Business Alabama September 2025

CREATING CITY SCAPES

JOHN POOLE AND THE EMPLOYEES OF POOLE & CO. ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN MAKE THEIR MARK ON BIRMINGHAM AND BEYOND

PAGE 20

12 NEW LEADERSHIP AT BRASFIELD & GORRIE

49 AGC 40 UNDER 40

82 PICKLEBALL SPREADS ACROSS ALABAMA

91 SPOTLIGHT ON TUSCALOOSA COUNTY

On the Cover:

20: Champions Place in Tuscaloosa is one of the many projects Poole & Co. Architects has designed. 82: Pickleball facilities, like these in Opelika, are springing up across the state. 24: The UAB Inpatient Rehab facility, one of many health care projects built by Hoar Construction.

John Poole, owner of Poole & Co. Architecture and Interior Design, has helped shape the Birmingham skyline and beyond with projects in health care, hospitality, restaurants, multifamily space and more.

Volume 40 / Number 9

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Benchmarks

TVA creates interim fix for Wilson lock

The TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY and the U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS have implemented an interim solution for the guard wall at Wilson Lock in Florence, which will allow for normal operations to resume.

Back in August 2021, the floating wall that guides boats into the primary lock at Wilson Dam lost buoyancy, detached and sank to the bottom of the reservoir — resulting in hours of delays for barges using the lock and longer processing time through the lock.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

MORE MUSIC

Alabama’s entertainment tax credit program has been expanded to include music production.

PARK PLUS

The state has completed upgrades at Wind Creek State Park in Alexander City. In addition to campground improvements, the park now has five new lakeside cabins.

TARIFF TOLLS

Mercedes-Benz says it has lost about $420 million in sales this year due to auto tariffs, and the company will drop the prices of some new models. Under the new European Union trade deal, American cars shipped to Europe, which would include

those produced in Vance, would not have tariffs.

SO LONG, RUSSELL

Russell Athletic, an Alabama fixture for more than 120 years, will no longer operate at the Fruit of the Loom distribution center in Alexander City, moving out of its home city at the end of September. Fruit of the Loom is cutting 80 jobs at the center, according to notices filed with the city and state.

POWER PLAY

The Alabama Public Service Commission has voted to allow Alabama Power to purchase a power generation station in Autauga County and pay for it with an increase in rates. The vote to OK the purchase

TVA expects that the interim solution, which is designed to last up to 10 years, will improve lock duration times for commercial vessels, reduce safety risks for workers and support the more than 11 million tons of goods that pass through the lock each year.

Starting on May 12, TVA began the mobilization of an interlocking system of three ocean barges, each at 195 feet long, and equipment, which will serve as an interim guard wall to help with navigating traffic at Wilson lock.

In June, lighting, handrails and electrical components were installed at a docking area near Pickwick Dam, so they could be immediately deployed after the Corps finished its repairs and reopened the lock. The lock was reopened in late July.

TVA provided construction management oversight with its Equipment Support Services Group providing boat services during positioning and installation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will manage lock traffic.

While the interim solution is in use, TVA will continue to collaborate with various partners to seek funding for a permanent floating wall that mirrors the design of the original solution but includes modernized features. 

of the Lindsay Hill facility was unanimous.

BUSINESS CLOSING

Federal-Mogul, an auto parts manufacturer in Boaz, is closing its facility, putting 82 employees out of work. The Michigan-based company is closing the Boaz facility on Sept. 25, according to a WARN notice filed with the state.

OUT OF WORKS

Central Six AlabamaWorks!, which has worked with companies to supply workers since 2014, will no longer receive state funding after Sept. 30, and it is closing down. The workforce group serves Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Walker counties.

AIRPORT BREAKS PASSENGER RECORD

Huntsville International Airport served 160,455 passengers in June, the most ever in a single. month. Through June of this year, the airport was 4.7% ahead of last year. The airport says it reflects having bigger planes and more destinations.

CALLAGHAN’S ROCKS

Callaghan’s Irish Social Club in Mobile is the top dive bar in the country, according to the online site Huckleberry. J.T. Thompson owns the spot known for its burgers, live music and neighborhood atmosphere. It was the only Alabama bar on the top 50 list.

Campus landmarks

Auburn University’s SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING has broken ground on the Auburn University Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station, a partnership with the city of Orange Beach.

The 21,000-square-foot facility will be two stories and will include labs, offices, large meeting rooms and outdoor gathering areas on both levels. It will be a permanent hub for studying Gulf Coast environments and communities.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be part of this community and this region of our state,” said Auburn President Chris Roberts. “I look forward to the partnerships, the discoveries and the impact to come.”

The Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station will have three primary research areas: protecting and restoring water quality and quantity, conserving habitat and living resources, and enhancing the sustainability and resilience of coastal communities.

Auburn’s College of Engineering also received a commitment for $30 million for scholarships and related purposes from the Ginn Family Foundation.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

WEATHER SPANN

James Spann, chief meteorologist for ABC 33/40 in the Birmingham television market, launched Alabama Weather Network on Aug. 11. The network is available on digital platforms.

HOORAY FOR HOOVER

The Hoover Met Complex is the cover story of Community Playmaker’s Annual Economic Development Edition. The story highlights the resurgence of the complex after the Birmingham Barons left it for a new home base in downtown Birmingham.

GENEROUS

Longtime University of Alabama at Birmingham supporters Steve and Katrina

DeMedici have committed $1 million to UAB athletics for the Bartow Arena renovation project. The project is set to break ground in the spring of 2026. DeMedici is former owner of the Iron City music venue in Birmingham. Bessemer-based Milo’s Tea Co. paused ordinary production at its Oklahoma plant to bottle drinking water for flood victims in neighboring Texas. The Poarch Creek Indians donated $10,000 to Excel High School to furnish the school’s newly expanded field house. Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama donated more than $12,000 to Selma City Schools to purchase uniforms, backpacks and school supplies. The company also

ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY, meanwhile, has officially opened the Nazaretian Alumni Welcome Center. The center will house the Office of Alumni Affairs and serve as a welcome center for alumni and campus visitors.

“The Nazaretian Alumni Welcome Center was reconstructed to preserve the home of Dr. Angie Nazaretian, a longtime Athens State employee and former director of the Athens State University Alumni Association,” said Dr. Keith Ferguson, vice president for university advancement. “The center has offices for alumni, staff, meeting space, event space, and will serve as a historical repository for University Museums and Archives.”

Nazaretian, who retired in 2000, died in 2019.

“Dr. Nazaretian believed deeply in the potential of every student,” said Dr. Catherine Wehlburg, president of Athens State. “This center reflects her lifelong commitment to their success. Her memory will continue to inspire all who walk through our historic columns.”

Athens State also is kicking off a $30 million renovation of Carter Hall. 

made a $5,000 contribution to help students with hair-care needs. USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital has been awarded a $100,000 grant from Hyundai Hope on Wheels to support efforts to help childhood cancer patients. Hyundai Hope on Wheels is a nonprofit committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer.

NEW MUSIC VENUES

Auburn University has agreed to a multi-year partnership with Peachtree Entertainment, which will bring live music events to both Neville Arena and Jordan-Hare Stadium several times a year. The first concert announcements are expected this fall with performances starting in fall 2026.

HOME MARKET TRENDS

Home sales across Alabama continued to increase in June with numbers rising 8.2% over May and 10.94% over 2024, according to the Alabama Economic and Real Estate Report released by the Alabama Association of Realtors. However, the report noted that the numbers lag behind the years prior to 2024.

CONTRACTS

Dynetics Technical Solutions has been awarded an $8.4 million contract from the U.S. Navy for Virginia-class submarine electron beam welding. The contract allows ordering over the next 5 years. Lockheed Martin’s Troy facilities are part of a $9.5 billion

L3Harris opens Huntsville facility

L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES, a defense contractor, has expanded its operations in Huntsville with a new 379,000-square-foot production facility called Advanced Manufacturing Facility – South. The site, the size of more than six football fields, is designed to support surging production demands and emerging missile defense needs, including President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome.

“Solid rocket motors remain essential to the vast majority of the critical defense program that protects our communities, military and allies,” said Ken Bedingfield, president, Aerojet Rocketdyne, L3Harris. “Our growth in Huntsville represents another significant investment we are making to boost production capacity of critical components, and we’re proud that they are being made in Alabama.”

L3Harris has invested more than $20 million in renovations to support the scalable facility where the company will manufacture solid rocket motor components such as nozzles, exit cones, aft closures and cases. The facility features hydraulic presses, autoclaves, tape-wrap systems and composite machining that will help make components faster and with greater precision. The company’s Title III Defense Production Act cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense helped to fund the additional equipment.

AMF-South is supporting programs such as the Standard Missile, Guided Multiple Launch System and Javelin. The expansion already has resulted in 40 new jobs, with the company expecting

BUSINESS BRIEFS

contract to increase production of cruise missiles. The contract includes increased delivery of both the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile and the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile. Austal USA has received a $273 million contract option award from the U.S. Coast Guard and has started construction of a second Stage 2 Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter. The work is being done at Austal in Mobile.

HANGAR UPDATE

Florida company PPK

Investment Group plans to invest up to $2.5 million to renovate a World War II-era hangar at Mobile Regional Airport, with plans to rent the renovated hangar to an as yet unidentified company.

HANGING OUT AGAIN

The Gulf Shores City Council voted unanimously on a oneyear extension of the franchise agreement for the Hangout Music Festival. This year, the event rebranded as the Sand in My Boots concert, and this vote allows it to take place in 2026, with an optional extension for 2027 if both sides agree to it.

NEW AT THE TOP

Kenny Shafer has been named CEO of UAB St. Vincent’s Birmingham Hospital. He comes to the UAB post after serving as CEO of Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee. Jason Wilson has been named the new executive director of Montgomery Whitewater

to create more than 100 to support operations at the site over the next few years.

“The opening of this advanced manufacturing facility strengthens our state’s role in supporting critical national security programs and brings high-quality jobs to North Alabama,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “I commend L3Harris for its commitment to investing in our workforce and fueling the next chapter of growth in the Rocket City.”

The AMF-South facility complements the existing 136,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Facility-North building, which opened in 2019.

Park. Most recently, he was an executive for Levy Restaurants in Charlotte, North Carolina, and oversaw the food and beverage operation at the Spectrum Center. Birminghambased NaphCare has appointed Connie Young, its CFO for more than three decades, to be its new president. NaphCare provides health care for the correctional system.

WHOLESALE OPP

Construction will begin this fall on a BJ’s Wholesale Club in Foley. It will be the second Alabama location for the bulk retailer. The first opened in Madison in 2023. Also, Costco is coming to Irondale, marking the wholesale retailer’s sixth location in Alabama — a $105

million project that will include a gas station.

BACK FROM THE FIRE

A year after a downtown Bessemer fire caused smoke and water damage to United Textiles, the home décor outlet has reopened. The company is now located across the street from its previous building.

SAME DOC, NEW NAME

More than 60 medical groups and 170 providers in the Birmingham region will now be rebranded as the Baptist Health Medical Group. The name change was announced in July, a next step since Orlando Health took leadership of Alabama’s Baptist Health facilities.

Metal work firms grow in Chambers County, Heflin and Chickasaw

Three metal work companies have announced plans to operate in Alabama.

MR6 TECH SERVICES, a roll-forming and sheet metal machinery repair business, plans to construct a new facility in the Huguley Industrial Park in Chambers County.

The project, which is an investment of $1.5 million, will initially create between 15 and 20 jobs. The 20,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in January 2026.

“MR6 is excited to begin this new journey in Chambers County,” said owner Michael Ralich. “The move reflects our company’s continued growth and expanding operations.”

MR6 Tech Services is a family-owned business with nearly 20 years of service. It specializes in servicing sheet metal equipment tailored toward roofing, siding and HVAC.

CONTOUR FABRICATIONS AND MECHANICAL is planning a $7 million facility in Heflin that is expected to create 20 to 30 jobs.

CFM provides mechanical maintenance and reel refurbishment services, and the new facility is expected to enhance CFM’s ability to serve clients such as Southwire.

The company is based in Kentucky.

DYNASTY FAB has announced plans for its first plant outside of Michigan, selecting a site in Chickasaw, just north of Mobile.

The firm, which specializes in advanced welding and fabrication, says the new Alabama site “will add dock access and large manufacturing abilities. This site is planned to further our maritime customer base and fabricate parts that are large to ship

BUSINESS BRIEFS

GROWING OPELIKA

A $125 million development in Opelika known as The Mill will include residential lots, office, retail, restaurants, event space and a clubhouse. The plans came out of a city council work session.

ER PLANS

Huntsville Hospital has requested state approval to build two freestanding emergency departments, one in Hampton Cove and one in north Huntsville.

NEW IN SHIPPING

Capes Shipping Agencies, a vessel agency and cargo forwarding servicer, has expanded its Gulf Coast footprint with new offices in Mobile and Corpus Christi,

Texas. Jennings Lawler will head the Mobile team.

BANK PAIRING

Pinnacle Financial Partners, based in Nashville, and Synovus Financial Corp., based in Columbus, Georgia, are merging in an $8.6 billion deal. The bank will operate under the Pinnacle Bank name. Pinnacle has locations in Birmingham and Huntsville, and Synovus has 40 Alabama branches.

GAME GETAWAYS

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have added nonstop flights out of the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport for football away games for Auburn University and the University

by road.”

“The Port of Chickasaw gives us access to maritime shipping and a skilled regional workforce, which will allow us to better serve our defense and industrial clients across the Gulf Coast and beyond,” said Zach Jeakle, owner of Dynasty Fab.

The company, which works in defense, aerospace and automotive sectors, plans to invest $2 million in capital improvements and hire about 30 workers. The new operations will be located in the Chickasaw Marine Terminal, part of the Port of Chickasaw that was acquired by Zarzour Companies in 2023.

“We were excited about the opportunity to bring this area of the Port of Chickasaw back to its former glory. It is a community and area that is rich in history, especially during the early 20th century and into World War 2,” said Matt Zarzour, with Zarzour Companies.

Dynasty Fab was founded in 2017 in a garage workshop in Michigan, but has grown rapidly and expanded capabilities, including the ability to work with high performance materials such as titanium.

of Alabama. Flights have been added for Auburn’s games against Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas A&M, as well as Alabama’s games against Florida State and Missouri.

GOING, GOING…

Montgomery-based J.M. Wood Auction Co. has been acquired by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, based in Illinois and a subsidiary of RB Global Inc. J.M. Wood was founded in 1973.

KIWANIS KUDOS

The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham’s Kiwanis Reads, a preschool literacy project, was named the 2025 Signature Project by Kiwanis International. The submissions included more than 500 service projects.

CONSTRUCTION MILESTONES

Doster Construction has begun work on the new Percy L Julian High School for the Montgomery Public Schools

HOTEL HOTSPOTS

Marriott Hotels plans a 144-room luxury resort at Northport’s University Beach lagoon resort. The property, set to open in 2027, will include 12 luxury waterfront suites. Northport’s Harrison Construction is the builder. Also, Alabama’s first Hard Rock Reverb Hotel will open in Florence in 2028. The hotel, replacing the former Days Inn downtown, will have a music theme. The LivSmart Studios by Hilton Hotel has received its building permit

Fuel tech firm expanding in Auburn

KOREA FUEL TECH AMERICA is investing $4 million in an expansion of its manufacturing operation at Auburn Technology Park South.

The expansion will create 17 new jobs, according to the city of Auburn.

Korea Fuel Tech America, which came to Auburn in 2022, produces eco-friendly fuel parts.

“Congratulations to Korea Fuel Tech America’s local leadership for expanding after just three years here in Auburn,” Auburn Mayor Ron Anders said. “Every expansion of an existing company is a testament to the great conditions companies find in Auburn — it’s a win for both our community and our residents.”

Korea Fuel Tech is headquartered in Anseong, South Korea. The company’s Auburn operation includes injection molding and assembly manufacturing processes.

“We appreciate the city of Auburn’s support over the last three years,” said Hak Won Suh, president of Korea Fuel Tech America Inc. “We look forward to completing this expansion, which will enhance our ability to better service our customer base and bring even more jobs to the Auburn community.”

BUSINESS BRIEFS

for its Huntsville location near Bridge Street Town Centre. The $12.4 million project is set to be built by GCC Construction. The company broke ground for its first Alabama location, in Opelika, in July. The Embassy Suites by Hilton Gulf Shores Beach Resort has opened, bringing 257 suites to the area, many of which feature gulf views.

The eight-story hotel is on West Beach Boulevard.

PIHAKIS APLENTY

The family-oriented Valley Post development in Chelsea will feature four restaurants owned by the Pihakis Restaurant Group

The restaurants will be Hero Doughnuts, Little Donkey, Luca Legotto and Rodney Scott’s BBQ.

MORE AT THE WHARF

The Wharf in Orange Beach has opened its Portside on Main expansion. The development is 33,000 square feet of retail, office and entertainment space and about 26,000 square feet of green and open space, including an outdoor stage.

SADLY MISSED

Dr. Annette Nevin Shelby, an educator, philanthropist and wife of former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, died in late July at age 86. Her career included teaching

at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. The Business Council of Alabama is mourning Robert “Bubba” Lee, chairman of the organization from 19951996, who died in late July. He and his brother, Tommy Lee, built the Baldwin County manufacturer Vulcan Inc

CORRECTION

The Directory of Public Companies in the August 2025 issue of Business Alabama indicated incorrectly that Encompass Health offers home-based services. Encompass offers only inpatient rehabilitative care.

NEW AT THE HELM

There is a new name in charge at Brasfield & Gorrie as Rob Blalock settles in as CEO

By

One of Rob Blalock’s first construction projects was an elaborate treehouse he and several of his childhood friends built in the woods near their homes in Chattanooga. The structure quickly had to be dismantled, however, once it was discovered it actually had been built on a neighbor’s land.

“We didn’t understand property lines back then,” Blalock says with a smile.

Blalock has learned plenty about nearly every aspect of the construction business since then, especially after spending the past 27 years working for Birminghambased Brasfield & Gorrie.

In fact, Blalock has progressed in the business so much that at the beginning of this year he took over as Brasfield & Gorrie’s CEO.

This would be an impressive accomplishment regardless of the situation. But what makes Blalock’s elevation into the

CEO role particularly noteworthy is that he’s not named Gorrie. Meaning that for the first time since Miller Gorrie purchased the assets of Thomas Brasfield to form Brasfield & Gorrie in 1964, there is a different last name atop the company’s C-Suite.

“I could not be more confident in the future outlook for our company,” outgoing CEO Jim Gorrie, son of Miller Gorrie, said in a statement announcing the change. “Rob’s creativity, passion and leadership have been evident throughout his career.”

What wasn’t evident, at least to Blalock himself, was his eventual landing spot on the upper rungs of the corporate ladder. Blalock originally wasn’t even sure he was interested in a construction career, having changed his college major three times — including a stint in pre-med — before finally graduating from Auburn University with a degree in architectural

and building sciences. Soon afterward he took an entry-level position at Brasfield & Gorrie.

