The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has announced that Elizabeth Paul, Manager of Public Policy at the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), was selected to participate in the second cohort of its premiere business leadership program. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce with resources, access to experts and a network of peers to build their capacity to address the most pressing education and workforce challenges.
BBA thanks legislators for support in passing Rebuild Alabama Act
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed her landmark Rebuild Alabama infrastructure bill into law yesterday after the State Senate passed it on a 28-6 vote.
The Rebuild Alabama Act will give Alabama an additional $310 million annually to improve infrastructure across the state, providing money to all of Alabama’s 67 counties to begin roadwork improvements as early as next year.
New and expanding: Birmingham Control Systems’ facility quadrupling in size
Birmingham Control Systems' customer base has grown so much that the company announced recently it is building a new fabrication facility that will be four times the size of its current footprint.
The company currently is housed in a 5,000-square-foot space off of Arkadelphia Road and is building a 19,500-square-foot facility in the Morgan Road area.
Innovation and technology: Clutch! looks to solve gameday parking problems
One of the first things you need to know about Hunter Strickler is that he’s an avid sports fan. He’s also a visionary, and one of Birmingham’s newest CEOs.
It all started with a problem that college football fans know all too well – trying to find parking on gameday. Strickler circled the perimeter of stadiums countless times, looking at homeowners near the stadium holding cardboard signs offering parking on their lawn for $30 and thought “There has to be a better way.” And while the experience of the game was always positive – well, at least if his team won – the pre-game fan experience usually was not.
The business community can help solve opioid crisis, says U.S. Chamber
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched a new website, Sharing Solutions, as a one-stop resource to help the business community combat the opioid crisis. The Chamber shares on the site best practices of companies taking action to address the epidemic through changes in business processes, employee engagement, applying core competencies and community engagement. The interactive site includes engagement functionality so that users can share solutions, as the website’s name suggests, and build on available resources as a business community.
Fred McCallum named Interim President and CEO for Birmingham Business Alliance
Rebuild Alabama: Key facts on electric vehicles and expanding charging infrastructure
The lack of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Alabama is a major impediment to the expanded use of EVs. Under the proposed Rebuild Alabama plan, owners of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) pay fees that will accelerate the deployment of EV charging station infrastructure across Alabama and alleviate consumer “range anxiety” about access to charging facilities.
In addition to accelerating the development of EV charging infrastructure, the legislation will ensure that BEVs and PHEVs will also contribute to improving the roads and bridges that we all use.
EV owners will be charged an annual registration fee - $200 for BEVs and $100 for PHEVs.
The funds collected will be distributed through the Rebuild Alabama Fund for use in construction and maintenance of a modern-day public road and highway system.
The State will dedicate 25 percent of the collected EV funds to support an EV infrastructure grant program that will provide funding to municipalities, counties, universities and other public institutions to pay for a portion of the costs of developing EV charging station infrastructure.
Collection of the funds for the grant program by the State will stop when BEVs and PHEVs reach a 4 percent market share of motor vehicle registrations in Alabama.
A standard EV charging station costs approximately $10,000 with installation, and fast-charging EV stations cost approximately $125,000. Through this innovative grant program, Alabama will accelerate the expansion of EV charging stations across the State and will sit at the forefront of EV expansion.
Given the strong focus on EVs from Alabama-based automakers, expanding charging infrastructure statewide will pay dividends going forward for all of Alabama.
Big 5 Chambers and CCAA Join The BCA in Support of The Rebuild Alabama Act
The “Big 5 Chambers” of Alabama and the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama (CCAA) have united with the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) to urge their support for Governor Kay Ivey’s Rebuild Alabama bill. The Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce and The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama support the legislation to strengthen Alabama’s infrastructure.
“The BBA supports the Rebuild Alabama Act and its intended purpose of increasing Alabama’s public investment in transportation infrastructure, promoting economic growth and increasing public safety on Alabama’s roads,” said Greg Curran, Chairman of the Firm, Maynard Cooper & Gale PC and Vice Chairman of the BBA’s Public Policy Committee.
Increasing Alabama’s public investment in infrastructure is a top priority critical to the economic development community. The Rebuild Alabama legislation will help fund projects across the state, ultimately spurring job growth and ensuring that Alabama is able to successfully compete for new business. The Governor’s plan will provide a long-term solution to improve transportation infrastructure throughout Alabama.
New and expanding: Dread River Distilling will offer new taste on a longstanding industry
Dread River Distilling Co., billed as the first distilling company of its kind in Alabama, is slated to open its doors this summer, the company said.
Dread River will manufacture several different spirits, including bourbon, blended whiskey, vodka, rum and gin. It will also have several beers on tap that are brewed in-house and is working on a wine it will offer. Eventually, there will be a tasting room, lounges, a VIP room and a private event space on the second floor of its 24,500-square-foot location at 2400 7th Avenue South, where all three types of beverages will be served.
Infrastructure, R&D, tech growth and workforce top BBA legislative priorities for upcoming year
Infrastructure, research and development tax credits, growth of technology companies, workforce development and the reauthorization of the Alabama Jobs Enhancement Act will be top priorities for the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) during the 2019 Alabama Legislative Session, which starts March 5.
Gas tax increase could repair Birmingham’s roads
Technology park with $85 million impact in the works
Governor Kay Ivey announced recently that a new technology park is coming to the Birmingham region, and that its impact will be substantial.
The Grand River Technology Park is slated to create 1,200 jobs, Ivey said, and will have an $85 million impact on the Birmingham region. The project is a partnership with the Alabama Department of Labor’s Abandoned Mine Land Program (ADOL AML), United States Steel Corp., the City of Birmingham, the Southern Museum of Flight, Jefferson County and the City of Leeds.
Record number of jobs, capital investment in Birmingham in 2018
Birmingham companies announced significantly more jobs and capital investment in 2018 than in 2017, according to the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA).
In 2018, 58 companies across the Birmingham seven-county region announced 4,511 jobs and $1,026,024,686 in capital investment, compared with 3,068 jobs and $572.7 million in capital investment announced by 40 companies in 2017. The seven-county region encompasses Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, and Walker counties.
Brian Hilson stepping down as BBA President and CEO
Following a record year of over 4,500 jobs and $1 billion in capital investment for the Birmingham region, President and CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), Brian Hilson, announced he is stepping down to take another economic development position within Alabama. He will remain with the BBA until March 29, 2019.