BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Iowa-based auto supplier Engineered Plastic Components Inc. will open a new manufacturing facility in the Birmingham region, investing $7.3 million and creating 110 jobs by the end of its third year of operations. The company has purchased a 75,144-square-foot office/warehouse facility in Leeds for its first Alabama location and the hub of its southeastern operations, which will primarily serve the nearby automotive industry. Production is expected to begin in July 2014.
“With our experience and expertise with our appliance, heavy truck and automotive customer partners, Engineered Plastic Components has built our reputation as a world-class, high-quality, low-cost leader for American based injection and blow molding,” said Reza Kargarzadeh, president and CEO of Engineered Plastic Components. “We expect to continue this tradition in Alabama as a responsible social and industrial leader in the Leeds community with a staff that will exceed 100 employees at full production.”
The Leeds facility will be dedicated to injection molding interior automotive components and assemblies. The company also plans to provide complex assemblies, full quality inspection capability, and on site project engineering. In addition to management and administrative positions, the company will seek engineers, process and maintenance technicians and hourly workers.
“The City of Leeds is delighted Engineered Plastics Components has selected our town for their new facility,” said City of Leeds Mayor David Miller. “This is a company with a long history of providing quality products and good paying jobs and we welcome Engineered Plastic Components to our area. This administration has opened Leeds’ doors to quality business and manufacturing ventures and the location of Engineered Plastics Components here certainly fits our vision for economic growth.”
Engineered Plastic Components is based in Grinnell, Iowa. It operates 14 facilities in nine U.S. states and Mexico. It is a one-stop shop for plastic injection molded products. The company provides world-class quality and manufacturing standards, state-of-the-art equipment and highly experienced engineers. Its project engineers lead clients from design feasibility, CAD design and design optimization for injection molding, MoldFlow analysis, plastic resin, appearance and surface texture, color, prototype, mold design and build to the end product and throughout production.
“The decision by Engineered Plastic Components to open an Alabama facility shows that the state continues to be an attractive destination for growing companies in the automotive industry,” Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield said. “The bottom line is that Alabama offers a skilled workforce, a top-notch job training program in AIDT and a business-friendly environment. The state is also an ideal spot for companies to locate a hub for regional operations as auto industry expansion accelerates in the Southeast.”
Engineered Plastic Components worked closely with the Alabama Department of Commerce, Birmingham Business Alliance, City of Leeds and Alabama Power Co. J. Key Properties represented the seller of the facility in Leeds.
“Engineered Plastic Components needed a location for its new Southeastern operation and found what it needed in Leeds and Jefferson County,” said Jeff Traywick, senior project manager for the Birmingham Business Alliance. “The facility size, with its capacity for future expansions, is perfect. Access to a trained, skilled workforce is a must, and combine that with tremendous support from the local community and it makes it a win-win for both the company and the community.”
The Birmingham Business Alliance is a dynamic advocate, unifying voice and constant catalyst for economic development and business prosperity for the Birmingham region.

Top urgent and primary care provider makes $500 donation to American Red Cross
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  – While Alabama residents are reeling from the recent effects of a severe storm system that impacted the state recently, Birmingham-based American Family Care (AFC), one of the largest and most established operators of urgent care and accessible primary care facilities in the country, is stepping up to offer some heartfelt help in the storms’ aftermath.
 The storms brought heavy rainfall, massive flooding and tornado warnings to parts of the region, leaving many affected by floodwaters, property damage and even deaths. With so many in need after the storms passed through, people turned to the local chapters of the American Red Cross for help.  To help the Red Cross with its work, American Family Care donated $500 for relief for the stricken areas of Alabama.
 AFC’s donation will go to help the Red Cross workers on the ground in Alabama providing shelter, meals and supplies to those impacted by the recent severe weather.
“As members of the Alabama community, we’re shocked by the recent storm damage and destruction across our state. The best way for us to help our community heal is to donate to a respected relief organization, the American Red Cross,” said Dr. Bruce Irwin, founder of American Family Care. “We’re proud to offer support to our local residents and proud to partner with the Red Cross to help people across Alabama.”
AFC’s clinics include 34 care locations across Alabama, including Birmingham, Dothan, Montgomery, Auburn, Mobile, Tuscaloosa and Huntsville.  All clinics are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and no appointments are necessary.

