Top Headlines: Raytheon wins big military contract, Homewood firm gets international accreditation

Alabama companies help Raytheon win military contract potentially worth $5B
Four Alabama technology companies, including two led by women, have helped Raytheon win one of the biggest defense contract competitions this year that could be worth $5 billion. The Pentagon awarded Raytheon a contract initially valued at $384 million to produce six production test units new radar which can see incoming threats across a full 360 degrees, designed to protect the Patriot missile batteries that are key American battlefield defense assets. Raytheon cited four Huntsville companies – Cummings Aerospace, IERUS Technologies, Kord Technologies and nLogic – as members of its team. – AL.com

UAW strike at General Motors hurting Faurecia
French car parts group Faurecia said on Thursday a hit to sales from a month-long U.S. strike at General Motors Co. had ratcheted up in October, following a third quarter in which revenues missed forecasts. Shares in the auto sector supplier, 46% owned by Peugeot maker PSA (PEUP.PA), were down 6.5%, leading losses on France’s SBF120 SBF120 index of the most actively traded stocks. Faurecia has Alabama facilities in Tuscaloosa and Cottondale. – Reuters

Bellhops co-founder stepping down as president of successful startup
Cameron Doody, who built the moving company Bellhops into one of Chattanooga’s most successful startup businesses over the past nine years, told employees Thursday he is stepping down as company president next week “to focus on family and friends and to devote a bit more energy to giving back to Chattanooga.” Doody, the 33-year co-founder of Bellhops, will remain the company’s largest shareholder and a member of the board. The company has raised more than $56 million in equity capital, making Bellhops into a 240-employee company with a platform of more than 3,000 Bellhops in 27 states. Bellhops was founded in the summer of 2011 at Auburn University – TimesFreePress

Homewood firm gets international accreditation
A laboratory and engineering firm that “graduated” from Birmingham’s Innovation Depot has now received international accreditation. Vista Engineering & Consulting, now located in Homewood, has achieved ISO 17025:2017 accreditation for mechanical testing of metals. The quality standards were verified by A2LA, a Maryland-based accreditation body. The accreditation means that the metallurgical lab’s test results have been assured for quality and accuracy. – AL.com

Vulcan Materials names Franklin as new general counsel
Vulcan Materials Company, the nation’s largest producer of construction aggregates, named Denson (D.) Franklin III as Senior Vice President and General Counsel effective December 2. Franklin is joining Vulcan from the Corporate and Securities Practice Group at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. He graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School and Birmingham-Southern College. He steps into the General Counsel role following the retirement of Michael R. Mills. – News release

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Ex-Sheriff Gets Probation in Tax Case
A former Alabama sheriff will avoid going to prison after pleading guilty to failing to file tax returns. News outlets report a federal magistrate sentenced former Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin to two years on probation during a hearing in Huntsville on Thursday. The 55-year-old Franklin also must perform 300 hours of community service. Franklin faced a maximum sentence of six months in prison for failing to file tax returns for 2015. That same year she had taken $160,000 from a jail food account and provided it to a car lot. – AP

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