Initiatives - June 2020 by Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

DEEP ROOTS. WIDE REACH.

BIG IMPACT.

Since first putting down roots in Alabama in 1870, Bradley has grown to serve our clients’ changing needs. With nearly 550 attorneys in 10 offices, Bradley is strategically located across the highest economic growth region of the country – providing timely and costeffective services when and where our clients need us. Bradley is a national law firm with a global perspective. We represent clients in Huntsville, North Alabama, the U.S. and around the world with critical legal capabilities in a broad range of industries. Clients depend on us for innovative solutions, dependable responsiveness, and a deep commitment to success. Our Huntsville attorneys go above and beyond expectations to help our clients achieve their goals.

Named U.S. “Law Firm of the Year” for Construction Law for 2018 & 2020 by U.S. News & World Report

Represent six of the 10 largest banks and 16 of the 20 largest mortgage servicers in the U.S.

billion

Handled economic development projects that invested $25 billion and created 30,000+ jobs in 30+ states

Ranked the 14th largest healthcare law firm in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare

252

Attorneys from across all offices listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for 2020

Improving lives across the Tennessee Valley

We are the Huntsville Hospital Health System, a team committed to bringing better health care to you and your family. We’re all across the Tennessee Valley with more resources, more services and more locations — we’re improving lives, together.

Huntsville Hospital Health System includes Huntsville Hospital, Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children, Madison Hospital, Athens-Limestone Hospital, Decatur Morgan Hospitals, Helen Keller & Red Bay Hospitals, Marshall Medical Centers, Lawrence Medical Center, Russellville Hospital and Lincoln Health System in Tennessee.

On March 30, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber’s Membership Team launched Operation Care – a coordinated effort where team members are contacting all companies with an upcoming membership anniversary date to check on their business and ask how COVID-19 has impacted their operations. We have increased our communications, and these calls give us an opportunity to talk with members about the multitude of resources the Chamber is actively providing and updating. These include frequent informational Zoom calls, informative webinars, Professional Development Series events, Ask the Experts weekly calls, virtual Networking events, the opportunity to freely post fliers on the weekly Member Connection, and more.

Amber Greenwood

Donna McCrary

Richard Bigoney

Tina Blankenship

As of May 1, the team had made 293 contacts primarily through phone, and sometimes email. These calls will continue to take place as part of our efforts to ensure members know that the Chamber genuinely cares about the businesses and organizations within our great community! We want everyone to have access to valuable information to help you and your employees survive these challenging times. If needed, we can offer additional time for membership renewal. “It is often said that the true character of an organization is revealed when things are bad,” said Richard Bigoney, membership account representative. “The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber has always sought to be a resource to the local business community. The Care Calls are an opportunity to not only offer help and assistance, but also kindness and sympathy. It is exciting to see the spirit of ‘what we can do to help’ prevails here!”

We have also launched getyourgifton.org – a website to support gift card purchases through our local restaurants and retail stores. Please visit the site and buy a gift card. Also, it is free to list your business there if it’s not listed already. The link to add it is at the very top of the site, as well as a link to set up gift cards if you don’t currently offer these. As this pandemic evolves, your Chamber team will continue to serve you. This issue of Initiatives is filled with many examples of how our community gives back, and helping you through this is a big part of that. We’re all in this together… six feet apart.

■ Amber Greenwood Vice President, Investor Relations

AS OF MAY 14, 2020

INVESTORS HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER

DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

REGIONAL PARTNERS

LEADERSHIP FORUM

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BBVA ■ Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) ■ Crestwood Medical Center ■ Dynetics, Inc. General Atomics Electromagnetics ■ Lockheed Martin Corporation ■ Northrop Grumman Corporation ■ PNC Bank Raytheon Technologies ■ SAIC ■ SES - Science and Engineering Services ■ Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. ■ Yulista

CHAMBER TRUSTEES AEgis Technologies Group ■ Akima, LLC ■ Bill Penney Toyota/Mitsubishi ■ Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. ■ Facebook Data Center Five Stones Research Corporation ■ Intrepid ■ Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation ■ Jerry Damson Honda Acura ■ KBR Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep ■ Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C. ■ PARSONS ■ S3, Inc. ■ Sealy Management Company, Inc. SportsMED Orthopaedic Surgery & Spine Center ■ Synovus ■ Torch Technologies ■ Turner Construction Company

PROGRESS PARTNERS Ability Plus ■ Aerojet Rocketdyne ■ Anglin Reichmann Armstrong ■ ASRC Federal ■ B. L. Harbert International, LLC ■ Baron Services, Inc. ■ BASF Corporation ■ BB&T Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP ■ Brown Precision, Inc. ■ CenterState Bank ■ Colliers International ■ Connected Logistics (LogC2) ■ Davidson Technologies, Inc. Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc. ■ IBERIABANK ■ J Smith Lanier & Co., a Marsh McLennan Agency LLC company ■ Keel Point, LLC ■ L3Harris ■ Leonardo Electronics US Inc. ■ LMI LogiCore ■ LSINC Corporation ■ The Orthopaedic Center (TOC) ■ Progress Bank ■ Radiance Technologies ■ RE/MAX Alliance ■ RUAG Space USA ■ Spirit Coach, LLC Steak-Out (Rosie’s Restaurants, Inc., & Right Way Restaurants, Inc.) ■ Verizon ■ Wells Fargo Bank ■ Woody Anderson Ford PROGRESS INVESTORS Air Essentials, Inc. ■ Alpha Beta Technologies, Inc. ■ Amanda Howard | Sotheby’s International Realty ■ Armstrong Relocation Company Huntsville LLC ■ Averbuch Realty / Enterprises ■ Bailey-Harris Construction ■ BancorpSouth BID DESIGNS, LLC ■ BRPH Architects-Engineers, Inc. ■ Bryant Bank ■ Canvas, Inc. ■ CB&S Bank ■ Century Automotive ■ CFD Research Corporation ■ CGI Federal ■ Coast Personnel Services ■ Continental Consulting Group Corporation (CCGC) Croy Engineering, LLC ■ DC Blox, Inc. ■ deciBel Research ■ Deloitte LLP ■ DESE Research, Inc. ■ Express Employment Professionals ■ Fernandez Financial Group ■ FITE Building Company ■ FLS Translation & Interpreting Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates, LLC ■ Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC ■ Garver ■ Hexagon US Federal ■ HEMSI ■ Hiley Automotive Group ■ Huntsville Botanical Garden ■ Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau INTERFUZE Corporation ■ Investor’s Resource ■ IronMountain Solutions ■ Legend Realty – Jim Hoekenschneider ■ LINE-X, LLC ■ The Lioce Group, Inc. ■ MAG Aerospace ■ MSB Analytics, Inc. ■ nLogic, LLC ■ PALCO PFM Financial Advisors LLC ■ PHOENIX ■ Pinnacle Solutions, Inc. ■ PROJECTXYZ, Inc. ■ QTEC Aerospace ■ Quadrus Corporation ■ Ready Mix USA ■ Renasant Bank ■ RJ Young Company ■ Rosenblum Realty ■ S&ME, Inc. Schoel Engineering Company, Inc. ■ ServisFirst Bank ■ Sigmatech, Inc. ■ Signalink ■ Snelling ■ Systems Products and Solutions, Inc. ■ TriVector Services, Inc. ■ Troy 7, Inc. ■ U.S. Space & Rocket Center ■ ValleyMLS.com Valor Communities ■ Van Valkenburgh & Wilkinson Properties Inc. ■ Venturi, Inc. ■ Volkert, Inc. ■ Warren Averett, LLC ■ West Huntsville Land Co., Inc. ■ Wilmer & Lee, P.A.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

jun 2020 initiatives

voted one of the 2019 Best Banks to Work For

“We strive to create a culture where it’s fun to come to work, where our team members can live our mission to make a positive diﬀerence in people’s lives.”