Settlement signed in suit over law that threatened to leave immigrants homeless

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama has agreed to pay $230,000 in legal bills incurred by civil rights groups that sued the state over a provision of its anti-immigrant law that threatened to push people out of their homes.
The agreement means that the state has now agreed to pay $580,000 to cover plaintiffs’ legal fees and costs in two successful challenges to Alabama’s anti-immigrant law known as HB 56.
“This agreement is another reminder of the high cost of Alabama’s anti-immigrant law to taxpayers,” said Samuel Brooke, senior staff attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center. “But this law cost immigrant families much more in terms of the fear and discrimination they endured.”
Alabama agreed last year to pay $350,000 in attorneys’ fees as part of the final settlement of HICA v. Bentley, a separate lawsuit brought by a broader civil rights coalition that permanently blocked many provisions of HB 56. The agreement in Central Alabama Fair Housing Center v. Magee brings to $580,000 the total amount Alabama will pay in legal fees to civil rights groups it fought in court. This figure does not include the salaries and expenses Alabama paid for its own defense of the discriminatory and unconstitutional law.
“Today’s settlement closes another ugly chapter in Alabama’s legal history,” said Alvaro Huerta, National Immigration Law Center staff attorney. “This settlement, along with last year’s settlement, shows that the state is beginning to recognize that anti-immigrant laws like HB 56 are just too costly, both fiscally and morally. We hope their elected officials in Washington take note and abandon efforts to revive racist policies like these and instead work toward fixing our broken immigration system.”
This agreement stems from a 2011 lawsuit challenging a provision of HB 56 that barred “business transactions” between the state and anyone who cannot prove their citizenship or lawful status. Before this suit blocked the provision, individuals attempting to renew their mobile home registration tags but unable to prove their status could have been charged with a felony because they would have been considered an undocumented immigrant attempting to engage in a “business transaction” with Alabama.
“This lawsuit put a swift end to a cruel, discriminatory, and unlawful effort to drive immigrant families out of their homes,” said Justin B. Cox, American Civil Liberties Union’s Immigrants’ Rights Project staff attorney. “Today’s news underlines that this fundamentally flawed legislation was not only unconstitutional, but also quite costly.”
This practice threatened immigrant families – regardless of their immigration status – with eviction. Mobile home parks often require homeowners to have a current decal or face eviction from the park. A federal judge temporarily blocked the provision in 2011. The legislature rewrote it in 2012 to not apply to the mobile home tags, essentially resolving the substance of the lawsuit.
“The court recognized that the state of Alabama acted with an intent to discriminate against Hispanics,” said Foster Maer, LatinoJustice PRLDEF senior litigation counsel. “We welcome this settlement as the best means to undo the harms inflicted on Hispanics. We must be vigilant that race does not ever again enter into Alabama’s political decision making.”
The lawsuit over the mobile home tags provision exposed the discriminatory nature of HB 56. When a federal judge issued the temporary injunction against the provision in 2011, his ruling described the legislative debate over HB 56 as “laced with derogatory comments about Hispanics.” U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson’s ruling also said that it’s likely the entire law was “discriminatorily based.” The judge cited examples of lawmakers delving into ethnic stereotypes and using “Hispanic” and “illegal immigrant” interchangeably.
“Judge Thompson’s ruling made clear that defendants cannot cloak unlawful racial or national origin discrimination behind facially neutral conduct that denies or restricts housing opportunities on the basis of immigration status,” said Stephen Dane, an attorney with Relman, Dane & Colfax PLLC
The lawsuit challenging the provision was filed in 2011 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama in Montgomery. It was brought by a coalition that included the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Immigration Law Center, Latino Justice / PRLDEF, ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, and Relman, Dane & Colfax, PLLC. Many of these groups also filed HICA v. Bentley.

Damage and power outages from the devastating tornadoes striking Alabama prompt the Alabama Department of Public Health to remind people about the many hazards that follow natural disasters. Be sure to listen to and follow emergency information provided by local officials.

•     Do not endanger yourself or others. Use caution when entering any structure that has been damaged. The damage could be worse than it appears, and the structure could collapse. Walk carefully around the outside and check for loose power lines and gas leaks. Do not enter if you smell gas, and report any natural gas leaks to the gas company immediately.

•    Dress appropriately. Wear sturdy shoes or boots, long sleeves, gloves and a protective mask when handling or walking on or near debris. Watch for broken glass and hardware, such as exposed nails. Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and clean water when working in debris.

