Initiatives magazine, December 2008

Initiatives December 2008

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December 2008 Initiatives

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initiatives

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

december 2008

Bridge Street Town Centre, Cummings Research Park

cover story

BRAC on Track Personnel moves, construction on schedule for Redstone Arsenal Page 24 Artist rendering of MDA/SMDC Von Braun III

features Economic Development Highlights

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including Northrop Grumman, Navistar, IAMD, Trident Technologies, M.B. Kahn Construction Co., Tintronics, Trav-Ad Signs, QTEC, CenturyTel, Ternion Corporation, and Bama Jammer

Huntsville Boatnical Garden

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.

SBA Profile: T & W Operations

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STI Electronics

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2008 Business EXPO

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Building a Lasting Legacy

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Show Me the Money

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A Smart Place on the Road in Austin

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developments

Photo by Classic Air Works, © Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

Chamber Board Listing

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Community Profile

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Chamber Staff Listing

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Growing Through Networking

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Employee of the Quarter

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HREGI Investors

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WBCNA

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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 Jenni Jeffers, John Southerland, and Loren Traylor

Photography Chamber of Commerce staff & publications (if not credited) Advertising Sales Becky Fentress The Huntsville Times

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Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors and Executive Committee 2008 Executive Committee

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

Dear Chamber of Commerce Investors, Community Leaders and Friends: This weak global economy could give us reason to feel pessimistic about the outlook for Huntsville and the surrounding economic region. In Huntsville’s situation, however, there is every reason to feel good about where we are and especially where our local economy is heading. The key ingredient for Huntsville’s continued economic prosperity can be summarized in one word: technology. There is certainly a lot more to it – leadership, planning, marketing, resources, and more, but the technology-driven economy that has sustained Huntsville’s incredible economic growth over the past half century positions our community and the surrounding region to continue to grow for many years to come.

Huntsville’s economic base, vested heavily in the defense and space industries, has created a foundation of technology and workforce that won’t easily be disrupted, and will be logical to build upon.

This issue of Initiatives focuses on key drivers of our continuing economic expansion, including the status of Base Realignment and Closure and a number of recent economic development highlights. We are especially pleased to include a thought-provoking message from David King, Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center, titled “You Are Building a Lasting Legacy”. In it, he points out how NASA is positively impacting the development of innovative technologies to benefit mankind, and how the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville is benefitting our state-wide economy. I have always believed that NASA represents one of our country’s most important investments in technology, and it continues to serve as an inspiration for the workforce of the future to pursue careers in science and engineering.

As the world deals with this economic crisis, the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County and our strategy for economic development, the Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative, are maintaining a sharp focus on technology-based economic development and all of the benefits that come with it. That, combined with the strong support of our local, state and national elected leaders, makes our future extremely bright.

It’s a great time to be in Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama!

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

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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 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.

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community profile

TOP 10 EMPLOYERS

Population

Madison County

2000 Census

276,700 158,216

29,329

342,376

2007 Estimate

312,734

168,1231

36,8241

386,632

70,322

11,143

City of Huntsville

City of Huntsville Madison Metro Area

U.S. Army/Redstone Arsenal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,601 Huntsville Hospital System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,126 Huntsville City Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000 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 $72,4322 $65,374 $26,156 Per Capita Income $27,065 $27,449 $27,8212

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

# of Households

121,955

2006 Estimate 2 2000 Census 1

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Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov), 2006 American Community Survey

Sanmina-SCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,500 City of Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,199 Madison County Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,150 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

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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.

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FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS ONLY Call Tina at 535-2031

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December 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 Christy Nalley, director, finance & administration Desman Holt, IT manager Debbie Olivares, accounting specialist Cassie Scott, accounting specialist Joe Watson, facilities supervisor

Associated Organizations Leadership Huntsville/Madison County Small Business Development Center Alabama A&M University, UAHuntsville WBCNA (Women’s Business Center of North Alabama)

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 December 2008

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY

Northrop Grumman Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony with Lee Greenwood Northrop Grumman held a groundbreaking ceremony for its second facility in Cummings Research Park that included a special performance by country music legend Lee Greenwood.

The new four-story, 110,000-square-foot facility will be the second of four planned Northrop Grumman buildings in CRP. There will be 340 employees working in the new facility when completed — both spillover employees already in Huntsville and employees new to the area.

Dan Montgomery, corporate lead executive for Northrop Grumman in Huntsville, opened the event by welcoming everyone in attendance to the new site. The J.O. Johnson High School Color Guard presented the flags of Alabama and the United States as Greenwood sang a moving rendition of the National Anthem.

Montgomery said, “Northrop Grumman is doing real well in Huntsville. We currently have 1,200 employees in Huntsville and with the building of this new facility we hope to consolidate our operations into one campus.”

Northrop Grumman recently won a project that will be completed in Huntsville. Officials with the company indicated this contract will increase the capabilities of the Huntsville branch offices.

According to Montgomery, the new facility will have offices, labs and areas for research and development. He also said that two more buildings would be constructed in the next few years in CRP. “I can’t say enough positive things about the loyalty we have to Huntsville and our customers,” Montgomery added.

Philip Teel, Northrop Grumman corporate vice president/ president of Northrop Grumman’s mission systems sector, echoed Montgomery’s warm words about Huntsville and what the community means to Northrop Grumman.

“The people we have here work on some of the most important things our country does,” Teel said.

“As we look at our future, Huntsville is a big part of our vision,” he added.

Former Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer also addressed the audience. “The workforce you hire has contributed to our positive reputation. Reputation means so much,” she said.

Bruce Anderson, assistant director for civil and military aerospace with the Alabama Development Office, represented the state of Alabama at the groundbreaking. “I can’t express enough how proud Alabama is with Northrop Grumman’s developments in Huntsville. The state of Alabama is proud to call Northrop Grumman an ‘Alabama company’,” he said.

Irma Tuder, chair-elect of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County board of directors, formally congratulated the company on its new site and thanked them for their contribution to the Huntsville community.

“When you hear the name ‘Northrop Grumman,’ you immediately associate it with excellence. Our business community is greatly enriched by their continued growth. The economic impact that Northrop Grumman has had on the Huntsville/ Madison County community and the state of Alabama simply 14

December 2008 Initiatives

cannot be overstated. On a personal level, I have enjoyed working closely with Dan Montgomery and am proud to serve on the Chamber Board with Dan. He and his team have done a fantastic job here,” Tuder said.

Before Lee Greenwood sang his classic patriotic hit “God Bless the U.S.A.,” he spoke about the importance of supporting the military and thanked Northrop Grumman for all their work “keeping the county safe.” “If you are guilty by association then throw me in jail with these guys. I sleep good at night thanks to Northrop Grumman and the work that they do,” Greenwood said. •

ABOVE (l-r): Kyle Collins, senior VP, development, Colonial Properties Trust; Bruce Anderson, regional director, Alabama Development Office; former Mayor Loretta Spencer; Philip Teel, corporate VP/president of Northrop Grumman’s mission systems sector; celebrity Lee Greenwood; Irma Tuder, chairelect of the Chamber board of directors; and Dan Montgomery, Northrop Grumman corporate lead executive for Huntsville.

