Forty businesses, business people and projects have been selected as finalists for the inaugural Business Alabama awards.
After taking nominations from the public, we chose finalists in seven categories. Five Lifetime Achievement winners will also be announced in January, and winners of the award categories will be named at a ceremony in Birmingham on March 3, 2023.
The finalists for the Business Alabama Awards are:
LARGE COMPANY OF THE YEAR (300 employees or more)
(Given to the top large company in Alabama)
Airbus, Mobile
Austal USA, MobileÂ
Boeing, Huntsville
Mercedes-Benz, Vance
United Launch Alliance, Decatur
SMALL COMPANY OF THE YEAR (299 employees or fewer)
(Given to the top small company in Alabama)
Altaworx, Fairhope
Capstone Building Corp., Birmingham
CommentSold, Huntsville
Douglas Manufacturing, Pell City
Master Boat Builders, Coden
CEO OF THE YEAR
(Given to the top CEO in Alabama)
Stephanie Bryan, Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Atmore
Josh Carpenter, Southern Research, Birmingham
Mark Crosswhite, Alabama Power, Birmingham
Bill Roark, Starfish Holdings, Huntsville
Tim Vines, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Birmingham
ALABAMA EX-PAT OF THE YEAR
(Given to someone raised or educated in Alabama who has succeeded outside the state)
Max Angerholzer, CEO of George & Barbara Bush Foundation, Mobile
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, Robertsdale and Auburn University
Marillyn Hewson, former CEO of Lockheed Martin, University of Alabama
Tom Joyner, retired radio host and founder of Reach Media Inc., Tuskegee and Tuskegee Institute
Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, Huntsville and Auburn University
STARTUP OF THE YEAR
(Given to a company that either started, won a funding competition or participated in an accelerator in 2022)
The Insider: A Collective Eatery, Mobile
Repowr, Birmingham
Shipshape, Mobile
TaxxWiz, Birmingham
Zaden Technologies, Huntsville
PHILANTHROPIC ACTIVITY OF THE YEAR
(Given for a company’s philanthropic project)
Christmas for Kids, Progress Rail, Albertville
Kicks for Kids, Listerhill Credit Union Foundation, Muscle Shoals
Helping Hands, Bank Independent, Sheffield
Hero Foundation, Harbert Management Corporation, Birmingham
Protecting Good, Protective Life, Birmingham
PROJECT OF THE YEAR
(Given to the top overall project in 2022)
AuBix, Auburn
Drax pellet facility, Demopolis
HudsonAlpha greenhouse and educational space, Huntsville
Huntsville Airport approved to land Dream Chaser, Huntsville
Innovate Alabama, Montgomery
Mazda CX-50, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing in Madison
The Orion Amphitheater, Huntsville
Port of Mobile additions, Mobile
Space Launch System, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville
Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, Auburn