183K 919

TOTAL IMPACT

OF SERVICE

- Rick Wardlaw, CEO of Bank Independent

“Our team members are committed to investing their time and talents back into the communities we serve. Thank you for acknowledging our commitment to business excellence.” - Macke Mauldin, President of Bank Independent and CEO of Bancindependent, Inc.

HELPING

HANDS HOURS

33 10 600 4th $1.7 28 BANK OVER

ORGANIZATIONS

SERVED

LARGEST IN THE STATE

SCHOLARSHIPS

AWARDED

EMPLOYEES

BILLION

LOCATIONS

IN ASSETS

ACROSS 7 COUNTIES

BIBANK.COM | MEMBER FDIC | 877.865.5050

jun 2020

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

COVER STORY

OPERATIONAL VISION

PAGES 12-13

PAGES 16-19

PAGES 22-24

Redstone Arsenal leadership changes are coming

Huntsville proves again it is #StrongerTogether

NASA advances on Lunar Return Mission

COVER PHOTO: 123RF.COM

OPERATION CARE / GET YOUR GIFT ON

HREGI INVESTORS

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT | BOARD LISTING

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS

HUNTSVILLE: A CITY IN THE MAKING: Part 3 – with Hundley Batts

ALABAMA COUNTS: Census Update

21 HREGI PROFILE: Bob Dreisewerd with Baron Services 26

VIRTUAL EVENTS: ASmartPlace Recruiting Events & Career Fairs

NOT THE FIRST TIME: COVID-19 isn’t the area’s first pandemic

BEST PLACES TO WORK®: 2020 Sponsors & Contenders

COMMUNITY PROFILE

CHAMBER STAFF | ASSOCIATED ORGS

SPECIAL THANKS: Current Sponsors for Select 2020 Chamber Events

editorial staff publisher

Chip Cherry, CCE editor

Claire Aiello editorial designer

Kristi Sherrard contributing writers

Katelyn Sides Baker Amber Greenwood Amberly Kimbrough Wendy Reeves Mike Ward ad sales Kristy Drake kdrake@hsvchamber.org

Richard Bigoney rbigoney@hsvchamber.org

Tina Blankenship tblankenship@hsvchamber.org

Our mission: To prepare, develop and promote our community for economic growth.

HSVchamber.org (additional contact information on page 30) Chamber members: You are encouraged to contribute ideas for our publications, including Initiatives magazine. Please send items to comms@hsvchamber.org. The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber maintains editorial control. A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

jun 2020 initiatives

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

Executive Committee and Board of Directors 2020 Executive Committee

A Message from

Chip Cherry

Dear Chamber Investors, Community Leaders, and Friends: I’m sure you would agree that our new normal seems more like the new surreal. In February, how many of us used the term social distancing or knew about contact tracing? Or better yet, who had used Zoom or virtual backgrounds for web meetings? Would you have guessed that toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and N-95 masks would be among the hardest items to find? Our world has changed in so many ways and so quickly. I miss interactions with friends, family, volunteers, and our members – connecting virtually is not the same! However, that’s our new normal – we need to slow the spread of COVID-19; the inconveniences/sacrifices are a small price to pay for the lives that will be saved. The old saying that information is power has never been more relevant than today. In today’s environment, one of the most significant challenges is securing information that is accurate, timely, and reliable. In mid-March, your Chamber TEAM significantly enhanced our coverage of COVID-19. On March 17, we launched our daily 2 p.m. Zoom call – providing updates on COVID-19-related developments. The calls begin with an update from one of a trio of elected officials – Mayors Battle and Finley, and Chairman Strong. We created a special COVID-19 section on our website – hsvchamber.org – featuring information ranging from CDC and OSHA guidance on workforce safety to financial assistance available to businesses and individuals. The goal of your TEAM at the Chamber is to ensure you have the resources you need to make informed decisions as we collectively work through this crisis. We are working to provide innovative ways to stay connected while socially distanced. Our Small Business programming has gone 100 percent virtual, and we will begin holding events such as Best Places to Work® and Government Updates live via streaming platforms beginning this month. We are adapting to ensure that we can provide our members with quality events during a challenging time. I encourage you to visit our website to learn more about upcoming programs and events. Times of crisis provide an opportunity to reframe our perspective of what is important. The COVID-19 crisis has driven home the value of thoughtful and collaborative leadership at local and state levels. We are truly blessed to have an outstanding group of local leaders running point to manage our community’s response to the crisis. It is also heartwarming to see a pivot from a focus on celebrities and athletes to an appreciation for those who play critical roles in our community such as healthcare workers, first responders, and all the support workers who make what we do on a daily basis possible. And there is nothing like having to school children at home to fully appreciate our educators – our teachers make it look easy, and many now understand just how hard their job really is. Thank you to all who have gone above and beyond to help us weather this storm. Stay well, and I really look forward to when we can meet again in person!

Chip Cherry, CCE President & CEO Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

initiatives jun 2020

Kevin Byrnes, Chair, Navigator International, LLC Jeff Gronberg, Chair-elect, deciBel Research, Inc. Kim Lewis, Immediate Past Chair, PROJECTXYZ, Inc. Ron Poteat, President, Chamber Foundation, Regions Bank Laura Huckabee-Jennings, Secretary/Treasurer, Transcend LLC

Greg Brown, Vice Chair, Economic Development & Industry Relations, Brown Precision, Inc.

Craig Naudain, Vice Chair, Government & Public Affairs, SAIC Jim Rogers, Vice Chair, HREGI, Lockheed Martin Corporation Frank Williams, Vice Chair, Marketing & Communications, Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep

Lynn Troy, Vice Chair, Investor Relations, Troy 7, Inc. Sameer Singhal, Vice Chair, Small Business & Events, CFD Research Corporation

Joe Ritch, Vice Chair, Tennessee Valley BRAC, Sirote & Permutt, PC

Dr. Karockas Watkins, Vice Chair, Workforce, Ability Plus, Inc. Dr. Joe Green, Chair-Appointed, Whitespace Innovations, Inc. Alicia Ryan, Chair-Appointed, LSINC Corporation Mike Watkins, Chair-Appointed, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama

Mayor Tommy Battle, ex-officio member, City of Huntsville Mayor Paul Finley, ex-officio member, City of Madison Chairman Dale Strong, ex-officio member, Madison County Commission

Chip Cherry, CCE, President & CEO, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

Elected Board Blake Bentley, SportsMED Orthopaedic Surgery and Spine Center David Bier, Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. Penny Billings, BancorpSouth - Huntsville Melissa Davis, MTA, Inc. Mike Dewitz, PARSONS John Eagan, BB&T Kevin Fernandez, Fernandez Financial Group, LLC Owen Franklin, Blue Summit Supplies Joni Green, Five Stones Research Corporation Mike Gullion, Spur John Hall, All Points Logistics, LLC Ginger Harper, IBERIABANK Josh Herren, Yulista Lee Holland, Freedom Real Estate and Capital, LLC Tharon Honeycutt, MSB Analytics, Inc. Amanda Howard, Amanda Howard | Sotheby’s International Realty

