Initiatives June 2011
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June 2011 Initiatives
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Thanks to Our Investors Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
www.growHuntsville.com
Development Partner ($250,000+ annually)
City of Huntsville Development Council ($125,000+ annually)
Huntsville Utilities Chairman’s Council ($75,000+ annually)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc. President’s Circle
($50,000+ annually)
Huntsville Hospital Regions Bank Tennessee Valley Authority Leadership Forum ($25,000+ annually) AT&T BBVA Compass The Boeing Company Emerson Network Power - Avocent The Huntsville Times Lockheed Martin Corporation Madison County Commission Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Redstone Federal Credit Union Verizon Wireless
Executive Council
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($15,000+ annually)
BB&T CINRAM, Inc. COLSA Corporation Huntsville-Madison Co. Builders Association Intergraph Corporation Lamar Outdoor Advertising, Inc. North Alabama Multiple Listing Service Wells Fargo Bank June 2011 Initiatives
Chamber Trustees ($10,000+ annually) ADTRAN, Inc. AEgis Technologies Group, Inc. Agility Defense and Government Services Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama Booz Allen Hamilton Breland Companies Camber Corporation Cobham Analytic Solutions Crestwood Medical Center
Progress Partners
First Commercial Bank Jerry Damson Honda Acura L-3 Communications Corporation Huntsville Operations Look Outdoor Advertising, Inc. SAIC SES, Inc. SportsMed Orthopædic Spine & Surgery Center Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.
($5,000+ annually)
Analytical Services, Inc. BAE Systems Baron Services, Inc. BASF Catalysts, LLC Beason & Nalley, Inc. BlueCreek Investment Partners Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP City of Madison Coldwell Banker Commercial McLain Real Estate Colonial Properties Trust Consolidated Construction Company DRS Technologies Dynetics, Inc. ERC, Inc.
Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation J. Smith Lanier & Co. Lanier Ford Shaver Payne, P.C. LogiCore Navistar Diesel of Alabama, LLC Northrop Grumman Corporation The Orthopædic Center Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc. Superior Bank System Studies & Simulation, Inc. Torch Technologies Turner Universal Construction URS Wilmer & Lee, P.A. Yellow Book USA
Progress Investors ($2,500+ annually) ABT, Inc. Averbuch Realty/Averbuch Enterprises Bama Jammer, Inc. BancorpSouth Belzon, Inc. BID Designs, LLC Bill Penney Toyota-Mitsubishi Brown Precision, Inc. Bryant Bank Century Automotive Cerqa Chapman Sisson Architects, Inc. Decisive Analytics Corporation Decosimo Certified Public Accountants DESE Research, Inc. DHS Systems, LLC Digium, Inc. FITE Building Co., Inc. Foreign Language Services, Inc. Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates, LLC 4SITE, Incorporated Gray Research, Inc. Hardin-Junkin & Co. Wealth Solutions, LLC Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc.
Investor’s Resource/Raymond James Fin. Svs. Jacobs ESTS Group KPS Group Kudzu Productions, Inc. Marriott Huntsville Parker Hannifin Corporation PPG Aerospace Progress Bank PROJECTXYZ, Inc. QinetiQ North America QTEC, Inc. Qualis Corporation Radiance Technologies, Inc. Renasant Bank Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Hampton Cove ServisFirst Bank UBS Financial Services, Inc. United Space Alliance, LLC WAFF-TV Wesfam Restaurants, Inc. (Burger King) West Huntsville Land Company Woodland Homes of Huntsville Woody Anderson Ford WHNT-TV
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June 2011 Initiatives
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Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
june 2011 cover story
Local Aviation Industry Casts Large Shadow Nashville’s AAAA Event Draws Thousands from Huntsville beginning on page 22 Photo: RQ-7B Shadow
features “As Good As We Want it to Be” Economic Development Highlights 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 nation, 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.
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including Lockheed Martin Corporation, Baron Services, Missile Defense Agency, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Aerojet, and CenturyLink
Best Places to Work Spotlight On: Sigmatech, Inc.
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What’s Your Dream? Space is Limited Extended Family
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developments HREGI Investors Listing Chamber Board Listing Employee of the Quarter HREGI Testimonial Community Profile Making Connections Armed Forces Week 2011 Chamber Staff Listing
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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 main line: 256.535.2000 fax: 256.535.2015
online www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com www.asmartplace.com
fyi
Submissions for editorial content are not accepted. Information in this and other Chamber publications is at the discretion of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. Advertising inquiries go through The Huntsville Times.
Publisher R. Thomas Beason Executive Editor John Southerland
Editorial Designer Kristi Sherrard ontributing Writers Lucia Cape, Harrison Diamond, C John Southerland, Loren Traylor, and Mike Ward Photography Chamber of Commerce staff, publications and archive
Advertising Sales Ray Johnson The Huntsville Times Initiatives June 2011
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Chamber of Commerce
Executive Committee and Board of Directors 2011 Executive Committee
A Message from Tommy Beason Dear Chamber of Commerce Investors, Community Leaders and Friends: This edition of Initiatives arrives at a time when many are still recovering from the devastation of an unprecedented weather disaster that has impacted so many across North Alabama and so many other parts of our state. Our hearts and prayers go out to all of those affected by this tragic event. But in disaster, we have seen people coming together for the better of all – neighbors helping neighbors, co-workers helping co-workers and friends helping friends and strangers alike. It is that kind of teamwork that sets our community and our state apart from others. We’ve seen first-hand how this state has come together to help build a stronger Alabama. It is that spirit of teamwork that has helped Huntsville/Madison County continue to be successful in the marketing and selling of our community to industry prospects who may be looking to expand or relocate operations to our area. It is that spirit of teamwork that has our state leaders looking to our local elected officials to work together as one on important infrastructure priorities critical to managing our growth. It is that spirit of cooperation and teamwork that has our federal leaders looking to those same elected officials and our business and community leaders to help them fight for and protect programs that are both critical to our nation, to our state and to our local economy. As the lead economic development organization in Huntsville/Madison County, your Chamber recently led important marketing trips to the National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs and to the Army Aviation Association of America Professional Forum and Exhibition in Nashville. There, members of our local and state economic development team, including local elected officials from Huntsville, Madison and Madison County; as well as the Alabama Development Office. The North Alabama Industrial Development Association and the Huntsville/Madison County Airport Authority, among others, met with government and industry leaders concerning Redstone Arsenal’s growing visibility as a place to conduct business as the headquarters for the U.S. Army aviation program. This particular event has become increasingly important to our community because of the importance that U.S. Army aviation plays across the globe for the sustainment and deployment of manned and unmanned aircraft for our nation and for our allies. You can read more about this event inside this issue of Initiatives. We are always assertive in our marketing efforts and this time of the year we conduct several critical marketing trips where we aggressively sell our community in meetings with key employers and business site location decision-makers to lure more targeted industry and create more job opportunities in our community. In New York City, at the Paris Air Show and other space and defense industry conferences, the Alabama Development Office, under Governor Bentley, partners with Huntsville and other communities to create job opportunities. It is through leads and relationships generated at many of these events in the past that have eventually created job growth in our community. Our team approach to economic development continues to pay dividends for our community. You have entrusted this Chamber to ensure this approach continues because working together is what our community has proven it will do in the best and worst of times.
