Initiatives magazine, October 2008 by Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

Initiatives October 2008

October 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives October 2008

October 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives October 2008

October 2008 Initiatives

initiatives Photo by Jay Thomas, © Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

october 2008 cover story

On the Move Business Community Continues To Gather National Praise Page 24

features Economic Development Highlights

including Yulista, MSC Consulting, Torch Technologies, Rockwell Collins, Qualis Corp., LESCO, Tool Ventures International, Blackhawk Management Corp., Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Hilton Garden Inn, Crestwood Medical Center and Huntsville Hospital

Photo by Liz Young

Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama is located in the middle of the southeastern United States, with more than four million people within a 100mile radius. The Huntsville community is the 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.

GATR: Innovative Technology

Brown Precision

2008 Business Expo

Small Business Awards

Space & Missile Defense Conference

Targeting Military Job Seekers

developments

Photo by Jackson Hill, © Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

Chamber Board Listing

Community Profile

Chamber Staff Listing

Growing Through Networking

Employee of the Quarter

HREGI Investors

editorial staff

Publisher Brian Hilson Executive Editor John Southerland

Editorial Designer Kristi Sherrard

mission The mission of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

is to prepare, develop and promote our community for economic growth.

contact Chamber of Commerce of

Huntsville/Madison County 225 Church Street Huntsville, AL 35801 256.535.2000

on the web www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com www.aSmartPlace.com

ontributing Writers Lucia Cape, Harrison Diamond, C John Southerland, Loren Traylor, Alinka C. Johnson, and Mike Ward Photography Chamber of Commerce staff & publications (if not credited) Advertising Sales Becky Fentress The Huntsville Times

Initiatives October 2008

Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors and Executive Committee 2008 Executive Committee

Dear Chamber of Commerce Investors, Community Leaders and Friends: For whatever reason – perhaps the beginning of many companies’ fiscal year, or possibly the beginning of school, the fall of each year tends to be the busiest time for chambers of commerce and economic development organizations. Each October is especially busy for our Chamber, and we always welcome the increase in new opportunities to promote Huntsville/Madison County. Opportunities to meet with businesses and workers considering relocation, combined with a myriad of meetings, travel and events, keep our staff and volunteers quite busy. Every chance we have to compete for businesses and workers is a welcome opportunity, and the current trend is that those opportunities are continuing to increase for the Huntsville area. You’ve probably noticed a significant increase in the publications that recognize Huntsville as a great place to live, work and do business. You may have also noticed that Huntsville is ranked more often, and ranked higher, in many of the lists of America’s best cities. This edition of Initiatives celebrates and explains the increased publicity and praise Huntsville continues to receive. Publications like Forbes, Kiplinger’s, Inc., and Expansion Management are among those that recognize our growth trends, our advantages, and our very unique economy. Rankings and recognitions don’t just happen – they are often tied to a proactive marketing effort, but ultimately they are the result of the substantive business and economic attributes that Huntsville has so carefully nurtured over the years. Huntsville/Madison County’s model for economic success, which includes targeted business recruitment and expansion, entrepreneurial and technology development, and an incredibly strong level of support of our defense and space assets, continues to fuel local growth, resulting in more publicity and a broader and better overall image for the community. Despite the fast-paced marketing environment, we continue to address our issues, and count our successes, one by one. Huntsville has a great story to tell, and obviously others are listening. We invite you to stay tuned, keep yourself informed, and help tell Huntsville’s story to others. An everimproving image for Huntsville means we’re even busier, working on more opportunities for growth. We like it that way!

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

October 2008 Initiatives

Evans Quinlivan, Chair, RBC Bank Irma Tuder, Chair-Elect, Analytical Services, Inc. Dave Hargrove, Immediate Past Chair, AT&T Tommy Beason, Chamber Foundation Chair, retired Jan Smith, Secretary/Treasurer, System Studies and Simulation Don Nalley, Vice Chair - Economic Development, Beason & Nalley, Inc. Linda Maynor, Vice Chair - Governmental Affairs, Maynard, Cooper & Gale

Charlie Kettle, Vice Chair - Investor Relations, First Commercial Bank Jim Bolte, Vice Chair - Workforce, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Ala. Elizabeth Morard, Vice Chair - Small Business, Qualis Corp. Ron Poteat, Vice Chair - Research & Information Services, Regions Bank

Ralph Malone, Vice Chair - Image Develop., Triana Industries Joey Ceci, Chair-Appointed, Main Street Strategies Chairman Mike Gillespie, Chair-Appointed, Madison County Commission

Joe Ritch, Chair-Appointed, Sirote & Permutt, P.C. Mayor Loretta Spencer, Chair-Appointed, City of Huntsville 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 Derrick T. Copeland, Applied Data Trends, Inc. Elizabeth Dotts, Public FA, Inc. Tracy Doughty, Huntsville Hospital Joe Fadool, Continental AG Kerry Fehrenbach, Intergraph Corporation Ron Gray, Gray Research, Inc. Dr. Greg Gum, Radiology of Huntsville, P.C. Jeff Hamilton, The Orthopaedic Center Tom Hancock, Booz Allen Hamilton Tharon Honeycutt, MSB Analytics, Inc. Dr. Pam Hudson, Crestwood Medical Center Dr. Eric Janssen, SportsMed Orthopaedic Surgery & Spine Center Dr. Robert Jennings Tony Jones, The Boeing Company Jeremiah Knight, Verizon Wireless Frederick Lanier, J. Smith Lanier & Co. Frank Libutti, Digital Fusion John McMullan, Colonial Bank Dan Montgomery, Northrop Grumman Caroline Myers, Foreign Language Services, Inc. Jerre Penney, Bill Penney Toyota Pete Schofield, SPARTA, Inc. Crystal Shell, WILL Technology Scott Seeley, Bryant Bank Keith Smith, SAIC David Spillers, Huntsville Hospital Tom Stanton, ADTRAN Sandra Steele, Enfinger Steele Development, Inc. Paula Steigerwald, Huntsville Botanical Garden Al Sullivan, ABT, Inc. Dr. Dave Williams, UA Huntsville John Wilmer, Wilmer & Lee, P.A. Daniel Wilson, Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C. Danny Windham, Digium, Inc. Dr. Ernie Wu, ERC, Inc.

Initiatives October 2008

community profile

TOP 10 EMPLOYERS

Population

Madison County

2000 Census

276,700 158,216

29,329

342,376

2007 Estimate

312,734

38,275

386,632

City of Huntsville 171,327

City of Huntsville Madison Metro Area

Huntsville Hospital System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,126 Huntsville City Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,200 The Boeing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000 CINRAM, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,861

Households & Income 148,226

NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,555

Avg. Household Income $66,949 $64,501 $72,432 1 $65,374 Per Capita Income $27,065 $27,449 $27,821 1 $26,156

Intergraph Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,450

2000 Census

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

# of Households

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

121,955

70,322

11,143 1

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov), 2007 American Community Survey

Sanmina-SCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,500 City of Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,199

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

October 2008 Initiatives

Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park has earned a reputation as a global leader in 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.

Initiatives October 2008

October 2008 Initiatives

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

Staff 2008 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 Amy Locke, industrial development/existing industry assistant

Harrison Diamond, economic development coordinator

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

Brittany Taylor, events coordinator

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

Hiroko Sedensky, information services specialist

Judith Short, information services assistant Betty Dalton, resource desk coordinator

Finance & Administration Ken Williams, director, finance & administration Desman Holt, IT manager 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 Center Alabama A&M University

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County 225 Church Street, Huntsville, AL 35801 phone 256-535-2000 / fax 256-535-2015 www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com Initiatives October 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY

From 25 to 500: Yulista Management Services Soars in Support of Army Aviation Certainly a large portion of economic growth occurring in the Huntsville/Madison County community can be attributed to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure activity gains at Redstone Arsenal and corresponding contractor support growth. In fact, a University of Alabama study revealed that the 2005 BRAC gains at Redstone marked the largest economic development program in Alabama’s history. About 4,700 direct and 5,000 indirect jobs will be moved to the Huntsville/Madison County community as a result of the 2005 BRAC decision. But the community is still reaping the benefits from the 1995 BRAC that brought the U.S. Army Aviation Command and combined it with the U.S. Army’s Missile Command. Prior to that, nearly 100 percent of the work performed by the Army at Redstone was in support of its missile programs. Since the 1995 BRAC, the growth in the Army’s aviation budget has risen dramatically, to the point where nearly 85 percent of the work performed for the Army at Redstone is aviation related. That growth is manifested through companies such as Yulista Management Services and one of its companies, Yulista Aviation, which are among several companies that have experienced exponential growth as a result of Army aviation services provided. In 2005, Yulista, a subsidiary of Alaska’s second largest Native Corporation, employed 25 workers in the community. In February of 2006, that number increased to 175 – and then more than double again in the next 18 months to 380. Likewise, Yulista has experienced an increase from 60,000 square feet of office space to more than 350,000 in that same time frame. While the company achieved its ISO 9001/AS9100 and AS9220 certification in a record

