http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/breaking_news.html?ana=from_rss Birmingham Business Journal : breaking news from Birmingham http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily51.html?ana=from_rss Monthly production for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama’s Montgomery plant continued to decline for the month of December. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:14:32 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily50.html?ana=from_rss Burr & Forman LLP has expanded its practice by acquiring the Florida-based firm Graham Builder Jones Pratt & Marks LLP. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:43:54 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily49.html?ana=from_rss Regions Financial Corp.’s stock dropped nearly 8 percent at the close of trading Friday, a day after the Birmingham banking giant shuffled its senior leadership. (RF) Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:53:56 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily48.html?ana=from_rss Circuit City Stores Inc. is talking with two parties about possibly acquiring the consumer electronics chain, which filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan last year. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:32:14 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily47.html?ana=from_rss Wireless phone service providers Verizon Wireless Inc. has completed its acquisition of Alltel Corp. (VZ) (VOD) Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:24:37 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily46.html?ana=from_rss About two-thirds of U.S. non-residential construction companies plan to lay off workers in 2009 in response to the slumping economy and a slowdown in the number of active projects, according to a survey released Thursday by the Associated General Contractors of America. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:18:21 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily45.html?ana=from_rss The nation lost more than half a million jobs last month, while the unemployment rate soared to 7.2 percent, it was announced Friday morning. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:45:31 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily43.html?ana=from_rss Bankers believe the current financial crisis was caused by relaxed underwriting standards over the years, political influences to increase home ownership and lack of oversight of the mortgage industry, according to the latest Bank Executive Survey. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:39:11 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily41.html?ana=from_rss The U.S. Small Business Administration said it hopes to help small businesses across the country power through the rough economic downturn with topical Web chats. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:52:32 GMT http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/rc/30414/www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/01/05/daily40.html?ana=from_rss Medical Properties Trust Inc. said it expects to see a gain of $60 million to $69 million from a recent public offering of 12 million shares of its common stock. (MPW) Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:36:39 GMT