“I really didn’t know much about the company,” Blalock says. “I stumbled in here as a complete random hire.”

Blalock quickly discovered that he enjoyed both the job and the company. He says his goal at the time was to work on downtown high-rises, and he began doing so out of the Brasfield & Gorrie offices in Atlanta, helping add to the city’s sprawling skyline with the construction of various office buildings, hotels and condominiums.

“From the very beginning, I loved the job,” Blalock says. “I loved working with the clients and helping figure out their challenges, then bringing it all together with a design and a budget that fit them. … After a few years I started getting some offers (from other companies), but it got to the point where I was like, ‘I love it

here. There’s no way I could leave.’”

Early in his career, Blalock began working on several projects with Atlantabased architect Daniel Joy, who went on to become one of the founders of the Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio design firm. Even though Blalock was still in his 20s at the time, Joy says his leadership capability already was evident.

“Whatever the circumstance or situation, leaders step in and solve things, and that’s always been one of Rob’s strengths,” Joy says. “He has the ability to com-

mand respect just in the way he presents himself. It’s an innate characteristic that he has, which is a sign of a great leader. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s worked his way up to where he is at Brasfield & Gorrie.”

Blalock says one of the highlights for him along the way was the development of the 1075 Peachtree building, a 38-story multi-use complex in midtown Atlanta. It was one of the first major projects he led as a division manager, and he did so with a young but enthusiastic team.

“It was a tough job, but those young guys just knocked it out of the park,” Blalock says. “That job was very rewarding. Projects like that are what I love most about this business, that we can produce something that you can see and walk into and work in. What used to be an empty lot is now a building that people are using every day.”

Blalock was enjoying his time as Atlanta division manager so much that he says he was content to remain in that role while he and his wife raised their four children. Then one day in 2018, Blalock received a call on his cell phone from Jim Gorrie. On a Saturday afternoon.

“I thought, uh oh, that’s unusual,” Blalock says. “Turns out he called to say he was thinking that I might be the guy to replace him (as company CEO) one day. But to do so, I would need to move to Birmingham so I could work there for several years.

“That was like an asteroid hitting me in the head. I had never even contemplated that idea.”

It did not take long for Blalock and his wife to decide that the opportunity was too good to pass up. So, the family relocated to Birmingham, and Blalock embarked on what basically was a sixyear transition period into the CEO role.

“That was a great way to do it, because it wasn’t like all this was thrust on me all of the sudden,” Blalock says. “Over time I was given a little more and a little more responsibility. It happened gradually to where this year was a very easy transition.”

While the transition apparently has not hampered Brasfield & Gorrie’s growth – the company expects to top $7 billion in revenue this year, an 11% increase from 2024 – Blalock says the company “hasn’t fully been on offense.” He expects that to change in the coming years.

“It’s time for us to start throwing the ball down the field a little more,” Blalock says. “We’re not really looking to expand geographically outside the Southeast, but we want to expand our major market sectors — health care, commercial, industrial, mission critical, heavy civil and

federal — extensively within that geography. That will be the strategy for the next three or four years, then we’ll probably get back to geographic expansion.”

Whatever the future footprint might look like for Brasfield & Gorrie, Blalock says one thing that will not change is the company’s commitment to its hometown and state. Even as the firm works on major projects outside Alabama involving data centers, health care facilities and water infrastructure, the company continues to take small local jobs that cost as little as $1,000.

“We’re doing local church renovations, the Airbus assembly plant in Mobile and everything in between,” Blaylock says. “We like to keep a foot in both worlds. It’s worked for the first 61 years, and we’re going to continue with that strategy.”

Cary Estes and Art Meripol are Birmingham-based freelance contributors to Business Alabama.

20,000-square-foot central energy plant and five-story medical office building.

Alabama’s Largest General Contractors

Ranked by number of employees in Alabama. In cases of a tie, those companies are ranked by number of employees companywide.

Compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

1 Brasfield & Gorrie LLC Rob Blalock, Matt Carrington, Wilson Nash, Greg Hunsberger

2 BL Harbert International Billy Harbert

3 Hoar Construction Turner

4 Robins

5

Alabama’s Largest General Contractors

12 Bailey-Harris Construction Co. Inc.

Allen Harris, Russell Harris 1600 Bailey-Harris Dr. Auburn, AL 36830 334-821-0807 baileyharris.com

13 Rabren General Contractors Matt Rabren 306 Persimmon Dr. Auburn, AL 36830 334-826-6143 rabren.com

14 Goodgame Co. Inc. Jason A. Goodgame 2311 3rd Ave. S. Pell City, AL 35128 205-338-2551 goodgamecompany.com

16 McShane Construction Co. Scott Hoppa, Dave Meadows

Robbie Egan, Matt Hall, Ralph Crumpton

23 Ben M. Radcliff Contractor Inc.

Ben M. Radcliff Jr.

CREATING SPACES

Birmingham-based Poole & Co. works

to design the right space for its clients

By DEBORAH

With more than 50 architectural firms in Birmingham alone, it can be hard to stand out.

Over the last 20 years, Poole & Co. Architecture and Interior Design has built an impressive clientele and solid reputation through creativity, versatility and word of mouth. The practice’s portfolio ranges from fun restaurant spaces to medical offices, condos and even a homeless shelter.

President and owner John Poole graduated from Auburn University in 1986. He interned with a Birmingham firm and worked there for almost 20 years before starting his own company in February 2005.

“I just felt like there was so much more that I could offer if I started my own practice, so I just jumped out and gave it a shot,” Poole says.

His first hire was his current partner, Auburn graduate Kelly Mullins, in 2006. The company now has a staff of 25.

“Birmingham is kind of a small big town, so to speak,” says Poole. “After being in the business and in this community for 20 years, you form a lot

of relationships, and this is definitely a relationship business.”

He stayed in touch with civil, structural and mechanical engineers he interacted with at his first job. “They opened some doors for me just to kind of get my start,” he says.

Syracuse University graduate Kyle D’Agostino became a partner at Poole in 2018. He also shares his knowledge as an adjunct professor at Auburn University.

The company has divisions in health care, multi-family spaces, restaurant and hospitality design, adaptive re-use of old buildings, as well as public and nonprofit buildings and offices.

They do work throughout Alabama, Poole says.

Significant projects include several for Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham, including the inpatient behavioral health unit, NICU expansion and imaging area.

“We do quite a bit of health care work,” Poole says. “We’re working for five or six local hospital systems here in Birmingham and we’re beginning to make connections with some other hospital systems outside of Birmingham and outside of Alabama.”

With a children’s hospital project, it’s very important “that the space is a distraction from why they’re there,” Poole says.

“Children’s has been a wonderful client because they really embrace that,” he says. “And so, we have had the opportunity to be very creative with all of those projects. And I think the interiors and the exteriors of the Children’s buildings and campus reflect that.”

The Poole firm also does a fair amount of government projects.

“We’ve done a lot of work for Jefferson County over the years and for several state agencies,” Poole says, including the Jefferson County Building 2121 renovation.

He’s particularly proud of the Jefferson County Coroner and Medical Examiner’s Office that opened in Birmingham earlier this year. Located on a wooded, 9-acre site, the project is designed with natural light and a covered employee patio to marry function with “staff well-being.”

The Birmingham Firehouse Shelter men’s homeless shelter is a project close to Poole’s heart.

“It really presented some interesting challenges to create a place where homeless men can live in dignity and create a building that provides protection for them and from the neighbors,” he says.

Restaurant design gives architects a little more artistic leeway. D’Agostino is partic-

ularly passionate about food, Poole says.

“He’s sort of a chef himself and he’s kind of introduced us to that work,” Poole says. “There is a lot of opportunity to be creative and have fun with it. A lot of our younger people enjoy that as well.”

Noteworthy restaurant designs include Paramount, El Barrio and Bar La Fete in downtown Birmingham and Key Circle Commons bar in Mountain Brook. They’re currently working on a restaurant in Huntsville for Brick and Tin.

The Poole company’s work is concentrated in Birmingham, but they also have done projects in Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and other Alabama locations.

Their multifamily housing division designed Champion’s Place, a Tuscaloosa condominium created with University of Alabama sports fans in mind. Condos overlook the football practice facility and track.

“You could sit on your balcony and if you’re lucky, catch football practice and then you can walk downstairs and you’re within four or five blocks of the stadium,” he says.

It’s a good example of style driving purpose, he notes.

“The architecture of those buildings is inspired by the architecture on the campus of the University of Alabama, which is why people are there.”

Poole has heard the saying that architecture is a field where knowledge is a mile wide and an inch deep.

“You have to know enough about a lot of different things to be a good architect,” he says.

In hiring, he looks for well-rounded people.

“You need to understand how to take a project from a blank sheet of paper to completion,” says Poole.

That includes “understanding how to translate what our clients are telling us about their project into a space program, and then into a design concept and then into a building and follow that all the way through construction to see that idea completed in its physical form.”

Consulting engineers create structural systems, and construction companies do the building.

“We sort of play the role as conductor of the orchestra where we have to bring all of these disciplines together and knit all those materials and ideas and systems together to make a building,” Poole says.

“It takes time. That’s why it’s called a practice — a practice of architecture. It takes years to put all that together.”

The company slogan is “passion fueled by purpose.”

Each project begins with a “problem statement” that covers goals, expected outcomes, space requirements and other details. That helps create “a very clear path for everyone in the company to follow to kind of achieve the finished product.”

Adaptability in this iterative process is important, Poole says.

“I think most every architect comes out of school just ready to set the world on fire with creative design ideas and creative buildings,” he says. “Then you just realize that you’ve got to sort of direct your creativity to the problem at hand. And sometimes that problem is not always a cool modern aesthetic.”

In a general sense, building styles come and go based on trends.

“I think for me, and for us, we’re less concerned about style and less concerned about imposing maybe what our aesthetic ideas are than we are interested in a building that is going to be timeless in its functionality,” Poole says.

Following decades of sometimes unfortunate urban renewal, restoration of old buildings is growing in popularity, he agrees. Birmingham, in particular, lost an ornate circa-1909 train station in 1969.

“I think everybody looks back at that as just a disastrous move,” he says.

Poole says they are considering opening an office in the Florida Panhandle. “We’re starting to do a little bit of health care work in Florida, and I just feel like there’s a lot of potential,” he says.

With two decades behind them, Poole believes the company’s growth potential is “tremendous.”

“We’re excited about being a part of the legacy of Birmingham and the places that we work. And I think we’ve got a great staff and have built a really, really, attractive culture to bring good people to us.”

Deborah Storey and Cary Norton are freelance contributors to Business Alabama. Storey is based in Huntsville and Norton in Birmingham.

BUILT TO LAST

Managing both the big picture and the nuts and bolts leads to success for Hoar and spinoff HPM

By NANCY RANDALL

By paying attention to every detail, down to the last nut and bolt, Hoar Construction has been successfully building for 85 years.

“When you do that, it’s kind of like the old saying, ‘If you watch your pennies, your dollars will take care of themselves,’” says Hoar CEO Rob Burton.

Adopting that detail-oriented mindset has helped the general contractor grow to 10 offices nationwide and around $1.5 billion annually in managed projects. Hoar also successfully spun off HPM, its program management division, in 2012.

Founded in Birmingham, Hoar originally focused on building churches, Burton says. It now serves sectors including K-12 and higher education, health care, retail/mixed use, multifamily residential, office, government, industrial, hospitality and entertainment, and mission-critical. President Turner Burton leads more than 800 employees at Hoar.

Whether it’s a hospital expansion or a new school, Hoar’s focus on details includes carefully vetting subcontractors, explains CEO Burton.

“A mistake in picking the wrong trade partner can cost an awful lot of money for a general contractor,” Burton says. “So, we put a great deal of emphasis on making sure that our trade partners [are] treated fair-

ly, but first vetted properly, so we know their capabilities and that they’re the right fit for the job. They are vital to the success of any general contractor.”

When asked about specific building challenges encountered by Hoar, Burton acknowledges that every construction job has problems. Hoar takes those lessons learned into consideration to make improvements on future projects, aiming to get better each day.

“We talk a lot about one of our core values — ‘the relentless pursuit of improvement.’ We do very deep reviews of every job when we’re finished,” he explains.

Hoar is one of the top 10 health care builders in the country, according to Burton. One of its newer projects is the replacement of Spain Rehabilitation Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Ground was broken in May 2022, and the $128 million building is now in the final stages of construction, Burton says.

The 11-story building occupies nearly 350,000 square feet on Seventh Avenue South. It includes seven floors of hospital

space and four floors of parking deck, with a connection to an existing pedestrian walkway. The building is designed for 78 rehabilitation beds and 28 acute-care beds, UAB notes.

“[The building] has been a very , very

impactful project for Birmingham and UAB,” Burton says, noting that Hoar has built multiple projects on UAB’s campus over the years.

Another current Hoar project is Auburn University’s new STEM and Ag-

riculture Sciences Complex. Construction began in January 2024, with completion expected by summer 2026.

Hoar is managing construction of the 285,000-square-foot project, which will cost $184 million. “It is the largest contract I think Auburn had ever awarded at the time,” Burton says. The complex will be located along PO Davis Drive, where AU’s Hill Residence Halls were formerly located.

The AU complex’s three buildings will include high-tech teaching labs, research labs, a teaching garden and communal student areas. The labs and basement area are designed to hold aquatic animals and insects for study.

The complex will centralize several departments from the College of Sciences and Mathematics and College of Agriculture to one location, from biological sciences to crop, soils and environmental sciences, plus others.

The job is one of more than 20 different college campus projects currently ongoing or upcoming for Hoar, Burton notes, spanning across Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia.

Among them are projects at Spring Hill College in Mobile (a new Health and Science Innovation Center) and Alabama A&M University in Huntsville. The latter will be a new science building focused on significantly increasing the university’s instructional classroom and laboratory STEM capacity in biology, chemistry and

physics, according to Alabama A&M’s website.

SPINNING OFF HPM

After walking through Birminghamarea schools in 1997, Hoar leadership saw that clients needed support beyond the construction process, Burton says. Hoar created a division focused on program management.

“We recognized that as a construction company, a lot of our clients are not as well versed in how construction and design works, and the responsibilities of the owner,” Burton explains.

The new division quickly grew. In 2012 it became a separate company, HPM, under the Hoar Holdings family of companies. It has its own clients apart from Hoar Construction, Burton notes.

HPM’s program managers operate on behalf of owners, facilitating the en-

tire construction program and process.

“This also allows [owners] to keep their overhead down [because] they don’t have to have permanent, full-time experts on their staff,” Burton says. “[HPM is] able to come and go as an institution needs us. It’s far more efficient.”

Led by President Ryan Austin, HPM is headquartered in Birmingham, with eight offices nationwide. More than 200 HPM employees serve a variety of sectors including municipalities, aerospace/ aviation, manufacturing/industrial, K-12 schools and higher education.

HPM alone is managing around $2 billion a year in construction projects, according to Burton.

He notes some of the Alabama-based signature clients for HPM:

• The University of Alabama (one of HPM’s first clients, which has grown into a 20-plus year relationship)

• Airbus, which manufactures A220 and A320 family commercial aircraft in Mobile, creating significant economic impact for the state

• Regions, a partnership which began in Alabama before expanding nationwide

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

Hoar, like others in the industry today, sees recruitment as one of its greatest challenges. “Recruiting the right people that

“We do a great job of [ensuring] people know what kind of careers we can provide them here, and the ability to grow in many different industries and sectors.”

— Rob Burton, HOAR Construction

fit our culture and think the way we think — that is huge,” says Burton. “We do a great job of [ensuring] people know what kind of careers we can provide them here, and the ability to grow in many different industries and sectors.”

A lot of Hoar’s focus is on training and developing its employees, including using online learning developed internally. Part of that effort, Burton explains, is using artificial intelligence to gather job information in one database. This data can include lessons learned on a job, related files and documents, and specific systems or equipment used on that job.

The AI project supports lean principles used in construction, Burton notes. “This is a way to eliminate a waste of time for our employees — to make sure that it’s easy to find the systems and the methods of how to build, but also how to do it faster,” he explains.

PROUD PAPA?

When asked to choose a Hoar project

he’s particularly proud of, Burton is reluctant. It’s like naming the child you are most proud of, he notes. Better to keep quiet. But …

“We love them all, and we’re grateful for every client. It’s hard to win a client, and you have to do a great job to keep a client. But sure, Children’s Hospital

[in Birmingham] always stands out. It’s iconic looking on the skyline, a beautiful building. But the impact it has on children’s lives has always been special to me.”

Nancy Randall is a Tuscaloosa-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

Alabama’s Largest Subcontractors

Ranked by number of Alabama employees.

1 Marathon Electrical Contractors Inc.

Bruce Taylor, Brad Sandidge, Chris McGregor, Mark Harry

2 Jesse Stutts Inc.

Jimmy C. Wall, Jesse P. Stutts III, William Parkes III, Mary E. Gaston, Roger E. Thompson, Robert M. McCormick

3 FabArc Steel Supply Inc.

Tom Adams, Richard Hughes, Justin Cox

4 Qualico Steel Co. Inc.

Jed Downs

Meadow Ln. Oxford, AL 36203 256-831-8770 fabarc.com

5 Cornerstone Detention Products Inc.

Charles Mitch Claborn 2910 U.S. Hwy. 31 Hartselle, AL 35640 256-355-2396

6 Auburn Electrical Construction Co.

Donald Lanier, Steve Pruitt, Robert Henderson

7 Garrison Steel Jason Garrison, CC Watson

Summerhill Rd. Auburn, AL 36831 334-821-7360 aecci.com

8 All-South Subcontractors Inc. Bradford Price 2678 Queenstown Rd. Birmingham,

9 Wayne J. Griffin Electric Inc.

Wayne J. Griffin, Mike Irby

10 Domani Inc. Steven D. Carey

Compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

&

Specialty contractordentention Majority of U.S.

Alabama’s Largest Architectural Firms

Ranked by number of Alabama employees. DND=Did Not Disclose

Compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

1 Goodwyn Mills Cawood Jeffrey Brewer 2660 EastChase Ln. Ste. 200 Montgomery, AL 36117 334-271-3200 gmcnetwork.com

2 Williams Blackstock Architects Joel Blackstock, Stephen Allen, Binx Newton, Bill Segrest, Matt Foley, Brittany Foley, Amanda Fowler 2204 First Ave. S. Ste. 200 Birmingham, AL 35233 205-252-9811 wba-architects.com

3 SS&A Design Collective Shavon Charlot, Kevin Childs, Matt Atkinson, Brad Hughes, Jeff Sexton

Davis Architects Inc.

