Montgomery Business Journal – January 2016

MAKING AN MPACT PAGE 8

FAST-FOOD PHENOMENON PAGE 21

SALUTING EXISTING INDUSTRIES PAGE 18

Taking Center Stage A. BRUCE CRAWFORD STEPS INTO THE LEAD ROLE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE MONTGOMERY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. PAGE 40

CONTENTS Q&A with Cindy Veazey

JANUARY 2016

25

08

28 40 21 56 MEMBER NEWS 16 Member Profile: MST CPAs & Advisors 34 Member Profile: Charlie’s Trophies

CHAMBER NEWS 06 Calendar 52 Reporter’s Notebook 60 Business Buzz 68 Members on the Move 72 Ribbon Cuttings & Ground Breakings 73 New Members 76 Economic Intel

FEATURES 8

PREPARING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE Q&A with Cindy Veazey

18 RIDING A WAVE OF EXPANSION Success Starts Here tour spotlights existing industries 21 KING OF BURGER KINGS Local BK owner named franchisee of the year 25 BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Industrial Partners invests $4.2 million in spec facility 28 TOURISM IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Research drives Montgomery Chamber’s strategy

40 TAKING CENTER STAGE A. Bruce Crawford steps into the lead role as chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors 56 AIR FORCE MUST INNOVATE Gen. Roberson: “We don’t fight without air power.”

57 UPBEAT BUNCH Montgomery business leaders remain the state’s most optimistic 58 POWERFUL NETWORKING Chamber launches new events, products for Total Resource Campaign

36 143rd ANNUAL MEETING Photo Spread

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Randall L. George EDITORIAL

Tina McManama David Zaslawsky Lashanda Gaines Melissa Bowman DESIGN

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Robert Fouts ON THE COVER

A. Bruce Crawford is the 2016 Chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

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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 8, Issue 1.

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

We think like contractors.

JOHNNY WEATHERFORD CPA THE BUSINESS BUILDER Johnny has spent his career working with commercial contractors. His hands-on experience includes equipment acquisition analysis, continuity planning, licensing and prequalification, and multi-state strategies. Jackson Thornton’s comprehensive services support a strong financial structure.

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His expert services have never been more important to risk management and timely decision-making in a complex regulatory environment.

FEBRUARY 60 MINUTE COFFEE Sponsored by Capitol Hyundai 8 AM @ Capitol Hyundai 2820 Eastern Bypass, Montgomery Free event, exclusively for Chamber Members

CHAMBER NEWS

EVENTS

JANUARY

OF THE CITY 11 STATE AND COUNTY

6

Sponsored by Baptist Health 7:30 AM @ RSA Activity Center 201 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery Registration required: montgomerychamber.com/state

EGGS & ISSUES WITH SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY

7:30 AM @ RSA Activity Center 201 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery Registration required: montgomerychamber.com/Shelby

28 BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Sponsored by Guardian Credit Union and DoubleTree by Hilton 5 PM @ Doubletree by Hilton 120 Madison Avenue, Montgomery Free event, exclusively for Chamber Members

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

25 BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Sponsored by Montgomery Airport Authority 5 PM @ Montgomery Regional Airport 4445 Selma Highway, Montgomery Free event, exclusively for Chamber Members

The Montgomery Chamber Event Calendar is at montgomerychamber.com/events

Cindy Veazey

is director

of the Montgomery Public Schools Career Tech Department. She was recently interviewed by the Montgomery Business Journal’s David Zaslawsky.

Q&A PREPARING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

Montgomery Business Journal: What are your responsibilities as director of the Montgomery Public Schools Career Tech Department?

Veazey: I oversee all the career tech programs in all the traditional high schools and middle schools and the career tech center – MPACT (Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies).

n

MPACT at One Center (the old Montgomery Mall) will open in the fall of 2016.

What impact will it have on the career tech department?

What new products will be offered in fall 2016? n

It will be medical science and industrial systems.

What are the existing programs that will be at MPACT at One Center? n Advertising and design, building science, electrical, welding, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), IT, fire science and public safety.

Are there other programs that you are thinking about adding at some point?

There will be numerous students involved because we will be pulling from all the traditional schools and they will have an opportunity to participate in the 10 programs there. It means those students will be able to get hands-on training and credentials in areas that will make them work-ready or college- and careerready. It will make an impact on the fact that students will have industry credentials in several areas and hopefully they will graduate with some work readiness skills and go right into the workforce or to two-year or four-year schools.

n There are lots of potential programs, especially with Trenholm (State Community College) and what they are going to do and dual enrollment will offer, which may include some additional programs. For instance, from the HVAC and the industrial systems, we may have a plumbing track/credential. There will be seven credentials. Industrial systems opens that up to many things because it’s machinery. It could be more of an engineering-type program. A lot of that will depend again on the workforce demand. I anticipate so many students coming out that industry wants and likes and will start coming back and asking for more.

How many students are projected to study at MPACT in the fall?

Talk about a simulated workplace at MPACT and why that’s important.

n Probably 500 to 550 – maybe more. We have almost 300 now. We are adding programs and will have more room in the fall.

n It’s very important. Students will work in an environment that will be very much like the workplace.

There will be a student training manual instead of a disciplinary handbook. They will have guidelines as they would in work. You will come in and put on your safety (items). The timeliness, attendance. Certain programs will even incorporate simulated pay.

n

What is the student capacity for MPACT? n

Maybe 600 or 700.

Can that be reached in three to four years?

Sure, hopefully so. We would have to do some rescheduling. There is additional buildout space within the school. It will depend on the workforce demand; the programs that do take off and that students are interested in. There’s room for expansion and we anticipate expansion and we want expansion, but just exactly what it will be and how many, will depend on how successful the programs are. n

Doesn’t a new facility in the fall generate a lot of buzz for the career tech department and boost success?

Students will get a real taste of the real world with soft skills and the skills needed for a job.

Right, and working in groups – similar to what you do on the job, and everybody has a role and if that person doesn’t do their role – what does that do to the group?

They will learn collaboration and problem-solving and how to pick up that weakest link (in the group) – much more life-like. n

Continued on page 10

n Oh, sure. The enthusiasm; the pride of a new building.

Right now they are working out of classrooms … that are crowded. The new space will greatly increase enthusiasm. For the public to see … easier to see what the students are doing and what they are learning.

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Will students be at MPACT for a full day?

Continued from page 9

Talk about the school district collaborating with Alabama Industrial Development Training and the Alabama Technology Network at MPACT.

“Students will work in an environment that will be very much like the workplace.”

– Cindy Veazey, director of the Montgomery Public Schools Career Tech Department

n That goes back again to the workforce. They will be able to help us keep our teachers up to date; make sure our equipment is up to date; and not necessarily provide all that, but let us know that “here is a new machine that is out that this particular industry is using that your kids need to be trained on.” We can also share equipment that can be so expensive. If there is a new piece of equipment that we might not necessarily need every day, but if they have it … We can also work together on adults training at night or students training at night. A lot of centers are doing that, where even if students who may not get high school credit for it, but come in after hours (for a credential) and work with AIDT or ATN and finish up a credential. A lot of these students are finding out the more tools you have in your toolbox, the better job you can get.

AIDT and ATN will be able to use the school district’s equipment after students leave for the day. n Exactly. An example with industrial systems that is going to open next year. I’m not an expert in that.

ATN and AIDT have people that are (experts in that field). We meet with those guys, my teachers along with a Trenholm teacher, and we talk about what the curriculum exactly needs to hold and what we need to do to work up to a certain credential – what credential we want to get out of that? What is the workforce asking for? We come around the table and talk about it, and we’re in the process right now for industrial systems (program). It’s a collaboration. Trenholm is offering something different than us, but we’re leading into that – some articulation agreement.

Why did the school district move its career teach program from a high school environment to a center? n The main reason is that we are able to reach more students. The student that is at Lee High School and plays a sport and also wants to be a part of the career tech program can do that now.

They could not do that before?

It was a separate school. They chose to go to that school. n

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

n Just for your career tech and math. We’ll have kids that go to Lee for half a day and then go to MPACT. We’ll have kids from Park Crossing that will come to MPACT for the morning and go back to Park Crossing.

They’ll come to MPACT for part of the day. Before, when MPACT was a school, it was just those kids that go to that school. There will be a morning session and an afternoon session.

What impact will MPACT have on dual enrollment with H. Councill Trenholm State Community College, which is located across the street? How many MPS students are in the dual enrollment program? n

There are about 12 in this semester that I know of.

Is it possible there will be a large increase in dual enrollment after MPACT opens in the fall? n Yes, I plan for it to. It will be much easier once we move and allow some of our instructors to be the adjunct instructor so a student can be at school and taking industrial systems, but they’re also getting dual enrollment credit.

Talk about the career tech program, focusing on workplace math skills and soft skills.

Industry continuously talks about the lack of math skills in the workplace or the lack of hands-on math skills that are needed in some of the tech areas. We’ve taken that on and actually started this year (2015) an emphasis on the math skills. Career tech teachers do so many lessons on basic decimals, fractions – things you would need in a building science or electrical (job). We hear all the time that kids can’t read a ruler. n

The soft skills are critical because not everybody is exposed to those. n That’s a lot of what the simulated workplace has to do with – the collaboration – the working together as a team. Doing your part and making sure that you are there; making sure you’re on time. If it’s your responsibility to clean up – you clean up.

That will help students learn the basic dos and don’ts of the workplace. n An emphasis on WorkKeys is helping enhance the workplace math because all seniors take the WorkKeys now.

What is WorkKeys? n It is an assessment that is part of the ACT. It is basically applied math and applied reading and reading for information, which is usually (used for industry jobs).

In one of your PowerPoint presentations, it states that MPACT “becomes the blueprint for all MPS majors and academies.” What do you mean by that? n What we’ve been talking about – the soft skills and setting it up at the workplace. The hands-on, projectbased learning as opposed to the regular lecture (where you) memorize and spit it back. We are working through MPACT to work on the type of lessons that are projectbased. For instance, some kids from the building science program and electrical program went to a competition where they actually built a small house and wired it in two days. They had to draw the blueprints.

They had to work together on that. Those are the kinds of things that bring out the soft skills.

You keep talking about working together.

Is that what you are hearing from companies – the importance of working together as a team? n Sure, and that’s a problem-solving thing. I want our kids to be able to solve problems and that is done much more efficiently in teams.

One of the goals of the career tech program is creating a path for high school students, and I don’t think everybody realizes that, especially for students not going to a four-year college or university. n Sure, to have options. Most teenagers come to school to come to school. They have no goal in mind. It’s a way to set (goals) in motion. In ninth grade they have a career preparedness class that all students have to take. Through that class they take interest inventories; they take a skill confidence assessment; they take their work assessment – just to get the kids to start thinking about what do I want to do. What kind of car do I want to drive and what do I have to do for that. It’s very basic to start with, but it classifies them within the 16 clusters that we call career clusters.

Continued on page 12

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“What do I want to do?” Even with kids going to college – “What are you going to major in?” “I don’t know.”

Hopefully it will at least begin that process, and also it helps the parents. It gives them something to talk to the kids about. It starts that conversation at home. A lot of parents, of course, want their kids to go to college and they should and that’s a great goal, but they also need to know that, for instance, in the IT field – that at this point it’s much more important the credential you have than the four-year degree. If you can do cyber security and you have those kind of credentials you can go right over to Gunter (Annex) and go to work. That information helps the students and we put that data into four-year plans and every year they will review that because kids are going to change their mind.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies.

Continued from page 11

It gets the students thinking about their future.

Within that we even do budgets. You want to live in this kind of a house and this is what it’s going to take, and they get a realistic view … We also have people locally come in and say, “These jobs are available and this is what you’ll get paid.” They try to get them information so they (students) can start thinking, n

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

The important thing is that they are thinking about jobs and what they would like to do. n All career tech classes explore careers – talk to kids about careers.

Are any of the Career Academies moving to MPACT? n

At this time, they are going to stay where they are.