Best Wishes,
R. Thomas Beason Interim President & CEO Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
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Charlie Kettle, Chair, First Commercial Bank Jim Bolte, Chair-Elect, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama Don Nalley, Immediate Past Chair, Beason & Nalley Robert Mayes, Secretary/Treasurer, BlueCreek Investment Partners Ron Poteat, Vice Chair - Economic Development, Regions Bank Rose Allen, Vice Chair - Governmental Affairs, Booz Allen Hamilton Frank Caprio, Vice Chair - Member Services, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Danny Windham, Vice Chair - Workforce, Digium Rey Almodóvar, Vice Chair - Small Business, Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation
Dr. Pam Hudson, Vice Chair - Research & Information Services, Crestwood Medical Center
Jeremiah Knight, Vice Chair - Image Development, Verizon Wireless Call Center Mayor Tommy Battle, Chair-Appointed, City of Huntsville Mayor Paul Finley, Chair-Appointed, City of Madison Chairman Mike Gillespie, Chair-Appointed, Madison County Commission Tony Jones, Chair-Appointed, The Boeing Company Joe Ritch, Chair-Appointed, Sirote & Permutt Frederick Lanier, Chair-Appointed, J. Smith Lanier & Co. Tommy Beason, Interim President & CEO, Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
Elected Board
Cynthia Achorn, ASRC Federal Joe Alexander, Camber Corporation Cathy Anderson, Woody Anderson Ford Bob Baron, Baron Services Dr. Marc Bendickson, Dynetics Penny Billings, BancorpSouth Miranda Bouldin, LogiCore Greg Bragg, Consolidated Construction Company Everett Brooks, Incrementum Consulting Group Micah Bullard, Turner Universal Construction Glenn Clayton, Appleton Learning Joe Collazo, COLSA Corporation John Eagan, Wells Fargo Bank Kerry Fehrenbach, Intergraph Corporation Ron Gray, Gray Research John Gully, SAIC Steve Hassell, Emerson Network Power John Holly, Lockheed Martin Corporation Dr. Andrew Hugine, Alabama A&M University Simon Kim, LG Electronics Alabama Kim Lewis, PROJECTXYZ Angie McCarter, Davidson Technologies Rich Marsden, Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne Elizabeth Morard, Qualis Corporation Caroline Myers, Foreign Language Services Joe Newberry, Redstone Federal Credit Union Jim Owens, BBVA Compass Tony Palumbo, retired Crystal Shell, WILL Technology Dr. Ashok Singhal, CFD Research Corporation Todd Slyman, Village of Providence Jan Smith, S 3 Dr. O’Neal Smitherman, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology David Spillers, Huntsville Hospital Tom Stanton, ADTRAN Al Sullivan, Alpha Beta Technologies Nilmini Thompson, Systems Products and Solutions, Inc. Dr. Ernie Wu, ERC
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Public Education in Huntsville can be
“as good as we want it to be” Q&A with Dr. Ed Richardson
Dr. Richardson, tell us a little about yourself.
ER: I’ve been an educator my entire career. I’ve been a teacher, a principal, a superintendent, state superintendent and university president. I’ve been retired for about three years from Auburn University. My wife and I have just finished building a house in Auburn, where two of our three grandkids live. The other one’s in Atlanta. We’ve just settled in there, and we are having a good time. We’ve lived in Montgomery most of our lives, so we still have friends close by. When you got the phone call, did you anticipate it? Were you following the Huntsville school system issue at all?
ER: No. I was doing some other things at the time, and I knew some other systems were having financial difficulty, but I really felt that the primary reason for coming was that Huntsville was always a good community for the promotion of the state, includ10
June 2011 Initiatives
Now we’ve been through hard financial decisions and tried to right our Huntsville City Schools ship, and now it’s poised to take hold of those higher academic standards and to move forward. How important is it for the community to get on board and the business community in particular? What can we do to help the new superintendent and the Board in moving forward? The Huntsville Times/Dave Dieter
Editor’s Note: Dr. Ed Richardson was hired in February by the Huntsville City Schools Board of Education as a consultant to assist with eliminating the system’s $20 million deficit. At a Board meeting in April, Dr. Richardson presented a plan that would make the cuts necessary to achieve that goal entitled “Reality, Realignment and Recovery.” Don Nalley, immediate past chair of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County and the current chair of the Chamber’s newly formed Education Committee, sat down with Dr. Richardson to discuss the importance of public education in Huntsville/Madison County and how it relates to the community’s future success.
ing education. But I felt that my career has been based on public schools, and what I’ve found as a college president going out and offering scholarships, that increasingly public schools are not the institution of choice in many of our communities, which is very disturbing to me. And I felt, in Alabama, if you can’t do it in Huntsville, it can’t be done. I don’t have any vested interest, and I don’t have any baggage here in Huntsville, so I felt like I could make some strong recommendations. The Board could take whatever it wanted, and then I could leave and hopefully it would be a better place. You said one time in a speech you were giving that this country’s going to live and die on public schools systems, that 90 percent of the nation’s kids are being educated in public schools.
ER: That’s right. That’s not to say we don’t need good private or parochial schools, I’m not opposed to that, but we’re either going to be successful about educating our 90 percent, or we’re not going to make it. This is no longer a society where you can have a few educated leaders and the rest do manual work.
ER: A school system will be no better than the community wants. If you have a community that wants strong public schools, it’ll happen. But most just give lip service and don’t really want to spend any more than they have to, neither time nor money. What we’ve done admittedly has cost some people their jobs, but that is because of a lack of attention to detail over a 10 or 12 year period, Huntsville got itself into financial difficulty. Many of the changes that we’ve affected will allow, within a year, for Huntsville not only to have solved its financial problem, but to be in the black financially. And within two years, it will have a month’s operating balance, which approaches $20 million, so not only out of the red, but with a reserve. So I’m hopeful then that Huntsville will see this as a rare opportunity because you’re going to be able now to go through major cuts, major examination, and have an opportunity to develop a master plan and to really build a system. If you don’t have visionaries in Huntsville, I don’t know where you’d go to find them. You need to get some of the best thinkers so we don’t set our standards too low. That’s why most people are mediocre, because it’s easy to be mediocre. Set your standards very high, and I think, by the time you get through your planning process, you will be in a position to start implementing programs and priorities that will enable Huntsville to be a lighthouse type of school system. And
I’m not talking about for Alabama. I’m not even talking about the South. There’s that much capacity here, and I would say all the ingredients for success are here. And if the public will understand that some changes are going to have to be made, and the Board will understand that we’ve got to make sure we’re setting very high standards and focus on that because our primary objective is the quality of the education the students receive, not how many people we hire or how many people are happy with us. This is a golden opportunity for Huntsville to build a system that will be emulated across the country if it handles this process correctly.
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ER: When I became a superintendent in Auburn, they had just gone through the same thing. Not the same magnitude, it’s a smaller system, but percentage wise it was just as devastating. I had to borrow month after month of that first year to make the payroll. They had no money. They’d cut all the art teachers and counselors; it was just devastating. The City Council and the Board of Education weren’t speaking to each other. There were some issues. So I went to the City Council and put it on the table – here’s what it is, and here’s what we’re trying to do, and we developed that trust. Every time we got into a bind – I’ve been through eight or 10 prorations in Alabama – the city was right there saying, “We will help you. Don’t back off!” And of course you have a university there, and what they saw was the stronger the schools became, the more easily they could recruit people who were coming from other places. So what we then found is that more and more people were moving to Auburn from Montgomery, Columbus, Georgia, La Grange – different places – to access the public schools in that community and commuting back to work. If you look, the population there has gone up, almost double. So the way the city was run contributed to that success. You knew that you had to watch your money, you had to put your cards on the table. But if there was a legitimate crisis, you had that safety net. And I never had to cut another continued on page 20
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That’s awesome, and we can’t miss that opportunity. Have you been involved with other schools systems where the community has jumped in and successfully executed that formula you just described?
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY
Lockheed Martin Builds Integrated Test Center in Huntsville
John Holly, vice president of Missile Defense Systems with Lockheed Martin, discusses the capabilities of the company’s newest facility on its campus in Cummings Research Park.