4

5

Courtney Pittman, Neil Davis, Julee Potter, Lam Tong, Gabe Fuller, Stephanie Pope, Jim Hartsell, Emily Horton, John Brennan,Andrew Taylor, Bob Brenner, Skylar Howard

Nola VanPeursem

Architects PC Frank J. Nola Jr., Christine Kirchberg Jones, Katelyn Wasser, Laura Trenkle

6 Fuqua & Partners

Joe Fuqua, Rodney Steger, Bart Bankowski, Les Tillery

7 TurnerBatson Architects Dave Reese, Eric Berg

3047 Carter Hill Rd. Montgomery, AL 36111 334-230-0538 ssainc.com

120 23rd St. S. Birmingham, AL 35233 205-960-1538 dadot.com

301 Jefferson St. Huntsville, AL 35801 256-533-6617 nvparchitects.com

Church St., Ste. 700 Huntsville, AL 35801 256-534-3516 fuquaarchitects.com

1950 Stonegate Dr. Ste. 200 Birmingham, AL 35242 205-278-6261 turnerbatson.com

8 PH&J Architects Ren Jones, Hal Gandy, Patrick Addison 807 S. McDonough St. Montgomery, AL 36104 334-871-8781 phjarchitects.com

8 Poole & Company Architects John Poole, Kelly Mullins, Kyle D’Agostino 1827 1st Ave. N., Ste. 100 Birmingham, AL 35203 205-326-2206 pooleandcompany.com

10 Chambless King Architects Mike Shows, Nick Henninger, Jared Fulton 12 W. Jefferson St. Ste. 300 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-272-0029 chamblessking.com

11 LIVE Design Group PC Craig A. Krawczyk 3117 2nd Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35233 205-870-3090 livedesigngroup.com

million $97.5 million 365 665

Alabama State House Montgomery, AL

Research, Life Science Building Birmingham, AL $133

Hurlburt Field SOF Special Tactics Operations Facilities Hurlburt Field, FL $49.7 million

East & South Science Halls Birmingham, AL $57 million

The Command Sergeant Major Bennie Adkins State Veterans Home Enterprise, AL $98.8 million

Schriever AFB Ambulatory Care Center, Dental Addition, and Alterations Colorado Springs, CO $19 million

Engineering,

Elementary School Classroom Wing & Kitchen Renovation Satsuma,

Department of Youth Services New Intensive Treatment Unit, New Therapy Building & Wallace School Renovation Mt. Meigs, AL

Interior Design 2005

Design & Project Planning

Source: Business Alabama survey

Alabama’s Largest Engineering Firms

1 Hargrove Engineers & Constructors

Ralph A. Hargrove 20 S. Royal St. Mobile, AL 36693 251-476-0605 hargrove-epc.com

2 Volkert Inc.

Thomas A. Hand, Leon Barkan, Mike Sampson

3 Thompson Holdings Chad Brown, Kendall Kilpatrick

2970 Cottage Hill Rd. Ste. 190 Mobile, AL 36606 251-666-2443 thompsonengineering.com

4 TTL Inc. Dean McClure, Jason Walker P.O. Drawer 1128 Tuscaloosa, AL 35403 205-345-0816 TTLUSA.com

5 Barge Design Solutions Carrie Stokes

500 Corporate Pkwy. Ste. 100 Hoover, AL 35242 205-298-6974 bargedesign.com

6 Dewberry Dan Blackman, Adam Cone, Jason Estes 2 Riverchase Office Plaza Ste. 205 Birmingham, AL 35244 703-849-0100 dewberry.com

7 CHA Consulting Inc. James McLellan

8 Sain Associates Inc. Jim Meads, Becky White, Vann Rutledge, Alicia Bailey, Jeff Stephenson

9 Orion Engineering PC Billy Novak

10 MW/Davis Dumas & Associates Inc.

Eastcliff Industrial Loop Birmingham, AL 35210 205-591-9111 chasolutions.com

James S. Davis Jr., Joseph S. Davis 4500 Southlake Park Ste. 200 Hoover, AL 35244 205-252-0246 mwdda.com

SABEL STEEL IS STILL GOING STRONG

The family-owned, Montgomery-based company has been in operation for 169 years, adapting to new realities all along the way

By CARY ESTES

“I’m the sixthgeneration Sabel to run the business. There is a lot of pride in that. It’s an honor to be part of a company that has been around for this long.”

— Sean Sabel, Sabel Steel

There are few building materials stronger than steel. And there are few bonds stronger than family.

Sabel Steel in Montgomery combines both those elements. The result is a company that has been in business since before the war. No, not World War II. We’re talking about the Civil War.

That’s right. The entity now known as Sabel Steel began way back in 1856 as M. Sabel & Sons, making it one of the five-oldest continually operating businesses in Alabama. The company, which purchases steel in bulk and sells it in smaller quantities to a wide variety of end-users, currently is run by CEO Sean Sabel, the great, great, great grandson of founder Marx Sabel.

“I’m the sixth-generation Sabel to run the business. There is a lot of pride in that,” Sean Sabel says. “It’s an honor to be part of a company that has been around for this long.”

The company began when Marx Sabel moved his family from Kentucky to Montgomery and set up a business selling and bartering hides, furs and leather goods. Early sales books that are still in the company’s possession show a fur list that included skunks, racoons, opossums, foxes, otters, beavers, bears, badgers, wolves and — for one line item — housecat fur.

“I don’t have any idea what that was about,” Sean Sabel says with a laugh. “I just know that pretty much if you could sell or barter it, we would.”

After the Civil War and amid the rapid growth of the steel industry in Alabama, scrap metal became one of the primary products being bartered. Over the ensuing decades, the Sabel

business gradually moved away from furs and hides and began focusing more heavily on steel.

This transition accelerated after World War II, as Sean Sabel’s grandfather and great-uncle began actively purchasing metal in bulk in order to resell it. This process began with the two men driving to the U.S. Steel plant in Fairfield and loading up as much steel as they could fit into their vehicle.

By the mid-1950s, the company was dealing in Army and Navy surplus products, followed in the 1960s by the opening of a rebar fabricating shop. Business ebbed and flowed with the market, but for the most part Sabel Steel enjoyed modest growth through the 1970s and into the ’80s.

Then in 1987, during a period of upheaval and consolidation throughout the steel industry, the company was purchased from the Sabel family in a leveraged buyout. Sean Sabel’s father, Keith Sabel, continued to run the business as CEO. But for the first time in more than 130 years, Sabel Steel was not a family-owned company.

“That was a painful time,” Sean Sabel says. “Venture capitalists buy companies and then only care about making money off them. It took away from the aspect of the business that we love, which is to treat everyone — our customers and employees — like family.

“My dad was not pleased with how everything was going in that aspect. So, he decided to buy it back. It took him 13 years, but in 2000 he raised enough cash to buy the company and put it back into the Sabel family.”

After that experience, Keith Sabel wanted to grow the company to help ensure that it would never be gobbled up like that again. So, Sabel Steel began a steady process of expansion and acquisition. In addition to the 13-acre headquarters and primary scrap yard along the Alabama River in Montgomery, the company now has steel-supply service centers in Anniston, Dothan, Mobile (Theodore) and Tuscaloosa (Woodstock) in Alabama, plus sites in Newman and Winder, Georgia; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Beaumont, Texas.

“We buy truckload quantities of metal from the steel mills, warehouse it, and then break it down and sell it,” Sean Sabel says. “We’ll have people who want two pieces of this or five pieces of that, so we’ll cut it to length for them. We sell to companies, fabricators, OEMs, bridge manufacturers, automotive, individuals. If they use metal, we’re going to try to sell it to them.”

Overall, Sabel Steel has expanded to nearly 300 employes and maintains an average steel inventory of approximately 35 million pounds (17,500 tons). This includes a new focus on stocking aluminum and stainless steel.

“It’s another avenue for sales and diversification,” Sean Sabel says. “We don’t want our only product to be carbon steel. We want to be a one-stop shop for all these products.”

As a result of these changes, Sabel Steel’s average annual revenue has increased to approximately $170 million. Sean Sabel says the company currently is on solid financial footing, and will continue to pursue strategic expansion, including branching into the growing market of electronic-scrap items.

“My dad used to always say that this business can be feast or famine, and when it’s feast you have to be smart, because famine is probably coming,” Sean Sabel says. “We’ve been smart with cash flow and investments, not getting ahead of ourselves. That’s the way we can continue to expand and grow.”

The biggest change in Sabel Steel recently has been in the CEO office. Sean Sabel began moving into that role a few years ago, after his father was diagnosed with an illness. Sean was

named president and CEO last July, officially becoming the sixth generation of the Sabel family to run the business. Keith Sabel passed away in February at the age of 75.

“I started here by working in the scrapyards and sorting scrap metal, and I’ve worked my way up since then,” Sean Sabel says. “But even though I’ve been preparing for this, I like the groupthink way of doing things. Several people, including CFO Jason

Nickles and Vice President Brian Sherwood, have been very helpful during this transition. They bring different perspectives on things and help guide me in financial and operational decisions.”

Sherwood, who has worked for various companies in the steel industry for nearly 30 years and has been with Sabel Steel since 2015, says he has been impressed with Sean Sabel’s commitment to the business that bears his family’s name.

“Sean is an inspirational leader,” Sherwood says. “The first time I saw him here, he was outside running a bandsaw, covered in grease and dirt. I was thinking, ‘This is the owner’s son?’ But that’s why Sabel Steel has been in business for so long. They understand the legacy. They work from the ground up. They learn all aspects of the company. That’s what Sean did, and it’s going to help him in the long run leading the company forward.”

At the moment, Sean is the only Sabel involved in the business. He has two children, but they are ages 5 and 3. So it will still be a few decades before it is known whether a seventh generation Sabel eventually will be running Sabel Steel.

“I’m just going to do my own thing with the company for a while, and then gauge their interest when they get older,” Sabel says. “Then we’ll see about the future.”

For now, the present — and a nearly 170-year past — are more than enough for Sabel Steel.

Cary Estes and Cary Norton are Birmingham-based freelance contributors to Business Alabama.

Alabama’s Commercial Insurance Agencies & Providers

1

3

INSURANCE BASICS FOR BUSINESS

What coverage you need and why

By NANCY MANN JACKSON

When an Alabama-based manufacturing company was looking for a new insurance provider, The Prewitt Group did what it always does for a new customer. They started by reviewing the company’s current insurance policies. After finding that the company’s building was significantly underinsured, they worked with the customer to increase coverage by $5 million.

Eight months later, the manufacturing company’s building caught fire, leading to a total loss. “Because they were appropriately insured, the company was able to build the plant back and continue operating,” says Andy Prewitt, vice president of The Prewitt Group, a family-owned insurance company based in Birmingham since 1974. “The owner said if they hadn’t switched their insurance, they would have gone out of business because they wouldn’t have been able to cover the $5 million gap.”

Similarly, a business owner in the construction industry recently switched to Mobile-based Portal Insurance. “Upon review of his current policy, the carrier listed a clause that directly excluded the type of work he was doing,” says Bradley Flowers, CEO of Portal Insurance. “Thankfully, we discovered this before he had a claim and not after.”

Examples like these highlight the importance of proper commercial insurance coverage. A recent survey of small business owners showed that 92% have commercial insurance, but only 13% of those who are covered feel fully prepared for risk.

For business owners, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to insurance. Each business needs the combination of policies that will cover the particular risks it may face. Most businesses have liability risk, cyber risk, injury risk and property exposure, but insurance needs vary based on the type of business, number of employees and other factors.

“A business that owns a large amount of real estate is going to have greater property insurance needs than a business that rents its building,” Flowers says. “A business that involves manual labor with many employees is going to have a greater

workers’ compensation risk than someone who’s a solopreneur.”

For most businesses, carrying the right insurance coverage requires more than simply purchasing a generic general liability policy. Business owners and leaders can ensure that their organizations are appropriately insured by working directly with an insurance professional to review their policies, assess their risks and make recommendations.

DON’T OVERLOOK CYBER COVERAGE

Every insurance professional who commented for this article said the newest and most frequently overlooked type of insurance needed by businesses is cyber liability insurance. Every business that uses email, stores customer data, processes payments or relies on cloud-based platforms is at risk of a cyberattack.

“In today’s hyper-connected world, businesses of all sizes face a growing and relentless threat of cyberattacks,” Flowers says. “From phishing scams and ransomware to data breaches and social engineering schemes, the digital risks are no longer theoretical; they’re operational hazards. Yet despite the headlines and rising financial tolls, cyber insurance remains one of the most underutilized coverages in the commercial insurance portfolio.”

Many small and midsize businesses assume they’re not on the radar of cybercriminals because of their smaller size. However, smaller businesses are often prime targets because they don’t have the same level of defense that larger companies have, and they still have valuable data, Flowers says.

“Some insurance companies will try to breach your system to try to grade you and point out vulnerabilities. We can help clients figure out what to do to qualify for better coverage, such as implementing multi-factor authentication and other controls.”

— Johnny prewitt, The Prewitt group

manipulation and invoice manipulation, and if the businesses that fall victim to these crimes do not have cyber insurance, they are unable to make a claim, says Johnny Prewitt, president of The Prewitt Group.

In addition to applying for cyber coverage, many businesses must also implement controls to help avoid becoming victims of cybercrime. “Some insurance companies will try to breach your system to try to grade you and point out vulnerabilities,” Johnny Prewitt says. “We can help clients figure out what to do to qualify for better coverage, such as implementing multi-factor authentication and other controls.”

While The Prewitt Group offers cyber protection to every client, many businesses turn it down. “More than one has declined and later called back and said, ‘I got hacked. Is that what you were trying to sell me?’” Andy Prewitt says.

“

The Prewitt Group has seen a drastic uptick in claims related to cyber liability, wire fraud, identity theft, data breaches, point-of-sale system

A breach can bring regulatory fines, lawsuits, business interruption, ransom demands and irreversible customer distrust.”

— Bradley Flowers, portal insurance

Cyber risk is particularly dangerous because it carries a combination of consequences that can affect a company financially, legally, reputationally and operationally, according to Flowers.

“A breach can bring regulatory fines, lawsuits, business interruption, ransom demands and irreversible customer distrust,” he says.

“General liability and property policies typically do not cover these digital exposures, leaving a critical gap that many business owners don’t recognize until it’s too late,” says Flowers.

Uniquely, cyber insurance doesn’t just cover for financial damages. These policies also can provide covered businesses with other services they will need in the case of a cybercrime, such as access to forensic experts, legal teams, breach response

coordinators and crisis public relations assistance. These are “support systems that most businesses couldn’t afford or coordinate on their own in the middle of a digital crisis,” Flowers says.

WORK WITH DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS

To determine the right insurance coverage for a specific business — and get the best rates — it’s wise to build an ongoing relationship with a dedicated professional insurance provider. Many business owners assume that getting insurance quotes from multiple insurance agents will guarantee the best pricing, but that’s not correct, according to Flowers.

“Typically, when you go to an agency and they submit your information for pricing to their carriers, that prevents any other agencies from getting pricing from that specific carrier,” Flowers says. “That makes it harder on the agency to place the risk and it will cause carriers to look at the risk unfavorably.”

Just as you would hire only one real estate agent to list your home and represent you to buyers, Flowers recommends choosing one insurance agent to represent you to the insurance carriers to achieve more favorable pricing.

In addition to getting better pricing, business owners also can typically get better service by working with a dedicated insurance agent. The Prewitt Group, for example, prefers to sit down with each client on an annual basis and review their coverage. “You need to review your business and update regularly, because as your business grows, your insurance needs also expand,” Andy Prewitt says.

And by working personally with a knowledgeable insurance professional, business owners can make sure they’re covered appropriately. For example, “a lot of people think a home-based business is covered by homeowner’s insurance, but it’s not,” Johnny Prewitt says. “You have to work with somebody who knows the details to ensure you have the right coverage.”

Nancy Mann Jackson is a Madison-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

AAMA Thanks our sponsors for this special publication

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It’s hard to believe we are here again, but it’s time to congratulate the 2025 Class of 40 Under 40 in Construction! Alabama

AGC is proud to welcome another remarkable group of leaders and young professionals to this prestigious group. Through the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), the next generation of industry leaders gets involved early with Alabama AGC, and they learn the process by participating in activities throughout the course of the year and interacting with mentors, boards and industry legends. We are proud to recognize these individuals who demonstrate an incredibly high level of leadership, professional excellence and commitment to the construction industry throughout the state of Alabama.

They serve their companies in leadership roles and the industry as a whole through their participation in Alabama AGC. The future of the industry is represented in this class, much like the classes before them. Alabama AGC is proud to have these individuals — who are committed to their careers, companies and communities — represent the outstanding firms that comprise the membership of the industry’s largest and oldest non-residential construction organization.

From project managers and engineers to lawyers, accountants and safety managers, many different individuals make up this year’s AGC 40 Under 40 class — the very best of Alabama’s non-residential construction industry. As you learn about these interesting individuals who comprise the 2025 class, take time to examine their unique characteristics and the roles they play in providing the future leadership of the billion-dollar economic engine that is Alabama’s construction industry.

Since Jan. 1, 1920, the Alabama AGC staff and leadership have worked to improve the quality of construction and pro-

Recognizing excellence in construction

By BILLY NORRELL, CEO, Alabama Associated General Contractors

tect the public interest with a full range of services, education and advocacy through state agencies, the Alabama Legislature, Congress and other federal agencies.

Working with member companies is what the Alabama Associated General Contractors is all about, and the opportunity to work and serve each member is why Alabama AGC is the leading advocate for

Alabama’s construction industry. We are pleased to honor this eighth class of young leaders in the construction industry. Join us in congratulating the 2025 class of Alabama AGC 40 Under 40 in Construction!

Billy Norrell is the chief executive officer of Alabama Associated General Contractors.

Alabama AGC is proud to have these individuals — who are committed to their careers, companies and communities — represent the outstanding firms that comprise the membership of the industry’s largest and oldest non-residential construction organization.

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IN CONSTRUCTIO N

GOLD SPONSORS THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

SPONSORS

MEET THE 2025 AGC 40 UNDER 40 HONOREES

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Compiled by ERICA JOINER WEST

/// David Aguirre, 25

David Aguirre is in alarm and suppression project sales for Pye-Barker Fire & Safety dba S&S Sprinkler Co. He joined S&S a little over two years ago as onsite project manager for nine

projects at Airbus in Mobile. He has assisted in managing more than $14 million in capital projects. He recently stepped into his current role as an alarm and suppression sales representative. A graduate of Auburn University, he interned at Brasfield & Gorrie and HPM during college. A Mobile native, Aguirre is active in the Mobile section of AGC and the Mobile Chamber of Commerce.

/// Amber Boatwright, 30

Amber Boatwright plays a multifaceted role at Rolin Construction Inc., leading the company’s marketing efforts — including social media strategy

and brand presence — while also overseeing key aspects of accounting and managing pre-qualification submissions. Her strong organizational skills and deep understanding of the company’s operations

has led her into a variety of roles at the company, including construction project coordinator, executive assistant to the president and accounting representative. In addition to her professional achievements, Boatwright is a full-time student, currently on track to earn her bachelor’s degree later this year.

/// David Victor Bonds, 37

David Victor Bonds is a superintendent at Capstone Building Corp. As such, he coordinates complex construction schedules, manages diverse teams and ensures that high standards for safety and quality are met on the job site. He has successfully delivered on numerous projects. Co-workers say that Bonds’ hands-on approach to problem solving has fostered

a collaborative environment among Capstone employees, subcontractors and clients. Bonds also mentors younger team members, sharing his knowledge and encouraging their professional growth.

