The Federal Trade Commission is proposing banning non-compete clauses in labor contracts. What are these clauses’ pros and cons, and will a ban benefit workers? Non-compete clauses prevent employees from working for a competitor or starting their own business. The prohibition is limited over time and geography and usually only for closely related jobs. An […]

The Lake Martin area is starting the year off strong, with 10 new graduates in the Flawless Delivery Hospitality Certification Program. The program was developed for the lodging industry and provides hospitality workers with experiential training and skills to elevate the visitor experience. “In Alabama, we prioritize developing a highly skilled workforce,” Gov. Kay Ivey said […]

Peak North America USA plans to invest $24 million to open a facility in Mobile County’s Irvington community that will provide equipment and services to the wood products industry. The project will create 175 jobs over the next four years, according to an announcement today by the Mobile Chamber. “Peak North America USA has an […]

Innovate Alabama will open a second round of its supplemental grant program next week. The program, which awarded more $4.5 million in supplemental funding to entrepreneurs in July, is opening funding applications Tuesday. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Feb. 17. To apply, visit https://innovatealabama.org/programs/. “At Innovate Alabama, we are on a mission to continue […]

Residents of more than 2,500 households in DeKalb and Jackson counties will have broadband access, thanks to the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund. Gov. Kay Ivey joined a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday for broadband expansion projects in DeKalb and Jackson counties. The projects are funded by  grants awarded through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs […]

Former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill will begin a new position in the private sector. But, he isn’t leaving the political scene, directly. Merrill is set to become the director of Public Policy and Strategic Markets in Alabama for Waggoner Engineering. The company is based in Jackson, Miss., with offices in six states and […]

Philip Morris International is expanding plans as it shifts to smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes. The company is separate from Philip Morris USA and has not operated in the United States. PMI is likely drawn to Alabama because of the high rate of purchase for nicotine products, including its ownership of Swedish Match. As part of […]

A Decatur-built rocket was loaded onto a specially designed cargo ship Tuesday to be shipped to Cape Canaveral, Fla. The United Launch Alliance Vulcan will eventually replace the Atlas V and Delta IV heavy rockets. The rocket was moved from the plant in Decatur and loaded aboard the RocketShip. The trip to Cape Canaveral will […]

Alabama’s active-duty military, veterans, and their families will now have access to 30 resource workshops across the state, thanks to the Alabama Association of Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Councils. The workshops will provide information and services and programs available through the Alabama Community College System. The workshops will take place across the state Jan. […]

Michelle Roth has joined the League of Southeastern Credit Unions as senior director of governmental affairs in Alabama, the organization announced. “I am exceptionally proud to join the team at LSCU in advocating on behalf of Alabama credit unions and their more than two million members across the state,” she said in a news release. […]

Elon Musk’s release of internal Twitter communications, the “Twitter Files,” confirmed the shadow banning of conservative politicians and pundits, previously dismissed as a conspiracy theory. Studying economics generates wariness of conspiracy theories in two ways, by highlighting the organizational difficulties, and demonstrating the potential for unplanned order in society. Let’s first consider what constitutes a […]

MOBILE, Alabama — Gulf Distributing, one of the oldest beverage distributors in the Southeast, announced plans to relocate its operations from Moffett Road to Downtown Mobile as part of a project that will create 25 jobs and solidify its future in the city. The company will overhaul the former Press Register Building, located at 401 […]

The Alabama Department of Labor is making many employers throughout the state very happy. Recently, the department announced most employers in Alabama will receive a 54% tax cut in their 2023 unemployment insurance taxes and the state has dropped into the lowest tax rate schedule. Rosemary Elebash, Alabama director of the National Federation of Independent, said the […]

Jeff Peoples has been named chairman of the board of directors, CEO and president of Alabama Power, the Southern Company announced today. Peoples succeeds recently retired Mark Crosswhite. “Alabama Power has been committed to serving our state for more than a century,” said Peoples. “It is an honor to lead this team and build upon […]

A carbon black manufacturing plant in Phenix City is shutting down Saturday. Continental Carbon will close its doors, eliminating 120 jobs. Carbon black is a material used in strengthening tires. It can also be found in items such as plastics, ink and coating applications. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management ordered the plant’s closure after […]

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama announced Friday that it will be supporting a contract awarded to TriWest Healthcare Alliance to administer the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) next generation TRICARE program, known as “T-5,” for its 26-state West Region territory. TRICARE is the uniformed services health care program for active duty service members […]

ADS-TEC Energy, a German-owned electric charging infrastructure producer, is establishing its first U.S. location in Auburn. To serve the North American market, ADS-TEC plans to invest $8 million and create around 180 jobs over the next two years, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce. The company’s Lee County facility will include sales, warehousing and […]

The former Goodyear Tire property in Gadsden has been purchased by an investor group, Mayor Craig Ford recently announced. According to Ford, Phoenix investors plans to utilize the 3 million-square-foot facility for a multi-tenant complex. The commercial real estate firm revitalizes unused facilities to become suitable for the occupancy of large manufacturing sites. The complex’s […]

Boeing has delivered two Huntsville-managed ground-based interceptors to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in Fort Greely, Alaska. Fort Greely is home to missile fields that protect the homeland against long-range ballistic threats posed by foreign adversaries. According to Boeing, the interceptors will enhance the capabilities of MDA’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. Jim Bryan, […]

This month, the Business Council of Alabama announced Helena Duncan as president and CEO. As the state’s largest business advocacy organization, BCA’s stated purpose is to aggressively represent Alabama’s business community. For more about Alabama’s newest CEO, her leadership philosophy and expectations for the future, here are “Four Questions with Helena Duncan.” During your 30-plus-year […]

Four additional auto suppliers in Alabama have utilized child labor in recent years, investigative reporting conducted by Reuters found. The father of a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl told Reuters his daughter worked this May at Hwashin America Corp. in Greenville, a supplier of the two car brands, assembling auto body components. The account was bolstered by […]

HUNTSVILLE — The National Association of Realtors® has named Huntsville a top 10 real estate market to watch in 2023. Every city on the list can be found in the South, or at least south of the Mason-Dixon line. NAR placed Huntsville on the list based on several factors: affordability, job and population growth, “information […]

HUNTSVILLE – RCP Companies has teamed with Grounded Capital Partners on a net zero energy residential development in Huntsville’s MidCity District. Wellory Living, a $108 million multifamily development, will be the first of its kind in the Southeast. The company said the project will bring sustainable living and dining options with a net zero energy […]

Honda’s Alabama Auto Plant has notched another major milestone, with the launch of a redesigned Pilot SUV that is already setting records for the automaker. The 2023 Pilot is the largest and most powerful SUV in Honda’s history, and it required significant changes in structure and training at the $3 billion, 4,500-worker factory in Talladega County. […]