Initiatives magazine, June 2008 by Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

Initiatives June 2008

June 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives June 2008

June 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives June 2008

June 2008 Initiatives

initiatives

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

june 2008

Cummings Research Park, photo by Marty Sellers

cover story

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.

Genomic Park HudsonAlpha Institute Launches State to New Heights Pages 24-27 Photo by Bill Vaughn

features Economic Development Highlights

Best Places to Work Honorees

Meeting the Workforce Challenge

Army Aviation “Above the Best”

Small Business Awards profile

Back to BRAC

Cinram

Panoply 2008

developments Chamber Board Listing

Community Profile

Chamber Staff Listing

Growing Through Networking

Employee of the Quarter

HREGI Testimonial

HREGI Investors

Historic Huntsville Depot

editorial staff

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

Publisher Brian Hilson Executive Editor John Southerland

Editorial Designer Kristi Sherrard ontributing Writers Lucia Cape, Arika Sampson, C James R. Snider, John Southerland, Loren Traylor Photography Chamber of Commerce staff & publications Advertising Sales Becky Fentress The Huntsville Times

www.aSmartPlace.com

Initiatives June 2008

Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors and Executive Committee 2008 Executive Committee

Evans Quinlivan, Chair, First American Bank Irma Tuder, Chair-Elect, Analytical Services, Inc. Dave Hargrove, Immediate Past Chair, AT&T Tommy Beason, Chamber Foundation Chair, retired Jan Smith, Secretary/Treasurer, System Studies and Simulation Don Nalley, Vice Chair - Economic Development, Beason & Nalley, Inc. Linda Maynor, Vice Chair - Governmental Affairs, Dear Chamber of Commerce Investors, Community Leaders and Friends: Staff meetings at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County can be interesting – sometimes even exciting. Imagine a group of highly talented and experienced professionals who are strongly dedicated to the growth of our local economy and the betterment of our community. We are always faced with changing priorities, busy agendas, and new opportunities and challenges. And there is never a shortage of ideas. In one recent meeting, our staff was deliberating over the coordination of ribbon cutting events in Cummings Research Park for two companies with similar-sounding names on the same day and at almost the same time. Due to the companies’ circumstances the events had to be scheduled so closely together. As our team struggled with the coordination details we suddenly stopped and wondered out loud, “How many communities would love to have this problem?”

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

Ribbon cuttings like those, combined with other economic developments throughout the year, generate a substantial annual economic impact for Huntsville/Madison County and for all of Alabama. In 2007, 55 local economic development announcements represented almost 4,200 new jobs, marking 15 of the last 18 years Madison County has led all Alabama counties in announced job growth. The Chamber’s recently-released Economic Growth Report reveals more about Huntsville’s progress and rankings. In the last seven years our community has accounted for 33% of Alabama’s employment growth, and an astonishing 66% of the net workforce growth for the entire state. Local growth and income levels compare very favorably with the leading technology-based metropolitan areas in the South. This Initiatives includes feature articles on Huntsville’s fabulous new HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, which is pictured on the front cover. Another feature article describes Army aviation programs at Redstone Arsenal, one of the pillars of our regional economy. Other articles describe the Chamber’s efforts to attract and develop workers for all of those employment opportunities being created by local companies, as well as the Chamber’s small business awards profile, ongoing BRAC workforce recruitment, and our recent “Best Places to Work” awards. Someone said at a recent ribbon cutting, “Those scissors must be getting dull.” That may be true, but I’ll guarantee you we’re not complaining!

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

June 2008 Initiatives

Joe Alexander, Camber Corporation Clayton Bass, Huntsville Museum of Art Frank Caprio, Bradley Arant Rose & White, LLP Derrick T. Copeland, Applied Data Trends, Inc. Gina DeSimone, The Boeing Company John Eagan, Wachovia Bank, N.A. Joe Fadool, Continental AG Kerry Fehrenbach, Intergraph 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 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, Incorporated

Initiatives June 2008

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

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

June 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 June 2008

For more information visit

www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com or call Tina Leopold at (256) 535-2031 Events to include: Concert in the Park - June 23 (Joe Davis Stadium with fireworks) U.S. Army Soldier Show - June 24-25 (3 performances) Armed Forces Salute Luncheon - June 25 (presented by The Boeing Company) Armed Forces Celebration Golf Tournament â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June 27 and the . . .

June 28-29 ~ For more information visit:

www.hsvairshow.com

June 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 Heather Phillips, economic development specialist

Amy Locke, industrial development/existing industry assistant

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

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

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

Terrie Ledbetter, membership sales representative

Donna McCrary, investor relations specialist

Alinka Carrington Johnson, 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 Centers Alabama A&M University UA Huntsville

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 June 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY

eclipse Business Services Opens Office in Huntsville

Artist’s rendering of the 839,873-square foot Von Braun III facility (center building). When completed, the entire Von Braun Complex will house almost 5,000 employees.

Missile Defense Agency Breaks Ground on $221 Million Facility The U.S. Missile Defense Agency recently broke ground on a nearly 850,000 state-ofthe-art facility that will house almost 2,700 workers. The building, Von Braun III, will be located next to the recently completed Von Braun I and Von Braun II offices at Redstone Arsenal and will be the largest single building on Redstone after its completion. By the fall of 2010, the Von Braun complex will hold almost 5,000 MDA and U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command employees. The six-story VB III building, called the “crowning jewel in the entire Von Braun Complex” by MDA’s Director, Lt Gen Henry Obering, will provide continuity of operations and mission as the Agency responds to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision. “Between now and 2011, the majority of people in the Missile Defense Agency will transition out of the National Capital Region. Many will relocate to Greater Huntsville Alabama and work here in the Von Braun Complex,” Obering said. The building also will be one of the crown jewels for Redstone as a result of the 2005 BRAC, the single largest economic development project in the history of the state of Alabama. The construction of VB III uses 14

state-of-the-art building techniques and includes floor jacks that enable a two foot space between the foundation and the actual floor on each level which allows for cabling and wiring to be placed within inches of where needed resulting in interiors that are infinitely reconfigurable. In addition, motion detectors will be placed in all offices to turn lights on and off which will enhance the building energy efficiency. “We will have white noise generators to prevent voices from carrying and improve security,” said Todd Hutto, chief of the Plans, Analysis and Integration Office of the US Army Garrison at Redstone. When completed, VB III will include an auditorium, cafeteria, fitness center along with offices for 2,500 MDA employees which will include BMDS system and test engineers, acquisition and program managers, budget and financial managers, quality assurance, security and Intel personnel. Of the 2,248 MDA positions relocating from the D.C. area to Redstone Arsenal by September 2011, the VBIII’s scheduled completion date, 911 military, contract and government civilian positions have already been realigned. Construction will be completed in two phases with 800 to 1,000 workstations ready by summer of 2010. •

Huntsville is well positioned to support a business that offers a variety of full-service, turn-key offices for small businesses, according to eclipse Business Services co-owner Greg Wilson at the company’s grand-opening/ribbon cutting ceremony. Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County Board Chair Evans Quinlivan said the continued growth in the community bodes well for a business such as eBS. “Our community is enjoying tremendous economic growth, from companies that are relocating to Huntsville to those that are starting up here to capitalize on the amount of economic development occurring in this community,” Quinlivan said. “And so we are celebrating the grand opening of eBS, a company that can meet every one of those needs for any of these companies.” Wilson, who coowns eBS with Lisa Wolfe, said after studying similar businesses in many other Wilson cities that they felt the time was right to start such a business in Huntsville. “We looked at many other similar model businesses in many companies,” Wilson. “We really did a lot of market research and we think the Huntsville market is ready for this. We are ideally suited to small businesses or start-ups that need a full service office with related business services. And we are ideally located – sitting in the heart of the Huntsville business district with direct access to Cummings Research Park and Redstone Arsenal.” •

