History

The 125 year old Birmingham is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. 
"Birmingham The Magic City" was a name given to the city over 100 years ago because people
said it grew like magic...from small farms and villages in one decade, to a city on the move, and
making huge sums of money in the next.  It is often said that Birmingham grew from the ground
up, literally.  Minerals that lay in the rocks and soil were the beginnings of the Magic City.

The manufacturing of steel was responsible for the city's growth and survival.  During the early
times, a popular old saying clearly indicated Birmingham's reliance on steel: "When the steel
industry coughed, Birmingham caught pneumonia."  Steel continued to be the driving force for
Birmingham's economy until the 1950's, at which time the city's economy began to diversify into
other areas.

Economy

Progressive is the only way to describe Birmingham's economy.  From its' humble beginnings, the
city has a phenomenal in building a strong and diverse economy.  The manufacturing of steel was
the primary driving force for the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Today, 14 percent
of the work force are in some sort of manufacturing arena.  86 percent are in a variety of non-
manufacturing jobs.