The Business View - Dec12/Jan13

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

the

Board of Directors Named

Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

Pro-Business

VIEW

Legislative Agenda Set

Partners for Growth

Funding Goal Met

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

the

Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

Vol. XLIII, No. 11

VIEW

4

Dec. 2012/Jan. 2013

News You Can Use – Positive updates for area and state businesses

4-7 9

Small Business of the Month: OK Bicycle Shop

11-14 16

18-19

The Mobile Area Chamber’s 2012

Legislative Agenda

Cover

Mobile County Public School Superintendent Martha Peek has a group of educational advocates on her team.

Pictured with Peek (on the right) are the majority of her Student Advisory Council – 11th- and 12th-graders from local high schools. The initiative is one that helped earned Mobile one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best winners for its efforts to improve its high school graduation rates as well as focus on young people’s health and wellness. Read the story on page 4. Cover photo by Susan Rak-Blanchard.

11

U.S. Chamber Chairman Visits Mobile

The Chamber’s Economic Partners Prove They Believe in Mobile’s Future

CEO Profile: Mark Fillers, BVBA Compass Bank

20

21 22

SCORE: Business Counselors Wanted

Investor Focus: Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal LLP

23-27

Meet the Chamber’s 2013 Board of Directors

28-30 29

29

Chamber@Work Ambassador of the Month: Millie Sue Hawk

Business Spotlight of the Month: Excelsior Brass Band

30 31 32-33

34 35-37 39

39

the business VIEW is published monthly, except for the combined issue of December/January, by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce 451 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602 (251) 433-6951 www.mobilechamber.com ©2012 Publisher.....................................Winthrop M. Hallett III Executive Editor................................Leigh Perry-Herndon Managing Editor....................................... Jennifer Jenkins Copy Editor............................................Michelle Matthews

22 Additional Writers and Editors Katrina Dewrell, Ashley Horn, Patty Howell, Susan Rak-Blanchard, Carolyn Wilson

Printing Services. . .......... Interstate Printing/Direct Mail Graphic Design .. ......................... Wise Design Inc. Advertising Account Executive. . .............. René Eiland 431-8635 reiland@mobilechamber.com

Board of Advisors: William Brenner, Chad Leonard and Charles Moorehead III Economic Indicators Calendar Getting in The Business View Member News New Members

Anniversaries

7

The Mobile Area Chamber was awarded a five-star rating by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the highest designation given. Of the 6,936 chambers in the U.S., only 301 are accredited, and of those only 43 have achieved five-star distinction.

The Mobile Area Chamber has been accredited by the U.S. Chamber since the designation’s inception more than 40 years ago.

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

3

Mobile New Business Unit Named

Taylor-Wharton Develops

“T

he sky is the limit with the opportunity that exists,” says Jennifer Ogle with Taylor-Warton.

Ogle is referring to the company’s announcement to establish a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) business unit in Theodore focused on manufacturing and supplying specialized cryogenic equipment for LNG bulk storage, transport and end-user applications.

“Just a few exits down the road is an LNG facility with plans to support the conversion of diesel to LNG-fueled trucks,” explains Ogle, referring to Gulf LNG in Pascagoula, Miss., and the growing demand for natural gas-powered trucks.

Taylor-Wharton is working to build that relationship with Gulf LNG. “This is unchartered territory. Everyone is trying to establish their niche,” adds Ogle.

A subsidiary of Mechanicsburg, Penn.-based TaylorWharton International, the Taylor-Wharton Cryogenics division in Theodore now has three global business units:

LNG, industrial and cryoscience.

“We are currently focused on building the finest LNG management team possible to lead the development of a wide range of LNG products designed around the needs of the customer. This effort, along with regional strategic partnerships, will bring the complete LNG solution package of supply, installation, training and service to the end user and accelerate our growth,” explains David Barr, LNG vice president and general manager.

The company is targeting North American customers.

A management team was announced in October and Ogle expects to hire additional employees as the business ramps up in 2013.

With the company expanding and moving its cryoscience facility, the LNG operations and related technology will move into the former space.

Ovarian Cancer Screening Test

Developed in Mobile

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Washington D.C. is investing in a new screening test for ovarian cancer invented at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI).

NIH awarded a $1.1 million grant to support the work of Dr. Lewis J. Pannell, along with his fellow inventors Dr. Michael Finan and Dr. Rodney Rocconi.

Micheal Chambers with Swift Biotechnology is pictured with researchers at USA’s Mitchell Cancer Institute.

4

If successful, the test can help save the lives of women who are diagnosed in stages 3 and 4 of the disease, according to Michael Chambers, president of Swift Biotechnology.

Swift licensed the technology, and its development plan for this invention was one of the 2010 Alabama Launchpad business competition winners.

Currently, there is no accurate and effective screening test for ovarian cancer “because there are few, if any, clear early symptoms,” said Pannell. “Many women die from ovarian cancer for one simple reason – they are diagnosed too late to be saved.”

With success, “Women would also be spared rigorous treatment required after the cancer has spread and our health care system would save hundreds of millions of dollars each year by avoiding the cost of later stage treatment,” Pannell added.

A professor of oncologic sciences, Pannell heads MCI’s Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory.

“NIH grant applications are rigorously examined through a two-step peer review process manned by the leaders in their respective fields,” said Chambers. “By law, only those projects with the most promise, creativity and sound science receive these grants.”

This is the second significant grant this technology has received. Earlier this year, the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation awarded its annual ovarian research grant to support Rocconi’s research in a related area of development of the screening test.

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

100 Best

Mobile was named a first-time “100 Best” winner for its efforts to improve high school graduation rates as well as focus on young people’s health and wellness.

The honor was bestowed by America’s Promise Alliance, a partnership of more than 400 organizations representing nonprofit groups, businesses, communities, educators and policymakers. Winners were chosen from a pool of 320 communities in its annual “100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING.” Program highlights earning Mobile the recognition include: • 80/20 Graduating Ready Initiative, an eightyear program focusing on increasing the local graduation rate to at least 80 percent by 2020, with all 12 local public high schools transforming into career academies that prepare young people for post-secondary education.

• The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, comprised of 11th- and 12th-graders from local high schools, with the goal of encouraging student input in the education process and developing young leaders as educational advocates.

• The Mobile Graduates: Blueprint for Multiple Pathways outlining steps to prevent students from dropping out of school and to intervene when students are already off-track. The plan has led to the development of new school models that meet the needs of dropout/off-track youth.

• The Summer Food Service Program providing nutritional services to local community centers, churches and schools that host summer programs for children living in poverty in both urban and rural communities.

• The Weekenders Backpack Program that provides healthy, nutritious food options for children whom otherwise might not have food available or only have unhealthy options on weekends and holidays.

“The ‘100 Best’ winners showcase a wide range of successful multi-sector approaches to improving the lives of youth,” said John Gomperts, America’s Promise Alliance president and chief executive officer.

“Collectively, the winning communities surpassed the national graduation rate and have set an example for other communities to follow.”

Architect Creates Vision for Downtown I

n October, famed urban planner Andres Duany with Duany Plater-Zyberk and Co. and a team from his firm, spent a week in Mobile working with residents and business owners to help create a master plan for downtown Mobile. Throughout the course of the public and private meetings Duany emphasized urban planning is absolutely necessary, and needs to be kept simple. Downtown Mobile Alliance spearheaded the effort and will work to implement Duany’s plan following the Mobile City Council’s approval of it.

During his final presentation to the public, Duany noted five key areas where the Alliance could focus its efforts. They are: 1. Government and Dauphin Streets at Broad Street – These two areas are a gateway to downtown Mobile and the former American Red Cross building façade should be saved

and then anchored by a grocery store, such as Publix.

2. Ryan Park – This area is charming and its location is great for restoration. The park is near a Catholic church, the Tower at Ryan Park and the condominiums in the former Convent of Mercy and Empress Clock building.

3. St. Francis Street – There are too many surface parking lots on this street, and the lots are in poor condition and need to be updated.

4. Community Gardens – Once considered a trend, community gardens are becoming more widespread and utilized. There needs to be several gardens in downtown Mobile, and Duany identified several potential locations.

5. Fort Conde/Mobile Civic Center area – There needs to be more walking space to cross Water Street near Fort Conde. Also, while Expo Hall and the Civic Center theatre area are valuable public spaces, the Civic Center arena could be repurposed into a big box retailer such as Target.

Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau

Launches New

Campaign

The Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau (MBCVB) is aware of two unwavering truths. The first is “our city is pretty awesome.” And the second is that “not nearly enough people know it,” says Stacy Hamilton, vice president of marketing and communications for the MBCVB. To help spread the word to meeting planners and leisure tourists alike, the MBCVB updated its look last month with a whole new attitude. The organization built a website that streamlines the user’s experience and utilizes Facebook to feature the latest information. In addition, user-friendly tools like an Activity Finder and a GPS voice-guided walking tour of the downtown area have been developed to help let the secret out.

The message? Mobile Bay. Secretly Awesome. For more information visit MobileBay.org.

Premier Medical Physicians ENT Physicians RONNIE E. SWAIN, MD W. CARTER BRYARS, JR., MD BARRY L. BROWN, MD JAMES R. SPIRES, JR., MD JOHN S. WILSON, MD, FACS JAMES K. PITCOCK, MD P. VAN. CROCKER, MD MARK R. GACEK, MD ALFRED M. NEUMANN, JR., MD RONNIE E. SWAIN, JR., MD J. MARK HARRISON, MD KIMBERLY ELLIOTT, MD MICHAEL LEE, MD RICHARD L. PALESANO, MD Audiology JIM MCDILL, PHD JENNIFER TAYLOR-GUY, AUD Eye Physicians JAMES M. HARRISON, JR., MD CLAUDE M. WARREN, III, MD ROLLINS L. TINDELL, JR., MD CHARLES R. SALISBURY, MD MATTHEW W. MOSTELLER, MD CHARLES S. MOSTELLER, MD RICHARD J. DUFFEY, MD H. CHRISTOPHER SEMPLE, MD ANDREW P. TERRY, MD STUART F. BALL, MD WILLIAM F. MURRAH, III, MD MARK J. DOUGLAS, MD CURTIS M. GRAF, JR., MD BEN F. KING, OD GREGORY R. JACKSON, OD ROBERT E. EDGE, OD VALERIE L. VICK, MD JAY A. BROWN, MD CHARLES F. JONES, M.D. JEFFERY A. MORROW, O.D. CHRIS WALTON, MD ERIN E. LICHTENSTEIN, MD J. RYAN TURNER, MD

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

5

Birthday Bash Honors Mobile County’s 200th T

o mark Mobile County’s bicentennial, residents have been celebrating with a host of educational and entertaining events throughout the year.

Its theme of “Many Histories, One Future” embodies the melting pot of cultures found in and around the 11 municipalities of Mobile County that include Bayou La Batre, Chickasaw, Citronelle, Creola, Dauphin Island, Mobile, Mount Vernon, Prichard, Saraland, Satsuma and Semmes.

Mobile County was established Dec. 18, 1812, by proclamation of Gov. David Holmes of what was then the Mississippi Territory. The county is seven years older than the state of Alabama. Today, Mobile County employs more than 1,500 people and provides a wide range of services to citizens and visitors.

As the county’s bicentennial year draws to a close, several special events are scheduled, including a community day on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Alabama Cruise Terminal, following the Christmas and Holiday Parade in downtown Mobile.

Planned for children and families, it offers everything from a concert by the Tip Tops to arts and crafts.

Habitat Builds th 2,000 House

Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Alabama built its 2,000th house in Alabama in Mobile this past summer, when the local chapter was awarded the project from a pool of 36 affiliates across the state. The chapter was chosen based on its proposal and past experience hosting large events, including the Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter Build in 2008.

Funded by Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc., the home was built for the Jacques

6

family, who were forced to flee the war in Congo. After living in a refugee camp for several years, the family settled in the U.S. in 2007. They received the keys to their new home during a ceremony in June.

To date, 65 families are waiting for homes, and another 75 applicants are waiting for assistance with exterior repairs, according to Brenda Carson-Lawless, Habitat’s Mobile chapter chief executive officer and president.

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

Events include: • Marketplace – A showcase of unique hometown products, services, businesses and entrepreneurs of Mobile County.

• Family and Children’s Village – Interactive activities for

families and children, including storytelling, music and poetry, and a

special visit from Santa Claus.

• Cultural and Community Center – Hands-on, interactive

exhibits from local museums,

including the Gulf Coast Exploreum,

Mobile Public Library, Dauphin Island

Sea Lab and others representing local

history, art, culture, music, science and civic involvement.

• Community Stage –

Schools, churches and community

performances will be showcased,

including dancers, oratorical

presentations, a barbershop quartet,

a Poetry Slam, teen ballroom

dancing, a laser light show and music.

