democracy – a small d – a better opportunity to thrive and function in the way that our founding fathers intended.” Jane Nicholes and Chad Riley are freelance contributors to Business Alabama. She is based in Daphne and he in Mobile.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 31

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

Alabama’s Public Universities RANK

Ranked by Fall 2021 student enrollment

compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST FALL 2021

FALL 2020

FALL 2019

Dr. Stuart Bell

38,320

37,842

38,103

334-844-4000/auburn.edu

Dr. Christopher Roberts

31,526

30,737

30,460

University of Alabama at Birmingham 1720 2nd Ave. S., Birmingham, AL 35294

205-934-4011/uab.edu

Dr. Ray Watts

22,300

22,569

22,117

Troy University

University Ave., Troy, AL 36082-0001

800-414-5756/troy.edu

Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr.

14,537

16,087

16,075

University of South Alabama

307 University Blvd. N., Room 130, Mobile, AL 36688 251-460-6101/southalabama.edu

Jo Bonner

13,992

14,224

14,397

University of Alabama in Huntsville

301 Sparkman Dr., Huntsville, AL 35899

256-824-1000/uah.edu

Dr. Charles Karr

9,636

10,000

9,988

Jacksonville State University

700 Pelham Rd. N., Jacksonville, AL 36265

256-782-5781/jsu.edu

Dr. William Meehan

9,540

9,238

9,021

University of North Alabama

UNA Box 5004, Florence, AL 35621

256-765-4100/una.edu

Dr. Kenneth Kitts

8,526

8,086

7,702

Alabama A&M University

4900 Meridian St., Normal, AL 35762

256-372-5000/aamu.edu

Dr. Daniel Wims

5,969

5,977

6,172

University of West Alabama

239 Webb Hall, Livingston, AL 35470

800-621-8044/uwa.edu

Dr. Ken Tucker

5,594

5,734

5,653

Auburn University at Montgomery

P.O. Box 244023, Montgomery, AL 36124-4023

334-244-3000/aum.edu

Dr. Carl Stockton

5,073

5,212

5,188

Alabama State University

P.O. Box 271, Montgomery, AL 36101

334-229-4100/alasu.edu

Dr. Quinton Ross Jr.

3,964

4,072

4,190

Athens State University

300 N. Beaty St., Athens, AL 35611

256-233-8100/athens.edu

Dr. Philip Way

2,794

2,867

2,945

University of Montevallo

Station 6001, Montevallo, AL 35115

205-665-6000/montevallo.edu

Dr. John Stewart III

2,625

2,600

2,559

INSTITUTION

ADDRESS

PHONE / WEBSITE

PRESIDENT

University of Alabama

Box 870114, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0114

205-348-6010/ua.edu

Auburn University

107 Samford Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849

Source: Alabama Commission on Higher Education

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 33

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

Retaining and recalling Alabama’s graduates

Getting graduates to stay and attracting others back to Alabama are key components to building the state’s workforce

labama needs a highly skilled workforce, Gov. Kay Ivey says, and she has pledged to add a half-million college graduates to the state labor pool. But big salaries and job opportunities are luring many new graduates elsewhere. Just over 14% of graduates say they are unlikely or very unlikely to stay in Alabama after they get a diploma. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education has launched an initiative

34 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

By DEBORAH STOREY

called All in Alabama to keep those sought-after college graduates here. The program has three components. Retain Alabama targets recent graduates. Recall Alabama is geared toward graduates who moved away and may want to return. Later, Reengage Alabama will focus on those who want to complete a degree. Retain Alabama’s social media push that launched this fall attempts to persuade students in Alabama’s colleges and universities to stay put.

“It’s about undergraduates and keeping them in the state after they graduate, to live and work in our economy,” says Dr. Jim Purcell, ACHE executive director. Retain Alabama’s objectives are to develop a targeted outreach campaign, make it easier for students to find jobs here and improve perceptions about things that are important to students as they plan their futures. Roughly 28,000 students obtained degrees from Alabama institutions of higher

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

Retain Alabama’s objectives are to develop a targeted outreach campaign, make it easier for students to find jobs here and improve perceptions about things that are important to students as they plan their futures. learning in 2021, ACHE data shows. “These are students that could build our state’s economy by working for its companies, large and small, established and emerging, as well as by living and contributing to its communities,” the ACHE report states. “We hear from companies every day that they are struggling to find the talent that they need, and that they need to build pipelines of talent for the future,” the summary continues. Alabama keeps only about 20% of out-of-state college students. Roughly two-thirds of in-state students stay, a ranking that Forbes still calls third-worst in the country. The second piece of the ACHE initiative, Recall Alabama, will target alumni and those who have taken jobs elsewhere “to raise their awareness of opportunities in Alabama and bring them back,” says Purcell. Direct marketing campaigns, alumni and workforce development groups will reach out to them. Reengage Alabama, the third prong, will target people over 25 who didn’t complete or never started a degree. The idea is to remove academic and financial barriers to obtaining credentials or finishing diplomas. All in Alabama “started back in 2020 when ACHE did a big employment outcomes report,” explains Purcell. “That report was made in partnership with the Department of Labor and we were looking to see if graduates from Alabama’s public institutions showed up in the workforce data.” Only about half of bachelor’s degree holders were still working in the state one to five years later. The obvious questions: Why are students leaving? How can we keep them? “First of all, it was encouraging,” says

Purcell. “Last year, in a COVID year, we got about 75% of students saying they wanted to stay in Alabama or maybe stay in Alabama.” In the 2022 study just released, 44.3% of students say they are very likely to work in Alabama, with 23.1% likely to do so. Eighty-five percent are interested in learning about Alabama jobs in their field. Perhaps most importantly, student surveys are finding out why those highly prized graduates may leave. “By far the most frequent comment was, ‘Well, it’s about jobs. I would stay if I got a good job,’ or ‘I found a job somewhere else and I’m already leaving,’ in the

‘‘

“What we’re working on is creating the perception that they will be more successful here.” — DR. JIM PURCELL,

ACHE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

case of some seniors,” Purcell says. Other factors they consider are family ties, personal relationships and church. “Students are looking to live and work in a city with plenty of professional opportunities, social activities and a sense of community,” one ACHE survey found. “Both in- and out-of-state students want a vibrant community with potential upward mobility and diversity when looking for a place to live and work, but there are slight differences between these groups.” In-state students are concerned about the cost of living. Out-of-state students are looking for a “manageable city: a short commute, small-town feel and lots of amenities.” In a previous Retain Alabama survey, about 75% of respondents said they were open to staying in Alabama. “They weren’t all trying to get out the door,” Purcell says. “What we’re working on is creating the perception that they will be more successful here.” Other factors in their decision are job opportunities in their field of study, potential salary and benefits, cost of living, public safety and a potential for advancement. Students do say that they like Alabama’s outdoors and natural environment offerings such as hiking trails, parks and the beach. Graduates in certain fields — like architecture and public policy — are more likely to go elsewhere, the survey found. “A lot of our education graduates want to stay and work here,” says Purcell. Workers in health care, engineering and computer science tend to be “in the middle of the pack” when it comes to staying put. Gov. Ivey said in July that, with the Success Plus plan launched in 2018, the state is “well on our way to surpassing the goal of adding 500,000 additional credentialed individuals to our workforce November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 35

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

“One thing we found in the data is that they are very sensitive to the actual salary. That one thing tends to outweigh social and community factors like family ties and quality of life.” — Dr. Jim Purcell by 2025.” The Legislature earmarked $950,000 to fund it this fiscal year. “In order to do that, we’ve got to produce more graduates from universities and college programs and industry programs,” says Purcell. “Another strategy that might be even an easier lift would be keeping the graduates in the state.” Many students expressed interest in internships and fellowships that might lead to job offers. ACHE has enlisted a student retention council from 14 universities to explore ideas. “We really need to make sure there are

36 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

enough opportunities out there for everyone,” says Purcell. Some students may not even realize that an internship is helpful in landing a permanent job, he notes. Salaries are a major factor propelling recent graduates away from Alabama, the study showed. “One thing we found in the data is that they are very sensitive to the actual salary,” says Purcell. That one thing tends to outweigh social and community factors like family ties and quality of life. “We do have jobs in Alabama,” says Purcell. “They just don’t pay as much.”

Perhaps it’s time business leaders address that disparity, he suggests. “We do need employers to recognize the competition is high, and maybe there are some cases where they need to up their game,” Purcell adds. One nebulous goal to keep graduates here is improving the overall perception of the state. “That is what we’re working on right now,” Purcell says. Deborah Storey is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

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

Alabama Independent Colleges & Universities RANK

Ranked by Student Enrollment for Fall 2021

compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

INSTITUTION

ADDRESS

PHONE / WEBSITE

PRESIDENT

FALL 2021

FALL 2020

FALL 2019

Samford University

800 Lakeshore Dr., Birmingham, AL 35229

205-726-2871/samford.edu

Dr. Beck Taylor

5,758

5,729

5,692

Faulkner University

5345 Atlanta Hwy., Montgomery, AL 36109

334-386-7200/faulkner.edu

Dennis Mitchell Henry

2,874

2,961

3,036

Tuskegee University

1200 W. Montgomery Rd., Tuskegee, AL 36088

334-727-8011/tuskegee.edu

Dr. Charlotte Morris

2,654

2,747

2,876

University of Mobile

5735 College Pkwy., Mobile, AL 36613

251-442-2273/umobile.edu

Dr. Lonnie Burnett

1,911

2,016

1,989

Miles College

5500 Myron Massey Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35064

205-929-1657/miles.edu

Dr. Bobbie Knight

1,520

1,440

1,456

Oakwood University

7000 Adventist Blvd. NW, Huntsville, AL 35896

256-726-7356/oakwood.edu

Dr. Leslie Pollard

1,452

1,374

1,526

Talladega College

627 W. Battle St., Talladega, AL 35160

256-761-6235/talladega.edu

Dr. Gregory Vincent

1,203

1,156

1,239

Spring Hill College

4000 Dauphin St., Mobile, AL 36608

251-380-3030/shc.edu

Dr. Mary Van Brunt

1,107

1,191

1,290

Birmingham-Southern College 900 Arkadelphia Rd., Birmingham, AL 35254

800-523-5793/bsc.edu

Daniel Coleman

1,058

1,129

1,209

Huntingdon College

1500 E. Fairview Ave., Montgomery, AL 36106

334-833-4497/huntingdon.edu

Dr. J. Cameron West

844

920

1,008

Stillman College

P.O. Drawer 1430, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403

205-366-8817/stillman.edu

Dr. Cynthia Warrick

728

712

861

Amridge University

1200 Taylor Rd., Montgomery, AL 36117

334-387-3877/amridgeuniversity.edu

Dr. Michael Turner

723

775

833

United States Sports Academy

One Academy Dr., Daphne, AL 36526

251-626-3303/ussa.edu

Dr. T.J. Rosandich

168

338

499

Source: Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities/National Center for Education Statistics

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 37

EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATORS Editor’s Note: For this Higher Education issue of Business Alabama, we asked some of our college partners to identify a standout member of their faculty or administration. Here’s who they are and some of their thoughts on education today.

Meet the Teacher

ou’re working with a student, explaining an especially difficult concept and suddenly you see the flash of understanding in the student’s eye. “When you finally see that student, that spark of acknowledgement in their eyes when they finally get that difficult concept — that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing,” says Terry Ayers, who teaches computer science at Wallace State Community College. Why teach? “It’s about the lightbulb moment for me — the moment when you see on someone’s face that they just figured something out,” says Todd Hicks, director of the School of Nurse Anesthesia at University of Mobile. Hicks works with a special group of students — well motivated and in love with the field. With them, he says, the challenge is making sure they have all they need to succeed. “A nurse anesthetist has to make a decision for a patient that makes the difference for them. The more knowledge they have, the better prepared they are to make that autonomous decision when it matters.” Alabama community college faculty members find themselves just as motivated to help students succeed as Hicks is with his graduate students. “You have to have a heart for people,” says Chris Cox, president of Shelton State Community College. “That’s one reason I love what we do as a community college. The mission is so pure. It doesn’t matter

By NEDRA BLOOM

where you come from, what you look like, what problems you have — we’re here to put you in a place to better your life and get a livable wage.” Whether it’s a certification to join the workforce tomorrow or two years toward a bachelor’s degree and maybe even law or medical school, community colleges “are changing people’s lives in a positive way,” says Josh Duplantis, dean of workforce development at Coastal Alabama Community College. Jeff Lynn, president of Central Alabama Community College, builds from “a vision for how community and economic development mesh with higher education to create an environment to enrich the lives of students and community members.” Community college education here is “based on one core belief: that Alabama’s community colleges are the most affordable, accessible and practical avenue for all residents who want to strengthen their quality of life,” says System Chancellor Jimmy Baker. Leslie Reeder, dean of instruction at Wallace Community College-Dothan, learned that lesson from a student’s perspective. She is fond of telling her history as an example. From her earliest years, she planned to be a bank president. She thought bankers looked impressive — so much so that her parents got her

suits for her new Easter outfits each year. The fact that she didn’t like high school math ought to have been a sign, she jokes. But when she arrived at Wallace, the adviser helped her see what steps would be needed to reach her goal and that the first step would be developmental math. Working her way through the math offerings, she lost her fear of math and began to enjoy it, she says. And after graduating, she got a job in a bank. She transitioned from that to a job as secretary to a community college president and began to see a whole new career world. Back to school she went, earning the credentials to teach and a career she never plans to change. “As teachers, we’re world changers,” she says. Some of today’s education is in a traditional classroom setting and some is not. For Rick Fenwick, academic program director at Columbia Southern University, the classroom is entirely online — offering opportunities to students here, there and everywhere. Fenwick himself is based in Michigan. He’s a firm believer in online education, which is more convenient for students — and which has benefitted from a whole raft of advances in the past few years. He can create a video and open class with it, knowing students can catch up with it later if they’re late. His office hours are online, too, so students can readily get individual attention.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 39

E XC E P T I O N A L E D U C AT O R S

But he also loves his subject matter. A psychologist, he enjoys seeing how students can use classroom lessons to improve their lives — such as opening better channels of communication with a spouse. A lifelong hockey player, he coaches a college hockey team and likes seeing his student athletes use classroom concepts to help them focus or reduce stress. For Patrick Murphy, director of the Barefield Entrepreneurship Program at UAB, a modern approach to teaching entrepreneurship requires no books and no traditional exams. His students study entrepreneurship models in the classroom, then head to the community to put their ideas into practice with nearby startup companies. Their evaluation comes, in part, from an assessment of the student’s value to the company, prepared by the company owner. “Students have to see what the theory looks like in practice,” Murphy says. William Hustwit, director of the Donald C. Harrison Honors Program at Birmingham-Southern, loves the fact that he learns alongside his students. Because teaching history requires you to revisit the same stories semester after semester, “you get to revisit the things you love,” and, moreover, “you’re always learning new things.” Hustwit also leads the college’s honors program, interacting with the most highly motivated of a very highly motivated student body. He enjoys the focus on the liberal arts. Many people prefer a degree that aims at a specific job, he says, but life changes and those plans may not work out. “Life turns out differently,” he says, “so why not really enjoy your education, become an educated person — steeped in philosophy and literature. “That’s what a really good liberal arts college does — offers learning for a lifetime; a place for learning to love learning.” Says Murphy, “Teaching is the most important thing we can do for the future. Period.” Nedra Bloom is a Mobile-based writer/editor for Business Alabama.

TERRY AYERS Instructor and Department Chair Computer Science Wallace State Community College

After earning undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama, Ayers spent 35 years in the military, including earning a master’s in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. He began teaching parttime at Wallace State in 1993 and joined the faculty full-time in 1997. In addition to teaching, he and his team work with BEST robotics competitions around the state and help students prepare for Skills USA contests, where Wallace State students have earned gold and silver state awards and succeeded in national contests. JIMMY H. BAKER Chancellor Alabama Community College System

The dynamic transformation of student experiences and training at Alabama’s 24 community and technical colleges is led by Baker, chancellor of the Alabama Community College System. In just five years as chancellor, his combined five decades across every aspect of education have resulted in state-of-theart workforce centers and robust infrastructure in every region, rapid training classes in several high-demand industries, nationally recognized apprenticeships, top academic instruction, additional athletics programs, top-notch campus security and more. Every advancement is based on one core belief: that Alabama’s community colleges are the most affordable, accessible and practical avenue for all residents who want to strengthen their quality of life.