/// Chad Boughner, 36

A native of Florence, Chad Boughner is a senior project manager at E Tech Group in Huntsville. With more than 15 years of experience, he specializes in coordinating large scale construction projects. Before joining E Tech, he worked in marine construction and civil engineering, as a building and zoning inspector and in project management. Boughner received his bachelor’s degree in business geography, including a certificate in Geographic Information Systems, from the

University of North Alabama in 2012. He also holds an MBA with a concentration in project management in 2014 from UNA. Outside of work, Boughner enjoys playing golf.

/// Sam Brown, 34

Sam Brown began his career as a project manager with Russo Corp. 11 years ago. A native of Trussville, he is a graduate of Auburn University with a civil engineering degree. After graduating, Brown worked for two general contractors that specialize in small-scale medical projects. Brown then joined Russo as an engineering intern and drafter, but has since added skills in estimating and project management, leading to his current position. Outside of work, Brown spends time with his family and tending to his small cattle operation. He

also serves on the board of Trussville Younglife.

/// Jerome Chapman, 35

Jerome Chapman is a lawyer with Hand Arendall Harrison Sale. He litigates on behalf of general contractors and subcontractors on issues such as construction defect claims and works to resolve issues through mediation. As a consultant to subcontractor clients, he has provided advice on contract licensure pitfalls and has co-authored articles in trade publications regarding lien law for subcontractors in construction disputes. Chapman is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association Future Leaders Forum committee and the ABA Construction Litigation section. Outside of work, he coaches special needs adults in softball,

basketball and bowling with the Exceptional Foundation.

/// Thomas Clark, 29

Thomas Clark is a senior project manager at Rogers & Willard, leading commercial construction teams through complex, high-stakes projects. He manages a diverse team of superintendents, assistant project managers and coordinators. “He’s the kind of leader who builds confidence in his team. He doesn’t just assign tasks — he offers context, encouragement and the room to grow,” said Mike Rogers, owner of Rogers & Willard. “Under his leadership, people don’t just get the job done — they level up.” Rogers added that Clark is grounded, ethical and consistent on the jobsite, earning the respect of his team.

/// John Combs, 35

John Combs has worked for Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc. since earning his civil engineering degree in 2014. As an estimator and project manager, Combs has bid, awarded and managed paving and construction projects varying in value between $50,000 and $50 million. “John has consistently demonstrated our core value of integrity by delivering quality results for our clients and fostering strong, positive relationships within his team,” says Brandon Owens, president of Wiregrass Construction. Combs has overseen two projects that have received honorable mention awards from Associated General Contractors in its annual BuildSouth Awards.

/// Rachel Crafton-Stiver, 38

Rachel Crafton-Stiver is a designer and project manager in the Sports & Entertainment Studio at Goodwyn Mills Cawood. She brings her perspective as a former college athlete to designing sports and entertainment landscapes, including the Auburn University women’s basketball locker room renovation, Protective Stadium, the Woltosz Football Performance Facility and others. Several of her projects have been highlighted in publications or recognized with design awards. She also was honored as an ENR Southeast 2024 Top Young Professional. She has been active in AIA Montgomery leadership and helped organize Draw Montgomery, an outreach project for 6-12th grade students interested in architecture.

/// Clay Crews, 31

Clay Crews started with BaileyHarris Construction Co. in 2019 as an assistant project manager and has quickly advanced through leadership roles. He serves as a self-perform general manager, overseeing all concrete operations and the company’s craft labor workforce. He has led the self-perform team on multiple complex projects, delivering high-quality results on time and within budget. He also has implemented process improvements and technology solutions that have enhanced efficiency, safety and project delivery. An Auburn resident, he enjoys fishing, golf, church and spending time with his family.

/// Scott Crosby, 38

Scott Crosby leads preconstruction efforts for Turner Construction Co.’s Huntsville business unit, which has generated more than $677 million in revenue in the last three years. An Auburn University graduate, Crosby brings his technical experience from working as an owner’s representative for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Auburn University to his role at Turner.

At Turner, he oversees and mentors preconstruction team members, advising on new project planning, trade partner selection and bid-package development. He has earned both LEED accreditation and DBIA certification. Crosby serves as an ambassador for Lincoln Village in Huntsville and in Turner’s community

initiatives including The People’s Patch Community Farm and Free 2 Teach.

/// Justin Davis, 33

Justin Davis is superintendent with Dunn Construction Co. He was promoted to foreman at age 25 and four years later was promoted to superintendent, where he manages complex projects, including several large-scale Alabama Department of Transportation infrastructure projects. While navigating fastpaced schedules and logistical challenges, Davis also has formed lasting relationships with clients and partners. Davis is passionate about mentoring, training foremen and superintendents. Outside of work, he coordinates and volunteers “A Night to Shine,” a

prom event for individuals with special needs, as well as being involved in his church.

/// Walker Ewing, 38

Walker Ewing is vice president, commercial real estate relationship manager with Hancock Whitney Bank. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Ewing works with contractors and developers on multi-family, industrial, retail and office projects. He has been with Hancock Whitney for more than 11 years, where he started as a commercial real estate portfolio manager and was promoted to his current role in 2023, serving the entire state.

/// Garrett Fancher, 36

Garrett Fancher began his career as a lab technician and now leads the Construction

Materials Testing Laboratory and Inspections Division at Thompson Engineering Inc.

Under Fancher’s leadership, this group grew from 14 employees with revenues of $150,000 per month to more than 100 employees producing monthly revenues upwards of $2 million. Fancher is known for his commitment to his teams, safety and quality and his ability to help clients understand long-term value.

Jay Davison, Alabama CEI Division leader, says, “Garrett is not only a culture carrier within our company, but Garrett is helping shape a better, more responsible future for the construction industry.”

/// Stephen Glenn, 39

Stephen S. Glenn is director of pre-construction of McAbee Construction Inc. A graduate

of the University of Alabama, Glenn joined McAbee in 2008 as an assistant project manager and assumed his current role in 2022. He has led efforts on several major projects including the $35 million CO2 capture project at APC Barry Plant and the $20 million Terra Power project. Now, he oversees a portfolio of more than $100 million in active projects. A member of McAbee’s ESOP communication committee, Glenn also serves on the apprenticeship committees for both UA Pipefitters Local Union 119 in Mobile and International Union of Operating Engineers Local Union 624, Richland, MS. He also mentors UA engineering students and serves on the board of UA’s Capstone Engineering Society.

/// Shaun Guin, 39

Shaun Guin has 19 years of experience in construction, the last three with Brasfield & Gorrie. Since joining Brasfield & Gorrie, he has worked on total project values of nearly $400 million across four states. In January, he was promoted to chief preconstruction manager. Though he has contributed to many projects across multiple market sectors, Guin’s expertise in the power sector has grown with projects like Oxford Civil Life Extension in Conover, North Carolina; the Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line and Dual Bay Assembly Hangars in Mobile; and the Loudon Water Treatment Plant in Tennessee. When not on the job, Guin is a supporter of United Way of Central Alabama and its Young Philanthropists Society, as well

as Habitat for Humanity in Birmingham. He is a graduate of Auburn University and a father to three children.

/// Jeremiah Hall, 40

Jeremiah Hall is an environmental, health and safety coordinator with APACAlabama Inc. Prior to this role, he served as a project manager on the Dothan Airport project before transitioning into the HSE coordinator role for the region. Prior to joining APACAlabama in 2021, Hall was a site foreman for American Sand Asphalt and Paving. He also served as a squad leader with the U.S. Army for more than 10 years. He is a graduate of Wallace Community College and the American Military University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in construction management.

/// Janie Jackson, 31

Janie Jackson is a project manager for Ridgeline Construction Roofing & Exteriors. Her ability to build strong connections with clients, including key client Hays Farm, is helping to drive growth with the company’s Huntsville office, according to Carina Farr, marketing director. “Despite her relatively brief tenure in the industry, Janie has demonstrated an exceptional aptitude for learning and rapid immersion, quickly becoming a significant force within the field,” said Farr. A 2016 graduate of the University of Alabama, she was a golf professional from 2016 until 2023 with the Ladies Professional Golf Association. She joined Ridgeline in June 2023.

/// Jeff Jantz, 39

Jeff Jantz is operations manager at Brasfield & Gorrie in the Huntsville office. A graduate of Auburn University, Jantz focuses on federal work, particularly the company’s portfolio of projects for the U.S. Department of Justice. He has managed more than $2.1 billion in total project value and nearly $1 billion in project value for the U.S. Department of Justice. His projects have received numerous awards. Jantz has completed all coursework for LEED AP certification, and several projects have earned LEED certification. He is active with the Alabama Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Future Leaders of Construction program, the Design Build Institute of America and the U.S. Green

Building Council. He also is active in Cornerstone Schools of Alabama and the nonprofit Enable Madison County.

/// Paul Katkaveck, 39

Paul Katkaveck joined Ammons & Blackmon Construction in 2023 after spending 13 years with civil and Department of Transportation contractors. A native of North Carolina, Katkaveck graduated from East Carolina University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in construction management. He worked for the North Carolina Department of Transportation for two years before joining the contracting ranks. He joined Ammons & Blackmon as a superintendent, but quickly was promoted to estimating/

project management. In this role, he builds relationships with vendors, provides building estimates and schedules for projects and mentors junior data analysts. Outside the office, he enjoys spending time with his family and outdoor activities.

/// Charlie King, 36

Charlie King serves as corporate relations manager at Doster Construction Co. An engineering graduate of the University of Alabama, King began his career in 2013 and has demonstrated leadership, vision and a deep commitment to the industry. At Doster, King plays a strategic role in building and maintaining client relationships, supporting business development and representing the company

across key markets. His work has helped strengthen relationships with major clients, such as FedEx and ThyssenKrupp. Beyond his day-to-day activities, he is active with the Economic Development Association of Alabama, Manufacture Alabama, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and the Mississippi Economic Development Council.

/// Bryan Langdon, 39

After graduating from college in 2009, Bryan Langdon began his career in the mining industry with Allstate Materials, where he managed operations, sales and quality control at the company’s Montgomery and Gadsden sites. In 2017, Wiregrass Construction Co. Inc. acquired Allstate Materials, with

Langdon serving in a key role in ensuring a smooth transition between the two companies. He became sales manager for all of Wiregrass’ aggregate operation in the state. Since taking on this role, Langdon has increased aggregate sales and revenue year over year at each quarry. He recently was selected to assist in the acquisition and onboarding process of aggregate-based companies throughout the Southeast for Wiregrass Construction’s parent company, Construction Partners Inc.

/// Daniel Lantrip, 35

Daniel Lantrip is project manager with M D Thomas Construction LLC. He joined the company in 2022 and uses his skills to coordinate projects, quadrupling the Marine Division’s volume in just three

years. Lantrip has estimated more than $100 million in projects since his arrival and has secured more than $35 million in just 12 months. Lantrip is a 2013 graduate of the University of Alabama with a civil engineering degree. “Daniel readily offers assistance without expecting reciprocation,” said Laura Thomas, president of M D Thomas Construction. “His unwavering persistence and dedication are truly commendable.” Outside of work, he is a husband and father of two and volunteers with youth recreation programs.

/// Kevin Majewski, 31

Kevin Majewski is the safety director at Safety Plus Inc., where he leads national safety initiatives and supports businesses across the U.S.

in building effective safety programs. A Detroit native, Majewski began his journey with Safety Plus as a college intern and later earned his degree in environmental health and safety from Central Michigan University. After relocating to Mobile, he joined the company full time and since has earned his Certified Safety Professional designation along with several other industry credentials. He is committed to advancing workplace safety through innovative strategies and hands-on leadership.

/// Tyler Mask, 38

Tyler Mask is a senior project manager with Fite Building Co. A graduate of Auburn University, Mask began his career with Brasfield & Gorrie and then worked for The Highland Group before joining

Fite in early 2024. At Fite, he has taken over the leadership of all work at Blue Origin, while also managing the demolition project at the former Remington facility in Madison and the new recreation center for the city of Arab. Mask also is an active member of Fite Plus

One, a committee dedicated to serving people, communities and philanthropic efforts. Outside of work, he volunteers his time with North Alabama Make a Wish Council and is on the board of Associated Builders and Contractors.

/// Claire Morrison, 31

Claire Morrison is a partner and controller with B.H. Craig Construction Co. Inc. She began working with the company in 2018 as an accountant. A graduate of BirminghamSouthern College and a native

of the Shoals, she previously worked in public accounting. She serves as the corporate secretary/treasurer for the company’s board. Morrison is active in Associated General Contractors and various nonprofits in the Shoals. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, as well as hiking, traveling and cooking.

/// Hunter Moye, 39

Hunter Moye has been with G.A. West since 2012. He started in project controls and has worked his way up to vice president of project delivery. In this role, he serves as executive sponsor on larger capital projects exceeding $150 million. Moye has established himself as a leader, gaining experience in every facet of the company’s services. An example of his

dedication was when he and his family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, for a project to install 11 separate building scopes within Voestalpine’s HBI plant. Moye is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Outside of work, he is involved in his church and community, coaching and supporting youth sports.

/// Cliff Murphy, 38

Cliff Murphy is a senior estimator/project manager with Powers & Associates General Contractor Inc. A graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in civil engineering, Murphy started his career in the oil and gas industry with Halliburton. He moved back to Alabama in 2013, joining LBYD Engineers. In 2015, he joined Cooper Construction, where he was involved in several large projects. In 2017, he joined

/// Trey Ogle, 38

Trey Ogle is operations manager at Brasfield & Gorrie. A University of Alabama engineering graduate, Ogle has 15 years of experience at Brasfield & Gorrie. He has managed more than 40 projects across five states, working with the company’s Infrastructure Division. Most recently, he helped the company secure its first ever design-build project for the Alabama Department of Transportation, the 74-mile West Alabama Highway. Ogle is

part of the firm’s recruitment team and mentors student co-ops while they are getting on-the-job experience. He volunteers with Shepherd’s Men, a nonprofit supporting military veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, and Goshen Valley, a nonprofit assisting foster youth and vulnerable families.

/// Collin Peek, 33

Collin Peek is director of operations at Evergreen Siteworks LLC. Prior to his time with Evergreen Siteworks, Peek worked in a number of roles at Brasfield & Gorrie. His attention to detail and concern for clients has led to his current position. “He is a fair and honest man and strives to be an asset to the team daily,” said John Kittrell, a project manager with Powers & Associates, where he has been responsible for nearly $17 million in completed projects. He also leads marketing efforts and plays a role in business development. Outside the office, he enjoys spending time with his family.

Evergreen Siteworks. Peek has a bachelor’s degree in logistics, materials and supply chain management from Auburn University. Prior to entering the construction industry, he worked with US Foods, C&S Wholesale Grocers and Under Armour.

/// Davis Perry, 27

Davis Perry is project manager of Tortorigi Construction Inc. In his four years with the company, he has used his experience to bring newer technology to the forefront of the company’s processes. In his current capacity, he also communicates directly with the executives of general contractors and owners on projects and works to fix complicated issues that arise on the jobsite. In his spare time, Perry is involved in jujitsu.

/// Ryan Pinkham, 33

Ryan Pinkham is area superintendent of Hensel Phelps, dividing his time between work and industry and charity events. He is active in AGC’s Future Leaders Forum and serves on several internal committees focused on professional growth, operational improvement and jobsite safety. “What stands out most about Ryan is his commitment to developing others,” says David Milford, project manager of Hensel Phelps. “He mentors interns, field engineers and project engineers with genuine care, helping them grow in skill and confidence.” Pinkham is an advocate for the construction industry, speaking with local and state leaders about jobsite safety, infrastructure investment

and workforce development. He volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, Food Bank of the Rockies and local schools.

/// Elliott Reynolds, 32

A native of Hillsboro, Tennessee, Elliott Reynolds serves as an area operations manager for Vulcan Materials Co. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Reynolds has more than nine years in the mining industry. He began his career with Vulcan Materials as an intern at the operations in South Florida. Since moving to Alabama in 2016, he has held roles of increasing responsibility from operations management trainee, plant supervisor, plant manager to area operations manager. Reynolds oversees operations at Ft. Payne,

Glencoe, Ohatchee, Coldwater, Speedway, Childersburg and Dolcito quarries. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, duck hunting and beekeeping. He and his family live in Springville.

/// Khalid Samady, 37

Khalid Samady first joined Caddell Construction in 2012 as a host country project manager/civil engineer on Caddell’s $806 million project in his hometown of Kabul, Afghanistan. He was very quickly identified as a rising star by the Caddell team. In 2015, he received a Fulbright Scholarship from the Department of State and moved to the U.S., where he earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan Technological University. When he graduated in 2018, he returned to Caddell,

joining the international team, where he now serves as the warranty coordinator. He also was selected to participate in the company’s technology research and development team and its QAQC database development team. Outside the office, Samady volunteers for Caddell’s Meals and Wheels program and with Rebuilding Together in the River Region; with several programs to benefit children and with Pathful Connect, discussing engineering topics with high school and college students.

/// Justin Shelton, 38

Justin Shelton is a CMT department manager in the Huntsville office for Building & Earth Sciences Inc. He has more than 15 years of experience in project management for materials testing and

inspections. The materials testing and inspections took place at several major employers, including Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, Blue Origin, Redstone Gateway, the University of North Alabama, TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant and others. Shelton is a graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He also is graduate of the ACEC Leadership Development Series. Outside of the office, he is a father of two and active as a chapter advisor of Sigma Nu –Mu Beta at UAH.

/// David Sims, 32

David Sims is chief estimator at SDAC Services. His attention to detail and ability to manage complex bids helps to keep

projects on track, said Joshua Price, senior vice president, surety director at CAC Agency. “David doesn’t just show up — he puts in the work, leads by example and constantly looks for ways to make things better,” said Price. An Auburn University graduate, Sims previously worked for eight years as an estimator for Caddell Construction. He joined SDAC Services in 2024. Outside of the office, Sims is active in Alabama AGC, Alabama CLC, Alabama Road Builders Association and Alabama Utility Contractors Association. He also mentors young professionals.

/// Kyle Stallings, 35

Kyle Stallings’ career with BL Harbert International spans 15 years, beginning as a co-op student from Auburn

University. He has steadily moved up through project management and estimating and is now pre-construction manager, where his technical expertise helps him to execute complex projects, like the $54 million Federal Office Building project in Charleston, South Carolina, which was delivered through the General Services Administration for the U.S. Department of State. He has been a key leader of nearly $1.4 billion in successful pursuits. His strategic thinking and deep industry knowledge have not only secured major wins for BLHI but also positioned the company as a trusted leader in federal construction projects.

/// Josh Taber, 28

Josh Taber’s journey at Ridgeline Construction Roofing & Exteriors has been rapid. Beginning as a field tech in Athens, he has quickly risen to general manager of the Spanish Fort office. Under his

guidance, the office has seen explosive growth, doubling both revenue and headcount in a short period. His vision has led to expansion into the new construction and commercial markets, including landmark projects like Wawa in Alabama, which also serves as a testament to his ability to build and maintain strong client relationships.