Lincoln Hudson, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. Hank Isenberg, IronMountain Solutions McKinley James, Polaris Industries, Inc. Lauren Johannesmeyer, Google Fiber, Huntsville Sean Kelly, Regions Bank April Mason, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc. Todd May, KBR Bob McCaleb, Northrop Grumman Corporation Kevin McCombs, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. Alana Parker, Rocket City Drywall & Supply, Inc. Zack Penney, Bill Penney Toyota/Mitsubishi Jami Peyton, Canvas, Inc. Chris Russell, Cadence Bank Jeff Samz, Huntsville Hospital Beth Sippel, Synovus Wayne Sisco, Redstone Federal Credit Union Tom Stanton, ADTRAN, Inc. Sandra Stephens, Keel Point, LLC Mitch Stevison, Raytheon Technologies Cynthia Streams, Domino's (Valley Pizza, Inc.) Margetta Thomas, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Ken Tucker, The Boeing Company John Watson, Torch Technologies Danny Windham, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

A Different Kind of House Call

When you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see your doctor in person, a telehealth visit may be the solution. Telehealth simply means a doctor visit on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. You can talk with your provider from any location just as you would in the doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office.

Call 1-888-261-3422 or visit CrestwoodMedGroup.com to find out how to connect with a provider.

Many insurance plans cover telehealth. Check your plan coverage or ask when you make an appointment.

MEDICAL GROUP

CrestwoodMedGroup.com

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Compiled by Claire Aiello

The Independence Bowl is held annually in Shreveport, La. “Radiance is very excited about this partnership with the Independence Bowl,” said Radiance Technologies CEO Bill Bailey. “We have been looking for the right opportunity to increase our brand awareness nationally, and we have found it with this partnership. The bowl’s proximity to an Air Force major command and its tie-in with [Army] West Point are both very appealing and should increase awareness of Radiance with our two largest customers, the U.S. Army and Air Force.” The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will likely feature an annual match-up of either Army West Point or BYU against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference, or Conference USA. The 2020 edition will pit Army West Point against the Pac-12. ■

SNAP: The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber has won a Mac Conway Award from Site Selection Magazine, saluting the top economic development organizations in the country. This is our second year in a row for our team to win this award. Scoring is based on six criteria: total projects, total investment associated with those projects, associated jobs and a per capita calculation of the same three metrics.

Madison County leads State in 2019 Economic Development Report The state’s New and Existing Industry Report, issued April 30, showcased good news for the North Alabama area. Governor Kay Ivey announced that economic development activity across Alabama last year generated $7.1 billion in pledged capital investment and 13,454 job commitments, providing a potential spark for economic revival after the COVID-19 pandemic eases.

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE/HAL YEAGER

Construction continues on CityCentre Crews haven’t stopped working to build out CityCentre at Big Spring. The Eclipse is well underway, with 278 apartments under construction. The multi-family residential project will feature studio, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units located above 18,000 square feet of upscale restaurants and retail. There were slight delays due to heavy rain over the past few months, but everything is on schedule to open in 2021. Nearby, AC Hotel by Marriott opened in 2019, and Bar Vista is now complete, overlooking beautiful Big Spring Park. Also nearby, the new ‘drive-thru only‘ Chick-fil-A at the corner of Governors Drive and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard near Huntsville Hospital is now open. It does serve walk-up customers, but there is no dining room. ■

The report, posted on hsvchamber.org, showcases 323 economic development projects across the state. Madison County was the leader in new capital investment, with $1.3 billion. Just behind were Montgomery, with $1 billion, and Limestone, with $626 million. Limestone County led the way in job creation, with 1,931 job commitments. Madison was second, with 1,666 anticipated jobs. Local growth projects cited include announcements by companies such as Lockheed Martin, Toyota and a host of suppliers to Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. “Despite all the challenges present today, we remain committed to fostering long-term economic growth across Alabama, and we will continue to energetically pursue high-value projects to spark job growth and create opportunities for our citizens,” Governor Ivey said. ■ ARTIST RENDERING

Radiance Technologies is New Title Sponsor of Independence Bowl Radiance Technologies and the Independence Bowl announced a new partnership on April 21. Radiance Technologies has signed a five-year agreement to be the title sponsor through 2024. 10

initiatives jun 2020

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Changing of the Guard Redstone leadership changes coming

WE ARE YULISTA

ot even the COVID-19 pandemic can interrupt the Army’s system of leadership rotation. Redstone Arsenal has seen a number of changes in leadership positions, with even more changes to come in the next few weeks. Topping the list of pending changes, Lieutenant General Edward M. Daly (pictured below) will be promoted to the rank of general and assume command of Army Materiel Command (AMC). LTG Daly currently serves as AMC Deputy Commanding General/Redstone Arsenal Chief of Staff, a position he’s held since August 2017.

Providing Aerospace and Defense Solutions to our Warfighters

ANY TIME...ANYWHERE Integrated Logistics & Product Support Engineering & Manufacturing Maintenance & Modifications Training Systems & Solutions Base & Range Operations

YULISTA.COM 12

initiatives jun 2020

He previously served as the Commanding General of Army Sustainment Command at Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., where he executed AMC’s mission to deliver readiness. Prior to commanding ASC, he served as Army Materiel Command’s Deputy Chief of Staff, overseeing the roles and functions of the Headquarters staff. Daly was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps upon his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1987. He earned Master’s Degrees in Business Administration from Gonzaga University, and in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Filling LTG Daly’s position will be Major General Flem B. Walker, Jr. MG Walker has been selected for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as Deputy Commanding General of Army Materiel Command and Redstone Arsenal Senior Commander. Walker MG Walker is currently serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at AMC. Other recent important leadership changes, or changes in the works include: A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Major General Robert L. Marion, the former Program Executive Officer for Aviation at Redstone, has been selected for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as Military Deputy/Director, Army Acquisition Corps, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Marion the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), Washington, DC. He is currently serving as Deputy Commander, Combined Security Transition CommandAfghanistan, United States Forces-Afghanistan, OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, Afghanistan. As the Military Deputy to the ASALT, LTG Marion will support much of the system development and acquisition work at Redstone. Colonel (Promotable) Robert L. Barrie Jr., will take over as the new Program Executive Officer at PEO Aviation and assume the rank of Brigadier General. He Barrie previously served as the Military Deputy Program Executive Officer at the PEO. Patrick Mason, SES, has been in the PEO Director’s position since 2017. Brigadier General Michael T. Morrissey was approved by the Senate on February 27, 2020, to become the Director for Test, Missile Defense Agency at Redstone. He most recently served as Commanding Morrissey General, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, Honolulu, Hawaii. Major General Charles R. Hamilton, commanding general, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Fort Shafter, Hawaii, has also been confirmed by the Senate to become the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and Operations, U.S. Hamilton Army Materiel Command, Redstone Arsenal. Brigadier General Antonio V. Munera is the incoming commanding general, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command. BG Munera was serving as the DeputyCommanding General, U.S. Army Cadet Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky. Munera

■ Mike Ward, cce Senior Vice President Government & Public Affairs A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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HUNTSVILLE: A CITY IN THE MAKING, PART 3 A year-long look at the unique history of Huntsville/Madison County and moving forward into 2020 and beyond.

