By Nathan Howell / Staff Writer

Birmingham — The Shelby County Chamber and 58 Inc. hosted the seventh annual “Industry Appreciation Reception” Feb. 26 at the Inverness Country Club.

The event highlighted local business owners and representatives for their work in encouraging economic development and providing job opportunities in the Shelby County area. The night also served as an opportunity for local organizations to network with businesses to expand the local economy.

58 Inc. is an economic development organization that hosted the event to work with local businesses and governments to “expand economic development activity in the county” according to their representative Paul Rodgers.

“We want to expand current businesses by helping them grow and thrive as much as possible and recruit new ones in the county in a very strategic way to help build the economy here,” said Rodgers.

State and local government officials attended the event to network and extend their appreciation to local businesses, including State Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Birmingham, Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, Vincent City Council member Bridgette Jordan Smith and Thomas Tyson, a representative from the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“Economic development is certainly a process,” said Tyson. “The backbone to each community is the existing businesses and folks like yourselves in the room. The more success the local industry has, the better for the economy, local and statewide.”

Jackson Pruett, Shelby County Chamber business development and support director, gave out certificates of recognition to local businesses who hosted industry and education tours to develop economic opportunity and to those that created internships for machinists in the area.

The event was sponsored by Bama Bud of Shelby County and Spire.