Business Alabama - October 2023 by Business Alabama

OCT 2023

15 BANKING’S RISING STARS OUTFITTING CHOPPERS

40 IN ANDALUSIA

SPOTLIGHT ON

47 JEFFERSON COUNTY

Banking on History PRESIDENT AND CEO CHAD JONES LEADS FIRST BANK OF ALABAMA IN ITS 175TH YEAR

Page 12

Volume 38 / Number 10

OCTOBER 2023

CONTENTS

Martha Underwood started PRISMM when a family crisis demonstrated the need for quick, secure access to important documents. Photo by Cary Norton.

Features 12

BANKING BANK ON IT First Bank of Alabama has been serving Talladega for 175 years.

BANKING’S RISING STARS The future of banking lies with these executives on the rise.

BANKING’S DIGITAL AGE Attracting customers in a tech-driven world.

4 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

AVIATION & AEROSPACE CUSTOM CHOPPER OPTIONS Andalusia’s Isolair makes systems that customize commercial helicopters.

INNOVATION FROM CRISIS TO CLARITY PRISMM offers a solution for a modern-day dilemma.

RETROSPECT ‘COSMETICS OF DISTINCTION’ The Black haircare empire of Velberta and Preston Chestnut.

On the Cover: First Bank of Alabama is proud of its history but growing for the future. President and CEO Chad Jones is leading the way. Photo by Art Meripol.

40: Specialty gear crafted at Isolair in Andalusia can turn an ordinary helicopter into a workhorse. 47: UAB is a large part of Jefferson County’s economy. 79: Southern Research has developed drugs to fight cancer, prevent COVID-19 and more since its founding in 1941.

TOP RANK 11 ALABAMA BANK PERFORMANCES 39 ALABAMA’S LARGEST AEROSPACE AND AVIATION COMPANIES SPECIAL SECTIONS 31 COMPTRUST AGC 69 BUSINESS COUNCIL OF ALABAMA GEOGRAPHIC SPOTLIGHT 47 JEFFERSON COUNTY

Departments 7

76 77 79

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

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 5

OCTOBER 2023 BusinessAlabama.com Volume 38 / Number 10 PUBLISHER Walker Sorrell / wsorrell@pmtpublishing.com ASSISTANT PUBLISHER Stephen Potts / snpotts@pmtpublishing.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Alec Harvey / alec@pmtpublishing.com EDITOR Erica Joiner West / ewest@pmtpublishing.com COPY EDITOR Nedra Bloom / nedra@pmtpublishing.com ART DIRECTOR Vic Wheeler / ads@pmtpublishing.com DIGITAL EDITOR Kathryn Dorlon / kdorlon@pmtpublishing.com ACCOUNTING Keith Crabtree / acct@pmtpublishing.com 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 2023 by PMT Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission prohibited. Letters to the editor are welcome. 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.

Use this QR code to subscribe to Business Alabama 6 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

Benchmarks

Hyundai grows again — $290M worth

HYUNDAI MOTOR MANUFACTURING ALABAMA announced plans in

late August to invest $290 million in its Montgomery assembly plant, paving the way for the plant to build the next-generation Santa Fe SUV. About $190 million will be spent to retool its production line for the fifth-generation Santa Fe, with the rest supporting production of other vehicles, the company said. “The legacy of the Santa Fe continues with HMMA investing $190 million dollars to prepare our assembly plant for the next generation of this popular SUV,” HMMA President and CEO Ernie Kim said. “An additional Hyundai upgrade paves way for $100 million will be invested to next-generation Santa Fe SUVs. support ongoing production of the Tucson SUV and Santa Cruz Sport both the electrified and gas versions of the Adventure Vehicle.” Genesis GV70 luxury SUV on HMMA’s HMMA began building the Santa Fe assembly line. in 2006. This will be the first full model “Hyundai’s nearly 4,000 Alabama change in five years. employees have been making some of the Assembly of the new Santa Fe will highest awarded vehicles in America for begin later this year, with the vehicle nearly two decades, and the production of joining the Tucson, the Santa Cruz and

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

LEAPS & BOUNDS Seven Alabama companies made the Inc. 5000 list of fastestgrowing firms. Mandala Scrubs, based in New Market, was highest ranked at 16th. Other Alabama companies on the list were RippleWorx, a Huntsville software company; Golden Tax Relief, a Thomasville financial services company; LeanStream, a Huntsville software company; Garrett Contracting, a Decatur construction company; EcoTech, a Spanish Fort manufacturing company; and Port City Industrial, a Mobile logistics and transportation company.

test center in Jackson County, adding 19,000 square feet of research space. The company does research for the Army, Air Force and others. Mobilebased law firm Cunningham Bounds is joining Atlanta firm Maraitakis and Kushel and opening an Atlanta office under the Cunningham Bounds name. The firm specializes in personal injury, products liability, industrial accident and civil litigation cases.

BIGGER & BETTER Huntsville-based CFD Research is expanding its engineering

CAN CAPACITY Novelis Inc., which is building an aluminum plant in Bay Minette, announced in midSeptember that it has inked a beverage can deal with Ball Corp. that will put the new plant

the completely re-designed Santa Fe midsize SUV is another exciting milestone for the company’s Montgomery manufacturing facility,” Gov. Kay Ivey said when the plans were announced. “I can’t wait to see the exciting new design on roads in Alabama and across the nation.”

at beverage-can capacity when it opens in 2025. NEW AT THE TOP Mike Rickman, a 30-year veteran of the health care industry, has been named CEO of Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham. Earlier, Rickman led Bradford Health Services and Shelby Baptist Medical Center. David Cole, most recently director of government affairs for the Business Council of Alabama, has been selected as president of the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association. Tina Morrison is the new director of Greater Gadsden Area Tourism, replacing Interim Director Tynette Lynch.

GONE FROM THE TOP Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh resigned at the end of August. Murdaugh broadened the scope of the massive Mobile shipbuilder, adding steel capabilities to the company that had previously built only aluminum-hulled ships. INCUBATING Southern Research in Birmingham has announced plans for a new business incubator, designed specifically for biotech startups, due to open in January. FIELD WORK Birmingham’s Rickwood Field will undergo $4.5 million in renovations before the June

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 7

BENCHMARKS

Defending America in Mobile and Sentar in Huntsville also landed major defense contracts.

The Glide Breaker program aims to protect the U.S. against hypersonic threats.

BAE SYSTEMS

Alabama firms landed multi-million-dollar contracts from the federal government this month, all for projects designed to defend America from possible danger. BOEING announced a $70.5 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Glide Breaker program — a project to protect against hypersonic vehicles. “Hypersonic vehicles are among the most dangerous and rapidly evolving threats facing national security,” said

Gil Griffin, executive director of Boeing Phantom Works Advanced Weapons. “We’re focusing on the technological understanding needed to further develop our nation’s counter-hypersonic capabilities and defend from future threats.” About a third of the work is slated to be performed in Huntsville, with other Boeing facilities around the country also on the project. BAE Systems in Anniston, Austal USA

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

2024 Major League Baseball game planned for the historic venue. On June 20, the St. Louis Cardinals will take on the San Francisco Giants.

construction of an interchange to connect I-459 to Highway 150 and widening of I-59 from I-459 to Chalkville Mountain Road.

SWEET DREAMS Creek Indian Enterprises, based in Atmore, has partnered with North Carolina-based DreamCatcher Hotels, also a Native American enterprise, to improve and broaden their hotel business. CIEDA already owns several hotels.

KUDOS TO REED Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, who was elected to a second term in August, was named Mayor of the Year at the National Black Business Conference. The award was given to Reed for economic development that Montgomery has had during his tenure.

ROAD WORK AHEAD In early September, Gov. Kay Ivey announced three projects totaling $500 million that will improve highways in the Birmingham area — widening of I-65 from Alabaster to Calera,

WATER YES A $3 million water tank in Etowah County that will provide water to the Northeast Alabama Regional Megasite is now under construction. Norfolk Southern Railway

8 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

has been awarded a $190 million contract for work on the Bradley A4 for the U.S. Army, with portions of the project to be handled in Anniston. Mobile-based AUSTAL USA was awarded a $91 million contract for three landing craft utility vessels for the U.S. Navy, with an option for nine more. SENTAR, a Huntsville-based cyber technology company, has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help nuclear plants predict performance disruptions resulting from cyber attacks. Sentar also won a fiveyear, $18 million contract to provide cyber services to the Army Materiel Command.

is funding the project. North Baldwin Utilities is investing a $2.5 million federal grant toward the cost of a 2-milliongallon water tank at the Novelis aluminum plant now under construction in Bay Minette. The tank will provide water for the new plant and the neighboring community. WATER NO Alabama Power has withdrawn its plans to get a license to create dual reservoirs at Chandler Mountain. The reservoir project would have provided more energy, but homeowners would have been displaced.

ON CAMPUS The University of Alabama at Birmingham has opened the South and East Science Halls, the first two buildings in a new Science and Engineering Complex on campus. Wallace State Community College in Hanceville is investing $49 million in campus building projects, headlined by the new Center for Welding Technology. University of Alabama at Birmingham Computer Science Professor Thomas Gilray has been awarded $2.6 million in National Science Foundation funding to develop nextgeneral AI-based languages. Perry County’s Marion Military Institute will build a new math and science building with $34

BENCHMARKS

$1.1B Smucker’s plant in McCalla on target for 2024 opening The director of operations for the “We are on schedule and expect to $1.1 billion J.M. SMUCKER plant planned begin production in May 2024,” Newell for McCalla says construction is on target says. The Jefferson County facility will help and the plant is hiring. build Smucker’s popular Uncrustables “We are currently hiring for a variety brand even bigger. of roles, including production, quality “The Uncrustables brand is one of the assurance, maintenance, logistics, engineering, electrical and management,” says Nicole Construction of the J.M. Smucker plant in McCalla Newell. “We expect a is well underway. Photo from J.M. Smucker. workforce of around 750800 once we are fully staffed.” The McCalla plant, which will be the third in the country devoted exclusively to Smucker’s popular Uncrustables, is the largest capital investment by a company in Jefferson County. The project was announced in November 2021, and construction on the 225-acre property, part of the Jefferson Metropolitan Park, began last year.

fastest growing in our company, and we have focused on increasing capacity to help us meet the incredible demand for the product,” Newell says. “The McCalla facility … will help us reach our stated goal of $1 billion in annual net sales for the brand.”

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

million in federal funds. The money is coming from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standard and Technology. The University of Alabama System board of trustees has approved construction of the High Performance Computing and Data Center on the Tuscaloosa campus. The connected computing system will be the largest in the state, the school says. Samford University has opened the Fairway Commercial Real Estate Lab, within its business school, to prepare students for real estate careers.

will now be part of the UAB campus. UAB Medicine purchased the 19-story office building for $16 million in early September with plans to expand clinical care facilities and associated administration.

STUDY ZONE The University of South Alabama received a donation from its foundation of waterfront land on Dauphin Island for maritime research. The property is valued at $1.92 million.

TAILGATE TIME The University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex have reached a new licensing agreement that will create an urban tailgating experience at Protective Stadium and City Walk Bham. The agreement will allow UAB to sell season tailgating and parking spots for the 2024 football season.

TRIBUTE The U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in downtown Tuscaloosa will be named for retired U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, the longest-serving senator from Alabama. Shelby retired from the Senate in January.

DANIEL TO UAB Birmingham’s historic Daniel Building on 20th Street South

GROWING ONE Tuscaloosa-based Alabama One Credit Union has completed a merger with Brewton Mill Federal Credit

Union. The merger extends Alabama One’s footprint into Conecuh and Escambia counties. BASEBALL TRADES Don Logan and his sons, Jeff and Stan, have announced the sale of the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team to Diamond Baseball Holdings. Jonathan Nelson will continue to be general manager and president of the club, and Jeff and Stan Logan will remain as advisors. PUB WITH A PURPOSE Birmingham pub and restaurant Carrigan’s Public House shifted its focus in August, becoming Carrigan’s Philanthropub. All profits will be donated to various

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 9

BENCHMARKS

PMT Publishing moves into historic building in downtown Mobile PMT PUBLISHING, which publishes Business Alabama, Mobile Bay Magazine,

Birmingham Home & Garden and other specialty magazines, cut the ribbon in September on a new office at 166 Government St. in downtown Mobile. The new location, across from Mobile’s city-county building and in the shadow of the RSA skyscraper, is the logical spot for a magazine that’s focused on the city and the entire Mobile Bay area, said President and CEO T.J. “Jocko” Potts. Saying how much he loves downtown, Assistant Publisher Stephen Potts added, “We hope to make the city look good and downtown look good.” Bradley Byrne, president and CEO of the Mobile Area Chamber, congratulated the company on its new location. Chamber ambassadors attended the event, along with PMT staff and workers at nearby businesses. Walcott Adams served as architect for the project, working with Phoenix Restorations and KCUFA Consulting’s John Reynolds. Richard Inge helped find the property, and ServisFirst managed the finances. PMT also has an office in Birmingham.

PMT President & CEO Jocko Potts, Chamber President Bradley Byrne and Azalea Trail Maids all turned out for the ribbon-cutting.

B U S I N E S S

B R I E F S

charities, and Carrigan’s will offer free use of its event space to events and partnerships with community-focused groups.

second cycle of 2023 Alabama Launchpad competition. Croux earned $50,000 and VivoSphere $25,000.

WORKER PREP AIDT, Alabama’s workforce training program, has launched a program to train bioscience technicians. Candidates need a high school diploma. The Alabama Workforce Development Board has approved more than $33.6 million for job search and skills training programs at its 50-plus career centers throughout the state.

MARKET NERVES A new survey by the Alabama Center for Real Estate, based on polls of real estate professionals, found a slightly less than neutral expectation for the coming quarter, but loosening the federal monetary policy could help, they say.

PRIZE WORTHY Startups Croux, an app to match waitstaff with job openings, and biotech firm VivoSphere have won top honors in the

GENEROUS Truist Foundation has presented $1 million to national nonprofit Strive to establish a career training program in Birmingham. The Alabama Broadcasters Association is giving Miles College $50,000

10 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

for a scholarship endowment fund for its Division of Communications. CHEERS Construction is underway on the Blessed Kettle Brewing Co., which will be Foley’s first brewery. The venue will also include live entertainment, food vendors and event space. HOME TO ALABAMA Sequense Corp., developer of workflow automation software for travel agents, is moving its headquarters from Texas to Birmingham, following an investment from the Alabama Futures Fund. BUILDING BRIDGES The Alabama Supreme Court

ruled that construction of a new bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway in Baldwin County can continue despite allegations that ALDOT Director John Cooper planned the bridge to damage Baldwin County Bridge Company. The new free-access bridge is being constructed a mile from BCBC’s toll bridge. SPACE STUDY The U.S. Government Accountability Office will investigate the decision to locate the U.S. Space Command in Colorado. Some Alabama lawmakers requested the investigation in the wake of the announcement that the headquarters would stay in Colorado Springs rather than move to Huntsville.