BELOW: Irma Tuder presents Philip Teel a plaque commemorating the groundbreaking of Northrop Grumman’s second of four planned facilities in Cummings Research Park.

Economic Development Highlights continued on page 16

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 14

Navistar Celebrates 75th Anniversary and Dedication of New Facility

Navistar Engine Group celebrated the 75th anniversary of its first production diesel engine, the D-40, with the dedication of the company’s new $42 million facility in Jetplex Industrial Park that will manufacture Navistar’s newest diesel engine family, MaxxForce Big Bore.

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Navistar Engine Group celebrated the 75th anniversary of its first production diesel engine, the D-40, with the dedication of the company’s new $42 million facility in Jetplex Industrial Park that will manufacture Navistar’s newest diesel engine family, MaxxForce Big Bore.

Navistar Chairman, President and CEO Dan Ustian, and Engine Group President Jack Allen, spoke to an audience of global OEM customers and prospects, elected officials, Navistar employees and local and trade press, delivering a retrospective look at the company’s 75 years of diesel engine production and a look forward at where the diesel technology manufacturer is heading.

“This milestone is about much more than an anniversary,” said Ustian. “This is about our scientists, designers, engineers and manufacturing personnel around the world, who for decades have been responsible for the performance and quality that made reaching this point possible.”

The MaxxForce Big Bore Assembly facility is the newest addition to Navistar’s roster of global engine facilities.

With operations now underway, the 300,000 square-foot state-of-the-art plant produces the technologically advanced MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13.

“Huntsville was selected to produce these new big bore diesel engines because of our talented and dedicated workforce in Huntsville and its clear track record of building high-quality engines at a competitive cost,” said Jack Allen, president, Navistar Engine Group.

Navistar’s second building in Jetplex Industrial Park will produce the company’s newest diesel engine family, MaxxForce Big Bore.

Designed specifically for International Class 8 trucks, with a combination of technologically advanced materials and components, the MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13 engines deliver significant advantages over other competitive engines, according to the company. They are available in International WorkStar severe service, TranStar regional-haul and ProStar long-haul commercial vehicles.

Additionally, the event highlighted the company’s scope and reach — engine offerings ranging from 50-475 hp for use in on- and off-highway, agricultural, industrial, defense and stationary power applications — as well as plans for global expansion.

In 1933, Navistar, then International Harvester, launched its first production diesel, a 50 horsepower fourcylinder engine for stationary and agricultural applications.

Significant milestones during the company’s 75 years in business include the introduction of the DT 466, the Ford Power Stroke Diesel, the first smokeless diesel engine, the first fully electronically controlled mid-range commercial diesel and the Green Diesel Technology platform which led the way for today’s advanced clean diesel technologies.

Navistar focuses exclusively on high-performance diesel engines for customers around the world. Its on-road automotive customers include Ford Motor Company, General

IAMD Project Office Holds Ribbon Cutting, Open House

Motors, Volkswagen, Volvo and Land Rover, which use Navistar diesels to power commercial trucks, pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles. Navistar also produces diesel power plants for commercial off-road vehicles and equipment for agriculture, mining, construction, power-generation and materials handling across the globe.

The company commands 42 percent of the mid-range diesel engine market and 64 percent of the school bus engine market in North America. In South America, Navistar Engine Group commands more than 50 percent market share of the mid-size pickup and SUV segment, and accounts for nearly 40 percent of all commercial and consumer diesel engines produced. Navistar also continues to grow rapidly on other continents, especially in India, China and Eastern Europe.

“Our growth has given Navistar Engine Group the scale to realize big competitive advantages on the global stage, including broader supply base choices, recruitment of top industry talent, competitive cost structure and more depth in technical expertise and facilities. This all fuels our ability to deliver great products that meet the demands of customers for clean air and the attributes they value the most — capability, performance, reliability and durability,” Allen said. •

L-R: Robert Thomas and BG Genaro Dellarocco receive a plaque commemorating the opening of the IAMD project office from Evans Quinlivan.

Officials with the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Project Office recently held a ribbon cutting and open house at the organization’s new location in Thornton Research Park.

“The opening of this facility is just one of the many ways we are developing new capabilities for the Army,” said Brig.

Gen. Genaro Dellarocco, Program Executive Officer for the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office, Missiles and Space.

“When you look around this high technology community that is so laden with aerospace and defense capabilities, please understand that when we discuss Huntsville being one of the true epicenters of our national defense initiative, at this office people are making this happen every day,” said Evans Quinlivan, Chamber of Commerce board chair.

The establishment of the project office in 2006 was in response to the capability needs of the Army air and missile defense warfighter. Dellarocco indicated that the office would have joint capabilities to work with other branches of the military as well and that the office could continue to expand.

Robert Thomas, Project Manager of IAMD, said of the move to the new facility, “It was a Herculean effort but now we have the facility we need to enhance the capabilities of the warfighter.”

The office will eventually employ more than 100 people. • Economic Development Highlights continued on page 18

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 17

Birmingham-based IT Firm Enters the Huntsville Market

Sue Arroyo announcing the entrance of Trident Technologies, a Birmingham-based IT company, into the Huntsville market.

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Trident Technologies recently announced their entrance into the Huntsville market at a ribbon cutting ceremony held at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County.

Trident Technologies is an information technology professional services firm serving clients in both the federal and commercial sectors. Trident specializes in utilizing technology to help its clients succeed by offering software development, systems integration and data management solutions to clients, based on the company’s innovative “Guidance” frameworks.

Don Nalley, Chamber vice chair of economic development formally welcomed the company to Huntsville/ Madison County. “Our community is currently a statistical anomaly in the United States. While many communities in our nation face economic uncertainty, we continue to enjoy tremendous economic growth from companies such as Trident Technologies that are looking to grow and expand,” Nalley said.

Former Mayor Loretta Spencer was on hand to welcome the company as well. “Our science and the (re-

search and development) that is going on in Huntsville is so important. We look forward to you being a part of the important research going on in Huntsville.”

The featured speaker at the event was Sue Arroyo, president/CEO of Trident Technologies. Arroyo founded Trident after she discovered a shortage of IT companies in Alabama. She has more than 20 years experience in information technology in both the federal and commercial sectors. Arroyo worked for more than 10 years for the directorate of Logistics, CECOM, and the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Monmouth, NJ as a data architect for MAPS, a procurement processing system for multiple Army installations. She later worked as a project manager for the system and was responsible for the planning and execution of multiple enhancement projects. It was after BRAC that the MAPS software was moved to Huntsville and Arroyo first heard of Huntsville, she said.

In the commercial sector, Arroyo has worked for Shearson Lehman Company, Bessemer Trust Company, Goldman Sachs and Alabama Power. She most recently worked as Application Development Manager for EBSCO Industries. Since founding Trident Technologies, she has led engagements with Colonial Properties Trust, Colonial Bank, and BBVA Compass Bank.

She is currently leading the conversion team for the Compass decision support group as they incorporate recently acquired banks in Texas.

“The commercial sector offers numerous opportunities, but is not as fulfilling as working for my country,” Arroyo stated.

“There are so many opportunities in Huntsville and I know that’s where we need to be,” explained Arroyo. She said the engineers agree with her sentiment. “My engineers always ask ‘When can I work on a project in Huntsville?’ because of the interesting and important projects happening here,” she said.

