After nearly a decade in investment banking, Owen Elliott, a Birmingham native, has embarked on a new venture aimed at providing essential fire safety services to local restaurants. He spent nine years helping franchisors sell their business or raise capital and became well-versed in the franchise industry. But it wasn’t until early 2024 that he decided […]

Thomas Harris will be honored this week as a new member of the Alabama Business Hall of Fame. Harris, a resident of Hope Hull in Lowndes County, was selected as a member of the seven-member Class of 2024 earlier this year, alongside legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban. A successful investment banker and entrepreneur, Harris first worked for First […]

A proposal to dismantle the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft at the Port of Mobile has drawn opposition from the Mobile Chamber. The opposition is in response to an announcement last week that NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services and Modern American Recycling and Radiological Services  announced they have formed a team to pursue dismantlement of decommissioned Navy […]

Health Science instructors at DeKalb County Technology Center are excited to introduce their students to a new, state-of-the-art learning tool. Instructors Paula Carroll and Meagan Hale said the Anatomage Teaching Table keeps their students engaged and makes learning anatomy fun. According to Anatomage.com, the Anatomage Table is the “most advanced real-human-based medical education system.” This […]

Birmingham’s bounty of celebrated chefs has helped build a strong eat-local ethos, inspiring one of the state’s premier creameries to collaborate with Alabama food figures to create limited-time treats through the winter in what it calls the Local Chef Series. Geri-Martha O’Hara (CJ Shaver/Contributed) Big Spoon Creamery is now offering the first flavor, Sage & Cornbread, […]

Aloha Hospitality, a well-known restaurant group based in Alabama, is honoring its top-performing team members with a second Caribbean cruise this year. The company’s top achievers from Grille, Wingfingers, Dauphin’s, and Las Floriditas will embark on a seven-day adventure in November after excelling in company-wide contests over eight weeks during the summer. This unique reward […]

The Mobile Airport Authority (MAA) announced today that a $2 million grant from Alabama’s SEEDS (Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy) program will be instrumental in its plans to expand Brookley Aeroplex and boost economic opportunities for the Mobile area. The SEEDS funding allowed MAA to purchase 272 acres from the Mobile Housing Authority, earmarked for light […]

After President-elect Donald Trump’s presidential campaign victory against Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. stock market is booming and along with it shares for bitcoin, according to CNBC. The jump is largely related to Trump’s pledge to make America the “bitcoin superpower of the world.” The former business mogul has said that he plans to establish […]

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in partnership with global venture firm and startup accelerator gener8tor, announced the six startup companies selected for the Fall 2024 cohort of the HudsonAlpha AgTech Accelerator powered by gener8tor. The accelerator began earlier this month and invests up to $100K in each of six startups at the forefront of the agriculture technology […]

Last week in Alabama, CSX Corporation announced that RailPort Logistics Mobile, a 500+ acre industrial development in Mobile, has achieved the esteemed Platinum CSX Select Site designation. This distinction highlights the site as development-ready and ideal for industrial expansion due to extensive pre-approvals and proximity to transportation hubs. Select Sites are strategically chosen along the […]

A $2 million grant from Alabama’s Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) program will fund critical infrastructure projects in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park, enhancing the city’s attractiveness for new business and investment. The SEEDS funding will support two key projects in Opelika: the extension of North Park Drive and the construction of a […]

The Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and ThinkData Solutions, Inc., has received the prestigious 2024 International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Silver Award for Excellence. This award honors the Magic City Data Collective (MCDC) Project, which was recognized in the Postsecondary Education Partnership category. This category spotlights […]

The Gulf United Metro Business Organization (GUMBO) recently hosted its 2024 Chairman’s Dinner at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach. During the evening, GUMBO’s Board of Directors recognized several distinguished individuals for their service. Awards were presented to outgoing board members Patrick Bussey and Tommy Lee, while Donna Watts received an award commemorating her longstanding contributions […]

Across our state, working moms are forced to choose between their jobs and their families. In Alabama, women’s workforce participation rate is 52% compared to men’s at 63%. As CEO of Momentum, an organization created to advance women in the workplace, I see mothers faced with this choice all too often, and there has to […]

See the groundbreaking plans for the McWane Economic Education Center in downtown Birmingham, spearheaded by Junior Achievement of Alabama and jumpstarted by a $4 million gift from the McWane family. RELATED: Junior Achievement of Alabama announces $20 Million capital campaign to build the McWane Economic Education Center This project will bring two experiential learning centers […]

Reading a work email. Navigating corridors between meetings. Walking to and from your vehicle. Most of us give little thought to these basic building blocks of a workday. However, for people with disabilities, these activities can present unique daily challenges. On Oct. 8, Regions Bank associates in Birmingham, Ala. learned more about the experiences of […]

Governor Kay Ivey announced today that the Renewal of Alabama Commission has allocated over $7.2 million in new Growing Alabama funding to four economic development organizations across the state, accelerating the development of industrial and agricultural center sites. These funds are designed to boost site readiness, a critical factor in attracting new industries and supporting […]

The Saban Center, a cutting-edge, forthcoming educational campus that integrates STEM and the arts, has announced an exciting partnership with Stillman College in Tuscaloosa to ‘enhance and promote STEM and arts education throughout Alabama. Stillman becomes the third educational institution along with Shelton State Community College and The University of Alabama to join with the […]

There was mixed news for workers and the state last month. Wages are up, according to the Alabama Department of Labor. But so is the number of unemployed Alabamians. Total private average weekly wages in Alabama hit a record high, rising to $1,061.20 in September. This is an increase of $40.90 over the year, and […]

The new Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) Workforce Development Skills Training Center officially opened its doors on October 3, marking a major milestone for the region’s education and economic landscape. Hundreds of community members gathered for the grand opening celebration of the new 55,000-square-foot facility, built to address the area’s workforce training needs. NACC President […]

Governor Kay Ivey has declared the third week of October “Alabama Woods to Goods Week” to coincide with National Forest Products Week. October 20 – 26, 2024, is a week-long celebration to promote the state’s forest products industry’s professionals, resources, companies, and environmental and economic impact. This year marks the fourth year Governor Ivey has […]

Leah and David Knight, owners of Homewood-based Bandwagon, are the Alabama Retail Association’s 2024 Gee Emerging Retailers of the Year. The sports boutique, specializing in custom community apparel as well as lifestyle apparel for toddlers through adults, opened in 2021. It caters to teams of all ages at its three stores – Homewood and Vestavia […]

Alabama’s $1.4 billion proposal to expand high-speed internet has been approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) proudly reported on Thursday. The funding, which comes through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, or BEAD, was initially announced in 2023. As part of the federal […]

The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) on Wednesday announced the appointment of Miller Girvin as its next president, effective Jan. 1, 2025. The transition follows the retirement of Greg Barker, who will step down as EDPA’s president at the end of the year, after more than four years at the organization’s helm. The announcement follows a […]