BANKING & FINANCE

Alabama Bank Performances

Compiled by MEGAN BOYLE

COMPANY / WEBSITE

% CHANGE 3/22-3/23

NONCURRENT LOANS & LEASES 2023

NONCURRENT LOANS & LEASES 2022

% CHANGE 3/22-3/23

NONCURRENT LOANS TO LOANS

NONCURRENT LOANS AND LEASES TO TOTAL ASSETS

RETURN ON ASSETS

CORE CAP RATIO

Regions Bank regions.com

Birmingham 153,125,000 163,179,000 -6.16% 97,129,000 88,597,000 9.63%

713,000

504,000

41.47%

0.72%

0.47%

2,381,000 1.67%

8.92%

ServisFirst Bank servisfirstbank.com

Birmingham 14,565,304

15,337,854

-5.04% 11,482,488 9,779,897 17.41%

17,951

19,424

-7.58%

0.15%

0.12%

254,781

1.61%

9.91%

River Bank & Trust riverbankandtrust.com

Prattville

2,988,763

2,470,893

20.96% 1,890,240

1,323,671 42.80%

4,714

2,749

71.48%

0.25%

0.16%

29,509

0.77%

8.07%

CB&S Bank Inc. cbsbank.com

Russellville

2,487,639

2,367,567

5.07%

1,172,971

1,030,712 13.80%

12,296

7,199

70.80%

1.04%

0.49%

27,574

1.00%

10.54%

Bank Independent bibank.com

Sheffield

2,482,903

2,272,473

9.26%

1,689,786

1,350,620 25.11%

8,463

6,758

25.23%

0.50%

0.34%

25,499

1.02%

8.42%

Bryant Bank bryantbank.com

Tuscaloosa

2,374,879

2,592,453

-8.39%

1,109,917

1,041,234

6.60%

8,323

1,906

336.67% 0.74%

0.35%

30,073

1.88%

9.30%

Southern States Bank southernstatesbank.net

Anniston

2,137,421

1,799,583

18.77% 1,627,836

1,297,087 25.50%

1,646

3,246

-49.29% 0.10%

0.08%

30,271

1.65%

12.19%

Troy Bank & Trust Co. troybankandtrust.com

Troy

1,448,218

1,463,805

-1.06%

900,043

788,953

14.08%

3,506

3,446

1.74%

0.38%

0.24%

12,791

0.20%

10.43%

SouthPoint Bank southpoint.bank

Birmingham

1,433,526

1,079,968

32.74% 1,183,253

837,225

41.33%

6,048

6,296

-3.94%

0.51%

0.42%

13,802

1.24%

9.17%

Oakworth Capital Bank oakworth.com

Birmingham

1,326,387

1,239,885

6.98%

1,063,724

761,117

39.76%

n/a

0.00%

12,314

1.05%

9.79%

Peoples Bank of Alabama peoplesbankal.com

Cullman

1,265,117

1,264,729

0.03%

800,638

736,151

8.76%

535

788

-32.11% 0.07%

0.04%

20,874

2.31%

9.56%

United Bank unitedbank.com

Atmore

1,114,607

1,061,535

5.00%

687,547

593,380

15.87%

6,525

6,246

4.47%

0.93%

0.59%

14,199

1.78%

11.83%

First US Bank firstusbank.com

Birmingham

1,026,551

968,126

6.03%

764,290

669,846

14.10%

1,214

2,227

-45.49% 0.16%

0.12%

8,184

0.95%

9.36%

Citizens Bank & Trust citizensbanktrust.com

Guntersville

1,019,465

989,905

2.99%

529,371

439,473

20.46%

1,799

1,381

30.27%

0.33%

0.18%

8,230

0.58%

9.40%

AuburnBank auburnbank.com

Auburn

1,017,190

1,109,002

-8.28%

498,220

424,736

17.30%

2,680

371

622.37% 0.53%

0.26%

10,547

0.78%

10.07%

Metro Bank metrobankpc.com

Pell City

1,015,056

1,020,681

-0.55%

463,116

432,868

6.99%

536

2,594

-79.34% 0.11%

0.05%

14,426

1.72%

14.21%

First Bank of Alabama firstbankal.com

Talladega

960,424

877,034

9.51%

642,203

529,286

21.33%

2,356

11,106

-78.79% 0.36%

0.25%

11,994

1.74%

9.58%

First Metro Bank firstmetro.com

Muscle Shoals

899,078

963,258

-6.66%

505,336

462,349

9.30%

313

479.63% 0.06%

0.03%

12,808

1.54%

11.18%

West Alabama Bank & Trust wabt.com

Reform

845,055

766,222

10.29%

469,048

381,066

23.09%

886

941

-5.84%

0.19%

0.10%

7,825

1.13%

11.01%

First Southern State Bank fssbank.com

Stevenson

764,304

741,437

3.08%

424,011

345,913

22.58%

333

-75.98% 0.02%

0.01%

8,856

1.09%

9.42%

Traditions Bank traditional.com

Cullman

680,326

603,815

12.67%

529,153

479,723

10.30%

2,039

2,194

-7.06%

0.38%

0.30%

9,234

1.51%

9.20%

CCB Community Bank bankccb.com

Andalusia

617,148

600,223

2.82%

452,466

423,172

6.92%

933

1,742

-46.44% 0.20%

0.15%

11,169

1.76%

10.17%

CommerceOne Bank commerceonebank.com

Birmingham

596,924

508,037

17.50%

502,686

389,900

28.93%

0.00%

7,638

1.58%

11.09%

MidSouth Bank bankmidsouth.com

Dothan

577,543

607,802

-4.98%

285,932

284,022

0.67%

111

131.25% 0.04%

0.02%

4,732

1.23%

9.68%

First Community Bank of Central Alabama fcbca.com

Wetumpka

568,949

539,073

5.54%

326,873

261,167

25.16%

952

253

276.28% 0.29%

0.17%

10,159

2.39%

8.39%

Central State Bank centralstatebank.com

Calera

556,857

485,209

14.77%

350,577

302,849

15.76%

234

-99.57% 0.00%

0.00%

9,680

2.24%

9.98%

First Southern Bank firstsouthern.com

Florence

554,384

433,264

27.96%

469,686

365,674

28.44%

992

990.11% 0.21%

0.18%

6,491

1.30%

8.63%

The Hometown Bank of Alabama hometownbankalabama.com

Oneonta

553,504

540,006

2.50%

299,779

265,089

13.09%

2,748

981

180.12% 0.91%

0.50%

9,093

1.38%

12.61%

Robertson Banking Co. robertsonbanking.com

Demopolis

455,079

432,484

5.22%

289,214

259,593

11.41%

1,681

548

206.75% 0.57%

0.37%

6,404

1.73%

9.28%

Peoples Independent Bank pibonline.com

Boaz

447,090

424,563

5.31%

183,688

169,334

8.48%

729

306

138.24% 0.39%

0.16%

5,428

1.37%

8.93%

Cullman Savings Bank cullmansavingsbank.com

Cullman

415,999

351,393

18.39%

331,242

265,866

24.59%

300.00% 0.02%

0.01%

4,367

1.02%

18.18%

EvaBank evabank.com

Eva

405,696

422,144

-3.90%

314,004

297,839

5.43%

5,267

8,866

-40.59% 1.64%

1.30%

10,861

2.11%

27.85%

Source: FDIC

LOCATION

TOTAL ASSETS 2023

TOTAL ASSETS 2022

% CHANGE 3/22-3/23

RANK

Banks headquartered in Alabama. Data for total assets, net loans and leases, and noncurrent loans and leases reflects first quarter end 2022 and first quarter end 2023. Data for net income reflects year end 2022.

For more banks, visit BusinessAlabama.com.

NET LOANS NET LOANS & LEASES & LEASES 2023 2022

n/a

NET INCOME

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 11

BANKING & FINANCE

“Our business plan is to grow into rural markets serving small businesses, individuals and farmers. We will offer local decision making and community lenders providing a heart of service to their communities.” — Chad Jones, president and chief executive officer

Bank on it First Bank of Alabama has been serving Talladega for 175 years By KATHY HAGOOD — Photos by ART MERIPOL 12 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

alladega-based First Bank of Alabama is in expansion mode. With a governor’s commendation this year for 175 years in business, First Bank lays claim to the title of Alabama’s oldest continuously operating bank. Founded in 1848, within recent years the bank has grown from three branches in Talladega County to 12 branches and two full-service remote ATMs in a total

BANKING & FINANCE

of six East Central Alabama counties. Additional full-service ATMs are planned, including one for Rockford, the county seat of Coosa County, which will up the bank’s service area to seven counties, says Chad Jones, president and chief executive officer of the bank. “It’s a good way to test the waters to see if there is enough demand for a brick-and-mortar branch,” he says. “Our business plan is to grow into rural markets serving small businesses, individuals and farmers. We will offer local decision making and community lenders providing a heart of service to their communities.” Founded by Major James Isbell in 1848, First Bank of Alabama was originally named James Isbell, Banker. Back then Talladega was a new, growing town and Isbell saw the need for a “counting room” where community members could save their money, Jones says. The well-respected bank thrived and was able to remain open during the Civil War and reconstruction periods. “The Old Bank location, a terra cotta structure completed in 1869, is just a few yards outside my office window,” Jones says. Major Isbell’s son and son-in-law helped continue the elder Isbell’s heritage of small-town banking after Major Isbell’s death in 1871. The bank received a National Bank Charter in 1893 and its name was changed to The Isbell National Bank of Talladega. The bank continued to prosper, Jones says. “Talladega was the county seat and back in the 1900s we had a growing textile industry, wood chip mill and other industries,” he says. “Then in 1968 came the world-famous Talladega Superspeedway, which transforms our area twice a year.” Responding to increased demand, the bank opened branches in nearby Lincoln and Munford, in 1969 and 1988, respectively. Between those branch openings, the bank’s name again was changed to First National Bank of Talladega. “We grew as the community grew,” Jones says. But after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into force in 1994, population growth slowed in the area, Jones says. “After NAFTA industries left, our young people were going off to college but not coming back

Chad Jones at the 1869 terra cotta bank building, close to the bank’s new office in Talladega.

to help grow the community,” he says. “We weren’t growing our deposits because our area wasn’t growing. We were dying on the vine.” The bank’s board of directors realized after time they had to take action. They believed they had a strong banking culture that could not only continue benefitting their current customers but also new customers in other small town communities in the region, Jones says. “We knew we needed to expand outside the county line to bring our culture to new areas,” he says. “We decided we wanted to serve other rural communities offering local decision making and a good marriage of community service and community business. Our core synergy is putting back into our communities.” A new state banking charter with the FDIC was established in 2015, and

the bank was renamed First Bank of Alabama. A series of new branch acquisitions and openings in surrounding East Central Alabama counties soon began. The bank’s website tracks the timeline as part of the bank’s history. First in 2017, FirstBanc of Alabama Inc., the parent company of First Bank of Alabama, acquired Swann Bancshares Inc. and its subsidiary Bank of Wedowee, including three full-service branches in Randolph County, in Wedowee, Roanoke and Woodland. The next year the bank opened a seventh branch in Ashland in Clay County. An eighth full-service location opened in Oxford in Calhoun County in 2019. During 2020, FirstBanc of Alabama announced it would acquire 100% of the stock of SouthFirst Bank and the banks would be merged. The acquisition October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 13

BANKING & FINANCE

was completed in 2021, expanding the bank’s presence into Chilton County with two more branches in Sylacauga and Clanton. During 2022, the bank acquired two Southern States Bank offices — one in Heflin and one in Ranburne. Expanding into Cleburne County brought the bank’s total branches to 12. The bank’s assets now total about $1 billion, Jones says. “We are continuing to grow our footprint with our culture and values

serving rural communities,” he says. “We want to grow community main streets, supporting local ballparks, providing local team sponsorships, supporting fund raisers, serving on nonprofit boards and local chambers of commerce.” East Central Alabama, much of which is within an hour of Birmingham, is poised for growth, the bank’s board of directors believes, Jones says. “If you look at our area, there is much to recommend it,” he says. “Our coverage area is

a draw for those who love the outdoors. It’s got Wedowee Lake, Lake Martin and Mount Cheaha. There’s a tourism draw and a draw for retirees. Many people who live in the area commute to Honda in Lincoln, Hyundai in Montgomery and Mercedes in Vance. Birmingham, of course, provides for a major commuter market, and some even commute from living in Birmingham to working in our coverage area.” While bank acquisitions and consolidations have become commonplace in recent years, First Bank of Alabama believes there’s a difference when bank decision making is local rather than from a corporate office, Jones says. “We want to keep it local,” he says. “Our board of directors know where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. We believe this is not only the best bank in our area but the best bank in the state of Alabama, and we want to keep it that way.” In addition to its local focus, the bank wants to offer technology and other convenience features that many community banks don’t. One example is their website chat feature, Jones points out. Through online chat, customers have the convenience of communicating to a bank employee who can get them the information or service they are interested in. “We want to be on the cutting edge but not the bleeding edge,” he says. “We don’t want to get too far out there with unproven technologies.” Having grown up in Talladega, Jones is proud of the bank’s success. He left the area to attend Troy State, then worked for Troy Bank and Trust. After a stint in the Savannah area in Georgia, he came back home to Talladega in 2007 and began working for the bank. He rose through the ranks to his current position in 2015. “I saw coming home as a great opportunity,” Jones says. “It wasn’t the same town I grew up in, but some things, like hometown values, were the same. It’s been great to be back home with family and friends.” Kathy Hagood and Art Meripol are Birmingham-area freelance contributors to Business Alabama.

14 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

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RISING STARS

RISING STARS OF BANKING 2023 Here’s a look at the 20 on-the-rise bankers selected from around the state:

RYAN ANTHONY

RYAN ANTHONY is a vice president in PNC’s Corporate Bank, providing banking services to middle market companies and large corporations in Alabama and Mississippi. Anthony has 11-plus years of commercial banking and investment banking experience in various capacities and is focused on advisory solutions to support his clients. He is actively involved with various philanthropic organizations including Village of Promise and United Way. Anthony graduated from Auburn University with honors and lives in Birmingham with his wife, Jen, and two sons, Payson and Max. Outside of the office, Anthony enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and playing golf.

MICHAEL COX JOEL BALENTINE

JOEL BALENTINE, a Shoals native, serves as assistant vice president and commercial lending officer at First Metro Bank in Tuscumbia. He earned an associate degree at Northwest-Shoals Community College in 2015 and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Alabama in 2017. Balentine also serves as the bank’s special assets manager and sits on committees throughout areas of the bank. He is active in civic groups and community organizations, including the Kiwanis Club. He graduated from the

Shoals Chamber of Commerce EMERGE Leadership Program. He is currently enrolled in the Alabama Banking School and is expected to graduate in October 2023.

MICHAEL COX began his career in banking at Southern States Bank after graduating from Auburn University with a degree in finance. The Nashville, Tennessee, native has worked in a variety of credit roles. He has also graduated from the Alabama Banking School and will attend the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University beginning in 2024. Cox especially enjoys bridging the gap between credit and the commercial bankers to help facilitate growth and October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 17

RISING STARS

SPECIAL SECTION

maintain excellent asset quality for the bank’s shareholders while serving the needs of the communities throughout its footprint. In his downtime, he enjoys live music, grilling and socializing with family and friends.

GRETA FIFE

COLLINS DAVIS

COLLINS DAVIS joined State Bank & Trust in 2015 as a management trainee after graduating from Sewanee: The University of the South. He moved into the roles of CFO and chairman in 2019. In addition to his duties as CFO and chairman, Davis is a lender overseeing a significant loan portfolio. He is a third-generation community banker in his hometown of Winfield. He and his wife, Erin, have one child. He serves as Joseph F. Weldy Home treasurer, Northwest Regional Health advisory board member and Winfield City Schools Foundation treasurer.

she graduated from Sulligent High School before moving to Northport. In October 2020, she graduated from the Alabama Banking School. She has 23 years of banking experience and uses that experience to help new and current customers have the smoothest time possible with their finances. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with family and pets, whether watching her daughter cheer or taking a vacation with the family.

MARK FILLERS graduated from the University of Alabama and

ANNIE FURRER

ANNIE FURRER is Guntersville

GRETA FIFE is the branch manager at First State Bank of the South’s Northport branch. Born and raised in Sulligent, 18 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2021 2023

completed his MBA through Auburn University’s Executive MBA program. A Mobile native, Fillers began his banking career in 2001 in Mobile and is the South Alabama market president at Renasant Bank. Fillers worked in several leadership roles in banking prior to taking on his current role in 2017. Active with the Child Advocacy Center, Mitchell College of Business at the University of South Alabama and other organizations, he and his wife, Erin, have three children, David, William and James. The Fillers are active members of Springhill Baptist Church and Outback America. An Eagle Scout, Fillers remains involved in scouting with his sons.

MARK FILLERS

city president for the flagship corporate location of Citizens Bank & Trust. Her entire 17-year banking career has been with Citizens, starting as a part-time teller and progressing to sales assistant to the financial advisor, financial advisor and treasury

October October 2023 2021 BusinessAlabama.com | 19

RISING STARS

SPECIAL SECTION

management representative before taking the city reins for Guntersville. A Marshall County native, Furrer graduated from Auburn University with a BA in Business Administration - Finance. In her community, she serves on the boards of the Guntersville Chamber of Commerce, Marshall County Leadership, Albertville City Schools and AHFA. She is also coordinator for the Marshall County Youth Leadership Program.

SARAH GARRETT is a native of Clanton. She earned a degree in health care administration and business from Auburn University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of

Program created to develop the next generation of talented leadership within the business community. Garrett joined the Children’s Aid Society of Alabama’s Junior Board early in its inception and has played an active role there. She is a member of the Oakworth Capital Bank Community Service Committee.

SARAH GARRETT Montevallo. She joined Oakworth Capital Bank in 2016 and was recently promoted to operations project manager. In 2022, she was sponsored by Oakworth Capital Bank to attend the Momentum Upward Early-Career

BARRY HARP

BARRY HARP is the retail manager/branch manager for CB&S Bank in Pike Road. He has an undergraduate degree from Auburn University at Montgomery and a master’s from Troy University-Montgomery and has more than 20 years of banking experience. He is currently attending the Alabama Banking School. Harp is an active member of Church of the Highlands, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International and United Way. Harp lives in Wetumpka with his wife, the former Celeste Talley, and their four children: Caitlin, Lauren Grace, Whitt and Tristin. He has volunteered as a coach in youth sports. 20 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2021 2023

COLE JUSTICE

COLE JUSTICE is vice president and bank manager at First Southern State Bank in Fort Payne. A graduate of Northeast Alabama Community College and Jacksonville State University, Justice is also a graduate of the Alabama Banking School and a student at the LSU Graduate School of Banking. Justice enjoys playing guitar and singing, working on classic cars, golfing, grilling and family time with his wife, Alli, and children Jasper, Jessi, Jayda and Linna Cate. He is active with First Baptist of Fort Payne and is on the Northeast Alabama Community College advisory board, City of Fort Payne board of zoning and adjustment and Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 21

RISING STARS

SPECIAL SECTION

CLAY LANE is Lee County market president of MidSouth Bank. He graduated from Auburn University in 2003 with a marketing degree and is a 2009 graduate of Alabama Banking School. A Dothan native, Lane worked with MidSouth as a commercial

lender in the early years of his career and returned to MidSouth in 2020 to lead the team in Lee County. Lane is chair-elect for the board of the Opelika Chamber of Commerce and is secretary for the Community Foundation of East Alabama and treasurer for Youth for Christ of

CLAY LANE East Alabama and Redeeming Grace Ministries. Lane and his wife, Lenzie, and children, Knox and Stella, are active members of Auburn Community Church.

DeMARCO McCLAIN

DeMARCO McCLAIN is the Huntsville/Madison city president for Bank Independent. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Auburn University Montgomery in 2002 and an MBA from Troy University in 2014. He graduated from the University of South Alabama’s Banking School in 2018 and is active with the Alabama Bankers Association. McClain is 22 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2021 2023

SPECIAL SECTION

a graduate of the LSU School of Banking and has more than 20 years’ experience in banking. He works with Christian Job Corp Madison County, the Village of Promise, Huntsville’s Committee of 100, Huntsville’s Public Building Authority, Von Braun Center and other organizations. McClain lives in Huntsville with his wife, Clarissa, and their son, Dylan.

KAREN MORRIS is senior vice president and relationship manager of River Bank & Trust in Mobile. Since joining the bank in 2018, she has played a pivotal role in introducing the bank to the Gulf Coast. Morris earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from Auburn University, further honed her expertise at the

RISING STARS

chair for the Home Builders Association of Metro Mobile and is a founding member of the MAAR Charity Golf Tournament.

TRAMAINE PERRY is vice president/business banking for

KAREN MORRIS Alabama Banking School and has been in banking for 28 years. Morris is an active community volunteer with organizations including Junior Achievement. She teaches personal finance in local high schools, is membership

TRAMAINE PERRY

HALF HORIZ PAGE 4C AD October October 2023 2021 BusinessAlabama.com | 23

RISING STARS

SPECIAL SECTION

Hancock Whitney Corp. A star basketball player at the University of Mobile, Perry briefly played professionally before going into finance. Perry is part of 40 Under 40 for Mobile Bay Magazine and is vice president of the 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile, which provides mentorship and guidance to youth. He has been married to his wife, Kimyatta, for 15 years, and they have three sons – Jaden, Jacob and Justin. Perry coaches basketball at Daphne High School and a 12U Club Basketball team, the Alabama Kings.

community impact volunteer for the United Way of Southwest Alabama and a 2022 Real Men Wear Pink Ambassador for the American Cancer Society. He lives in Mobile with his wife, Patricia Parnell Powe, and their two children, Hilton and Mary Stuart.

DOUG SIZEMORE

DOUG SIZEMORE is a senior vice

BRITTNEY SHONK

BRITTNEY SHONK is the GARRETT POWE

GARRETT POWE is vice president, commercial banking officer for ServisFirst Bank in Mobile. He grew up in Selma and graduated with a finance degree from the University of Alabama. Powe is active at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and is on the board of the Rotary Club of Mobile, First Light Community, Friends of Magnolia Cemetery, The Cahaba Foundation and Literacy Coalition of South Alabama. Powe is a

24 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

senior vice president over private banking for Merit Bank, the only bank headquartered in Huntsville. Shonk began her banking career in college, rising through the ranks to her present position. She is on the board of United Cerebral Palsy of Huntsville & the Tennessee Valley and is on the Huntsville Museum of Art Foundation board of directors. She is also on the Professional Advisory Council for HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Shonk’s interests include interior design, physical fitness, the arts and her family, which includes husband, Darrell, and children, Blaire and Dean.

president of commercial banking for Bryant Bank in Baldwin County. He began his banking career in 2001 after earning a finance degree from the University of Alabama. He is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. He is currently participating in the Alabama Bankers Association Class of 2024’s Bank Executive Leadership certification program. Sizemore is very active in his community, previously serving as a board member of the Coastal Baldwin Education Enrichment Foundation, treasurer of the Coastal Alabama Chamber of Commerce and president and treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Gulf Shores. He is currently treasurer of The Dolphin Foundation, which supports education and arts in Gulf Shores City Schools.

