Montgomery Business Journal – January 2015 by Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce

Q&A WITH DENNIS CUNEO PAGE 8

DEVELOPING A TALENTED WORKFORCE PAGE 14

EMPHASIS ON INNOVATION AT THE ECONOMIC FORUM PAGE 32

LEADING THE

CHARGE

BAPTIST HEALTH PRESIDENT & CEO W. RUSSELL TYNER IS THE MONTGOMERY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2015

CONTENTS

JANUARY 2015

COVER STORY:

MEMBER NEWS 52 Member Profile: Sandra Nickel 54 Member Profile: Four Star Freightliner

CHAMBER NEWS 06 Calendar 22 Reporter’s Notebook 61 Business Buzz 67 Members on the Move 71 Ribbon Cuttings & Ground Breakings 72 New Members 74 Economic Intel

Baptist Health President & CEO Russ Tyner is the 2015 Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Montgomery Chamber.

FEATURES 8

Q&A WITH DENNIS CUNEO Montgomery is a good place to do business

14 BUILDING A SKILLS SET Partners form Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center

32 DRIVEN BY INNOVATION Economic Forum stresses moving forward or falling behind 36 MAKING A POINT TO GIVE BACK 2014 Point of Light winners help the community

26 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS Rep. Terri Sewell tackles high unemployment in the 7th District

56 PROJECTING POWER Rep. Bradley Byrne advocates “big ball” foreign policy

28 RECORD-SETTING AMOUNT Chamber’s Total Resource Campaign tops $1.1 million

58 OPTIMISTIC BUNCH Montgomery business executives exude confidence

30 42ND ANNUAL MEETING Photo spread from the Montgomery Chamber’s Annual Meeting

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

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Baptist Health President & CEO W. Russell Tyner is the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2015. ADVERTISING

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

Montgomery Business Journal c/o Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Post Office Box 79 41 Commerce Street Montgomery, Alabama 36101 Telephone: 334-834-5200 Fax: 334-265-4745 Email: mbj@montgomerychamber.com www.montgomerychamber.com/mbj The Montgomery Business Journal (USPS NO. 025553) is published monthly except for the combined issues of June/July/August and November/December, by the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, 41 Commerce Street, Montgomery AL 36104, (334) 834-5200, www.montgomerychamber.com. Subscription rate is $30 annually. Periodicals Postage Paid at Montgomery Alabama, 36119+9998, USPS NO. 025553. Volume 6, Issue 9 POSTMASTER send address changes to Montgomery Business Journal, c/o Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 79, 41 Commerce Street, Montgomery AL 36101, or email mbj@montgomerychamber.com. The Montgomery Business Journal welcomes story ideas from its readers. Email to: editor@montgomerychamber.com. Subscriptions are a part of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce dues structure. Subscriptions can also be purchased for $30 per year at www.montgomerychamber.com/mbjsub.

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

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Dennis Cuneo is a managing partner in the Washington D.C. law firm of Fisher & Phillips and runs his own firm, DC Strategic Advisors.

Q&A

A GOOD PLACE TO DO BUSINESS interview by David Zaslawsky

Montgomery Business Journal: As a site selection adviser, what are the key things companies in general are looking for? n Cuneo: If it’s a manufacturing facility, first of all, you have to have the appropriate space. It depends on what the project is, but for an auto assembly plant you need a site with at least 1,000 acres and probably more. You look at the logistics of the site. Does it have access to interstate? If it’s an auto assembly plant, it needs rail to ship cars out. If it was a melting mill it would probably also need a barge because you’re bringing in scrap metal.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

What other factors? n You look at the labor force. You look at the skill levels. You try to assess the work ethic. You would probably talk to some local employers to find out what their experience with the workforce has been. You look at the state training programs to help you fill skill gaps; to help you recruit workers. The site has to have infrastructure and if it’s not already available, that it can be brought to the site quickly, and that’s electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater and fiber optics. Often times, that is the hardest part because the site is in a remote part of town or remote part of the county, where there are no water lines, no sewer lines – that type of thing. It costs a lot of money to get that site ready. You look at the regulatory side of it. What are the timelines for permitting? Is this a friendly community? Do you have the kind of business that would fit well in this community and would you be a welcomed member

of this community? You look at the tax structure. If you’re heavily capital intensive … let’s say you’re an area that has heavy property taxes; you would be at a disadvantage unless they provide incentives. You put this all together and you come down to what is going to be your net cost doing business there for 20 to 40 years. Usually there are two or three sites that are roughly equal then you start looking at more of the soft factors. What are the soft factors? n The housing stock. Do companies look at the medical community and public education? n Yes, medical and education. We call those soft factors, but they do matter and they matter especially when you’re down to two or three sites that are roughly equal then you starting looking at those kinds of things. Sometimes it becomes a personal decision because sometimes the person leading the site selection might become the plant manager. He has to move his family there, so you look at the schools and he is looking at the medical. He is looking at the other amenities. A lot of times you have to bring a team of managers in to run this thing at least in the beginning. How important are incentives? n Incentives are important because they go to the bottom line cost and often incentives are used to (make a site) that would otherwise be non-competitive. For example, if a state that doesn’t have a state income tax, it is relying heavily on property taxes to fund its government services. If you’re a heavily capital intensive business, a state with a property tax is going to be a lot higher, so unless they are willing to incent that would take it out of the mix. I’ll give you another example here in Reno. We announced the new Tesla gigafactory. Nevada does not exempt sales and use taxes on equipment used in the manufacturing process. They had to agree to waive that and that was $700 million. That wouldn’t even be factored in an incentive package in Alabama because you already exempt it, but it wasn’t exempted (in Nevada). When you saw the Nevada number of $1.25 billion – more than half of that consisted of a tax abatement that most states already give and don’t even count in the incentive package. I compare it to free agency in baseball. If you don’t play the free agency market – you don’t have to play like the Yankees, but if you don’t play at all like the Pittsburgh Pirates until they started playing – you’re going to have a lot of losing years.

You spoke at the Economic Development Association of Alabama Winter Conference last February about expanding the automotive supplier base in Alabama and attracting projects with new automotive technologies. n The disadvantage the South continues to suffer in automotive is that you don’t have a robust base of tier 2, tier 3, tier 4 suppliers.

“Incentives are important because they go to the bottom line cost and often incentives are used to (make a site) that would otherwise be non-competitive.” - Dennis Cuneo

That means those materials and parts have to be imported from other places and that causes a logistical disadvantage. It adds to the costs of an auto assembly plant in the South. To the extent you can get a more robust supplier base, including tier 2, tier 3, tier 4, you reduce that logistical disadvantage. One of the reasons in the past why Southern states have had to heavily incent auto assembly plants to get around some of these cost disadvantages and when you start (reducing) some of those cost disadvantages then incentives don’t play as nearly a significant role. This is all bottom line. What it gets down to its operating costs over 30 years. Continued on page 10

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

“When we had Montgomery on our list of sites...we found out that the Continued from page 9

In an Area Development article you wrote about the site selection process, you talked about meeting community leaders and businesses to understand the business environment. Please talk about the role community leaders play in site selection. n Above all, you’re going to make a big investment in the community, you want to make sure that you’re going to be welcomed; that you’re a good fit for the community and it’s going to be mutually beneficial, because if it’s not, you’re going to have a lot of problems. When it comes down to two sites that are very competitive and you’re making your final decision most companies will do an extensive due diligence in the community meeting with business leaders, community leaders, etc. You get a sense of what the community is about and how well your business would be accepted and if you would be a good fit. It varies from company to company, but for Toyota that was a very important part of the process. It’s an important factor. You’re looking at the overall business climate and you want to make sure this is a place you’re going to be able to thrive. What are Montgomery’s top assets for companies looking to come to Montgomery? n You now have a very established industrial base that’s been growing rapidly for the past 10 to 15 years. That in and of itself tells site selectors like me there must be something going on in here that’s very good because you look to see what other companies have done. The community has a nice feel about it. I really like what you’ve done downtown. That tells me something about a community. Your mayor (Todd Strange), who I’ve known for several years, is a very good economic developer. When we had Montgomery on our list of sites – we do the due diligence – we found out that the businesses are happy to be there; the community was supportive; and as issues came up, the community worked quickly to get those solved. Just in general, a good place to do business. What are some areas Montgomery needs to improve to become a more complete player when competing for companies? n For automotive, it’s get in some of these lower tier suppliers, would

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

businesses are happy to be there; the community was supportive; and as issues came up, the community worked quickly to get those solved. Just in general, a good place to do business.” - Dennis Cuneo

be one point. Number two, is skilled trades and it’s not just Montgomery. There is a dearth of skilled trades across the country, but it’s more pronounced in the South. We talked to some companies and attracting skilled trades was difficult and often times how to import people from the Midwestern states to come down. In time, you can grow your own through apprenticeship programs, but when you’re a brand new company on the block you’re looking for existing skilled trades. I know that you’ve set up a work skills center (Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center) and Ed Castile (director of Alabama Industrial Development Training) really does a good job of training. They recognize some of these deficiencies and that is why they provide robust training resources. You talked earlier about downtown Montgomery, and at the Economic Forum at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club, you talked about the city’s vibrant downtown matters to companies considering Montgomery. Why is that important in the site selection process? n It matters because to attract young Continued on page 12

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talent and retain young talent … these millennials – that’s what they want. They want downtowns where they can live and go and that type of thing. The downtown of a community always leaves an impression. A downtown is like the wrapping paper on a community and does leave an impression.

“The downtown of a community always leaves an impression. A downtown is like the wrapping paper on a community and does leave an impression.” - Dennis Cuneo

Also at the economic forum, you said the South has very few research and development firms in the automotive sector. What does Montgomery need to do to change that? n That’s actually what we’re going to address in the Southern Automotive Research Alliance. You have research universities in the South. Part of this is networking and making those resources known and available to top automotive and other kinds of companies. This would require regional cooperation. Every school has some (area) of excellence. Instead of trying to be all things to all people, my sense is what the South should be trying to do is add these universities’ networks and present the strengths. If I have a nanotechnology issue, I come to Montgomery. The South in general has to start thinking more as a region, because you have a serious competitor southwest of you called Mexico. In Southern Business & Development, you wrote an article about clean tech projects in the South. Are those type of projects viable in Montgomery? n Clean tech is still viable, but it depends on the project. For example, all of sudden solar, which was down for several years, is hot again. We are going to end up with more clean tech (projects) down the road. The cost curve of solar power and wind power keeps going down and pressure to use renewable energies will continue unabated. You see that across the globe. Clean tech has a bright future, but we’re still in that beginning phase so you have winners and losers. There is probably a higher risk of failure in some of these companies than maybe the more traditional industries.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

You told Bloomberg that Nevada’s $1.3 billion in incentives to land a Tesla manufacturing plant “was a bargain” considering 6,500 jobs and a $5 billion investment. Why is it a bargain? n First of all, most of that incentive package is not cash up front – it’s performance based. Tesla has to invest $3.5 billion or they don’t get any incentives. The only cost up front is the cost of the highway right of way, which was exchanged for land and is about $41 million. The direct fees are tax abatements and incentives based on the number of jobs or amount of investment. That’s one point. Second point, remember I told you about the $700 million, so you take away and now you have roughly $600 million NPV (net present value) on that and now you’re down to about $500 million. Five hundred million on a per-job basis wouldn’t even rank in top 100 projects. As a site selector, we try to get as much cash as possible up front. Tesla in Reno is going to have to pay their own site prep; they are not getting much in terms of training – a typical $20,000 to $30,000 per employee of training and there will be a training center. It does sound like a bargain when you say those things. n A lot of it is community-specific. Reno is desperately trying to convert itself from a former mini-Las Vegas into a center for advanced manufacturing. It is not often that a project of this magnitude comes along. Texas was willing to offer much more incentives for this project. This is the kind of thing that can transform a community like Hyundai transformed your community. You told the Tahoe Daily Tribune about how automotive plants have successfully selected rural sites, where there were concerns about the workforce. You said: “With the right kind of training, on-thejob training, it can be done and has been done throughout the South.” Are you saying that the workforce may not be a critical factor in the site selection process because it can be overcome with strong job training programs? n Absolutely. That’s exactly what I’m saying. If the work ethic is there, absolutely, and that’s what happened in all these plants in the rural South, places that had no manufacturing skills, but training was provided, and a good work ethic, and these plants are doing very well. Having said that if you look at these communities and say maybe you’re not an automaker – you might be a parts supplier or something else – you still look at the level of skills. If you can’t get those training dollars in incentives then you’re going to go someplace else. If you have more of the skills then you don’t have to do as much training. n

Staffing: An Integral Part of Successful Workforce Strategies What began as the answer to a temporary need is fast becoming an indispensable part of successful workforce strategies. As businesses look for ways to maximize productivity while maintaining a lean, cost-effective work structure, staffing firms are stepping up with viable solutions. Employers are realizing there is more to staffing than just short-term workers—it may just be the secret to long-term competitive advantage!

Adjust Your Workforce to Meet Business Demands

How are staffing firms helping organizations do this? Angela Swarts, owner of Spherion® in Montgomery shares her perspective. “We help companies fuel productivity by providing the timely, skilled talent they need to operate successfully through any season of business. Sometimes that comes in the form of a flexible staffing solution that addresses workforce gaps resulting from vacations, illness, seasonal demand and turnover. And, other times, it comes in the form of an ideal permanent hire that meets the unique needs of a growing organization. In both cases, staffing offers real advantages to businesses—whether it’s the flexibility to add staff at a moment’s notice without increasing their permanent headcount, or the ability to optimize hiring results through industry-best practices, innovative tools and expert recruiting capabilities. The benefits of staffing to employers are huge, and they trickle right down to the bottom line,” said Angela.

Reduce the Risks Associated with Hiring

What are the top reasons companies integrate staffing into their workforce strategy?

Extensive Recruiting Expertise With a staffing firm, the first benefit you will realize is the depth of recruiting expertise which immediately becomes yours. Sourcing, recruiting and hiring talent is their core business. Plus, they have the tools to quickly identify top talent. So, you can focus on growing your business.

Access to Unseen Talent Staffing companies are constantly building relationships with the people in their community, whether happily employed, anticipating a job change, between jobs or new to the area. Those relationships translate into deep reservoirs of talent not necessarily visible on job boards. You’ll also benefit from candidate referrals, a goldmine of hidden talent. And, your search will be supported by media that reaches talent in the most relevant venues.

Another key advantage to engaging a staffing firm is the flexibility it presents amid changing seasons of business. While permanent employees are fixed costs, staffing companies offer variable resources which can be scaled up or down as demands fluctuate. So, when peak seasons hit, productivity remains high. And, during slower periods, you’re able to reduce staff and costs without the threat of downsizing.

Making a poor hire is costly. One way to avoid this risk is to solicit the support of a staffing company with a rigorous talent selection process that thoroughly assesses and validates a candidate’s credentials. They also offer temp-to-hire solutions, allowing you to preview a candidate’s performance before making a permanent hire.

Stay in Touch with Trends Impacting the Workforce A good staffing partner will also keep you abreast of workforce trends that will make you more attractive to top-tier talent. The Emerging Workforce® Study is a great example of this kind of intuitive research. For 15+ years, Spherion has been tracking the beliefs and trends of the U.S. workforce, honing in on what keeps workers productive, engaged and satisfied. If you thought staffing firms were just a source for temps, think again. The industry’s most respected, forward-thinking companies have integrated staffing into their workforce strategies, and they are reaping the benefits on a daily basis. Founded in 1946, Spherion is a staffing leader with 150 offices nationwide. Spherion offers clients the personalized service of a local business combined with the resources and expertise of a $2 billion workforce leader. Local owner Angela Swarts and her staffing team have been serving the recruiting and staffing needs of Montgomery and the River Region for more than a decade. From flexible to direct hire, they specialize in administrative, light industrial, customer service, non-clinical healthcare and professional placements. Find out how Spherion can help you build a more productive, cost-effective workforce.

Partners form Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

BUILDING A WORKFORCE PIPELINE

Ed Castille is Director of AIDT.

Montgomery officials are recruiting a company that would initially bring 500 jobs. About 10 percent of those jobs require a two-year postsecondary education; none require a four-year degree; and the remainder are for high school graduates or those with a GED.

For years, businesses and industries have been clamoring for a more skilled workforce and responses to those requests have been “disjointed and sometimes just downright dysfunctional,” said Leslie Sanders, 2014 chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

After officials, including Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange and Mark Heinrich, chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, exchanged small talk about the company officials’ flight to Montgomery, the discussion turned serious. Strange said the company wanted to know about the school district’s dropout rate. That issue is being addressed by Montgomery Public Schools, the Alabama State Department of Education and its 2020 plan to increase graduation rates and prepare students for postsecondary education or the workforce. Other education-related organizations are also heavily involved in the process.

