Initiatives - October 2022

REVITALIZATION,

by

Focused On You

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Contact: Frank M. Caprio, Esq., 256.517.5142, fcaprio@bradley.com, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, 200 Clinton Avenue West, Suite 900, Huntsville, AL 35801. ©2021

new chamber members

HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

Joined in July

A New Leash On Life Alabama Education Association (AEA) Alabama Vision Center

Apex Systems

Ardent Preschool and Daycare AUVSI Pathfinder

Blankenship & Seay Consulting Group CA South Charlotte Christian Law, PC City of Owens Cross Roads Divrgence Entertainment, LLC

Edison at Madison European Wax Center Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers

Harmon Scrap Metal Insurity Benefits Group Juxtum, Inc.

La Esquina Cocina Momentum

National Children’s Advocacy Center Ngenius, LLC

Rocket City Digital, LLC Southern Scape, LLC Sparks Healthcare Clinic StoreEase Madison Inc.

The Views at Chase Creek Velox, LLC

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Xerox Business Solutions Southeast LLC

X-Golf Huntsville

Become a Chamber Member

In addition to investing in the economic growth of the entire region, as a Chamber member, you receive a variety of important benefits:

■ Build business relationships, create partnerships, and grow your business

■ Listing in the online Membership Directory

■ Specially designed professional development programs to grow your talent and strengthen your business

■ Brand exposure through the Chamber’s multimedia platforms to fellow member companies and the region’s business community

■ Priority communications to keep you updated on the latest business news and information impacting your business

If you want to make a valuable investment in your business and the community, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber is the place to start. Contact Crystal Baker, Membership Retention Specialist: 256-535-2039 or cbaker@hsvchamber.org.

Joined in August

A & A Corporate Housing, LLC Amerigo Italian Restaurant Bricks and Minifigs Huntsville Caliola Club Mindful Huntsville Constellation

Cummings Aerospace, Inc. Entirely Well ExoAnalytic Solutions

Global Technical Systems Horizons Global Solutions, LLC Lambert Relocation Inc.

Lighthouse Services

My Business Streamlined Parlor Doughnuts RE/MAX Unlimited

Realtor for Life Inc-Jeanne Allen/Legend Realty

Red Clay Real Estate Academy Red Clay Realty Regalo, Inc.

stayAPT Suites Huntsville Summit Technical Solutions, LLC TeamLogic IT Teriyaki Madness

The Kroger Co.

The Watts at Hampton Cove

Tina Blankenship, Realtor - eXp Realty, LLC Northern Branch Tish Hardric & Associates, LLC

T-Mobile Whitesburg

TRAC-M

University of North Alabama Vision Excellence Company

We Rock the Spectrum Huntsville Western Governors University Your CBD Store

MEMBERS: Check out getyourgifton.org to support gift card purchases through our local restaurants and retail stores. It is FREE to list your business there.

hregi investors

HUNTSVILLE REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH INITIATIVE

AS

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

SEPTEMBER

2022

Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) ■ Crestwood Medical Center Dynetics, Inc. ■ Lockheed Martin Corporation

PNC Bank ■ Raytheon Technologies ■ SAIC

Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. ■ Torch Technologies ■ Yulista

CHAMBER TRUSTEES

Akima, LLC ■ Bill Penney Toyota/Mitsubishi

Five Stones Research Corporation ■ Intrepid ■ Jerry Damson Honda Acura KBR ■ Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C. ■ Parsons ■ S3, Inc.

Science and Engineering Services, LLC (SES) ■ Sealy Management Company, Inc.

SportsMED Orthopaedic Surgery & Spine Center ■ Synovus

PROGRESS PARTNERS

Ability Plus, Inc. ■ Aerojet Rocketdyne ■ Amazon ■ Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. ■ ASRC Federal ■ B.L. Harbert International, LLC ■ Baron Weather, Inc. ■ BASF Corporation ■ Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

■ Brown Precision, Inc. ■ Beyond Gravity ■ CFD Research Corporation ■ Colliers International ■ Corporate Tax Advisors Inc. ■ Davidson ■ First Horizon ■ Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC ■ Goodwyn Mills Cawood, LLC ■ Huntsville Botanical Garden ■ Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc. ■ Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3) ■ IronMountain Solutions ■ Keel Point, LLC ■ Leonardo Electronics US Inc. ■ LSINC Corporation

■ Marsh & McLennan Agency, locally known as J. Smith Lanier & Co. ■ The Orthopaedic Center (TOC) ■

Progress Bank ■ Radiance Technologies, Inc. ■ RE/MAX Alliance ■ Robins & Morton ■ ServisFirst Bank ■ SMX ■ SouthState Bank ■ Steak-Out (Rosie’s Restaurants, Inc., & Right Way Restaurants, Inc.) ■ Truist Bank

■ Venturi, LLC ■ Woody Anderson Ford

PROGRESS INVESTORS

Accenture Federal Services ■ Air Essentials, Inc. ■ Alpha Beta Technologies, Inc. ■ Amanda Howard | Sotheby’s International Realty ■ Avion Solutions ■ Averbuch Realty / Enterprises ■ Bailey-Harris Construction ■ Bell Textron Inc. ■ BRPH Architects-Engineers, Inc. ■ Bryant Bank ■ Cadence Bank ■ Canvas, Inc. ■ CB&S Bank ■ Century Automotive ■ CGI Federal ■ Coast Personnel Services ■ Corvid Technologies LLC ■ deciBel Research ■ Deloitte ■ DESE Research, Inc. ■ Express Employment Professionals ■ FITE Building Company ■ FLS Translation & Interpreting ■ Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates, LLC ■ Garver, LLC ■ GTEC, LLC ■ Hexagon US Federal ■ HEMSI ■ Hiley Automotive Group ■ Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau ■ INTERFUZE Corporation ■ Investor’s Resource ■ L3Harris ■ The Lioce Group, Inc. ■ MSB Analytics, Inc. ■ nLogic, LLC ■ PALCO ■ PHOENIX ■ PROJECTXYZ, Inc. ■ QTEC Aerospace ■ Quadrus Corporation ■ Renasant Bank ■ RJ Young Company ■ Rosenblum Realty, Inc. ■ Schoel Engineering Company, Inc. ■ Sigmatech, Inc. ■ Signalink, Inc. ■ Snelling ■ Systems Products and Solutions, Inc. ■ Transcend, The Fearless Company ■ TriVector Services, Inc. ■ Troy 7, Inc. ■ TTL, Inc. ■ ValleyMLS.com ■ Valor Communities ■ Van Valkenburgh & Wilkinson Properties, Inc. ■ Volkert, Inc. ■ Warren Averett, LLC ■ Wilmer & Lee, P.A.