Arroyo expects Trident to continue its growth and to expand its operation in Huntsville. Every quarter that the company has operated, they have experienced growth. The company plans to have 10 employees in Huntsville by spring and 30 employees companywide by that time as well.

“While companies across the south are throttling down or shutting down all together, we have not because of our principles of execution, quality, and responsiveness and because of our people,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo praised small businesses for their impact on communities. • Economic Development Highlights continued on page 20

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 19

Trav-Ad is the largest visual communications company in the area manufacturing signage for businesses across the region and country. This new building will be located in Chase Industrial Park.

South Carolina Company Enters Huntsville Market Jim Heard of M.B. Kahn Construction Company recently spoke at the Board of Directors’ meeting at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County about M.B. Kahn Construction entering the Huntsville market.

M.B. Kahn is one of the largest construction companies in the southeast. The South Carolina-based company specializes in commercial, industrial, healthcare and retail construction. The company will put emphasis on their capabilities in industrial, commercial office space and the healthcare industry construction in the Huntsville/North Alabama market.

Heard said he is confident in his company’s decision to move into Huntsville because of several factors, including a booming economy.

“We picked Huntsville because of the people,” Heard said.

“When I came to Huntsville I was blown away by the business and spirit of the community. We hope to have deep roots in Huntsville and we plan to be here for a long time,” Heard said. •

Huntsville Firm Wins Award for Proactive Safety Stance Tintronics, a Huntsville-based company supporting the area’s electronic manufacturing industry, has been presented a rarely bestowed award for safety under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). Only 19 businesses in the state currently qualify for the award.

The award was presented by Dr. Bill Weems, Director, OSHA Safe State Program, University of Alabama in a ceremony at the company’s Huntsville plant.

SHARP recognizes small employers who operate an exemplary safety and health management system. It wasn’t anyone’s intent to win the award, according to Tintronics’ Kevin Johnson, whose safety committee steered the company into OSHA’s good graces. “We just wanted to do the right thing.

Fifteen years ago, an OSHA representative showed up in the lobby and said ‘I’m here. Show me around.’ We weren’t ready for that inspection, but we decided, as a company, that if we were going to deal with health and safety, we were going to do it the way we approach everything—by doing it right.”

Tintronics put a lot into the SHARP program including involving employees directly in the consultation process; they corrected all safety issues identified by OSHA; they lowered employee days away below the national average; and they created a safety and health management plan to meet OSHA guidelines.

“Tintronics got a lot out of the program, too,” explained President Alan Goldberg. “It’s a problem-solving challenge that involves everyone here, and it’s still going on. Continually becoming a better place to work is a full time job. It’s also the right thing to do. And we don’t mind being recognized as an outstanding example of a safe and healthy place to work.” • 20

Trav-Ad Signs Breaks Ground on 30,000-sq-ft Building Trav-Ad Signs held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new 30,000-sq-ft building located in Chase Industrial Park recently. Trav-Ad has been providing visual communication tools to businesses in the Huntsville/Madison County community and across the country since 1976.

The new building allows Trav-Ad to increase its capabilities as the largest visual communications company in the area. Some of the company’s most recent work locally included signage at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, among many others.

“Our event today is very symbolic of the unprecedented economic development projects that are occurring not only across our community, but across our state,” said Evans Quinlivan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County.

“The company we honor today showcases our community’s talent and expertise to communities across the country. In fact, everywhere you go, you see, literally and figuratively, signs of what this great company produces as a national

leader in visual communications,” Quinlivan added.

Madison County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie and former Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer welcomed TravAd to their new location in Chase Industrial Park.

“This is a great day for our community and our Park.

Trav-Ad is a homegrown company that could have settled anywhere and been successful, but they decided to stay home in Huntsville,” said Gillespie. Gillespie said he feels so strongly about the work that Trav-Ad does he volunteered Chase Industrial Park to buy the first sign.

Spencer echoed Gillespie’s warm welcome and pledged her support. “If there is anything we can do to help you, let us know,” said Spencer.

Roy Cox, President of Trav-Ad, thanked those in attendance and discussed the importance of signage for business. Cox thinks the new building will allow Trav-Ad to increase their business and positively affect the community.

“As we are expanding our business here and across the country, that means more revenue for our community,” Cox said. •

L-R: Former Mayor Loretta Spencer, Madison County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie and Roy Cox, President of Trav-Ad, and members of Cox’s family break ground on Trav-Ad’s new building.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 20

QTEC Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary QTEC recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary with a ribbon cutting ceremony. QTEC works with such clients as NASA and the Department of Defense. Some of their

projects include NASA’s Constellation program and the Army’s utility helicopter program.

“QTEC is a company that really is a fantastic representative of the business growth and economic foundation of the Huntsville/Madison County community,” said Evans Quinlivan, Board Chair of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County.

“Huntsville is a great place for entrepreneurs. We moved here in 1983 without thinking we would stay, but Huntsville really was a smart place for us,” said Connie Beveridge, co-founder of QTEC. Jim Beveridge, co-founder of QTEC, said that the company may be celebrating their 10 years in business, but QTEC had been in the workings for 20 years.

“In 1988 we got the bug to start a business so we incorporated, but having kids meant putting things off for a while. We got used to eating macaroni and cheese after

Kathy Broad, QTEC CEO, speaking at the company’s ribbon cutting and 10-year anniversary.

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putting the kids through college and decided the time was right to start the business,” Jim Beveridge said of the company’s beginning.

QTEC has worked with several companies in Huntsville on defense and aerospace contracts such as Teledyne Brown Engineering, Jacobs, Colsa, SAIC and Northrop Grumman “Huntsville is about opportunity. We are surrounded by remarkable people like I have never seen anywhere else,” he said.

Kathy Broad, CEO of QTEC echoed the message of the Beveridges. “QTEC is about opportunity. Like the Army saying—‘Be all you can be,’ QTEC intentionally strives to create an environment where you can be and achieve all that you want.” She added by saying, “Applying yourself and doing every little job right leads to personal growth and company growth. That is what QTEC strives for.” •

~ highlights compiled by John Southerland & Harrison Diamond

Companies Recognized by Military Training Technology as Nation’s Top Training and Simulation Companies Several companies in the Huntsville/Madison County community were recently recognized by Military Training Technology Magazine in its prestigious Top Training and Simulation Companies.

Companies cited by the magazine included AAI Corporation, Alion Science and Technology, CACI International, Camber Corporation, Concurrent Computer Corporation, Cubic Corporation, Dynamics Research Corporation, EADS NA Defense Security and Systems Solutions, General Dynamics C4 Systems, IBM, L-3 Link Simulation & Training, QUANTUM3D, Rockwell Collins, SAIC, SGI, Ternion Corporation (for the sixth consecutive year) and Westwind Technologies.

Ethan Hadley, vice president for economic development for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madi-

son County, pointed to the community’s growing presence as a top modeling, simulation and training community.

“Huntsville’s modeling & simulation companies continue to draw attention to the capabilities in our community that have made us a leading M&S center in the world. Each one is a virtual virtuoso in its own rite,” Hadley said.

The competition for the recognition was global, according to the magazine.