/// Alex Thrasher, 39

Alex Thrasher is a senior associate with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. Before law school, Thrasher worked in construction for five years at

an industrial painting company. For Bradley, he has worked on complex construction cases for firms in Birmingham and across the U.S. As an example, he served as lead associate in a $200 million arbitration involving construction of a hydroelectric dam in Chile. He is active in the Associated General Contractors and the CLC in Birmingham. He also serves as a mentor and resource for younger attorneys at the firm. On a personal note, he serves as a foster parent and recently adopted one of his foster children.

/// Hayden Tilley, 30

Hayden Tilley is a project manager at White-Spunner Construction. In the two years he has been with WhiteSpunner, he has taken the lead on several large-scale, multi-million-dollar retail developments for a national client. In his role as project manager, he oversees each detail, from pre-construction planning to final close-out and has consistently finished on time or ahead of schedule. Outside of work, Tilley is active with Associated General Contractor’s Construction Leadership Council. He also is a volunteer with Ronald McDonald House and Prodisee Pantry and is heavily involved with JH Outback, a faith-based program. He also is a husband and new father to a baby girl.

/// John Tucker “JT” Waddell, 26

JT Waddell is an account manager at Ready Mix USA. A University of North Alabama graduate with a marketing degree, Waddell joined Ready Mix after completing the company’s TDP program, which trains participants in areas like quality control, dispatching, batching operations and sales. Waddell stays on top of industry standards, product knowledge and provides personal service to the company’s customers. He works directly with contractors and their subcontractors on jobsites in the Shoals area. He also is active in the Shoals chapter of Associated General Contractors.

/// Jordan Watkins, 36

Jordan Watkins is chief executive officer of PTAC Companies, a holding company headquartered in Daphne that consists of nine specialized businesses including Merit Building Systems and RH Design Build. An Auburn University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Watkins joined PTAC Engineering as a structural engineer focused on precast/prestressed concrete. He quickly found ways to enhance efficiency, including custom software solutions, leading to development of EDGE Software, a specialized precast software platform for Revit. In 2025, he led the sale of EDGE, a major milestone for PTAC. Outside of work, he is a supporter of Auburn

University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and serves on the Civil Engineering Advisory Board.

/// Frank Andrew White, 35

Frank Andrew White is the director of construction for McAbee Construction Inc. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and minors in structural engineering and architectural engineering. Beginning with McAbee in 2012,

White has worked his way up from assistant project manager to his current role, where he

oversees a portfolio exceeding $100 million in active projects. He also is a member of the company’s ESOP committee, a trustee for the UA Pipefitter Local Union 91 Health & Welfare Plan, chairman of the apprenticeship committee for the UA Pipefitter Local Union 91, a trustee for the Sheet Metal Local Union 48 Health & Welfare Plan and serves on the apprenticeship committee for Sheet Metal Local Union 48.

FPICKLE IT

Young sport spreads across Alabama with relish

By DEBORAH STOREY

or some, that distinctive dink-dink-dink coming from the paddleball court is the sound of money.

People who don’t associate pickleball with income ought to think again. Across Alabama, cities are scrambling to build public courts to attract lucrative tournaments and overnight visitors. Private businesses are opening indoor courts that charge fees. Entrepreneurs are selling private lessons. Construction companies are building private courts in back yards.

According to the player website Pickleheads, Alabama has 242 locations with 1,072 public and private courts.

Dothan broke ground on a $6.4 million covered pickleball complex in May with expectations of a $2 million yearly eco nomic impact. Montgomery is spending $920,000 on 12 courts. The Tuscaloosa area is getting eight new courts and an adja cent parking lot for $1.4 million. Huntsville is adding 25 more public courts. Foley opened 12 courts in June. The Univer sity of Alabama is spending $1.6 mil lion to add 10 pickleball courts at

its tennis complex to “keep pace with innovative recreational trends.” Birmingham has roughly 70 courts, including the private 10-court Picklr in Vestavia Hills, a franchise owned by football player Drew Brees.

Construction companies are installing private courts now. Procourt Construction, in north Alabama, recently built a two-court

Jim Young is president of the 700-member Opelika Pickleball Club and tournament director at one of the state’s most

Opelika has 24 courts and nine more under construction. For three of the last four years, the local club has been so successful with tournaments that it gave money back to the

“It is in our charter and bylaws to give all our proceeds back to the city because the city invested over $3 million in these facilities,” says Young.

Auburn-Opelika Tourism estimates the local and state economic impact from the big 2022 Paddles at the Plex tournament was $800,000. In 2024, the sport brought in

“There’s a hunger for this sport like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I’m talking about people that tell me they would play 24/7, every single second they have free. I call it the pickleball obsession.”

— Chris Welch, C&G Pickleball Academy

$665,000. Their first tournament, in March 2020 — just before COVID-19 lockdowns — lured 221 players to 12 courts.

After the initial courts became popular, the local pickleball contingent offered the city $5,000 a year to build restrooms. Someone suggested adding 12 more courts while they were at it.

“That’s how we got our 24 courts, and we’ve been running tournaments and giving them checks for $60,000 for the last three years prior to last year,” Young says. “Last year we gave them a check for a hundred thousand bucks.”

Before tournaments became popular around the country, Opelika was a top 10 playing destination, Young says. More than 900 players representing 26 states competed in one tournament.

“People didn’t want to put tournaments in competition with us, but we don’t want to put competition against others either,” he says.

Some pickleball lovers are making life-changing decisions connected with the sport. People have retired in the Opelika area because of the game culture, Young says. One couple sold their house in Wisconsin and moved there.

The Alabama Tourism Department isn’t tracking the economic impact of pickleball tournaments and travelers — yet.

Orange Beach is about to start a $1.5 million project off Canal Road with 14 free, lighted courts and restrooms. Parks and

Recreation Director Nicole Ard says the city began its pickleball program about 10 years ago in a gymnasium. Three courts fit in a regulation-size gym, she says, and they have two.

“We were able to get six courts in those gymnasiums, which is great because it is air-conditioned and there’s a certain type of public that likes it,” she says.

Use of gym courts is included in a wellness program that costs residents $75 a year, or $10 a day. The indoor courts will stay open after the outdoor ones are ready.

“The folks that play indoors don’t want that taken away, and we are not taking that away,” Ard says. Gym space is in demand by others, too, which limits court time.

“The happy medium is building those courts because the demand is just there by the public,” says Ard.

In nearby Mobile, tennis is still king, says Mobile Sports Authority Executive Director Danny Corte, but city leaders are adding pickleball courts “as fast as we can.”

Chris Welch and his business partner Greg Boyett, both former tennis players, started C&G Pickleball Academy about five years ago in Huntsville. In a smart PR move, they offered a clinic for city council members of adjacent Madison. They offered free lessons to the public at first, too.

Early on, it seemed like a good idea to get certified and

PICKLE CHIPS

▲ Pickleball started in Washington State in 1965.

▲ It’s not an Olympic sport but enthusiasts are working to add it by 2032.

▲ The “kitchen” is a zone on the court.

▲ The outside ball has 40 small holes; the inside ball 26 large holes.

▲ Games last 20-30 “strokes” or 15-20 minutes.

▲ The fastest the ball travels is about 70 mph (vs. 150 for tennis).

▲ Player stats:

❍ 58% male, 41% female.

❍ More than 44% have a household income above $100,000

❍ 27% are college graduates

❍ Participation increased from 3.5 million in 2019 to 19.8 million in 2024 and is growing at 43% a year.

❍ Player ages:

• 6-12: 7.8%

• 13-17: 8.4%

• 18-24: 9.5%

• 25-34: 16%

• 35-44: 12.3%

• 45-54: 9.4 %

• 55-64: 12.7%

• Over 65: 5.3%

Sources: USA

Pickleball, Sports and Industry Fitness Association

licensed by the International Federation of Pickleball and charge for lessons because “this thing might get big,” Welch recalls.

Their business has been steady for the last two or three years, he says, with paid lessons for 8 to 12 people several times a week.

Welch describes the sport as a combination of racquetball, tennis and ping-pong, with less running than tennis.

“Everybody has kind of got the fever for it,” he says. “It’s just easy to play.

“There’s a hunger for this sport like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” says Welch, a former newspaper sportswriter. “I’m talking about people that tell me they would play 24/7, every single second they have free. I call it the pickleball obsession.”

Welch and Boyett realize many people try the game without knowing the rules. They start with the basics.

“People come to me, ‘I want to know about this game. I want you to teach me. I want to be good tomorrow,’” Welch says.

Even people who just want to goof around can have fun, Welch says, and “whack, whack, whack and have a great time.”

Paddles are as cheap as $15, but good carbon fiber can set you back $300.

Boyett built a court in his pasture. “I’ll look up and there’s like three llamas looking over the fence,” Welch says.

Tennis and pickleball players are already fighting over courts in many places, Welch says. “They don’t like it when we put little lines on their courts.”

The sound apparently bothers them, too. In Laguna Beach, California, quiet paddles are now required because of noise complaints.

Prattville held its first pickleball tournament this year, according to Kellie Carter, director of Parks and Recreation. They built the first four courts from scratch.

“As soon as we constructed the four, we immediately realized that that was not enough,” she says. “We had five tennis courts that were set to be refurbished, and we actually took those tennis courts and converted them to pickleball courts. And now we are building five new tennis courts.”

She already knows 18 more isn’t enough.

“The biggest thing for us is everybody from teenagers to senior adults seem to love pickleball,” Carter says. “Even this tournament that we had this past Saturday, we saw a mix of every age out there represented.”

Ard agrees that pickleball is a game for everyone.

“It’s the fastest-growing sport in the nation right now from youth to seniors,” Ard says. “All communities, if they don’t have a pickleball court, they need to. There’s an active community of pickleball players in every corner of the universe at this point.”

New courts are a draw for snowbirds in Orange Beach, but leaders keep the locals foremost in their minds.

“We’re building our courts across from an elementary school,” Ard says. “We hope to integrate those programs into our youth programs as well and let them come over for PE and play.”

In Opelika, the nonprofit volunteer club started by putting on three six-day tournaments but since streamlined to two and Alabama Senior Olympics games.

To keep tournament players coming back, Young says cities should make them feel welcome with meal vouchers, restroom access and covered courts if possible.

Their city-affiliated competitions don’t offer cash prizes, but a trend for “moneyball” games is emerging. Opelika public courts provide free balls and beginner lessons.

“I bought 7,000 balls last year at one time,” he says.

When some traveling players stopped by, Young’s club directed them to stay at the city-owned RV park.

“It’s just good for the economy,” he says.

Deborah Storey is a Huntsville-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

Lake Tuscaloosa was created in 1970 to provide water for residents of Tuscaloosa, but is a popular recreation area.

Tuscaloosa County in West Alabama may be best known for the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team.

But with a diverse business climate, a growing manufacturing sector, a robust workforce development culture and ample recreational offerings, the county also is gaining a reputation for growth, innovation and industrial stability.

Kyle South says Tuscaloosa County’s business climate is strong. South is president and CEO of The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, an organization that is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

“It’s healthy. Sentiment seems to be more positive in 2025 than in 2024 as I’ve gone around to meet with members, especially our investor level members, and those conversations have been much more positive this year than it seemed to be last year,” South says.

In early August, the organization listed several ribbon cuttings for new businesses. Ribbon cuttings earlier in the year included H&M Construction, which opened a new location in downtown Tuscaloosa in January.

Last November, beverage distributor Buffalo Rock launched a new sales franchise office in the city of Tuscaloosa. Meanwhile, Boostr Digital Displays opened a new warehouse and office in Coker last July and CB&S Bank held a grand opening of its downtown Tuscaloosa location the following month.

Major employers in Tuscaloosa County include the DCH Regional Medical Center, the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International assembly plant, the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education, the Tuscaloosa City School District, the Michelin/BF Goodrich tire

Tuscaloosa County

by GAIL ALLYN SHORT

manufacturing plant, the Tuscaloosa V.A. Medical Center as well as Phifer Inc. and SMP Automotive Systems Alabama.

The largest industrial employer in Tuscaloosa County is the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, with some 6,000 team members.

Over the years, the carmaker has invested about $7 billion in the region, including $1 billion to produce electric vehicles, build a battery plant in Bibb County and construct a logistics facility.

Now the Tuscaloosa plant will start production on the new GLC SUV in late 2027.

Higher education is key here. The University of Alabama, Shelton State Community College and Stillman College are contributing to workforce in the county by graduating students with degrees ranging from engineering and cybersecurity to business, health care and the skilled trades.

The University of Alabama also is further advancing technology development with the announced construction of a new High Performance Computing and Data Center that will hold the state’s fastest computing system and advance scientific discovery.

In addition, UA plans to build the Alabama Center for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence to foster learning and research in AI.

And the city of Tuscaloosa is the future home of The Saban Center, a facility that, once constructed, will provide hands-on learning experiences in STEM and the arts for students and teachers.

Shelton State Community College offers academic, health services and technical programs as well as skills-based training through its workforce development program. And Stillman College awards degrees in the arts and sciences, education and

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

POPULATION Total Alabama Population: 5,157,699

Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts

business.

Besides institutions of higher education and workforce development, leaders around Tuscaloosa County are spearheading new projects that enhance quality of life for their citizens.

In Tuscaloosa, the city’s Elevate Tuscaloosa initiative is funding scholarships, new city parks, park renovations, a new YMCA facility, summer learning programs and upgrades to a boat landing on Lake Tuscaloosa.

Tuscaloosa County also is a destination for entertainment and recreation. It is home to Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium

Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts, 2024 Estimate

where visitors can watch the Alabama Crimson Tide football team play at home.

Other attractions in Tuscaloosa County include art galleries and museums, the annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts and the Tuscaloosa River Walk along the Black Warrior River.

Visitors also can go for a swim or take a boat ride on Lake Tuscaloosa or enjoy a concert at the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater.

Gail Allyn Short is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.

Economic Engines

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

The University of Alabama is Tuscaloosa County’s largest employer.

During the 2022-2023 academic year, UA employed 7,472 faculty and staff along with a few thousand student workers, according to a UA economic impact study published in 2024.

The study, conducted by the UA Culverhouse College of Business Center for Business and Economic Research, stated expenditures for that year totaled more than $1.8 billion and comprised university spending of $1.28 billion along with student spending of more than $566 million on off-campus purchases such as housing, food and clothing.

UA set new record high economic and

JULY 2025: Marriott Hotels announces plans to build a 144-room luxury hotel from its Autograph Collection at the planned University Beach Lagoon Resort development in Northport.

JUNE 2025: The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama wins the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ Award

fiscal impacts on the State of Alabama during that academic year, including $3.3 billion in output, 14,505 jobs, and $151.6 million in income and sales taxes, which included $46.1 million in state sales taxes, $47.9 million in state income taxes and $57.6 million in local sales taxes.

The study also reported a visitor impact of $335.6 million that included more than $218 million from athletics and more than $116 million from other visitor spending.

And when it comes to the impact of a degree from UA, the Culverhouse study projected that a UA graduate with a bachelor’s degree would earn, on average, more than $6.7 million in lifetime earnings in current dollars, while graduates with master’s degrees could earn nearly $8.3 million

for Communications Excellence for its “Back to The Chamber” video.

JUNE 2025: The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama celebrates its 125th anniversary, commemorating the milestone year with a special promotion in June for new members.

TAXES

TUSCALOOSA COUNTY: 5%

Cities within the county:

Brookwood: 3%

Coaling: 3%

Coker: 2%

Lake View: 2%

Northport: 3%

Tuscaloosa: 3%

Vance: 3%

STATE OF ALABAMA: 4%

Source: Alabama Department of Revenue

and those with doctoral degrees could earn about $11 million in current dollars before retirement.

“Over their working lives, the UA education will enable the 2022-2023 graduating class to pay $1.647 billion additional Alabama income and sales taxes than they would have otherwise, comprising $1.156 billion in state-only sales and income tax collections and $491.5 million in local sales taxes,” the study stated.

At Shelton State Community College, its report on the economic value of the college found that in fiscal year 20232024, Shelton State added $309.7 million

JUNE 2025: The Tuscaloosa City Council approves plans for the construction of a $150 million Sports Illustrated resort that will feature condominiums, timeshare units and retail space.

MAY 2025: Mercedes-Benz announces plans to produce a new “core segment vehicle” at its plant in Vance. Production on the new model will begin in 2027.

FEBRUARY 2025: Warrior Met Coal Inc., in Brookwood, announces that its Blue Creek project could produce 6 million short tons per year and generate approximately $1.3 billion in incremental revenues.

MARCH 2025: The city of Northport announces Aug. 16 as the opening day for the new $27 million, 36-acre River Run

in income to the economies in Tuscaloosa and Bibb counties, and that value is close to 2.1% of the region’s total gross regional product.

During that fiscal year, Shelton State’s impact supported 4,944 jobs, and the school and its students supported one out of every 30 jobs in the service area.

The net impact of Shelton State alumni currently employed in the regional workforce amounted to nearly $257 million in added income in FY 2023-24.

At Stillman College, the institution reported an economic impact of $39.5 million for 2023, up from $28 million back in 2014.

The total lifetime earnings of its graduates in 2023 are estimated at around $344.6 million and 420 jobs, according to the 2024 HBCU Economic Report published by the United Negro College Fund.

MERCEDES-BENZ US INTERNATIONAL/ AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING

The first cars produced at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International plant in Vance rolled off the assembly line in 1997, just two years after the factory’s founding.

The carmaker is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the Yellowhammer State. The plant has produced more than 4.5 million vehicles since 1997, including around 260,000 vehicles in 2024 alone.

MBUSI produces the GLE, GLE Coupe, GLS luxury SUV, and Mercedes-Maybach GLS as well as the EQE SUV, EQS SUV, and the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV for all global markets.

The Mercedes plant employs more than 6,000 team members and secures an estimated additional 60,000 jobs in the re-

gion with suppliers and service providers.

MBUSI has an annual economic impact of more than $1.5 billion, and its total capital investments by 2018 reached more than $7 billion. Mercedes invested $1 billion in Alabama to start the production of electric passenger cars, expand the plant’s logistics activities and build a battery factory.

Earlier this year Mercedes-Benz announced it would localize a core segment vehicle — the GLC SUV — in Vance and that production would begin in 2027.

MBUSI has more than 180 direct suppliers in the United States. The suppliers located in Tuscaloosa County include Michelin/BF Goodrich, which manufactures tires for passenger cars and light

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Park, with amenities that include nine softball and baseball fields.

FEBRUARY 2025: The State Industrial Development Authority approves $23.5 million in grants under the Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy program to accelerate industrial development in Tuscaloosa and other cities.

FEBRUARY 2025: FirstBank announces plans to expand into Tuscaloosa, naming Chuck Bracknell market president and SVP to build the area team.

JANUARY 2024: The Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority and The University of Alabama announce plans to partner with pre-seed investor

trucks. The company employs 1,450 people and is one of the largest employers in the county.