Economic Development Highlights continued on page 16 June 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives June 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 14

From 1 to 100: WILL Technology, Inc. Opens New Facility to Handle Growth WILL Technology, Inc. recently held a grand opening ceremony in recognition of its continued growth and to officially open its new facility in Huntsville. The company started in 2000 with one employee and has now grown to more than 100 employees, specializing in providing industry leading information technology support services to Department of Defense clients. Keynote speakers included Crystal Shell, founder, president and CEO of WILL Technology, Inc. and Joe Ritch, partner, Sirote & Permutt, P.C. and board advisor to WILL Technology. “What you are seeing today is a legacy of excellence in this company – which has evolved from Crystal Shell’s dream into one

June 2008 Initiatives

that continues to grow and excel in a community that fosters excellence in contracting and in support of the Department of Defense,” said Ron Poteat, vice chair of the Chamber’s Research and Information Services. Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer sent her congratulations on the company’s growth: “Small business is certainly the backbone of Huntsville’s economy. I offer my congratulations to Crystal Shell and her team on Shell their success and growth,” Spencer said. “Huntsville is known as one of the best places for businesses to begin and expand due to the high standards of companies like WILL Technology.” Ritch, who also serves as chairman of the Tennessee Valley Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Committee and as a member of the Chamber’s executive committee, praised Shell for her leadership and predicted great things for the company. “I am happy for her and all of the employees at WILL Technology for what they have accomplished. The fact that the company has grown to more than 100 employees Ritch is not an accident - they have worked very hard to get to this point. But this is just the beginning, and I am certain that they will continue to grow and expand in the coming years.” Shell thanked the customers and the employees. “We are extremely pleased to be here in our new corporate location. Our company has experienced phenomenal growth over the year, and our growth is attributed to our customers allowing us an opportunity to serve them,” Shell said. •

Gleason Research and Associates, Inc. Opens Headquarters in CRP as Business Booms

Gleason Research and Associates (GRA) CEO Dr. Robert Yates (left) and GRA President Chuck Vessels (right) receive a plaque from Don Nalley, Chamber vice chair for economic development, for special recognition from the Chamber.

Gleason Research and Associates, Inc. recently held its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony in recognition of its new corporate headquarters in Cummings Research Park. The new headquarters provides for expanded office space and modern conference and security facilities to better support GRA’s defense, intelligence, law enforcement/ homeland security and NGO customers and to meet the exponential growth of the company. Keynote speakers included Dr. Robert Yates, CEO of GRA, Inc. and Chuck Vessels, president of GRA, Inc., and special guest speaker Mayor Loretta Spencer. Yates said the company’s growth has been phenomenal. Two years ago, the company had about 40 employees. Today, more than 140. “GRA tripled in size the last two years and added many new customers requiring special security measures,” Yates said, “necessitating the new facility.” And that incredible growth is expected to continue, according to GRA President Chuck Vessels. “We have projected we will outgrow this new office by next year, by over doubling the company again,” Vessels said. The primary drivers of the growth include the company’s intelligence services as well as its special operations support services. continued on page 18 Initiatives June 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 17 GRA, continued from page 17 –

“This event is a celebration of the continued growth of a company whose core mission should be near and dear to every one, not only in this community – but in this country: the support of our soldiers,” said Don Nalley, vice chair of economic development for the Chamber. “GRA, Inc. provides superior support products and services to enable the soldiers who are protecting and defending our country to fulfill their objectives and return home safely,” Nalley said. Spencer congratulated the employees and praised their hard work in creating a successful company. “It is really the employees and the leadership and the great work that you do that makes days like today possible. It is your day and a tribute to what you all do in support of our soldiers.” •

June 2008 Initiatives

ADO Opens North Alabama Office to Capitalize on Aerospace and Defense Market

From left to right: Congressman Bud Cramer, Gov. Bob Riley, and ADO Director Neal Wade.

Hoping to capitalize on the Huntsville/Madison County aerospace and defense industry that already employs more than 44,000 workers, the Alabama Development Office has recently opened a new satellite office in Huntsville. At a press conference held at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and ADO Director Neal Wade announced recently retired NASA employee Bruce Anderson will head the office. Anderson, who brings to the office more than 34 years of government service in the aerospace industry and a wealth of knowledge about often-complex federal procurement processes, has hit the ground running – recently attending and marketing at the National Space Symposium in Denver in his first two weeks on the job. He also plans to market at the Berlin Air Show (held in May) and will join the Alabama delegation at the Farnborough International Air Show in July. Congressman Bud Cramer, who recently announced he would not seek re-election to Congress from Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District, also spoke at the announcement, praising the state’s initiative and thanking Wade for his economic development activities. “I love economic development,” Cramer said. “Working with Neal, I’ve learned a lot. Just enough to be dangerous,” Cramer joked. •

QuantiTech Expands Huntsville Headquarters QuantiTech, Inc., recently announced plans to expand its headquarters in Huntsville to better meet the needs of its Department of Defense customers. QuantiTech, a minority woman-owned government services contractor, specializes in providing a variety of engineering solutions, services and tools for Department of Defense clients, including the U.S. Army’s Aviation and Missile Command; the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) for Aviation and the Missile Defense Agency. The company was incorporated in 1991 with one employee, currently has 31 employees, and plans to expand to 50 employees by the end of the year. It expanded to larger office space in the Technology Pointe office complex at 7027 Old Madison Pike. “I am truly amazed at the incredible economic growth that is occurring in Huntsville and Madison County, and today is a perfect example of what I am talking about,” said Don Nalley, vice chair of economic development of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County. “To the employees of QuantiTech – we are thrilled with your growth. It is clear that this company will continue to grow, and we pledge to you all that we will do everything we can to ensure your continued growth in a community that is becoming widely known as a smart place to live, to work and to play.” The founder and CEO of QuantiTech, Inc., Sheila Brown, is an active community leader and serves on the Board of Directors for Cummings Research Park and the Brown Huntsville Hospital Foundation. She is also a member of the Committee of 100. Ms. Brown has served on the Boards of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, the Arts Council, and is a pastpresident of the Women’s Economic Development Council. She is a Civil Engineering grad-

uate from Vanderbilt University and completed the Minority Business Executive Program at the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College. Damian Bianca, president of QuantiTech, Inc., is a retired Army Officer with 27 years of operational and acquisition experience. His 17 years of acquisition experience encompassed product, project and executive level

oversight of Army and Missile Defense acquisition programs, to include MLRS, TOW, MPIM, Javelin, ATACMS, Follow-On-ToTOW, Director of Ground Combat Systems under the ASA (Al&T), and Project Manager, Ground-Based Interceptor and Systems Engineering Manager within the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Joint Program Office. •

