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Thanks to Our Investors Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
Development Partner ($250,000+ invested annually: public sector)
City of Huntsville
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
Chamber Trustees
Agility Defense & Government Services Avocent Corporation Beason & Nalley, Inc. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama Booz Allen Hamilton Breland Companies Camber Corporation CINRAM, Inc. Cobham Analytic Solutions COLSA Corporation Huntsville Area Association of Realtors
Progress Partners
President’s Circle ADTRAN AT&T BBVA Compass The Boeing Company Crestwood Medical Center Deltacom The Huntsville Times Lockheed Martin Redstone Federal Credit Union SAIC Verizon Wireless Wachovia Bank, N.A. 4
February 2010 Initiatives
Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association, Inc. Intergraph Corporation Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation L-3 Communications Lamar Outdoor Advertising Look Outdoor Advertising Northrop Grumman Parsons Corporation SES, Inc. SportsMED
($5,000 - $9,999 invested annually)
AEgis Technologies Analytical Services, Inc. Applied Data Trends, Inc. BAE Systems BASF Catalysts LLC Coldwell Banker/McLain Real Estate Colonial Properties Consolidated Construction Dynetics Enfinger Steele Development, Inc. ERC, Inc. First Commercial Bank 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.
Maynard Cooper & Gale, P.C. NAI Chase Commercial Realty
Progress Investors ($25,000 - $49,999 invested annually)
($10,000 - $24,999 invested annually)
Navistar Diesel of Alabama The Orthopaedic Center Parker Hannifin Corporation Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc. RBC Bank Samples Properties Sirote & Permutt, P.C. SL1-Inc SOUTHBank Stanley Associates Superior Bank The Surgery Center of Huntsville System Studies and Simulation, Inc. 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 BID Designs, LLC Bill Penney Toyota BlueCreek Investment Partners Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Brown Precision Bryant Bank Century Automotive Chapman Sisson Architects Decosimo Certified Public Accountants DESE Research, Inc. DHS Systems DRS Technologies – A Finmeccanica Company FITE Building Co., Inc. Fountain Parker Harbarger & Associates Fuqua & Partners Garber Construction Co., Inc. General Dynamics Gray Research, Inc.
Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc. Jacobs JH Partners Architecture & Interiors Kelly Services Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. Kudzu Productions Lamb Commercial Services, Inc. North Alabama Gas District Oak Ridge-Huntsville Partnership Office Precipio, Inc. Progress Bank QinetiQ North America QTEC Qualis Corporation Radiance Technologies, Inc. ServisFirst Bank Torch Technologies United Space Alliance, LLC Weichert Realtors – The Executive Group Wesfam Restaurants, Inc. – Burger King WHNT-19 Wilson Lumber Woodland Homes of Huntsville Woody Anderson Ford
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initiatives
Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
february 2010
A Smart Place Courtesy of the Huntsville International Airport
Smart People Still Helping Build Local Economy 112 years later page 22 Cover by Kristi Sherrard & Bill Vaughn, Bill Vaughn Photography
features Economic Development Highlights
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including AEgis Technologies, SAIC, deciBel Research, HudsonAlpha Institute, Madison Hospital, BID Designs, STI Electronics and Dynetics Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama is located in the middle of the southeastern United States, with more than four million people within a 100-mile radius. The Huntsville community is the 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.
BRAC Tracking On Time, On Target Spotlight: Millennium System Services Chamber Volunteers Honored Spotlight: Eagle Collision Center Montgomery Trip & State Partnership Census 2010
27 32 34 35 37 40
developments HREGI Investors Chamber Board Listing HREGI Testimonial 2010 Executive Committee 2010 Board of Directors Community Profile Growth Through Networking Chamber Staff Listing
4 8 13 14 15 16 25 42
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 www.asmartplace.com
Publisher Brian Hilson Executive Editor John Southerland
Editorial Designer Kristi Sherrard ontributing Writers Lucia Cape, Harrison Diamond, C Ken Smith, John Southerland Loren Traylor and Mike Ward Photography Chamber of Commerce staff & publications (if not credited) Advertising Sales Ray Johnson The Huntsville Times Initiatives February 2010
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Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors and Executive Committee 2010 Executive Committee
Dear Chamber of Commerce Investors, Community Leaders and Friends: One of the most satisfying aspects of our work at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County is that there is always plenty to do. One of the challenges of our work, however, is that there is, well…always plenty to do! The Chamber operates from a mission statement and strategic plan that we think makes good sense for us. Our program of work – things like economic development, workforce and governmental affairs, enhance our community and generate value for Chamber members. Our community expects a lot out of the Chamber, and our members, investors, board and staff expect a lot from ourselves. In a comprehensive Chamber environment, a sense of balance is a necessity. Maintaining our traditional programs, addressing new opportunities, and being the best that we can be is an ongoing challenge – and we love it! As the Chamber begins 2010 with strong volunteer leadership, an updated strategic plan and a long list of projects that we are working on, it is also helpful to apply a fresh perspective to our community’s growth situation. While every time period in our growth history is important, we believe that 2010 shapes up to be a pivotal year in the Huntsville’s area long-term development. We are poised to build upon our traditional community strengths – space and defense, engineering and technology, manufacturing, logistics, and the list goes on. The key ingredient in our recipe for future success is, without question, our regional workforce. Built upon the requirements of local defense and space programs, Huntsville’s regional workforce is one of the finest in the country. It will enable the expansion and addition of employers who want to do business where employees want to live and work. You can be certain that our workforce situation positions Huntsville for some exciting years of economic development that lie ahead. The workers pictured on the front cover of this Initiatives are excellent examples of the highly talented and dedicated workforce that our community already enjoys. I don’t know all of them, but it’s a good bet that they represent diverse backgrounds, including some who are originally from the Huntsville area, and others who have located from out of state. Some may have even relocated here with some reluctance, only to find that they love the Huntsville area and never want to leave. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard that story. In the wide range of Chamber activities that make up our program of work, you can look for workforce issues to continue to play an increasing role. Our workers are a major part of our evolving story – a story of world class, technology-driven economic development where there is something special happening every day. We have an exciting story to tell – thanks for being part of it!
