Alabama officials announced this week that Tquila Automation plans to open a regional delivery center in an historic downtown Birmingham building, creating 200 jobs over the next five years and providing a boost to the city’s growing high-tech sector. The jobs include roles for software developers, business analysts, consultants and business managers. Austin, Texas-based Tquila Automation […]

Calhoun Community College is hosting its annual SWeETy Welding Camp at its Decatur campus this summer. The camp, through a partnership with the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, will train up to 10 high school-age girls with electrical and welding skills. “Many young women are interested in welding and technical fields but don’t have an […]

HUNTSVILLE — SAIC recently received the Edison Gold Award for Product and Service Development and Innovation for its Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems. The Edison Awards, named for Thomas Edison, honor innovation and innovators that create a positive impact in the world. “Believe it or not, we have a very lean CUAS team of about a […]

Alabama’s economic potential appears to be growing with each passing year. Declaring May World Trade Month, Gov. Kay Ivey recognized six Alabama-based businesses at a Wednesday awards ceremony in Montgomery. All six businesses recognized have played a major role in export activities within the Yellowhammer State. “Thanks to tremendous levels of innovation, craftsmanship and ingenuity, […]

Alabama is No. 1. Or rather, in this case, the Birmingham-Hoover, Decatur and Huntsville metro areas are. That’s in reference to unemployment rates for March among the nation’s metro areas, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Labor. For metro areas with a population of 1 million or more, Birmingham–Hoover was ranked […]

With a nod toward the state’s soybean farmers, Alabama’s first renewable diesel facility has opened. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Vertex Energy’s Mobile refinery was attended by Gov. Kay Ivey, elected and company officials. “We’re not just cutting ribbons; we’re cutting emissions,” said Benjamin P. Cowart, CEO of the Houston-based company. “We’re also carving a new […]

In response to the critical need for internet access, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs has developed the Alabama Community Broadband Technical Assistance Program. Through this program, ADECA is providing technical assistance for communities seeking to expand broadband infrastructure and services in all of Alabama’s 67 counties. The following meetings have been scheduled […]

Alabama is a great place to start a business. And, it’s easy to register that business in the Yellowhammer State. In recognition of National Small Business Week, Secretary of State Wes Allen launched a campaign to demonstrate how simple it is to officially register a company in the state. Allen is promoting an instructional video […]

Bed Bath & Beyond is holding a liquidation sale at all of its 360 stores nationwide, as part of the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Shoppers in Huntsville, Birmingham, Hoover, Tuscaloosa and Gulf Shores will find discounts ranging from 10% to 30% off the lowest ticketed prices on a vast selection of home goods with discounts […]

Pennsylvania-based Utz Brands has announced that it will discontinue making the iconic Golden Flake snacks in Alabama. However, the snacks will still be sold, and about 100 employees will continue working at a new Birmingham distribution facility. The company announced in a filing last week: “Utz Brands made the decision to permanently cease operations at […]

The University of Alabama in Huntsville notched a record $169.5 million in research and development expenditures for Fiscal Year 2022, a 13% increase over FY21, the university announced. This announcement accompanies the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey findings which cover FY21. This marks the 10th year in a row UAH […]

We chatted with Sid Pugh, North Alabama REALTOR® and local broker of The Pugh Group,  to gain insight on the Alabama market and learn how buyers can take their best shot at winning a contract. “Inventory of homes on the market is still very low in most areas. Nationwide we are over 5 million homes […]

Fuel Alabama (FuelAL), in a partnership with Innovate Alabama, is working with nine Alabama communities to offer summer programming for college students. The communities will offer professional development, service opportunities and social events to summer interns, focusing on their experience outside the workplace. FuelAL is a talent attraction and retention program of the Economic Development […]

HUNTSVILLE – Polaris will be shipping the first of its all-new electric Ranger XP Kinetic vehicles from its Huntsville manufacturing plant this week. Polaris manufactures the fully electric vehicle at the more than 900,000 square-foot plant in Huntsville. The company said this week it plans to take additional orders on the Ranger this summer. The […]

“The technology available to consumers that allows us to communicate with ease everyday is vastly ahead of the resources available to first responders, the people literally tasked with saving our lives.” – Ellie Johnson, Tango Tango COO  HUNTSVILLE — Tango Tango is working to bridge the gap in communications faced by many first responders across the […]

With the Alabama Legislature’s 2023 regular session well underway, the expansion of high-speed, rural, internet access remains top of the list of priorities for leaders in both chambers. But while significant progress has already been made since lawmakers passed the first broadband initiative five years ago, much work remains ahead. Uniti (pronounced “unity”) Fiber is […]

The search for a president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama has gone South. As in Kyle South, who was named Thursday to head the chamber. He starts the job July 1. “The Chamber is giving me the unique opportunity that allows me to bridge my past work experiences, my love […]

Twelve years ago, Alabama saw its largest tornado on record. Its damage was devastating and still impacts families and businesses today. But there is a noticeable difference that arose from the immediate response efforts by Alabama Power and local volunteers. The spark of hope that many held onto in the worst of times catapulted the […]

If you work more than 40 hours a week in Alabama, your overtime paycheck might look a lot healthier if a new proposal is signed into law. The Alabama House Ways & Means Education Committee moved forward a bill Tuesday that would un-tax work performed in excess of 40 hours in any week from being […]

Polaris will be shipping the first of its all-new electric Ranger XP Kinetic vehicles from its Huntsville manufacturing plant this week. Polaris manufactures the fully electric vehicle at the more than 900,000 square-foot plant in Huntsville. The company said it plans to take additional orders on the Ranger this summer. The Ranger XP Kinetic features […]

It’s no secret that Alabama’s economy is booming, and so is business at your Port. In 2021 alone, the Port was responsible for $85 billion dollars of economic impact and created nearly one-in-seven jobs statewide. On top of that, our economic activity sent more than $2 billion in tax revenue back to state and local […]

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in business and higher education have become controversial. Texas A&M and Texas Tech recently ended DEI statements for faculty hiring and tenure. What is problematic about being welcoming and inclusive? Let’s consider the underrepresentation of women in engineering. According to the National Science Foundation, in 2016 women earned 21 […]

In demand, no-cost, rapid training — is starting this week on 24 campuses across the state. That’s the message Alabama’s Community College System wants to get across to students and job-seekers alike. Salaries and demand for fiber optic technicians and installers are on the rise. Thanks to funding from the Alabama Legislature, the Skills for […]

According to Security magazine, there are more than 2,200 attacks each day. That breaks down to nearly 1 cyberattack every 39 seconds, equating to more than 800,000 attacks each year. With those numbers, it isn’t any wonder that cybersecurity is still one of the biggest risks facing financial institutions today and according to Bank Independent, […]