New HudsonAlpha CFO, workforce development + more North Alabama business news

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This past month in North Alabama, we saw a big announcement come from one of the business community’s major organizations, as HudsonAlpha named a new CFO.

Also trending in local business news, the housing market saw a slight downturn and unemployment remained relatively the same.

This month’s North Alabama business roundup also includes insights on workforce development from industry experts, thanks to our friends at the University of North Alabama’s Sanders College of Business & Technology.

The importance of workforce development in today’s business climate

The importance of workforce development at multiple levels cannot be understated here in Alabama.

Collaboration between industry and universities has identified the need for more STEM-related jobs, specifically in computer science, information technology, engineering technology and data analytics.

According to University of North Alabama professor Dr. Steven Puckett from the Sanders College of Business & Technology, workforce development isn’t just about training for manufacturing jobs. It’s also about the community as a whole.

“Manufacturing jobs in Alabama have gone through a significant shift in recent years. The large increase in automation within manufacturing has moved many jobs away from manual labor and ‘line’ jobs to ‘machine operators,’ which can be considered a good thing.

However, it also reduced the required head count for a facility since a single-machine operator replaced many human ‘line’ jobs.”

Dr. Steven Puckett, UNA Sanders College of Business & Technology

This requires new training and a higher level of knowledge to be able to work on these systems, Puckett added.

“A few 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities have created associate degrees and post-high school certificates to train students to operate and repair these new automation systems. One example is the new Associate’s Degree in Mechatronics at the University of North Alabama.

This specialized program was developed in partnership with local manufacturing companies to identify their workforce needs for today and the future.”

Dr. Steven Puckett, UNA Sanders College of Business & Technology

Puckett also said today’s workforce development has become more of a “partnership between K-12 schools, industries, and colleges/universities” to drive the community as a whole, instead of focusing on one or two specific plants.

This focus provides a mixture of career opportunities locally which helps bring in more diverse business and manufacturing opportunities.

Business news: HudsonAlpha introduces new CFO

The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville recently welcomed Chris Matl as its new Chief Financial Officer. Matl joins HudsonAlpha with more than 30 years of financial experience.

Some info about Matl:

• He spent the last 25 years at Medtronic, with his last nine years there serving as the global medical device company’s CFO initially in their Coronay/Renal Denervation Operating Unit and during the past four years for Aortic Business Unit CFO.
• Matl is a former U.S. Marine with multiple achievements, including the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat “V” for his performance during Operation Desert Storm.
• A native of Fort Worth, Texas, he earned his undergraduate degree from Marquette University and a Master’s in Finance from Southern Methodist University.

Employment + housing market news in North Alabama

Also in business news this month, the unemployment rate in Alabama rose slightly in December compared to October, but remained the same as the state’s rate this time last year, at 2.6 percent.

Unemployment rates in North Alabama metros

Huntsville	Dec. 2023: 2.2%	Nov. 2023: 2.1%	Dec. 2022: 1.7%
Decatur	Dec. 2023: 2.1%	Nov. 2023: 2.0%	Dec. 2022: 1.7%
Florence/Muscle Shoals	Dec. 2023: 2.9%	Nov. 2023: 2.6%	Dec. 2022: 2.4%

In December 2023, home prices in Alabama were up 1.4% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $273,200.

Housing numbers in North Alabama metros

Huntsville	Median home price: $315,000	Median days on the market: 50
Decatur	Median home price: $213,500	Median days on the market: 43
Florence/Muscle Shoals	Median home price: $205,000	Median days on the market: 18

Look for our monthly North Alabama business news roundup this time next month, brought to you by the University of North Alabama Sanders College of Business & Technology.

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