• Main Street – See Mobile

County’s history from local

chambers of commerce and historic societies.

To learn more about Mobile County’s bicentennial or the Dec. 15 event, go to www.celebratemobilecounty.org.

Chamber Offers Discount Drug Card The Mobile Area Chamber is offering its members and family/friends a free discount drug card. Simply print the free card by visiting www.mobilechamber. com/memberdiscounts.asp and receive savings of up to 75 percent at more than 56,000 pharmacies across the country (savings average around 30 percent).

This card is especially helpful for those who are uninsured or underinsured.

However, even with insurance, this card can be used to get a discount on non-covered drugs. All prescriptions processed through the program are completely confidential (no name required on card). This program also includes discounts on eyeglasses, hearing, diabetic supplies, dental and more.

Print as many cards as needed and forward this free prescription drug card to friends and family. This card is pre-activated and can be used immediately.

Girl Scouts Celebrate 100 Years T

he Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama is celebrating a century of empowering girls of today and tomorrow. With 3.7 million members, Girl Scouts is the largest educational organization for girls in the world.

Founder Juliette Gordon Low led the first Girl Scout troop meeting of 18 girls on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Ga. The organization first came to the Gulf Coast region in 1916 for a short time and re-emerged in 1937 as the Mobile Girl Scout Council. Over time, the organization grew and merged with other councils and in 2007 became Girls Scouts of Southern Alabama (GSSA).

Currently serving 30 counties, the GSSA has more than 9,000 registered Girl Scouts and 2,500 volunteers.

Girl Scouts is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Pictured here from left to right are Girls Scouts of Southern Alabama employees Megan Gorzkowski, Erica Bass, Kalishia Mitchell, Karen Doss, Elizabeth Brent, Amy Faulk and Barbara Ascaridis.

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The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

small business of the month

Pictured: In front, Billy Thompson, (L-R) Frank Ashley, Rob Dearing, Clay Bates (bartender), Carson Kennedy and Jim Walker (owner), operates this long standing restaurant at the tip of Dauphin Street.

No Brakes for OK Bicycle Shop

Go to mobilechamber.com/award.asp to submit a Small Business of the Month nomination, or contact Danette Richards at 431-8652 or drichards@mobilechamber.com.

When the Walker brothers first considered opening a business in downtown Mobile in the mid-1980s, they found the area “basically abandoned,” said Jim Walker. Jim and Woody Walker had moved to Fairhope in 1983, and after walking the empty streets of Mobile and considering its potential, they decided it was where they wanted to be.

The brothers were visionary pioneers who have helped breathe new life into downtown Mobile. After their initial visit they established themselves as the owners of G.T. Henry’s, one of the first bars to open in the then-emerging Dauphin Street nightclub scene in 1988.

Today, they own four interrelated businesses that anchor the western end of the LoDa entertainment district. The Walkers have 47 employees under the OK Bicycle Shop umbrella.

Open until 3 a.m., 365 days a year, OK Bicycle Shop is the Chamber’s Small Business of the Month. The Bike Shop,

as it’s affectionately known, has doubled its number of employees and increased revenue in the past three years, and the Walkers are generous contributors to local causes.

The Walker brothers bought the Bike Shop building at Dauphin Street and Washington Avenue in 1995. Bicycles were sold at the site from 1922 throughout most of the 20th century at the American Bicycle Shop. The store called OK Bicycle Shop was a couple of doors down and the two bike shops merged in the 1950s.

After OK closed in 1991 and its owners moved westward to Spring Hill, the building was used as a coffee shop with a live music venue next door until the Walker brothers bought it.

From the beginning, Jim and Woody wanted their bar to become a permanent fixture. “We told our architect we wanted the mechanical systems ‘bulletproof,’” said Jim. “We were always looking long-term, from the power to the

oversized bathrooms to the glassware.

We wanted to step it up a notch.” Jim had a sign built to match the original vintage one from a photograph.

In 2009, the Walker brothers hired Robbie Collier, with whom they’d worked as a consultant since 2004, as general manager of their business. “We have the vision, and Robbie is great at keeping us between the sidelines,” Jim explained of their roles.

Under Collier’s guidance, the Walkers have added three additional restaurants.

Three years ago, they added a spacious courtyard behind The Bike Shop, adding 140 seats to the 50-seat bar. In October, they proudly ventured into fine dining with the opening of Union in the former Painters’ Union building.

“It’s amazing how many people come to us who want to open a business, and we steer them in the right direction,” said Jim, who welcomes the competition.

“All ships rise with the tide.”

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

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10 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

Legislative Agenda Reflects Member Priorities

A

ccording to the Mobile Area Chamber’s annual legislative survey results, members rank the need for reform, efficiency and accountability – at all levels of government – as the issue most important to them.

A close second is the issue of making governmentmandated record-keeping less burdensome for small business. “As member feedback is gathered, these broad concerns are met through a direct focus on specific legislation as it arises – at the local, state and federal levels – and is worked on year-round,” says Caroline McCarthy, vice chair of the Chamber’s Community and Governmental Affairs department and chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee.

Each year, the Chamber calls upon its members, economic development partners and volunteer leadership to develop a

business-focused legislative agenda that will guide public decision-making toward a common mission – economic viability, environmental resiliency and sustainable growth.

These principles are reflected as Chamber members shared their priorities by completing a survey on key legislative issues, during local, state and federal governmental affairs committee meetings, during one-onone staff-led member visits and at Chamber events.

“As economic times continue to challenge both state and local government revenues, members are more interested than ever in promoting government efficiency,” notes McCarthy.

Chamber members feel strongly that as the Alabama Legislature moves forward with the voter-supported transfer from the state’s savings account to the general fund, a payback plan is imperative. In addition, surveyed members were clear to say they would not support a local, dedicated revenue source to reduce public debt, but results show they would support a separate funding source for a particular project or program in Mobile.

Topping the list of supported local projects was the modernization of Mobile’s stormwater drainage system; providing local match funding to draw more federal projects; and funding necessary upgrades at Brookley Aeroplex to attract Airbus suppliers.

Survey respondents also noted the value of Mobile’s local creeks, rivers and environmental assets. More than 75 percent surveyed said they would support a dedicated fee to ensure a brighter outcome for local waterways.

The voice of Mobile business is strong and clear, says McCarthy. “We know that removing barriers to economic growth and job creation is vital, and that it begins with responsible government.”

As issues appear throughout the year and during the legislative session, this objective and the thoughts and concerns of members will continue to drive the Chamber’s advocacy efforts.

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

11

Legislative Action ➤ Support a state use tax exemption on aircraft parts used in reconfiguring or

2013 Community Legislative Agenda The members of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce have identified the following issues, policies and appropriations as fundamental to Alabama’s progress because they will help build additional jobs and a more positive business climate in the Mobile area.

Critical Issues

➤➢ Seek legislation for state tax credits for the preservation and renovation of

long-term environmental restoration and/or economic recovery to Alabama’s coastal region. All approved projects and initiatives should adhere to a sound, scientific framework of analyses, an economic benefit assessment and a method of accountability.

➤ ➢Support legislation that will outline a plan to repay the Alabama Trust Fund the

$145.8 million borrowed in fiscal years 2013, 2014 and 2015; and in the future, oppose the use of ATF as a rescue fund for balancing either the General or Education Trust Fund budgets.

➤ To relieve growing congestion, advocate for final site selection and funding of the

proposed I-10 Mobile River bridge and Bayway widening project from the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

➤ ➢Support efforts to maintain federal military contracts with Mobile-area based

companies, particularly Austal USA’s next-generation Littoral Combat Ships and Joint High-Speed Vessels for the U.S. Navy.

➤ ➢To support growing workforce needs, seek support for more innovative college prep

and career-ready programs into the existing public school structure.

➤ Advocate for adequate federal funding levels for the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers Mobile District to support annual operations and maintenance dredging of the Mobile harbor and channels, which is necessary to maintain federally authorized channel depths that serve area shippers and manufacturers using the Port of Mobile and Alabama’s inland waterways.

Policy Statements ➤ Support the review and repeal of unnecessary regulations and seek greater

➤ Seek support for legislation that allows for the protection of manufacturers from

➤ ➢Seek increased state and federal support and funding to address transportation

infrastructure needs including the completion of the four-laning of U.S. Hwys. 98 and 45, a western Mobile bypass and necessary improvements to Brookley Aeroplex and the Port of Mobile.

➤➢ Support and encourage balanced and inclusive pro-business practices and

procedures that encourage development and growth within the city of Mobile and Mobile County; encourage fair and expeditious permitting practices for both local and out-of-town investors.

➤ Establish state-guaranteed, zero-interest small business loans available immediately

following a federally-declared natural disaster, such as a hurricane, flood or tornado, to bridge the time until insurance claims are paid and other disaster relief funds or financial assistance can be acquired.

12 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

frivolous plaintiff lawsuits due to noise and/or other minor nuisances.

➤ Seek a fair and level distribution of fuel tax dollars that will allow for adequate

funding of critical road and bridge infrastructure projects in southwest Alabama.

➤ Support existing eminent domain statutes to maintain economic development and

quality of life initiatives, such as new manufacturing facilities and industrial/commercial parks as well as the revitalization of blighted areas, public housing and green space.

➤ Support efforts to protect an employer’s right to ensure a safe workplace. ➤ Support infrastructure project funding and legislative initiatives that improve the

incident response on offshore drilling and production installations and platforms; support additional Gulf leases; support giving Gulf Coast states that permit offshore drilling a greater share of royalties that oil companies pay to operate in U.S. waters.

the availability of local and state tax abatement and incentive programs.

➤ Support fair and equitable tax reform to stimulate business growth and development; ensure taxes and tax reform are applied fairly, without levying a disproportionate burden on individual segments of Alabama’s economy.

➤ Seek legislation to encourage even greater reforms in property insurance to ensure the availability of market-driven property insurance coverage at competitive pricing so individuals and businesses can find reasonable and available protection for their homes and businesses.

➤ In order to preserve jobs and economic growth, remove barriers that can derail energy projects and reduce overly burdensome regulations that create uncertainty and stifle growth.

➤ ➢Support a comprehensive federal energy policy that increases the supply of energy

➤ ➢Lift the moratorium on offshore drilling, close regulatory gaps in safety and

reform, efficiency and accountability in federal, state and local government.

➤ Support legislation that encourages economic development and industrial growth through

markets, including reducing trade and tourism restrictions with Cuba.

➤ Oppose federal legislation to mandate performance standards in oil spill removal plans for tank and non-tank vessels in excess of 400 Gross Registered Tons.

in a manner that is safe and protective of the environment, promotes comprehensive energy conservation and encourages research and development of clean and alternative energy sources.

historic buildings.

➤ Support fair trade initiatives and agreements designed to increase access to global

➤ Ensure all projects and initiatives funded by the RESTORE Act provide for

maintaining commercial aircraft so that Alabama may be competitive with other states in seeking additional aircraft industry work.

prospect of future economic success, including improvements to the port, airport, rail, water, sewer and industrial site infrastructure as well as strategic transportation infrastructure needs.

➤ Support the creation of a state-appointed board of directors to oversee the Alabama Department of Transportation.

➤ Advocate for stable sources of adequate funding for all state-directed public education

initiatives that will ensure an increase in student achievement and a fundamentally well-rounded education.

➤ Reform federal immigration policy to strengthen our national security, including

increasing protection of our borders, while providing a supplemental workforce for American businesses and industry; ensure the continuity and expansion of H-1B, H-2B and L-1 visas for professionals and highly-valued workers.

➤ Seek to protect the current worker classification of independent contractor as an

integral part of the courier and real estate industries.

➤ Support the efforts of the Alabama Gulf Coast Regional Sewer Supply District to build a

more resilient and efficient infrastructure that provides reliable, cost-effective wastewater treatment in support of the long-term needs of the region.

➤ Simplify and reform the 1901 Constitution of the state of Alabama, including

the opportunity for counties to choose “home rule” and provide the governor with line-item veto powers.

Priority Issues for Mobile Area Chamber Members Each year the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce surveys its members to gauge their support and/or interest on issues that could become part of the Community Legislative Agenda. Below are the results of the survey: 1. How important is it for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce to support a timely design and construction of a new Interstate bridge over the Mobile River and Bayway widening project to resolve congestion in the I-10 Wallace Tunnel?

86.2% Extremely or Very Important Not Important 5.7%

2. How important is it for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce to work on non-manufacturing initiatives such as passenger rail service, clean waterways and other quality of life issues?

70.1% Extremely or Very Important Not Important 3.4%

3. How important is it for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce to help facilitate and prioritize RESTORE Act projects that will impact Coastal Alabama?

68.6% Extremely or Very Important Not Important 3.5%

4. Should the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce support state legislation to collect a state sales tax on all Internet sales in Alabama?

