Two Auburn University Harbert College of Business alumni — C. Phillip McWane (’80) and Auburn Trustee Jimmy Rane (’68) – were elected to the Alabama Business Hall of Fame class of 2023.

McWane and Rane are among the six honorees who will be inducted at a ceremony November 9 at Haven in Birmingham. Established in 1973, the Alabama Business Hall of Fame honors individuals who have brought recognition to the state of Alabama through their business contributions.

McWane is chairman of McWane, Inc., which boasts 6,000 employees at 25 manufacturing facilities around the globe. Under his leadership, the Birmingham-based company grew to be a leading manufacturer of ductile iron products used in construction and water infrastructure.

McWane’s generosity is anchored by The McWane Foundation, which gives millions of dollars annually to charitable causes in the Birmingham area and across communities nationwide where the company operates, focusing on arts and culture, education, environmental stewardship, health and safety, and children. Among the Alabama beneficiaries are Children’s Hospital, Vulcan Park & Museum, Alabama Symphony and McWane Science Center. Additionally, the Foundation has provided hundreds of academic scholarships totaling more than $1.3 million in addition to scholarship programs for those pursuing careers in skilled trades.

In addition to his business leadership, McWane served on the boards of directors for Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Sloss Furnaces Foundation, the Birmingham Business Alliance Executive Committee and the McWane Science Center.

Rane is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Great Southern Wood Preserving, Inc. Since its founding in Abbeville, Alabama, in 1970, the multibillion-dollar company has grown to become one of the world’s largest manufacturers of pressure-treated lumber and is at the forefront of the wood and preservation industry. The company has restored numerous properties in Abbeville, Rane’s hometown, and played a role in its revitalization.

He is a trustee at Auburn and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Abbeville Methodist Church, the Board of Directors of the Henry County Historical Group, and the Board of Directors of the Alabama Heritage Foundation, among his many other contributions to organizations.

Additionally, Rane is the founder and president of the Jimmy Rane Foundation, which actively works to raise money to fund college scholarships for deserving students, and since its 2000 inception has awarded 620 college scholarships.

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The Harbert College of Business which is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Raymond and Kathryn Harbert's transformational naming gift, is a nationally ranked hub of undergraduate, graduate and continuing business education that is inspiring the next generation of business leaders. Our world-class faculty deliver unparalleled academic rigor in the classroom, while our research-driven scholarship advances thought leadership and best practice across business disciplines. The largest college on Auburn's campus, Harbert enrolls more than 6,900 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.