•    Never touch a downed power line, or an object in contact with a downed line. Report any potential electrical hazards to law enforcement authorities and the utility company immediately. If a power line falls on a car, do not get out of the vehicle and warn others not to touch the vehicle or the line.

•    Know the proper safety procedures and operating instructions for any gas-powered or electric saws or tools before using them. Using them without the proper knowledge can be deadly. Beware of injury from the release of bent trees or branches.

•    Never use generators, pressure washers, grills, camp stoves or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, basement, garage or camper – or even outside near an open window, door or vent. These items emit carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if you breathe it in.
Symptoms are dizziness, light-headedness and nausea. Seek medical attention immediately if you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning. Never hook up a generator to wiring installed in a home because this can create back feed in electrical wires which could injure or kill utility workers repairing electrical lines.

•    Clean up spilled medications, flammable liquids and other potentially hazardous materials immediately.

•    As people work long days following the tornadoes, be sure to avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of cool, non-alcoholic fluids each hour. Do not drink any tap water, since water may be contaminated due to damaged water lines and piping. If working outside, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. People unaccustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment should work during the cooler hours of the day when possible.
Elderly people, infants, children and people with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, a previous stroke or obesity are more prone to heat stress. People using medications for high blood pressure, nervousness or depression are also at higher risk.

•    Use battery-powered lanterns or flashlights instead of candles. If you must use a candle, be sure the candle is in a sturdy holder and that it is kept away from curtains, paper, wood or other flammable items. Never leave a lit candle unattended.

•    Be wary of wildlife and other animals. Wild animals have an unpredictable nature, so do not attempt to capture or handle them.

Injury prevention information is available at http://www.adph.org/injuryprevention/

NASHVILLE – Victims of the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding that took place beginning on April 28, 2014 in parts of Alabama may qualify for tax relief from the Internal Revenue Service.
Following recent disaster declarations for individual assistance issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the IRS has announced that affected taxpayers in Alabama will receive tax relief, and other locations may be added in coming days based on additional damage assessments by FEMA.
The President has declared Baldwin, Jefferson, Lee, and Limestone counties a federal disaster area. Individuals who reside or have a business in these counties may qualify for tax relief.
The declaration permits the IRS to postpone certain deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area. For instance, certain deadlines falling on or after April 28, and on or before Oct. 15, have been postponed to Oct. 15, 2014. This includes the May 15 deadline for many tax-exempt organizations to file their annual Form 990. It also includes the June 16 and Sept. 15 deadlines for making quarterly estimated tax payments. A variety of business tax deadlines are also affected including the April 30 and July 31 deadlines for quarterly payroll and excise tax returns.
In addition, the IRS is waiving the failure-to-deposit penalties for employment and excise tax deposits due on or after April 28, and on or before May 13, as long as the deposits are made by May 13, 2014.
If an affected taxpayer receives a penalty notice from the IRS, the taxpayer should call the telephone number on the notice to have the IRS abate any interest and any late filing or late payment penalties that would otherwise apply. Penalties or interest will be abated only for taxpayers who have an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date, including an extended filing or payment due date, that falls within the postponement period.
The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies automatic filing and payment relief. But affected taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area must call the IRS disaster hotline at 866-562-5227 to request this tax relief.

Covered Disaster Area
The counties listed above constitute a covered disaster area for purposes of Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(d)(2) and are entitled to the relief detailed below.

Affected Taxpayers
Taxpayers considered to be affected taxpayers eligible for the postponement of time to file returns, pay taxes and perform other time-sensitive acts are those taxpayers listed in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(d)(1), and include individuals who live, and businesses whose principal place of business is located, in the covered disaster area. Taxpayers not in the covered disaster area, but whose records necessary to meet a deadline listed in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(c) are in the covered disaster area, are also entitled to relief. In addition, all relief workers affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization assisting in the relief activities in the covered disaster area and any individual visiting the covered disaster area who was killed or injured as a result of the disaster are entitled to relief.