Yes 45.1% No 54.9%

5. Should the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce continue to protect an employer’s right to ensure a safe workplace through a ban of weapons in the workplace?

77.1%

Yes

No 22.9% 6. The following are issues the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce’s Governmental Affairs Committee recently discussed. Please rank each issue on its importance to your business.

Very Important

Important Not Important

Streamlining the property appraisal process in Mobile County

22.9% 34.9% 42.2%

Increase funding for public safety

37.3%

45.8%

Increase access to global markets

through trade agreements

39.3%

41.7% 19%

16.9%

7. Would you support a separate, dedicated funding source – such as a service fee or sales tax – for the sole purpose of eliminating public bond debt in the city of Mobile and Mobile County?

Yes 24.7% No 75.3%

8. Would you support a separate, dedicated funding source – such as a service fee or sales tax – for an identified project or program?

65.5%

Yes

No 34.5%

9. If you answered yes to the above questions, would you support: Yes No

Modernizing the city’s stormwater drainage system

82.1% 17.9%

Local match money for federally-funded road and bridge projects

76.9% 23.1%

Clean-up of local creeks and rivers

74.5% 25.5%

Upgrades to Brookley Aeroplex

74.1% 25.9%

Upgrades to local parks and recreation facilities

60% 40%

Capital investment for area museums, theaters and historic attractions

54.7% 42.6%

New civic center or special events complex

46.2%

“

The voice of Mobile business is strong and clear. We know that removing barriers to economic growth and job creation is vital, and that it begins with responsible government.

Caroline McCarthy

Increase reform, efficiency and accountability in the local, state and federal government

75% 22.6% 2.4%

Remove record keeping burdens on small businesses

47% 32.5% 20.5%

53.8%

”

vice chair, Chamber Community and Governmental Affairs department and chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

13

Alabama Legislative Directory

Members of the Governmental Affairs Committee

Mobile/Baldwin Area State Legislators Sen. Marc Keahey D - State Senator District 22 P.O. Box 297, Grove Hill, AL 36541 Local: (251) 275-3127 State: (334) 242-7843 marc.keahey@alsenate.gov

Rep. James Buskey D - State Representative District 99 2207 Barretts Lane, Mobile, AL 36617 Local: (251) 457-7928 State: (334) 242-7757 james.buskey@alhouse.gov

Sen. Trip Pittman R - State Senator District 32 P.O. Box 1812, Daphne, AL 36526 Local: (251) 621-3555 State: (334) 242-7897 trip.pittman@alsenate.gov

Rep. Victor Gaston R - State Representative District 100 1136 Hillcrest Crossing West, Mobile, AL 36695 Local: (251) 639-2555 State: (334) 242-7664 hvgaston04@yahoo.com

Sen.Vivian Davis Figures D - State Senator District 33 2054 Clemente Court, Mobile, AL 36617 Local: (251) 208-5480 State: (334) 242-7871 vivian.figures@alsenate.gov

Rep. Jamie Ison R - State Representative District 101 57 Byrnes Blvd., Mobile, AL 36608 Local: (251) 342-6697 State: (334) 242-7711 isonfor101@comcast.net

Sen. Rusty Glover R - State Senator District 34 P.O. Box 2175, Semmes, AL 36575 Local: (251) 649-7380 State: (334) 242-7886 rusty.glover@alsenate.gov

Rep. Chad Fincher R - State Representative District 102 9695 Alabama Court, Semmes, AL 36575 Local: (251) 649-5153 State: (334) 242-7778 chad.fincher@alhouse.gov

Sen. Ben Brooks R - State Senator District 35 4953 Audubon Drive, Mobile, AL 36619 Local: (251) 666-7116 State: (334) 242-7882 benbrooksiii@aol.com

Rep. Joseph Mitchell D - State Representative District 103 465 Dexter Ave. Mobile, AL 36604 Local: (251) 473-5020 State: (334) 242-7735 house3@alhouse.gov

Rep. Harry Shiver R - State Representative District 64 46007 Sunset Drive, Bay Minette, AL 36507 Local: (251) 937-0240 State: (334) 242-7745 harryshiver@aol.com

Rep. Jim Barton R - State Representative District 104 3824 St. Andrews Dr., Mobile, AL 36693 Local: (251) 208-5480 State: (334) 242-7662 jbarton104@hotmail.com

Rep. Elaine Beech D - State Representative District 65 P.O. Box 1256, Chatom, AL 36518 Local: (251) 847-2604 State: (334) 242-7702 elaine_h_beech@yahoo.com

Rep. David Sessions R - State Representative District 105 P.O. Box 416, Grand Bay, AL 36541 Local: (251) 865-4275 State: (334) 242-0947 d.r.session@att.net

Rep. Alan Baker R - State Representative District 66 P.O. Box 975, Brewton, AL 36427 Local: (251) 867-0244 State: (334) 242-7720 staterep@co.escambia.al.us Rep. Joe Faust R - State Representative District 94 20452 Beecher Street, Fairhope, AL 36532 Local: (251) 928-5445 State: (334) 242-7699 jfaust@co.baldwin.al.us Rep. Steve McMillan R - State Representative District 95 P.O. Box 337, Bay Minette, AL 36507 Local: (251) 948-5575 State: (334) 242-7723 bcld07@gmail.com Rep. Randy Davis R - State Representative District 96 6590 Thompson Lane, Daphne, AL 36526 Local: (251) 442-2552 State: (334) 242-7724 rmdavis14@aol.com Rep. Yvonne Kennedy D - State Representative District 97 1205 Glennon Ave., Mobile, AL 36603 Local: (251) 438-9509 State: (334) 242-7737 yvonne.kennedy@alhouse.gov Rep. Napoleon Bracy Jr. D - State Representative District 98 238 Montgomery St., Prichard, AL 36660 Local: (251) 622-8118 State: (334) 242-7756 napoleon@napoleonbracy.com

U.S. Congressmen Sen. Jeff Sessions R - U.S. Senate 326 Russell Senate Office Bldg.

Washington D.C. 20510-0104 (202) 224-4124 Local Office: Valerie Day 41 W. I-65 Service Rd. N., Ste. 2300A Mobile AL 36608 (251) 414-3083 Sen. Richard Shelby R - U.S. Senate 304 Russell Senate Office Bldg.

Washington D.C. 20510-0104 (202) 224-5744 Local Office: Tera Johnson 113 St. Joseph St. Mobile AL 36602 (251) 694-4164 Rep. Jo Bonner R - U.S. House of Representatives 2236 Rayburn House Office Bldg.

Washington D.C. 20515 (202) 225-4931 Local Office: Eliska Morgan 11 North Water St., Suite 15290 Mobile AL 36602 (251) 690-2811

State of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley R - Alabama State Governor 600 Dexter Ave. Montgomery AL 36130 (334) 242-7100

14 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

Judith Adams, Alabama State Port Authority Gigi Armbrecht, AT&T, Chair, State GAC Subcommittee Owen Bailey, University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Chair, Federal GAC Subcommittee J. Gavin Bender Sr., Bender Real Estate Group Kent Blackinton, Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel Preston Bolt Jr., Hand Arendall LLC Dee Dee Bonner, Austal USA Aaron L. Bowman, BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards Alabama Joseph F. Busta Jr., University of South Alabama Susie Cleveland, Home Builders Association of Metro Mobile Colby Cooper, The Cooper-Lyon Group LLC Sam W. Covert Jr., Alabama Power Company Benjamin P. Cummings, Cummings Architecture Corp.

Scott Delaney, Delaney Development Inc. Randy Delchamps, Randy Delchamps Real Estate & Development Co. Inc. Jennifer Denson, Partners for Environmental Progress Buffy Donlon, Wintzell’s Oyster House Randall Dueitt, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office Harrietta Eaton, CorroMetrics Services Inc. Ginger Fontenot, AAA Alabama William J. “Happy” Fulford, University of South Alabama Thomas S. Gleason Jr., Gleason & Roberds Commercial Real Estate Services and Investments John Gurene, Hampton Inn & Suites Providence Park/Airport Robert E. Hackbarth, Hackbarth Delivery Service Inc. Terry H. Harbin, BancorpSouth Bernard J. Heggeman III, Heggeman Realty Co. Inc. William Steele Holman II, Zieman, Speegle, Jackson & Hoffman LLC Craig Hooper, Austal USA Charles Jackson Jr., Strategic Wealth Specialists Paul W. Klotz, Thompson Engineering Inc. Charlotte Kopf, Alabama AGC - Mobile Section Rick Latrace, Johnstone Adams Bailey Gordon and Harris LLC Michael B. Lee, Page & Jones Inc. Frank J. Lott III, Heritage Homes of Mobile Inc. James K. Lyons, Alabama State Port Authority Beth Marietta Lyons, Lyons & Crane Ellen Maxime, Delaney Development Inc. Caroline C. McCarthy, Phelps Dunbar LLP, Chair, GAC Ken McElhaney Jr., State Farm Insurance McElhaney Insurance Agency Inc. Jim McIngvale, Ingalls Shipbuilding Lee Metzger, Providence Park Inc. Frank F. Millsaps, Millsaps & Associates Inc. Mary A. Mullins, Consultant Jeffrey H. Newman, Mobile Area Association of Realtors Michael E. Pierce, Commonwealth National Bank D. Scott Posey, ThyssenKrupp Steel USA LLC Sydney Raine, Mobile Works Inc. David W. Reaney, Bay Area Food Bank Robert J. Riccio, Hand Arendall LLC Elizabeth S. Sanders, Downtown Mobile Alliance Glenn Sigler, Regions Bank W. Malcolm Steeves, Mobile Area Water and Sewer System W. S. Stimpson, Scotch & Gulf Lumber LLC Charles E. Story, Consultant Carleen Stout, Mobile Airport Authority Bill Tunnell, USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park Chester Vrocher, Alabama Technology Network David Webber, Volkert Inc. Matt White, White-Spunner & Associates Inc., Chair, Local GAC Subcommittee Donna Wilhelm, Mercy Medical Capt. Patrick J. Wilson, Mobile Bar Pilots LLC Len York, Taylor-Wharton Cryogenics Mary S. Zoghby, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama Inc. Jeff Zoghby, Mobile Arc Thomas A. Zoghby, Volkert Inc.

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The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

15

U.S. Chamber Chairman Speaks in Mobile

U.S. Chamber Board Chairman Ed Rust with State Farm, spoke at a Free Enterprise luncheon recently, encouraging the business community to take an active role in politics and education. Rust attended the event at the invitation of Mobile Area Chamber President Win Hallett, who also serves on the U.S. Chamber board of directors. Rust painted a grim picture of the nation’s economy, including critical challenges in meeting the ever-growing workforce needs. One statistic he quoted was more than 3.6 million jobs in the U.S. remain unfilled today due to

potential workers not having the skill sets or training needed to fill these jobs. He encouraged the audience of more than 150 to get more involved in the U.S. Chamber’s efforts to grow business and industry.

Pictured from left to right is Ken McElhaney Jr., State Farm Insurance McElhaney Insurance Agency; Mobile Area Chamber Board Chairman Michael Pierce, Commonwealth Bank; Rust; Hallett, and Makeda Nichols, State Farm InsuranceMakeda Nichols.

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The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

17

Partners for Growth Investors

Believe in the Future E

2/JANUARY 2013 DECEMBER 201

very five years, the Mobile Area Chamber, as part of its Partners for Growth economic development initiative, sets defined goals and a program of work to chart a path for growth. A year ago, under somewhat stormy economic clouds, Chamber leadership began to lay the groundwork for a new initiative, “Believe in the Future.” And in only seven months, Mobile’s business community pledged recordbreaking support of $10.2 million, and the $10 million goal was surpassed.

the

When asked to co-chair the initiative, two leading business people quickly signed on.

“My answer was an immediate ‘yes,’” said former Regions Bank Market President Joel Daves. “Job creation is a must. We have to be engaged and proactive.”

Mobile division Vice President of Alabama Power Co. Mike Saxon echoed the sentiment.

“I have said many times, we are engaged in a number of important efforts in the region, but job creation is paramount to our continued growth,” Saxon said.

Daves and Saxon were tasked with helping to create and fund an economic development program that would sustain and accelerate Mobile’s economic

development for 2013-2017, following up on the Chamber’s successful program of the past five years.

New goals are to attract 4,000 new jobs with an average salary of $40,000 per year and $1.5 billion in capital investment.

“More than 160 investors will provide us the resources to implement the program and, most importantly, to deliver jobs to our community when they are needed most,” said Chamber President Win Hallett.

According to Saxon, the “Believe in the Future” plan of action focuses on targeted industries including aerospace, shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, information technology, steel and logistics.