For more information, contact Kristy Drake, Vice President, Investor Relations: 256-535-2036 or kdrake@hsvchamber.org

ALWAYS looking FORWARD

For 75 years Bank Independent’s team of professionals have been putting their experience to work to serve you, your business, and your banking needs. We have earned the trust of our neighbors by investing locally, in our technology, our team members, and local organizations. You can rely on our experience to provide steady financial strength and knowledgeable guidance for years to come.

table of contents

INITIATIVES MAGAZINE – OCT 2022

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

HSVchamber.org

(see staff listing on page 38)

Chamber members: You are encouraged to contribute ideas for our publications. Please send items to comms@hsvchamber.org

The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber maintains editorial control.

COVER STORY: CRP EAST REVITALIZATION

pages 20-27

Several developments underway during CRP’s 60th anniversary year

on the cover

Aerial view of CRP East

Drone photo by Aaron Brazelton

editorial staff

publisher Chip Cherry, CCE

editor Claire Aiello

editorial designer Kristi Sherrard

contributing writers

Kayla Brown Annie Davis advertising

Kristy Drake kdrake@hsvchamber.org

HUNTSVILLE

MADISON COUNTY ALABAMA

Military, space, telecommunications, biotechnol ogy, diversified manufacturing, and a variety of emerging specialties provide challenging work in delightful surroundings. The area enjoys a favorable cost of living and quality of life. Moun tains, lakes, woodlands, and the Tennessee River accommodate numerous recreational activities. A temperate climate enhances the season for outdoor sports, including world-class golf, hiking, biking, and fishing. Major concerts, Broadway and symphony performances, extensive permanent collections, and traveling exhibitions contribute to a wonderful way of life.

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, Inc. 225 Church St NW, Huntsville, AL 35801 • 256-535-2000

feature stories

11 WASHINGTON UPDATE RECAP | Sen. Richard Shelby at the Davidson Center

12 WELCOME ABOARD | Meet Matthew Banks, Crestwood Medical Center’s new CEO

14 BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE | HCS, City announce new Central Office & Career Tech Academy plans

15 SKILLED TRADES | Local schools join Modern Manufacturing Program

16 COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

18 CELEBRATING A LEGACY | CFD Research honors company founder with new laboratories, endowed chair

30 BEST PLACES TO WORK® RECAP | Celebrating the 2022 winners & Hall of Fame inductees

35

36

ELECTION UPDATE | Municipal race winners, plus what to expect in November

SBA WINNER SPOTLIGHTS | Aetos Systems, nou Systems, and Mission Multiplier’s Jamie Miller

more for you

4 NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS | BECOMING A MEMBER | GET YOUR GIFT ON

5 HREGI INVESTORS

8 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT | BOARD LISTING

14 ARE YOU RECEIVING OUR CHAMBER EMAILS?

19 COMMUNITY PROFILE

22 CRP FAMILY FUN DAY event information

27 SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS GALA information

29 HREGI PROFILE: SMX with Charles Hawkins

38 CHAMBER STAFF | ASSOCIATED ORGS

a message from chip cherry

HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

Dear Chamber Investors, Community Leaders, and Friends:

The ability to evaluate, formulate and execute are hallmarks of effective leadership in both organizations and people. It’s interesting that failures in these areas become headline news, while effective implementation is often taken for granted.

Given recent headlines related to the failure to provide drinking water and issues with other utility infrastructure, we should celebrate some of the things we take for granted. Most of us don’t give clean drinking water, reliable electricity, or the handling of wastewater a second thought. These critical pieces of infrastructure require men and women – elected, appointed, and employed – to plan for our future needs, anticipate challenges, and ensure a future where we have what we need before we need it. Thank you to the leadership and staff at the City of Huntsville, Huntsville Utilities, TVA, and others who provide those critical services that we all need. You are appreciated!

For Huntsville to evolve from a community whose economy was focused on agriculture to a community that could accommodate the needs of the space race was a quantum leap. A significant aspect of that leap was establishing Cummings Research Park. The vision for CRP was to create an area where the private sector could support the efforts that were taking place on Redstone – a unique environment where research, prototyping, and production would take place. As we celebrate the 60th Anniversary of CRP, it is a good time to reflect on the impact the park has had on our community and the redevelopments that are taking place that will ensure it remains a key component of our economic vitality for decades to come.

I am a huge fan of small business. I have shared in previous letters that my grandfathers were small business owners and my father started one when I was 12 years old. My father-in-law started a medical practice when he retired from the Navy, and my son started a small business a few years ago. I have seen firsthand the long hours, the stress over making payroll, and the reality that being responsible for everything means you must do everything from sales to cleaning. I remember the stress of my parents having the hard discussions about taking equity out of the house to provide working capital for the company, and my dad forgoing a paycheck so he could give his employees a Christmas bonus. Our small business owners are a key part of the fabric of our community, and we are blessed to have them. I look forward to celebrating the contenders for the Small Business Awards and the winners on November 1. However, in my eyes you are all winners!

I look forward to seeing you at a Chamber event soon.

Committee

Executive Committee

Board

Greg Brown, Board Chair – Brown Precision, Inc.

Lynn Troy, Chair-elect – Troy 7, Inc.

Directors

Chip Cherry, CCE President & CEO

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

Jeff Gronberg, Immediate Past Chair – deciBel Research, Inc.

Ron Poteat, President, Chamber Foundation – Regions Bank

Jeff Samz, Secretary/Treasurer – Huntsville Hospital

Michelle Jordan, Vice Chair, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – TARCOG

Sameer Singhal, Vice Chair, Economic Development & Workforce –CFD Research Corporation

Ronnie Chronister, Vice Chair, Government & Public Affairs –Dynetics, Inc.

Dr. Karockas Watkins, Vice Chair, HREGI – Ability Plus, Inc.

Blake Bentley, Vice Chair, Investor Relations – SportsMED

Jim Rogers, Vice Chair, Marketing & Communications – Lockheed Martin

Joe Ritch, Vice Chair, Redstone Regional Alliance – Dentons Sirote PC

Jami Peyton, Vice Chair, Small Business – Canvas, Inc.

Sean Kelly, Chair-Appointed – Regions Bank

Jason Puckett, Chair-Appointed – Toyota Alabama

Frank Williams, Chair-Appointed –Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

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 Co. Commission

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

Elected board

Ted Baudendistel, INTERFUZE Corporation

David Bier, Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C.

Penny Billings, Cadence Bank

G.W. Boon, Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI)

Thomas Busby, SouthState Bank

Katie Comer, Meta Platforms, Inc.

Brett Crain, Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc.

Dr. Patti Dare, Davidson

Melissa Davis, MTA, Inc.

Kevin Fernandez, L2 Mindset

Greg Fortier, SAIC

Owen Franklin, Blue Summit Supplies

Greg Gaddy, Five Stones Research Corporation

Scott Hall, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.

Ginger Harper, First Horizon

Josh Herren, Yulista

Tharon Honeycutt, MSB Analytics, Inc.