“The list’s companies are from around the world that have made a significant impact on the military training industry this year across the spectrum of technologies – distance learning, live training, virtual and constructive simulation, modeling, gaming and others.”

An impartial panel selected the winners. Companies were selected based on various criteria, which, in part, included total military sales, innovations and program effectiveness. •

CenturyTel Acquires Embarq CenturyTel, Inc. recently acquired Embarq Corporation creating one of the leading communications companies in the United States.

The two companies have a combined operating presence in 33 states with approximately eight million access lines and two million broadband customers. CenturyTel came into the Huntsville market in 2005 by acquiring KMC Telecom and has grown its local employee base by 50 percent during that time.

Glen F. Post III, CenturyTel’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “This transaction is a significant win for our respective employees, customers and the communities we serve. We expect that bringing EMBARQ and CenturyTel together will accelerate both companies’ strategic plans, diversify our revenues and provide us with the expanded networks, expertise and financial resources to build long-term value for shareholders. I am confident that the talent and dedication of CenturyTel and EMBARQ employees will enable us to quickly realize the significant potential inherent in this combination.”

Tom Gerke, EMBARQ’s chief executive officer, said, “In CenturyTel, we have found a terrific strategic partner, one with an outstanding history of providing quality and innovative products and services to its customers across the country. This transaction is expected to provide significant growth potential via a combined company that is better positioned to compete and win in an increasingly competitive marketplace. We are looking forward to joining with a partner who shares our commitment to customers, employees and the communities we serve.” • Economic Development Highlights continued on page 32 Initiatives December 2008

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Renderings of the new Army Materiel Command headquarters building

BRAC on Track From Construction to Personnel Moves, 2005 BRAC Implementation on Target at Redstone

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ave no doubt, BRAC is happening and its impact will dramatically impact Alabama at near unprecedented levels. To many who live in the Tennessee Valley, there has seemingly been some level of uncertainty surrounding the successful implementation of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) decision. But those involved know that action is being taken daily to make that implementation a seamless transition.

Joe Ritch, the executive chair for the Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee, understands where the uncertainty originates. While BRAC is a process that ensures that Ritch there is no reversal of BRAC decisions, Ritch remembers the 1991 BRAC that was going to move 1,200 jobs from the U.S. Army’s Rock Island Arsenal to Redstone and knows that it is imperative that the community work together to ensure a successful transition.

“There is still a fear that people have based on the 1993 BRAC that reversed the 1991 moves that it could happen again,” said Ritch. “Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is the entire Tennessee Valley came together as a region for the 1995 BRAC and it has turned out to be a phenomenal success. It brought about 1,700 jobs with it and several thousand contractor jobs. Efforts to realize the 2005 BRAC are well underway. It’s not a question of whether it is or is not going to happen, it already is happening.”

In fact, the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) has already relocated its three-star command to Redstone, bringing with it Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell, the 24

December 2008 Initiatives

highest ranking general officer to be located on the Arsenal. The Command officially moved in the spring of 2007. In addition to SMDC, major moving commands include the Army Materiel Command (AMC), the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC), and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

Another reason for the skepticism is the lack of visibility for what is actually occurring. The jobs and the people aren’t all coming on one big BRAC bus, Ritch joked, and facilities construction takes place behind the military gates, away from the public eye. And while traditional large-scale economic development projects tend to generate that visibility, completion of these BRAC relocations will take years to realize from construction of roads and buildings to the moving of jobs and personnel.

A study conducted by the University of Alabama confirms that the 2005 BRAC, in terms of job growth, will be the single largest economic development project the state of Alabama has ever experienced. In all, about 4,700 direct government jobs are moving. The 1995 BRAC, which merged the Army’s aviation command from St. Louis with its missile command at Redstone, brought 1,700 government jobs and at least twice as many contractors. Even using a 1-to-1 multiplier, the 2005 BRAC should bring about 10,000 new jobs to Huntsville/Madison County. That, many say, is a conservative number. While the job growth is impressive, it is equally important to note that the jobs are much higher paying compared to more traditional economic development projects.

Another complicating factor for the public and even state and regional political leaders is that Redstone Arsenal is different than most

military installations. Much of Redstone Arsenal consists of Research, Development, Testing, and Engineering (RDT&E) laboratories and test ranges and since it is not a major “troop” installation (such as Fort Hood, Texas or Fort Bragg, N.C.) there is little resemblance to a traditional Army installation. Redstone is often cited for the contributions it makes to the national defense and scientific communities.

But, creating an awareness of the BRAC impact is vital in receiving state funding to help meet infrastructure needs, according to Ritch, who points out that just the job growth associated with 2005 BRAC at Redstone will generate more than $40 million in new tax money every year to the state of Alabama.

“That is why it is so critical that some of that money comes back to our communities to help us build up that infrastructure in the form of new and expanding road projects.”

But first, the buildings have to be built and the roads on the Arsenal expanded to handle the new facilities.

Construction According to U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal Garrison Commander Col. Robert Pastorelli, BRAC will add an additional 1.4 million square feet of new facilities to Redstone at a cost of $419 million to accommodate the approximate 4,700 jobs.

“This, coupled with other mission increases on Redstone Arsenal and robust growth in the local community, will clearly have an impact on the surrounding road networks.

Redstone Arsenal’s Garrison has established a BRAC Support Operations Center to provide coordination, support and oversight for the BRAC incoming and outgoing or-

ganizations as well as interaction with the surrounding communities,” Pastorelli said.

“One of the many areas of focus is the local road network. Installation Commander Major General Jim Myles and the Garrison have been working closely with the local elected officials, Huntsville’s Metro Planning Office, the Alabama Department of Transportation, and the Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment to ensure importance is placed on the road network needs to support this growth community.”

Construction to support BRAC has been broken into four major construction projects and all are on track for completion according to the planned timelines for the organizations to relocate, said Pastorelli.

“All of the environmental impact assessments have been completed and the projects are in various stages at this time. All of the Redstone Arsenal major BRAC projects will be completed by the established end date of September 2011 for the completion of BRAC 2005 mandates,” Pastorelli said.

Completed projects The first completed project is in support of the 2nd Recruiting Brigade and 2nd Medical Recruiting Battalion, relocating from Fort Gillem, Ga. The 2nd Recruiting Brigade facility was completed in September 2008, and the 2nd Medical Recruiting Battalion facility is on track for completion in early 2009.

Under construction The next project is the 840,000 squarefoot Von Braun Complex Phase III that will house the MDA and SMDC. The facility

construction/design contract was awarded in December 2007. It will be built in two phases with phase one (capacity for 1,600 personnel) of the facility available for occupancy during the summer of 2010. According to MDA Executive Director David Altwegg, phase two (capacity for 1,000 personnel) will be available for occupancy by the summer of 2011. He indicated that VB III is currently 8 percent complete and when completed will hold 2,649 positions and include about 750,000 square feet of continued on page 26

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BRAC on Track, continued from page 25 – administrative office space, along with an 800-person auditorium, cafeteria, fitness center, and special use areas. This facility will be the largest office building on the Arsenal.

The third major project will support AMC and USASAC relocating from Fort Belvoir, also in Northern Virginia. The contract for the 400,884 square-foot AMC and USASAC facility was awarded in July 2008 and is on schedule to be completed in early 2011. The agency held a groundbreaking ceremony in September and the land has been cleared to begin construction.