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 25

RISING STARS

SPECIAL SECTION

JARED WALDROP is a senior vice president and operations officer for Troy Bank and Trust. Waldrop is a Troy native and graduated from Troy University with a business management

RACHEL TUCKER

LAURA WATFORD

LAURA WATFORD is the region-

RACHEL TUCKER is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Services Auditor serving as senior audit project manager at Regions Bank. She has seven years’ experience challenging current processes within the company, primarily in credit risk, and making recommendations to mitigate risk and add value. Tucker has been involved with the Institute of Auditors Birmingham Chapter, where she currently serves as president. Tucker started her career in a small accounting firm in Hoover that specialized in Single Audits (A-133) of HUD funded organizations. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Birmingham-Southern College, where she graduated magna cum laude. Tucker has a passion for coaching and enjoys helping others achieve their goals.

26 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2021 2023

JARED WALDROP degree in 2007. He began his career at Troy Bank and Trust in 2004, where he served in various roles within the operations department. Waldrop is currently responsible for management and oversight of information security, project management, vendor management, deposit operations, fraud operations, treasury management and customer care center, and he serves on the IT steering committee. He was recently named in ICBA’s 40 Under 40 Community Bank Leaders and is also a graduate from Alabama Banking School, Leadership Pike and Alabama Banker Association’s Executive Leadership Program.

al credit officer for the South Alabama region at SmartBank, a Tennessee-based financial institution. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of West Florida and began her career in public accounting with Carr, Riggs, Ingram in Destin, Florida. After gaining valuable experience in public accounting for seven years, Watford transitioned to a credit analyst role in 2011. Watford is a graduate of the Alabama Banking School. She lives in Dothan with her husband, Kevin, and their three daughters, McKinley, Kennedy and Kamilla.

been partnering with Congratulates this year’s We’ve Alabama Bankers to make Rising Stars of Banking loans since 1983 by:

SBA 504 Loan Program:

• Fixed-Asset Financing • Competitive and Fixed Interest Rate • Long Repayment Terms up to 25 years • For Existing or New/Start-up for-profit Companies

• helping you create more lending opportunities for your customer • sharing and mitigating risk for you • providing below-market rates fixed for the life of the loan • allowing customers to preserve more cash with lower down payments (as low as 10%). • providing your customer longer payment terms • being an Alabama Business that’s for Alabama Business

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 27

BANKING & FINANCE

Banking’s Digital Age Attracting, protecting customers in a tech-driven world

aper paychecks are long gone. Today’s bank customers — especially young ones — may never even visit their local branch. Demands on the banking industry to keep digital offerings current are intense. Banks must provide the latest online features with in-person help when customers want it. Six Alabama bankers discuss how they balance both worlds.

REGIONS BANK Andy Hernandez, chief digital officer at Birmingham-based Regions Bank, says financial guidance and the latest technology are top needs for young customers. “We know many of them grew up with technology and have expectations of being able to leverage technology to meet their banking needs,” he says. Regions continues to make investments in the digital space to meet customers’ expectations. The banking chain prides itself on personal attention, too. “Working with a bank like Regions that has a local branch presence provides 28 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

By DEBORAH STOREY

a number of benefits, including access to bankers who can serve as in-person financial education resources,” Hernandez says. “Financial wellness is a top priority at Regions, and through our no-cost Greenprint personalized plan that often starts with a conversation with a Regions banker at a branch, we are able to connect more people to resources that meet their financial goals.” Regions aims for consistency and a seamless experience between digital platforms and the local branch, he says. Customers can manage banking tasks online or visit a brick-and-mortar location when they prefer in-person assistance. Features like mobile banking are now an expectation, Hernandez says. As a result, Regions is continually upgrading its app for optimum functionality.

RIVER BANK AND TRUST Marcia Johnson is vice president and director of marketing and communications for River Bank and Trust in Prattville.

She sums up what all community bankers emphasize: “Relationships matter.” “When clients visit our office in person, their interactions with team members enhance their financial lives,” she says. “We get to know them and become attuned to their preferences and goals.” River Bank gives customers personal attention and expertise, Johnson says. Clients appreciate having someone to call or visit. “And of course, they enjoy the hospitality, from freshly baked cookies in our lobbies to having their windshields washed in our drive-throughs,” she says. Individuals can make check deposits, transfers, payments and even apply for loans online. In-person visits typically involve cash, she says. Business clients have access to remote deposit, ACH origination, e-bill pay and lockbox solutions. “With mail fraud on the rise, businesses and individuals should limit mailing check payments to protect their account information,” she advises.

BANKING & FINANCE

Local banks have less red tape, she suggests. “We often provide faster decision-making on loan applications and the potential for better rates and terms due to our focus on relationships.” To attract young customers, Johnson says, they offer a range of services like mobile check deposit, digital wallets and person-to-person payments.

to understand what specific tasks can be managed online while still maintaining their connection to the bank,” Morrow says. Local banks have a “commitment to the progress of the area,” he adds.

UNITED BANK

BANK INDEPENDENT Kelly Burdette is senior vice president for digital and product at Bank Independent in Florence. Bank Independent has what he calls a “high-tech, high-touch model” — “touch” meaning the personal touch. “You can walk in and be with people that know you and live in your community,” Burdette says, and who shake your hand and look you in the eye. That experience is preferable to being sent to a “robot,” he says. “One of Bank Independent’s strategic objectives is to provide the same service in branch and online as much as possible,” Burdette says, with an emphasis on security. With customers now in 35 states, Bank Independent has “established a sales office that is dedicated to our digital customers,” he says. Attracting young customers requires the same attention to detail. “We must have the highest quality digital tools and the same level of service and support behind the screen, too,” he says. With digital signatures, direct and mobile deposit, a local call center and secure, digital payments like debit cards and the Zelle network, it’s possible for a “digital native” to never visit a branch in person, Burdette says.

MIDSOUTH BANK Doing business face-to-face has some advantages, says Mason Morrow, president of MidSouth Bank in Dothan. “With a stronger sense of trust and familiarity as well as the potential for flexible lending and account options, customers can be better served by tailored solutions rather than pre-packaged products,” he says.

“When clients visit our office in person, their interactions with team members enhance their financial lives. We get to know them and become attuned to their preferences and goals.” — Marcia Johnson, vice president and director of marketing and communications, River Bank and Trust Almost any bank business can be handled online these days, but Morrow says those that involve “larger sums of money, complex financial decisions like selecting the best loan product for a business or home purchase, or situations requiring in-depth explanations might be better handled through a trip to the bank or at least a phone call with your banker.” Young customers, in particular, look for products and services that can be managed online, Morrow says, with 24/7 account access. All customers can use local banks to take advantage of regional opportunities and the ability to speak with a teller, he notes. Another advantage is to “secure their information through trusted institutions, which are audited and reviewed regularly for compliance.” “Each bank’s online offerings may vary, but customers can explore the bank’s website and online banking portal

Kendell Lewis is executive vice president and chief technology and innovation officer at United Bank in Atmore. Justin Jennings is the executive vice president and chief retail officer. Both executives say they attract young people by continuously evaluating online products and services. “New, young customers bank when and where convenient for them, and we provide them with that experience safely,” says Lewis. “Young people often multi-task and need to transfer money, pay a bill or open a new account while they wait in line for carpool.” Customers who need advice can message from their mobile app. Doing business at a local bank is important because “the staff in the local branches usually live in the communities they serve,” says Jennings. “The staff understands the community dynamic and economics. This allows the local branch to develop services and business practices that better fit their own communities,” he adds. Working with a local banker fosters a relationship that can help customers reach their financial goals. Almost anything can be done online, but “the customer should choose which types of transactions they are comfortable with, and the bank’s job is to meet them where they are comfortable,” Jennings says. A customer could fill out a loan application online but go to the branch for closing, for example. “We offer a hybrid module, and the customer makes the choice,” Lewis says.

MERIT BANK David Kimrey is executive vice president at the new Merit Bank in Huntsville. He, too, emphasizes relationships in a digital environment. “Electronic banking has made banking more efficient and provides consumOctober 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 29

“Electronic banking has made banking more efficient and provides consumers with more options, but being able to combine that technology with personal service is the ultimate advantage.” — David Kimrey, executive vice president, Merit Bank ers with more options, but being able to combine that technology with personal service is the ultimate advantage,” Kimrey says. Young people want the best digital tools, he says, but a personal banker can “analyze the unique needs of a young customer saving for college or their first home purchase.” A strong digital platform “can make physical trips to the branch obsolete,” Kimrey says. “Technology has paved the way for remote banking to handle most, if not all, transactions.” For that reason, cybersecurity is crucial. “If your bank offers real-time monitoring tools and alerts, you should engage those tools so you are notified immediately of any suspicious activity,” Kimrey advises. “By using your bank’s online options for transferring funds and paying bills, you get the added security measures provided by your bank — passwords, encryption, security alerts, automatic signoff, etc. — that helps to reduce the risk of fraud,” he says. Deborah Storey is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

30 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

AV I AT I O N & A E RO S PAC E

Alabama Aerospace & Aviation Companies Aerospace, aviation, engineering and manufacturing companies in Alabama ranked by number of employees.

Compiled by MEGAN BOYLE

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

1117 Dilly Branch Rd. Fort Rucker, AL 36362

334-598-0433 m1services.com

3,800

Boeing Co.

499 Boeing Blvd. SW Huntsville, AL 35824

256-461-2121 boeing.com

3,048

George C. Marshall Space Flight Center

Nasa Space Flight Ctr. Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, AL 35812

256-544-2121 nasa.gov

2,989

Dynetics Inc.

1002 Explorer Blvd. NW Huntsville, AL 35806

256-964-4000 dynetics.com

2,946

Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC)

6725 Odyssey Dr. Huntsville, AL 35806

256-971-6411 SAIC.com

2,746

Northrop Grumman Corp.

301 Voyager Way Huntsville, AL 35806

256-837-2400 northropgrumman.com

2,266

Airbus Americas Inc.

320 Airbus Way Mobile, AL 36615

251-439-4100 us.airbus.com

1,850

Lockheed Martin

4800 Bradford Dr. NW, Huntsville, AL 35805

256-722-4000 lockheedmartin.com

1,685

Collins Aerospace

351 Airport Dr. Foley, AL 36535

619-403-7326 collinsaerospace.com

1,100

VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering Inc.

2100 Aerospace Dr. Mobile, AL 36615

251-438-8888 vtmae.com

1,060

Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility providing services for both commercial airlines and air freight operators. Business unit of the aerospace division of VT Systems.

Hexagon US Federal

301 Cochran Rd. SW Huntsville, AL 35824

256-799-6300 hexagonusfederal.com

1,059

Software development.

Science & Engineering Services

248 Dunlop Blvd. SW Huntsville, AL 35824

256-258-0500 sesi-md.com

1,050

Raytheon Co.

401 Jan Davis Dr. NW, Huntsville, AL 35806

256-542-4600 rtx.com

945

Navigational, measuring, electromedical and control instruments manufacturing; additional Alabama operations in Auburn, Eastaboga, Hazel Green and Fort Rucker.

Yulista Aviation Inc.

8600 Advanced Gateway SW Huntsville, AL 35808

256-713-1360 yulista.com

923

Aerospace products and parts manufacturing; additional Alabama operations in Madison and Meridianville.

GKN Westland Aerospace Inc.

3951 Alabama Hwy. 229 S. Tallassee, AL 36078

334-283-9200 gkn.com

920

Manufacturer of composite structures and assemblies for helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and engine components.

QuantiTech

360A Quality Cir., Ste. 100 Huntsville, AL 35806

256-650-6263 quantitech.com

900

Teledyne Brown Engineering

300 Sparkman Dr. NW Huntsville, AL 35805

256-726-1000 tbe.com

794

PPG Aerospace

10326 Saint Alban Blvd. SW Huntsville, AL 35803

256-513-8498 ppgaerospace.com

750

United Launch Alliance

3401 AL-20 Decatur, AL 35601

256-432-1000 ulalaunch.com

742

Sanmina Corp.

13000 Memorial Pkwy. SW Huntsville, AL 35803

256-882-4543 sanmina.com

726

ERC Inc.

308 Voyager Way, Ste. 200 Huntsville, AL 35806

256-430-3080 erc-incorporated.com

694

Engineering and scientific services firm providing independent assessment support, IT support and operations and maintenance support to NASA, defense and commercial clients.

General Dynamics Corp.

310 The Bridge St. Huntsville, AL 35806

256-799-3665 gdit.com

589

Computer systems design; engineering, research; aerospace products and parts. Additional operations in Anniston, Cullman, Daleville, Fort Rucker, Mobile, Montgomery and Valley.

Jacobs Space Exploration Group

620 Discovery Dr. NW, Bldg. 2, Ste. 140, Huntsville, AL 35806

256-971-5500 jseg.space

586

Lockheed Martin

5500 County Rd. 37 Troy, AL 36081

334-670-9500 lockheedmartin.com

557

Westwind Group Inc.

2903 Wall Triana Hwy. SW, Ste. 5 Huntsville, AL 35824

256-319-0137 westwindcorp.com

552

Benchmark Electronics Huntsville Inc.

4807 Bradford Dr. NW Huntsville, AL 35805

256-722-6000 bench.com

538

AAR Manufacturing Inc.

140 Sparkman Dr. NW Huntsville, AL 35805

256-830-7000 aarcorp.com

500

Continental Aerospace Technologies

2039 S. Broad St. Mobile, AL 36615

800-718-3411 continentalmotors.aero

450

Intuitive Research and Technology Corp.

5030 Bradford Dr., Ste. 205 Huntsville, AL 35758

256-922-9300 irtc-hq.com

438

Delta Air Line Inc.

1710 40th St N. Air Cargo Rd., Ste. B Birmingham, AL 35212

404-715-4846 delta.com

400

Prince Metal Stamping USA Inc.

1108 Airport Industrial Dr. Gadsden, AL 35904

256-413-0587 narmco.com

385

Sikorsky Helicopter

299 Airport Blvd. Troy, AL 36079

334-807-8200 lockheedmartin.com

367

Commercial Jet

171 Pemco Dr. Midland City, AL 36350

334-873-4450 commercialjet.com

350

RANK

PHONE / WEBSITE

COMPANY

ADDRESS

M1 Support Services

Source: Dun & Bradstreet and local economic developers

BUSINESS DESCRIPTION Aircraft maintenance. Aerospace products and parts manufacturing; scientific research; additional Alabama operations in Anniston, Daleville, Danville, Eva, Hazel Green and Pinson. Programs for manned and unmanned space flights, space exploration and the like.

Aerospace/defense; additional operations in Hazel Green. Engineering and ERD PE support services in telecommunications, missile, space, aviation, hardware and software services, program management and software development. Aerospace/defense; additional operations in Madison, Mobile and Montgomery. Aircraft manufacturing; research and development. Research and development, engineering, weapons, systems development; additional operations in Anniston, Courtland, Fort Rucker, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery and Troy. Aircraft nacelle manufacturing & MRO.

Aviation integration.

Research and development. Aerospace/defense. Aviation, transparencies for airplanes. Evolved expandable launch vehicles. Semiconductors and other electronic components; additional Alabama operations in Guntersville.

Research and development. Aerospace. Manufacturing aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment. Electronic components, electromechanic assembly and systems integration. Manufacturing complete guided missiles and space vehicles Aircraft engines. Production support, systems engineering, product development, rapid prototyping and technology management services. Air transportation. Forging and stamping. Helicopter manufacturer. Aircraft maintenance.

For more companies, see businessalabama.com. October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 39

AV I AT I O N & A E RO S PAC E

Helicopter Options Andalusia’s Isolair makes systems that customize commercial helicopters By EMMETT BURNETT — Photos by JAY HARE

Michael Powell at his Isolair facility in Andalusia.

he scene is unexpected on Covington County’s Billie Blackmon Road. As one drives the Andalusia thoroughfare, thick pine tree forests give way to a 79,000-square-foot warehouse — the MRO hangar at the South Alabama Regional Airport. Inside this maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, a machine shop, fabrication center and custom aircraft implements are in various stages of completion. Also inside is Isolair Helicopter Systems Inc., as unique as the products it produces. Owned and operated by Michael and Terry Powell, Isolair does not work on helicopters per se. The company makes systems in accordance with FAA approval. And they do so all over the planet from its world headquarters in Andalusia. Isolair shares the mammoth hangar with McDermott Aviation, an Australia-based company with North American headquarters in Covington County. The two owner-business neighbors are also pals.