That’s all in the past. Now, the Chamber, Montgomery Public Schools, Alabama Community College System (which includes H. Councill Trenholm State Technical College), Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT), Alabama Technology Network, City of Montgomery, Montgomery County and Alabama Regional Workforce Councils (Region 7) are all on the same page – working closely together and talking about the importance of those partnerships. Continued on page 17

TRENHOLM TECH’S ACCREDITATION, UPGRADED PROGRAMS AND CAMPUS EXPAND THE WORKFORCE PIPELINE by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts Samuel Munnerlyn is president of H. Councill Trenholm State Technical College.

H. Councill Trenholm State Technical College is investing millions of dollars to upgrade its programs and to make its Patterson campus more attractive to potential students. The college will spend $150,000 to beef up its dual enrollment program in which high school students take courses at Trenholm and receive college credits while attending high school. A student could earn 36 semester credits while in high school and would only need two or three more semesters for an associate’s degree, said Trenholm Tech President Sam Munnerlyn. He said officials are trying “to encourage high school students to get enrolled earlier so they can get out and get into the workforce a lot earlier,” he said. The college recently received their accreditation through the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and that’s “the crowning jewel,” Munnerlyn said. The college has: >> Spent $350,000 for new machine tool equipment this year after spending $200,000 to upgrade the program in 2013. >> Spent nearly $195,000 for air conditioner and refrigeration equipment and is the only location in the area that trains students to repair freezers in stores. >> Spent $240,000 on new welding equipment.

In addition to those investments, Trenholm Tech has: >> Doubled the space in the air conditioning/ refrigeration program from 5,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet at a cost of $35,000. >> Doubled the space of the welding program from 5,400 square feet to 10,800 square feet at a cost of $750,000. >> More than doubled the space of automotive collision program from 9,000 square feet to 19,000 square at a cost of $1.8 million and will move the program from its Trenholm campus on Air Base Boulevard to the Patterson campus across from the old Montgomery Mall. The Patterson campus contains the college’s technical programs while the Trenholm campus has the health care and business-related programs. Another critically important investment is $80,000 a year for a workforce development director. Trenholm Tech will spend about $1.9 million on a new entryway for its Patterson campus, which includes landscaping, removal of a building and paving streets. “The whole plan is to increase the pipeline,” Munnerlyn said about increasing the enrollment and sending students with skills into the workforce. In addition to all the above, Trenholm Tech has specialized training degree programs with Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, which has a facility in Montgomery. The college is working with SABIC Innovative Plastics, a business unit of Saudi Basic Industries Corp., which has a manufacturing plant in Burkville. “We’re now developing a master plan that would include plans for the next 10 years for both our campuses,” Munnerlyn said. n

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

Continued from page 15

The key issue, according to Heinrich, “is that we are working together.” He cited partnerships with AIDT, Alabama Technology Network and K-12. Trenholm President Sam Munnerlyn said, “We’re committed to what we’re doing here at Trenholm to make the process work. We’re committed to putting the dollars in.” The county and city will help finance the infrastructure, said Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean Sr. “We like to do things like that when we see it’s going to be profitable.” Strange said, “It’s exciting now that we are taking the step in partnership with all of us to get to where we need to be.” And where “we need to be” is developing a more highly trained, highly skilled workforce. Sanders talked “about a workforce development pipeline and how incredibly important that is. I’m here today to say that Montgomery and the River Region have been making great strides for training and recruiting and (retaining) all of our businesses and industries.”

She was one of a handful of speakers at a news conference unveiling a “pipeline for an integrated workforce development” and the creation of the Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center (MRWTC). The training center will likely be located inside the school district’s technical education facility, according to AIDT Director Ed Castile. Locating in the same area will enable AIDT to share its equipment, resources, trainers, instructors and expertise with Montgomery Public Schools and allow AIDT to use the school district’s resources after 3 p.m. “What they (school district) don’t have covered, we’ll bring to the table,” Castile said. Castile said that the training center would initially be between 13,000 and 15,000 square feet. “We really need some open space,” Castile said. “It doesn’t have to be fancy. We’re just talking about a machining maintenance type-area.” It will house an industrial maintenance shop and an area for basic

“It’s exciting now that we are taking the step in partnership with all of us to get to where we need to be.” - Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange

Continued on page 19

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January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM WORKS CLOSELY WITH BUSINESSES Mark Heinrich is chancellor of the Alabama Community College System.

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

Talk about a customized workforce training program. The Alabama Community College System has worked so closely with companies that together they develop curriculum and help recruit students into the program. Those students typically work at the companies, said Mark Heinrich, chancellor of the state’s two-year college system. He said that companies

workers. The state will have almost 800,000 job openings between 2010 and 2020, according to a Georgetown University report. About 115,000 of those jobs openings will go unfilled by 2020 “if we do nothing,” Heinrich said. That increases to 219,000 unfilled jobs by 2030, he said. That is not going to happen as the community college system has implemented various

development,” Heinrich said. When the student completes the GED program they have a “marketable skill” from taking technical courses, Heinrich said. The community college system is working with regional workforce councils. “One piece of that is helping (each region) hire a full-time CEO who gets up every day thinking about workforce and workforce

“With a little bit of training; with a little bit of skill development those individuals are going to be ready for jobs.” - Mark Heinrich, chancellor, Alabama Community College System

often provide scholarships to the top students in the program and sometimes guarantee those students a job when they graduate. “It’s working very, very well across the state,” Heinrich said. “We will work with any business and industry to tailor a training program that meets your needs.” And there is and will be a tremendous need for 18

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

programs, including the above example of its earnand-learn program. Heinrich said that dual enrollment – when a high school student takes college courses – is expected to grow from 2,000 students to 10,000plus with a major increase of scholarship funding. Students working on their GED “are also involved in some technical skill

development and we are about halfway through the state right now,” Heinrich said. There also is an awareness of dealing with what Heinrich called “the middle-skill gap.” Those jobs, which constitute the largest segment of the labor market, require some postsecondary education, but not a four-year degree, Heinrich

said. More than half of the job openings from 2010 to 2020 (56 percent) are middle-skilled and another 15 percent are low-skilled. He pointed out that only 24.4 percent of the higher-education budget is devoted to middle-skilled and low-skilled jobs, which compromise 71 percent of the jobs. “Clearly, the state needs to make some adjustments,” he said about funding. With a modest population growth, the state must find its future workers from Alabama and there is a large pool available. Almost 480,000 workingage adults don’t have a high school diploma, but the two-year system “is elevating their skill sets so they can enter the workforce,” Heinrich said. The potential labor pool also includes nearly 460,000 who are underemployed. “With a little bit of training; with a little bit of skill development those individuals are going to be ready for jobs …” he said. n

Continued from page 17

manufacturing skills, Castile said. AIDT can also bring in equipment for a robotics program and has four or five mobile welding units. The goal is to have the training center cost as little as possible and be operational quickly, Castile said, but it all depends on where the school district locates its technical education center. “It behooves us to be nearby,” he said. If that is not possible, then AIDT would look to lease a storefront or work with Trenholm Tech for some space. There has been talk about the school district locating its technical education center at the old Montgomery Mall, which would leave plenty of room for AIDT to set up the Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center. “The launch of the Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center is the Chamber’s equivalent of a major economic development announcement,” Sanders said in a statement. “By providing critical, targeted training, the MRWTC will be meeting one of the greatest needs identified in the Chamber’s economic growth strategy.”

“We want to make sure that we have a competitive workforce in place.” - Leslie Sanders, 2014 chairman of the board of directors of the Montgomery Chamber

Manufacturing and information technology will be the primary focus of the training center, but construction Continued on page 21

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

WORKFORCE SKILLS TRAINING WORKSHOPS

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“How to communicate with your coworkers, supervisors and customers.” January 21, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Fee: $15 - includes lunch! Register at montgomerychamber.com/ AIDT-Jan21

“How to build your team.” February 18, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Fee: $15 - includes lunch! Register at montgomerychamber.com/ AIDT-Feb18

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Training is conducted by AIDT instructors and held at the Montgomery Chamber Business Resource Center, 600 South Court Street, Montgomery. Please contact Constance Calambakas at 334-240-9430 or ccalambakas@ montgomerychamber.com with any questions.

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

PUBLIC SPEAKING & CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS “How to present, remain calm under pressure and problem solve.” March 16, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Fee: $15 - includes lunch! Register at montgomerychamber.com/ AIDT-Mar16

PUBLIC SPEAKING & CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS “How to present, remain calm under pressure and problem solve.” March 18, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Fee: $15 - includes lunch! Register at montgomerychamber.com/ AIDT-Mar18

Continued from page 19

trades could be included, Castile said. Those areas of concentration are based on multiple surveys conducted by the Chamber. Castile said there are short-term, mid-term and longterm programs for those sectors. The long-term plan is getting junior and high school students through the various programs to improve their skills. The mid-term answer is increasing the number of students who complete the two-year college system program. Meanwhile, the short-term response is under way and that’s improving current employees’ soft skills with courses being conducted at the Montgomery Chamber’s Small Business Resource Center. In response to surveys, AIDT has created a six-week program on basic manufacturing skills, which includes a week on robotics and a week of electric. “We’re not going to make them experts in one week, but we’re going to help them down the path,” Castile said. “Our goal is to not only help the existing employees, but to build a pool of employees companies can hire from.” One of those areas is industrial maintenance, where “we are woefully short on the numbers that we need,” Castile said. He said that AIDT will offer a program

“We are here to tell you today, to the businesses and industries in this area – we hear you.” - Ed Castille, director of AIDT

in the spring that complements the program offered at Trenholm. The AIDT program who take students who complete the Trenholm program and help them “acquire the exact specifics they need,” Castile said. AIDT will rely on the Alabama Technology Network as well as colleges and universities to meet the needs of the information technology sector. “We know that to create jobs we have to recruit new businesses; grow our existing businesses; and train our workforce,” Sanders said. “We want to make sure that we have a competitive workforce in place. We know that local industries and corporations are begging for talent. “We are here to tell you today, to the businesses and industries in this area – we hear you.” n

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January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK IN THE TOP 10 Alabama moved up two spots and now is again in the Top 10 of Site Selection magazine’s 2014 Top State Business Climate Rankings at No. 9. Alabama was No. 11 in 2013 and No. 6 in 2012. Georgia was ranked No. 1 for the second year in a row. Nine of the top 10 states were in the South with the lone exception No. 5 Ohio.

PHASE III UNDER WAY

BIG PLANS FOR KRESS BUILDING The former Kress Building on Dexter Avenue will have additional floors, 30 residential units and 75,000 square feet of retail space that will include restaurants. The building is being developed by ELSAJA Properties, which was formed by New York-based MarJam Supply, a building materials company.

by David Zaslawsky

STIFEL FINANCIAL ACQUIRES MERCHANT CAPITAL Stifel Financial Corp. has acquired Montgomery-based Merchant Capital, a regional investment bank firm. Merchant Capital’s senior leadership has agreed to remain with the new company. “For 27 years, we have dedicated ourselves to the public finance and affordable housing sectors of the economy,” Thomas Ashley Harris, chairman of Merchant Capital, said in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Stifel to continue providing our clients with an extraordinary level of service, experience and commitment to success.” Stifel Chairman and CEO Ronald J. Kruszewski said in a statement: “This (Merchant Capital) is a high-quality team with a great reputation in the markets they serve.”

A groundbreaking was held for Phase III of the Alabama Robotics Technology Park near Calhoun Community College in Tanner. Phase III is the $8 million, 50,000-plus square-foot Integration, Entrepreneurial and Paint/ Dispense Training Center, which is designed by Montgomery-based Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood. The Montgomery firm has designed the first two phases: a 60,000-square-foot Robotic Maintenance Training Center and the 43,000-square-foot Advanced Technology Research and Development Center. Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood also provided geotechnical and civil engineering and environmental services.

Attorneys Descend on Montgomery The law firm of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., was host to the eighth annual Legal Conference & Expo at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center. The conference has grown from 400 attorneys in 2007 to 1,900-plus and now generates about a million dollars.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

BEST IN THE SOUTHEAST The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau was awarded the Southeast Tourism Society’s Shining Example Award for Tourism Office of the Year for tourism offices with budgets more than $2 million. The Chamber was honored for its work to raise visitor numbers and awareness of Montgomery as a tourism destination.

“This award acknowledges the hard work and worthwhile investment that the City of Montgomery and Montgomery Chamber of Commerce partnership has produced in the past year as visitor numbers and demand for hotel rooms in Montgomery continues to increase,” Mayor Todd Strange said in a statement. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,

Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia participate in the Southeast Tourism Society. The organization’s members include state travel offices, attractions,

lodging properties, resorts, convention and visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce, travel media and other travel-related organizations.

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January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

RESHORING GAINS STRENGTH The number of large manufacturing companies with annuals sales of at least $1 billion saw a 20 percent increase in bringing jobs back to the U.S. from China, according to a survey by the Boston Consulting Group. Sixteen percent of the survey respondents said their companies are already moving jobs back to the U.S. Two years ago, that number was seven percent. In a positive note for future

reshoring, there was a 24 percent increase in the number of companies considering moving overseas production back to the U.S. The top reasons cited for reshoring are better access to skill labor, reducing shipping costs, control over manufacturing, improved quality and yield as well as easier to conduct business, according to Agence France Presse.

Hyundai Sonata Sport Declared Winner The Hyundai Sonata Sport, which is produced at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery, was declared the winner of the Cars.com/USA Today/MotorWeek Midsize Sedan Challenge. The Sonata Sport emerged victorious over nine rivals: Subaru Legacy, Mazda6, Volkswagen Passat, Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Chrysler 200, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

CADDELL CONSTRUCTION BUILDING BARRACKS Montgomery-based Caddell Construction has been awarded two contracts that total more than $100 million. The company has a $66 million contract to build a five-story barracks at Fort Gordon, Ga. The project is expected to be completed in November 2016. Caddell Construction has also been awarded a $42 million contract for phase 5 of the Pacific Air Force Headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hickam, Hawaii. It is a joint effort with Nan Inc. and is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

NEW HOME FOR LAMP The Montgomery County School Board approved the purchase of the former JCPenney building at the old Montgomery Mall and will move Loveless Academic Magnet Program to that site. Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange hopes that having the high school at the old mall will encourage development in the area. “I am convinced if we can turn the lights on in that part of our community where there has been an economic hole for so long, then it will spur other development up and down the bypass and even down Troy Highway,” Strange told Montgomery Advertiser.

SLOW GROWTH The state’s economy was projected to grow 1.5 percent last year and add 25,000 to 30,000 jobs. The Center for Business and Economic Research in the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce wrote that the strongest job growth last year was in transportation equipment manufacturing, health care, leisure and hospitality and administrative support. The retail sector was expected to cut jobs. Corporate tax receipts were up 4.2 percent; sales tax revenue increased 2.6 percent and overall tax revenues gained 1.3 percent or $117 million. The Education Trust Fund was up 2.1 percent in in the 2014 fiscal year, which is a gain of $120 million. The revenue in the General Fund was up 1.0 percent $17.1 million.

BAPTIST EAST EXPANDS

SERVISFIRST ACQUIRES BANK

Baptist Medical Center East is adding a $5.5 million wing to expand its womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services department, including 26 patient rooms and fourbed intensive care stepdown unit. Construction was expected to begin in January and be completed by November.

ServisFirst Bank has acquired Metro Bancshares Inc. in a $41.2 million deal. The acquisition gives Birmingham-based ServisFirst three Metro Bank branches in the Atlanta area with a combined $223.5 million in assets and nearly $200 million in deposits.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;These rooms will be twice the size of our current postpartum rooms, providing much more room to our new families and their visitors,â&#x20AC;? Jeff Rains, CEO of Baptist Medical Center East, said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They will be appointed with high-quality amenities for comfort of mom and baby.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will represent a strategic merger as an entry point into the Atlanta market,â&#x20AC;? Tom Broughton, president and CEO of ServisFirst Bank, said in a statement. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and the approval of shareholders.

