Ruzic steps down at Coastal Gateway

Brewton resident joins forces with ProValus

Brewton resident Will Ruzic, who has served as executive director of Coastal Gateway Economic Development Alliance for the past five years, announced Monday afternoon that he is stepping down from that position to become the general manager of ProValus, a startup IT company located in Brewton.

Ruzic made the announcement at Monday afternoon's Brewton City Council meeting.

"It's a tough decision," Ruzic told the mayor and council. "I've been excited to see their growth."

Ruzic added that he worked closely with ProValus as the company began its operations in Brewton.

He said ProValus currently has 125 employees with 90 of those jobs in Brewton. He expects the company to add 50 new jobs by the end of July with half of those jobs coming to Brewton and told the council the company could grow to 500 employees.

Ruzic also told the council that Brewton will always be the corporate headquarters for ProValus.

"I appreciate all your hard work with Coastal Gateway," said Mayor Yank Lovelace. "I look forward to working with you with ProValus."

"I've known Will for many years," Lovelace added. "He has been a valuable leader for Coastal Gateway and will be a tremendous asset for ProValus and for our community."

Ruzic said he will be helping the company nationwide as it continues the explosive growth experienced in the first year.

"I'm excited about being part of the ongoing success of the company and their 'people over profits' policy that is focused on revitalizing rural America," Ruzic said.

ProValus is an information technology outsourcing company that has continued to grow since choosing Brewton as its headquarters in 2017. The company also has operations in Jasper, Texas and other centers are planned in towns across the country in the coming years.

"The company is gaining a head of steam, really starting to stride," said Chuck Ruggiero, ProValus president. We are far from our original goals in a good way. We will be hitting 150-plus employees very soon."

Ruggiero added that the company is recruiting new clients and expanding services for existing clients.

"Companies are seeing the value we provide and want to be part of it," Ruggiero said.

Ruggiero said the hiring of Ruzic will help embed the startup in the community.

"Will is a very bright person, a calming force and a leader who can think outside the box," Ruggiero said. "He is intelligent, diligent and we appreciate his integrity. He will make a great role model for our employees and he will make a positive impact every day."

Ruzic said he will be helping with site selection and company growth as the general manager.

"I believe in this company and the way it is already transforming lives," Ruzic said. "I am a longtime Brewton resident and will continue to be. I can tell you as the company grows, ProValus will be more and more involved in the community and in projects here."

"I am not leaving the area, but am simply moving on to other opportunities and the next chapter in my life and the lives of my family," Ruzic added. "I remain committed to the regional concept (of economic development), as I have seen firsthand what working together has done to benefit our area in times of turmoil."

Ruzic noted that Coastal Gateway has been involved with ProValus since the beginning and there is much more to do as the company continues to expand both within and beyond the region.

"I feel I can be of the most help to them, and to their local business model, by working directly with them as they deploy their growth strategy," Ruzic said.

Jess Nicholas, associate director of Coastal Gateway, said Ruzic's move to ProValus would be bittersweet for him and Coastal Gateway's regional partners.

"This is a loss for me because Will is not just good at what he does, he's also been a good friend and mentor and he cares about this region deeply," Nicholas said. "On the other hand, he's going to be an asset to Provalus and we've already seen how the growth in its Brewton operations has benefited both the city of Brewton and the region as a whole. I look forward to seeing what he's going to do in his new role, as I'm sure it will be good for everyone involved."