Laura Huckabee-Jennings, Transcend, The Fearless Company

Lincoln Hudson, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.

Tyce Hudson, Freedom Real Estate and Capital, LLC

Hank Isenberg, IronMountain Solutions

Clint Kirkland, Progress Bank

Rich Kretzschmar, Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3)

James Lackey, Parsons

Todd May, KBR

Bob McCaleb, Northrop Grumman Corporation

Chrystal Morgan, The Boeing Company

Craig Naudain, The Naudain Group, LLC

Nadia Niakossary, RCP Companies

Alana Parker, Rocket City Drywall & Supply, Inc.

Meredith Payne, Caliola

Zack Penney, Bill Penney Toyota/Mitsubishi

Chris Russell, Linscomb & Williams

Alicia Ryan, LSINC Corporation

Beth Sippel, Synovus

Wayne Sisco, Redstone Federal Credit Union

Tom Stanton, Adtran, Inc.

Sandra Stephens, Keel Point, LLC

Mitch Stevison, Mercury Systems, Inc.

Nilmini Thompson, Systems Products and Solutions, Inc.

Mark Vaporis, Intrepid

Mike Watkins, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

John Watson, Torch Technologies

Minutes still matter in an emergency

Don’t delay health care.

Chest pain, severe abdominal pain, headache, high fever and other symptoms often need fast medical care, so please don’t delay getting care in an emergency. With screening for everyone, enhanced cleaning, masking and social distancing, we are taking extra precautions to help keep our emergency rooms safe – and ready to care for you.

Chest pain, severe abdominal pain, headache, high fever and other symptoms often need fast medical care, so please don’t delay getting care in an emergency. With screening for everyone, enhanced cleaning, masking and social distancing, we are taking extra precautions to help keep our emergency rooms safe – and ready to care for you.

Learn more at CrestwoodMedCenter.com or call 911 in an emergency.

Learn more at CrestwoodMedCenter.com or call 911 in an emergency.

Washington Update with Senator Shelby

September 19, 2022

Sen. Richard Shelby is concluding more than four decades of service in Congress, including 36 of those years in the U.S. Senate. He has arguably brought more to Alabama, and especially to Huntsville, than any previous member of Congress.

We were pleased to host the 2022 Washington Update Breakfast with him on September 19 at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. It is an appropriate venue, as Sen. Shelby has been a staunch advocate for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center’s role in space science, launch vehicle development, and deep space exploration. He has also been a key proponent of our nation’s military strength, including a large number of programs located in Alabama and at Redstone Arsenal. In recent years, Sen. Shelby has been the compelling force behind the move to locate a significant FBI presence at Redstone.

Sen. Shelby addressed a crowd of 900 on his thoughts as he winds down his service in Washington. At the end of the pro gram, Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, and Madison Mayor Paul Finley presented him with a proclamation declaring September 19 as “Richard Shelby Day.”

PHOTOS BY HIROKO SEDENSKY

Welcome Aboard

Meet Matthew Banks, Crestwood Medical Center’s new CEO

Matthew Banks is the new Chief Executive Officer of Crestwood Medical Center. He has been on the job for about two months, and says he is really impressed with what he’s found in our community.

“I’ve been blown away,” said Banks. “Here at the hospital, the people have been extremely gracious and welcoming to me and my family. The community, Huntsville as a whole has embraced us. Our neighborhood even had a little get-together to welcome us to the community.”

Banks moved to the Rocket City from Hattiesburg, Miss., where he served as CEO at Merit Health Wesley, a 211-bed acute care facil ity. He was also CEO at Davis Regional Medical Center in Statesville, NC; chief operating officer at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center in Mooresville, NC; and chief operating/nursing officer and Interim CEO at Stringfellow Memorial Hospital in Anniston, Ala.

Banks’ career path to administration was through the clinical route. He started as an emergency room technician the week he turned 18.

“You always go into it with the sense of how can you help some body. I’ve always been interested in the clinical side, the medical side, from that niche,” said Banks. “Early on, I didn’t know I would be a hospital CEO, but leadership was one thing that was important to me, and I think I’ve always had a lot of success focusing on patient out comes. When you’re outcome-driven, everything seems to fall in line for you in an organization.”

Banks earned his Bachelor of Science in nursing, Bachelor of Sci ence in psychology, and Master of Science in nursing with a concen tration in health services administration from the University of Ala bama in Birmingham. He also earned an associate degree in nursing from Troy University.

He said this career pathway still shapes his thinking now that he is in administration. As he makes plans for the future, he noted that he is very impressed with Crestwood’s team.

“I am so thankful for them, and the commitment they make ev ery day is really important to me. They’re the heroes,” said Banks. “Organizationally, the community is growing by leaps and bounds. We’re so fortunate for that. We want to make sure we’re prepared to meet the community’s needs from that growth standpoint, so we need to have convenient options and locations for people who want to choose Crestwood Medical Center, to be easily accessible to them.”

In addition to the hospital, Crestwood has 20 primary care physi cians in network and three urgent care clinics, with a fourth coming online soon.

Matthew Banks

CEO, Crestwood Medical Center

Banks said he also plans to continue the hospital’s legacy of being community-minded. Just last year, Crestwood put $13 million back in the community.

Recruiting and Workforce Development

Banks said Crestwood is actively hiring, and the hospital has added some nice incentives to develop their current and future workforce.

“Registered nurses who come to us with student loan debt – we can help them with a better interest rate, and we’ll pay for up to $20,000 of that student loan debt through a monthly payment schedule. We also help them continue their education. They’re eligible for up to $5,000 per year in tuition reimbursement, say for a two-year nurse who wants to continue on and get a four-year degree.”

Doctors also have opportunities for student loan repayment and medical education stipends. In addition, through the Pathways pro grams, Crestwood offers financial assistance to all employees with many qualifying for substantial monthly payments towards student loan debt.

Crestwood has partnerships with nursing schools, including Ath ens State, Calhoun, Drake State, UAB, and UAH. Banks is also looking at starting in-house apprenticeship programs for certified nursing as sistants and scrub technicians.

The outreach stretches into local high schools as well. Crestwood is active with Huntsville City Schools, Madison City Schools, Madi son County Schools, and Madison Academy, welcoming students to shadow as part of their curriculum.

“It’s important to get that level of exposure on the front end to help plant that seed,” said Banks. “Those are programs we’re extremely supportive of, to get that pipeline going early.”

Family Man

Banks smiled and said the real CEO is Susan, his wife of 16 years. “She is my best friend and the person I’m most proud of. She uncondi tionally supports me so I can do this,” said Banks. They have two daughters, Allie, age 13, and Mat tie, age 8, who attend Mountain Gap School. They are a close-knit family and like to travel when possible, and they also watch the same TV shows. “We watch base ball together if I want to watch a baseball game, and if they want to watch Big Brother, we watch Big Brother,” he joked.