Does the general public know about all of these technical programs, and if not, how do you spread the message to connect with the right audience? n Hopefully they do. We send (information) home to parents. We did the Extravaganza last year. We are in the process of setting up what we call a recruiting action plan. In the spring we will do a lot of that, where the programs will go down to the eighth grade. The programs will show up at parent nights. We’ll give out information and send a lot of things home. We’re doing things on social media just to get it out there. The MPACT teachers themselves will be going to different schools and showing what they do. We’ll be taking kids over to MPACT. We are doing everything that we can so the parents understand and the students understand what programs we have available.

Is getting buy-in from the parents the biggest hurdle that you face? n I would say some students and parents, because the average parent does not look at workforce data every day. They don’t know you can work at the Hyundai assembly line and make close to $70,000 or if you have some industrial systems-type skills, the jobs that are available and the opportunities for that student to advance. It’s kind of the old mindset of, “I’m going to be

a doctor, lawyer or nurse and go to a four-year college.”

Things are changing and a lot of that is technology.

It’s the whole new paradigm shift of, economics have changed and job opportunities have changed, and getting that to trickle down to students and parents.

Are there other hurdles? n Industrial systems. Who even knows what that is? We were talking about, how do you market that to the kids? A lot of people (think) industrial maintenance is custodial.

Tom Salter, senior communication officer for Montgomery Public Schools: We don’t know what kids are going to need when they get to their 30s and 40s because some of those jobs may not have been invented yet. There are some constants like teamwork and research and all things that you have to be able to do. Cindy and her folks are charged with trying to provide skills that will be useful in ways that we don’t know yet.

Even the technical fields that we work, such as welding, change so much. The equipment changes; the technology changes. If we can do the constants and teach kids to be life-long learners … It’s not just, “Here’s your skill, go do it.” n n

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PREPARING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE

STUDENTS DO THE HEAVY LIFTING IN GROUNDBREAKING

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

Although there was one speaking role for a student, make no mistake that the groundbreaking for the school district’s Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies was all about the students.

It was the students who were front and center at the physical groundbreaking, taking their shovels and throwing some dirt while the adults stood by.

“We are today breaking ground on opportunity and hope,” Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Margaret Allen said. “It takes both of those – it takes opportunity and it takes hope – for us to move students to where they need to be.

“I am truly excited that once they are in the inside of those walls, they will be ushered toward personal development and economic development. And their personal and economic development moves the rest of this community and this city forward.”

There would not be a new facility at One Place in the fall of 2016 if not for the partnerships between the school district, county, city, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, Alabama Industrial Development Training, Alabama Technology Network and H. Councill Trenholm State Community College, as well as other entities.

“This is the epitome of ‘it takes a village’,” Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said about MPACT, which the city and county are helping fund along with the Montgomery County Department of Education.

A large group participated in the groundbreaking for the Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies at One Center.

“It has taken all of us together to bring us to this moment,” Strange said. “And frankly, it will take all of us together and many other partners to take us to that grand opening and take us to what the real goal is – educating 500, 600, 1,000 students so they can go into our 21st century jobs and care for and take care of their respective families.”

Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean Sr. said that the city and county “have been talking about this project for years now.”

Allen praised and thanked all the partners for making MPACT a reality, and her list – on the back of the groundbreaking agenda – included all those listed above and the Alabama Department of Education’s Career Technical Education Department, Montgomery Public Schools Career Tech Department and the MPACT faculty, staff, students and their parents.

AIDT Director Ed Castile, who is also the state deputy commerce secretary, said, “Anytime you get a chance to work with Mayor Strange and Chairman Dean on something, you know it’s going to be a quality project and it’s going to be an exciting project, and this (MPACT) is certainly that.”

For Cindy Veazey, director of the Montgomery Public Schools Career Tech Department, the new facility “represents the strong partnership between Montgomery Public Schools, our city and county government, business and industry, our two- and fouryear colleges and universities, our community leaders and of course our parents.

“I believe that together we can achieve anything and this (groundbreaking) today is proof of that. I’m very proud to say that working together we have made MPACT a reality.”

Montgomery County Board of Education President Melissa Snowden said that “it takes all of us and that’s what we’ve done … we have come together. When we all come together – when we pull together in one direction – we can do mighty things.” n

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

“We are today breaking ground on opportunity and hope.”

– Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Margaret Allen

These are artist renderings of the Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies.

“This facility will equip our future engineers, our future welders, electricians, manufacturers, graphic artists, medical personnel, our building managers and many, many others that … will be the experts in building, designing, creating,” Cindy Veazey, director of the Montgomery Public Schools Career Tech Department, said at the MPACT groundbreaking.

PREPARING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE

MPACT HAS LOTS OF ROOMS TO GROW

by David Zaslawsky

The school district’s Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies will never suffer growing pains as the new facility will use about one-third of the space at the former JC Penney building.

MPACT, which is scheduled to open in the fall 2016 semester, will occupy about 65,000 square feet at One Center, which is the former site of the Montgomery Mall.

The expected enrollment is about 500 students.

The building is about 180,000 square feet and the school district could use the additional room to expand MPACT, storage space or office space. There are no current plans for that space.

The two-story $9.4 million school, including construction, furnishings and equipment, will feature four traditional classrooms, 11 career labs and a media center.

The following subjects will be offered at the school: medical science, electrical, construction, welding, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), advertising and design, advanced manufacturing, information technology, fire science and public safety.

“MPACT center is the realization of a long-held dream to have a place that will have innovative career technical education programs that not only meet industry needs, but give our students real opportunities and additional pathways to success.”

MPACT Principal Marsha Baugh said that students will leave the school “equipped with the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful in their career paths. She said, “There are no limits as to what will be done once this center opens.”

For Edward Ziegler, a student enrolled in MPACT, the groundbreaking “shows that Montgomery is making a difference in young people’s lives. MPACT is a path for college and careers.”

Deputy Commerce Secretary and AIDT Director Ed Castile talked about a “laser-focus” on workforce development and “what we’re going to do in this particular facility.” He praised Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Margaret Allen for being “laserfocused and because of that we’re going to improve this workforce … without a doubt.”

Businesses being recruited to Montgomery will see the commitment being made to “make our students better,” Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said. “We will win on the field of competition and economic development and the Chamber (Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce) is part and parcel of everything that’s been good about what we have done.” n

The Alabama Industrial Development Training program along with the Alabama Technology Network will have space in the building that is called the Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center.

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Member Profile

DIFFERENT APPROACH MST CPAs & Advisors break from traditional accounting firms

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

The three partners of MST CPAs & Advisors (from left) are Jody Thrasher, Michael Shaw and Jeremy Moreland.

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

Although the Commerce Street address in downtown Montgomery is a traditional site for an accounting firm, MST CPAs & Advisors is far from the traditional accounting firm.

First of all, the three partners are young by traditional standards. There are two Generation X members and a Millennial.

“We really

Secondly, take a look at the website. “Your success is our passion” screams off the site. Under the heading “our firm” you come across these two subjects: “the importance of the relationship” and “the importance of assisting you.”

“We’re not just talking to clients once or twice a year,” Thrasher said. “We’re talking to them in many cases daily, weekly or minimum-monthly basis.” He said the firm seeks “a kind of in-depth relationship” with its clients.

This is definitely a different approach, and that’s why the three partners – Michael Shaw, Jeremy Moreland and Jody Thrasher – left a large, local accounting firm and formed MST 14 months ago at the Hobbie Building.

The firm aspires to be “an integral partner – a strategical partner – with our clients,” Thrasher said.

“We want them to call on us and not be afraid to pick up the phone because we’re not going to bill them in six-minute increments.”

“Fundamentally, one of the things that we like is the idea of being able to set our own vision and lay the path we want to do and be responsible for that,” Moreland said. It’s about being your own boss – being small business owners, and as Moreland said, deciding on which clients to take on; what type of work to do; and “even down to how we manage our day, our staff and everything else.”

It all starts with what the partners called an “onboarding process.” That is a sit-down with a client to thoroughly understand not only their business, but their goals as well. “It’s more of a continued relationship …” Shaw said.

Shaw said that today’s businesses are more mobile and the “generation coming up is more entrepreneurial. The skills that are needed to help that business and getting it going – whether it’s business planning or even strategically planning for older businesses – that’s a little bit outside the core concepts of an accounting firm.”

He said the partners have developed “pretty good expertise” in all the platforms that businesses utilize and recommend how a company can improve its workflow.

The firm wants to become a strategic partner with their clients and communication is the key. That’s why MST does not charge by the hour. They don’t want to discourage a client from calling and asking questions. They encourage it. “We simply eliminate that barrier (hourly charges) to good communication,” Shaw said.

wanted to try to implement a different model that was outside of a traditional

On the website it states that MST wants to develop a “comprehensive” understanding of a client’s business.

large firm –

“We really wanted to try to implement a different model that was outside of a traditional large firm – whether it be a large law firm or accounting firm model,” Thrasher said.

be a large

Although MST CPAs has been in a business a short time, the feedback has been quite positive, as Shaw said that their clients have been the firm’s “biggest referral sources in terms of either increasing the work that we do or letting their peers know that this is what MST is doing.” Attorneys, bankers and financial advisers have also referred clients to MST.

accounting

whether it law firm or firm model.”

– Jody Thrasher, partner at MST CPAs & Advisors

There are some long-term goals such as expanding their consulting business and perhaps adding services as needed. The partners are looking at hiring another employee this year – possibly a tax accountant or bookkeeper-level accountant.

“Five years from now, (when) we look at our client list and see that we have maintained the clients that we have now and grown organically through our relationships with them – we’re going to be very happy,” Shaw said. “It goes back to client satisfaction being the most important thing to what we do.” n

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

17

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange (right) congratulates DAS North America Chief Operating Officer James Uhm for the company adding 112 employees in 2015 and increasing its capital investment nearly $21 million.

Riding a Wave of Expansion

Success Starts Here Tour spotlights existing industries

When automotive supplier DAS North America first set up shop in Montgomery, the company had 60 employees, an initial capital investment of $11 million and was filling a single program for the Santa Fe vehicle.

About 11⠄2 years ago, the company, which produces seat components as a tier 2 supplier to both Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama’s plant in Montgomery and the Kia facility in West Point, Georgia, had grown to 400 employees. That initial capital investment had grown to $37 million after moving into its new 360,000-square-foot facility at Montgomery Industrial Park.

Now DAS, which sends it seat components to Lear Corp., has five programs: Sorento, Optima, Santa Fe, Elantra and Sonata. And the company added 115

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

by David Zaslawsky photography by Brian Carter

employees last year to increase its workforce to 532.

The initial capital investment has reached $60 million, after climbing nearly $21 million last year.

The growth story is not over. DAS had reached its capacity, supplying parts for 750,000 vehicles, so the company is adding two stamping presses to be able to supply 950,000 vehicles. That additional capacity could mean another 150 employees, according to DAS North America Chief Operating Officer James Uhm. He said that the company hopes to supply components to the Kia plant in Mexico and also is looking at supplying automakers in Detroit.

Capitol Container Inc. announced a $1.9 million capital investment that included $1.2 million for a 30,000-square-foot expansion. “If it wasn’t for the city, county and Chamber, it wouldn’t have happened,” Capitol Container President Bill Kennedy said about the expansion, which gives the firm 200,000 square feet.

It was one of three companies recognized during the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce sixth annual Success Starts Here bus tour. Hancock Bank and Capitol Container Inc. were also recognized on the tour, which spotlights new capital investment and increased jobs from existing industries.

“If you’re out there expanding in the community, you’re not going anywhere, so that gives us great confidence and it’s a great compliment,” Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said.

The total capital expenditures announced through early December were nearly $148 million, which protected 7,012 existing jobs. There were also 1,418 jobs announced in 2015.

