• Center for Business and Economic Services

    The Center for Business and Economic Services (CBES) was endowed in late 2010 by a major gift to The University of West Alabama by the Alabama Power Foundation. Located in the heart of Alabama’s Black Belt, one of the nation’s poorest regions, the center’s mission is twofold: to provide training and other direct services to support the business and industry community and to provide economic development services.

    The center provides hands-on business assistance, including marketing plans, to new and existing business and industry, in collaboration with College of Business faculty and students. CBES provides a variety of OSHA-mandated Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard trainings, delivered in the classroom or on-site. The center is currently partnering with the Demopolis Higher Education Center to offer technical training in collaboration with AIDT. CBES has partnered with The Montgomery Institute in Meridian to facilitate a business and industry-led West Alabama/ East Mississippi Council. The center is an active partner with the regional workforce development councils representing the area, and assists these councils with grant application preparation and review.

    The center provides a host of economic development services to the Black Belt Region. CBES develops and prepares economic and community development asset evaluations for communities, as well as numerous other planning tools. The center collaborates with partners to facilitate strategic plans for local and county governments. CBES actively develops grant proposals and applies to state and national funding sources for a variety of important projects, and was recently awarded a major brick and mortar grant from the Delta Regional Authority. The center has also prepared a successful grant application for the repair of a historic community center in rural Pickens County. CBES has a multi-million dollar Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration grant project under development that, if funded, will provide a comprehensive and state-of-the-art technical training program in the Black Belt Region.

    Thank you for your interest in the Center for Business and Economic Services; our mission is to improve the quality of life in West Alabama.


    J. William McFarland, Jr.,
    Director

    Angelia L. Mance
    Associate Director