Banks said the family also en joys doing community service work together. “We have been so incredibly blessed as a family, and we like to find ways to make a difference in someone else’s life.”

–Claire Aiello

Business getting momentum? Get more of it.

Wherever your potential awaits, move towards it with a bank you trust.

Bank, Member

Building a Better Future

HCS, City announce new Central Office & Career Tech Academy plans

Huntsville City Schools and the City of Huntsville made an exciting announcement on September 2 that will bring new opportunities for students and the community.

It involves a new central office and career & technical education academy to be built on property at the intersection of North Memori al Parkway and Max Luther Drive. The Huntsville City Council unan imously approved an agreement to donate approximately 14 acres of property to the school system for this purpose. We should see con struction begin within the next year, and the new facility should be in use by the fall of 2025.

“We are grateful, and we are committed to being good stewards of this gift which will ultimately benefit 23,000 students and this com munity,” said HCS Superintendent Christie Finley. “At this new cen ter, we will be able to increase student participation, increase partner ships, expand program opportunities, and ultimately help build our workforce here in Huntsville.”

HCS has about 20 career tech programs which cover a variety of fields, and more than 5,000 students are enrolled in these classes.

“From the research labs at HudsonAlpha to the production lines

at Toyota, preparing today’s students to meet the challenges of to morrow is critical to our success,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “We’re excited to donate this property because strong adminis trative leadership, combined with a world-class career tech program, will produce positive impacts far beyond Max Luther Drive. No mat ter where these young men and women launch their careers, they can proudly say they are the products of Huntsville City Schools.”

Building Huntsville and North Alabama for

years

Are you receiving our Chamber emails?

We update you frequently on Huntsville-area business headlines and upcoming Chamber events, and we want to make sure you’re receiving our communications.

These include the Mash-Up newsletter, sent every Monday, and our Member Connection, which is sent on the first and third Fridays. We also send other updates to notify you about upcoming events, such as our luncheons with government leaders, Best Places to Work® and Small Business Awards, networking opportunities, and more.

If you aren’t receiving our emails, please have your IT team add our domain, hsvchamber.org, to your company’s spam filter’s ‘allow’ list.

That should clear things up, but if it doesn’t, please email comms@hsvchamber.org, and we’ll be happy to troubleshoot further.

Skilled Trades

Local schools join Modern Manufacturing Program

Four north Alabama high schools and career tech centers are now participating in the newly-launched Modern Manufacturing Pro gram through a partnership with North Alabama Works and local leaders in the manufacturing industry. Students at Guntersville High School, Hartselle High School, Limestone County Career Technical Center, and Madison County Career Technical Center will receive hands-on training aligned to manufacturing industry standards, pre paring them for direct entry into the work force or post-secondary learning.

As one of the fastest-growing industries in the state, manufacturing is proving to of fer promising career paths for students after high school. Today’s manufacturers use stateof-the-art computer-driven systems and tech nology, and Modern Manufacturing students will have the opportunity to earn multiple industry skills and certifications prior to starting their careers. Upon completion of the program, these students can choose to enroll in fur ther education with an industry-led community college program, or immediately enter the workforce.

Representatives from leading manufacturers celebrated the official launch of the program at the recent August 17 announcement at the Alabama Robotics Technology Park in Tanner, Ala. Kristi Bain, assis tant director of north Alabama’s AIDT, said, “I think it’s important for every high school student to know that we’re going into a job market where you need to have multiple paths. And, whenever people look at skilled trades, skilled trades can be used at any time to make any money that’s needed.”

Current participating companies include: Mazda Toyota Man ufacturing (MTM), Lockheed Martin, Toyota Alabama, Carpenter Technology, Sonoco, Brown Precision, Kappler, Boeing, Polaris, and Cerrowire. As the Modern Manufacturing Program develops, North Alabama Works is planning for an expansion of program services and training offered in additional north Alabama schools.

– Annie Davis

community highlights

COMPILED BY KAYLA BROWN

25 Years of Business!

The team at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK surprised Joe Hollingsworth, local franchise owner, on September 1. The day marked Joe’s 25th an niversary in business in Huntsville, and the company had the Chamber help with a sur prise ribbon cutting! Joe had his very first TWO MEN AND A TRUCK move on September 1, 1997 and has since paved the way for the last 25 years.

Congratulations Joe and team, and thank you for keeping Huntsville moving!

Huntsville West Industrial Park announcement

A new joint venture in West Huntsville will be bringing new business to our community. Fairway Investments and Triad Properties have purchased land to build a two million-square-foot industrial park off Greenbriar Parkway in Limestone County. The park will have access to Interstates 65 and 565 and will be named Huntsville West Industrial Park. It will sit adjacent to Amazon, and near Polaris and Mazda Toyota Manufacturing.

New Garrison Commander installed

Colonel Brian Cozine was installed as the Garrison Com mander of Redstone Arsenal on August 4. The Garrison is responsible for the overall operations of the Arsenal, from roads to recreation. The office keeps everything running smoothly for the 40,000-plus people who work on base.

COL Cozine came to Redstone from U.S. Northern Com mand, where he served as the Joint Operations Division Chief of Future Operations in support of Homeland defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities. He takes over for COL Glenn Mellor, who oversaw the base during the height of the COVID pandemic.

LTG Walker retires after 36 years

Lieutenant General Flem B. “Donnie” Walker, Jr., deputy to the commanding general of the U.S. Army Materi el Command, retired in August after more than 36 years of federal service. He also served as the Senior Commander of Redstone Arsenal, Ala. LTG Walker is a native of Lineville, Ala. and has an extensive military history including several deployments in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II, Operation NEW DAWN, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, and Operation RESOLUTE SUPPORT. Thank you for your service, sir!

CSI Signing Day at Drake State

Constellation apartment community open

Constellation, the new luxury apartment community on Memorial Parkway next to Clinton Avenue, is open. A ribbon cutting was held in September, and at that time, about a third of the units were leased. Constellation features studio, one, two, and three bedroom spaces with various square footage options. The community also has a pool, rooftop space, dog washing station, bicycle storage, locker rooms, and work spaces. Resi dents started moving in on July 10.

Newberry receives Dixon Award from AUSA

The Association of the U.S. Army has selected Joseph Newberry, President and CEO of Redstone Federal Credit Union, to receive a national award for selfless service and dedication to the Army and its soldiers. The John W. Dixon Award for outstanding contributions to national defense will be awarded to Newberry during the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 10–12, in Washington, D.C.

“This is an amazing recognition for Redstone Federal Credit Union,’’ said Newberry. “Knowing that our roots began on Redstone Arsenal, we are proud of our legacy of commitment and service to our military and civilian communities.’’