The company, which manufactures corrugated boxes, had “maxed out” its space, Kennedy said. With the expansion, which will be used for warehousing and manufacturing, the company increased its capacity by about 20 percent, Kennedy said. The expansion was needed after Capitol Container gained two clients in Alabama, two in Georgia and one in Mississippi, according to Kennedy.

“This is what really drives the economy of Montgomery, Alabama – these local, home-owned, (home-) grown companies that are doing business with other local, home-grown companies,” Strange said.

Elected leaders, business executives as well as the media rode the bus to the three businesses to celebrate new jobs and new capital expenditures. “Existing industries are the backbone of our local economy,” Continued on page 20

“If you’re out there expanding in the community, you’re not going anywhere, so that gives us great confidence and it’s a great compliment.”

– Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange

“It speaks volumes that they want to continue to stay in Montgomery … and bring more jobs,” Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean Sr. said about the existing companies.

Strange credits existing industry with helping to sell new industry considering Montgomery.

Hancock Bank announced the addition of 55 jobs and now has 272 employees in its central operations facility at the Capitol Commerce Center in East Montgomery.

The firm added a collections center to its back room operations, said Chuck Johnson, senior vice president/ director of lending services for Hancock Bank.

The bank has branches in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi and under the Whitney Bank banner, has offices in Louisiana and Texas. Hancock Holding Co., the parent company, has $21 billion-plus in assets.

W. Russell Tyner, 2015 Montgomery Chamber Chairman of the Board, introduces Capitol Container President Bill Kennedy.

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Continued from page 19

W. Russell Tyner, 2015 chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, said in a statement. “The Montgomery Chamber Success Starts Here tour is just one small way we can show our appreciation for all they add to our community.”

Stacia Robinson, agency principal for The BeneChoice Companies, which sponsored the tour, said, “This is all about existing jobs and the quality of life in Montgomery.” Her company assists businesses with payroll, benefits and communications.

“The businesses we’ve visited today and so many throughout the River Region are to be commended for their contributions to our economy and to our entire community,” Dean said in a statement.

Chuck Johnson, senior vice president/director of lending services for Hancock Bank, talks about his firm’s expansion at the Capitol Commerce Center.

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

Other companies that announced jobs or increased capital spending in 2015 were AEP Industries Inc., A-HiTECO, Big Lots Stores Inc., Chowel Weldparts Inc., Custom Stud of Alabama Inc., Expert Global Solutions (EGS), Glovia – Total Safety Corp., Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Hewlett-Packard, Kinpak Inc., KOAM Maintenance LLC, Rheem Water Heaters, RockTenn, Russell Brands LLC, SYKES Enterprises Inc., UPS Inc. and Varner Woodwork. n

KING OF BURGER KINGS LOCAL BK OWNER NAMED FRANCHISEE OF THE YEAR

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

The boss of about 3,700 employees in three states recently won a slew of awards from Burger King and that slew was four trophies, green jacket, Rolex and a 2016 Corvette.

Even after hauling in all that hardware, Patrick Sidhu, president and CEO of Premier Kings Inc., which owns 81 restaurants, said “we were the winner” of the 2015 Burger King Franchisee of the Year.”

The Corvette, which will be white or blue, is not a oneyear use of vehicle. It’s Sidhu’s car, but won’t be for long. He planned to drive it for 30 to 40 days and “then pass it on to the team. I’ll let my directors and VPs in different markets drive it around.”

He helped design the company’s franchisee excellence program in 2014, which included the criteria of operations, marketing, sales and development, image and growth and profitability. Sidhu was the overall winner in the category of owning 20-plus stores. Other categories were franchisee owners with one to five restaurants and six to 19 restaurants.

In addition to being named the Franchisee of the Year, he also received trophies for Southeast Operator of the Year for the second year in a row; segment winner for the 20-plus restaurant category; and won the marketing excellence award. The green jacket represents the three winners from each of three categories.

Patrick Sidhu is president and CEO of Premier Kings Inc., which owns eight Burger King restaurants in Montgomery.

“I’ve been in the Burger King system for less than five years and started with six restaurants and now we’re going to be close to 90 restaurants by the end of (2015),” Sidhu said. “For a new person to come into the system and excel at the pace that we have is unheard of in the BK system.”

He has come a long way in a short time after buying what he described as a “very depressed” Montgomery portfolio of four Burger King restaurants.

He credits operational changes as well as a reimaging approach that “has really helped us take market share from competitors.” Sidhu now has eight locations in Montgomery, including Hope Hull and about 320 employees.

His sales have shown a steady 10 percent increase over last year and he mirrors the company’s six straight quarters of positive sales growth. His annual revenue from 81 restaurants is $140 million-plus.

When asked again what the awards meant to him, Sidhu said, “I’m very happy for myself and my team and thank my family for putting up with me for all the days that I spend away from home.” n

“For a new person to come into the system and excel at the pace that we have is unheard of in the BK system.”

– Patrick Sidhu, president and CEO of Premier Kings Inc.

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“What I have been doing is very aggressively building and acquiring.”

– Patrick Sidhu, president and CEO of Premier Kings Inc.

His looking is not limited to the Montgomery area or even Alabama, although he has 31 Burger King sites in the Huntsville area and another 22 in the greater Birmingham area.

Sidhu, who opened two Burger King restaurants in Tennessee last October, wants to expand in the southern section of the state. He has holdings in Georgia and now is looking at acquisitions in Mississippi and Florida. His company builds about 10 restaurants a year.

KING OF BURGER KINGS

FAST FOOD FORTUNE

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

It was just two years ago, but in the life of a Burger King magnate – two years is a long, long time.

Patrick Sidhu, president and CEO of Premier Kings Inc., which owns the Burger Kings in the Montgomery area, recalled his goal two years ago of owning 100 units. Now that goal is so two years ago. He is looking at owning 200-plus units in the next three to four years. Two years ago, Sidhu owned 38 Burger King restaurants and expected to have 89 stores at the end of 2015. At 40 to 45 employees per restaurant, he will have 8,000-plus employees.

That serious expansion mode includes the Montgomery area. He has a contract to purchase land on the northern bypass by WOW! Cable company. He has interests on Fairview Avenue and is looking at sites in Pike Road. He could have another three to four locations in the region by the end of 2016.

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“We are very, very, very mindful of staying in the Southeast,” said Sidhu, who is notified about potential deals throughout the country. “What I have been doing is very aggressively building and acquiring. We’ve done more than six acquisitions in the last two years in different markets.”

He acquired 27 stores from a franchisee owner in Huntsville, who had worked for Burger King for 40-plus years and was looking to retire.

Sidhu opened his eighth Burger King in Montgomery in September on Taylor Road just past the intersection with Vaughn Road. The restaurant features the company’s new look, called “garden grill.” First of all, the seating capacity has grown from the traditional store’s 60 to 80 in a much more open setting without divider walls. It’s a “more earthy look,” Sidhu said.

There are even open trusses on the ceiling. He also has close to 70 employees instead of the traditional 40 to 45.

And speaking of ceilings, Sidhu said that being a franchisee owner of 200-plus units is his ceiling. n

Industrial Partners invests $4.2 million in spec facility

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE As a member of the worldwide Society of Industrial Office Realtors, Nim Frazer talks with colleagues and he listens and learns.

Frazer, owner and general manager of Industrial Partners, LLC, said that industrial brokers across the country told him what they are looking for, and it’s changed from the past.

“Most companies are looking for bigger buildings and they’re looking for nicer properties, Frazer said. “They are looking for tall ceiling heights.

They are looking for buildings that have ESFR (Early Suppression Fast Response) sprinkler systems and have ample room for truck trailers and truck storage.”

Now, Frazer is investing $4.2 million in a speculative building at the upscale Montgomery Industrial Park in East Montgomery. That investment is for a shell, which Frazer said should be completed during the first quarter of 2016.

Industrial Partners could be spending another $4 million “depending on who the user is and what it costs to finish the building,” Frazer said. The company, or companies, if there are two in the facility, have the option to either lease the space or buy the building, and the spec building was already being marketed in early November.

The building will have the features that industrial brokers said companies want. It’s a large building – 167,400 square feet – that can be expanded by 150,600 square feet. That’s a total of 318,000 square feet. “We are putting the maximum-sized building we can on the site,” Frazer said about the 13-acre location.

Continued on page 26

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Continued from page 25

The facility will have those high ceilings that Frazer talked about – 32-feet high – and there is ample room for truck trailer storage.

“We are putting the maximumsized building we can on the site.”

– Nim Frazer, owner and general manager of Industrial Partners

Having a spec building “is a huge advantage that sets Montgomery apart in economic development competition,” said then-Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman-Elect Bruce Crawford at a news conference. He said that Montgomery Industrial Park was “one of Montgomery’s greatest economic development assets.”

Frazer said that “it’s been six or seven years since we’ve been in a position to be able to feel like we want to build a new building.” His firm constructed the last spec building at Montgomery Industrial Park, which is owned by Montgomery County. That last spec building, which houses three tenants in about 140,000 square feet, was completed 10-plus years ago.

“We have been saving for the opportunity,” Frazer said about investing in a spec building. “Obviously, it would have been great to have Hyundai make an announcement for an expansion, but that hasn’t happened. We made the decision that we were going to do this one way or another.”

There are two automotive companies – DAS and KJ USA – at Montgomery Industrial Park, which is located off of Interstate 85. The park has 10 tenants, including four medical companies. “It’s always good to have diversity (of clients) and automotive is what most people hear about and read about today, but we would love to attract manufacturers,” Frazer said. “We would love to attract logistics companies – a variety of different type prospects that may come and see value in this location.

We are trying to design a product that is attractive to most potential users that we can think of.”

From networking with industrial Realtors, Frazer said that the “next three years are the best opportunity in our business and we are going to try to do what we can … to build and attract new companies to this area.”

After the spec building is occupied – all 318,000 square feet – Frazer will be building another spec building.

“We want to fill up Nim’s building quickly and create some more jobs out there,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Andrew Hall, whose district includes Montgomery Industrial Park. n

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

MONTGOMERY INDUSTRIAL PARK RAISES THE BAR WITH DESIGNATIONS AND BUILDING

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

There is one industrial park in Alabama that is designated AT&T Fiber Ready; designated an AdvantageSite; and has or will have in a few short months a 167,400-square-foot speculative building.

That one place is Montgomery Industrial Park and local elected leaders – as well as local economic developers – cannot wait to market the site.

Those three “game-changing developments … will make it not only one of the leading business and industrial parks in the state of Alabama, but also one of the finest in the Southeast,” said then-Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman-Elect Bruce Crawford at a news conference. “It takes a team to make projects possible and we do have a tremendous team here in Montgomery, Montgomery County and the River Region.”

2016 Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman A. Bruce Crawford and Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange speak at the announcement.

That AT&T Fiber Ready designation “means that AT&T has fiber facilities in place and stands ready to deliver advanced services to potential tenants,” AT&T Alabama President Fred McCallum said. The fiber is in place and “ready to help local businesses drive job creation.”

McCallum said that local officials recruiting companies “can check the important high-speed connectivity box.

You are AT&T Fiber Ready.”

The industrial park also received that all-important AdvantageSite designation from the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA).

Montgomery Industrial Park had to meet certain standards/requirements to receive the designation.

The industrial park will be listed on EDPA’s database of sites and buildings, which is used by site consultants, companies and economic developers.

“It’s just a wonderful day for these three things to be happening,” Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean Sr. said. “The fact that Montgomery Industrial Park has received these superior designations shows that our hard work is paying off and more importantly, these kinds of achievements contribute to enhancing our residents’ quality of life.”

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said that the site with those designations and a spec building “will get a really good first look.” He said, “It takes a village in economic development. The great news we’ve heard today is just another example of the positive things we continue to accomplish because our city, county and business leaders work together for the good of the community.”

Crawford said that the AT&T Fiber Ready and AdvantageSite designations coupled with a large spec building is “demonstrating to those looking to do business here that we are on the cutting edge. We are showing them that Montgomery and the River Region are where you want to be.” n

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The Alley, one of the hotspots in downtown Montgomery, features six restaurants.