“The plan leverages our advantages, including the container terminal, state docks, other logistics infrastructure, available buildings and sites, cost of living and quality of life, along with many others, to attract new business and help existing businesses expand,” Saxon said. “We will also continue our workforce development initiatives and bolster our international trade efforts.”

“Our partners are committed and deeply engaged in accomplishing our goals,” Hallett said. “We believe in the future because we believe in Team Mobile.”

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Contact René Eiland to discover how advertising in The Business View can complete your marketing plan at 251.431.8635 or e-mail reiland@mobilechamber.com. www.mobilechamber.com/view/media_kit.pdf

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18 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

Partners for Growth Investors

Believe in the Future 2013-2017

As of November 1, 2012

The following companies have invested in the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce’s aggressive and successful economic development program of work, called Partners for Growth.

Adams and Reese LLP Airbus Americas Inc. Aker Solutions Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals LLC Alabama AGC Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic PC Alabama Power Co. Alabama State Port Authority AltaPointe Health Systems Inc. The American Equity Underwriters Inc. American Express Rep/Springdale Travel Inc. APM Terminals (Mobile Container Terminal) Arcadis U.S. Arkema Inc. Armbrecht Jackson LLP ASF Cos. AT&T Austal USA BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards Alabama BancorpSouth BankTrust Barry A. Vittor & Associates BASF Corp.

BB&T BBVA Compass Bank Beard Equipment Co. Ben M. Radcliff Contractor Inc. Bender Real Estate Group Berg Spiral Pipe Corp.

Block USA Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama Blue Rents Inc. BMW of Mobile Briskman & Binion PC Budweiser Busch Distributing Co. Inc. Buffalo Rock/Pepsi Burr & Forman Burton Property Group Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal Callis Communications Cardiology Associates China Doll Rice & Bean / Dixie Lily Foods Cintas Corp.

City of Mobile Coastal Bank and Trust Community Bank Continental Motors Inc. Cooper/T. Smith Corp.

Crow Shields & Bailey PC DailyAccess Corp.

Delaney Development Inc. DEX Imaging DuPont Crop Protection Evonik Degussa Corp.

ExxonMobil First Community Bank Franklin Primary Health Center Inc. G.A. West & Co. Inc. Goodwyn Mills & Cawood Grandbridge Real Estate Capital LLC Grubb & Ellis/Peebles & Cameron Gulf City Body & Trailer Works Inc. Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment Co. Inc. Gulf Distributing Holdings LLC Gulf Electric Company Inc. of Mobile Gulf States Engineering Gwin’s Commercial Printing Hancock Bank Hand Arendall LLC Hargrove Engineers + Constructors Helmsing, Leach, Herlong, Newman & Rouse Heritage Homes of Mobile Inc. The Hiller Cos. Hoar Program Management Holcim (US) Inc. Horizon Shipbuilding Inc. Hosea O. Weaver & Sons Inc. iBERIABANK Industrial Development Authority of Mobile County Industrial Development Board of the City of Mobile Infirmary Health Information Transport Solutions Inc. International Shipholding Corp.

Jim Barnes Enterprises Inc. d/b/a McDonald’s Restaurants J.L. Bedsole Foundation Joe Bullard Automotive Cos. Johnstone Adams Bailey Gordon and Harris LLC Jones Walker KBR Keith Air Conditioning Inc. Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Lawrence & Lawrence PC Leavell Investment Management Inc. Lewis Communications Inc. LLB&B Inc. Real Estate Long’s Human Resource Services Lyon Fry Cadden Insurance Agency Inc. Maynard Cooper & Gale PC McDowell Knight Roedder & Sledge LLC Merchants Transfer Co. Mississippi Export Railroad Co. Mitsubishi Polysilicon Mitternight Inc. Mobile Airport Authority Mobile Area Water and Sewer System Mobile County Mobile Gas National Community Development Services

Norton Lilly International Offshore Inland Marine & Oilfield Services Inc. Olin Corp.

The Orthopaedic Group Page & Jones Inc. Performance Contractors Inc. Phelps Dunbar LLP Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc. PNC Bank Praxair Inc. Precision IBC Premier Medical Management Inc. Press-Register Providence Hospital Red Square Agency Regions Bank Remington College Robert J. Baggett Inc. Roberts Brothers Inc. Russell Thompson Butler & Houston LLP Safe Archives LLC Seabulk Towing Shell Chemical LP/Shell Mobile Site Signal International LLC Smith, Dukes & Buckalew LLP Southern Earth Sciences Southern Light LLC Springhill Medical Center Springhill Toyota/Lexus of Mobile SSAB Americas The SSI Group Inc. ST Aerospace Mobile Inc. Star Aviation T.A. Hall Contractors Inc. Tate & Lyle Sucralose Inc. Taylor-Wharton Cryogenics Tensaw Land & Timber Co. Inc. Thames Batré Mattei Beville & Ison Thompson Engineering Inc. Thompson Tractor Co. Inc. ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA LLC ThyssenKrupp Steel USA LLC U-J Chevrolet Co. Inc. University of South Alabama Vickers Riis Murray and Curran LLC Volkert & Associates Ward International Trucks LLC Wells Fargo White-Spunner & Associates White-Spunner Construction Wilkins Miller Hieronymus LLC Willis of Alabama Inc. – Mobile World Omni Financial Corp.

Zieman, Speegle, Jackson & Hoffman LLC

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

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CEO profile

Mark Fillers Company: BBVA Compass Bank Title: South Alabama Market President Hometown: Mobile Education: Fillers earned a bachelor’s degree in small business management and entrepreneurship from The University of Alabama and a master’s in business administration from Auburn University’s executive MBA program, and he completed the BBVA Compass School of Management, an annual executive education program at the University of Texas-Austin.

First job: At an early age, Fillers counted and sorted coins for his father’s business, Mark’s Coins & Jewelry.

Previous experience: Fillers worked in commercial banking in Mobile for 11 years as a credit underwriting/commercial portfolio manager and commercial relationship manager.

He was the commercial banking manager at BBVA Compass before becoming market president.

Accomplishments: “I truly enjoy building relationships with companies in our community and strive to not only meet their needs, but to have a genuine personal relationship with the individuals running those organizations,” he says.

Secret to Success: “My faith in God and surrounding myself with positive people,” he says.

“I have been fortunate to work with and learn from strong teammates throughout my career.

I also have a strong work ethic instilled in me by my parents.”

Brief company description: A leading U.S. banking franchise with operations throughout the Sunbelt region, BBVA Compass Bank ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share. The company operates 710 branches in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Texas.

20 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

Doctor of Business Administration Program

Help Wanted:

Business Mentors TAKE YOUR CAREER TO THE TOP

Becoming a SCORE Counselor is a Win-Win for Retired Professionals and Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Continue working full-time while pursuing the highest level of business education with the Doctor of Business Administration degree from the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell College of Business. The Mitchell DBA program includes concentrations in management and marketing and provides all of the tools and skillsets necessary for graduates to pursue careers in academia, consulting or industry. Coursework will cover such disciplines and topics as entrepreneurship, strategic marketing, statistics, business ethics and corporate social responsibility, organizational behavior, strategic management, and consumer behavior. Mitchell DBA faculty are widely published in these areas and will work closely with DBA students to bring their own research interests to publication.

For budding entrepreneurs and business owners facing significant challenges, assistance from a knowledgeable expert with real-world experience is invaluable.

And if you have time and a willingness to serve, your skills will be valued more than you can imagine. The Mobile Area Chamber is home to the Mobile Chapter of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), the nation’s largest volunteer business consulting service, responsible for helping more than 300,000 people last year.

Skills and expertise in demand include: • Retail and merchandising • Engineering • Business startup • Business expansion • Finance • Manufacturing • Small business management Most commonly, SCORE counselors are called to offer advice on buying or selling a business, business plans, loan applications, marketing, advertising, bookkeeping, sales promotion, international trade, technical help, franchising and practically every other aspect of today’s business world.

Benefits of being a SCORE counselor include: • Providing leadership in the growing small business community; • Impacting the economic growth of south Alabama; • Gaining recognition and respect as a business mentor; • Enjoying the satisfaction of contributing to the success of others; • Growing professionally and personally; • Participating in lifelong learning; and • Making new friends.

Counseling can be given online, over the phone or in person.

THREE -YEAR FORMAT Doctoral students are admitted each spring with classes beginning in May. The program is designed to allow all requirements to be completed in 36 months.

EXTENDED WEEKEND CLASSES

Courses will meet during Friday, Saturday and half-day Sunday sessions held 11 times per year during the first two years of the program and 6 to 8 times per year during Year 3 of the program. Each session will include pre-session preparation activities and will be followed by post-session assignments which may be submitted electronically.

To learn more about the Doctor of Business Administration Program, visit www.southalabama.edu/dba or contact Dr. John E. Gamble, Director of Graduate Studies, at 251.460.6180

MCOB_18486_2012_Doctoral_Print_Ad_4-2x11_MobileBusinessView.indd 1

Call the Chamber’s small business development department to learn more about joining the ranks of volunteers helping to build local businesses at 431-8652.

8/9/12 5:43 PM

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

21

investor

focus

Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal LLP

Pictured from left to right are (seated) Donald Stewart and Jarrod White and (standing) Michael Chambers, Pat Sims and Ian Rosenthal.

Company officials: Donald Stewart,

Ben Rowe, Sandy Robinson, Boyd Miller, Ian Rosenthal, Jarrod White, Pat Sims, David Kane, Rebecca Parks and Michael Chambers

Partners for Growth (PFG) is the Mobile Area Chamber’s long-term economic and community development program. For more information, contact Shelly Mattingly, the Chamber’s investor relations coordinator, at 431-8655 or smattingly@mobilechamber.com.

Years in business: 125 Brief company description: For

more than a century, the law firm of Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal LLP has served its clients primarily in the area of civil law. Founded in 1887, the firm conducts one of the oldest continuous law practices in Alabama.

22 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

Why are you located in Mobile?

“Thirty years ago, Cabaniss, Johnston identified Mobile and coastal Alabama as an area of the state in the process of becoming one of the most vibrant and progressive locations in the Southeast,” said White. “The firm opened its Mobile office in 1983 to participate in and help advance that process.”

Why do you support the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce’s Partners for Growth initiative?

“Mobile has for a long time offered a great

quality of life,” said Chambers. It is important that we all do what we can to

enhance the opportunity to make a living here, so that our children and their children will have no need to look elsewhere for their futures.”

What do you see as Mobile’s greatest potential? “Properly

managed, Mobile and coastal Alabama have the potential to succeed in marrying outstanding economic opportunity and outstanding quality of life so as to become one of the most attractive locations in the country for both new commercial activity and new residents,” said White.

Length of continuous Chamber membership: Since 1983

2013 Board of DIRECTORS

Mobile Area Chamber 2013 Leadership R. Michael Saxon

2013 Board Chair Saxon is Mobile division vice president for Alabama Power Co. He received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of West Florida, and a master’s degree in business administration from Troy University. In 2003, he was named region manager of Georgia Power, and in 2005 became Southeast division vice president for Alabama Power. Saxon is a member of the United Way of Southwest Alabama board of trustees and is 2012 campaign chairman. He is also on the Chamber’s board of advisors, Alabama School of Mathematics and Science Foundation Board, the industrial advisory board of the University of South Alabama, GulfQuest board of trustees and Regions Bank South Alabama area advisory board.

Frank McKinley Bell III Maritime Affairs Vice Chair

Bell is president of Marine Rigging Inc., a company he founded in 1994. He graduated from The University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and has been in the industrial marine business since that time. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Mobile, the Rotary Children’s Foundation, the Alabama Forestry Owners Association and the Chamber’s board of advisors, and serves as a trustee of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation.

Leigh Ward Breal

Communications & Marketing Vice Chair Breal is owner of Ward International Trucks LLC, with dealerships in Mobile, Pensacola and Tallahassee, Fla. She graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi and joined the company’s service department, later moving into sales, where she was recognized with the International’s Diamond Club award. She later graduated from the National Automobile Dealers Association’s NADA/ATD Dealer Candidate Academy. She serves on the finance committee for the Alabama Trucking Association and is a member of The University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation board of directors. Breal is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

From taking a stand on legislative issues to supporting new businesses moving here, the Mobile Area Chamber’s board of directors serves as the organization’s governing and policy-making body. The board is comprised of 44 members representing a cross-section of the business community – 38 men and six women. Approximately 60 percent of the companies represented on the board have fewer than 101 employees; 11 employ 1-10 individuals; seven employ 11-25; four employ 26-50; five employ 51-100; and 17 employ more than 100. Of those companies represented on the board, seven are listed as minority-owned, and eight are listed as woman-owned. On the following pages are profiles of the Chamber’s 2013 board members.

The names of new board members are in green.

Denotes Partners for Growth investors.