Brian Hilson President & CEO Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
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February 2010 Initiatives
Don Nalley, Chair, Beason & Nalley Charlie Kettle, Chair-Elect, First Commercial Bank Irma Tuder, Immediate Past Chair, Analytical Services Tommy Beason, Chamber Foundation Chair, consultant Ron Poteat, Secretary/Treasurer, Regions Bank Jim Bolte, Vice Chair - Economic Dev., Toyota Motor Manufacturing Ala. Joe Alexander, Vice Chair - Governmental Affairs, Camber Corporation Jan Smith, Vice Chair - Investor Relations, System Studies and Simulation Jeremiah Knight, Vice Chair - Workforce, Verizon Wireless Danny Windham, Vice Chair - Small Business, Digium Robert Mayes, Vice Chair - Research & Info. Svs., BlueCreek Investment Linda Maynor, Vice Chair - Image Development, Maynard, Cooper & Gale Mayor Tommy Battle, Chair-Appointed, City of Huntsville Chairman Mike Gillespie, Chair-Appointed, Madison Co. Commission Elizabeth Morard, Chair-Appointed, Qualis Corporation Joe Ritch, Chair-Appointed, Sirote & Permutt Brian Hilson, President/CEO, Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison Co. Elected Board
Cynthia Achorn, ASRC Federal Rose Allen, Booz Allen Hamilton Rey Almodóvar, Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation Clayton Bass, Huntsville Museum of Art Penny Billings, BancorpSouth Greg Bragg, Consolidated Construction Company Everett Brooks, Avocent Corporation Micah Bullard, Turner Universal Construction Frank Caprio, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Larry Dodgen, Northrop Grumman Corporation Tracy Doughty, Huntsville Hospital John Eagan, Wachovia Bank Joe Fadool, Continental AG Kerry Fehrenbach, Intergraph Corporation Elizabeth Dotts Fleming, Public FA Ron Gray, Gray Research Jeff Hamilton, The Orthopaedic Center John Holly, Lockheed Martin Corporation Dr. Andrew Hugine, Alabama A&M University Dr. Pam Hudson, Crestwood Medical Center Tony Jones, The Boeing Company Simon Kim, LG Electronics Alabama Frederick Lanier, J. Smith Lanier & Co. John McMullan, BancorpSouth Dan Montgomery, Strategic Defense Solutions Caroline Myers, Foreign Language Services Joe Newberry, Redstone Federal Credit Union Jim Owens, BBVA Compass Tony Palumbo, Raytheon Company Crystal Shell, WILL Technology Dr. Ashok Singhal, CFD Research Corporation Todd Slyman, Village of Providence Keith Smith, SAIC Dr. O’Neal Smitherman, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Tom Stanton, ADTRAN Al Sullivan, ABT Dr. Dave Williams, UAHuntsville Dr. Ernie Wu, ERC
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY
~ continued on page 17
Modeling and Simulation Leading Company Opens New Headquarters AEgis Technologies, a global leader in modeling and simulation, recently celebrated the grand opening of its new 50,000 square-foot corporate headquarters in Cummings Research Park. The event also marked the 20th anniversary of the Huntsville-based company. As AEgis has become a recognized leader in the industry of modeling and simulation support to a variety of commercial and government clients, the company helps underscore modeling and simulation as an emerging technology growth area in the Huntsville/Madison County community. AEgis’ capabilities include modeling and simulation software development, training, test support, engineering analysis, hardware design and nanotechnology manufacturing for both government and commercial customers within the U.S. and internationally. The new state-of-the-art facility houses class 1,000 and class 10,000 clean room facilities dedicated to maturing micro and nano scale technologies, as well as a laser laboratory and expanded micro electronics and photonics laboratory. The facility also features a simulation demonstration laboratory with tactical level simulation integration capabilities, a fullscale 3-D Computer Modeling Lab for its geospatial engineers and three classified labs. “The new facility is in line with the company’s vision of leadership in modeling and simulation and expanding its capabilities into new ventures,” said Bill Waite, co-founder, chairman and chief technical officer. “AEgis’ vision is world leadership in modeling and simulation. The new Huntsville facility is suited for new pursuits,” Waite said. “Over our tenure of 20 years, modeling and simulation has come to be a strong technological discipline and profession – and it is coming to be a recognized industry. AEgis has put itself in that mainstream and I believe we’ve had some influence in working to make all of those things come true.” AEgis President and CEO Steve Hill said, “We are trying to be extremely good in all aspects of modeling and simulation
AEgis Technologies co-founders Bill Waite and Steve Hill, and 2009 Chamber Board Chair Irma Tuder prepare to cut the ribbon for the company’s new 50,000 square-foot corporate headquarters in Cummings Research Park. and to design and fabricate Microsystems. We are extremely high tech in our intention and we enjoy very tough technological New Corporate challenges. Headquarters “A lot of companies out there will tell you they want to make a difference, but we focus on finding work that’s challenging, that does matter and it serves us well,” Hill added. “This new facility is thanks to the tremendous hard work and dedication of the employees who truly love what they do. We couldn’t be where we are without them.” Hill said the company’s focus on recruiting employees that possess both the education and desire to be challenged is a primary driver for the company’s success. In fact, of the company’s more than 200 professionals and researchers, more than 90 percent have earned undergraduate or advanced degrees, more than 65 percent have at least 10 years experience in their chosen fields and 40 percent of staff members have served in the U.S. military. Irma Tuder, Chair of the Chamber of Commerce of
Huntsville/Madison County Board of Directors, said that the company’s work in modeling and simulation makes the company stand out in such a high-tech community as Huntsville. “The work performed by the employees here is pioneering and very high-tech. In some communities, that statement may not mean as much. But in this community, where innovation, educational advancement, and research and development for high tech programs are commonplace, AEgis Technologies still stands tall,” said Tuder. Huntsville City Administrator Rex Reynolds said that companies such as AEgis are the reason for continued recognition for the community. “We continue to see national recognition and when you see the technology that happens here you know why,” Reynolds said. Hill said AEgis, which recently received the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Ethics Award, is expected to grow to 250 employees by the end of 2010. •
SAIC to Add 30 Employees After Winning Engineering Support Contract with Army Aviation and Missile Command SAIC recently announced being awarded a follow-on task order from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) to provide professional and engineering support services to the Army Aviation & Missile Research, Development & Engineering Center (AMRDEC) Software Engineering Directorate (SED). The single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order has a five-year period of performance and a ceiling value of $848 million. Work will be performed at Redstone Arsenal. Under the task order, SAIC will lead a team of 238 subcontractors and provide life cycle systems and software engineering support as required to help the Army integrate technology and equipment needed for continued mission success. According 10
February 2010 Initiatives
to company officials, SAIC will add 30 new jobs to complete the work. “We look forward to continuing our support for this important customer as they provide mission critical systems and software engineering expertise to support weapon systems over their life cycle,” said John Gully, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager. The AMRDEC SED supports the acquisition, research, development and sustainment of some of the Army’s most sophisticated weapon systems. It maintains expertise in the Army’s prevailing policies and practices on software reuse, metrics, post deployment support, process improvement, computer resource margins analysis and risk management. •
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February 2010 Initiatives
strength in
numbers
connects business prospects
“
We believe that HREGI
carries the flag to advertise what the local community has contributed and can contribute to our nation and this helps attract both new project assignments and the talent to generate the ideas and innovations required to solve these projects.
James R. Beveridge, President & Kathryn E. Broad, CEO
QTEC Inc. HREGI Investor since 2008
�
For a list of investors, see page 4 or visit: HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com
Initiatives February 2010
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CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 2010 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Don Nalley
Charlie Kettle
Irma Tuder
director Beason & Nalley, Inc.
president First Commercial Bank
founder & board chair Analytical Services, Inc.
Chair
Chair-elect
Immediate Past Chair
Tommy Beason
Ron Poteat
consultant
N. Ala. area executive Regions Bank
I would like to welcome all members of the Board and Executive committee, new and returning, to what promises to be a challenging but exciting year, 2010. We will need everyone’s participation to achieve the success experienced by those who have gone before us, and we have the team to do it. We’ll enjoy the accolades received in the past, but our focus will be on shaping tomorrow. Thank you for becoming a part of the team, you can and will make a difference.
February 2010 Initiatives
Secretary/Treasurer
Jim Bolte
Joe Alexander
Jan Smith
president Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama
president Camber Corporation
president & CEO System Studies & Simulation, Inc.
Vice Chair, Economic Development
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Chamber of Commerce Foundation Chair
Vice Chair, Governmental Affairs
Vice Chair, Investor Relations
Jeremiah Knight
Danny Windham
Robert Mayes
director, customer service Verizon Wireless
CEO Digium, Inc.
CEO, BlueCreek Investment Partners
Vice Chair, Workforce
Vice Chair, Small Business
Vice Chair, Research & Information Services
Linda Maynor
Tommy Battle
Mike Gillespie
government relations Maynard, Cooper & Gale
mayor City of Huntsville
chairman, Madison County Commission
Vice Chair, Image Development
Chair-Appointed
Chair-Appointed
Elizabeth Morard
Joe Ritch
Brian Hilson
president & CEO Qualis Corporation
partner Sirote & Permutt, P.C.