Other drivers of Tuscaloosa County’s economy in the automotive manufacturing sector include SMP Automotive Systems Alabama and Brose Tuscaloosa.

NONAUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING

Even before MBUSI, Tuscaloosa and West Alabama have had a long and proud history of manufacturing.

“Although no one employer comes close to the size of MBUSI, collectively they rival in size,” says Barkley Garrett, vice president of community and economic development at The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama.

Techstars to bring hydrologic innovation-focused accelerator and pre-accelerator programs to Tuscaloosa to create pathways for founders to build water technology companies.

NOVEMBER 2023: Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa announces plans to invest $280 million toward its operations at its Tuscaloosa County rolling mill. The project

will be operational by the summer of 2027.

AUGUST 2024: Ambulatory surgical center SurgNet Health Partners of Nashville acquires Tuscaloosa Endoscopy Center. Tuscaloosa Endoscopy has been a staple in West Alabama for more than four decades.

A few of the larger employers in the manufacturing sector in the city of Tuscaloosa are Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa; Hunt Refining Co., a petroleum refiner; and Phifer Inc., an insect screening manufacturer and producer of indoor and outdoor sun shading and furniture fabrics.

“These and many more manufacturers produce and distribute a variety of products,” says Garrett. “Skilled trade and logistics jobs are a significant driver for our area.”

HEALTH CARE

The health care sector accounts for 8.7% of the total jobs in Tuscaloosa County, according to the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority.

A top employer in health care in Tuscaloosa County is the DCH Health System, which employs around 4,000 people in Tuscaloosa County alone, says DCH Health System spokesperson Rick Plummer.

DCH provides health care for patients in West Alabama and serves close to 390,000 people in its total service area that includes both Tuscaloosa and Fayette counties. Its facilities in Tuscaloosa County include the DCH Regional Medical Center and the Northport Medical Center in Northport.

Besides the DCH Health System, Tus-

caloosa County is home to the University Medical Center, Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center and three facilities run by the Alabama Department of Mental Health that provide inpatient, psychiatric services for adults: Bryce Hospital, Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatry Center and Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility.

TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS

Due to the substantial number of manufacturers in Tuscaloosa County, the region requires a robust transportation and logistics industry, Garrett says.

“We have numerous firms focused on trucking, warehousing and supply chain logistics. However, we’re somewhat unique because of our inland port on the Black Warrior River,” he says.

Raw materials imported and exported from the area make Tuscaloosa County one of the largest users of the Port of Mobile, he says.

The logistics companies in Tuscaloosa County include Ard Logistics in Vance, which employs more than 700 workers. Ard is a third-party logistics (3PL) company that, besides logistics, also provides assembly and freight services.

Other transport and logistics companies in Tuscaloosa County include Southeast Logistics, WTI Transport and

Largest Industrial Employers

and Forest Products 668 employees

Coal Mining 614 employees

TUSCALOOSA

and Cut Plate Steel • 401 employees

INDUSTRIES

Enclosures • 395 employees

Components • 356 employees

Refinery • 339 employees

Source: Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority

BLG Logistics Inc.

BLG Logistics, is a U.S. subsidiary of BLG Logistics Group that provides services such as warehousing solutions, distribution, packaging and manufacturing logistics to the automotive, industrial manufacturing and the consumer goods and retail industries.

Health Care

DCH HEALTH SYSTEM

The DCH Health System operates two acute care hospitals in Tuscaloosa County: DCH Regional Medical Center and Northport Medical Center, as well as a third hospital, Fayette Medical Center, in Fayette County.

From its 2024 data, the DCH Health System manages 848 acute care beds, including 583 at DCH Regional Medical Center and 204 at DCH Northport. In addition, the health system maintains several outpatient physician practices across the region.

The health system offers patients a Level III trauma center and a range of specialties and services such as cardiology, surgical services and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, diagnostic imaging, orthopedics and rehabilitative services, just to name a few.

The DCH Health System also operates the Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center, with the most advanced equipment available and a range of treatment services, from medical and radiation oncology to clinical trials and genetic testing.

In October 2024, Rachel Anderson joined DCH Health System as its new vice president of supply chain. Before joining the health system, Anderson worked as the corporate director of supply chain for Baptist Health in Montgomery.

In January 2025, the Alabama Perinatal Quality Collaborative placed DCH Regional Medical Center and Northport Medical Center on its honor roll for the facilities’ attention to neonatal hypothermia prevention and obstetric hemorrhage initiatives.

Also in January, DCH Regional Medical Center completed construction of a $30 million parking deck. The parking deck, located on the south end of the hospital’s campus, opened to patients and visitors in January. The deck is four levels with 864 spaces.

The following month, DCH Health System promoted Daniel Conville to vice president of physician practice operations. He previously served as the corporate director of physician services and project manager for alternative payment models.

Then in March, DCH Health System reached a new contract

deal with United Healthcare. The deal allows DCH hospitals to remain in-network for United Healthcare members enrolled in Commercial and Exchange plans.

TUSCALOOSA VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER

The Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center provides primary care as well as long-term health and mental health care to eligible veterans in the region.

Services include primary care, geriatrics, women veterans care, prosthetics, rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, mental health care and suicide prevention.

The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center also is a teaching hospital with residencies and internships across the medical specialties, as well as pharmacy, accounting, business administration and social work internships.

The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center operates with approximately 134 community living beds, 128 domiciliary beds, 43 psychiatry beds and 12 compensated work therapy beds.

In FY 2022, the VA Medical Center handled 189,782 outpatient visits and 15,376 unique patients.

UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

University Medical Center is a primary health care provider with

clinics across West Alabama, including Tuscaloosa and Northport. It is an operation of the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences with clinics that provide family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and other specialties such as obstetrics and gynecol-

ogy, sports medicine and psychiatry and behavioral health.

The Medical Center reported 102,602 patient visits at its six locations in 2024.

MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES

Also in Tuscaloosa County, the Alabama

Department of Mental Health owns three mental health facilities that provide inpatient psychiatric services for adults — Bryce Hospital, Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatry Center and Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility.

Established in 1861, Bryce Hospital provides adult patients with inpatient psychiatric services such as individual and group therapy, music therapy, medication and medication counseling, patient education and recovery and community placement services.

The Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatry Center in Tuscaloosa offers inpatient psychiatric services for adults aged 65 and older.

And the Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility is the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s only maximum-security forensic facility. The facility performs psychiatric evaluations and treatment for incarcerated individuals and forensic evaluations for the criminal courts in Alabama.

Higher Education

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

The University of Alabama began a new era this spring when the University of Alabama System board of trustees tapped Peter Mohler, Ph.D., as UA’s 30th president.

Mohler, the former acting president at Ohio State University, assumed the role at UA on July 21.

Mohler’s presidency began just a month after UA announced that it had exceeded its $1.8 billion Rising Tide 2.0 capital campaign goal under the leadership of UA’s 29th president, Stuart Bell. While Bell was president, the university reached its original campaign goal of $1.5 billion back in February 2024, So, two weeks later, UA debuted Rising Tide 2.0 with a new goal of $1.8 billion.

The campaign aims to raise funds for scholarships, faculty support and campus facilities.

By June 2025, UA exceeded the $1.8 billion goal. UA reported gifts from more than 182,000 donors, more than 106,000 of whom were first-time donors. The gifts paid for more than 1,170 new

endowed scholarships, produced nearly 70 new endowed faculty support funds and supported the construction of more than 500,000 square feet of campus facilities.

During Rising Tide 2.0, UA alumnus J. Frank Barefield Jr. made a $35 million gift commitment to UA to name UA’s College of Arts & Sciences. The College is now the Barefield College of Arts & Sciences.

The 10-year campaign will end in September 2026.

In January 2024, UA opened the Catherine and Pettus Randall Welcome Center. The 15,000-square-foot welcome center houses undergraduate admissions and features a lounge area, a theater and admissions offices. The Welcome Center is part of a 118,000-square-foot renovation at UA’s Bryce Main property, which includes the Smith Family Center for the Performing Arts that is set for completion by late 2026.

Besides exceeding fundraising goals, UA also broke its enrollment record in the fall of 2024 with 40,846 students and its enrollment record for in-state freshmen with 3,434 students.

The university’s 2023-2024 data shows that UA awarded 9,106 degrees, including 6,605 undergraduate degrees, 1,992 master’s degrees, 56 educational specialist degrees, 300 doctoral degrees and 153 juris doctor degrees during that period.

UA also has enjoyed gains in research funding. In fact, UA marked 10 years of continuous growth in funding in fiscal year 2024. This has included gains in overall funding, new awards and the

number of proposals submitted. UA reports taking in $269.9 million in sponsored awards, an all-time high in external funding.

UA also is expanding and building new spaces for learning and research. For example, construction is underway on UA’s new $96 million High Performance Computing and Data Center.

The 40,000-square-foot data center will contain the fastest computing system in Alabama, the university says, and will hold some $25 million of computing power and provide cloud storage for prospective research partners.

UA offers a hospitality management program and last May, UA reopened the historic University Club as a working laboratory for students in the program to gain hands-on experience in hospitality, operations and event planning and to complete internships.

In 2024, UA announced it would launch the Alabama Center for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence with support from a $2 million gift from the former chairman of the Department of Computer Science, Marvin Griffin, Ph.D. UA will house the Center in the College of Engineering for research, classes and outreach activities associated with AI.

In July 2025, the UA Capstone College of Nursing and DCH Health System teamed up to launch the Supportive Care Clinic at the Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center.

The academic-practice clinic provides specialized medical care and educates patients, caregivers, students, medical professionals and the community on how to care for patients with serious illnesses and enhance quality of life.

Also, the College of Nursing, the Office of Teaching Innovation and Digital Education and DCH Health System partnered this year to promote workforce development and provide an RN-to-BSN online degree for DCH employees so they can advance their careers while working.

The partnership also will give DCH employees access to and support from other UA nursing programs through UA Online and the Capstone College of Nursing.

The Wall Street Journal included

UA on its 2024 Best Colleges in the United States list, and the Princeton Review listed UA among the Best Value Colleges in the Country. U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Law Schools list ranked the UA School of Law No. 14 among public universities and U.S. News & World Report’s Best Business Graduate Schools ranked the UA Manderson MBA Program at No. 29 among offerings by public institutions for 2024-2025.

So far, 69 UA students have been named Goldwater Scholars, and UA has produced 17 Rhodes Scholars and 16 Truman Scholars. The Fulbright Program selected 15 UA students for various awards for the 2025-2026 academic year. Moreover, UA was recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Students for the eighth time in 10 years.

SHELTON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Shelton State Community College is a two-year institution in Tuscaloosa with 7,000 students, including 3,000 who are attending classes full-time. The school is one of the state’s largest community colleges and one of six HCBU community colleges in Alabama.

During the 2022-2023 academic year, Shelton State awarded more than 1,000 degrees and certificates.

On Nov. 8, 2023, the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees tapped Jonathan Koh as the new president of Shelton State. Koh previously worked at the college as the director of grants and governmental relations and as the dean of Workforce and Economic Development.

In 2024, Shelton State debuted a new grant called HERO PATH=s (Hope, Empowerment, Resources, Opportunities Practice, Attitude, Training, and Health= Success). The grant will make it possible for Shelton State to offer mental health care, support and resources to veterans and their families throughout West Alabama.

In July 2024, Shelton State debuted its new Quality Engineering program. The program gives students the knowledge and skills needed to work in manufacturing. They also are taught critical thinking skills, how to use data to make decisions

regarding manufacturing processes and how to use various tools and techniques to achieve expected outcomes.

This May, the Shelton State’s Women’s Golf Team won the 2025 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Championship tournament. It was the school’s first national championship win in women’s golf. The team won by 34 strokes.

STILLMAN COLLEGE

Named after a 19th century Presbyterian pastor, the Rev. Charles Allen Stillman, Stillman College today is a private, historically Black, liberal arts institution located on 105 acres in Tuscaloosa. The college’s president is Yolanda Page, Ph.D.

The Stillman College 2023-2024 Yearin-Review report says the college’s impact on the local economy is estimated at $39.5 million and 420 jobs.

Stillman’s fall 2024 statistics show that the campus at the time served 731 students, including 641 on full-time schedules.

Stillman’s School of Education received full accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The accreditation status became effective in the fall of 2024 and will remain through the fall of 2030.

Last December, Stillman College announced a transformative $2 million gift to its endowment from Dr. Charles M. Stillman, the great-grandson of the college’s founder.

This fall, Stillman is launching a bachelor of science in sport management

program through its School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology in partnership with the School of Business.

The new program includes an introduction to sport management, facilities and equipment; policy analysis and compliance; and personal branding and name, image and likeness. The program is for students pursuing careers in coaching, athletics administration or sports business.

Meanwhile, Stillman College’s Cybersecurity Clinic got a boost when Google made a $1 million contribution in memory of the late Kevin Lamar Harris, Ph.D., who died last October at the age of 50. Harris worked as executive director of the college’s HBCU Cybersecurity Clinic. Google made the gift to strengthen Stillman’s cybersecurity programs, including resources supporting cybersecurity initiatives at Stillman and a merit-based scholarship for students participating in cybersecurity clinics at the college.

This fall, the I Dream Big Charter School and Stillman College have teamed up to open the first HBCU-Charter School partnership in Alabama. The I Dream Big Charter School is tuition free, accepts students in grades 6-8 and plans to add a grade level every year.

The school’s stated mission is to give students the skills and mindset needed to pursue early access to college and workforce opportunities, including dual enrollment courses, short rotations through Stillman College degree programs, courses in cybersecurity and Amazon’s AWS Cloud, as well as tutoring and mentoring supports.

Movers & Shapers

BOBBY BRAGG is the director of practice growth for JamisonMoneyFarmer PC, where he is responsible for planning, strategy and new business development for the firm. He also runs JMF Technologies, which focuses on outsourced managed technology services, and technology implementation projects in the health care and hospitality sectors. Bragg is a former chairman of The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama board and still serves as vice chair of economic development.

PATRICIA CADE is president and co-founder of the Tuscaloosa Area Black Chamber of Commerce and president and CEO of Consulting Done Write LLC. She also is a grants and projects coordinator for Cahaba Medical Care Foundation, where she has helped secure more than $50 million in federal and state funding for rural health care and behavioral and maternal health initiatives. Cade also serves on the Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee. A University of Alabama graduate, she holds a master’s in public administration from Ashford University.

MIKE DARIA is the superintendent of Tuscaloosa City Schools. Two years ago, the School Superintendents of Alabama named him State Superintendent of the Year for 2023. Prior to becoming Tuscaloosa superintendent in 2016, Daria held a number of administrative roles, including

assistant superintendent of Tuscaloosa City Schools and executive director of personnel. He is the former principal of Eastwood Middle School. Daria, who is set to retire in June 2026, holds a doctoral degree in education from the University of Alabama.

SONDRA DUFF WILDER is founder of The Duff Wilder Group LLC, a Tuscaloosa mental health provider specializing in mental health therapies,

including trauma-focused therapy. The psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner previously worked at the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center as its military sexual trauma coordinator. She is a Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society member and recently won the Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce 2025 Rising Star Award. She earned both her bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in education from the University of Alabama and her master’s in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

LARRY HOWELL is president of Hinton Lumber Products Inc., a family-run wooden pallet manufacturing company headquartered in Tuscaloosa.

Howell has served on the boards of the Business Council of Alabama, the Alabama Wildlife Federation and the Pallet Foundation. He also has served as chairman of the board for the National Wooden Pallet Association, Tuscaloosa Academy and Indian Hills Country Club. Last year, Alabama Power elected him to its board of directors. Howell earned both a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Alabama.

KERI JOHNSON is superintendent of the Tuscaloosa County schools. She serves on the state Accountability Taskforce, is a member of the Alabama Transformational Leadership Academy and recently founded LeadHERship Alabama, a group for women superintendents. Johnson earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Jacksonville State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham respectively and doctoral degrees from the University of Montevallo and Samford University.

KATRINA KEEFER is CEO of DCH Health System. Becker’s Hospital Review recently named her one of the Women Hospital Presidents and CEOs to Know for 2025. Prior to joining DCH, Keefer was CEO for Augusta University Health and executive vice president of health affairs at Augusta University in Georgia. Earlier, she worked in finance leadership at UAB Health System and Baptist Health. A Huntingdon College graduate, she holds a master’s from New York University.

FEDERICO KOCHLOWSKI is president and CEO of MercedesBenz U.S. International Inc. in Vance, leading more than 6,000 team members. Kochlowski’s experience with Mercedes-Benz is extensive, with leadership roles across several regions, including the United States, China and Mexico. Prior to his appointment as CEO and president, he served as MBUSI’s vice president of

operations. He earned his engineering degree from Catholic University Cordoba and an executive MBA from Michigan State University.

JONATHAN KOH is president of Shelton State Community College. Prior to becoming president in 2023, Koh served as Shelton State’s director of grants and governmental relations and later as the dean of workforce and economic development. Koh is a 2022 graduate of Leadership Tuscaloosa and a 2025 graduate of the Alabama Leadership Initiative. In addition, Gov. Kay Ivey recently appointed him to her advisory board for minority affairs. A native of Mobile, Koh earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Alabama.

WALT MADDOX is in his sixth term as mayor of Tuscaloosa. Under his leadership, the city has made the largest infrastructure investment in its history. The investments include upgrades to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Jack Warner Parkway, construction of the new Saban Center that will feature both STEM and arts, and the Elevate Tuscaloosa initiative that has fostered investments in the Western Riverwalk, the Benjamin Barnes YMCA, the McDonald Hughes Center and other projects. Maddox holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and government and a master’s in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

MIKE MITCHELL is the chief administrative officer and chief credit officer at Bryant Bank in Tuscaloosa,

where he leads multiple departments and oversees strategic initiatives.

Mitchell served 35 years in the Alabama Army National Guard and retired as brigadier general. He is a board member of the Community Foundation of West Alabama, a member of the American Heart Association of West Alabama’s executive leadership team, and of The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama’s Public Affairs Council. Mitchell earned a degree in corporate finance from the University of Alabama and a master’s in strategic studies from the United States Army War College.

fellowship at Duke University’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

YOLANDA PAGE is the eighth president of Stillman College in Tuscaloosa. Under her leadership, the college’s School of Education recently earned full accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Page holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Dillard University and a master’s and a doctoral degree in American and African American literature from Louisiana State University. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and of Jack and Jill of America.

PETER MOHLER is the University of Alabama’s 30th president. The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees unanimously appointed him to the role on

June 16. Mohler previously served as Ohio State University’s executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and was chief scientific officer of OSU’s Wexner Medical Center. He was OSU’s acting president in 2023. Mohler holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he completed a postdoctoral

JORDAN PLASTER is a private wealth adviser and managing director for Plaster & Shumaker Family Wealth Management, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services in Tuscaloosa. He has been honored by both Forbes and Barron’s. He chairs Tuscaloosa Rotary Honor Flight and is a past chair of United Way and The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. A graduate of Leadership Alabama, he serves on the board for Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority, Business Council

of Alabama, Community Corrections, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts & Veterans Memorial Park. The University of Alabama graduate serves on the board of visitors for Culverhouse College of Business.