Coming soon The final major construction project is the Rotary Wing Center to support the Army’s Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC) that is relocating from Fort Rucker, Ala. and merging with the Redstone Technical Test Center (RTTC; already on Redstone Arsenal). The contract for construction/design of the Rotary Wing administrative and airfield facilities will be awarded in early 2009 with completion planned in early 2011.

Construction challenges “The biggest challenge has been the sheer volume of major construction projects running simultaneously,” Pastorelli said. “As far as we can tell, the construction associated with BRAC 2005 is the largest single ‘growth spurt’ to occur on the Arsenal since it was first built in 1941. The engineers on the Arsenal in conjunction with the Corps of Engineers have been working non-stop to ensure all of the projects are completed on time and to the prescribed standard. Along with the construction comes a large amount of construction related traffic. The patience of the community and Arsenal employees has been tremendous as Redstone Arsenal is working to maintain the delicate balance of maintaining force protection while also expediting traffic flow on and off of the Arsenal.”

Garrison priority for road projects Currently, Pastorelli said, Redstone Arsenal’s top priority for road projects is the expansion of Martin Road on the installation from Rideout Road to the intersection at Zierdt Road by Gate 7. This expanded capacity is needed on the western side of the Arsenal due to current and planned community growth in that direction and the planned expansion of James Record Road/Martin Road from Huntsville International Airport and I-565 leading up to Gate 7. Redstone Arsenal leadership and surrounding communities have made it clear that improvements are also needed and are in various stages for Memorial Parkway, Highway 53, Winchester Road and Zierdt Road. Additionally, Redstone Arsenal is involved with the community in local schools requirements, workforce and personnel requirements, and numerous other areas affected by the growth both on and off the installation.

Personnel Moves - MDA MDA’s transition to Huntsville is well underway, Altwegg reported. While the availability of facilities will pace personnel movements, realignments are progressing well and being accelerated when possible, he said.

Since Oct. 1, 2006, MDA has realigned or newly established about 1,130 positions in Huntsville. This is roughly half of the BRAC mandated 2,248 positions. MDA expects to have all positions realigned by Sept. 15, 2011, and the agency is actively recruiting 26

December 2008 Initiatives

about 160 government civilian positions and the agency’s support contractors are filling vacancies as well, Altwegg said.

Based on a 2007 survey, about 15 percent of MDA’s national capitol region government civilian workforce indicated they planned to relocate with their positions to Huntsville. Agency officials said they have worked diligently to improve this number by focusing the agency’s communication efforts on undecided personnel to provide the information needed for their decision-making, include inviting the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County and the Tennessee Valley BRAC communities to Washington D.C. to host Town Halls with MDA personnel. MDA has also enrolled in the Defense National Relocation Program, which makes available the purchase of employees’ houses if they have difficulties selling them on their own.

Officials said the recruiting efforts are going well – pointing out that the agency is involved with numerous targeted recruitment activities throughout the U.S. including job fairs and college campus visits, paid advertising in professional journals and other news media, along with visits to communities that offer high numbers of the kinds of people and skill sets attractive to MDA. “We are having great success finding applicants for business and engineering positions at college/university career fairs,” Altwegg said. “College career counselors are very open to MDA information sessions and willing to share information with students. MDA will attend a total of 29 events in 2008. We believe we have a sufficient number of applications on hand to hire first class of interns in early 2009 engineering, financial, and acquisition fields.

We appreciate the support and cooperation of the local chambers of commerce in helping us sell the local communities while we sell MDA jobs. We also appreciate our partnerships with the other Human Resources offices at Redstone Arsenal. It has allowed us to keep a broad view of recruitment for Government positions, and given us the ability to address recruiting shortfalls.”

After completion of the Von Braun III building, the complex will house more than 4,600 employees and almost 1.2 million square feet of office space.

The complex will feature state of the art technology.

Personnel Moves - AMC/USASAC The relocation of AMC and USASAC personnel is being conducted under a fivecontinued on page 35 Initiatives December 2008

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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:

Annual Outing October 2 at Ditto Landing – sponsored by Dynetics The Madison Mountaintop Band played while more than 400 people enjoyed great food and a beautiful sunset on a night to honor NASA and the Military.

Business After Hours October 9 – sponsored by and located at Thomas Townhouse Furniture and Billiards It was all networking and games for the attendees of the last BAH for 2008.

Breakfast & Biz November 4 – sponsored by and located at grille 29 It may have been election day, but to the B&B participants, this time was spent selling themselves.

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.

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E M P L O Y E E

O F

T H E

Q U A R T E R

Laura Kendrick executive assistant

W

hen Laura Kendrick thinks back on her more than seven years of working at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, a time that will be among the most dynamic for economic development in the community’s history, one thing quickly comes to mind: relationships.

When all is said and done, it is the relationships that she cherishes. In her job as executive assistant at the Chamber, she is constantly involved in establishing and maintaining relationships both inside the Chamber and outside as well.

“I love the relationships,” Laura said. “I love the relationships we have with our members, with community leaders and elected officials and with the Chamber staff. It is truly a great working environment that involves teamwork, in every sense of the word.”

That attitude is why Laura was a shoo-in for the Chamber’s Employee of the Quarter. She has seen many changes in the community over those seven years, but the level of involvement from the business community has been a very positive and dynamic change.

“One of the biggest changes I’ve seen is the level of involvement at the Chamber by the business community,” she said. “The members and our board of directors are inspired by what is going on in our community and they are inspired by what the Chamber does and they want to be a part of it.”

Laura’s ability to help others at the Chamber is another example of her leadership and teamwork. From assisting with invoicing and billing to editing, writing letters, working registration at a Chamber event or coordinating meetings at the Chamber, it’s all in a day’s work for Laura. And, of course, dropping everything to help anyone at the Chamber who needs her assistance is just another example of that team spirit.

“The Chamber is such a great place to work. Everything we do here is so far reaching. It really makes the job exciting and fun, but it is truly the relationships that make it all worthwhile.”

Laura has two sons, Shannon, 22, who is in college and Sean, 20, who is serving in the U.S. Army. •

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T & W Operations IT Expertise Helps Save Lives and Adds Jobs to the Community

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fter jumping out of airplanes and fighting in wars, starting and building a business from the ground up might seem like child’s play. But to Tom Jarrell and Wayne Gardner, co-owners of T & W Operations and winners of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County’s 2008 Small Business of the Year in the business services category, the prospect was exhilarating. Jarrell and Gardner were not strangers to each other when they decided to become business partners after having known each other for almost 40 years through marrying sisters. After being in business for over five years, they have learned even more about each other.

“We wanted to build quality houses and have fun doing it,” said Jarrell, “but after two years, an opportunity came about which enabled us to build on our strengths and expand into government contracting.”

Having started the service disabled, veteran-owned, small business in 2003 after retiring from the U.S. Army and Air Force, what began as a real estate holding compa-

ny quickly turned into much more than that.

The company began with two paid employees and built upon their core strengths as military logisticians and IT professionals to grow to its current base of 20. The company’s first major project was to develop a supply chain management operation to quickly deploy bomb-detonating robots to Afghanistan in 2005. These sophisticated robots performed thousands of missions disarming bombs, and saving the lives and limbs of hundreds of U.S. soldiers and now also perform in Iraq.

