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The Birmingham Business Alliance e-newsletter is sent the first and third Tuesday of each month and informs subscribers of upcoming events and news from the organization and the region. To subscribe to the BBA e-newsletter click HERE.
IN THIS ISSUE:
- BBA meets with legislators
- City's new mayor honored at BBA reception
- More new jobs headed to Birmingham region
- AVEDA INSTITUTE-BIRMINGHAM Grand-Opening/Ribbon Cutting
- Don't miss the Big Black Book of Business networking event
- mCode Grand-Opening/Ribbon Cutting
- Small Business Spotlight: Barfield, Murphy, Shank, & Smith
BBA meets with legislators, announces state, federal agendas
More than 100 investors, state legislators and guests attended the Birmingham Business Alliance’s first Legislative Outlook and Reception Jan. 26. BBA Investors and guests arrived in Montgomery at the State Capitol to receive a legislative outlook briefing from Sens. Linda Coleman and Jabo Waggoner and Rep. Greg Canfield.
Unemployment compensation, food tax, highways and gaming appear to be among the hot issues this session. The briefing was followed up by a reception at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel where more than 15 members of the seven-county delegation, Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom and other legislators outside of the delegation joined BBA investors.
The BBA recently released its state and federal recommendations from the BBA's Governmental Affairs Committee (the GAC). The issues provide a framework for the BBA to take positions on and advocate for matters that are important to our investors and are important to economic development in the region. Click on the links below for more information.
For more information, contact Myla Choy at mchoy@birminghambusinessalliance.com.
City's new mayor honored at BBA reception
Newly inaugurated Mayor William Bell was honored at a reception by investors of the Birmingham Business Alliance Jan. 28 at the BBA’s offices. More than 200 BBA Board Members, Chairman Circle members and Trustee members attended the reception to congratulate Mayor Bell.
BBA Chairman Dowd Ritter congratulated Bell and committed the support of the business community as Bell begins his work leading the city of Birmingham. Bell reaffirmed the importance of partnership between the public and private sector to grow the Birmingham region, as well as working and cooperating with other cities in the Birmingham metro area.
More new jobs headed to Birmingham region
The Birmingham Business Alliance played a key role in important economic development announcements in January. Last week marked the start of construction for POSCO-AAPC, a steel processing facility. The groundbreaking ceremony took place Jan. 28, at Jefferson Metropolitan Park McCalla, the location of the future facility.
POSCO, headquartered in Korea, is the second largest steel processor in the world. Among its clients are the automotive industry. It is building a $19 million facility that will bring 60 new jobs to the area. This will be POSCO's premier processing facility in the United States.
“Today is the culmination of nearly one and a half years of hard work,” said Kiho Han, the president of POSCO-AAPC. “During that time, we’ve weathered one of the harshest economic climates since the Great Depression – and the steel industry was certainly no exception. I stand here before you not as a victim of the economic circumstances, but as a symbol of what can be accomplished when people who share a vision work towards a common goal.”
This project became a reality through cooperation among the BBA, the state of Alabama, Jefferson County and the business community in the Birmingham region.
“We’re proud of the continuing success of the automotive industry,” said Dalton Smith, President and CEO of the BBA. “Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are traveling today in vehicles that were manufactured in part or in whole, right here in Alabama.”
The construction of the facility is expected to be completed this summer.
SurModics Pharmaceuticals also opened its world-class facility for manufacturing and development in Birmingham. Formerly a warehouse for Parisian/Saks, the 90,000-square-foot facility will be used to manufacture pharmaceutical and drug coated device products for clinical and commercial use. The opening of the facility represented the culmination of events that began in April 2008 when SurModics announced the acquisition of a new building including office and warehouse space.
Economic incentives provided by city, county and state government played a significant role in SurModics’ decision to expand operation in Birmingham. “This development is evidence of the Birmingham region’s continued leadership in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry,” said Gov. Bob Riley, who attended the opening. “It also validates Alabama’s role in helping home-grown businesses compete internationally. SurModics is a great example of a successful business model we need to see replicated.”
SurModics, a Minnesota-based company, purchased Birmingham’s Brookwood Pharmaceuticals in 2007. The Birmingham Business Alliance and the former Metropolitan Development Board worked closely with Surmodics officials on the project.
AVEDA INSTITUTE-BIRMINGHAM grand opening/ribbon cutting
When: 4:45-8 p.m. Feb. 4
Where: 3200 Galleria Circle in Hoover
Join the BBA and Aveda from 4:45 p.m- 8 p.m. Feb. 4 at 3200 Galleria Circle, Hoover, AL 35244 for a grand opening and ribbon cutting for the beauty school.
Aveda Institute is the second largest beauty school in the country and is the premier beauty education in the South. The Institute’s mission is “Creating nurturing environments that faciliate life long learning” through cosmetology, esthiology and massage.
WIN a Day of Beauty for four - Courtesy of Aveda Institute (A $240 value). Must be present to win.
Don't miss the Big Black Book of Business networking event
When: 5-7:30 p.m. Feb. 25
Where: The Wine Loft - Downtown Birmingham
This is a free networking event
Join other Investors of the BBA and Birmingham magazine for this not-to-be missed free networking event. The Big Black Book of Business Networking Party is where the 2010 Big Black Book of Business will be released to the region. This event is hosted by The Wine Loft in downtown Birmingham. Remember to bring plenty of business cards for the priceless contacts you and your team will make at this free Business@Sunset event.
mCode grand opening/ribbon cutting
When: Noon-1 p.m. Feb. 18
Where: 2500 Fourth Avenue South
Join the BBA in celebrating mCode’s Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening Feb. 18 from noon-1 p.m. at 2500 Fourth Avenue South.
mCode is a state-of-the-art health facility that provides urgent and primary care to its patients. mCode also offers illness and injury treatment, employment-related physicals, alcohol screening and drug testing.
Small Business Spotlight: Barfield, Murphy, Shank, & Smith
When three young CPAs decided to strike out on their own in 1991, they moved into an office that looked amazingly like the basement of one of the shareholders’ homes.
Those early days were filled with plenty of long hours. And brown bag lunches. Still, Don Murphy, Keith Barfield and John Shank made time to dream about what their firm might become. They had a mission. A vision. And a passion.
Today, that firm is Barfield, Murphy, Shank & Smith (BMSS). They now have more than 100 employees, including 50 CPAs, and are one of the largest local firms in Birmingham.
What makes BMSS different? The life-balance culture, high level of employee satisfaction, very low turnover, and the ability to recruit top-notch professionals.
BMSS helps businesses, non-profits and entrepreneurs with accounting, auditing, tax planning, payroll and benefit services.
Named “Top Small Workplace” by The Wall Street Journal, “Best Accounting Firm to Work For” by Accounting Today, and “Best in Business” by Birmingham Business Journal.