87 days, the catalyst for much of its growth has been the military aviation support for the Prototype Integration Facility (PIF) at Redstone Arsenal. In 2002 Yulista teamed with Science and Engineering Services, Inc. and formed Joint Venture Yulista and SESI (JVYS) to provide engineering and technical support to the PIF. In 2006, Yulista was named the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) Small Contractor of the Year. JVYS is currently supporting the PIF by installing, among other major modifications to military aircraft, Army Airborne Command and Control System (A2C2S) to create airborne command posts, Desert Modifications to harden aircraft for desert deployment, and Integrated Mechanical Diagnostics Health and Usage Management System (IMD HUMS) to manage replacement of aircraft components based on actual wear. The JVYS aviation modification team consists of fully qualified and licensed aircraft sheet metal specialists, technicians, electricians,

MSC Consulting, Inc. Announces VA Contract Award MSC Consulting, Inc. recently announced that it is one of four firms nationwide to be selected for award of a contract to provide executive consultation and coaching services throughout the United States to Veterans Health Administration newly appointed employees. MSC Consulting, owned by Kate Jones and Sheila Collins, is located in downtown Huntsville. The company offers organizational effectiveness and human resources consulting services, professional coaching, and training and development. “We are thrilled to have been selected for this award,” said Collins, president. “It allows us to be of service to the VA by bringing our coaching expertise and healthcare experience to the project.” A woman-owned and veteran-owned business, MSC Consulting relocated to Huntsville in the spring of 2006. •

and mechanics, operating out of the new hangar to support local, national, and overseas installations. “We got into the aviation modification business in support of the Army PIF projects on Redstone Arsenal,” says Yulista General Manager Darrell Harrison. “As we assembled a worldclass team to support the growing workload, the PIF/JVYS reputation for efficiency and quality grew attracting attention and work.” Harrison also said the company’s growth and building additional hangars in the community “is our investment in what we see as Huntsville’s and Madison County’s growing importance to aviation development and excellence and in our sense that the PIF and JVYS have an increasing role to play in both that development and excellence.” And today, even the Yulista employs more than 400 and is seeking to hire more employees to help manage the aviation support work it is performing in its numerous facilities in the Huntsville/Madison County area. •

Local Company Makes List for Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security, 2008 Huntsville-based Torch Technologies, a past winner of the Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year award, was recently selected as one of the nation’s 10 best companies for employee financial security. By providing financial security in what some are calling a recession, 10 growing companies have earned national acclaim for standing by their employees. An independent panel of benefits experts selected The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security - 2008, in large part for finding ways to maintain and expand benefits rather than slash them. Founded in 2002, Torch Technologies and its 156 employees provide engineering services to the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army. Some of the clients include U.S. Army Aviation and Missiles Command, Space and Missile Defense Command, and the Missile Defense Agency. “The judges were really impressed with how much Torch Technologies was putting into its retirement plans. They were at the very top of the list of a very competitive group,” said Corey Rosen, 10 Best judge and executive director and founder, National Center for Employee Ownership. “Part of what we want to create here is an organization that has control of its own destiny. Our employees don’t have the uncertainty and pressures they would have if we were publicly traded or up for sale. It’s an additional form of security for them,” said Bill Roark, CEO of Torch Technologies. • Economic Development Highlights continued on page 16

October 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives October 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 14

$4 Billion Aerospace/Defense Giant Expands into Cummings Research Park

Pictured, from left: Chamber Board Chair Evans Quinlivan; Rockwell Collins Vice President Mike Myers; Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer; Rockwell Collins Huntsville Operations Manager Scott Jacobsen; Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr.; Rockwell Collins Executive Vice president Kent Statler and Rockwell Collins Vice President and General Manager Ken Schreder.

October 2008 Initiatives

Rockwell Collins recently held the grand opening of their state-of-the-art 30,000 square-foot operations center with plans to increase its workforce levels to 100 high-skilled jobs. The new facility, strategically located in Cummings Research Park, represents the combination of multiple corporate divisions into one centralized location and enhances the company’s accessibility and responsiveness to their many customers in the Huntsville region. The company is renowned for development of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. They specialize in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, information management and simulation. Rockwell Collins currently employs more than 20,000 people worldwide with annual revenue an estimated $4 billion. The Huntsville facility currently employs 40. With the expanded capabilities of the Huntsville location, Rockwell Collins expects to bring another 60 high-skilled jobs to the region. The new facility represents the expansion of its engineering, integration, simulation and training, and product testing and support capabilities. Evans Quinlivan, board chair for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, said the area is rife with growth opportunities and highlighted the reasons why Rockwell Collins chose to expand in Huntsville. “This company, which prides itself on pushing the limits of technology, is increasing its presence in a community that prides itself on creating, developing and implementing new technology every day and we are very proud to have them here,” Quinlivan said. Alabama Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom, Jr. and Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer joined Rockwell Collins executives during the ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at the new facility. “The staggering growth of the aerospace and defense industry in Alabama is redefining the economic development profile of the state,” said Folsom. “Rockwell Collins is one of the most respected companies in American aerospace and I am excited to join them in celebration of their new worldclass operations center in Huntsville. All Alabamians should be proud and delighted at Rockwell Collins’ recommitment to Huntsville,” he added. Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer also made remarks. Spencer commented on the impact Rockwell Collins will have on the reputation of Huntsville. “The quality of employees that Rockwell Collins will add to Huntsville will help keep the reputation alive that Huntsville is the best,” Spencer said. Among the representatives from Rockwell Collins’ executive board was Kent Statler, Executive Vice President of Rockwell Collins Services. He spoke about the importance

Governor Riley Applauds Huntsville/Madison County Economic Growth at Update 2008 of Rockwell Collins’ relationship with Huntsville to the company’s overall success. “For more than 10 years there has been a great relationship between Huntsville and Rockwell Collins and we are proud of that. We are expanding because we can do better and our customers deserve better,” Statler said. “We are excited to become a larger part of the Huntsville community,” Statler added. “With our expansion, we will be able to provide total life-cycle solutions to the many aviation, missile and space-related organizations and companies in the greater Huntsville area.” Those in attendance were invited to tour the new facility and see demonstrations of Rockwell Collins’ capabilities. Some of the exhibits included a training simulator of a helicopter cockpit that uses geographic databases to prepare soldiers for combat and significantly shortens the learning curve for new pilots. Another demonstration included virtual reality headgear that allowed participants to experience what a soldier might see in a helicopter or on the ground. In addition to the demonstrations inside the facility, a Chinook helicopter was flown in from Redstone Arsenal for a static demonstration. Chinooks are just one of the aviation machines that use the technology produced by Rockwell Collins. •

Alabama Governor Bob Riley issued high praise for Huntsville and Madison County at his recent 2008 Alabama Update, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County in front of nearly 1,200 people in the Von Braun Center, North Hall. Riley said the area continues to lead the state in economic development and said he was confident that success would continue. Riley attributed Huntsville’s diverse industry and willingness to work with foreign-owned companies as keys to the resiliency of the area’s economy. Riley pointed to Huntsville’s diversity of industry and its embracing of foreign companies as reasons why the Huntsville economy has remained resilient while nearby states such as Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia are feeling the pinch of a down-turning economy. Riley echoed this statement by mentioning that more than 50 foreign-owned companies have made Huntsville and Madison County home. Riley said that he remained confident that the diverse industry of Huntsville and Alabama will ultimately “flatten the dip in the economy.” He then laid out the challenge for Alabama. “The challenge for the state of Alabama is to continue to grow with you [Huntsville] and make sure that we never get in the way of your growth.” • Economic Development Highlights continued on page 18