40 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

“I have been friends with John McDermott for almost 30 years,” Michael Powell says of the man who told him about Andalusia and Covington County’s push to aviation. “Last year he and I were on a cruise in the Adriatic Sea when John started talking about this building,” Isolair’s owner adds. “I decided to have a look,” and he did, in July 2022. Isolair is a 40-year-old company that Portland, Oregon, resident, Powell purchased in 1998. “But I was not happy in Oregon,” he says, citing high taxes and other factors. “I wanted out.” He visited the Covington County site and liked what he saw, and with Covington County, the feeling was mutual. “My first experience with Isolair was an unsolicited email,” recalls Rick Clifton, president and CEO of the Covington County Economic Development Commission. “My inbox beeped with a message heading, ‘Business Opportunity for South Alabama.’” The message was from Isolair. Responding to the email, Clifton asked Powell if he wanted to expand his business down here. Powell replied, “No. I want to move my business down here.” The Oregon to Alabama transition started the following October. During the 2022 Christmas holidays, Terry moved down and assumed her role with the company. Terry is the CEO. Michael is the president. Michael Powell concedes, “I knew nothing about Alabama when we came here but I learned to appreciate it.” He notes there were startup issues. Some are still in progress. “At times, we have issues finding workers and vendors,” says the company president. But that holds true everywhere else, too. “Good welders are always in demand,” he continues, as evident by Isolair’s “Help Wanted” sign posted on a nearby road. Isolair’s product line turns helicopters into flying workhorses. Like all businesses in the helicopter accessories industry, Isolair has required FAA approval (type certificates) to work on specific aircraft models. “There is little room to deviate from our FAA permit,” he says. “Once permitted by the FAA, you cannot modify the system.” Though the company designs, fabricates and tests the equipment, employees do not install it on the helicopter, which would be against FAA restrictions. Instead, the system is shipped to the owner, who has a separate set of FAA regulations, governing the product’s application to the aircraft. “Installation requires a whole different level of approval, and I do not want to be involved in that,” says Michael Powell. That goes for flying, too. “I have no desire to be a pilot,” he adds, “but I have flown in helicopters all over the world.” From Andalusia, completed helicopter systems are shipped

AV I AT I O N & A E RO S PAC E

Robby Davison welds the frame for a helicopter spraying mechanism at Isolair Helicopter Systems Inc.

to customers throughout the company’s sales territory — Earth. “For example, right now I am exchanging emails with a customer in India,” Powell says, pointing at his computer screen. He explains that Indian rice paddies are coming into harvest and need aerial spraying. August through September are often slower months. “Usually during those times, countries are either already spraying crops or already fighting fires. Either way, it is too late for us to be involved. This time of year (August), we build parts and components to stock our shelves.” As one might think, customer satisfaction is critical when purchasing an aircraft accessory with a price tag above $150,000 to be added to a chopper with its own $4 million price tag. Therefore, every piece of equipment to be attached to the belly of the beast with rotating blades receives rigorous testing before installation. Pumps, valves, piping, electronics, computers — even nuts and bolts — all must pass examination. Products are pushed through simulations, indicative of conditions it is designed for. If it is built by Isolair, it is tested by Isolair before going airborne. The commonality of all helicopter parts and accessories is weight, and the lack thereof. “We use a lot of alumi-

num,” says Michael Powell, conducting an impromptu tour of the parts room, as we examine piping drilled with calibrated holes specifically for crop spraying. “In the helicopter application business, the lighter it is the better it is.” Heavy is the enemy. Major product lines include equipment for firefighting, forestry and agri-

culture. To date, more than 22 Isolair systems and other options are FAA approved and tailored to client needs. They include: FIREFIGHTING

Attached to the underside of a helicopter, the “Eliminator” system dumps flame retardant chemicals, regulated by the pilot. Isolair’s firefighting systems are deployed in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and more. Powell notes that just as countries have specific growing seasons, many have fire seasons, which vary across the globe. AGRICULTURE

“When Isolair relocated to Andalusia, we thought it would create about 7 jobs. Turns out, Isolair combined with McDermott Aviation added 25-plus jobs.” —Rick Clifton, president and CEO of the Covington County Economic Development Commission

Isolair’s spray systems use pumps built in-house. Mounted boom spans can be rotated for desired nozzle position and sprays. Isolair’s “Innovator” series can spray pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and the like on a swath covering 40 to 60 feet at 85 mph. Some models do more, others do less, depending on crop, soil and helicopter. “Agriculture is a major part of our business,” Powell adds. “We do a lot of business in the U.S. Midwest during corn season.” FORESTRY

One of Isolair’s first product lines was forestry protection and growth. “The October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 41

AV I AT I O N & A E RO S PAC E

Firefly,” “Broadcaster” and “Dryslinger” models offer an array of units dispersing fertilizer and seed or carrying payloads. As for the future, “business aviation needs change,” Powell explains. “Businesses add helicopters to their aircraft fleet. Older helicopters are replaced by new models.” They need new accessories. “We have done a lot of mosquito control work in Florida,” the Isolair president recalls. “But on occasion, bugs build a tolerance to pesticides. New methods are deployed, often requiring new equipment and/or different helicopters.” Isolair hopes to fill those needs. Regardless of product line and applications, Covington County appreciates having the new business in its municipal portfolio. “When Isolair relocated to Andalusia, we thought it would create about 7 jobs,” recalls Clifton. “Turns out, Isolair combined with McDermott Aviation added 25-plus jobs.” He adds, “And these are skilled posi-

42 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

“I knew nothing about Alabama when we came here but I learned to appreciate it.” —Michael Powell, Isolair co-owner

tions — mechanics, designers, aircraft welders and more.” Clifton also notes, “The Powell’s are great people, too. They came from Oregon knowing very little about Alabama. They bought a house here, bank locally and participate in local events. They have had a great impact on our community.” Covington County is striving to build its aviation and aerospace sector — with success. In addition to the MRO Hangar, recent expansions to the Alabama Aviation College – Andalusia Campus, the South Alabama Regional Airport and nearby Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker) are creating a new workforce. Isolair is the newest member of that cluster. Emmett Burnett and Jay Hare are freelance contributors to Business Alabama. Burnett is based in Satsuma and Hare in Dothan.

I N N OVAT I O N

FROM CRISIS TO CLARITY PRISMM offers a solution for a modern-day dilemma By CHRISTIANA ROUSSEL — Photo by CARY NORTON

hree days — that’s the average amount of time an employee has for the bereavement process. But ask anyone who has recently wrestled with the paperwork involved in end-of-life matters — from medical records to financial documents to legal filings — and they will tell you that three days is nowhere near enough time to sort through everything. Martha Underwood, CEO and founder of PRISMM, understands this firsthand. When a family emergency required all-hands on deck and the collecting of important password-protected documents, Underwood devised a better solution to streamline an already overly stressful process. Her solution is PRISMM — a secure digital vault designed to ensure seamless access to vital information and assets. In short, this is document management and estate planning in the digital age, where 100% of assets and relevant documentation are securely stored until needed.

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 43

I N N OVAT I O N

The PRISMM team, from left, CEO Martha Underwood, Co-founder Chris Winslett and COO Shella Sylla. Photo courtesy of PRISMM.

“73 million baby boomers hold $140 trillion in wealth, with $84 trillion projected to be transferred to millennial and Gen X heirs through 2045, $16 trillion of that in just the next 10 years,” says Underwood. “This is slated to be the greatest wealth transfer event in modern history. Proper planning and oversight will ensure nothing is lost and administrative time is reduced significantly.”

IT’S PERSONAL “In 2017, my parents were living in Miami when Hurricane Irma made landfall,” Underwood says. “While their home did not sustain much damage, their neighbor’s home had a huge tree fall on it. My dad grabbed his chainsaw and climbed up on their roof to help. Well, he slipped and fell and was unconscious.” Her family was suddenly in unfamiliar territory. “My mom called me (here, in Birmingham), just frantic. My dad always oversaw everything from mortgage payments to life insurance, health insurance, and all the other legal stuff — she did not even know where to begin. She was distraught.” No one knew where to find passwords to patient portals or on-line banking records. Not having access to specific information or permission to discuss timely information with those in charge, sparked an idea. With more than 20 years’ experi44 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

ence in the technology corridor — in high-performance positions within IBM, Callidus (now SAP) and BBVA — Underwood had the industry knowledge and connections to create a prototype of the digital vault she envisioned. “I’ve worked in so many different business verticals, seeing their intersectionality and how they come together, especially as it relates to wealth transfer.” Friends and family were the first to use the product and provided valuable feedback; enhancements and upgrades were immediately developed.

BUT IS IT SECURE? While most everyone could see the need for a product like PRISMM, she says, the first question people ask is: “How secure is it?” Her own experience with cyber-security and banking regulations provided a solid foundation for the endeavor, but she chose to add the dynamic skillsets of her co-founder, Christopher Winslett, to take the project to the next level. “Chris is a tech savant who truly understands

the security piece — the very foundation of the product we offer.” About his bona fides, Winslett adds, “I’ve worked with startups and database and cloud services for about 15 years. I was part of a Birmingham company that sold to IBM in 2015 and helped build the technology at GradesFirst that sold to EAB as well. In 2019, I built and launched Cloverly with Alabama Power, and that company spun out and recently raised a $19 million round. I’ve been with YCombinator startups and mentored Techstars companies. I consider myself a programmer who can build nice products.”

END-OF-LIFE APPLICATIONS AND MORE While the impetus for creating PRISMM was her father’s medical emergency (he experienced a full recovery after healing from a few cracked ribs), Underwood has continued to discover and explore other applications. “There are countless scenarios where it makes sense to digitally secure all of your pertinent financial and legal information.” It is an ideal vehicle for young professionals who are just starting to acquire assets, adding to their PRISMM account as they grow. As Underwood says: “I hate to hear people say ‘later’ — if I have learned anything, it is that ‘later’ does not belong to us. We have to act now.” Underwood has also seen PRISMM be effectively used in divorce proceedings. “I have several clients who wanted to ensure all of their assets were accounted for and protected, should their marriages dissolve. No one wants to plan

“We’re just getting started. Beyond the end-oflife applications, we see PRISMM’s use in other industries. Wealth management firms are discovering the value of white-labeling this product to their clients.”

for divorce, but by digitally securing and protecting your entire financial, medical and legal documentation, the process can have more equity and a speedier resolution.” Wealth management and other financial institutions are now offering PRISMM as an enhancement to their services. PRISMM allows these advisors the opportunity to strengthen client connections while providing a seamless method for wealth transfer and inheritance planning. Employers can see the benefits as well, offering PRISMM to their key team members, alongside 401(k) contributions and enhanced medical insurance programs. “Demands on our time outside of work — caregiving for children and parents — can take away from workplace productivity. When an employee is distracted by having to track down medical or insurance information for an incapacitated loved one, their eye is off the ball at work. Employers who offer PRISMM as a benefit to their employees are just making smart business decisions that engender connection and loyalty.”

WHY BIRMINGHAM? Why choose Birmingham for the company headquarters? “Access,” says Underwood. “It is all about access here. Access to decision-makers and access to capital — pure and simple. I know I can make one or two calls and get a meeting with someone or be connected with a person I need to know. That wouldn’t happen in New York or Silicon Valley or Chicago. It just wouldn’t. We also know how to collaborate here.” Catching up with Underwood immediately after her Rising Star Award win with Circle of Influence, her vision for the future of PRISMM is unshakeable. “This is hard work, sometimes it feels like invisible work, but it is so important. Knowing the impact PRISMM will have on this generation and the next and the next is what drives me.” Christiana Roussel and Cary Norton are Birmingham-based freelance contributors to Business Alabama.

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 45

SPOTLIGHT

JEFFERSON COUNTY

Jefferson County by KATHERINE MacGILVRAY

Protective Stadium.

efferson County has seen a lot of activity in the past two years, from hosting the World Games in 2022, to commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Birmingham civil and human rights movement in 2023, to announcing the largest capital investment in the county’s history, the $1.1 billion Smucker’s plant scheduled to begin production in 2025. While the county’s economy was historically forged in iron and steel, today it centers on health care. The University of Alabama at Birmingham, an internationally renowned comprehensive research university and academic medical center, is the largest single employer in the state, and one of every 20 jobs in Alabama is either held directly by a UAB employee or is supported by UAB’s presence. Jefferson County is a major hub for research taking place at UAB and its affiliate Southern Research. Last May, the nonprofit scientific research organization broke ground on a flagship biotech center. The 200,000-square-foot, $84 million facility will double the organization’s lab space for infectious disease research and expand its work on developing treatments for cancer and other illnesses. It will also double the institution’s annual economic impact to $300 million and is expected to create 150 jobs.

Downtown Birmingham.

UAB.

The county also continues to attract companies from the distribution, manufacturing, technology and financial services industries. Findings reported this spring by the Alabama SBDC Network in the University of Alabama’s Research and Economic Development Department revealed that the Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority, which owns and develops two industrial parks — Jeff Met McCalla, home to the future Smucker plant, and Jeff Met Lakeshore — has a direct impact of $14.5 million annually on the county and $23 million on the state. The report also states the parks have generated a total of $4.5 billion in outside capital investment since the authority’s inception in 1999. The two parks have nearly 5,000 employees. Small privately-owned companies based in Jefferson County are also getting support through the Birmingham Business Alliance’s Supplier Scale Program, part of the BBA’s Business Advisory Services initiative and made possible by the Jefferson County Commission. The six-month program, which launched in the fall of 2021, is offered at no cost through a partnership with Prosper and has set a goal to serve 250 companies and create 1,300 new jobs over the next five years. October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 47

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

Signaling a return to pre-pandemic levels of travel to the area, Jefferson County saw a record $2.4 billion economic impact from tourism in 2022, matching a record set in 2019. Of all the travelers to Alabama, some 14% visit Jefferson County, making the Greater Birmingham area the second-largest market for tourism in the state. Last summer, Birmingham hosted the 2022 World Games and welcomed more than 140,000 ticketed visitors as well as an additional 24,400 spectators who attended the World Games Plaza, according to an event evaluation report commissioned by the International World Games Association and the Birmingham

2022 Organizing Committee. An additional 227,000 tickets were purchased by corporate sponsors. The overall economic impact is reported at $165 million. Birmingham was the 11th host city in the World Games’ 41-year history and the second U.S. city to host the event. Located in north-central Alabama, Jefferson County is home to more than 660,000 residents and is the state’s most populated county.

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

P O P U L AT I O N Total Alabama Population: 5,074,296

Shelby County: $82,592 Madison County: $71,153 St. Clair County: $65,070 Baldwin County: $64,346 Jefferson County: $58,330 Tuscaloosa: $57,508 Blount County: $52,830 State of Montgomery County: $52,511 Alabama $54,943 Mobile County: $51,169 Walker County: $47,442 Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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

Jefferson County: 665,409 Mobile County: 411,411 Madison County: 403,565 Baldwin County: 246,435 Tuscaloosa County: 236,780 Shelby County: 230,115 Montgomery County: 226,361 St. Clair County: 93,932 Walker County: 64,339 Source: U.S. Census Bureau Blount County: 59,512

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Economic Engines Vincent’s, Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital and the Birmingham VA Medical Center also serve Jefferson County. METAL & STEEL

Amazon’s fulfillment center in Bessemer. HEALTH CARE

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, part of the University of Alabama System, is an internationally renowned comprehensive research university and academic medical center. UAB Hospital handles nearly 2 million patient visits a year, and more than 21,500 students are enrolled at the university. Its economic impact on the state exceeds $12.1 billion annually, and for every $1 in state funding UAB receives, the institution generates $39.95 in economic impact that is returned to the state. With 28,000 employees, UAB is also the largest employer in Alabama. Jefferson County is a major hub for research taking place at UAB and its affiliate Southern Research. UAB received a record $715 million in research grants and awards in 2022, and over the past five years extramural-sponsored funding at UAB has increased by nearly 50%. Jefferson County is also served by Children’s of Alabama, one of the largest and busiest pediatric medical facilities in the nation. Grandview Medical Center, Brookwood Baptist and Princeton Baptist Medical Centers, Ascension St.

B U S I N E S S JUNE 2023: The Department of the Air Force awards two $1.25 million Small Business Innovation Research Direct-to-Phase II grants to Birminghambased Analytical AI to research and develop an AI-enabled foreign object debris detection system. JUNE 2023: The City of Hoover, along

In August 2022 O’Neal Steel announced a $2.6 million expansion of its Birmingham headquarters that will add a flat laser and press brake for the value-added processing of metal parts. O’Neal Steel is one of several metal and steel companies in Jefferson County. American Cast Iron Pipe Co., U.S. Pipe and Foundry, Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel and McWane Inc. are among the top industrial employers in Jefferson County. Other big names are Nucor Steel Birmingham and CMC Commercial Metals. In February, CMC Steel Alabama, which employs nearly 400 people, announced plans to invest $67.75 million to expand and update its Birmingham facility, including modernizing more than two-thirds of its rolling mill. AUTOMOTIVE

Alabama is home to five top automotive manufacturers with supplier firms critical to the state’s economy. Jefferson County is home to auto suppliers including MOBIS, Gestamp and Yanfeng, all operating in the Jefferson County Metropolitan Industrial Park. Kamtek, which makes aluminum structural casting for vehicles, is the third-

largest industrial manufacturer in the county with 970 employees. Birmingham-headquartered Autocar LLC, which manufactures severe-duty specialized trucks, introduced its first Alabama-built EV last year, a batteryelectric terminal tractor. The company recently enhanced its Birmingham facility with an advanced EV assembly line, and the company’s in-house-designed powerpacks and HV battery packs are the first EV powertrain components being assembled on the new line. FINANCIAL / INSURANCE / UTILITIES

Regions Financial Corp., the largest banking employer in Alabama, is once again on the annual Fortune 500 list, ranking 483rd of the largest corporations in the U.S. In July, Regions reported second quarter earnings of $556 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.59. Compared to the second quarter of 2022, total revenue increased to $2 billion, reflecting a 12% year-over-year growth. Bank of America, the nation’s second-largest bank, has plans to open a Birmingham center next year and five locations in the Birmingham area by the end of 2026. Currently Bank of America does not have an Alabama branch. Birmingham-based ServisFirst, which recently ranked 15th on the 2023 Forbes America’s Best Banks list, opened its first location in Virginia and 30th in the U.S. Headquartered in Birmingham, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama employs more than 3,300 and is the largest provider of health care benefits in the state, providing coverage to more than 2.8 million people. Also

B R I E F S

with Regions Bank and Healthcare Resources, announces the development of Riverwalk Village, a 90-acre mixed-use community of medical offices, walking trails, green spaces, housing and retail areas. MAY 2023: BirminghamShuttlesworth International Airport breaks ground on a

$27 million general cargo terminal that will serve as the Southeast hub for Kuehne+Nagel, a global transport and logistics company. MAY 2023: Bill Noble Park in Gardendale celebrates its opening day after a $32 million redevelopment. The park includes facilities for baseball, softball, tennis, pickleball, football and

basketball, plus a putting green and a playground. MAY 2023: Austin-based Tquila Automation announces plans to open a regional delivery center in Birmingham, creating 200 jobs over the next five years. MAY 2023: Grandview Medical Center’s 12,500-square-foot Freestanding Emergency

Department opens in Trussville, providing 24/7 emergency services. MARCH 2023: The Jefferson County Commission approves more than $2.6 million in federal ARPA funding to assist organizations in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District with tourism projects.