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is ECONOMIC

Capitalizing on Montgomery’s tourism opportunity is not a shot in the dark.

DEVLOPMENT

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

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Visitors spend more than $1.3 million daily in the River Region.

Riverwalk Stadium, home of the Montgomery Biscuits baseball team, draws thousands of fans to downtown Montgomery.

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Market research drives strategy for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau (CVB) and updated research shows that the strategy is working. Equipped with new insights, the CVB’s nimble yet aggressive approach will take the city to the next level as a destination.

A tourism survey commissioned in 2015 by the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau (CVB) conducted by Young Strategies indicated that hotel management

wanted to increase weekend business. The Chamber identified the sporting events market as a way to draw large numbers of visitors during the weekends.

The effort to attract these groups was so successful that Dawn Hathcock, vice president of the Chamber Convention & Visitor Bureau, reports that “weekends are now outpacing weekdays.”

The surveys that the CVB conducts are a vital tool for discovering ways that the marketing, sales and public relations strategies can be adjusted to drive demand and build tourism business for the entire

city. According to Hathcock, the CVB can discover what visitors and hotel managers “want, like and need; what we’re doing right; and what we need to do differently.”

The latest survey was completed this year and has helped shape some strategic enhancements to the work the CVB staff will undertake in the coming year. It showed that hotels in high-traffic areas are operating at nearly a 75 percent occupancy rate, leaving an opportunity to fill the remaining 25 percent Continued on page 32

“This survey shows us what the customer wants more of and that allows us to work with the City’s Development Department to help recruit and guide developers that will provide the products that will make Montgomery stand out as a destination.”

- Dawn Hathcock, vice president, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau.

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“It’s like any product, you want your demand to outpace your supply.”

– Dawn Hathcock, vice president, Chamber Convention & Visitor Bureau

Continued from page 31

of open room nights. “We will maintain our level of business with large meetings and sporting events, but we’re also going to try to go after smaller corporate meetings, more leisure travelers and smaller groups,” Hathcock said.

The CVB will also shift some resources in order to more aggressively promote Montgomery as a destination through social media and digital marketing. This will allow them to efficiently target audiences based on a variety of factors such as interests, location and age. Additionally, this effort will help build brand awareness with millennials.

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“We will also ramp up public relations and marketing efforts, whether through paid advertising and earned media or relationship-based marketing such as visiting AAA offices around the state and working the group tour market more directly,” Hathcock said.

The Chamber CVB focus is room demand and not strictly hotel occupancy rate. Room demand was up 82,475 nights over 2013 and the room supply was up 3,664 nights from 2013. “It’s like any product.

You want your demand to outpace your supply,” Hathcock said.

And the high occupancy rates mean that Montgomery will have new hotels, including a 109room, four-story, Hilton Garden Inn at EastChase.

Downtown Montgomery could see between one and three new hotels, which could give the convention district 1,000-plus rooms.

Photo CutlineXerum ius rehenest, aut eum si to quam apit volorro oditios sum hicitatiatum quas enimagnam, ut labo.

TRAVEL INDUSTRY AVAILABLE HOTEL ROOMS

6,119 ROOMS SOLD EACH NIGHT

3,965 TRAVELERS EACH NIGHT

7,930 DAILY HOTEL REVENUE

$376,675 DAILY DINING REVENUE

There’s no doubt the travel industry is big business for Montgomery – visitor spending accounts for $1.36 million every day, according to Young Strategies, Inc. “One of the big things that makes a difference with Montgomery is not only getting conventions and groups here, but how we treat them once they arrive,” Hathcock said. “The servicing side of what

we promise them is as big as anything else we can do. A lot of destinations will make promises that they may not be able to deliver. We pride ourselves on making sure that their experience is amazing.

They leave Montgomery with their expectations exceeded and telling everyone what a great city it is; how it is different, what happened here, what’s changed and how soon they want to come back.” n

$555,100 DAILY MISC. REVENUE

$396,500 DAILY VISITOR SPENDING

$1.3 Million Sources: STR Inc./STR Global Limited; Young Strategies Inc.

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Member Profile

CHARLIE’S TROPHIES

Beverly Gulino is the owner of Charlie’s Trophies and her husband, David Gulino is the chief financial officer.

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Making the move downtown

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

A lot has changed for the owner of Charlie’s Trophies in the past 15 months and it could not be better.

A move from the 20-year Pelzer Avenue location off Coliseum Boulevard to Dexter Avenue in downtown Montgomery has not only resulted in a 20 percent increase in sales, but a new home address as well for Beverly Gulino, owner/business manager of Charlie’s Trophies and her husband David Gulino, the company’s chief financial officer. They live in a twostory loft apartment above Charlie’s Trophies, which eliminated a commute to work and eliminated the need for three vehicles. The family has one car now and they walk nearly everywhere.

The change to the business, which was owned and named after her father Charlie Brasington, a Montgomery police officer, has been dramatic. First, the new building, which along with the loft apartment cost $750,000 to renovate, is 1½ times the size of the previous location. They have about 4,500 square feet, which enabled the couple to increase their showroom space, work space and storage space. Some rivals have showrooms as small as their breakroom, which has a table and four chairs.

That makes a difference to customers, who can see products at Charlie’s Trophies instead of browsing through catalogs in cramped quarters.

The hours have been expanded by nearly 40 percent from 28 hours a week to now 40 hours a week. The store is open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. five days a week and staying open until 5:30 p.m. means that people who get off work at 5 o’clock have time to visit the store, which is located a few feet from the Court Square Fountain.

Because Beverly Gulino lives upstairs from the store, she can not only work later and be seconds from her home, but she can also meet customers for off-hour appointments.

What really changed has been the foot traffic. There wasn’t any at Pelzer Avenue. “Our customers came there because they had a need to come there,” David Gulino said.

“Tourists now see us because they are walking downtown. They go to the fountain. They go to the civil rights trail – different things – and they see us and they come in.” The new location “has been great,” he said.

That new location has also been a hit with Maxwell Air Force Base. “We’re close to the base so we get business from the base,” said Beverly Gulino, who has owned the store since September 2012. There was not much base business before. While they had some business from the Gunter Annex, that facility does not order the quantity of awards that Maxwell does.

Military personnel have a particular fondness for an eagle figurine made out of Alabama red clay and Beverly Gulino said that they have the room to carry more gift items. “We are an award and recognition (business), but people come in for things other than the traditional plaques and trophies,” David Gulino said. He said the “more gift-oriented items” can be personalized by engraving.

The two are working with nearby hotels to handle awards and recognition for meetings, seminars, etc. A visitor from Chicago ordered products and picked them up for an event at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, said David Gulino. “They don’t have to go somewhere else,” he said. “We have to leverage that.”

Although the company has capitalized on its new location, it’s customer service that sets them apart, the Gulinos said. “We do quick turnarounds,” Beverly Gulino said and David Gulino said “everything is done in-house.” There is no outsourcing – almost none as 99 percent of the awards are built and engraved in-house, Beverly Gulino said. “A lot of what we do is specialty engraving and you can do a lot with these laser engravers,” David Gulino said.

“We are an award and recognition (business), but people come in for things other than the traditional plaques and trophies.”

- David Gulino, chief financial officer for Charlie’s Trophies

“And I work long hours,” Beverly Gulino said.

“That’s why I live where I work.” n

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143

rd ANNUAL MEETING The largest and most anticipated business event of the year, the Chamber’s 143rd Annual Meeting on December 8th celebrated the 2015 economic development milestones. Nearly 1,000 business and community leaders witnessed 2015 Chairman of the Board of Directors W. Russell Tyner “pass the gavel” to the 2016 Chairman of the Board of Directors, A. Bruce Crawford.

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1 At the conclusion of the 143rd Annual Meeting attendees gathered for a special reception in the Alabama Ball Room.

2 2015 Point of Light Award finalists were recognized at the Annual Meeting. The Point of Light Awards honor outstanding minority or woman-owned businesses.

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3 2015 Montgomery Chamber Chairman W. Russell Tyner called the 143rd Annual Meeting to order.

4 The Annual Meeting concluded with 2015 Montgomery Chamber Board Chairman W. Russell Tyner passing the Chairman’s Gavel to 2016 Chairman A. Bruce Crawford.

5 Point of Light Award presenting sponsors were MAX Credit Union and State Farm, Willie Durham, Agency. Greg McClellan with Max Credit Union (far left) and Willie Durham with State Farm (far right) present the 2015 awards to Clare Weil, president of C. Weil Enterprises Inc./The UPS Store and Eugene Tinker Jr., president and CEO of Certified Technical Experts.

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4

6 Members of the Montgomery Fire/Rescue Department were recognized for winning back-toback championships at the Scott World Firefighter Combat Challenge.

7 Air University Commander and President Lt. Gen. Steven L. Kwast gave an exciting presentation about Montgomery becoming a cyber leader.

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TAKING Center STAGE A. Bruce Crawford steps into the lead role as chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

As the Montgomery CEO of BBVA Compass, A. Bruce Crawford will do his part to try and increase business meetings here and thereby deliver more dollars to the local economy.

He said one of the bank’s larger customers will be bringing executives to Montgomery for their annual meeting. Crawford, who is chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors this year, is encouraging his fellow executives to hold corporate meetings here. “I would anticipate working on some regional-type meetings here,” Crawford said. “I think that would make a lot of sense.”

That’s one of the advantages of having a banker with a large institution leading the Chamber, and he is the first one in 11 years. Crawford said that he does have “an analytic side,” but more important is that in “being a banker, you are exposed to businesses of all nature and size and different industries as well as different locations across our community.”

He said that he is more from the “business development and community development side.”

“I love the saying that a rising tide lifts all boats, and if the local economy is growing, everyone gets the benefit of being a part of it.”

– A. Bruce Crawford, chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

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All chairmen have their own way of doing things, and Crawford said that by watching, he “picked up on some things that I plan on trying to incorporate in the year.”

Some of those things “are going to be surprises,” he said without divulging any secrets.

Increasing corporate meetings is just one of many priorities for Crawford, who has lived in Montgomery since the early 1980s. “For businesses to continue to grow and prosper, there needs to be opportunities out there,” Crawford said. “Economic development is at the forefront. I love the saying that a rising tide lifts all boats, and if the local economy is growing, everyone gets the benefit of being a part of it.”

Of course, creating and preserving jobs is the Chamber’s mission – everything is built on economic development. This year marks the final year of the Chamber’s five-year strategic plan called Imagine a Greater Montgomery II. A committee will be formed of Chamber Board members, business, community and political leaders to help determine if there is an Imagine III strategy or if Imagine II is updated, according to Crawford. “There will be a new strategy,” he said. “We will come up with what are the key components that we want to look at and then compare those to our peer cities and (try) to make sure we are moving in the right direction with the needs of our community.”

Talent development is another priority for Crawford.

“We have to make sure that we have people in place to take advantage of jobs when they become available, and many of those are trade-related,” he said. Crawford said that the school district’s Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies (MPACT), H. Councill Trenholm State Community College and other organizations such as Alabama Industrial Development Training, Alabama Technology Network and the Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center will play key roles in talent development.

“For businesses to continue to grow and prosper there needs to be opportunities out there.”

– A. Bruce Crawford, chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

“We need to identify the students that have that desire (technical education) and make sure that they’re in the proper place so they can take advantage of MPACT and dual enrollment,” he said.

He also would like to improve the quality of life to retain and bring back young people who have left to go to school or for a job, or attract people here for the first time. “We’re already blessed and fortunate to have a strong arts foundation here, which certainly is a direct quality of life,” Crawford said. “If you have the right things going for you – people are attracted to the city first and then they look for a job rather than getting the job first.” Crawford cited a “tremendous amount of growth” in the downtown and Cloverdale entertainment districts that “helps attract the younger set.”

Cyber could be a game-changer for the area, Crawford said. “It is a top priority and it does attract a higherincome level.”