Lockheed Martin recently opened a new 21,000 square-foot Huntsville Integrated Test (HIT) Center in Cummings Research Park. The new facility will enable realistic testing of full-scale missile defense systems in a laboratory environment. “This facility demonstrates Lockheed Martin’s commitment to advancing the state-of-the-art in missile defense capabilities,” said John Holly, vice president of Missile Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “It also represents our continued investment in the Huntsville community, which plays a key role in protecting our nation.” The HIT Center will provide high fidelity, end-to-end testing of missile defense systems with full hardware and digital functionality, applying the “test-like-you-fly” philosophy. The center will support full-scale hardware-in-the-loop testing of missile defense interceptor and ground systems in a reconfigurable environment. Featuring two five-axis motion simulators with infrared scene generators, the center will support salvo and multi-tiered intercept scenarios, hardware and software validation, risk reduction and rapid evaluation of evolving threats. In this controlled laboratory environment, anomalies can be analyzed and pinpointed prior to further testing at government test ranges. The center is equipped with high-speed fiber optic connectivity throughout the building. This allows the center to connect to government laboratories and will have the capability of connecting to major first- and second-tier missile defense suppliers. The building is ready for initial occupancy. An additional phase, which is planned for completion by the end of the year, will include a system integration laboratory and a missile integration laboratory. •
Baron Services Recognized by Gov. Bentley for Excellence in Exporting Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley recently recognized eight Alabama companies for excellence in exporting; among them was Huntsville-based Baron Services. “We are exceptionally pleased to be recognized with the Governor’s Trade Excellence Award,” said Baron Services President/CEO Bob Baron. “We are committed to growing and expanding our international business, as we have been for the past eight years. Increasing our international sales team, participating in more foreign trade shows and developing promotional videos in foreign languages are all implementations of our international strategic development plan.” Baron’s most recent international business success is winning a contract to modernize the weather systems in Brunei. Set for completion mid-2011, this project will provide a modernized, integrated Baron weather infrastructure for the country. Exporting was a $15.5 billion industry for Alabama in 2010 and supported 300,000 jobs in the state. Alabama ranks 27th among U.S. states in the dollar value of its exports and saw a 25.5 percent increase from 2009. The national average for this period was 20 percent. “International trade in Alabama continues to see tremendous growth and showcasing 12
June 2011 Initiatives
eight of Alabama’s companies for success in selling their products overseas is exciting. These companies have helped sustain and create jobs by taking advantage of markets outside the U.S.,” Bentley said. Alabama Development Office (ADO) Director Seth Hammett said the trade division at ADO is extremely active in helping match Alabama companies with potential trade partners. ”We will continue to define how best to help our firms take advantage of overseas opportunities and thus create more jobs for Alabamians,” Hammett said. The Governor’s Trade Excellence Award was established in 2005 to recognize Alabama manufacturers and service companies for excelling in global competition. The objectives of this program include identifying Alabama’s successful exporters, promoting exporters as role models to the Alabama business community to thus encourage greater involvement in the global marketplace, and increasing awareness of the impact of exporting on Alabama’s economy. •
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Missile Defense Agency Director: Huntsville to Continue Playing Key Role in National, International Missile Defense Discusses Plans for a Fourth Facility in Von Braun Complex tention to Libya and the turmoil in the Middle East. He says that 12 countries now have full capabilities of producing missile defense systems, including Egypt. O’Reilly said that MDA is completing vital infrastructure and upgrades for its sites. He also announced that BRAC moves will be completed and he foresees growth in Huntsville and the need to build a new building on Redstone Arsenal, Von Braun IV. O’Reilly has a MILCON request for a 224,000 square-foot facility by 2014. He said that MDA continues to grow its role here because moving functions to Huntsville “makes engineering and programmatic sense.” This has included the moves of MDA’s heads for acquisition, technology, and command and control. O’Reilly said that these moves were not part of BRAC, but worked out better for the agency. “MDA has a long history in Huntsville and we are not going anywhere. Our future is tied to Huntsville and the business community here.” •
First Commercial Bank is a division of Synovus Bank. Synovus Bank, Member FDIC, is chartered in the state of Georgia and operates under multiple trade names across the Southeast. Divisions of Synovus Bank are not separately FDIC-insured banks.The FDIC coverage extended to deposit customers is that of one insured bank.
LTG Patrick J. O’Reilly, director of MDA
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Lieutenant General Patrick J. O’Reilly, director of the Missile Defense Agency, stressed the importance of Huntsville in missile defense at a special meeting with business leaders held recently at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. “Huntsville plays such a major role in missile defense and has for decades, and I know that it will continue to play a major role,” O’Reilly said. O’Reilly said that contrary to reports, the national missile defense program is not being decreased. “You may have read reports about decisions that were made, but most of that is inaccurate. The threat is constantly changing and we are always looking into the future. Our major stakeholders continue to expand our role and expand our commitment. The president has made it clear to me to gain as much missile defense as fast as I can. Never have I been told to pull back.” According to O’Reilly, the government is paying close at-
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 13
Huntsville Named No. 5 Small City of Future Foreign Direct Investment Strategy Named the Best for Small Cities Dr. Eugene H. Scott, Jr. www.dreugenehscottjr.com Providing Dental Services for Nursing Home and Bed-Ridden Patients That we currently manage onsite WE RECOMMEND: Dental Cleaning every 6 months helps prevent Pneumonia and Heart Disease. Cleaning and topically manage gums with antibiotics and mouth rinses every 4 months for Patients with Advanced Periodontal Disease A recent study indicates at least 40% of patients who end up in ICU with pneumonia are nursing home patients who are unable to properly clean their teeth.
We provide Full or Partial Dentures MADE TO COMPLETION ON SITE Patient does not have to leave their room!
The City of Huntsville was named the No. 5 Small City of the Future and the community’s foreign direct investment strategy as managed by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County and its partners was named No. 1, according to Courtney Fingar, editor of fDi Magazine. Speaking at the recent North Alabama International Trade Association’s World Trade Day luncheon, Fingar indicated Huntsville’s recognition was part of the magazine’s first-ever American Cities of the Future rankings. Chamber Board Chair Charlie Kettle praised the community’s teamwork in growing the local economy as the primary reason for the recognition. “We are excited to receive both of these rankings. We put a lot of effort as a Chamber and as a community into international business recruitment, development and creating opportunities. And this recognition illustrates the diversity of our economy,” Kettle said. fDi ‘Cities of the Future’ shortlists were created through independent data collection by the fDi Intelligence division, which studied 405 cities throughout North and South America. Six categories were used for rating the cities, including: • Economic potential • Cost effectiveness • Infrastructure
• Human resources • Quality of life • Business friendliness
A seventh category was added to the scoring – fDi promotion strategy. In this category, 100 cities submitted details about their promotion strategy and this information was judged and scored by an independent judging panel. “The news that Huntsville is further recognized internationally now as a ‘City of the Future’ is evidence that investors across the globe view Huntsville as a good investment. I am excited for our citizens and our companies here who are working hard to keep Huntsville a center of excellence,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. The Chamber, which serves as the area’s lead organization for economic development, was lauded for its international
programs that include participation in many international business recruitment events such as the Farnborough Air Show in London and the Paris Air Show, as well as trips to Japan and others. The Chamber’s economic development activity is guided by the Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative (HREGI). HREGI is the community’s blueprint for economic growth. “These rankings validate the hard work of our community and the continued team approach led by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County,” Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie said.
Small Cities of the Future Best Strategy 1. Richmond, Va. 1. Huntsville, Ala. 2. Santa Clarita, Calif. 2. Dayton, Ohio 3. Columbia, S.C. 3. Richmond, Va. 4. Richmond Hill, Ontario 4. Santa Clara, Calif. 5. Huntsville, Ala. 5. Mobile, Ala. 6. Ontario, Calif. 6. Norfolk, Va. 7. Norfolk, Va. 7. Sarnia-Lambton, Ontario 8. Jersey, N.J. 8. Cambridge, Ontario 9. Dayton, Ohio 9. St. Johns, Newfoundland 10. Mobile, Ala. 10. Santa Fe Springs, Calif. The recognition was made fittingly enough at NAITA’s World Trade Day, which recognizes the significance of international trade in the growth and economic well-being of the region. NAITA and the Madison County Commission annually co-sponsor the luncheon, which focuses on what international trade means to the Tennessee Valley business community. •
Dr. Eugene H. Scott, Jr. Practice of Dentistry 401 Lowell Drive, Suite 17 Huntsville, Alabama 35801 www.dreugenehscottjr.com 0000228178-01
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HUNTSVILLEMADISONCOUNTYALABAMA
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(256) 533-0434
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L-R: Madison Mayor Paul Finley, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Teledyne’s Rex Geveden, U.S. Representative Mo Brooks and Teledyne’s Joe Poddany cut the ribbon on Teledyne Brown Engineering’s Advanced Turbine Manufacturing Center.
Teledyne Brown Engineering Adds Advanced Turbine Manufacturing Center will be shipped to Teledyne Turbine Engines in Toledo for final assembly and test before delivery to their customers. Teledyne Brown was also recently recognized by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems with its 5-Star Supplier Excellence Award, the highest level recognition any Raytheon supplier can achieve for excellence and quality. Teledyne Brown machines and assembles hardware for Raytheon that is integrated into the Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) which is used to destroy mines. The company also manufactures the towed body midsection of the AN/AQS20A minehunting sonar for Raytheon. Both systems are considered key components of the U.S. Navy’s organic mine countermeasures strategy. “This is an especially gratifying award because it speaks to our corporate commitment to quality and delivery,” said Geveden. “I am very proud of our manufacturing team which met 100 percent of the delivery milestones without discrepancies on some very complex hardware.” •
Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. recently opened its new Advanced Turbine Manufacturing Center in Huntsville to produce turbine engine components. Teledyne Brown renovated 25,000 square feet of space in its manufacturing facility to house equipment being relocated from Mobile to Huntsville. The ATMC houses seven CNC machines, a large grinder, three lathes and a CMM machine that will be enclosed in its own climate controlled area. The machines will be used to manufacture turbine engine parts for the Harpoon/SLAMER and JASSM missiles. “The capability for manufacturing turbine machinery is an exciting addition to our portfolio,” said Rex D. Geveden, president, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. “And it is especially significant to the Huntsville market because of its relevance to tactical missiles, liquid rocket engines and UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles].” The turbine engine parts manufactured at the ATMC
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 15
~ continued on page 18
Aerojet Officially Breaks Down the Walls to Expand Huntsville Operation
Aerojet held a “ground breaking” for the company’s new office. Aerojet is adding to its presence in Huntsville and Southeast by adding 25 new engineers in Huntsville.