Five advanced manufacturing companies have selected more than a dozen Drake State students to participate in the CSI (Connecting Students with Industry) Advanced Industrial Maintenance (AIM) Program. Boeing, GE Appliances, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, Toyota Alabama, and LSINC interviewed students and selected the top group who will work for the companies while pursuing a two-year technical associate degree.

“This is a program that includes our students in worked-based learning programs,” said Karen Ray, director of Drake State’s Workforce Development program. “It allows them to make a livable wage, go to school and earn a degree at the same time, and gain the skills they need to support their career after they finish the degree.”

Celebrating a Legacy

CFD Research honors company founder with new laboratories, endowed chair

On August 24, CFD Research Corporation marked the official open ing of the Dr. Ashok K. Singhal Laboratories at the company’s headquarters in Cummings Research Park. It was just over a year ago when they broke ground, and this was a beautiful tribute to the com pany’s founder who died last year.

The Singhal family had a few surprises in store – first, debuting a beautiful portrait of Dr. Singhal that will go in the new build ing. Sangeeta Singhal, his wid ow, also announced a $1 million commitment to the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) to establish the Ashok K. Singhal Endowed Chair in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.

“This gift will be used to distin guish one of our top-level faculty in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering with an endowed chair position named after Dr. Singhal,” said UAH Pres ident Dr. Chuck Karr. “As a member of the President’s Corporate and Foundation Partners, CFD Research has made a lasting contribution to UAH’s success, and we look forward to continuing to partner with

them through our collaborative efforts to help change our communi ty for the better.”

About the new laboratories

The new building represents an $8 million expansion. The 13,265-square-foot expansion increases the size of the biomedical labs by 50 percent and creates an additional seven labs to expand CFD Research’s capabil ities. The expansion is estimated to create an additional 10 jobs as well as create more in ternship pathways for young professionals.

CFD Research was founded in 1987 and has grown to employ 190 people. The com pany specializes in engineering simula tions, advanced prototypes, and innovative designs for aerospace, defense, life scienc es, materials, energy, and other industries. CFD Research is a two-time winner of the prestigious Tibbetts Award, a two-time win ner of the Army National Achievement Award for excellence in the SBIR program, several NASA awards, and a winner of the Nunn-Perry Award.

– Claire Aiello

Madison

2010 Census 334,811 180,105 42,938 417,593

Census 395,211 216,963 58,357 502,728

20.5% 35.9% 20.4%

#

Avg.

As

September 2022

96,551 20,111 205,178

$105,994 $95,849 $115,658 $103,388

$43,656 $42,232 $46,335 $41,897

Sources: U.S.

Bureau (www.census.gov),

Community Survey

Top 15 Employers: Huntsville & Madison County

U.S. Army/Redstone Arsenal* 38,000 *

Huntsville Hospital System 9,352

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center* 6,000

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA, Inc. 3,700

The Boeing Company

3,048

Hexagon 3,000

Huntsville City Schools 3,000

Dynetics, Inc. 2,946

SAIC 2,746

Madison County Schools 2,389

Northrop Grumman Corporation 2,266

City of Huntsville

2,206

University of Alabama in Huntsville 1,979

Polaris Industries 1,932

Toyota Alabama 1,800

Source: Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

*includes on-site contractors

community profile

HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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. Currently, 44,000 people work at Redstone Arsenal and NASA, managing some of the country’s most important and sophisticated technology programs.

Research & Technology

Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park (CRP) has earned a reputation as a global leader in technology development. The second-largest science and technology research park in the U.S., CRP is home to 320 companies and 26,500 people involved in technology research and development.

For more information, visit: hsvchamber.org

by Claire Aiello

We’re seeing a lot of activity in Cummings Research Park this year. While CRP West continues to develop, we’re seeing more – and new – activity happening in the older, eastern section of the Park. We’re spotlighting some of that revitalization in this cover story as CRP celebrates 60 years.

Through the Park’s 50-year master plan, many of the areas under development were identified as targets of opportunity. We are also seeing improvements the City of Huntsville has made to enhance safety and quality of life, including infrastructure changes and crosswalks, dedicated bicycle lanes, a new slip ramp from I-565 to MidCity, and new CRP entrance signs coming soon.

CRP East, continued on page 22

This map does not identify all CRP companies.

The Arcadia

At the intersection of Bradford and Wynn Drives, you’ll see construction of The Ar cadia taking shape. It is a mixed-use devel opment that is expected to take about 24 months to complete. The groundbreaking was held on September 12, and this project will include:

■ 250 multifamily units (for rent)

■ 10,935 square feet of office space (for lease) facing Wynn Drive

■ 7,025 square feet of additional com mercial retail space, restaurant or amenity service oriented at the corner of Wynn & Bradford

■ Six-story building with structured parking

Amenities for residents include community and fitness centers, a pool, electric vehicle charging stations, outdoor fire pit, bicycle racks, grill pavilion, storage, and more.

Three developers are involved: Retail Specialists, Boaz Ventures, and Bobo Development Group. They are actively marketing the com mercial and office space, and residential leasing will come soon.

“There are a lot of good things happening in CRP East, with em

ployment and growth all around. We’re right in the middle of town, and East is ripe with all of this development,” said Joey Azar of Boaz Ventures. “The things we are seeing happening are going to make it more dynamic for people to live, work, and play.”

“You can definitely see the transformation of the old East to the new East. I’m excited to be part of the changing landscape,” added James Bobo of Bobo Family Group. •

Every time you drive by MidCity, there is something new to see and experience. The world-class Orion Amphitheater is now up and run ning, with several successful concerts on the books. RCP Companies is now working on bringing more restaurants and residential offer ings to the district.

Also within the East part of CRP at MidCity is Encore, which is in the final stages of construction. It is due to open early next year and is targeting active retirees who want to enjoy an urban lifestyle with nearby music and dining. The Encore will include 244 luxury apartment homes with one, two, or three bedrooms, a wellness and exercise program, more than 11,500 square feet of complementary retail space, secure structured parking, and luxury resident services and programs.

Revitalization occurs adjacent to CRP East with the Metronome,

which is also in the final stages. This apartment community is geared for young professionals who may be moving to Huntsville from a more urban market and want to enjoy a similar lifestyle. Nadia Nia kossary, business development manager at RCP Companies, said we will soon see additional food and beverage options open on MidCity Drive. These include Blue Oak BBQ, which is based in New Orleans, and Tous les Jours, a French-Korean bakery. More announcements are planned soon.

“Music has been a big focus for the past five years, and now, we’re working on dining options,” said Niakossary. “These all factor in to quality of life offerings so people will want to move here now and in the coming years.”

•

UAH Executive Plaza

With the fall semester in full swing, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) serves about 10,000 students. UAH is actively work ing to create a “college town” experience for faculty, students, staff, and the Huntsville community; and part of this includes expanding the campus. A little background: In 2017, UAH purchased a 58-acre commercial real estate property known as Executive Plaza on Spark man Drive at University Drive in CRP East. UAH leased the office suites to local companies until 2021, and this year, worked with the City of Huntsville to demolish the buildings. The site is now cleared and ready for future development, and the school is working with the University of Alabama System office on next steps.