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 49

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

headquartered in Birmingham, Protective Life has 1,200 employees at its largest core site in Mountain Brook. Alabama Power is the second-largest electric utility operating under Atlantabased Southern Company and provides electricity to a 44,500-square-mile service territory in the southern two-thirds of the state. Other utility providers in the region include Spire Inc. and AT&T. TRADE / TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION / DIVERSE

The J.M. Smucker Co. announced plans to build a $1.1 billion manufacturing and distribution facility in McCalla in late 2021 — an enormous economic development win for Jefferson County history. The plant is the third in the country dedicated exclusively to producing Smucker’s Uncrustables brand and is expected to begin production in 2025 and bring up to 750 jobs to the area. With 5,000 employees, Amazon has catapulted to the top of the list of largest industrial employers in Jefferson County since opening its Bessemer fulfillment center in 2020. Shortly after opening the center, the company announced plans to expand its footprint with two new delivery stations in the Birmingham metro area. Gulf Distributing Holdings, which came to the area in 2017 with the acquisition of Supreme Beverage Co., opened a new 170,000-square-foot facility in McCalla in December 2022. The site supports the company’s operations in the Birmingham area and surrounding 12-counties. In September 2022, Kroger launched a delivery service in Birmingham, bringing about 160 jobs to the area. The grocery chain opened a 50,000-square-foot facility that serves as a fulfillment center for the new delivery network. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is the state’s busiest airport and in May broke ground on its first dedicated general cargo terminal. The $27 million facility will serve as the Southeastern U.S. air hub for Kuehne+Nagel, a global transport and logistics company that plans to serve aerospace, pharmaceutical and automotive companies, including Mercedes-Benz. 50 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

HIGH-TECH / DIGITAL

The growth of the tech industry in Jefferson County shows no signs of slowing down. Innovation Depot, which calls itself the heartbeat of Birmingham’s entrepreneurial community, has been supporting the development and launch of tech-based businesses for more than 35 years. UAB is a founding partner of the high-tech incubator, which has had more than a $3 billion economic impact in the past five years. In March, the Birmingham City Council approved funding to redevelop the Edwards Motor Co. building so that it can be leased as flexible workspace for start-up businesses graduating from Innovation Depot. In May, Austin-based Tquila Automation, an automation software company, announced plans for a Birmingham location that will create 200 jobs and is expected to generate up to $21.51 million in overall economic impact over the next 20 years. Retail tech company Shipt, which is headquartered in Birmingham, announced the appointment of its first chief growth officer in June. Katie Stratton will lead the expansion of Shipt’s business initiatives and develop growth with retail and consumer packaged goods partners. Shipt founder Bill Smith has moved to another venture, Birmingham-based Landing, which offers members access to a network of furnished, flexible-lease apartments across the country. TOURISM

In June, the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau announced that the tourism industry generated a record $2.4 billion in economic impact for Jefferson County in 2022, officially signaling the return to pre-pandemic levels. Total taxes generated for the state by tourism in Jefferson County exceeded $183 million, and local government received $100 million in taxes from area tourism. The industry also supported 51,000 full-time jobs in 2022, another record number, generating $1.2 billion in resident income. This year, the city of Birmingham is commemorating the 60th anniversary of

the 1963 Birmingham civil and human rights movement. The Birmingham Civil Rights District is a national monument that centers on the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and several sites that played a major role in the movement. In March, the Jefferson County Commission approved more than $2.6 million

TAXES PROPERTY TAX JEFFERSON COUNTY: 13.5 mills STATE OF ALABAMA: 6.5 mills

SALES TAX JEFFERSON COUNTY: 1% Cities within the county: Adamsville: 4% Argo: 4% Bessemer: 4% Brookside: 4% Birmingham: 4% Brighton: 4% Center Point: 4% Clay: 4% Fairfield: 4% Fultondale: 4% Gardendale: 4% Graysville: 4% Homewood: 4% Hoover: 3.5% Hueytown: 4% Irondale: 4% Kimberly: 4% Leeds: 4% Lipscomb: 4% Midfield: 4% Morris: 4% Mountain Brook: 3% Mulga: 3% Pinson: 4% Pleasant Grove: 4% Sylvan Springs: 4% Tarrant: 4% Trafford: 3% Trussville: 4% Vestavia Hills: 4% Warrior: 4% West Jefferson: 4% STATE OF ALABAMA: 4% Source: Alabama Department of Revenue

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

in federal ARPA funding to assist organizations in the Civil Rights District with tourism projects. And in June, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced the district will receive a

Largest Industrial Employers

$21.6 million federal grant for street infrastructure. Birmingham is also a sports destination and, in addition to hosting the 2022 World Games, its recent lineup of events includes the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the USFL, National Senior Games and the Bassmaster Classic. The city is also slated to host the 2024 Transplant Games of

America and the 2025 World Police and Fire Games. Next summer, historic Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in the U.S., will host a special regular season Major League Baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants. The city is also home to UAB athletics, which joined the American Athletic Conference in July.

AMAZON

Warehouse and storage • 5,000 employees

AMERICAN CAST IRON PIPE CO. Hydrant, valve & pipe manufacturer 1,500 employees

KAMTEK

Motor vehicle parts manufacturing 970 employees

UNITED STATES PIPE AND FOUNDRY Iron foundry • 970 employees

BUFFALO ROCK

Soft drink manufacturing • 800 employees

U.S. STEEL CORP.

Iron and steel mills, ferroalloy manufacturing • 750 employees

DRUMMOND CO.

Coal mining • 730 employees

ALTEC INDUSTRIES

Construction machinery manufacturing 635 employees

AMEREX CORP.

Fabricated metal products • 625 employees

MCWANE INC.

Industrial valve manufacturing 625 employees

COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY UNITED INC.

Soft drink manufacturing • 607 employees

BLOX MEDICAL MODULES

Prefabricated metal building and component manufacturing 500 employees

MOTION INDUSTRIES

Industrial supplies • 400 employees

HUBBELL POWER SYSTEMS

Current-carrying wiring device manufacturing • 400 employees Source: Local economic development officials

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 51

Health Care

and is licensed for 332 beds and 48 NICU bassinets. Children’s offers inpatient and outpatient services at its Russell Campus in Birmingham with additional specialty services at Children’s South and Children’s on 3rd Outpatient Center, as well as in Huntsville and Montgomery. Children’s also provides primary care at more than a dozen medical offices in communities across central Alabama. The private, not-for-profit medical center also serves as the teaching hospital for UAB residency programs.

Children’s of Alabama is a fixture in downtown Birmingham.

GRANDVIEW MEDICAL CENTER

UAB HEALTH SYSTEM

UAB is among the top academic medical centers in the nation. UAB Hospital, the eighth-largest hospital in the country, sees almost 2 million patients each year. In July, UAB announced temporary and long-term expansions of the UAB Hospital University Emergency Department. Temporary renovations began in June and will create nine new exam rooms and temporary waiting room space. Long-term plans for the $73 million project are renovations to the first floor of UAB Hospital’s North Pavilion, creating clinical care space and constructing a new three-story space in the drop-off drive of North Pavilion. In total, 66,030 new square feet of construction is anticipated and will provide 59 new exam rooms and additional imaging capacity for emergency clinical care. In early 2023, UAB surgeons, across 15 medical disciplines, collectively completed more than 20,000 robotic surgeries at UAB Hospital since 2004. Half of them occurred in the five-year span since 2018. In May, the hospital successfully delivered the first baby from a uterus transplant recipient outside of a clinical trial in the U.S. The baby was the first born out of the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute and UAB Medicine uterus transplant program. In June 2022, the O’Neal Compre52 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

hensive Cancer Center at UAB celebrated its 50th anniversary and announced a five-year $27.5 million renewal of its core National Cancer Institute grant. The renewal will support UAB’s cancer research program through 2026. And in July, the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute awarded the center and the UAB Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center a five-year $9.6 million grant to participate in its Persistent Poverty Initiative. The funds will help establish a center to study ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer and the lives of survivors. In a breakthrough study published in January 2022 in the American Journal of Transplantation, UAB researchers proved that genetically modified pig kidneys can be transplanted into humans. CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA

This year marks the 14th consecutive year that U.S. News & World Report has ranked Children’s of Alabama among the nation’s best children’s hospitals. Children’s also ranked in the top 50 in eight specialty pediatric services including cancer and cardiology. The hospital is also listed as the No. 1 children’s hospital in the state according to the 2023-24 Best Children’s Hospital Survey, an honor it held the previous year as well. Children’s is one of the largest and busiest pediatric hospitals in the nation

Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham is a 434-bed tertiary care hospital that offers diverse specialties from heart care to labor and delivery to robotic-assisted surgery for patients in the city and surrounding communities. Specialty units include a Level III trauma center, a certified Chest Pain Center, a nationally recognized stroke center, a cardiac cath lab, and neonatal, surgical and medical intensive care. In May, Grandview opened a 12,500-square-foot freestanding emergency department in Trussville. In November 2021, the National Pancreas Foundation (NPF) approved Grandview Cancer Center as an NPF Center. The recognition came after a rigorous audit to determine that the Cancer Center meets the criteria developed by a task force of subject matter experts and patient advocates — such as suitable numbers of physicians in related specialties and patient support programs. BROOKWOOD BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER

In March, Brookwood Baptist Medical Center, a 645-bed acute care facility with 1,375 employees, celebrated its 50th anniversary. “This is a special place,” said CEO Jeremy Clark, who was born at Brookwood and grew up in Birmingham. “Being here for the 50th anniversary after being born here is an indescribable honor for me, and I’m so grateful to everyone who has passed through our doors the last 50 years. This celebration

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

is a testament to the work our staff puts in every day, and the future looks just as bright as the first 50 years.” This spring Brookwood opened three facilities — its Koning Vera Breast CT, which is smaller and faster than fullbody CT scanners but able to produce a 3D image of the breast; its $30 million operating room addition and its two new cardiac catheterizaion labs. PRINCETON BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER

Princeton Baptist Medical Center celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022. The 499-bed facility offers a full range of services, and has 944 employees. In February, the Princeton heart team completed its 500th Watchman procedure. The implant is a one-time minimally invasive procedure for people with certain types of atrial fibrillation. ASCENSION ST. VINCENT’S

Ascension St. Vincent’s Birmingham is an all-private room, 409-bed acute care hospital that offers services ranging from robotics surgery to the state’s first heart valve clinic, plus an array of other services. Also in Birmingham, Ascension St. Vincent’s East offers primary care plus services ranging from ER and cancer care to sleep disorders.. In May, Ascension St. Vincent’s made Newsweek’s 2023 list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals.

Disease-Specific Care Certification in stroke rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation and hip fracture rehabilitation. BIRMINGHAM VA MEDICAL CENTER

The Birmingham Veterans Affairs Healthcare System celebrates 70 years of service to veterans in Alabama this year. In addition to providing primary care

and specialty health services — cardiology, mental health services, neurology, oncology, hospice and palliative care — the center is a progressive teaching facility accredited by The Joint Commission and partners with the UAB School of Medicine, Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy and Auburn University School of Pharmacy.

Jeffmet McCalla Cowley Industrial Property 7620 Old Tuscaloosa Highway, McCalla, AL 35111 The Cowley Industrial Property is Jefferson County’s newest publicly owned development. This site boasts 140 immediately developable acres and is expandable to 190 acres. Conveniently situated off of I-20/59, its location places it just 25 minutes from downtown Birmingham. This property provides seamless access to several major markets and is only two and a half hours away from Atlanta. It’s unique location 20 minutes away from the MercedesBenz OEM positions this site as an ideal choice for advanced manufacturing in the automotive and aerospace sectors. The site provides access to a labor force totaling nearly 610,000 people within a 45-minute drive time.

UAB MEDICAL WEST

Medical West Hospital Authority, an affiliate of UAB Health System, broke ground in November 2021 on a 412,000-square-foot, nine-story hospital with 200 beds and a 127,000-squarefoot, five-story medical office building in McCalla. The full-service hospital is scheduled to open in 2024. ENCOMPASS HEALTH LAKESHORE REHABILITATION HOSPITAL

The Birmingham facility houses a team of experts to provide rehabilitiation for patients recovering from stroke, brain injury and other complex neurological and orthopedic conditions. The hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for

For drone footage and interactive data, please scan the QR code. An additional 330 acres available for development

Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority

Movers & Shapers EDWARD ALDAG is chairman,

president and CEO of Medical Properties Trust Inc., a health care company he launched in 2003 that has since grown to more than $22 billion in assets. The Eufaula native earned a degree in finance at the University of Alabama. Aldag serves on the board of Children’s of Alabama and its foundation. He also serves on the boards of Mitchell’s Place, the Birmingham Education Foundation and the American Sports Medicine Institute and is an executive committee member of the Birmingham Business Alliance. STEVE AMMONS is CEO of the

Birmingham Business Alliance. Ammons previously served as Jefferson County Commissioner for District 5, where he was also the chairman of both the Economic Development and the Information Technology committees. He also managed the recruitment of the J.M. Smucker Co. to Jefferson County, which led to a $1.2 billion capital investment, the largest in the county’s history. Ammons is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. ANUPAM AGARWAL was named

dean of the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, senior vice president of medicine and chair of the Health Services Foundation Board in February 2023. Dr. Agarwal serves as the program director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases-funded O’Brien Center for Acute Kidney Injury Research, and his contributions providing critical insights regarding acute kidney injury have been recognized through election to the American Society for

Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians and the American Clinical and Climatological Association. He also has served as president of the American Society of Nephrology.

Accountant, a member of the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Council of Teaching Hospitals board and she is active in the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

RICH BIELEN has served as president

FRANK BROCATO is mayor of

and CEO of Protective Life since 2017. Bielen is a Certified Public Accountant and earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University. Bielen is chairman of the board of Children’s of Alabama and atlarge director of Innovate Alabama. He also serves on boards for The American Council of Life Insurers, United Way of Central Alabama, Birmingham Business Alliance and Leadership Birmingham. In 2020, Bielen was nominated to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce board, and in September 2024, he will become chair of the board of ACLI. MELANIE BRIDGEFORTH is the

president and CEO of Women’s Foundation of Alabama. She is a nationally recognized thought leader, a 2021 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow and serves on the Federal Reserve Board – Birmingham Branch. She also serves the Alabama Women’s Health Commission. Bridgeforth earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Alabama. DAWN BULGARELLA was named

CEO of the UAB Health System and CEO of the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance in February 2023. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and a master’s in health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a Certified Public

Hoover. A graduate of BirminghamSouthern College, he also earned a paramedic license from UAB and a degree in fire science from Jefferson State Community College. Brocato worked with the Hoover Fire Department for 42 years before becoming mayor. In 2003 he received the Chief Fire Officer Designation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation, and in 2008 he was awarded the Chief Medical Officer Designation and was also named Commander of the State of Alabama Incident Management Team. MEREDITH CALHOUN is the founder

and CEO of Tessa Commercial Real Estate. A graduate of the University of Georgia, she is chair of the REV Birmingham board and former board chair of both the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama and the Literacy Council and Children’s Aid Society of Alabama. She is also Kiwanis Club secretary. Calhoun served on Mayor Randall Woodfin’s Inaugural Small Business Council for the City of Birmingham and was recognized by the Birmingham Business Journal as one of the Top 40 Under 40 of the Decade in 2021. MYLAH CALHOUN is vice president

of the Birmingham Division of Alabama Power and previously served as president of the Alabama Power Foundation and vice president

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

of Charitable Giving for Alabama Power. She is a graduate of Spelman College and the University of Alabama School of Law. Calhoun is a 2018 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow and serves on the boards of Children’s of Alabama, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Opportunity Alabama, Ed Farm, Indian Springs School, the United Way of Central Alabama and the Birmingham Business Alliance.

of Alabama, United Way of Central Alabama, the UAB Research Foundation Board and the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau. Curran has been recognized across multiple areas by Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers has named him “Lawyer of the Year” multiple times, including this year for venture capital law. Curran attended Vanderbilt University and the University of Alabama School of Law.

JOSH CARPENTER is president and

MATTHEW DENT is president and

CEO of Southern Research. Earlier, he served as director of innovation and economic opportunity for the City of Birmingham. Carpenter is a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and serves on the boards of Birmingham Promise and the American Association of Rhodes Scholars. A Rhodes Scholar, he earned a doctorate in political economy from the University of Oxford. DANIEL COLEMAN is president

of BirminghamSouthern College. He is also an adjunct professor of finance at the college and previously served on the board of trustees. He currently serves as co-chair of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin’s financial advisory team and has also served on the boards of the Alabama Symphony Endowment and of Build UP, an early-college workforce development program. The Birmingham native earned his bachelor’s degree at Yale and his MBA at the University of Chicago. GREG CURRAN is chairman of

Maynard Nexsen and a member of the corporate and business transactions practice. He serves on the boards for Junior Achievement

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CEO of Buffalo Rock Co. where he started working as an intern while earning his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the Culverhouse College of Business at the University of Alabama. Dent is chair of the American Beverage Association and an executive committee member for the Pepsi Cola Bottlers Association and serves on boards for Fenwick Brands and the Alabama State Parks Foundation. BROOKE GILLIS is CEO of Innovation

Depot, a Birmingham-based business incubator. The tech startup veteran previously served as program manager for the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator. Gillis earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Alabama. JOE HAMPTON is president of

Spire’s Alabama and Mississippi natural gas utilities. Hampton earned a bachelor’s degree in physics at Stillman College, a bachelor’s degree in engineering at the University of Alabama and a master’s in business administration and management at Troy University. In 2022 Hampton received the Shelby County NAACP Man of the Year Award and in 2019 was named one of Birmingham’s most influential leaders by the Birmingham Business Journal.

TOM HILL is president, CEO and

chairman of the board for Vulcan Materials Co. He has been with the company for more than 25 years. Hill serves on the Regions Financial Corp. board of directors and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the Wharton School of Business Executive Management Program. CATHY SLOSS JONES is president

and CEO of Sloss Real Estate Co., an urban redevelopment firm founded by her grandfather in 1920. Jones serves on multiple boards, including the Lakeshore Foundation, the Birmingham Museum of Art and Sloss Furnaces; she chairs the Lakeview Business Association and the Alabama Chapter of the Urban Land Institute; and she serves on the National Steering Committee for Locus, Smart Growth America’s Coalition of Real Estate Developers and Investors. Jones attended Harvard University as a Loeb Fellow in 2007 and was a visiting scholar at Harvard’s graduate school of design in 2008. BOBBIE KNIGHT is president of Miles

College and CEO of her own company, Bobbie Knight Consulting LLC. She is chair of the board of managers of Birmingham Times Media Group and vice chair of the Birmingham Airport Authority. She served earlier on boards of key civic organizations in Birmingham. Knight is a University of Alabama graduate with a law degree from the Birmingham School of Law, plus credentials from Northwestern University’s Management Executive Leadership Program.

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

JOE KNIGHT, a Jefferson County

commissioner, is president protem and chairs several committees. Knight served on the executive committee for the World Games 2022, is the vice-chair of the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, a board member of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham and a past member of the Cooper Green Mercy Healthcare Authority. In addition to being a practicing attorney for 30 years, Knight is a former certified registered nurse anesthetist and serves as general counsel for the Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists. RONALD MATHIEU is president and

CEO of the Birmingham

Airport Authority where he oversees the operations of the BirminghamShuttlesworth International Airport. He is a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives, where he serves on the policy review committee. He is also a private pilot and board member of the International Association of Airport Executives. Mathieu earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation management from the Florida Institute of Technology. SHEGUN OTULANA is the founder

and CEO of Harmony Venture Labs, a Birmingham software company, and also serves as CEO of Copysmith AI, one of HVL’s first ventures. Otulana, who left Nigeria to attend college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is a recipient of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year and the

Aspen Global Institute’s Henry Crown Fellowship. An investor and advisor to companies, he coaches and speaks with entrepreneurs, corporate teams and other groups around the country. JEFF PEOPLES is chairman, president

and CEO of Alabama Power Co. The Alabama native earned a bachelor’s degree from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. He is chairman of the board of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and serves on numerous industry and nonprofit boards, including the Alabama Power Foundation, Business Council of Alabama, Southern Research, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, Paths for Success Foundation and TradesFutures.