Chair-Appointed
Chair-Appointed
president & CEO Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Cynthia Achorn
Rose Allen
Rey Almodóvar
Clayton Bass
Penny Billings
Greg Bragg
Everett Brooks
Analytical Services, Inc.
Booz Allen Hamilton
Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation
Huntsville Museum of Art
BancorpSouth
Consolidated Construction Company
Avocent Corporation
Micah Bullard
Frank Caprio
Larry Dodgen
Tracy Doughty
John Eagan
Joe Fadool
Turner Universal Construction
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Huntsville Hospital
Wachovia Bank, N.A.
Continental AG
Kerry Fehrenbach
Elizabeth Dotts Fleming
Ron Gray
Jeff Hamilton
John Holly
Dr. Andrew Hugine, Jr.
Gray Research, Inc.
The Orthopaedic Center
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Alabama A&M University
Intergraph Corporation
Public FA, Inc.
Dr. Pam Hudson
Tony Jones
Simon Kim
Frederick Lanier
John McMullan
Dan Montgomery
Crestwood Medical Center
The Boeing Company
LG Electronics Alabama, Inc.
J. Smith Lanier & Co.
BancorpSouth
Strategic Defense Solutions
Caroline Myers
Joe Newberry
Jim Owens
Tony Palumbo
Crystal Shell
Dr. Ashok Singhal
Foreign Language Services, Inc.
Redstone Federal Credit Union
BBVA Compass
Raytheon Company
WILL Technology, Inc.
CFD Research Corporation
Todd Slyman
Keith Smith
Dr. O’Neal Smitherman
Tom Stanton
Al Sullivan
Dr. Dave Williams
Dr. Ernie Wu
Village of Providence
SAIC
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
ADTRAN
ABT, Inc.
UAHuntsville
ERC, Inc. Initiatives February 2010
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community profile
TOP 10 EMPLOYERS Redstone Arsenal* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,373
Population
Madison County
2000 Census
276,700 158,216
29,329
342,376
Huntsville Hospital System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,385
Current Estimate*
319,510
38,275
395,570
The Boeing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,200
City of Huntsville 171,327
City of Huntsville Madison Metro Area
Huntsville City Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000
Households & Income # of Households
121,186
69,229
13,875
147,283
Avg. Household Income $69,882 $65,558 $85,820 $67,466 Per Capita Income $28,209 $28,316 $32,180 $26,874 *May 2009
NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,177
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov), 2007 American Community Survey
CINRAM, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,861 Sanmina-SCI Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,500 SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,303 City of Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,199 Madison County Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,150 Source: Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
*includes on-site contractors
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. More than 32,000 people work at Redstone Arsenal and NASA managing some of the country’s most important and sophisticated technology programs including missiles, aviation and space exploration.
Research & Technology
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Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park has earned a reputation as a global
For more information visit:
park in the U.S., Cummings Research Park is home to more than 285 compa-
HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com
nies and 25,000 people involved in technology research and development.
February 2010 Initiatives
leader in technology development. The second-largest science and technology
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 10
~ continued on page 18
deciBel Research Opens New Headquarters in Huntsville
deciBel Research, a company specializing in research, development and advancements of sensor technologies, recently held a ribbon cutting for the company’s new 40,000 squarefoot headquarters in Cummings Research Park. The company’s continued expansion corresponds with the continued growth at Redstone Arsenal resulting from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decision that will create thousands of job openings in the Huntsville/Madison County community. deciBel’s primary customers include the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM); the Program Executive Office - Missiles and Space (PEO-MS); the U.S. Army Space
and Missile Defense Command (SMDC); the Department of Defense’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC); and the Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency (MDA). deciBel is also providing key technical contributions to the NexRad Doppler Weather Radar program. The company has grown from one employee with $36,000 in revenue in 2002 to more than 80 employees and about $15 million in revenue in 2009. Beth Martin, 2009 vice chair of small business for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County Board of Directors, said that companies such as deciBel contribute
positively to Huntsville’s high-tech reputation. “Through my involvement with the Chamber, I can say that I now see why we are considered one of the high tech epicenters in the world. And it is because of companies such as deciBel,” Martin said. Dr. Bassem Mahafza, president and founder of deciBel, recalled his journey to America with a goal to “live the American dream.” According to Mahafza, Huntsville is the only place in the world he could imagine ever being successful. “Over the years I have taken many steps toward realizing this dream in all facets of my life - personally and professionally. Today, this event marks a major milestone along this path. For I know, that there is nowhere else in the world I could have accomplished or done more for myself, for my family, for my community, or for my country, as much as I am able to Headquarters do here in Huntsville, Alabama. & Expansion That, my friends, is truly living the American dream.” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle applauded the company and its founder. “You are America. What you have done for Huntsville and the country makes me the proudest mayor in America,” Battle said. “We built Cummings Research Park for this to be a center for excellence in technology and for companies such as this that literally wrote text books for Radar technology. •
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 17
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Donation to HudsonAlpha spurs next steps for CRP Biotech Campus
Madison Hospital Groundbreaking
Alpha Foundation provides $1.6 million gift to nurture research, economy With a growing roster of non-profit researchers and new tenant businesses at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Lonnie McMillian, president of the Alpha Foundation and longtime Huntsville business leader, stepped forward to ensure ongoing momentum in the development of Huntsville’s biotech sector. McMillian, who is also co-chairman of the HudsonAlpha Institute board of directors, has committed $1.6 million toward developing the green space that runs the entire length of the nearly mile-long Cummings Research Park Biotech Campus. “Between prospects, the launch of new companies and the rapid growth of one of the HudsonAlpha tenants, it has become apparent that new construction on the campus is imminent,” said McMillian. Brian Hilson, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, said that the gift from McMillian and the Alpha Foundation to HudsonAlpha will make the Cummings Research Park Biotech Campus even more attractive to site selection consultants and potential tenants. “As the build-out continues on the biotech campus, the area will be even more attractive to site selection consultants and biotech companies looking to enter the Huntsville market bringing with them high-tech jobs. The Alpha Foundation’s
$1.6 million dollar gift to HudsonAlpha is in line with Mr. McMillian’s longstanding commitment to economic development in Huntsville and its continued growth,” he said. The gift from the Alpha Foundation will develop the area termed “the grove” and create the means to attract new researchers and businesses while sustaining current institute tenants. The grove incorporates the campus’s primary pedestrian pathway. Located between two front-facing, parallel rows of buildings, the grove moves the collaborative spirit of the HudsonAlpha Institute from a singular built environment to the natural environment. “The grove has been thoughtFunding the fully designed to complement HudsonAlpha’s collaborative model,” Biotech Future said McMillian. As an example, he explained that the maximum distance between buildings should be no more than 150 feet from one side of the grove to the other. “At those distances,” he added, “individuals can recognize a colleague who might enter the grove from the opposite side and then engage in conversation.” In other news – two new companies were recently added to the HudsonAlpha tenant roster, including the announcement of the soft opening of iExpressGenes by Dr. Joe Ng and the announcement of the soft opening of iCubate by Dr. Jian Han. •
The residents of Madison will soon have a new hospital after ground was recently broken to begin construction of a new $71 million facility that will initially include 60 beds but will have the capacity to expand up to 200 as necessary as the area continues to grow. The state-of-the-art facility will employ about 500 and will serve the residents of the City of Madison and communities in western Madison County and surrounding areas. Medical services to be provided by Madison Hospital include obstetrics, medical, special procedures, imaging, sleep disorders, surgery, emergency/urgent care, non-invasive cardiology and physical therapy. •
BID Designs Cuts Ribbon and Invests in HREGI
BID Designs co-founders Chris Luchtefeld and Brent Paris receive a commemorative plaque from Elizabeth Morard, 2009 vice chair of image enhancement for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County Board of Directors, at the company’s new headquarters in Huntsville. 18
February 2010 Initiatives