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UAH intends to partner with a master developer for a mixed-use plan, which would include student housing, restaurants, retail shops, entertainment venues, outdoor recreation, office space, and a hotel with a conference center that could host large UAH and civic func tions. The project would also include an elevated pedestrian and bicy cle bridge over Sparkman Drive to connect the area to the main UAH campus.

“UAH is really excited about the future redevelopment of this site. It will be a game-changer for the University and the community,” said Greg Smith, assistant vice president of Facilities & Operations.

•

CRP East, continued on page 24

STEPHEN C. SCHAAF, CPA M&D Industry Leader

RYAN D. CHAFFIN, CPA M&D Industry Member

ARTIST RENDERING

Keeping with education, head to the corner of Bradford and Wynn and you’ll find the brand new Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engi neering (ASCTE). This is the nation’s first high school to teach cyber resil iency in all disciplines, and Alabama’s third state magnet school. It is in its third year, after operating on Oakwood University’s campus for the first two years while the buildings were under construction.

“The ASCTE Foundation has worked tirelessly to ensure that our campus is something our state can be proud of. And here we are, with one of the most innovative high school campuses in the United States – serving some of Alabama’s most promising students,” said Matt Massey, president of ASCTE. “Our work here is changing the land scape of higher education and industry by producing graduates prepared both in theory and practice.”

This year, 254 students attend ASCTE, coming from 61 Alabama cities and towns. Just over 100 students live on campus in the residential building, and the remaining students commute from around the Huntsville area.

Students spend grades 9-11 on campus and then are placed in lo cal companies to intern during 12th grade. Often during the school year, they all attend sessions with subject matter experts from local companies who come and talk with them about different topics. •

OTHER CHANGES IN CRP EAST INCLUDE INDUSTRY-DRIVEN REVITALIZATION...

Northrop Grumman Corporation has a few locations in CRP, and moved some of its work to 110 Wynn Drive about a year ago. It leases the building from Triangle Capital, and between $30-50 million went in to renovating the campus. Previously, it had sat dormant for a few years.

Northrop Grumman has a growing workforce of more than 2,000 employees in Alabama who support critical national security and civil space programs, namely NASA and DoD, including the U.S. Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Program. This is the nation’s next generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system.

Triangle Capital Group has invested in several local properties re cently, including 106 Wynn Drive next door. This massive property includes a 400,000-square-foot office building plus another seven to

10 acres available for possible development. It has been vacant for a few years and recently housed some government tenants who have relocated to Redstone Arsenal.

What’s prompted this recent investment? Developer Kyle Collins said the City’s move to straighten Wynn Drive really helped move the needle.

“Once the City did that, [Wynn Drive] really became a thorough fare. Triangle believes in the development of CRP East. They’re bull ish on Huntsville,” said Collins. “We’re going to reposition the build ing and re-present it to the community.”

Collins said this includes redoing the exterior and modernizing it (as illustrated above). “Whatever we do on the interior will be tenant-driven.” He added. “Triangle only closed on it in May. We’ve had some interest. There’s been some activity.”

East,

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Marathon Robotics

Just nearby, off Gilmer Drive NW, a company named Marathon Robot ics is busy moving in. You may not have heard their name yet, but you soon will. Their team develops autonomous training robots that move – fast – and help our servicemen and women increase their lethality and marksmanship as they hit moving targets on the battlefield.

The robots are rugged and move around on rugged autonomous ground mobility platforms, over 11 miles per hour. This is much dif ferent from unrealistic stationary targets at shooting ranges. A single operator controls the movement of up to 60 robots by computer, so the shooter doesn’t know their next move. The AI-enabled robots can wheel to the left, right, or move right at you. The company’s mission is to create ‘pre-combat veterans’ – Soldiers and Marines who can en ter the chaos of a real-world firefight fully prepared.

Marathon was founded in Australia in 2008, and since 2019 the company has been based at Robotics Technology Park in Tanner, Ala. The team has used nearby shooting ranges for demonstrations.

Lockheed Martin Missile System Integration Lab

“To the best of our knowledge, we are the only commercial auton omous ground robot or vehicle in the hands of end users in the DoD,” said Ralph Petroff, Marathon’s North American president.

The Pentagon has known about this technology for more than a decade. In fact, U.S. Marines tested these in Quantico in 2011. So, why the delay in getting these deployed to more training bases?

“We’ve inadvertently become a poster child for DoD’s Valley of Death,” said Petroff, referring to the unusual length of time that trans formative technologies may linger in limbo, awaiting requirements.

A recent lead article in Politico helped get the ball rolling faster, though. This technology is gaining increasing momentum, and a Pro gram of Record in the USMC appears imminent. Marines have used them at their six primary bases: Quantico, Camp LeJeune, 29 Palms, Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and Okinawa. They are also used at 10 satellite locations. “That’s one of the beauties about the robots – you can move them to any range,” Petroff explained. For example, robots at Hawaii frequently go to other islands. “You can cre ate a state-of-the-art small arms range in just a few hours,” he added.

Petroff cited a recent study quoted in the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act. More than 5,000 Marines who used the robots concluded the autonomous robotic training systems were a “vast im provement to training modality over existing systems and was val ue added in all training events/scenarios.” At a recent industry day, USMC briefed a five-year, $250-million ceiling single award IDIQ, which is expected to be let in FY24 as part of the new Program of Re cord. This would be for ‘technology as a service’ – one of the very first awards of this type, Petroff said, as opposed to the traditional way of the military purchasing training systems.

The robots are also being used on four continents by NATO and other Allies. Marathon’s Ukranian-born co-founder has volunteered his time and Marathon’s robots to train Polish and Ukranian Territo rial Defense Forces since June. “It is enormously gratifying to have bakers and bankers turned into skilled marksmen in just a few days,” Petroff explained.

Lockheed Martin is adding to its Huntsville campus on Bradford Drive. It officially broke ground on its Missile System Integration Lab (MSIL) on June 27. This building will support development, testing, and integration for the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program. This represents a $16.5 million corporate investment and nearly 25,000 square feet of space, with about 16,300 square feet of that as lab space. About 30 employees run day-to-day operations in support of NGI.

The Lockheed Martin Space workforce is expected to grow by over 200 employees this year at the company’s sites in Huntsville and Courtland, Ala.

•

Teledyne Brown Improvements

Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE) was the first company to locate in Cummings Research Park 60 years ago. TBE has made improvements in the last few years, including extensions to one of the high bay facil ities and an additional high bay. In addition, you’ll see a fresh coat of paint on the main buildings.

All but two of the buildings are now gray, and there’s a new mar quee sign in the lawn on Sparkman Drive that faces UAH. Flowers in window boxes also make the main building ‘pop’.