Initiatives October 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 17

Qualis Corporation Placed on Inc. 5,000 List for Second Year in a Row Inc. recently ranked Qualis Corporation number 1,294 on its Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. This is the second year in a row Qualis has ranked on the Inc. 5,000. The Inc. 5,000, an extension of Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 500 list, catches many businesses that are too big to grow at the pace required to make the Inc. 500, as well as a host of smaller firms. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy. “The Inc. 5,000 gives an unrivaled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing fascinating things with cutting-edge business models, as well as older companies that are still showing impressive growth,” said Inc. 5,000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. Qualis also ranks number 12 in the top 50 engineering firms in the country. For companies in Alabama (67 total), Qualis ranks number 16 in all industries and number 2 in engineering firms. Qualis assists space explorers, warfighters and national security specialists through the analysis of complex aerospace systems maintenance, training and logistics. The company also supports ground robotics and offers program management services. Qualis started with two employees, President and CEO Elizabeth Morard and her partner Mary Engel and $10,000. It now employs more than 330 people and has stepped up to prime contractor level. Qualis reported median revenue of $40 million and median three-year growth of 294.4 percent. Qualis is celebrating 15 years in business this year. In 2007, the Small Business Administration presented Qualis with the SBA Administrator’s Award for Excellence and the Region IV Subcontractor of the Year Award. To win this award, Qualis had to be the best subcontractor in an eight-state region consisting of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. •

LESCO: one of Black Enterprise’s Top 100, Industrial Service Logistics & Environmental Support Services Corporation (LESCO), an ISO 9001:2000 certified company and leader in providing total logistics solutions, has made Black Enterprise magazine’s B.E. Top 100—Industrial Service Companies list. The listing is featured in the June 2008 issue of Black Enterprise magazine. LESCO has the honor of being featured in the B.E. Top 100 since 2004. “We are excited to be listed once again among the finest Industrial Service Companies,” said Chief Executive Officer Anita Williams. “LESCO is committed to providing total logistics solutions, and being selected for such a prestigious listing as the B.E. Top 100 confirms our success.” Recently, Williams was honored as a finalist as an Entrepreneur of the Year and LESCO as a finalist in the Business Service division at the Chamber’s Small Business Awards ceremony. LESCO, an African-American, women-owned business, provides total logistics solutions, information technology, and program management to the Federal Government. LESCO has highly qualified resources around the world to include Iraq, Germany, and Kuwait. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. •

TVI Opens Huntsville Manufacturing Facility

Recently, Tool Ventures International (TVI) officially opened its Huntsville office with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its new location in Chase Industrial Park. TVI considered more than 100 locations before settling on Huntsville. The Chase Industrial Park location is TCI’s first facility outside of Michigan. The facility is 12,000 square-feet and currently serves as a service center or “die hospital,” until the new 36,000 square-foot building is complete. TVI will then move into the production of dies. “As we all see, large automotive manufacturers continue to migrate into Alabama and to neighboring states and TVI has selected Huntsville to be closer to its clients and closer to its potential clients,” said Evans Quinlivan, Chair of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. Don Mekkes, President of TVI, welcomed everyone to the new facility and thanked those who helped make the move into Huntsville possible. “We plan for this move to lead to future growth and success.” Mekkes said that he looks forward to growing with the community. He added that when the new building is operational they hope to bring 50 jobs to the Huntsville area. Mekkes chose the new location because of the proximity to TVI’s customer base. He feels that the location will provide greater efficiency for his company and will improve customer service. • Economic Development Highlights continued on page 20 October 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives October 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 19

Blackhawk Management Corp. Expands to Huntsville Blackhawk Management recently expanded its presence from Houston to Huntsville in an effort to continue growing its services with the U.S. Army and NASA and to further expand into the federal market through Redstone Arsenal. The company specializes in providing the Department of Defense and other major prime government contractors with logistics, information technology, weapons system sustainment and engineering products and services. Blackhawk President/CEO Linda Moorehead expressed her pleasure in expanding into the Huntsville/ Madison County market where much of the company’s customer base is located. Moorehead is responsible for setting and communicating the company’s direction to more than 300 employees across nine states and Iraq. After she purchased the company in early 2003 and made key changes, the company expanded its business base and steadily increased annual sales to more than $30 million. Some of the accolades Blackhawk has won under

the leadership of Moorehead include Boeing’s International Space Station Program’s 2006 Exceptional Company Performance Award, Small Business Administration’s Regional Subcontractor of the Year in 2006, Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in 2006, among others. “Huntsville is an absolutely beautiful community. Our customers are primarily NASA and Department of Defense so Huntsville truly is the place to be,” Moorehead said. She indicated that the Huntsville facility will specialize in information technology and logistics for their client base according to Moorehead. Chamber Board Chair Evans Quinlivan welcomed Blackhawk to the community. “We are enjoying tremendous economic growth from great companies such as Blackhawk Management Corporation that are expanding or relocating to our community,” Quinlivan said. “We are thrilled to have a company of this magnitude here and look forward to seeing them grow along with the rest of our business community.” •

Blackhawk Management Corporation President/CEO Linda Moorehead expresses her excitement about her company’s expansion into Huntsville/Madison County.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Partners with UAHuntsville for Research Officials with the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAHuntsville) and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) Inc. have signed a formal agreement to forge stronger research collaboration. UAHuntsville President David Williams and PRW President James Maser signed a Research Collaboration Protocol agreement under which cooperative activities and projects will be undertaken to leverage and strengthen the research, education, innovation and strategic missions of the two organizations. “These types of industry-university collaborations are going to be playing an increasingly important role in creating innovation in a number of areas — science engineer-

October 2008 Initiatives

ing, business and technology transfer,” said Dr. Williams. “The research and development activities of PRW are closely aligned with those of the university, thus giving us the confidence that this partnership will be of tremendous benefit to both organizations. We anticipate that this partnership will serve as a model for other companies and we can aggressively broaden our collaborations in teaching, research and workforce development.” The goal of the partnership is to establish and sustain a framework where cooperative activities and projects can inspire, leverage and optimize research, education, innovation and strategic missions for both parties. “Huntsville has been a large part of our past success, and this unique partnership is a testament to our commitment to this area which is a great place to grow our business,” said Rick Bachtel, general manager, PRW Alabama Operations. The agreement also calls for the establishment of the Venture Challenge. This program, led by UAHuntsville marketing professor Dr. David Berkowitz, will evaluate PWR’s intellectual property for business value and opportunities. This program will, at the same time, provide academic opportunities for the university’s students. •

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne President Jim Maser presents UAHuntsville President Dr. David Williams with a check formalizing a research partnership between the university and the aerospace company. The partnership will focus on collaborative research in science engineering, business and technology transfer.

Economic Development Highlights continued on page 22

Initiatives October 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 20

Fort Bragg Delegation Visits Huntsville A delegation from North Carolina recently visited the Tennessee Valley to understand how the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) affects a community and how to best adapt to the changes that BRAC brings regarding jobs, workforce opportunities and economic impact. An overarching theme of the meeting ultimately concerned regionalism and cooperation. Joe Ritch, who chairs the Tennessee Valley BRAC Commission, said the visit provided an excellent opportunity to compare notes on how each community is working the BRAC process. “It is a compliment to our area that the people from North Carolina and Ft. Bragg recognize the success we’ve had in BRAC and in particular our efforts in regionalization. It is important that BRAC-gaining communities meet and exchange ideas as we aggressively attempt to successfully implement this BRAC as well as prepare for future BRACs,” Ritch said. “While the missions of Ft. Bragg and Redstone are very different, the exchange of ideas is important in our efforts to assist the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense in this very complex process.” The group was here to learn as much as they could about how the Tennessee Valley communities work together to ensure BRAC implementation success.

October 2008 Initiatives

“We came here to learn how the community is preparing for BRAC implementation, including the impact on regional infrastructure, as well as how the community leveraged the presence of Redstone Arsenal to support the growth of Huntsville’s defense and aerospace cluster,” said Will Austin, Executive Director of the North Carolina Military Foundation. “You have a tremendous asset in RSA that is a natural magnet for building a world class defense and aerospace cluster. It was impressive to see so much energy and enthusiasm focused on supporting the growth of your regional economy, and in a coordinated fashion,” Austin said of Redstone Arsenal and the Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee’s efforts. “The trip offered a good look into the benefits of regionalism,” said Col. Tom Gaskill (retired USMC), the Executive Director of North Carolina’s Eastern Region Military Growth Task Force. “Huntsville has really done a great job here and has also done something that not many other regions have done; they’ve included counties from an adjacent state [southern Tennessee]. I think this demonstrates that the leadership in Huntsville is willing to capitalize on the strengths of the region and is not bound by previous concepts,” he said. •

