| Birmingham -- Birmingham is big business and small. But whatever the size of the operation, the marketplace is connected by people who have to grapple with numbers and projections and spin. We try and slice through the psychobabble that can be business news with a weekly discussion of who's up and who's down, why the market reacts a certain way or what a business closing or opening means to you.
WBHM's Andrew Yeager speaks with Cindy Crawford, Editor of the Birmingham Business Journal every Monday on Morning Edition as we discuss the big stories of the moment.
| 2013-05-20 -- The last couple of years have been rough for the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover. Vacancies were up. One of the mall’s owners went into bankruptcy. But now officials at Alabama’s largest indoor shopping center say things are looking up. We hear why in today’s Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-05-13 -- As the housing market tries to recover from the recession, one obstacle has been access to credit for first time home buyers. Not surprisingly, lenders are skittish and are denying home purchase applications at a bit higher rate around Birmingham compared to the pre-recession boom. But the denial rate varies widely depending on exactly where you live. We hear more in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-04-15 -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama may be the state's largest private health insurer, but that doesn't mean the company is exempt from financial issues. The insurer's profit dropped by more than half in 2012. We talk about why in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-04-08 -- With college tuition costs rising and stubbornly high unemployment educators and the business community are increasingly looking to technical training in high school. Such career education is designed to give students a leg-up in the job market. It's also supposed help keep them in school. We hear details in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-04-01 -- You might not be aware of it, but there’s been a boardroom battle recently over one of Birmingham’s largest public companies. Walter Energy has been dealing with an upstart investor attempting a board coup. This investor also wants to sell the company. But now Walter Energy is fighting back. We hear about that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-03-18 -- Maybe you're a recent college graduate looking for a job. Or perhaps you were let go. Or just looking for a career reset. In any case it might be helpful to know which sectors are poised for the most job growth. The Birmingham Business Journal crunched the numbers and we have the results in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-03-11 -- It's generally understood that a crash in the housing market help usher in the great recession. But now five years later, home lending around Birmingham still hasn't returned to pre-recession levels. We hear more in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-03-04 -- Alabama is considered one of the least competitive health insurance markets in the country. And while a number of provisions from the Affordable Care Act kick in next year, most observers don’t feel that’ll make much difference. We hear why in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-02-25 -- As Congress and President Obama argue over sequestration, the across the board spending cuts scheduled to kick in March first, many business are concerned about their bottom lines should those cuts happen. One Birmingham area company that would be affected is HealthSouth. We talk more about that in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-02-18 -- One of the keys to turning up the economy is businesses being able to borrow money to grow. Alabama’s largest financial institution is launching a new program targeting companies looking to expand. We have details in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-02-11 -- The new Westin hotel opens this week in downtown Birmingham. It’s the anchor of an entertainment district at the BJCC set to open this fall. And according to one official there, the new venture is reviving talk of that ever elusive domed stadium. We discuss it in this morning’s Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-02-04 -- With the new Birmingham Baron’s baseball stadium going in, many expected this year would bring a boost to Birmingham’s city center. And along with Railroad Park and more people living downtown, real estate investors are biting. We hear about it in this morning’s Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-01-28 -- When a company announces it’s coming to Alabama or a business plans a major expansion, there are often incentives involved. Economic development officials say they’re essential to attract companies to Alabama. But one state lawmaker wants to cap how much is spend on these incentives. We talk about that in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-01-21 -- Birmingham’s 14 public companies saw their stock prices collectively rise only slightly last year. However it seems to be not so much a case of hard times for everybody as much as really hard times for just a few. We have details in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-01-14 -- The new Birmingham Barons' ball park has been expected to spur new development around it. With Regions Field still three months away from opening, the list of planned projects is growing quickly. We hear the latest additions to the list in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2013-01-07 -- The last several years have brought uncertainty and frustration as the economy continues to crawl out of the great recession. So with 2013 now underway, it’s a chance to look ahead at what this year may bring for businesses around Alabama. We have that forecast in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-12-31 -- Regions Bank had a pretty positive 2012, but it seems the Birmingham-based company will spend some of the next year dealing with a federal probe. At issue is an allegation the bank improperly classified bad loans during the financial crisis. We hear details in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-12-24 -- Political leaders in Washington continue the hash through a plan to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, which is a package of tax increases and spending cuts set to take effect at the end of the year. Among those nervously watching the debate are researchers in Birmingham. We talk about why in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-12-17 -- Birmingham's Woodlawn neighborhood has been slowly rebounding in recent years and now a multi-million dollar residential community is planned for the area. If the development is successful, it could help stabilize a once vibrant neighborhood. We have more in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-12-10 -- Trinity Medical Center’s move from Birmingham’s eastside to the U.S. 280 corridor seems more likely after Trinity won a legal victory last month. And if Trinity’s project does go forward much more development is expected than just a hospital. We talk about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-12-03 -- While residents, businesses and lawyers along the Gulf Coast are still working through the legal fallout from the 2010 BP oil spill, many Birmingham businesses could qualify too for settlement dollars. We hear how in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-11-19 -- Birmingham weathered the recession better than many other governments due in part to a decision to double business license fees and increase sales tax one percent. Years later, little of that money has been spent as originally intended. We hear more from the Birmingham Business Journal's Cindy Crawford.
