Initiatives magazine, December 2007 by Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

initiatives Chamber of Commerce of Hunt sville/ M adison County

december 2007

top story

From Concept to Reality

Verizon Wireless Call Center Ignites Community Growth

f eatures

Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama is located in the middle of the southeastern United States, with more than four million people within a 100-mile radius. The Huntsville community is the primary economic hub of the northern Alabama/southern Tennessee region. Huntsville/Madison County’s economy is one of the strongest in the South, with low unemployment, strong job growth and income levels leading the region. Business growth and investment from U.S. and international companies have made it one of the country’s top “hot spots” for growing a business and raising a family.

Business EXPO 2007

Digium

Bridge Street in photos

The State of the City

Huntsville on the Road

Advanced Federal Services Corp.

d e v e l o p me n t s

Chamber Board Listing

mission

contact

Community Profile

Chamber Staff Listing

Regarding HREGI

Economic Development Highlights

HREGI Investors

Annual Membership Meeting

ed i t o r i a l s t a f f Publisher

Brian Hilson

Executive Editor

John Southerland

The mission of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville /Madison County is to prepare, develop and promote our community for economic growth.

Editorial Designer

Kristi Sherrard

Contributing Writers

John Southerland, Loren Traylor

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville /Madison County 225 Church Street Huntsville, AL 35801 256.535.2000

Photography

Chamber of Commerce staff & publications

Advertising Sales

Cassandra Darby

on the web www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com www.asmartplace.com

The Huntsville Times

Initiatives December 2007

Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors and Executive Committee 2007 Executive Committee

Dear Chamber of Commerce Investors, Community Leaders and Friends: “A New Look for Huntsville”. That title for this edition of the Chamber’s Initiatives magazine actually has several different meanings. To be perfectly honest, we struggled to select a cover photograph for this edition of the magazine. The scene we selected is Bridge Street, Huntsville’s fabulous new commercial development in Cummings Research Park, but the photo could just as easily been of the new 1,300-employee Verizon facility, or the new Digium facility, both of which recently had their ceremonial ribbon cuttings. You’ll find both of those companies featured inside, and in future editions of Initiatives you’ll learn more about other economic developments that are happening now, such as the completion of the new HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, as well as the dozen or so companies which are making their home there. Also featured in this Initiatives are articles on the Chamber’s recent Small Business Expo, the State of the City address featuring Mayor Loretta Spencer, and a profile on Advanced Federal Services Corporation, the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year in the services division. Also included are recent economic development highlights, and an article on the Chamber’s recent workforce recruitment campaign with students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. In economic development marketing we place strong emphasis on image development. A positive image for a community can mean everything in successful business recruitment and expansion and in workforce attraction and retention. Each of the developments I’ve mentioned above has an economic impact on our community, and, if properly marketed can assist in creating more positive awareness of Huntsville/ Madison County. On a recent marketing trip in Japan and Korea with Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie and Ralph Malone, the Chamber’s vice chair for research & information services, we explained the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology to a large biotech company. They seemed pleased to learn about it, but when we explained that Dr. Richard Myers has been named scientific director for the Institute it really got their attention. It makes me think that our community could be on the verge of a Von Braun-like breakthrough in the biotech industry! As I write this letter, I am about to leave for New York with Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office and Don Nalley, the Chamber’s vice chair for image development. We are meeting there with our media relations firm, Development Counsellors International, to discuss a state-local image promotion strategy for Alabama. The image marketing strategy which is working well for us in Huntsville could be used statewide, and at Neal’s request we’re meeting with DCI to explore that possibility. “A New Look for Huntsville”. It’s great to see!

Brian Hilson President & CEO Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

December 2007 Initiatives

Evans Quinlivan, Chair, First American Bank Irma Tuder, Chair-Elect, Analytical Services, Inc. Dave Hargrove, Immediate Past Chair, AT&T Tommy Beason, Chamber Foundation Chair, retired Herman Stubbs, Secretary/Treasurer, Colonial Bank Ron Poteat, Vice Chair - Economic Development, Regions Bank Joey Ceci, Vice Chair - Governmental Affairs, Main Street Strategies

Charlie Kettle, Vice Chair - Investor Relations, First Commercial Bank

Jim Bolte, Vice Chair - Workforce, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc.

Ron Klein, Vice Chair - Small Business, Belzon Ralph Malone, Vice Chair - Research & Information Services, Triana Industries, Inc.

Don Nalley, Vice Chair - Image Development / TRC, Beason & Nalley, Inc.

Chairman Mike Gillespie, Chair-Appointed, Madison County Commission

Joe Ritch, Chair-Appointed, Sirote & Permutt, P.C. Mayor Loretta Spencer, Chair-Appointed, City of Huntsville Tom Young, Chair-Appointed, Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Brian Hilson, President/CEO, Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

Elected Board

Joe Alexander, Camber Corporation Clayton Bass, Huntsville Museum of Art Frank Caprio, Bradley Arant Rose & White, LLP John Cooper, Avocent Corporation Derrick T. Copeland, Applied Data Trends, Inc. John Eagan, Wachovia Bank, N.A. Kerry Fehrenbach, Intergraph Karen Stanley Fleming, Stanley Construction Co., Inc. Dick Fountain, FPH Financial Services, LLC Ron Gray, Gray Research, Inc. Dr. Greg Gum, Radiology of Huntsville, P.C. Bill Gurley, SAIC Jeff Hamilton, The Orthopaedic Center Tom Hancock, Booz Allen Hamilton Tharon Honeycutt, MSB Analytics, Inc. Dr. Eric Janssen, SportsMed Orthopaedic Surgery & Spine Center Dr. Robert Jennings, Alabama A&M University Frederick Lanier, J. Smith Lanier & Co. Dan Montgomery, Northrop Grumman Caroline Myers, Foreign Language Services, Inc. Jerre Penney, Bill Penney Toyota Pete Schofield, SPARTA, Inc. Scott Seeley, Bryant Bank Jan Smith, System Studies and Simulation, Inc. (S3) David Spillers, Huntsville Hospital Tom Stanton, ADTRAN Sandra Steele, Enfinger Steele Development, Inc. Paula Steigerwald, Huntsville Botanical Garden Al Sullivan, ABT, Inc. Gail Wall, Beason & Nalley, Inc. Dr. Dave Williams, University of Alabama in Huntsville John Wilmer, Wilmer & Lee, P.A. Daniel Wilson, Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C. Dr. Ernie Wu, ERC, Incorporated

c o m m u n i t y p ro f i l e

TOP 10 EMPLOYERS

Madison County

City of Huntsville

City of Madison

Huntsville Metro Area

U.S. Army/Redstone Arsenal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14,601

Population 2000 Census

276,700

158,216

29,329

342,376

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

2006 Estimate

304,307

168,123

36,824

376,753

The Boeing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,000

Huntsville Hospital System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,126

NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,555 Households 2000 Census

CINRAM, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,500

109,955

66,742

11,143

134,643

Avg. Household Income

$57,220

$55,856

$72,432

$55,343

City of Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,199

Per Capita Income

$23,091

$24,015

$27,821

$22,073

Madison County Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,150

Sanmina-SCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,500 Intergraph Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,450

Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov)

Source: Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

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. Over 14,500 direct DoD and 2,500 NASA employees manage some of the country’s most important and sophisticated technology programs including missiles, aviation and space exploration. More than 250 companies employing an additional 27,000 workers support the local aerospace and defense industries.

Research & Technology

For more information visit: HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com

December 2007 Initiatives

Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park has earned a reputation as a world center for technology development. The second-largest science and technology park in the U.S., Cummings Research Park is home to more than 285 companies and 25,000 people involved in technology research and development.