Hilton Garden Inn South Opens with Ribbon Cutting Visitors to Huntsville will have another place to rest their heads at night with the opening of Hilton’s new Hilton Garden Inn South Huntsville. The 102-room hotel is conveniently located in south Huntsville in proximity to Redstone Arsenal and Cummings Research Park. The recently opened hotel was sold out within four days of opening. “As we are all aware, the economy of our community continues to thrive with company expansion and record-setting job growth despite a downturn nationally. One such indicator of growth is through the success of our community’s hospitality industry and the fact that we can attract such an organization as well known and recognized as the Hilton Garden Inn,” said Ethan Hadley, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Economic Development. Cindy Liuzzo, Director of Sales, said of the hotel, “Everything is right here where you need it. We have a great location and are excited to join the Huntsville c ommunity.” Amenities in the new hotel include a 24-hour business center, high-speed internet access, swimming pool and fitness center, an onsite convenience store and restaurant. The Hilton Garden Inn is also capable of hosting meetings and events. •

~ highlights compiled by John Southerland & Harrison Diamond

Two Local Hospitals Recognized for Quality of Care Crestwood Medical Center and Huntsville Hospital were both recently recognized for providing outstanding care to the region. Crestwood Medical Center was recently ranked second in the state and ninth nationally for infection prevention performance based on Cardinal Health’s new benchmarking tool from MedMined services. Cardinal Health is a global provider of products and services that improve the safety and productivity of health care. This new benchmarking tool allows hospitals to compare risk-adjusted infection rates in each unit of a hospital to peer units in similar hospitals to help identify best practices and areas needing improvement. Huntsville Hospital, the region’s largest not-for-profit hospital, was featured in the July 21-28 edition of U.S. News & World Report. Huntsville Hospital received national recognition by earning the 2008 Triple Performance Achievement Award for quality care in Coronary Artery Disease, heart failure and stroke, through the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines program. Huntsville Hospital is the only facility in the state and one of only 30 in the country to receive this level of achievement in all three areas. “At Crestwood, infection prevention is a top priority and we take great measures to ensure that our patients receive safe and effective medical treatment with a reduced risk of acquiring a health care-associated infection during their stay,” said Barbara Bush, R.N., CIC. “Our greatest reward is serving our patients,” said Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers. “That’s why we’re committed to turning treatment guidelines into lifelines.”

Chamber Receives National Award for Communications The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County recently won a national award for communications excellence based on its 2007 Total Resource Campaign (ChamberOpoly) and an honorable mention for its 2007 Asmartplace.com campaign. The awards, presented by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), marks the 24th year the organization has presented its annual award for communications excellence. Entries receiving an Award for Excellence surpass the fundamental standards and criteria for communications excellence. “It was a great honor to be recognized as having one of the best TRC campaigns in the country,” said Loren Traylor, vice president of investor relations for the Chamber. “It truly is a team effort – from our volunteers to the staff who make it happen, this award signifies that attention to the details is what separates good from great.” “In just four short years, we have more than doubled the participation of companies by developing a program that is both fun and beneficial for all involved. We are being benchmarked by other chambers across the country and asked to give guidance on how to develop and grow a successful campaign. There is no better honor than being recognized by your peers,” she added. This year’s Awards for Communications Excellence (ACE) competition drew 173 entries from chambers throughout the U.S. and Canada. ACE is an annual competition that recognizes excellence in all areas of chamber of commerce communications. • Initiatives October 2008

Huntsville/Madison County

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE

MANUFACTURING

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

EDUCATION

Community’s List of Rankings Illustrates Remarkable

he list of accolades and rankings is enough to make the most vain blush. When it comes to community rankings and praise, few communities in the country have been as fortunate as Huntsville/Madison County in the past several years. Keep in mind the population for the former ‘Watercress capital of the world’ held a population of less than 20,000 in 1950. If it is true that those who create and develop the technology rule the world – then it is no wonder why this community continues to flourish at nearly unparalleled levels. Since the rise of the U.S. Army’s ballistic missile program that began attracting scientists and engineers from all over the world, to the birth of the U.S. space program that not only put America into space but mankind on the moon, the community has been a hotbed of technology and entrepreneurial spirit that continues to this day. The Milken Institute recently released its rankings and named Huntsville number 5 on its list of 2008 Best Performing Cities. According to the Milken Institute, the rankings are based on where America’s jobs are being created and sustained and on both long-term and short-term measurements of employment and salary growth. “Similarly, there are four other measurements of technology output growth, which are included because of 24

October 2008 Initiatives

technology’s crucial role in regional economic growth,” according to the report. But the rankings do not stop there. According to Cybercities, Huntsville is one of the country’s top 10 Technology Cities. Computerworld named Huntsville one of America’s Top Five Cities for Information Technology. The Wall Street Journal named Huntsville “one of the country’s Top 10 Metros for Business Vitality.”

And the beat goes on. In this community, technology is the catalyst for the aerospace and defense industries. Anyone looking for the economic foundation for the Huntsville/Madison County community doesn’t need a map or be able to decipher a code to figure this one out. “Make no mistake about it, aerospace and defense continue to drive our local economy,” said Evans Quinlivan, chairman of the board for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County. Quinlivan, the senior market executive for RBC Bank, also said the community has not been content to rely on aerospace and defense industries. “Over the years, however, our community has worked very hard to diversify our economic base and in recent times, more and more people are recognizing those efforts,” Quin-

livan said. “In addition to the job growth in aerospace and defense, we are seeing growth in the areas of life sciences, manufacturing, administrative office services and distribution and logistics.” Indeed, engineers and entrepreneurs who started out working on the national space program started their own technology companies. Technology companies begat other technology companies. Bigger companies then swooped in and bought many of those start-ups, creating succeeding generations of entrepreneurs and start-up companies. It is no secret that Huntsville has the highest ratio of engineers in the country, and it isn’t even close. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Cummings Research Park, with 285 companies, and 25,000 highly educated workers, is the second largest research and technology park in the United States. But as the rankings will illustrate, what the Huntsville/Madison County community offers is much more than high salaries, rewarding work and a nice cost of living. Don Nalley, the Chamber’s vice-chair for economic development and director of Beason & Nalley, pointed to the diversification of the accolades that residents should be proud of and job candidates should want to be a part of. “These rankings tell our citizens they have selected a great place to work, play and raise a

SHOPPING

CONFERENCES

Growth

SPORTS & RECREATION

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Announced New & Expanding Jobs, Madison County

Source: Alabama Development Office

7,000

6,710

6,000

5,456

5,000

4,602 4,155

4,000 3,000 2,580 2,000

2,608

2,463 2,316 2,342

2,324

1,680

1,428

1,000 0

'90

'91

'92

State Rank:

'93

'94

#1 in State

'95

'96

'97

'98

'99

'00

'01

'02

'03

'04

'05

'06

'07

#2 in State

And still the beat goes on.

Employment Growth, 2000-2007

Ralph Malone, president and CEO of Triana Industries, Inc. and the Chamber’s vice chair for image enhancement, said the rankings can also be effective recruitment tools. While many forecast a national recession, having high paying jobs available in the community that has consistently received so many national accolades is a powerful incentive. “The rankings are important as a snap shot of how others are viewing our community,” Malone said. “The third party objectivity is essential for a community like ours that is in the midst of appealing to targeted industries and most importantly implementing national

20%

PEER METROS

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Current Employment Statistics (place of work)

ALABAMA METROS

18.3%

15% 12.6%

13.5% 11.9%

10% 9.0% 7.3%

6.7%

5% 3.9%

4.4%

Al ab am a

M on tg om er

1.8%

M ob ile

gh Ra lei

le Na sh vil

Au st in

At lan ta

Hu nt sv ill e

3.0%

Ch ar lot te

continued on page 26

2,291

1,728

1,488

4,181

3,814 3,649

Bi rm ing ha m

family,” Nalley said. “They tell other companies looking for a new place to call home or an expansion location that they will be able to find trained employees here and that other talent will be easy to recruit, part of that recruiting being the opportunity to live in a great community.” In fact, National Geographic recently named Huntsville one of the country’s Top Adventure Towns. And The Green Guide cited the community for being one of the Top 10 Green Cities in the U.S. RelocateAmerica recently cited Huntsville as one of the country’s Top 10 Places to Live.

U. S.

FINE DINING

Initiatives October 2008

On the Move, continued from page 25 –

Metro Area Labor Force Growth, 2000-2007 Total Increase in Workers

Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Local Area Unemployment Stattistics (place of residence)

18,640

Huntsville 6,510

Montgomery 4,376

Birmingham

Mobile

-2,024

28,234

Alabama

(total)

-5,000

5,000

10,000

workforce recruitment initiatives. The driving force behind our positive recognition is the diverse opportunities found here and the enthusiastic and coordinated way those opportunities are supported.” However, when consistently meeting and surpassing high expectations, the community, like a championship team, must guard against complacency, Quinlivan said.