His list of top priorities includes diversity and inclusion with a shout-out to the Chamber’s annual Diversity Summit, which he said has drawn “national acclaim.”

A. Bruce Crawford is Montgomery CEO of BBVA Compass.

The area’s partnership with Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex “is absolutely vital,” Crawford said.

There is no success without the critical partnerships with elected officials, Crawford said. He praised the relationships with Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange, Montgomery City Council, Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean Sr., state legislative delegation and the congressional delegation.

“The Chamber, elected officials and community leaders all work well together with a common focus and a common goal,” Crawford said.

Air service is another top priority and Crawford said that Montgomery Regional Airport needs to be “highly competitive and successful.” n

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TAKING CENTER STAGE

‘A REALLY BIG, COOL THING’

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

It would be a gross understatement to say that the 2016 Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board of Directors is excited about his new one-year role.

When asked if it was a big deal and if it was really cool, Chamber Chairman A. Bruce Crawford said, “It is really a big, cool thing. It’s absolutely huge for me. I am extremely honored and very appreciative of the opportunity.”

Is it also one of those things where there is pressure not to mess up? “Everything you do at certain levels – there’s always pressure,” said Crawford, who is the Montgomery CEO for BBVA Compass. “I refer to it as adrenaline and

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adrenaline is good. I see it as an opportunity to make some sort of a small, positive impact on the community. You always want to try to leave things better than the way you found it. If I can help to do something that achieves that – that will be a good thing and that’s what I’ll be working for.”

That’s what a successful year for Crawford would look like. “We could sit down (in December) and list what would be a true success, but I firmly believe that if you leave it better than the way you found it, (that’s success), and hopefully that will occur. I will be working hard to achieve that.”

For Crawford, being the Chamber chairman is a way to give back to the organization that he said has been very supportive. “The Chamber has been extremely good to me throughout my career here,” he said, referring to trips for auto shows; meetings with the state’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.; and a visit to Austin, Texas, which was identified as a model city.

“Whether you’re talking about being in business – like in my position with the bank – or you’re talking about the Chamber, you always want to get started off on the right foot in the right way,” Crawford said.

“You will suddenly realize that January turns to April and April turns to Labor Day and then you’re handing the baton off, so you really need to start fast.” n

“It’s absolutely huge for me. I am extremely honored and very appreciative of the opportunity.”

– A. Bruce Crawford, chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

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.

2015

W. Russell Tyner

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

45

2016 Board of Directors

2016 Executive Committee Chairman Elect David B. Reed, Chairman of the Board and Executive Vice President, Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Inc.; Chairman A. Bruce Crawford, Montgomery CEO, BBVA Compass; Vice Chairman Honorable Charles Price, Presiding Judge, 15th Judicial Circuit; (Back Row L-R) Vice Chairman Willie Durham, Agent, State Farm Insurance; Riley W. Roby, Managing Partner, Balch & Bingham LLP; Immediate Past Chairman W. Russell Tyner, President and CEO of Baptist Health; Randall L. George, President, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce

TONY L. CRAFT President & CEO Palomar Insurance Corporation

46

© 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.

SCOTT BAKER CIO Air University

G. CARLTON BARKER EVP Montgomery Regional CEO ServisFirst Bank

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

RICHARD BENDURE Vice President & General Manager Rheem Water Heaters

GWENDOLYN E. BOYD President Alabama State University

A. BRUCE CRAWFORD Montgomery CEO BBVA Compass

EDWARD F. CROWELL Chairman Montgomery Committee of 100

GLENN CRUMPTON President & CEO AALOS

JOHN A. CURVEY General Manager SABIC

Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

NICOLE DANIEL Franchisee McDonald’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.

L. CRAIG DOWDY Senior Vice President, External Affairs The Laclede Group, Inc.

HELENA T. DUNCAN Regional President Liberty Bank & Trust

WILLIE DURHAM Agent, State Farm Insurance Willie Durham-Agent

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 Board

ROBERT M. HARDWICH, JR. Chairman Industrial Development Board

BARRIE H. HARMON, III President Harmon, Dennis, Bradshaw Company, Inc.

THOMAS A. HARRIS Chairman Merchant Capital Investments, a division of Stifel Nicolaus

QUINTIN HAWKINS President QH Consulting,LLC

PAUL HODGES Vice President Hodges Logistics

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

CARYN C. HUGHES Area Executive USAmeriBank

SEAN K. JOHNSON Central Alabama Area President Regions Bank

DUK KIM Director of New Model Development Lear Corporation-Montgomery

JUN-HA KIM President & CEO Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC

PETE R. KNIGHT, JR. Montgomery City President Renasant Bank

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

47

LT. GENERAL STEVEN L. KWAST Commander/President Air University - Maxwell AFB

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

JERRY C. KYSER CEO Jerry Kyser Builder, Inc.

WILEY LOTT, J.D. 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 Owner/President Mallory Realty Company, Inc.

WARREN B. MARSHALL, JR. Manager Marshall Design-Build, LLC

FORREST T. McCONNELL, III President McConnell Honda

ROBERT R. McGHEE Tribal Governmental Relations Advisor Poarch Band of Creek Indians

THOMAS J. METHVIN Principal Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

QUINCY P. MINOR President Information Transport Solutions, Inc.

ANN S. OSTEN Owner Sadie’s Global Travel

THE HONORABLE CHARLES PRICE Senior Advisor to the Mayor City of Montgomery

LARRY D. PUCKETT President Larry Puckett Chevrolet

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

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

STACIA ROBINSON President Leadership Montgomery

RILEY W. ROBY Managing Partner Balch & Bingham LLP

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

NOAH W. ROCKER 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.

BISHOP KYLE C. SEARCY Senior Pastor Fresh Anointing House of Worship

NED F. SHEFFIELD President Jackson Thornton

ALLEN SMOOT South Alabama Division Director Coca Cola UNITED

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

LANCE E. TATUM Vice Chancellor Troy University

FOY H. TATUM Managing Member Halstead, LLC

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

W. RUSSELL TYNER President & CEO Baptist Health

JAMES UHM Chief Operating Officer 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.

TYLER WILLIAMS District Manager Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

49

2016

50

A special thank you to the 2016

Brad Armagost

Jennifer Atkins

Keith Bazzle

SERVISFIRST BANK

NEW WATERS REALTY COMPANY, LLC

BUFFALO ROCK PEPSI

Carlyle Chandler

Susannah Cleveland

Ed Crowell

Clark Fine

CHANDLER REALTY, LLC

THE MONTGOMERY ACADEMY

VT MILTOPE

FINE, GEDDIE AND ASSOCIATES

Ray Ingram

Mac McBride

Larry McLemore

Scott McNelley

JACK INGRAM MOTORS, INC.

STERIS CORPORATION

SAINT JAMES SCHOOL

ADMIRAL MOVERS

David Mowery MOWERY CONSULTING GROUP, LLC

Jae Scott

Liz Sutton

Foy Tatum

Yu-Tueng Tsai

SYKES ENTERPRISES

ALABAMA WORLD TRAVEL/SUTTON & ASSOCIATES

HALSTEAD, LLC

REGITAR U.S.A., INC.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

Members of the Montgomery Chamber Chairman’s Circle.

They are engaged and impacting the issues and developments that fuel growth and prosperity in our region.

Brian Bonikowski

Jake Carlton

Anita Carter

Lynn Carter

AVIS & BUDGET RENT A CAR

WIND CREEK CASINO & HOTEL MONTGOMERY

JIM WILSON & ASSOCIATES

SOUTHEAST CHEROKEE CONSTRUCTION, INC.

Pete Frey

Bill Guilford

Todd Hansen

Torey Hatfield

Perry O. Hooper, Jr.

ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR

WOW!

US FOODS

GUARDIAN CREDIT UNION

PALOMAR INSURANCE CORPORATION

Kerry Palmer TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL

Ken Peavy

Joe Riley

MAX CREDIT UNION

JACKSON HOSPITAL & CLINIC, INC.

Beth Walker-McBride

Michael Williams

David Wray

WORKFORCE WALKER PERSONNEL, LLC

FAULKNER UNIVERSITY

SAM’S CLUB

Ann Osten SADIE’S GLOBAL TRAVEL

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

51

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

FIREFIGHTER COMBAT CHALLENGE COMING BACK

by David Zaslawsky

The Scott World Firefighter Combat Challenge will return to Montgomery this year and that means 2,000 visitors, 600-plus firefighters, an ESPN broadcast and an economic impact of more than $1 million.

The Oct. 24-29 event is the 25th anniversary, and that could swell the participants to 800-plus.

HIRING EXPECTED TO INCREASE About three-quarters of Alabama small- and medium-sized business owners are optimistic about their companies, according to a survey by PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Alabama News Center reported that there was an almost 300 percent increase of Alabama survey respondents expected to add full-time employees.

About one-third of the Alabama participants in the nationwide survey expect to increase workers’ wages.

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

COMPANIES, ORGANIZATIONS WIN AWARDS Jackson Thornton was the winner in the large business category in the sixth annual River Region Ethics in Business awards held at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club.

Ned Sheffield, president and managing principal of Jackson Thornton, a certified public accounting and consulting firm, accepted the award.

“First, I want to accept this award on behalf of the 34 partners,” he said.

“There are an awful lot of us doing the right thing.

We’ve been around almost a hundred years. We’ve been trying to do the right thing for a long time for our clients, our friends, for our community.”

Jackson Thornton was one of three nominees in the category, along with Adams Drugs and Foshee Companies.

The medium-sized business winner was Montgomery Veterinary Associates while Davis Direct and Harmon Dennis Bradshaw were the other two nominees.

Stonehenge, an art gallery/custom frame and art store, won in the small business category and other nominees were AlaTrust and Forrest Meadows Home & Land.

The award for nonprofits went to the Equal Justice Initiative while Hope Inspired Ministries and the Boy Scouts of America Tukabatchee Area Council were nominees.

Dr. Duncan McRae, who is now the surgical clerkship director for the UAB School of Medicine’s Montgomery regional campus, was the recipient of the Maury D. Smith Award for Excellence in Professional Ethics. The other nominees for the award were Clare Weil, who owns five UPS stores in the River Region; and George T. Goodwyn, who was one of the founders of Goodwyn, Mills, Cawood, an architectural/ engineering firm.

The River Region Ethics awards are a program of the Samaritan Counseling Center Inc.

LAMP NO.1 IN ALABAMA

THAT VISION THING More than a decade ago, then Montgomery County Commission Chairman Todd Strange and then-Vice Chairman Elton N. Dean Sr. discussed a new vision for the old and nearly vacant Montgomery Mall. It did become vacant when Steve and Barry’s closed in 2008.

They did not have any details, but knew that education would play a major role. In August, the school district’s Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies is scheduled to open at the former site of the JCPenney building while the new Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School will open at the former Parisian building.

“This is a wonderful example of how you never let money get in the way of the vision,” said Strange, who became mayor in 2009. “Money gets in the way of the timing, but not the vision. The vision was to turn the lights on – to recreate life in this community …”

Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School was ranked first in the state and 160th nationally by Niche while Booker T. Washington Magnet High was No. 16 in the state. Both are in the Montgomery Public Schools district.

Niche rates public high schools on such factors as academics, teachers, health and safety, student culture and diversity, resources and facilities, sports and fitness and surveys from parents and students.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION Hampstead’s Southern Living Inspired Home is under construction. Features will be revealed by Mercer Home, which is building the custom home.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ANNOUNCED After receiving a $450,000 grant, Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Margaret Allen announced that Nixon Elementary and Davis Elementary will become community schools. That means the schools will have partnerships with the community for both the students and their families to take care of their social needs, including medical.

The two elementary schools are feeders for Bellingrath Middle School and Lanier High School.

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TWELVE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS WITH FREE PICK-UP AND DELIVERY TUXEDO AND SUIT RENTALS / TEL: 334-262-8852 / JIMMASSEY.COM

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

53

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

ELANTRA REVEAL A SECOND DREAMLAND While he was showing off his latest creation – The Tavern at Railyard Brewing Co. – Owner and General Manager Bob Parker mentioned that he would open a second Dreamland Bar-B-Que on Chantilly Parkway in East Montgomery.

