During the past couple of years, Crenshaw County has been a magnet for Korean-based companies.

First it was United Douglas Pharmaceuticals and later several Hyundai suppliers followed suit.

The residents of the county have worked well with their new neighbors, learning

and respecting their customers and making them feel right at home.

Recently a group of Koreans employed by Korea United Pharmaceuticals, the sister company for Luverne-based United Douglas, expressed interest in south Alabama. They requested that United Douglas manager S.W. Song deliver a few copies of its hometown newspaper, The Luverne Journal.

"Not many people in our headquarters understand English, but all people who can read English were excited to read the Luverne Journal," Song said. "They said it is wonderful to know that our company has been featured in paper in Alabama. It was my pleasure to be a messenger of the Luverne Journal to Korea."

Douglas Pharmaceutical's Operations Supervisor Myron Boatwright said he was pleased that the hometown newspaper was delivered across seas.

"It says a great deal about us and our accomplishments here, and it shows that we live in a supportive community that hopes for our and its success."

Journal publisher Dennis Palmer said that business success throughout the community can be filtered through the pages of the paper in hopes of building a stronger bond between the community, its businesses and readers.

"I think it's great that our local paper is being read in other countries," Palmer said. "Especially in Korea where we've developed a local business relationship with Korea-based companies such as United Douglas Pharmaceuticals and the several Hyundai suppliers. Periodic business profiles are important to our newspaper and our readers as it allows us to give updates on the services our local business and industry provides and the impact that many of them make on the global economy. As our county's industrial base continues to diversify, it allows more and more people from different cultures, both domestically and abroad, to see what we have to offer, which is substantial."