40 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

CHRIS COX President Shelton State Community College

Cox has nearly 30 years of K-12 and higher education administration experience. A Geneva native, he began his career as a teacher and coach at Dale County High School before moving into administration in the K-12 and community college systems. He served as special assistant to the chancellor at the Alabama Community College System, working as interim president at multiple community colleges including Northwest-Shoals Community College in Muscle Shoals, Bevill State Community College in Jasper and Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in Andalusia. He is a graduate of Troy University with a master’s from Alabama State University and a Ph.D. from Auburn University. JOSH DUPLANTIS Dean of Workforce Development Coastal Alabama Community College

With experience in K-12 and college settings, Duplantis has taught a variety of business-related classes, earning recognition from Greg “The Shark” Norman as a Prosperity Pioneer and has been featured in University Business Magazine and many other local and regional publications. He is chosen frequently as a speaker and holds a namesake award, the Josh Duplantis service award, earned by university faculty and staff who provide exceptional service to military veterans returning to higher education. His research and publications around the concept of social capital have been cited in studies in the United States, Nigeria and Turkey.

E XC E P T I O N A L E D U C AT O R S

RICK FENWICK Academic Program Director for Behavioral Science Columbia Southern University

WILLIAM HUSTWIT Director, Donald C. Harrison Honors Program Birmingham-Southern College

In addition to his work at Columbia Southern, Fenwick is head coach of a college hockey team. He enjoys helping student athletes learn to focus and handle stress. He is a graduate of Madonna University with a master’s from the University of Phoenix and a Ph.D. from Capella University.

In June 2021, Hustwit was named director of the Donald C. Harrison Honors Program and is leading the program’s revitalization, offering innovative and challenging courses, opportunities for research and study abroad, mentorship, teaching assistantships, and avenues for scholarship and personal growth. A historian, Hustwit is the author of “James J. Kilpatrick: Salesman for Segregation,” and “Integration Now: Alexander v. Holmes and the End of Jim Crow Education.” In 2012, Hustwit’s article in the Journal of Southern History, “From Caste to Color Blindness,” won the Ronald T. and Gayla D. Farrar Media and Civil Rights History Award from the University of South Carolina.

TODD HICKS Director, School of Nurse Anesthesia University of Mobile

Hicks joined the University of Mobile in June 2021 to launch the DNAP program. Hicks is active in the American Association of Nurse Anesthetist and has been a board member of the Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists. His focus in service is for expansion of nurse anesthesia practice in Alabama to full-scope, as well as pharmacology-based continuing education. Previously, Hicks served as an assistant professor and the associate pathway coordinator of the BSNDNP Nurse Anesthesia Pathway at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

JEFF LYNN President Central Alabama Community College

Lynn has an extensive background in economic and workforce development. He came to the Alabama Community College System from Louisiana Economic Development, where he developed and started LED FastStart, nationally recognized as the No. 1 workforce development program in the U.S. for the seven-plus years he was in Louisiana. He is an exceptional educator because he has tremendous vision for how community and economic development mesh with higher education to create an environment to enrich the lives of students and community members. He also serves on several statewide and national boards tied to workforce and education.

PATRICK MURPHY Director, Barefield Entrepreuneurship Program Goodrich Endowed Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship University of Alabama at Birmingham

An award-winning teacher and researcher, Murphy has led entrepreneurship, social enterprise and technology programs in university and ecosystem settings. In 2017, Future Founders selected him as its inaugural “Entrepreneurship Professor of the Year” for Illinois. In 2016, he was named to AmericanInno’s “50 on Fire” for his impact on the Chicago innovation ecosystem. He edits the scholarly journal Management Decision. A U.S. Navy veteran, he speaks Mandarin Chinese and is the former president of the board of the Chicago Cultural Alliance. He is a member of the board of Morningside College, his undergraduate alma mater. LESLIE REEDER Dean of Instructional Affairs Wallace Community College - Dothan

Reeder began her involvement with the Alabama Community College System as a student before entering the banking workforce and eventually transitioning back to community college faculty and administration. She has been dean of instruction affairs at Wallace Community College - Dothan since 2017. She has an associate degree from Wallace, a bachelor’s from Troy University, a master’s and is working on a doctorate in rural education from the University of West Alabama.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 41

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

CREeping Along Pandemic disruptions and financial headwinds have slowed the commercial real estate market

By CARY ESTES — Photos by DAN ANDERSON

Todd Greer, director of Mobile’s Innovation Portal, which offers co-working and incubator space.

hile home might be where the heart is, the office these days is wherever the Internet service is. Including at home, or almost anywhere else. The increasing ability to work outside of a traditional office space was already nudging at the commercial real estate market even before the COVID-19 pandemic sent much of the workforce home. And while employees have been gradually returning to the office over the past year or so, the CRE market itself remains in a state of transition, according to several real estate representatives throughout Alabama. The issue is two-fold. First is the ongoing societal shift — especially among younger generations — toward work-from-home or some sort of home-and-office mix rather than spending 40 hours each week in a conventional office setting. Combine that with several recent disruptive economic factors — inflation, rising interest rates, soaring construction costs — and suddenly the CRE market is facing a period of major uncertainty. “It has been a perfect storm of things,” says Jason Scott, senior advisor for Louisiana-based Stirling Properties, which has an office in Mobile. “This mentality and desire for more of a work-life balance was already there. Then when the pandemic hit, it just exacerbated that. “And now we have all these issues on the economic front. People are still trying to figure things out. We haven’t seen a lot of reductions yet (in office space leasing), but we haven’t November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 43

CO M M E RC I A L R E A L E S TAT E

LEFT: John Tally, of Harbert Realty Service in Birmingham, predicts that companies are beginning to look for smaller office footprints. BELOW: Nadia Niakossary, of RCP Companies in Huntsville, says the market is stronger there, in part because it’s harder for people in jobs that require security clearances to transition to working from home.

seen many long-term renewals of existing space, either.” In mathematical terms, the situation is simple. If employees are spending less time working in an actual office, then businesses should be able to handle things with less office space. This is an issue particularly in the major downtown markets, which can accommodate larger companies with more employees but usually at much higher leasing rates. “I think the big trend coming up is a lot of these companies that are taking up larger footprints in the larger buildings are going to start trying to decrease their footprint,” says John Tally, leasing and brokerage associate for Harbert Realty Services in Birmingham. “They’ll do that through subleasing, or they’ll just wait until their lease comes up for renewal and then try to reduce their square footage.” One recent study by the New York University Stern School of Business predicts a nearly 40% decrease in office value, a decline that the report calls “an office real estate apocalypse.” While Tally does not use terms quite so stark, he also doesn’t offer a rosy vision for the near future of the CRE market. “A lot of the larger landlords are still in a wait-and-see mode,” Tally says. “But if these offices were going to get reactivated to returning to the level of pre-pandemic employees, I think that would have happened by now. And I don’t think the next year or two is going to change much. “There’s been a little bit more activity toward the suburbs. But for the most part, overall leasing activity has been extremely slow across the board for the Birmingham metro. So, these landlords are going to have some tough decisions to make. People are going to have to get creative for how to utilize all these big blocks of space.” Of course, there are some business sectors where work-fromhome is not a practical option. Government agencies, the defense industry and many high-tech companies require a regular in-person presence. 44 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

Those happen to be sectors that have been growing steadily in Huntsville through such entities as Redstone Arsenal and Cummings Research Park. As a result, the CRE market in Huntsville is on somewhat steadier ground, according to Nadia Niakossary, senior director of development at RCP Companies. “The defense and tech industries are not slowing down, and a lot of those jobs require top security clearances that make it more difficult for people to work from home,” Niakossary says. “Beyond that, I hear of more and more employers who are requiring their employees to return to work. I do see the office returning to normal a bit.” Still, Niakossary admits that even Huntsville cannot escape the financial factors that have bogged down the CRE market in most places. “Construction costs are just through the roof, and that affects tenants who might want to expand their spaces or build new space,” Niakossary says. “It’s also a challenging time to recruit new, smaller businesses, since they have a hard time getting the financing because of how expensive it can be to rent those spaces.” While the financial squeeze has forced many building owners to increase their rental rates, Scott says the lack of strong demand for commercial properties has kept those hikes in check.

“Rates really have not risen dramatically, even though the costs to the owner have,” Scott says. “They know they can’t just keep pushing rents up to the point that they’re no longer competitive. It’s a strange dynamic, because the economics from financing and construction costs are going up, but the rates are not.” In this environment, co-working spaces are emerging as a potential alternative to the traditional office, as building owners look for different ways to utilize some of their square footage. Niakossary says when RCP Companies helped develop the MidCity District in Huntsville, a co-working space was included as part of the plans in response to this trend. “It’s a popular model,” Niakossary says. “Many businesses enjoy having smaller spaces where they don’t have to fully furnish and supply their office space, but they also still want their employees to work collaboratively.” Todd Greer, executive director of the 30,000-square-foot Innovation Portal business incubator in Mobile, says the current rise in co-working spaces mirrors the interest in the concept that occurred following the major recession of 20082009. “In times of downturn, businesses question whether they need the same footprint that they had before. And that feeling is increased this time by the fact we’re coming out of COVID,” Greer says. “So, what if we don’t bring everybody back to the office every day? How will that influence our need and use of space? A lot of companies are asking those questions. “I don’t think we’re ever going to see the office completely gone. But what we are seeing is many organizations are looking at office overhead and trying to maximize their value. A lot of factors are coming together and leading to an environment where we’re going to see a major reallocation of human capital across the country. And because of that, you’re going to see these changes stay around as part of a much longer plan.” Cary Estes and Dan Anderson are freelance contributors to Business Alabama. Estes is based in Birmingham and Anderson in Mobile.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 45

CO M M E RC I A L R E A L E S TAT E

Huntsville is booming

All types of real estate developments are under construction across Huntsville — trying to keep up with job growth that is outpacing the nation By KATHERINE MacGILVRAY — Photo by JEFF WHITE

n September, Huntsville-based developer RCP Companies announced plans for its upcoming addition to the MidCity District: a $110 million mixeduse development featuring 330 apartment units, 35,000 square feet of office space and 32,000 square feet of street-level retail space. Anthem House — the name is a nod towards MidCity’s music scene and the 8,000-capacity Orion Amphitheater that opened there in May — is one of the latest in a string of announcements about new industrial, commercial and residential projects in the Huntsville area. In August, Birmingham-based Fairway Investments and Huntsville-based Triad Properties jointly acquired 135 acres on Greenbrier Parkway to develop a massive 2 million-square-foot master-planned distribution and commerce park. In July, Birmingham’s Capstone Building Corp. announced the opening of its $67 million, 507,943-square-foot apartment complex, Anthem Apartments, in North Huntsville. Also in July, The Beach Company hosted a grand opening for The Range, a 48,320-square-foot Class-A commercial office building. In June, Meta announced that it will expand its Huntsville data center with the addition of two new buildings and nearly 3.5 million square feet. The expansion will raise the company’s investment in Huntsville to more than $1.5 billion and is expected to add more than 300 operational jobs. In April, Atlanta-based Gateway Ventures and Bullpen Real Estate celebrated the grand opening of Laurel at Dry Creek, a 20-acre residential community featuring a $60 million garden apartment project that includes 15 townhomes, 10 carriage homes and 318 apartments. In March,

Randy Thomas, of NAI Chase Commercial, is amazed and delighted by Huntsville’s booming marketplace.

Doster Construction Co. announced it would soon begin construction on HQ at Upland Park, a 110,000-square-foot project that will combine office, retail and restaurant amenities. HQ, scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2023, is the last in Nicol Investment Company’s venture, a 60-acre mixed-use community in Cummings Research Park. This uptick in the Huntsville area real

46 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

estate market isn’t new. “This is not an unusual time; it’s continued growth to meet the demand of the growing population,” says Ken Smith, senior director for research and information services at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. “The honest truth is our growth trajectory was outpacing the U.S. in the mid-2000s.” Even after a dip due to the 2008 reces-

CO M M E RC I A L R E A L E S TAT E

sion, Huntsville’s economy recovered quickly and continued to grow steadily between 2010 and 2015. “And we’ve really started to outpace the U.S. since then.” Smith attributes this to significant industrial growth that centered on key projects like Polaris Industries, which opened an off-road vehicle manufacturing facility in 2015; GE Aviation, which opened a factory complex in 2018; and Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, which started production in 2021. At the same time, federal employment opportunities grew as military base realignments and closures brought new jobs to the area, and the FBI expanded its presence at Redstone Arsenal. And Huntsville’s high-tech industry, one of the fastest growing in the country, provides an additional shot in the arm. “Really, the jobs drive the population, and the population drives the investment in single-family and multifamily housing, and then the stores and restaurants that go to support that. It’s a snowball effect,” Smith said. Even a global pandemic couldn’t stop the momentum. “We’ve already recovered from our pre-COVID employment levels, and just looking at our current numbers, we’re outpacing the job growth of the U.S. by two to one,” says Smith. “So, we are about 3.2% above what we were before COVID, and the U.S. is at about 1.5% above where it was before COVID.” “A lot of what we’re seeing with new apartments, new restaurants and hotels, new office construction and speculative industrial development is coming from outside investors who see that the market is growing. We’ve turned a corner. We’re now being seen as a primary market for outside investment,” Smith says. Randy Thomas, executive vice president of brokerage at NAI Chase Commercial, one of the leading full-service commercial real estate companies in the state, agrees. “What we’ve seen [in

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: RCP Companies’ addition to MidCity District; HQ at Upland Park; A rendering of Anthem House; Village at Hays Preserve.

the Huntsville market] in the past few years is local ownership of valuable real estate selling to national investors. It’s happened again and again and again. And you’re going to see more of that.” As an example, Thomas points to a locally owned four-building, 45,775-square-foot mixed-use property in central downtown Huntsville that his partner at NAI Chase, Eric Amason, recently put on the market. “That property will acquire a national investor because it’s in Huntsville, it’s got a fair return, and it’s never going to be more valuable than what it is today.” NAI Chase manages more than 4 million square feet of real estate throughout north Alabama. The company provides leasing and sales for office, industrial and retail property; commercial development; property, asset and facilities management; investment brokerage; and construction and renovation services. When the new owners of a property NAI Chase manages on the east side of Research Park did a 51,000-square-foot speculative build, they had complete occupancy within 120 days of completing construction. “At one time no one would have attempted that,” says Thomas. “And we see that going on all over Huntsville. We see warehouses going up without tenants, and by the time they’re completed or shortly thereafter, there are tenants in there.” Established in 2014, Huntsville-based Freedom Real Estate & Capital LLC began as a real estate investment organization, November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 47

CO M M E RC I A L R E A L E S TAT E

focused at first on acquiring distressed properties, then renovating and modernizing them to attract and retain tenants. “Early on we were heavily focused on south Huntsville and that’s the largest concentration of our property,” says Lee Holland, vice president of development and construction at Freedom. The majority of those early projects are now occupied by Torch Technologies, Freedom’s sister company. “The City of Huntsville and Freedom/Torch have worked very closely to try to help revitalize south Huntsville.” In addition to its success developing the Torch campus, Freedom completed renovations on Office Park South in 2021. Brenda Conville, vice president for real estate at Freedom, recalls the condition of the property when they purchased it in 2017. “Dilapidated is the best word to describe it, and the tenants were exiting quickly.” After a multimillion-dollar renovation, the 115,000 square feet of office space are already fully leased. “These buildings were a real blight in the south

48 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

Huntsville market, and now they are very attractive and people want to be there,” says Conville. But obtaining properties in the area has become more of a challenge. “We’re still acquiring existing properties,” says Holland, “but as the market here has sped up, it’s become more difficult to find properties that are at a price point where we can acquire them and still have room to do the renovations needed and still be able to have a competitive lease rate.” So, the company has expanded its role to include brokerage representation, property management and developing brand new facilities. Currently, the company owns about 530,000 square feet of real estate in Madison County. “Because Huntsville has gotten so much publicity, national investors have come in and said, ‘What can I buy in Huntsville? I’ve got a lot of capital, and I need to buy something. What do you have?’ If I get one of those calls, I get two or three a week,” says Thomas. “And I’m

like, you guys are so late to the dance.” “It’s very exciting,” says Smith. “We have a lot of new growth and development in the pipeline along all fronts.” That includes industrial warehouses, new multifamily developments, and new mixed-use developments. “On the commercial side, we have restaurants and shops coming to town that are new to the market as well as several new mixeduse developments coming to the area, including Clift Farm, Town Madison, the MidCity District, Hays Farm, the Stovehouse area, the Village of Providence and downtown. I’d say in the next two to three years we will see a number of these developments that are in the planning and development stages come online, and the landscape and the feel of the community will be very different and more urban, but also very livable.” Katherine MacGilvray and Jeff White are Huntsville-based freelance contributors to Business Alabama.