December 2007 Initiatives

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

Staff 2007 Brian Hilson, president & CEO John Southerland, communications director Laura Kendrick, executive assistant Kristi Sherrard, publications/graphic design specialist

Economic Development Ethan Hadley, VP, economic development Steve Finnell, director, industrial development/ existing industry

Rick Davis, director, Cummings Research Park Heather Phillips, economic development specialist

Amy Locke, industrial development/existing industry assistant

Governmental Affairs Mike Ward, VP, governmental affairs Tina Leopold, governmental affairs assistant Doris Riccelli, OEA grant director

Workforce Lucia Cape, VP, workforce Mark Brown, director, workforce recruitment Mitzi Floyd, workforce coordinator

Investor Relations Loren Traylor, VP, investor relations Jenni Jeffers, director, small business/membership services

Terrie Ledbetter, membership sales representative

Donna McCrary, investor relations specialist

Alinka Carrington, events coordinator

Research & Information Services Ken Smith, director, research & information services

Hiroko Sedensky, information services specialist

Judith Short, information services assistant

Finance & Administration Ken Williams, director, finance & administration

Desman Holt, IT manager Ginny Buie, financial assistant Debbie Olivares, accounting specialist Joe Watson, facilities supervisor

Associated Organizations & Staff Leadership Huntsville/Madison County Sarah Savage, executive director Allison Gregg, program/PR manager Sasha Sealy, alumni/development director Mary Stewart, program coordinator Allison Bowman, administrative coordinator

Small Business Development Centers Alabama A&M University University of Alabama in Huntsville

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County 225 Church Street, Huntsville, Alabama 35801 / p 256-535-2000 www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com Initiatives December 2007

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County (HREGI)

“

As we continue to grow our business in Huntsville, it’s important that we show our customers we can support new programs with talented, capable people. HREGI has worked hard to ensure that our community offers the kind of personal amenities and professional development that satisfies

“

our existing workforce, entices new talent, and engages up and coming professionals.

Gina DeSimone Vice President The Boeing Company HREGI Investor since 2003

For a list of investors, see page 33 or visit: www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com

Initiatives December 2007

Business Expo 2007 Record Attendance Shows Huntsville is a Smart Place for Business

trolling through the aisles at the 2007 Business Expo, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County, was a stomach filling, eye catching experience. While it wasn’t Bridge Street Town Centre or the Village of Providence, the sights and sounds of vendors filled the Von Braun Center on October 18 and featured more than 190 local businesses displaying their products and services to a record-setting crowd. This year’s event, presented by Verizon Wireless, was themed “A Smart Place for Business” and indeed it was as more than 1,000 people visited booths from a diverse group of companies that provided information on business services and government contracting support that are available locally. The annual event is designed to showcase a variety of area business services and products that can be purchased to enhance the eco-

December 2007 Initiatives

nomic growth and vitality of the business community. “We sponsored this event because we want to promote buying from businesses that have local offices and also show that we want to see our economy grow,” said Jeremiah Knight, director of customer service for the Verizon Wireless Call Center in Huntsville. This year’s event doubled last year’s participation in both number of booths and attendees. With street signs helping direct visitors to the proper booths and aptly named Commerce Way and Buy Local Lane, attendees were left with little doubt that Huntsville/Madison County is a great place to do business. Some vendors understood that the best way to consumers’ hearts was through their stomachs and provided samples of their products such as cookies, cakes and candy bars. Many attendees expressed their excitement about cake that was being given away at the Costco booth. The Huntsville Times was on hand giving away free samples of the daily newspaper, and almost every booth offered the opportunity to win excellent door prizes, from iPods to free massages. According to Jenni Jeffers, small business director at the Chamber, the Chamber’s Small Business Council set a goal to educate local business leaders about the services that are available in their own backyard and felt that one of the best ways was through a large event like an Expo. She said that seminars offering advice on how to make the most of an Expo booth were offered to participants at no cost and tips on networking were also provided. Jeffers In addition to the business displays, the Chamber provided a great learning opportunity with seminars throughout the day on topics such as Workforce Development; Finding a Home for Your Business: Buy, Build or Rent; Doing Business with the Federal Government; and Marketing 101. These seminars were designed to give small businesses the information they need to take advantage of Huntsville’s dynamic economy and the opportunities available in the next few years as more companies and

May I Help You?: Dan Currie, owner of Currie Systems in Huntsville gives information about his company’s services to an interested attendee at the Chamber’s Business Expo 2007.

employees relocate to the Huntsville area. These seminars were well attended and will be presented again through a series at the Chamber in the winter of 2008. “The exposure my business received was amazing,” said Dawn Mueller, owner of A Perfect Gift. “Every year we have participated and every year it gets bigger and better. Through my networking at the Chamber and this event, my business has continued to grow. In fact, it has grown so much that I almost did not do the Expo this year. But, then I saw that my competitors were going to be there and I knew that in order to continue to grow, I had to stay visible. And I am so glad I decided to exhibit. I was busy the entire time.” Felica Sparks, owner of Ad4Group, was an aisle sponsor and in charge of publicity for this year’s event. According to Sparks, she wanted to make sure that every tool was used to get the word out about this opportunity. Through billboards, television spots and live radio broadcasts, Sparks left no stone unturned and was very pleased with the turnout. The event was capped off with a Business After Hours (BAH) event sponsored by Artech Design Group. The BAH gave chamber members an opportunity to network and create new business relationships in a casual atmosphere and to continue conversations that were started during the Expo. “I had a lot of fun and feel like this year’s event was the best ever,” said Mueller. “I will definitely do it again.” Stay tuned for more information about the 2008 Business Expo! Booths will be on sale soon, and plans are in the works to double participation yet again. • Loren Traylor Initiatives December 2007

Digium: A Different Kind of High Tech Company in a High Tech Community

he Huntsville/Madison County community has long been known as a high technology area. From the 1950s when a team of German rocket scientists teamed with engineers from throughout the state and the South to put America into space and eventually a man on the moon, the area has long been associated with innovative, cutting edge aerospace and defense research and technology. Thinking about rocket propulsion systems? Check – Huntsville is an internationally recognized community in this area. In the words of NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, if NASA needs to put something into space, Huntsville’s team of scientists and engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center

December 2007 Initiatives

will manage the propulsion system that gets it there. How about NASA’s Lunar Precursor and Robotic Program – the one that will pave the way for man to once again land on the moon? Again – this community has very few peers as it relates to research and technology in this area of space exploration. On the national defense side – there’s the new wave of research, development and technology being performed by researchers related to the U.S. Army’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program - another national hightech defense program that is headquartered at Redstone Arsenal. Missile technology? It’s here too. Missile defense systems and missile intelligence? This is the home of the former Army Ballistic Missile

Agency. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command is headquartered here, as is the Army’s Aviation and Missile Command. The Missiles and Space program executive office for the entire Army is here too. But when it comes to information technology, software and hardware innovation – presumptions are those high-tech areas are a California thing. Think Silicon Valley, the IT, dot-com, cool technology capital of the world. While there may be 44,000 aerospace and defense research, science and engineering workers in Huntsville earning high salaries in a community renowned for its low cost of living and affordable housing, there’s another Huntsville-based company whose technology is making an impact not only locally, or in the United States, but across the globe. The company is called Digium – and its founder is one of those young California-style techie entrepreneurs that somehow landed in Huntsville, Alabama. Visitors walking into Digium’s sparkling, airy and imaginative new headquarters facility, which overlooks many of those aerospace and defense contractors in Cummings Research Park, experience a curious mix of cool California and Sweet Home Alabama. In fact, Digium founder Mark Spencer certainly appreciates the California attitude. He loves the culture, the innovation and the fun. Employees wear T-shirts to work. Sometimes flip-flops and shorts too. It’s an environment all about openness, creativity, excitement and innovation. Spencer started Digium in 1999 after creating the Asterisk® software. Ironically, he was simply writing source code to solve a problem. The solution the then Auburn University student came up with happened to be the telecommunications’ industry’s first open source telephony system. Since that creation, Digium is now considered a world leader that is transforming the way businesses acquire and operate their telecommunications systems. In the past, the industry standard for telecommunications companies was to hire software engineers to