The main entrance also shows new signage on the building and new exterior lighting at night. Just outside the cafeteria, the company redid a patio and seating area. Jessica Sanders, director of Marketing, Communications, and Strategic Integration of TBE, said this has add ed a new place for employees to hang out.

“Everyone has loved it – people really noticed the changes and have really taken advantage of the nice weather at lunch,” Sanders said. “We’ve got some games out there, too, such as cornhole, and we’re really enjoying it.”

•

Five Stones Research Center

Five Stones Research Center moved to CRP East in January of 2021. They are in the building that once housed Madison Research Cor poration, at the corner of Wynn Drive and Research Drive. For Five Stones CEO Joni Green, this is her old stomping grounds. She began her career in defense contracting at Madison Research with owner John Stallworth.

The property was sold and went through significant renovations, down to the concrete and steel beams, according to Steve Wilhelm, Five Stones’ president. “It was built to suit Joni’s drawing on a nap kin,” he said.

About 20 employees are based there, and the rest support custom ers at various locations through work in IT management, cyber secu rity, engineering, logistics, and program management.

Wilhelm said this new location puts them very close to their team ing partners – not just customers on Redstone Arsenal, but compa nies they do business with on a daily basis. “It’s so much more effi cient for us to link up,” said Wilhelm. “To be in the thick of it has really been the game changer for Five Stones. Plus, to have your logo on Wynn Drive, and get the publicity from that, this is exactly what we’ve needed.”

•

The Next Chapter

Building on investments by the City of Huntsville, the Huntsville/ Madison County Chamber put forth a 50-year master plan that called for revitalization of CRP East and now the private and public sectors are re-investing in the Park. You can find the full plan at cummingsresearchpark.com . This will build meaningful impact and engagement with the Huntsville community and for employees of these companies. CRP has always been a successful place to locate and grow your business or research, but now it is also the place to play and live, where everything and everywhere is at your fingertips. Cheers to 60 more years, CRP!

–Claire Aiello

Where there’s a need, there’s a way.

The will to make a difference starts with a desire to see the need. At First Horizon, we’re proud to support our community partners because they never stop looking for ways to serve the Rocket City. It’s vision that lifts individuals and transforms our community – one need at a time.

Melissa Thompson CEO/PRESIDENT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER HUNTSVILLE

Patrick Wynn PRESIDENT/CPO BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF NORTH ALABAMA

Christopher Madkour EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HUNTSVILLE MUSEUM OF ART

Dan Halcomb PRESIDENT/CEO HUNTSVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION

Heather Mason EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HEALS, INC.

INVESTOR PROFILE

Tell us about SMX and your role with the company.

Our tradition of delivering innovative, technical solutions dates back to 1995; however, you may know us better by one of our legacy company names: Trident Technologies, Smartronix, Datastrong, or C2S Consulting Group. With the support of OceanSound Partners, our private equity investment sponsor, we began operating as one business starting in 2019 and became SMX in 2021. From technical consulting to embedded mission and programmatic support to next-gen managed services, we are both a platform and a capability enhancer for clients to achieve mission goals, no matter how expansive. I am the VP of our Army division which employs nearly 300 experts who are primarily based here in Huntsville. This division provides services and support to over 15 different customers on Redstone as well as many other locations throughout the U.S.

What types of moves are you making in the Huntsville/ Madison County market?

Given the rapid growth occurring in the region, we have identified Huntsville as a key geography for the company. To date, Huntsville has the second largest concentration of SMX employees, and we’re excited to continue to grow and make a positive impact on the community. Our partnership with the Chamber and HREGI is a key part of that strategy. We have several contracts supporting a variety of programs within PEO-Missiles & Space, PEO-Aviation, and MDA.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your business recently, and how have you worked to overcome them?

I think we all have struggled with managing our workforce over the past two years during the pandemic, but almost as challenging has been adapting to the post-COVID realities in this business. It’s a very competitive labor market. Salaries are on the rise as is inflation, so it can be difficult to attract the best talent. We have found that staying flexible with how we package offers and the work environment means a lot to folks.

What would you say to other companies considering an investment in HREGI?

I would highly recommend other organizations to join HREGI. Regardless of your standing in the Huntsville market, if you’re looking to grow and expand your business, it’s a great way to get connected. Whether you are just entering the market or have been here for years, the access that HREGI provides to potential clients, partners, and civic leaders is unmatched.

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Vice President, Army, Space & Civil Division, Engineering & IT Business Unit SMX

Best Places to Work® Awards

August 16, 2022

We crowned our 2022 Best Places to Work® winners during a luncheon at the VBC. These awards are based on employee feedback, as measured through surveys run by Quantum Workplace. In this year’s competition, more than 8,000 employees completed surveys at participating companies. Companies, whether you won this year or not, we applaud you for asking what your employees think and for caring enough to listen and improve!

2022 Hall of Fame Inductees

MTSI and PeopleTec were both inducted into the Best Places to Work® Hall of Fame. This is for companies who win for 10 consecutive years. The Hall of Fame is just in its second year. Intuitive Research and Technology was the first company to be inducted in 2021. Companies agree to ‘sit out’ of the competition for three years.

MTSI

“MTSI is extremely honored to be a Best Place to Work in the great city of Huntsville and to be inducted into the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber’s Best Places to Work® Hall of Fame,” said Tim King, executive vice president of MTSI. “We want to acknowledge our peers and business partners in the Huntsville commu nity. Thank you to the Chamber and Quantum Workplace for facilitating these sur veys. Most importantly, thank you to all of my co-workers at MTSI for fostering our culture where employees come first, where we truly own and solve our customer’s problems, and where we live by our core values.”

PeopleTec

“It is a privilege and an honor to be voted a Best Place to Work for over 10 years by our employee-owners. People Tec provides top-tier benefits and an exceptional work place culture where the best and brightest want to work,” said CEO Terry Jennings. “Our employee-own ers champion the mission to support the Warfighter and offer their technical expertise to improve our nation’s defense. PeopleTec is proud to be inducted into the Best Places to Work Hall of Fame this year in recognition of our dedication to our employees and customers. We will continue to work hard for our employee-owners’ vote of confidence.”

Thanks to longtime Presenting Sponsor

Election Update

Municipal race winners, plus what to expect in November

We hope you’ve voted this year – you’ve definitely had the opportu nity! Please share this information with co-workers, friends, and neighbors to encourage civic engagement.

Municipal races are now decided in Huntsville, with a mix of new and familiar faces returning to the City Council and Board of Educa tion for Districts 2, 3, and 4.

In District 2, David Little won the runoff for City Council and new comer Holly McCarty will serve on the Huntsville Board of Education.

In District 3, Jennie Robinson ran unopposed for City Council. In the School Board race, Andrea Alvarez won the runoff.