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JAMES “JIMMIE” STEPHENS is

president of the Jefferson County Commission. A Samford University graduate, he is a former Bessemer city councilor. He has worked with Exit 108 Commercial Development District and the Legacy YMCA board. Stephens serves on the boards of the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority, Jefferson County Department of Health, Birmingham Business Alliance and the Rotary Club of Birmingham. BECK TAYLOR is Samford University’s

19th president and also served as dean and professor of economics in Samford’s Brock School of Business from 2005 to 2010. He earned his undergraduate degree at Baylor University and a master’s and Ph.D. at Purdue University. Taylor has published in several economics journals and has also published research in public health and child development psychology. JEFFERSON TRAYWICK is

Jefferson County’s first economic development advisor. Previously he worked for the Birmingham Business Alliance for 12 years and the Bessemer Industrial Development Board for 10 years. Traywick is a University of Montevallo graduate with a master’s from UAB. He serves on the Red Mountain Greenway and Recreational Commission, the Alabama Chapter of NAIOP board and the PARCA Leadership Roundtable. He is also a member of the Economic Development Association of Alabama, the Alabama-Germany Partnership, the Southern Economic Development

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Council and the International Economic Development Council. JOHN TURNER is president and CEO

of Regions Financial Corp. Turner joined Regions in 2011 as president of the South Region, was named president in 2017 and became CEO and was appointed to Regions’ board of directors in 2018. Turner earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Georgia. He serves on the board of Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, A Plus Education Foundation and Infirmary Health System. He is a graduate of Leadership Alabama and a former board member of Leadership Mobile. TIM VINES has been president and

CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, the largest provider of health care benefits in the state, since 2018 and serves as chairman of the board for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. He also serves on the board of Regions Financial Corp., is a trustee for Auburn University and Samford University, and serves on the boards of the Birmingham Business Alliance, Leadership Birmingham, Business Council of Alabama, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and Prosper. RAY WATTS is president of the

University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Birmingham native is a graduate of the UAB School of Engineering; earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine; completed

a neurology residency, medical internship, and clinical fellowships at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital; and completed a medical staff research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Watts chairs the boards of UAB Health System and Southern Research and is a board member of Prosper Birmingham, Innovation Depot, Birmingham Business Alliance and the UAB Arts/Alys Stephens Center for the Performing Arts. CORNELL WESLEY is director of

the Birmingham Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunities. The Birmingham native previously worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce and Economic Development Administration as economic development representative for Oklahoma and North Texas. Wesley graduated from Morehouse College. He has been named a “Top 40 Under 40” by Oklahoma Magazine and the Oklahoma Journal Record and is a past fellow at the Delta Entrepreneur Network. RANDALL WOODFIN is in his second

term as mayor of Birmingham. The Birmingham native is a graduate of Morehouse College and Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law and previously served as president of the Birmingham Board of Education. Some of his accomplishments as mayor include increasing Birmingham’s national rating for LGBTQ+ equality from 12 to a perfect 100, establishing the Division of Social Justice and Racial Equity to oversee the nation’s first Office of Peace and Policy, implementing the Pardons for Progress initiative, the Tuhska Lusa Initiative and Birmingham Promise.

Higher Education

• UAB’s School of Engineering will

• • • Birmingham-Southern College. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, part of the University of Alabama System, is an internationally renowned comprehensive research university and academic medical center that ranks among the top 8% of universities worldwide, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best Global Universities. Other recent accolades for UAB include: • Times Higher Education named UAB the No. 1 “Young U.S. University” two years in a row (2018, 2019) and the No. 12 “Young University” worldwide. • UAB is the first Health Promoting University in the nation. • U.S. News & World Report named UAB’s Master of Science in health administration program No. 1 in 2023. • Fortune named UAB’s cybersecurity program No. 1 in the U.S. in 2023. • UAB’s Online was ranked No. 15 by Newsweek in 2023 and the university has 11 of the best online programs according to U.S. News & World Report. • 16 graduate programs are ranked in the Top 25 by the U.S. News & World Report. The university, which has welcomed more than 21,500 students each year for five consecutive years, offers 180-degree programs in arts and sciences, business,

dentistry, education, engineering, health professions, joint health sciences, medicine, nursing, optometry and public health. New this fall at UAB is the Blazer Core Curriculum, a program designed to prepare students for lifelong learning and for leadership in their communities and in their chosen careers. UAB continues to improve facilities across its 100-city-block campus and has spent $1.1 billion on new construction and major renovations in the last decade. Currently, the university has $335 million in construction projects underway, including: • The Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Science Building and the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation Conference Center. The 175,000-square-foot building features an iconic doublehelix design and will bring together researchers from different disciplines. Total project cost is expected to exceed $78 million with construction expected to be complete in spring 2024. • A $156.7 million, 350,000-squarefoot, 11-story inpatient rehabilitation facility, featuring 78 rehabilitation beds and 28 acute care beds, that will replace the Spain Rehabilitation Center. • Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, expected to be complete in early 2025. The five-story, 211,000-square-foot building has an estimated cost of $120 million.

have a new home in 2025 in Frances and Miller Gorrie Hall, a nearly 116,000-square-foot, $61 million facility that will house advanced labs, research suites and common areas. Construction of Gorrie Hall is the second phase of UAB’s new Science and Engineering Complex project. The first phase was completed in May. A Student Organization Facility. A UAB Child Development Center is expected to be complete in January. A parking deck at 14th Street South and Seventh Avenue should be complete in March.

Earlier this year, a Biomedical Research and Psychology Building received Stage 1 approval from the UA System Board of Trustees. The project is supported by a $76 million federal appropriation and, pending additional approvals by the board, will house research-intensive departments from the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, as well as the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Psychology. BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN COLLEGE

Founded in 1856, BirminghamSouthern College is a four-year private liberal arts institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The 192-acre campus, located three miles from downtown Birmingham, is home to 950 students from 30 states and 11 countries. The college offers 29 undergraduate majors, 26 minors and three distinctions. Students also have the option to participate in over 80 clubs and organizations, 13 fraternities and sororities, 11 club and intramural sports and 22 NCAA Division III varsity sports. A new master’s program in data science started this fall to address the growing demand for data professionals. The two-year program is designed with working professionals in mind and combines online instruction with immersive in-person weekends held each term on the BSC campus. Course topics include ethics, artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain technology and applied analytics.

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JEFFERSON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

With an annual enrollment of more than 13,000 students and campuses in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Chilton counties, Jefferson State Community College is the largest community college in central Alabama. The college is also the state’s leading producer of nursing graduates with associate degrees — more than 250 each year. Jefferson State offers 116 transfer programs, 39 career programs and 30 fast-track non-credit programs. Each year approximately 3,000 high school students earn college credit in more than 60 dual enrollment classes at the college. Jefferson State also has several articulation agreements with four-year universities allowing easy transfer to fouryear institutions. Many of the college’s certificate programs can be completed in six weeks to six months, including training for in-demand jobs like welding, IT, commercial driver’s license, line worker, heavy equipment operation, web development, certified nursing assistant, medical assistant and pharmacy technician. In November 2022, Jefferson State celebrated its new histological technician (HST) program. The program, which first offered classes during the fall 2021 semester, consists of basic associate degree courses alongside HST major courses that are taught online and a weekly oncampus lab, both of which are offered in the evening, as well as daytime clinical experiences at Birmingham-area hospitals and reference laboratories. In October 2022, Jefferson State opened a training facility in downtown Birmingham that will focus on entry-level workforce training at St. Vincent’s Health System and provide on-site childcare for program participants. LAWSON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Lawson State Community College is a two-year institution with campuses in Birmingham and Bessemer. Its academic division offers general studies and health professions and a career technical division. Lawson State ranked second on TheBestColleges.org list of best online community colleges in the state and 64 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

its practical nursing program ranked fifth in the state this year according to PracticalNursing.org. In March, Birmingham city leaders announced a partnership with Lawson State to help city employees earn a commercial driver’s license for free. In spring semester 2023, Lawson State had 2,697 students enrolled, 36% of them full-time. MILES COLLEGE

Founded in 1898, the private, historically Black liberal arts college in Fairfield has roots in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. The college has an enrollment of approximately 1,500 students and offers 29 bachelor’s degree programs in six academic divisions. In June, the college achieved a ten-year reaffirmation of its accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In May, Miles College formed a partnership with Drake State Community & Technical College to create scholarship opportunities and pathways to earning a bachelor’s degree. Under the agreement, Drake State students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 will be considered for admission to Miles College after earning an associate degree with up to 64 credits transferring. SAMFORD UNIVERSITY

Established in 1841, Samford University is the 87th-oldest university in the United States. The award-winning 247acre campus in Homewood is home to more than 60 Georgian-Colonial-style buildings and has been recognized as one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. The private Christian university offers 183 undergraduate- and 65 graduate-level majors, minors and concentrations in its 10 academic schools. Its 5,683 students enrolled in 2022 were from 47 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and 19 countries. The fall of 2022 also saw the largest freshman class in the university’s history with 972 first-year students. More than 72% of students come from out of state and increasingly they choose to stay in Alabama after graduation. Among Samford’s recent accolades

are being recognized as one of the best universities in the nation for undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report, placing in the top 2% of colleges and universities in the country, and ranking first nationally for student engagement according to The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education. In June 2022, the university announced it will enlarge and renovate existing buildings to create a new recreation and athletic complex. The $65 million venture is the largest capital project in Samford’s history and is expected to be complete in fall 2024. In May 2022, Samford received a $100 million gift from the estate of Marvin Mann ¢54 — $95 million is slated for endowed scholarships and $5 million will support the Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership. The donation is the largest gift given to the university by a single donor. FAULKNER UNIVERSITY-BIRMINGHAM

Faulkner University-Birmingham offers bachelor’s degrees in business fields, psychology and criminal justice. The school also offers associate degrees in computer and information science, legal studies and liberal arts. Classes are offered during the evening and online to accommodate work and family schedules. The Birmingham campus also offers a Homeschool Dual Enrollment program in which high school juniors and seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher can earn college and high school credits simultaneously. HIGHLANDS COLLEGE

Highlands College is a private institution that offers a two-year degree in ministry leadership. The 70-acre campus includes 19 learning studios, eight hands-on ministry training labs, dining and recreation facilities and a 1,400-seat auditorium that is also home to the Grandview Campus of Church of the Highlands. This year, Highlands was granted initial accreditation by the Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation. The college also opened its first residence hall this year.

Community Development

Construction of the J.M. Smucker plant in McCalla is on schedule. JEFFERSON COUNTY

The largest capital investment in Jefferson County history is currently underway, and the J.M. Smucker Co.’s new facility in McCalla is expected to open by 2025. The $1.1 billion plant, which will produce Uncrustables, the brand’s frozen sandwich treats, is expected to bring nearly 750 jobs to the area. The Smucker’s plant is the latest addition to the Jefferson Metropolitan Park at McCalla, one of two industrial parks owned and developed by the Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority; the other is the Jefferson Metropolitan Park at Lakeshore. According to findings reported in April by the Alabama SBDC Network in the University of Alabama’s Research and Economic Development Department, the two parks employ 4,878 people and have a direct impact of $14.5 million on the county each year. Another new development at Jeff Met McCalla is the opening of Gulf Distributing Holdings in late 2022. The 170,000-square-foot warehouse, along with a new facility in Tanner, supports the company’s beverage distribution operations in Huntsville, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and beyond. Job growth like this means Jefferson County is also ramping up efforts to make sure its infrastructure can keep pace with new development. The county is investing millions of dollars on roads, including three major projects on Old Tuscaloosa Highway, McAshan Drive and Bell Hill Road, sewer work and housing. 66 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

In April, Gov. Kay Ivey announced the start of construction on a 10-mile stretch of the Birmingham Northern Beltline that will connect Highway 31 near Gardendale and State Route 75 near Pinson. The project is supported by $489 million of federal funding and construction is expected to be complete in 2028. The Jefferson County School System is the second-largest public school system in Alabama and serves 36,000 students in 57 schools. In July, the Jefferson County Board of Education accepted a bid to build a new Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School on the campus of the old Fultondale High School. Construction, estimated at about $68 million, is expected to be complete in two-and-a-half years. BIRMINGHAM

Birmingham is already the largest economy among the state’s metro areas, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more growth. A team of economic development specialists, airport leaders and government officials from the Birmingham area attended the 2023 Paris Air Show in June to pitch the potential growth of the aerospace and aviation industry in the metro area. An analysis made by the University of Alabama in Huntsville calculated that the defense sector in the Birmingham region generates an annual economic impact of around $580 million and supports 2,500 direct and indirect jobs, more than either Huntsville or the Fort Novosel area. In July, the Choice Neighborhood

Grant Program awarded Birmingham’s historic Smithfield Community $50 million that will go toward purchasing land for the construction of 350 affordable multi-family housing units and building 1,100 affordable housing units. Overall, the plan is expected to generate $242 million in economic activity in the community. In addition, the City of Birmingham has agreed to match the grant funds with $35 million over eight years. In April, the Birmingham Housing Authority broke ground on the first phase of a $60 million redevelopment project. Edgehill at Southtown will be a mixedincome, mixed-use development. The first phase of the project — 60 housing units in a mid-rise apartment building and a 4,000-square-foot clubhouse — should be complete by December 2024. Next, construction of 143 affordable senior housing apartments will start later this year. The new development will also include 850,000 square feet of office and commercial space. The 600, a luxury apartment community in the former AT&T City Center building in downtown Birmingham, opened this summer. In addition to more than 400 apartment units, the 700,000-square-foot property features 16 passenger elevators plus pool, firepits, dog park and more. BESSEMER

The Alabama Aerospace & Aviation High School (AAHS) in Bessemer welcomed its first class of ninth-grade students in August 2022 and accepted ninth and 10th graders for the 2023-2024 school year. AAHS is the first aviation-focused, free public charter school in Alabama and offers college preparatory core curriculum, dual enrollment opportunities, advanced placement courses, team sports, aviation and aerospace industry apprenticeships and internships, industry-aligned studentled organizations and courses in coding, robotics and cybersecurity. In September 2022, the Bessemer Housing Authority received $1.5 million from the Department of Labor’s YouthBuild program. The funds will support development of a preapprenticeship program that provides job

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

training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth while building and rehabilitating affordable housing for lowincome or homeless families. GARDENDALE

Almost a dozen new businesses opened in Gardendale this year and are expected to pump an additional $30 million a year into the local economy. New additions to the community include several restaurant chains and a new physical therapy facility; city officials are also negotiating with two hotel companies and other retailers. The other big news in Gardendale is the $32 million redevelopment of Bill Noble Park, which opened in May. The park has facilities for baseball, softball, tennis, pickleball, football and basketball, plus a putting green and playground. HOMEWOOD

Construction is underway on The Edge, a family-friendly, walkable, multi-use dining and entertainment space located in the 800 block of Greensprings Highway in Homewood. The outdoor entertainment area will have about 7,000 square feet of leasable space for restaurants, bars and retail, as well as 12,000 square feet of co-working space. The project is expected to be complete by the end of this year. In April, the City Council approved plans to replace the Econo Lodge on Oxmoor Road in West Homewood with 48 three-bedroom townhouses, 3 twobedroom townhouses, 18 loft apartments and two restaurants. Also in West Homewood, the former Weygand Surveyor property is being redeveloped into a mixed-use space that will include a combination of retail and restaurant spaces on the ground floor and office space on the second floor.

$600 million, including 317 permits for new homes. The city also approved more than 1,000 new business licenses in 2022. In September 2022, city officials and developer Stadium Trace Village broke ground on a 2.4-acre Village Green amphitheater and entertainment area with concert stages, food service area and play area. LEEDS

In 2022, the city of Leeds received Main Street Alabama designation, joining 31 other Alabama communities in the organization that focuses on promotion, design and economic vitality. The Leeds Main Street program hopes to revitalize the historic downtown. MOUNTAIN BROOK

The second phase of the Lane Parke development in Mountain Brook is complete, bringing in new retail, services and seven new restaurants. Phase one of the retail portion opened in 2016, following the opening of the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook and apartments. The luxury mixed-use development has been in the works for more than a decade and is the largest new development to date in Mountain Brook. Jemison Park is currently undergoing a $2.7 million renovation to improve trails and walkways. A renovation recently wrapped up at the athletic complex at Mountain Brook High School, improving ball fields and

adding concessions and more. The long-awaited replacement of the bridge on Caldwell Mill Road over Little Shades Creek is complete, and sidewalk projects on Brookwood Road and Locksley Drive are underway and should be finished this fall. TRUSSVILLE

In November 2022, the Trussville City Council approved the purchase of 230 acres of Glendale Farms. A top priority for the land is a fourth elementary school; other business, industry, recreational and green space opportunities are also being considered. Construction began in December to widen I-59 in Trussville from four to six lanes from the interchange with I-459 to Chalkville Mountain Road. VESTAVIA HILLS

Vestavia Hills officially opened a 100,000-square-foot civic center in November 2022. The facility includes basketball, volleyball, badminton and pickleball courts; an indoor walking track; meeting and event spaces; a 10,000-square-foot banquet space; and office spaces. The new civic center is part of the city’s Community Spaces Plan, which is wrapping up this year. The last remaining project is the final phase of extensive renovations to Wald Park, which include adding tennis and pickleball courts, more parking, a dog park and walking trail.

HOOVER

In June, the city, along with Regions Bank and Healthcare Resources, announced the development of Riverwalk Village, a 90-acre mixed-use community of medical offices, walking trails, green spaces, housing and retail areas. In 2022, Hoover’s Building Inspections Department issued more than 6,000 construction permits valued at nearly

Bill Noble Park.

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 67

Culture & Recreation

Milton Berle. Today the restored theater hosts symphony, ballet, opera, theater and community events. The Alabama Theatre, built in 1927 by Paramount Studios, still shows films and hosts events.

CIVIL SPACES

The Birmingham Civil Rights District and the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, established in 2017, include many of the most important sites of the Civil Rights movement, including the A.G. Gaston Motel, 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, 4th Avenue Historic District sites, Bethel Baptist Church and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Learn more at the Itty Bitty Magic City, an early-learning Birmingham Civil Rights multisensory exhibit; the World of Water Institute and the newly-restored aquarium; and an Imax theater. A.G. Gaston Motel. REMEMBER THE FALLEN

Alabama Veterans Memorial Park is a 21-acre park honoring the 11,000 Alabamians who have been killed in action from 1900 to the present. NEVER FORGET

Birmingham-Holocaust Education Center features a variety of exhibits and resources that center on Holocaust remembrance and education. The permanent exhibit, Darkness into Life, offers a glimpse into the lives of 20 Alabama Holocaust survivor. ZOO IT

The Birmingham Zoo is home to approximately 550 animals from around the world. Watch for the opening of Cougar Crossing, a new habitat for this Alabama native species. ZOOM

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum displays more than 900 motorcycles from its 1,600-cycle collection. The museum is in the Barber Motorsports Park. A IS FOR ART

The Birmingham Museum of Art includes a diverse collection of paintings, sculptures, prints and decorative arts, plus a sculpture garden. SCIENCE FUN

McWane Science Center, in downtown Birmingham, offers interactive exhibits that celebrate science and discovery and include everything from dinosaurs to space travel. Other features include 68 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

BATTER UP

Rickwood Field, the country’s oldest professional baseball park, will host a Major League Baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals in June 2024. Built in 1910, Rickwood has hosted baseball legends like Jackie Robinson, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and was home to Willie Mays in his Negro league days. The Birmingham Negro Southern League Museum tells the story of Black baseball from the perspective of Birmingham and features Negro League baseball artifacts in the country dating back to the 1800s. MORE SPORTS

The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum features an array of sports memorabilia, dating back to 1969, when the first honorees were inducted. GARDENS GALORE

Birmingham Botanical Gardens celebrates the area’s unique biodiversity showcasing plants that thrive in the South. Aldridge Gardens offers 30 acres of hydrangeas, highlighting the Snowflake Hydrangea patented by horticulturist Eddie Aldridge, who once owned the property. And if you visit the Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens, the city’s only antebellum home, don’t miss the six acres of landscaped gardens. THEATER TIME

The Lyric Theater opened in 1914 as a vaudeville venue and hosted performances by the Marx Brothers, Mae West and

FLY SPACE

The Southern Museum of Flight displays 100 aircraft, plus engines, models and related artwork. It’s also home to the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame. HISTORY LESSON

Sloss Furnaces celebrates Birmingham’s history of ironmaking at the site of a blast furnace that operated 90 years. The iconic status of Vulcan at Vulcan Park and Museum also celebrates the city’s industrial heritage. GET FRESH

The Market at Pepper Place offers produce from Alabama vendors and serves some 300,000 visitors annually. GET WET

Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure in Bessemer features waterslides, wave pool and lazy river. PARK IT

Take a hike, ride your bike or just enjoy the views in the many parks of Jefferson County. For an urban park experience, visit Railroad Park, Rotary Trail or City Walk Bham. If you’re hankering for woods and water, try Red Mountain Park, with 1,500 forested acres, or Ruffner Mountain Nature Center with 14 miles of trails through biodiverse urban forest. Moss Rock Preserve covers 349 acres with 12 miles of trails through forest, rock outcroppings, streams and waterfalls. Black Creek Mountain Bike Park in Hoover has five miles of trails built with mountain bike riders in mind and Fultondale’s Black Creek Park Rails to Trails offers 7 miles of hiking, biking and birding. HIT THE LINKS

The Birmingham area is home to two Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses — Oxmoor Valley just minutes from downtown Birmingham and Ross Bridge in Hoover.