R E A L E S TAT E

Commercial Real Estate Firms

YEAR FOUNDED

# ALABAMA PROPERTIES MANAGED/DEVELOPED

compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

RANK

# ALA. EMPLOYEES

Ranked by number of employees in Alabama

FIRM MANAGING PRINCIPAL(S)

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Carter Burwell

850 Shades Creek Pkwy. Ste. 300 Birmingham, AL 35209

205-610-8681 jll.com

Colliers | Alabama Joe Sandner III, Joe Sandner IV

880 Montclair Rd. Ste. 250 Birmingham, AL 35213

205-445-0955 colliers.com

2007 Leasing, brokerage, real estate management services, asset management and investment services

Graham & Co. Mike Graham, Steve Graham, David Walker

1801 5th Ave. N. Ste. 300 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-871-7100 grahamcompany.com

1978 Brokerage, development, management, corporate services, investments

NAI Chase Commercial Realty Inc. Charles Grelier Jr.

2705 Artie St. Bldg. 500, Ste. 40 Huntsville, AL 35804

256-539-1686 chasecommercial.com

1985 Office, retail, industrial leasing and sales, property development, property management, construction management, receiverships

Shannon Waltchack Andrew Patterson

1616 2nd Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35233

205-977-9797 shanwalt.com

110

2005 Property management, investment management, brokerage services

Red Rock Realty Group Inc. Tom Carruthers, Charles Robinson, Tommy Joyce, Jack Little

1425 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. S., Ste. 100 Birmingham, AL 35205

205-324-3383 redrockrg.com

136

1934 Commercial brokerage, property management, acquisition and development

Retail Specialists Robert Jolly, Mead Silsbee

2200 Magnolia Ave. S. Ste. 100 Birmingham, AL 35205

205-313-3676 retailspecialists.com

2005 Leasing and brokerage, property management, tenant representation, development

Southpace Properties Inc. John Lauriello, William McDavid, Bryan Holt

300 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., Ste. 900, Birmingham, AL 35203

205-326-2222 southpace.com

1984 Retail, industrial, office, investment, property management and maintenance

Cushman & Wakefield/EGS Commercial Real Estate Mark Byers, Bill Pradat, Marc Eason, Brad Jones

2100 3rd Ave. N. Ste. 700 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-939-4440 egsinc.com

1987 Tenant representation, agency leasing, property management, development, investment sales, asset management

Marcus & Millichap Jody McKibben

15 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N., Ste. 300 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-510-9200 marcusmillichap.com

2007 Brokerage, investment sales, research, financing

LAH Commercial Real Estate LLC Maurice Humphries

2850 Cahaba Rd. Ste. 200 Birmingham, AL 35223

205-870-8580 lahcommercial.com

1992 Commercial real estate sales, leasing, development and property management

CRE Mobile Allan Cameron, Pete Riehm, David Dexter, Tommy Gleason, Jay Roberds, John Peebles

1102 Dauphin St. Ste. A Mobile, AL 36604

251-438-4312 cre-mobile.com

213

2001 Sales, leasing, property management, brokerage

Coldwell Banker Commercial McLain Real Estate D. Scott McLain

P.O. Box 2199 Huntsville, AL 35804

256-533-3414 mclaincommercial.com

1974 Full service firm, brokerage, consulting, property management (AMO), development

Watts Realty Co. Inc. Chip Watts

1527 3rd Ave. S. Ste. 102 Birmingham, AL 35233

205-251-1267 wattsrealty.com

161

1906 Commercial brokerage and leasing, commercial/residential property management, investment sales, development and rehabilitation services, property insurance services

Freedom Real Estate and Capital LLC William Roark

600 Boulevard S. Ste. 307 Huntsville, AL 35802

256-850-3047 freedomrealestate.biz

2014 Full service firm, brokerage, property management, development, construction management, owner consulting

Orchestra Partners Hunter Renfroe, John Boone

1820 3rd Ave. N. Unit 300 Birmingham, AL 35203

205-590-5015 orchestra-partners.com

2015 Planning, development, adaptive reuse, historic tax credit projects, mixed-use developments

For more firms, visit BusinessAlabama.com

ADDRESS

PHONE/WEBSITE

AREAS OF CONCENTRATION

1783 Tenant representation and commercial brokerage, integrated portfolio services, capital markets, retail, corporate solutions, interated facility management, project and development services

Source: Business Alabama Survey

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 49

SIDELINES

Credit and crunch

Credit union exec finds relaxation — and profit — at his North Alabama pecan farm By KATHERINE MacGILVRAY — Photos by JEFF WHITE

Joe and Marie Newberry pose in the pecan orchard with farm employees Angie and Ted Brooks. 50 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

SIDELINES

Newberry Pecans harvests 2,000 pounds of nuts a year from the orchard that began with trees planted as a hobby for Newberry’s dad.

edstone Federal Credit Union President and CEO Joe Newberry says he was a little nervous back in August when he was told an Army general had called from Washington, D.C. “I didn’t know what they wanted,” he recalls. As it turned out, the call was to inform him that he had been awarded the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) John W. Dixon Award for outstanding

Ted Brooks tends to the sorting machine.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 51

SIDELINES

to $8 billion in assets, 28 branches and 1,200 employees and is the state’s largest member-owned financial institution. In recognition of Newberry’s ongoing work to protect consumers from abusive lending practices, Gov. Kay Ivey appointed him to the Alabama Consumer Credit Task Force and the Payday Reform Advisory Committee. In 2018, he received the Outstanding Chief Executive Award from the Credit Union Executives Society in recognition of his professional achievement, support for Redstone employees and dedication to his community. Newberry accepted the AUSA Award on behalf of Redstone’s work in support of the Armed Forces at the association’s annual meeting and exposition in Oc-

contributions to national defense. The AUSA award is the latest of many achievements in his nearly 45-year career in financial services. Since Newberry took the helm at Redstone in 2008, the credit union has grown from $2 billion in assets, 19 branches and 729 employees

BUSINESS ALABAMA

Once a month, “What’s Working with Cam Marston” will feature a story from Business Alabama, continuing the conversation started in the magazine. Listen to “What’s Working”: Birmingham: Saturday – 7am | WERC 105.5FM Huntsville: Saturday – 8am | WBHP 102.5FM Mobile: Wednesday – 6pm | WAVH 106.5FM Replay – Saturday 2pm Montgomery: Saturday – Noon | WACV 93.1FM Tuscaloosa: Saturday – 8am | WRTR 105.9FM Gadsden: Saturday – 8am | WAAX 101.9FM Or listen online at WhatsWorkingCam.com More markets to come… Exploring the workplace, workforce, and marketplace trends shaping Alabama business.

52 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

tober. “It’s funny how life throws you a great surprise sometimes,” he says. Newberry had another pleasant surprise in August when the Alabama Pecan Growers Association (APGA) kicked off its annual summer tour with a visit to Newberry Pecans, his family farm in Ardmore. APGA was formed in 1960 by a small group of pecan growers in Baldwin and Mobile counties, where the state’s pecan industry took root in the early 1900s. The association’s visit to Newberry’s orchard centered on a unique irrigation system that he has adopted to keep his pecan trees properly hydrated during extreme heat using a specially designed sprinkler head that wobbles as it releases water, allowing it to reach a broader area. Newberry remembers researching irrigation in his early days as a pecan grower. “The first thing I learned is pecan trees need lots and lots of water.” A spirit of collaboration was also at the core of the APGA visit. The association is committed to making sure pecan growers in the state have access to the most upto-date farming resources and methods and encourages its members to learn from each other. It reminds Newberry a lot of what he’s witnessed in his financial career. “It’s kind of like what credit unions do; we share what we’re doing with each other.” Newberry’s pecan orchard is a living tribute to his father, Howard Newberry, who worked as an electronics engineer for NASA from 1957 to 1981, but, as his son recalls, always wanted to buy a farm. Newberry’s mother, a school teacher raising four children, wasn’t too keen on the idea. “She said, ‘No; we’ve got kids to put through college.’” When some stock Howard Newberry had forgotten about turned up after his retirement, his son encouraged him to put it towards the purchase of a plot of land in Ardmore. “And my mother didn’t speak to me for six months after that,” he adds, laughing. In 1989, Newberry Pecans, then Newberry Nurseries, began as a fieldgrown nursery that sold ornamental trees wholesale. “The problem with running a nursery,” says Newberry, “is you’re harvesting in almost the worst part of winter. And you have to plan what you’re

SIDELINES

going to plant for three to five years in the future, and you don’t even know if that’s going to be in demand in your area. I have a good appreciation for people in the nursery business.” The addition of pecan trees to the property came naturally: Howard Newberry, who grew up in south Alabama, ate pecans all the time. “I can remember when we planted those first 40 trees out there,” says Newberry. The farm became a regular weekend destination for Newberry and his family. “That’s where we’d bonded; it was [my father’s] passion.” When Howard Newberry passed away in 2015, the land had become densely overgrown and his son’s plan was to bulldoze it all and start over. But a neighbor up the road saw the pecan trees and offered to tag and preserve them. Some of those original trees that Newberry planted with his father more than 30 years ago are among the over 900 trees in the orchard today. Varieties include Jackson, Kanza, Lakota, Pawnee and Oconee. “One thing led to another, and I’d buy a hundred trees here and a hundred trees there until one day I turned around and said, ‘What have I done?’” But he is quick to add that the trees, which can live 150 to 200 years, are part of his legacy as well. “I know they’re going to be around way past my time, and I hope my kids and grandkids can see the fruits of our labor and enjoy it.” Speaking of legacy, “A lot of people don’t realize that the pecan is the only native nut to North America,” says Newberry. And, thanks to the APGA’s influence, pecans are also the official state nut of Alabama. But what he’s really nuts about are their suggested health-promoting nutrients. “I eat fourteen halves a day,” he says, insisting that it isn’t a magic number. “I used to tell my dad they were fattening, but at the time I didn’t know about the health benefits — heart health, weight loss, anti-inflammatory benefits and boosts to your immune system. Just tons of benefits.” In addition to growing, Newberry Pecans has expanded to shelling, cleaning and packaging the 2,000 pounds of pecans it produces annually, and family members of all ages — Michelle and Adam Epling, Scott and Kim Newberry

and several grandkids — all help on the production line. Newberry, his wife Marie, who is president and CEO of Newberry Pecans LLC, and their daughter, Michelle, collaborated with Robot House, an Oklahoma City-based creative agency, to bring their brand vision to life and won a 2022 American Advertising Federation award for their packaging design.

“The pecan orchard is near to my heart because of the memories it has created,” says Newberry. “Every visit reminds me of the time spent together with my late parents.” Katherine MacGilvray and Jeff White are Huntsville-based freelance contributors to Business Alabama.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 53

CULLMAN, WALKER & WINSTON Winston County

Cullman County

SPOTLIGHT

by LORI CHANDLER PRUITT

Walker County

The Foothills Festival in Jasper attracts thousands to the area for food, music and fun.

ULLMAN, WALKER AND WINSTON COUNTIES, in north central Alabama, enjoy their proximity to major metro areas but also their distance, allowing for abundant outdoor recreation and tourism. This area has some of the lowest unemployment rates in the state, along with healthy population growth. The city of Cullman had a 23% growth rate, while the county had 9% growth. That also segues with nearly 200 building permits for housing projects so far in 2022 and more people moving into the area purchasing lake lots and in other areas. Cullman County reached more than $200 million in capital investment for the first time ever, says Dale Greer, director of the Cullman County Economic Development Agency. According to the final New and Expanding Industry report by the Alabama Department of Commerce, Cullman County had 39 economic development projects, with 459 jobs created and $213,364,176 in capital investment in 2021. Cullman County ranked No. 1 in total economic development projects, No. 1 in expansion projects, No. 2 in new projects and in the top 10 of counties for jobs created by expansion projects, capital investment by expansions, overall capital

investment and overall jobs created. “We were the No. 1 agricultural county in the state for years,” says Greer. “It is still a very strong sector, but we have been able to recruit more industry. We also have four research and development centers, and we are primed for more development at our airport.” In Cullman County, the largest manufacturing employers include four automotive suppliers, along with companies that make bedding products, plumbing connection systems, corrugated boxes, aerospace and metal buildings. One of those aerospace companies, General Dynamics, recently was noted for providing mirror systems for the James Webb Space Telescope. Cullman County and Cullman city schools have robust academic and career tech programs, with dual enrollment and workforce development partnerships. Wallace State Community College has a Center for Career and Workforce Development and recently opened a new state-of-the-art Technical Education Center that allows expansion of its popular welding program. It also offers a new location for engineering technology and houses a new entrepreneurship and technology incubator. Cullman County is known for its

award-winning parks and just finished the first season of its new waterpark. Walker County’s largest manufacturers include Mar-Jac Poultry, its largest manufacturing employer, along with three automotive manufacturers, wood and lumber companies and machine welding. The Walker County Industrial Development Authority has identified more than 1,000 acres on Interstate 22 for a new county industrial park, and site development will begin in early 2023. The aviation industry also got a huge boost with the announcement that Sanders Flight Training Center in Jasper partnered with Liberty University, making it now one of the few places in the state where students can earn a bachelor’s degree in aviation along with earning a pilot certificate. Bevill State Community College, with five total locations in northwest Alabama and two in Walker County, has long been known for meeting student and adult workforce needs, partnering to open training centers and more. With mixed-use developments gaining ground everywhere, a groundbreaking was recently held for the new Heritage Landing development in Walker County. Starting with reclamation of a former coal mine, the project will lead to a 50-acre developNovember 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 55

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

ment suitable for retail, commercial or industrial use. It should be open in early 2024. Winston County is home to several manufactured housing makers, along with manufacturers of semi-truck trailers, wood products and furniture. Wallace State Community College will expand opportunities in the area with the Winston County Community Learning Center. The 4,500-square-foot facility will include classrooms and computer labs.

M E D I A N H O U S E H O L D I N CO M E Madison County: $66,887 Baldwin County: $61,756 Jefferson County: $55,088 Tuscaloosa County: $54,283 Morgan County: $52,923 Montgomery County: $51,963 Mobile County: $49,625 Blount County: $48,922 Cullman County: $48,388 Walker County: $45,833 State of Alabama Winston County: $40,991 $52,035 Marion County: $40,978 Source: U.S. Census Bureau

56 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

Winston County Arts Council plans to purchase the former Looney’s Tavern complex and amphitheater, a 13-acre complex that will offer a large event venue, an indoor theater, restaurant space, gift shop, ticket office and concession area. The group plans to renovate as money is available and add dressing rooms and restrooms to the rear of the theater. Lori Chandler Pruitt is a contributor to Business Alabama. She lives in Birmingham.