Lessons for Life

Hundley Batts

Strong work ethic, treating everyone the same, and moving forward

rom farming community, to the Rocket City and on to a research and development mecca, Hundley Batts, Sr., has been part of it all. He continues to play an integral role in Huntsville’s development as it continues on track to become the state’s largest city in just a few years. Batts, 76, is a Huntsville businessman and longtime member and current Chair of Huntsville’s Industrial Development Board. He is also one of five diverse and influential leaders the Huntsville/ Madison County Chamber is featuring in a special series of articles throughout 2020 called, “Huntsville: A City in the Making”. Others include W.F. Sanders, Jr., Julian Butler, Loretta Spencer, and Charles Younger. Entrepreneurship is in his family’s DNA. When he was a young boy, Batts’ father ran a service station downtown where WHNT News 19 is located today, at the corner of Church Street and Holmes Avenue. “He had a service station there, and as a little kid, I had me a Texaco star when I was in the third or fourth grade,” Batts recalled. “I had to come to work every day and pump gas, and I just enjoyed it to be honest with you because I had my own Texaco star (on his shirt), and after selling so many gallons, he would give me a little tip.” That inspired the young Hundley to fill up the tanks of everybody who stopped if they could afford it. His father instilled a strong work ethic in him from an early age. If he wasn’t washing or parking cars, he was cleaning up scrap iron and other debris at the shop. He took the payments to the liquor store for his father’s beverage house, and learned the ins and outs of how to help others plan a party. Then, when he was old enough, Batts delivered newspapers. That’s how he first got started in the business world. Today, Batts owns radio stations and an insurance company. “I don’t do anything illegal, immoral, or unprofitable,” Batts said. That was also instilled in him by his father. In the early 1980s, Batts bought WEUP, the first black-owned radio station in Alabama. “The capital came from my insurance business,” he said, adding he thinks he was the first black insurance agent to work for a nonblack insurance company in the 1960s. Batts has always been a trailblazer because of the mentors he had while growing up. But he also remembers what it was like to live in Huntsville and be an African-American man during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Like much of Huntsville’s history, even the civil rights movement here didn’t follow the trends of others places in the South. “We were raised being asked not to do anything that was illegal, immoral or unprofitable, and our parents would not allow us to do things like sit-ins,” Batts said. “My Daddy would kill me if I violated” those rules.

initiatives jun 2020

He remembers one day during those tumultuous times when he went by himself to the bus station to get something to eat. A man told him he’d better go home or his father would find out he was there. At the time, he remembers thinking whatever was going on had nothing to do with him, but he went home. “Daddy was strict on where we could go and what we did,” Batts said. “We could not be the city clown. He wouldn’t put up with it. So, from then on I went with Daddy for sit-ins when he ate at the bus station, and I didn’t get in trouble.” Charles Younger, who was city attorney at the time, also recalls a tense time of racial relations, and how black and white community leaders worked together to get through it. “Our community was dedicated to making the change to integration peacefully,” Younger said. “We had outside support people here … and we were very concerned about white militant groups – we even had the KKK applying for permits. We gave them permits; we did have a lot of marches, and we had sit-ins that were started.” Younger said when leaders were notified about sit-ins, he went to every cafe management person and asked if they were going to serve everyone or ask them to leave. Everybody had different answers, but in the end, the events went as smoothly as possible. “Our position was to keep the peace and protect everyone, to treat everyone the same,” Younger said. “We told our police officers they had to treat everybody alike. We were different from other communities where the police were anti-integration.” Efforts to create sensational headlines in Huntsville were thwarted by community leaders, and when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. arrived to make a speech at Oakwood College, he was given a police escort, Younger said. And Batts remembers that, while the civil rights movement touched Huntsville, he’s always felt like it’s been a respectful place for all citizens. He said he’s always felt like a valued member of the community. What he remembers most about his upbringing is “if you were a nice and respectful kid, you could get anything out of Huntsville. The Chamber even let me be a member of the Chamber of Commerce. This was just the normal way we operated, looking back at it.” Batts went on to become the first African-American Board Chair of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber, and he has served as Chair of the Industrial Development Board since 2015. Through all he’s seen over the years, Batts said he believes Huntsville has hit its stride and is handling the rapid growth right now “better” than when the city started its expansion in the ’60s. He’s looking forward to seeing what the future holds. ■ Wendy Reeves Contributing Writer A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

When you need a bank you can trust,

we’re here for you.

IBERIABANK is pledging $500,000 to local food banks across the Company’s footprint. The COVID-19 health care crisis has created hardships for many individuals and families across the country. The loss of jobs, reduction in compensation, and inability to send children to school or daycare have created a growing need to provide access to food in our communities. To help address this pressing issue, we are pleased to support food banks in our communities. In Huntsville, Manna House will be the recipient of IBERIABANK’s local gift. “Manna House has seen a tremendous increase in the number of families needing help with groceries and baby care items during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Fran Fluhler, Executive Director. “Many were employed in the hospitality industry or in service related jobs such as hair salons and barber shops. We also have dental hygienists and medical office support that are temporarily needing help too. We are grateful for a generous community that is willing to help us provide for these families during this time!”

P R O U D LY S UP P O RTING THE C O MMU NITY www.iberiabank.com

Huntsville: #StrongerTogether

Multiple donations plus hands-on help make us Stronger by Claire Aiello Our community knows how to get it done. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen many examples of this in the past few months as COVID-19 spread across the country, impacting our healthcare centers, our businesses, our schools, homes, and daily lives. What we will take from this is how the Rocket City stepped up to the plate to support each other. It would take a full issue to list all the ways our members contributed, and we are truly humbled to see the outpouring of support in many different ways. If you gave by volunteering your time, services, financially, or another way, thank you. Here are some of the highlights.

Take 5 to Give $5 Campaign

“We have called Huntsville home since breaking ground on our data center in 2018, and the way the community has pulled together during the COVID-19 pandemic shows we made a great choice. Thank you to all of the public and private organizations who collaborated to create opportunities to support our frontline workers, small businesses, food pantries, schools and more.”

– Katie Comer Community Development Regional Manager, Facebook

In advance of Giving Tuesday, held on May 5, Toyota called for support of the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville’s Emergency Relief Fund. WAAY-31 and the Chamber joined in to help, promoting this opportunity to support nonprofits helping with COVID-19 response. The goal was big – $500,000 – to support direct local aid for individuals and families, health and wellness needs, and food assistance. Companies and individuals stepped forward in a big way, smashing the goal and donating $669,784! The total has continued to rise and money is being distributed quickly – the Community Foundation’s Emergency Relief Grants Committee meets weekly to determine the current needs and to allocate available funding in an expeditious manner. “At the Community Foundation, we never cease to be amazed by this incredibly generous community we all call home,” said Melissa Thompson, CEO/president. “In less than a month, together we have raised nearly $700,000 to support the nonprofit organizations who are on the front lines of the COVID crisis. In times of crisis, as always, we are indeed stronger together.” Facebook donated $100,000 to the fund, but that’s only the start of their contributions to the Huntsville community. Most notable is $939,000 to Madison County Schools to support Wi-Fi expansion and 1:1 technology, $100,000 in grant funding for small-to-medium-sized businesses, $250,000 to Neighborhood Concepts for an additional SMB grant, and $25,000 each to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama, and to PHOENIX (shown left) to support cloth mask production for local healthcare workers. Facebook also donated personal protective equipment (PPE). The tech company is contributing to all communities across the country where it is building data centers including Huntsville. But wait, there’s more. Companies and individuals gave of their time and talent in many different ways, especially when it came to supplying PPE.