October 2008 Initiatives

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

“For our community to continue to produce quality jobs by attracting industries within our targeted industry segments, we must continue to invest considerable resources in marketing and other development activities,” Quinlivan said. Nalley agreed, saying because the economy is doing well now and is generating so much national attention, it is critical to keep moving forward. “The rankings say that the results are good, we’ve done well so far, we have much to offer and that pays off for everyone,” Nalley said. “But we can’t stop, we have to keep progressing. Our success today is not a birthright. We owe those who have gone before us, and those who will come later, to keep up the hard work that we are the benefactors of today. If we continue these efforts, the positive recognition will continue and even improve. While the rankings may not be a leading indicator, they do mirror our success to date. When seen by others, they continue to play a role in future economic vitality.” Diversification is paramount to that continued success, Malone said. “The challenge is to continue to embrace the diversification. We certainly are impacted by the national downturn but the entrepreneurial spirit of Huntsville remains strong. By nature, entrepreneurs and engineers are problem solvers. The national economic landscape, though challenging, has abundant opportunities for those willing and able to mine them,” Malone said. Clearly, Huntsville and Madison County are on the move. Just look at the rankings. • John Southerland

Huntsville ranked 5th Best Mid-Sized City in the Country to Do Business Inc.com recently ranked Huntsville as the fifth best mid-sized city in the country to do business. The 2008 report sees Huntsville increasing its position 16 spots from last year’s ranking of 21. While many of last year’s top ranking cities have been struggling with the housing market and economy, Huntsville has shown growth in business. The new ranking is a testament to the resiliency of the Huntsville/Madison County market and the tremendous economic development growth of the past few years. One reason for this success is the continued growth of small businesses in the community, according to Elizabeth Morard, president/CEO of Qualis Corporation and vice chair of small business for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. “An entrepreneur seeking to start a business in the Huntsville area is certainly at an advantage when it comes to locating in an environment which nurtures small business success,” Morard said. “The strong local economy provides a population demographic which is attractive to the business owner who is hiring talented employees or seeking consumers. Additionally, the significant presence of defense and civilian government agencies and industry offers a wide array of opportunities for small businesses. Huntsville also saw a higher ranking than last year as an overall top location to do business. This year Huntsville jumped 47 spots to number 32. Other communities of interest included Atlanta (85), Nashville (97), Birmingham (206) and Chattanooga (209). Inc.com compiled the list by analyzing job growth and momentum shifts. The authors of the report indicated that the locations selected may be the best places for entrepreneurs to relocate or expand to increase business. •

Huntsville: #1 Mid-market in the South in Southern Business & Development In the 15th anniversary edition of Southern Business & Development magazine, Huntsville was ranked “#1 Mid-Market in the South.” “With a record of 15 years of economic development performances from over 3,000 different communities in the South, Huntsville achieved something that’s unique and valuable to those looking to find the most attractive place to live, work and operate a business in the U.S.,” said Brian Hilson, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. The annual ranking was established in 1994 based on projects in the South with 200 or more announced jobs and/or $30 million in invested capital. For 15 years the magazine has published the “100” and based on that ranking put together the “250 Best Places in the South to Locate Your Company.” Ranked in the August issues are the top 100 major markets (750,000 in population or more), the top 50 mid-markets (250,000-749,999) and the top 100 small markets (under 250,000) based on deals announced creating 200 jobs or more. Much of the data used in the profiles of each market are the most recent available. Information about Huntsville was obtained from the Census Bureau, ACCRA, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the National Board of Realtors and the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. • Initiatives October 2008

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, and to coordinate efforts to grow our community. Examples of recent events include:

Business After Hours July 15 – co-sponsored by 4SITE & McCurry Real Estate “Down on Main Street”: The Chamber brought more than 300 members to Main Street South Shopping Center for its Summer Business After Hours.

Small Business Awards Nominee Reception August 19 at the Monaco Presented by CB&S Bank Lee Marshall, Julie Reyburn, and Monica Law listen as past winners and nominees are recognized.

New Member Luncheon September 8 at the Chamber Giving new members a glimpse of Chamber opportunities and explaining the benefits of joining Chamber, Workforce Vice President Lucia Cape addressed a crowd of more than 60 new members. 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.

October 2008 Initiatives

E M P L O Y E E

O F

T H E

Q U A R T E R

Donna McCrary investor relations specialist

hether behind her desk reviewing the printed membership directory for accuracy or behind the scenes at one of the Chamber’s many events putting name badges on tables or programs in chairs, Donna McCrary is a smiling face and welcoming voice to many of the Chamber’s volunteers and members. And because of her exemplary efforts, Donna was recently selected by her peers the Chamber’s Employee of the Quarter thanks to the time and dedication she puts in to ensure that the Chamber provides outstanding service to its members. As the mother of three children and wife to a small business owner, Donna knows intimately the needs and challenges facing many of our members and for more than eight years she has put this knowledge to use by helping grow the events, programs and services offered by the Chamber to both the small and large business community. “I enjoy the fast paced environment and the ability to creatively develop solutions to meet our members’ needs,” Donna said.

She started her career with the Chamber as a temporary employee on a three month assignment updating the Chamber’s database. After the project ended, she had already proven that she was a star performer at the same time that she realized that she had found a home and a winning team. The rest, as they say, is history. In 2005, Donna took a lead role in developing and implementing the first ever Total Resource Campaign. She is a driving force in the continued success of this program and in developing a marketing campaign that was recently recognized by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives as one of the best in the country. “Donna works hard every day to resolve issues and brings fresh ideas to improve the services we provide to our members. She is constantly developing new ways to include our volunteers in events and works to enhance the networking opportunities for all of our members,” said Loren Traylor, the Chamber’s vice president of investor relations. •

Initiatives October 2008

October 2008 Initiatives

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County For a list of investors, see page 36 or visit: www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Investing in the Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative helps give our members the opportunity to build their businesses and enables our

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

organization to support the growth

and prosperity of the Huntsville and Madison County community.

Lynn Kilgore President

John Allen Board Chair

Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association, Inc. HREGI Investor since 2003

Initiatives October 2008

Huntsville Company Develops Innovative SATCOM Technology H

ow is it possible for a medical clinic in Africa to have an Alabama phone number? How is it possible that it took less than an hour to get satellite communication up in the immediate wake of Hurricane Katrina before the first contractors could step foot in the Gulf Coast? How is it possible for a special ops troop to set up a satellite feed in the mountains of Afghanistan with nothing more than two small suitcases? These scenarios were made possible with the technology developed by a Huntsville company using their patented inflatable antenna. Ground Antenna Transmit and Receive

(GATR) is the first and only Satellite communication (SATCOM) technology of its kind. A large ball with a parabolic antenna inside is probably the best way to describe GATR. The technology allows satellite transmission to be set up in less than an hour in locations where traditional satellite equipment cannot be transported or operated. The original lightweight, inflatable structure technology was initially designed for NASA, but because the inventors saw that the technology could be used for ground-based applications, GATR, as it is known today, was born. “Our goal was to have the benefits of a big antenna in a small package. The reduction in size is important. This technology has given us capabilities to do things we never thought of before,” said GATR President Paul Gierow. This self-proclaimed “home-grown” business started out in an unusual place for a company with Department of Defense contracts. “We were founded in a flower shop on

Leeman Ferry Road. As far as we know, we were the only classified operation working out of a flower shop in the country,” Gierow jokingly reminisced of the old headquarters. When used with other technology developed in Huntsville, such as a Digium phone and an ADTRAN produced router, people can be connected from even the most remote areas of the world. The GATR weighs significantly less than a stationary unit of comparable bandwidth capability does. The total weight of all the components including cases is about 118 lbs. Compared with satellite dishes with similar ability that must carried on trucks in separate pieces, this amounts to a 60 to 1 reduction in weight. The reflector dish inside is precisionmade using a flexible, reflective composite material and is then integrated into the ball which is made of a high-strength racing sail material. The ball is strapped down and stabilized using a series of cables anchored into the ground. A low-power inflation system

Pictured above is a training exercise for setting up the Ground Antenna Transmit and Receive (GATR). In less than hour, this light weight, portable communications device can be active. 32

