MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Governor Kay Ivey recognized seven Alabama companies for success in selling their goods and services in markets across the globe, helping to sustain robust export activities that create jobs and spark economic growth across the state. In addition, Governor Ivey recognized William Cummins, executive state director of the Alabama Small Business Development Center […]

The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA) announces the hiring of Craig Johnston as director of workforce development training and advocacy. Johnston has over 25 years of experience working as a senior leader in various areas of corporate and community leadership, leadership coaching, corporate training and development and quality management, and was most recently the […]

German specialty chemicals company Evonik is planning a $176.5 million expansion project for its Mobile County manufacturing facility. According to the governor’s office, the expansion will serve to support Evonik’s animal nutrition business line and lessen the site’s carbon footprint. Evonik’s plans are to construct an on-site plant to produce methyl mercaptan, which is used […]

It is often said that it takes a village to accomplish a desired outcome of an undertaking that would be difficult for any one person or entity to achieve alone. Perhaps the adage could apply to an issue as vital as fostering the next generation of skilled workers. Forming a pipeline of trained talent to […]

Alabama taxpayers, small businesses and construction workers share my concerns about anti competitive and costly policies attached to federal and federally assisted construction projects as a result of recent executive actions by the Biden administration. With the stroke of a pen and some federal agency sleight of hand, the Biden administration is pushing controversial policies […]

Plans by the University of Alabama in Huntsville to help create a “college town” experience are one step closer toward becoming a reality following the Huntsville City Council’s approval of the demolition of what has been a former office park on the eastern edge of Cummings Research Park. The university purchased the largely vacant 58-acre […]

A new building coming to the University of Alabama campus will provide space to conserve and celebrate fashion history and groom fashion trendsetters of the future. The College of Human Environmental Sciences (CHES) has announced plans to construct Drummond Lyon Hall to house its fashion retailing and apparel design concentrations. Through the support of alumni, the CHES Leadership Board […]

Whether a repeat or first-time homebuyer, there are many benefits to owning a home, especially financial. In 2021, the national average of equity gained was $56,700 and Alabama’s average was $33,000. Building long-term wealth over time is why equity matters and due to the past year’s low inventory and high demand, home value increased more […]

Fresh off successful direct involvement in NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Parker Solar Probe (PSP) in roles that included optics, hardware, software, testing analytics, computational modeling and big data processing and dissemination, The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is looking beyond the sky again. UAH, a part of the University of Alabama […]

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Governor Kay Ivey announced this week that Alabama’s exports in 2021 surged more than 20% in value compared to the previous year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and indicating the underlying resilience of the state’s economy. New federal government figures show that Alabama’s exports of goods and services totaled nearly $20.9 billion last year, […]

After two full years of economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers throughout the country continue to face headwinds. In some cases, those headwinds are caused by a federal government that should be helping employers, not hindering them. Take, for example, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a little-known agency that helps employees decide […]

Whether a repeat or first-time homebuyer, there are many benefits to owning a home, especially financial. In 2021, the national average of equity gained was $56,700 and Alabama’s average was $33,000. Building long-term wealth over time is why equity matters and due to the past year’s low inventory and high demand, home value increased more […]

Forbes has named Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBSA) one of “America’s 2022 100 Best Midsize Employers.” BCBSA was ranked 91st in Forbes’ “Top 500 Midsize Employers” nationwide list and was the only insurance organization to be land the recognition in the Yellowhammer State. The highly-coveted award is presented by Forbes and globally-recognized […]

The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Innovation Center on Monday officially opened and announced the launch of its first industry-crafted programs to help students find immediate employment. The ACCS Innovation Center was established as a $10 million investment to train workers to fill jobs in the state’s high-demand industries. ACCS leadership, students and industry partners […]

Monday, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions (LSCU) and Affiliates announced its endorsement of candidates seeking reelection to the three highest-ranking statewide constitutional offices. The trade association has endorsed the reelection campaigns of Gov. Kay Ivey, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and Attorney General Steve Marshall. Patrick La Pine, LSCU and Affiliates CEO, in a release […]

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The Alabama Department of Commerce announced today that Christina Stimpson, an international business professional with experience in export promotion, foreign direct investment strategy and business recruitment, will take the helm of the department’s Office of International Trade later this month. Stimpson comes to Commerce from the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, where she […]

Seven Alabama-built vehicles are on the Car and Driver 2022 Editor’s Choice Awards list, including all the vehicles being built at the Hyundai plant in Montgomery. Hyundai has four Alabama-built vehicles on the list while Honda has three. Mercedes-Benz, which has nine vehicles on the list, did not have any that are assembled at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in […]

Alabama Power’s Plant Barry was recently honored for outstanding operations by Guidehouse Generation Knowledge Service (GKS). The GKS Plant Operational Excellence Awards recognize power plants that have demonstrated excellence in cost and operational management, as well as improved performance and reliability. Top safety performance was factored into the analysis. The award was based on performance data […]

Todd Greer has been named executive director of Innovation Portal, the Mobile-based nonprofit incubator and innovation hub, effective March 1. Greer previously was vice president of Academic Affairs at the University of Mobile. During his tenure, he developed programs in the School of Business, helped launch the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program, led a technology transformation […]

Twenty aviation students recently received job offers through a partnership between Auburn University and Delta Air Lines. The students are part of Delta Propel, a highly selective program which provides participants a Qualified Job Offer, or QJO, detailing a defined career path, allowing Auburn students to participate in an accelerated timeline to become a Delta […]

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has achieved the highest research activity rating in the current, 2021 update of the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education. UAH, a part of the University of Alabama System, is ranked as “R1 – Very high research activity” status among doctoral-granting universities in the Carnegie rankings. R1 universities […]

Inflation topped 7% in December, the highest level in forty years. The Biden administration has tried blaming rising prices on corporate greed with antitrust enforcement as a remedy. Does this make economic sense? We must first consider what is inflation. Measured by the rate of change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), economists define inflation […]

In the halls of higher learning, eight Alabama colleges and universities provide online bachelor’s degree offerings that are among the nation’s best, according to U.S. News and World Report. U.S. News unveiled its Best Online Programs after ranking 1,651 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, the most in its 10-year history. Rankings are provided for 361 […]

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Hilda Lockhart, the international business expert who helped countless Alabama companies explore new markets and opportunities in every corner of the globe, is retiring from her position at the Alabama Department of Commerce. For the past 24 years, Lockhart has served as director of Commerce’s Office of International Trade, which is responsible for […]