Alabama Business Hall of Fame set to induct seven new members

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Business Hall of Fame will welcome seven new members for the Class of 2026. The Hall of Fame, established in 1973, honors individuals who have brought lasting fame to the state of Alabama through their business contributions.

The inductees are William P. Ainsworth, Guntersville; J. Frank Barefield Jr., Vestavia Hills; Bobby A. Bradley, Athens; John F. Croyle, Rainbow City; H. Corbin Day, Birmingham; J. Thomas Hill, Birmingham; Scott M. Phelps, Tuscaloosa.

The induction ceremony will take place Thursday, Nov. 12, at Haven in downtown Birmingham.

The Alabama Business Hall of Fame Inductees for 2026

William (Billy) P. Ainsworth

William (Billy) P. Ainsworth

Ainsworth retired as group president of energy and transportation for Caterpillar in 2020 but spent the majority of his career as president and CEO of Steel Processing Services and later Progress Rail Services.

He founded Steel Processing Services in 1983 and expanded as a diversified recycling and railroad services company with operations in nine states. In 1993, Florida Progress, the West Coast Utility in Florida, acquired Steel Processing and two affiliated companies and changed the name to Progress Rail Services, turning the firm into one of North America's largest suppliers of products and services to the railroad industry. Ainsworth was retained as president and CEO of the new firm until its acquisition by Caterpillar in . In 2006, he was named vice president at Caterpillar, over time assuming escalating leadership roles. At the time of his retirement at the end of 2020, he was group president of Caterpillar's Energy & Transportation segment.

Ainsworth, who graduated from Auburn University in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in marketing, was appointed to the Auburn University Board of Trustees by Gov. Kay Ivey and confirmed by the Alabama Senate in 2023 to represent the 5th District. His first term expires on March 21, 2030.

He also served on the Dean's Advisory Board at Auburn's Harbert College of Business and is a member of the McCrary Institute Advisory Board. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors at Trinity Industries as chair of the Human Resources Committee and as a member of the Finance and Risk Committee and Corporate Governance and Directors Nominating Committee.

Ainsworth and his wife, Sharon, live in Guntersville, and have three children and 10 grandchildren. His son is Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth.

J. Frank Barefield Jr.

J. Frank Barefield Jr.

Barefield Jr. is president of Abbey Residential, LLC, which he co-founded in 1984 and now has assets of $2.5 billion. He has developed and manages over 12,000 units of multifamily properties located throughout the South.

His prior experience includes five years as a Certified Public Accountant with an international public accounting firm and eight years in investment banking at two Birmingham banks, where he earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Barefield graduated from The University of Alabama in 1968 with a degree in finance. He is a graduate of the University of South Alabama Banking School. He received his MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1978.

Barefield has invested heavily in college education. The University of Alabama J. Frank Barefield Jr. College of Arts & Sciences was named in recognition of his $35 million gift. He contributed $10 million to UAB and the J. Frank Barefield Jr. Department of Criminal Justice was named in his honor. UAB also named its entrepreneurship program in the Collat School of Business the J. Frank Barefield, Jr. Entrepreneurship Program.

Barefield served as a Captain in the United States Air Force and won numerous Amateur Athletic Union powerlifting awards, including a silver medal in the 1974 World Championships.

For the past 12 years Barefield has been chairman of Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama. Tips provided by Crime Stoppers during his tenure have assisted law enforcement in making over 2,075 felony arrests and clearing over 4,809 felony cases.

Barefield was previously vice president of the National Apartment Association, twice president of the Alabama Apartment Association, and twice president of the Greater Birmingham Apartment Association. He is a past president of the Alabama Investment Property Owners Council. And he is also a past member of the executive committee of the board of directors of the Home Builders Association of Alabama.

Barefield and his wife Barbi live in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.

Bobby A. Bradley

Bobby A. Bradley

Bobby A. Bradley was a founder and leader of Computer Systems Technology (CST), a company she helped launch in 1989, to provide computer, engineering and management services to the United States Department of Defense and NASA. Under her leadership, CST expanded to 33 locations nationwide before its acquisition by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in 2003. Bradley retired from SAIC in 2004.

Bradley, who earned her degree in mathematics and chemistry from Vanderbilt University in 1971, is currently a partner in two LLCs, Lewis Properties and Genesis II. Her earlier career included roles as a mathematician with Northrop Corporation, a computer programmer with Computer Sciences Corporation and an operations research analyst with the U.S. Army Missile Command, where she worked from 1974 to 1989.

Bradley, deeply engaged in civic and professional service, is co-founder of Village of Promise, a nonprofit organization she helped establish in 2011 to combat generational poverty by supporting education-to-career pathways in underserved communities.

She holds leadership and board roles with organizations including the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Starfish Holdings, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Madison County United Way, Federal Reserve Bank of Birmingham Branch, the Huntsville Land Trust, the Huntsville Botanical Garden Foundation, Randolph School and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Foundation.

Her dedication to community outreach and service resulted in numerous honors, including the Outstanding Achievement Award from Girls, Inc., the Leadership Award from the Distinguished Young Men of Huntsville, along with Executive of the Year and Distinguished Service Award from the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

A resident of Athens, Bradley is an active member of First Missionary Baptist Church.