Initiatives June 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 19

Michigan Manufacturer adds Southern Location TVI to open facility in Huntsville Tool Ventures International (TVI), a Grand Rapids, Michigan based company, announced plans to open a new service center in Huntsville, Alabama to better meet the needs of its automotive customers. The current facility, a service center or “die hospital,” will employ eight to 10 new workers, most hired from the Huntsville area. The 12,000 square-foot plant is expected to be fully operational by July 2008. “Huntsville is a perfect site for us,” said TVI President Don Mekkes. “We maintain very high customer service standards, and because many of our major automotive customers have plants nearby, this will improve our service delivery even more for them.” TVI’s future plans include occupation of a 21,000 square-foot facility with full manufacturing capability by fall of 2008. The new plant will employ up to 25 workers by that time. Mekkes noted that TVI, a tier 1 automotive manufacturing supplier, spent six months analyzing more than 100 different markets for the expansion. Huntsville came out on top for a variety of reasons, including its central location for customers, efficient over road access and easy access to air travel. Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Evans Quinlivan indicated that the expansion is significant to the community as the automotive industry continues to expand not only in Huntsville and Madison County, but across the state. “It is obviously very excitQuinlivan ing for us to see continued growth in our automotive manufacturing industry,” Quinlivan said. “These are the kinds of high-paying automotive manufacturing jobs that are good for our community.” TVI has more than 30 years of expertise and experience in building customer-tailored progressive dies, line dies and transfer dies for the automotive, appliance and furniture industries. Major automotive clients include Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Magna Cosma, as 20

well as a number of automotive suppliers. Don Nalley, who serves as the Chamber’s vice chair for economic development, praised the company for taking the initiative to move closer to its customers. “The automotive industry continues its migration into Alabama and to neighboring states all over the South, TVI is expanding its operation to Huntsville to meet its customer needs. And when many of the customers are located in and around the Tennessee Valley, it becomes a very strategically sound business decision to be close to the customer,” Nalley said. Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer said the company is well respected in the automotive industry. “TVI has an impressive list of customers showing the high standard they maintain for their products,” Spencer said. “We appreciate very much the investment TVI is making in Huntsville which brings more opportunities for good-paying jobs for Huntsville residents and the surrounding areas. We are very honored to be chosen for this service center.” Madison County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie said the news was good for Chase Industrial Park and all of Madison County. “We are obviously pleased that Chase Industrial Park was attractive to a company like Tool Ventures International,” Gillespie said. “As we continue to diversify, this is exactly the kind of industry we are seeking and we could not be happier that they chose Madison County to locate their business.” Although the number of Michigan’s tool and die shops has steadily declined since 2000, TVI continues to expand. The company recently purchased a new 35,000 square foot plant in Michigan, with plans to move its current work force to the new facility by midsummer 2008, and add about 25 new jobs.

TVI President and CEO Don Mekkes expresses his excitement about opening a new service center in Huntsville. TVI officials also thanked the Alabama Development Office for its assistance in helping the company expand to Alabama. David Hutchison, director of business development for ADO, said the company’s expansion into Alabama could be the catalyst for the next wave of growth in the state’s automotive service and manufacturing industry. “This is great for the Huntsville community, but it is also great for all of Alabama. They are filling a gap that we have in Alabama in the automotive industry,” Hutchison said. “And we believe this will mark the beginning of a new growth area in the growing automotive industry in Alabama.” The company’s continued success is due to a commitment to meet customer needs through dedicated craftsmanship and timely deliveries. Sales have doubled from 2004 to 2007. TVI is an ISO 9001 certified company. •

Economic Development Highlights continued on page 22 June 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives June 2008

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 20

Alabama Germany Partnership Presents Rainer Bauer Award to Governor Bob Riley

Governor Bob Riley was presented the Rainer Bauer Award by Bill Taylor, CEO and president of Mercedes Benz US International, at the Alabama Germany Partnership annual dinner held at the newly opened Westin in Huntsville on April 24.

June 2008 Initiatives

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International CEO and President Bill Taylor presented Governor Bob Riley with the Rainer Bauer award on behalf of the Alabama Germany Partnership for his leadership role in recruiting German-based companies ThyssenKrupp Steel and Stainless USA, LLC. The award was presented at the AGP 10th anniversary dinner on April 24 at the Westin in Huntsville. “Governor Riley has a strong record on aggressive - extremely aggressive - economic development in the State of Alabama and he went beyond the call of duty in helping to recruit ThyssenKrupp Steel and Stainless USA to the state,” said Taylor. Upon receiving the award Riley said it was a great award and it was especially great receiving it from long-time friend, Bill Taylor.

Additional honorees were: • ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, LLC and ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA, LLC were recognized for their presence in Alabama with their $3.7 billion plant being built in Calvert, Ala. The award was accepted by ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA CEO Dr. Uli AlbrectFreuh and ThyssenKrupp Steel USA CEO and President Bob Souillere. • Berg Spiral Pipe Co. was recognized for their presence in Alabama with their $75 million dollar plant currently being built in Mobile, Ala. Mr. Uwe Arenz, Vice President Operations and Plant Manager accepted the award. • Evonik-Degussa Corporation was recognized for their $24 million expansion in Theodore, Ala. Mr. Joerg Kemnade, Vice

Economic Development Highlights compiled by John Southerland

The Alabama Germany Partnership Annual dinner was held in Huntsville for the first time in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. in space and the achievements of the von Braun rocket team.

President, Process Technology & Engineering accepted the award. • Dr. Konrad Dannenberg, one of Dr. Wernher von Braun’s original German rocket team members who helped launch the U.S. space program was recognized for his role in building Alabama-Germany relationships 50 years ago. • Pete Cox, President of the Friends of German Culture club in Huntsville was recognized for his work in promoting German culture in Alabama. • Edith Phillips was given the AlabamaG-

ermany Partnership Education Award posthumously for her work in building the German language program at Grissom High School and sharing her love of Germany with so many of her students. Phillips succumbed to cancer in December. Her daughter Christina Phillips accepted the award on behalf of her family. The AlabamaGermany Partnership is an Alabama non-profit corporation formed in 1998 to develop and support relationships and friendships between organizations and individuals in Alabama and Germany. For more information, please visit the AGP website at www.alabamagermany.org. •

Initiatives June 2008

Just Opened HudsonAlpha Biotech Wonderland is where Innovation, Research, Opportunity and Discovery Collide to Forge a New Huntsville and a New Alabama We said when we had the groundbreaking here that you’re going to see an expansion in the biotech industry unlike anything that we have ever seen in Huntsville since the 1950’s. ~ Alabama Governor Bob Riley

O ABOVE: Lonnie McMillian and Jim Hudson celebrate the culmination of their dream at the opening of their new facility. BELOW: January 19, 2006 - Groundbreaking ceremony for the HudsonAlpha Institute: Picture left to right are State Sen. Roger Bedford, State Sen. Tom Butler, U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, Irma Tuder representing the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Bob Riley, HudsonAlpha President Jim Hudson, HudsonAlpha Board Chairman Lonnie McMillian and Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer.

June 2008 Initiatives

nce again, Huntsville finds itself on the threshold of scientific advancement and discovery that has the potential to not only change the way the nation looks at Huntsville and Alabama, but how the world looks at diseases such as cancer. Not since Dr. Wernher von Braun and his rocket science team of Germans and Americans built the rockets that carried America into space and mankind to the moon in the 1950s and 1960s has there been such excitement about scientific exploration and discovery in Huntsville. This new frontier is not the next generation of space, but rather the unchartered territory of understanding genomes and genetic sequences under the visionary leadership of founder Jim Hudson and the scientific prowess of Dr. Rick Myers. The study of the human genome and the genetic sequence of DNA found inside human cells is the impetus for the Institute, designed primarily for one purpose: to improve human health. To fulfill that mission, a world-class, oneof-a-kind facility was built in Cummings Research Park that rivals the fictional Jurassic Park as a futuristic scientific lab that makes the impossible possible. Instead of Dino-DNA – it is the Human Genome Project (HGP) that

Dr. Myers and a unique combination of associate researchers and for-profit companies will focus on with the goal of improving human health quicker and more efficiently. So what do you get when you combine human genome research, education and economic/business development? “The future of Alabama,” according to Alabama Gov. Bob Riley. But this Genomic Park is no science fiction tale. It is real and it is forging the way for Huntsville and Madison County to be considered a global leading biotechnology haven. In the 1960s, Huntsville was literally the wind beneath the wings that propelled mankind to the moon as the community’s engineers and scientists built and designed the rockets that carried astronauts to the moon. Likewise, Huntsville’s top-tier scientists and engineers, thanks in great part to the influence and legacy created by those rocket scientists who first made the community a center of technology, are poised to make an impact that will be felt around the world. The unique collaborative blend of research and business in an open, sharing environment complete with state-of-the art laboratories and information technol-

ogy, promises to turn knowledge and ideas into commercial products and services for improving health and strengthening Alabama’s progressively diverse economy. At the core of this scientific phenomenon are three guiding principles: improving health; promoting economic development; and education.