Company Kudos

by ERICA JOINER WEST

NOVEMBER Higher Education: What’s New on Campus

For a second consecutive year, the University of Mobile School of Nursing scored a 100% pass rate for Bachelor of Science in nursing graduates taking the NCLEX national licensure exam. In addition to the perfect score this year, UM was the only school in Alabama to receive a 100% pass rate for BSN graduates during 2022.

Birmingham Children’s Theatre is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Grandview Medical Center has been honored by Patient Rights Advocate with a Price Transparency Champion Award, a new award this year. Harmon Dennis Bradshaw Inc., of Montgomery, for a second year has been chosen to participate in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Best Practices Study Group. It is one of 264 independent agencies throughout the U.S. qualified for the program. Mauldin & Jenkins, which has multiple offices in Alabama, has been named one of Inside Public Accounting’s Top 100 Firms for 2023. Max Credit Union has been chosen for a second year in a row as one of the 2023 Best Credit Unions to Work For by American Banker. Toyota Corolla Cross, made at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing in Huntsville, has received a Top Safety Pick for 2023 from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The small SUV also boasts superior ratings in pedestrian front crash prevention tests. Mobile Infirmary has earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Resuscitation Gold quality achievement award.

The Mobile County Health Department has been selected to participate in the Public Health Regenerative Leadership Synergy initiative, joining 14 other community collectives. Roberts Brothers, of Mobile, has been invited to join the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World’s Luxury Portfolio, a network of top-tier luxury real estate brokerages. Southeast Health, of Dothan, for a second year has been named to Forbes’ list of Best-in-State Employers. Spring Hill College has experienced a combined 18% increase in new student enrollment during the last two years, with this year’s incoming class having more than 300 students from 22 states and 14 countries. USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital, in Mobile, has been recognized by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners for its excellence in lactation care. Wind Creek Casino in Atmore, owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, scored a 7.8 out of 10, making it one of the top 10 casinos in the U.S. according to Slots of Vegas, which used TripAdvisor data to analyze more than 300 casinos across the nation.

Home for Business: Alabama’s Commercial Real Estate Market Geographic Spotlight: Jackson, Marshall, DeKalb & Cherokee Counties

DECEMBER Economic Development: Building Alabama Business Here’s to Philanthropy Best Companies To Work For In Alabama Geographic Spotlight: Lee, Russell & Macon Counties Check BusinessAlabama.com for daily business headlines and additional content

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 73

RETROSPECT

‘Cosmetics of Distinction’ The Black haircare empire of Velberta and Preston Chestnut

By SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND

t one point in the mid-1970s, a Selma company that created products for Black barbers and stylists had a $3 million inventory, hundreds of wholesalers and a foothold on an international market. The founders of this family business had a commitment to social justice and their community. Born in Dallas County in 1916, Preston D. Chestnut was a natural salesman. Few people knew the industry better. In 1940, he married Autauga County native Velberta Clay. A gifted stylist, she obtained a doctorate from the National Cosmetology Institute in Washington, D.C. Velberta Chestnut’s first Selma wig shop and salon came along at an important time for the Black haircare industry. Following World War II, Black women purchased an estimated 4 million wigs annually. Talented wig dressers and stylists like Velberta Chestnut were in high demand. In 1958, her salon ex-

74 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

panded to a larger location. A Black Huntsville newspaper took note, calling her “a young woman of charm and personality … putting forth all efforts to keep the ladies of Selma as pretty in latter years as they were at birth and in their youth.” In due time, the Chestnuts launched their own line of haircare products. With Preston’s knowledge of sales and distribution networks and Velberta’s cosmetology expertise, the Chestnuts stepped confidently into the new venture. They founded Hair Research Laboratories Inc. The august title belied the company’s homespun beginnings. The operation was initially based in the couple’s St. Ann Street home. They recruited Above: Dr. Preston Chestnut, left, and Dr. Edward Moore are among those showing off some Velberta products in Selma. Photo from the Alabama Department of Archives & History, donated by the Alabama Media Group. At left: One of Velberta’s best-selling products. Photo from the Smithsonian Institution.

R E T RO S PE C T

Dr. Edward Moore, a Uniontown chemistry teacher, to help prepare the products. It was a Chestnut family affair. They mixed elixirs in the kitchen. Their children filled jars and applied product labels. The Selma couple called their line “Velberta’s Cosmetics of Distinction,” a reflection of the reputation she cultivated over years of speaking engagements on hairstyles and the social arts throughout Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. The Chestnuts’ devotion to their community extended beyond the doors of their business. Velberta Chestnut taught free beauty classes at the local YMCA. The couple were members of the civic-minded Dallas County Voters League. In the mid-1950s, Velberta Chestnut added her name to a school-integration petition. When their nephew J. L. Chestnut Jr. returned home to Dr. Velberta Chestnut. become the city’s first Black lawyer, they offered him space inside their Broad Street business to launch his practice. In 1965, a few months after the Selma to Montgomery March, the National Beauty Culturists League named Velberta Chestnut its “Beautician of the Year.” The group also paid tribute to Chestnut’s “devotion to the struggle of liberty, equality and justice.” As the company grew, Preston Chestnut rejected any suggestion that they move the business away from the Queen City. “Our company was organized in Selma. It will remain in Selma,” he told the local newspaper in 1973. That year, sales revenues topped $300,000, with distributors in 16 states. The number nearly doubled the following year. The expansive laboratory, now located along Broad Street, added a new 12,000-gallon chemical tank. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was a revolution in Black hair. The growing popularity of the Afro as a form of both cultural and political expression was, in many ways, a rejection of the haircare products of the past generation. Some companies that had spent years creating products meant to straighten, untangle and tame could not easily adapt to the new trend. But in Selma, the Chestnuts displayed the nimbleness to not only survive this cultural shift, but to contribute to it. A fullpage ad in the Selma Times-Journal in 1974 showed a line of Velberta’s products that ran the gamut of haircare in the changing era, from traditional relaxers and conditioners to Afro-Food, a glycerin-based gel designed to make natural hair more manageable, along with similar products. With the aid of a federal loan, the business prospered, often swelling to nearly 60 employees. In 1976, with distributors in almost every state, the company signed an agreement with the Nigerian government to

ship Velberta’s products overseas. But the successes of the mid-1970s were overshadowed by the declining health of the company’s namesake. Dr. Velberta Chestnut died in July 1978 after a battle with cancer. She was only 56 years old. Preston continued on, though by the end of the decade the company faced growing competition from cosmetic conglomerates moving deeper into the Black haircare market. Companies like the Hair Research Lab struggled to survive. On a hot summer Sunday in 1983, Preston Chestnut accompanied his nephew to a Greene County church for a speech. During the commute he spoke only of business matters. “He had plans he wanted me to work on,” J. L. Chestnut Jr. recalled in his memoir. “He had a brochure he wanted me to critique. He wore my ears out.” As soon as they arrived back in Selma, Preston brought the brochure over to J. L.’s house. Later that afternoon, back at his home and still hard at work, Preston D. Chestnut collapsed. The 67-year-old entrepreneur died later that day. A new generation of Chestnuts assumed control. Then came the fire. On August 18, 1987, an electrical issue sparked a devastating blaze that gutted the Hair Research Lab. The highly flammable chemicals on the property contributed to the size and ferocity of the conflagration, which took 30 firefighters more than four hours to contain. The second generation of company leaders was forced to begin anew, this time at a smaller facility along Selma’s Jefferson Davis Boulevard (which was renamed in honor of J. L. Chestnut Jr. in 2009) under the name National Products Corp. “Your hair is the crown you never take off,” the saying goes. Velberta and Preston Chestnut’s company helped prove this adage for scores of African Americans. Today, the vast collections of the Smithsonian Institution include a jar of Velberta’s Afro-Food conditioner. The company, and the small corner of the haircare market it supplied so well, is part of American history. And nothing — not sickness, fire or time — can remove that distinction. Historian Scotty E. Kirkland is a freelance contributor to Business Alabama. He lives in Wetumpka. October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 75

Career Notes KELLIE CLARK

GWEN BRADEN

by ERICA JOINER WEST

JAMIE LIPHAM

LEAH VICK

KENDELL LEWIS

DONNA WATTS

Johnson and Nick Vansyoc to firm directors.

BANKING

BART REEVES

AYESHA MUNIR

ACCELERATOR

Kellie Clark has been appointed managing director of Prosper Healthtech Accelerator, a program of Prosper and Gener8tor.

AUTOMATION

Hargrove Controls & Automation Vice President Karen Griffin has been

TAYLOR STEEN

TRAVIS VALENTINE

appointed chair of the board of Control Systems Integrators Association for a twoyear term.

ARCHITECTURE

Seay, Seay & Litchfield Architects has promoted Jeff Bazzell, David Donovan, Casey Ivy and Raleigh Price to principal architect and Michelle Enfinger, Jake

Gwen Braden, executive vice president and chief operating officer of United Bank, has retired after 18 years of service. Jamie Lipham succeeds Braden. In addition, Leah Vick has joined the bank as executive vice president and chief risk and compliance officer, and Kendell Lewis has been promoted to executive vice president and chief technology officer.

CHAMBERS

South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Donna Watts has announced her retirement in December 2024. Travis Valentine will succeed her.

EDUCATION

Bart Reeves has been selected as Albertville City Schools’ new superintendent.

HEALTH

Ayesha Munir, a hematologist/medical oncologist, has joined USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute.

INSURANCE

Ross Taubman, president of ProAssurance Corp.’s PICA Group, plans to retire March 31, 2024. He’ll be succeeded by SVP Margaret Christian.

LEGAL

JD Dickerson and Rashad Grimes are new associate attorneys at The Watson Firm. Gilpin Givhan PC has added Taylor Steen as an associate in the firm’s health care and related industries practice area.

REAL ESTATE

RCP Companies has hired Nora Dowd as director of investments, Anthony Rossi as director of property management and Phil Amthor as development manager.

76 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

Index 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile......................15 16th Street Baptist Church................................68 4th Avenue Historic District, Birmingham..........68 A Plus Education Foundation.............................55 A.G. Gaston Motel.............................................68 Agarwal, Anupam.........................................................55 AIDT.................................................................10 Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure...........68 Alabama Aerospace & Aviation High School.......66 Alabama Association of Nurse Anesthetists........55 Alabama Aviation College.................................40 Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame.........................68 Alabama Bankers Association...........................15 Alabama Banking School..................................15 Alabama Broadcasters Association....................10 Alabama Center for Real Estate.........................10 Alabama Department of Transportation.............10 Alabama Futures Fund......................................10 Alabama Housing Finance Authority.................15 Alabama Industrial Development Training........10 Alabama Kings 12U Club Basketball.................15 Alabama Launchpad.........................................10 Alabama One Credit Union.................................9 Alabama Power Co.............................8, 43, 49, 55 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame............................68 Alabama State Parks Foundation.......................55 Alabama Supreme Court...................................10 Alabama Symphony.........................................55 Alabama Theatre..............................................68 Alabama Veterans Memorial Park.....................68 Alabama Women’s Health Commission.............55 Alabama Workforce Development Board...........10 AlabamaGermany Partnership..........................55 Albertville City Schools............................... 15, 76 Aldag, Edward..............................................................55 Aldridge Gardens.............................................68 Aldridge, Eddie.............................................................68 Altec Industries................................................51 Amazon Inc................................................ 49, 51 Amerex Corp....................................................51 American Association of Airport Executives........55 American Association of Rhodes Scholars..........55 American Athletic Conference...........................49 American Banker..............................................73 American Beverage Association.........................55 American Cancer Society...................................15 American Cast Iron Pipe Co...............................51 American Clinical and Climatological Association...........................55 American Council of Life Insurers......................55 American Heart Association..............................73 American Journal of Transplantation.................52 American Society of Clinical Investigation.........55 American Society of Nephrology.......................55 American Sports Medicine Institute...................55 Ammons, Steve............................................................55 Amthor, Phil.................................................................76 Analytical AI.....................................................49 Anthony, Ryan..............................................................15 Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens.........68 Ascension St. Vincent’s ............................... 49, 52 Aspen Institute................................................55 Association of American Medical Colleges.........55 Association of American Physicians...................55 AT&T City Center...............................................66 AT&T Inc...........................................................49 Auburn Community Church..............................15 Auburn University................................ 15, 52, 55 Auburn University at Montgomery....................15 Austal USA.....................................................7, 8 Autocar LLC......................................................49 BAE Systems.......................................................8 Baldwin County Bridge Co................................10 Balentine, Joe...............................................................15 Ball Corp............................................................7 Bank Independent..................................... 15, 28 Bank of America...............................................49 Bank of Wedowee............................................12 Barber Motorsports Park...................................68 Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum................68 Bassmaster Classic...........................................49 Baylor University.............................................55 Bazzell, Jeff...................................................................76

A guide to businesses (bold) and individuals (light) mentioned in this month’s issue of Business Alabama. BBVA Bank.......................................................43 Berle, Milton.................................................................68 Bessemer City Council......................................55 Bessemer Housing Authority............................66 Bethel Baptist Church, Birmingham..................68 Bielen, Rich..................................................................55 Bill Noble Park, Gardendale.................. 49, 66, 68 Birmingham Airport Authority..........................55 Birmingham Barons...........................................9 Birmingham Board of Education.......................55 Birmingham Botanical Gardens........................68 Birmingham Business Alliance................... 47, 55 Birmingham Business Journal..........................55 Birmingham Children’s Theatre........................73 Birmingham Civil Rights District.......................68 Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.....................68 Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.....................................68 Birmingham Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunities...............................55 Birmingham Education Foundation...................55 Birmingham Home & Garden............................10 Birmingham Housing Authority........................66 Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority....55 Birmingham Museum of Art....................... 55, 68 Birmingham Negro Southern League Museum..........................................68 Birmingham Northern Beltline.........................66 Birmingham Promise.......................................55 Birmingham VA Medical Center.................. 49, 52 Birmingham Zoo..............................................68 Birmingham-Holocaust Education Center..........68 Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.......9 Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.............................. 49, 55 Birmingham-Southern College............. 15, 55, 63 Birmingham, City of............................. 49, 55, 66 Black Creek Mountain Bike Park, Hoover...........68 Black Creek Park Rails to Trails..........................68 Blessed Kettle Brewing Co................................10 Blox Medical Modules......................................51 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama....... 49, 55 Bobbie Knight Consulting LLC...........................55 Boeing Co..........................................................8 Boy Scouts of America.......................................15 Braden, Gwen...............................................................76 Bradford Health Services....................................7 Brewton Mill Federal Credit Union......................9 Bridgeforth, Melanie....................................................55 Brocato, Frank...............................................................55 Brookings Institute..........................................55 Brookwood Baptist Medical Center.............. 49, 52 Bryant Bank.....................................................15 Buffalo Rock Co.......................................... 51, 55 Build UP..........................................................55 Bulgarella, Dawn..........................................................55 Burdette, Kelly..............................................................28 Business Alabama Magazine.............................10 Business Council of Alabama..............................7 Buttigieg, Pete..............................................................49 Byrne, Bradley..............................................................10 Cahaba Foundation..........................................15 Calhoun, Meredith.......................................................55 Calhoun, Mylah............................................................55 Callidus Software Inc........................................43 Carpenter, Josh.............................................................55 Carr, Riggs, Ingram...........................................15 Carrigan’s Philanthropub...................................9 Carrigan’s Public House......................................9 CB&S Bank.......................................................15 CFD Research......................................................7 Chestnut, J.L. Jr............................................................74 Chestnut, Preston.........................................................74 Chestnut, Velberta........................................................74 Child Advocacy Center......................................15 Children’s Aid Society of Alabama............... 15, 55 Children’s of Alabama.......................... 49, 52, 55 Choice Neighborhood Grant Program................66 Christian Job Corps Madison County.................15 Christian Methodist Episcopal Church...............63 Christian, Margaret.......................................................76 Church of the Highlands...................................15 Citizens Bank & Trust........................................15 City Walk Bham............................................9, 68