John F. Croyle

John F. Croyle

Croyle founded Big Oak Ranch Inc., a Christian ministry dedicated to providing a safe, loving and stable family environment for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment or difficult circumstances. Since Croyle started Big Oak in 1974, the ministry has served more than 2,000 children. It provides a Christian home where children receive family and experience the love of Jesus Christ. Big Oak Ranch operates debt-free through the generosity of private donors and receives no government funding. Croyle has now retired and transitioned his role of CEO at Big Oak Ranch to his son, Brodie.

Under Croyle's leadership, Big Oak Ranch grew responsibly over time, expanding its ability to serve children while remaining grounded in long-term stewardship. Twenty-five years ago, the ministry's operating budget was $3 million, supporting 16 homes. Today, its annual budget is nearly $18 million, supporting 35 homes across Big Oak Boys' Ranch, Girls' Ranch and Big Oak Ranch Communities; a working cattle ranch that produces 30,000 pounds of red meat annually; and a College and Career transitional living community that can support up to 48 young adults.

Croyle graduated from The University of Alabama, where he was an All-American defensive end for head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Croyle was a member of the Crimson Tide's national championship team in 1973 and three SEC championship teams from 1971 to 1973. He has been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and was the first recipient of the Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award. He also received the Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Americans Award.

Croyle and his wife, Teresa, residents of Rainbow City, have two children and five grandchildren.

H. Corbin Day

H. Corbin Day

The late Day began his career at Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York, where he founded and led the mergers and acquisitions department while making partner in 1971. Day, who passed away in 2021, relocated to London in 1974 to lead the opening of Goldman's London office. There, he served as the first managing director of the office. He was also heavily involved with the mergers and acquisitions team at the New York office until his retirement from the company in 1986.

Corbin relocated to Birmingham in 1987 to begin the transition of leadership at the family business, Jemison Investment Company. He quickly became involved with several local businesses and organizations.

A resident of Birmingham, he served on the boards of directors of Altec Industries, Blount International, Protective Life Corporation and others. He supported numerous arts, cultural and educational organizations in Birmingham, including the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Alys Stephens Center, Birmingham Museum of Art, Hugh Kaul Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Birmingham-Southern College, UAB and Southern Research. Day was posthumously inducted into the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame in 2025.

He is survived by his wife Kim, two children, and seven grandchildren.

J. Thomas Hill

J. Thomas Hill

Hill is executive chairman of the board for Vulcan Materials Company and previously served as chief executive officer from 2014 through 2025. Hill has been with Vulcan for more than 35. During his tenure as CEO, Vulcan expanded as the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates. Enterprise value during Hill's tenure grew from $10 billion to $42.01 billion.

Vulcan, one of two Alabama-based Fortune 500 companies, has 11,000 employees at more than 550 facilities across 23 states and four countries. Vulcan was listed as one of the 'Best Companies to Work For' by U.S. News & World Report, and one of 'America's Most Responsible Companies' by Newsweek.

Hill previously served as senior vice president of Vulcan's South Region and as president of Vulcan's former Florida Rock Division. He worked in sales and operations management at Redlands Stone Products before rejoining Vulcan, where he served as vice president and general manager, and later president, of the Southwest Division.

Hill is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the executive management program at the Wharton School of Business.

He is actively involved in encouraging careers in engineering and business through his recruiting and other involvement with local colleges, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham, The University of Alabama, Auburn University and Alabama A&M. Hill gives generously of his time and resources to Cristo Rey, an organization focusing on the education and careers of young people in underserved communities. He is also heavily involved with United Way of Central Alabama.

Hill and his wife Melanie live in Birmingham, Alabama, and have four children and eight grandchildren.

Scott M. Phelps

Scott M. Phelps

Phelps serves as vice president and secretary of Greene Group Inc., president of Alabama Life Reinsurance Company Inc., vice president and secretary of Alabama Catfish LLC, and secretary of USA Energy LLC.

A longtime business and civic leader in Alabama, Phelps has played key roles in banking, reinsurance, energy and corporate leadership while remaining active in higher education and community service. He also helped organize Bryant Bank in 2005 and has served on the bank's board as secretary for more than a decade.

Phelps began his legal career in 1979 with the Birmingham law firm then known as Bradley Arant Rose & White. He joined as an associate before becoming a partner in 1985. His multi-state legal practice represented a broad range of individuals, businesses and public and private corporations, including several Fortune 500 companies. He was admitted to practice in multiple state and federal courts, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States, where he successfully argued and won a case in 1988 at the age of 33. In 1995, he returned to his hometown of Tuscaloosa to join Greene Group.

Phelps earned his bachelor's degree cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College. He received his Juris Doctor from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1979. He currently serves on The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees and the UAB Health System Board.

Phelps and his wife, Carroll, live in Tuscaloosa and have three children.

More Info

Learn more about the Alabama Business Hall of Fame induction ceremony at albusinesshof.com. Corporate tables may be purchased by contacting Lottie Pearce at [email protected] or (205) 348-2944.