Improving Health Simply put, researchers and scientists will be exploring human genome approaches to identify the genetic causes of diseases. Once those causes can be identified or quantified, the researchers will develop new diagnostic tools for treatment of diseases such as cancer, cardio-vascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases, working closely with commercial companies to rapidly transfer these discoveries to improve patient care. Dr. Myers will officially join the Myers Institute in July after leaving his positions as chair of the Department of Genetics at the Stanford Human Genome Center. Once his team is assembled, the Institute will become one of the world’s leading human genomic research centers. His center at Stanford was responsible for mapping a sizeable portion of the human genome sequence.

Promoting Economic Development Already 12 companies have moved into the 270,000 square-foot facility, after the original plans called for eight. More companies want in – and founder Jim Hudson indicates expansion plans are already underway. In fact, Hudson said he envisions a true biotech campus at Cummings Research Park with multiple facilities. A workforce that currently will number in the hundreds will soon turn into thousands. This is why Riley calls the Institute the “future of Alabama.” In fact, the state invested $50 million into the Institute, which helped secure another $130 million in private investment. “The HudsonAlpha Institute is giving Huntsville and Madison County immediate global credibility in one of our targeted industry recruitment areas,” said Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County President/CEO Brian Hilson. “We are already attracting world class talent to lead this effort. And this is a cornerstone of the nation’s second largest research and technology

park in the United States, which will further strengthen our reputation and economic development efforts as a top-tier research, science and technology community.” Congressman Bud Cramer told attendees at the grand opening ceremony how proud he was of the effort and predicted that it was just the beginning of great things to happen. “The HudsonAlpha Institute is a stateof-the-art facility that will conduct biotechnology research to improve human health, while also stimulating economic development and inspiring Alabama’s youth to seek careers in science,” Cramer said. In all, 12 companies have moved into the first phase of the Institute. Those include: n Antarus Biotech n Applied Genonomics (AGI) n CFDRC n Coversant Healthcare Systems n Diatherix Laboratories n Eurand n Expression Genetics (E-GEN) n ExtremoZyme, Inc. n Microarrays, Inc. n New Century Pharmaceuticals, Inc. n Open Biosystems n Serina Therapeutics To add to its portfolio, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Board of Directors includes a proven cast of business and community leaders who understand and helped create Huntsville’s image as a leading aerospace and defense technology community. Directors include J. Milton Harris; Roy J. Nichols; Eugene Sapp; Danny Windham; and John R. Wynn. The late Mark Smith was a founding board member of the Institute. His ADTRAN partner and co-founder, Lonnie McMillian, chairs the Institute’s board of directors. To sum up its importance in terms of economic development potential – Riley put it into perspective that all North Alabama residents could rally behind. “Fifty years from now, people will look back and see that this Institute had the same economic impact on North Alabama that Dr. Wernher von Braun and his team of rocket scientists did in the 1950s and 60s,” Riley said.

Education The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is committed to providing superlative training and development opportunities for high school science teachers. “We recognize the critical role teachers play in continued on page 26 Initiatives June 2008

Genomic Park, continued from page 25

There are many career opportunities in health and bioscience-related fields available now and in the near future.

Left: A student at Huntsville High School learns how to load a FlashGel with a sample of DNA.

educating, guiding and inspiring students toward meaningful careers and a lifetime of learning,” explained Dr. Neil Lamb, director of educational outreach for HudsonAlpha. To that end, the institute has established the HudsonAlpha Biotechnology Educator in Residence program. “A science teacher takes a professional leave of absence from his or her school and spends a year of residency at HudsonAlpha. The teacher is immersed in both the research and corporate sides of biotechnology as he or she works with institute scientists and local business leaders. These resident educators focus on learning opportunities that maximize their professional development and the lessons that can be taken back to the classroom community,” said Lamb. According to Lamb, the educator in residence serves as a bridge between the classroom and the biotechnology researcher and company. “Our goal is for teachers to be better equipped to draw connections between academics and real world applications, becoming enthusiastic advocates of biotechnology.” Jennifer Carden, a genetics teacher at Hoover High School in Hoover, Ala., has been named the first HudsonAlpha Biotechnology 26

June 2008 Initiatives

Educator in Residence. “Jennifer has been tremendously engaged in our outreach to educators and will be a true asset as we fully develop our educator in residence program,” said Lamb. Carden will attend biotech and genetics conferences with institute staff to experience the larger scientific community. She will also assist Lamb in expanding education programs by developing and evaluating new activities for students, as well as creating professional development classes for fellow teachers. And Riley takes the education mission with the Institute very serious. In fact, that is where he sees the sustained growth. Throughout his term, three of Governor Riley priorities have been expanding the state’s role in biotechnology, improving math and science teaching techniques, and using distance learning technology to create more learning opportunities for Alabama students. Each of those priorities was showcased at the biotechnology institute’s grand opening. As part of the event, a learning activity utilizing Alabama’s ACCESS distance learning network connected HudsonAlpha scientists with middle school classrooms in Boaz and Madison. Riley started the ACCESS program in January 2006 with pilot sites in 24 schools. Today, the total number of ACCESS schools is 170. ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide) puts high-end interactive video conferencing technology in participating schools so students can be connected in real-time with teachers in classrooms at other locations. The program also offers courses over the Internet. With ACCESS, students can take courses that may not be offered at their school, like Advanced Placement courses and foreign languages. Likewise, HudsonAlpha team members have also worked closely with the Alabama Department of Education to develop a seventh-grade genetics and biotechnology module for the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). AMSTI is the state’s program to improve math and science teaching statewide. Five years ago, AMSTI received no state funding. Its funding level in the current fiscal year education budget is $35.8 million. Genomic Park – building a healthy future for Huntsville, Alabama and the world! • John Southerland Initiatives June 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:

Small Business Seminars – various topics available At left, employers and employees get valuable information on Human Resources’ Legal Issues. Visit www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com for more information on other seminars.

Total Resouce Campaign 2008 – Weekly Rewards Luncheon Scott Seeley, TRC Chair, gets the volunteers ready for sharing the many sponsorship opportunities available to Chamber members.

Business After Hours –

presented by The Heritage Club Held on April 24, local business leaders enjoyed great food and networking. The Heritage Club donated all proceeds from new member initiation fees to the Chamber Foundation.