MAYOR WINS ARTS AWARD Mayor Todd Strange received the Wynton M. Blount Leadership Award at the 29th annual Business in the Arts Awards while Regions Bank won the Large Business award.

Goodwyn, Mills, Cawood won the Frank Plummer Memorial Arts Award.

Aldridge, Borden & Co. won in the medium-sized category while the small business award went to Stifel Nicolaus.

It will cost between $1.5 million and $2 million for the project, Parker said. The second restaurant will hold about 20 more people (300 total) than the current downtown location at The Alley. He said he will hire about 60 people and hopes to open in August.

By the way, Parker said that the downtown Dreamland will generate an estimated $3 million in sales this year.

The 2017 Elantra, which made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, is expected to be available in March. It’s the sixth generation and will be built at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery.

The Elantra has been Hyundai’s top seller worldwide – 10 million-plus sales in 25 years and more than 2 million in the United States.

HYUNDAI TAKE TWO

HYUNDAI TAKE THREE

Hyundai Motors will launch a global luxury car brand called Genesis that includes its current Genesis models. By 2020, the Genesis brand will have six models – sedans, sports cars and SUVs. The luxury brand is expected to have a “G” with a number and the Korean automaker hinted that the vehicles could be G70, G80 and G90.

Hyundai established another milestone in the fall with the sale of its 10 millionth vehicle in the U.S.

CONFERENCE BRINGS $1 MILLION IMPACT The Legal Conference & Expo has grown from about 400 attorneys in 2007 to the 1,700-plus who registered for the ninth annual event. Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., host the conference, which has an estimated $1 million economic impact.

“This is a unique opportunity for lawyers to make connections with their colleagues, and to learn more about the law and the types of cases that are developing nationwide,” Beasley Allen Principal & Managing Attorney Tom Methvin said in a statement before the conference.

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

The automaker entered the U.S. market in 1986 with its subcompact Excel. Now the top two sellers are Elantra and Sonata, which are produced at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama’s plant in Montgomery. Each of the models has accounted for 25 percent of all Hyundai sales – about 2.5 million vehicles a piece.

“The United States has been a key region of focus for nearly three decades, and this landmark achievement comes after years of accelerated growth and the strategic rollout of our product line,” Derrick Hatami, vice president of national sales for Fountain-Valley, Calif.-based Hyundai Motor America, said in a statement.

$20 MILLION SETTLEMENT

SERVISFIRST PROFIT RISES

The law firm of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C. helped the state of Alabama reach a $20 million settlement with Transocean for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

ServisFirst Bancshares’ quarterly profit increased 16 percent year over year to $16.3 million from $14 million in 2014.

The firm’s Rhon Jones, Parker Miller, Jenna Day Fulk and Rick Stratton represented the state.

“Beasley Allen is pleased to have played an active role in helping the state of Alabama recover $20 million from Transocean for damages they caused the state,” Jones said in a statement.

The $20 million from Transocean, which owned the drilling rig, will go to the state’s General Fund.

The firm’s year-to-date profit of $43.8 million is up 17 percent from last year’s $37.3 million. Diluted earnings per share of $0.61 for the quarter were a 13 percent increase over last year.

Loans and deposits jumped 27 percent and 23 percent, respectively, from the third quarter of 2014. Loans hit $3.9 billion in the third quarter of 2015 while deposits reached nearly $4.2 billion.

ServisFirst Bank has two locations in Montgomery.

Publix Remodeling Publix is spending $1.4 million to update two stores in Montgomery – Vaughn Road and Atlanta Highway locations – according to recent building permits that show $700,000 at each of the sites.

Media and Community Relations Manager Brenda Reid confirmed that Publix will remodel each of the company stores in the Montgomery market “in some form or fashion over the next two years.”

The company considers new equipment every five years, according to Reid, and that could include lighting, refrigeration units, shelves or display equipment.

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GEN. ROBERSON:

Air Force Must Innovate “What is happening right now intellectually at Air University is fundamental to the success of our Air Force in the future.”

– Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, commander of Air Education and Training Command

Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, who oversees the Air Force’s training and education, said that “air power is critical to the way America fights. We don’t fight without air power.”

In its early stages battling ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the United States relied on air power. The Air Force provides surveillance and intelligence to help U.S. forces worldwide, he said at a Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Eggs & Issues event at the RSA Activity Center. “We’re there to back them up in case things go bad.”

His comments about air power are important because he is the commander of Air Education and Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas. Air University (AU) Commander and President Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast reports to Roberson.

“Here at AU is where the future of air power starts,” Roberson said about the facility at Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex in Montgomery. “The future of our Air Force and DoD (Department of Defense) is critically dependent on air power.” But he said that the Air Force, because of fewer resources and reduced capabilities, has to innovate and “come up with different concepts of operations – different ways of producing air power in a way that could be effectual quickly around the world. What is happening right now intellectually at Air University is fundamental to the success of our Air Force in the future.”

He said that the Air Force sends its “best and brightest” to Maxwell. “ … only the top get to come to Air University – both at our schools as well as our talented leadership,” Roberson said.

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

“Air University is absolutely critical to the success of not only our Air Force, but in my opinion (the country).”

He praised the local business and political leaders for their support of Maxwell and Gunter Annex and said he was “extremely excited” about the many partnerships and new initiatives.

Air University is the “education piece” in the Air Education and Training Command, Roberson said.

He said that the Cyber College at Maxwell “is a big deal. “There are people all over the country that are taking notice of what is happening right here with this partnership on Cyber College and Maxwell,” Roberson said. “I think you’re going to set a trend that other cities and other parts of our country are going to be coming in and learn and see so they can bring it back to their cities.”

The general complimented Air University on “tremendous innovation” working with young airmen.

“We need to make sure that we’re constantly striving to stay focused on developing our youngest airmen and what we can learn from them and Air University right here is doing some tremendous things with the latest technologies and ways of interacting with our airmen,” Roberson said.

He stressed that airmen will be provided educational opportunities throughout their career as Kwast and his team work on a continual education program. n

UPBEAT BUNCH

Montgomery business leaders remain the state’s most optimistic

by David Zaslawsky

When it comes to the most optimistic business leaders in the state, you don’t have to look very far. It’s Montgomery – again.

For the 14th time in the past 18 quarters (4½ years) and the seventh straight quarter, Montgomery business leaders are the most upbeat in the state, according to the latest Alabama Business Confidence Index. The quarterly survey is conducted by The University of Alabama Center for Business and Economic Research in the Culverhouse College of Commerce.

Montgomery business leaders had an overall index of 54.2 in the fourth-quarter survey of 2015, but Mobile is catching up with an index of 53.9. Birmingham was third at 51.4 and Huntsville business leaders had a negative outlook at 48.9.

All four of the state’s largest metro areas saw the index decline from the third quarter. Huntsville had the largest decline – 6.2 points from the third quarter while the Montgomery index fell 3.2 points. Birmingham’s index was down 1.7 points and Mobile’s index fell 0.4.

Montgomery was first in four of the six individual components – national economy (55.2), industry sales (56.4), industry hiring (54.7) and capital expenditures (52.9) - and ranked second in the other two – Alabama economy (52.9) and industry profits (52.9). It was in the industry hiring component that Montgomery enjoyed its largest margin – 3.7 points – over second place.

The Montgomery business leaders were also 3.4 points more upbeat about the national economy and 2.7 points more optimistic about industry sales.

The overall ABCI for the fourth quarter declined 3.6 points from the previous quarter to 51.2, which is the lowest index since the first quarter of 2014. In the second quarter of 2015, the index was at 58.

The following is a component-by-component breakdown of the 2015 fourth-quarter ABCI: NATIONAL ECONOMY This component was the lowest of the six at 49.3, which shows contraction. It is the only component less than 50.0. The index fell 1.4 points from the third quarter and now has declined 7.2 points in two quarters. About one-quarter of the survey participants expected the U.S. economy to increase in the fourth quarter and close to half expected it to remain the same as the previous quarter.

ALABAMA ECONOMY The component fell to 52.0, a decline of 4.6 points from the third quarter. About half of the panelists expected the state economy to remain the same and nearly 30 percent expected the economy to improve in the fourth quarter.

INDUSTRY SALES This component had the secondlargest decline of 5.0 points from the previous quarter to 53.3, but still has the highest index. It has dropped 8.2 points in two quarters.

INDUSTRY PROFITS The fourth-quarter index of 53.3 was 5.1 points less than the previous quarter.

INDUSTRY HIRING – This component declined 3.0 points and is at 50.9, which is barely positive. About one-quarter of the respondents expected fourth-quarter hiring to increase while almost 60 percent expected it to be the same as the third quarter. The sectors expecting to increase hiring were construction, wholesale trade, professional, scientific and technical services. The sectors that anticipated a slowdown in hiring were manufacturing, transportation, information, utilities, retail trade and financial.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES The component declined the least – 2.3 points – and is at 50.9. More than half of the respondents expected no increase in capital expenditures while about 25 percent expected an increase in the fourth quarter. The construction sector was the most upbeat about increased capital expenditures. Other optimistic sectors were professional, scientific and technical services. The most pessimistic sectors were manufacturing, wholesale trade and health care. n

ABCI QUARTER-BY-QUARTER BREAKDOWN ‘02

‘03

‘04

‘05

‘06

‘07

‘08

‘09

‘10

‘11

‘12

‘13

‘14

‘15

Q1

54

58

67

62

59

54

47

32

49

55

51

45

52

57

Q2

63

56

67

61

61

56

43

32

50

56

57

48

56

58

Q3

60

61

69

60

59

57

43

46

52

51

50

53

56

55

Q4

56

61

66

54

54

51

44

47

48

46

48

52

54

51

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

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Auburn University at Montgomery was the sponsor of this Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce 60-minute coffee, an event which is part of the Chamber’s Total Resource Campaign.

Powerful Networking Chamber launches new events, products for Total Resource Campaign

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

It is billed as “powerful networking” as well as “chewing the fat” with state, regional and local elected officials.

It’s a new Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce event called “Pork and Politics” and was introduced during the Chamber’s 10th annual Total Resource Campaign (TRC). The event will be in 2016 as participants will “join the Chamber for barbecue, beer and politics.”

The Pork and Politics event provides Chamber members an opportunity to meet state, regional and local elected officials and discuss issues one-on-one.

It was one of a handful of new opportunities for sponsorships and advertising for Chamber members.

“We change products every year – do away with some products and create new products because we are always looking for what our membership needs,” said Patsy Guy, the Chamber’s vice president for Member

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

“A lot of people think of the Chamber as being nothing but big business members, but small business is the backbone of our Chamber and also of our economy, just like all other communities.”

– Patsy Guy, vice president for Member & Investor Relations, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce

& Investor Relations. “Every year we’re looking at the programs and the needs and demands of our members,” she said.

About 90 percent of the Chamber members are small businesses with 20 or fewer employees, Guy said. That is why the Chamber created the Small Business Week in the TRC. “This will be an opportunity to spotlight some of our small businesses and celebrate the impact that they have on our economy and provide some educational opportunities for them,” Guy said. “A lot of people think of the Chamber as being nothing but big business members, but small business is the backbone of our Chamber and also of our economy just like all other communities.”

The new Business Spotlight was created “as an outreach to our small business members,” Guy said.

The companies will buy space in the Chamber’s Montgomery Business Journal and be able to tell their company’s story.

The annual Total Resource Campaign, which has exceeded its goal for six straight years, helps fund the Chamber events, publications, programs, etc.

Volunteers sell sponsorships and advertising “that are necessary to develop commerce in Montgomery,” Guy said.

Another new product in the TRC was the Success Starts Here tour when elected officials and media tour existing industries that have increased employment or announced new capital investment. “Every job is important to the Chamber and community,” Guy said. “Some of our manufacturers may increase their employment by five employees or 10 employees and we want to celebrate that.” The tour features small and large businesses.

