Birmingham opts to aid CrossPlex Village
CrossPlex Village, a business area that sprouted around Birmingham’s CrossPlex swimming and track facility, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And Birmingham city officials have set aside $1 million to boost the troubled complex. — AL.comÂ
May-June small business sales tax revenue jumps
While sales tax revenue from small businesses plummeted during the first months of the Covid-19 crisis, numbers have rebounded in May and June for a first half increase of nearly 6 percent over last year. Local retailers who adapted quickly with online and social media sales, probably fared best, said Nancy King Dennis of the Alabama Retail Association. — Alabama Political ReporterÂ
Birmingham software help startup captures $8M in Series A funding
Help Lightning, a Birmingham startup that offers virtual expertise for software across an array of fields, captured $8 million in Series A funding led by Resolve Growth Partners of Baltimore. Usage of the Help Lightning service has increased more than 500 fold during the pandemic months, says CEO Gary York. — Forbes
Mobile joins list of potential sites to dismantle USS Enterprise
The U.S. Navy, looking for the best site to dismantle its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, has added Mobile to the list of potential sites. Price tag for the five-year project, which includes dismantling eight reactor plans, is estimated at more than $1 billion. — WPMI-TVÂ
Pinnacle Renewable Energy notches major growth
Pellet producer Pinnacle Renewable Energy, with a mill in Aliceville and another in Canada, saw a 27 percent increase in revenue in the second quarter. The firm also set a pellet sales record. — Bioenergy NewsÂ
TechMGM hackathon set to start Aug. 17
Building on the city’s strong IT credentials, Montgomery’s TechMGM will again host its annual hackathon, InnovateAFITC, challenging competitors to identify and solve cyber obstacles and threats. A virtual competition this year because of the Covid-19 threat, one of the challenges will be finding IT solutions to common Covid-related problems facing communities and businesses. — TechMGM
Applications open for next Launchpad competition
Alabama Launchpad, a competition that provides seed stage capital to promising startups, has begun accepting applications for its next round of the pitch competition. — Alabama Launchpad
