Student Housing’s Lux 10 Percent

Real estate investors are plunging into the high tide of college enrollments, and they build luxury for the top 10 percent. Here’s what’s going up in Tuscaloosa and Auburn for the most affluent — or lavishly indebted — scholars.

Text by Wendy Reeves

Good to Know

Six of Alabama’s foremost women attorneys offer key insights from their business practice areas.

Text by Kathy Hagood

Tackling the Beast and Crafting Yachts

A $12,000 loan in 1959 helped a ship fixer stake a big corner of Gulf diesel work. “Wild and wooly” ventures have since yielded one of the largest yacht companies on the Gulf Coast.

text by Ben Raines • photos by Matthew Coughlin

Small Bank Competitiveness Following Financial Reforms

Community banks carry a disproportionate cost of new regulations, while facing slow growth in small business’ appetite for loans. But they’re confident of their competitive edge in customer relations.

text by Charlie Ingram • photos by Art Meripol

Calling Alabama Home

In recent years, Alabama has racked up an impressive roster of companies relocating their headquarters here. There’s a variety of reasons, but common to all are some native advantages.

Text by Jessica Armstrong

Crime Watch Accounting

A Birmingham firm has locked onto the compelling, crime watch side of accounting. Forensic Strategic Solutions sleuths out fraud — detecting deceit in business valuations, fishing hard drives to snag dumped data.

text by Gail Allyn Short • photos by Cary Norton

Born to Build Guitars

Master guitar craftsman Roger Fritz revives a brand, Kay Guitars, and continues his custom work for a lineage of master musicians that has included Roy Buchanan and George Harrison.

Text and Photos by Adrian Hoff

Spotlight on Covington, Butler, Crenshaw & Lowndes Counties

text by Lori Chandler Pruitt

Giant Roars to Full Blast

After hibernating the recession, Alabama’s sleeping giant — a $4 billion industrial recruit trumpeted in 2007 — has slowly roared to life.

interview by Chris McFadyen • photo by Todd Douglas

Flashback: Resort Revenue Nightmare

text by Chris McFadyen