BID Designs, a company that provides business development solutions and processes for small and medium-sized companies, held a ribbon cutting for the company’s new office in Huntsville. In addition to cutting the ribbon on its new facility, BID Designs became the Chamber’s newest investor in the Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative (HREGI), Huntsville/Madison County’s blueprint for economic growth. Elizabeth Morard, vice chair of image enhancement for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County Board of Directors, said the company’s focus on small and medium-sized businesses is a good fit for Huntsville. “One of the hardest lessons that small and mid-sized companies learn is that just because a request for proposal from the government happens to be in the company’s area of expertise does not necessarily mean the company should expend valuable resources and money in pursuing what may be an unwinnable proposal,” Morard said. “BID Designs has literally turned the art of business development into a science that allows clients to increase their chances of winning contracts and by helping companies make analytical decisions about which opportunities to pursue.” Chris Luchtefeld, co-owner of BID Designs, said that Huntsville’s growth is a major reason why the company has grown. “This solidifies BID Designs’ space in the community for the long run. Huntsville New Huntsville is an amazing city with an amazing spirit of entrepreneurism for a business like this. Office Huntsville’s growth is important to our business growing,” Luchtefeld said. Brent Paris, co-founder of BID Designs, echoed Luchtefeld’s statement by presenting the Chamber a check for investment in HREGI to Chamber Chair-elect Don Nalley. “We are serious about being a part of the community and contributing to the growth of this community. We spoke with the Chamber about opportunities and we found something more than just a monetary contribution; we found a commitment. Consider this our investment in the growth of the community,” Paris said. •
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 18
Forbes Names Huntsville One of the Top 10 Smartest Cities in the World Leading financial and economic development publications are routinely reporting on what residents of the Huntsville/Madison County community have been saying for years – the community is a smart place to live, work and play. And Forbes just recently added to that growing list of accolades by proclaiming Huntsville as the No. 9 smartest city in the world. In its analysis of Huntsville, Forbes writes, “This southern city has long had a ‘smart’ core to its economy. Today, the area’s traditional emphasis on aerospace has been joined by bold moves into such fields as biotechnology. Kiplinger recently ranked the area’s economy No. 1 in the nation.”
No. 1: Singapore No. 2: Hong Kong No. 3: Curitiba, Brazil No. 4: Monterrey, Mexico No. 5: Amsterdam No. 6: Seattle, Wash. No. 7: Houston, Texas No. 8: Charleston, S.C. No. 9: Huntsville, Ala. No. 10: Calgary, Alberta
Names Huntsville the Second Best Recovering Job Market BusinessWeek recently ranked Huntsville No. 2 among America’s 25 “Next Recovering Job Markets” because of its strong economy and continued growth as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decisions. The report projects that Huntsville’s strong economy is likely to get even stronger in the first quarter of 2010, in part due to growth as a result of BRAC as builders continue constructing new apartments and houses to accommodate families moving into the city. • 20
February 2010 Initiatives
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle featured several “shining stars” in his address. Among those recognized were Tory Green, Eagle Scout from Huntsville, who became Huntsville’s first citizen to address a joint meeting of Congress when he delivered the “National State of Scouting” in March 2009.
State of the City is “Strong,” According to Battle Despite a rough national economy, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle characterized Huntsville as “strong” during his second “State of the City” address, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. The luncheon was presented by The Boeing Company before a sold out audience of 1,200 at the Von Braun Center North Hall. Battle’s first year in office was marked by the city receiving several top rankings and recognition from national and international media. The city also became the first in Alabama to receive Standard & Poor’s Triple-A bond rating (the highest possible bond rating). Huntsville was named Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine’s No.1 best performing city in the nation and was also selected by Fortune Small Business as the No. 1 midsized city to launch a business. With a diversity of industry and a growing economy, Battle said one of the primary strengths of the city is its quality of life. “It really is about our great quality of life,” Battle said. “When Kiplinger’s Personal Finance came here, the reporter said ‘I saw Toyota, Cummings Research Park and Redstone Arsenal, but what makes you different?’ I told the reporter about our quality of life. People come here for jobs, but more importantly, they come here for the quality of life.” Battle said that there are still challenges to face in the years ahead. Two of the biggest challenges Battle addressed were infrastructure and the future of NASA. Battle stated the importance
of having adequate roads, office space and infrastructure for BRACrelated growth. Battle credited a “spirit of cooperation” with the City of Madison and Madison County to work together to ensure the Madison County community receives a much higher return on its investment with the state to support the infrastructure needed to maintain the level of growth the community has been experiencing and expected State of the to experience in the coming years. City Address He said through this teamwork, the community is now getting a 94 percent return on the dollar for roads now compared to the 53 percent return from a year ago. Battle also said there is an increased need for regionalism regarding the security of NASA’s future, a future that affects the Tennessee Valley. “We must use our platform and other communities to tell the government that we have the finest pool of workers here working on space,” Battle said. Battle said 2010 will be a tough year but would be a better year for Huntsville. “2010 is going to get better but it’s still going to be thin. Things are getting better. Retailers are coming in and housing starts are up.” Madison Mayor Paul Finley introduced Mayor Battle at the luncheon. •
~ highlights compiled by John Southerland & Harrison Diamond
Christian Science Monitor Features Huntsville The Christian Science Monitor recently featured Huntsville in an article on the five cities that will grow in the “New Economy.” The Christian Science Monitor writes of the selection of cities: “From Seattle to Huntsville, Ala., a tier of cities is poised to prosper in the new economy, buttressed by exports, innovation, clean technology, and healthcare.” •
STI Electronics Wins International Award for Counterfeit Prevention STI Electronics was awarded a Global Technology Award in the category of “Anti-Counterfeiting Services” for its chemical decap service. The award was presented to the company during a ceremony that took place at the New Munich Trade Fair Center in Munich, Germany. Premiering in 2005, the Global Technology Awards program is an annual celebration of product excellence in electronics surface mount assembly. STI Electronics performs a special chemical decap service for customers who want to see if they are receiving counterfeit parts from their supply chain vendors. STI also provides this same service to component manufacturers who want to verify if certain returned components are truly their original manufactured parts. This service provides the ability to chemically decap the integrated circuit from the overmold package and verify at the die level if the die inside the component package is the original manufacturer’s die. STI’s decap service verifies components, resulting in dramatically reduced scrap and tremendous cost savings. •
Dynetics Awarded NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Information Technology Services (MITS) Contract Dynetics was awarded the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Information Technology Services (MITS) contract valued at approximately $335 million over five years. Dynetics will be the primary provider of IT planning, development and support services for Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Huntsville, and the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans. The Dynetics MITS team will manage IT security services; IT planning, policy, architecture and integration; telecommunications services; applications and web services; computing services; and audio visual information services. “We appreciate the confidence MSFC has shown in Dynetics by selecting us for this important contract,” said Dr. Marc Bendickson, Dynetics CEO. “It expands our presence in the IT market by transitioning approximately 500 IT personnel at Marshall to Dynetics’ team; and furthermore, it is an affirmation of Dynetics’ success in managing complex federal programs.” • Initiatives February 2010
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A Smart Place Smart People Still Helping Build Local Economy 112 years later Sales & Related Occupations (2020) Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1960) Production Occupations (1940) Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1590) Transportation & Material Moving Occupations (955) Healthcare Practitioners & Tech. Occupations (905) Education, Training & Library Occupations (775) Architecture & Engineering Occupations (740) Management Occupations (725) Computer & Mathematical Occupations (715) Business & Financial Operations Occupations (685) Construction & Extraction Occupations (610) Building, Grounds Cleaning & Maint. Occupations (490) Personal Care & Service Occupations (445) Healthcare Support Occupations (370) Protective Service Occupations (325) Community & Social Services Occupations (215) Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media Occupations (185) Farming, Fishing & Forestry Occupations (105) Life, Physical & Social Science Occupations (95) 22
February 2010 Initiatives
G
Total Annual Job Openings through 2016 in northeast Alabama Source: University of Alabama
rowing a diverse economy and having a smart workforce have been at the core of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County efforts since its inception. In fact, this determination to grow the local economy was obvious by the invitations sent to the Huntsville community more than 100 years ago (shown above). During the intervening years, the membership and community grew (and greatly surpassed the 25,000 that it was willed to be), and much of its industry base changed. But, one thing remained constant: Huntsville’s drive to develop a diverse economy and continue to improve the opportunities for its workforce and its businesses. In 2009, as much of the country struggled through one of the worst economic crises in the last 100 years, the Huntsville region, while not immune, continued its trend of positive employment growth. And not surprisingly, it received accolades for its ability to recruit a high tech workforce, weather the economic downturn and provide a
TOP 30 SMART CAREERS with link to 118 others: www.asmartplace. com/getsmart/work_smartcareer.html
Occupation
Total Annual Openings
Registered Nurses
330
Computer Systems Analysts
195
General & Operations Managers
175
Elem. School Teachers, Except Spec. Ed.