October 2008 Initiatives

keeps the dish and ball rigid in the windiest of conditions. However, beyond the overall convenience of having an antenna that is easy to set up, durable and easily transportable, there is a certain air of “coolness” surrounding the GATR antenna. “There is a real James Bond-factor in that I can board an airplane with our inflatable antenna, arrive at my destination and be online with a high-bandwidth internet or broadcast link in less than an hour,” said Dr. Larry Lowe, vice president of engineering. The relatively lightweight design of the GATR did not sacrifice durability. “We have people ask what happens in the battlefield if it gets shot. We tell them to just put tape over the hole and it will be fine,” said Gierow. “The round shape of the GATR makes it capable of withstanding strong winds in excess of 40 miles per hour compared to a conventional, rigid dish, which can act like a sail in high wind,” said Roy Priest, Program Manager. From its beginnings in a flower shop, to being sent across the world to places like Africa and Afghanistan, the GATR technology has come a long way. “We have two benchmarks we look at in our company’s short history. The first was set during Hurricane Katrina and the second was set when our inflatable antenna was approved by the FCC,” Lowe said. Lowe said he believes the FCC’s approval in March of the inflatable antenna will be a huge asset as GATR grows its business to be a global leader of SATCOM solutions. The technology is approved for all sectors and is available as a commercial item. GATR’s main customer base includes specialty military units, humanitarian relief organizations and broadcast media. GATR has working relationship with the Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) at Redstone Arsenal. The relationship with SMDC has since enabled the company to provide their technology to numerous Army and Air Force commands. “The support from SMDC has been fundamental to our success in delivering this technology,” Gierow said. According to Priest, the GATR is an ideal short to medium term solution. Those at GATR like to promote the technology for activities lasting fewer than six months and continued on page 35

The round shape of GATR makes it capable of withstanding winds in excess of 40 miles per hour.

Initiatives October 2008

October 2008 Initiatives

Innovative SATCOM Technology, continued from page 33 – for contingency communications. Because GATR is an easily transportable high-bandwidth satellite antenna system, it is ideal for remote broadcast media. The GATR system can complete connections for IP-based phone, Internet, broadcast video and audio needs. “Every time you see an unclassified broadcast of an MDA missile test on TV that is an image that our system likely broadcasted,” Lowe said. In addition to uses in military and media applications, GATR technology also serves an important role in humanitarian and emergency aid. According to Gierow, “The benefits side of this business is great for helping people in need. Our first real test came with Hurricane Katrina three years ago.” The innovative technology was ideal for the emergency response after Katrina when landlines and other forms of communication were rendered destroyed by the storm. The capabilities of GATR allowed rescuers to coordinate efforts and for survivors of the storm to use e-mail and internet-based phones to contact family. Humanitarian efforts in Latin America and Africa used GATR technology. GATR‘s inflatable satellite communication system has been used in the less-developed countries served by the USNS Comfort – Humanitarian Mission. The USNS Comfort stopped in 12 Central American, South American and Caribbean nations, where its medical crew provided free health care services to communities in need. A similar humanitarian project in Africa was completed in March of 2008. GATR’s antenna connection allowed for doctors in America to guide workers in Africa by phone. One clinic had an Alabama phone number. Gierow said it was “fun to know that you can call an Alabama number and talk to someone in Africa.” Employees at GATR hope their type of communication system can become standard on missions similar to those. GATR has received numerous awards and accolades for its innovativeness such as “2007 Invention of the Year” in Popular Science Magazine and has been featured on CNN. The company currently employees nine full-time workers and expects substantial growth within the next few years. • By Harrison Diamond

The GATR can quickly and easily be set up and taken back down and ready to be packed again after only a few minutes, making it one of the truly unique satellite communications devices in the world.

Initiatives October 2008

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

Chamber Trustees

Progress Partners

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 The Boeing Company Colonial Bank Compass Bank Crestwood Medical Center The Huntsville Times Redstone Federal Credit Union SAIC Wachovia Bank, N.A. October 2008 Initiatives

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

Avocent Corporation Beason & Nalley, Inc. Bill Penney Toyota Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama Booz Allen Hamilton Camber Corporation CINRAM, Inc. COLSA Corporation Continental AG Huntsville Area Association of Realtors

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

AEgis Technologies Analytical Services, Inc. Applied Data Trends, Inc. BAE Systems BASF Catalysts LLC Bryant Bank CapitalSouth Bank Coldwell Banker/McLain Real Estate Colonial Properties Consolidated Construction Dynetics Enfinger Steele Development, Inc. ERC, Incorporated First Commercial Bank HiWAAY Internet Services International - A Navistar Company J. Smith Lanier & Co. Jerry Damson Honda Acura Keystone Foods Corporation Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne LG Electronics Alabama, Inc. M. B. Kahn Construction Co., Inc.

Progress Investors

Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association, Inc. Intergraph Corporation Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation Lamar Outdoor Advertising Northrop Grumman Parsons Corporation SPARTA, Inc. SportsMED Orthopaedic Surgery & Spine Center

Main Street Strategies Maynard Cooper & Gale, P.C. NAI Chase Commercial Realty The Orthopaedic Center Parker Hannifin Corporation Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc. RBC Bank Samples Properties Sirote & Permutt, P.C. SOUTHBank Stanley Associates Superior Bank The Surgery Center of Huntsville System Studies and Simulation, Inc. Talent Connections Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. Turner Universal Construction WAFF-TV Wilmer & Lee, P.A. Yellowbook Anonymous

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

4SITE, Incorporated Applied Geo Technologies Averbuch Realty / Averbuch Enterprises BancorpSouth Baron Services Belzon BFA Systems Bradley Arant Rose & White Brown Precision Century Automotive Chapman Sisson Architects Cintas Corporation Currie Systems DESE Research, Inc. DHS Systems Digital Fusion DRS Test and Energy Management Fountain Parker Harbarger & Associates Fuqua & Partners Garber Construction Co., Inc. General Dynamics Gray Research, Inc. The Heritage Club Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc.

Jacobs JH Partners Architecture & Interiors Kelly Services Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. Kudzu Productions Lamb Commercial Services, Inc. Madison Square Chrysler/Jeep Mercedes Benz of Huntsville North Alabama Gas District Progress Bank QTEC Qualis Corporation Radiance Technologies, Inc. Science & Engineering Services, Inc. ServisFirst Bank 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

Brown Precision: High Tech Manufacturing in a High Tech Town

hen it comes to innovation, engineering and research and development, the Huntsville/Madison County community is considered one of the premier technology cities in the U.S. In fact, it is through the research and development that Huntsville became an international symbol of pride when its scientists and engineers helped propel not only America into space, but mankind to the moon. But the research and development sector doesn’t have a monopoly on technology. Advanced manufacturing companies such as Brown Precision, Inc. (BPI) are also utilizing technology to deliver complex parts for customers. In the case of BPI, which is located in Chase Industrial Park, the company utilizes high tech machining equipment to produce increasingly complex parts for its medical and aviation corporate clients. Greg Brown serves as the company’s vice president. He joined his brother Dan, president of the company, which his father Roland bought in 1986. Greg remembers clearly the company’s move to expand and diversify its products and its client base. “When we were a machine shop, Dan knew that to be competitive we had to move to advanced manufacturing,” Greg said. “We were just a little ole machine shop until the mid-90s,” Greg said. “And then we started going into aerospace with a local company and it has been outstanding.” While supporting the manufacturing of airplane windows for a large aerospace company has provided BPI with continued work and has become a foundation, BPI again looked to diversify into the medical indus-

try, investing in very elaborate and high-tech equipment capable of producing odd-shapes with free-form surfaces and difficult angles to manufacture more complex parts. Already adept at utilizing complex five-axis machining to produce aerospace parts – the company has expanded it technical capabilities and invested in these machines that also help create a variety continued on page 41

Initiatives October 2008

2008 Business Expo:

A Smart Place to Do Business

he slogan “A Smart Place to Live, Work, and Play” is evident at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County’s Annual Business Expo from the billboards placed throughout the community to the street signs directing attendees inside the Expo. The Expo is a showcase of area business services for the local community for both professional and personal needs. With more than 150 exhibitors, the Expo provides better awareness of the vast array of products and services offered by Chamber member companies. This event promotes economic and community development and involvement. The 2008 Business Expo will be held October 23, 2008 from 1-6 p.m. at the VBC South Hall. Jenni Jeffers, Small Business Director, said the event, which has grown in popularity

