The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a wood, and Tasia Malakasis went the usual, big-bucks route. Then she threw it into reverse—back home to rural Alabama and into her passion for artisan food craft.

By Jessica Armstrong

War Games

From the atomic scale to big picture logistics, Alabama companies are at the forefront of defense-related M&S.

By William H. Stevenson III

How to Build a Global Market — These People Can Tell You

Eight companies that have set the pace in developing export markets around the world—from sewing machines to space age metallurgy. Winners of this year’s Governor’s Trade Award.

By Nancy Mann Jackson

Communication Key to the Supply Chain

Alabama’s automotive industry runs on a just-in-time delivery system. A late part affects the entire state economy.

By Laura Stakelum

World Wide Transformations

How three very different companies used the Internet to transform their businesses.

By Jessica Armstrong

Out of the Ordinary

There’s nothing wrong with Disney World or the beach, but we found some executives around Alabama who are much more adventurous types.

By Michelle Roberts Matthews

Rocket Science and Brain Surgery

Alabama companies are using M&S programs to research rocket re-entry, muster robots on the plant floor and hone skills for brain surgery.

By William H. Stevenson III

Spotlight on Coastal Gateway

By Lori Chandler Pruitt

Taking up Slack in Business Lending

Credit unions have played a significant part in supplying commercial credit during the bank-led financial crisis.

By Mike Kelley

Sparkling Window on a Mysterious Business

The diamond trade is one of the world’s oldest and most mysterious—from the mines of Africa to storefronts in The Summit and Mountain Brook, where the country’s oldest family-run business, Bromberg’s, offers a jeweler’s-eye view of the trade's intricacies.

By Kathy Hagood