P O P U L AT I O N

Total Alabama Population: 5,039,877

Jefferson County: 667,820 Mobile County: 413,473 Madison County: 395,211 Baldwin County: 239,294 Montgomery County: 227,434 Tuscaloosa County: 227,007 Morgan County: 123,668 Cullman County: 89,496 Walker County: 64,818 Blount County: 59,041 Marion County: 29,246 Winston County: 23,652 Source: U.S. Census Bureau

InFocus

Sprechen Sie Deutsch, Y’all? Cullman’s German roots run deep By ALEC HARVEY Oktoberfest.

Christkindlmarkt.

rew Green isn’t German, but as director of the Cullman County Museum, he knows a lot of German history, particularly as it pertains to

Cullman. “I’ve been doing this for a while,” he says of talking to folks about the CullmanGermany connection. “I’ve talked to people from all over the world.” And those talks all start with one man, John Cullmann, who came to the U.S. from Germany in 1865, buying some land from the Nashville-Montgomery Railroad and establishing the town of Cullman in 1873. “John Cullmann was our founder, and his goal was to start a German colony here,” says Green, whose father, Don, was

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 57

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

Outside of Cullman County Museum.

Statue of John Cullmann.

a two-time mayor of Cullman. “Cullmann was a very good salesman, especially in Germany. He convinced thousands and thousands of Germans to move to this area. For the first 25 years in Cullman, if you didn’t speak German, it was hard to do any kind of business here.” Back in the day, Cullman at times seemed like a tiny slice of Germany in the middle of Alabama. “When there was still a larger German population, they liked to have parties and parades, and there was an annual Founders Day celebrating the first five families who came to Cullman,” Green says. “Up until the 1940s, a lot of our churches had German services, and we have two Benedictine organizations, Saint Bernard Abbey and Sacred Heart Monastery, both from Frankweiler, the same area of Germany where John Cullmann was born.” Following the two World Wars and through the 1960s, the German population and experience dwindled a bit in Cullman, but it began to rev up again as Cullman’s centennial approached in 1973. “A lot of things started happening to reintroduce our German heritage,” Green 58 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

says. That included the establishment of the Cullman Historical Association and the museum, which opened in 1973. The museum, at the corner of Arnold Street and Second Avenue Northeast, is housed in a replica of Cullmann’s home. Cullman’s famed Oktoberfest celebration started in the ‘70s and has grown over the years, Green says, and he also points to December’s Christkindlmarkt, a German Christmas market, as a community favorite. In addition to the replica of Cullmann’s home and the many Cullmann-related items inside the museum, the German flag flies outside of the museum. An authentic German Christmas Pyramid stands next to the museum. The 30-foot-tall structure, with wooden figures and elements decorating it throughout, is one of only three such pyramids in the U.S. and is the tallest. There’s also a sculpture of Cullmann created by Birmingham artist Branko Medenica. “If you come here at night, you feel like you’re in Germany,” Green says. “The pyramid is lit, and it rotates just like the originals.”

Cullmann died in 1895, but there’s still a strong connection with his hometown of Frankweiler. The museum hosts regular Friends of Frankweiler meetings, and Friends of Cullman meetings are held in Frankweiler. “In 1987, we became sister cities, and we take turns visiting with each other,” Green says. “Since the advent of social media, that has become a lot easier, and we have a Friends of Frankweiler Facebook page.” The museum includes gifts given by the Friends of Cullman club, as well as items from Cullmann’s original home and photos of his family. “Cullmann brought thousands of people to this area except for two women – his wife and daughter,” according to Green. “When he died, they auctioned everything he had and sent the money to his wife and child in Germany. … His wife was from a wealthy banking family, and he thought she might move here after he built what was then a huge house here. But she wasn’t interested in the wilderness. She was a city girl.”

Economic Engines

Local and state officials break ground at what will be Heritage Landing in Walker County.

by LORI CHANDLER PRUITT AGRIBUSINESS/WOOD/ PAPER PRODUCTION/FURNITURE

Cullman County ranks among the highest nationally and regionally in poultry, sweet potato and other agricultural production. Local high schools offer agriscience programs, and the county has its own agriplex for events and to raise awareness of the county’s heritage and future in agriculture. There are several industries in the county related to agriculture. One of

B U S I N E S S NOVEMBER 2022: Construction is complete on the widening of Alabama Highway 57 in Cullman, so that the entire 90-mile highway is now four lanes. The 3.5-mile project cost $23 million. SEPTEMBER 2022: Interstate 22 Industrial Park in Winston County, an 818-acre park, now

the largest manufacturers is Tyson Foods subsidiary River Valley Ingredients, recently rebuilt after a fire and now the largest rendering plant in the world. Cullman County also has corrugated box producer Rusken Packaging. Walker County has major representation in this sector, with Mar-Jac Poultry in Jasper its largest manufacturing employer. With more than 387,000 acres of forest land, Walker County and the surrounding wood basket have a pine growth surplus of almost 7 million green tons per year. Other companies in this

sector include Jasper Lumber, which in 2020 partnered with Canada’s Tolko Industries to expand lumber production and add 60 new jobs. And Winston County has several companies in the furniture sector, including Kith Furniture, Masonite International, Universal Forest Products, Exxel Outdoors and Bassett Furniture, which just announced a major expansion. American Fiberglass in Double Springs makes bathtubs and shower units.

B R I E F S

has power, water and broadband access. SEPTEMBER 2022: Three hotels are under construction in Cullman — Cobblestone Hotels, located in the city’s sports and events district; Fairfield Inn and Home2Suites, both on Highway 157.

60 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

SEPTEMBER 2022: Bassett Furniture, an outdoor furniture maker, announces a nearly $5 million expansion of its facility in Winston County and will add 100 employees. SEPTEMBER 2022: Winston Homebuilders in Double Springs is in the process of a multimillion expansion onto the site

of an idled manufactured home facility. SEPTEMBER 2022: The Walker County Industrial Development Authority identifies more than 1,000 acres on Interstate 22 for a new county industrial park. Engineering and site development begins in early 2023.

SEPTEMBER 2022: Wallace State Community College will soon open the Winston County Community Learning Center, with classrooms and computer labs. AUGUST 2022: Ground is broken for the Heritage Landing development park in Walker County, converting a defunct coal

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

AUTOMOTIVE

Heiche US Surface Technologies, in Jasper, is an advanced

metals coating facility. The automotive sector is a major economic driver in Cullman County. Many of the largest manufacturing employers in the county are automotive suppliers. Topre America Corp. is the largest manufacturing employer, along with Rehau Automotive LLC and Yutaka Technologies. “All of the OEM suppliers in Alabama HIGHER EDUCATION have announced an electric vehicle comCullman County is home to Wallace ponent,” says Dale Greer, director of the State Community College in Hanceville, Cullman Economic Development Agenwhich is one of the largest employers cy. An example is Rehau, which recently in the county. WSCC has a Center for announced a $50 million expansion Career and Workforce Development and and 125 jobs related to electric vehicle this year opened a Technical Education components. Center to expand its popular weldAnother automotive company, ing program, a space for engineering Greening Automotive, is a luxury custom technology and an entrepreneurship and car manufacturer that recently built a technology incubator. And it just opened $4 million shop and showroom in the Winston County Community LearnCullman to showcase its products. ing Center, which will include classThe automotive sector in Walker rooms and computer labs that can be County is on a roll, with multiple Tier 1 used for college classes, adult education, suppliers employing more than 600 peocommunity education, dual enrollment ple. Those include Yorozu Automotive, with high schools and more. HTNA, Nitto, Vistech Manufacturing Bevill State Community College, and Heiche US Surface Technologies. with two of its five campuses in Walker The newest supplier to invest in Walker County — in Jasper and Sumiton — has County, Heiche is part of the KAP Sura large impact not only through educaface Technologies Group, a global leader tional opportunities but also through in advanced metal coatings. workforce development and more. The Lippert Components in Winston school has an HVAC training center in County makes leisure vehicle compoJasper in partnership with Alabama Pownents, and Fontaine Trailer makes semier, and a new Workforce Solutions Rapid truck trailers. Training Center in Jasper.

B U S I N E S S mining site into a 50-acre, development-ready site along Interstate 22. AUGUST 2022: Wallace State Community College opens a Technical Education Center that allows expansion of its popular welding program, plus space for engineering technology and an entrepreneurship incubator.

TAXES PROPERTY TAX Not including schools or city millage

CULLMAN COUNTY: 9.5 mills WALKER COUNTY: 9.0 mills WINSTON COUNTY: 9.5 mills STATE OF ALABAMA: 6.5 MILLS

SALES TAX CULLMAN COUNTY: 4.5% Cities within the county

CULLMAN: 0.5% DODGE CITY: 0.5% FAIRVIEW: 0.5% GARDEN CITY: 0.5% GOOD HOPE: 0.5% HANCEVILLE: 0.5% WALKER COUNTY: 2% Cities within the county:

CARBON HILL: 3% CORDOVA: 3% DORA: 3% ELDRIDGE: 2% JASPER: 3.5% KANSAS: 1% OAKMAN: 4% NAUVOO: 2% PARRISH: 4% SIPSEY: 2% SUMITON: 4% WINSTON COUNTY: 2% Cities within the county:

ADDISON: 3% ARLEY: 2% DOUBLE SPRINGS: 4% HALEYVILLE: 4% LYNN: 2% NATURAL BRIDGE: 3% ALABAMA SALES TAX: 4% Source: Alabama Department of Revenue

B R I E F S

JULY 2022: Covington Casket moves to a distribution center in Hanceville in Cullman County. The center represents $500,000 in capital investment. JUNE 2022: A $2 million grant for the city of Haleyville’s Posey Field Airport will rehabilitate the runway and taxiway.

APRIL 2022: Tyson Foods subsidiary River Valley Ingredients invests $205 million to develop the largest rendering plant in the world. FEBRUARY 2022: Alabama Farm Credit opens its new corporate headquarters in Cullman, its fifth branch in the state.

DECEMBER 2021: The James Webb Space Telescope launches from French Guiana. General Dynamics workers in Cullman manufactured the advanced mirror systems. NOVEMBER 2021: Bevill State Community College wins the Alabama Mining Association 2021 award for its safety and training

initiative for its longwall training expansion to the simulated underground mine. The Alabama Mining Academy is located on the Sumiton campus. OCTOBER 2021: Heiche U.S. Surface Technologies, a German firm specializing in the chemical surface treatment of metal parts, opens an

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 61

MANUFACTURED HOMES/ DIVERSIFIED MANUFACTURING

Winston County is home to several manufactured housing companies, employing hundreds of people, and this sector continues to expand. Companies in this field include Clayton Homes, Winston Homebuilders, Tru Homes and Hamilton Homebuilders. This three-county area is also home to an array of manufacturers making everything from metal buildings to plumbing connection systems to caskets. A large employer in Cullman County is Reliance Worldwide, which makes plumbing connection systems and employs almost 500. HEALTH CARE

Cullman Regional Medical Center, with 1,300 employees, is the largest employer in Cullman County and expected to generate $175 million in net revenue this year and provide $302 million in overall economic impact to the local economy. The hospital has seen significant growth in recent years. It expanded its emergency department, added new equipment, began construction on a 30-bed tower expansion that will add more medical-surgical beds and double the size of the critical care unit. It also opened two Centers of Excellence for specialized surgery and opened a health park in neighboring Hartselle. Walker Baptist Medical Center, a part of Brookwood Baptist Health, has made several major capital improvements. It is one of the largest

B U S I N E S S advanced metals coating facility in Jasper, creating about 73 jobs. SEPTEMBER 2021: Reliance Worldwide continues to grow in Cullman with a $50 million expansion to connect two buildings in Cullman’s Industrial Park II, adding manufacturing space. AUGUST 2021: Rehau Automotive celebrated

employers in Walker County with about 600 employees. And Lakeland Community Hospital in Haleyville is one of Winston County’s largest employers. It holds a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on its quality outcomes. AEROSPACE/AVIATION

With its proximity to Huntsville, Cullman Regional Airport’s Folsom Field is following a five-year plan to improve and grow. The airport recently completed a major project that included runway construction and lighting. The airport has an economic impact of more than $13 million a year, according to an Alabama Department of Transportation study. Cullman also has some aerospace companies such as General Dynamics, which makes guided missile and space vehicle parts and recently provided the advanced mirror systems for the James Webb Space Telescope. “We are only 23 nautical miles from Huntsville, and we are primed for development here,” Greer says. “We also are building more repair hangars.” And Sanders Flight Training Center, in Jasper at Bevill Field, has partnered with Liberty University allowing students to earn a bachelor’s degree in aviation along with earning a pilot certificate. In Winston County, the city of Haleyville’s Posey Field Airport received a $2 million grant to rehabilitate the runway and taxiway.

MAY 2021: Greening Automotive, a luxury custom car manufacturer, builds a $4 million shop and showroom in Cullman to showcase its projects for the public to tour.

62 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

CULLMAN COUNTY

Topre America Corp. | CULLMAN

Automotive metal stamping • 990 employees

Rehau Automotive LLC | CULLMAN Bumpers, molding • 790 employees

Reliance Worldwide/Cash Acme CULLMAN

Plumbing connection systems • 497 employees

Yutaka Technologies | CULLMAN

Metal stamping/automotive • 360 employees

HomTex | CULLMAN

Bedding products • 300 employees

Rusken Packaging | CULLMAN

Corrugated boxes • 275 employees

WALKER COUNTY

Mar-Jac Poultry | JASPER

Chicken production • 1,050 employees

Yorozu Automotive Alabama | JASPER Automotive metal stamping - suspensions 260 employees

Jasper Lumber | JASPER Lumber • 159 employees

HTNA | JASPER

Automotive supplier • 130 employees

Central States Manufacturing | JASPER Metal building components • 130 employees WINSTON COUNTY

Divisions of Clayton Homes | ADDISON Manufactured homes • 910 employees

B R I E F S

25 years in Cullman with an announcement of 125 new jobs and $50 million in capital investment as it shifts to production for Mercedes electric cars.

Largerst Industrial Employers

MAY 2021: Cullman Regional Airport wins a $3.4 million federal grant for runway and lighting improvements. MARCH 2021: Brothers Concrete Supply is founded in Dodge City in Cullman County to produce and distribute concrete. The $2.8 million project creates about 22 new jobs.

Kith Furniture | HALEYVILLE Furniture • 680 employees

Winston Homebuilders DOUBLE SPRINGS

Manufactured homes • 275 employees

Masonite International | HALEYVILLE Doors • 265 employees

Fontaine Trailer | HALEYVILLE

Semi-truck trailers • 254 employees

Tru Homes | LYNN

Manufactured homes • 200 employees Sources: Economic developers

Health Care Walker Baptist Medical Center.

Lakeland Community Hospital.