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Numbers Fly Off the Charts Airport passenger totals at Montgomery Regional Airport have been climbing in spectacular fashion. There have been hefty year-over-year increase for July (19 percent); August (14 percent); September (23 percent) and October (25). The October passenger totals led to the best month since June 2012 and the best October since 2005. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The last few months are good news not only for Montgomery, but also for our partners,â&#x20AC;? said Chip Gentry, vice president of

Air Service Development for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce and Montgomery Regional Airport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A double-digit increase in passenger traffic benefits our concessionaires, rental car agencies and our airline partners.â&#x20AC;? Montgomery Regional Airport Executive Director Phil Perry said

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January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

Terri Sewell represents one of the poorest districts in the country. A large chunk of the 7th Congressional District is part of Alabama’s Black Belt, which has some of the highest unemployment rates in the state. She represents Wilcox County, which had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 16.4 percent, and two other counties in the 7th District – Dallas and Perry – are tied for the second-highest unemployment at 14.4 percent. Lowndes County, which is also in the 7th District, has the state’s fifthhighest unemployment rate at 12.9 percent. It’s a bleak picture. Add Greene County (11.9 percent) and Sumter County (11.2 percent) and you can understand that Sewell’s top priority is jobs, jobs, jobs. She said that the median income for a family four in the district is $30,000. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell

Sewell Tackles High Unemployment in 7th District by David Zaslawsky

The Birmingham Democrat told a Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Eggs & Issues audience that the “biggest issue in my district when we first took office … has been unemployment.” Her office held an October job fair at Alabama State University and will hold a similar event in Demopolis this year. Sewell, who was elected to a third term in 2014, said that more than 3,000 people attended the job and 100-plus employers were there. “I know the people in the 7th Congressional District want to work – that they have a strong work ethic,” Sewell said. “What we lack in economic prosperity we more than make up for in heart and in spirit … What the people in the 7th District need are opportunities, resources, and that is the challenge to me as the representative of the 7th District to help provide those resources and those opportunities.” She encouraged colleges and universities “to help those in the Black Belt receive an education; to promote economic viability and economic development in the 7th District. She praised Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley for providing incentives for Golden Dragon to build a $100 million, 500,000-square-foot copper manufacturing facility in Wilcox County. “If we can make it work in Wilcox – we can make it work all over,” Sewell said. The Chinese company is expected to eventually have 500 employees. She has also instituted a series of workshops as part of her Project READY program, which stands for “Realizing Everyone’s Ability to Develop Yourself.” She said the program is about “self-empowerment.” Project READY works with two-year colleges, Alabama Career Centers and the Alabama Industrial

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

Development Training program, which is part of the Alabama Department of Commerce. The READY program is being expanded to the high school level, said Sewell, who grew up in the 7th District, which also includes parts of Montgomery, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. She strongly defended the Affordable Care Act and pointed out that the “main purpose” of the program is to provide health insurance benefits to those who don’t have them. “The reality is that in America, no one should go without health care,” she said. Sewell pushed for the Medicaid expansion to insure even more people, but that has been opposed by Bentley. She also advocated for what she called “the working poor,” who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but are not old enough for Medicare. She said that 253,000 Alabamians fit in that category. She also had some strong words for the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System facilities in Montgomery and Tuskegee, which are embroiled in a national scandal involving excessive waits to get appointments among a host of other issues. She said it was a “sacred responsibility” to care of veterans and “It’s something we can’t take lightly.” She praised legislation that allows administrators “to dismiss the bad actors as well as provide more resources.” In a wide-ranging talk, Sewell: > Said the Alabama delegation will make sure the state’s military has the resources they need and “acknowledged the importance” of Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex in Montgomery. > Encouraged the business community to support the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery March and the 60th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott this year. She called it “an awesome responsibility to make sure the next generation remembers and they’ll never forget the struggles that took place so the universe now enjoys the freedoms …” > Scolded people for “always badmouthing our president.” She said the vitriol needs to stop. She said that it’s not about race, but it’s about patriotism. “I get that Alabama is a red state, but this president is our president – president of these United States of America.” > Supported the reauthorization of the ExportImport Bank, which lends money to small businesses so they can sell products and services overseas. > Worried about mission creep in the Middle East and is “afraid of having boots on the ground.” She said a disproportionate number of constituents are in the military. n

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The 2014 Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board of Directors Leslie Sanders (left) recognized Ann Osten, the top salesperson in the Chamber’s Total Resource Campaign, at the Annual Meeting.

Record-Setting Amount Chamber’s Total Resource Campaign tops $1.1 million by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

With increases in six straight years, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Total Resource Campaign (TRC) is enjoying tremendous success. This past TRC raised an all-time record of $1.1 million and marked the third consecutive year of $1 millionplus campaigns. “One of the reasons why we are so successful is that the business community knows that the Chamber is relevant, and relevant to their bottom line,” said Patsy Guy, vice president, Member & Investor Relations for the Chamber. “They always come out to support the things that we’re doing. They see the value of partnering with the Chamber in sponsoring key events because that partnership provides us both credibility.” The goal for the ninth annual campaign was $1 million. Leslie Sanders, then Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board who chaired the

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

2014 campaign, said that “achieving this goal it is further evidence that our business community realizes the important work being done with the Chamber. This is not simply an investment in the Chamber, but an investment in our entire city.” The TRC funds the Chamber events, programs, publications and assists in recruiting members. “The Chamber does so much more than these events you hear about during the TRC,” Guy said. “Our mission is about job creation and job preservation and the TRC funds support that mission.” The TRC cannot be successful without the volunteer salespeople – 26 in all. Guy does hope to expand the volunteer sales staff to about 35 for the 2015 TRC. “The success of the 2014 TRC is attributed to the hard work of a very special and dedicated group of individuals, who worked tirelessly throughout the fall,” Sanders said.

For the first time, two of those salespeople exceeded $100,000. Ann Osten, owner of Sadie’s Global Travel, who set the record in 2013 with $95,000-plus in sales, shattered her mark with nearly $140,000 in the 2014 TRC. Liz Sutton, president of Alabama World Travel and Sutton & Associates, had $100,000 in sales. “I attribute that success to their personal drive,” Guy said. “It just so happens that they’re sisters, so apparently they were raised right with an intense work ethic. I think it speaks to their belief in the Chamber to be able to participate and sell the products and sponsorships and help a fellow Chamber member understand how it benefits them.” Guy said that Osten “will tell you that she doesn’t believe she is a good salesperson. She will tell you that this campaign has helped her be a better salesperson in her own field.” n

“Their incredible effort enabled events and projects to take place in our city that enhance the business environment and improve the wonderful reputation that Montgomery enjoys. This is one of the hardest-working groups I have had the pleasure to be associated with.

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

142

ANNUAL MEETING

The largest and most anticipated business event of the year, the Chamber’s 142nd Annual Meeting on December 9th celebrated the 2014 economic development milestones. Nearly 1,000 business and community leaders

witnessed 2014

Chairman of the Board of Directors Leslie Sanders “pass the gavel”

the 2015 Chairman of the Board of Directors

Russ Tyner.

5 Nearly 1,000 people 1 Leslie Sanders passes the 3 Former 42nd Air Base attended the 142nd Annual gavel to 2015 Chairman of Wing commander Meeting at the Renaissance the Board Russ Tyner near Col. Trent Edwards receives Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the end of the meeting. the Chairman’s Award the Convention Center. Go from Sanders. 2 Sanders presents the to the Chamber’s Facebook Chairman’s Award to 4 The highlight of the page for Montgomery City of Montgomery Chamber’s Annual Meeting Chamber 142nd Annual Director of Investigations was a video presentation Meeting photo album. Lt. Gen. Ron Sams. – Around the Table. (The 6 Total Resource Campaign video can be seen at Volunteers are honored montgomerychamber.com) for raising $1.1 million for Montgomery Chamber programs.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

6 January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

DRIVEN BY INNOVATION ECONOMIC FORUM STRESSES MOVING FORWARD OR FALLING BEHIND by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

Don Amoroso

When the final speaker at the 32nd Economic Forum wrapped up his presentation, he told his audience of businesspeople to go out and fail. Failing in the 21st century is a whole lot different than when the U.S. was an agrarian society and failure meant family members would go hungry or possibly starve to death.

Boyd Stephens

“Now, we’re in a world with enormous volatility,” Adam Davidson said at the forum held at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club. He said that meant “we’re going to fail a lot.” He encouraged the forum participants to understand failure; harness failure; and embrace failure. Davidson, co-founder and co-host on “Planet Money,” which airs on National Public Radio, said that many products fail in the marketplace and ones that succeed cause others to fail. “Failure and innovation are synonyms,” Davidson said. “Innovation is always talked about as a good thing, but innovation hurts – innovation is dangerous. Innovation is the flip-side of failure.”

Lt. Gen. Stephen Kwast

Innovation is a complex process and, that to be successful, cannot be left in the mind of one person, according to Don Amoroso, a professor of information systems at Auburn University at Montgomery and the Lowder-Weil Endowed Chair of Innovation and Strategy. He insists that all areas of a corporation be represented in a board to oversee innovation projects.

Adam Davidson

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

Amoroso gave a detailed presentation of taking a company from point A to point B and after studying successful firms overseas, he concluded that innovation must contain: visioning, comparative strategy analysis, ecosystem analysis, blue ocean strategy, portfolio management, innovation boards and investment and risk taking. The blue ocean strategy enables a company to “think long term and think about where we are not now and where we need to go,” Amoroso said. He said before developing an innovation project, a company must know where they are today and what companies are part of the ecosystem, which includes “all the industry players that contribute to the whole picture,” Amoroso said, referring to suppliers, manufacturers and customers. Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, commander and president of Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, issued dire warnings about the failure to innovate – both for the military and companies. “We are still a nation languishing in industrial models and systems and organizations, yet the world has migrated to an information age world in ways that are going to impact all of us,” said Kwast, who became the Air University commander and president in early November. “Those people

that have the vision to understand what that means – the vision to be able grasp the business opportunities of that – will dominate the future and I want it to be America.” Kwast said that to survive in the future, “I’ve got to be fast and innovative.” The Air Force is changing its corporate processes because “it’s insufficient,” Kwast said. He said it’s his job “to help unleash the brain trust of Air University and all these bright people and partner with you (public and private sectors) in a way that can help us. “We will be dead in the water as a military if we don’t start being part of the conversation. We need you as much as you need us,” he told the audience. “We will give you our facilities; and our people; and our thinking; and we will give you insight into our problems.”

“What I’m interested in doing is creating something that’s special; something that has a purpose.” -Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, commander and president of Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base

Kwast foresees a future where Montgomery is a focal point for cyber technology – where the Air Force, the information technology sector, commercial sector and colleges and universities collaborate. Continued on page 35

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FINANCIAL EXPERT PREDICTS DOLLAR REMAINS STRONG

by David Zaslawsky photo by Robert Fouts

A strong dollar is great news for Americans traveling overseas, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not such great news for U.S. companies that send products and services overseas. Those products and services sent overseas have become more expensive for consumers in Europe and Japan and it has become much cheaper for foreign companies selling products and services in the U.S. The implications are worrisome. When the cost of automotive production in the U.S. increases 10 percent or more for Japanese and German automakers, the companies are less likely to expand. The good news for Montgomery is that the Korean currency has declined only slightly, which means that operations at the Hyundai plant in Montgomery and the Kia plant in nearby West Point, Georgia, are not in jeopardy, according to Ernie Ankrim. Ankerim, principal at Ankrim Strategic Insight, spent 19 years

at Russell Investments, including six as chief investment officer. He told the 32nd annual Economic Forum at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club that the European Union is buying U.S. debt and has now passed China. That capital infusion will be used to acquire U.S. companies, Ankrim said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised to see French and German firms buying up pharmaceuticals and other industrials â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially things that can be easily transferred over borders,â&#x20AC;? Ankrim said. His forecast for European economies is continued weak growth and more banks under stress. The Euro will be kept low â&#x20AC;&#x153;to stimulate the economy through export activity.â&#x20AC;? He did provide an answer for the question on the mind of all investors: The Federal Reserve will raise interest rates the middle of the year or later. His concern is how the Fed manages

Ernie Ankrim is principal at Ankrim Strategic Insight.

a return to normalcy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how to bring $2.7 trillion back into the system without causing inflation and without spiking interest rates, which would â&#x20AC;&#x153;stifle growth and the economy and hurt employment. They (Fed) may be able to pull this off.â&#x20AC;? n

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

Continued from page 33

“What I’m interested in doing is creating something that’s special; something that has a purpose,” Kwast said. “ … if we do this right, anybody in this nation who needs somebody to innovate rapidly turns to the River Region and says, ‘Here you go.’ ”

“Failure and innovation are synonyms.

Boyd Stephens, co-founder of Revolution MGM, has been instrumental along with Adam Warnke in bringing tech entrepreneurs together. He talked about tech startup communities, which Stephens said need three things – ideas, talent and money – all in abundance in the I-85 corridor between Auburn-Opelika and Montgomery.

innovation is dangerous. Innovation is

Revolution MGM is “about bringing all of that talent; all of those ideas; all of those concepts together within this region,” Stephens said at the economic forum. The key is getting buy-in from the entrepreneurs, Stephens said, and acceptance from those outside the tech startup community. Most of those in the tech startup community are millennials, who may dress differently and work differently than other employees from traditional businesses. Innovation has had a dramatic impact on the automotive industry, with vehicles that now contain 50 microprocessors, said Dennis Cuneo, who

Innovation is always talked about as a good thing, but innovation hurts – the flip-side of failure.” - Adam Davidson, founder and co-host, Planet Money operates DC Strategic Advisors and is a site selection consultant. “The automotive industry is quickly changing from a mechanical base to a software base; from a transportation focus to a technology focus,” Cuneo said. He said that software and electronics account for 40 percent of a vehicle’s value. One firm predicts there will be 15 million self-driving vehicles by 2035 and a majority of all vehicles will be self-driving by 2050. Those vehicles will reduce traffic fatalities by 85 percent. If you don’t believe that self-driving vehicles are the wave of the future – consider this: Google is involved in the process. n

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

Chamber Recognizes Minority-Owned Businesses Who Give Back POINT OF LIGHT AWARD WINNERS AID THEIR COMMUNITY by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

While growing up in Montgomery, Willie Durham spent 15 years at the Montgomery Housing Authority’s Gibbs Village. He is an agent/operator of State Farm on Eastern Boulevard, but he has not forgotten his past. He talks to students about his humble beginning. “There are young boys and girls out there that may believe they don’t have any opportunities,” Durham said. “They can see somebody like me that grew up in similar situations in the housing authority and they see my billboard or see my commercial or see my face (on) my vehicle. I go to the schools and talk to them. It gives them hope.” Those students may begin to believe that they, too, could have their own business. It’s all part of paying his civic rent, Durham said, but it’s also personal because he was born here and grew up here. “It’s all about being involved and trying to make a difference. As a businessperson, we all try to make a profit, but we also try to make a difference.”

Durham and DeRamus Hearing Centers’ owner Glenda DeRamus were two minority business owners honored for their “achievements and contributions to the community.” They received the Point of Light Award at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce 10th annual ceremony. DeRamus, who owns locations in Montgomery, Selma, Clanton and Opelika, said, “We all know it’s better to give than to receive. Giving back to the community is something that we’re supposed to do. And I love it. You need to be involved in your community and help the less fortunate.” She helps those less fortunate in numerous ways, including a free lunch and free hearing exam (for those who signed up) for the residents at Elizabeth Wright Apartments, a complex for low-income seniors. There will be a drawing and the winner will receive a free hearing aid with free batteries and adjustments for life. DeRamus is a member of Medical Outreach Ministries, which provides health services for the needy. She donates hearing aids. Her extensive community involvement includes buying clothes for children living at Addullam House, which is home for youths of incarcerated parents. DeRamus spends $500 on five children for a December clothes shopping spree at JCPenney. The store offers a steep discount Continued on page 38

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

“We all know it’s better to give than to receive. Giving back to the community is something that we’re supposed to do. And I love it.” - Glenda DeRamus, owner, DeRamus Hearing Centers

“It’s all about being involved and trying to make a difference. As a businessperson, we all try to make a profit, but we also try to make a difference.” - Willie Durham, agent/operator, State Farm Insurance

Continued from page 36

2014 Point of Light Nominees

GLENDA DERAMUS DeRamus Hearing Centers

CATEGORY 1 | IN BUSINESS 1-10 YEARS

ABDUL SERAAJ Seraaj Family Homes, Inc.

WILLIE DURHAM State Farm Insurance

KENT CRENSHAW Montgomery Center for Independent Living

DAWN OWENS Tandem Early Education Consultants, LLC EUGENE TINKER Certified Technical Experts

CATEGORY 2 IN BUSINESS 10+ YEARS

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

TASHA SCOTT Scott Real Time Reporting

so the $100 per child buys much more. It is a Good Morning Montgomery Kiwanis Club event. She is also involved with Easter Seals of Alabama, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, RiversEdge Church of Montgomery and Through the Grace of God Ministries. Durham, too, is busy with such organizations as Child Protect, Habitat for Humanity, Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club, where he is president elect; and Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, where he is a member of the Executive Committee. He provides clothes and school supplies to organizations and frequently talks to youths. “When we talk about a community, and if we sit back and complain that nobody can make all the difference … but most of us can make a difference,” he said. “So, roll up your sleeves. If we want to have a good community it’s incumbent upon us to be involved. Everybody can pick an area they are passionate about whether it’s education; whether it’s children; and find a way to get involved. That civic rent is not someone else’s responsibility – it is our responsibility.”