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

Alinka C. Johnson events coordinator

ith an infectious smile and boundless energy, Alinka Carrington Johnson makes a positive impact on nearly everyone she has comes into contact with. As the events coordinator at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, Alinka is responsible for coordinating all membership events including Business After Hours, Breakfast and Biz, new member luncheons, ribbon cutting/grand opening events, Women’s Business Council luncheons, CEO Roundtable receptions and many other events. Alinka’s work is even more impressive, when you consider that she is doing so during one of the greatest business growth periods in the community’s history. So how does she do it? “With a little prayer and a lot of help from everyone,” she said. “Everybody helps out here – it is truly a team effort. I love working with people and with so many diversified businesses in this com-

munity. They are so great to work with and that certainly keeps the job interesting and the growth that we are enjoying keeps the job challenging. It’s a great balance.” While Alinka is no stranger to Huntsville, she attended and graduated from Oakwood University in public relations and communication arts, she grew up in much larger metropolitan areas: Atlanta and New York City. “But after I came to school here, I realized this was a great place to be to develop my career, she said. “And my fiancé was here as well.” Now married, she continues to make a positive impact on the Chamber. “Her phenomenal attitude and work ethic have made a great impact on our division,” said Loren Traylor, the Chamber’s vice president for investor relations. “We are very fortunate to have her.” •

Initiatives June 2008

June 2008 Initiatives

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County (HREGI)

“

INTUITIVE feels that supporting HREGI is not an option but a responsibility. Through HREGI and its contributors Huntsville has continued to flourish as an economic growth center in the Southeast. INTUITIVE is proud to be part of this distinct

“

community and is committed to furthering the Huntsville area’s growth and future development.

Standing: Rey Almodóvar, P.E., CEO Seated: Harold R. Brewer, President / COO INTUITIVE Research & Technology Corporation

HREGI Investor since 2005

For a list of investors, see page 36 or visit: www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com

Initiatives June 2008

Fifteen Businesses Honored as Best Places to Work W

hat does it take to be one of Huntsville/Madison County’s 15 Best Places to Work? Just ask any one of the companies recognized on April 22 at a special luncheon sponsored by First Commercial Bank and hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, North Alabama Society of Human Resource Management and the National Children’s Advocacy Center. The event, with special emcee Bob Baron, unveiled the 2008 Best Places to Work winners and drew a sell-out crowd of more than 550 to the new Westin Hotel in Bridge Street Town Centre. The program honored the top companies in the community, as determined through comprehensive employee surveys. Winners were selected from three categories: smallsized companies with 25 to 74 employees, medium-sized companies with 75 to 249 employees and large companies consisting of 250 or more employees. Out-of-state parent companies were eligible to participate if at least 25 full-time employees are in Huntsville/Madison County. “Best Places to Work in Huntsville/Madison County not only recognizes our outstanding employers, but also sets a high standard for other companies by encouraging them to real-

Charlie Kettle, president of First Commercial Bank and vice chair of investor relations for the Chamber, receives a plaque from Bob Baron, President and CEO of Baron Services and program emcee. First Commercial Bank was the presenting sponsor of the Best Places to Work awards luncheon on April 22. 32

June 2008 Initiatives

ize the importance of evaluating their own workplace,” said Chamber President/CEO Brian Hilson. “It is clear that a positive work environment makes employees more engaged in their job and in their company, which is a win-win situation for our workforce and for the bottom line in any business.” A diverse array of companies made up the Best Places to Work in Huntsville/Madison County 2008 list. However, all 15 companies shared one common element - a dedication to employee growth and satisfaction that reflects the exceptional quality of life found throughout this community. The winners represented a diverse mix of industries: from financial services, hospitality and aerospace to defense and healthcare. The winners were both locally based and in some cases, nationally recognized. Companies were selected exclusively on a survey completed by employees and administered and tabulated by Quantum Research, which conducts similar awards in cities across the county. “The number of nominations exceeded our expectations,” said Charlie Kettle, president and CEO of First Commercial Bank and Vice Chair of Investor Relations for the Chamber of Commerce. The survey granted complete anonymity, providing employees the ability to answer questions without hesitation or ramifications. Questions measured the company’s team effectiveness, retention probability, alignment with goals, trust with co-workers, individual contribution, manager effectiveness, trust in senior leaders, feeling valued, work engagement, and people practices. After the online surveys were completed the results were tabulated and the final winners selected. According to Evans Quinlivan, Chamber chairman, this will become an annual event celebrating the achievements of companies that value their employees. “With over 100 companies nominated in its inaugural year, we anticipate this to grow into one of the premier award events in our community,” said Quinlivan. • Loren Traylor

Fifteen companies were named Best Places to Work at the first ever awards luncheon on April 22. Companies were selected exclusively on a survey completed by employees.

Winners The winners among companies with 25-74 employees were: Venturi, engineering services Edward Jones, financial services QuantiTech, technical and management services

Smith Barney, financial services Nesin Therapy, physical therapy The winners among companies with 75-249 employees: Intuitive Research & Technology, technical and management services

Embassy Suites, hospitality Marriott Huntsville, hospitality Booz Allen Hamilton, strategy and technology consulting

Torch Technologies, scientific and engineering services

The winners among companies with 250 or more employees: Camber, engineering services and technical support

Analytical Services, Inc., engineering services

Dynetics, high technology products and services

Jacobs ESTS Group, technology engineering services

EG&G Technical Services,

technical and management services

Initiatives June 2008

Meeting the Workforce Challenge Chamber programs focused on collaborative partnerships with business community

n 2007, Huntsville/Madison County once again led the state in new job announcements. In fact, the Huntsville metropolitan area has captured one-third of the state’s total employment growth over the past eight years and two-thirds of the state’s net workforce growth – more than 18,000 new workers. Members of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County are seeing this for themselves. The Boeing Company recently announced the hiring of its 3,000th local employee, and the company has filled nearly 400 new positions in the past 12 months. The recruitment goals of officials with Verizon Wireless, which represented

June 2008 Initiatives

the state’s single largest job announcement for 2006, have been surpassed in Madison County as the company has been able to recruit more and better workers in the area than expected. When asked, “How’s the hiring?” Jeremiah Knight, the director of Huntsville operations for Verizon Wireless, replied, “absolutely great. A year ago we didn’t have a building yet, but at this point we have more than 750 people in our building. More than 85 percent were brought in locally.” Knight continued, “they were not brought into the area; they were hired from the Tennessee Valley and surrounding communities.” Knight credits the quality of the labor force with allowing Verizon Wireless to accelerate its business plan, and the local call center was recognized as best in the nation in December as a result of its employees. Huntsville/Madison County continues to grow, and the Chamber’s workforce division is making sure that the community gains the right kind and the right number of workers. A key piece of that strategy is recruitment – bringing qualified workers into the labor force from outside the region. This is being done through the Chamber’s recruitment website, www.ASmartPlace.com, the community recruiting trips called “Huntsville on the Road” and the Bridges program for student employees and young professionals. These strategies are supported by attendance at career fairs at venues and campuses across the country and through ongoing networking among employers, colleges and job seekers. ASmartPlace.com, launched in October 2007, is already seeing huge results. In just six months, it has had more than 23,000 visitors and more than 87,000 page views with an average of 408 views a day. The job board lists more than 600 openings from 300 companies, and that list turns over

daily as jobs are filled and new jobs are added. The job board is free to all Chamber members, and benefits both small and large companies. The feedback from users has been overwhelming. Site sponsor ASI has had 89 applications through ASmartPlace.com, resulting in four hires. “I’m a big believer in this site,” said Garry Dilmore, senior human resources representative for ASI. “Since we signed up for the Chamber’s Smart Place job board, we have received many quality resumes,” said Kate Webb, marketing director for CDPA. “I was amazed by how fast we began to receive the resumes. We are thankful to be able to use the job board as a recruiting tool for CDPA.” The Chamber publicizes ASmartPlace.com through advertisements associated with Huntsville on the Road, recruiting events in job markets identified as good targets for our high-growth industries. The most recent Huntsville on the Road event, held in Atlanta in February, was sold out continued on page 37

Initiatives June 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 Verizon Wireless Wachovia Bank, N.A. June 2008 Initiatives

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

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

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

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

Progress Investors

Intergraph Corporation Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation Lamar Outdoor Advertising Northrop Grumman Panalpina, Inc. Parsons Corporation SPARTA, Inc. SportsMED Orthopaedic Surgery & Spine Center Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.