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Aerojet, a GenCorp company, recently broke down the walls to expand its Huntsville operations, officially marking the launch of the company’s expansion project at its future location in Huntsville. The expansion will allow Aerojet to provide additional engineering expertise and support to its government and prime customers located in the Huntsville area and beyond. “I am very excited to see Aerojet make this decision to expand in Huntsville,” said Claude Baldwin, director of Operations for Aerojet’s Huntsville office. “This will go a long way in improving our ability to support our customers.” The company will hire an additional 25 engineers who will reside in the new office space. These Aerojet engineers will provide technical expertise in solid, liquid and gel propulsion, warheads, specialty metals and fire suppression systems. Charlie Kettle, chairman of the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, joined U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks; Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle; Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie; and Madison Mayor Paul Finley in thanking Aerojet for investing in North Alabama. “Aerojet has a legacy in space and missile propulsion systems, reinforcing what a natural fit this great organization is for our community,” Kettle said. “We certainly appreciate that you could have chosen anywhere to expand your operation, but you selected Huntsville – and we are proud to have you here.” Aerojet President Scott Seymour in turn praised the community’s leadership as a primary reason for the expansion. “When community leaders and elected officials take time to come out and support us like you have and show how important we are to you, it just reinforces the decisions we made to expand here,” Seymour said. “It’s impressive – and we intend to keep expanding here.” The purpose of Aerojet’s expanded presence in Huntsville is to not only provide a better customer interface for the company’s DoD and NASA customers, but also to its prime contractors, supplier partners, local and regional universities, professional societies and community development organizations. •
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Economic Development Highlights compiled by John Southerland & Harrison Diamond
CenturyLink Acquires Qwest Communications
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Redefining the Financial Advisor Relationship Left to right: Annge S. Pape, David L. Little, Hope M. Wisner, CFP®, Jason E. Clowers, Tara L. Rousseau
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525 Madison St., Suite 201 Huntsville, AL 35801 256-564-6460 • 800-233-2161
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Investment and Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2009 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC 0909-1189 [80765-v1] 09/09
June 2011 Initiatives
CenturyLink, Inc. and Qwest Communications recently completed a merger that creates the nation’s third largest telecommunications company. The combined company’s increased scale and financial strength will enable it to deliver a broader range of communications services to consumers and small businesses throughout the company’s 37-state service area and to business, wholesale and government customers nationwide via its 190,000 route-mile fiber network. CenturyLink employs more than 400 in Alabama, including nearly 40 in Huntsville. The company provides broadband, voice and wireless services to consumers and businesses across the country. It also offers advanced entertainment services under the CenturyLink Prism TV and DIRECTV brands. In addition, the company provides data, voice and managed services to business, government and wholesale customers in local, national and select international markets through its high-quality advanced fiber optic network and multiple data centers. “The combination of our two companies allows us to offer customers of all sizes an even more robust portfolio of communications solutions that will continue to be backed by honest and personal service,” said Glen F. Post, III, chief executive officer and president of CenturyLink. The combined company will use the name CenturyLink, although the Qwest brand will continue to be used in former Qwest markets for the next several months. The corporate headquarters of the company will remain in Monroe, La. The company will maintain the headquarters for its business markets group in the Denver metro area, where Qwest’s headquarters was located. In addition, Denver will be one of the company’s six regional headquarters. The other five regional headquarters will be located in Phoenix; Minneapolis; Seattle; Wake Forest, N.C.; and Apopka, Fla. •
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Q&A with Dr. Ed Richardson, continued from page 11 –
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teacher, other than for performance, after that and I was there 13 years. I thought I’d never do that again, and here I am up here. And Huntsville has so much capacity and it is different from other communities in the state. Huntsville should be able to compete with anybody in the country if you wanted to. In this community it’s easy to get comfortable and it’s easy to want to make everybody happy. But if you do that in a school system or an organization, you’re going to be mediocre plus, which is what you are now. Here at the Chamber of Commerce we think we have a handle on why it’s so important that our business community and our business leaders be involved in educating our youth. From your perspective as an educator, why should we be involved in our public school system?
ER: For Huntsville, there are some reasons to be involved you might not find elsewhere. First, have you heard any resistance from your BRAC realignment about people coming to Huntsville? Sure you have. Schools are part of that reason. Fairfax County is in a different league. You’re not in that league at this point. But you can be! I’m absolutely confident you can be. I’m not just some cheerleader talking – that can be done. But you can’t allow yourself to be polarized on some side issues that are rather insignificant. You lose your schools, you lose your community. Then how best can our business community support the schools?
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ER: Two things. First, fully understand that as painful as those changes were in terms of the finances, it had to be done. Second, understand that this is a golden opportunity to build a school system that can be second to none. Set your standards high. To that same point, the school system MUST develop a comprehensive plan with very high standards embedded in that plan, and then stick to it. That’s where the business community can help by saying, “You said you were going to do number one, where are you?” The plan is the key. Business people have to plan ahead or you end up like so many standalone movie rental places – they’re gone. But
Have you seen the movie, “Waiting for ‘Superman’”?
ER: I have. It’s … I just can’t stand it because it tears me up.
reserves by $3 to $5 million that needs to be freed up. Then you want to look to the future. When you do realignment, some schools won’t be open, some will be modified, but when you have fewer schools, you can put more resources into them, keep them upgraded and give yourselves additional monies to add programs. What you’ll find is when you get a school more toward the ideal number, and there’s a lot of research on that, you have a school big enough to have programs but small enough to let people participate. continued on page 26
The Huntsville Times/Dave Dieter
for schools it’s even more important because it takes them twice as long to effect change. We know what it takes to have great schools. It’s not as nostalgic as some people think. You’ve got to have outstanding teachers and principals to run the schools and support the teachers. That’s where it’s going to happen.
To your point, what was amazing to me is that I would have said that kids won’t want the challenge of high academic standards, but that movie blew that away. The kids were crying, wanting to get in those schools that were going to make them work hard and learn. And that’s exactly to your point – we shouldn’t try to shy away from that or try to dumb it down. If we create academic standards at a high level, the kids will eat it up. It benefits them, and it benefits everybody.
ER: If you’re teaching them lower, you’re disrespecting them. And they know what they’re getting, which is nothing. And when I’m talking about high academic standards, I don’t mean that you’re all taking AP calculus, but you may be in an engineering program that requires you to solve problems – that requires calculus, or physics, or whatever it happens to be and you’re solving problems. That’s what kids really like. That’s what we all like. You’ve got to provide for the creative thinking, for the intensity that’s required.
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ER: The “reality” was, you are in serious financial difficulty and you’re not in a position to extract yourself just by being good for six months. The “reality” was, your system was not operating in as effective a manner as it could be. With “realignment” – we’re talking realignment of schools. You have far more schools than you need, which depletes your
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Local Aviation Industry Casts Large Shadow Nashville’s AAAA Event Draws Thousands from Huntsville
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he City of Huntsville didn’t actually annex portions of Nashville, Tennessee, it just seemed that way at the 2011 Army Aviation Association of America Professional Forum and Exposition, held in April at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center. The conference is the marquis gathering event for those who support U.S. Army Aviation – headquartered at Redstone Arsenal. Consequently, the forum attracts most of the military and civilian government personnel who manage the various aviation platforms, as well as the contractors who support those programs. In other words, according to Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, it’s the right mix for Huntsville. And a lot of people working in Huntsville attend the forum, making Nashville seem like a true home away from home. “Being able to take a little time to sit down and meet with our leaders at Redstone and existing industry and other industry prospects is critical to our ongoing economic development success,” Battle said. “And this conference is right in our sweet spot. Army aviation first and foremost is critical to supporting our soldiers across the world. And we have seen a substantive increase in the breadth and scope of Army aviation programs at Redstone, which has led to dramatic economic growth in Huntsville in support of those programs.” Battle was part of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County contingent that traveled to Nashville to meet with government officials about the status of various aviation programs and with new business prospects and companies already here supporting aviation that may be expanding operations. Other leaders joining the Chamber economic development 22
June 2011 Initiatives
team included Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie; City of Madison Mayor Paul Finley; North Alabama Industrial Development Association President/CEO Tate Godfrey; Alabama Development Office Senior Project Manager Bob Smith; and Jetplex Industrial Park Director Brooks Kracke. The Chamber’s economic development team actively markets the Huntsville/Madison County area through events and meetings around the world to targeted industries. With Redstone being the headquarters of U.S. Army Aviation – “Quad A” as it is commonly known – has become an increasingly important recruiting event for the community, Gillespie said. “While there are many companies exhibiting at Quad A that have some level of operation in our community, there are also many who do not but that may want to locate closer to their customers,” Gillespie said. “Working through the Chamber we can help business leaders make the right choice to move or expand their business to our community.” Battle reiterated that – pointing out that the costs of doing business in Huntsville is much more favorable compared to most areas of the country. “If you are supporting Army aviation and you would like to operate your business cheaper and be closer to your customer, you need to be looking at Huntsville.” Finley said the event not only allowed the local elected delegation the opportunity to meet up with many of their constituents, it also provided them the opportunity to learn more about the numerous U.S. Army aviation programs, platforms and future opportunities. continued on page 24
Supporting Army Aviation and growing the local economy Economic development partners in the Huntsville/Madison County area, North Alabama and the State of Alabama recently traveled to Nashville to meet with government officials and company leaders on various programs that support U.S. Army aviation. At left, the economic development partners meet with representatives of Vector Aerospace and, below left, Adept Technologies. Below Madison Mayor Paul Finley talks with a representative of Yulista.