In District 4, longtime council member Bill Kling won re-election, and Ryan Renaud won the race for Board of Education.

November Election

The General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Republican and Democratic party nominees for Congressional, state, and county of fices will be on the ballot.

Here are some of the key races you’ll see:

FEDERAL

■ U.S. Senate (1 seat)

■ U.S. House of Representatives (District 5)

STATE

■ Governor

■ Lieutenant Governor

■ Attorney General

■ Auditor

■ Secretary of State

■ Treasurer

■ Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries

■ Alabama State Senate

■ Alabama State House

■ Alabama Supreme Court (Places 5 and 6)

■ Public Service Commission (Places 1 and 2)

■ State Board of Education (Districts 2, 4, 6, and 8)

■ Circuit Court Judges (various seats)

■ District Court Judges (various seats)

COUNTY

■ Various County Offices

The voter registration deadline is October 24. If you’ve moved since you last voted, that’s also the deadline to update your informa tion. You can take care of this on alabamavotes.gov . You can also visit madisoncountyvotes.com for more detailed information and sample ballots.

– Claire Aiello

True Teamwork

Aetos Systems takes home award in Professional Services

etos Systems is an IT and engineer ing professional services company in Huntsville and was named Gov ernment Contracting – Professional Services Business of the Year for 2021.

A

The company is targeted, accord ing to Donna Coleman, CEO. Aetos does a lot of business with NASA, as well as work with defense, logistics, and the Veterans Administration.

Coleman says she is very proud of the ups and downs her team has pushed through over the past few years.

“They really are interconnected like a family,” said Coleman. “Covid has presented challenges for certain – they’ve done a good job staying en gaged and helping each other out. No one says ‘that’s not my job.’ I appreciate their hard work and dedication to each other, and to the company.”

Coleman is a graduate of Athens State University, and had been working in IT for four decades before the opportunity presented itself to start her own company. “I was at SAIC as their small business li aison officer. I’d interview these companies, vet them, and help build teams of subcontractors. My husband said to me one day – ‘you instruct small businesses how to do business with the government – why don’t you start one yourself?’ So, I did.”

The company was founded in 2007, and Coleman recalled their first prime contract was at Redstone Arsenal doing material purchasing for the Army with the unmanned systems program. “We still have that contract today,” she said.

Aetos Systems celebrated 15 years this past Feb ruary. The team now has 145 employees, and the company also has a joint venture (JV), Aerie Aero space, with ERC, Inc., where there are 350 additional employees. This JV primarily supports contracts at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

– Claire Aiello

Positive Direction

nou Systems named 2021 Technology Business of the Year

untsville has a lot of incredible businesses to offer, but one category the Rocket City does not lack in is technology. nou Systems, Inc. took home the Technology Business of the Year SBA last year, and for good reason! The systems company, which offers engineering, modeling and simula tion, development, testing, and system assessment, has been building up its reputation since 2012. After earning yet another title, Founder & CEO Rebecca Romine is seeing her leadership make a difference.

H

“Much of our Technology Research & Development portfolio is driven by our technical team’s passions and interests. As a result, they are driven to innovate and develop new capabilities,” said Romine. “We look for high-energy, motivated individuals who can lead, learn, collaborate, and com municate and ‘turn them loose’ to accomplish great things.”

At the end of 2018, Romine said her company began transforming. She found they were doing more engineering services work than their standard technical solutions or product development work. For being a relatively young business still, she is proud of the direction her company is taking.

“This past year, we achieved our goal of having these two aspects of our company’s activities equally balanced, and we are deriving more revenue from our prime contracts than from our sub-contracts. This was a significant milestone for a relatively young, small business like us.”

nou Systems was thrilled to win the 2021 Small Business Award for Technology Business of the Year, and they look forward to building their business into an even more diverse workplace. They are currently looking to hire in a handful of positions at their Huntsville office. You can find those openings on their website at nou-systems.com

– Kayla Brown

William Bower and Jen Steinhauser accepting the award on behalf of nou Systems at the 2021 event.

BY NEVILLE SIMPSON,

HSV

Leading by Example

Russell G. Brown Executive Leadership Award: Jamie Miller

hen Jamie Miller heard his name called, he said he was blown away. The Russell G. Brown Executive Leadership Award is one of the top honors to receive at the annual Small Business Awards ceremony, and Miller said he was in complete shock hearing he had won.

W

“Given the list of finalists for the Russell G. Brown award, I was hon estly not expecting my name to be called. Luckily, my table was posi tioned towards the back of the ballroom, so I had some time to compose myself by the time I walked to the stage to say a few words,” Miller said about the experience.

Miller is the president/CEO of Mission Multiplier, an award-winning cyber security company. Miller has helped lead Mission Multiplier to the well-known company it is today. His work has successfully tran sitioned the company from the sub-contractor space to pursuing and winning large prime contracts. His leadership is primarily focused on leading by example. He often says “you get what you give,” and that couldn’t be truer in his case.

“I truly believe that by helping others, whether through solving com plex challenges, going the extra mile, or ‘doing the right thing’ – specif ically for our clients, our team, and the community at large, that you will be rewarded tenfold for your efforts,” he said. This philosophy un derpins Mission Multiplier’s community-centric culture of excellence, integrity, innovation, and service to others.”

Those actions definitely translate to the community. Mission Mul tiplier was founded on giving back, and Miller makes sure that stands true. On their website alone, Mission Multiplier supports 16 nonprofit organizations in our community, and each one of those relationships is what Miller says makes a successful business.

– Kayla Brown

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chamber staff

HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

Executive Staff | also Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Chip Cherry, CCE, president & CEO

Meghan Chambliss, business administration specialist

Economic Development & Workforce

Lucia Cape, CCE, senior vice president

Erin Koshut, executive director, Cummings Research Park

Lyndsay Ferguson, vice president, workforce

Ken Smith, senior director, research & information services

Ross Ivey, senior director, industry relations

Annie Davis, director of talent initiatives

Finance & Administration

Mary McNairy, IOM, vice president

Joe Watson, facilities supervisor

Kim Weeks, accounting specialist – receivables

Diana Baccus, director of event management

Jennifer Prewitt event coordinator

Stefanie Davis, resource desk coordinator

Government & Public Affairs

Mike Ward, CCE, senior vice president

Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative (HREGI)

Kristy Drake, IOM, vice president, investor relations

Investor Relations

Kristy Drake, IOM, vice president, investor relations

Richard Bigoney, membership account executive

Tara Van Winkle, membership account executive

Crystal Baker, retention specialist

Marketing & Communications

Claire Aiello, IOM, vice president

Hiroko Sedensky, web designer

Kristi Sherrard graphic designer

Kayla Brown, communications & social media specialist

Small Business

Ashley Engles-Ross, vice president

ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS

uah.edu/sbdctheschoolsfoundation.org

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