TUSCALOOSA, Al — The Alabama Business Hall of Fame is set to induct six new members for the Class of 2025. Established in 1973, the Alabama Business Hall of Fame honors individuals who have brought lasting fame to the state of Alabama through their business contributions
The inductees are Mr. Terry C. Anderson of Florence, Ala.; Mr. Fournier J. “Boots” Gale, III of Birmingham, Ala.; Mr. Benny M. LaRussa, Jr. of Birmingham, Ala.; Mr. Tim M. Parker Jr. of Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Mr. William (Bill) J. Stevens of Vestavia, Ala.; and Mrs. Susan N. Story of Gulf Breeze, Fla.
The induction ceremony will be Nov. 13 at Haven in downtown Birmingham.
The Alabama Business Hall of Fame Inductees for 2025
Terry C. Anderson
Terry C. Anderson is the chairman and CEO of American Promotional Events, Inc., better known as TNT Fireworks. TNT was founded in 1920 by his grandfather, Clyde W. Anderson, and has grown under four generations of family leadership. TNT is now the largest and most recognized distributor of consumer fireworks in the world, with importation and distribution in the USA, Asia, Europe, Canada, and Puerto Rico. TNT Fireworks product is sold in 49 states. Annually, TNT serves over 40,000 big box retailers, grocery stores, wholesale clubs, and discount stores, and over 5,000 seasonal stands and tents operated by non-profit groups, individuals, and wholesale customers throughout the USA.
Anderson earned his bachelor’s degree in business marketing from the University of Tennessee, where he was also a proud member of the football team. Continuing the family tradition, he joined the business to help carry forward its legacy of responsible consumer fireworks sales and strong community partnerships. As the third generation of the Anderson family to lead TNT Fireworks, he follows in the footsteps of his father, Charles C. Anderson, who was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 2002.
In addition to his role as chairman and CEO of TNT Fireworks, Anderson also serves as chairman of Anco Far East Importers Ltd. in Hong Kong, which provides sourcing and supply chain solutions to global businesses. He is also a director for Anderson Media Corporation, Books-A-Million, Inc., Mahogany Whataburger, Anderson Growth Partners, B.A.S.S. LLC, and Renew Wellness Brands, LLC. His passion for giving back is evident through his board service with The Salvation Army of the Shoals and the Riverhill School Foundation. In addition to his board involvement, he provides philanthropic support to organizations, including but not limited to the Alabama Kidney Foundation, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, United Way of the Shoals, Healing Place of the Shoals, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Smile-A-Mile, and the National Brain Tumor Society. He is also a strong supporter of higher education and research, with a significant focus on the University of Alabama at Birmingham, The University of Alabama, University of North Alabama, and the University of Tennessee.
Anderson and his wife, Susan, live in Florence, Alabama. They have three children and three grandchildren, with a fourth expected in January.
Fournier J. “Boots” Gale, III
Fournier J. “Boots” Gale, III is Of Counsel at Maynard Nexsen PC, one of Alabama’s leading law firms, and has dedicated his distinguished career to shaping the legal profession, advising businesses, and serving the state of Alabama. Gale was instrumental in founding Maynard Nexsen and served for many years as managing shareholder and chairman. He made a significant impact as general counsel, senior executive vice president, and corporate secretary at Regions Financial Corporation from 2011 to 2020. In addition to his work with Regions, Gale has provided legal guidance and leadership to the wider business community as a long-time board member of the Business Council of Alabama.
Gale graduated first in his class at the University of Alabama School of Law, where he was editor in chief of the Alabama Law Review. His deep ties to the University continue today—he is a former president of the University of Alabama Law School Foundation and currently serves as treasurer for the Law School Board of Governors. His legal career began at a time when Alabama’s legal community was rapidly evolving, and Gale’s leadership has helped shape its reputation for excellence.
He has served as president of both the Alabama State Bar and the Birmingham Bar Association, chaired the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, and served on the Judicial Inquiry Commission. He has contributed to the boards of several private companies and public foundations and was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2013. Gale continues his dedication to the legal profession as a member of The University of Alabama’s President’s Cabinet and as a Fellow with both the American Bar Foundation and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Gale and his wife, Louise, live in Birmingham. They have two daughters, two sons-in-law and four grandchildren.
Benny LaRussa, Jr.
Benny LaRussa, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Sterling Capital Management, a multi-asset holding company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. Sterling Capital owns and operates three primary platform companies: Fenwick Food Group, which invests in and operates consumer-packaged goods businesses; American Pipe and Supply, a regional wholesale distributor of pipe, valves, and fittings; and StoneRiver Company, which specializes in the acquisition, development, and management of multi-family residential properties. Through these businesses, LaRussa has helped grow companies that create jobs, strengthen communities, and contribute to the regional economy.
LaRussa received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Auburn University, then earned his master’s degree in public and private management from Birmingham-Southern College. In 1985, he joined John Oliver, Richard Anthony, and Tom Broughton in the formation of First Commercial Bank, where he gained six years of valuable experience in the financial industry. In 1991, he co-founded Canterbury Trust Company, Inc., a privately owned state-chartered trust company that was sold to Synovus Financial Corporation, a well-known regional banking company based in Columbus, Georgia.