165
Aerospace Engineers
120
Management Analysts
120
Accountants and Auditors
115
Business Op. Specialists, All Other
115
Comp. Software Engineers, Applications
110
Lic. Practical & Lic. Vocational Nurses
105
Comp. Software Engineers, Systems Software
90
Engineers, All Other
90
Sec. School Teachers, Except Spec. & Voc. Ed.
90
Mechanical Engineers
75
Middle School Teachers, Except Spec. & Voc. Ed.
75
Auto. Service Technicians and Mechanics
70
Network & Computer Systems Admin.
70
Computer Support Specialists
60
Network Systems & Data Comm. Analysts
60
Clergy
55
Computer Specialists, All Other
55
Electrical Engineers
50
Teachers & Instructors, All Other
50
Computer Hardware Engineers
45
Electrical & Electronic Eng. Techs
45
Engineering Managers
45
Logisticians
45
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
40
Lawyers
40
lationship between economic development, image enhancement and a skilled and dynamic workforce. “A company will not locate or expand in a market that is not able to provide the employees needed for it to be successful. For this reason, workforce is one of the most critical components of a successful economic development program,” said Jeremiah Knight, the Chamber’s 2010 workforce vice chair.
Closely tied to a targeted recruitment strategy and continued growth in existing industry and small business, the Chamber developed a comprehensive program to recruit, retain and develop the talent to sustain and grow a diverse industry base which includes aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, information technology, life sciences and office and administrative support services. continued on page 24
COVER STORY
high quality of life for its residents because of its efforts to diversify its industries and workforce opportunities. Looking ahead, community leaders anticipate this growth to continue throughout the new decade because of a continued emphasis on marketing and growing the area’s strengths and working with its regional partners. The Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative (HREGI), unveiled five years ago by the Chamber, provides the region a roadmap to economic growth and employs a strategy of diversifying its business and employment base in order to foster continued growth through the good and challenging times. This sevenstrategy plan also highlights the symbiotic re-
Smart People Working in a Smart Place Vladimir Radjabi-Mougadam, geospatial information systems analyst: “I have lived in Kazakhstan and travelled throughout many countries of the world and many places in the United States. I found Huntsville to be a wonderful place to raise a family. The combination of educational opportunity, high technology employment opportunities, relatively low cost of living and a family-friendly atmosphere are rarely found all in the same area. Huntsville is my sweet home in Alabama.”
Eric Harris, SharePoint solutions manager: “There are plenty of jobs here, and the opportunities are growing as new technologies move into the area. There’s a positive curve – get in while you can!”
Tiffany Bumpus, research assistant: ” I was attracted to a biotech job here because Huntsville is a great place to build a life and grow a career.”
Robert Vereen, research assistant: “I worked for Jim Hudson as an intern and knew the exciting advances that he was working on and wanted to continue to be involved.”
Scott Gwin, journeyman: “There are more diverse opportunities in Huntsville than anywhere in the south. I have been with the utilities for 21 years and when the lights go down, we go out.”
SSG Lamar T. Hizer, Staff Sergeant: ”I was stationed here seven years ago and was excited to come back to Huntsville.” Kathy Cowan, Senior Staff to VP of Missile Defense Programs: “What I like most about working in Huntsville is the opportunity to meet and work with people throughout the community and in other parts of the world who all possess unique expertise and come from different backgrounds and/or cultures.” Luzma Doughty, Executive Assistant: “Huntsville has everything a big city has in a smaller scale.”
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Smart People Still Helping Build Local Economy 112 years later, continued from page 23 –
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And while the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision has dominated the workforce headlines since its 2005 release it is not the only area of growth in the region. Huntsville, Madison and Madison County continue to see considerable growth in the advanced manufacturing and business sectors. In 2009, Toyota Motor Manufacturing announced the expansion of its Huntsville production line, making it the only Toyota facility in the world to produce 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines. This decision was due in part to the existing local workforce and confidence in the ongoing availability of qualified people to support advanced manufacturing. “Since we started production in Huntsville in 2003, we have expanded three times,” said Jim Bolte, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama. “One of the main reasons for our success has been the excellent workforce we found in the Tennessee Valley. The latest addition of the new four cylinder engine will enable us to add 240 new positions. I have no doubt we will continue to hire highly qualified, hard working, and impressive team members. I look forward to meeting them.” Additionally, BRAC growth will continue to be a factor and an economic driver for the entire North Alabama region for the next few years. As part of a study on the impact of the 2005 BRAC on the Tennessee Valley, economic development consultant Ed Bee called BRAC “the largest move of a headquarters function that I have seen in my career and probably the largest move of a technical workforce that the Department of Defense has seen during the BRAC processes of the last 20 years.” That study projects that the 4,700 BRAC jobs moving to RSA and the ancillary positions created by these jobs will account for almost 20,000 new positions in the region during the next five years. The industry standard “economic multiplier” for every 10 new engineering jobs is 8.6 jobs created in the retail, health and service sectors. A recent census report debunks the myth that this region only employs engineers. While Huntsville, Madison and Madison County have been recognized for their high-tech, engineering-based workforce, continued on page 26 February 2010 Initiatives
Growth 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:
WBC Quarterly Forum Luncheon Nov. 17, presented by A-1 Accounting & Tax Service
The Women’s Business Council celebrated their 10th anniversary with a special luncheon at the Chamber and a sold out crowd of attendees.
Chamber Holiday Open House December 1, presented by AT&T
The 4th annual Chamber Open House brought together more than 600 Chamber members to celebrate the holiday season and set the stage for new business opportunities in 2010.
BRAC to the Future III December 15, presented by S3 – located at the Von Braun Center.