Durham said â&#x20AC;&#x153;it was a humbling experienceâ&#x20AC;? just to be nominated for the Point of Light Award, which is given to businesses in existence for 10 years or less and businesses that are more than 10 years old. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To actually be the recipient and somebody recognizes that your labor in the community is not in vain,â&#x20AC;? Durham said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it to be recognized, but to be the recipient is a win-win.â&#x20AC;?

company, which has six employees, sells hearing aids and accessories, and provides hearing exams and consulting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was really happy that my employees nominated me. It was such a compliment from your employees.â&#x20AC;? n

Durham said his team members enable him to leave the office and attend various events. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My team is competent and capable,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They can take care of the day-to-day operations of my clients. Some business owners donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough personnel or enough of a team, where they are so involved intimately in the day-to-day operations they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be freed up.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, roll up your sleeves. If we want to have a good community itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incumbent upon us to be involved.â&#x20AC;?

Durham and DeRamus were both deeply touched by the award and surprised. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was overwhelming,â&#x20AC;? said DeRamus, who opened the Montgomery location in 1982 and added the Selma and Clanton sites around 2000. She opened the Opelika location in 2009. Her

- Willie Durham, agent/operator, State Farm Insurance

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January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

Leading the Charge NEW CHAMBER CHAIRMAN REVEALS ‘AREAS OF FOCUS’ FOR 2015 by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

W. Russell Tyner is the 2015 chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

The new chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has no plans to reinvent the wheel. W. Russell Tyner, president and CEO of Baptist Health, has a simple priority for 2015 – “continue the good work already being done. It’s difficult to have a oneyear agenda that rotates with chairmen every year, particularly when you have a rich history of 142 years.” The new Chamber chairman has what he calls “areas of focus.” He wants to make sure that the Chamber’s Corporate Development staff, which he called “a world-class crowd” have the “resources and assets they need to continue that work.” He wants to make sure the Chamber Convention & Visitor Bureau, which “has done an incredible job,” receives the support it needs.

“Entrepreneurship is one of those things that is a lost art. It’s something that we need to encourage and that we need to embrace at the Chamber and cultivate.” - W. Russell Tyner, chairman of the Board of Directors, Montgomery Chamber

Workforce development is another area of focus, where the partnerships “are paying dividends,” Tyner said, citing Montgomery Public Schools, Alabama Community College System, Alabama Industrial Development Training, Alabama Department of Education, Chamber as well as other organizations. The creation of the Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center was announced last fall. Protecting and growing the missions at Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex is another area of focus for Tyner. “Ours is a military town and we’re blessed with that,” he said. “What we have to do is discern what the level of opportunity is and partnership with the missions.” He said the greatest opportunity over the next 10 years is developing a cyber security center at Gunter and “the spinoff of civilian businesses that locate there. That is economic development on a different scale.” He would like to see more emphasis placed on small business and entrepreneurs. “We have a significant amount of entrepreneurs who are key players in our community, but not necessarily recognized Continued on page 44

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

As president and CEO of Baptist Health and its nearly 4,200 employees, W. Russell Tyner knows about the importance of being able to move personnel around the state and country. Tyner also knows the importance of recruiting physicians and bringing them to Montgomery from around the state and country. The airport is a critical component for the River Region’s largest private sector employer. “In our business – the business of health care – we’re constantly recruiting the best and brightest whether it be physicians or other medical professionals,” Tyner said. “When we’re trying to sell the River Region and Montgomery and what it has to offer – it’s the front door,” he said about the Montgomery Regional Airport. “It’s the first thing they (recruits) see and it’s the first experience and the last experience that they have.” He of course wants that first and last experience to leave a positive impression and that is why expanding air service and improving customer satisfaction are areas of focus for the new Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board of Directors. Those lasting impressions are all that more critical when you consider that those physician offices have a $1 million annual economic impact. Tyner said that the local health care industry is frequently overlooked as a critical piece of the local economy along with military, government and automobile manufacturing. “When you take all the health care delivery that’s done in the River Region and all those ancillary-type activities that are related to health care it is one of the key economic engines of the community.”

NEW CHAIRMAN SETS SIGHTS ON AIR TRAVEL AND SERVICE by David Zaslawsky

“I think there is the opportunity to make the airport a huge benefit, not that it isn’t currently, but to really improve the level and scale of service we have out there.” He said he would like to see expanded air service west of Dallas “to make it much easier, quicker and more efficient to get people in and out.” Most of the direct flights out of Montgomery go to Atlanta. Tyner said that expanded service to the west would make the airport “a much more attractive location just because of the ease of moving. We move people around as well. There are an awful lot of meetings and opportunities to bring people in and sometimes it is a little more difficult and a little more time-consuming than it has to be in terms of travel.” He views the airport as a catalyst for attracting larger industry as well as regional and corporate headquarters. Those regional and corporate headquarters keep their philanthropic dollars local as well as spark population growth. “We have to find ways to grow the marketplace because that’s growing our business,” Tyner said. He said that the Montgomery Regional Airport is “at or about par in terms of access” with Huntsville, Mobile, Panama City, Florida, and Tallahassee, Florida. “It’s a great asset and one that we can continue to leverage at probably a totally different level,” Tyner said. n

As a key economic engine, the health care industry as well as other sectors depend on the airport. “You have to have that easy access to air travel that can get you in and out on a consistent and reliable schedule if you’re going to be effective and efficient in having a corporate headquarters,” Tyner said. “It’s pretty much that simple.

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

infrastructure to support growth; and the partnerships necessary to support growth in an economic development sense.”

“If you look at the roster of past chairmen, there are some really incredible and capable people. It’s good company to be in and some hard legacies to live up to. It’s a challenge – it will be fun.” - W. Russell Tyner, chairman of the Board of Directors, Montgomery Chamber

Continued from page 42

as such,” Tyner said. “Entrepreneurship is one of those things that is a lost art. It’s something that we need to encourage and that we need to embrace at the Chamber and cultivate. Small business and those entrepreneurs out there who are taking risks are an opportunity to grow the economic engine in the community.” As a member of the Chamber’s Executive Committee, Tyner has a better understanding about Montgomery. “There is so much about the community that you don’t have the opportunity to learn unless you do participate at the table,” Tyner said. “I didn’t fully appreciate the magnitude and the importance of Maxwell and Gunter,” he said. “I don’t think I fully appreciated the level of opportunity in the postsecondary area.” He talked about opportunities of taking workforce development “into the elementary level … in a process that is very different than what I anticipated. And there is so much opportunity there. We just don’t articulate that as well as we should or advertise as much as we should.” When asked what it will take to move Montgomery to the proverbial next level, Tyner said there are two pieces. “One of those is attracting and expanding industry, making sure that you have the jobs and the

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

The other piece, which he said is probably most important is attracting and retaining young professionals. “The millennials that are out there are attracted to certain things that you as a community can not only put in place, but advertise and become a place that people want to cast their futures. It’s very different. You have to be innovative and you have to be focused. Creating opportunities for young people – keeping our brain power here – is incredibly important.” There will be 25 students this year attending the Montgomery Regional Campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine at Baptist Medical Center South. Nearly one-third of those students are from the area. “That’s how you can reverse the brain drain – creating opportunities for them here that exist in other places and making it equal or better,” Tyner said. A vibrant downtown is critical to attracting and retaining young professionals and Montgomery has come a long way in a short time. “Ten years ago, it would have been hard to imagine that Montgomery would have a center for urban living,” Tyner said. He said that planning, leadership and partnerships “created a vibrant city center for not only urban living, but tourism as well. That’s pretty impressive and those are the things we have to build on.” A key indicator of a successful year as Chamber chairman of the Board of Directors is “bringing new people and young people to the table,” Tyner said. He also hopes to have success in his areas of focus. Tyner said it is “quite an honor and privilege” to be Chamber chairman. “If you look at the roster of past chairmen, there are some really incredible and capable people. It’s good company to be in and some hard legacies to live up to. It’s a challenge – it will be fun.” n

PAST CHAIRMEN

of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce

1890-96

H. B. Houghton

1944-45

L. D. Rouse

1982

John M. Trotman

1897-98

Jacob Greil

1946

Stanhope E. Elmore

1983

Samuel L. Schloss

1899-1900

Charles G. Abercrombie

1947

James D. Flowers

1984

Maury D. Smith

1901-04

Alex Rice

1948

James J. Durr

1985

Parker A. Narrows

1905-08

A. G. Forbes

1949-50

Boyd H. Leyburn

1986

James G. Martin, Sr.

1909

Fred S. Ball

1951

Robert F. Henry

1986-87

Henry A. Leslie

1910

Sam J. Cassels

1952

Max S. Baum

1988

George B. Clements

1911

Edwin B. Joseph

1953

Charles M. Smith, Jr.

1989

Clyde H. Wood

1911

Frank D. Kohn

1954

C.T. Fitzpatrick

1990

Perry Mendel

1912

Emil J. Meyer

1955

James G. Pruett

1991-92

Will Hill Tankersley

1913

Fitzgerald Salter

1956

Mark A. Johnston

1993

A. Bowen Ballard

1914

Duncan May

1957

Clyde C. Pearson

1994

J. Mike Jenkins

1915

Terry T. Griel

1958

J. Noble Crump

1995

Margaret A. Carpenter

1916

Clayton Tullis

1959-60

Carl W. Bear

1996

Todd Strange

1917

A. C. Davis

1961

Edgar W. Stuart

1997

Tom Somerville

1918

E. Meertief

1962

Bryan B. Marsh

1998

James K. Lowder

1919

C. J. Beane

1963-64

W. Lyle Hinds

1999

W. Stephen Cawood

1920

I. H. Dewees

1965

A. Berney Jones

2000

Nimrod T. Frazer, Sr.

1921

Robert Teague

1966

Charles P. Brightwell

2001

Jerry C. Kyser

1922

I. H. Dewees

1967

W. Robbins Taylor, Sr.

2002

Lawrence Cole, Jr.

1923

L. C. Cardinal

1968

George E. von Gal, Jr.

2003

Larry A. Groce

1924

I. Fred Solomon

1969

Frank A. Plummer

2004

Carl A. Barranco

1925

Harry E. Snow

1970

Philip A. Sellers

2005

G. Carlton Barker

1926

General Robert F. Ligon

1971

Earle D. Kitchen

2006

Purser L. McLeod, Jr.

1927-28

W. A. Bellingrath

1972

Thomas M. Tyson, Sr.

2007

Edward F. Crowell

1929

Robert Emmet Seibels

1973

Hugh P. Foreman

2008

Gordon G. Martin

1930-31

Fred J. Cramton

1974

James L. Rouse, Jr.

2008

Charles B. Paterson

1932-33

Harry E. Snow

1975

Frank H. Hawthorne, Sr.

2009

W. Daniel Hughes, Jr.

1934

W. A. Bellingrath

1976

Robert P. Hudgens

2010

Nimrod T. Frazer, Jr.

1935-36

Sylvain Baum

1977

John H. Neill, Jr.

2011

Larry D. Puckett

1937-38

J. M. Jenkins

1978

James T. Upchurch, Jr.

2012

C. Lee Ellis

1939-40

A. S. Coleman

1979

M. Taylor Dawson, Jr.

2013

Horace H. Horn, Jr.

1941

Richard F. Hudson

1980

Dr. Thomas C. Nolan

2014

Leslie Sanders

1942-43

William C. Bowman

1981

James S. Gaskell, Jr.

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

2015 Board of Directors

2015 Executive Committee (Front Row L-R) Chairman-Elect A. Bruce Crawford, City President, BBVA Compass; Immediate Past Chairman Leslie L. Sanders, Vice President, Southern Division, Alabama Power Co.; (Back Row L-R) Vice Chairman David B. Reed, Executive Vice President, Goodwyn, Mills & Caywood Inc.; Randall L. George, President, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce; Vice Chairman Willie Durham, Agent, State Farm Insurance; Chairman W. Russell Tyner, President and CEO of Baptist Health; Vice Chairman Honorable Charles Price, Presiding Judge, 15th Judicial Circuit

CARL J. BARTLETT, JR. Senior Vice President Jim/Wilson & Associates, LLC

Â© Fouts Photography

MARGARET ALLEN Superintendent Montgomery Public Schools

JAKE F. ARONOV Chairman & CEO Aronov Realty Management, Inc.

OWEN W. ARONOV President Aronov Realty Management, Inc.

G. CARLTON BARKER EVP Montgomery Regional CEO ServisFirst Bank

JERE L. BEASLEY Founding Shareholder Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

RICHARD BENDURE Vice President & General Manager Rheem Water Heaters

GWENDOLYN E. BOYD President Alabama State University

CAROLYN BRYAN President Leadership Montgomery

JAMES E. BUCKALEW Chairman & President Alabama Real Estate Holdings/PCH

JOSHWON BUSH President & CEO Up and Running

RICHARD BYRD District Manager Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

LYNN M. CARTER President Southeast Cherokee Construction, Inc.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

GARY A. COBBS President & CEO YMCA of Greater Montgomery

TONY L. CRAFT President & CEO Palomar Insurance Corporation

A. BRUCE CRAWFORD City President BBVA Compass

CASSANDRA CROSBYMCCULLOUGH Managing Partner Crosby Drinkard Group, LLC

GLENN CRUMPTON President & CEO AALOS

JOHN A. CURVEY General Manager SABIC

J. NICOLE DANIEL Owner/Operator Emerald Management Corp. dba McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

R. GUY DAVIS, JR. Market President BB&T

ELEANOR L. DAWKINS Secretary/Treasurer Ross Clayton Funeral Home Inc.

ELTON N. DEAN, SR. Chairman Montgomery County Commission

CHARLES C. DILAURA President Neptune Technology Group Inc.

WILLIE DURHAM Agent State Farm Insurance

CHARLES W. EDWARDS III Treasurer Edwards Plumbing & Heating

GOLSON M. FOSHEE President Foshee Management Company, LLC

RANDALL L. GEORGE President Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce

ROBERT C. GRANFELDT, JR. President & Publisher The Advertiser Company, Inc.

RICHARD E. HANAN Chairman Montgomery Water Works

ROBERT M. HARDWICH, JR. Chairman Montgomery Industrial Development Board

A. LYNN HARRIS Manager, External Affairs Alabama Gas Corporation

THOMAS A. HARRIS Chairman & CEO Merchant Capital

HORACE H. HORN, JR. Vice President of External Affairs PowerSouth Energy

CARYN C. HUGHES Area Executive Aliant Bank a division of USAmeriBank

LANCE D. HUNTER CEO Hodges Warehouse + Logistics

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

JERRY C. KYSER CEO Jerry Kyser Builder, Inc.

RAY INGRAM President Jack Ingram Motors, Inc.

SEAN K. JOHNSON Central Alabama Area President Regions Bank

KEVIN L. KETZLER Vice President Real Estate Division Alfa Properties, Inc.

J. H. KIM President & CEO Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama

DUK KIM Plant Manager Lear Corporation-Montgomery

LT. GEN. STEVEN L. KWAST Commander & President Air University - Maxwell AFB

E. KYLE KYSER, JR. Vice President Jerry Kyser Builder, Inc.

WILEY LOTT Director of Economic and Governmental Affairs Southeast Alabama Gas District Montgomery Office

JAMES K. LOWDER Chairman The Colonial Company

JOSHUA K. LOWDER President Colonial Commercial Realty, Inc.

B. SAXON MAIN Partner Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak, P.A.

CHESTER D. MALLORY Chairman Montgomery Airport Authority

FORREST T. MCCONNELL III President McConnell Honda

ROBERT MCGHEE Tribal Governmental Relations Advisor Poarch Band of Creek Indians

SAMUEL MUNNERLYN President Trenholm State Technical College - H. Councill

CHARLES PRICE Presiding Judge Montgomery County District Court

LARRY D. PUCKETT President Larry Puckett Chevrolet

MICHAEL A. RANIERI VP Finance & Risk Management Caddell Construction Co., Inc.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

DAVID B. REED Executive Vice President Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, Inc.

JOE B. RILEY President & CEO Jackson Hospital & Clinic, Inc.

NOAH W. ROCKER, JR President EMERGE Montgomery

STEPHEN G. RUTLEDGE Executive Vice President, Operations Alfa Companies

LESLIE L. SANDERS Vice President, Southern Division Alabama Power Company

JAMES H. SANFORD Chairman HOME Place Farms, Inc.

TOMI J. SELBY President Information Transport Solutions, Inc.

ROBERT C. SHOFNER PEO Business & Enterprise Systems

PATRICK SIDHU President Burger King

RICHARD M. STABLER Office Managing Member Warren Averett, LLC

EDWARD M. STIVERS III President, Owner & Dealer Principal Stivers Ford Lincoln Mazda

CHARISSE D. STOKES Vice President, Cyber Security & Network Mgmt. Telos Corporation

TODD STRANGE Mayor City of Montgomery

JAMES M. STUBBS President & CEO River Bank & Trust

DOUG S. THIESSEN CEO Alabama Ag Credit, ACA

YU-TUENG TSAI President & CEO Regitar U.S.A., Inc.

W. RUSSELL TYNER President & CEO Baptist Health

JAMES UHM COO DAS North America, Inc.

