by C.J. Gustafson
BusinessSchools.com Contributing Writer
October 23, 2004
When land first came up for sale in Alabama in 1817, a group led by General John Scott purchased an area on some bluffs of the Alabama River. They named their settlement Alabama Town. A separate group, led by Andrew Dexter, founded their town of "New Philadelphia" nearby. The two towns argued bitterly over which would be the county seat, but the dispute was finally resolved in late 1819 when they merged and incorporated as Montgomery, in honor of the Revolutionary War hero, Major Richard Montgomery.
This penchant for conflicting groups and competing beliefs continued throughout the city's development. It was home to the first White House of the Confederate States and later to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his efforts to bring equality and civil rights to African Americans.  Today, those different histories have converged to create a city that is historical, yet forward thinking; built on traditional economic industries such as transportation and manufacturing, but developing new business and employment opportunities daily. With a population of 201,568 people living in the city proper and close to 150,000 more in the surrounding suburbs, Montgomery is a large metropolis, but has many of the charms of a smaller town.
State government, a major military installation, regional government, wholesale/retail
trade, and the agriculture industry form what might be called a diversified
economic portfolio for the city. It is home to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base,
which impacts the community in both social and economic areas.
An Important New Business
The city recently received a huge boost to its economic and business base when Hyundai
Motor Company decided to locate its first U.S. plant in Montgomery. The plant is currently in the process of preparing for production and plans to employee 2000 people when fully functioning. As the plant starts up, it is creating a great deal of residual growth in the city and drawing new businesses and suppliers to the community, including industry heavyweight Johnson Controls. The demand for trained employees is expected to surpass the supply, and local economic development groups are already focusing on programs to help fill the needs. Many of these programs include partnerships with local universities and technical colleges.
Speaking about the economic growth that is occurring and expected to continue in the city, Carl Barranco, Chairman of the Board for the Montgomery Chamber said, "This is an ideal time to be living in Montgomery. There truly is growth in every area…"
Existing Business Climate
The top five employment sectors in the city are government (23.3%), trade, transportation, warehousing & utilities (18.8%), education & health services (10.8%), professional & business services (10.6%) and manufacturing (9.6%).
The five largest employers are:
- Rheem Manufacturing Company (producer of water heaters) - 1,150 employees
- Sylvest Farms, Inc. (poultry) - 900 employees
- Winn-Dixie Montgomery, Inc. (grocery distribution) - 750 employees
- U.S. Food Service (restaurant distribution) - 675 employees
- Webster Industries, Inc. (producer of freezer & garbage bags) - 660 employees
A key city in the civil rights movement, Montgomery is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached his message, Rosa Parks stood her ground, and many important marches and protests occurred.  The present-day community has embraced that message of freedom and equality, and Montgomery is known as a city that is welcoming toward African Americans and other minority groups. There is a large and thriving black community in the city, comprising over 1/3 of the population. Minority business owners are numerous and can draw support and resources from a number of programs and initiatives at the state and local levels.
Some groups and organizations created to assist and promote Montgomery businesses, including those owned by minorities, include the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, the Montgomery Small Business Incubator, and the Central Alabama Regional Development Commission.
Educational Opportunities
The Montgomery area is home to numerous colleges and universities. Those that
offer business degrees include South University - Montgomery Campus, Alabama State University College
of Business Administration, Auburn University
- Montgomery School of Business, Huntingdon
College Business Department, and Troy
State University Montgomery Division of Business. These schools offer Accounting
degrees, Marketing and Public Relations degrees, Management degrees and Economics degrees. Students can prepare for e-commerce careers and administrative careers in a variety of fields. Most of these schools also offer MBA degrees.
Trenholm State Technical College
provides certificate, diploma, and two-year degrees in a variety of business
fields. They also are a key partner in the efforts to upgrade the area workforce
in preparation for the Hyundai plant opening.
Montgomery is a southern city with an interesting future ahead as the community works to embrace a large business expansion associated with the Hyundai plant's development. A respectable collection of colleges and universities offer a variety of educational choices and a diverse and expanding business base provides internship and employment opportunities, making it a popular choice for many business students.
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