A new Advanced Manufacturing Center developed on campus by Mobile-based Bishop State Community College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, July 29. State, county and city leaders will be in attendance to recognize the event.
The $21 million facility will reportedly assist Bishop in helping train the surrounding workforce to meet the needs of businesses and industries in the Mobile and Baldwin County communities.
Per a press release, local area companies have contributed to the facilities’ programs that will give students access to state-of-the-art, industry-approved equipment for training classes at the center. The event will take place at 351 N. Broad Street, near the corner of Broad and Congress streets.
“Students, incumbent workers and career-change candidates will be equipped with the knowledge and technical skills needed to become successfully employed in Mobile’s high-wage, high-demand and high-tech economy,” Courtney Steele, Bishop State’s communications coordinator, said in an announcement.
Fairhope-based Peak Alkalinity is holding a grand opening and ribbon cutting this Wednesday at 1 p.m. inside a leased, 800-square-foot space, located at 2729 Old Shell Road, Suite D. It is inside the refurbished, historic Blue Bird Hardware building across the street from UMS-Wright Preparatory School in Midtown Mobile.
This is the locally owned company’s second site to set up shop and their first to establish a beachhead in Mobile County. The business sells alkaline water and water systems, has an in-house oxygen bar and offers other detox services, such as a foot detox.
According to founder and co-owner Missy Guitterrez, PharmD, their 1,200-square-foot Baldwin County space, located at 217 B Fairhope Avenue in Fairhope, was opened three years ago to much success and expectations are to open a third spot in Spanish Fort within 12 to 18 months. The company is also currently hiring, and more information can be found at peakalkalinity.com.
Colby and Tim Herrington with Herrington Realty have completed lease work for NYC-headquartered confectionery shop Insomnia Cookies. With over 100 stores nationwide, and now four in Alabama, the latest site will occupy a little over 1,000 square feet of retail space inside the 8,800-square-foot South Landing shopping center at 5753 Old Shell Road, Suite 102-B, in West Mobile near the USA campus. Hiring plans and opening dates for Insomnia were unknown as of press time.
Kenny Nichols with Vallas Realty Inc. reported the local franchisee for Taco Mama has leased some 2,550 square feet of eatery space inside Daphne Commons, located at 6935 U.S. Highway 90, near U.S. Highway 98 in Daphne. Nichols represented the tenant. Buff Teague and Lisa Fawcett with JLL worked for the landlord. Updates on an opening timeframe will be reported in future issues of Lagniappe.
John Vallas and Robert Cook with Vallas Realty announced that a little over two acres of land, found directly across from Phillips Preparatory Middle School near the intersection of Abrams Street and Old Shell Road in Mobile, was picked up by a nonlocal speculator for $582,500 as development property for leased retail space. Buildout plans at the site were unknown as of press time.
Gavin Bender Jr. with Bender Real Estate recently reported on two completed lease transactions handled by his office.
Veritas Research LLC, headquartered at 117 Mohawk Street, has leased 500 square feet of office space at 600 Bel Air Boulevard in Mobile. Additionally, HomeCare has leased some 800 square feet of office space at 917 Western America Circle inside the Executive Center.
NEW TECH ADVANCES RESEARCH AT USA MITCHELL CANCER INSTITUTE
Breakthrough technology made possible through a grant from the U.S. Army is providing researchers at USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) a more precise understanding of how cancer cells grow.
The instrument, called the Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer, is being used to monitor metabolic changes and mitochondrial functions of cells in patients.
According to Natalie Gassman, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology and cell biology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a researcher at MCI, cancer is a metabolic disease; therefore, tumors often reprogram their consumption of sugars and fats to promote growth.
This process leads to changes in mitochondrial function, which promotes cell growth and alters antioxidant balance in cells. These changes can make tumors more aggressive and resistant to chemotherapy.
Using this tool, researchers are reportedly now able to further explore potential new strategies for cancer treatment.
“It’s exciting to have this instrument, as it allows us to observe the sugar consumption and mitochondrial changes in cancer cells to help us understand how to better care for patients,” Gassman said. “This instrument will give us insight on how to more precisely target metabolic changes with new drugs or supplementation strategies for patients battling cancer.”
Jennifer Scalici, M.D., chief of gynecologic oncology service, and Marie Migaud, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the USA College of Medicine, both researchers at MCI, are the other key investigators whose projects are part of this instrumentation award.
MCI is the region’s only academic cancer treatment center and provides patients with treatment options from basic treatments and clinical trials to multidisciplinary oncology research.
More information about the center can be found at usahealthsystem.com.
WHITE-SPUNNER REALTY’S WOMACK EARNS BALDWIN CERTIFICATION
Tracy Womack with White-Spunner Realty recently earned a new classification as a Certified Baldwin Realtor Specialist for the Eastern Shore, according to a media release.
Selection for the inaugural program was through a competitive application process, which included analyzing customer and broker recommendations, volume of annual real estate sales and number of years in the profession.
To receive the certification, participants took part in three days of training, supplemented by online coursework covering, among other topics, Fairhope’s single tax colony, Baldwin County school districts and ongoing growth of Eastern Shore neighborhoods.
“We are very proud of Tracy’s latest accomplishment,” Matt White, president of White-Spunner Realty, said. “Her new certification involved rigorous training and she continues to display active dedication to her profession.”
A Daphne resident, Womack has been a member of White-Spunner Realty since 2008. She has 16 years of real estate experience and earned a degree in business from the University of Mobile.
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