News
Find all our Ozark-Dale County news posts below. Stories are listed with most recent posts first.
News Articles

Last month, the Ozark-Dale County Economic Development Corporation (ODEDC) asked residents to share their favorite small businesses in the region. We wanted to see what companies, service providers, and cooks made you proud to live in Dale County. The results are in, and residents have nominated three small businesses for...

Ozark-Dale County is Growing Because of Its Small Businesses – Tell Us Which Ones You Love!
Apr 3 2025Small businesses (organizations with fewer than 500 employees) account for 99.9% of companies in the United States. There are 33 million companies that count as small businesses in the country, of which six million have more than one employee. “Dale County is stronger because of its small businesses,” says Holle...

Top Metro and Micropolitan Areas for Corporate Facility Investment, Top Mississippi River Regions Also NamedAtlanta, March 1, 2024: Texas and South Dakota have won the 2023 Site Selection Governor’s Cups. This is the 10th year Site Selection recognizes the state with the most qualifying new and expanded facilities per capita,...

A company with a healthy culture will attract and retain good employees, but a company with an exceptional culture will retain multiple generations of talent. The Ozark Striping employee roster is filled with parents, grandparents, adult children, cousins, nephews, and various other family members who all work together.“We’re just like...
The City of Ozark has been recognized as a 2024 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its dedication to planting, growing, and maintaining trees for the benefit of the community, marking another year of dedication to preserving and enhancing its green spaces. This honor highlights...

Understanding your customers' needs, frustrations and praise for your brand is a critical element for entrepreneurs who want to improve their products and generate more revenue. What used to be a simple task through customer conversations and basic surveys is now more complex than ever. Today, audiences with rapidly changing...

Here, I am looking at innovation through the lens of process improvement. The value of most organizations is defined by their intellectual capital rather than their physical assets. The intellectual capital of your organization can be traced through the process maps that enable your business operations.Process innovation is not achievable...
Ozark Parks and Recreation earns top state honor
Feb 13 2025The Ozark Parks and Recreation Department has been named the 2024 Alabama Parks and Recreation Agency of the Year for communities with a population of 15,000 and greater, an honor presented by the Alabama Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA).Ozark Parks and Recreation Director Ozzie Maianeto said the recognition speaks to...
Workers who move to Alabama could receive up to $30,000 in tax credit under proposed law: How it works
Feb 12 2025State Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, has filed a bill that would establish a state income tax credit for recruited workers and remote workers that move to certain counties in Alabama.Under HB259, remote workers and teachers, nurses, or law enforcement officers who have lived in a county with a population of...
Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair today announced that the Alabama Growth Alliance, a public-private partnership dedicated to advancing the state’s economic priorities, has endorsed the creation of the Alabama Development Fund to provide a source of sustainable funding for economic development without increasing taxes or cutting existing programs.Secretary McNair said the...

Arichem Forms Partnership With SetaTech to Develop Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Common Chemicals
Jan 15 2025Dale County has turned into a hub for sustainable chemical production as two local companies – Arichem and SetaTech become partners. Arichem has been a staple of Dale County for decades, even when it was still owned by Sloss Industries. SetaTech is a much newer company that was supported by...

Ozark is proud to be recognized as an Alabama Community of Excellence (ACE), which is part of a program coordinated by the Alabama League of Municipalities. Completing the ACE designation is a multi-year process that involves countless community members, business leaders, and Ozark residents.The ACE recognition is focused on communities...
Alabama is one of several southern states seeing more people moving in, according to transportation company U-Haul.The company’s annual Growth Index is out, and Alabama placed 16th among the states, rising six spots from its 2023 ranking. The Yellowhammer State place behind Georgia and just ahead of Virginia.U-Haul uses its...
The Alabama State Department of Education has released its annual report card data, assigning letter grades to schools and districts across the state. Dale County Schools earned an impressive "A" for the 2023–2024 school year, reaffirming its position as one of Alabama’s top-performing county school systems.Over the past eight years,...
A critical spending bill aimed at providing economic relief to struggling farmers was recently signed into law, offering a much-needed lifeline to the agricultural community. The legislation, driven by bipartisan support and intense advocacy, allocates $10 billion in direct aid to farmers grappling with financial challenges stemming from soaring input...
A dream turned into reality for Jessica Moore, Executive Director of the Ozark Boys & Girls Club (BGC), as the club officially cut the ribbon on its highly anticipated Teen Center on December 17. Located on Andrews Avenue in the building that once housed the Ozark Board of Education offices,...
Looking Ahead: Predictions for 2025
Dec 19 2024Disruptive factors continue to push companies to mitigate risk in location decisions and build more resilient operating models. Read on for a preview of what Guild members predict for site selection projects in the year ahead.A Slowdown in MegaprojectsGuild members predict that the number of megaprojects will slow in 2025...
Farm-City Committee Celebrates Award Winners
Dec 12 2024As we wrap up our announcements of winners at the Farm-City Banquet 2024, we want to thank our community partners who helped make all of this wonderful recognition happen. We are lucky to have you all here to support the partnership between agriculture and business here in Dale County.County Awards...
Ozark Boys and Girls Club (OBGC) Director Jessica Moore was the featured speaker at the December 3 meeting of the Ozark Kiwanis Club, where she highlighted the advantages of the new teen center that the OBGC will be opening soon.Read the full article here.
You already know that all kinds of great products are made in workshops, factories, studios and kitchens across Alabama. Even better, many of them make perfect gifts for the special ones on your holiday shopping list.Our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide highlights the creativity of Alabama companies, artisans, entrepreneurs and others...

When Archer Review CEO Dr. Karthik Koduru moved his small but growing company from Illinois to Texas a few years ago, he had the same things on his mind as the CEO of any giant multinational.“I wanted to move to Texas for the business-friendly reasons,” he told me on a...