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle (far left) and Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie (far right) stand with the U.S. Army aviators with Huntsville area connections that were inducted into the AAAA Hall of Fame: (l-r) Retired Lt. Gen. Anthony Jones, a Boeing vice president and Huntsville site executive; retired Brig. Gen. Edward J. Sinclair, CEO for Science Engineering Services (SES) in Huntsville; and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Buford Thomas, also with SES.
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June 2011 Initiatives
“This is a great event,” Finley said. “It is a great opportunity for us to learn more about Army aviation and where the programs are going, but gives us a chance to see how we can help companies support those programs.” Rick Davis, director of Cummings Research Park, led the Chamber delegation at the event and said the annual event has become one of the most important marketing opportunities for the Chamber. “With the acquisition, test and evaluation and lifecycle management of Army aviation now located in Huntsville, the Army Aviation Association of America conference has become a wheelhouse event for us,” Davis said. “Our companies understand the importance of Army aviation here. For those companies that are not here that are doing business in support of Army aviation, we want to make sure that they understand the importance our community plays in the Army’s aviation program and that we want them to join us.” Charlie Kettle, President of First Commercial Bank and the 2011 Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, echoed the statements of the elected officials and said the conference continues to provide opportunities for continued growth for the Huntsville/Madison County area. “This conference means a lot to our community. It is a unique opportunity to be able to have government, contractor, elected officials and our economic development partners in meetings together to discuss programs that may lead to more growth in the Huntsville/Madison County community,” Kettle said. “It is also important because of the great relationship that has existed for so long between Redstone Arsenal, our elected officials and the Chamber.” • John Southerland
E M P L O Y E E
O F
T H E
Q U A R T E R
Mary McNairy Accounting Specialist
A
s the Chamber continues to grow its membership and its events get bigger every year, keeping members informed of what all they have purchased can be a daunting challenge. The Chamber’s latest employee of the quarter is one of the key members of the staff who works to meet this challenge and to ensure Chamber members receive the customer service they have come to know and expect. Mary McNairy, accounting specialist and the most recent employee of the quarter, works in the Chamber’s finance and administration division in accounts receivable and is responsible for invoicing all of the Chamber’s memberships, events, services, collections and cash receipts. Mary’s past experience in accounting with Huntsville’s high-tech firms and willingness to go the extra mile have been
tremendous assets to the operations of the Chamber says director of finance and administration Christy Nalley. “Mary’s experience has been a tremendous help to us as we look to improve our procedures for collections. She brings a great attitude to the job and is always willing to look for new ways for us to improve,” said Nalley. McNairy said that the Chamber staff makes work a pleasure “I love working at the Chamber. We have a great team and all work well together. I can’t say enough about all the friends I have here at the Chamber. They make it a pleasure coming to work each day. Being named Employee of the Quarter is a great honor. It’s wonderful working for a business that appreciates and rewards your skills. And it means even more that I was chosen by my fellow employees,” she said. •
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Q&A with Dr. Ed Richardson, continued from page 21 – We’re with you on that and already down the road. The Schools Foundation has just completed about a six-month process of getting input from the entire community, and they are assembling it right now. Eight Spacious Floorplans Award Winning Madison Schools Corporate Apartments Available Collegiate Length Pool Poolside Wireless Internet Sauna and Hot Tub Lighted Tennis Court Sand Volleyball Court 24-Hour Resident Sports Club
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ER: That’s good – that’s excellent.
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June 2011 Initiatives
7000 Adventist Boulevard, NW Huntsville, Alabama 35896 256.726.7000 www.oakwood.edu 0000228222-01
They call it “Speak Up” and have spent quite a bit of time and effort on it. The committee that’s been established by the Chamber is going to jump in there with them and help take that information into the school board and try to facilitate a strategic planning process. So, we’re with you 100 percent on that. Last question, there are three school systems in Huntsville/Madison County. How does the situation in Huntsville City impact the Madison City and Madison County school systems?
ER: You have to look at the short term and the long term. Short term, they will benefit from our problems, because people will move into those systems. I don’t think they’ll enjoy that, but they will benefit. Long term, they will also benefit because my experience has been people will rise to the level of expectations. When Huntsville starts performing at high levels, then Madison City certainly can’t let Huntsville get ahead of it. Madison County – they’re doing as much as a humanly possible right now to keep that system together. They do not have the resources to continue to absorb the growth that they’ve been experiencing. [Superintendent Dr. Terry Davis] is doing everything he can do, I guarantee it, but unless they get some additional resources, in the next year or two, they’re going to hit the wall. But I found, because there were three systems in Lee County – Auburn, Opelika and Lee County – we came forward with an initiative to improve, then lo and behold, the other two did. I’ve never seen it as a limited pie in education, that if I get more, you get less. If Huntsville gets better, the other two will also get better. It forces you to. Thank you. We appreciate what you’re doing for us. Thank you for the reality check, and we look forward to helping with realignment and recovery. •
Best Places to Work Most Valuable Employees in Huntsville/Madison County Announced
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ifteen companies in Huntsville/Madison County were selected as the “Best Places to Work” – while nine employees were named the Most Valuable Employees in Huntsville/Madison County at the fourth annual Best Places to Work awards luncheon at the Von Braun Center. The event was cohosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County and the North Alabama Society for Human Resource Management and presented by System Studies & Simulation. More than 100 organizations were initially nominated for the award and more than 70 qualified for the honor. Winners were based solely on a survey completed by employees and were selected in three categories: organizations with between 25 and 74 local employees; organizations with between 75 and 249 local employees; and employers with 250 local employees or more.
Danny Windham, the Chamber’s vice chair of workforce, opened the event and praised the winners for being “the best of the best.” “Despite facing numerous challenges locally while dealing with a still-recovering economy, our business community still continued to be recognized as one of the nation’s leading places to launch, sustain and grow a business,” Windham said. Quantum Workplace measured and selected companies based on the following criteria: Team Effectiveness, Retention Probability, Alignment with Goals, Trust with Coworkers, Individual Contribution, Manager Effectiveness, Trust in Senior Leaders, Feeling Valued, Work Engagement, People Practices. Once nominated, Quantum, a company that specializes in measuring workplace satisfaction around the country, administered a survey to employees and tabulated the results. Winners were based exclusively on the outcome of the employee surveys.
Winners in each of the categories for Best Places to Work: 25-74 workers • Brockwell Technologies, Inc. • Good Samaritan Hospice of Madison • i3 • QTEC, Inc. • Venturi, Inc. 75-249 workers • Avion Solutions, Inc.* • Intuitive Research & Technology*^ • Modern Technology Solutions, Inc.* • PeopleTec, Inc. • Sigmatech, Inc. 250 or more workers • Wyle CAS Group* • Dynetics, Inc. • ERC, Inc. • Huntsville Hospital System • URS* * Three time Best Places to Work winner *^ Four time Best Places to Work winner
Winners in each of the categories for Best Employees:
Winners of the Best Places to Work in Huntsville/Madison County. More than 70 businesses/organizations qualified as contenders after more than 100 were nominated. The award gives quantifiable evidence to best practices of the community’s employers.
25-74 workers • Chuck Brasher, Calhoun Community College • Kelley Howard, Alatec, Inc. • Marianna Oakley, Venturi, Inc. 75-249 workers • Amy Perry, TASC, Inc. • Juanita Phillips, Intuitive Research & Technology, Corp. • Susie Vaughn, PeopleTec, Inc. 250 or more workers • Jill Curtis, URS • Marsha Garner, Wyle CAS Group • Richard Jones, URS
continued on page 40 Initiatives June 2011
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SPOTLIGHT ON 2010 Small Business Award Winner: Government Contracting Services category
Initiatives recently met with Sigmatech, Inc. CEO, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Joe Bergantz to get more insight on the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/ Madison County’s 2010 Small Business Awards winner, Government Contracting Services category.