#HuntsvilleFightingCOVID In late March, Destin Sandlin of YouTube’s Smarter Every Day put out a call to the makers. “It’s time to do what Huntsville do,” Sandlin (shown right) said, activating a local 3D-printing army throughout north Alabama. People printed face shields and dropped pieces off to be assembled by Sandlin and a group of volunteers. The operation grew by the day, then added injection molding at another site, and the team eventually produced 35,000 face shields to give to healthcare workers and first responders throughout the state. Sandlin’s team updated huntsvillefightingcovid.com to share lessons learned and best practices with makers throughout the country, encouraging others to activate and help in their communities. Many people printed shields at home, and in companies across Huntsville/ Madison County, including Raytheon Technologies, Toyota, Teledyne Brown Engineering, EOS, and EngeniusMicro, just to name a few. Others helped with supplies such as boxes for transport, including General Electric and TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. The production has now been turned over to a company. In addition, companies donated masks, gowns, eyewear and other items they had in stock or purchased, including United Launch Alliance, U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Dynetics, TVA, Brown Precision, Matcor-Matsu, John Blue Company, and others. These supplies went to the hospitals, as well as to local doctor’s offices to help medical workers seeing COVID patients.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

– continued on page 18 jun 2020 initiatives

#StrongerTogether, continued from page 17 Hand Sanitizer Some of our local brewers and distillers saw a niche they could fill. Yellowhammer Brewing produced more than 1,000 gallons of hand sanitizer for first responders, healthcare workers, food bank staff, and other front line workers. Companies stepped in to fund mass batches, including Lockheed Martin, SAIC, Torch Technologies, ERC, and others. Irons Distillery and Old Black Bear Brewing also made batches of sanitizer.

Other Support Companies large and small bought or delivered meals to healthcare workers, including AEgis Technologies, and Morris, King & Hodge, just to name two. Fractal Brewing Project donated use of its event space to First Stop, which serves Huntsville’s homeless community. Media Fusion produced public service messages with HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology about the importance of social distancing, supplying these to television and radio stations. The company also partnered with Downtown Huntsville, Inc. on the #WEARHuntsville campaign, which encourages people to support their favorite local brands by wearing t-shirts, hats or purchasing locally. Mission Multiplier gave away its cyber continuous monitoring tool, Mars Suite, for free, for three months. The company’s president and CEO, Jamie Miller, said his company doesn’t have a 3D printer or other capabilities to make PPE, so they wanted to offer another form of protection, because cyber criminals don’t take time off. “We really want to help small businesses in this critical time,” he said. “We don’t want their information stolen, ransomware, their systems locked down, or their financial information stolen.”

Making Masks Hundreds of sewers made masks to give to healthcare workers. Stacy Higgs, a Senior Contracts Principal at SAIC, is just one. As the stepmother of a neuro-ICU nurse, Higgs quickly became aware of the shortages in PPE, so she began stitching at the end of March. As crafting stores closed, Higgs sent a request to her company, and team members from all over the nation sent boxes of fabric, bias tape and elastic to help her supply. Higgs’ neighbors have also helped by sewing, cutting fabric, washing, ironing, and bagging the masks to get them ready for distribution.

Food Needs Food banks and food pantries have been working non-stop to help families with the most basic needs. They have distributed thousands of food boxes with the help of volunteers and supportive companies such as Publix, IBERIABANK, and Landers McLarty Subaru. The Food Bank of North Alabama, Manna House, and about a dozen churches provided meals for Huntsville City School students at six locations. Woody Anderson Ford, RCP Companies, Beauregard’s, and many others have helped extensively with food assistance in the local community. 18

initiatives jun 2020

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

A Voice of Reason + Research Early on as the community was learning about COVID-19, HudsonAlpha released a series of videos by Dr. Neil Lamb to help make sense of the science related to the virus. These came at a time when there was a lot of uncertainty, and these offered clear, factual information. Eight companies on the HudsonAlpha campus are working to fight COVID-19. Among them, CFD Research is working on various aspects of COVID-19 respiratory viral infection, transmission, protection and treatment. Diatherix-Eurofins has worked with hospitals, physicians’ offices, nursing homes, and reference labs nationwide since March to provide speedy results. On April 29, the company received FDA emergency use authorization for its SARS-CoV-2 assay.

What’s Next We must continue to stay vigilant to prevent the spread of the virus, and to lessen the burden on our healthcare system. The weeks and months to come are critical as researchers work to develop treatments, a vaccine and a cure. COVID-19 has had a sweeping impact on our community, with many trying to recover lost business.

Here at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber, we are committed to helping our community stay strong. Members, we will continue to keep you informed with increased communications, and our team is here to serve. Please visit hsvchamber.org or call us if we can be of service: 256-535-2000. ■ Claire Aiello Vice President, Marketing & Communications

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Bryant Bank cares about the details, but most importantly we care about you.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT BRYANTBANK.COM.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Member FDIC

jun 2020 initiatives

ALABAMA COUNTS

Census Update: Please Respond South lagging behind, and it’s essential we’re all counted

his has certainly been an unusual year. Before COVID-19 presented itself, people working to promote the Census knew they had a challenge, but now the situation is more pressing. The South is lagging behind in the Census count, and we’re going to feel it for the next 10 years if that doesn’t change. As of late April, fewer than half of Alabama households had participated. This could have big consequences in terms of federal funding, because the Census determines how much federal funding we receive for certain programs (transportation, Medicaid, and childcare, to name a few). We could also lose a Congressional seat, meaning our voice might not be as strong in Washington, DC. That’s the situation statewide, but there is hope. Huntsville and Madison County are actually in the top 100 large cities/ counties nationwide in terms of response rates, according to James Vandiver, who works in Huntsville’s Planning Department and is helping to oversee our city’s Complete Count effort. Vandiver said deadlines have been pushed back to give people more time to self-respond. That date was originally April 30, but now, you have until July 31. It takes about 10 minutes – just visit 2020census.gov and type in your address to begin. In August, Census workers will begin to knock on doors. Vandiver said the City is tracking which areas have had high and low response rates. Hampton Cove, Madison, and South Huntsville have had strong responses, between 70-80 percent, but other areas have had lower responses, including Lowe Mill, Terry Heights, Sparkman Drive, and Edmonton Heights. Those are in the 30 to 40 percent response range. “Originally, we were planning to hold community events in our low response areas. Now, we’re looking at alternative ways to share the message, that it’s important to respond to the Census,” said Vandiver. This includes contacting property owners. Some of the low-count areas he mentioned have a lot of rentals, including apartment complexes, so the City is reaching out to owners to urge them to talk with residents about why they need to respond.

