Provalus, a technology company that promises technology, business and support jobs in rural areas, has begun construction on a 50,000-square-foot facility in Brewton.
The firm opened in the 5,400-resident town of Brewton in 2017, part of its strategy of “onshoring” — offering services in the U.S. that are frequently sent off shore. A division of Atlanta-based Optimi, Provalus comes from “Providing Value from the U.S.”
Provalus describes the Brewton facility as its “flagship location with secure rooms, key card access, conversation spaces, inviting break areas and an outdoor courtyard in addition to the modern individual workspaces.” The building should be done next year.
Brewton Mayor Yank Lovelace commented, “There is no way to overstate our excitement at the start of the construction phase of this project. From our successful economic development strategy to forging a lasting partnership with the leadership at Provalus, this company’s success is key to our downtown revival. None of it could have happened without dedicated support from Gov. Kay Ivey, ADECA, DRA, local financial institutions and many other state agencies that helped fund this endeavor.
“Watching the headquarters take shape is the payoff for the hard work that many, many people put in to make this happen,” Lovelace added.
“Our main mission is to provide value to the U.S. by bringing jobs back… especially to rural areas,” said Chuck Ruggiero, president of Provalus. “The IT solutions needs that have been traditionally outsourced overseas can now be serviced here in the U.S. through Provalus.”
Construction Manager Merrill Stewart, of Birmingham-based Stewart/Perry Company Inc., commented, “I am excited anytime we start construction on a public/private project, particularly one with the potential to spur downtown growth like this one. When there is adaptive re-use as we have in this case, there are always unknowns to be discovered, but the end result is redevelopment of the city center and a ‘catalyst for future growth,’” Stewart said. “All that growth generates tax revenue for the city. We are also seeing movement nationally from urban areas to smaller cities for several reasons, including safety, quality of life and cost of living. Companies are moving as well for the lower costs to produce and hire.”