Cullman Regional Medical Center. CULLMAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Cullman Regional is a 150-bed hospital and health system serving a six-county area in north Alabama. It is the largest employer in Cullman County, with more than 1,400 employees. With a focus on delivering high quality care, investing in facilities and technology and recruiting skilled physicians, Cullman Regional has seen significant growth in hospital services and patients served. Recently, the hospital: • Earned Top 10% Performance recognition by CMS for several quality metrics including sepsis early management. The hospital also earned multiple performance and compliance rankings well above national and state benchmarks. • Completed a major expansion of its emergency department, increasing capacity by 80% and adding a dedicated behavioral health treatment area. • Made significant investments in its imaging capabilities by adding new CT and MRI equipment. • Began construction on a 30-bed tower expansion, which will add more medical-surgical beds and double the size of the critical care unit. • Opened two new surgery centers, one for orthopedics and spine surgery and the other for bariatrics. • Opened a health park in neighboring Hartselle. Services include imaging, urgent care and a physician specialist clinic. • Became the first hospital in the Southeast to use BrainScope technology for head injury assessment in the ER. • Added physician specialties in neurology, spine surgery, bariatric surgery, endocrinology, rheumatology and psychiatry. WALKER BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER

Walker Baptist Medical Center has approximately 600 employees and is one of the largest employers in Walker County. The acute 66 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

care hospital, located in Jasper, has 267 beds and has served the community for more than 40 years. It is a part of Brookwood Baptist Health. The hospital offers a full range of services including quick response times for patients with chest pain or stroke symptoms; cardiology; orthopedics, including rehabilitation; psychiatric care; urology; and detox therapy. The hospital has made several major capital improvements in the last two years, including surgical services, ventilators, ICU monitors, cath lab updates, telemetry, brain lab, spine equipment, and labor and delivery equipment. The hospital is exploring a possible operating room expansion. Other new services at the hospital include gastric neurostimulation, a 3D mammography suite installed in 2021, and new surgeries such as bariatric weight loss surgery, spine surgery and orthopedic surgery. LAKELAND COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

Lakeland Community Hospital in Haleyville, a major employer and sole health care provider in Winston County, has 49 beds. It holds a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on its quality outcomes. The hospital has a 24-hour emergency room and provides a comprehensive range of diagnostic services, along with acute care, emergency, medical specialties, cardiopulmonary, behavioral health, rehab and a wide range of community support services. The hospital has a swing bed program, a behavioral senior care inpatient program, home health, pediatric and family medicine clinics. Recently the hospital purchased a new 80-slice CT scanner. In August, Jennifer Young, the hospital’s former chief operating officer was named chief executive officer. The hospital is owned by the Haleyville and Winston County Hospital Authority.

Higher Education

WALLACE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Wallace State Community College, with a 300-acre main campus in Hanceville, satellite campus in Oneonta, and a service area that extends to Morgan and Winston counties, is a leader in regional higher education and workforce and economic development. The college serves approximately 7,000 students in credit and non-credit programs and offers more than 200 degree and certificate options, as well as dual enrollment, adult education, career training, apprenticeships and university transfer programs. The fourth largest community college in the state, with graduation and completion rates among the highest in the nation, Wallace State has been recognized nationally and regionally for its efforts in student success. It earned the prestigious designation as an Achieving the Dream Leader College and has been listed among the top 120 community colleges in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute. Support services for students include success coaching, tutoring, free mental health counseling, a food pantry, work wardrobe, career services, on-campus dental clinic, a lounge for nursing mothers and more. Wallace State is consistently ranked the preferred choice among community colleges by Alabama high school seniors taking the ACT. Wallace State’s computer science department earned a designation as National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense this year. The college was recently ranked as the No. 1 Online Community College in Alabama by the Guide to Online Colleges. While the majority of students at Wallace State come from the college’s five-county service area, the college offers on and off-campus housing options for those who come from farther away. All of Wallace State’s 14 health care programs are highly regarded and the Department of Nursing Education has twice earned the National League for Nursing’s prestigious designation as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education. Wallace State, which has a new Center for Career and Workforce Development, has been ranked in the Top 3 in the South for workforce development training and among the best community colleges for

Bevill State - Sumiton.

Bevill State - Jasper.

automotive and aerospace worker training by Southern Business and Development Magazine. Innovative new programs include Diesel by Distance, robotic welding, radiation therapy, construction management, medical lab assistant, forensic psychology, human resources management and the expansion of the aviation program. The college opened a new Technical Education Center this fall, allowing it to expand its welding program and provide space for its engineering technology and technology incubator programs. The college also joined officials in Blount County on the groundbreaking for a new multipurpose facility that will serve the agricultural community, career and technical education, economic development and more. The college will soon open the Winston County Community Learning Center, offering classrooms and computers labs. Workforce development and training through Ready to Work and adult education classes are available in Winston County. Wallace State boasts the winningest JUCO athletics program in the state, with 12 sports teams, including volleyball, baseball, softball, cheerleading and men’s and women’s programs in cross country, basketball, golf and tennis. The college is introducing NJCAAe, an eSports team,

Students in a Wallace State nursing lecture class.

this fall. Wallace State also has a Fine and Performing Arts Academy, offered in partnership with Cullman County Schools, and a new dance program. The award-winning Evelyn Burrow Museum, a museum of fine and decorative arts, is free to the public. The college is a member of the STARS systems to ease transfer to four-year colleges, plus partnerships with industries, such as Mercedes-Benz and Kubota, to provide apprenticeships. It is also an active participant in the FAME advanced manufacturing apprenticeship program. Wallace State’s One Door campaign, which won the Alabama Community College System Public Relations Association’s Best of Show Award this year, captures the college’s vision for everyone, regardless of their education or training goals, previous preparation or learning preference, whether in person or online, to be offered a pathway to completion, and connected with student success resources. The college hosts numerous events on campus each year, from the Worlds of Work and career fairs to Let’s Pretend Hospital for 1st graders, to pageants and graduations, VEX IQ robotics events, cultural arts events, performances, open houses, professional development meetings and more. November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 67

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

BEVILL STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Bevill State has five locations in northwest Alabama, and two locations – Jasper and Sumiton – are in Walker County. The locations have a service area that spans more than 4,600 square miles in seven counties. Bevill State offers university parallel and applied technology educational programs. It offers several academic pro-

grams, career technical education, health sciences, workforce solutions and economic development, and adult education and dual enrollment. In 2021, Bevill State released its new five-year strategic plan that emphasizes connection through partnerships and initiatives, helping students meet their intended educational goals and contribute

to the local communities by providing a highly skilled workforce. The plan also includes such goals as redesigning student academic and career advising process and expanding training opportunities to business and industries. Bevill State was honored with the prestigious Alabama Mining Association 2021 Safety and Sustainability Award for Exceptional Safety & Training Initiative for the longwall training expansion to the simulated underground mine, which is a part of the Alabama Mining Academy on the Sumiton campus. Recent building improvements and changes include a new home for the Walker County Arts Alliance, which is now housed on the college’s Jasper campus in the Jesse Student Center Building. The new space allows classes and workshops for all ages. The Jasper campus also welcomed Lavish Coffee Bar. Bevill State is known for the many partnerships and grants that allow it to expand opportunities for students. Those include: • A partnership with the Alabama Power Foundation and the Walker Area Community Foundation to offer the STEM22 program to students at Walker County schools and Jasper City Schools. • A collaboration with The Dannon Project, a Birmingham non-profit, to provide non-credit welding training and certification testing. • A $100,000 grant from the Don Drummond Family Fund of the Walker Area Community Foundation for Career Technical Education dual enrollment scholarships for high school students in Walker County. • A $72,000 donation for scholarship funds from Alabama Power for minority candidates to the HVAC Fast Track program. • A $20,000 contribution for scholarships from the Gene Haas Foundation for students in the machine tool technology program on the Jasper campus. • A $199,465 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to establish a Utility Vegetation Management program, providing a career-readiness indicator certification for existing business and industry employees who want to update their skills.

68 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

NATHAN ANDERSON is executive

director of Cullman Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism. During his tenure, the agency received the State Recreation and Parks Association Agency of the Year, and it’s the first in Alabama to receive National CAPRA accreditation. During the pandemic, Anderson served as CEO of 46 Entertainment and 46 Logistics companies, bringing both through shutdown and restart to record growth and expansion. He is a graduate of Athens State University and serves on the board of Cullman Tourism Bureau, ONE30 and Cullman PEG Station.

ALLISON BRIGHT is CEO of Cullman

Utilities Board, which provides water preservation, water treatment and power distribution for the community. A graduate of Auburn University, she has more than 15 years of utility experience focused on power distribution, transmission and generation. She is a founding member of Les Dames, a nonprofit designed to create meaningful mentorship with women of all ages. BONNIE BATY is marketing and

services manager for Cullman Electric Cooperative’s new broadband subsidiary business, Sprout Fiber Internet. She oversees the sales, customer service, advertising and brand positioning that brings gigabit fiber-optic internet to the co-op’s membership. Since Sprout Fiber Internet went live in January 2021, she has led the rapid expansion of services across Cullman and Winston counties, now serving more than 4,000 subscribers and on pace to reach 5,000 subscribers by the end of year two. In 2021, Baty was recognized by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association as a Rising Star among electric co-op employees.

Movers & Shapers

JEFF “CLEM” CLEMONS is the

chairman of the Cullman County Commission. He graduated from Cold Springs High School and the Jefferson County Law Enforcement Academy. After 32 years in law enforcement, he was elected chairman of the commission in 2020. During his time in office, the commission has set priorities and improved road and bridge infrastructure, recruiting and retention of employees and overall stewardship of public resources.

RACHEL DAWSEY is executive

director of the North Alabama Agriplex in Cullman. Since her appointment in 2011, the agriplex has grown from reaching 35 program participants to more than 20,000 students and public participants annually from surrounding counties and 18 different schools. Dawsey oversees the agriplex’s nine monthly program series, eight summer programs and numerous school and community outreach programs. JOSH GATES is an entrepreneur,

serving as chairman and CEO of Saturday Down South until its recent acquisition. Prior to graduating from the University of South Alabama, he served in a military special operations unit as an Army Ranger. He currently serves on the Jasper Industrial Development Board, Synovus Bank Advisory Board, Walker Area Community Foundation Grant Review Committee and is the president of Jasper Main Street.

JOEL HAGOOD is president of Bevill

State Community College. He has been Walker County schools superintendent and Oakman High School principal. He was chosen District 7 Superintendent of the Year, State of Alabama Superintendent of the Year finalist and District 5 Alabama

Secondary of School Principals president. He holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama and a doctorate from Samford University, with specialist credentials from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Hagood serves on the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County board and is active with Leadership Walker County, Rotary Club and the East Walker Chamber of Commerce.

CHRISTOPHER “BOO” HAUGHTON

is sales manager for Winston Homebuilders, a manufactured home company in Double Springs, which expects to generate $80 million in sales in 2022. He also has worked in sales with Southern Homes and Franklin Homes. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and a member of the Haleyville Board of Education. ROGER HAYES is chairman of the

Winston County Commission, a role he has held since 2008 and also from 1993-2004. He also served as an associate member of the commission from 2006-2008. He owns and operates Razor’s Edge barber shop in Haleyville. He attended Athens State College, Bevill State Community College and the University of North Alabama, as well as the state’s Commisioners College. He has led the boards of the Association of County Commissioners of Alabama, the North Alabama Council of Local Governments and the Resource, Conservation & Development Council and been vice chairman of the state insurance board. WOODY JACOBS is mayor of

Cullman. He is a graduate of Cullman High School, attended Cullman College at Sacred Heart and graduated from the University

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 69

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

of Alabama. He was an accountant with his family business for 18 years, then joined Eidson & Associates, where he spent 20 years. Jacobs has been president of the city council, the local American Red Cross, the Cullman County Fair Association and the Cullman Parks & Recreation Board, and treasurer of the Cullman Lions Club. He is on the Fixed Point Foundation board and coaches youth sports. KYLE KALLHOFF is superintendent

of the Cullman City School System. Earlier, he was superintendent in Demopolis and in Chickasaw. He began his career at Satsuma High School in 1997 as a classroom teacher before moving into administration and worked as assistant superintendent in two different school systems.

DALE GREER is director of the Cullman

Alabama Economic Development Agency. Cullman County traditionally ranks annually as one of the most successful development agencies in Alabama for capital investment and job creation. Cullman ranked as the No. 4 Micropolitan in America in 2021 out of 550 nationwide. He is a past president of the Economic Development Association of Alabama.

VICKI KAROLEWICS is president

of Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, which has won honors for its nursing, cyber defense and Achieving the Dream programs. It is ranked among the Top 3 in the South for workforce development, rated the most preferred community college in Alabama by high school students taking the ACT and the No. 1 Online Community College in Alabama, and it is one of 30 colleges chosen to lead the American Association 70 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

of Community Colleges Pathways Project, Karolewics serves on the Alabama STEM Council and the Alabama Commission on Artificial Intelligence and Associated Technologies. PAUL KENNEDY is president of

the Walker Area Community Foundation in Jasper, which works to foster philanthropy and address needs in the Walker County area. Kennedy is a graduate of North Carolina State University and worked with the U.S. Forest Service, private forestry, Proctor & Gamble and the Natural Resources Conservation Service before joining the foundation. Since he joined the foundation, it has grown from $10 million and one advised fund to more than $120 million and more than 40 advised funds. The foundation grants more than $3 million to more than a hundred nonprofits each year.

KENNETH NAIL is mayor of Hanceville, serving his fourth term. A Cullman native, he was a police officer in the community for 25 years, retiring as a lieutenant. He attended Hanceville School and Wallace State Community College and is a graduate of the Alabama Criminal Justice Center in Selma. He has served on the Hanceville City Council and received the Advanced Certified Municipal Official certificate. He has served on the Cullman County 911 board, Cullman County Mental Health Authority, Cullman/Jefferson Gas District, Cullman County Red Cross, Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, Cullman County Community Development Commission and Cullman County Mayors Association as president. DAVID O’MARY is mayor of Jasper.

A graduate of the University of Alabama and LSU’s Graduate School of Banking of the South, he worked nearly 40 years with

First National/Synovus Bank. Prior to becoming mayor, he served as chair of the Jasper City Board of Education and chair of the Jasper Industrial Development Board. He was also active with the American Red Cross, United Way of Central Alabama and Beacon House. JOEY “GORDO” SANDERS, a Walker

County native and Dora High School graduate, earned an aviation degree from the College of the Ozarks. He founded Sanders Aviation in 1996 and has grown it into one of the largest military transition flight schools in the nation, Sanders Flight Training Center. Recently, his school partnered with Liberty University to offer a degree option. Sanders served 23 years as an Alabama Air National Guard pilot, deploying overseas multiple times and retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He is also retired from FedEx as a Boeing 777 captain. He is an FAA pilot examiner and a race pilot at the National Championship Air Races.

BART SHANNON is an administrator

for Winston County Schools. He currently oversees federal programs and the child nutrition program. Earlier in his 20-year career in education, Shannon served as the director of the Winston Career Academy for six years. He is a two-time graduate of the University of North Alabama, receiving his Education Specialist degree in 2011. JOHN DOMINEY (JD) SNODDY is

Winston County Circuit Court clerk. Earlier he served on the Double Springs Town Council and worked as a police office and teacher. He worked for Coach Bear Bryant while enrolled at the University of Alabama. He has worked to bring state funding to the Winston County schools and civic projects

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

and with Wallace State Community College to reinstate GED classes and the Ready to Work program. He sits on nine nonprofit boards and is chairman of three, including the local food bank and Main Street Ministries. He represents the county on the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourism Association and the Northwest Alabama Mental Health Board. KEN SUNSERI is mayor of Haleyville.

Workforce Innovation & Opportunity, North Alabama Council of Local Governments, Northwest-Shoals Community College and is vice chair of the Winston County Industrial Development Board. She also works closely with the Northwest

Alabama Economic Development Alliance and Franklin County Development Authority. Weaver is a local coordinator with Alabama Community of Excellence and works in leadership development throughout the region. She is a past participant of the Economic and Community Development Institute at Auburn University.

A Vietnam veteran, he retired from Command Military Service as a colonel. He served as the local coordinator for Haleyville through the Alabama Communities of Excellence program, where he was named 2005 Outstanding Volunteer. He was the 2004 Civitan Citizen of the Year recipient. Among his many honors, he received the 2011 Haleyville High School Alumni Service and Dedication Award and the 2015 Outstanding ACE Mayor award. In 2017 he was named Council Member of the Year of the Alabama Resource, Conservation and Development Council.

HOLLY SUTHERLAND is

superintendent of Haleyville City Schools, where she is an advocate of STEAM education. The district became the first in the nation to have all four schools COGNIA STEM Certified at the same time. She has served as a principal, assistant principal, teacher and basketball coach during her career. A graduate of Auburn University, she holds master’s degrees from Auburn University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a doctorate from Samford University. She serves on the boards of Haleyville Chamber of Commerce, the 911 Festival, Heart of Haleyville Park and Christmas in the City.