“The operation was running at about 50 percent capacity before we implemented our system. By the time we finished designing the program, they were running at 100 percent capacity. After the implementation of our program, 1,350 robots blew up instead of soldiers.

The fact that we saved lives is very important to us,” said Wayne Gardner, president.

“The fact that we are able to provide local jobs is also important to us,” added Jarrell.

After this initial success, they were able to expand their contract base by looking at op-

L-R: James (Tom) Jarrell, Rebecca Billings, Rodney Owen and Matt Peloquin accept the Small Business of the Year Award for T & W Operations in the business services category.

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December 2008 Initiatives

portunities that built on their core technical expertise in support of the Air Force, Navy and Army systems. The company prides itself on providing critical support to Department of Defense operations and other small businesses in the Tennessee Valley. Today, T & W continues to provide IT expertise through partnerships with many of the areas defense contracting companies.

In order to continue to grow and diversify their business base, T & W expanded into the commercial market by adding a commercial division, NetwoRx in April. According to the co-owners, their employees provide the customer focus and work by the motto that no one will take better care of a customer than a NetwoRx employee. Their technicians and engineers provide the personalized service a customer should have. T & W Operations is proud to be one of the few Microsoft Certified GOLD partners in North Alabama and its employees hold a variety of other certifications. The company provides full support to small and large businesses from initial computer and systems set-up to security and maintenance, including help desk support and remote monitoring.

Jarrell and Gardner both said they strive to maintain a family-type environment to ensure employees feel valued and have a place they want to work. Their goals for the next few years include increasing the company’s contract base and growing the business while supporting the soldiers in the field.

The owners indicated they were surprised to be recognized as a Small Business of the Year but were proud of what they and their employees do and how they have grown since their inception a few years ago.

“There are so many great companies in our community vying for this spot in the technology industry,” said Jarrell. “We are honored to be recognized by our peer judges for this award from the many outstanding contenders. We will continue to insure we are worthy recipients in everything we do.”

• Loren Traylor

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS, continued from page 23

Huntsville Ranked Fifth Best Performing City in the Country The sun continues to shine on Huntsville regarding national recognition and rankings.

The latest recognition shows Huntsville being named the fifth best performing city in the country in the Milken Institute/Green-

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December 2008 Initiatives

street Real Estate Partners 2008 Best-Performing Cities Index. Huntsville was ranked 16th in the U.S. in 2007.

Don Nalley, the Chamber’s vice chair for economic development and the director of

Beason & Nalley, said he was excited to see Huntsville’s continued economic growth being recognized nationally.

“All in our community that work so hard to improve the economy and in general the lives of our citizens should be thrilled with the 2008 Milken Best-Performing Cities Index,” Nalley said. “The fact that Huntsville is listed fifth in this 2008 study is a major improvement from our 16 ranking in 2007 and our 28 ranking in 2005.”

Huntsville was ranked the fifth best performing city among the largest 200 cities in the U.S. Among other large Alabama cities, Montgomery was the highest mover, going from 76th in 2007 to 38th in 2008.

Nalley said while aerospace and defense technology continue to provide the economic foundation for the community, entrepreneurialism and diversification have also made a significant impact in other areas.

“Obviously this ranking is taken very seriously and we’re sure it is closely watched by those in the business of locating businesses and people throughout the world,” Nalley said. “Much of our community’s growth is internal, both individuals forming new businesses and existing businesses expanding.

We think we have an extremely successful internal economic engine that promotes both entrepreneurs in the start-up and growth phases of their business. This ranking is an acknowledgment of these successful efforts and I think we will see this community continue to be recognized on a national level.”

According to the report, the rankings reflect many of the areas that drive the Huntsville/Madison County economy.

“This year’s rankings demonstrate that entrepreneurs continue to be the economic engine of choice for job growth, even in the face of national and global economic challenges,” said Ross DeVol, author of the report and director of Regional Economics at the Milken Institute. “We’ve seen energy, housing and even catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina impact a specific year, but consistently, those metros dedicated to growing their technology base and human capital beat the short-term shifts in the economy.”

The 2008 top 10 performers of the 200 largest metros: • Provo-Orem, Utah • Raleigh-Cary, N.C. • Salt Lake City, Utah • Austin-Round Rock, Texas • Huntsville, Ala. • Wilmington, N.C. • McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas • Tacoma, Wash.

• Olympia, Wash.

• Charleston-North Charleston, S.C. The index ranks U.S. metros based on their ability to create and sustain jobs. It 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 crucial role in regional economic growth. •

Bama Jammer, Inc. Wins Army Contract Bama Jammer, Inc., a Huntsville-based company won a U.S. Department of Army contract to furnish various promotional and recruiting items in the service’s on-going recruitment efforts. This ended a long and intense competition between businesses nationwide for the contract. The contract will have a value of $1.5 million during 20082009.

“We are very excited and optimistic about the future of the company,” said Bethany Steelman, vice-president of operations at Bama Jammer. “This contract is certainly a big accomplishment for Bama Jammer and positions us as a national competitor for future government business,” she continued.

“This Army contract is a real milestone for our young company and we plan to immediately start production of the required products,” stated Bama Jammer President Natalie Steelman.

Bama Jammer offers embroidery and screen printing as well as thousands of promotional and specialty advertising products to the government and to the private sector.

Production facilities are located near Chase Industrial Park in Huntsville. • Initiatives December 2008

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BRAC on Track, continued from page 27 – phase plan and is on schedule for completion by 2011, according to AMC officials.

Phase I was completed in 2007 and Phase II in 2008. More personnel will relocate under Phase III in 2009, Phase IV in 2010 and the official transfer of function date is July 17, 2011. Under Phase I and II of the AMC BRAC plan, personnel began relocating in late 2006 and there are more than 200 AMC and USASAC employees in temporary facilities on Redstone Arsenal today. Phase III is projected to bring more than 200 additional employees in 2009.

All functions will be officially transferred from Fort Belvoir, Va., to Redstone Arsenal in July 2011. AMC will bring about 1,354 positions and USASAC will bring an additional 367.

According to AMC officials, preliminary surveys conducted at the agency indicate that about 30 percent of the current workforce will relocate. Those who do not relocate will vacate their positions, which will be transferred to Redstone and filled.

AMC and USASAC are performing normal recruiting activities as positions become vacant.

forward to seeing this project completed,” said Altwegg. “The move will bring together the best and brightest talent to develop and field a ballistic missile defense system to defend America, our deployed forces and friends and allies. We appreciate the outstanding support we have received from the Tennessee Valley chambers of commerce to make this transition as smooth as possible.”

So far, so good. BRAC is on track.

• John Southerland

The new AMC headquarters building, as shown in this artist’s rendering, will house more than 1,700 employees including the new four-star commanding general of Redstone Arsenal.

Looking ahead Myles said that everything from filling jobs, completing construction and addressing infrastructure needs are all major components of a bigger picture – Redstone Arsenal making a positive difference for the nation.