JOHN G. VERES III Chancellor Auburn University at Montgomery

EDWARD V. WELCH, JR. President Welch Hornsby

VICTORIA P. WILLIAMS President Anchor Mortgage Services, Inc.

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

2015

A special thank you to the 2015

Brad Armagost

Jennifer Atkins

Keith Bazzle

SERVISFIRST BANK

NEW WATERS REALTY COMPANY, LLC

BUFFALO ROCK PEPSI

Edward Crowell

Rusty Daniel

Clark Fine

Frank Greco

VT MILTOPE

SDS PROPERTY GROUP, LLC

FINE, GEDDIE AND ASSOCIATES

GKN AEROSPACE

Ray Ingram

Gregory Jones

Judy Jones

Brian Key

Jerald Labovitz

JACK INGRAM MOTORS, INC.

THE JONES GROUP, LLC

GOODWYN, MILLS & CAWOOD, INC.

COPPERWING DESIGN

ALABAMA STEEL SUPPLY, INC.

Ann Osten

Phil Perry

Joe Smith

Liz Sutton

Angela Swarts

Foy Tatum

SADIEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GLOBAL TRAVEL

MONTGOMERY AIRPORT AUTHORITY

RALPH SMITH MOTORS

ALABAMA WORLD TRAVEL/SUTTON & ASSOCIATES

SPHERION

HALSTEAD, LLC

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

Members of the Montgomery Chamber Chairmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Circle. They are engaged and impacting the issues and developments that fuel growth and prosperity in our region.

Ben Bruce

Candy Capel

Anita Carter

Lynn Carter

Carlyle Chandler

FAULKNER UNIVERSITY

WVAS-FM RADIO

NEW PARK DEVELOPMENT, LLC

SOUTHEAST CHEROKEE CONSTRUCTION, INC.

CHANDLER REALTY, LLC

William Guilford

Carol Gunter

Nigel Guntharp

Scott Harris

Michael Hicks

Perry O. Hooper, Jr.

WOW!

CITY OF MONTGOMERY

GUNTHARP FINANCIAL

ARONOV REALTY MANAGEMENT, INC.

ALLIANCE INSURANCE GROUP

PALOMAR INSURANCE CORPORATION

Kendall Leverette

DG Markwell

Mac McBride

Scott McNelley

David Mowery

GUARDIAN CREDIT UNION

MAX CREDIT UNION

STERIS CORPORATION

ADMIRAL MOVERS

MOWERY CONSULTING GROUP, LLC

Yu-Tueng Tsai

Beth Walker-McBride

Quenten Wentworth

ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR

REGITAR U.S.A., INC.

WORKFORCE WALKER PERSONNEL, LLC

John Wyatt, Jr.

US FOODS

NOT PICTURED: Jake Carlton CREEK CASINO MONTGOMERY

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

Member Profile

SANDRA NICKEL

The Hat Lady specializes in Midtown and historic homes by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

It came into being accidently, but once in place, Nickel, who owns a real estate firm in Cloverdale, knew it was a good thing. Here’s how Nickel became widely known throughout the community as the hat lady. She was introducing herself to neighbors and letting them know she was a Realtor. Nickel had selected a very, very cold winter day in January 1982 when the temperature was in the single digits. She had a heavy, brown tweed winter coat from her days living in St. Louis and heavy gloves. A neighbor asked her to come inside and get out of the cold. He went to a closet and pulled out a brown tweed Fedora-style hat so she wouldn’t get pneumonia and die. She said the hat “almost perfectly matched” her coat. The neighbor said to keep the hat until it warms up. “Well, as luck would have it, the winter of 1982 was a real winter in Montgomery and it stayed cold for a long time,” Nickel said. “By the time it began to thaw, people were beginning to call me the hat lady. They would call the office or stop by and say, ‘I don’t remember her name, but I want to talk to the woman in the hat.’ Well, I wasn’t clever enough to think of it, but I was clever enough to realize that I was on to something.” Being the hat lady has set her apart from colleagues. “I think what it’s done for our business is that people call or drop by for the first time, feeling that they know me and people do business with people they know, like and trust,” said Nickel, who has been in the real estate business for 33.5 years and started her own firm 24.5 years ago. “So, I have a leg up. Even if they don’t know me, they have seen my name around and remember it because of the hat. It’s a memory peg.” It’s not just the hat that makes Nickel so unique. She specializes in Midtown and in older/historic homes and the staff are also experts in those areas. She had been with a broker, but when he moved his firm to East Montgomery, Nickel said that she wanted to focus on Midtown – Cloverdale, Garden District, Capitol Heights and Cottage Hill. She recalled that there was not a real estate firm in that region, but that changed when she went to a shoe shop that was next door to an art gallery. She learned that the art gallery

owner was closing. Nickel has been leasing that space at 1044 E. Fairview Ave., which is across the street from Sinclair’s and Capri Theatre. She said her heart was in Midtown and “if you do what you’re passionate about you usually get good results.” She is passionate about those historic homes from the 1920s and 1930s and a few homes from the late 1800s. “You just don’t buy an old house,” Nickel said. “Sellers who have chosen us to represent them very much appreciate that we all live in old houses and we understand that is a lifestyle decision. They understand that we walk the walk. “We like to think that the marketing we do on our historic homes and soon-to-be designated as historic homes is a notch above what other Realtors can deliver simply because we are students of historic homes.” The marketing will be enhanced with an expected hire in late 2014. That employee will be director of marketing and communications and will handle the Internet listings as well as all social media. Nickel hopes to add two or three agents this year as business continues to improve. The firm’s transactions were up about 30 percent last year from 2013. She expects about 125 sold and closed properties this year, which would match the banner year in 2006. “Sellers have equity again, so they are a lot more inclined to sell,” Nickel said. “It beats having to bring a huge check to closing. The firm has four Realtors, who are independent contractors. Her husband, Jim Nickel, is the company’s chief financial officer.

If you think Sandra Nickel’s moniker – the hat lady – and her employees being called the hat team – was some carefully crafted promotional vehicle created by a marketingadvertising firm, you would be wrong.

Nickel credits her success to caring “much, much more about the client than we do the commission. I work very, very hard, which all by itself doesn’t get the job done. I will always tell the truth no matter how painful it is and I think people appreciate that. And I give everybody I meet a business card.” n

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

Member Profile

FOUR STAR FREIGHLINER

Keeping the trucking industry moving by Melissa George Bowman

LOCATIONS

ALABAMA, GEORGIA AND FLORIDA EMPLOYEES

155 TOTAL WITH 45 AT THE MONTGOMERY CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS WEBSITE

FOURSTAR FREIGHTLINER.COM

When you’re in the market for a new car, chances are you don’t consider how many tons it can carry or how well it can handle multiple cross-country trips. If you’re a Four Star Freightliner customer, however, those are typical questions you might ask. Four Star Freightliner is a truck dealership and service center specializing in medium and heavy-duty trucks. Its products include Daimler Trucks North America brands Freightliner and Western Star. “We’re a full-service Daimler truck dealer,” said Four Star Freightliner Dealer Principal Jerry Kocan. “We sell the trucks and lease them and service them and sell parts for them. Anything that you need for a commercial truck, we can do.” Jerry Kocan is dealer principal for Four Star Freightliner.

photography by Robert Fouts

“We’re blessed that we have the interstate system here – we have 85 and 65,” he said. “If you’re going through the central part of the country, you’ve got to come down 65 and if you want to go east, 85 ends here. So we get a lot of people that are either coming 65 north or they’re coming 65 or 85 south.” Fifteen years ago Kocan was vice president and general manager of an Atlanta-based Volvo and GMC truck dealership when Freightliner approached him about running a franchise in Alabama. He gladly accepted the opportunity and purchased dealerships in Dothan and Montgomery that Freightliner had recently acquired. He then merged what had been competing dealerships into one company – Four Star Freightliner. The business has been growing ever since. The Montgomery and Dothan locations were so successful that Kocan soon needed to open an additional facility in Tifton, Georgia, to serve a growing number of customers. Next came a location in Tallahassee, Florida, and then Valdosta, Georgia. Most recently, Four Star Freightliner opened its sixth location in November of 2014 in Albany, Georgia. Four Star Freightliner’s business is built around medium and heavy-duty trucks. As Kocan explains, these-type vehicles range in size from anything beyond large pick-up trucks to 18-wheelers. They are categorized as either Class 6, Class 7 or Class 8, which refers to the amount of weight they are allowed to carry. “Class 6 and 7 would be trucks that stay in town. They deliver goods in and around town like building materials, office supplies, anything for local business,” Kocan said. “Class 8 are typically the ones that are moving goods across the country, either freight or moving supplies.” Four Star Freightliner has been successful not only because it has a good mix of clients in all three classifications, but also because its customers come from the local area and from across the country. In the Class 6 and 7 group, Kocan says the majority of clients include local utility companies and municipalities. Organizations that deliver goods and services, such as Construction Materials and Bama Budweiser, also fall into this category. In terms of Class 8, Kocan says about half his business comes from major fleets such as Wal-Mart and Schneider that travel through the area and may need servicing.

No matter where their clients come from, Four Star Freightliner strives to provide them all the best customer service. Because it may not always be convenient for a company to send a truck away for servicing, Four Star Freightliner has vehicles equipped to provide service on-site when necessary. They also offer emergency 24-hour service to handle any kind of breakdown. If a truck in need of repairs is carrying a “hot load” – a term describing a shipment that must be delivered in a short timeframe – they can even provide drivers rental trucks to help meet deadlines while a truck is being serviced. In addition to top-notch customer service, Kocan says that “without question, people” are what set Four Star Freightliner apart from the competition. “I’ve been so lucky to have hired and retained really good people in all my locations,” he said. Because the company values its employees, much of its time and resources are spent on training and development. Kocan encourages staff members to advance themselves by earning certifications in the different models and products of the industry.

“Anything that you need for a commercial truck, we can do.” Jerry Kocan, dealer principal, Four Star Freightliner

“Once they get a certification, they get another increase in pay,” he said. “They can essentially give themselves raises by continuing their education.” That investment in people has certainly paid off. Four Star Freightliner’s employees have helped the company earn several industry recognitions, including Elite Support Certification at four of its six locations. The designation is given to a select group of dealerships nationwide that have demonstrated exceptional customer service by meeting 135 standards across 19 areas. Additionally, account manager Truman Ingram has been named one of Freightliner’s Top 20 sales representatives in North America for two consecutive years. n

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne said the United States needs to play â&#x20AC;&#x153;big ballâ&#x20AC;? overseas and that means a robust foreign policy. He suggested placing a Navy ship at every port in the Pacific; arming the Ukrainians in their struggle against Russian and pro-Russian forces; stop negotiating with Iran; putting boots on the ground in the war against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS); and increase spending on the Defense Department.

PROJECTING POWER Byrne advocates â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;big ballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; foreign policy

Speaking before at a Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Eggs & Issues at the RSA Activity Center, Byrne, R-Montrose, said that Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambition â&#x20AC;&#x153;is to dominate the Asian mainland and push us out of the western Pacific. We have got to reassert ourselves in that part of the (world).â&#x20AC;?

by David Zaslawsky

He recommended placing the Littoral Combat Ship, which is manufactured in his Mobile district, along with destroyers, aircraft carriers and submarines at all ports in the Pacific â&#x20AC;&#x153;to project power in the Pacific.â&#x20AC;? Byrne warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin â&#x20AC;&#x153;thinks he is the next Peter the Great. He is going

to re-establish the Russian empire.â&#x20AC;? Byrne said that Putin wants to take control of Ukraine, then Moldova; then Balkan states; Poland; Czech Republic; and Slovakia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only thing that stands between him and that ambition is us,â&#x20AC;? Byrne said. He called Putin â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a classic bullyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and said â&#x20AC;&#x153;he (Putin) is one of those people youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to punch in the nose before heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll understand that he really is going to have to stay within his boundaries.â&#x20AC;? Byrneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message became more critical when talking about the U.S. negotiating with Iran over a nuclear weapon and asking for help in fighting ISIS. He called the negotiations â&#x20AC;&#x153;shameful.â&#x20AC;? He said the Iranians â&#x20AC;&#x153;donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand negotiation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they understand force.â&#x20AC;? He said that it was a mistake for U.S. troops to leave Iraq because it â&#x20AC;&#x153;destabilizedâ&#x20AC;? the region. Byrne said that the U.S. needs to stop ISIS overseas â&#x20AC;&#x153;before they bring jihad to this country and detonate themselves with a suicide vest in one of our malls or knock out one of our oil pipelines or shut down our electrical grid or God forbid, find some kind of a dirty weapon they can use over here and have massive destruction. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the kind of people weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re dealing with.â&#x20AC;? He wants Congress to appropriately fund the armed forces.

BOLDLY GO, KNOWING WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;VE GOT YOUR BACK

Warren Averett Members Richard Stabler, CPA Tommy Sisson, CPA and Ray White, CPA

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

He said he is disappointed with U.S. allies not doing more in the war against ISIS, pointing out Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraqi army and Europe. Byrne, who was elected to Congress in December 2013 to complete the term of Rep. Jo Bonner, also served as a state senator and as chancellor of the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education. “America is a great country, but unfortunately we have not been acting like a great country,” Byrne said. “We’ve been playing small ball when for decades we’re used to playing big ball. There is a big difference between playing small ball and big ball. While America is playing our game like Alabama was playing against Arkansas, it’s time for America to start playing our game like Alabama played against Texas A&M.” For those non-college football fans living in the college football crazed state of Alabama, Byrne was referring to the University of Alabama’s 14-13 road win over Arkansas vs. a dominating 59-0 home win over Texas A&M. Byrne complained about spending on entitlement programs, specifically “welfare, Medicaid, food stamps and government housing assistance.” He said the country is spending $750 billion on those programs, which is 50 percent more than defense spending.

“America is a great country, but unfortunately we have not been acting like a great country.” - U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne

“We are paying people not to work,” said Byrne, who sits on the House Committee on Armed Services and Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Natural Resources. “We need to consolidate the programs.” He recommends giving block grants to states, which will do a better job than the federal government of taking care of people “who are truly in need.” He said the cost savings can be used to “not only balance the budget, but begin to pay down the debt.” Byrne pointed out that the Alabama Legislature, which he was part of, must approve and balance the budget. That is not the case with Congress, which has not passed a budget in five years because “we don’t want to face up to the hard decisions …” n

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

Optimistic Bunch MONTGOMERY BUSINESS EXECUTIVES EXUDE CONFIDENCE by David Zaslawsky

The most optimistic group of business leaders in Alabama is right here in Montgomery. The Capital City has had the highest confidence index in 10 of the last 14 quarters.

including indexes of 70 for sales and profits. Another optimistic sector was health care, which saw a 4.9-point increase from the third quarter for a fourth-quarter index of 54.9. That included a 61.3 index for fourthquarter sales.

Montgomery tied with Mobile among the state’s metro areas for the most optimistic in the fourth quarter of the Alabama Business Confidence Index. The quarterly survey is conducted by the Center for Business and Economic Research in the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce.

“People are more confident about business here, which could lead to greater investment, job creation and expansion of current businesses’ operations in our community,” Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said in a statement. “It is especially important when you realize we’re leading the state – and have led the state for 13 out of the last 17 quarters.” Montgomery business executives were tops among the metros in their outlook for the national economy, state economy and capital expenditures components while second to Mobile in the three other components: industry sales, industry profits and industry hiring. Birmingham was the No. 3 metro in the fourth quarter with an overall index of 53.9 and Huntsville was a distant fourth with an index of 49.7, which shows contraction. Meanwhile, the strongest sectors for Montgomery are professional, scientific and technical services. Other positive sectors are construction, manufacturing, financial and retail trade. The sectors that were most likely to add workers in the 2014 fourth quarter were manufacturers, construction and professional services. The overall Alabama Business Confidence Index (ABCI) for the fourth quarter fell 1.3 points from the third quarter to 54.2. The construction sector was upbeat about the fourth quarter with an overall index of 65.6,

100 90 80

INDEX

Montgomery’s fourth-quarter index actually slipped 0.3 points from the third quarter to 58.7 while Mobile’s index rose 3.2 points to tie Montgomery. It marks the third straight quarterly that Montgomery was the top metro.