October 2008 Initiatives

each year, is invaluable to Chamber members and to the community. “The Expo enables businesses, small and large, to promote their services to the community in a big way. We are addressing the need to unite the community as well as educate them on all the benefits and services our Chamber members have to offer,” said Jeffers. This event is free to the public which ensures great exposure for local participating organizations. Officials with Verizon Wireless, the 2008 Business Expo sponsor, discovered in 2007 that the event was a great way to introduce their company to the community. “We were proud sponsors of the Business Expo in 2007 and we are excited about supporting this event again in 2008. The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County does an outstanding job bringing businesses together in an interactive environment so attendees have the opportunity to network and get information about local services,” said Jeremiah Knight, director of the Verizon Wireless Huntsville Call Center. “The Business Expo also provided Verizon Wireless with an avenue to recruit the best employees in North Alabama.” This year, the Expo expanded to include an additional 30 booths with more food vendors and a “Lunch & Biz” structured networking event for exhibitors. At the Expo, attendees will find a wide variety of different companies. Some exhibitors will also be taking applications for job openings (such as retail, restaurants, banks, etc.). As an exhibitor, businesses will also be able to attend a marketing seminar entitled “Make the Most of Marketing Dollars” at no charge. Morard indicated that exhibiting is a perfect way to network with other businesses in the community and promote business services to those businesses and to the public. For more information about the 2008 Business Expo: A Smart Place to Do Business, contact Terrie Ledbetter at tledbetter@ hsvchamber.org. • Alinka C. Johnson

to shop

Turn the page to see a partial listing of the companies that will be exhibiting at the 2008 Business Expo. Initiatives October 2008

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 40

Jerry Damson Honda Cumulus Media Huntsville International Airport Managed Health Care Administration, Inc. Daniel’s Photography Kelly Services Windham Entertainment Grille 29 Knology BIZTECH Commercial Property Directory/ Litho Publishing Co Huntsville Rehabilitation Foundation First Commercial Bank Weathershield Construction Icemakers of Huntsville Winsome-Vagabond Photography SpineCare Clear Channel Clear Channel Business Systems & Consultants New Horizons Computer Learning Center The Perfect Gift, Inc. Hot 105.3 Hot 105.3 Inergi Cabot’s Send Out Cards Corlett Auto Restoration/ Minuteman Press WBCNA Oakwood University Virginia College at Huntsville Parkway Place Mall Natural Elements LLC H & R Block Alabama Electrnoics Recycling Fast Frame Faulkner University Priority Security, Inc. Trav-Ad Signs Trav-Ad Signs Residence Inn - Marriott Courtyard Marriott Deltacom, Inc. CB&S Bank Cartridge World Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless Office Furniture Outlet Office Furniture Outlet Savvy Gifts, Inc. Bama Jammer Promotions BancorpSouth Occupational Health Group Planet Beach Contempo Spa Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Redstone-Hsv Chapter

October 2008 Initiatives

73 Graphic Publishing 74 Mary Kay 75 MosquitoNix 76 Wachovia Bank 77 Aulds Laser and Skin Care 78 Sam’s Club 79 Alliance Technologies, Inc. 80 Fast Signs 81 BridgeStreet/Madson Hospitality 82 Global Lingua Institute, LLC 83 Honey Baked Ham 84 Honey Baked Ham 85 NetwoRx 86 CenturyTel 87 Calhoun Community College 88 Skyline Alabama 89 Jefferson Capital Partners, LLC 90 First National Bank 91 Orkins Pest Control 92 Merrill Lynch 93 Alexander’s Martial Arts 94 Barco Firm 95 Pro Talk Radio 96 Media Fusion 97 Bizphones 98 Superior Bank 99 Captured Moments, LLC 100 StreetLight Info Tech, Inc. 101 Sprint Nextel 102 Alabama Business Directory 103 Sigma Servics of America, Inc. 104 Color XPress 105 Alabama Business Furnishings 106 Redstone Federal Credit Union 107 The Printer Connection 108 The Printer Connection 109 TechUSA 110 J. R. Enterprises 111 The Boeing Company 112 Eagle Collision Center, Inc. 113 Costco 114 InfoPro Corporation 115 Bath Fitter 116 Bath Fitter 117 AAA Travel 118 eclipse Business Services 119 Personnel Staffing 120 Edward Jones 121 Painting Solutions Plus 123 Moglie’s 124 Qualis Corporation 128 Executive Flight Center 129 Huntsville-Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau 130 North Alabama African American Chamber of Commerce 131 Office Pride of North Alabama 132 Fowler Auction & Real Estate Service, Inc. 133 Happy Tails Ranch 134 Sterling Travel 135 Hertz Car & Truck Rental - Madison 136 2 Danes Furniture

137 A & W Design Factory 138 Alabama Credit Union 139 Chamber of Commerce 140 Chamber of Commerce 141 Business Card Holder 143 Ingram’s (FOX) 144 FOX 145 Malace Technical Services 146 facelogic 149 FOX 150 Dreamland (FOX) 152 Comcast 153 Chamber of Commerce 154 Chamber of Commerce 155 AT&T 156 AT&T 157 Valley Planet 158 Arbonne International - Connie Carnes 159 J.F. Drake State Technical College 160 Techni-Core Network Services 161 HiWAAY Internet Services 162 Holiday Inn Downtown 163 The Huntsville Times 164 The Huntsville Times 165 Sealy Management Company 176 WAY-FM 177 The Huntsville Times 178 The Huntsville Times 179 WEUP 180 WEUP 181 Huntsville Flight Center 182 Intermission Massage & Neuromuscular Therapy 183 WHNT-19 184 WHNT-19 185 Huntsvilleeats.com

186 Psychological & Counseling Associates, PC 187 Express Personnel services 196 Valley Appliances 197 American Family Care 198 Classic Air Works.com 199 Business Interiors 200 Business Interiors 201 David M. Gray M.D 202 Nesin Therapy Services 203 Carolyn Aycock - New York Life 204 Benton Newton Advertising 205 RJ Young 206 Spherion 207 Lite 96.9 208 Chocolate Gallery 209 Men’s Wearhouse 210 Men’s Wearhouse 211 Embassy Suites & Spa 212 Ruth’s Chris Steak House 213 Alabama Rebath 214 Alabama Rebath 215 Allied Photocopy 216 ITT Technical Institute 217 Reed’s Office Supply 218 UAHuntsville 226 YMCA 227 Ability Plus 228 Corporate Express 229 Countrywide Home Loans 230 A Realty Group of North Alabama Corner A Regions Bank These companies were registered by September 1. A complete listing will be available at the Expo.

Brown Precision, continued from page 37 – of equipment for medical usage such as bone implants. In fact, work with one particular medical supplier has expanded to include developing the process to manufacture components for a recently invented innovative knee replacement product that may well become an industry standard, according to Shannon Pell, BPI’s vice president of engineering. “This really is an exciting part of our growth,” Snell indicated. “And the technology goes hand in hand with that. We are using 5-axis machinery here – that is typical for us and we have 12 of those machines with us. But the industry standard is still 3-axis machines.” By providing high technology manufacturing options to clients the company has continued to grow to meet clients deliverables. In fact, the company’s growth has not gone unnoticed. For the second consecutive year, BPI was named to Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5000 fastest growing private companies in the country (coming in at 1,531) and was ranked 61st among the top manufacturing firms. The company, which is a certified supplier for Bell Helicopter and Pratt and Whitney, recently completed a 13,000 square-foot expansion and has added 37 employees since 2005. “Simply put, we needed more space and more people dedicated to high-end manufacturing,” Greg indicated. Getting the right people, he said, is key. And to do that, BPI has utilized many workforce partners. “We have worked with Calhoun and a number of state schools to recruit and train our workforce. We have also worked with Junior Achievement and gotten some good students through job shadowing programs.” The company also recently received its AS9100 certification, which will further enhance BPI’s current quality system and opens the door to opportunities with major prime contractors such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Greg indicated. While specifically devoted to the aerospace industry, the certification will also provide the company additional credibility outside the aerospace industry, Pell said. But as the client base expands, it will still come down to the people and the technology, Pell said. “We’ve shown that we are not afraid to invest in technology,” he said. “We pride ourselves in being ahead of our customers

needs, which means we have to be prepared to handle those needs,” echoed Greg. “And that means we already need to know how to use the machines and cut the parts and that is an investment we readily make.” And that investment doesn’t stop there, Greg said. “We will continue to invest in technology and our people – that is how we have gotten to where we are now and how we will keep growing.” • John Southerland

Brown Precision Inc., located in Chase Industrial Park in Huntsville, is widely known for its advanced manufacturing capabilities, customer service and high tech manufacturing equipment.

Initiatives October 2008

Entrepreneurs Strike Back at 2008 Small Business Awards Celebration F

Janet Nesin, Nesin Therapy; Marc Byers, The Land Trust of Huntsville/North Alabama; Jan Smith, S3; Tom Jarrell, T&W Operations; and Alison Gillespie Trefry, Huntsville Museum of Art, were all honored at the 23rd Annual Small Business Celebration.