“The importance and significance of BRAC proves that Redstone Arsenal is committed to making a positive difference to our nation’s defense of freedom,” Maj. Gen. Jim Myles, Redstone Arsenal said. “As we look to the future, the strength of the nation depends on our united efforts to remain vigilant and committed to be ready for the world’s ever-changing environment. Everything we do improves the quality of our training and vigilance secures our future, with BRAC being a seminal contribution to our security.”

MDA officials echoed the sentiment and said the move to Huntsville will be a positive for the agency and the nation’s missile defense program.

“We are pleased with the progress of our transition from the National Capital Region to Redstone Arsenal and look Initiatives December 2008

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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)

36

ADTRAN AT&T The Boeing Company Colonial Bank Compass Bank Crestwood Medical Center Deltacom The Huntsville Times Lockheed Martin Redstone Federal Credit Union SAIC Wachovia Bank, N.A. December 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 Corp.

Lamar Outdoor Advertising Look 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

STI Electronics Locally Owned Family Business Has Worldwide Reach

S

TI Electronics, Inc. takes a holistic approach to business. As a three-pronged company specializing in training; engineering lab services for analysis, developing prototypes and small to medium sized assembly needs of circuit boards for manufacturers; and distribution of electronic assembly and solder supplies, STI provides complete service for its customers in both the military and high-end manufacturing.

At its very core, STI is a “family business” with worldwide outreach. Son, David Raby is the President/CEO and part owner, father, Jim D. Raby is the founder and Technical Director and mother, Ellen Raby is the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Financial Officer and majority owner of the company. One could say that the employees of STI are members of the Raby extended family. A staff picture adorns David Raby’s office window with a different themed background each month.

This “family business” prides itself on being an Alabama company. STI was founded in Ridgecrest, California, but was incorporated as an Alabama business.

“Alabama has always been home to us,” said David Raby. Raby was born in Harvest, but grew up moving between Alabama and California multiple times because his father worked for NASA. “I was a NASA brat,” he said.

The company moved into their current building in 1993. When it moved into the 8,000 square-foot building, STI had no clue it would have to expand so quickly to meet the demands of new business ventures. The building is now 18,000 square feet and still growing. The company is currently building a new 54,000-square-foot building with plans to move in by mid-December. In addition to the bigger building, STI hopes to double its workforce to 100 employees ranging from engineers and instructors to support staff.

“I hope in two years we are running out of space in the new building,” Raby said.

Teaching is the oldest component of the business. Jim Raby, regarded as the author-

ity on standards and regulations of electronic manufacturing, founded the NASA and Defense Solder School Systems in 1982 before founding STI. STI teaches nearly 1,000 students at their local facility a year. Not only do local residents attend the sessions, but Raby also electronics instructors, engineers and technicians from around the world. Company leaders see the teaching aspect of the business as having a great impact on the local economy.

“We get these students from all over to eat locally and stay locally and that means they are keeping their money here,” said David Raby.

“One time we had students from Hong Kong, Turkey, Brazil, Scotland, China (mainland), continued on page 38

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STI Electronics, continued from page 25 – Australia, Canada and Atlanta in the same class. To give them a flavor of the community, we took them all to eat at the old Greenbrier Bar-B-Que,” he added.

STI also offers leading edge solutions and technology in its lab where military and high-end manufacturing companies rely on STI’s engineers and assembly experts to design prototype electronics circuit boards.

The prototype development aspect of the company has led to patented technology in circuit boards after the U.S. Navy commissioned Jim Raby to develop a circuit board that would not malfunction in missiles under enormous stresses (g-forces).

“The Navy came up to us for a short-term solution to a problem they were having with the circuit boards in their missiles. The gforces were damaging the parts of the circuit board and causing shortages resulting in missiles that were flying out of control,” said Jim Raby.

The Navy funded research and development for five years, which led to STI’s patented Imbedded Component Die Technology (IC/DT). This technology involves the use of

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integrated circuit components (bare die) that are imbedded within a laminate substrate on a thermally conductive core, which provides a thermal sink. The circuit components are connected to the circuit by flexible electrical interconnects. An insulating coating covers the exposed surfaces and prevents damage to the fragile parts. A thermally conductive material, such as a gel, encases the circuit components providing additional support, a second protective barrier and a thermal sink for the dispersal of heat.

By burying the parts of the circuit, its overall size was decreased. “We made the circuit board smaller, more reliable and more rugged,” said David Raby. “The military loves it because they can make their stuff smaller without losing power,” he said. The technology improves the performance and ruggedness of the circuits under extreme conditions such as temperature, vibration and g-force.

The company has tested its technology up to 20,000 g’s whereas the space shuttle experiences about 3 g’s. The Rabys are confident their technology can sustain 40,000 g’s if they can find something to test it on.

“Our hope is that IC/DT will be the future of circuit board technology. We got a big boost to our egos when a Navy captain introduced our technology as ‘the way circuits will be built in the future,’ I wanted to give him a hug right there,” stated Raby.

Distribution is the third leg of the business, which provides everything businesses would need for the assembly of electronic circuit boards. This leg of the business originated when Jim Raby found when he first became a small business owner. “When we first moved to Madison, there was not a local, stocking distributor to serve the needs of local, small businesses,” Jim Raby explained. Today, STI distributes tools and materials to large and small companies in all 50 states and 44 countries. The company was recently named for the third time to the Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest growing private business. STI is also a past winner of the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year.

• By Harrison Diamond

Photos of the 2008 Business EXPO October 23, 2008

Photo by Daniels Photography

Photo by Daniels Photography

Photo by Daniels Photography

Former Mayor Loretta Spencer cut the ribbon to open the 2008 Business Expo, presented by Verizon Wireless, which featured more than 200 vendors and included a diverse group of exhibitors including Honey Baked Ham, Monaco Pictures and Intermission Massage & Neuromuscular Therapy. Attendees were treated to great food and gifts from many local businesses.

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This article reprinted with permission from The Marshall Star. It includes a message directed toward employees working on behalf of Marshall Space Flight Center.

You are building a lasting legacy

I

ran across a NASA news clip recently that really caught my attention. It was an Aug. 3 article in The Telegraph-Calcutta newspaper in India. The reporter calls NASA’s “conquest of space” “one of the wonders of modern science,” but questions the benefits accruing to science and mankind from the Apollo program beyond “the development of the handheld vacuum cleaner, better golf balls, Teflon-coated fiberglass and many other items of modern life.”

I couldn’t disagree more.

For fifty years, NASA has been a catalyst of innovation, and its impact here and around the world has been nothing short of transformative. The pursuit of the near impossible has given birth to new technologies, new industries, new markets and new possibilities that simply didn’t exist before.

In its “2008 Space Report,” the U.S. Space Foundation estimated the space economy at $251 billion worldwide, with more than half coming from commercial products and services. The growing space economy has affected how we live, work and play, delivering benefits touching virtually every aspect of our lives. The impact of the space economy is felt every time we use an ATM, use our GPS, pay for gas at the pump and, yes, use a handheld vacuum cleaner.

But that’s not all. Spin-offs in the field of medicine have enabled life-saving advances in diagnosis and treatment. More than 1,000 inventions from the space program have benefited us here at home. But the benefits of the space economy run much deeper than spin-offs. The banking, finance, retail and shipping industries all depend on space and satellite transmissions for the smooth operation of their businesses, and they form the backbone of our economy.