MELINDA WEAVER is the community

relations manager for Alabama Power’s Northwest Alabama region. Weaver serves on the boards of North Alabama Workforce Council – Region 1, Alabama

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 71

Community Development

Smith Lake is attracting visitors and residents to the area. CULLMAN COUNTY

Cullman County commissioners are working on improving roads and bridges, says Jeff Clemons, commission chairman. “We have the second-most miles in the state, with 1,800 miles of roads,” Clemons says. The county has upgraded playground equipment at Sportsman Lake Park and has broken ground for a basketball court, he says. Also, the county has several senior centers, with about 1,200 seniors taking advantage of events and programs. “We are working hard to improve quality of life for everyone,” he says. “We are blessed to be the third fastest growing county in Alabama.” Cullman County has seen more people from out of state purchasing lots at Smith Lake and other areas, and the area is growing by leaps and bounds, along with the many tourism opportunities in the area, he says. The city of Cullman has completed its first skate park in the downtown area, next to Depot Park, which is set to be redone, says Mayor Woody Jacobs. “We are trying to get as much pedestrian friendly area in the city as we can,” he says. The city’s new waterpark just finished its first season, and it was very successful, Jacobs says. “We had about 30% of visitors from Cullman, and 70% visitors from other counties. It has had a $13 million economic impact.”

Construction at Heritage Landing is underway.

The city is in the process of bidding out the work on a new civic center and indoor athletic complex in the southern part of town, he says. The 160-acre project, expected to cost between $25 million and $30 million, will include basketball, pickleball, volleyball and more. “Our parks are top-notch and are award winning,” Jacobs says. “We’ve upgraded our community parks.” The city is experiencing a population boom and that means a housing boom and school renovations, Jacobs says. Road work also is a high priority, he says. The city recently completed work on the widening of AL Highway 57 in Cullman, a 3.5-mile stretch that was the only remaining section

74 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

of the 90-mile highway not four-laned. The city continues to invest in downtown and in other areas. The Cotton Creek warehouse in downtown is home to office space, retail outlets, a brewpub and large event center. There also is a shared workspace for rentals and a full-service wedding venue. And the Klein Building, a former dairy, is slated to open in 2023 with restaurants, office space and more. Also under construction is Cobblestone Hotel in the middle of Cullman’s Sports & Events District, along with Fairfield Inn and Home2Suites, both on Highway 157. Also, more banks are expanding. The city will soon see the opening of Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant and Tazi-

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

ki’s Mediterranean Café. The city has about 1,200 homes under construction to handle the demand, officials say. The Board of Education recently has begun a comprehensive plan to address student safety and growth within the Cullman City School System — a $45 million initiative with renovations and additions planned at middle and primary schools, says Kyle Kallhoff, superintendent. The city of Hanceville has several large park projects, says Mayor Kenneth Nail. The newest, on 20 acres donated by Lillie Tucker, will include a botanical park named for her and her late husband, Larry. It will include a learning pavilion, elevated wooden walkways and more. New trails will further connect the city’s parks, he says. The city also is expanding its jail, purchasing four new modular jail cells to augment the existing building, he says. There also will be more showers, storage and office space added. Schools are a source of pride here as the Cullman city system consistently ranks among the top performers in the state. STEM programs are woven into the curriculum as are opportunities for collaboration, problem solving, reasoning and higher order thinking skills. Both city and county schools offer an array of career technical programs, several with simulated workplaces. WALKER COUNTY

The Walker County Commission will soon begin a remodel of its Justice Center that will include courtroom renovations. Broadband is expanding in the county. And work is beginning on a 50-acre multi-use development, Heritage Landing, on a reclaimed mine site in southern Walker County. The development will be built in phases. The project involves Drummond Company, the city of Dora, the Walker County Development Authority, the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and the Alabama Department of Labor’s Abandoned Mine Land Program. The development can be customized for retail, commercial and industrial tenants. The city of Jasper is working on a fourpoint plan for major improvements paid for with a bond issue and a sales tax that

will be rescinded once debt is paid, says Mayor David O’Mary. In early 2023, the city of Jasper plans to break ground for a new sportsplex at Industrial Way and Charles Bishop Drive, says O’Mary. “It’s all city funded,” he says. “It will be a first for our city to have a facility of this caliber. It’s a multimillion-dollar project to be paid for with earmarked funds for this, parks playgrounds and other areas throughout the city.” While the city hopes to attract tournaments, “even if it’s just locals playing here, it’ll be just fine,” O’Mary says. The city also plans to break ground soon on a new city hall. Also, the city is embarking on $5 million in paving, as well as $2 million for industrial development, he says. Retail is healthy, with new restaurants including Freddy’s, Taco Bell and Huddle House, he says. The city also is working with a prospect for a large portion of Jasper Mall. Downtown, Jasper Main Street has worked on and facilitated several projects, O’Mary says. A priority is more development in the western side of the city, the mayor says. And the city is experiencing the largest residential housing boom in its history, with the Viking Cove development near Jasper High School. “We have had a lot of population growth and we had the largest kindergarten enrollment ever,” he says. Sumiton is making repairs to its civic center. City and county schools offer many career and technical options for students, on their own and in partnership with Bevill State’s STEM22 program. Jasper High School recently partnered with Capstone Rural Health to open a school-based health center. WINSTON COUNTY

In Winston County, the 13-acre home of the former Looney’s Tavern complex and amphitheater is expected to be purchased by the Winston County Arts Council, says J.D. Snoddy, the county’s circuit court clerk and arts council president. “We plan to work with North Alabama Dance Studio in Haleyville and schools in Winston County to hold band concerts, graduations and other events,” he says. “We want to promote the county and bring in events.”

The site includes an indoor theater, the amphitheater, a former restaurant, gift shop, ticket office and concession area. The group plans to renovate areas when money is available and add dressing rooms and restrooms to the rear of the theater. Double Springs, the county seat, is about to do a new lighting project outside its municipal building and is working on adding a gymnasium and new kitchen to its Seymour Bevill Day Care & First Class Pre-K, says Kim Ownby, city clerk. The city of Haleyville, the home of 9-11, is submitting Community Development Block Grants for projects to refurbish roads and add sidewalks, says Mayor Ken Sunseri. The city’s Rocky Ravine Park downtown will get some improvements, and the new Heart of Haleyville Park downtown is expected to host live entertainment, movies and other events. Also downtown, the city is working with Main Street Alabama and Retail Strategies for help in recruiting retail and other businesses, he says. “We have a lot of available buildings, and while a lot are filled, we are able to come up with more,” he says. Residents can download an app that will allow them to report issues, Sunseri says. The city is starting water and sewer projects and used American Rescue Plan funds to pave and restripe Lakeland Community Hospital’s parking lot. The city owns the hospital. The city is making improvements to its sportsplex, and the Haleyville Airport will get a main runway resurfacing and other improvements, he says. Schools in the city and county systems offer options such as simulated workplace. Winston County Schools recently have finished capital improvements to draining, HVAC, security, roofs and more, says Marla Price, secondary curriculum director. The career academy recently partnered with Northwest-Shoals Community College to make the majority of its program dual enrollment. Wallace State Community College will soon open the Winston County Community Learning Center, which will include classrooms and computer labs that can be used for college classes, adult education, community education, dual enrollment and more. November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 75

Culture & Recreation

speaker of the house and father of actress Tallulah. FUN AND GAMES

WildWater in Cullman features a wave pool, drift river, thrill rides and kids’ areas. Memorial Park Complex in Jasper offers ball fields, indoor and outdoor pools and more. Sportsman Lake Park in Cullman has miniature golf, a small train, camping, trails and more. Cullman Wellness & Aquatic Center offers aquatics, track and more. Heritage Park in Cullman has ball fields, trails, splash pad and more. GO FISH

Toss a line in one of the area’s prime fishing lakes — Smith Lake, Sipsey Fork or Walker County Lake. Ave Maria Grotto SPECIAL TREATS

Christmas Pyramid and Christkindlmarkt in Cullman celebrate the season. Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman features a hillside of hand-crafted replicas of famous religious buildings throughout the world. In Walker County, the 50Mule Team Project honors the mule for its hard work and contributions to the county’s coal mining past. WONDERS OF NATURE

In Winston County, visit the Natural Bridge — at 122 feet, the longest east of the Rockies — accessible to the public in Natural Bridge Park. Winston County also boasts Kinlock and Turkey Foot Falls, two treasures of the region. Clear Creek Recreation Area in Walker County offers 425 acres along Smith Lake with waterfalls, bluffs and sandy beaches — plus boating, fishing and camping. HISTORY ABOUNDS

Cullman County Museum, a replica of Colonel Cullmann’s original home, showcases early Cullman. Crooked Creek Civil War Museum features hands-on displays of memorabilia and a cabin that functions as a bed and breakfast. The Houston Historic Jail, circa 1868, is the oldest structure of its kind in the state. Bankhead House & Heritage Center in Walker County was built in 1925 by William Brockman Bankhead, once 76 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

JUMP!

Skydive Alabama in Vinemont allows beginners and experienced skydivers a chance to try this thrilling activity. CAMP OUT

Palomino RV Resort in Cullman has fishing, kayaking, canoeing, basketball, pickleball, hiking trails and a dog park. TAKE A HIKE

If you hanker for hiking, try Hurricane Creek Park, Horse Creek Trail in Dora or the 90 miles of trails in Bankhead National Forest. CROSS THE BRIDGE

Clarkson Covered Bridge, a 270-foot structure built in 1904, now sits on the banks of Crooked Creek in Cullman. BE REVERENT

The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, in Hanceville, was inspired by the Franciscan churches of 13th century Assisi, Italy, and features inlaid Italian marble floors, a vaulted ceiling, and artisan-crafted stained-glass windows. GET OFF THE ROAD

Stony Lonesome OHV Park features trails for ATVs, rock crawlers, dirt bikes, mountain bikers, equestrians and hikers. ENJOY THE ARTS

The Evelyn Burrow Museum houses an array of art exhibits on the campus of Wallace State Community College.

festivities and events: BLOOMIN’ FESTIVAL — Cullman | Spring

Arts, crafts, music and food at St. Bernard Preparatory School.

ART IN THE PARK — Jasper | May

This juried art show plus games, storytelling, dance, music and more. STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL — Cullman | May Celebrating Cullman’s strawberry

bounty with food, games and fun. 911 FESTIVAL — Haleyville | June

Marking Haleyville’s status as the site of the first 911 call, the festival celebrates first responders. 2ND FRIDAYS — Cullman | Summer

Music, classic cars, arts, games and more — June through September. ROCK THE SOUTH — Cullman | August

Country music in a festival celebrating community spirit after the devastating 2011 tornado outbreak here.

SMITH LAKE PARK SWEET TATER FESTIVAL — Cullman | September At

Smith Lake Park each Labor Day.

HILLFEST — Carbon Hill | September

Music, crafts, food and fun in downtown Carbon Hill.

FOOTHILLS FESTIVAL — Jasper | September Live music, food and

fun.

BERNARD BLUES AND BBQ — Cullman | Fall To benefit St. Bernard Prep School. OKTOBERFEST — Cullman | October

Celebrating Cullman’s German heritage with music, food and drink.

CULLMAN COUNTY FAIR — Cullman | October Rides, exhibits and

entertainment.

PEINHARDT FARM DAY — Cullman | October Grist mill, blacksmith and

hayrides give a glimpse of times past. MUD CREEK ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL — Hanceville | October Includes a

walking tour of historical homes.

FROG FESTIVAL — Sumiton | October

Arts & crafts, food and fun downtown.

DAYS GAP FESTIVAL — Oakman | October Arts & crafts, antique cars,

music, food and children’s activities.

Company Kudos by ERICA JOINER WEST

DECEMBER The Challenges of Doing Business Abroad Looking Back on 2022 Best Companies To Work For In Alabama The University of South Alabama recently named its sickle cell center in honor of Dr. Johnson Haynes Jr. (far left), whose research and treatment of patients have been instrumental during the center’s eight-year history. The center, now known as the Johnson Haynes Jr., M.D., Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, recently has been awarded one of only 10 federally funded grants from the National Institute of Health to sustain the program for the next 15 years.

The Alabama Port Authority has reported that APM Terminals are tracking more than 10% growth above its 2021 numbers of containers moved year to date. In addition, intermodal rail moves were up 125% over 2021 and refrigerated cargo was up 15.9% over the same period. American Family Care, founded in Birmingham, has climbed to no. 75 on Franchise Times’ Top 500 ranking of the best performing franchise systems in the country. Ascension at Home-Pell City has achieved Premier Performer status in Strategic Healthcare Programs’ annual Home Health Patient Satisfaction awards, which highlights the top 5% of all eligible Strategic Healthcare Programs. Ascension St. Vincent’s Birmingham Surgical Weight Loss has earned accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. The hospital also has received the national Consumer Loyalty Award from NRC Health. Auburn University has renamed its School of Hospitality Management in the College of Human Sciences for Horst Schulze, co-founder of the Ritz-Carlton

Co. and founder of Capella Hotel Group. Schulze has been actively engaged with the college for more than 30 years. Bank Independent has been ranked no. 36 on the 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces listing in Newsweek. The ranking is developed by Best Practice Institute. The National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium has recognized Cahaba Medical Care’s residency program, the first in the state of Alabama and one of the first 25 accredited programs in the nation. Faulkner University has been recognized on the Editor’s Pick list, 2022 MilitarySupportiveColleges.com Select Schools – Southeast Region ranking for its Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program. Downtown Foley, through Foley Main Street, has been accepted into the Opportunity Alabama Community Growth Accelerator Program, which is designed to help communities identify and scale real estate projects and economic development initiatives for private investment or grant funding.

Geographic Spotlight: Tallapoosa & Chambers Counties

JANUARY Legislative Directory Bull or Bear? Market Watch Growing Crops; Growing Workforce Geographic Spotlight: Montgomery County Check BusinessAlabama.com for daily business headlines and additional content

Follow us: Business Alabama @BusinessAlabama Infirmary Health has been named one of the Best Places to Work and the top health care system employer in the state of Alabama by Forbes and Statista. November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 81

RETROSPECT

Peter Joseph Patt: Veterinary Surgeon

Renowned Mobile vet treated horses, created cure-alls for man and beast, and transitioned his downtown stables to auto parking as times changed By SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND

touted his German education and years of local service, particularly in treating diseases of the eyes and teeth of livestock. Beneath his signature in these advertisements, both in Sedalia and later in MoA look at Royal Street in Mobile around 1895-1900. Note the bile, appeared sign for Patt’s elixir at right. Photos courtesy of Historic Mobile Preservation Society. the words “Deutscher eter Joseph Patt was born Tierarzt,” or German Vet. near Cologne, Germany, in Patt became a naturalized American the mid-1850s. Young Patt citizen on October 17, 1889. studied to become a veteriPatt’s wife, Anna, came to America a nary surgeon and resumed that traindecade before him. They were married in ing after arriving in America in 1881. 1882 and had one daughter, Josephine, Although immigration records do not who was born in Sedalia. The family first indicate his initial port of call, he passed appeared in the Mobile city directory through Alabama at some point in the in 1894. He soon became an important 1880s. He returned some years later and part of the port city’s large community enjoyed a long career as a successful and of German immigrants. In October colorful Mobile businessman. 1899, he served as marshal for Mobile’s Patt settled first in Sedalia, Missouri, first German Day festivities, leading a a crossroads town situated at the terparade of 300 through the city streets. minus of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, During World War I, Patt and many whose cattle-filled carloads kept the others endured anti-German sentiments Chicago stockyards and slaughterhouses from some Mobilians. In 1918, an running. It is not difficult to imagine an anonymous letter threatening arson and enterprising veterinarian finding ample violence prompted the city’s German work in such a place. He served as a govRelief Association, of which Patt was ernment-appointed meat inspector and an active member, to change its name kept up an active veterinary medicine and cease the practice of conducting its practice on the side. meetings in the German language. An advertisement for Patt’s roving In his Mobile practice, Patt speveterinary services first appeared in the cialized in treating cases of tetanus, or Sedalia newspaper in 1889. Therein he lockjaw, in horses. Patt’s regular adver-