There were some new opportunities to advertise on Chamber websites, too.

W. Russell Tyner, who was last year’s chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, said, “The Total Resource Campaign has been successful through the years and continues to be successful because of a group of dedicated volunteers and members who believe in the mission of the Chamber.”

Guy hopes that next year’s TRC will have more volunteer salespeople. There were 23 volunteers for the 10th annual campaign and Guy would like to have 30 to 35. She said that the volunteers “have the fortitude and the will to get out there and get it done.” n

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MEMBER NEWS

BUSINESS BUZZ AUM COLLEGE OF BUSINESS NAMED AMONG BEST IN PRINCETON REVIEW GUIDE MONTGOMERY – The Auburn University at Montgomery College of Business has once again received recognition as one of the best business programs in the nation.

The Princeton Review has named the college a 2016 Best Business School based on the feedback of nearly Rhea Ingram 42,000 business students from across the U.S. The college was noted for its affordability and a reputation for academic excellence.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Princeton Review as a Best Business School, and an extraordinary accomplishment of our college,” Rhea Ingram, dean of the College of Business, said in a statement. “It speaks volumes to the dedication of our faculty, staff and students. We are committed to excellence and are constantly noted for our reputation of excellence, faculty who bring in real-world experiences, and connections to the business community.”

The College of Business offers undergraduate degrees in accounting, finance, international business, information systems, management and marketing. The college also offers the following graduate degrees: MBA, executive MBA, master in information systems management and master of accountancy. Courses are offered online, nights and weekends.

According to Princeton Review’s latest guide to business schools, AUM’s AACSB-accredited master of business administration (MBA) program is “a great place to get your MBA at night” with instructors who “bring real-life business experiences to the classroom” and “have connections in the business world,” and understand that many evening students are employed full-time during the day.

MBA students at AUM also boast that “(AUM) professors are extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and outstanding in their areas,” according to the guide.

Truman Ingram

ALFA INSURANCE RECEIVES TOASTMASTERS AWARD MONTGOMERY – Alfa Insurance President Jimmy Parnell accepted Jimmy Parnell the Corporate Recognition Award from Toastmasters International during a ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Montgomery.

FOUR STAR FREIGHTLINER EMPLOYEE RECEIVES ‘ELITE’ RECOGNITION

The program, named after the company’s founder, recognizes the best sales managers in the Freightliner Dealer Network. The awards are based on the amount of units sold.

Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

“He has focused his efforts on being an expert in his field and builds good relationships with customers,” Dealer-Principal Jerry Kocan said in a statement. “It’s really hard to win an award like this three years in a row. This just proves his commitment to excellence.”

Ingram has been utility and municipal account manager at Four Star Freightliner since 2006.

MONTGOMERY – For the third year in a row, Four Star Freightliner utility and municipal account manager Truman Ingram has been named an Elite winner in the Leland James Sales Achievement Program.

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Ingram, along with 19 other Elite winners, was treated to a trip to a special awards ceremony at the Enchantment Resort in Boynton Canyon located in Sedona, Ariz.

Presented twice a year, the Corporate Recognition Award recognizes organizations that have displayed significant support for the Toastmasters program.

Chartered in 1957, Alfa’s Econchati Chapter of Toastmasters has yielded hundreds of graduates in varying roles within the company, from data entry to senior vice presidents.

Parnell said he was honored to accept the award on their behalf.

“Toastmasters has a proven record of helping produce effective leaders by strengthening their communication and management skills, and we’re proud to have a rooted history with this outstanding organization for the past 58 years,” Parnell said in a statement. “Alfa’s Econchati Chapter equips our employees with confidence, enthusiasm, pride and a great sense of accomplishment, and I’m pleased to accept this award on behalf of everyone who has successfully completed the program.”

To qualify for the award, a participating company has to have had a Toastmasters chapter in existence for more than two years; pay the members’ dues; provide meeting space for the chapter; and incorporate the Toastmasters program into the company culture.

WARREN AVERETT TECHNOLOGY GROUP, KIANOFF & ASSOCIATES MERGE BIRMINGHAM – Warren Averett Technology Group and Kianoff & Associates, a leading business software consulting group, have merged.

The combined company will offer an expanded level of service, including business management systems, accounting and ERP systems, technology consulting, managed technology, security services, data security, risk management, business consulting, business processes, secure business foundations, business continuity/data recovery, hosted cloud services, data center services, colocation solutions, business accounting systems

solutions, financial reporting, business intelligence and reporting, payroll system solutions and specialty practice insight within the hospitality, health care, manufacturing and distribution and service industries.

“The addition of the Kianoff team grows our consulting and customer service resources, allowing us to provide clients with the highest level of solutions and service,” Jason Asbury, president of Warren Averett Technology Group, said in a statement. “Our joining together is another way that we are delivering on our promise to help our clients thrive.”

Warren Averett Technology Group is a technology consulting and outsourced information technology provider firm.

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RAYCOM MEDIA ACQUIRES PURECARS CHARLESTON, S.C. – Raycom Media announced that it acquired PureCars, the leading digital advertising platform for the automotive industry.

Montgomery-based Raycom Media is one of the nation’s largest privately held broadcasters and operates 51 television stations in 38 markets across 19 states, covering 13.2 percent of Paul McTear U.S. television households.

PureCars is one of the largest and fastest growing digital advertising platforms for the automotive industry, used by thousands of dealers, dealer groups, local marketing associations and agencies across the country.

“We are excited that PureCars is now part of the Raycom Media team,” Raycom Media President and CEO Paul McTear said in a statement. “We are impressed by the leadership, people and technology PureCars brings to the table and are eager to provide our customers with a market-leading advertising solution that crosses the TV and digital divide.”

PureCars will operate as a separate unit within Raycom Media and maintain its development campus in Atlanta and offices in Charleston, S.C., and Milwaukee. The combination will allow for a platform that combines traditional and digital advertising across television, desktop, tablet and mobile.

Raycom Media, an employee-owned company, employs more than 4,200.

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reasons – need distance learning to complete their degrees or certifications so they can improve their career opportunities.”

SOCIAL WORK ORGANIZATION SETS DATE FOR CONFERENCE MONTGOMERY – The Alabama chapter of the National Association of Social Work will hold its advocacy day and annual state conference Feb. 10-12 at Embassy Suites

by Hilton Montgomery - Hotel & Conference Center.

To determine rankings, Affordable Colleges Dawn Ellis-Murray Online’s data analysts and college experts developed a scoring system to rank these colleges based on various cost-to-quality criteria and metrics.

The theme is: “Social Work: Answering the Call for Cause & Community.” The annual event will feature speakers, workshops and networking opportunities. Dawn Ellis-Murray is the executive for the NASW-Alabama chapter.

AUM has been offering online courses since 1994 (and distance learning since its founding) and currently has 16 online and hybrid certificate and degree programs.

For information, call the organization at (334) 260-4018 or email Alabama@naswal.net.

GILPIN GIVHAN LAW FIRM. ATTORNEYS NAMED TO PRESTIGIOUS LIST

AUM RANKED IN TOP 10 FOR ONLINE LEARNING

MONTGOMERY – The Gilpin Givhan, PC, law firm was named as a Best Law Firm in America.

The firm, which has offices in Montgomery and Birmingham, provides services throughout MONTGOMERY Alabama with practice – Auburn University groups that include, taxation, at Montgomery’s Joe M. King business transactions, estate online programs and and trusts, health care, labor and degrees rank among the top 10 in employment, and municipal and the state, according to Affordable public financing.

Colleges Online.

The organization analyzed data from hundreds of colleges across the nation with online degrees at the bachelor’s level to determine which colleges offer the best combination of academic rigor, student support, and affordability for online learning.

“AUM is proud of this recognition for its online certificates and degrees program,” AUM Provost Joe M. King said in a statement. “Our faculty and staff, along with our information technology services department, have diligently and thoughtfully worked together to develop quality online learning options for students who – whether they are raising a family or working full time or for other

Individual attorneys named by Best Lawyers include shareholders Robert E. L. Gilpin for tax law and litigation and controversy – tax; David Hunt for health care law; Lynlee Palmer for employment law – management, labor law – management, and litigation – labor and employment; Davis Smith for tax law; and John Ward Weiss for health care law.

Weiss was also honored as Best Lawyers’ 2016 Montgomery health care law “Lawyer of the Year.” Only a single lawyer in each practice area and each community is honored as a “Lawyer of the Year.”

Gregg B. Everett was selected as an Alabama Super Lawyer. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most highly respected peer review guides to the legal profession worldwide.

POLITICAL CONSULTANT, ATTORNEY FORM COMPANY MONTGOMERY – Political consultant David Mowery and attorney Brent Rosen have announced the formation of FIXR Digital.

ZELDA PLACE ADDS BRIDAL COMPANY MONTGOMERY- Aronov Realty Management announced that I Do Bridal & Formal will open a location at Zelda Place shopping center. It is scheduled to open in January.

I Do Bridal & Formal offers such brands as Maggie Sottero, Mori Lee, Stella York and Justin Alexander. The new boutique will be located between Born Children’s Boutique and California Yogurt Kraze.

David Mowery

“We are excited to bring I Do Bridal & Formal to Montgomery,” Leslie Zeanah, leasing representative for Aronov Realty Management, said in a statement. “Their beautiful new bridal and formal boutique will continue to round-out the merchant mix we seek for Zelda Place, providing the best of every retail category and a convenient and exciting shopping experience.”

The new firm is an advertising and public relations company focusing on digital advertising and Zelda Place shopping center is cutting-edge techniques Brent Rosen developed, managed and leased for political, association, by Aronov Realty Management. corporate and local business clients.

“We’re here to focus on showing return on investment and on reaching people where they live – on their computers, phones and tablets,” Mowery said in a statement.

Mowery and Rosen collaborated on digital media efforts for the Keep Montgomery Strange campaign earlier in the year. They see FIXR as a natural extension of those efforts.

FIXR Digital will maintain offices in Montgomery and New Orleans, where Rosen lives part-time.

OXTON SENIOR LIVING EXPANDS IN MONTGOMERY MONTGOMERY – Oxton Senior Living announced the groundbreaking of 18 additional memory care apartments in addition to its current 32 apartments at Oxton Court at Waterford Place.

The expansion was expected to be completed in late spring. The senior community is located at 3920 Antoinette Drive off of McGehee Road. The community features trained resident care and culinary staff; transportation to medical appointments; and organized daily activities including socials, bingo and cookouts.

Oxton Senior Living is a leading provider of personal care, assisted living and memory care communities for seniors in Georgia and Alabama.

TRUSTMARK VICE PRESIDENT RECEIVES TRUST PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD MONTGOMERYTrustmark Trust Branch City Manager and Vice President/Trust Officer C.E. “Scoop” Rivers C.E. “Scoop” Rivers was awarded the 2015 Wayne F. Lambert Trust Professional of the Year Award from the Alabama Bankers Association (ABA).

Rivers was given the award in recognition of his dedication and service to both his clients and peers.

Nominations for the award are sought from members of the ABA’s trust division to honor someone who has made a significant contribution to the trust industry in Alabama. The executive committee of the trust division selects the winner.

“Scoop is well-deserving of this award, as he is dedicated to both the trust industry and the Alabama Bankers Association,” Trustmark Wealth Management President Doug Ralston said in a statement. “His contributions to the trust division of Trustmark are invaluable and greatly appreciated.”

Rivers has more than 38 years of experience in sales and marketing with 16 years in the areas of trust, wealth management and estate planning.

Trustmark Corp. is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Jackson, Miss., with more than 200 locations in five states.

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A MINI FLEX STORAGE TO BUILD STORAGE FACILITY MONGOMERY – A Mini Flex Storage Arrowhead has purchased and started construction on 5.6 acres across from Arrowhead Country Club on Atlanta Highway to build a storage facility.