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Congressional Representation Right now, Alabama has seven Congressional districts, with about 700,000 people per district. Other parts of the country have grown more than Alabama in the last 10 years. As population shifts to other areas, so will Congressional representation. Losing a Congressional seat means less representation, which could result in not having a member of Congress on a key committee or not having enough votes to help fund key local federal programs. “Huntsville is going to be what carries the state,” said Vandiver. “We’re the fastest growing region. This is where the growth is happening, so if we have a good count up here, we have a much better chance of keeping that seventh Congressional district, and the federal funding we would lose. We need to make sure we don’t have an undercount here.” Companies, Please Help We are making a strong, specific ask: We need you to hammer the message home with your employees about the Census. How do you share important news with them? Here are some ideas: ■ Give employees time at work to fill out their Census form ■ Offer assistance pulling up the website, 2020census.gov ■ Include a note with employee paychecks or paystubs ■ Post signs in company breakrooms ■ Share information in company newsletters ■ Share updates on company social media pages Show us what you’re doing to help spread the word, and we’ll showcase it in our communications. Please email info to comms@hsvchamber.org today. Census Jobs If you lost your job recently, this is an option for you. The U.S. Census is hiring, and offers temporary positions with flexible hours, a good fit if you’re looking to earn extra money. Visit 2020census.gov/jobs today. ■ Claire Aiello Vice President, Marketing & Communications A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

BOB DREISEWERD

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

BARON SERVICES Tell us about Baron Services:

PROFILE

Baron is a commercial weather company that provides products and services to numerous industries such as broadcast media domestically and abroad, automotive, transportation, aviation, insurance, marine, local and federal government. Founded in the wake of the 1989 Huntsville tornado by then Broadcast Meteorologist Bob Baron, the company has consistently grown to expand their services. Baron’s meteorological hardware, software, and data are indispensable tools for organizations, businesses, and individuals critically impacted by weather conditions. Our world-class scientists are continuously inventing more effective ways to collect, interpret, package and display real-time, hyper-local information. More than 226 million people have access to Baron weather intelligence through major broadcast media outlets in North America and embedded within the products of our global business partners. Q: Baron Services’ products have helped change the game for severe weather coverage. How do you continue to advance/evolve your products? A: Baron has a long history of innovation in weather detection and prediction technology, and that innovation is

at the core of our business culture. Our entire team is focused on researching and developing new weather decision support products that improve our customers’ ability to quickly detect and disseminate critical weather information. We encourage our team to spend time researching unmet market needs and weather detection advancements, then developing ideas on how to create new products and services that advance the science and meet those unmet needs.

Q: What value does Baron Services gain from your Chamber investment? A: The company has always placed great importance on community involvement and collaboration with other busi-

nesses. As an entrepreneurial start-up, Baron’s very beginnings are evidence that involvement in civic organizations and business incubator opportunities help small organizations grow and succeed. In 2007, Bob Baron received the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year award. This provided the company opportunities to meet other local business leaders, and establish relationships and partnerships that helped bring Baron products to market. Since that time, he and others in the organization have supported the Small Business program to help mentor new and evolving business leaders.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

jun 2020 initiatives

SPACE UPDATE

RIGHT: Artist concept of the Dynetics Human Landing System on the surface of the Moon. [Courtesy of Dynetics]

BELOW: Artist concept of the Blue Origin National Team crewed lander on the surface of the Moon. [Courtesy of Blue Origin]

Operational Vision NASA advances on Lunar Return Mission

he COVID-19 pandemic has slowed some work on the Artemis Lunar mission, but it hasn’t impacted the goal of landing Americans on the Moon by 2024. Plans for the “Green Run” test on the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage have slipped from June to an unannounced later date, hopefully later this summer. The SLS core stage is positioned in the Test Stand at the Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; however, all non-essential work at the Center was halted at the end of March when the Center moved into Stage 4 of the NASA coronavirus response framework. Work on casting the solid rocket booster segments for both the Artemis I and Artemis II missions has been completed. Work on the Core Stage components of Artemis II and III is underway, with significant progress being made on both vehicles.

initiatives jun 2020

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

NASA made significant progress on the Artemis III lunar landing mission when they announced the selection of three Human Landing System (HLS) proposals for further study. A final decision for the Artemis III mission architecture, scheduled for 2024, will not be made until near or at the end of the initial 10-month lunar lander contract phase. These human landers are the final piece of the system architecture required for sustainable human exploration of the Moon, which includes the SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, and the Gateway outpost in lunar orbit. Lisa Watson-Morgan, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, manages the HLS program. Huntsville’s Dynetics-led team will receive $253 million under the HLS program. The company’s proposal for a lunar lander is non-traditional and includes Sierra Nevada Corporation as a ma-

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

jor partner. The ALPACA lander has a pair of drop tanks that are launched separately, which allow the main lander to be reused. These tanks are depleted and then jettisoned during descent. ALPACA could be launched on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket. Dynetics proposed a robust team with more than 25 subcontractors specializing in both the larger elements and the smaller system-level components of the Dynetics Human Landing System (DHLS). The large team capitalizes on Dynetics’ experience as an integrator on military and defense contracts with large subcontractor teams. The DHLS concept includes a single element providing the ascent and descent capabilities, with multiple modular propellant vehicles prepositioned to fuel the engines at different points in the mission. The crew cabin sits low to the surface, enabling a short climb for astronauts entering, exiting, or transporting tools and samples. The DHLS concept supports both docking with Orion and with Gateway, and will get a fuel top-off before descending to the surface. After the surface expedition, the entire vehicle will return for crew transfer back to Orion. The DHLS is capable of launching on a number of commercial rockets or the SLS. The Blue Origin-led team will receive $579 million for their “National Team” effort. Blue Origin’s Integrated Lander Vehicle (ILV) is powered by BE-7 cryogenic engines that have been in private development for three years, with cryogenic technologies now under Tipping Point support. Lockheed Martin will build – continued on page 24

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Continued from page 23 –

LIFTING THE FINAL STRUCTURAL TEST ARTICLE FOR NASA’S SLS CORE STAGE INTO TEST STAND 4697 AT NASA’S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER – PHOTO: TYLER MARTIN

the ascent element that includes the crew cabin, which will have significant commonality with Orion. Northrop Grumman will build the transfer element based largely on its Cygnus cargo module that services the International Space Station. Northrop Grumman is also leading development of a future refueling element for a sustainable lander demonstration. Draper will provide the guidance, navigation and control, avionics, and software systems that draw largely on similar systems the company has developed for NASA. In their proposal, the National Team outlines a plan in which the ILV can dock with either Orion or the Gateway to await crew arrival. The Blue Origin National Team’s elements for the HLS can be launched individually on commercial rockets or combined to launch on NASA’s Space Launch System. SpaceX will receive $135 million for further development of its Super Heavy rocket and Starship. Starship is intended to be a fully reusable launch and landing system designed for travel to the Moon, Mars, and other destinations. Several Starships serve distinct purposes in enabling human landing missions, each based on the common Starship design. A propellant storage Starship will park in low-Earth orbit to be supplied by tanker Starships. The human-rated Starship will launch to the storage unit in Earth orbit, fuel up, and continue to lunar orbit. ■ Mike Ward, cce Senior Vice President Government & Public Affairs

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initiatives jun 2020

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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But what you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see is how Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama helps businesses and their employees by providing one-to-one assistance and answers. Or how easily members can access their medical information anytime, from anywhere. Or how we make finding a doctor simple, even when out-of-state.

Blue Cross works hard behind the scenes.