82 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

tisements in local newspapers noted his successful treatment of dozens of cases each month. It read: “Take your sick or crippled animals given up as incurable, no matter what the case may be, and be convinced as others have been.” Mobile’s editors often marveled at his successes. A 1906 article noted that, in a single week, he performed “the most skillful veterinary surgery work” on three horses, including one prized at more than $1,000 (equal to about $32,000 today). A 1907 article detailed how Patt deployed his careful surgical skills to remove a large tumor from the back leg of a mule. He was often called upon to ferret out tuberculosis, rabies and other communicable diseases in livestock herds throughout the region. In 1913, to aid in these travels to and from the south Alabama hinterland, Patt purchased a new Ford automobile. But for his house calls within the city, he continued to use his very fine horse-drawn carriage for some time thereafter. In December 1906, Patt announced plans to construct “the most modern veterinary hospital in the South.” The two-story structure along St. Michael Street cost more than $20,000 to build and equip. It featured an operating room and 40 large-animal stalls on the first floor. A “canine department” with kennels and Patt’s office were located above on a mezzanine. An assistant’s living quarters was located on the second floor, along with office space occupied for many years by Emil Brunnier, who was a bookbinder and publisher of the German-language newspaper Alabama Staatz-Zeitung. Beyond his surgical skills, Patt also dabbled in the apothecary arts. At least

R E T RO S PE C T

one of his remedies was offered as cure-all for both man and beast. He proclaimed “Dr. Patt’s X-Ray Liniment” as appropriate for the treatment of a host of maladies, including rheumatism, neuralgia, stiff joints, nail pricks and insect bites. “Kills all pain,” one ad proclaimed. “It contains the very best of Essential Oils.” Although the ingredients of Patt’s liniment were not disclosed, many tonics of the era contained a hefty amount of alcohol, along with small doses of opium, morphine and even cocaine. As the liniment might suggest, Patt possessed a keen art for self-promotion. His advertisements over the years featured an admirable kind of confidence in his position. “Has outlasted nine veterinary surgeons during his fifteen years in Mobile,” read one ad. Atop his newly completed building was a large sign illustrating a horse’s internal organs, the kind of image that might typically be featured in a biology textbook. None who traveled Mobile’s streets could have missed the building with such an ostentatious adornment. As modes of transportation along Mobile’s streets transitioned in the 1910s, Patt was occasionally called to aid poor hooved creatures injured by automobiles, streetcars and trains. The fast-paced modern age made few allowances for ambling horses or mules, especially in a busy city like Mobile. And as the number of horses brought into his downtown hospital for treatment declined, Patt advertised available “automobile storage stations,” presumably transforming vacant horse stalls into garage parking. It was a business model pivot for the ages.

An invoice issued by Dr. Patt.

Anna Patt died in 1925 while the couple were visiting family in Germany. Returning to Mobile, the aging Peter Joseph Patt moved into the home of his daughter and son-in-law. The pages of the same newspapers that once touted his veterinary prowess now chronicled the slow but inevitable end of his business. In September 1929, he put the second floor of the office up for rent. The following month, he sold his prescription counter and medicine shelves. Separate advertisements in November 1930 advertised his building as a place for automobile storage and another which read “Dr. Jos. Patt, Veterinary Surgeon; advice free.” He continued to work in some capacity, mostly in the treatment of small animals, until October 1934. He died of heart failure in February 1935, after having worked in Mobile for more than 40 years. Historian Scotty E. Kirkland is a freelance contributor to Business Alabama. He lives in Wetumpka.

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 83

Index 2nd Fridays, Cullman.......................................76 3 Echoes Content Studio...................................86 3M Co..............................................................10 46 Entertainment.............................................69 46 Logistics......................................................69 50-Mule Team Project.......................................76 911 Festival, Haleyville.............................. 69, 76 Abram Homes..................................................18 Aditya Birla Group..............................................7 Aerobotix...........................................................8 Aerojet Rocketdyne..........................................11 Agape Care Group.............................................10 Alabama A&M University....................................8 Alabama Air National Guard..............................69 Alabama Commission on Artificial Intelligence and Associated Technologies.....69 Alabama Commission on Higher Education.......34 Alabama Communities of Excellence.................69 Alabama Community College System................39 Alabama Consumer Credit Task Force................50 Alabama Criminal Justice Center......................69 Alabama Department of Commerce.........................7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 55 Alabama Department of Labor................ 8, 34, 74 Alabama Department of Transportaton..............60 Alabama Farm Credit........................................60 Alabama Mining Association.......................60, 67 Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourism Association...69 Alabama Payday Reform Advisory Committee...50 Alabama Pecan Growers Association..................50 Alabama Port Authority..............................81, 86 Alabama Power Co......................................60, 69 Alabama Resource, Conservation and Development Council...................................69 Alabama Staatz-Zeitung....................................82 Alabama State Highway Department.................87 Alabama STEM Council......................................69 Allen, Bob.....................................................................86 Amason, Eric.................................................................46 Amazon Inc......................................................10 American Advertising Federation......................50 American Apparel...............................................8 American Association of Community Colleges...69 American Cast Iron Pipe Co...............................14 American Family Care.......................................81 American Fiberglass.........................................60 American K-9 Detection Services.......................24 American Red Cross..........................................69 American Rescue Plan..................................9, 74 Anderson, Nathan........................................................69 Angle, Craig..................................................................24 Anthem Apartments, Huntsville........................46 Anthem House, Huntsville................................46 APM Terminals.................................................81 Appalachian Regional Commission.............67, 86 Area Development Magazine..............................7 Argent Trust Co.................................................86 Art in the Park, Jasper......................................76 Ascension at Home-Pell City..............................81 Ascension St. Vincent’s Birmingham.................81 Aspen Institute................................................67 Association of County Commissioners of Alabama..................................................69 Association of the United States Army...............50 Athens State University....................................69 Auburn Institute for Biological Detection System.........................................24 Auburn University....................... 8, 10, 24, 69, 81 Austal USA.......................................................11 Australian Customs Service...............................24 Ave Maria Grotto..............................................76 Ayers, Terry...................................................................39 Baker, Jimmy................................................................39 Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance....................................7 Baldwin County Mega Site..................................7 Bank Independent.....................................81, 86 BankFirst Financial Services..............................86 Bankhead House & Heritage Center...................76 Bankhead National Forest.................................76

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

Bankhead, Tallulah.......................................................76 Bankhead, William Brockman......................................76 Barefield, J. Frank Jr.......................................................9 Bassett Furniture..............................................60 Baty, Bonnie.................................................................69 Bax, Scott........................................................................8 Beach Co., The..................................................46 Beacon House..................................................69 Beauchamp, Mary........................................................14 Benin, Republic of............................................29 Bernard Blues and BBQ, Cullman......................76 Bevill Field, Jasper...........................................60 Bevill State Community College.... 55, 60, 67, 69, 74 BIO Alabama....................................................86 Birmingham-Southern College.........................39 Bloomin’ Festival, Cullman...............................76 Blount Bros. Construction Co.............................87 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama....................86 Boling, Kory..................................................................18 Brasfield & Gorrie.........................................9, 10 Bright, Allison...............................................................69 Brooks, Angie...............................................................50 Brooks, Ted...................................................................50 Brookwood Baptist Health..........................60, 66 Brothers Concrete Supply.................................60 Brown, Margaret...........................................................29 Brunnier, Emil..............................................................82 Bryant, Paul “Bear”.......................................................69 Bullpen Real Estate..........................................46 Burns, Blake.................................................................86 Caddell Construction........................................86 Cahaba Medical Care........................................81 Camp Pickle.......................................................9 Canfield, Greg...........................................................8, 12 Canvas Inc..........................................................8 Capella Hotel Group.........................................81 Capstone Building Corp....................................46 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.... 60, 66 Central Alabama Community College................39 Central States Manufacturing............................62 CFD Research Corp............................................10 Chamber of Commerce of Walker County...........69 Christkindlmarkt, Cullman.........................57, 76 Christmas Pyramid, Cullman............................76 Clark, Jeremy..................................................................7 Clarkson Covered Bridge..................................76 Clayton Homes...........................................60, 62 Clear Creek Recreation Area..............................76 Clemons, Jeff..........................................................69, 74 Clift Farm, Huntsville........................................46 Clotilda, ship...................................................29 Coastal Alabama Community College.......... 11, 39 Cobblestone Hotel, Cullman.......................60, 74 Coca-Cola Co.......................................................7 Cold Springs High School..................................69 College of the Ozarks........................................69 Columbia Southern University..........................39 Community Bank.............................................86 Compere, Collins..........................................................86 Concourse Financial Group..................................7 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau................7 Continental Aerospace Technologies.................11 Conville, Brenda...........................................................46 Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority....9 Cotton Creek Warehouse, Cullman....................74 Council for Advancement and Support of Education.............................14 Covington Casket.............................................60 Cox, Chris......................................................................39 Credit Union Executives Society........................50 Crooked Creek Civil War Museum.....................76 Crowne Health Care..........................................10 Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce................69 Cullman City School System..............................74 Cullman College at Sacred Heart.......................69 Cullman County...............................................55 Cullman County 911 Board...............................69 Cullman County Commission......................69, 74

84 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

Cullman County Community Development Commission................................................69 Cullman County Economic Development Agency...................................55 Cullman County Fair...................................69, 76 Cullman County Mayors Association.................69 Cullman County Mental Health Authority..........69 Cullman County Museum...........................57, 76 Cullman County School System.........................69 Cullman Economic Development Agency..... 60, 69 Cullman Electric Cooperative............................69 Cullman High School........................................69 Cullman Historical Association..........................57 Cullman Lions Club..........................................69 Cullman Park, Recreation and Sports Tourism....69 Cullman Parks & Recreation Board....................69 Cullman PEG Station.........................................69 Cullman Regional Airport.................................60 Cullman Regional Medical Center...............60, 66 Cullman Sports & Events District.......................74 Cullman Tourism Board....................................69 Cullman Utilities Board....................................69 Cullman Wellness & Aquatic Center...................76 Cullman, City of.........................................57, 74 Cullman/Jefferson Gas District..........................69 Cullmann, John............................................................57 Cummings Research Park...........................43, 46 Cunningham, Sue........................................................14 Dahomey, Kingdom of......................................29 Dannon Project................................................67 Dawsey, Rachel.............................................................69 Days Gap Festival, Oakman...............................76 Dean, Holly...............................................................7, 86 Depot Park, Cullman........................................74 Descendant, film..............................................29 Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Inc.......24 Ditto Landing, Huntsville....................................7 Don Drummond Family Fund............................67 Donaldson, Scott..........................................................86 Dora Franklin Finley African-American Heritage Trail...............................................29 Dora High School..............................................69 Dora, City of.....................................................74 Doster Construction Co...............................11, 46 Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce................7, 8 Double Springs, Town of.............................69, 74 Douglas Manufacturing......................................7 Drake State Community & Technical College......10 Drummond Co..................................................74 Duplantis, Josh.............................................................39 Durant, Raegan...............................................................9 East Walker Chamber of Commerce...................69 Economic Development Association of Alabama................................69 Eidson & Associates..........................................69 Epling, Adam................................................................50 Epling, Michelle...........................................................50 Estes, Daniel.................................................................18 Evelyn Burrow Museum..............................67, 76 Exxel Outdoors.................................................60 F1 Solutions.....................................................10 Facebook Inc..............................................14, 57 Fairfield Inn, Cullman.................................60, 74 Fairway Investments........................................46 Fairway Social....................................................9 Faulkner University....................................10, 81 Federal Aviation Administration................. 24, 46 Federal Bureau of Investigation........................46 FedEx Corp.......................................................69 Fenwick, Rick................................................................39 FerRobotics........................................................8 Feusner, John...............................................................12 First National/Synovus Bank.............................69 Fisher, Steve...................................................................7 Fixed Point Foundation.....................................69 Foley Main Street.............................................81 Folsom Field, Cullman......................................60 Fontaine Trailer..........................................60, 62 Foothills Festival, Jasper...................................76

Forbes Magazine..............................................34 Fort McClellan..................................................24 Foster, William..............................................................29 Foundry Agency...............................................11 Franchise Times................................................81 Franklin County Development Authority...........69 Franklin Homes................................................69 Freddy’s, Jasper...............................................74 Freedom Real Estate & Capital LLC.....................46 Friends of Cullman, Frankweiler.......................57 Friends of Frankweiler, Cullman.......................57 Frog Festival, Sumiton......................................76 Fuller, Millard...............................................................14 G&G Steel...........................................................8 Gadsden Water Works and Sewer Board............10 Gates, Josh...................................................................69 Gateway Ventures............................................46 GE Aviation......................................................46 Gene Haas Foundation......................................67 General Dynamics...................................... 55, 60 Genesee & Wyoming Inc.....................................8 Geneva County Industrial Park..........................12 Go Build Alabama.............................................18 Good Giant Agency...........................................11 Grainger Center for Professional Development...............................................86 Green, Don...................................................................57 Green, Drew..................................................................57 Greening Automotive.......................................60 Greer, Dale........................................................55, 60, 69 Greer, Todd...................................................................43 Gresham Smith..................................................9 Guide to Online Colleges..................................67 Habitat for Humanity........................................14 Hagood, Joel................................................................69 Haleyville Airport.............................................74 Haleyville Chamber of Commerce.....................69 Haleyville City Schools.....................................69 Haleyville Community Bank.............................86 Haleyville High School.....................................69 Haleyville, City of................................. 60, 66, 74 Hamilton Homebuilders...................................60 Hanceville, City of ...................................... 69, 74 Harbert Realty Services.....................................43 Hargrove, S. Keith.........................................................10 Hartford, City of...............................................12 Haughton, Christopher.................................................69 Hayashi Telempu North America................. 60, 62 Hayes, Roger................................................................69 Haynes, Johnson Jr......................................................81 Hays Farm........................................................46 HC3 Inc............................................................86 Heart of Haleyville Park.............................. 69, 74 Heiche U.S. Surface Technologies.......................60 Henson, Vernetta..........................................................29 Heritage Landing................................. 55, 60, 74 Heritage Park, Cullman....................................76 Hewson, Marillyn.........................................................14 Hicks, Todd....................................................................39 Higher Ground Productions..............................29 Hillfest, Carbon Hill..........................................76 Hindalco Industries Limited................................7 Holland, Lee.................................................................46 Home Builders Association of Alabama.............18 Home2Suites, Cullman............................... 60, 74 HomTex Inc......................................................62 Horse Creek Trail, Dora......................................76 Houston Historic Jail........................................76 HQ at Upland Park............................................46 Huddle House, Jasper.......................................74 HudsonAlpha Wiregrass.....................................7 Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce...................................................46 Hurricane Creek Park........................................76 Hustwit, William...........................................................39 Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.............8 IBM Corp............................................................8 Industrial Chemicals........................................10 Infirmary Health..............................................10