KELSEY RUSH is president and CEO of Visit Tuscaloosa, the county’s destination marketing organization, and is a member of the Alabama Tourism Advisory Board. Rush serves on The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, Theatre Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Association of Destination Marketing Organizations. She also is a member of the Mayor’s Young Professional Advisory Committee and a graduate of the 2024-2025 Alabama Leadership Initiative. Rush earned a master’s degree in marketing

communication management from the University of Alabama Online in 2022 and a travel marketing professional certification through the Southeast Tourism Society.

trustees and on the boards of directors for The West Alabama Chamber and the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority.

JILL STORK is Alabama Power’s vice president for the Western Division, where she manages community and economic development initiatives and external

affairs for West Alabama. She earned her electrical engineering degree from the University of Alabama. Afterward, she began her career at Alabama Power as a distribution engineer in the company’s Mobile division before moving into various management roles at the company. Stork serves on the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences’ board of

SID TRANT is chancellor of The University of Alabama System, the state’s largest higher education enterprise. Earlier, he served as general counsel and senior vice chancellor of the system for more than six years. Before he joined the UA System, Trant was a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP for more than 30 years. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center. He is a member of several professional organizations and chairs the Freshwater Land Trust board.

Community Development

In Tuscaloosa County, high school students are getting a head start toward entering the manufacturing workforce.

They are getting that head start through the Modern Manufacturing Center of Excellence, a program that is giving high school students the hands-on, technical training needed for well-paid jobs with original equipment manufacturers — OEMs — when they graduate.

The center also offers a dual enrollment program in which teens can simultaneously earn high school and college credits toward an education and eventually a career in advanced manufacturing.

West Alabama Works, The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama’s workforce development division, is contracted to operate the Modern Manufacturing Center in schools across Alabama.

“We have over 40 school systems engaged in the training, and we have over 3,800 students that are in Modern Manufacturing across the state of Alabama,” says Donny Jones, executive

vice president and chief workforce officer for The Chamber and executive director of West AlabamaWorks.

Jones says that in Tuscaloosa County, some 700 high schoolers are enrolled in the Modern Manufacturing program. “Hillcrest High School has over 150 students in Modern Manufacturing at that one high school,” he says.

Jones says students who graduate from the program earn multiple certifications such as a Certified Logistics Associate certificate earned by individuals with the skills needed to work in supply chain and logistics jobs.

Most high schools around the country with manufacturing programs focus on 5% of the industry’s needs, such as industrial maintenance and welding, Jones says. “Modern Manufacturing is focused on the largest needs of manufacturing in our state, which is production and assembly,” Jones says.

“We train them on lean manufacturing, safety protocols, soft skills, essential skills, precision measurement, all of those things, so that when they come out, they’ll be a five-star

recruit for these industries,” he says.

This fall, high schools participating in the Modern Manufacturing program are getting new tools and precision measurement equipment as well as a high-end simulator, which they will use to learn to operate a forklift in a virtual warehouse, Jones says.

Students in Tuscaloosa in the program can also take part in an automotive apprenticeship at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International assembly plant in Vance.

“We have students that leave their high schools in the afternoon to work at Mercedes-Benz and build a world-class vehicle. So, it’s important to know that this is a real partnership between our manufacturers in West Alabama and our students in our schools,” Jones says.

“We’re excited because we’re getting a lot of people across the country who fly in to say, ‘How are you doing this?’ It’s a best practice for workforce organizations across the country,” Jones says.

Besides managing the Modern Manufacturing program, West AlabamaWorks offers job fairs and events called “Worlds of Work” throughout

Students in the Modern Manufacturing program can take part in an automotive apprenticeship at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International.

the year. At Worlds of Work, companies give high school students a glimpse into the high-demand career opportunities available in the area through handson demonstrations and more. Some recruiters even hire at the events.

A Worlds of Work event is scheduled for Oct. 8th and 9th at Shelton State Community College and will be open to the public.

Meanwhile, Tuscaloosa County is nearing the end of several projects funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal COVID-19 stimulus package, Probate Judge and Tuscaloosa County Commission Chair Rob Robertson says.

“We had over 80 projects that were started, and most of them are nearing completion from those funds,” Robertson says.

One of those ARPA-funded projects is the new Synergic Center in Northport.

In April of this year, Tuscaloosa County opened the Center, a building that once housed a call center. The renovated 47,000-square-foot building now houses the Law Enforcement Academy, and it contains space for collaboration between agencies.

In June, the city of Tuscaloosa broke ground for the construction of a new $1.1 million police logistics building at 3311 Reese Phifer Avenue. The 7,600-square-foot building will contain six bays for emergency response purposes.

And the city of Tuscaloosa continues to fund local projects through its Elevate

Tuscaloosa initiative.

Last December, the city opened the new Benjamin Barnes YMCA, which offers programs in sports, camping and outdoor enrichment, arts and humanities, as well as before-school, after-school and early-learning programs.

The Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority is working to bring more business to the area with a new $296,000 grant through Alabama’s Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy program or SEEDS. The grant will pay for environmental studies, geotechnical analysis and infrastructure planning near the Tuscaloosa National Airport, and for the nearby industrial park to help make the area more competitive for high-impact economic development projects.

The county is also juggling several road projects, including the McWright’s Ferry Road project in Tuscaloosa that is nearly complete — a $69.9 million project.

“That project is somewhat transformative within the city of Tuscaloosa,” says Robertson. “There was traffic congestion, and really, only one viable path to get to a pretty good sector of land in that area.” He says that once completed, the new roadway will cut down commute times, allow the city to grow northward and help ease traffic congestion in the area.

“It’s a city of Tuscaloosa project, but it’s funded and paid for by the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement

Commission,” Robertson says.

The city of Tuscaloosa gave final approval recently for a 19-acre, $150 million Sports Illustrated resort near the University of Alabama campus. The resort will feature condominiums and other amenities.

The city also recently won recognition for its work to support low-income housing — the Audrey Nelson Community Development Award for 2024 from the National Community Development Association for its efforts to develop affordable housing at Springer Estates in West Tuscaloosa. The award recognizes communities for innovative, new community development projects.

The city’s Elevate Tuscaloosa initiative is advancing education and investing in city parks, local cultural and arts programs and other projects. This fall, the city expanded its Elevate Dual Enrollment Scholarship program to give high school students access to more free college coursework.

So now, eligible Tuscaloosa City Schools high school students can take up to nine courses — the equivalent of a full year of college — through the University of Alabama’s Early College program, for free, including tuition, fees and textbooks.

Under the old plan, the scholarship covered one course per semester, up to 12 credit hours.

Tuscaloosa is also improving its parks. Springbrook Park reopened this spring following a $1.7 million makeover. The park amenities now include a walking track, two playgrounds and emergency blue lights.

As part of Elevate Tuscaloosa, the city broke ground on a pickleball complex in Bowers Park this spring. The city will spend more than $3 million to build 19 new pickleball courts, a new outdoor restroom and more lighting and security.

Elevate Tuscaloosa is also building eight new pickleball courts in the Northridge community. The project, at a cost of $1.37 million, will include a parking lot and sidewalk to the courts and more lighting. The new courts will be near the Buddy Powell Pavilion and Northridge High School.

Culture & Recreation

Tuscaloosa County is a sports fan’s paradise.

But the county is also the perfect playground for art connoisseurs, foodies, music lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, history nerds, archeologist wannabes and kids and grownups who just want to have fun.

For college football fans, Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium at the University of Alabama is the place to be. The stadium is home to the 18-time national champion team, the Alabama Crimson Tide, and has a seating capacity of more than 100,000.

But UA also is the home of Coleman Coliseum, a venue with more than 14,000 seats where fans can watch men’s and women’s basketball teams play and gymnasts compete.

For golfers, there’s the Ol’ Colony Golf Course, an 18-hole, 7,500-yard course designed by former golf champion Jerry Pate. This summer marked the debut of the Iron & Ember Golf, a new indoor golf and training facility at Ol’ Colony, with simulator bays, meeting space and other amenities.

Tennis lovers can perfect their swing at the Tuscaloosa Tennis Center, with indoor and outdoor courts, lessons and clinics for adults and juniors.

For those who prefer exploring Alabama’s past, there is the Alabama

of Natural History, home to thousands of artifacts that tell the story of Alabama in ancient times. Also, at the University of Alabama’s Moundville Archaeological Park, visitors can learn about Native American history and culture and tour the earthen mounds that indigenous people built near the Black Warrior River more than 800 years ago.

The Murphy-Collins House is a 1920s craftsman bungalow that Tuscaloosa’s first licensed Black mortician, Will Murphy, once owned. Today the home houses the Murphy African American Museum, which explores the lives of affluent African Americans in the early 1900s.

To learn more about African American history, visitors can explore the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History Trail through a self-guided tour of 18 stops to hear about the struggle for Black civil rights in Tuscaloosa. Details about this and other tours is available at passes. visittuscaloosa.com.

But sports fans do not despair. There is a museum for you, too. The Paul W. Bryant Museum provides an in-depth look at the history of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.

For those who love the visual arts, Tuscaloosa County offers several options.

The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art at the University of Alabama features

exhibitions all year by contemporary artists, while Harrison Galleries LLC displays 19th and 20th century paintings, prints and sculptures and contemporary photographs.

Another venue is the Kentuck Art Center. The center offers painting, pottery, stained-glass art classes and kids camps and presents the annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts featuring folk and contemporary art, crafts, live music and spoken word performances.

The Paul R. Jones Collection holds more than 1,700 pieces of African American art in the Paul R. Jones Museum at the University of Alabama, while The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center features art galleries, and houses space for performances and events.

Want to catch a show in Tuscaloosa County? Check out the historic Bama Theatre for concerts, films, dance performances, plays, comedy and more, or go to the Moody Music Building Concert Hall at the University of Alabama for an evening of classical music. The Hall is home to the Tuscaloosa Symphony.

Visitors also can enjoy a concert and other outdoor events at the MercedesBenz Amphitheater. Once called the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater until its renaming in 2023, the venue is located just blocks from downtown Tuscaloosa

and is next to the Tuscaloosa River Walk.

The Tuscaloosa River Walk is a 4.5mile trail along the southern bank of the Black Warrior River where people can walk, jog or bike, enjoy a picnic or visit Parker-Haun Park. Another site to visit is the 60-acre University of Alabama Arboretum, which displays plant collections, gardens and walking trails that showcase Alabama’s native plants and wildflowers.

Vacationers at Lake Tuscaloosa can swim, fish and water ski. But those who join The Captain’s Club can enjoy a more enhanced experience on Lake Tuscaloosa. Membership comes with boat, paddle board and kayak rentals; a boat club; access to boat slips; a lakefront market; and other amenities.

Visitors to the county also may want to spend a day at Lake Lurleen State Park to lounge by the lake, fish or canoe,

festivities and events:

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE VS. THE WISCONSIN BADGERS — Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium | Sept. 12, 2025

TUSCALOOSA OKTOBERFEST + 5K — Government Plaza in Tuscaloosa | Sept. 20, 2025

THE BEACH BOYS WITH LOCASH AND THE O’JAYS — Mercedes-Benz Amphitheatre | Sept. 24, 2025

HOLIDAYS ON THE PLAZA — Government Plaza in Tuscaloosa | November

49TH ANNUAL WEST ALABAMA CHRISTMAS PARADE — Downtown Tuscaloosa | December

or try their hand at kayaking on nearby Hurricane Creek.

The new River Run Park in Northport, slated to open in August, features softball and little league baseball fields, full-size baseball fields and much more.

Tuscaloosa County offers other venues for young children, too. The Children’s Hands-On Museum houses interactive exhibits that teach concepts of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics through play.

Another fun spot for children is Mason’s Place, a playground within the Munny Sokol Park that has inclusive play structures for youngsters, no matter their abilities.

And Upsurge Trampoline Park in Tuscaloosa is a place for family fun, that includes a ninja warrior course, dodgeball courts and a spacious foam pit.

The Tuscaloosa River Market, located on the banks of the Black Warrior River, features a farmer’s market where shoppers can purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables, meats and artisan crafts. The River Market also is an event venue for weddings, parties and other celebrations.

In Northport, the West Alabama Food & Wine Festival is held every spring in the downtown area. This fundraising event brings local chefs and food and wine enthusiasts together and includes live musical performances.

Career Notes

AGRICULTURE

Maggie Edwards has been named associate editor of the Neighbors magazine, part of her promotion to agricultural communications manager of Alabama Farmers Federation. In addition, Preston Roberts has been named assistant director of the external affairs department.

BANKING

Chris Davidson has been promoted to executive vice president and chief information officer for Trustmark.

Erin Bentley has joined SmartBank as vice president and relationship manager in the Birmingham market. Also, Nick Bearden has joined the bank’s investment services as vice president and financial adviser.

Bank Independent Vice President of Learning & Development Jessica Diaz has been named assistant school director for the Alabama Banking School.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Dillon Fritz, PhD, has joined HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology as vice president for economic development and commercialization.

CHAMBERS

The Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce has hired Davis Wilder as membership

by ERICA JOINER WEST

coordinator. In addition, Brenda Dennis, president and CEO of the chamber, has graduated from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Institute for Organization Management.

Kyle South, president and CEO of The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, has graduated from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Institute for Organization Management.

CREDIT UNIONS

Robin Moore has been appointed senior vice president of retail operations and process management at AmFirst.

EDUCATION

Alan Smith has been appointed president of Gadsden State Community College. He succeeds Kathy Murphy, who is now the president at Wallace Community College in Dothan.

Calhoun Community College has hired Denton Bowling as its new head softball coach and Cam Chafetz as its new baseball coach.

HEALTH CARE

Chibuzo Clement Odigwe, M.D., MHA, and Gerardo Eman, M.D., have joined USA Health, expanding its pulmonary care. Also, Richard Menger, M.D., MPA, chief of complex spine

surgery and vice chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, has been named a 2025 Healthcare Research All-Star by Avantgarde Health.

Christopher Suddarth, owner and president of TriState Graphics, has been appointed to the Houston County Health Care Authority

Abdelrahman Shehata, M.D., has joined Southeast Health’s Medical Center Hospitalist group.

LAW

George Harris, of the Law Offices of George Harris LLC, has been admitted to practice law in the state of New York. He continues to maintain his licenses to practice in Alabama, Texas and Washington, D.C.

Outside Chief Legal LLC, of Mobile, has added Benjamin Kearns as litigator and outside chief legal executive.

The Montgomery Police Department has appointed Ettice Brickus as its new chief of staff.

ORGANIZATIONS

Penny Hughey has been appointed assistant district governor for Area 11 of Rotary International District 6880.

Kerri-Noelle Humphrey has been named executive director of the Alabama Dance Council.

SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICES

Tim Comstock has been promoted to president of BRW, an integrated supply chain services company.

Company Kudos

by ERICA JOINER WEST

Montgomery-based Standard Commercial Roofing & Envelope Solutions has been honored with Carlisle’s SynTec Systems’ 2025 Perfection Award. Each year, Carlisle evaluates authorized applicators across the U.S. and Canada, selecting only a small percentage for the award. Standard’s first warranted project with Carlisle dates back to 1983. To date, the company has completed 331 Carlisle warranted projects. Of those, 175 have received a perfect score of 10 on its inspection rating.

The city of Athens has received an upgrade to Aa2 on its issuer and general obligation limited tax ratings from Moody’s Ratings.

Bassmaster Magazine, headquartered in Birmingham, has ranked its list of Best Bass Lakes in America for 2025. Coming in at No. 3 for the Southeastern Division was Lake Guntersville, followed by Pickwick Lake at No. 7, Lake Eufaula at No. 18 and Wheeler Lake at No. 21.

Champ Creative, a Birminghambased advertising agency, has earned five National ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation.

Coastal Alabama Community College’s Veterinary Technology Program has been awarded continued full accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities.

Coca-Cola Amphitheater has been certified as Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity.

Birmingham-based Command Alkon has been recognized with a 2025 Top Workplaces Industry Award, a national honor based on employee feedback among U.S. technology employers. The company also has received the Top Cloud-Based Construction Software Provider of 2025 honor from Construction Tech Review.

Huntsville Botanical Gardens has received the 2025 Dorothy E. Hansell Marketing Award from the American Public Gardens Association. The award honors the garden’s recent rebranding initiative with Red Sage Communications

Hyundai had five vehicles included on the 2025 Cars.com American-Made Index. They are Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, IONIQ 5, Tucson and Santa Cruz. The Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Tucson and Santa Cruz are all made in Montgomery.

The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham’s Kiwanis Reads project has been chosen as the International 2025 Signature Project of Kiwanis International.

The CrossingPoints Tier 3 Program at the University of Alabama has been accredited by the Inclusive Higher Education Accreditation Council.

The University of North Alabama has been named to the highest tier of the Opportunity Colleges and Universities: Higher Access, Higher Earnings by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education.

USA Health has had two hospitals recognized for stroke care by the American Heart Association. University Hospital has received the Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines – Stroke honor while Providence received the Stroke Silver Plus honor.

Wallace State Community College Department of Nursing Education, for a third time, has been named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing. Wallace State also has reaffirmed accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

WorldAtlas has named its eight most charming town squares in Alabama. Making the list are Athens, Enterprise, Eufaula, Fairhope, Florence, Marion, Mentone and Troy.

OCTOBER

Real Estate for Your Business

Holt’s Central Iron & Coal Co.

By SCOTTY E. KIRKLAND

he photograph first appeared in an October 1915 special industrial section of the Birmingham Post-Herald. The busy black-and-white image ran under the headline “LOADING COAL BARGES IN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY FOR EXPORT.” Coal-laden barges tethered to a steamboat rest on the Black Warrior River.

The vessels cast their reflection onto the stilled water, contrasting with the frenetic scene atop the bluff, where the smokestacks of the Central Iron & Coal Co. appear in full operation. They cast a haze over the

scene that obscures momentarily many smaller structures in the background, including worker houses, tipples and buildings of subsidiary suppliers. Between the plant and the river is a railroad line where several train cars lie in wait.

ABOVE: A colorized postcard of the Central Iron & Coal Co. was widely available by 1919. Photo courtesy the Alabama Department of Archives and HIstory.

LEFT: The 1903 lighting of the furnace ceremony was captured in this photo. Courtesy of the University of Alabama LIbraries Special Collections.

Over the course of a day, the coal on the steamboat — which likely came from a mine less than 60 miles away — would be unloaded and replaced with finished cast-iron pipes. Back down the Black Warrior it would go, destined for dockside suppliers in Mobile or New Orleans who placed the pipes onto larger vessels and sent them out into a waiting world before repeating the journey. At the same time, men loaded down the railroad cars with pipes bound for inland suppliers. With a whistle and a groan, the heavy load moved along the tracks, the engine adding its own smoke and noise to the foundry’s din.