October 2008 Initiatives

or 23 years, the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County has recognized the outstanding achievements of the small business community and the 2008 celebration proved to be another epic success story. The ‘force’ of small business filled the North Hall of the Von Braun Center to capacity as five organizations were crowned Small Business of the Year in their respective categories at awards dinner, presented by Redstone Federal Credit Union. While this night was devoted to recognizing a small percentage of the elite leaders represented in our community, the impact from what these small businesses accomplish every day is felt not only locally, but also across the globe and even into the outer realm of space. From developing technology that improves our future, to services that aid the nation’s military, the small businesses and organizations represented in the Huntsville/Madison County community make a difference everywhere. For one special night, the Chamber of Commerce added to its growing list of outstanding business leaders and defeated the notion that a vibrant business community is impossible in a challenging economy. Surrounded by the likes of Yoda, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, attendees entering the building quickly learned that the celebration was not short on star power. Bob Ludwig, publisher of The Huntsville Times and Lisa Williams, former CEO and founder of 3D Research, emceed the event. The 2008 episode culBaron minated with the award of the Entrepreneur of the Year by Darth Vader and 2007 winner Obi “Bob Baron” Kenobi to Jan Smith, president and CEO of System, Studies and Simulation (S3). Smith and S3 were perhaps the biggest stars of the night after she took the Entrepreneur of the Year award and S3 took home the small business award in the Technology category. “I can’t begin to tell you how exciting the night was for S3,” Smith said. “To finally receive this recognition after 15 years of being in business made it a sweet event and then to get the Entrepreneur award in addition made

the night something I will never forget in my life – especially as this was the last year that we qualified as a small business,” said Smith. The theme of the evening paid homage to the entrepreneurial spirit of business owners who implemented their dreams and overcame the dark side of business adversity to succeed. Without these leaders and their businesses – those who think Quinlivan big, act bigger, and fearlessly innovate – a business community can only travel so far, according to Chamber Board Chair Evans Quinlivan. “When the word ‘entrepreneur’ is mentioned in this community, it means a great deal. In a community full of entrepreneurs that are making a difference across the galaxy, it is an honor to be with the best of the best. You take any of our record 93 nominations and place them in just about any other community and hands down the battle is over. In this community, the competition for these honors is so hotly contested and so fierce because these entrepreneurs are the true heroes of business, not just in our community but compared to any other community,” Quinlivan told the crowd of more than 1,100. The Chamber again partnered with two local non-profit organizations dedicated to helping the community’s small business community grow and prosper. The Women’s Business Center of North Alabama presented Red Sage Communications an award to the Small Business Start-up of the Year, and the Huntsville Association of Small Businesses and Advanced Technology presented the Small Business Advocate for Excellence award to Pat Phillips, Procurement Technical Assistant Center program manager. According to Smith, the real advantage to the local business community is the number of success stories that have occurred has created a higher-than-normal amount of mentors who want to give back and help others succeed. “They have all been there and walked in

those shoes and know first hand how hard it is to make it,” Smith said. “Many businesses fail in their first few years because they won’t seek advice and follow it. Businesses need to take advantage of someone else’s mistakes. Chris Horgen and Roy Nichols (founders of Nichols Research Corporation) were my mentors and I attribute my success to the things I learned from them. I had a great learning adventure through my 12 years at Nichols that continues today,” advised Smith. “My future plans include diversifying the company into additional service areas, solidifying operations through ISO and implementing continuous improvement, and supporting our growth to a large business. I hope this award encourages other small business owners to stay the course and work their plan,” added Smith. As the Huntsville/Madison County small business community continues to grow and prosper in a time of unprecedented growth in the region, small businesses remain the cornerstone and foundation of the business community, Quinlivan said. The 24th annual awards will bring with it a super heroic effort to top this year’s event and continue the tradition of creating a night to remember for all. • Loren Traylor

Jan Smith, president and CEO of S3, took top honors as the 2008 winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year.

Initiatives October 2008

Annual Conference Highlights Huntsville’s Role In National Missile Defense I

John Rood, the acting under secretary of state for Army Control and International Security, talks to attendees of the Space and Missile Defense Conference.

More than 7,000 people attended the conference in 2008 – a record attendance for the annual event.

Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell, commanding general for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, was one of many high-ranking government officials to address the audience. 44

October 2008 Initiatives

t’s only fitting that Huntsville’s premier meeting center, the Von Braun Center, host the worlds’ largest missile defense conference. Huntsville’s early missile research, development and engineering capabilities have made it the natural place for the Army (and other services) to locate their missile defense activities. Consequently, Huntsville considers itself to be the birthplace of missile defense. Today, our robust family of missile defense activities located in Huntsville include key elements of the Missile Defense Agency, The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), the Army PEO for Missile and Space, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC), the NATO led Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), and the U.S. Army Engineers and Support Center (formerly the Corps of Engineers). Given all this missile defense horsepower, it should come as no surprise that the Rocket City just hosted the 11th Space and Missile Defense Conference. Total attendance at the 2008 event was about 7,000, including exhibitors and attendees. Conference sponsors include the Tennessee Valley Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association, the Air Space and Missile Defense Association, and Huntsville Chapter of the Air Defense Artillery Association. National exhibitors attended from coast to coast, including Pennsylvania, California, Oklahoma and New Mexico. International

exhibitors include those from Norway, United Kingdom and Switzerland, as well as many other national companies with an international presence. Exhibitors increased from 214 in 2007 to 245 in 2008 and demand is already high for the 2009 conference. This year’s speakers featured the leaders in the world of U.S. missile defense research, development and acquisition, including: s Dr. Thomas H. Killion, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Research and Technology/Chief Scientist; s Mr. John Rood, under secretary of state for Army Control and International Security (acting); s Lt. Gen. Kevin T. Campbell, commanding general, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command; s Lt. Gen. Henry A. (Trey) Obering III, director, Missile Defense Agency; s Vice Adm. Carl V. Mauney, deputy commander, U.S. Strategic Command; s Maj. Gen. Jaap S. Willemse, vice chairman, NATO Air Defense Committee; s Brig. Gen. Genaro J. (Gino) Dellarocco, Program Executive Officer, Missiles and Space; s Rear Adm. Alan B. Hicks, program director, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, Missile Defense Agency; s Brig. Gen. Gary Connor, program director, GBMD, JPO, Missile Defense Agency; and Brig. Gen. Jay G. Santee, 14th Air Force vice commander. • Mike Ward

Chamber Partnership Targets Military Job Seekers C

ompanies wanting to reach experienced workers who are seeking a new career and are ready to relocate should pay attention. And companies in need of employees who possess active security clearances, technical expertise and a strong work ethic should continue reading as well because the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County is launching a year-long campaign in GI Jobs, a magazine targeting active duty members of the military who are transitioning into civilian life and looking for work. With a circulation of more than 70,000 per month GI Jobs is utilized in all military transition classes worldwide. It is also available at all veterans employment offices, thousands of active duty commands and most military reserve centers across the country. By advertising in GI Jobs, Huntsville/Madison County employers will reach the 400,000 troops leaving the service every year. In addition, the publication is circulated among the transition support personnel and career counselors who help troops find and apply for civilian positions. “Our members tell us that a big challenge in recruiting is sharing the story of Huntsville/Madison County as a smart place to live, work and play,” said Jim Bolte, the Chamber’s vice chair for workforce. “To help with that, the Chamber works to increase national awareness of our community, particularly the quality of life and job opportunities.” The Chamber’s recruitment site, ASmartPlace.com, is the focal point of that campaign, and the job board serves as “proof” of the opportunities in the communities. Huntsville/Madison County was featured in the August issue of GI Jobs, so readers have already been exposed to some of the advantages this community offers. The ad campaign will provide an ongoing presence with specific information about open jobs at Chamber member companies. “Selling Huntsville is as important as selling MDA,” said Missile Defense Agency recruiter Karen Bandera. “Through this campaign, the Chamber is helping us get the community’s message across to poten-

tial employees so we can concentrate on the agency’s open positions.” The campaign is open to all employers* who have jobs listed on ASmartPlace.com. Participating companies need only provide their featured jobs and company logo. Deadline to register for this campaign is Oct. 31.

Payment must be made by the registration deadline. Contact Mitzi Floyd (mfloyd@hsvchamber.org; 535-2089) to register or for more information. • Lucia Cape *Primary employers only. No staffing agencies.

Initiatives October 2008

October 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives October 2008

October 2008 Initiatives