Uwe Arenz

Michael Banks

Arenz is vice president of technical service for Berg Spiral Pipe Corp., a producer of large diameter steel pipes for oil and gas pipelines.

Prior to coming to Mobile, he spent nine years with Berg’s parent company, Europipe. Arenz earned a degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Saarland, Germany. He is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Banks is president of B & C Trucking LLC. He graduated from the University of South Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Banks also served as a quality manager for KBR during Operation Iraq Freedom.

Raymond L. Bell Jr.

Dr. Michael R. Boyd

Bell, the managing partner for Bell Law Firm PC, practices civil litigation and criminal law and is a registered mediator with the state of Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution.

He also serves as a special district court judge in Alabama’s 13th Judicial Circuit, and as a criminal justice act panel attorney in United States Court for the Southern District of Alabama. He graduated from the University of Montevallo and the Jones School of Law. He is a member of the Mobile, Alabama and Vernon C. Crawford bar associations. Bell is a past chair, vice chair and member of the Alabama Ethics Commission. He works with multiple agencies and boards, including Goodwill Easter Seals and the Boys and Girls Club and is a volunteer youth coach.

Boyd is director of the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Cancer Institute. He received master’s and doctorate degrees from Vanderbilt University and spent 27 years at the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., serving as a physician, scientist and administrator. He became USA Mitchell Cancer Institute’s first employee in 2002, raised $150 million in startup funding, and has recruited more than 300 new faculty and staff members. Boyd has authored 460 research publications and holds more than 145 U.S. and international patents and patents pending. He retired from the U.S. Navy/Public Health Service as captain after 30 years of service.

Col. Stephen D. Carey (Ret.)

K.W. Michael Chambers

Military Affairs Vice Chair

Carey is owner of CertaPro Painters of Mobile and Baldwin counties. He retired in 2007 as the commandant of the College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education, and the vice commander, Air Force Doctrine Center, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base.

Carey earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in business administration from Golden Gate University. He also completed Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College and Air War College (Maxwell AFB) and national defense fellow RAND in Santa Monica, Calif. Carey also serves the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce as foundation director for the Workforce Development/Student Training and Exploration program. He is president of the South Alabama Air Force Association, working to improve math and science skills in youth while promoting the development of the local aerospace industry.

Chair-Elect of the Board Finance & Operations Vice Chair Chambers is president and chief executive officer of Swift Biotechnology, a company developing screens for endometrial and ovarian cancer. He received bachelor’s and juris doctorate degrees from The University of Alabama and a doctorate from the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

He was a Rotary Ambassadorial Fellow and a Swiss Confederation Fellow. Chambers helped establish InnoRx Pharmaceuticals, where he served as president and CEO until negotiating its sale and merger into SurModics. He serves on the board of directors of ProUroCare (Minneapolis) and GeneCapture and InQ Biosystems (Huntsville). He was selected to serve on then-Gov. Bob Riley’s team to create the Alabama Science & Technology Roadmap. As “Of Counsel” to the law firm of Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal LLP, Chambers represents the firm on the Chamber’s board of advisors.

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

23

2013 Board of DIRECTORS

W. Lance Covan

Trade Vice Chair Covan, a Mobile native, is chairman of Mitternight Inc. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The University of Alabama, and completed a postgraduate program at Sichuan Union University, Chengdu, China.

He speaks Mandarin Chinese and is involved in various nonprofit and for-profit ventures in Asia. Covan is a member of the Young Presidents Organization and serves on boards for several organizations including PathNorth in Washington D.C., The Institute for Classical Schools in Richmond, Va., and Mobile’s Senior Bowl Committee. He is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

J. Kenny Crow Jr.

Daniel A. Dennis IV

Crow is managing shareholder in Crow Shields & Bailey PC. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from The University of Alabama. He is a member of the American Institute, Alabama Society and local chapter of Certified Public Accountants. Crow’s civic involvements include the Senior Bowl Committee, Distinguished Young Women Foundation board, Ronald McDonald House of Mobile, McGill-Toolen Catholic High School Foundation board and Stadium board, the UA Capstone Council, the University of South Alabama Gift Council and the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Membership Vice Chair Before moving into his present role as president of Roberts Brothers Inc., Dennis served as director of business development, provided legal counsel and served as a liaison with Roberts Brothers’ parent company, Home Services of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. He was corporate counsel for The Merrill Trust, a real estate investment and asset management company based in Atlanta. Dennis earned a law degree from Cumberland School of Law, as well as a master’s degree in real property development from the University of Miami School of Law. Dennis is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Walter S.F. Dickerson

Christian Dohr

Larry Charles Dorsey

Dickerson, president of Diversified Emergency Management Associates LLC, is a retired Marine Corps officer with 22 years of distinguished service. Dickerson is past president of the Alabama Association of Emergency Managers and the Gulf Coast Chapter of Society for Logistics Engineers. He is a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers and the Port City Chapter of Blacks in Government. Dickerson works with the Boys and Girls Club of South Alabama, Mobile Area Retired Military Officers Association, 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile, the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association and the Montford Point Marine Corps Association.

Dohr is president and chief executive officer of ThyssenKrupp Steel USA LLC. Dohr has more than 10 years of senior management experience with ThyssenKrupp in Europe and the United States. Over the course of his ThyssenKrupp career, he has organized and supervised similar plants in Italy, Sweden, Turkey and Mexico. Dohr has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Stuttgart, Germany. He is the recipient of the ThyssenKrupp Award for Innovation for his work leading to a new and innovative product the company launched in Europe and NAFTA. Dohr is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Dorsey is president and chief executive officer of Dorsey & Dorsey Engineering Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Alabama, after completing pre-engineering studies at Troy University. Dorsey is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of America Military Engineers, and is registered as a professional engineer in the state of Alabama. Dorsey has worked with the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

He is also an ordained minister and serves as pastor of the Jesus the Light of Love Church in Mobile.

Harrietta Eaton

James M. Fine

Hon. Victor Gaston

Eaton is chief executive officer for CorroMetrics Services Inc. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of Montevallo and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Alabama. Eaton was director of administration for the city of Pascagoula during Hurricane Katrina. CorroMetrics was named Mobile Area Chamber 2010 Small Business of the Year. Eaton is the first Alabama native elected vice chair of public affairs for NACE International, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers.

Fine is president of Mobile Gas Service Corp. His previous employment with Centerpoint Energy spanned 23 years, culminating as division vice president of Mississippi Gas. He received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Texas Tech University. He has been a licensed professional engineer in Texas since 1988. He has also completed the Louisiana State University Executive Program. Fine is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Perry Hand

Brian L. Harold

Gaston, speaker pro tempore of the Alabama House of Representatives, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master’s degree from the University of South Alabama and a doctorate from Auburn University. He serves on the House Rules, Ways and Means, General Fund, Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure and Mobile County legislative committees. He also serves on the Legislative Council and the United States Energy Council, and is chairman of the Permanent Oil and Gas Study committee. He is on the boards of Volunteers of America, Penelope House, Home of Grace for Women, 4-H Club Foundation, AltaPointe and the Mobile ARC.

Hand is president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board for Volkert Inc. After earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Auburn University, he joined David Volkert & Associates. Hand founded and managed his own engineering and surveying company from 1970 until 1989, when he became Alabama’s secretary of state. He later served as Alabama highway director, and also served two terms in the Alabama State Senate. Hand returned to Volkert in 1993, and was named to his present post in 2011. A licensed professional engineer in eight states, Hand was recently elected to the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame board of directors. Hand is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Economic Development Vice Chair Harold, director of APM Terminals Mobile LLC, graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in finance. During his nine years with the A.P. Moeller Maersk Group, he spent more than two years working in intermodal transportation in Prague, Czech Republic. Before arriving in Mobile, he was director of terminal operations for APM Terminals in the port of New York/New Jersey. Harold is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

24 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

Winthrop M. Hallett III Hallett, president of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

He is also a graduate of Leadership Alabama. Hallett is chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chamber Committee of 100 and a member of the U.S. Chamber board of directors. He is past chair of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Metropolitan Cities Council and serves on the boards of the Business Council of Alabama, American Chamber of Commerce Executives and the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science Foundation.

2013 Board of DIRECTORS

Michael E. Hicks Jr. Technology Vice Chair

Hicks is president and chief executive officer for Hixardt Technologies Inc. He received a bachelor’s degree in computers and information systems from Florida A&M University. A retired Naval aviator, he flew electronic warfare missions during Operation Desert Shield/ Storm and became a flight instructor at Training Air Wing Five. His first commercial business, Pensacola Internet, grew to become the second largest ISP in Pensacola, before selling the company. In 2001, he founded Hixardt, one of Florida’s Grow Florida 50 fastest-growing companies to watch. Hicks is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

W. Hunter Lyons Jr. Lyons is president of Gulf City Body & Trailer Works Inc. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Lyons is a member of the Alabama Truckers Association, Road Builders Associations of Mobile and Baldwin counties, National Truck Equipment Association, the Coastal Conservation Association and the Alabama Wildlife Association. He is a member of the boards of Thomas Hospital Foundation and Point Clear Charities.

Frank J. Lott III

Governmental Affairs Vice Chair Lott is president of Heritage Homes of Mobile Inc., a scatter-lot builder of homes throughout Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, with offices in Mobile, Pensacola, Gulfport and Tuscaloosa. Lott graduated from The University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He currently serves on the boards of UMS-Wright Preparatory School, the Home Builder’s Association of Metropolitan Mobile, Goodwill Easter Seals and the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Elliott B. Maisel

James M. Lyons Lyons, president and chief executive officer of The SSI Group Inc., received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and economics from the University of South Alabama and is a certified public accountant. Lyons serves on the boards of Southern Light LLC, St. Luke’s Episcopal School and the Child Advocacy Center, is a member of the University of South Alabama School of Computing advisory board and the Chamber’s board of advisors, and formerly chaired the board of the American Red Cross, Alabama Gulf Coast Chapter.

Keith Manwaring

Maisel, chairman of Gulf Distributing Holdings LLC, earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama. He is a member of the board of directors of the Congregation Ahavas Chesed, the Country Club of Mobile and Elk Creek Ranch. His civic involvements have included the Rotary Club, Leadership Mobile, Senior Bowl and the American Cancer Society. Maisel has served on the boards of Alabama A&M University, Mobile Jewish Welfare Fund, American Heart Association, The Salvation Army, Gulf Coast Exploreum, Prichard Economic and Community Development Corp. and the University of South Alabama Athletic Department’s President’s Club.

Maisel is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Small Business Vice Chair Manwaring is district director for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers Inc. A native of South Africa, he originally came to Mobile from Australia to work with Integrity Media. He retired as president of Integrity International Group after 15 years overseeing their global expansion and operations in more than 160 countries.

Manwaring majored in financial management, and later studied international contract negotiations and conflict resolution at Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program. He currently serves on the boards of several nonprofits and is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

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The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

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2013 Board of DIRECTORS

Richard T. McCreary

Loka Mistretta

Dr. Carl Moore

McCreary is vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in naval architecture and marine engineering from the University of Michigan. He is a member of several marine organizations including the Navy League, Society of Naval Engineers, the American Bureau of Shipping and the United States Coast Guard Foundation. He is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Mistretta is general manager for Cintas Corp. The New Orleans native has a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in strategic management from The University of Alabama. Mistretta is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Moore is dean of the Mitchell College of Business at the University of South Alabama, a post he has held since 1989. He completed bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees at The University of Alabama, majoring in business statistics. Moore joined the USA faculty in 1971, serving as director of the Center for Business and Economic Research, professor of management, associate dean and director of graduate studies. Moore currently serves on the Dean’s Council, the Athletic Council, Academic Affairs Policy Committee and the University Planning Committee.

James B. Newman

Legal Counsel Newman is managing partner with Helmsing Leach Herlong Newman & Rouse. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree and served in the U.S. Navy before returning to Cumberland School of Law, where he earned a law degree with high honors.

Newman is a member of the Mobile and American Bar Associations, and is a member of the Paul W. Brock Chapter of the American Inns of Court. He is past chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, past board chairman of Wilmer Hall board and the Mobile Mental Health Center board, and is chairman of the Cawthon Foundation. Helmsing, Leach, Herlong, Newman & Rouse is a Partners for Growth Investor.

Michael E. Pierce

Immediate Past Chair Pierce is chairman of Commonwealth National Bank and executive director of the MLK Avenue Redevelopment Corp. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Tulane University, where he excelled as a student athlete and was recognized as an all-purpose yardage leader and pre-season Heisman Trophy candidate in 1989. He joined the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent in 1990. Pierce is a member of the 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile and the Chamber’s board of advisors, and he serves on the boards of the Mobile Arts & Sports Association and the Gulf Coast Exploreum. Pierce is past chairman of the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame committee and past president of the Rotary Club of Mobile. He is also founding pastor of New Life Ministries.