Leaders from Redstone Arsenal and the agencies moving here gave an update to a regional audience interested in learning more about BRAC and the status of future moves. 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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Smart People Still Helping Build Local Economy 112 years later, continued from page 24 – the bigger picture reveals diversity across many other industry sectors. As a regional economy, the eight counties of northeast Alabama employ more than 400,000 people, but only 13 percent of the jobs are in engineering or computer occupations. Furthermore, annual projections through the year 2016 developed by the University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research for the Alabama Office of Workforce Development (OWD) indicate 16,470 either newly created jobs or those created through retirement or other attrition. And the top categories do not include engineering. They are: sales and related occupations (2,020 annual openings); office and administrative support (1,960 annual openings; production (1,940 annual openings); and food preparation and serving related occupations (1,590 annual openings). These four categories alone account for nearly half of the annual open positions in northeast Alabama. As further proof of growth in non-engineering sectors, the largest jobs announcement in the state for 2006 was Verizon’s call center and its 1,300 customer service jobs. Capable and effective workers are critical to all businesses but particularly so to an operation such as Verizon. With the establishment and growth of the Clearview Cancer Institute and the Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville could become the global center for genomics and cancer research. Already, advances in the diagnoses and treatment of breast cancer and the H1N1 virus have been produced by the scientists working in these facilities. This creates unique career opportunities for today’s local students as well as the “best and brightest” from all over the nation and the world. While HREGI identifies targeted industries for economic development, its overall impact and the Chamber’s workforce development efforts support all sectors by promoting the diversity of job opportunities to today’s students, encouraging them to cultivate their talent and find their professional home within our regional economy. This proves yet again that Huntsville is a smart place to live, work and play and continues to be anything she wills it to be. 26
• Loren Traylor & Lucia Cape February 2010 Initiatives
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Rick Roden, president/CEO of the Greater Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, discusses the importance of BRAC on the Tennessee Valley.
mplementation of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decisions that are bringing several commands and thousands of jobs to the Huntsville/Madison County community is tracking and largely on target, according to officials and BRAC-impacted agencies at a recent conference in Huntsville. Speakers at the third BRAC to the Future conference at the Von Braun Center included Garrison Commander Col. Robert Pastorelli and representatives of the commands that are in process or are moving to Redstone by the end of 2011, including the Missile Defense Agency, the Army Materiel Command and the new Redstone Test Center. Each of the speakers shared with the audience the status of the moves, including construction and personnel move timelines.
BRAC UPDATE
BRAC Tracking On Time, On Target The event, hosted by the Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee and presented by Systems, Studies and Simulation, featured Rick Roden, the president/CEO of the Greater Jackson County Chamber of Commerce as well as welcome comments Pastorelli by TV BRAC Committee Chair Joe Ritch. Redstone Arsenal Garrison Commander Col. Robert Pastorelli reported that 51 percent of the positions scheduled to move to Redstone have officially been transferred. Likewise, of that 51 percent (2,407 positions), 85 percent (2,063) have already been filled – with most being filled from outside continued on page 28
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BRAC Tracking On Time, On Target, continued from page 27 –
the Tennessee Valley, Pastorelli said. Air Force Brig. Gen. Terry Feehan, MDA’s deputy program manager for ballistic missile defense system, praised the community’s efforts and said the welcome he and his wife received has been a great factor in their happiness with the move. “I arrived in June with my wife. We were in a restaurant and realized we were not in New England anymore. You don’t have to be in uniform to be treated kindly here,” he said. Feehan added that his family had specific medical needs and prior to moving he had asked various doctors in the area around about treatment options in the Huntsville/
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Madison County community. “And they all said the same thing: you are going to the right place.” Which is one more reason that makes it easier to recruit personnel to the area, Feehan said. “When I recruit people here I don’t take them to our new building on the arsenal. I take them to all of the new housing developments being built. I take them by the technology park to all of the high-tech employers, and I drive them by the university and they see new buildings. Huntsville is a very exciting place,” Feehan said. Feehan said that MDA will realign 2,248
government and contractor positions from the National Capital Region to Huntsville where workers will focus on development, test, integration, and fielding of MDA projects. Feehan says that Huntsville will remain a growth area for MDA and by 2012 the majority of all MDA activities will be performed in Huntsville. Feehan said it is important to understand what MDA brings to the community – not just the hub of the nation’s ballistic missile defense activity and program management, but specifically very high tech jobs and educated personnel. This move includes personnel with PhD’s from MIT, Georgia Tech, Johns Hopkins Aerospace and Feehan the University of AlabamaHuntsville; five major prime contractors, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and General Dynamics; and more than 100 small disadvantaged business contracts. By the completion of BRAC implementation, almost 5,000 MDA workers will be in Huntsville, which will be the agency’s center of gravity for development, test, integration, and fielding. A new organization, Redstone Test Center, has been formed as a result of BRAC and is actually the merger of the Army Aviation Technical Test Center at Ft. Rucker and the Redstone Technical Test Center at Redstone. The new organization will be responsible for rotary wing air platform development and acquisition, test and evaluation. According to David Byrd, technical director of RTC, the work performed by RTC is traditionally done by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Byrd said that Huntsvillle-area residents are going to see many more helicopters flying overhead once the new hangar and RTC facilities are completed. The consolidation allows RTC to build upon existing technical expertise and facilities in place and will provide focused support for future aviation, technological advances in rotocraft development, and become a world-class center for testing aviation, missile and sensors from component through system qualification. Construction for the new RTC headquarters and hangar facilities should be completed by April 2011 with personnel and aircraft moves completed by September 2011. The consolidation involves several hundred pocontinued on page 30 Initiatives February 2010
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BRAC Tracking On Time, On Target, continued from page 29 – sitions transferring from Ft. Rucker. Representatives with the TV BRAC communities will travel to Ft. Rucker to meet with impacted personnel for a town hall meeting to discuss relocation options for those seeking to move with their job. BRAC is also bringing to Redstone Arsenal the Army Materiel Command headed by the Army’s first female four-star Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody. Teresa Gerton, acting executive deputy to the commanding general, said that 370 people have moved to Huntsville already. Gerton says that AMC plans to have an additional 500 employees here by the end of this fiscal year. Gerton said that the community’s enthusiasm for Huntsville is an important part of getting AMC personnel to relocate. Gerton said that brownbag sessions have been great motivators for current employees to relocate. “The interaction between your community and our workforce was very successful, and we’re looking to do that again,” Gerton said. “When they meet people and they hear from you firsthand, their enthusiasm level goes up.” This year, BRAC to the Future was also the site for a special luncheon to officially welcome the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command and Brig. Gen. Christopher Tucker, USASAC commander, to Redstone Arsenal and the Tennessee Valley. Tucker said he expected 40 percent of USASAC’s workforce to relocate, far above the average BRAC relocation percentage. He also said that USASAC is two years ahead of schedule because the command ofTucker ficially moved headquarters earlier in 2009 as opposed to 2011. “We are very proud to be part of the Tennessee Valley, the Huntsville-Madison communities and to be one of the great commands at Redstone Arsenal,” he said. Tucker said that USASAC has already hosted delegations from Morocco, South Korea and India. “You will see an increase in international travel and you will also see an increase in international interest as our international partners come here and see what we have in the Redstone community,” Tucker said. • John Southerland & Harrison Diamond 30
February 2010 Initiatives
Photos on this page courtesy of Redstone Arsenal
Top and at left: Construction on the third phase of the Von Braun Complex is currently on schedule for completion in 2011. Once complete, the Von Braun Complex will be the site for a majority of the Missile Defense Agency’s research and development. It will also serve as headquarters for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Lower photos: AMC-USASAC headquarters is also on schedule for a 2011 completion date. For a complete rendering of the facility, see page 28. The facility will also house the Army Contracting Command bringing 234 civilian and 79 military positions.
