It’s an increasingly common conundrum for restaurant owners and managers: You need someone to cover a shift or two—a prep cook, a bartender, a server, a dishwasher, a host. So, you put the word out on a group message to the network of hospitality workers that you’ve built over the years. “Then 30 people are […]

Lucy Greer can’t help but smile when talking about her family’s newest grocery store. “We heard that it’s being called Club Greer’s, which is fun,” Greer said. “We are so happy to see the joy of not only the community that lives and works down here but there’s so many areas from Baldwin County and […]

Troy University’s Sorrell 360 Center for Professional Life and Southeast AlabamaWorks, one of the state’s seven Regional Workforce Councils, have collaborated to deliver a Women’s Symposium on February 3, 2022 intended to inspire and empower future female leaders. A panel comprised of “female movers and shakers” from Troy, Alabama will have an open discussion about […]

The Velocity Accelerator program at Birmingham’s Innovation Depot has accepted seven startup companies to be part of its 2022 cohort. The 13-week program launches Jan. 24 and runs through the end of April. “Each year, the Velocity Accelerator program is one of the driving forces behind Birmingham’s growing startup ecosystem,” said Drew Honeycutt, CEO of Innovation Depot. “We look […]

Business Facilities, a national publication focusing on economic development, has selected Alabama’s recruitment of Landing’s headquarters relocation project as one of its “Deals of the Year” in a new ranking. Landing, a company building a nationwide network of fully furnished apartments available in a membership model, announced plans in June 2021 to move its headquarters […]

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians on Thursday announced plans to construct a new state-of-the-art, high-capacity meat processing facility in Atmore. Since 1992, the tribe has owned and operated Perdido River Farms (PRF) in Escambia County which serves as one of the largest cattle farms in Alabama. As PRF plans to increase production, the new […]

The Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) on Friday announced that the state’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.1% remained unchanged from November to December. According to the department, 68,710 individuals were unemployed in November. That number rose to 69,854 in December. The December 2021 unemployment rate sat 1.6% lower than that of the same […]

“Alabama has worked hard to become one of the nation’s leading automobile manufacturers, and maintaining that status as EVs proliferate will improve the state’s economic future. EVs have already approached 5% of total new car sales in some months and analysts predict 20% of all vehicles sold in the U.S. will be an EV in […]

An expert in missile defense at Raytheon Technologies in Huntsville, Dr. Patti Dare had always dreamed of opening a coffee shop. When she found the perfect spot in Guntersville, Dare and her partner, Jason Hill, decided to add a unique twist: Combining their passion for escape rooms with their passion for coffee, Sweet Escapes was […]

On Thursday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that Fetch Rewards, the fastest-growing consumer rewards app in the nation, is set to open an office facility and customer service hub in Birmingham. According to the governor’s office, Fetch Rewards’ Birmingham expansion investment totals more than $1 million and will create 200 full-time jobs. The Wisconsin-based company’s investment […]

Alabamians became all too familiar with the aggressive housing market in 2021. From rejected offers and competition with cash buyers, to historically low interest rates and accepted offers above asking, there were benefits to some and losses to many. That being said, housing affordability remains a concern. Although inventory shortages may persist, a group of […]

Did a book written more than 70 years ago by American space pioneer Dr. Wernher von Braun predict that a man called Elon would lead a 10-man government of Mars colonies? This story may not have received much attention except that billionaire Elon Musk is stepping out and being very public about his desire to […]

“Alabama has worked hard to become one of the nation’s leading automobile manufacturers, and maintaining that status as EVs proliferate will improve the state’s economic future. EVs have already approached 5% of total new car sales in some months and analysts predict 20% of all vehicles sold in the U.S. will be an EV in […]

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is putting the final touches in its preparation to launch an Atlas V 511 rocket in support of the U.S. Space Force. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command USSF-8 mission will launch two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites. After launch, the satellites will become synchronized with the […]

Bonnie Plants, the largest grower of vegetable and herb plants for home gardens in the nation, on Friday opened its new headquarters in Opelika. The company’s headquarters was previously located in Union Springs, where it had been since its founding in 1918. The relocation is set to bring 60 new jobs to the area. Bonnie […]

Birmingham-based construction firm Robins & Morton has been honored with a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award, recognizing the Best Places to Work in 2022 across the country. The firm is the only Alabama-based company on the list. Additionally, Robins & Morton is the only construction manager/general contractor listed among the Best Places to Work in 2022. […]

Inflation and interest rates are expected to rise in 2022, so now is the time to develop a personal budget to ensure a healthy financial picture. Damion McIntosh, senior lecturer of finance in Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business, says individuals should review their finances, document everything, ask critical questions and put a plan in […]

Dr. Selwyn Vickers, senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has assumed the role of CEO of both the UAB Health System and the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance, while continuing as dean. Vickers replaces the retiring Will Ferniany, who led the health system for nearly 13 years. […]

How can Alabama create economic growth? Dozens of leaders from across Alabama’s public and private sectors gathered recently to discuss that and other economic development issues during the Innovate Alabama Symposium hosted by the state’s new Alabama Innovation Corporation. Nate Schmidt, managing director of the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator, led a panel discussion about creating success in […]

For the past three years, students at the University of Alabama have worked on a project that is grabbing the attention of the world. If everything goes as planned, a small satellite the students made will be included in a rocket launch this month from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The rocket launch and orbit of the satellite […]

HarbisonWalker International (HWI), the largest supplier of refractory products and services in North America, announced it intends to invest approximately $25 million to convert its closed property at 2595 Ensley-Pleasant Grove Road in Fairfield, Alabama, into Alabama One (AL1) – a manufacturing, service, and distribution hub for steel customers in the southern United States. Construction […]

A new project is coming to Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park (CRP) in the form of a mixed-use development, the first of its kind in the eastern section of the park. The development, named Arcadia, will be constructed at the corner of Bradford Drive and Wynn Drive by Bobo Development Group and Retail Specialists. According to […]

Regions Bank on Wednesday announced Nikki Stephenson has been elevated to serve as head of Corporate Development. In this role, Stephenson will lead the bank’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategy, identifying opportunities for Regions to further expand its range of specialty capabilities and high-value financial services for clients across the banking sector. Recent examples of […]

According to the federal government’s 2020 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Alabamians pay some of the lowest health insurance premiums in the nation. The study, conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), shows that Alabama had the lowest average single premium and the second-lowest family premium among employers nationwide in 2020. […]