How closely have you been following Alabama business news, from the deals making headlines right now to the milestones that shaped the state’s economy decades ago? This month’s quiz spans 125 years of Alabama enterprise, touching everything from a family-run sporting goods wholesaler in Luverne to a massive Coast Guard shipbuilding contract in Bayou La Batre. Read each question, take your best guess from the choices provided, then check your answer below. No peeking ahead.
1. August 2026: A 125-Year-Old Family Business in Luverne
One of the key businesses in Luverne has been in the family for 125 years. Hicks Inc. is now led by John Wise, son-in-law to the founding family, and John’s son, John Wise Jr. What is Hicks Inc.’s line of business?
- Peanut butter processing
- Hunting and fishing gear
- Farm supplies
- Sausage making
Answer: Hunting and fishing gear. Hicks Inc. grew out of a general store that evolved into a wholesale fishing tackle business, and John Wise Jr. modernized the operation after joining in 1980. Today the company stocks roughly 20,000 products and is one of only a handful of wholesalers nationwide that handle both hunting and fishing supplies under one roof.
2. July 2026 (One Month Ago): A $1.5 Billion Data Center Expansion
One of America’s biggest companies announced plans to expand its data center in Jackson County to the tune of $1.5 billion. What company?
- Amazon
- DC Blox
- Microsoft
Answer: Google. Google announced the $1.5 billion expansion of its data center campus in Jackson County in June 2026, adding to the tech giant’s growing footprint in north Alabama and pairing the investment with energy and education initiatives for the surrounding community.
3. August 2025 (One Year Ago): A Billion-Dollar Coast Guard Contract
A Bayou La Batre shipbuilding firm won a massive $1.187 billion contract to build Waterway Commerce Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard. What’s the name of the shipbuilder?
- Ingalls
- Austal
- Birdon
- Metal Shark
Answer: Birdon. Birdon America built out shipbuilding operations in Bayou La Batre to fulfill the Waterway Commerce Cutter contract, which covers the construction of a new class of vessels for the Coast Guard, and the company has continued investing in its Alabama shipyard as construction on the cutters has progressed.
4. August 2021 (Five Years Ago): A New Entertainment Venue Breaks Ground
A new entertainment venue broke ground that month in Montgomery, promising water activities, biking, boating, zip lines and more. What is the name?
- Montgomery Whitewater
- OWA at Montgomery
- Riverside Rally
- Capital Casino
Answer: Montgomery Whitewater. The whitewater rafting and outdoor recreation park broke ground in August 2021 and has since become a major draw for the capital city, combining a man-made whitewater course with biking trails, zip lines and other outdoor amenities.
5. August 2016 (10 Years Ago): The Nation’s Largest Manufacturer
A feature that month highlighted Southern Plastics in Eufaula and its leader, Terry Spence. Southern Plastics was selling some 50 million units a year and was the largest manufacturer in the country of its key product. What does Southern Plastics make?
- Automotive dashboards
- Cutlery
- Bike helmets
- Fishing lures
Answer: Fishing lures. Southern Plastics manufactures soft-bait fishing lures and was, at the time, the nation’s largest producer in that category, shipping roughly a million units a week under Spence’s leadership. The Eufaula company was later acquired by Lew’s/Strike King parent Peak Rock Capital and remained in Eufaula.
6. August 2001 (25 Years Ago): Alabama’s Largest Public Company Changes Hands
In a public companies feature that month, Gene Sapp, CEO of Alabama’s largest public company, with $8 billion in annual revenue, was interviewed. That day, after the interview, the company was sold to Sanmina Corp. What company?
- Birmingham Auto Tech
- Alabama Aircraft Components
- SCI Systems
- Space Exploration and Technologies Company
Answer: SCI Systems. SCI Systems, an Alabama-based electronics manufacturing giant, merged with Sanmina Corp in 2001 to form Sanmina-SCI, one of the largest electronics contract manufacturers in the world at the time.
How many did you get right? Whether you’re new to following Alabama’s business scene or you’ve been tracking it for decades, these milestones show just how much the state’s economy has grown and diversified over the past 125 years.