LG Electronics Alabama, Inc.

M. B. Kahn Construction Co., Inc.

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

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

3D Research Corporation 4SITE, Incorporated Applied Geo Technologies Averbuch Realty / Averbuch Enterprises Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. BancorpSouth Baron Services Belzon 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 Gray Research, Inc. The Heritage Club Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc.

Jacobs JH Partners Architecture & Interiors Johnston, Moore, Maples & Thompson 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 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

Meeting the Workforce Challenge, continued from page 35

with 33 companies making the trip and having the opportunity to reach more than 300 job seekers. Of the companies participating, 96 percent reported that they either had candidates scheduled for interviews or received resumes from qualified candidates, and 100 percent said they would attend another Huntsville on the Road event. The cost to companies for the Atlanta event was minimal. But the return on investment was great. The Chamber placed ads in Atlanta media to publicize the event and associated marketing efforts resulted in an article on the front page of The Atlanta Journal Constitution business section the day of the event. Booz Allen Hamilton had the most immediate success, with a job offer made within a week of the event. The applicant accepted the job and will begin in June. Will Bronaugh with Talent Connections, who represents Booz Allen Hamilton, says the event was a great bargain for companies seeking to meet current workforce needs. “The cost to attend the event was signifi-

cantly lower than the average cost per hire for BAH in Huntsville,” Bronaugh said. These external recruiting efforts are supplemented by local retention efforts. The Chamber’s Bridges program was designed to assist companies in retaining their co-op students, interns and young professional (YP) recruits. It was developed in response to concerns that companies were investing in young professionals only to lose them because they were not integrating socially after taking a job here in Huntsville. The fourth Bridges class was just completed, and 89 percent of participants reported that they were more likely to stay in the Huntsville/ Madison County because of what they experienced in Bridges. As one YP put it, “I’m here to stay. I love Huntsville.” The next Bridges class will start in July, and Huntsville on the Road travels to Austin on October 16. Registration for both of these events opens soon, so stayed tuned to take advantage of your Chamber’s workforce recruitment efforts. • Lucia Cape

The most recent Huntsville on the Road recruitment trip held in Atlanta in February sold out with 33 companies represented and more than 300 job seekers attending.

Initiatives June 2008

Huntsville and Madison County: Keeping Army Aviation “Above the Best” Editor’s note: The following article was written by Major General (U.S. Army – Retired) James R. Snider. Dr. Snider served as the program executive officer for Aviation from 1997 to 2000 and was responsible for the U.S. Army’s helicopter and fixed wing fleets. He is a senior Army Aviator and his awards include the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal. He has both a Master’s of Science and Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. In his career, he has served as program manager for the Apache Attack Helicopter and program manager for the Comanche Reconnaissance and Attack Helicopter. He currently heads the University of Alabama Huntsville’s Rotocraft Systems Engineering & Simulation Center and is also the national president of the Army Aviation Association of America.

“W

ow, Unbelievable!” Those were the words Maj. Gen. Emmitt Gibson and I used to describe our welcome at the Von Braun Center in the summer of 1997. Emmitt was the first commanding general of the newly reorganized Army Aviation and Missile Command and I was the program executive officer for Aviation. We had relocated our organizations to Redstone Arsenal as a result of the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) activity. Based on our experience at our former home in St Louis, we had anticipated a few dozen greeters. But the overflowing crowd in South Hall, which included the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County and most of the area’s political leadership, showed us the depth of the region’s commitment to provide a new home for Army Aviation. Eleven years later, that commitment is stronger than ever. Army Aviation has thrived in Ala38

June 2008 Initiatives

bama. Teamed with the Aviation War-fighting Center at Fort Rucker, which provides Aviation training and doctrinal development, the Aviation organizations at Redstone Arsenal have ensured the viability of Army Aviation during the sustained war on terrorism. The statistics are almost overwhelming. The Army has flown over two million combat hours since the beginning of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Major General Simmons, the deputy commander of the Army’s III Corps, has called Iraq the “second helicopter war”, referring to Vietnam as the first. Simmons cited the almost 600,000 combat hours flown in 15 months. Today, 68 percent of the helicopter fleet in Iraq is in the air seven days a week. Readiness rates are near 90 percent and maintenance related accidents are almost unheard of. What is behind the Army’s tremendous success in helicopter operations? First, the great soldiers who fly and maintain the fleet, but just as important are the men and women of Redstone Arsenal who provide the support structure for Army Aviation. The Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) under Maj. Gen. Jim Myles provides the efficient flow of spare and repair parts to the war. AMCOM is not a remote supply site. Both military and government civilians from Redstone are constantly put in harm’s way as they travel to Iraq and Afghanistan to ensure Aviation soldiers are given the best support possible. While General Myles is leading the sustainment effort, he is quick to give credit to two other Aviation organizations on Redstone Arsenal. The first is the Program Executive Office under Paul Bogosian. In the past few years, Mr. Bogosian has quietly overseen a growth in Aviation programs

U.S. Army Aviation: Headquartered in Huntsville

that now totals almost $7 billion annually. He controls all Aviation programs from the heavy lift CH-47 Chinook to the premier Apache attack helicopter to all the deployed tactical unmanned aerial systems. It was in 2004 that Mr. Bogosian and Army Aviation received a tremendous challenge, second only to the war. The Army made the very difficult decision to cancel a program to develop and buy the most advanced helicopter ever conceived, the RAH66 Comanche. Instead of spending billions on Comanche, the Army decided to invest that money in fixing and modifying the current fleet, and to buy less expensive versions of a reconnaissance and a light utility helicopter. The difficulty of the task that was given to Paul and his staff cannot be overstated, but they faced the task and succeeded beyond any expectations. At a recent meeting of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), the new deputy chief of staff (operations) for the Army gave Paul an almost perfect scorecard for his execution of the Comanche challenge. The other Redstone organization that keeps the Army’s helicopter fleet flying is the Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) under Dr. Bill McCorkle. The AMRDEC provides the scientific and engineering support needed to ensure that the fleet is equipped with leading edge technology and can respond to any new threat on the battlefield. More importantly, the AMRDEC has the responsibility to evaluate the air worthiness of the Army’s fixed wing and helicopter fleets. Any change, however seemingly insignificant, to an aircraft must be rigorously evaluated by AMRDEC engineers. And their efforts have paid huge dividends. Never has the material and maintenance related accidents been lower, despite the extremely harsh flight

conditions in the Mid East. When helicopters are flying, soldiers’ lives are saved, whether it is from the protection provided by the tremendous firepower of the Apache helicopter or the medical evacuation capabilities of the Black Hawk utility helicopter. While these three organizations were cited for their contributions, the support chain for Army Aviation in northern Alabama is much more extensive. The contractor base for Aviation has grown exponentially over the past decade, and is providing the resources for continued expansion. Soon, BRAC 2005 will add fuel to this economic engine. The Army’s Aviation and Technical Test Center will be arriving, adding to the growth of the Aviation infrastructure at the Redstone airfield. Soon helicopters will be as ubiquitous as missiles and rockets in the greater Huntsville area. Alabama’s claim as Army Aviation’s home is made stronger by the growing presence of unmanned aerial systems, a big part of the Army’s future arsenal, in the state. Fort Rucker was recently named as a “Center of Excellence” for unmanned aerial systems, and material development responsibility for unmanned systems now resides at Redstone Arsenal under the Program Executive Officer for Aviation. Redstone engineers and soldiers are today working on new solutions for integrating unmanned systems into the Army’s current tactical operations, and they are researching concepts for future employment of these systems. The potential of unmanned systems is limited only by the imagination. At the recent Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) in Washington D.C., Army Aviation celebrated its 25th anniversary as a branch of the U.S. Army. Hundreds of Alabamians were there to help celebrate the occasion. Their presence was fitting since Alabama is truly the “Home of Army Aviation.” • MG James R. Snider (U.S. Army Ret.)

While Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Madison County continue to prepare for the influx of jobs and people related to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act, the reality is that the community is continuing to benefit from the 1995 BRAC. The national BRAC panel agreed to merge the Army’s Aviation Troop Command (ATCOM) in St. Louis with the Army’s Missile Command (MICOM) at Redstone to form the Army’s Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) at Redstone Arsenal. With only slight modification, the enormous missile research and development capabilities at Redstone could be used to support the aviation business area. Since then, the Army’s aviation program has seen its budget increase dramatically and the programs have intensified. The end result is increased economic growth in support of the Army aviation mission through the insurgent growth of support contractors combined with a tech-savvy workforce.

A snapshot of the Army’s aviation presence under AMCOM includes: n PEO (Program Executive Office) Aviation

managing the following helicopters: Apache Helicopter (attack helicopter) Cargo Helicopter (includes the Chinook [cargo] helicopter) s Utility Helicopter (includes the Black Hawk utility helicopter) s Armed Scout Helicopter s s

and also includes: s Unmanned Aircraft System s Aviation Systems programs (project management division that oversees seven aviation product offices and directorates and employs more than 300 government and contractor personnel and manages more than 50 different Army systems n Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Program n Aviation and Missile Research Development

and Engineering Center (AMRDEC)

continued on page 42 Initiatives June 2008

Women’s Business Center of North Alabama: Assisting Small Businesses Every Step of Way

he Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County’s 2007 Small Business of the Year Award in the Non-profit division was given to the Women’s Business Center of North Alabama (WBCNA), an organization dedicated to assisting owners in the establishment and success of their businesses. The WBCNA provides consistent and professional training and counseling to both women and men who are in

June 2008 Initiatives

the process of building their own businesses. At the turn of the millennium, the visionary of the center, the late Diane Weston, noticed a particular need for a place in North Alabama where women could go on a regular basis to receive nurturing, support, and encouragement for their business plans. She also realized that many women were not involved with nor aware of government contracting, which is the source of initial funding for many small businesses. This prompted the first meeting of the WBCNA that took place in 2000 to discuss the plans for the organization and the future of women’s businesses in North Alabama. Eight years later, the center is the primary assistance program for small businesses in North Alabama. Last year alone, the center trained more than 1,000 women and men. The center specializes in group counseling, oneon-one counseling, how-to programs, workshops and more. The counseling services are free and the training sessions are offered at minimal fees. The center also provides easy options for financial assistance and a ready-made list of contacts. Conveniently located at the Crestwood Women’s Center, the WBCNA provides most of its services there. Aware of the changes in the market and economy, the WBCNA adapts its services accordingly to meet the needs of its ever-

growing clientele. Joanne Randolph, executive director of the Women’s Business Center and the former president and CEO of BizTech, an incubator designed to help emerging companies in the global marketplace, utilizes her previous knowledge and expertise to assist small business owners on their path to success. “Entrepreneurship is alive and well in North Alabama,” says Randolph. “Unlike some other places in the nation, the economy here is doing quite well.” Randolph states that one of the WBCNA’s primary goals is to help women, and men, take full advantage of the multiple business opportunities that are available in the community. “Women business owners are critically important to the American economy,” says Randolph. According to statistics provided by the Women’s Business Center, America’s 9.1 million women-owned businesses employ 27.5 million people and contribute $3.6 trillion to the economy. Randolph’s efforts have gained her national recognition and the SBA’s “2007 Women in Business Champion of the Year” for both the state of Alabama and the Southeast region. In 2006, Randolph was also selected for the Small Business Advocate for the Southeast region. The WBCNA is funded by grants and the support of local companies. In 2006, the center was awarded a five-year grant from the Small Business Association (SBA) for $150,000 per year. The WBCNA is one of 99 Women’s Business Centers to receive a grant from the SBA. In addition to the grant, the WBCNA established a Society of 75, in which local businesses can provide seed money for the organization in the form of a annual donation of $1,000 for five years. It is also a member of the community-wide coalition organized by the Chamber to integrate and communicate the services available throughout the region to support the development and growth of small business. Future plans for the center include a partnership with BizTech to establish MentorNet, a community-wide, online assistance program for small businesses. “We respond to the community,” says Randolph. “The more we see every day with the businesses that we serve, the better we are equipped to address their needs.” • Arika Sampson

Joanne Randolph, executive director of WBCNA, thanks the crowd of over 1,000 business leaders for the honor of being Non-Profit of the Year as Barbara Buice looks on.

Initiatives June 2008

U.S.Army Aviation, continued from page 39 – n BRAC 2005 will bring even more of the military’s

aviation activities to the Redstone Arsenal:

The Army’s Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC) will move to Redstone in 2010. ATTC is responsible for testing, verification and validation of all modifications to the Army’s fleet of rotorcraft. s Another BRAC gain will put the Air Force’s Rotary Wing Air Platform Research Development, Acquisition, Test and Engineering center on post. s

n According to conservative estimates more than

4,000 Department of Defense civilians, military and contractor employees currently work on the Arsenal supporting the Army’s aviation mission with continued growth expected.

n Membership in the Tennessee Valley Chapter

of the Army Aviation Association of America (Quad-A) is a good barometer of the growth in the aviation industry in Huntsville. Since 1999 membership in the local Quad-A chapter has grown from 750 members to more than 1,800 members today, and more than 300 corporate members, according to Col. Bob Birmingham (U.S. Army retired) the chapter president.

n Scholarship funds raised by the local chapter

have grown from $12,000 in 1999 to more than $100,000 in 2008.

n The total military aviation contract work in the

Tennessee Valley is estimated at more than $300 million/year.

n AMCOM includes more than 8,000 civilian workers

in largely high paid technical positions and 175 soldiers. As a life cycle management command, AMCOM is wholly responsible for the entire Army’s aviation & missile systems throughout their lifecycle.

n As a Life Cycle Management Command, AMCOM

is dedicated to providing integrated engineering, logistics and contracting to more than 90 major systems - about half the systems in the U.S. Army.

n AMCOM’s Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equip-

ment Activity manages a metrology and calibration program, supporting soldiers worldwide.

n AMCOM is also the leader in foreign military sales,

accounting for more than 50 percent of total Army sales to Allied forces and friendly foreign nations.

It is Back to BRAC

for Community Officials Seeking MDA Workers in D.C. Area While community leaders in the Tennessee Valley continue to prepare for the influx of workers associated with job growth from the 2005 BRAC, several community leaders made the most of a recent opportunity to talk to Missile Defense Agency workers in the Washington D.C. area to explain advantages of moving to the Tennessee Valley. Attendance at two brown bag sessions reinforced that employees in the D.C. area are making their decisions about whether to relocate. MDA was aggressive in promoting the brown bag sessions to its workforce. “We were able to address about 140 people and we were pleased with the response,” said Joe Ritch, Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee chairman. Ritch led a delegation that included several North Alabama communities including Huntsville/Madison County. Dave Hargrove, regional manager for AT&T, gave attendees a brief history lesson about Redstone. “In 1950, our world changed. Dr. Wernher von Braun and his team of German rocket scientists came to Redstone and developed the nation’s first ballistic missile and later gave birth to the U.S. Space Program and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which is co-located at Redstone with the U.S. Army, MDA and more than 100 other federal agencies. BRAC 2005 decided that MDA and many other key technology focused organizations should move to Redstone. And we are here to