He serves on the board of directors for Security Engineers Inc., Quarterbacking Children’s Health Foundation, Ascension, and the Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation. He is deeply involved with the Joseph S. Bruno Study Abroad Program in Italy and has actively supported organizations such as the Bell Center for Early Intervention, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center, and Children’s Hospital of Alabama.
LaRussa also served on numerous other boards, including St. Vincent’s Health System, Bruno’s, Inc., Jack’s Family Restaurants, Synovus Bank of Birmingham, and as trustee for Birmingham-Southern College. He served on the Auburn University Foundation Board from 2015 to 2020 and chaired the Auburn University Foundation board from 2019 to 2020.
LaRussa and his wife, Lynn, reside in Birmingham. They have two daughters and four grandchildren.
Tim Parker Jr.
Tim Parker Jr. is chairman of Parker Towing Company, a commodities transportation company in Tuscaloosa, which transports supplies throughout the southeast and along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas. The company transports bulk commodities, including steel, aggregates, coal, forest products, grain, cement, asphalt, and petroleum products.
Parker graduated from The University of Alabama in 1966 with a degree in business administration and was a member of the basketball team. He also graduated from the Harvard Business School’s owner/president management program. Parker, who was in the Army ROTC at Alabama, served a tour of duty as an officer stationed in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. He worked at Lykes Brothers Steamship Company for five years before returning to work in the family business at Parker Towing, where he soon took over the company.
In 1990, Parker began a political career and was elected as a Representative in the Alabama Legislature. He served three terms (12 years) before stepping down in 2002. He was past chairman of the United Way of Tuscaloosa and received the United Way of West Alabama Alexis De Tocqueville Society’s Family of the Year honor in 2014.
Parker served as chairman for the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority and the Alabama State Port Authority. He was the Tuscaloosa Civitan Club Citizen of the Year in 2019 and was named The University of Alabama’s Distinguished Alumnus Award winner in 2016. Parker served on the advisory board of directors for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc., was a past member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Inland Waterways Users board, past president for the Alabama chapter of the American Society of Transportation and Logistics, and the Tennessee/Tombigbee Waterway Development Council.
Parker and his wife live in Tuscaloosa and have one son and four grandchildren.
William (Bill) J. Stevens
William (Bill) J. Stevens is the retired CEO of Motion Industries, one of the leading industrial distribution companies in North America, which is based in Birmingham. With Stevens as CEO, Motion Industries’ sales grew from $1.85 billion in 1997 to $4.8 billion in 2014.
A graduate of Samford University with a degree in business administration, Stevens also received a basketball scholarship. He worked for John H. Harland Co. for eight years before embarking on a 37-year career with Motion Industries. He was named Genuine Parts Company Manager of the Year in 1997 and 2006 and received the 2014 Bearing Specialists Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
He began his tenure at Motion Industries in human resources before serving as vice president to the president, and later general manager for the Southwest division in Houston. He served as the company’s executive vice president before being named president and chief operating officer and later president and CEO in 1997. He took over as chairman in 2013.
Stevens, who was the Samford University School of Business Alumnus of the Year in 2010, serves on the Samford Board of Trustees. He served as director of the Boy Scouts of America Greater Alabama Council and was former director of Junior Achievement of Alabama. He also served as chairman of the board for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and was on the executive committee for The Child Caring Foundation and The Caring Foundation. He also served on boards for Children’s Harbor, The Salvation Army, Russell Lands, and the HoneyWord Foundation.
Stevens lives in Vestavia with his wife Kimeran, whom he met at Samford. They have two children and three grandchildren.
Susan Story
Susan Story is the retired president and CEO of American Water Works, Inc., the largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company in the United States and a member of the S&P 500. During her CEO tenure from 2014 until her retirement in 2020, Story led the company through remarkable growth, more than tripling its stock price and market capitalization. At the time, she was one of only 23 women leading an S&P 500 company, serving as a trailblazer for women in corporate leadership and inspiring countless professionals in the utility sector and beyond.
Story graduated with an industrial engineering degree from Auburn University and earned her MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She spent 31 years with Southern Company, where she held numerous leadership roles, including serving as president and CEO of Southern Company Services in Birmingham and Atlanta, and president and CEO of Gulf Power Company from 2003 to 2010.
Story’s professional and community achievements have earned her numerous accolades, including recognition as one of Birmingham Business Journal’s “Top 10 Women in Business,” a UAB Alumna of the Year, an Auburn University Distinguished Engineer, and a member of the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. She was also named Woman of the Year by the Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle and recently received the Auburn University Lifetime Achievement Award.
She currently serves or has served on the corporate boards of Dominion Energy, Inc., Carrier Global, Newmont Corporation, Raymond James Financial and American Water, and lends her expertise to the Moffitt Cancer Center board of advisors in Tampa, the Pensacola Bay Area Impact 100, the Global Council of CEOs, and the Florida Council of 100 CEOs.
Story and her husband, Joe, support charitable initiatives through the Story Family Charitable Fund, endowing scholarships at Snead State Community College and Auburn University for economically disadvantaged and first-generation college students, as well as various educational and health and human services efforts around the U.S. and world.
More Info
Learn more about the Alabama Business Hall of Fame at albusinesshof.com.
Contact Zach Thomas, the Alabama Business Hall of Fame Director of Marketing and Communications, at rzthomas@ua.edu or 513-313-9254.
Media may download headshots of the 2025 ABHOF inductees here: https://alabama.box.com/v/2025-albusinesshof