Photo: John Southerland

Windows to the world: Digium employees sitting in the break room at the company’s brand new facility can enjoy a beautiful view of Cummings Research Park.

create and sell proprietary telecommunications products and services to clients. When Spencer created Asterisk®, he reversed that trend and opened up his solution to the world. For free. In fact, he created an open source telephony program based on a Linux operating system for companies to use and even improve upon. The idea was for users to take it, evolve it, enhance it based on their own needs, and then to redistribute the program. As a result, code for Asterisk®, originally written by Spencer, has been contributed from open source software engineers around the world and currently boasts more than two million users. Even more important, the growth and the innovative uses of the software continue to expand. The free software continues to be improved upon, but with every upgrade and improvement the name “Digium” and its creation “Asterisk®” continue to gain brand recognition and users all over the world. Consequently, Digium is selling its products and services at a record-setting pace. Capitalizing on this explosive growth, Spencer hired former ADTRAN President and Chief Operating Officer Danny Windham to serve as CEO in February, 2007. In fact, Digium has plenty of influence from ADTRAN, the Huntsville-based company that continued on page 20 Initiatives December 2007

Digium, continued from page 19

remains one of the world’s leading providers of networking and telecommunications equipment. Former ADTRAN founder and CEO Mark Smith was one of Spencer’s mentors. In fact, Digium named the Mark C. Smith Board Room in honor of the noted business leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist who passed away earlier this year. Spencer interned at ADTRAN under Smith and calls him a great influence. Smith not only invested in Digium, he also sat on its board of directors. In his role, Windham, who previously worked for Smith after ADTRAN acquired a telecommunications company he co-founded, is responsible for setting corporate strategy and executing day to day business operations. The “free” software, Windham says, does “89 percent of what people need it to do.” It is that other 11 percent where Digium makes its money, where the company continues to grow through the selling of its enhanced open source products and services to clients. For instance, Digium sells the Asterisk Business Edition, which is a professional grade version of the acclaimed open source and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) platform. The business version allows not only tested reliability of critical functions and features that are tailored to small and medium business applications, it also includes a commercial license and comes with full professional support services. Windham said the creation of the Asterisk technology has fostered the growth of Digium’s various products and services, its hardware and software, which include AsteriskNOW™, the complete open source software appliance; Asterisk Business Edition™, the professional-grade version of Asterisk; and the Asterisk Appliance™, hardware-based telephony solution, to enterprises and telecommunications providers worldwide. “I don’t see an end to the growth right now,” Windham said. That growth has seen Digium develop from Spencer being the only employee to about 120 – 90 of which are located in the new facility. In fact, Spencer and Windham have already talked about the continued growth – there’s room to expand not only the number of employees in the new building, but also room to expand the facility even more. Last year Digium added more than 30 employees, and the growth is expected to continue both organically and through strategic acquisitions. In 2007 alone, Digium acquired two other companies – one a global leading 20

December 2007 Initiatives

Photo: John Southerland

Leaps and Bounds: Digium was founded by Mark Spencer and has grown to more than 120 employees. Digium officials expect sales and market share to continue to increase in the coming year through organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

Asterisk training company called Astricon and the other Switchvox, a California company that specializes in the sale of featurerich, cost-effective telephone systems to small and medium sized businesses. Switchvox, with an estimated 65,000 end points in operation, is the world's largest and most successful supplier of open source-based IP PBX products for businesses. An IP PBX is a telephone switching system (known as a private branch exchange) within an enterprise that switches calls between VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol or IP) users on local lines while allowing all users to share a certain number of external phone lines. Officials with both companies believe the combination of Digium and Switchvox will provide open source-based products and solutions that are unrivaled in the industry. “We are growing at a phenomenal rate,” Windham said. “And we think we will keep growing rapidly. It’s a very busy time for us – not only with the acquisitions but also moving into the new facility and updating our strategic growth plan.” No matter how many employees are hired or join through acquisitions, they will work in an environment known for its cool factor. Visitors and customers strolling through the building will see several open areas featuring contemporary, visually pleasing furniture for employees to gather and brainstorm together. The break room is almost completely covered with windows offering a near unobstructed view of the sky and a stunning view overlooking CRP. “It is definitely a West Coast culture we’ve implemented here in North Alabama,” Spencer said. In fact, Spencer’s office may be the most scenic office in the entire scenic building. Whether it’s the local artwork adorning the walls, or the many stuffed penguins strategically located around his office or even the built in hammock that he kicks back in when he wants to crank up his crecontinued on page 23 Initiatives December 2007

It’s new. It’s unique. And it’s Huntsville.

Photos: John Southerland

With the grand opening of the Bridge Street Town Centre, Huntsville is now home to one of the premiere mixed-use lifestyle centers in the United States. Though the grand opening was held in early November, new stores and restaurants are opening weekly. When completed, the project will feature over 550,000 square feet of retail, office and hotel space on 100 acres. The project will include 70 upscale shops and restaurants set in a distinctive European atmosphere, the 210-room Westin Huntsville Hotel with 74 luxury residential units occupying the top five floors, a 14-screen Monaco Pictures and a six story office tower. The property also features a customer service centre, 10-acre lake with gondola boats and water craft rentals, carousel, fountains and plenty of green open spaces.

December 2007 Initiatives

Digium, continued from page 21 ative juices, Spencer’s office reflects the culture and the mission the company has created as part of its corporate DNA. To its employees, working for Digium is not just a job. The employees boast that they find added joy in their work knowing that they are pioneering the open source telephony revolution. To that end, Digium offices are filled with innovative problem-solvers in every department, not just in engineering, because fresh thought has been key to Digium’s success from the very beginning. So why Huntsville? Spencer said while Huntsville may not be as well known of a techie area as Silicon Valley, there is plenty of high-tech talent in the community that is increasingly operating on a global stage. “There is a lot of engineering talent in Huntsville,” Spencer said. “And compared to the west coast, we have a terrific cost of living here. Huntsville is just a great place to live. The open source platform attracts people from everywhere to Huntsville. We have people who have moved here from Nashville, Austin, South Florida and even Kansas City.” A recent report from the Census Bureau bears out Huntsville’s high tech background. Though known for its aerospace and defense technology, Huntsville is actually ranked fourth in the nation in terms of the percentage of IT workers in the workforce. With companies in Huntsville such as Digium, that percentage is guaranteed to continue to increase. • John Southerland

Ready to work?: Mark Spencer, founder and Chief Technology Officer at Digium, has created a work environment that emphasizes innovation, fun and creativity.

Initiatives December 2007

From Concept to Reality Verizon Wireless Call Center Ignites Community Growth

Verizon Wireless Announces HREGI Commitment: Jeremiah Knight, center, from Verizon Wireless pledges the company’s commitment to become an investor in the Chamber’s Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative (HREGI) and presents a plaque announcing that commitment to Chamber President/CEO Brian Hilson, left, and Charlie Kettle, the Chamber’s vice chair for investor relations and the president of First Commercial Bank.

