Regions reports earnings of $1.5 billion in 2019
Regions Financial Corp. today reported a net income of $1.5 billion in 2019, the company’s highest full-year pre-tax pre-provision income since 2007. That resulted in earnings per diluted share from continuing operations of $1.50, a 10 percent increase. The Birmingham-based company also reported fourth quarter earnings of $366 million, and earnings per diluted share of $0.38. – AL.com
Alabama beach businesses eligible for fed loans due to closings
Low-interest disaster loans are available for small Alabama businesses hurt by toxic bacteria that closed every mainland beach in the state during the summer. Those in adjacent counties in Mississippi and Louisiana also are eligible. The federal Small Business Administration can make the loans to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses, and private nonprofit organizations, officials said in a news release Friday. – AP
Birmingham startup matches seniors and caregivers
There’s a lot about Birmingham-based startup “Dwell at Home” that’s unconventional. There’s its product – an app that matches people needing caregivers with those willing to fulfill that role. It’s an idea with obvious implications, as the number of Americans aged 65 and older is expected to more than double over the next 40 years, reaching 80 million in 2040. The number of adults ages 85 and older, those most needing help with basic personal care, will nearly quadruple in that time. And there’s the company owners, who don’t fit the traditional mold of millennial tech savvy entrepreneurs. Mike Clark is 58, and Rod Palmer is 59. – AL.com
Milo’s Burger Bus brings it to your neighborhood
Everybody goes to Milo’s – or maybe, Milo’s will come to you. The popular Birmingham-based burger chain has been quietly road testing its “Burger Bus” this month, a full-service food truck with plans to bring its menu to everything from corporate events to parties to possible areas of expansion. The bus is a food truck outfitted to take orders and deliver burgers, fries, chicken tenders and pies, as well as the chain’s famous tea, to hungry customers. – AL.com
Alabama League of Municipalities panel endorses Cochran as next director
The Executive Committee of the Alabama League of Municipalities unanimously endorsed Deputy Director Greg Cochran as ALM’s fifth Executive Director beginning June 2 following the retirement of Ken Smith. Cochran’s appointment will be confirmed by a vote of the organization’s membership at its May convention in Tuscaloosa. – AL Political Reporter
In praise of a Toyota that’s really kind of a Mazda
When you sell 10 million cars a year, it’s hard to have any secrets — at least any secrets lurking in your showroom, that is. And yet, Toyota — the company that delivers gazillions of Corollas globally and a heck of a lot more 4Runners than anyone could possibly have expected — sells a car for those in the know. It’s called the Yaris, and it wasn’t a particularly interesting car until a series of recent events made it worth getting to know. – MarketWatch
Toyota shifts Tacoma pickup production from Texas to Mexico
Toyota Motor will shift all production of the Tacoma midsize pickup from Texas to Mexico as it restructures its North American footprint and invests $13 billion in U.S. manufacturing operations through next year. Toyota says no U.S. jobs will be lost as a result of the change, which also includes bringing the Sequoia SUV to the San Antonio plant by 2022. The Texas plant, which also assembles the Tundra full-size pickup, has produced the Tacoma since 2010. – CNBC