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VIRTUAL EVENTS

Getting the Word Out Chamber’s recruiting events & career fairs go virtual

n this time of connecting and hiring virtually, we’re getting creative with how we continue our recruiting trips and career fairs. First we took ASmartPlace on the Road to the web! We hosted two virtual ASmartPlace on the Road recruiting events, one with Auburn University and another with The University of Alabama. Both of these events were FREE for Chamber members. We partnered with both colleges’ career services counselors to advertise these to engineering and business students. The Auburn event was on May 5, and the Alabama event was on May 7. We kicked off the Zoom webinar with our Top 10 Reasons to Move to Huntsville presentation, then the companies had the opportunity to pitch their company to students. More than 16

local companies attended these events and talked with students about jobs they are hiring for, and why their company would be a great place to work. After both events, we emailed an information sheet to students with information about the participating companies, direct HR contacts, and positions the companies have listed. It was on the students to reach out to employers who interested them. We are looking at doing some more of these virtual recruiting events this summer. Make sure you are signed up for Chamber communications to stay in the know! We share this information in our e-newsletters, on hsvchamber.org, asmartplace.com, and on social media. Our other virtual event was the Chamber Foundation’s Senior Sprint Career Fair, held May 13-15. Nearly 30 percent of high school seniors do not have plans after graduation. The Senior Sprint Career Fair helps connect these students with employers who are ready to hire and colleges that can help them set a successful career path. The Chamber Foundation partnered with Huntsville City Schools, Madison County Schools, Madison City Schools, the local Alabama Career Center, Drake State Community and Technical College, Calhoun Community College, and local companies to help students create resumés, get job interviews, apply for student financial aid, and enroll in post-secondary education and training. All employers who participated in this event were required to be willing to train, hire, and provide clear occupational pathways for graduating seniors. So how did this event work for employers and high school seniors? Each employer built a “virtual booth” that contained a company introduction video, interview questions, company description, and job postings, plus a way for students to share their information with the employer. For students, they were able to explore these “virtual booths” and learn more about local companies, educational institutions, and other post-graduation opportunities. These virtual booths allowed these students to see if they would be a good match for that employer and the jobs they were hiring for. We continue to work with local employers and educational institutions to connect these students to career opportunities and career pathways. Stay tuned for future events! ■ Katelyn Sides Baker Workforce Recruitment Director Economic Development, Workforce & Education

initiatives jun 2020

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Not the First Time COVID-19 isn’t the area’s first pandemic

s uncertain and restrictive as things may seem now, our community has actually been through this before during the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918. In 1918, north Alabama was a vastly different place. Rather than rockets and breweries, there were streetcars and cotton mills. Huntsville Hospital was located in a 12-bedroom home, and many medical personnel were off serving their country as World War I was coming to a close. The first case of the Spanish Influenza hit the United States in March of 1918, but Alabama was not Huntsville Hospital was located in this hit until the second house from 1904-1926. It once belonged wave, when a case to our city’s colorful madam, Mollie Teal. showed up in Madison County on September 28. One week later, Madison County had more than 1,100 cases. By October 9, that number jumped to over 3,000, which was six percent of the population at the time. On October 7, the governor implemented a shutdown that included schools, churches, and theaters. Only “war essential” businesses were allowed to remain open, assuming they had enough healthy workers. Many doctors, pharmacists, postal workers, telephone operators, power company workers, and grave diggers fell ill, leaving holes in many industries. Gas was rationed, and driving was even forbidden on Sundays in Huntsville unless you had a permit. Gas plants eventually shut down, leaving people without heat. The West Huntsville YMCA was turned into a temporary hospital, and stores ran out of Vicks® VapoRub™. People were told to wash their hands and wear masks, just as we’re hearing now. As cases soared, all but one of the city’s doctors, druggists, and prescription clerks fell ill, and they had to reach out to Montgomery for help. Families eventually had to leave their deceased loved ones on their porches to be picked up and buried without a funeral. During the last two weeks of October, more than 37,000 cases were reported in the state. After that, the state stopped disclosing numbers. There is no certainty as to the number of cases or deaths reached, but 400 people died in Huntsville in less than four months. In 1919, the pandemic finally left Alabama, and our community was finally able to recover, albeit with some scars. If you’ve not yet taken a tour of Maple Hill Cemetery, you’ll learn more about this time in our history, as well as some ghost tales. Surviving a pandemic is literally in our history – we have done it before, and we will do it again. Just make sure to wash your hands and wear your mask!

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■ Amberly Kimbrough Government & Public Affairs Events Coordinator A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

jun 2020 initiatives

Here is a list of Contenders for this year’s Best Places To Work® Awards. We are working on a plan to virtually celebrate with you soon. We offer a special thank you to our sponsors – we truly appreciate your support.

2020 BEST PLACES TO WORK® SPONSORS PRESENTING

SILVER LEVEL i3 – Integration Innovation, Inc. Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI) Radiance Technologies, Inc. ■ Torch Technologies

GOLD LEVEL Five Stones Research Corporation PeopleTec, Inc. Trideum Corporation

BRONZE LEVEL Fernandez Financial Group ■ Hill Technical Solutions, Inc. Invariant Corporation ■ IronMountain Solutions ■ QTEC Aerospace Simulation Technologies, Inc. (SimTech) ■ Verity Integrated Systems

2020 BEST PLACES TO WORK® CONTENDERS Micro (10–24 employees) Aleta Technologies, Inc. ■ Applied Technologies Group, Inc. ■ Boecore, Inc. ■ COPT ■ Cortina Solutions, LLC Croy Engineering ■ Flint River Dental ■ H2L Solutions, Inc. ■ Mb Solutions ■ Mission Multiplier Consulting New Beginnings Family Law, P.C. ■ On-Line Applications Research (OAR) Corporation ■ Phased n Research, Inc. Practical Energetics Research, LLC ■ Redstone Government Consulting, Inc. ■ Resolution, LLC River Tree Insurance Services, Inc. ■ Roto-Rooter ■ Seabrook Solutions, LLC ■ Still Serving Veterans Stratagem Solutions, Incorporated ■ TVA Huntsville Customer Service Center ■ Women4Women OBGYN

Small (25–50 employees) Archarithms, Inc. ■ Crossflow Technologies, Inc. ■ Davidson Homes, LLC ■ EOS Defense Systems USA, Inc. Good Samaritan Hospice of Madison ■ Huntsville-Madison County Senior Center ■ Invariant Corporation ■ JHNA KBM Enterprises, Inc. ■ KODA Technologies, Inc. ■ MartinFederal Consulting, LLC ■ Matt Curtis Real Estate, Inc. Mission Driven Research ■ MTA, Inc. ■ Nesin Therapy Services, P.C. ■ Noetic Strategies, Inc. ■ PPT Solutions, Inc. Reliant Technologies, Inc. ■ Sentar Corporation ■ Signalink, Inc. ■ Verity Integrated Systems, Inc.

Medium (51–100 employees) Brockwell Technologies Inc. ■ Canvas, Inc. ■ Cepeda Systems and Software Analysis, Inc. ■ Conditioned Air Solutions deciBel Research, Inc. ■ Geocent ■ Hill Technical Solutions, Inc. ■ Ignite, Inc. ■ LINE-X, LLC ■ MDW Associates Monte Sano Research Corporation ■ QTEC Aerospace ■ Thompson Gray, Inc. ■ Trideum Corporation TriVector Services Inc. ■ Troy 7, Inc. ■ Willbrook Solutions, Inc.