Jacquitta Powell-Green Powell-Green is compliance officer for Northside Check Exchange Inc. and owner of TaxLink USA. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Alabama A&M University and a master’s degree in business administration from Spring Hill College. Powell-Green is also a graduate of Leadership Mobile. She is vice chair of Commonwealth National Bank’s audit committee, past president of the Dearborn YMCA, a board member at Penelope House and a member of Delta Sigma Theta and the Greater Mobile chapter of The Links Inc.

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Gamer.indd2012/JANUARY 1 26POWI-2896 DECEMBER 2013 | The Business View

10/1/12 1:44 PM

2013 Board of DIRECTORS

Marc Quenneville

Rev. Richard P. Salmi SJ

Jeanne Sanborn

Quenneville is president of Aker Solutions Umbilicals North America. A native of Ontario, Canada, he received his formal education in chemistry from St. Lawrence College/Ottawa University.

Quenneville joined Aker Solutions as part of the start-up team for its new facility in Mobile and soon became vice president of operations. After a two-year temporary transfer to Aker Solutions’ corporate headquarters in Oslo, Norway, he returned to Mobile to lead the local facility.

Quenneville is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Salmi is president of Spring Hill College. Prior to his appointment, he served as vice president for student affairs at Loyola University Chicago.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Salmi entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1973. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Ohio University, a master’s degree in speech communications from Bowling Green State University, a master of divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and a doctorate in higher education administration from Boston College.

Salmi serves on the board of trustees at Le Moyne College and at Loyola University New Orleans. He is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Sanborn is president and owner of The Complete Skin Care Center. She graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., and the Academy of Interior Design in Chicago. Sanborn is president of the board of directors of the American Cancer Society, Mobile Region; a member of the St. Jude Tennis Tournament board; and a member of Junior League of Mobile.

Travis Short

Russ Spahr

Workforce Development Vice Chair

Gordon Smart

Short, president of Horizon Shipbuilding Inc., earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of South Alabama. He has 25 years of experience in the marine industry and has held positions including plant manager, operations manager and production manager. He serves on the board of directors of the Bayou La Batre Area Chamber of Commerce, and chairs the advisory council of the Alabama Industrial Development Training’s Maritime Training Center.

Smart, is executive vice president for Star Aviation, and also managing partner and executive vice president of operations for AeroStar Inc. Smart’s aviation career began in 1997, when he served as a program manager/CAD manager on Boeing electrical engineering contracts for a local aviation engineering firm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of South Alabama while attending on a soccer scholarship.

Spahr is Mobile Bay operations superintendent for ExxonMobil Production Co. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist University and a master’s in business administration from Rice University. Spahr has more than 20 years of experience with ExxonMobil, and his current assignment is his third time working with the assets in Mobile Bay. Spahr serves on The University of Alabama geoscience advisory board, Gulf Coast Exploreum board of trustees, and the Chamber’s board of advisors and Oil and Gas task force.

Beth W. Stafford

Thomas M. Taul III

Michael Wallis

Stafford is president and owner of Stafford & Associates Inc. She graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a double minor in mass communications. She has served in a variety of offices for nonprofits, community and civic organizations. Stafford is a member of the Rotary Club of Mobile and is a Paul Harris Fellow.

She is a member of the Public Relations Council of Alabama, the Southern Public Relations Federation and the American Advertising Federation.

Community Development Vice Chair

Taul is chief executive officer and chairman of Merchants Transfer Co. He graduated from The University of Alabama and the Cumberland School of Law, and practiced law in Mobile until joining Merchants Transfer in 1988. His volunteer activities include Outback of Mobile and his church. Taul is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

Mary Gormandy White

Brian R. Willman

White is co-founder of Mobile Technical Institute and MTI Business Solutions. She is the author of 101 Human Resource Management Tips and 101 Successful PR Campaign Tips in the LifeTips book series. She oversees MTI’s corporate training and continuing education division and also provides consulting to a variety of human resources and public relations clients throughout the United States. She holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in communications, and is actively involved in several professional and civic organizations, including the Mobile Society for Human Resource Management and Junior League of Mobile. White also works as a community leader and social networking specialist for LoveToKnow.com.

Willman is executive vice president and South Alabama and Florida Panhandle area president for Regions Bank. Prior to assuming his current position in 2012, Willman served as community banking executive for the Georgia and South Carolina markets for Regions. He received a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Wallis is chief executive officer of ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA LLC. He has 30 years of general management experience in the stainless steel and aluminum industries across Europe and North America. Wallis began his career with British Steel. Shifting to the aluminum industry in 1986, his career spanned aerospace, can sheet and automotive products for clients like Airbus, Boeing, Ford, GM and Coca-Cola. Most recently, he managed the P&L for Alcoa’s $6 billion aluminum rolling business across three continents. Wallis is a member of the Chamber’s board of advisors.

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

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Chamber@work Women’s Roundtable Update The Chamber’s Women’s Roundtable meets bi-monthly for networking and to learn more about activities and issues impacting the Mobile Bay region. Presenters at recent roundtables were Dr. Robert Lightfoot with Victory Health Partners, who spoke about his program to provide health and dental coverage for the uninsured; and Dr. Timothy Hughes, an OB/GYN with Springhill Center for Women’s Health, who discussed key issues impacting women’s health. Springhill Medical Center is the 2013 sponsor for Women’s Roundtable. To learn more about the group, contact Carolyn Golson at 431-8622 or cgolson@mobile chamber.com.

Annual Legal Seminar More than 40 people attended the Chamber’s annual legal seminar in September sponsored by Johnstone Adams Bailey Gordon and Harris LLC. During the session, local attorneys presented on the topic of, “How to Keep Your Business Out of Trouble – New and Critical Issues Affecting Small Businesses.” The annual legal seminar is free to Chamber members as a benefit of membership.

Chamber Joins Consumer Energy Alliance In August, the Chamber Joined the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), a group whose mission is to unite energy consumers and producers in an effort to build a balanced energy policy. The Chamber’s task force – OffshoreAlabama.com – of local member businesses whose work is in the oil and gas industry was the catalyst for joining CEA. ED Staff Invited to Participate in Economic Forum Troy Wayman, vice president of economic development, and Claudia Zimmermann, director of economic development for the Chamber, were among 30 economic developers across the country invited to participate in a forum sponsored

by Janus Economics, an internationally recognized site selection firm. Participants discussed issues and challenges facing economic development on local and national levels, as well as possible solutions.

Dorothy Ryan Retires as a SCORE Counselor After 15 years

Seated: Jennifer Edwards, Bill Bittner, Dorothy Ryan, Jay Green, Dannette Richards Standing: Herman Tinsley, Art Bayer, George Bristow, William Cole and Sylvia Browder

After 15 years coaching and counseling hundreds of practicing small business owners and entrepreneurs, Dorothy “Dotti” Ryan retired from SCORE in October. After selling her business, Credit Bureau of Greater Mobile, Ryan wanted to remain involved in the business community. She says serving as

a SCORE counselor was “a perfect way” for her to remain connected to the business community while giving something back.

Ryan has won numerous awards for her volunteerism and was inducted into the Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2010.

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Chamber@work Remembering Another SCORE Counselor Chris Hume, a SCORE counselor for more than five Hume years, passed away in September after a brief illness. Hume was owner of insurance claims business Hume & Co., and after selling it he operated Crawford’s Catastrophic Claims Division.

Upon his retirement, the company was recognized as the industry leader in catastrophic claims adjusting.

According to Danette Richards, director of small business development for the Mobile Area Chamber, Hume was a great counselor who came in early to meet with clients and often stayed late to accommodate their schedules. “He was always willing to work with his clients to help them start their business or to assist them with ways to get a faltering business back on track,” she said. He had several small business clients who only wanted to “meet with Mr. Hume.”

Business Spotlight of the Month: Excelsior Brass Band

Ambassador of the Month

Hawk

Founded in 1883, the Excelsior Brass Band plays Dixieland and conventional jazz and blues music at weddings, receptions, conventions and parties. Though the band is a staple at Mobile Mardi Gras parades and events, the members are available for events year-round. Pictured are some of the band’s 11 members: Jerome Bryant, Leon Rhoden, Theodore Arthur, Hosea London, Marion Ward and Charles Hall. For more information visit www.excelsior1883.com or contact London, at 666-2963 or 377-2735.

The Business Spotlight of the Month is selected at random from a business card drawing at the Chamber’s monthly Business After Hours event.

Ten-year volunteer Millie Sue Hawk is the Ambassador of the Month. In 2002, when she was a newcomer to Mobile, the Tennessee native started Welcome Friends, a service for welcoming other newcomers to the community. She has earned the Ambassador of the Month distinction several times and was Diplomat of the Year in 2009. Over the years, Hawk says she has seen how valuable the Chamber is not only to business members, but to the entire business community.

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board president for Magic Moments, an organization that grants wishes to critically ill Alabama children. He is an elder and active member of First Christian Church of Mobile.

For more information about the Chamber’s board of advisors, contact Katrina Dewrell at 431-8611 or kdewrell@mobilechamber.com.

30 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View Hotel Ad 2012-2.indd 1

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Comparative

Economic Indicators The Mobile Area Chamber’s research division collects a variety of statistics each month.

September 2012 vs September 2011

Employed Mobile/Baldwin counties

254,422 2012 247,511 2011

Unemployment Rates 7.9% 2012 10.1% 2011

Homes Sold⌦ Mobile County

Building Permits City of Mobile

Business Licenses City of Mobile

292 2012 297 2011

209 2012 222 2011

175 2012

Average Selling Price Mobile County

Value of Building Permits

Air Passengers From Mobile Area

$116,900 2012 $113,482 2011

183 2011

$12,714,048 2012

22,409 2012

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The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

31

December Calendar of Events 4

12

Access to Capital “Show Me the Money: Financing for Your Business” will feature a panel of experts in financing for small businesses.

The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. The workshop will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chamber’s Tricentennial Room.

For reservations contact Brenda Rembert at 431-8607 or brembert @mobilechamber.com.

Women’s Roundtable

*Members Only

The bi-monthly forum for women business owners and managers is set for Wednesday, Dec. 12. Women’s Roundtable will meet from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Oakleigh Historic Complex, 300 Oakleigh Place. Enjoy a morning of networking, Oakleigh’s signature spiced tea and tour the house, which will be decorated for the holidays.

There is no charge to attend,

but reservations are requested.

For reservations, contact Kelly Navarro at 431-8638 or knavarro@ mobilechamber.com.

12

GCTC Lunch The Gulf Coast Technology Council will host its bi-monthly lunch on Wednesday, Dec. 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hank Aaron Stadium – Harbor Communications Room. This month’s luncheon will feature Michael Hicks with Hixardt Technologies Inc., the sponsor of this event. In addition, GCTC Scholarship winners will be announced. The cost to attend is $15 for Chamber members and $20 for potential members and includes lunch. Reservations and payment are needed by Dec. 7.

For more information, contact Cesny Soffronoff at 431-8636 or csoffronoff@ mobile chamber.com.

13

For information on Chamber events, visit events.mobilechamber.com.

Business After Hours Co-sponsored by Zoës Kitchen and Legacy Bar & Grill in Legacy Village, this month’s Business After Hours is set for Thursday, Dec. 13, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 9 Du Rhu Drive. This popular Chamber event is a great venue to introduce your company and make new contacts. The cost to attend is $5 for members and $10 for potential members.

Reservations are not needed.

18

24 -25 & 31

Executive Roundtable

*Members Only

Come hear the latest in economic development news from Troy Wayman, vice president of economic development for the Mobile Area Chamber, as he gives an update on current economic development for the area at the Chamber’s Executive Roundtable.

This monthly forum, exclusively for Chamber member small business owners and managers, will meet Tuesday, Dec. 18, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Chamber’s Board Room. There is no charge to attend, but seating is limited.

For reservations, contact Brenda Rembert at 431-8607 or brembert@mobile chamber.com.

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January Calendar of Events 1& 21

15

Chamber Closed New Year’s Day and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday

9

Networking@Noon *Members Only

Make 40-plus business contacts in 90 minutes at Networking@Noon on Wednesday, Jan. 9, at Buffalo Wild Wings, 6341 Airport Blvd., from noon to 1:30 p.m. This bi-monthly event is for Mobile Area Chamber members only and limited to one representative per company.

The $10 cost must be paid with reservations by Jan. 7, and can be made by contacting Kelly Navarro at 431-8638 or knavarro@mobilechamber. com. No cancellations will be reimbursed after Jan. 7.

Executive Roundtable

*Members Only

Laura Burton of Agency Verge will discuss the role of social media at Executive Roundtable, a monthly forum exclusively for Chamber member small business owners and managers, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Mobile Area Chamber’s Board Room.