INDEX

Innovation Portal.............................................43 Instagram LLC..................................................14 Interstate 22 Industrial Park.............................60 Invariant Corp....................................................7 Invest in Niedersachsen......................................7 ISA Corp...........................................................12 Ivey, Gov. Kay..........................................................34, 50 Jackson, Kern................................................................29 Jacksonville State University............................11 Jacobs, Woody........................................................69, 74 James Webb Space Telescope......................55, 60 Jasper City Board of Education..........................69 Jasper City Schools...........................................67 Jasper High School...........................................74 Jasper Industrial Development Board...............69 Jasper Lumber...........................................60, 62 Jasper Main Street.....................................69, 74 Jasper Mall......................................................74 Jasper, City of..................................................74 Jefferson County ..............................................9 Jefferson County Law Enforcement Academy.....69 Jones Valley Teaching Farm................................9 Jones, Cleon.................................................................29 Jones, Zhaundra...........................................................86 Journey Hospital..............................................10 Kallhoff, Kyle...........................................................69, 74 KAP Surface Technologies Group.......................60 Karolewics, Vicki...........................................................69 Karr, Chuck.....................................................................7 Kayak Bass Fishing.............................................7 Kennedy, Paul...............................................................69 Kith Furniture............................................60, 62 Klein Building, Cullman...................................74 Kvach, John..................................................................86 Lakeland Community Hospital.............. 60, 66, 74 Lane, Rachel.................................................................86 Last Slave Ship, The..........................................29 Laurel at Dry Creek...........................................46 Lavish Coffee Bar..............................................67 Lawson, Lee....................................................................7 Lazzarini, Craig.............................................................86 Leadership Walker County................................69 Leap Partners...................................................86 Lee, Harper...................................................................14 Legacy Museum, Montgomery..........................29 Les Dames........................................................69 Liberty University................................. 55, 60, 69 Lippert Components.........................................60 Lockheed Martin Corp...................................8, 14 Looney’s Tavern..........................................55, 74 Louisiana State University................................69 Low, Justin....................................................................86 Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.............18 LW Support Services...........................................8 Lynn, Jeff......................................................................39 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.......................14 Main Street Alabama........................................74 Mar-Jac Poultry.................................... 55, 60, 62 Markert, Cal....................................................................9 Masonite International ..............................60, 62 Mazda Toyota Manufacturing........................7, 46 McLain, Tony.................................................................14 Meadows, Andrew........................................................18 Meaher, Timothy...........................................................29 Medenica, Branko........................................................57 Medical Properties Trust...................................11 Memorial Park Complex, Jasper........................76 Mercedes-Benz U.S. International................60, 67 Meriplex Communications................................10 Meta Platforms Inc...........................................46 MidCity, Huntsville................................ 9, 43, 46 Milo’s Tea Co. Inc..............................................10 Missouri Pacific Railroad...................................82 Mitchell, Dean................................................................7 Mobile County Training School..........................29 Mobley, Mitch...............................................................86 Mohawk Carpet................................................10 Mohawk Industries..........................................10 Montgomery, City of.........................................11

Mud Creek Arts & Crafts Festival, Hanceville......76 Murphy, John.................................................................7 Murphy, Patrick............................................................39 NAI Chase Commercial......................................46 Nail, Kenneth..........................................................69, 74 NASA.........................................................10, 50 Nashville-Montgomery Railroad.......................57 National Center for Construction Education and Research...............................18 National Championship Air Races......................69 National Institutes of Health.............................81 National League for Nursing.............................67 National Memorial for Peace and Justice...........29 National Parks Blueway....................................29 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association...............................69 Natural Bridge Park..........................................76 Natural Resources Conservation Service............69 Netflix Inc........................................................86 New York City Counterterrorism Unit.................24 New York University.........................................43 Newberry Nurseries.........................................50 Newberry Pecans LLC........................................50 Newberry, Howard........................................................50 Newberry, Joe...............................................................50 Newberry, Kim..............................................................50 Newberry, Marie...........................................................50 Newberry, Scott............................................................50 Newsweek Magazine........................................81 Niakossary, Nadia.........................................................43 Nicol Investment Co..........................................46 Niedersachsen, State of, Germany.......................7 Nitto Denko......................................................60 Nocera Inc..........................................................8 North Alabama Agriplex...................................69 North Alabama Council of Local Governments....69 North Alabama Dance Studio............................74 North Alabama Workforce Council.....................69 North Carolina State University.........................69 Northwest Alabama Industrial Development Alliance..................................69 Northwest Alabama Mental Health Board..........69 Northwest-Shoals Community College........69, 74 Novelis Inc.........................................................7 O’Connor, Blakely.........................................................86 O’Mary, David.........................................................69, 74 Oakwood Skilled Nursing Facility......................10 Obama, Michelle..........................................................29 Obama, President Barack.............................................29 Office Park South, Huntsville............................46 Oktoberfest, Cullman.................................57, 76 Oliver, Maggie..............................................................86 ONE30.............................................................69 Order of Myths, film.........................................29 Orion Amphitheater.........................................46 Ownby, Kim..................................................................74 Padgett, Gary................................................................86 Palomino RV Resort..........................................76 Pan American World Airways............................24 Participant Media LLC.......................................29 Patt, Anna.....................................................................82 Patt, Josephine.............................................................82 Patt, Peter Joseph.........................................................82 Peak Renewables...............................................8 Peinhardt Farm Day, Cullman...........................76 Perry, David....................................................................7 Pierce, Bob....................................................................14 Polaris Industries.............................................46 Posey Field Airport, Haleyville..........................60 Price, Marla...................................................................74 ProAssurance Corp............................................10 Proctor & Gamble Co.........................................69 Prospect Medical Holdings................................11 Protective Life Corp.......................................7, 86 Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant, Cullman...........74 Purcell, Jim...................................................................34 QuantHub LLC....................................................9 Raines, Ben...................................................................29 Randall, David................................................................9 Range, The.......................................................46

Ratchford, Derek.............................................................8 RCP Companies..........................................43, 46 Reaves, Catherine.........................................................86 Red Square Agency...........................................11 Redstone Arsenal.......................................43, 46 Redstone Federal Credit Union..........................50 Reeder, Leslie...............................................................39 Regions Bank.....................................................7 Registar USA Inc...............................................10 Rehau Automotive LLC................................60, 62 Reich Brothers..................................................10 Reid, Bryna...................................................................86 Reliance Worldwide...................................60, 62 Retail Strategies...............................................74 Rippleworx........................................................9 Ritz-Carlton Co..................................................81 River Valley Ingredients...................................60 Robins & Morton..............................................11 Robot House Creative.......................................50 Rock the South, Cullman...................................76 Rocky Ravine Park............................................74 Roley, Margaret............................................................86 Rosen Harwood................................................86 Rotary International ........................................69 Rusken Packaging...................................... 60, 62 Sacred Heart Monastery....................................57 Samford University..........................................69 Sanders Aviation..............................................69 Sanders Flight Training Center.............. 55, 60, 69 Sanders, Joey...............................................................69 Satsuma High School........................................69 Saturday Down South.......................................69 Scarborough, Jacob......................................................86 Schulze, Horst...............................................................81 Schweizer, Alina............................................................43 Scott, Jason...................................................................43 Seymour Bevill Day Care & First Class Pre-K.......74 Shaia’s...............................................................9 Shannon, Bart...............................................................69 Shaw Industries...............................................10 Shelby Baptist Medical Center......................7, 86 Shelton State Community College.....................39 Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament...............76 Sinequa, software firm.......................................7 Singing River Trail............................................86 Sipsey Fork......................................................76 Skydive Alabama..............................................76 SL Alabama........................................................8 Smart Alto..........................................................9 SmartLam North America....................................8 Smith Lake.......................................................76 Smith Lake Park Sweet Tater Festival, Cullman...76 Smith, Ken....................................................................46 Snoddy, John Dominey..........................................69, 74 South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce..............86 South Baldwin Regional Medical Center............86 South Star Battery Metals...................................8 Southern Business and Development Magazine...............................67 Southern Homes..............................................69 Sportsman Lake Park, Cullman................... 74, 76 Sprout Fiber Internet........................................69 St. Bernard Abbey.............................................57 Stephen, Glenn.............................................................86 Stirling Properties............................................43 Stony Lonesome OHV Park................................76 Strange, Spencer..........................................................86 Strawberry Festival, Cullman............................76 Stubbs, Jenny...............................................................86 Sugar Hill Apartment Village............................11 Sumiton, City of...............................................74 Sundance Film Festival.....................................29 Sunseri, Ken...........................................................69, 74 Sure Med Compliance.......................................10 Sutherland, Holly.........................................................69 Sutton, Chad.................................................................18 Synovus Bank ..................................................69 Systems Automotive Interiors Alabama...............7 Taco Bell, Jasper...............................................74

Talladega College...............................................8 Tally, John.....................................................................43 Taziki’s Mediterranean Café..............................74 Thomas, Randy.............................................................46 Tillman, Molly...............................................................86 To Kill a Mockingbird........................................14 Todd Shipyards................................................87 Tolko Industries...............................................60 Topre America Corp..................................... 60, 62 Torch Technologies...........................................46 Town Madison..................................................46 Toyota Boshoku..................................................7 Triad Properties................................................46 Tru Homes.................................................. 60, 62 Tuck, Brenda...........................................................10, 12 Tucker, Larry..................................................................74 Tucker, Lillie..................................................................74 Tulsa Innovation Labs.......................................86 Tuscaloosa National Airport................................9 Tuskegee University.....................................8, 10 Tyson Foods.....................................................60 U.S. Air Force......................................................8 U.S. Army............................................... 8, 50, 69 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers..............................8 U.S. Forest Service............................................69 U.S. Navy.........................................................11 U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement......................74 UAB Health System.............................................9 Underwood, Carol.........................................................86 United Way of Central Alabama.........................69 Universal Forest Products.................................60 University of Alabama............................ 9, 14, 69 University of Alabama at Birmingham..... 9, 39, 69 University of Alabama in Huntsville....................7 University of Miami Health System...................11 University of Mobile.........................................39 University of Montevallo..................................86 University of North Alabama................. 10, 69, 86 University of South Alabama................. 29, 69, 81 Urban Supply, Birmingham................................9 Velezis, Michael............................................................86 Viking Cove, Jasper .........................................74 Village of Providence, Huntsville......................46 Vistech Manufacturing.....................................60 Waggoner, L. Paul.........................................................24 Wagner, Brittany...........................................................86 Walker Area Community Foundation........... 67, 69 Walker Baptist Medical Center.................... 60, 66 Walker County.................................................55 Walker County Arts Association.........................67 Walker County Commission..............................74 Walker County Development Authority.............74 Walker County Industrial Development Authority......................... 55, 60 Walker County Lake..........................................76 Walker County Schools.....................................67 Walker, Will..................................................................86 Wallace Community College.............................39 Wallace State Community College...................... 39, 55, 60, 67, 69, 74, 76 Weaver, Melinda..........................................................69 WildWater, Cullman.........................................76 Williams, Doyle............................................................86 Winston County...............................................55 Winston County Arts Council....................... 55, 74 Winston County Circuit Court............................69 Winston County Commission............................69 Winston County Industrial Development Board.....................................69 Winston County Schools...................................69 Winston Homebuilders........................ 60, 62, 69 Women’s Foundation of Alabama......................86 Woolpert Inc......................................................8 Wright Brothers Construction...........................18 Wyatt Sasser....................................................18 Yellow House Publishing..................................86 Yorozu Automotive..................................... 60, 62 Young, Jennifer............................................................66 Yutaka Technologies................................... 60, 62

November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 85

Career Notes CAROL UNDERWOOD

BLAKE BURNS

SPENCER STRANGE

JUSTIN LOW

by ERICA JOINER WEST

HOME SERVICES

WILL WALKER

RACHEL LANE

Leap Partners has hired Mitch Mobley as vice president of operational support. He will lead the HVAC, plumbing and electrical technician training and development program.

INSURANCE

CRAIG LAZZARINI

COLLINS COMPERE

MITCH MOBLEY

HOLLY DEAN

DOYLE WILLIAMS

Protective Life Corp. has appointed Doyle Williams to chief marketing officer. He most recently served as CEO of Concourse Financial Group, a division of Protective.

LEGAL

SCOTT DONALDSON

MARGARET ROLEY

ZHAUNDRA JONES

BANKING

Bank Independent has promoted Carol Underwood to vice president-special projects for Interstate Billing Services and Blake Burns to loan review officer. In addition, the bank has hired Justin Low as human resources manager. Community Bank has named Spencer Strange loan officer in the bank’s Fairhope office. BankFirst Financial Services has promoted Will Walker to serve as North Alabama regional president and Haleyville Community Bank president.

BIOTECH

BIO Alabama CEO Rachel Lane stepped down at the end of September to take a position with Tulsa Innovation Labs Canopy Virtual HealthTech program in Oklahoma.

BUSINESS SERVICES

HC3, a data-driven statement provider, has promoted Bob Allen to chief technology officer.

CONSTRUCTION

Caddell Construction has promoted Craig Lazzarini to vice president, estimating and procurement – international. 86 | BusinessAlabama.com November 2022

BLAKELY O’CONNOR

BRYNA REID

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Appalachian Regional Commission announced its 40 fellows selected for the Appalachian Leadership Institute. Among those 40 from Alabama were John Kvach, executive director of Singing River Trail in Brownsboro; Gary Padgett, professor at the University of North Alabama in Florence and Jenny Stubbs, owner of Yellow House Publishing in Wetumpka.

EDUCATION

Brittany Wagner, star of the original docuseries “Last Chance U” on Netflix, has been hired as director of the Grainger Center for Professional Development and as a full-time instructor and advisor in the University of Montevallo’s Stephens College of Business.

FINANCIAL

Collins Compere has joined Argent Trust Co., a subsidiary of Argent Financial Group, as Birmingham market president.

HEALTH CARE

Shelby Baptist Medical Center has hired Holly Dean as chief executive officer.

Michael Velezis, vice president and general counsel of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, in Birmingham, was invited to join the International Association of Defense Counsel. Rosen Harwood has added the Honorable Scott Donaldson to the firm as a shareholder in litigation, appellate practice and mediation.

LOGISTICS

Alabama Port Authority announced a new external affairs team made up of Maggie Oliver, vice president of communication and federal affairs; Catherine Reaves, vice president of policy and state affairs; and Molly Tillman, director of public affairs.

ORGANIZATIONS

Margaret Roley, doctor of nursing practice and CEO of South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, has been name the Walton M. Vines Free Enterprise Person of the Year by South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce. Women’s Foundation of Alabama has hired Zhaundra Jones as vice president, philanthropy and learning; Blakely O’Connor, research and development; and Bryna Reid as director of communications.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

3 Echoes Content Studio has expanded its team with Jacob Scarborough, video content producer, and Glenn Stephen, video content creator.

Historic Alabama OVER THE RIVER … This 1954 photo shows construction of the bridge over the Alabama River for the northbound lanes of U.S. Route 31 between Montgomery and Prattville. Blount Bros. Construction Co. built the bridge, with Todd Shipyards in Houston, Texas, fabricating the girders. The girders were delivered in sections by rail to Hunter Station, just south of the river. They were then carried by truck to the bridge site. At the time, the 220-foot steel deck girders for the main span of the bridge were the longest the Alabama State Highway Department had ever designed and built. Photo courtesy of 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 Nov. 21, work the quiz online and check your answers at businessalabama.com.

November 2022:

November 2021: (one year ago)

November 2012: (10 years ago)

Q: Kern Jackson, a professor at the University of South Alabama, served as the historical advisor for a new documentary. What’s the name of the prize-winning film?

Q: After three years planning and building, a major new industrial plant opened in North Alabama. What is it?

Q: Raytheon was demonstrating a new technique at its Missile Integration Facility at Redstone Arsenal, after several years convincing the agency it was safe. What was it?

A) “Africatown” B) “Clotilda” C) “Descendant” D) “Shipwreck”

October 2022: (one month ago) Q: Walker County is teaming with Drummond Company, the City of Dora and several state agencies to develop Heritage Landing. What used to be on the site? A) Boating facilities B) Coal mine C) Strip mall D) Tire manufacturer

A) Airbus Americas B) Boeing Co. C) Mazda Toyota Manufacturing D) United Launch Alliance

A) On-site missile testing facilities B) Plastic housing for missiles C) Robot-assisted production D) Water-powered propulsion systems

November 2017: (five years ago)

November 1997: (25 years ago)

Q: We highlighted a dozen Alabama researchers — among them Arthur Tipton, then president of Southern Research; Lawrence DeLucas, retired optometry professor at UAB; Gary Piazza, then chief of drug discovery at USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute — who are all members of one prestigious organization. What organization?

Q: Business Alabama reported on the 1996 A.M. Best insurance statistics. One company led the list of insurers in homeowners, private passenger auto liability and commercial multi-peril. What company?

A) American Association of University Professors B) Engaged for Entrepreneurship C) National Academy of Inventors D) Society for Scientific Research

A) Alfa Insurance Group B) Allstate Insurance Group C) State Farm Group D) USAA Group

Answers from October: D, A, A, D, C, A November 2022 BusinessAlabama.com | 87