December 2007 Initiatives

Riley went on to say that the opening of the facility is a win for not only North Alabama, but the entire state. “This announcement is a tremendous boost to our state on both the job and capital investment fronts, from a solid company that’s already very well-established here in Alabama,” Riley said. “Anytime a company like Verizon Wireless expands a major part of its operations into yet another corner of your state – with over a thousand new jobs – the impact on the local economy, as well as the community is going to be significant. We’re grateful for Verizon Wireless’ presence here in Alabama and are looking forward to building on that relationship as we welcome this new call center to our great state.” Congressman Bud Cramer also had high praise for the workforce and for Verizon Wireless. “We produce a workforce that cannot be

beaten. Verizon Wireless had the confidence to come here and we appreciate you. I get to be a sales person for our area, and we are progressive and different. We sell ourselves effectively because we work together,” Cramer said. Establishing a business and providing high paying jobs in the community is only part of the goal for Verizon Wireless. They have made it a corporate objective to get immersed in the community quickly. Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer praised the company for not only recognizing the value of locating the company in Huntsville and Madison County, but also for immediately becoming a good corporate neighbor. “We love companies that locate here, and we are so proud to have you here. We also appreciate companies that participate in the community as you already have and we thank Verizon Wireless,” she said.

Photo: John Southerland

“We are experiencing tremendous economic growth all over Alabama – but nowhere is it any greater than in Madison County.” Those are the words spoken by Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to a standing room only audience present at the October ribbon cutting ceremony for the new state-of-the-art Verizon Wireless state headquarters office in Huntsville. The $44 million, 152,000 square-foot facility, which will employ about 1,400 workers at full capacity, recently opened its operation and already employs 500. Once the center is fully staffed, the company anticipates being ranked among the top 10 largest private employers in the Huntsville region. Those 500 have already made a statement about the workforce in the community – in its employees’ quality and efficiency productivity measurements, the new Huntsville facility is already ranked second out of 26 Verizon Wireless customer service centers in the country. “Alabama has already proven we can be number one in research, manufacturing and technology – and now also in call centers,” Riley said. “To Verizon Wireless I would like to say, thank you for the investment in Madison County, in Huntsville and in the State of Alabama. As a partner we promise we will never let you down.”

Up and Running: Verizon Wireless recently held grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremonies at its brand new 152,000 square-foot facility. The state-of-the-art call center will employ 1,400 workers at full capacity.

To that end, at the grand opening celebration of the center, the company announced that it was donating $50,000 to Crisis Services of North Alabama. The donation will fund Crisis Services’ HOPE Place Children’s Counseling Program, which helps children of domestic violence survivors in northeast Alabama and delivers essential services such as counseling, support group facilitation, and play therapy. “Verizon Wireless’ donation will enable us to continue to offer the HOPE Place Children’s Counseling Program and help interrupt the cycle of violence in families by helping children affected by domestic violence understand that they are not to blame, and by teaching them how to keep themselves safe when violence occurs in their homes,” said Janet Gabel, executive director of Crisis Services of North Alabama. “Nearly 140 children have participated in the program so far this year. Thanks to Verizon Wireless’ donation, we expect to serve 200 next year.” Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine® program is the company’s national community relations focus and supports domestic violence awareness and prevention. And earlier in the week, Verizon Wireless pledged their support to become Chamber Trustees by investing in the Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative (HREGI). Spencer said the company’s presence highlights the continued economic boom occurring in Huntsville. “Verizon Wireless and Alabama are a great match,” Spencer said. “Verizon Wireless’ new, state-of-the-art call center and state headquarters will stand as a symbol of excellence and success in the Huntsville area for many years to come.”

Evans Quinlivan, board chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County, said what is good for Verizon Wireless is good for Huntsville and Madison County. “Our congratulations and heartfelt thanks go out to Verizon Wireless on the opening of their call center in Huntsville,” Quinlivan said. “This world class facility will bring 1,400 industry leading telecommunications career opportunities to our friends and neighbors. To have a company like Verizon Wireless make this type of investment is a testament to the quality of our community.” Jeremiah Knight, the director of customer service for the Huntsville call center, said the new center meets the company’s strategic growth objectives. “Verizon Wireless’ focus is providing customers with the best, most reliable nationwide wireless network and customer service Knight in the industry,” Knight said. “This new center will help us to deliver on that promise as we continue to achieve rapid customer growth and focus on providing the best possible experience for existing customers and the new ones we plan to add this year nationwide.” The new facility truly is state-of-the art, including everything from ergonomic office furniture and chairs to a fitness center, complete with an on-site personal trainer, a cafeteria and an advanced training facility. Regarding the fitness center, the goal is to have at least 40 percent of the workers using the fitness center. Officials at Verizon Wireless stress that healthy employees mean happier, more productive employees. Recruiting workers to

Verizon Wireless is made easier by the nationally recognized training and family friendly policies. The company is consistently ranked as one of the best places to work in the country because of its employee-friendly policies. The company was named one of Working Mother magazine’s “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” for the seventh consecutive year and has been named by Health magazine as one of 10 U.S. employers to best help women balance their professional and personal responsibilities. For the sixth consecutive year, Verizon Wireless was named to Training magazine’s list of “Top 125 Training Organizations in America.” Recognized for its training and development programs, Verizon Wireless was one of the highest ranked wireless companies on the list, placing fourth this year, up from sixth last year. Employees working at the center have completed a comprehensive four-to-six week training program to prepare them to serve customers. Each employee is expected to participate in an additional six-to-eight hours of training every month as part of the company’s commitment to give its employees the latest tools to provide Verizon Wireless customers with exceptional customer service. “The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County and the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations’ Huntsville Career Center have been instrumental in helping us grow our Huntsville team,” said Connie Howell, manager, human resources field operations, Verizon Wireless Huntsville Call Center. “We believe in recruiting, retaining and continued on page 26

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From Concept to Reality, continued from page 25

training the best employees, providing career opportunities and developing leaders. We appreciate the City of Huntsville’s support to help us continue to spread the word about the positions available at our center.” But before there could be any hiring, or construction of the facility, Verizon Wireless had to make the decision to locate its business in Huntsville – and it is not as if there wasn’t plenty of regional and national competition. Working with city, county, state officials and the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, the road from concept to reality was one that was made much easier thanks to the cooperation of all parties involved, according to Verizon Wireless official Blake Messenger. “I have worked with communities and chambers all across the country, and I can assure you that I have never worked with any that have come together and been more supportive and helpful than what I have seen in this community,” he said. The process of site selection for any large company is formulaic in that a large

December 2007 Initiatives

Major Announcement: Alabama Gov. Bob Riley thanks Verizon Wireless officials and employees for its investment in Huntsville, Madison County and the state of Alabama. The jobs announcement was the state’s largest in 2006 and culminated with an official ribbon cutting/grand opening in October.

list of potential communities are whittled down to a top-50 based on certain criteria. In this case, Verizon Wireless started by considering 500 different metropolitan statistical areas. According to Messenger, “Huntsville just kept coming to the top.” Among the criteria used in making the critical decision to locate a facility include the current labor market in the community, an educated workforce, and the cost of living in the area. The most critical element of all,

