Business roundup

NaphCare wins $36 million contract:

Birmingham's NaphCare, which provides health care services to jail inmates, won a $36 million contract to serve the Essex County correctional facilities in Middleton, Mass.

NaphCare will provide medical, dental and mental health services to 1,550 inmates in Essex County. The contract is valued at $36 million over a six-year period. There are four one-year renewal options in the deal.

NaphCare CEO James McLane said the company will work to "provide the most progressive health care program for the county." NaphCare has more than 40 clients in 19 states and employs 700 health care professionals.

BE&K, Aker team up on Dupont project:

Birmingham's BE&K said it is teaming with Aker Solutions to engineer and build a Kevlar fiber plant near Charleston, S.C., for Dupont.

Engineering and early construction activities are already under way, and the plant is scheduled to start operation in 2010.

Aker Solutions is based in Norway.

Kevlar is an especially tough fiber used in body armor and for various industrial purposes. Dupont has estimated the cost of the plant at $500 million.

Steelworkers seal paper mill pact:

Members of United Steelworkers locals 888 and 941 ratified a four-year labor agreement at an Alabama paper mill last week.

The union said its members overwhelmingly approved an agreement at the Georgia-Pacific mill in Brewton that provides pay and benefit increases, improves retiree health care and pensions, and restores seniority rights that existed on Sept. 27, 2007, under the plant's previous owner.

It was a victory for workers who all had to reapply for their jobs when Smurfit Stone sold the mill to Georgia-Pacific, said Local 888 President Dennis Shipp.

Workers will receive wage increases of 2 percent the first year, a $1,000 lump sum in the second, 2 percent the third year and a $1,000 lump sum in the fourth year, the union said.

Avocent names Grimes tech officer:

Huntsville-based Avocent Corp. said Tuesday it has named Ben Grimes as chief technical officer and assigned certain marketing functions to Kay E. Kienast, chief marketing officer. It also reported three executives are leaving.

Grimes, who joined Avocent last year, has gained responsibility for corporate strategy and coordinating research and development programs. He worked 17 years with IBM where he was awarded nine patents....