| 2012-11-11 -- As Jefferson County's bankruptcy enters year two, we're beginning to see how customers' sewer rates could change. We have details in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-11-05 -- The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport may have the word "international" in its title, but you can't fly directly oversees from the city. But a $200 million dollar expansion now underway opens the possibility of nonstop direct international flights. Birmingham Business Journal editor Cindy Crawford explains in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-10-29 -- Developers have been eying property around the new Birmingham Baron's baseball park. But some developers say growth there is slow because properties are overpriced. We hear more in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-10-08 -- Governor Robert Bentley made headlines last week when he announced he wouldn't implement part of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. But the governor has actually delayed additional portions of the law. We hear details in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-10-01 -- State regulators have given the go ahead for two Birmingham hospitals to build freestanding emergency rooms. But how the projects will proceed is unclear. That's because plans call for two nearly identical facilities to be built across from each other in Hoover. We have details in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-09-24 -- BBVA Compass is one of the area's largest private employers and a bank which can point to some positive movement through the recession. The company's CEO spoke recently to the Birmingham Business Journal and we hear about that conversation in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-09-17 -- The issue of freestanding emergency rooms in Alabama has been mired in confusion, but a pair of Birmingham area hospitals are forcing the issue before state regulators this week. We find some clarity in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-09-10 -- As construction on the new baseball park moves along in downtown Birmingham, developers are eyeing the area for new projects. We hear what might be on the way in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-09-03 -- Milo's Famous Tea is practically iconic in Birmingham, but the restaurants of the same name are moving to drop the drink from their menus. We have details in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-08-27 -- Many people outside of the healthcare industry probably haven't heard of the certificate of need process. However, the certificate of need board has a powerful hand in what hospitals can and can't do. Some say too much power. We hear more in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-08-13 -- A recent ruling blocking Trinity Medical Center from moving to the U.S 280 corridor could set a bad precedent according to some industry observers. We hear more in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-07-30 -- One of Birmingham's oldest skyscrapers appears on its way to becoming a new downtown hotel. We have details in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-07-23 -- A luxury motorcycle maker is relocating to Birmingham's Lakeview district. We've got details in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-07-16 -- Students have been racking up debt to pay for college, but Alabama public universities are seeing their debts rise as well. We explain why in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-07-02 -- While many businesses have struggled through the recession and recovery. That's not the case for gun retailer. We hear about why in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-06-25 -- A ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on President Obama's healthcare law could come this week. But the country's largest health insurer says it'll keep key provisions of the law regardless of how the court rules. We hear what that may mean for Alabama in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-06-18 -- A recent study suggests Jefferson County pulls in a similar amount of revenue relative to other large Alabama counties -- even without an occupational tax. We have details in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-06-11 -- With the Birmingham News cutting back to publishing three days a week this fall, advertisers are looking for new outlets to reach their audiences. We hear more from the Birmingham Business Journal's Cindy Crawford.
| 2012-06-04 -- Alabama Medicaid rolls could swell if the U.S. Supreme Court does not strike down the federal healthcare law. We hear what that might mean for the state in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-05-21 -- A Montgomery-based frozen roll maker is moving its operation to the Birmingham area. We hear about that in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-05-14 -- A new wave of development is underway in Birmingham's Five Points South neighborhood. We hear about it from the Birmingham Business Journal's Cindy Crawford in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-05-07 -- The foreclosures piling up on banks' balance sheets are putting attention on Alabama's little used right of redemption law. We hear about that in today's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-04-30 -- The business community has been trying to rebuild after last year's killer tornados which ripped through Alabama. The Birmingham Business Journal's Cindy Crawford has a one-year anniversary update in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-04-16 -- After years of waning influence, there's a new wind in Birmingham's banking industry. We hear about that in this week's Magic City Marketplace from the Birmingham Business Journal's Cindy Crawford.
| 2012-04-09 -- A giant of Birmingham business and a new upstart are fighting over a proposed rehabilitation hospital in Shelby County. We hear details from the Birmingham Business Journal's Cindy Crawford in Magic City Marketplace.
| 2012-04-02 -- Developers eye properties around Birmingham's new downtown baseball stadium, two new housing developments are on the way and companies spent less on lobbying last year.
| 2012-03-19 -- New data suggests the hospital industry in bouncing back from the recession in a big way. The nine major hospitals in the Birmingham metro area netted more than $154 million during fiscal year 2010. That’s more than seven times the amount they netted the previous year.
| 2012-03-05 -- A Birmingham construction company jumps into the lucrative health care sector and there may be a lot more graduates to fill Alabama's tech jobs.
| 2012-02-27 -- A new analysis shows that despite banking mergers and acquisitions, Birmingham is still among the top 10 largest banking centers in the country.
| 2012-02-13 -- A high profile music venue changes its name, a downtown office tower is for sale and an update of venture capital investment in Alabama
| 2012-02-06 -- A bill to block non-user sewer fees, more homes bought with cash and a poor yer for Birmingham's publicaly traded companies.
| 2012-01-30 -- The business effects of January's tornado, government and business headaches from Alabama's immigration law and the state's new economic development plan
| 2012-01-23 -- Regions sells its brokerage unit, Sterne Agee gets into banking and a look at county health inspections
| 2012-01-09 -- The Birmingham Business Alliance considers forming a PAC, Regions sells bad loans and a positive jobs survey
| Birmingham -- Birmingham is big business and small. But whatever the size of the operation, the marketplace is connected by people who have to grapple with numbers and projections and spin. We try and slice through the psychobabble that can be business news with a weekly discussion of who's up and who's down, why the market reacts a certain way or what a business closing or opening means to you.