Large (101–250 employees) AEgis Technologies Group ■ Avion Solutions ■ Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. ■ HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology IERUS Technologies ■ Intrepid ■ IronMountain Solutions, Inc. ■ Leonardo DRS Manufacturing Technical Solutions, Inc. (MTS) ■ MITRE Corporation ■ nLogic, LLC ■ nou Systems, Inc. ■ S3, Inc. SEA Wire and Cable ■ Simulation Technologies, Inc. (SimTech) ■ Technology Service Corporation Trident Technologies ■ Turner Construction Company ■ Woody Anderson Ford

Extra Large (251+ employees) Five Stones Research Corporation ■ Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3) Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation ■ Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI) ■ PeopleTec, Inc. The Orthopaedic Center ■ Torch Technologies ■ Yulista Holding, LLC 28

initiatives jun 2020

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Population

Madison City of City of Huntsville County Huntsville Madison Metro Area

2010 Census

334,811

180,105 42,938

417,593

2018 Census est.

366,519

199,808 50,440

462,693

% Growth

9.5%

10.9%

17.58%

10.8%

COMMUNITY PROFILE Top Ten Employers: Huntsville & Madison County Redstone Arsenal* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,000* Huntsville Hospital System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,352

Households & Income

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,000

# of Households

152,723

Avg. Household Income Per Capita Income

17,530

185,056

Huntsville City Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000

$85,717

$79,715 $115,779

$84,048

The Boeing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,900

$35,822

$34,089 $43,917

$34,224

SAIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,746

As of May 2020

84,848

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov), 2018 American Community Survey Estimates

Dynetics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,551 Madison County Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,389 City of Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,206 ADTRAN, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,925 Source: Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

*includes on-site contractors

Aerospace & Defense Huntsville/Madison County is home to the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center which combine to drive a thriving aerospace and defense technology industry. More than 44,000 people work at Redstone Arsenal and NASA, managing some of the country’s most important and sophisticated technology programs including missiles, aviation, and space exploration.

Research & Technology For more information, visit:

hsvchamber.org

Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park has earned a reputation as a global leader in technology development. The second-largest science and technology research park in the U.S., Cummings Research Park is home to nearly 300 companies and 26,500 people involved in technology research and development.

WHERE THE FUTURE WORKS redstonegateway.com

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

jun 2020 initiatives

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

STA FF Executive Staff

Chip Cherry, CCE, president & CEO Meghan Chambliss, executive assistant

Economic Development, Industry Relations & Workforce Lucia Cape, CCE, senior vice president Erin Koshut, executive director, Cummings Research Park Katelyn Sides Baker, workforce recruitment director Lydia Pennington, industry relations director John Roberts, economic development project director Ken Smith, research & information services director Julia Kaye, marketing & events coordinator

Government & Public Affairs Mike Ward, CCE, senior vice president Amberly Kimbrough, events coordinator

Marketing & Communications

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Claire Aiello, vice president Kristi Sherrard, graphic designer Hiroko Sedensky, web designer

Small Business & Events Pammie Jimmar, IOM, vice president

Finance & Administration Mary McNairy, vice president Kim Weeks, accounting specialist – receivables Joe Watson, facilities supervisor Sarah Blackmon, administrative coordinator Tiffany Boyd, resource desk coordinator

Investor Relations Amber Greenwood, vice president Kristy Drake, director, HREGI & ChamberON Donna McCrary, retention manager Richard Bigoney, account executive Tina Blankenship, account executive

Chamber Foundation Kent Ballard, Jr., workforce education specialist

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber 225 Church Street NW, Huntsville, AL 35801 phone 256-535-2000 | fax 256-535-2015

HSVchamber.org

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2905 Westcorp Blvd SW | Suite 211-L | Huntsville, AL Integrity. Always. Since 2006.

initiatives jun 2020

theschoolsfoundation.org uah.edu/sbdc A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

AS OF MAY 14, 2020

to our current sponsors for your support of these 2020 events. We hope to announce updates soon on virtual options for some or all of these events.

ALABAMA UPDATE SPONSORS

ARMED FORCES CELEBRATION SPONSORS PRESENTING:

PRESENTING:

GOLD Facebook Data Center ■ Lockheed Martin Corporation

PLATINUM BRPH Architects-Engineers, Inc. Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC ■ Port of Huntsville

SILVER AC Manufacturing ■ Davidson Technologies ■ Deloitte LLP BRONZE

GOLD Aerojet Rocketdyne ■ The Boeing Company HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Reed Contracting Services SILVER Aviagen, Inc. ■ Calhoun Community College Dynetics, Inc. ■ Hiley Mazda Volkswagen Audi Huntsville Intrepid ■ IronMountain Solutions J.F. Drake State Community & Technical College Lockheed Martin Corporation ■ Teledyne Brown Engineering Torch Technologies ■ U.S. Space & Rocket Center

Avion Solutions ■ General Atomics Electromagnetics ■ i3 Ignite, Inc. ■ PARSONS ■ Radiance Technologies, Inc. Redstone Federal Credit Union ■ U.S. Space & Rocket Center Women in Defense – Tennessee Valley Chapter ■ Yulista

CONCERT IN THE PARK & FIREWORKS: Presenting Sponsor: Lockheed Martin Corporation Gold Sponsor: Facebook Data Center

SPONSORS FOR THE WASHINGTON UPDATE FEATURING SENATOR JONES

BRONZE

SILVER

ADTRAN, Inc. ■ Alabama A&M University ■ Bell Textron, Inc. COPT ■ Crestwood Medical Center ■ Deloitte, LLP Huntsville Hospital System ■ Northrop Grumman Corporation PARSONS ■ Raytheon Technologies Redstone Federal Credit Union ■ Regions Bank Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc. University of Alabama in Huntsville ■ Von Braun Center

Avion Solutions ■ Calhoun Community College Davidson Technologies ■ General Atomics Electromagnetics Lockheed Martin Corporation ■ Radiance Technologies, Inc.

NETWORKING PRESENTING:

BRONZE ADTRAN, Inc. ■ PARSONS ■ Redstone Federal Credit Union Torch Technologies ■ Von Braun Center

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES PRESENTING: GOLD: Better Business Bureau of North Alabama, Sady Zayas-Visser Agency - Farmers Insurance

GOLD

SILVER: Quadrus Corporation, Rocket City HR Consulting

Sady Zayas-Visser Agency - Farmers Insurance

Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

BRONZE: Athens State University,

C-SUITE SERIES PRESENTING:

SILVER BB&T ■ Comcast Business PALCO ■ Quadrus Corporation Red Sage Communications, Inc. Sady Zayas-Visser Agency Farmers Insurance

jun 2020 initiatives

10k

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when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days1 ($150 value!)

No Annual Fee2 | Competitive Rates | Unlimited Rewards

REDSTONE’S VISA SIGNATURE

Apply in online banking today.

800-234-1234 | redfcu.org Must be a Redstone Federal Credit Union (RFCU ) member to obtain a loan. Must be eligible for membership and open a share savings account to join RFCU. $5 minimum balance is required to open a share savings account and must be maintained in share savings account at all times. All annual percentage rates (APRs) are based on creditworthiness at account opening. Variable APRs vary with U.S. Prime Rate. Rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. RFCU is an Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. Must have online banking and PIN/password to access online application. ®

You will receive 10,000 MyChoice Rewards bonus points when you spend $3,000. To qualify and receive the bonus MyChoice Rewards points, you must charge the qualifying amount or more in purchases (minus returns, credits, and adjustments) within the first 90 days from account opening (promotional period), using your Redstone Visa Signature credit card. The bonus MyChoice Rewards points do not apply to balance transfers, credit card checks, or overdrafts. Your Redstone Visa Signature credit card must be open and in good standing at the time of bonus MyChoice Rewards points fulfillment. Allow 45 days after promotional period has ended for bonus MyChoice Rewards points to post to your account. Visit www.redfcu.org/personal/credits-cards/visa-signature/ for more information about how to earn points through the MyChoice rewards Program. For existing cardholders, log in to online banking for terms and conditions of MyChoice Rewards program.

As of May 1, 2020, the annual percentage rates (APR) for variable rate products are as low as 8.00% – 11.50% (Visa Signature). Variable APRs will vary with the U.S. Prime Rate. Rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. RFCU is an Equal Credit Opportunity Lender.

Must have online banking and PIN/password to access online application. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Services Association. ®

This credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.