Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Commerce hosted the second annual Made in Alabama Showcase on Friday at the Old State Supreme Court Chambers in the historic Alabama Capitol Building to recognize some of Alabama’s top companies.
“It is great to be surrounded by some of Alabama’s most wonderful businesses who continue showing the world what it means to be Made in Alabama,” Gov. Ivey stated. “As I like to say, the work that our businesses are doing, Made in Alabama, is bringing back Made in America. I would like to begin by offering big congratulations to this year’s 14 honorees. I am truly honored to recognize y’all today here in our State Capitol. We have got companies from all across Alabama run by a group of diverse group of Alabamians. Truly we are seeing Alabama. In booths around the room, we are honoring great Alabama companies producing things from honey balls to pop sickles, to game clocks, to Red Land Cotton bed sheets. I firmly believe that Alabama has the best businesses in the country. What you have accomplished has made that Made in Alabama brand even more exceptional. As Governor, please know that you always have my full and total support. When you are successful, the state of Alabama is successful.”
“It is amazing all the good things that Alabamians are making,” Ivey told reporters. The governor praised “all the good work that the people of Alabama are doing.”
Gov. Ivey selected 14 top-rated businesses for their work and invited them to exhibit their products at the Alabama State Capitol. The 11 honorees that were able to attend showcased their products, discussed their company’s history and gave away promotional items to the public.
“Our state is blessed to have numerous companies producing outstanding Alabama-American-made products every single day. During Manufacturing Month, I am proud to recognize 14 of the best our state has to offer,” said Governor Ivey. “Alabama made products speak to who we are as a state, and we could not be more excited to showcase these exceptional companies’ products and service to all our visitors today.”
Ivey has prioritized economic development since her elevation to governor in 2017. The state has attracted over $32 billion in capital investment and 65,000 new jobs over that time period.
“The ‘Made in Alabama’ badge is synonymous with quality, and it’s crystal clear that the companies being honored in today’s showcase have mastered the art of turning out an amazing variety of world-class products,” said Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield in a statement.
The honorees were nominated by the Alabama Department of Commerce, Manufacture Alabama, the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, and the Business Council of Alabama. The 14 honorees are as follows:
Frios Gourmet Pops, based in Mobile, produces gourmet popsicles for its franchisees across the country. The company has grown from a brick-and-mortar shop to pivoting in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic to be mobile by attending parties and corporate events in their tie-dye food trucks.
Shaw Industries Group, Inc. offers a diverse portfolio of carpet, resilient, hardwood, tile and stone, laminate, synthetic turf, and other specialty items for residential and commercial markets worldwide via its brands Anderson Tuftex, COREtec, Floorigami, Patcraft, Philadelphia Commercial, Shaw Contract, Shaw Floors, Shaw Sports Turf, Southwest Greens and more. Shaw’s fiber manufacturing plant in Andalusia, Alabama, is Covington County’s largest employer.
To Your Health Sprouted Flour Company is a national pioneer in producing organic sprouted grains. In their 17 years of business, they have grown to become the largest U.S. producer of sprouted grains, flours, legumes, seeds, and nuts, producing close to one million pounds per year. They are located in Fitzpatrick, Alabama, in Bullock County.
Victory Game Clocks is a female, veteran-owned and operated team sport timing supplier based in Roanoke, Alabama. Victory Game Clocks designs, manufactures, and sells high-quality practice timers, play clocks, scoreboards, electronic down markers, and timeout countdown clocks for football and other sports. Their products first hit the market in 2011, and today are used by professional, college, and high school teams across the country.
WoodHaven Custom Calls designs top-of-the-line turkey and deer calls in Heflin, Alabama. The calls can be customized as a mouth, wood, or friction call. The idea for the company was built in the late 1980s from the owner’s desire to be the best turkey hunter he could be.
Red Land Cotton is a family-owned, direct-to-consumer e-commerce company crafting luxury bedding, towels, and loungewear exclusively from cotton grown on their family farm in north Alabama. Red Land Cotton utilizes a supply chain that starts and ends in north Alabama. All of the cotton is grown, harvested, and ginned on Red Land Farms in Lawrence and Colbert counties. It is manufactured in different communities across the United States before it returns as finished cloth to be cut and sewn and then distributed from Moulton, Alabama.
Golden Eagle Syrup founders, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Patterson Sr., produced their first can in Fayette, Alabama on October 28, 1928. The original manufacturing building still remains the home of Golden Eagle Syrup today. In efforts to keep the historic company viable, additional products, which incorporate the syrup, are being added. Caramel Corn was the first of these brought to market and is carrying on the tradition of quality products at fair prices. Golden Eagle Syrup remains a family-owned, family-run business; the present owners have a strong commitment to preserving the tradition and quality established by the founders.
Jack Daniel Cooperage manufactures white oak barrels for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. The Jack Daniel Cooperage is located in Trinity, Alabama, and is home to approximately 175 employees. “JDC” was established in 2014 and currently produces approximately 1,200 barrels per day.
Specification Rubber Products began in 1968 as a manufacturer of molded rubber components for the waterworks industry, specializing in rubber gaskets. Today, their company is a primary supplier of ductile iron pipe, valve, and hydrant producers. Not only do they help to make drinking water safe, but they also received the “Best Place to Work” award in 2021 from Rubber News, a national industry publication. All of their products are Made in the USA in Alabaster, Alabama.
Central City Urban Farm is a hydroponic artisanal family farm producing herbs, leafy greens, and vegetables. They grow gourmet lettuces, arugula, kale, swiss chard, parsley, basil, chives, and cilantro. The farm location is in the Sloss Business District in downtown Birmingham. Customers can purchase direct for home, institutional, or restaurant consumption.
Hartzell Engine Technologies was formed in 2010 by Tailwinds Technologies from assets of Kelly Aerospace Energy Systems. This Montgomery company offers aircraft engine accessories and cabin heating solutions for manned and unmanned fixed and rotary-wing aircraft powered by piston, turboprop, and turbofan engines. The company’s portfolio consists of Janitrol Aero, Fuelcraft, Plane-Power, Sky-Tec, and Aeroforce Turbocharger Systems. Together, these five strong brands provide engine accessories and heating solutions for the general aviation industry.
Prystup Packaging Products, Inc. is in the business of manufacturing folding paperboard cartons that are used to package a wide variety of consumer goods products, employing 140 local citizens in its operations. Prystup Packaging Products, Inc. is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) since 2015 as well as a certified Native American Minority Business Enterprise with Corporate Plus designation since 1991. The company has been in business in Livingston, Alabama, for more than 42 years.
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. They have about 1,000 employees in Mobile and Birmingham, Alabama, and another 32,000 employees across the world. Their facility in Mobile produces feed additives, hydrogen peroxide, specialty foams, and much more. Plus, Evonik Birmingham Laboratories, a part of Evonik’s Health Care business line, serves pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and medical device customers worldwide.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama, employs more than 1,800 team members and builds over 3,000 engines each day. TMMAL is where the powerful V6 and V8 engines found under the hoods of Tacoma and Tundra trucks and Sequoia full-size SUVs are made as well as 4-cylinder engines for Camry, RAV4, Sienna and Highlander. There’s a very good chance if you or someone you know drives a Toyota, the engine came from the plant in Huntsville.
Ivey was elevated to governor in 2017 when then-Gov. Robert Bentley resigned. She was elected to her own term as governor in 2018 and is seeking a second term. Ivey, Democratic nominee Yolanda Flowers, and Libertarian Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake will be on the November 8 general election ballot.
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