Q4 2014 THROUGH Q4 2014

70 60

53.3

51.3

56.6 54.3 55.4 58.8 59.0 58.7

44.3

40 30 20 10 0

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

2012 2013

2014

Source: Center for Business and Economic Research in the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce

The following is a component-by component breakdown of the 2014 fourth quarter ABCI: NATIONAL ECONOMY This component improved 0.2 points from the third quarter to 51.6. About 34 percent of the respondents expected the fourth quarter to improve while 24 percent expected a decline. Forty-four percent expected the fourth quarter to remain the same as the third quarter. STATE ECONOMY The component was off 3.0 points from the previous quarter, falling to 56.4. Almost half of the panelists (48 percent) projected the quarter to be the same as the previous quarter. The component did have three times as many panelists expecting an improved quarter (39 percent) compared with 13 percent who expected a worse quarter. Continued on page 60

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Continued from page 58

INDUSTRY SALES Although this component dropped the most from the third quarter – 3.1 points – the index is the highest of the six at 56.6. About 44 percent had forecast an increase in sales compared with 19 percent who expected sales to decline in the fourth quarter. About one-third expected no change. The construction, health care, retail trade and other services sectors were the most optimistic about sales. INDUSTRY PROFITS The component was mostly unchanged from the third quarter, declining 0.5 points to 54.4 in the fourth quarter. Almost 40 percent expected profits to increase in the fourth

ABCI BY METRO AREA Q4 2014

54.2

Alabama

53.9

Birmingham-Hoover Huntsville

49.7

Mobile

58.7

Montgomery

58.7 45.0 50.0 55.0 60.0

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

quarter and another 40 percent expected no change. Less than 25 percent had forecast a decline in profits. The least optimistic sectors were wholesale trade, professional, scientific and technical services. INDUSTRY HIRING The component had a decline of 2.4 points from the third quarter and fell to an index of 52.5. About 55 percent of the panelists expected no change in hiring from the third quarter while 27 percent expected to add employees and 17 percent expected fourth-quarter hiring to decline. The sectors that forecast robust job growth were construction and manufacturing. The wholesale trade, financial, transportation, information and utilities sectors anticipated fewer jobs. CAPITAL EXPENDITURES This component increased the most from the third quarter, adding 1.1 points to reach 53.7. Twice as many respondents expected an increase in capital spending than expected a decline – 30 percent vs. 15 percent. The majority – 54 percent – expected spending to remain the same. The most optimistic sectors were construction, retail trade, manufacturing and health care. n

BUSINESS BUZZ TUSKEGEE NO. 1 IN PRODUCING MINORITY AGRICULTURE, VETERINARY GRADS TUSKEGEE – Diverse: Issues In Higher Education has ranked Tuskegee University among the top 100 institutions for granting undergraduate and graduate degrees to minorities. Tuskegee took top spots for several degree areas, but the institution had the best showing in its ranking for African-American graduates in agriculture and veterinary medicine. The publication’s 2014 Top 100 Minority Degree Producers list ranked colleges and universities in three areas: associate, undergraduate and graduate degrees. In the undergraduate category, Tuskegee was No. 1 for minority graduates in the agriculture, agriculture operations, and related sciences degree field. The university was No. 2 for graduates in the natural resources and conservation field. The institution was No. 7 and No. 10 for architecture and related services and engineering undergraduate degrees, respectively. Tuskegee was No. 12 for masters’ degrees in the engineering category. In the doctoral degree category, Tuskegee was No. 2 in the physical sciences field. The university took the No. 1 spot for professional doctoral degrees in veterinary medicine. The rankings were calculated using the publication’s analysis of U.S. Department of Education reports submitted by the institutions.

TORCHBEARERS CLASS VI UNVEILS PHOTOGRAPH MOSAICS

INGRAM NOMINATED FOR TIME DEALER OF THE YEAR

MONTGOMERY – The Torchbearers Class VI representatives unveiled four large-scale photograph mosaics combining the work of professional and amateur photographers at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.

MONTGOMERY – Jack Ingram Nissan President Ray Ingram has been nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year. He is the owner of Jack Ingram Motors.

After the one night at the museum, the photograph mosaics will be displayed in public locations throughout Montgomery, enabling those who contributed pictures to see their work displayed on a permanent basis. The photograph mosaics are made up of small pictures that were generated by encouraging Montgomery residents to tag pictures on Instagram with “#mymgm.” Between June and October, more than 600 pictures were added. Those images were then layered into larger photographs donated by area photographers Grace O’Connor and Jonathan Kohn. The smaller pictures represent “My Montgomery,” and the larger combined image is “Our Montgomery.” Torchbearers is the leadership class of EMERGE Montgomery, an organization of young professionals aged 22-40. “We wanted to encourage people to share pictures of what makes Montgomery special for them, and then we combined a number of those pictures into something that represents all of ‘Our Montgomery,’” Brent Rosen said in a statement. “Just looking at the pictures shows that ‘Our Montgomery’ is an exciting, diverse and thriving place,” Kate Bartlett said in a statement. Both Rosen and Bartlett are members of the Torchbearers Class VI.

MEMBER NEWS

Ray Ingram

Ingram is one of a select group of dealers from across the country, who will be honored at the 98th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Exposition in San Francisco. The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. Recipients are among the nation’s most successful auto dealers, who must also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. The award is sponsored by TIME Magazine in association with Ally, and in cooperation with NADA.

JACKSON HOSPITAL DIRECTOR SELECTED TO BOARD FOR NURSING LICENSE EXAM MONTGOMERY – Gretchen Vercher, director of Jackson Hospital’s oncology, orthopedic and joint, and Gretchen Vercher advanced spine centers, was one of six nurses from across the nation to be selected as a volunteer item reviewer for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX). CONTINUED ON PAGE

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

CONTINUED FROM PAGE

She was nominated on the basis of clinical specialty and nursing expertise. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is responsible for developing and administering the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN licensing exams. Vercher, a registered nurse, was approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing and selected by NCSBN to participate on the item development panel of subject matter experts. All nurses in the United States and its four territories must take the NCLEX. The licensing exam identifies those candidates who demonstrate minimal competence to practice nursing at the entry level. Passing the NCLEX exam is one of the requirements necessary for attaining a nursing license.

LEADERSHIP MONTGOMERY TOP EXECUTIVE RECEIVES SUPERIOR LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR AWARD MONTGOMERY – Leadership Montgomery Executive Director Cheryl Carter was the recipient of the Cheryl Carter “Superior Leadership Director Award” by the Alabama Community Leadership Network (ACLN). Carter was selected from a statewide group of nominees of community development leaders. In addition to her work with Leadership Montgomery the past seven years, Carter in 2008 developed the curriculum for the Torchbearers, the River Region’s young professionals’ leadership class. That same year, under her direction, Leadership Montgomery created and established EMERGE Montgomery, a young professionals’ membership program. “Dr. Carter is the outstanding example of an executive leader,” Leadership Montgomery President

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

Carolyn Bryan said in a statement. “She has taken Leadership Montgomery to new heights during her tenure as its director and we know our program will continue to have an amazing impact on our community and the development of its leaders, thanks to her guiding hand.” Leadership Montgomery will graduate its 31st class of community leaders in May 2015. Its alumni participate on hundreds of non-profit boards and community organizations.

WARREN AVERETT EMPLOYEE BECOMES CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT MONTGOMERY – Warren Averett, LLC, Certified Public Accountants and Advisors, announced that associate Rachel Lofton Rachel Loftin successfully completed and passed all four parts of the examination to become a certified public accountant (CPA).

MONTGOMERY HONDA YAMAHA NAMED TO POWER 50 DEALER LIST PLYMOUTH, Minn. – Montgomery Honda Yamaha has been named one of the Power 50 dealers in North America by Powersports Business, the leading trade publication for the power sports industry. “Out of the thousands of power sports dealers in North America, only the very best make the Power 50 list,” Powersports Business Editor-in-Chief Dave McMahon said in a statement. “These companies are the elite of the power sports industry, excelling at all aspects of their business.” The Power 50 is an annual list of dealerships that excel in business operations, professionalism, marketing tactics, customer service and more. This year marked the second annual Powersports Business Power 50 program. Montgomery Honda Yamaha General Manager David Huneycutt said in a statement: “We at Montgomery Honda Yamaha are honored to have been selected to the Power 50 this year. We celebrate this award with our customers, as they inspire us to provide an ideal retail environment.”

The Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination is administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. It qualifies RIVER REGION individuals for licensure ETHICS IN as certified public BUSINESS accountants in any of PRESENTS the 55 U.S. jurisdictions. ANNUAL AWARDS Individuals seeking to qualify as CPAs – the only MONTGOMERY – Chappy’s David Barranco licensed qualification in Deli received the River accounting – are required to pass Region Ethics in Business award for the CPA examination. large companies. Loftin works in tax division at the firm’s Montgomery office. She has been with the firm one year and works with individual, S corporation and partnership tax returns.

Owner David Barranco accepted the award at the ceremony at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club. The nominees included Foshee Companies and Trustmark Corp.

The winner in the mid-sized business category was Gipson’s Tire Pros. Other nominees included Harmon Dennis Bradshaw and OB-GYN Associates of Montgomery.

More than 40 managers from state and local government agencies participated in the 2014 CPM program and completed the requirements to receive their national certification.

The small business award recipient was Alabama Oncology and Hematology Associates. Other nominees in the category included Harold’s Jewelers and The UPS Store.

To enroll or learn more about the CPM program, contact Leslie Meadows at (334) 244-3040.

Easter Seals Central Alabama received the non-profit award while Montgomery Area Council on Aging and The Junior League of Montgomery were among the other nonprofit nominees.

MOWERY CONSULTING CLIENTS ENJOY SUCCESSFUL ELECTION NIGHT MONTGOMERY – Mowery Consulting Group helped an array of candidates and causes achieve success at the ballot box in November.

The Maury D. Smith Award for Excellence David Mowery in Professional Ethics Those victories included was presented to Marion Taylor State Sen. Clyde Chambliss, Dawson Jr. The other nominees R-Prattville; Rep. Lesley Vance, were Donald C. Brown and R-Phenix City; Rep. Richard Russell S. Dunman. Lindsey, D-Centre; State Sen. Billy Beasley, D-Clayton; and Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey. Senators Dick Brewbaker (R-Montgomery) AUBURN MONTGOMERY and Senator Cam Ward OUTREACH GRADUATES (R-Alabaster) were elected CERTIFIED without opposition. PUBLIC MANAGERS MONTGOMERY – Auburn Montgomery Outreach offers a nationally accredited certified public manager (CPM) training program through the division of training solutions.

The firm worked with a broad coalition of school and interest groups to pass Amendment 4, which protects local school districts from unfunded mandates.

The CPM training program has provided comprehensive management training for more than 25 years. Courses include topics such as leadership, project management, interpersonal communication, performance coaching, building and leading teams, managing public organizations and building partnerships. Students participate in critical thinking exercises as they explore methods to achieve efficiencies and cost savings for their individual agencies and the state.

Mowery Consulting Group is an independent political consulting and public relations firm. CONTINUED ON PAGE

Rigorous Academics. Lasting Friendships. MA students come from many different backgrounds, but they share one quality—intellectual curiosity. We invite you to see what makes MA one of the leading independent schools in the South.

Kindergarten Open House January 22, 2015 Ask about financial aid options that make an MA education a possibility.

Contact Susannah Cleveland, Director of Admissions admissions@montgomeryacademy.org

Th e M o n t g o m e r y A c a d e m y 334.272.8210 | mo nt gomeryac ademy. org The Montgomery Academy admits students of any race, religion, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the school.

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

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SERVISFIRST BANK REGIONAL PRESIDENT RECEIVES TORCHBEARERS BUSINESS AWARD MONTGOMERY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ServisFirst Montgomery Regional Bank President Carl Barker received the inaugural Torchbearers Outstanding Business Award at the Torchbearers Class VI graduation ceremony. â&#x20AC;&#x153;ServisFirst Bank has been a loyal supporter of Carl Barker Leadership Montgomery programs and we are honored to be able to thank this fine institution and Mr. Barker in particular, for continued support of our Torchbearers program,â&#x20AC;? Leadership Montgomery Executive Director Cheryl Carter said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the past six years, ServisFirst has stepped up and lead the way in sponsorships of tables for the LEAD

Summit, the Unity Breakfast and Young Professional FOUR STAR of the Year. In addition, FREIGHTLINER ServisFirst hosts the PARTNERS WITH annual Torchbearers TECHNICAL orientation reception COLLEGE in its main location MONTGOMERY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Four downtown. The bank Star Freightliner Inc. and lends its support of Jerry Kocan J. F. Ingram State Technical our annual leadership College have created a development programs by sending partnership that will enable the employees to both Torchbearersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students to build skills that and Leadership Montgomeryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will help them reenter the workforce. annual classes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are so appreciative of the ongoing support of ServisFirst and wanted to give them recognition for their continued support. Without the help of businesses like this, we would be unable to function in the community and impact it in a positive way.â&#x20AC;? Torchbearers Class VI has begun accepting applications for 2015. To be considered for membership in the young professionals leadership development class, visit www. emergemontgomery.org

The student population at the Ingram State campus in Deatsville consists primarily of incarcerated adults. Students who have anÂ interest in diesel technology will now have upto-date equipment to work on. Jerry Kocan, Four Star Freightliner dealer principal, donated two unusable 10-speed transmissions to the college so that students can get practice on current equipment. There are 13 students in the diesel mechanics program.

"" " !$ $ # % # Ticket Levels Single Level

$125

Home Run Level

$750

Grand Slam Level

$975

Individual, VIP Reception and get their picture taken with Dwight Gooden. Table of 8, Four table members attend the VIP Reception and get their Picture taken with Dwight Gooden. Table of 8, All eight table members attend the VIP Reception and get their picture taken with Dwight Gooden.

Special Guest â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dwight â&#x20AC;&#x153;Doctor Kâ&#x20AC;? Gooden 1984 National League Rookie of the Year, 1985 Cy Young Award Winner, 4-Time All-Star, 3-Time World Series Champion. 194 - 112 Pitching record, with a 3.51 ERA over a 17-Year Major League Baseball Career. Guest Emcee â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jeff Shearer, WSFA 12 TV - Sports Director

Contact Barry Dean with any questions: Cell (334)676-0434, email: barrydean@alabca.org The purpose of the dinner is to raise money to support the ALABCA programs that serve the amateur baseball players and coaches in Alabama throughout the year. Programs such as, but not limited to, their high school senior scholarship program, their free youth league volunteer coaches clinics held throughout the state, their minority coaches & player outreach efforts & their Miracle League partnership in sponsoring teams throughout the state.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

Youth League Baseball/ Softball Players Clinic for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;FIRST PITCHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; grades first-sixth will be DINNER, AUCTION 1 p.m.-5 p.m. March SCHEDULED 1 at the American FOR JANUARY League Complex in MONTGOMERY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Montgomery. The clinic Alabama Baseball is free for all Miracle Coaches Association League participants and Barry Dean is conducting its sixth $20 for others. The money annual â&#x20AC;&#x153;First Pitchâ&#x20AC;? raised will go toward the ALABCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dinner and Silent Auction of baseball mission of supporting one Miracle memorabilia Jan. 22 at the RSA League team in 12 cities in Alabama Activity Center. that have a league. Local high school The featured speaker will be 1985 Cy baseball, softball coaches and their players will help conduct the clinic. Young Award winner Dwight Gooden, who played for 17 seasons and was the 1984 National League Rookie of the Year. Gooden, who most spent most of his career with the New York Mets and New Yankees, had a 194-112 record with a 3.51 earned run average.

A â&#x20AC;&#x153;First Pitchâ&#x20AC;? dinner table or individual sponsorship form and March 1 Miracle League clinic registration form and flyer are available at www.alabca.org at the upcoming events section on the right side of the home page.

Several other current and former major leaguers will attend the dinner to sign autographs and take pictures.

For information, contact Barry Dean, executive director of ALABCA at (334) 676-0434 or barrydean@alabca.org.

The second annual Alabama Baseball Coaches Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

CAPELL & HOWARD RECOGNIZED AS A â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;BEST LAW FIRMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; MONTGOMERY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Capell & Howard has been recognized as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Law Firmâ&#x20AC;? by U.S. News and Best Lawyers for the fifth consecutive year beginning with the inception of the award. Firms included in the 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Law Firmsâ&#x20AC;? list, which received more than 600,000 law firm assessments and 40,000 client evaluations, are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. In addition, 17 of the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lawyers were selected for inclusion in the 2015 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. The following four lawyers were named as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Montgomery Lawyers of the Yearâ&#x20AC;?: Bruce J. Downey, employment lawmanagement; Henry H. Hutchinson,

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corporate law; K. Palmer Smith, real estate; and Debra D. Spain, trusts and estates. The following attorneys were also listed in The Best Lawyers in America: William D. Coleman, Frank H. McFadden, Henry C. Barnett, James M. Scott, Robert T. Meadows, D. Kyle Johnson, Shapard D. Ashley, Robert F. Northcutt, J. Lister Hubbard, James N. Walter, R. Brooke Lawson, Barbara J. Wells and M. Courtney Williams.

