September 21, 2023

Alabama Productivity Center

2023 Fall Newsletter

In this Issue:


Student Internship Update


Summer 2023 Student Recorded Impacts


Spring 2024 Internships


Bham Now Article APC Feature


Susan Maples & Ben Baxter Introduction


About Us

Student Internship Update

Fall 2023 Internships

The Alabama Productivity Center's (APC) Fall internship program is off to a great start with 24 students placed at 12 different companies. These students come from diverse academic backgrounds, including MIS, Mechanical Engineering, Marketing, and Operations Management, among others. This internship program provides valuable hands-on experience and learning opportunities for the students, allowing them to apply their knowledge and skills in real-world settings, contributing to both their personal and professional growth.

Summer 2023 Student Recorded Impacts

The above numbers represent student-recorded impacts. No impacts from MEP Survey data are listed above. Student Recorded Impact criteria are listed as follows: increased sales, jobs retained and created, avoided fines, time reductions, and investments. All impacts are approved by company mentors.

Spring 2024 Internship Opportunities

Reasons to Hire?
  • Discover new talent
  • Reduce employee workload
  • Increase productivity and retention
  • New perspective on organizational issues
  • Create real cost-saving impacts
  • Support from the APC staff and University resources
Who to Hire?
  • Management Information
  • Operation Management
  • Engineering
  • Marketing
  • Computer Science
  • Finance
  • Accounting




We can pull from any and all disciplines! Listed above are our most popular.

Students can work up to 20 hours a week during the Spring semester. Our staff follows up with the intern on a regular basis to ensure the intern is supported, motivated, learning, and creating impacts for the company. Contact us below to find out more!

Huntsville Area:

(205) 242 - 6057

Birmingham Area:

(205) 222-7111

Tuscaloosa Area:

(251) 767 - 0678

Greater Mobile/Baldwin Areas:

(251) 234 - 1724

Bham Now Article

Bham Now Features APC in Article


Click on the link below to see Callie Puryear's story about the APC and an interview with Alan Hill, Executive Director of the APC.


Full Story Here

Welcome Susan Maples & Ben Baxter

Susan Maples, a Productivity Engineer at the Alabama Productivity Center, holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kentucky. She gained extensive experience at Toyota, specializing in quality systems and cost reduction, and later at Michelin Tire, focusing on continuous improvement. Susan, with Green Belt Certification and membership in engineering societies, joined the Alabama Productivity Center in Summer 2023, bringing her expertise in lean manufacturing.

Ben Baxter, a Productivity Engineer at the Alabama Productivity Center, holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Alabama and an MBA from Troy University. He began his career at Southern Nuclear, focusing on flow-accelerated corrosion in nuclear plant piping systems. Later, he gained over eleven years of experience as a Quality Engineer and Quality Manager for automotive and non-automotive suppliers. Ben joined the APC bringing expertise in quality assurance, continuous improvement, and proactive safety.

Welcome both Susan and Ben to the team below!

Susan Maples

[email protected]

(205) 292 5848


Full Bio Here

Ben Baxter

[email protected]

(205) 348 7957


Full Bio Here


About Us
In an effort to improve economic development in the state of Alabama, the Alabama Productivity Center was established on January 1, 1986, on the University of Alabama campus. The mission of the APC is to focus research and educational resources on the enhancement of productivity and quality within Alabama businesses and the state's industry.

The Alabama Productivity Center, a non-profit organization, is an outgrowth of a 1983 joint venture of the University of Alabama and General Motors to save a Tuscaloosa GM plant from closing. The positive experience utilizing university faculty and students to save Alabama jobs led to the establishment and sponsorship by Alabama Power Company and the University of Alabama.

In 1996, APC became home to Region 3 of the Alabama Technology Network (ATN), the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the state of Alabama. Headquartered in Montgomery, the ATN brings together a set of sixteen regional centers covering the entire state and serving the technical assistance and workforce development needs of small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms.

The APC’s accomplishments, such as recognition by the National Council for Urban Development and the U.S. Economic Development Administration as an “innovative” and “imaginative” program, demonstrate that the APC is a valuable resource for Alabama businesses.

Thank you for your support of the Alabama Productivity Center. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us through our website or social media. 



Alabama Productivity Center Staff

Alabama Productivity Center
2008 12th Street
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
(205) 348-8956
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