Tuscaloosans had long sought such an enterprise. The area provided ample resources, producing more than 200,000 tons of coal by the turn of the twentieth century. But with Birmingham in close proximity, attracting industry proved elusive. In the 1880s, after a potential development failed, county boosters devoted time and treasure to making the area a more attractive prospect. They secured several locks to make the mighty Black Warrior more navigable. They enticed new railroad investments and spur lines.

These efforts helped to bring to town the entrepreneurial Frank Holt. At first, this out-of-towner’s motives for seeking out a large tract of land were kept quiet. In 1901, he purchased some 1,200 acres of cotton fields and forest land a few miles upriver for an untold purpose. Plans were made known the following year with the incorporation of the Central Iron & Coal Co. The new plant along the Black Warrior River was a subsidiary of the New York-based Central Foundry Co., with locations in New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, along with Alabama-based foundries in Anniston and Bessemer.

The idea for this new industrial enterprise was simple: to provide cast-iron pipes for the many municipalities around the country putting in their first underground lines for water and sewer service. With frontage along the Black Warrior River and access to the railroad, the location Frank Holt chose was perfect for such a venture — and he was rewarded by having his surname grace the map, as it still does today.

With the foundry’s construction underway, the company’s investors looked farther afield to secure land that contained the essential minerals needed to produce iron and steel. Between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, such places were still readily available. The closest location, named Kellerman Coal Mine after an early company engineer, was later connected to the foundry site by a railroad spur.

They lit the furnaces for the first time on Aug. 3, 1903. That honor fell to young Edith Lodge, daughter of the company’s first president, Joseph Lodge. At the time it went into production, the company could pour 150 tons of iron a day. Within a decade, that number doubled.

In 1910, the Central Foundry Co. in New York fell on hard times and went into receivership. Officials at the foundry in Holt were quick to allay local fears about the future of their thriving enterprise, which was then in the midst of an expansion. A few months later, receiver Waddill Catchings came to Alabama for an inspection tour. Apparently pleased with what he saw, Catchings continued to invest in the facility at Holt. When the conglomerate reorganized the following year, Catchings became

its new head.

Expansion, not foreclosure, was afoot at the Central Foundry in Holt. In May 1911, 40 new ovens were constructed. Later that year, rumors circulated around Tuscaloosa County of an even larger investment there. In early December, Catchings himself announced the $800,000 expansion plan (akin to a $28 million investment today). “The news fired with new hope and enthusiasm the businessmen present who have been working for Tuscaloosa’s development,” wrote one reporter. So frequent were Catchings’ visits over the next year that many predicted he would relocate his corporate headquarters to the Yellowhammer State.

The elements of an expanded company town were soon evident at Holt: a commissary, school, homes for workers, doctor’s office, recreational offerings and a hotel for visiting businessmen. Still more workers came. One observer reported “Holt is about the busiest place on the map just now.” At night, locals from miles away would watch the flames from the molten pig iron runs reaching into the sky. Up close, the foundry sounded “like walking up to a hurricane,” a workman recalled.

The name of the photographer who snapped the 1915 image is lost to history. But what he or she left behind was a glimpse of a company in full production, fulfilling both the expectations of its corporate investors and the dreams of boosters who built upon its success. If any locals purchased the colorized postcard of the image that was widely available by 1919, they likely scoffed at the description of the foundry as being “near Birmingham.” No — the Central, at least this Central, belonged to Tuscaloosa County. There were good years and bad in the decades after the photograph. The Great Depression brought with it a yearslong shutdown. Critical war-related contracts in the 1940s helped save the business. Buoyed by a government-assisted wartime expansion and prosperous decades thereafter, the fires of the foundry burned until the early 1980s. An industry shift to plastic pipes brought the business that had long operated overlooking the Black Warrior River to an end.

Historian Scotty E. Kirkland is a freelance contributor to Business Alabama. He lives in Wetumpka.

Index

1075 Peachtree Building, Atlanta .....................12

ABC 33/40 TV 8

Aerojet Rocketdyne 9

Aguirre, David 53

Airbus Group ....................................... 12, 24, 53

Alabama Associated General Contractors 50, 53, 112

Alabama Association of Destination Marketing Organizations 104

Alabama Association of Realtors 8

Alabama Banking School ...............................112

Alabama Community College System .............102

Alabama Dance Council 112

Alabama Department of Mental Health 94, 99

Alabama Department of Transportation 53

Alabama Economic and Real Estate Report ..........8

Alabama Farmers Federation .........................112

Alabama Industrial Development Authority 94

Alabama Leadership Initiative 104

Alabama Museum of Natural History 109

Alabama Perinatal Quality Collaborative 99

Alabama Polytechnic ....................................118

Alabama Power Co. ............................. 7, 53, 104

Alabama Public Service Commission 7

Alabama Road Builders Association 53

Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences 104

Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce 104

Alabama Tourism Department ................. 82, 104

Alabama Transformational Leadership Academy ..................................................104

Alabama Utility Contractors Association ...........53

Alabama Weather Network 8

Alabama Wildlife Federation 104

Allstate Materials 53

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. 104

Amazon Inc. ..................................................102

American Advertising Federation ...................113

American Airlines 10

American Council on Education 113

American Heart Association 104, 113

American Institute of Architects 53

American Military University ...........................53

American Public Gardens Association .............113

American Rescue Plan Act 107

American Sand Asphalt and Paving 53

American Veterinary Medical Association 113

Ameriprise Financial Services.........................104

Ammons & Blackmon Construction ..................53

Anders, Ron 11

Anderson, Rachel 99

APAC-Alabama Inc. 53

Ard Logistics 94, 96

Ard, Nicole 82

Ashford University ........................................104

Associated Builders and Contractors 53

Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives..................................94

Athens State University 8 Athens, City of 113

Auburn Technology Park South 11

Auburn University ......... 8, 10, 12, 20, 24, 53, 118

Auburn University Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station 8

Auburn-Opelika Tourism..................................82

Augusta University ......................................104

Augusta University Health 104

Austal USA 8

Austin, Ryan 24

Avant-garde Health 112

B.H. Craig Construction Co. Inc. ........................53

Bailey-Harris Construction Co...........................53

Bama Theatre 109

Bank Independent 112

Baptist Health Medical Group 9

Baptist Health, Montgomery .................... 99, 104

Bar La Fete, Birmingham..................................20

Barefield, J. Frank Jr. 102

Barron’s Magazine 104

Bassmaster Magazine 113

Bearden, Nick 112

Becker’s Hospital Review ...............................104

Bedingfield, Ken 9

Bell, Stuart 102

Benjamin Barnes YMCA 104, 107

Bentley, Erin 112

Bibb County 94

A guide to businesses (bold) and individuals (light) mentioned in this month’s issue of Business Alabama.

Birmingham Bar Association ............................53

Birmingham Barons 8

Birmingham Firehouse Shelter 20

Birmingham Post-Herald 114

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport 10

Birmingham-Southern College 53

Birmingham, City of ........................................82

BJ’s Wholesale Club, Foley .................................9

BL Harbert International 53

Black Warrior River 114

Blalock, Rob 12

BLG Logistics Inc. 94 Blue Origin LLC................................................53

Boatwright, Amber 53

Bonds, David Victor 53

Boostr Digital Display 91

Boughner, Chad 53

Bowers Park, Tuscaloosa ................................107

Bowling, Denton 112

Scouts 104 Boyett, Greg 82 Bracknell, Chuck 94

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP .......... 53, 104

Bragg, Bobby 104

Brasfield & Gorrie 12, 53

Brasfield, Thomas 12 Brees, Drew 82

Brick and Tin, Huntsville 20

Brickus, Ettice 112

Brose Tuscaloosa .............................................96

Sam 53 BRW Trucking, Logistics, Warehousing & Fulfillment 112

Bryant Bank 104

Bryce Hospital 94, 99

Buffalo Rock Co. 91

Building & Earth Sciences ................................53

Burton, Rob 24

Burton, Turner 24

Business Council of Alabama 11, 104

C&G Pickleball Academy 82

C&S Wholesale Grocers 53

Caddell Construction .......................................53

Cade, Patricia 104

Cahaba Medical Care Foundation 104

Calhoun Community College 112

Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, Mobile 7

Capes Shipping Agencies .................................10

Capstone Building Corp. ..................................53

Captain’s Club, Lake Tuscaloosa 109

Carnegie Foundation 113

Carter, Kellie 82

Catchings, Waddill 114

Catholic University, Cordoba ..........................104

CB&S Bank ......................................................91

Central Alabama Community College 113

Central Foundry Co. 114

Central Iron & Coal Co. 114

Central Michigan University 53

Central Six AlabamaWorks!................................7

Chafetz, Cam 112

Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, The ................. 91, 94, 104, 107, 112

Champ Creative 113

Champions Place 20

Chapman, Jerome 53

Chickasaw Marine Terminal 10

Chickasaw, Port of ...........................................10

Children’s Hands-On Museum, Tuscaloosa ......109

Children’s Hospital of Alabama 20, 24 Clark, Thomas 53

Coca-Cola Amphitheatre 113

Coleman Coliseum 109

Combs, John 53

Command Alkon ...........................................113

Community Corrections 104

Community Foundation of West Alabama 104

Community Playmaker Magazine 8

Comstock, Tim 112

Construction Partners Inc. ................................53

Construction Tech Review 113

Consulting Done Write LLC 104

Contour Fabrications and Mechanical 10

Conville, Daniel 99

Cooper Construction 53 Coral Industries 96

Cornerstone Schools of Alabama 53 Corte, Danny 82 Costco, Irondale.................................................9

Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation ...................................... 102, 104

Crafton-Stiver, Rachel 53 Crews, Clay 53

Crosby, Scott 53

D’Agostino, Kyle 20

Daria, Mike 104

Davidson, Chris 112 Davis, Justin 53 Davison, Jay 53

DCH Health System 94, 99, 104

DCH Regional Medical Center 91m, 94, 99

DeMedici, Katrina 8

DeMedici, Steve 8

Design Build Institute of America 53 Diaz, Jessica 112

Dillard University 104

Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center 109

Doster Construction Co. ............................. 10, 53

Dothan Regional Airport ..................................53

Dothan, City of 82

Duff Wilder Group LLC, The 104 Duff Wilder, Sondra 104 Duke University 104 Dunn Construction ..........................................53 Dynasty Fab ....................................................10 Dynetics Technical Solutions 8 E Tech Group 53

Carolina University 53

Middle School ................................104 Economic Development Association of Alabama 53

Economic Development Partnership of Alabama 53

Edwards, Maggie 112

El Barrio, Birmingham .....................................20

Eman, Gerardo 112

Embassy Suites by Hilton Gulf Shores Beach Resort ...............................................10 Enable Madison County 53 Encompass Health 11 Engineering News-Record 53 Evergreen Siteworks LLC 53 Ewing, Walker 53 Excel High School ..............................................8 Exceptional Foundation 53 Fancher, Garrett 53 Farr, Carina 53 Fayette Medical Center 99 Federal Express Corp........................................53

Corp. ..........................................7 Ferguson, Keith 8 FirstBank 94 Fite Building Co.

Law Offices of George Harris LLC 112

Lawler, Jennings 10

LBYD Engineers 53

Leadership Tuscaloosa ...................................104

LeadHERship Alabama ...................................104

Lee, Robert “Bubba” 11

Lee, Tommy 11

Levy Restaurants, North Carolina 9

Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center. 99, 102

Lincoln Village, Huntsville ...............................53

LivSmart Studios by Hilton Hotels ....................10

Lockheed Martin 8

Lodge, Edith 114

Lodge, Joseph 114

Loudon Water Treatment Plant, Tennessee ........53

Louisiana State University .............................104

M D Thomas Construction LLC 53

M. Sabel & Sons 31

Maddox, Walt 104

Majewski, Kevin 53

Marriott Hotels .......................................... 10, 94

Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatry Center .................................. 94, 99

Mask, Tyler 53

Mason’s Place, Tuscaloosa ..............................109

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing 53

McAbee Construction Inc. 53

McDonald Hughes Center 104

Menger, Richard 112

Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater .................. 91, 109

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International ................ 7, 91, 94, 96, 104, 107

Merit Building Systems ...................................53

Michelin/BF Goodrich 91, 94, 96

Michigan State University 104

Michigan Technological University 53

Milford, David 53

Mill, The, Opelika ............................................10

Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce ...........112

Milo’s Tea Co. 8

Mississippi Economic Development Council 53

Mitchell, Mike 104

Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce .................53

Mobile Regional Airport ....................................9

Mobile Sports Authority 82

Mobile, City of 82

Mobile, Port of 94

Modern Manufacturing Center of Excellence, Tuscaloosa 107

Mohler, Peter 102, 104

Mongtomery Public Schools.............................10

Montgomery Police Department ....................112

Montgomery Whitewater Park ...........................9

Montgomery, City of 82

Moody Music Building and Concert Hall, Tuscaloosa 109

Moody’s Ratings 113

Moore, Robin 112

Morrison, Claire 53

Moundville Archaeological Park .....................109

Moye, Hunter 53

MR6 Tech Services 10

Mullins, Kelly 20

Munny Sokol Park, Tuscaloosa 109

Murphy African American Museum ................109

Murphy-Collins House, Tuscaloosa .................109

Murphy, Cliff 53

Murphy, Kathy 112

Murphy, Will 109

NaphCare Inc. 9

National Community Development Association 107

National Junior College Athletic Association 102

National League for Nursing ..........................113

National Wooden Pallet Association ...............104

Nazaretian Alumni Welcome Center, Athens State .................................................8

Nazaretian, Angie 8

Neighbors Magazine 112

Neville Arena, Auburn 8

New York University 104

Nickles, Jason 31

Norrell, Billy 50

North Alabama Make A Wish Council 53

North Carolina Department of Transportation 53

Northport Medical Center 94, 99

Northport, City of 94

Northridge High School 107

Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa ............................... 94, 96

Odigwe, Chibuzo Clement 112

Ogle, Trey 53

Ohio State University 102, 104

Ol’ Colony Golf Course 109

Opelika Pickleball Club ...................................82

Opelika, City of ...............................................82

Orange Beach, City of ......................................82

Orlando Health 9

Outside Chief Legal LLC 112

Owens, Brandon 53

Oxford Civil Life Extension, North Carolina .......53 Page, Yolanda 102, 104

Pallet Foundation 104

Paramount, Birmingham 20 Parker-Haun Park, Tuscaloosa 109 Paul R. Jones Museum 109 Paul W. Bryant Museum.................................109

Peachtree

Saban

Sabel

Sabel,

Sabel, Sean

Plus Inc. 53

Salvation Army 104

Samady, Khalid 53

Samford University........................................104

Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University ........................................8

Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, Tuscaloosa ...........109

School Superintendents of Alabama 104

SDAC Services 53

Selma City Schools 8

Shafer, Kenny 9

Shehata, Abdelrahman 112

Shelby, Annette Nevin 11

Shelby, Richard 11

Shelton State Community College .......................... 91, 94, 102, 104, 107

Shelton, Justin 53

Shepherd’s Men 53

Sherwood, Brian 31

Sigma Nu Fraternity ........................................53

Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society 104

Sims, David 53

SmartBank/Smart Financial Inc. .....................112

Smith, Alan 112

SMP Automotive Systems Alabama 91, 94, 96 South, Kyle 91, 112

Southeast Health Medical Center ...................112

Southeast Logistics ..........................................94

Southeast Tourism Society .............................104

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 113

Southwest Airlines 10

Southwire Inc. 10

Spain Rehabilitation Center, UAB .....................24

Spann, James 8

Sports and Industry Fitness Association 82

Sports Illustrated Resort 94, 107

Spring Hill College 24

Springbrook Park, Tuscalosa 107

Springer Estates, Tuscaloosa...........................107

Stallings, Kyle 53

Standard Commercial Roofing & Envelope Solutions ................................113

Stillman College......................... 91, 94, 102, 104

Stillman, Charles Allen 102

Stillman, Charles M. 102

Stork, Jill 104

Suddarth, Christopher 112

Suh, Han Wok 11

SurgNet Health Partners 94

Synergic Center, Northport 107

Synovus Financial Corp. 10

Syracuse University 20

Taber, Josh 53

Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility.......... 94, 99

Tennessee Valley Authority 7, 53

Theatre Tuscaloosa 104

Thomas, Laura 53

Thompson Engineering Inc. .............................53

Thompson, J.T. 7

Thrasher, Alex 53

ThyssenKrupp AG 53

Tilley, Hayden 53

Tortorigi Construction Inc. 53

Trant, Sid 104

TriState Graphics............................................112

Truman Scholars 102

Trump, President Donald 9

Trustmark Bank 112

Turner Construction Co. 53

Tuscaloosa Academy ......................................104

Tuscaloosa Area Black Chamber of Commerce .104

Tuscaloosa City School District 91, 104, 107

Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History Trail 109

Tuscaloosa County 91, 94, 107

Tuscaloosa County Board of Education ..............91

Historic Alabama

BUILDING FAITH

In 1957, the chapel at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire. In this 1960 photo by architect Paul Rudolph, the new (and still existing) chapel is under construction. Rudolph, a graduate of Alabama Polytechnic (now

Alabiz Quiz

September 2025:

Q: Family-owned Sabel Steel in Montgomery was founded “shortly before the war.” Which war?

A) Civil War

B) World War I

C) World War II

D) Vietnam War

August 2025 (one month ago):

Q: A German company called Butting selected Loxley for its first U.S. plant, a $61 million investment. What does Butting make?

A) Aircraft parts

B) Automobile chassis

C) Ship launch systems

D) Stainless steel pipes

Auburn University) and later dean of the Yale School of Architecture, worked with Tuskegee professors John A. Welch and Louis Fry on the chapel’s design. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Do you have a photo you’d like us to consider for Historic Alabama? Send it to Erica West at ewest@pmtpublishing.com.

Challenge yourself with these puzzlers from past issues of Business Alabama magazine.

Beginning September 22, work the quiz online and check your answers at businessalabama.com.

September 2024 (one year ago):

Q: Norfolk Southern announced plans for a $200 million investment to upgrade its 3B corridor that links markets in northern and central Alabama to what?

A) Atlanta’s airport

B) Chicago’s stockyards

C) Mobile’s seaport

D) New Orleans’ river access

September 2020 (five years ago):

Q: A grocery chain announced plans for a $100 million regional headquarters and distribution center in Baldwin County as it rapidly increased its number of stores in the Southeast. What grocery chain?

A) Aldi

B) Costco

C) Kroger

D) Safeway

September 2015 (10 years ago):

Q: We published a photo feature on the restoration of a Birmingham landmark from its Sylacauga marble floors to its “Allegory of the Muses” atop the proscenium arch. What building?

A) Coca-Cola Amphitheater

B) Lyric Theatre

C) Saenger Theatre

D) Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex

September 2000 (25 years ago):

Q: Our cover story talked about a big change at the port in Mobile, one that waterfront businesses saw as a positive change. What was it?

A) Airbus coming to the Brookley Aeroplex

B) Creation of the Alabama State Port Authority

C) Deepening and widening channels

D) Rail service to the port