Messenger said, was the quality and availability of the workforce. “We started with the Chamber of Commerce,” he said. “The folks at your Chamber are second to none in my mind.” Attracting, and then actually landing a large scale economic development project is very complex and competitive, said Chamber President and CEO Brian Hilson. While the public often hears about a large economic development project announcement and then sees the construction, reads about the grand opening or even applies for the new jobs, they don’t always know what goes on behind the scenes that allow these projects to occur. In fact, there are a number of things that occur behind the scenes that are delicate, complex and involve a great deal of planning and coordination, Hilson said. The first step, he explains, is to make sure the companies know who you are and where you are. “The Chamber, through our economic development and marketing efforts, frequently extends our information in a variety of formats to location consultants around the country. We cross paths with them at various conferences; we provide electronic information to them proactively. They are in position to routinely receive information from us with regard to our ongoing economic growth, our labor assets, and numerous other advantages,” he said. “Many projects, especially larger projects in terms of jobs and capital investment, are guided by a location consultant.” Concerning Verizon Wireless, the company was working with a firm that assists clients with site selection by maintaining information on community demographics, workforce, taxation and other important issues. The site selection company contacted the Chamber of Commerce of

Huntsville/Madison County from its office in Arizona and asked questions about workforce, taxation and utilities. Separately, another office with the same firm in Boston called to discuss real estate and a developable site for this project. “As the information came in we started feeding back information to them, they liked what they heard and a visit was scheduled,” Hilson said. The site selection company brought representatives from each office and brought with them representatives from Verizon Wireless, which, at that point had still not been identified. “The consultants informed us that this same client firm had located a similar and similar sized facility in Arizona. At that point we were told this would be a 1,300 job project,” Hilson said. But there was still no mention of which company was looking at this community. However, Hilson was told that the lead decision maker’s name was ‘Blake’ and that he would be present on the Huntsville trip. “That’s all we knew. But we have a sharp research staff here and our research director Ken Smith literally took just a few seconds to identify Verizon Wireless as a possible or likely prospect for this particular project,” Hilson said. When the company officials and consultants arrived, the first part of the first day was spent at the Chamber reviewing all of the relevant community information. “We worked throughout the day, viewed sites. Mayor Spencer and Chairman Gillespie were involved in those first meetings and, in fact, throughout the project. A number of members of the Verizon Wireless team were here on that first day too, but we only knew them on a first name basis,” Hilson recalled. “We looked at sites and looked at logistics and physically went to see the land. That night, a number of us went to dinner at The Ledges,” he said. While driving to dinner with the consultants and company representatives – Hilson picked up another clue. “As you drive south on Carl T. Jones you pass a Verizon Wireless store and I couldn’t help but feel all the necks craning as we passed that store,” Hilson said. “That night as we were seated around the table and continuing to discuss the variables for this project, the server came over and told me I had a phone call at the front desk. I went to take it and the caller said ‘Mr. Hilson, this is Jeremiah Knight.

I’m with Verizon Wireless. My flight arrived late tonight. Please let Blake and the rest of the team know that I’m here at the hotel and that I’ll catch up with everyone in the morning.’ I thanked him and went back to the table and told Blake Messenger, the lead decision maker whom I was sitting next to at dinner, ‘that was Jeremiah Knight and he said his plane was late and he’d catch up with everyone in the morning.’ Blake’s exact response, with his eyes as big as saucers was

‘he didn’t tell you who we are, did he?’ And I said, calmly, ‘well he did, but if it makes any difference we already knew anyway.’ Well Blake was beside himself. He was fidgeting. Everyone went up to get dessert, and he asked me to stay behind. He said ‘we’ve been doing this all over the country. We’ve never had this happen. What went wrong?’ I said “First of all, nothing is wrong because it is just as much in our continued on page 28

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From Concept to Reality, continued from page 27

interest that your identity not be disclosed, because while you don’t want your competitors to know what you are up to – we don’t want our competitors to know what we are up to. So the secret is safe with us.’” Hilson said that conversation and building that trust, in retrospect, helped solidify the relationship that they were in the process of establishing with the company – especially over the days, weeks and months spent afterward working through all of the details of the project. Even then – and fairly common with large scale economic development projects, sometimes unexpected issues arise. “Huntsville was very quickly qualified as an optimal location in terms of our workforce assets and overall cost of doing business. The site that was selected for the project was also optimal. But it did have some complications. One of those was a waterline that crossed the property and that needed to be worked out,” Hilson said. “There are a number of people, as with any project, that worked on this one and brought it to its success. In this case, that included Ray Jones, chairman of the UAH Foundation that owned the property, and Dr. Derald Morgan, director of the UAH Foundation. Those two people really worked many of the land-related issues for the project,” he said. “Also along the way, as is typical with so many of our economic development projects here, Congressman Bud Cramer, Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer, Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie and Gov. Riley also worked very hard on this and devoted quite a bit of their individual time, and at all hours, I might add, to work the details of the project, to help the company understand this project is a priority for our community, but at the same time make sure that the deal that was being made was in the best interest of not only the company but also the community and the state. And all of that was accomplished so that this was a winwin for the company, the community, the state and all the people that will have good jobs with Verizon Wireless.” As Verizon Wireless was narrowing its list of acceptable communities to locate the project, Knight himself became one of the community’s biggest advocates. “I kept talking about Huntsville. I just fell in love with the place. So they asked me – ‘is it the kind of place you would be willing to live?’” Knight recounted. “And I said, yes it is. Well, they tested my promise by asking me to move here and I’ve been so pleased to be a part of that and to live here,” he said. 28

December 2007 Initiatives

Hilson said the community will benefit for a long time just based on the name recognition of Verizon Wireless. “This company is well known nationally and internationally. Any economic development project announcement, especially one that involves well over 1,000 jobs, is incredibly good to have, but when the success involves a leading company that is a household name it is even better. You have instant recognition, a strong reputation for the company, and I think that is also good for everyone involved. It is certainly good for Verizon Wireless from a workforce recruitment standpoint and good for us in that it advances the notion that Huntsville, Madison County and Alabama are continuing to be so successful in economic development,” Hilson said. Hilson said the story of how the Verizon Wireless project unfolded is interesting – it was the work of those already mentioned and several more that helped make it a reality, including Cummings Research Park Director Rick Davis. “Rick coordinated the recruitment process from start to finish. And Neal Wade and Linda Swann of the Alabama Development Office worked on it long and hard – as did representatives from TVA, the North Alabama Industrial Development, Alabama Industrial Development Training, Huntsville Utilities and numerous others,” Hilson said. With the latest investment in North Alabama, Verizon Wireless continues its commitment to remaining an industry leading wireless network provider as well as one of the premiere employers in the state of Alabama. The company invested over $100 million in its Alabama network in 2006, and has deployed over 50 new cell sites throughout the state during the first half of 2007. Verizon Wireless has a defined timetable to get the facility operating at maximum capacity. The job announcement was the state’s largest in 2006 and the promise of that concept has quickly become reality. The next class of more than 100 new hires will join the company in November. Jobs housed in the facility include: customer service representatives and supervisors, tech support, government customer service teams, and corporate sales employees. The company continues to hire, and those interested in career opportunities should apply online at www.verizonwireless.com/careers. • John Southerland

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY

Several companies are beginning to move into what is quickly becoming known as a globally recognized biotechnology center as construction concludes on the new HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Cummings Research Park. The new 260,000 square-foot facility will eventually hold about 900 employees, several companies and research organizations and state-of-the-art laboratories for biotechnology research and development in genetics and personalized medicine. Founder and Institute President Jim Hudson recently joined with Alabama Gov. Bob Riley in announcing that Dr. Richard Myers, professor and chair of genetics at the Stanford University School of Medicine and director of the Stanford Human Genome Center, accepted the position of scientific director of the Institute. Dr. Myers will transition from a consulting role over the next year before assuming the full-time position next fall. During the transition period he will continue as professor at Welcome to Huntsville: State Sen. Roger Bedford (left), U.S. Congressman Bud Cramer and Gov. Bob Riley (right) welcome Dr. Rick Myers at the HudsonAlpha announcement. Stanford and head of the Stanford Human Genome Center. Dr. Myers, a Tuscaloosa native and a founding member of the HudsonAlpha Scientific Advisory Board, will direct a team of investigators conducting genomics-based research to discover new treatments and tools for improved human health. “We’re deeply involved in genomics research aimed at improving human health, but also the use of genomics to study many other organisms – plants, animals and microorganisms – that are important for agriculture, the environment, energy and many other problems important in human endeavors,” said Dr. Myers. “Whole-genome-based research is the future of medicine,” Hudson added, “and Rick Myers is a big part of that future.” Hudson said that from the inception of the Human Genome Project to today’s post-project era, Myers has proven to be one an innovative, visionary scientist and leader.