When other economic sectors have faltered, the space economy has been a job creation machine. In fact, job growth in the U.S. space industry has outpaced job growth 40

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in the private sector overall, contributing 266,700 jobs across the country at pay levels roughly twice the national average.

Today’s aerospace industry employs more than 150,000 Alabamians, with a payroll of $6.16 billion. Space workers in the state of Alabama are making the nation’s third highest average annual wage behind space workers in Virginia and California.

In FY 2007, the Marshall Space Flight Center generated more than $1.1 billion in economic impact for Alabama, $2.7 billion for the U.S. economy. In the same period, NASA invested more than $113 million in academic institutions and non-profits across the United States. Twenty million dollars went to Alabama educational institutions and non-profits, enhancing economic growth and creating a highly educated work force – a valuable resource for area businesses and the local community.

If the space economy weren’t delivering tangible economic benefits to the nations smart enough to exert a leadership share in it, why do you think India, home of The Telegraph, would be spending an estimated $1 billion USD (at current exchange rates) on its own national space program? That’s .56 percent of India’s national budget – close to NASA’s .6 percent – against a per capita Gross National Income of $2,740 (v. our $46,040). While India has made great strides since the early 1990s in creating a middle class, it still needs to get 836 million people out of extreme poverty, and it sees a robust space economy as one way to do that.

Thank you for your hard work and unwavering spirit. You are building a lasting legacy for our nation and our community for tomorrow and for generations to come.

– David A. King Director Marshall Space Flight Center

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FOR CHAMBER MEMBERS ONLY Call Brittany: 535-2051

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December 2008 Initiatives

Show Me the Money

Provides Guidance for Future Workforce

R

ecently the Southern Education Foundation released a report calling high school dropouts the number one challenge for economic development in Alabama. A key component of reducing dropouts is making education relevant to students, and for many students, money talks. To this end, the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County partnered with Junior Achievement of Northern Alabama (JANA) to create a pilot program for 10th graders called Show Me the Money. This program took 300 students through an online assessment that helped them identify careers that matched their interests. Then, they used the information to explore specific careers before meeting with representatives from local companies during a career fair to find out about education requirements and, most importantly to the students, salary potential.

Working with all three local school systems, the Chamber and JANA designed the program using materials from other JA programs, primarily the job shadowing program for 11th and 12th graders. The school systems identified the participating schools – Bob Jones, Huntsville, Lee, Madison County and New Hope – and the schools picked the teachers and students for the pilot program. The program consisted of two classroom sessions and a career fair. Classroom sessions were led by Chamber and JANA staff, and surveys were conducted before and after the program to determine the impact.

“Many of the students had no idea what career field to consider for themselves,” said Jim Bolte, vice chair for workforce at the Chamber.

“And while some of them had an idea of what careers they wanted to pursue, through this program they were able to learn more about how to pursue them.”

The career fair was held at the University Center on campus at UAHuntsville and included more than 20 companies. Following a presentation on the Huntsville/Madison County economy, students talked with company representatives to find out more about their chosen careers. Students then talked with representatives from UAHuntsville, Alabama A&M, Calhoun Community College and Drake State Technical College to learn about pursuing the required post-secondary education or training to obtain jobs in their field.

“This was a great event,” said Monica Law,

program manager for JANA. “The students shared with me how much fun they had, and they thought it was better than having to go to every table to get information. Getting information from the companies they were interested in was more effective. I will be looking forward to this again.”

Following the career fair, students were led through a mind mapping process that helped

them connect their interests, values and skills with their chosen career while identifying the education and experience they would need to be successful in their career.

The event was sponsored by Bechtel, Teledyne Brown Engineering, ADTRAN, Redstone Federal Credit Union, Dallas Davis Nationwide Insurance, and Mary Kay – Christy Hawkins.

• Lucia Cape

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Local companies took their show on the road to Austin to recruit professional workers to the Tennessee Valley. Employers found the attendees to be highly qualified and excited about the opportunities in Huntsville.

Austin residents decided Huntsville could be a smart place to live, work and play after talking to several employers.

At right: Lisa Strong with Continental explains what her company does to one interested attendee. Lower photo: Daniel Adamek tells an attendee about local biotech opportunities.

Above: Whitney Mosteller, Paradigm Technologies, explains the advantages of coming to the Tennessee Valley and working on programs that support the defense of the country.

At right: Alice Gardner with the Missile Defense Agency talks to a job candidate. With more than 1,000 jobs to fill, MDA officials considered it essential to partner with the Chamber to recruit workers to the community.

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WBCNA Doing Big Things for Small Business

D

id you know that there are an estimated 25.8 million small businesses in the United States that generated between 60 to 80 percent of the net new jobs created annually over the last decade? Did you know that small businesses employ 50.6 percent of the country’s private sector workforce and represent 97 percent of all the exporters of goods? Did you know that small businesses generate a majority of the innovations that come from United States companies?

Small businesses mean big things for all communities across the nation, and Huntsville/Madison County is no different. With more than 85 percent of its membership composed of businesses with less than 250 employees, officials with the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County have long recognized the need for helping small businesses develop and grow.

To make it easier for budding entrepreneurs to find the help they need, the Chamber and the Women’s Business Center of North Alabama (WBCNA) forged a stronger partnership and in November the WBCNA moved its offices on-site to the Chamber.

“Being a partner with the Chamber will give us more visibility and credibility. The Chamber is the place where individuals intuitively get information about starting and growing a business. Having everyone colocated means that we can better serve the people who come to the Chamber for help,” said Joanne Randolph, WBCNA President.

Despite its name, the WBCNA serves both men and women small business owners through workshops, training, counseling and loan assistance programs. The WBCNA has served thousands in the Tennessee Valley since its inception in 2003 and the organization’s service area continues to expand.

In fact, its clients range from nascent entrepreneurs to existing businesses that are one looking to grow but need a little assistance to get there.

According to Donna Waldrep, WBCNA office manager, the new partnership will enable the WBCNA to go the extra mile to help

small business owners improve the likelihood of their success and growth. Its flagship program, FastTrac® NewVenture™, a 10-week comprehensive workshop developed for anyone who wants to start or grow a business, will continue to be offered with the Chamber helping to communicate the schedule to local entrepreneurs. This workshop deals with every aspect of running and growing a business.

“Many of our clients say this training should be mandatory for anyone thinking about starting a business,” said Randolph.

From its first planning meeting in 2000 until today, the WBCNA has worked with the Chamber to help entrepreneurs turn their dreams into a reality. Last year, the WBCNA counseled more than 1,100 clients in the region.

“Women business owners are critically important to the American economy. Amer-

ica’s 9.1 million women-owned businesses employ 27.5 million people and contribute $3.6 trillion to the economy. However, barriers to opportunity still prevent some women from taking full advantage of the opportunity to own a small business. By expanding the ability for more men and women to realize their business ownership dreams, the foundation of our economy will be diversified and strengthened,” said Elizabeth Morard, the Chamber’s vice chair for small business.

The WBCNA joins representatives from the Small Business Development Centers of both UAHuntsville and Alabama A&M in offering the full spectrum of small business services for a one-stop shop approach at the Chamber.

• Jenni Jeffers

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