Folks of all ages seem to like our plant tour, but it may be 'cause they get to eat some of our famous ice cream when it's over. Since you can't eat Blue Bell over the Internet, you might want to tour our facility and taste the fruits of our labor for yourself.

If you decide to visit us, here's the scoop. We offer guided plant tours weekdays throughout the year, but we're closed on weekends.

Prior to starting Bud?s Best in 1991, Bud Cason owned and ran Greg?s Cookies in Birmingham. He purchased the business in 1970. Sales were only one million dollars per year. In 1983, he purchased Bishop Baking Company (a snack cake company) in Cleveland TN. He sold the two companies in 1986 when revenues were 23 million. Bud had to sign a 5-year non-compete agreement.

Bud?s Best Cookies began construction of the 89,000 sq. ft. building in 1991. The first cookies were sold in April of 1993. Sales for 1993 were 1.8 million. Bud Cason started a whole new concept (bite size cookies) and very few of his ?old? customers were willing to switch brands. They were still selling the full-size, economy cookies. Bud was now making an upscale, bite size cookie.

Revenues in 1999 grew to over 15 million and revenues for 2002 are projected at $18-19 million. Our company continues to grow despite stiff competition and slotting fees the ?rent? retailers usually demand just to ?allow? you on the shelf.

Since 1995, Bud?s Best has been contract manufacturing for a national baking company and won the ?Co-packer of the Year Award? in 1998 for manufacturing excellence.

We started the third addition to the factory in 2001, and it was completed in 2002. We added an additional 47,000 square feet of warehouse space and extended one of our 80 foot ovens to 160 feet doubling our sandwich cookie production capability from four thousand to eight thousand sandwich cookies per minute! We have two other lines that make wire-cut and rotary cookies, and we can make around 3,500 per minute on each of those lines. The total capacity (output) is over 1 million cookies per hour.

Bud Cason was Small Business Man of the year for Shelby county in 1998. Bud?s Best Cookies was voted by the Birmingham Business Journal as one of the best small businesses in Birmingham for 1998 and 1999. The latest honor was at a special luncheon in may of 2002, when Bud?s Best Cookies was presented Business of the Year Award by the Leadership Alumni Association of Shelby County.

The tour lets you see the cookie-making process as you ride a miniature train through the plant. Free cookie samples are available after tour.

About: Come see how potato chips are made and breathe in the delicious aroma of the famous Utz Potato Chips and Snacks at our over 600,000 square foot facility. We have built a special glass enclosed observation gallery that looks down on our production process from beginning to end. You will be guided step-by-step with the aid of a push-to-talk audio program and closed-circuit TV monitors. A wall display of our history will enhance your understanding of the company and its products.

From start to finish, you’ll be impressed with the care we put into Utz Potato Chips. At Utz, we use the finest ingredients and the most advanced equipment. Our factory is one of the cleanest and most modern snack food operations in America. The Utz Potato Chip Trip is fun for the whole family, a learning experience for young and old, and a snack lover’s delight. Come and enjoy the free tour at your own pace!

On April 2, 2002, Hyundai Motor Company (HMC), Korea's largest automotive manufacturer, announced it would construct a $1 billion automotive assembly and manufacturing plant in Montgomery, Ala. On April 12, 2002, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC (HMMA) was incorporated.

Chung Mong-koo, chairman and chief executive officer of Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, and AlabamaGovernor, Bob Riley, gathered with elected officials on Friday, May 20, 2005 to celebrate the grand opening of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC (HMMA).

The $1.4 billion plant is the company's first U.S. manufacturing facility. The plant employs more than 3,300 team members with high-paying jobs and full benefits. Additionally, more than 72 suppliers have located businesses throughout North America to support Hyundai?s new plant. Altogether, these suppliers are expected to create 5,500 additional jobs with a combined capital investment of $500 million.

?This new manufacturing facility reaffirms Hyundai? commitment toward investing in the U.S. economy, as well as its commitment toward U.S. consumers,? said Chairman Chung. ?American consumers have recognized Hyundai?s quality, and this plant will enable us to better serve them.?

The 2-million square-foot manufacturing plant resides on 1,744 acres of land and includes a stamping facility, paint shop, vehicle assembly shop, a two-mile test track and an engine shop, where the all-new Hyundai 3.3-liter V6 engine is produced. In May 2005, the facility marked the official start of production with its first saleable 2006 Sonata. HMMA will produce 300,000 vehicles per year at full capacity.

This new factory built in 2003 and full of robots is so impressive it was featured on the History Channel's Modern Marvels.

The Mercedes-Benz Visitor Center showcases the history, quality, safety, and innovation of Mercedes-Benz.

Upon reserving a Factory Tour, you will start at the Visitor Center Museum and be welcomed by your guide, who will remain with you throughout your visit. You'll get a chance to see how the M-Class is built, from the first weld to the finishing touches with a guided walking tour of the Factory.

Today Tiffin is re-engineering itself for the twenty-first century. All three children have taken leadership roles in the company. From the first Allegro to the new Zephyr, and Phaeton models, Tiffin Motorhomes stays close to its customer to insure satisfaction.

Companies that think in the future will prosper in the future. Over 42,000 customers have made the last century a stable foundation. Our family will be building the Tiffin Motorhomes of the 21st Century with every new customer who learns that they can trust and rely on us. We build good motorhomes. Just ask someone who owns one.