Clark, Jeremy................................................................52 Clark, Kellie...................................................................76 Clifton, Rick...................................................................40 Cloverly Inc......................................................43 CMC Commercial Metals...................................49 Coastal Alabama Chamber of Commerce...........15 Coastal Baldwin Education Enrichment Foundation................................15 Cobb, Ty........................................................................68 Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United Inc.......................51 Cole, David.....................................................................7 Coleman, Daniel...........................................................55 Commission on Fire Accreditation.....................55 Community Foundation of East Alabama...........15 Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.55 Control Systems Integrators Association............76 Cooper Green Mercy Healthcare Authority.........55 Cooper Green Mercy Hospital............................63 Cooper, John................................................................10 Copysmith AI...................................................55 Covington County Economic Development Commission...........................40 Cox, Michael.................................................................15 CPWR - Center for Construction Research and Training..................................55 Creek Indian Enterprises....................................8 Croux Inc..........................................................10 Cunningham Bounds.........................................7 Curran, Greg.................................................................55 Dallas County Voters League.............................74 Daniel Building, Birmingham.............................9 Daphne High School.........................................15 Davis, Collins................................................................15 Davison, Robby.............................................................40 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.......8 Delta Entrepreneur Network.............................55 Dent, Matthew..............................................................55 Diamond Baseball Holdings...............................9 Dickerson, JD................................................................76 Dolphin Foundation.........................................15 Donovan, David............................................................76 Dowd, Nora...................................................................76 Drake State Community & Technical College......63 DreamCatcher Hotels..........................................8 Drummond Co..................................................51 Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association.................7 EAB Global Inc..................................................43 EconoLodge......................................................66 Economic Development Partnership of Alabama...............................55 EcoTechnical LLC.................................................7 Ed Farm............................................................55 Edge, The, Homewood......................................66 Edgehill at Southtown, Birmingham.................66 Edwards Motor Co. Building..............................49 Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital.......................... 49, 52 Enfinger, Michelle........................................................76 Exit 108 Commercial Development District........55 Faulkner University-Birmingham......................63 Federal Aviation Administration.......................40 Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.........................12 Federal Reserve................................................55 Fenwick Brands................................................55 Fife, Greta.....................................................................15 Fillers, Mark..................................................................15 First Bank of Alabama.......................................12 First Baptist Church of Fort Payne......................15 First Light Community......................................15 First Metro Bank...............................................15 First National Bank of Talladega........................12 First Southern State Bank..................................15 First State Bank of the South.............................15 FirstBanc of Alabama Inc...................................12 Florida Institute of Technology..........................55 Forbes Magazine..............................................73 Fort Novosel............................................... 40, 66 Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce.....................15 Fort Payne, City of............................................15 Fort Rucker................................................. 40, 66 Fortune Magazine............................................49 Friends of Magnolia Cemetery..........................15 Furrer, Annie.................................................................15 Gardendale, City of...........................................66

Garrett Contracting.............................................7 Garrett, Sarah................................................................15 Gener8tor Management LLC.............................76 Gestamp North America Inc...............................49 Gillis, Brooke................................................................55 Gilpin Givhan PC..............................................76 Gilray, Thomas................................................................8 Glendale Farms, Trussville................................66 Golden Tax Relief...............................................7 GradesFirst.......................................................43 Grandview Medical Center.................... 49, 52, 73 Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau................................... 49, 55 Greater Gadsden Area Tourism............................7 Griffin, Gil.......................................................................8 Griffin, Karen................................................................76 Grimes, Rashad............................................................76 Gulf Distributing Holdings......................... 49, 66 Gulf Shores City Schools...................................15 Guntersville Chamber of Commerce..................15 Hair Research Laboratories Inc..........................74 Hampton, Joe...............................................................55 Hancock Whitney Corp......................................15 Hargrove Controls & Automation......................76 Harmon Dennis Bradshaw Inc...........................73 Harmony Venture Labs.....................................55 Harp, Barry....................................................................15 Harvard University...........................................55 Healthcare Financial Management Association.............................55 Healthcare Resources................................. 49, 66 Hernandez, Andy..........................................................28 Highlands College............................................63 Hill, Tom.......................................................................55 Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama..............55 Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Mobile................................15 Homewood, City of...........................................66 Honda Alabama Auto Plant...............................12 Hoover, City of..................................... 49, 55, 66 Hubbell Power Systems....................................51 HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology..........15 Huntsville Museum of Art.................................15 Huntsville Public Building Authority.................15 Huntsville’s Committee of 100..........................15 Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.......7, 12 IBM Corp..........................................................43 Inc. Magazine.....................................................7 Independent Community Bankers of America....15 Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America....................................73 Indian Springs School.......................................55 Infirmary Health System...................................55 Inge, Richard................................................................10 Innovate Alabama............................................55 Innovation Depot....................................... 49, 55 Inside Public Accounting..................................73 Institute of Auditors.........................................15 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety..............73 International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners...................................................73 International Economic Development Council...55 International World Games Association.............47 Isbell National Bank of Talladega......................12 Isbell, James.................................................................12 Isolair Helicopter Systems Inc...........................40 Ivey, Gov. Kay........................................................7, 8, 66 Ivy, Casey......................................................................76 J.M. Smucker Co.......................... 9, 47, 49, 55, 66 Jackson, “Shoeless” Joe...............................................68 Jacksonville State University............................15 James Isbell, Banker........................................12 Jeff Met Lakeshore Industrial Park.............. 47, 66 Jeff Met McCalla Industrial Park.............. 9, 47, 66 Jefferson County.................................. 47, 49, 55 Jefferson County Economic & Industrial Development Authority......................... 47, 66 Jefferson County School System........................66 Jefferson State Community College............ 55, 63 Jemison Park, Mountain Brook.........................66 Jennings, Justin...........................................................28 Johnson, Jake...............................................................76 Johnson, Marcia...........................................................28 Joint Commission, The.....................................52

October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 77

INDEX

Jones, Cathy Sloss........................................................55 Jones, Chad..................................................................12 Joseph F. Weldy Home......................................15 Junior Achievement of Alabama................. 15, 55 Justice, Cole.................................................................15 Kamtek Inc................................................. 49, 51 KCUFA Consulting.............................................10 Kelly Ingram Park............................................68 Kim, Ernie.......................................................................7 Kimrey, David...............................................................28 Kiwanis Club.............................................. 15, 55 Knight, Bobbie.............................................................55 Knight, Joe...................................................................55 Kroger Co., The.................................................49 Kuehne+Nagel................................................49 Lake Martin......................................................12 Lakeshore Foundation......................................55 Lakeview Business Association.........................55 Landing Inc......................................................49 Lane Parke, Mountain Brook.............................66 Lane, Clay.....................................................................15 Lawson State Community College.....................63 Leadership Alabama........................................55 Leadership Birmingham...................................55 Leadership Mobile...........................................55 Leadership Pike................................................15 Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.....73 LeanStream Resource Partners............................7 Lee University..................................................55 Leeds, City of....................................................66 Lewis, Kendell.........................................................28, 76 Lipham, Jamie..............................................................76 Literacy Coalition of South Alabama..................15 Literacy Council................................................55 Locus, Smart Growth.........................................55 Logan, Don.....................................................................9 Logan, Jeff......................................................................9 Logan, Stan.....................................................................9 Louisiana State University................................15 Lynch, Tynette.................................................................7 Lyric Theater, Birmingham................................68 Main Street Alabama........................................66 Major League Baseball........................... 7, 49, 68 Mandala Scrubs..................................................7 Mann, Marvin...............................................................63 Maraitakis and Kushel, Atlanta...........................7 Marion Military Institute....................................8 Market at Pepper Place.....................................68 Marshall County Leadership.............................15 Marshall County Youth Leadership Program......15 Marx Brothers..................................................68 Massachusetts General Hospital........................55 Mathieu, Ronald...........................................................55 Mauldin & Jenkins...........................................73 Max Credit Union.............................................73 Maynard Nexsen..............................................55 Mays, Willie..................................................................68 Mazda Toyota Manufacturing............................73 McClain, DeMarco........................................................15 McDermott Aviation.........................................40 McDermott, John..........................................................40 McWane Inc................................................ 49, 51 McWane Science Center....................................68 Medical Properties Trust Inc..............................55 Mercedes-Benz U.S. International................ 12, 49 Merit Bank................................................. 15, 28 MidSouth Bank.......................................... 15, 28 Miles College....................................... 10, 55, 63 Mitchell’s Place................................................55 Mobile Area Association of Realtors Charity Golf Tournament..............................15 Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce..................10 Mobile Bay Magazine................................. 10, 15 Mobile County Health Department....................73 Mobile Infirmary..............................................73 Mobis Alabama LLC..........................................49 Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.........15 Montgomery, City of...........................................8 Moore, Edward.............................................................74 Morehouse College..........................................55 Morris, Karen................................................................15 Morrison, Tina.................................................................7 Morrow, Mason............................................................28

Moss Rock Preserve..........................................68 Motion Industries............................................51 Mount Cheaha.................................................12 Mountain Brook, City of....................................66 Munir, Ayesha...............................................................76 Murdaugh, Rusty............................................................7 NAACP.............................................................55 National Beauty Culturists League....................74 National Black Business Conference....................8 National Cancer Institute..................................52 National Collegiate Athletic Association....... 49, 63 National Cosmetology Institute........................74 National Institutes of Health....................... 52, 55 National Pancreas Foundation...........................52 National Products Corp.....................................74 National Science Foundation...............................8 National Senior Games.....................................49 Nelson, Jonathan...........................................................9 New York University.........................................55 Newell, Nicole................................................................9 Newsweek................................................. 52, 63 Norfolk Southern Railway...................................8 North American Free Trade Agreement..............12 North Baldwin Utilities.......................................8 Northeast Alabama Community College............15 Northeast Alabama Regional Megasite................8 Northwest Regional Health...............................15 Northwest-Shoals Community College..............15 Northwestern University..................................55 Novelis Inc.....................................................7, 8 Nucor Steel Birmingham..................................49 O’Brien Center fo Acute Kidney Injury Research............................................55 O’Neal Steel.....................................................49 Oakworth Capital Bank.....................................15 Oklahoma Journal Record................................55 Oklahoma Magazine........................................55 Opelika Chamber of Commerce.........................15 Opportunity Alabama.......................................55 Otulana, Shegun..........................................................55 Outback America..............................................15 Oxmoor Valley Golf Course...............................68 Paramount Studios...........................................68 Paris Air Show..................................................66 Paths for Success..............................................55 Patient Rights Advocate....................................73 Peoples, Jeff.................................................................55 Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Association..........................55 Perry, Tramaine.............................................................15 Phoenix Restorations.......................................10 PICA Group.......................................................76 PMT Publishing................................................10 PNC Bank.........................................................15 Poarch Band of Creek Indians............................73 Port City Industrial.............................................7 Potts, Stephen..............................................................10 Potts, T.J. “Jocko”..........................................................10 Powe, Garrett................................................................15 Powell, Michael............................................................40 Powell, Terry..................................................................40 Price, Raleigh................................................................76 Princeton Baptist Medical Center............ 7, 49, 52 PRISMM technology platform..........................43 ProAssurance Corp............................................76 Prosper Birmingham............................ 47, 55, 76 Prosper Healthtech Accelerator.........................76 Protective Life............................................ 49, 55 Protective Stadium.............................................9 Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama........55 Public Health Regenerative Leadership Synergy Initiative.......................73 Purdue University............................................55 Railroad Park...................................................68 RCP Companies................................................76 Red Mountain Greenway and Recreational Commission................................................55 Red Mountain Park...........................................68 Redeeming Grace Ministries.............................15 Redstone Arsenal.............................................66 Reed, Steven...................................................................8 Reeves, Bart..................................................................76 Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham................................................55 Regions Financial Corp.............. 15, 28, 49, 55, 66

78 | BusinessAlabama.com October 2023

Renasant Bank.................................................15 REV Birmingham..............................................55 Reynolds, John.............................................................10 Rickman, Mike................................................................7 Rickwood Field....................................... 7, 49, 68 RippleWorx Inc...................................................7 River Bank & Trust...................................... 15, 28 Riverwalk Village, Hoover.......................... 49, 66 Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.............................68 Roberts Brothers..............................................73 Robinson, Jackie...........................................................68 Ross Bridge Golf Course....................................68 Rossi, Anthony..............................................................76 Rotary International................................... 15, 55 Rotary Trail, Birmingham..................................68 Ruffner Mountain Nature Center.......................68 Ruth, Babe....................................................................68 Samford University...........................8, 52, 55, 63 San Francisco Giants............................... 7, 49, 68 Seay, Seay & Litchfield Architects.......................76 Selma Times-Journal........................................74 Sentar Inc...........................................................8 Sequense Corp.................................................10 ServisFirst Bank................................... 10, 15, 49 Sewanee: The University of the South................15 Shelby Baptist Medical Center............................7 Shelby, Sen. Richard.......................................................9 Shipt Inc..........................................................49 Shoals Chamber of Commerce...........................15 Shonk, Brittney.............................................................15 Sizemore, Doug............................................................15 Sloss Furnaces............................................ 15, 68 Sloss Real Estate Co..........................................55 Slots of Vegas...................................................73 SmartBank.......................................................15 SmartFinancial Inc............................................15 Smith, Bill.....................................................................49 Smithfield Community, Birmingham................66 Smithsonian Institution...................................74 South Alabama Regional Airport.......................40 South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce..............76 Southeast Health..............................................73 Southern Co.....................................................49 Southern Economic Development Council.........55 Southern Museum of Flight..............................68 Southern Research...................... 7, 47, 49, 55, 79 Southern States Bank................................. 12, 15 SouthFirst Bank................................................12 Spelman College..............................................55 Spire Inc..................................................... 49, 55 Spring Hill College...........................................73 Springhill Baptist Church..................................15 St. Louis Cardinals.................................. 7, 49, 68 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church................................15 Stadium Trace Village, Hoover...........................66 State Bank & Trust............................................15 State of Alabama Incident Management Team...55 Steen, Taylor.................................................................76 Stephens, James..........................................................55 Stillman College...............................................55 Stratton, Katie...............................................................49 Strive Birmingham...........................................10 Sulligent High School.......................................15 Supreme Beverage Co.......................................49 Swann Bancshares Inc......................................12 Sylla, Shella..................................................................43 Talladega Superspeedway................................12 Taubman, Ross..............................................................76 Taylor, Beck...................................................................55 Techstars Alabama Energy Tech Accelerator........55 Techstars Central LLC........................................43 Tessa Commercial Real Estate............................55 Times Higher Education....................................63 Times Media Group..........................................55 Tquila Automation...........................................49 TradesFutures..................................................55 Transplant Games of America............................49 Traywick, Jefferson........................................................55 TripAdvisor Inc.................................................73 Troy Bank & Trust........................................ 12, 15 Troy University........................................... 12, 55 Troy University-Montgomery............................15 Truist Foundation.............................................10

Trussville, City of..............................................66 Tucker, Rachel...............................................................15 Turner, John..................................................................55 U.S. Air Force....................................................49 U.S. Army...........................................................8 U.S. Chamber of Commerce...............................55 U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building, Birmingham..................................................9 U.S. Department of Commerce......................8, 55 U.S. Department of Energy..................................8 U.S. Department of Labor..................................66 U.S. Department of Transportation....................49 U.S. Football League.........................................49 U.S. Government Accountability Office..............10 U.S. Navy.....................................................8, 55 U.S. News & World Report........................... 52, 63 U.S. Pipe and Foundry................................. 49, 51 U.S. Space Command........................................10 U.S. Steel Corp............................................ 49, 51 UAB Health System..................................... 52, 55 UAB Hospital.............................................. 49, 52 UAB Medical West.............................................52 UAB Medicine.....................................................9 UAB Research Foundation.................................55 UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance.................55 Underwood, Martha.....................................................43 United Bank............................................... 28, 76 United Cerebral Palsy.......................................15 United Methodist Church..................................63 United Way................................................ 15, 55 University of Alabama................. 8, 15, 47, 55, 66 University of Alabama at Birmingham....................8, 9, 47, 49, 55, 63 University of Alabama in Huntsville..................66 University of Alabama System......................8, 49 University of Chicago.......................................55 University of Georgia........................................55 University of Mobile................................... 15, 73 University of Montevallo............................ 15, 55 University of North Alabama.............................15 University of Oxford.........................................55 University of Pittsburgh...................................55 University of South Alabama.........................9, 15 University of West Florida.................................15 Urban Land Institute........................................55 USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital....73 USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute.................76 Valentine, Travis............................................................76 Vanderbilt University.......................................55 Vansyoc, Nick................................................................76 Vick, Leah......................................................................76 Village Green Amphitheater, Hoover.................66 Village of Promise............................................15 Vines, Tim.....................................................................55 VivoSphere LLC................................................10 Von Braun Center.............................................15 Vulcan Materials Co..........................................55 Vulcan Park and Museum.................................68 Walcott Adams.................................................10 Waldrop, Jared.............................................................15 Wall Street Journal...........................................63 Wallace State Community College.......................8 Washington University.....................................55 Watford, Laura..............................................................15 Watson Firm, The..............................................76 Watts, Donna................................................................76 Watts, Ray.....................................................................55 Wedowee Lake.................................................12 Wesley, Cornell.............................................................55 West, Mae.....................................................................68 Wind Creek Casino...........................................73 Winfield City Schools Foundation......................15 Winslett, Christopher.......................................43 Women’s Foundation of Alabama......................55 Woodfin, Randall..........................................................55 World Games 2022............................... 47, 49, 55 World Police and Fire Games.............................49 Wunderwood Corp...........................................43 Yale University.................................................55 Yanfeng U.S. Automotive Systems.....................49 YCombinator Management LLC.........................43 YMCA......................................................... 55, 74 Youth for Christ................................................15

Historic Alabama

TUBES AND TESTING Early laboratory work at the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, sometime before 1960. Founded in 1941, Southern Research now employs 250 scientists and professional staff. The company has developed seven FDA-approved cancer drugs and has conducted more than $30 million in COVID-19 research, including collaborating on a new vaccine currently in clinical trials. The company recently announced a new incubator space for biotech startups. Photo from the Alabama Department of Archives & History. Do you have a photo you’d like us to consider for Historic Alabama? Send it to Erica West at ewest@pmtpublishing.com.

Alabiz Quiz

Challenge yourself with these puzzlers from past issues of Business Alabama magazine. If you feel pretty confident, send your answers via email to ewest@pmtpublishing.com or, beginning October 20, work the quiz online and check your answers at businessalabama.com.

October 2023:

October 2022: (one year ago)

October 2013: (10 years ago)

Q: One of the state’s big automakers announced plans to invest an additional $290 million to upgrade facilities, thereby enabling an update to one of its most popular models. Which automaker? A) Honda B) Hyundai C) Mercedes-Benz D) Mazda Toyota

Q: Huntsville International Airport won an FAA license allowing commercial spacecraft to land at the airport? What is the name of the Sierra Space craft that’s now eligible to land in Huntsville? A) Dream Chaser B) Heavens Above C) Moonraker D) Sierrasonic

Q: Our October aviation and aerospace issue introduced United Launch Alliance, the Decatur company that crafts rockets that carries most U.S. satellites to space. ULA is a joint venture between which two companies? A) Boeing and Lockheed Martin B) Boeing and Dynetics C) Lockheed Martin and Raytheon D) Space X and Airbus

September 2023: (one month ago)

October 2018: (five years ago)

Q: When an Alabama city annexed some of its suburban areas, it became the state’s second largest city, after Huntsville. Which city? A) Birmingham B) Madison C) Mobile D) Montgomery

Q: We featured the Center for Domestic Preparedness, which trains the nation’s first responders to deal with everything from hurricanes to terrorist attacks to Ebola virus. Where is this center operated by Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency? A) Anniston B) Dothan C) Florence D) Selma

October 1998: (25 years ago) Q: Alabama is home to dozens of general contracting firms, prompting Danny Rogers of concrete supplier Sherman International to dub one of its cities a “Mecca of general contractors.” What city earned that moniker? A) Birmingham B) Huntsville C) Mobile D) Montgomery Answers from September: A, B, C, A, A, C October 2023 BusinessAlabama.com | 79