Photo courtesy of HudsonAlpha

Companies Begin Moving into HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology

highlights continued on page 31

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS, continued U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer echoed those sentiments by adding, “Dr. Myers’ reputation and experience rank him among the world’s best scientists and researchers. He is ideal to lead our biotech efforts. I welcome him to North Alabama.” The Governor has put a major emphasis on attracting biotechnology work to the state. Alabama has made key investments in research and biotechnology during his term in office, including $50 million in order to secure $80 million in private investments to build the Institute. The official ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday, Nov. 9. Companies scheduled to move into the building include: • Antarus Biotech • Applied Genomics, Inc. • Conversant HealthCare Systems, Inc. • CFD Research - Biotechnology Div. • Expression Genetics, Inc. • ExtremoZyme, Inc. • Microarrays Inc • New Century Pharmaceuticals • Open Biosystems, Inc. • Serina Therapeutics • SourceCF, Inc. • Theragnostix Reference Laboratories

Milken Institute Ranks Huntsville Among Nation’s Elite at Creating, Sustaining Job Growth The Milken Institute, an independent economic think-tank, ranked Huntsville 16th in the nation on its 2007 Best Performing Cities Index – based on the cities’ ability to create and sustain job growth. Huntsville was ranked 28th in the nation last year by the Institute. Huntsville was the only city in Alabama ranked in the top 25. Between 2000 and 2006, Huntsville/Madison County announced 284 economic development projects, creating more than 28,000 new jobs, according to Brian Hilson, the president/ CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. “This clearly indicates that Huntsville/ Madison County is an excellent community to relocate, start or expand a business. While our aerospace and defense industries are critical to our continued job growth, it is our diversity of our economic growth in areas such as biotechnology and the automotive manufacturing industry, for example, that

continues to make Huntsville such an attractive place to live and work,” Hilson said. According to the report, the index includes both long-term (five years) and short-term (one year) measurements of employment and salary growth. There are also four measurements of technology output growth, which are included because of technology’s critical role in regional economic growth.

Intuitive Research One of Nation’s Top Employers for Enlightened Policies for Employees Over 50 Huntsville’s Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation is one of the nation’s top employers demonstrating that enlightened policies toward 50+ employees make good business sense, based on the 2007 list of “AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50.” “Employers that take a world class approach in their policies toward 50 and older workers understand that the result is highlights continued on page 32

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS, continued of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, praised Intuitive. “Developing innovative approaches to retain experienced, skilled workers will be a key to our community’s future economic success. And it is these programs that Intuitive exemplifies and that are being recognized,” Quinlivan said. In addition to being selected as a 2007 Best Employer, Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation was also awarded AARP’s annual Bernard E. Nash Award for Innovation for their retiree work opportunities.

Award Winner: Harold Brewer, president and chief operating officer of Intuitive Research and Technology Corp., shares his appreciation for the company being named to the 2007 list of “AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50”. The 8A, company was also awarded AARP's annual Bernard E. Nash Award for Innovation for its retiree work opportunities.

more productive employees,” said AARP State Director Joan Carter while announcing Alabama’s winner. “Focusing on the employee’s personal needs pays dividends,” added Carter. “It is important that more employers – both large and small – recognize what tremendous assets employees who are 50plus represent because of the skill and experience they bring to the workplace.” Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation is a certified 8(a) Company and Small and Disadvantaged Business providing a myriad of services in programmatic support, systems engineering, product

development, production systems support, rapid prototyping and technology management solutions to the Department of Defense, government agencies and commercial companies. Intuitive President and Chief Operating Officer Harold R. Brewer said, “It is an honor to be recognized by AARP for our innovative policies that support an experienced workforce culture and environment. Intuitive’s goal is to develop and nurture a cross generational workforce, supplying our customers with outstanding products and services.” Evans Quinlivan, the chair for the Chamber

Huntsville: One of America’s Top 5 “Techiest Cities” Huntsville is one of America’s Top 5 “Techiest Cities” according to an article in Computerworld that is based on a recent U.S. Census Bureau report that reveals what metros have the highest concentration of information technology workers in the workforce. Huntsville had the fourth highest ratio of IT workers as a percentage of the overall workforce at 5.2 percent, according to the report. “It’s great to see Huntsville recognized across the country as a high-technology city. This area, thanks to innovative companies and large aerospace and defense government programs, continues to be a national leader in creating, utilizing and managing technology,” said Evans Quinlivan, chair of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County. “With the opening of the new HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and continued growth and expansion of other related high-tech companies, we expect that percentage to continue to increase.” Computerworld published an article about the top “Techiest Cities” and listed the top-12 “Techiest Metros” as well as “America’s Largest Tech Workforces”. Silicon Valley, which includes the California communities of San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara, had the highest percentage of IT workers in the workforce. The Washington D.C. area was second, followed by Raleigh-Cary, N.C. The Census Bureau recently released its annual American Community Survey report, which shows a metropolitan area’s technology quotient – the number of information technology workers in a community as a percentage of the overall workforce. highlights continued on page 37

December 2007 Initiatives

Development Partner ($250,000+ invested annually: public sector)

Development Council (Up to $125,000 invested annually: public sector)

Huntsville Utilities Madison County Commission Tennessee Valley Authority Huntsville Hospital City of Madison Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority Chairman’s Council ($50,000+ invested: private sector)

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc. Regions Bank President’s Circle ($25,000 - $49,999 invested annually)

ADTRAN AT&T Boeing Colonial Bank Compass Bank Crestwood Medical Center Redstone Federal Credit Union The Huntsville Times Verizon Wireless Wachovia Bank, N.A.

Chamber Trustees

($10,000 - $24,999 invested annually)

Avocent Corporation Beason & Nalley, Inc. Bill Penney Toyota Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Ala. Booz Allen Hamilton Camber Corporation CINRAM, Inc. COLSA Corporation Huntsville Area Association of Realtors Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association, Inc.

Progress Partners

($5,000 - $9,999 invested annually)

AEgis Technologies Analytical Services, Inc. Applied Data Trends, Inc. BAE Systems Balch & Bingham, LLP BASF Catalysts LLC CapitalSouth Bank Coldwell Banker/McLain Real Estate Colonial Properties Consolidated Construction Dynetics Enfinger Steele Development, Inc. ERC, Incorporated First American Bank First Commercial Bank HiWAAY Internet Services International Diesel Intuitive Research & Technology Corp. J. Smith Lanier & Co. Jerry Damson Honda Acura Keystone Foods Corporation

Progress Investors

Intergraph Corporation Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation Lamar Outdoor Advertising Northrop Grumman Panalpina, Inc. SAIC Siemens VDO Automotive SPARTA, Inc. SportsMed Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.

Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne LG Electronics Alabama, Inc. Main Street Strategies NAI Chase Commercial Realty Parker Hannifin Corporation Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc. Radiology of Huntsville, P.C. Samples Properties Sirote & Permutt, P.C. SOUTHBank Stanley Associates Superior Bank System Studies and Simulation, Inc. Talent Connections The Orthopaedic Center The Surgery Center of Huntsville Turner Universal Construction WAFF-TV Wilmer & Lee, P.A. Yellowbook Anonymous

($2,500 - $4,999 invested annually)

3D Research Corporation 4SITE, Incorporated Applied Geo Technologies Averbuch Realty / Averbuch Enterprises Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Baron Services Belzon Bradley Arant Rose & White Century Automotive Chapman Sisson Architects Cintas Corporation Currie Systems DESE Research, Inc. Fountain Parker Harbarger & Associates Fuqua & Partners Gray Research, Inc. Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc. Jacobs ESTS Group JH Partners Architecture & Interiors Johnston, Moore, Maples & Thompson

Kelly Services Kudzu Productions Lamb Commercial Services, Inc. Madison Research Corporation Madison Square Chrysler/Jeep Mercedes Benz of Huntsville North Alabama Gas District Qualis Corporation Radiance Technologies, Inc. Science & Engineering Services, Inc. The Heritage Club Torch Technologies Weichert Realtors – The Executive Group Wesfam Restaurants, Inc. – Burger King Westar Aerospace & Defense Group WHNT-19 Wilson Lumber Woodland Homes of Huntsville Woody Anderson Ford

The State of the City Mayor Highlights Huntsville Economic, Retail Growth in Annual Address

he newly opened $200 million Bridge Street Town Center retail center was a focal point of Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer’s speech before more than 1,000 people at a recent Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County luncheon. Spencer, giving her annual “State of the City Address” praised the development as the most unique retail experience in the state and even in the southeast. The complex, which officially opened Thursday, Nov. 1, includes many shops and restaurants that will be new to Alabama. In fact, she said, the upscale retail complex is a case of “bringing Los Angeles to Huntsville, Alabama.” She thanked Bridge Street developers O&S Holdings for selecting Huntsville and praised what should be one of the marquee attractions to the center, the Monaco Theater. “This movie theater is set apart from any movie theater in the United States,” she said. “It will truly be a unique experience.” The Mayor presented a slide show that included the City’s priorities and she also provided highlights of the past year – a year that featured strong retail growth. “Retail is up 10 percent compared to last year,” Spencer said. “That’s the highest rate of increase in 15 years,” she said. She also thanked residents for their continued sup-

December 2007 Initiatives

port of the Ruth’s Chris Steak House. “The Ruth’s Chris is in the top three in sales in the entire country,” she said. She also talked about a large number of business expansions, business announcements and ribbon cutting ceremonies that occurred over the past year. Some of those included: ATK, Ball Aerospace, Booz Allen Hamilton, Camber Corporation, Digium, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Northrop Grumman, Operon, Paradigm Technologies, Pikeworks, PPG Aerospace, Raytheon, SAIC, SPARTA, Verizon Wireless, and Westwind Technology. Spencer said building permits were also up and that the city issued 20,000 building permits last year representing $562 million in construction. She praised state and local leaders for creating the environment and providing the support necessary to allow Huntsville to prosper. “Governor Riley knows what is going on here and he’s been a big part of it,” Spencer said – also thanking Alabama Transportation Director Joe McInnes, who was in attendance, for his support. Spencer also praised the community leaders of the past for creating the platform for growth as the area’s role in the nation’s missile and space programs increased. “It really was the vision of the leadership in the

Record Attendance: Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer delivered her “State of the City” address, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. More than 1,000 attendees attended the event, presented by Northrop Grumman. Photos by John Southerland

1950s that set the foundation for what we have here today,” she said. In other news, the Mayor discussed the city’s intent to buy more land for Cummings Research Park – currently the largest research and technology park in the U.S. in terms of the number of companies and second largest in terms of the number of employees. The growth of the park will continue to be a high priority – saying that development “changed the whole path of Huntsville.” Spencer indicated the economic development and retail growth would continue in the coming year as well thanks to continued housing boom associated with the relocation of thousands of workers to the area related to the 2005 BRAC gains at Redstone Arsenal. Also, a new restaurant will be locating downtown and construction will soon begin on a new parking garage downtown as well. • John Southerland

Initiatives December 2007

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS, continued of-the-art research and technology capabilities. The complex will include the mathematical sciences and biology departments and a Center for Modeling, Simulation and Analysis and the Center for Management and Economic Research.

Huntsville International Airport One of the Fastest Growing Airports in the World

UAH Ranked in the Top 10 Percent of Business Schools in America U.S. News and World Report ranked UAH’s College of Business Administration (CBA) as one of the best business schools in the nation in its America’s Best Colleges 2008. This ranking places UAH in the top 10 percent of business schools in the United States. • compiled by John Southerland

Huntsville International Airport was the fastest growing airport outside Asia among the world’s 300 largest airports, expanding 29.2 percent on the growing industrial business surrounding the Alabama airport. Overall airline capacity is slipping or stagnant at most of the largest airports, based on aircraft movements, but the larger traffic patterns suggest global trade and its cargo transport service is advancing on a far different traffic from the passenger business. However, Huntsville is the third fastest growing cargo airport in the world, trailing only Subang, Malaysia, and Beijing Capital in China. Huntsville International is the only U.S. airport in the top 20.

UAH Opens One of the Premier Science and Technology Centers in the United States In the words of new UAH President Dave Williams, the recently built $60 Million Shelby Center for Science and Technology will provide the school a cutting edge, comprehensive science Williams and technology center second to none. In the words of U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, who helped secure $50 million in federal funding for the 200,000 square-foot facility, the facility is another step in ensuring that UAH becomes the “MIT of the South.” Dr. Frank Franz, who retired as president of UAH in July, worked with Sen. Shelby to secure the $50 million and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to secure $10 million in state funding, said the facility will be a campus landmark and something that will benefit the entire community. The Shelby Center has 18 new teaching labs, 15 research labs, 13 classrooms, 146 offices and two auditoriums featuring stateInitiatives December 2007

Growing Through Networking The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County hosts numerous events each month to create networking and business growth opportunities for members, as well as to coordinate efforts to grow our community. In the past few weeks, the Chamber has hosted a variety of events to include:

Annual Outing – held at Ditto Landing Andy Roake, Lira Frye and CSM Ricky Yates enjoy the evening.

Fall Chamber Golf Classic – held at Redstone Arsenal This year’s winning team (l-r): Col. John Olshefski, Ralph Malone, Mark Germonprez and Mark Nesselrote.

EmYrge Council (a meeting with representatives of the various Huntsville young professional groups) – held at Alabama A&M University Beth Martin, chair

Chamber members benefit from networking events, electronic and printed publications, educational programs for small business and perhaps most importantly, the knowledge that they are part of a collective effort to establish Huntsville/Madison County as a stronger, more visible community in the global competition for economic growth.