Q: How long has your company been in business? A: In July, Sigmatech will celebrate 25 years of business in the Huntsville community.
Q: In what industry is your business and what are your principal products and/or services? A: Sigmatech has more than 25 years of experience supporting aerospace, defense, federal and commercial clients. The company’s extensive industry network provides customers with support in the following areas: systems engineering; software engineering; test and evaluation; integrated logistics support; IT assessment and support; program management; acquisition logistics; and online computer and web-based e-training.
Q: Why was SigmaTech founded?
p John Chapman, Director of Human Resources for Sigmatech, accepts the Government Contracting Services award on behalf of MG (Ret.) Joe Bergantz. q L-R: Sigmatech’s Cendi Fuller, Lisa Cox, John Sanders and Lita Tillman pose with their 2010 Small Business Award for Government Contracting Services.
A: Dr. Gurmej Sandhu founded the company in 1986 after coming here in 1969 to work for aerospace companies, like Teledyne and Boeing that supported the space industry. His first customer was the AMCOM Research, Development, and Engineering Center in the areas of sensor and signal processing. We expanded into supporting Foreign Military Sales (FMS) efforts and into System Engineering and Integration, with emphasis on Training. We grew the business from a one person operation to its current employee base of 210, and we anticipate ending our fiscal year with more than 225 employees. Our current leadership includes myself, CEO; Jack Conway, President; Mike Callahan, Chief Operating Officer; and Dr.Sandhu has remained as Chairman of the Board.
Q: What has been the company’s greatest achievement? A: In the face of insourcing to the Government and pending budget cuts that are hitting the defense and aerospace industry hard, we have been able to grow our business. We have grown more than 20 percent in the last 12 months which is a testament to the expertise of the people we have working here and their commitment to providing quality services to our customers. We are very proud to be recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Huntsville/Madison County and also to have received the 2010 Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for workplace ethics. And we know that these awards would not happen without the great team of employees that make up our workforce. 28
June 2011 Initiatives
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John Chapman and Danny Windham, CEO of Digium and 2010 Vice Chair for Small Business. Q: What are your goals for the next five years? A: We want to continue to grow by 1520 percent or better each of the next five years, while at the same time providing top-notch services and keeping our workforce intact and happy. We are looking for new opportunities to expand our areas of expertise. We want to continue to have the high ethical standards that cause people to want to work here and our customers to continue to do business with us.
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Q: What is the company’s vision? A: Sigmatech’s vision is to continue solid growth, care for our workforce, and support our customers with a 100 percent quality effort. We are striving to be the premiere small business choice for our customers and team partners.
Q: How has being active in the Chamber helped you? A: Chamber events allow us to network with our current and future partners and to meet new companies and their leaders coming to town. The Chamber’s forums and workforce efforts have also helped bring strong candidates into the area for us to hire. •
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“We have been pleased to invest in HREGI, enabling the Chamber to recruit new industries leading to employment opportunities. When I hear about newcomers, I consider them
King customers – how exciting is that?
”
For a list of HREGI investors, see page 4 or visit: www.growHuntsville.com 30
June 2011 Initiatives
Photo by Matthew Chandler © 2011 Chamber oc Commerce
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What’s Your Dream? New Business Website to Assist Entrepreneurs Reach the Stars
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tarting a business can be difficult, but with the release of a new website called Start My Dream Business.com the process has become much easier. The site, sponsored by the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation and the Small Business Administration, serves as a free resource for starting a business in Alabama. From filing as a corporation to completing business license forms, the web tool can serve as a guide throughout the entire business start-up process. “We’re excited for the kick-off of this incredible effort by the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation. Our administration continues to work on ways to improve and streamline various government processes and we are confident that this will be a great tool for our community to use to help achieve that goal,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. In addition to the guide on starting a business, the site has numerous resources that budding entrepreneurs may find helpful including local chambers of commerce, professional groups, and much more. Visit www.startmydreambusiness.com for more information. • Harrison Diamond
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June 2011 Initiatives
Space is Limited! Huntsville Raises Bar of Participation for Government Affairs Events
T
p The Chamber co-hosted a reception for the Alabama Legislature with the Business Council of Alabama at its annual Montgomery trip. Rey Almodóvar talks about running a business with participants from the Republic of Maldova who were guests of UAHuntsville’s Office of International Programs. q More than 1,000 Chamber members attended Sen. Richard Shelby’s Washington Update.
he Huntsville area is certainly no stranger to positive community rankings and recognitions as numerous top media outlets in the world have bestowed top-5 and top10 rankings on the community as a smart place to live, work and play. One area in which the community may not be recognized, but one in which the community takes a back seat to no others, is in participation of the Chamber’s various government affairs events. The Chamber of Huntsville/Madison County’s annual Washington, D.C. trip has been among the nation’s best attended flyins among the many chambers of commerce nationally that travel to the nation’s capital to meet with members of its particular congressional delegation. The Decatur-Morgan County Chamber joins on that trip – giving North Alabama an impressive delegation attending meetings in Washington, D.C. Rose Allen, principal with Booz Allen Hamilton and the vice chair of Governmental Affairs for the Chamber, emphasized the importance the business community places on federal spending. “Roughly half of the local economy is dependent upon federal spending. Our Washington, D.C. trip, which we’ve co-hosted with the Decatur Chamber for the last 15 years, routinely draws 165 to 175 people,” Allen said. “To put that into perspective, the state’s largest city sends less than 35 people on its annual Chamber DC trip. Showing up in the Nation’s capital with 175 people gets noticed in some very favorable ways.” Recent D.C. trips have drawn an impressive list of speakers, including the Secretary of the Army, the director of the CIA, the Speaker of the House and more than a dozen U.S. Senators – including many of its most influential members. continued on page 34 Initiatives June 2011
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Space is Limited, continued from page 33 –
DARRON REESE • COURTNEY PATTERSON
Trust. Congressman Mo Brooks discusses business issues at a reception before his first Washington Update.
The Times Building 228 Holmes Ave., Suite 900 HUNTSVILLE
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June 2011 Initiatives
In addition to the D.C. trip, another of the more important annual Chamber activities is the Montgomery trip. Both trips provide business leaders opportunities to share key community issues while serving as important networking events with key elected and community leaders. “In addition to giving the community a chance to spread its message, these trips also provide meaningful networking opportunities for community leaders to share ideas in a more social and unstructured setting,” Allen said. “Lots of business gets done when folks are out of town together and actually get time to simply talk.” Similar to the D.C. trip, the Chamber’s trip to Montgomery draws large crowds – typically topping 100 registrants. A few years ago, the Montgomery trip was changed to make it an overnight trip. Feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly in favor of the new format. The 2011 trip featured a luncheon with Gov. Bentley, meetings with several key cabinet members, and a reception honoring the legislature. The Chamber’s Washington Update series has earned a reputation for its consistently stellar turnout. A couple of years ago, a senior congressional staffer attending one of the Washington Updates observed that this was the 67th community event that the Congressman had conducted that particular year and that if the attendance at the other 66 events was added together, it still would not have totaled the attendance at the one Huntsville Chamber-hosted update. Big crowds do get noticed. • Mike Ward
Nearly 100 Chamber members attended the Annual Montgomery trip and were able to hear from key decision makers in the Bentley Administration and Alabama Legislature.
Ron Poteat, vice chair of economic development for the Chamber’s Board of Directors, welcomes Gov. Robert Bentley to the podium.
community profile
TOP 10 EMPLOYERS Redstone Arsenal* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,000
Population
Madison County
City of Huntsville
2000 Census
276,700
158,216
29,329
342,376
Huntsville Hospital System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,280
2010 Census
334,811
180,105
42,938
417,593
The Boeing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000
46.4%
21.9%
Huntsville City Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000
% Growth
21.0%
13.8%
City of Huntsville Madison Metro Area
Madison County Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,389
Households & Income* # of Households
128,729
75,737
14,707
155,251
Avg. Household Income $75,911
$71,775
$94,538
$73,316
Per Capita Income
$31,226
$35,496
$29,026
$30,835
NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,500
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov), *2009 American Community Survey
SAIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,242 City of Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,206 UAHuntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,675 Sanmina-SCI Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,578 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 36,500 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 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.
leader in technology development. The second-largest science and technology
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Register Today! Initiatives June 2011
35
Make a Lasting
Impression...
Making Connections 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 the local economy. Examples of recent events include:
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New Member Luncheon
0000227565-01
presented by iBERIABANK
Interim President and CEO Tommy Beason talks with the Chamber’s newest members at a quarterly luncheon, catered by Chick-fil-a.