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2009 Small Business Awards Winner – Business Services category
Millennium System Services, Inc. At left: Dr. Amin Sakar (left) and Tom Jarrell (right) present Dave Diaddario of Millennium Systems Services, Inc. (center) the 2009 Small Business of the Year award for the business services category. How long has your company been in business? Since 2001 In what industry is your business and what are your principle products and/or services? Millennium Systems Services, Inc. (MSSI) is an ISO 9001:2008 certified and a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Disadvantaged Business, 8(a) certified company, headquartered in Huntsville, AL. MSSI is a Department of Defense (DoD) contractor who provides highly skilled personnel who perform services within one of our five major core capability areas which includes: Logistics, Information Technology, Professional Services, Audio Visual & Automated Publishing, and Warehouse Operations.
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Why was MSSI founded? MSSI was founded by Frank Gordon, a retired disabled veteran with over 20 years of service to the United States as a soldier (retired – Army chief warrant officer –CW4) followed by more than 17 years as a DoD contractor. Frank determined that there was a need, specifically in the Army aviation community, to provide timely and tailored assistances. At that time, there were not a lot of small businesses specializing in aviation support. Starting a company caused significant financial hardship during the first year and a half. But, Frank believed that Army aviation needed a company that would listen to their problems and would devise a specific solution regardless if the money available was $1,000 or $10 million. While not from this area, Frank liked the Huntsville region continued on page 39 February 2010 Initiatives
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Chamber Volunteers Honored for Their Efforts V
olunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit organization and the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County is no exception. Since 2002, the Chamber has used an elite group of volunteers comprised of specially selected and trained individuals from chamber member businesses to reach and communicate to its more than 2,350 members. These volunteers serve on either the Ambassador and Emissary councils and have a goal to get members the knowledge they need to understand and use the resources the Chamber has available to help them grow. During 2009, these volunteers attended more than 100 ground breakings and ribbon cuttings and reached unprecedented attendance at these events. In order to recognize the best of the best within these councils, each year an Emissary and Ambassador of the Year are selected. At a recent luncheon, Tom Ray, vice president and managing partner of Look Outdoor Advertising was named the 2009 Ambassador of the Year and Shannon Drake, vice president for Draco Engineering and Communications, was named the 2009 Emissary of the Year. Am-
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bassador Team of the Year honors went to the “Beach Bums” also led by Ray. Ray has been an ambassador for more than a year and is very active in welcoming new companies to the region by attending ribbon cuttings and ground breakings for these businesses. He also participated in the 2009 Total Resource Campaign (TRC) and as a firstyear volunteer was one of the top performers. Ray According to Ray, membership in the Chamber has been a great investment for his company. “I have been able to make contacts and participate in opportunities as a direct result of my membership that I would not likely have otherwise been exposed to. I highly recommend a Chamber membership to businesses of any size and want to help new businesses get engaged with the Chamber and its resources,” said Ray. Drake exhibits great enthusiasm for the Chamber to member companies. She was awarded the 2009 Emissary of the Year because of her ability to provide outstanding customer service to the companies she represents as an emissary. Drake has volunteered for several years with the Cham-
ber and also participated in the 2009 TRC. “Involving my company in the Chamber continues to provide growth opportunities on both corporate and personal levels. As a Chamber representative, I have become integrated within the surrounding community and learned to appreciate how the Chamber combines individual corporate strengths toward a common goal of area growth and improvement,” she said. “The Chamber has provided my company multiple resources for business networking, open avenues to access valuable contacts, and the necessary Drake tools to target my marketing resources more efficiently while continuing to foster a fun and helpful environment.” Chamber President/CEO Brian Hilson thanked the award winners for their tireless efforts to increase awareness among members about the various programs and assistance available through the Chamber. “These Chamber volunteers help us reach our membership and it is our honor to recognize their efforts at this annual event,” Hilson said. • Loren Traylor
2009 Small Business Awards Winner – P ersonal Services category
Eagle Collision Center, Inc. How long has your company been in business? Since 2004 In what industry is your business and what are your principle products and/or services? Our company provides automotive collision repair services. Why was Eagle founded? Owning and operating a business together was a lifelong dream of mine and my father’s. We have always wanted to work together and several years Richard King and Lori King-Taylor, co-owners of Eagle ago the timing was right. My dad was in Florida Collision Repair, receive the Small Business of the Year and after having my first child, he sold everything Award for the personal services category. and moved to Huntsville to be near us. He had been in the collision repair industry for over 40 years and had his business for most of that time. After being here a few months, my dad and I decided to open up a shop in Huntsville together. I wanted to spend time with him and knew this would be one of the best things about working with him. What has been the company’s greatest achievement? Our greatest achievement is that after six years we are still in business and we still love working together. This award really encouraged us and told us that our hard work is recognized by our customers and the community. We treat our customers and our staff as if they are family. We feel responsible to do a good job for our customers and we love being able to provide a good work environment for our employees. What are your goals for the next five years? We want to open more locations throughout the area. And while my dad would like to retire, we have many in-house goals including growing our marketing and business development efforts to enable us to open up those new locations. We also want to raise our level of service to our customers. In addition, we would like to branch out more in the community. What is the company’s vision? To provide our customers the outstanding service that keeps them recommending us to their friends and business associates and keeps them coming back. How has being active in the Chamber helped you? I credit our Chamber involvement with our financial success. The Chamber has helped get our name out in the community and helped us grow our business base with many first time referrals. We have lived many places, and we have never seen a Chamber as active with their members as this one. I consider the Chamber one of my most important business partners. • Initiatives February 2010
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T
Montgomery Trip and State Partnership Critical to Meet Community’s Growth Challenges GENERAL FUND SPENDING Selected state spending in fiscal years 2008 through 2010, with the Legislative Fiscal Office’s forecasts for 2011. (in millions) GENERAL FUND
STIMULUS MONEY
YEARLY TOTALS
$354
$528
$1,716
$1,569
2009
2010*
2011*
$1,834 $2,070 $2,097 Source: Legislative Fiscal Office *Estimated
$1,454
$1,834
2008
$102
$1,352
EDUCATION FUND SPENDING Selected state spending in fiscal years 2008 through 2010, with the Legislative Fiscal Office’s forecasts for 2011. (in millions) EDUCATION TRUST FUND STIMULUS MONEY
$298
$298
$5,679
$5,323
$5,290
2009
2010*
2011*
$6,695 $5,679 $5,621 Source: Legislative Fiscal Office *Estimated
$5,588
$6,695
Above: Joe McInnes, director of the Alabama Department of Transportation, discusses funding and issues for roads at a special lunch meeting during the 2009 trip. At top: Linda Maynor, vice-chair of image enhancement for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County Board of Directors, Dan Montgomery and Wally Kirkpatrick.