encourage you to relocate with your job to the Tennessee Valley,” said Hargrove. Topic covered by speakers included an overview of the communities represented by the Tennessee Valley, educational opportunities and housing. Lynn Kilgore, executive director of the Huntsville/Madison County Builder’s Association, showed attendees housing options around the Valley. According to Ritch, MDA employees seemed satisfied with the answers to their questions which primarily focused on school quality, health care, public transportation, the surrounding area and whether the community is ready for the moves. Two round trip airline tickets provided by the Huntsville International Airport were given away as door prizes to some of those considering moving. “My son and I plan on moving down,” said Shirlee Harrison, MDA employee and winner of the first set of round trip tickets. “I was planning on coming down in May and winning these tickets just made it easier.” Many workers expressed appreciation for the opportunity to gain more information and to learn where information is continually updated online at www.Tennessee-Valley.org. “This is why everyone wants to move to Huntsville! You are such wonderful people! Can’t wait to be there!” wrote Bailey Erickson in a recent email. • John Southerland

n AMCOM also has operational control of all aviation

logistics management functions at Fort Rucker, Alabama, home of the Army Aviation Center. This means AMCOM oversees the maintenance and supply management of Fort Rucker’s aviation fleet and directs about 100 government personnel and more than 3,500 contractors who perform that work.

n The AMCOM headquarters is located in the Spark-

man Center, a state-of-the-art facility that holds about 4,500 government civilian and military workers each day. •

June 2008 Initiatives

MDA officials welcome Tennessee Valley BRAC community representatives to employee brown bag lunch sessions designed to provide valuable information about why this region is a smart place to live, to work and to play.

Initiatives June 2008

Cinram: Employees Create Growth for Community’s Largest Manufacturing Company

estled at the base of Chapman mountain is one of Madison County’s largest and fastest growing manufacturers. In January of 1999, Cinram employed about 400 workers in its plant located in Chase Industrial Park, located in northeast Madison County. An industry leader in the manufacturing of music/audio disks and video cassettes, Cinram expanded their Huntsville video replication business with a movie studio contract in 2000. That contract and the surge in consumer demand for DVD’s created an explosive growth opportunity for this Canadian-based manufacturer. As consumers’ appetite for the new technology grew, not surprisingly, those 400 workers were not nearly enough for Cinram to meet new consumer demands and customer requirements. Company leaders began talking about the best way to facilitate this growth and it was the Chamber that helped them put the pieces and the players together. Ask Pete Hassler, the director of human resources for Cinram, why he’s such an advocate of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County, he’ll point back to the year 2000 and a call made to the Chamber. “We really weren’t sure what we could do, so someone suggested we call the Chamber,” Hassler recalled. “We had learned that we would expand from a largely CD operation to a DVD operation – which would take us from

400 to 1,500 workers. So we called and talked to [Chamber President/CEO] Brian Hilson at 2 p.m. one day to see what our expansion support options were. At 11 a.m. the next day, we all met for lunch and in addition to Brian, we met with representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority, the City of Huntsville, the Madison County Commission, Huntsville Utilities, the Alabama Development Office and every other local and state resource you can imagine to discuss this expansion. It was the most impressive thing. We knew right then that the Chamber was an organization we really wanted to support because they can make things happen,” Hassler said. And now, those 400 jobs have turned into 2,800 – making Cinram the largest manufacturing company in Madison County and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of pre-recorded DVD, CD-Audio and CD-ROM and providers of state-of-the-art supply chain solutions for the motion picture, music, and software industries. To accommodate this new growth, the facilities grew as well – adding 800,000 squarefeet in 2010 and another 275,000 square feet in 2007 to give Cinram more than 1.4 million square feet at the Chase site. As consumer preferences changed and the retail landscape evolved, the need to provide real-time inventory control at the point of purchase became increasingly important to Cin-

This is an aerial view of Cinram’s 1.4 million sq.-ft. factory in Chase Industrial Park, a development of the Madison County Commission. 44

June 2008 Initiatives

ram’s customers. As a result, Cinram began shipping directly to retailers on their customers’ behalf to make the supply chain more efficient. Simply put, this new business model enabled content owners and retailers to keep fast selling movies in stock. “When a consumer wants to buy a movie, it needs to be on the shelf,” Hassler said. “We helped our customers win a trophy case full of awards that show we are the best in the business at direct-to-retail distribution. The end result is that our customers benefit from a quantifiable increase in sales. And what makes our customers successful is what makes Cinram successful.” The primary reason for Cinram’s growth and success is a workforce that is second to none, Hassler said. Though Cinram is a Canadian-owned company, Huntsville is the flagship facility. In fact, without the dedication and competence of the workers, Cinram would not be able to keep pace with the industry’s growth. Many of the employees have been in the facility more than 20 years, before even Cinram took ownership. And the growth has been unprecedented since Cinram bought the business in 1997. Today, Cinram is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of pre-recorded DVD, CD-Audio and CD-ROM and providers of state-of-the-art supply chain solutions for the motion picture, music, software and video game industries. Though Cinram has operations throughout North America and Europe, Huntsville remains its flagship facility. “One of our main challenges was to get the right mix of talent to handle changing the operation from just manufacturing to manufacturing and distribution,” Hassler said. “Our people were able to make it happen. The primary reason we’ve been able to grow so much is having that talent available here in Huntsville. We have a mix of skilled and unskilled labor. We have specialists and engineering position needed here – maintenance engineers

and skilled operators, industrial engineers, replication specialists and other jobs all the way to unskilled labor. The movie industry drives our products’ design. But to be able to succeed like we have is a tribute to our employees. It is a great place to work – it’s like a family.” Hassler should know – he moved his family to Huntsville following 11 moves in 16 years for another employer. But once he was here, he knew he found home. “Once my wife and I got to Huntsville with our kids, we decided this was where we wanted to stay, and there is not a better place to be than Huntsville,” Hassler said. But Cinram is truly a regional employer, with workers driving in from all over Madison County, Pulaski and Fayetteville, Tenn. and even as far away as Albertville. “Our shift structure is 12 hours – we have a 7-day a week, 24-hour a day, 365-day a year operation. Once employees adapt to the schedule, it is great because the employees get days off during the week every week,” he said. “This helps families get involved in their children’s activities or to pursue their own.” “People want to work here. Whatever the job is – most people here are willing to do any

Outstanding employees, quality control and on-time delivery are keys to Cinram maintaining it leading edge over competitors. job to support the operation. And we all take a lot of pride in that,” added Beth Adcock, a 20year Cinram employee. Cinram has faced some harsh criticism over the past year for its involvement in the U.S. Government-sponsored H2-B visa program, which allows companies to recruit workers from other countries for temporary positions. In the case of Cinram, consumer purchasing

cycles are seasonal so the company requires surge employment during various times of the year. After attempting to recruit workers locally to fill those temporary slots, a company can legally apply for foreign workers through the government-sponsored program. In other words, while the nation struggles with the issue of how to best handle the influx of illegal immigrants to the country, Cinram is using the government program which promotes legal immigration for seasonal work surge requirements. While the impetus is always to recruit locally, the foreign workforce has been a great addition to the company’s workforce, helping the Huntsville operation meet its vision that it becomes the most productive, responsive and respectful organization, bar none. “Huntsville’s ability to attract talented people has always been its strength,” Hassler said. “And here at Cinram we have a great mix of talented people from many different places that help make this such a tremendous company. The ability to reach out and tap this temporary resource is a great way to provide more stability for the more than 2,500 Americans that are part of Cinram’s permanent workforce in Huntsville.” • John Southerland

Initiatives June 2008

June 2008 Initiatives

Initiatives June 2008

June 2008 Initiatives