Grant of Relief
Under section 7508A, the IRS gives affected taxpayers until Oct. 15 to file most tax returns (including individual, corporate, and estate and trust income tax returns; partnership returns, S corporation returns, and trust returns; estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax returns; and employment and certain excise tax returns), or to make tax payments, including estimated tax payments, that have either an original or extended due date occurring on or after April 28 and on or before Oct. 15.
The IRS also gives affected taxpayers until Oct. 15 to perform other time-sensitive actions described in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(c)(1) and Rev. Proc. 2007-56, 2007-34 I.R.B. 388 (Aug. 20, 2007), that are due to be performed on or after April 28 and on or before Oct. 15.
This relief also includes the filing of Form 5500 series returns, in the manner described in section 8 of Rev. Proc. 2007-56. The relief described in section 17 of Rev. Proc. 2007-56, pertaining to like-kind exchanges of property, also applies to certain taxpayers who are not otherwise affected taxpayers and may include acts required to be performed before or after the period above.
The postponement of time to file and pay does not apply to information returns in the W-2, 1098, 1099 series, or to Forms 1042-S or 8027. Penalties for failure to timely file information returns can be waived under existing procedures for reasonable cause. Likewise, the postponement does not apply to employment and excise tax deposits. The IRS, however, will abate penalties for failure to make timely employment and excise tax deposits due on or after April 28 and on or before May 13 provided the taxpayer makes these deposits by May 13, 2014.

Casualty Losses
Affected taxpayers in a federally declared disaster area have the option of claiming disaster-related casualty losses on their federal income tax return for either this year or last year. Claiming the loss on an original or amended return for last year will get the taxpayer an earlier refund, but waiting to claim the loss on this year’s return could result in a greater tax saving, depending on other income factors.

Individuals may deduct personal property losses that are not covered by insurance or other reimbursements. For details, see Form 4684 <http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4684.pdf>  and its instructions <http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i4684.pdf> .
Affected taxpayers claiming the disaster loss on last year’s return should put the Disaster Designation “Alabama/Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds and Flooding” at the top of the form so that the IRS can expedite the processing of the refund.

Other Relief
The IRS will waive the usual fees and expedite requests for copies of previously filed tax returns for affected taxpayers. Taxpayers should put the assigned Disaster Designation in red ink at the top of Form 4506 <http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf> , Request for Copy of Tax Return, or Form 4506-T <http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf> , Request for Transcript of Tax Return, as appropriate, and submit it to the IRS.
Affected taxpayers who are contacted by the IRS on a collection or examination matter should explain how the disaster impacts them so that the IRS can provide appropriate consideration to their case.
Taxpayers may download forms and publications from the official IRS website, irs.gov, or order them by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). The IRS toll-free number for general tax questions is 800-829-1040.

Related Information
*    Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief for Individuals and Businesses <http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Disaster-Assistance-and-Emergency-Relief-for-Individuals-and-Businesses-1>
*    Recent IRS Disaster Relief Announcements <http://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Relief-in-Disaster-Situations>

New insurance bill that will rebuild schools damaged by tornadoes at much lower cost, potentially saving state millions of dollars
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Last week as Alabamians reflected on the third anniversary of the victims of the deadly April 27, 2011 tornadoes that killed hundreds of people and caused billions of dollars of damage across the Southeast, the state got a poignant reminder that you cannot predict Mother Nature.
A series of deadly storms hit Alabama again April 28, twisters again claimed lives and destroyed buildings. Thanks to State Rep. Rod Scott, Alabama has a protective layer in place to replace some of our most sacred school buildings – and save taxpayers millions of dollars at the same time.
During the recently completed legislative session, Scott sponsored a bill called House Act No. 2014-261 that was passed by both the House and Senate and signed into law by Gov. Robert Bentley. The act rebuilds schools after a natural disaster through extra insurance coverage, allowing the state to avoid having to get deeper in debt through issuance of bonds.
Due to storm damage, Alabama spent $99 million rebuilding schools across the state in excess of insurance coverage between 1998 and 2013, with much of that coming from the devastating April 2011 tornadoes. If Alabama had Scott’s insurance bill in place during that period, it would have led to a savings in education costs to the state of $85 million.
“This insurance coverage bill is the gift that keeps on giving,” Scott said. “It will save future generations in Alabama for years to come, allowing those savings in the education budget to go towards educating our most precious resources, our children.”
Scott, D-Fairfield, has represented House District 55 since 2006, and is seeking a third term. The insurance coverage bill was one of four Scott had passed this year. The Alabama Democratic Caucus Scott is an economics professor at Miles College, and has three children. He received a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University and an MBA from Dartmouth College.