Business After Hours presented by Cumulus Media
0000228210-01
www.accentcleaningandsupply.com Tel. 256-479-4428 | Fax 256-585-6229
Locally Woman Owned & Operated Call for a Free Catalog 36
June 2011 Initiatives
Chamber members enjoyed a night of networking, Huntsville Stars baseball and contributing to local disaster relief efforts to help those impacted by the tragic weather events that devastated much of North Alabama in April. 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.
Monday, June 13 8:30 a.m. - Chamber of Commerce
Proclamation Signing Ceremony Contact: Tina Leopold – tleopold @ hsvchamber.org 11:00 a.m. - The Overlook
NCO/Soldier of the Year Award Luncheon
Noon – VBC North Hall
Armed Forces Salute Reception & Army Birthday Celebration Event to feature the AMC Band, Gen. Ann Dunwoody and other guests Invited special guest: Gov. Robert Bentley Pre-registration required.
Contact: Steve Humphrey – steven.humphrey@ mslco.com
Contact: Sheila Crutcher – sheila.m.crutcher@ conus.army.mil
Thursday, June 16
6:30-9:30 p.m. - Big Spring Park
9:00 a.m. - ACC Headquarters 3334A Wells Road (parking lot area)
Concert in the Park Music presented by the AMC Band, presentation of Community Covenant and plaques, ending with fireworks
Contact: Joanna Broad White – jwhite@ artshuntsville.org
Tuesday, June 14 Von Braun Center Concert Hall 3:00 p.m. – U.S. Army Soldier Show 7:00 p.m. – U.S. Army Soldier Show Tickets available:
June 1 – MWR Redstone Arsenal June 1 – Chamber of Commerce Contacts: MWR Ticket Office: 256-876-4531, Bldg. 3711; Tina Leopold – tleopold@hsvchamber.org
Wednesday, June 15 9:30 a.m. – AMC HQ (invitation only)
AMC Touchdown Ceremony Contact: Lira Frye – lira.frye@ us.army.mil
ACC/ECC Uncasing Ceremony Contact: Vanessa Peeden – vanessa.k.peeden@ us.army.mil 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. – Bldg. 3888
Army Community Services Open House Contact: Susan Paddock – susan.paddock@ us.army.mil 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Huntsville’s courthouse square
Sidewalk Arts Stroll, a downtown marketplace www.sidewalkartsstroll.com
Friday, June 17 8:00 a.m. - The Links at Redstone
AUSA Golf Tournament Pre-registration required.
Contact: Mike Kelley – mkelley@ knology.net
Saturday, June 18 6:43 p.m. – Joe Davis Stadium
AUSA Huntsville Stars Military Appreciation Night Contact: Bob Whiteford – (256) 721-1111
Additional Events/Venues U.S. Space & Rocket Center – All military and their immediate family - museum admission free of charge for June 13-19. IMAX/3D movie is an additional $8 adults, $7 children Huntsville Botanical Garden – FREE admission to any member of the Armed Forces – active or retired – and their immediate family with ID. Burritt on the Mountain – FREE admission to any member of the Armed Forces – active or retired – and their immediate family with ID. EarlyWorks Museum Complex – free admission for all active and retired military families, with valid id, to all THREE of our museums: the Earlyworks Children’s Museum, Alabama Constitution Village, and the Historic Huntsville Depot. Valid June 13-18. Huntsville Museum of Art – All Active Duty Military and their families will be admitted to the Museum free of charge. Sci-Quest, the North Alabama Science Center, Inc. – FREE admission to any member of the Armed Forces – active or retired – and their immediate family with ID. Veterans Memorial Museum – Free to active military ID card holders – discount for retired military and family members.
Above schedule is subject to change. For updates, additional information or sponsor listing, please visit www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com or email/phone the contact listed per event.
Initiatives June 2011
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Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
2 0 1 1 S TA F F Tommy Beason, interim president & CEO Laura Kendrick, manager, investor relations Tammy Gregory, executive assistant
0000228212-01
Communications John Southerland, communications director Kristi Sherrard, graphic designer
Economic Development Ethan Hadley, VP, economic development Rick Davis, director, Cummings Research Park Harrison Diamond, economic development coordinator
0000228226-01
Amy Locke, industrial development/existing
Fastsigns solves visual communication challenges, large and small, from the simple . . .
industry assistant
Finance & Administration Christy Nalley, director, finance & administration Jamie Gallien, IT manager Mary McNairy, accounting specialist
. . . to the simply incredible!!
Lori Warner, accounting specialist Joe Watson, facilities supervisor
Governmental Affairs Mike Ward, VP, governmental affairs Tina Leopold, governmental affairs assistant
Member & Small Business Services Jenni Jeffers, director, member & small business services
Shannon Drake, director, Total Resource Campaign Terrie Ledbetter, membership representative Mike Brazier, membership representative Donna McCrary, membership specialist Kathleen Byrne, events coordinator Mitzi Floyd, small business coordinator
Research & Information Services Ken Smith, director, research & information services Hiroko Sedensky, web designer/research specialist Urisa Rêvé Smith, information services specialist Ashley Shady, resource desk coordinator
Workforce Lucia Cape, VP, workforce Mark Brown, director, workforce recruitment Amanda Bishop, workforce assistant
Associated Organization
0000228214-01
WBCNA (Women’s Business Center of North Alabama)
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June 2011 Initiatives
Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County 225 Church Street, Huntsville, AL 35801 phone 256-535-2000 / fax 256-535-2015 www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com
Where to go • Who to see for products and services
Use a Chamber member... it's in your best interest Advertising The Huntsville Times 2317 S. Memorial Parkway. . . . . 256-532-4250
Aerospace / Defense Contractors AEgis Technologies Group, Inc. 410 Jan Davis Drive, 35806. . . . . . 256-922-0802 Arcata & Associates 1525 Perimeter Parkway Suite 190, 35806 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-837-5331 ASD 103 Quality Circle Suite 200, 35816 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-837-2293 Avion 7067 Old Madison Pike Suite 170, 35806 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-721-7006
RBC Bank 100 Church Street Suite 200, 35801 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-564-5753 Servis 1st Bank www.servisfirstbank.com . . . . . . . 256-722-7800
Cleaning Services Accent Cleaning and Supply, Inc. 3322 Memorial Parkway SW Suite 201, 35801 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-479-4428
Consultants - Management Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc 6703 Odyssey Drive Suite 200, 35806 . . . . . . . . . . . . .256-922-2760
Contractors - Home Improvement
CSC 310 The Bridge Street, 35806. . . . 256-382-3110
Champion Windows, Siding & Patio Rooms 2995 Wall Triana Hwy. Suite 6, 35824 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256-424-1110
InfoPro Corporation 6705 Odyssey Drive, 35806. . . . . . 256-382-9700
Convention Facilities & Services
Intuitive Research & Technology 5030 Bradford Drive Bldg 2, Suite 205, 35805. . . . . . . . 256-922-9300 SAIC www.saic.com
Jackson Center 600 Genome Way, 35806 . . . . . . . 256-327-7320
Credit Unions Redstone Federal Credit Union 220 Wynn Drive, 35893 . . . . . . . 256-837-6110
Apartment - Leasing
Dentists
Windscape Apartments 125 Royal Drive Madison, 35758. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-772-7030
Dr. Eugene Scott, Jr DD S401 Lowell Drive, Suite 17, 35801 . . . . . . . . . . 256-533-0434
Audiovisual Production Film, Video Tape
Education Schools, Colleges, Universities
Tec Masters 1500 Perimeter Parkway Suite 215, 35806 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-830-4000
Automobile - Dealers - New Woody Anderson Ford 2500 Jordan Lane NW, 35816 . . . 256-539-9441
Banks Bryant Bank 415-H Church Street Suite 100, 35801 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-535-1045 CB&S Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-332-1710
J.F. Drake State Technical College 3421 Meridian St, N, 35811 . . . . . 256-551-3117 Oakwood University 7000 Adventist Blvd, 35896 . . . . . 256-726-7000 UA Huntsville Professional & Continuing Education 103 Wilson Hall, 35899. . . . . . . . . 256-824-6372
Financial Services Clowers Wealth Management Group 525 Madison Street, 35801 . . . . . 256-564-6460 First Financial Group of the South, Inc. 400 Meridian St, Suite 100 . . . . . . 256-704-4617 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC 501 Madison St SE, 35801 . . . . . . 256-533-1250
Home Improvement & Furnishing Club Direct Buy 6515 University Drive, 35816 . . . . 256-489-5630
Hospitals Huntsville Hospital 101 Sivley Road, 35801. . . . . . . . . 256-265-1000
Inventory Management Inventory Management Solutions 134 Day Drive Brownsboro, AL 35741 . . . . . . . . . 256-534-6383
Insurance The Patterson Insurance Agency 228 Holmes Avenue Suite 222A, 35801 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-519-3444
Printers - Commercial Allegra Print & Imaging 804 Beltline Rd, Decatur, 35601. . . 256-351-9525
Real Estate Industrial Properties of the South 2903 Wall Triana Hwy., 35758 . . . 256-461-7482 NAI Chase Commercial www.chasecommercial.com
Rentals All Needz Rentals 6745 University Drive, 35806 . . . . 256-837-5322
Restaurants
Engineering Services Research and Development
Ruth’s Chris 800 Monroe Street SW, 35801 . . . 256-539-3930
Davidson Technologies, Inc. 530 Discovery Drive, 35806 . . . . . 256-922-0720
Signs & Banners
First Commercial Bank 301 Washington Street, 35801 . . . 256-551-3300
MTSI 5285 Shawnee Road, Suite 400 Alexandria, VA 22312. . . . . . . . . . 703-564-3800
National Bank of Commerce 203 Greene Street Suite B, 35801 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-564-7600
PeopleTec, Inc. 4901 Corporate Drive Suite I, 35805. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256-319-3800
FASTSIGNS of Huntsville 4294 University Drive, 35816 . . . . 256-722-5227
Telecommunications Adtran, Inc. 901 Explorer Blvd., 35806. . . . . . . 256-963-8000 0000219076-01
List your company in this Buyers Guide • For information call 256-532-4250
Initiatives June 2011
39
Best Places to Work, continued from page 27 –
Best Places to Work: In Their Own Words Small Category
with a culture that encourages mutual respect, mentoring, innovation and having fun together with extensive knowledge in the company’s support domains.