YEARLY TOTALS
2008
he coming year promises to be an exciting one in Alabama State government, with gubernatorial elections and all other constitutional and legislative offices on the ballot. Simultaneously, the State will be grappling with a painfully tight 2011 fiscal outlook. As the political and legislative scenes heat up, the Huntsville/Madison County community faces some keen challenges with infrastructure, workforce, and education needs resulting from recent and anticipated growth. Addressing those growth challenges is a critical part of the Chamber’s 2010 Montgomery Trip agenda, set for March 2-3. Concerned business and community leaders are encouraged to join the Chamber on this annual trip to the State Capitol. Early fiscal projections paint a rather bleak picture for state finances in 20102011. While projected revenues for the State’s Education Fund Budget are expected to continue their steady decline, spending in the State’s General Fund Budget is facing what one legislative leader termed “scary” and dramatic reductions. However, BRAC and other local economic growth will bring thousands of new jobs to Huntsville and Madison County, compounding the funding dilemma facing the region as it struggles for money to implement needed infrastructure upgrades. Convincing State leaders to direct funding to address these critical needs will be even more challenging – and urgent, given the State’s economic environment. For the second consecutive year, the Chamber is extending its Montgomery Trip to include an overnight stay, allowing more time for trip participants to interact with key state officials. A reception honoring the entire Alabama legislature and members of the Governor’s Cabinet is planned for the evening of Tuesday, March 2, in the Performing Arts Center Atrium of the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa. The following day’s program will feature presentations from state leaders impacting state spending priorities and political consultants representing both Republican and Democratic candidates in the 2010 elections. Adding a bit more drama to the 2010 election cycle – for the first time in more than a half century, the race for Governor will not include an incumbent governor, continued on page 38 Initiatives February 2010
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Montgomery Trip and State Partnership, continued from page 37 –
former governor or former lieutenant governor as a candidate. Term limits will prevent Governor Riley from running for re-election in 2010. Feedback from prior years’ trip suggests that many of the trip participants find the networking opportunities with local leaders to be one of the most valuable aspects of the trip. Prior year’s trip participants have included local Mayors, County Commission leaders and business, military, NASA and elected leaders. New Chamber Board Chair Don Nalley emphasized the importance of the Montgomery trip as part of one of the primary goals of 2010 for the Chamber. “It is vitally important for our state leaders to be aware of what is happening in our community from an economic development standpoint. It is also important that they understand that our success is their success and that we get that message to them as well. We can’t do what we need to do without our state partners. We need assistance – and we want to make sure they know that the Huntsville/ Madison County community promises an excellent return on their investment,” he said. “We are growing rapidly and have increasing infrastructure needs that require immediate attention. Like our annual Chamber trip to Washington D.C., our meeting in Montgomery offers our members an excellent opportunity to meet with not only our local state delegation, but other legislators from across the state. That face-to-face time is critical for all of us,” Nalley said. “One of this Chamber’s priorities is to create a higher level of cooperation and teamwork, not just locally, but across the State. Raising the water level floats all the boats a little more. Each community needs to show by words and actions that we understand it is a team effort. There is no better way to do that than meet with our State legislators face to face.” Those interested in participating on the trip are encouraged to sign up quickly. Limited seating on a chartered bus is available. A reduced registration fee is available for those who would like to drive themselves to Montgomery. • Mike Ward 38
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Millennium System Services, continued from page 32 –
and felt it was a good place to start a business and indeed he received overwhelming support from local entrepreneurs and business leaders which helped lead to MSSI’s success. What has been the company’s greatest achievement? We are most proud of our reputation in the Department of Defense community. We have built and enjoy a reputation as a company that delivers on what it promises and because of this we have received many individual and company awards such as the Small Business of the year and the DoD Service Disabled, Veteran-Owned Achievement Award. What are your goals for the next five years? MSSI definitely plans to continue to grow our corporate staff and the business as we strongly believe there will be an ever increasing need for our services and the potential for growth in this market area is unlimited. Our growth will be centered on providing a comprehensive solution to each of our customer’s mission requirements. To that end, we have been and will be prudent as to how we budget our resources to ensure the greatest amount of dollars are set aside to bring in the best talent and not spent on infrastructure frills. What is the company’s vision? To always be a leader in providing worldclass and seamless services to our customers by means of well trained, highly skilled, competent, and motivated people. How has being active in the Chamber helped you? Chamber involvement has been invaluable in growing our opportunities. It has given us local name recognition and we use this award in proposals and past performance history. In addition, we have received many calls from other companyies who became aware of this achievement and it has really helped our business development efforts. •
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2010 Census Vital to Economic Development and Community Efforts
T
he coming year promises to bring excitement, not just as the close of the first decade of the century, but as the year the U.S. government conducts its decennial census. Mandated by Congress to be taken every 10 years, the census provides the only way to determine the true economic and social makeup of the nation, states and local communities. Changes in population, workforce, job growth and demographic composition over the past decade are all measured and used to determine decisions affecting the next 10 years. For the Huntsville community, capturing the true growth of the metro area and surrounding region is essential to showing the area’s needs and provides important opportunities for future federal funding. Local community leaders recognize the importance and impact the 2010 Census will have on local budgets. Their determination to work together in a unified effort was shown at the recent Huntsville/Madison County 2010 Census Kickoff Event at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville Madison County. Madison County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Madison Mayor Paul Finley and Maj. Gen. James R. Myles, commander, Redstone Arsenal, all signed a joint resolution proclaiming a commitment to seek participation of each and every Madison County resident. ”It is important to our community that we work together to encourage every person to be counted. This is an opportunity where we can all speak with one voice to say this is important and has a real impact on our community’s future,” Gillespie said. The decision to create a unified community voice to promote awareness of the 2010 Census is also a plea for local residents to recognize the impact each person has in helping the community. Mayor Battle echoed this plea. “Nearly every decision over the next 10 40
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From left: Maj. Gen. Jim Myles, Madison County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Madison Mayor Paul Finley celebrate the signing of a resolution to encourage all residents in the Huntsville/Madison County community to be counted in the 2010 Census. years affecting our community will be based on data collected now. From funding for new roads to education to the support we need for BRAC, our residents now have the ability to make a difference for what this community will be tomorrow,” Battle said. According to Census officials, with more than $400 billion of federal funding to be distributed nationally each year, each person counted equates to approximately $1,200 delivered to local entities annually in the form of road improvements and economic and social programs. Over a 10-year period that equates to $12,000 per person, or $60,000 for a family of five that the community will either receive or not receive based on each person’s decision to be counted. “Our future growth depends on everyone doing their part,” said Finley said. “We can’t afford to be complacent as a community. Every person counts and every person can make a real difference by mailing in the form.” Myles affirmed the sentiment. “Making sure the growth the Tennessee Valley region is experiencing is fairly represented through the Census is critical to the
continued support of Redstone Arsenal. That’s why it is important to us to be a visible part of this effort. We are encouraging each employee and their families to do their part to help support the infrastructure and economic needs of the region by mailing in the form at the appropriate time.” Census forms will be mailed to residents in March with the Bureau designating April 1st as “Census Day”, the day to return the form by mail. The questionnaire is a simple 10 questions and will take no more than 10 minutes to complete. By law, all information is completely confidential. If a form is not returned by mail, that home will be visited by a Census worker to obtain a response in person. Don Nalley, 2010 Chair of the Chamber of Commerce and master of ceremonies for the event summed it up by advising residents what they could do to support the community’s growth and the BRAC efforts. “People ask what they can do to help with BRAC...10 minutes for $12,000, to me that’s doing a lot,” Nalley said. “Every person counts, so we want to make sure every person is counted.” • Ken Smith
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Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
Staff 2010 Brian Hilson, president & CEO John Southerland, communications director Kristi Sherrard, graphic designer Laura Kendrick, executive assistant
Economic Development Ethan Hadley, VP, economic development Steve Finnell, director, industrial development/ existing industry
Rick Davis, director, Cummings Research Park Harrison Diamond, economic development coordinator
Amy Locke, industrial development/existing industry assistant
Governmental Affairs Mike Ward, VP, governmental affairs Tina Leopold, governmental affairs assistant
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, investor relations representative Mike Brazier, investor relations representative Donna McCrary, investor relations specialist Brittany Winkfield, events coordinator
Research & Information Services Ken Smith, director, research & information services
Hiroko Sedensky, web designer/research specialist
Kathleen Byrne, information services specialist Donna Dingler, resource desk coordinator
Finance & Administration Christy Nalley, director, finance & administration Jamie Gallien, IT manager Lori Warner, 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 42
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