EXTRA HELP EMPLOYEES RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS CERTIFICATIONS ST. LOUIS – Extra Help Inc. announced that seven employees received their certifications from the American Staffing Association (ASA). Two of the employees from the Montgomery office – Jessica Wilks and Melody Crews – received certifications as a certified staffing professional. Wilks works with the firm’s staffing development team, screening applicants and managing placement for clients. She is also responsible for development in the Montgomery area. She has a master’s degree in human resources from Troy University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Auburn University. Crews, who joined the employment company last March, is working on a business management degree. She also works with the staffing development team, building relationships and providing services to new and current clients. The certified staffing professional program focuses on labor and employment law for those who interact with candidates, employees, and clients. Extra Help is a full-service employment, payroll and workforce services company that serves more than 1,000 mid-sized companies in 34 states from offices in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama and Missouri. 66

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

MONTGOMERY CEO APPOINTED TO NATIONAL PUBLIC POWER BOARD MONTGOMERY – Alabama Municipal Electric Authority Fred Clark President and CEO Fred Clark has been appointed to the American Public Power Association board of directors. The Washington, D.C.-based power association represents not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities that power homes, businesses and streets in nearly 2,000 towns and cities, serving 47 million Americans. The public power utilities generate or buy electricity from diverse sources. Clark, one of 30 elected members on the board, will fill the unexpired term of Austin Carroll from the Hopkinsville Electric System in Kentucky. The Alabama Municipal Electric Authority, located in Montgomery, is the wholesale power provider for 11 public power utilities in Alabama, which serve some 350,000 customers in Alexander City, Dothan, Fairhope, Foley, LaFayette, Lanett, Luverne, Opelika, Piedmont, Sylacauga and Tuskegee.

“Tom has an intense commitment to the fundamental principles of equal protection and equal justice,” Alabama State Bar President Rich Raleigh of Wilmer & Lee, P.A., said in a statement “He has worked zealously, both during his presidency and after, to help Alabamians through outstanding pro bono service, encouraging every lawyer and law firm to become involved, and emphasizing how every Alabama lawyer has a responsibility to render public interest legal service.” Created in 2011, the Albritton Award is presented each year to an individual attorney who has shown leadership and commitment to improving pro bono legal services to Alabama’s low-income citizens. The award is named for Judge W. Harold Albritton, who established the Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program in 1991. The award honors Albritton’s vision and leadership. Methvin began his career with Beasley Allen in 1988 shortly after graduating from the Cumberland School of Law. Prior to law school, Methvin attended the University of Alabama, where he received a degree in corporate finance.

ALABAMA POWER LAUNCHES MOBILE APP BEASLEY ALLEN MANAGING ATTORNEY RECEIVES LEADERSHIP AWARD

Alabama Power has launched a new mobile app that will enable customers to pay their bill; check their balance; monitor power usage; and find a business office.

MONTGOMERY – Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, The app may be downloaded Portis & Miles, at either the Apple App Store or P.C., principal and Google Play Store and searching managing attorney for Alabama Power app. Thomas J. Methvin Thomas J. Methvin The Alabama Power app is has been awarded another way we can interact with the 2014 Harold Albritton Pro Bono our customers to make their lives Leadership Award by the Alabama easier,” Shane Kearney of Alabama State Bar. Power customer services said Methvin is a past president of the in a statement. n Alabama State Bar (2009–2010) and the Montgomery County Bar Association (1996).

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE TRUSTMARK NAMES EXECUTIVE VP

SERVISFIRST BANK HIRES EXECUTIVES

MONTGOMERY – Trustmark announced that Tod S. Etheredge has been named executive vice president at the Montgomery main office.

MONTGOMERY – ServisFirst Bank announced the addition of an executive vice president, senior vice president and two vice presidents.

Tod S. Etheredge

Etheredge, who has 23 years of experience in the financial industry, will serve as retail and commercial banking manager. He received a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in engineering management from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He also received a certificate of accounting from Belhaven University.

EXIT REALTY ANNOUNCES HIRE MONTGOMERY – EXIT Hodges Real Estate announced the addition of Kathy Thompson to its team of real estate professionals.

Kathy Thompson

“We’re excited to welcome Kathy Thompson to EXIT Realty,” Paul Hodges, broker of EXIT Hodges Real Estate, said in a statement. “EXIT is growing and attracting quality business people like Kathy Thompson each and every day.”

Brad Armagost, who joined ServisFirst as executive vice president, will serve on the senior management team overseeing commercial lending and private banking needs for new and existing clients as well as business development for the Montgomery region. He joins ServisFirst Bank with more than 23 years of banking experience in commercial, private banking and credit administration. “We are excited to announce Brad Armagost has joined the ServisFirst team,” Carl Barker, president and CEO of ServisFirst Bank Montgomery, said in a statement. “His expertise, experience and connections will be a great asset to our clients and the bank’s continuous growth.” Armagost received a bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration with a major in accounting from the University of Alabama. He is a graduate of the Bank Administration Institute’s Graduate School of Bank Financial Management, which was held at Vanderbilt University and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Georgetown University. Allen Farr was hired as senior vice president for commercial banking. He has 14-plus years of experience, most recently serving as vice president and district manager for Wells Fargo in Charlotte, N.C. Farr’s primary responsibilities include developing new business with an emphasis on commercial

MEMBER NEWS

lending. In addition, he will oversee ServisFirst Bank’s two Montgomery banking centers. He received a bachelor’s degree in business management with a finance concentration from North Carolina State University. Janet Roberts joined ServisFirst as vice president, private banking officer. She has more than 29 years of experience. She was most recently serving as vice president, private banking officer with Sterling Bank. Roberts will work with clients and prospects who represent significant and high-net worth banking relationships. The bank also promoted Brooks Seale to vice president, mortgage lending. Seale, who has more than 14 years of experience in the banking industry, was most recently a mortgage loan officer. His responsibilities include soliciting new residential mortgage business as well as identifying, developing and maintaining a network of business relationships that serve as a recurring source of referrals for new mortgage and lending opportunities.

Brad Armagost

Allen Farr

Janet Roberts

Brooks Seale

He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University. CONTINUED ON PAGE

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

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TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY NAMES PROVOST, VP OF DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT

Robert Blakely

TUSKEGEE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; After a nationwide search with more than 35 candidates, Cesar Fermin has been chosen as Tuskegee Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new provost and vice president of academic affairs. Robert Blakely has been chosen to lead the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newly restructured Office of Development and Advancement.

Fermin, also a professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been with the university since 2007. In August 2011, Fermin was appointed as associate dean for graduate studies and research. He held that position until he became dean in summer of 2013. He has more than 40 years of academic experience.

Cesar Fermin

Fermin also served as project director for the Tuskegee Research Center in Minority Institutions from 2008 to 2011 and is the international academic and scientific adviser for Universidad TecnolĂłgica de Santiago in the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Fermin has been the chair of Tuskegeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Biomedical Research Symposium since 2007. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very pleased to invite Dr. Fermin to come alongside of me to serve in the capacity of provost/ vice president for academic affairs,â&#x20AC;? Tuskegee University President Brian L. Johnson said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śhe is a 21st century academic administrator well versed in datainformed decision making, which is quite essential for Tuskegeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intentions of becoming an outcomesoriented organization.â&#x20AC;? Before coming to Tuskegee University in 2006, Fermin worked at Tulane Medical School Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,

where he served from 1988 to 2005 as director of morphological services, including diagnostic electron microscopy, digital imaging and electronic communication matters. He received a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in biology-chemistry from Universidad National Pedro Henriquez UreĂąa in the Dominican Republic in 1974. He studied English at Florida Institute of Technology in 1975. where he also obtained a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in cell biology in 1977 and a doctorate degree in biology in 1981. From 1981 to1983, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and served there as an assistant professor from 1983 to1988 before becoming an associate professor at Tulane Medical School. Blakely is the former vice president for institutional advancement at Birmingham-Southern College, where he led a campaign that raised an all-time high of $16.6 for 2012-2013. During his tenure, he also oversaw

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4:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:30 p.m. / 5350 Vaughn Rd., 36116 Middle School 334-272-2465 / High School 334-272-7220 For more information about our school or to schedule a tour, call 334-272-7221 ext. 32.

St. Bede Elementary Campus Holy Spirit Elementary Campus Middle School Campus High School Campus www.montgomerycatholic.org

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

a 12.5 percent increase in overall annual fund support, including a 2 percent increase in participation. Previous to his leadership at Birmingham-Southern, he was the director of development for Samford University’s Brock School of Business for five years. He has also held fundraising positions at The Citadel in Charleston S.C.; Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn.; and DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. He received his undergraduate degree in history at the University of Massachusetts and his master’s degree in higher education administration from Vanderbilt University. “I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to closely examine the structure and processes in advancement, and to make the bold and necessary changes that will continue to professionalize our fundraising and stewardship efforts,” Blakely said in a statement.

COUNCILMAN JOINS PARTNERS REALTY MONTGOMERY – City Councilman Arch Lee has joined Partners Realty. He will focus on a variety of real estate categories including residential, commercial and land.

Arch Lee

Lee, who was born and raised in Montgomery, has worked in state government relations for the past 18 years and has owned a business, Arch Lee & Associates, since 2001. He was elected to the City Council in August 2011.

REGIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOL ADDS TWO EMPLOYEES MONTGOMERY – The Montgomery Regional Medical Campus of the UAB School of Medicine has appointed two new members to its staff.

Cedric A. Hicks

Cedric A. Hicks has been selected as the medical librarian for the UAB Medical Library at Baptist Medical Center South. Jo Len Kidwell will serve as the clerkship coordinator for the Montgomery regional medical campus.

Hicks is a native of Indiana and received his bachelor’s degree in telecommunications Jo Len Kidwell from Ball State University and a bachelor’s degree in English language writing and literature from Eastern Michigan University. Following his graduate studies at Wayne State University, where he received a master’s degree, Hicks obtained a doctoral degree from Alabama State University. He is a 2012 graduate of Alabama State University’s Educational Leadership, Policy, and Law program. Prior to joining the Montgomery campus, he was the head circulation and business librarian at Alabama State University. Hicks will be responsible for all library and medical literature research for medical students at the Montgomery campus; nursing, dietary, pharmacy, physical therapy and medical technology students; emergency medicine, family medicine, and internal medicine residents; and members of the medical staff at Baptist Medical Center South.

Kidwell, a native of Kentucky, received a bachelor’s degree in social work from Freed Hardeman University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Louisville. She was the education coordinator for the emergency medicine residency program at Washington University in St. Louis from 2000 to 2013. She had a similar role at the UAB Montgomery internal medicine program in 2013. In her new role, Kidwell will coordinate all aspects of the various clinical clerkships for the medical students at the Montgomery campus.

STERLING BANK ANNOUNCES BRANCH MANAGER MONTGOMERY – William “Billy” Nelson has been named branch manager of Sterling Bank’s Prattville location.

William “Billy” Nelson

Nelson will also manage the Baptist Medical Center office in Montgomery. His new responsibilities include working with both retail and commercial customers. “We are excited to have Billy as the new manager of our Prattville location,” Sterling Bank President W. Alan Worrell said in a statement. “His leadership will guide the talented team as they continue to grow the business and contribute to the advancement of the community.” Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry and has worked at Sterling Bank for the last 16 years. He is a native of Montgomery and received his undergraduate degree from Auburn University at Montgomery. Sterling Bank, a division of Synovus Bank, operates four branches in the Montgomery and Prattville markets. CONTINUED ON PAGE

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

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JACKSON THORNTON NAMES PRINCIPAL

J. Robert Hines

Rick Thompson

Chris Bell

Timothy Smith

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

MONTGOMERY – Jackson Thornton announced that Robert Hines has been selected as the certified public accounting and consulting firm’s newest principal.

Meanwhile, Jackson Thornton Technologies announced that Brian Driskill is the new vice president of business operations. The firm also announced three promotions: Chris Bell is the technical services manager; Rick Thompson is the Tennessee technical services manager; Timothy Smith is the project services manager. Hines serves as a principal in the firm’s Montgomery office, where he has worked for more than 16 years. A certified public accountant,

he specializes in accounting, tax and consulting services for closely-held businesses. Hines has particular concentrations in the industrial sector, working with manufacturing and wholesale distribution companies. He is a graduate of Troy University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. Driskill has 24-plus years of health care and technology management experience with expertise in executive operations and financial management within the health care services industry. He is a graduate of Samford University and Troy University, where he received a master’s degree in business administration. n

CHAMBER NEWS

MARY KAY BY LISA ANN

ROBERTSON AGENCY

4603 Applecross Place, Montgomery, AL 36106 334-271-6319 • www.marykay.com/lawilliamson Lisa Ann Williamson-Independent Beauty Consultant Cosmetics/Skin Care

8220 Old Federal Road, Montgomery, AL 36117 334-274-4800 • www.farmersagent.com/drobertson David Robertson-Agent • Insurance Companies/Services

SHARP COMMUNICATION

REPUBLIC FINANCE

2209 South Forbes Drive, Montgomery, AL 36110-15 800-548-2484 • www.sharpcom.com Trey Sharp-CEO • Safety Products

4067 Atlanta Highway, Suite 27, Montgomery, AL 36109 334-272-0871 • www.republicfinance.com Yvette Dubon-Branch Manager • Financial Services

ALABAMA TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION

BWS TECHNOLOGIES

EASTSIDE URGENT CARE

P.O. Box 240036, Montgomery, AL 36124 334-323-4777 • www.alabamatechnologyfoundation.org Rob Pirnie-President • Associations/Non-Profits

6781 Taylor Circle, Montgomery, AL 36117 334-358-6305 • www.bwsmontgomery.com Jeremy Jackson-President/CEO • Computers-Software/ Hardware/Consulting • Information Technology Firms

14 Mitylene Park Drive, Montgomery, AL 36117 334-524-3266 • Sagar Vadlamudi-Partner Hospitals/Clinics

FOUR STAR FREIGHTLINER

HCS GROUP, PC

3140 Hayneville Road, Montgomery, AL 36108 334-263-1085 • Jerry Kocan-President/CEO Truck Sales & Service

8401 Crossland Loop, Montgomery, AL 36117 334-277-6737 • www.hcsgroupet.com Kent Hornsby-President/CEO • Engineers-Specialized

MONTGOMERY CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

FOSHEE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION, LLC FOSHEE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LLC

NEWK’S EATERY

SARRELL DENTAL

7880 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, AL 36116 334-290-4955 • www.newks.com Matt Collins-Vice President Amberly Collins-Director of Marketing Restaurants • Catering

3439 B McGehee Road, Unit 22, Montgomery, AL 36111 334-288-1868 • www.sarrelldental.org Cara Brenner-Community Outreach Manager Dentists-Specialized

44 Market Plaza, 8th Floor, Montgomery, AL 36104 334-273-0313 • www.fosheedc.com www.fosheemanagement.com • John M. Foshee John H. Foshee-President, Foshee Design & Construction, LLC Golson Foshee-President, Foshee Management, LLC Architects • Contractors • Apartments

RIBBON CUTTINGS & GROUND BREAKINGS

345 Molton Street, Montgomery, AL 36104 334-240-2520 • www.cilmontgomery.org Kent Crenshaw-Executive Director • Associations/Non-Profit

January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

CHAMBER NEWS ACCOUNTINGCERTIFIED PUBLIC

MST CPA’S & ADVISORS, LLC Michael Shaw 250 Commerce Street Montgomery, AL 36104 334-391-7454 APARTMENTS

BRISTOL DOWNS APARTMENTS Paquita Hart 4132 Carmichael Road Montgomery, AL 36106 334-277-0883 THE TAPESTRY ON VAUGHN Jeff L. Davis 3201 Watchman Drive Montgomery, AL 36116 334-244-2091 ART GALLERIES

THE DAUBER GALLERY Mark Dauber 130 Commerce Street Suite 102 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-262-0082 ASSOCIATIONS/NON-PROFIT

ALABAMA ALLIANCE FOR ARTS EDUCATION Donna Russell 4131 Carmichael Road, Suite 24 Montgomery, AL 36106 334-269-1435 HOPE INSPIRED MINISTRIES, INC. Michael Coleman PO Box 1103 Montgomery, AL 36101 334-649-4330 NAMI ALABAMA Wanda M. Laird 1401 I-85 Parkway Suite A Montgomery, AL 36106 334-396-4797

NEW MEMBERS NATIONAL PARKS SERVICETUIN, TUAI & SEMO Sandra L. Taylor 1212 West Montgomery Road Tuskegee Institute, AL 36088 334-727-6390 AUTOMOBILE PARTS & SERVICES

PARTSNOLOGY & METALS, LLC Matt Hall 9259 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL 36064 334-396-7377 AUTOMOBILE REPAIR SERVICES

MACCO Willie Pedrick 1610 North Eastern Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36117 334-244-9300 AWNINGS

STRAUSS AWNINGS John Rooks 4720 Birmingham Hwy Montgomery, AL 36108 334-262-6308 BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTOR/BOTTLER

CATERING SERVICES

FINANCIAL PLANNER/ADVISOR

JASON’S DELI Landon Shirley 1520 Eastern Boulevard #12 Montgomery, AL 36117 334-409-9890

GUNTHARP FINANCIAL Nigel Guntharp 7515 Halcyon Point Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 334-799-9506

CATTLE

FOOD/KINDRED PRODUCTS-MFR.