There is no charge to attend, but seating is limited.

For reservations contact Brenda Rembert at 431-8607 or brembert@ mobilechamber.com.

22

For information on Chamber events, visit events.mobilechamber.com.

176th Annual Meeting

The Mobile Area Chamber’s 176th Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at the Mobile Civic Center. Sponsored by BankTrust, the evening will begin with an opening reception at 5 p.m. followed by the meeting at 6 p.m. The event program includes introducing the Chamber’s 2013 chairman of the board, looking back at the area’s accomplishments and acknowledging local businesses’ contributions. The evening concludes with the area’s largest networking reception from 7 to 8:30 p.m. featuring 14 restaurants and caterers showcasing their culinary masterpieces.

Tickets are $50 each or $485 for a group of 10 tickets (Chamber members only), or $60 each for potential Chamber members. For reservations, contact Carolyn Wilson at 431-8606 or cwilson@mobilechamber.com.

31

Business After Hours

Bamboo Bistro, 3662 Airport Blvd. Ste. A, is hosting Business After Hours, Thursday, Jan. 31, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. This popular Chamber event is a great venue to introduce your company and make new contacts. The cost to attend is $5 for members and $10 for potential members.

Reservations are not needed.

For more information, contact Kelly Navarro at 431-8638 or knavarro@ mobilechamber.com.

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Mike Gautreaux

Debbie Gautreaux

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realestate@mike-debbie.com

debbie@mike-debbie.com

Cell-709-1339

Cell-554-4266

Cell-604-6249

Cell-554-6221

Cell-680-6635

Cell-458-3225

Cell-232-5502

Cell-455-5798

Sue Ginter

Eldrid Hamilton

suzanneginter@yahoo.com

eldridhamilton@bellsouth.net

Cell-709-9008

Cell-680-5688

Bob Craft

Judy French

bobcraft@remax.net

judy.french@mchsi.com

Cell-209-6060

Cell-422-8078

Leigh Hill

Bridgette Holloway

leighbhill@comcast.net

bridgetteholloway@gmail.com

Cell-454-1987

Our Team

Cell-232-8621

www.rmpartners.com 7221 Grelot Road • Mobile, AL 36695 Phone: 251-660-8400 • Toll Free: 800-422-1963 Fax: 251-661-1516

Kim Hunter

Bernadine Johnson

Lawanda Lane

Cathy Matter

Jackie McCaleb

Sharon Neese

Heather O’Shea

kimhunterremax@gmail.com

bernadine37@aol.com

lawandalane01@gmail.com

cathymatter@remax.net

jackiemccaleb1@gmail.com

sharonneese@yahoo.com

hmoshea81@yahoo.com

Tara Pacatte

Suzanne Quinnelly

Firdaus Rahman

Jennifer Ryan

Mamun Siddiq

Tangie Stallworth

Stephanie Williams

Micah Wright

tarapacatte@att.net

suzyqsells@yahoo.com

firdausrealtor@yahoo.com

jenniferryan@remax.net

manunsatremax@yahoo.com

tangie.stallworth@gmail.com

stephaniebwilliams@yahoo.com

micah@micahwrightonline.com

Cell-422-3839

Cell-454-4526

Cell-232-5640

Cell-366-1486

Cell-458-1739

Cell-454-4942

Cell-402-3525

Cell-232-6261

Cell-583-5274

Cell-391-2047

Cell-604-2806

Cell-421-3629

Cell-234-9534

Cell-454-2351

Cell-402-1199

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

33

Getting in

The Business View

T

Information can be sent to news@ mobilechamber.com. Those submitting events to the weekly should use the automated form at mobilechamber.com/ bvwevents.asp.

he Business View is the Mobile Area Chamber’s monthly publication featuring activities and accomplishments of the Chamber and its member businesses. If your business is a member, keep reading – this feature is designed to outline how member companies can be highlighted.

Calendar

For those who are not members and who want to know about joining, contact Carolyn Golson, the Mobile Area Chamber’s vice president of membership, 431-8622 or cgolson@mobilechamber.com.

Small Business of the Month

News You Can Use The business briefs featured in this section of the magazine are centered around positive economic development headlines such as company expansions, business-changing contracts, significant hiring initiatives, new investments and more.

Occasionally there is room to accommodate major community news and initiatives.

Member News One of the publication’s most popular columns, Member News reports management level new hires and promotions; business endeavors, such as new products, new locations, major projects, etc.; management-level awards, certifications, board officers, national and regional industry awards and annual company awards.

Weekly headlines and events sponsored by member organizations are usually promoted through the Chamber’s weekly e-newsletter sent to more than 8,000 recipients. Available to anyone free of charge, to subscribe to The Business View Weekly e-mail ahorn@mobilechamber.com.

News releases should be one or two brief paragraphs. Photos must be professional headshots and must be 300 dpi at full size in an eps, tif or jpg format.

The calendar printed in The Business View outlines activities of the Chamber.

Events sponsored by Chamber members must be submitted using The Business View Weekly online form found at mobilechamber.com/bvwevents.asp.

A volunteer committee reviews submitted applications and selects a business to be featured in each issue as the Small Business of the Month. Criteria for this designation includes employing less than 100 people, a member in good standing of the Mobile Area Chamber and sales or profit growth.

For more information on how to nominate a company, contact Danette Richards, the Chamber’s director of small business development, at 431-8652 or drichards@mobilechamber.com.

Business Spotlight Attendees at the Chamber’s monthly networking event, Business After Hours, can put their business card into a drawing to be named Business Spotlight. The winning company has a photo and company description in an issue of the magazine.

CEO Profile This article introduces men and women filling the highest staff position in member companies. Some are chief executive officers, while others hold the title of president or manager.

Made in Mobile An ongoing series of articles, Made in Mobile highlights interesting products made in the Mobile area with broad distribution to regional, national and/or international markets.

34 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

Guest Columns Chamber staff invite or select management-level employees to write articles addressing a specific topic primarily aimed at small businesses. Topics are usually selected based on national or statewide legislating, policy changes or trends impacting business.

Advisors The Business View recognizes board members annually. The governing board of directors is presented annually in the December/January issue.

The Chamber also has a board of advisors consisting of leaders whose companies make significant dues investments. Profiles of new advisors are featured monthly, and photos of the entire group run annually in the July or August issue.

For more information on how to join the Chamber’s board of advisors, contact Katrina Dewrell, the Chamber’s executive coordinator, 431-8611 or kdewrell@ mobilechamber.com.

Ambassadors Also featured monthly, ambassadors (formerly known as diplomats) are Chamber volunteers from member organizations who assist with Chamber activities such as ribbon cuttings; Business After Hours, the Chamber’s primary networking event; new member visits and other events.

Ambassadors earn points based on their participation. The volunteer with the highest score each month is highlighted in The Business View.

Advertising Part of The Business View’s mission is to serve as an affordable advertising outlet.

It is not a profit-driven publication.

Advertising offsets the cost of printing and mailing. The Business View is mailed to members and businesses in Mobile County listed on the Dun & Bradstreet list, and has a circulation of close to 22,000 business owners and managers. In addition, the online link is e-mailed to more than 9,000 recipients and posted on the Chamber’s

social media sites, including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Frequently, issues sell out months in advance. The advertising contract and guidelines can be found on the Chamber’s website, www.mobilechamber.com. To check availability, contact the publication’s advertising executive, René Eiland, at 431-8635 or reiland@mobilechamber.com.

Editorial Staff Each month the Chamber’s communications and marketing team holds an editorial meeting to discuss ideas, information, stories and photographs for the next issue. Stories are written and edited by the communications and marketing team and a few freelance writers.

How to Pitch a Story There are several ways to pitch a story for The Business View: e-mail the who, what, where, when, why and how to any member of the Chamber’s communications team: Leigh Perry-Herndon, 431-8645 or lherndon@mobilechamber.com Susan Rak-Blanchard, 431-8641 or susan@mobilechamber.com Ashley Horn, 431-8623 or ahorn@mobilechamber.com Carolyn Wilson, 431-8606 or cwilson@mobilechamber.com

Member News After 37 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kenneth Mobile Arc Paul Bradley PE recently named Amy joined Volkert Inc. as P. Odom public project manager. relations and Bradley holds a Bradley development director. bachelor’s degree in Odom earned a civil engineering from the University of bachelor’s degree in South Alabama and is a graduate of the Odom mass communications U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Planning from Louisiana State University. Previously Associates Program. she served as public relations supervisor of X United Methodist Children’s Home of Russell Alabama and northwest Florida.

Thompson Butler & X Houston LLP named Jones Walker announced Ralph H. Patricia S. McGill Smith II, president of The Ralph Smith CPA as the firm’s tax Group, a global consulting company for accounting supervisor. business and higher education, was named McGill graduated from McGill special counsel in the firm’s Birmingham Spring Hill College with office. A former Rhodes scholar, Smith a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She has received a bachelor’s degree from Washington worked as a senior tax accountant in & Lee University, a master’s degree from Alabama and Maryland.

Oxford University and a law degree from X Yale Law School.

Spring Hill College appointed Robert Stewart vice president of admissions and financial aid. Stewart previously served as director of admissions at Stetson University BXS_ViewMagazine_Jan2011.pdf 1/26/11 5:00:39 PM 8.5” x 5.375” in Florida.

Who’s New

Roberts

Phillips

Roberts, Phillips, Crum LLC, specializing in commercial and residential lawn care and maintenance, named founder James L. Roberts as executive chairman, Roosevelt Phillips as president and Chantel Crum as registered agent and chief financial officer. Phillips earned bachelor’s, master’s and administrative degrees from Alabama State University in Montgomery. He previously taught in the Mobile County Public School System for 36 years. Crum graduated from Spring Hill College with a master’s degree in psychology and earned a master’s in rehabilitation counseling from the University of South Alabama.

X William Randall is a new agent in the Coldwell Banker United REALTORS Mobile office.

Luckie

Gontarski

Poenta Luckie, recently was named Baldwin County market president for Community Bank.

She will oversee banking services at Stejskal the Daphne location.

The bank also named Greg Gontarski and Mark Stejskal as senior vice presidents.

Business Endeavors Trawick International launched a new insurance product, AssureClose, which protects sellers, buyers, agents, builders, closing agents and other parties in a real estate transaction in the event of a buyer’s accidental death prior to closing.

Randall

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

35

Community Bank in Daphne relocated to a new and larger location at 27397 U.S. Hwy. 98. The new location includes a 5,400-square-foot, full-service financial center, four drive-thru lanes and a detached drive-up ATM. X Quality Inn Downtown at 255 Church St., formerly the Mobile Bay Adventure Inn, renovated all its rooms and is now open.

For more information, call 433-6923.

X LifeSouth Community Blood Centers moved its Baldwin County headquarters and donor center to 26125 Capital Dr. in Daphne and added a second bloodmobile.

X Neal’s Electronics expanded its product line to include the full line of Serta bedding, as well as adjustable and standard frames. They are located at 907 Hillcrest Rd.

Well Done Mississippi Export Railroad (MSE) celebrated its 90th anniversary in October.

Based in Moss Point, Miss., MSE is a short line railroad offering clients railcar storage and repair, transloading opportunities and two pre-certified industrial sites.

Leevones G. Fisher was elected chair of the board of Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS). Fisher holds a master’s Fisher degree in science and a certification in administration from the University of South Alabama and has more than 30 years of teaching experience. She is the founder, chief executive officer and housing coordinator for the Bay Area Women’s Coalition Inc. X Prudential Cooper & Co. Inc. REALTORS announced Louise Manwaring and Ryan Morrow completed the Alabama real estate broker course, earning the associate broker distinction.

X For the sixth consecutive year, several Jones Walker attorneys made the “Best Lawyers in America®” list. Mobile attorneys recognized include Palmer C. Hamilton, Ben H. Harris III, George A. LeMaistre Jr., Ronald A. Snider and Richard A. Wright.

In addition, 22 Jones Walker attorneys were recognized by “The Best Lawyers in America® 2013” as Lawyers of the Year.

36 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

The honored attorneys are: William M. Backstrom Jr., John C. Blackman IV, Michael A. Chernekoff, Mark A. Cunningham, David F. Edwards, Covert J. Geary, Glenn G. Goodier, Curtis R. Hearn, Linda Bounds Keng, Craig N. Landrum, Robert S. Lazarus, David L. Martin, Dennis W. Miller, J. Marshall Page III, L. Keith Parsons, James C. Percy, David G. Radlauer, Robert W. Scheffy Jr., Robert C. Tucker, R. Patrick Vance, Richard P. Wolfe and Richard A. Wright.

X Shoe Station was recognized with a bronze award in the $20 million category by the Alabama Retail Association during its Retailers of the Year ceremony. The Mobile Area Chamber was one of two organizations nominating the store for the award based on growth and community involvement.