December 2007 Initiatives

Huntsville on the Road Chamber Takes Lead Role in Attracting Workforce

y 2010, nearly one in three workers in the United States will be over the age of 50. As the relative proportion of younger workers declines, attracting and retaining experienced and reliable workers has become a core business strategy for all employers in this community from the aero-

December 2007 Initiatives

space and defense industry to the construction and advanced manufacturing sectors and everything in between. The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County’s Workforce division, in partnership with local businesses and southeastern educational institutions from K-12

systems to colleges and universities, is addressing the growing impact that aging baby boomers are having on the workforce through several innovative strategies. These efforts help employers understand, plan for, and create workplaces that successfully attract, engage and use the skills of a diverse mix of workers that are available. The Chamber’s efforts include providing conferences and employer training workshops that look at workforce development in new and unique ways to create and implement effective hiring strategies and new retention policies designed to help the community not only remain competitive in the 21st century, but to be a leader in workforce recruitment. For example, on October 24, companies and organizations from around Huntsville/ Madison County, including the Huntsville Police Department, traveled to the University of Alabama campus to conduct the first Huntsville on the Road job fair. This was a pilot for the University and for the Chamber. According to Angelia Knight, career services coordinator for the University, the career placement office was receiving questions from students asking about the growth in Huntsville and wanting to know more about job opportunities. “I attended the workforce development summit in January and talked with [Chamber workforce vice-president] Lucia Cape about doing a targeted job fair for just Huntsville/Madison County companies. The response was overwhelming from the students, the Chamber and the companies we targeted,” said Knight. Jim Bolte, the Chamber’s vice chair for workforce, said the idea was to not only reach potential additions to the Huntsville workforce, but to explain what the community and the diverse companies and industries in the community have to offer. “We want students to understand why there is buzz about our community and to be able to talk to their family and friends about the opportunities that are here,” Bolte said. More than 250 students attended the job fair, which began after classes had ended for the day. Through word of mouth, web surfing, newspaper advertising, and email blasts, the word quickly spread. And it even spread beyond the Alabama campus. In fact, students from Mississippi State and Auburn

Recruiting Time: The Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center at Redstone Arsenal is recruiting a number of engineers and scientists for a variety of technical and system related assignments. The center encourages and supports graduate level education, rewards innovation and provides the resources needed for personnel to excel. AMRDEC is one of many organizations at Redstone currently hiring thanks to job openings associated with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure activity that will bring thousands of jobs to Huntsville.

traveled to attend the job fair and talk with potential employers. “My brother is a student here, and he let me know about this opportunity and because I want to work in Huntsville, I thought it would be worth the drive to come down here,” said Ashley Etheridge, a recent Auburn graduate. Trey Hayes visited Huntsville this winter as part of the University of Alabama’s Blackburn Institute and heard from local business leaders and young professionals at panel discussions sponsored by the Chamber. He was so impressed with what he saw and heard about the growth and technology that is developed here that he decided that Huntsville is a place he wants to call home. Steve Cope represented Avion at the job fair and said he was impressed with the quality of students and how prepared they were. “The students had a great attitude, looked professional and came with resumes ready,” he said. “We would definitely do this type of event again.” The Chamber was there to sell the community – which enabled companies to focus their resources on selling jobs. This team strategy worked well, according to several company representatives and attendees. With relocation packages in hand and information about the recent accolades Huntsville/Madison County received, students were well versed in the benefits of moving to Huntsville and asked informed questions of company participants. In addition, students were encouraged to view job openings on the new website ASmartPlace.com. Currently, there are 250 jobs listed from more than 140 Chamber members on the site, and the goal is to have 1,000 jobs listed by the end of the year. Another goal of the Huntsville on the Road program is to establish relationships with faculty and advisors at the colleges and universities targeted. “We want to get the word out about our jobs and career opportunities to continued on page 42 Initiatives December 2007

Huntsville on the Road, continued from page 41

students who live in Huntsville and the southeast so that they are better informed and know that they don’t have to move far from home for great jobs,” said Cape. Joe Ritch, BRAC Committee Chair and Rick Davis, Cummings Research Park Director, recently spent the day in Tuscaloosa telling staff and faculty about Huntsville and the economic opportunities available to their students. This overview obviously paid dividends. When asked, almost all of the students said that their professor or faculty advisor told them about the job fair and that it would be very beneficial for them to attend. There is excitement in abundance on college campuses locally and across the southeast. The object now is to turn those students into full-time residents and employees in our community. The Chamber will be taking the community career fair concept to other universities in the state and the region so that Huntsville on the Road will be part of an ongoing process that will lead to continued economic prosperity for the community. • Loren Traylor

Have Jobs, Will Travel: Companies and organizations such as Technicore (above) from Huntsville and Madison County recently traveled to the University of Alabama campus for the “Huntsville on the Road” job fair. More than 250 students attended the job fair. University officials said the event was the first ever hosted specific to one community. Below, Juanita Phillips from Intuitive Research Corporation discusses job opportunities with candidates.

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Advanced Federal Services Corp. From Basement Start-up to 300 Employees Imagine being a young child standing in awe of one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century, the Panama Canal, and the ships that passed through its locks daily. The boy that was inspired was Al Bonilla, President of Advanced Federal Services Corporation. From his vantage point, he learned early to dream big and to pursue these dreams. In August, Bonilla’s hard work and dedication to excellence paid off in dividends when his company was awarded the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County’s Small Business Award of 2007 for Business Services.

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“I feel honored to have been selected as this year’s winner because of the great companies we have in Huntsville,” said Bonilla. As a result of this award, Bonilla was recently asked to speak to the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce about his experiences in starting and building a small business. Bonilla moved here in 1981 in support of NASA. Originally, he was on a three-year temporary assignment, but loved the community so much that he decided to stay permanently. In 1995, after serving in the U.S. Army and working for several defense contractors, he struck out on his own by forming a new company at the

urging of his government customers. With one employee, himself, and nationally recognized expertise, Advanced Federal Services Corporation was born and so was the beginning of Bonilla’s “American Dream”. Today, Advanced Federal Services Corporation is headquartered in a much larger space more conducive to economic growth compared to the unfinished basement of his home where he started work. The company has also grown considerably since its inception. Currently, the office in Madison is headquarters to a company that has grown to more than 300 employees in several states

including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Arizona and New Mexico and that generates more than $14 million in annual sales. Bonilla maintains an active role in the dayto-day management of the company and guides the firm in providing exemplary services in the areas of engineering, facilities, operation and maintenance, logistics and many other diverse administrative services for the U.S. Government and commercial clients. Bonilla said he believes that his company has thrived in part because of the supportive business environment in the Huntsville community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I decided to build a company that focused on my strengths and areas of expertise in engineering services. I had a great relationship with my customers who told me to do this and supported me in the early stages,â&#x20AC;? said Bonilla. Failure was not an option. From that inauspicious beginning in his basement, Bonilla worked tirelessly to build Advanced Federal Services Corporation into a company that was recently recognized by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of fastest growing Hispanic businesses in the country and was listed on the Inc. 5000 list. The focus of Advanced Federal Services Corporation is on personal growth and development of the employees, providing

exemplary customer service and maintaining the high ethical standards the company has maintained since day one. Last year, Advanced Federal Services Corporation developed a corporate-wide ethics training program that is required for employees at all levels. Bonilla insists that Advanced Federal Services Corporation will always be a responsible corporate citizen and the company culture encourages employees to be active in community activities. During the past three years, Advanced Federal Services Corporation has supported many local non-profit organizations to include the United Way, the Volunteer Center of Madison County, the Downtown Rescue Mission and the American Heart Association among others. Additionally, in the spirit of paying it forward, Bonilla mentors local small start-up companies. In fact, he has met with six in the past few months alone in hopes of helping them create a foundation for growth that will allow those companies to achieve a similar level of success that Advanced Federal Services Corporation has enjoyed. Today, Bonilla and his employees continue to excel. They were recently awarded two base operations contracts and will continue to grow based on integrity, customer satisfaction and the pride employees take in doing their jobs. â&#x20AC;˘ Loren Traylor

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