CUSTARD CATTLE COMPANY, INC. Jay T. Custard 167 Laurelwood Drive Pike Road, AL 36064 334-657-4446 PRICE & ROLL CATTLE COMPANY, INC. Waylon Price P.O. Box 275 Hope Hull, AL 36043 334-288-5456 CHURCHES/MINISTRIES

EASTERN HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH Rick Marshall 3604 Pleasant Ridge Road Montgomery, AL 36109-3696 334-272-0604 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

COCA COLA UNITED Andy Britton 4919 Westport Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36108 334-652-9567

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, COLLEGE OF CONTINUING STUDIES Rhonda Copeland P.O. Box 870388 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0388 205-348-6330

BOOKS-RETAIL

CREDIT & DEBT COUNSELING

BARNES & NOBLE COLLEGE @ TROY-MONTGOMERY Ben Varner 231 Montgomery Street Montgomery, AL 36104 334-241-9510

CLEAN SLATE CREDIT, LLC William Frazier 600 South Court Street Suite 214 Montgomery, AL 36104 844-653-1133

CANDIES, COOKIES & CONFECTIONS

DENTISTS

GREAT AMERICAN COOKIES-EASTCHASE Scott Gilreath P.O. Box 243024 Montgomery, AL 36124 334-356-8111

MICHAEL V. LEGRAND, DMD, PC Michael LeGrand 8324 Crossland Loop Montgomery, AL 36117 334-279-1166 ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS

MEDCONNECT Jimmy Chapman 2012 Berry Chase Place Montgomery, AL 36117 334-215-3568

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

WIDGET DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING COMPANY, LLC Frances Martin 10 South Perry Street Montgomery, AL 36104 404-695-0141 FOODS-SPECIALIZED

POPCORN PIZZAZZ Alisha Gilliam 4029 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36109 334-517-1570 FUNERAL SERVICES

BELL-LEE’S FUNERAL HOME Braynard A. Collins 2020 West Jeff Davis Avenue Montgomery, AL 36108 334-265-0756 GIFTS & SPECIALTY-RETAIL

RIVER REGION DEPOT Charla Baumgardner 3500 Wetumpka Highway Montgomery, AL 36110 334-213-0018 HEALTH CLUBS

METROFITNESS Marney Garzon 7150 Halcyon Park Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 334-396-0040 INSURANCE COMPANIES/SERVICES

ROBERTSON AGENCY David Robertson 8220 Old Federal Road Montogmery, AL 36117 334-274-4800

LEGAL SERVICES ATTORNEYS

LEAVELL & ASSOCIATES, ATTORNEYS AT LAW Barry C. Leavell 205 Madison Avenue Suite A Montgomery, AL 36104 334-834-8663 THE HARRIS FIRM, LLC Steven Harris 4144 Carmichael Road Suite 100 Montgomery, AL 36106 334-782-9938 LUMBER/WOOD PRODUCTSMFR.

CONNER INDUSTRIES, INC. Bryan Welch 201 Smothers Road Montgomery, AL 36117 334-391-0419 PAIN MANAGEMENT

THE CENTER FOR PAIN OF MONTGOMERY Jennifer Talley 488 St. Lukes Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 334-288-7808 PAINT & PAINTING SUPPLIES

SHERWIN WILLIAMS #2047 John Worthy 1996 Highway 14 East Prattville, AL 36066 334-365-0456 SHERWIN WILLIAMS #2318 Ty Simmons 3800 Eastdale Circle Montgomery, AL 36117 334-277-4074 PAPER & ALLIED PRODUCTS-MFR.

STS FILING PRODUCTS, INC. Watkins C. Johnston, Jr 1100 Chandler Street Montgomery, AL 36104-2004 PARTY SERVICES

KREATIVE MOMENTS Kim Hall 3301 Willow Lane Drive Montgomery, AL 36109 334-233-4318

:PVS Æ&#x192;QDQFHV :PVS GVUVSF 0VS GPDVT PHARMACIES

REAL ESTATE-DEVELOPERS

ADAMS DRUGSChantilly Corners Mike Vinson 9168 EastChase Parkway Montgomery, AL 36117 334-386-7068

THE MICHAELS ORGANIZATION Milton Pratt 3 East Stow Road, Suite 100 Marlton, NJ 08053 856-797-8412

PLANTS/FLOWERS

LITTLE MOUNTAIN NURSERYATLANTA HIGHWAY Jeff Stabler 3396 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36109 334-279-9799 LITTLE MOUNTAIN NURSERYMCGEHEE ROAD Kathryn Stabler 3072 McGehee Road Montgomery, AL 36111 334-613-9798

RENTAL EQUIPMENT

AMERICAN RENTAL & TENT COMPANY Dennis Campbell 3371 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36109 334-277-6443 UNITED RENTALS Billy Bonner 2901 Wetumpka Highway Montgomery, AL 36110 334-277-3330

PRIVATE CLUBS

RESTAURANTS-FAST FOOD

ARROWHEAD COUNTRY CLUB John Sadie 50 Ocala Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 334-272-7180*21

TENDA CHICK Brian Moore 5951 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36117 334-260-8547

PUBLIC RELATIONS

RESTAURANTS-ICE CREAM/ FROZEN YOGURT

CYGNAL Brent Buchanan 7020 Fain Park Drive, Suite 1 Montgomery, AL 36117 334-239-3903 REAL ESTATE-AGENTS

CENTURY 21 BRANDT WRIGHT REALTY, INC. Brandt Wright 1900 Berryhill Road Montgomery, AL 36117 334-495-2100

NANCYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ITALIAN ICE Dorie Autrey 7976 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL 36116 334-356-1403

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SHIPPING SERVICES

RETRANS MONTGOMERY Charles F. Carver, III 305 Interstate Park Drive Montgomery, AL 36109 334-271-2244

REAL ESTATE-BROKER

TRUCKING SERVICES

CHANDLER REALTY, LLC Carlyle Chandler 572 South Perry Street Montgomery, AL 36104 334-263-5713

V-C TRUCKING, LLC Robert Preston 186 West Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36108 334-265-6012

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REAL ESTATECOMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL

BLACK BELT LAND & REALTY, LLC Jerry J. Ingram 14 Broad Street Lowndesboro, AL 36752 334-300-4273

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January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

CHAMBER NEWS

ECONOMIC INTEL UNEMPLOYMENT

Civilian Labor Force NOVEMBER P 2014

AREA

OCTOBER R 2014

Unemployment Rate

NOVEMBER R 2013

NOVEMBER P 2014

OCTOBER R 2014

NOVEMBER R 2013

Montgomery MA

162,623

163,784

165,850

5.60%

6.10%

6.00%

Autauga County

24,847

25,076

25,351

4.70%

5.30%

5.10%

Prattville City

15,903

16,032

16,162

4.20%

4.70%

4.20%

Elmore County

34,292

34,466

34,980

5.10%

5.30%

5.40%

3,802

3,885

3,843

10.40%

12.10%

10.00%

Montgomery County

99,683

100,357

101,677

5.90%

6.30%

Montgomery City

89,235

89,827

91,001

5.80%

6.20%

519,962

525,738

527,665

4.80%

5.20%

5.00%

Lowndes County

Birmingham-Hoover MA Birmingham City Huntsville MA Huntsville City Mobile MA Mobile City Alabama United States

87,546

88,429

88,904

6.60%

6.90%

209,866

212,022

210,781

4.80%

5.10%

4.90%

89,184

90,144

89,569

4.90%

5.20%

5.00%

177,664

179,509

181,596

6.40%

6.70%

6.80%

82,631

83,520

84,503

6.70%

7.10%

2,108,602

2,129,341

2,123,313

5.50%

5.80%

156,297,000

156,616,000

155,046,000

5.50%

6.60%

SALES TAX

MA=Metropolitan Area. pPreliminary rRevised Estimates prepared by the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations in Cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, based on 2013 benchmark.

NOVEMBER 2014

NOVEMBER 2013

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

YTD 2014

YTD 2013

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

Montgomery County

$3,488,968

$3,227,375

8.11%

$37,460,924

$36,457,160

2.75%

City of Montgomery

$8,079,106

$7,489,524

7.87%

$89,013,945

$86,374,452

3.06%

$133,780

$145,716

-8.19%

$1,726,167

$1,771,307

-2.55%

Prattville

$1,588,960

$1,526,110

4.12%

$18,421,231

$18,188,676

1.28%

Millbrook

$504,408

$483,142

4.40%

$5,481,635

$5,324,149

2.96%

Autauga County

$684,377

$511,915

33.69%

$7,137,463

$6,883,951

3.68%

Wetumpka

$471,709

$505,609

-6.70%

$5,132,575

$5,450,459

-5.83%

Pike Road

Sources: Montgomery County Commission, City of Montgomery, City of Pike Road, Autauga County Commission, City of Prattville, Elmore County Commission, City of Wetumpka, City of Millbrook. Note: YTD numbers are January 2014 thru current month.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

MONTGOMERY METRO MARKET HOME SALES* NOVEMBER 2014

OCTOBER 2014

MONTH/MONTH % CHANGE

NOVEMBER 2013

YEAR/YEAR % CHANGE

STATEWIDE NOVEMBER 2014*

Median Price

$145,000

$144,950

0.03%

$119,750

21.09%

$128,865

Average Price

$155,007

$158,429

-2.16%

$142,363

8.88%

$156,137

2,660

2,678

-0.67%

2,823

-5.77%

32,846

Units Listed Months of Supply

7.2

38.89%

10.4

-3.85%

10.7

Total # Sales

265

370

-28.38%

272

-2.57%

3,072

Days on Market

134

124

8.06%

117

14.53%

139

Source: Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE), The University of Alabama *November 2013 not available at print time.

BUILDING STARTS

Building Permits NOVEMBER 2014

OCTOBER 2014

Building Valuations NOVEMBER 2013

NOVEMBER 2014

OCTOBER 2014

NOVEMBER 2013

New Construction

429

$7,168,600

$13,824,600

$102,640,400

Additions and AlterationsÂ

896

$2,326,064

$34,489,420

$85,239,520

Others

253

$90,040

$116,300

$3,356,800

137

119

1578

$9,584,704

$48,430,320

$191,236,720

Total

Source: City of Montgomery Building Department

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January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

QUARTERLY REPORTS QUARTERLY REVENUES

NET INCOME

EARNINGS PER SHARE

EARNINGS ESTIMATE

YEAR-AGO REVENUES

$1.1B

(-$24M)

(-$0.43)

N/A

$1.1B

(-$16M)

Loss rises due to acquistion costs

Kirkland’s

$92.4M

$5.6M

$0.27

$0.08

$85.9M

(-$1.5M)

Revenue increases 8%

Books-A-Million

$110.9M

(-$1.6M)

(-$0.10)

N/A

$111.5M

(-$2.2M)

Same-store sales declined 1.9%

AnnTaylor

$462.4M

$2.1M

$0.03

$0.07

$527.2M

(-$13.4M)

Comparable store sales fell 13.7%

Williams-Sonoma

$729.3M

$7.3M

$0.07

$0.05

$752.1M

(-$11M)

Gross margins rise almost 3%

Sears Holdings Corp. (K-Mart)

$10.2B

(-$127M)

(-$1.09)

$10.7B

(-$146M)

Cost-cutting, tight inventories reduce losses

TJX (TJ Maxx)

$5.2B

$347.8M

$0.81

$0.80

$4.8B

$235.8M

Profit jumped 32%

$1B

$30.3M

$0.37

$0.18

$1B

$12.2M

Profit more than doubled

$268.3M

(-$10.9M)

(-$0.17)

N/A

$323.6M

(-$2.5M)

Same-store sales fell 18%

$14.8B

$436M

$0.58

$0.50

$15.1B

$369M

Profit increased 18%

Chico’s FAS

$446.9M

$22.7M

$0.13

$0.07

$394.2M

$2M

Comparable stores sales up 13%

Home Depot

$16.4B

$689M

$0.41

$0.36

$17.8B

$756M

Comparable stores sales fall 6.9%

Lowe’s

$11.4B

$344M

$0.23

$40.24

$11.7B

$488M

Profit declined 30%

NAME Barnes & Noble

Big Lots Pacific Sunwear Target

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

YEAR-AGO NET INCOME

NOTABLE

QUARTERLY REPORTS NAME

QUARTERLY REVENUES

NET INCOME

EARNINGS PER SHARE

EARNINGS ESTIMATE

YEAR-AGO REVENUES

YEAR-AGO NET INCOME

Blockbuster

$910.5M

(-$114.1M)

(-$0.60)

N/A

$1.1B

(-$123.3M)

Revenue dropped 21%

Kohl’s

$4.1B

$193M

$0.63

$0.61

N/A

$160M

Net earnings rose 21%

Walmart

$98.7B

$3.2B

$0.84

$0.81

$98.3B

$3.1B

Same-store sales off 0.4%

JC Penney

$4.2B

$27M

$0.11

$0.12

$4.3B

$124M

Profit fell 78% due to pension plan

Abercrombie & Fitch

$765.4M

$38.8M

$0.44

$0.20

$896.3M

$63.9M

Profit declined 39 percent

Hhgregg

$332.2M

$4.9M

$0.13

$0.07

$320.3M

$3.4M

Profit jumped 46 percent

Starbucks

$2.4B

$150M

$0.24

$0.21

N/A

$5.4M

Earnings rose on lower operating costs

CVS Caremark

$24.6B

$1B

$0.71

$0.64

$20.9B

$732.5M

Profit increased 39%

International Paper

$5.9B

$371M

$0.87

N/A

$5.8B

$136M

Repaid $1.3B of debt

Regions Corp.

N/A

(-$437M)

(-$0.32)

(-$0.26)

N/A

$79M

Will close 121 branches across 6 states

BB&T

N/A

$157M

$0.23

$0.22

N/A

$362M

Non-interest income up 18.7%

$4.7B

$790M

$0.99

N/A

$5.4B

$780.4M

Revenue fell 13.7%

Southern Co. (Alabama Power)

NOTABLE

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January 2015 Montgomery Business Journal

HYUNDAI SALES

AIR FARES

VEHICLE

NOV 2014

NOV 2013

YTD 2014

YTD 2013

Accent

3,499

4,641

54,743

53,358

Sonata

18,515

16,595

199,012

189,169

Elantra

14,002

16,751

203,163

226,220

9,787

9,657

97,511

80,595

272

512

6,535

10,129

Tucson

3,642

3,285

44,192

Veloster

1,296

2,216

Santa Fe Azera

Veracruz Genesis Equus Total

Roundtrip airfare comparisons from Montgomery, Birmingham and Atlanta airports to key destinations. DESTINATION

MONTGOMERY

BIRMINGHAM

ATLANTA

Baltimore (BWI)

$303

$273

$256

Boston (BOS)

$317

$390

$194

Charlotte, NC (CLT)

$245

$249

$351

Chicago (ORD)

$303

$266

$108

38,192

Cincinnati (CVG)

$260

$400

$295

25,913

27,664

Dallas/Ft Worth (DFW)

$409

$331

$131

175

Denver (DEN)

$320

$390

$212

Detroit (DTW)

$303

$420

$162

Houston (HOU)

$301

$336

$171

Indianapolis (IND)

$304

$465

$225

Las Vegas (LAS)

$418

$493

$378

Los Angeles (LAX)

$350

$459

$276

Memphis (MEM)

$348

$355

$292

Miami (MIA)

$395

$392

$286

Nashville (BNA)

$481

$344

New Orleans (MSY)

$483

$317

$228

New York (JFK)

$303

$331

$302

Orlando (MCO)

$369

$227

$206

Philadelphia (PHL)

$303

$242

$129

Pittsburgh (PIT)

$303

$404

$256

St Louis (STL)

$259

$256

$225

Seattle (SEA)

$460

$415

$337

Seoul (SEL)

$1,516

$1,337

$1,455

Tampa (TPA)

$335

$263

$225

Washington DC (DCA)

$303

$256

2,431

1,989

27,069

29,050

228

359

3,072

3,226

53,672

56,005

661,211

657,778

Source: Hyundai Motor America

Date of travel: Jan. 20-25, 2015. Date of pricing: Dec. 7, 2014. Source: travelocity.com

MONTGOMERY REGIONAL AIRPORT STATS NOVEMBER 2014 Air Carrier Operations

NOVEMBER 2013

YTD 2014

YTD 2013

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

936

894

4.7%

9,810

9,976

-1.7%

4,780

5,102

-6.3%

60,456

55,813

8.3%

Enplanements

14,389

13,212

8.9%

154,071

148,224

3.9%

Deplanements

14,684

13,014

12.8%

155,562

147,928

5.2%

Total Passengers

29,073

26,226

10.9%

309,703

302,474

2.4%

Total Operations

Source: Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) Dannelly Field

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

Montgomery Business Journal January 2015

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