i3 i3 has grown dramatically, in part to the adoption of a corporate culture that prides itself on being different such as giving employees opportunities to build their wealth to eliminating middle management and empowering and incentivizing employees.
Venturi, Inc.
Brockwell Technologies, Inc. This company values its employees so much that it is actually an employee-owned company, and this focus on the employee has resulted in better customer service to its clients.
Good Samaritan Hospice of Madison Good Samaritan Hospice of Madison has a staff that goes above and beyond the call of duty in caring for its customers. These workers provide end of life care to individuals and families facing a terminal diagnosis. This locally-owned company employs highly motivated and experienced registered nurses, aides and social workers with high morals and personal ethics.
QTEC The company brings together a diverse array of professionals
ADVANCED SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT, INC.
Sigmatech Sigmatech’s success is a sum of many parts and includes: motivated and talented management, dedication to customer service; conservative financial practices; ethical business practices; and excellent services that instill faith in the customer.
Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation
MEDIUM Category
A cornerstone of any successful organization is the ability for company leaders not only to hire good workers, but to keep them. Venturi has a phenomenal retention rate greater than 90 percent.
tegrity and teamwork. The management team focuses on taking care of its employees, who then take care of their clients.
Avion Solutions Avion offers an employee stock ownership plan – ensuring that the employees have the opportunity to not only work for the company’s success, but to benefit from that success as well.
Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. Modern Technology Solutions specializes in hiring technically proficient and highly educated workers with nearly 100 percent of its technical staff holding at least a bachelor’s degree and more than 60 percent holding a master’s degree or higher.
PeopleTec The culture of PeopleTec is people-centric, focusing on open communication, employee support, community involvement, in-
World Class Enterprise IT Solutions Provider
History of Performance - Future of Dedication
Intuitive has built a reputation for focusing on its employees while providing excellent, customer-centric technical and programmatic support to clients throughout defense, commercial and governmental sectors. The company continues to receive national recognition for its employee recruitment and retention policies, and the corporate culture promotes a work-life balance.
LARGE Category Dynetics Dynetics’ mission is to bring expertise, integrity and tenacity to every relationship and to demonstrate its commitment to its customers by providing solutions to technical challenges in intelligence, missiles, aviation, cyber and space.
ERC One thing that sets ERC apart is a long-standing commitment to hire employees who are passionate about work and passionate about life. Employees who care about doing a great job, and doing it right and safely, have made the company such a great success.
Wyle CAS Group
0000228213-01
Wyle CAS Group’s success is driven by a focus on hiring team members who are educated and experienced -- 80 percent of its workforce has at least a Bachelor’s degree and 95 percent of its workers have five or more years of experience.
ASD is an exciting and well respected company within the Huntsville Community and the Defense Industry. ASD provides outstanding services and support to our customers. BRAC IT Build-out & Thin Client Implementation Program Planning & Analysis Systems Installation and Integration Web and Data Base Management Call Center Management/Help Desk Asset Management Acquisition Support 103 Quality Circle, Suite 200 Huntsville, AL 35806 256-837-2293 40
June 2011 Initiatives
Information and Telecommunications Systems Engineering Network Engineering and Management US Army Space and Missile Defense Command/ Army Forces Strategic Command/(SMDC/ARSTRAT) Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC)
To learn more about ASD please visit www.asd-inc.com asdhsvrecruitment@asd-inc.com EOE/M/F/D/V
2800 Shirlington Road, Suite 800 Arlington, VA 22206 703-998-3900
URS URS has created a successful corporate culture based on empowering and incentivizing its employees. Whether through “on the spot” awards or open door policies in which employees are free to express ideas/concerns, the company’s investment in its people has earned recognition from organizations such as the global human resources firm Hewitt Associates and FORTUNE magazine, among numerous others.
Huntsville Hospital System Huntsville Hospital’s success is partly thanks to a focused initiative known as The Power of Excellence, an expansive, employee-driven initiative designed to help the organization reach the highest levels of customer service and to ensure the delivery of the highest level of care to its customers. • Harrison Diamond & John Southerland
Building a Better Network. Building a Better Community.
At ADTRAN®, we believe in the power of connecting — whether it is with networks or people. For more than 20 years, ADTRAN has been improving telecommunications and building better networks through smart solutions and innovation. From the telephone to the Internet to IP Television, ADTRAN is powering the networks that keep our communities connected. ADTRAN is a proud member of the Huntsville/Madison County community. Whether you are a new or established member of the local community, we invite you to connect with us today, at www.adtran.com
www.adtran.com
Copyright © 2010 ADTRAN Inc. All rights reserved. ADTRAN and NetVanta are registered trademarks of ADTRAN, Inc. CO904B040109CC
Initiatives June 2011
0000228211-01
ADTRAN, Inc. 901 Explorer Blvd. Huntsville, AL 35806 256 963-8000
41
Extended Family
New Marketing Resource Creates New Avenue to Connect
C
oming in July, Chamber members will get the first look at a new tool geared toward getting their products and services in front of a wider audience. The new marketing opportunity, Member Connection, will replace ChamberPak, a direct mail piece filled with flyers from member companies and organizations. Member Connection will be in a digital format and sent to more than 4,500 Chamber members each month. This means greater exposure for Chamber members who participate because in addition to it going out to the Chamber’s entire e-mail distribution list, it will also stay on the Chamber’s site, which gets thousands of views a month. The new marketing opportunity will also allow Chamber members to post new member-to-member discounts and also have space for new members and new investors in the Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Imitative (HREGI), the community’s blue print for economic growth. For more information on Member Connection, e-mail usmith@ hsvchamber.org. • Harrison Diamond
p initial mock-up
0000226553-01
42
June 2011 Initiatives
A lot has changed, but our name, quality and Red Carpet service remain the same...
Huntsville, AL 2500 Jordan Lane
256.539.9441
Fayetteville, TN 2626 Huntsville Hwy.
931.433.9441
Woody Anderson Ford shown as featured in Ford Dealers Magazine (1971)
Madison, M di A AL L 1638 Hughes Road
256.217.8440
www.woodyandersonford.com
Initiatives June 2011
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0000227657-01
0000228223-01
Huntsville and SAIC: At the Center of Technology Huntsville’s government agencies are committed to missions that extend around the globe and into the depths of space. For 40 years, SAIC has delivered innovative solutions for their toughest problems. As a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering, and technology applications company, and one of Alabama’s largest defense contractors, we have 2,400 employees in Huntsville working on mission-critical challenges and 45,000 around the globe working for our communities, our nation, and the world. Smart people solving hard problems. For more information, visit saic.com
For detailed information, visit us at saic.com Energy | Environment | National Security | Health | Critical Infrastructure 44
June 2011 Initiatives
© Science Applications International Corporation. All rights reserved. FORTUNE is a registered trademark of Time, Inc. NYSE:SAI
NYSE: SAI