X The University of Mobile received two distinctions: Institutional Research & Evaluation Inc. listed the university as one of “America’s 100 Best College Buys” for the fourth consecutive year; and Annual National College Survey, also conducted by Institutional Research & Evaluation, named the university one of “America’s Best Christian Colleges” for the 16th consecutive year.

Chuck Steeg, chief operating officer of Meyer Vacation Rentals, a division of SH Enterprises, received the “Lisa Bethea Kavanagh Steeg Outstanding Young Alumni Award” from the University of South Alabama Alumni Association at its annual meeting. This award recognizes a USA graduate, 40 or younger at the time of nomination, for their early career accomplishments, the impact of their community service and volunteer efforts, and personal development.

X Five Mobile Area Chamber members were honored by Inc. magazine’s list of the nation’s 5,000 fastest-growing private companies. Ranked are: Hixardt Technologies Inc. (No. 2,074); Southern Light (No. 2,110); Callis Communications (No. 2,322); Computer Technologies Solutions Inc. (No. 3,334); and Aaron Oil Co. Inc. (No. 4,370). Qualifications are based on the percentage of revenue growth over a three-year period for private American companies from 25 industries in the 50 states.

Brock

McGowin

Callaway

Morrissette

Five members of the Hand Arendall law firm were selected as “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas for 2013 by Best Tidwell Lawyers. Those honored are: G. Porter Brock Jr., Henry A. Callaway III, T. Bruce McGowin, Henry T. Morrissette and William C. Tidwell III. X Spring Hill College was ranked among the Top 20 Southern universities and colleges, according to the 2013 edition

of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.” The rankings are based on several quality measures including academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, peer assessment and graduation rate performance.

X The Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa was recently named one of the Top 121 Golf Resorts in the World, and one of the Top 150 Mainland Resorts

by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. This honor is elected by thousands of Condé Nast Traveler readers and based on six categories: rooms, service, food, location, design and activities.

X Mobile Arc elected its 2012-13 board of directors: Gilbert B. Laden, president; Michael P. Feore Sr., first vice president; Sen. Rusty Glover, second vice Laden president; Allen Ladd, third vice president; Ernestine Pritchett, secretary; Charles W. Wood, treasurer; and David M. Tressler, immediate past president.

American WeatherStar (AWS) developed the Ure-A-Sil system based on the adhesive qualities of urethane and the excellent resistance to water ponding offered by silicone.

X Mobile-based White-Spunner Construction Inc. recently completed construction on National Bank of Commerce’s newest coastal branch in the heart of downtown Fairhope. The new bank is designed to complement historic buildings in downtown Fairhope.

Community News ExxonMobil Corp. donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross and United Way for Hurricane Isaac disaster relief assistance in Louisiana and Mobile.

X BayFest partnered with the Better Life Foundation, the charitable arm of the musical group 3 Doors Down, to provide $10,000 in scholarship funds for the BayFest Music Education Program, created

by BayFest volunteers, performers and recording artist Dennis “Finger Roll” Nelson. This resulted in a total of $20,000 awarded to 20 area high school students.

CONNECT with the Chamber

Like us. facebook.com/MobileChamber

Join us. linkedin.com Group - Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

Follow us. twitter.com/MobileChamber

Watch us. youtube.com/MobileChamber Submission deadline for Member News is two months prior to publication.

News releases should be one or two brief paragraphs. Photos must be professional headshots, labeled with the person’s last name, and must be 300 dpi at full size and saved in an eps, tif or jpg format. Send your information to news@mobilechamber.com.

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Whether you need checking and savings, lending expertise or a trusted advisor to help you map out a better financial future, we can help. There’s never been a better time to switch and experience the difference we can provide at Regions.

251.694.1475 | regions.com

© 2012 Regions Bank. All loans and lines subject to credit approval.

AL-SW120797 Bus View Dec 12.indd 1

10/12/12 10:27 AM

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

37

Why? Faster Turn Times The Highest Quality (up to 1200 dpi) Personalization Tools Interstate Printing Service & Care

Why not?

See how digital printing can revitalize your marketing techniques while driving down your cost. Interstate Printing is your source for the latest technology and great service. Call us today to learn more!

Specialists in Small Business Accounting, Tax Preparation, Payroll and IRS Representation

SATy PuTchA

Saty Putcha

Cell: 251-604-3802 Email: saty@putchallc.com Website: www.putchallc.com

Saty was selected as the 2011 Diplomat of the Year by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.

1521 Dawes Rd. Mobile, Alabama 36695 Phone: 251-666-6624

38 DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 | The Business View

New Members If you know of a company interested in benefitting from Chamber membership, contact Rebecca Milam at 431-8647 or Tricia Bradley at 431-8642.

View the complete membership directory at www.mobilechamber.com.

AIM Logistics a T.G. Mercer Co. Phillip Willingham P.O. Box 270 Mobile, AL 36601 225-303-6012 www.tgmercer.com Transportation/Logistics Alfa Insurance Neal Brown 60-A Schillinger Rd. N. Mobile, AL 36608 251-633-3388 Insurance Assisted Transition Senior Living & Care Finders Wendy Harris 30466 Sgt. El Boots Thomas Dr. Ste. 208 Spanish Fort, AL 36527 251-317-0183 www.AssistedTransition SouthAL.com Assisted Living

Catt’s Avalon 360 Café & Music Hall Dave McPherson 360 Dauphin St. Mobile, AL 36602 251-689-1315 www.avalon360.net Restaurants

Deas Millwork Clayton Roberts P.O. Box 850241 Mobile, AL 36685 251-478-1060 www.deasmillwork.com Millwork

Champion Commercial Cleaning Corp.

Peggy Linton 5695 Rabbit Creek Dr., Ste. 103 Theodore, AL 36582 251-443-3320 www.championcommercial cleaning.com Janitorial Service

Domke Market Deborah Domke 2410 Dawes Rd. Ste. D Mobile, AL 36695 251-375-0599 https://www.facebook.com/ #!/pages/Domke-Market/ 232778376824691 Wine Forklift Hunter LLC Jim Phillips 216 E. I-65 Service Rd. N. Mobile, AL 36607-2436 251-479-2270 www.forklifthunter.com Fork Lifts

Cheer Force One Sean Sutton 8700 Zeigler Blvd.

Mobile, AL 36608-8320 251-634-0203 www.CheerForceOne.com Gymnastics Instruction

Monroe Investments Group LLC David Monroe 6800 Overlook Rd. Mobile, AL 36618-3347 251-508-0010 www.monroeinvestments group.com Real Estate-Investment Omni Health & Fitness Derek Barefoot 3930 Airport Blvd., Ste. C Mobile, AL 36608-1692 251-380-9224 www.omnihealthandfitness.net Health Clubs

Performance Personnel Services Barron Partridge 881 Dekle Dr. Mobile, AL 36602-4061 251-405-0067 Temporary Staffing

Spring Hill Landscape LLC Rebecca R. Chadwell 8070 St. Jude Cir. S. Mobile, AL 36695 251-391-4855 www.springhilllandscape.com Landscape Contractors

The Radcliff Schatzman Group Christopher C. Schatzman 11 N. Water St., Ste. 16290 Mobile, AL 36602-5016 251-470-1060 www.fa.smithbarney.com/ theradcliffgroupsb Financial Advisors

Total Athletic Development Systems Elise W. Partridge 1749 Hunter Ave. Mobile, AL 36604-1256 251-751-9996 www.toadsystems.com Personal Trainer

Roberts Brothers Sam Page 6721 Grelot Rd., Ste. A Mobile, AL 36695 251-605-8500 www.sam-page.com Real Estate

US Tool Group Stephanie Mills 3349-B Halls Mill Rd. Mobile, AL 36606 251-479-1333 www.ustg.net Distributors

As of 9/30/12

Anniversaries

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Alabama Power.........................................26 Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic PC.............36 BancorpSouth.............................................35 BankTrust.....................................................7 Blue Haven Pools.......................................30 Coast Safe & Lock Co. Inc........................36 Community Bank..................................... 25 FLC Living....................................................2 Grand Hotel Mariott Resort, Golf Club & Spa.....................................10 Gwin’s Commercial Printing..................32 Hancock Bank...........................................29 Infirmary Health.......................................28 Interstate Printing & Graphics Inc.........38 Lagniappe...................................................38 LaQuinta Inn & Suites/ Quality Inn & Suites.............................30 Logical Computer Solutions........................8 MCG Business Solutions........................... 16 Padgett Business Services of Mobile........38 PNC Bank....................................................15 Premier Medical Management................. 5 Regions Bank............................................. 37 REMAX Partners.......................................33 Roberts Brothers - Chris King................. 16 RTBH, LLP .................................................31 The University of Alabama.......................17 USA Mitchell College of Business.............21 Wonderland Express.................................32

McGuire Oil Co. Inc. C. Ham McGuire P.O. Box 6150 Mobile, AL 36660 251-471-3384 Fuel Distributor

Members Are Our Greatest Asset! Please show your support through the patronage of these businesses.

40 YEARS

Rubber Hose & Gasket Co. Inc.

35 YEARS

Lowell J. Friedman

25 YEARS

Franklin Primary Health Center Inc. Russell Thompson Butler & Houston LLP

10 YEARS

Michael Baker Jr. Inc. Printing One & T-Shirts Two ProDar Video Inc.

5 YEARS

Alabama One Credit Union Community Bank Dr. Chris Corsentino & Associates Chiropractors Filters-Now.com H&R Block Dr. Edward L. Harrison Hixardt Technologies Inc. Home Dialysis Options of Baldwin County Lewis Precision & CNC Inc. LifeSouth Community Blood Centers Inc. Roly Poly Trinity Broadcasting Network

1-4 YEARS

Accurate Control Equipment Inc. AMECO Bikram Hot Yoga Mobile Buffalo Wild Wings Camille’s Sidewalk Café Career Women of Mobile Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southwest Alabama CorroMetrics Services Inc. Encore Rehabilitation Inc. Environmental Resource Management (ERM) Farni & Farni Family Dentistry Graham and Associates Greater Mobile Urgent Care of Spring Hill Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hunter Security Inc. iSAM North America Corp.

ITAC Solutions Keller Williams Realty Kidz Klozet League of Women Voters of Mobile Little Flower Catholic School Little Language LLC Magic Moments Inc. Mediterranean Sandwich Co. Mobile Comprehensive Dentistry

Mobile Heart Specialists PC Mobile Physical Medicine & Wellness PC National Alliance on Mental Illness/ NAMI Mobile Paris Love Productivity Institute LLC Port City Medical LLC PowerSouth Energy Preble-Rish Inc. Pure Barre Red Roof Inn - Mobile South Regina’s Kitchen Mickie Russell - Roberts Brothers Inc. Rutherfoord a division of Marsh & McLennan Agency Ryerson Inc. Saucy Q Bar B Q Sleep Apnea Professionals Specialty Fuels Bunkering LLC State Farm Agency Recruiting STOA Architects Swift Biotechnology Taylor CPA Group LLC Thompson Properties LLC Turner Insurance & Bonding

The Business View | DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

39

Tuesday, January 22, 2013 5:00 - 8:30 pm Mobile Civic Center Tickets are $50 or $485 for a table of 10 (Chamber members), $60 for potential members RSVP to 251-431-8606 or email cwilson@mobilechamber.com www.mobilechamber.com

SPONSORS: Alabama Power Co. | Austal USA | BB&T | Burr & Forman LLP | ExxonMobil | Gulf States Engineering | Hancock Bank | Hargrove Engineers + Contractors International Shipholding Corp. | Meyer Vacation Rental/Century 21 | Mobile Airport Authority | Mobile Gas | Phelps Dunbar LLP | Thompson Engineering ThyssenKrupp Steel USA | University of South Alabama RESTAURANT SPONSORS: Alec Naman Catering | Bienville Business Club | Bluegill Restaurant | Buffalo Wild Wings Chef Rob & Co. | Creative Catering | Don’s Café & Catering | Felix’s Fish Camp | Honey Baked Ham Co. | Lassere’s Catering | Mediterranean Sandwich Co. Ruth’s Chris Steak House | Sonny’s Real Pit BBQ | Tyner’s Catering DESSERT SPONSORS: Tanner’s Pecans & Candies | Gigi’s Cupcakes | Pollman’s Bakery BEVERAGE SPONSORS: AQUAlife Water & Coffee | Royal Cup Coffee | Community Coffee FLORISTS: All A Bloom Florist | Leaf & Petal Florist | Sugarlots Décor and More Zimlich’s Patio & Garden d/b/a Elizabeth’s Garden CREATIVE SERVICES: FusionPoint Media PRINT SERVICES: Gwin’s Commercial Printing | Explosive Signs & Graphics PHOTOGRAPHY: Jeff Tesney Photography