The development will be in three phases. The first phase will include a 30,000-squarefoot climate-controlled storage building with Eric Isaacson an onsite office; packing and shipping store; local and one-way truck rentals; free truck and driver with storage rental program; 10,000 square feet of covered recreational vehicle and boat storage with electrical plug-ins and dump site; and 20,000 square feet of uncovered parking storage.

A licensed clinical social worker will be on staff to provide a senior transitioning program. Phase one is expected to be completed in the spring.

“This is a really exciting development that we are pursuing because this is a completely local project,” Isaacson Family Enterprises LLC Managing Partner Eric Isaacson said in a statement. “From ownership to financing, we are all based in Montgomery, Alabama” River Bank & Trust is financing the project.

The two remaining phases will have both standard and climatecontrolled units. There will be 600plus units when the three phases are completed.

Isaacson Family Enterprises, which started 15 years ago with 79 units, now operates two facilities with 1,120 units in the Montgomery area.

The MAI designation is received upon the successful completion of a graduatelevel curriculum, which includes a comprehensive exam, a written demonstration appraisal MONTGOMERY report and attaining 4,500 – David R. Gallahar David R. Gallahar hours of qualifying experience of Raymond James requirements. Designees Financial has been awarded the must abide by both the appraisal accredited investment fiduciary profession’s Uniform Standards of (AIF) designation from the Center for Professional Appraisal Practice and Fiduciary Studies. the Appraisal Institute’s Standards of Professional Practice and Code The AIF designation signifies of Ethics. specialized knowledge of fiduciary

RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL EXEC RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS DESIGNATION

responsibility and the ability to implement policies and procedures that meet a defined standard of care.

The designation is the culmination of a rigorous training program, which includes a comprehensive final examination under the supervision of a proctor, and agreement to abide by the Code of Ethics and Conduct Standards. On an ongoing basis, completion of continuing education and adherence to the Code of Ethics and Conduct Standards are required to maintain the AIF designation.

THERMALEX CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Gallahar is a first vice president, investments for The Gallahar Group of Raymond James Financial.

MONTGOMERY –Thermalex Inc. and its 220 employees celebrated 30 years in Montgomery.

VALBRIDGE PROPERTY ADVISORS EXEC RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS DESIGNATION MONGOMERY – Valbridge Property Advisors Senior Managing Director John E. “Josh” Hall III has been awarded the Appraisal Institute’s prestigious MAI membership designation.

Thermalex is an aluminum extrusion company that started in Montgomery in 1985 with one extrusion press and three planned customers. The company recently installed its sixth extrusion press, in addition to a variety of new technologies in coating and cutting of its products. Today Thermalex still has its same three original customers as well as John E. “Josh” many others.

The designation is awarded to appraisers who are experienced in the valuation and evaluation of commercial, industrial, residential and other types of properties and who advise clients on real estate investment decisions.

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MAIs are recognized experts in appraising properties of all kinds and form a business network encompassing markets nationwide and around the world.

Currently, about 8,000 real estate appraisal professionals hold the MAI designation, with another 3,400 seeking it.

Hall III

From its Montgomery facility, Thermalex supplies a long list of clients throughout the U.S., Mexico, Canada, South America and Europe. Using Thermalex parts, the clients assemble units that are used in automobiles or commercial and residential air conditioning systems worldwide.

During its 30-year history, Thermalex, a Mitsubishi Aluminum company, has expanded five times with more than $80 million in investments in the Montgomery facility and has an annual payroll of more than $15 million.

GIFT OF LIFE FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RETIRES MONTGOMERY – Gift of Life Foundation Executive Director Martha Jinright announced her retirement after leading the organization since its founding 27 years ago.

“The board of directors and I are eternally indebted to Martha for her dedication, passion and commitment,” Chairman of the Board Gregg Everett said in a statement.

“She is responsible for growing a program that every person in this

region can be proud of. Martha has always been driven by one imperative: ‘Because it’s the right thing to do.’ ” Jinright has overseen the building of the Medicaid Maternity Care Program, which serves mothers and infants in 20 Alabama counties.

“Martha’s knowledge of the Medicaid program is second to none,” Dr. Allen Dupre, board member and obstetrician, said in a statement.

“She is a tremendous advocate for patients and physicians and she will be sorely missed.”

Jinright will leave the Gift of Life Foundation in the first quarter of 2016. A celebration of her leadership is being planned for February 2016.

The Gift of Life Foundation provides perinatal services, education and care coordination for families, pregnant women, and their

babies. In addition to the Maternity Care Program, the foundation operates Healthy Start, a program serving mothers and children from birth to three years, and Growing Our Own Youth, a teen pregnancy prevention program.

SHAW AGENCY GOES INDEPENDENT MONTGOMERY – Ronnie Shaw recently changed over to an independent insurance agency.

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companies to meet the needs of customers. The firm offers auto, home, life and business insurance in Central Alabama.

The agency’s phone number is (334) 279-9400.

YMCA OF GREATER MONTGOMERY RECEIVES $25,000 GRANT MONTGOMERY – The Kershaw Branch of the YMCA of Greater Montgomery received a $25,000 Gary A. Cobbs grant to support the development of athletic fields, a walking track and gardens.

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With the funding from the American Beverage Association and Alabama Beverage Association, the YMCA will be able to purchase soccer goals, soccer nets and permanent benches for spectators as well as complete a walking trail and community gardens. The equipment will replace borrowed soccer goals and nets and refurbished benches for spectators.

“We want to give children in this community positive opportunities, especially with their families, and what better way to do that than to further develop our youth sports and family activities here at the Kershaw YMCA?” Gary A. Cobbs, president and CEO of YMCA of Greater Montgomery, said in a statement.

“Thanks to the generosity of the American Beverage Association and Alabama Beverage Association, we are able to support our friends and neighbors here surrounding the Kershaw YMCA.”

BURR & FORMAN WILL MOVE TO DEXTER AVENUE BUILDING MONTGOMERY – The law firm of Burr & Forman LLP is moving to the RSA Dexter Avenue Building after 15 years at the RSA Tower.

Burr & Forman’s Montgomerybased attorneys practice in the areas of manufacturing, economic development, taxation and health care. The new address is 445 Dexter Ave., Suite 2040; Montgomery, AL 36104.

The firm has nearly 300 attorneys and nine offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee.

HUNTINGDON COLLEGE WINS NATIONAL SERVICE LEARNING CONTEST

Butler Snow ranked No. 1 in Mississippi, No. 3 in Tennessee and No. 5 in Alabama in the 2015 report.

“We are pleased to receive this honor,” Butler Snow Chairman MONTGOMERY – J. Cameron West Donald Clark Jr. said in a Huntingdon College statement.

“This recognition holds beat out two other finalists to win a special significance because it national service learning contest with is determined by our industry online voting. colleagues, and it acknowledges our The Arbor Day Foundation selected thriving government relations and Huntingdon College as one of three lobbying team.” national small college finalists in its The Southern Political Report Tree Campus USA Service Learning produces the rankings based on Contest. The winner was determined the results of an online survey sent by online voting. to lobbyists and government affairs Huntingdon College received specialists across 13 Southern states. $10,000 to plant trees in the West Fairview area along South Holt Street. Huntingdon’s Tree Campus USA coordinator is Gabrielle Ehinger WARREN AVERETT ASSET from the biology department and is MANAGEMENT EXPANDS INTO assisted by Jim Daniels, an assistant ATLANTA MARKET biology professor.

ATLANTA – Warren Averett Asset “Thank you to the Huntingdon Management, LLC has expanded into community and to the college’s the Atlanta market. larger community —families, alumni, With the addition of the Atlanta office, friends, neighbors, who heard about Warren Averett Asset Management the contest and helped with their now has six locations across the votes,” Huntingdon College President Southeast, including Birmingham, J. Cameron West said in a statement.

Huntsville and Montgomery as well The area where the trees will be as Pensacola and Tampa, Fla. planted is part of a city initiative Warren Averett Asset Management’s that includes efforts to revitalize Atlanta office will be led by Jim the community by beautifying Foster, the newest senior client and improving streetscapes for consultant to the firm. Foster brings walkability, safety and connectivity. with him more than 19 years of Huntingdon students will help with experience in wealth advisory. He planting and maintaining 40 trees specializes in providing personal near the recently completed Fairview financial planning, portfolio Environmental Park, beginning in the management and estate planning to spring of 2016. individuals and families.

BUTLER SNOW RECEIVES TOP RANKINGS RIDGELAND, Miss. – Butler Snow has been named among the South’s top government affairs firms and lobbyists in Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama by The Southern Political Report.

“We have the utmost confidence that this addition will improve our ability to deliver high-quality solutions to both new and current clients in the Atlanta area,” Josh Reidinger, president of Warren Averett Asset Management, said in a statement.

Warren Averett Asset Management advises on assets in excess of $1.7 billion.

RUSHTON, STAKELY OPENS OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM MONTGOMERY – Rushton, Stakely, Johnston & Garrett, P.A., announced the opening of the firm’s first branch office in Birmingham.

Rushton Stakely, which has been in Montgomery for 125 years, offers a wide range of practice areas and industries, including commercial real estate transactions as well as tax, estate, and corporate law.

“We are driven by a strong commitment to client success, and we believe that our presence in Birmingham will enhance the service to our clients,” Rushton Stakely President Tommy Keene said in a statement. “We look forward to working with our existing clients and furthering our relationships with the legal community in Birmingham.”

BASEBALL COACHES GROUP SCHEDULES FUNDRAISER MONTGOMERY – Five-time all-star Fred McGriff is the special guest for the seventh annual “First Pitch” Barry Dean Dinner and Silent Auction scheduled for Jan. 28 at the RSA Activity Center.

The fundraising event by the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association (ALABCA) is set for 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. The organization under President/Executive Director Barry Dean is raising money for a team sponsorship or outfield sign at each of the 13 Miracle Leagues located throughout the state. The dinner and silent auction also help fund four scholarships totaling $6,500 that the ALABCA awards to four high school seniors for their college freshman year.

For information about the event, visit www.alabca.org and go to the events link at the top of the home page. n

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MEMBER NEWS

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE JIM WILSON & ASSOCIATES ANNOUNCES TWO HIRES

EXTRA HELP ANNOUNCES HIRE

MONTGOMERY– Doug Jeffords and Evan Conder have joined Jim Wilson & Associates, LLC.

MONTGOMERY – Extra Help Inc. announced that Cierra Belser has joined its business development team.

Evan Conder

Jeffords is the new vice president of construction and will oversee all aspects of construction for the company’s multifaceted real estate development and management business.

He is a graduate of Auburn University’s building science curriculum and has been in the construction industry since 1989.

As a development and construction manager, Jeffords’ experience Doug Jeffords includes multi-family, retail, hospitality, mixed use, industrial and office developments.

Conder was named the development director and will be involved in site selection and acquisition, land planning and entitlements, shopping centers and net lease development for the company’s commercial property division.

He has a master’s degree in urban planning and real estate development from the University of Louisville and a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University. In the past four years, Conder has been involved in more than $100 million of new development projects across the Southeast.

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wealth of experience to the firm’s growing government relations practice.

He began his career in government as the finance director for Bentley’s campaign in 2010, when he assisted Cierra Belser the campaign in raising She will be focusing more than $12 million. He has on building client relationships, since served in various roles within expanding business development state government, including serving and growing the Montgomery area. as the assistant director of the She comes to Extra Help with Alabama Rural Development Office experience in higher education and and the House liaison and deputy account management. director for the governor’s Office of “Cierra is a great addition to our Legislative Affairs. team,” Extra Help President and CEO Gunnells received a bachelor’s Teresa Katubig said in a statement. degree in management from The “Our company takes pride in being University of Alabama. a group of hard-working individuals who care about the success of our Butler Snow LLP has more than clients. Cierra fills that role well.”

300 attorneys representing local, regional, national and international Belser, who has lived in the region for clients from 17 U.S. offices and an 16-plus years, said in a statement: “I international office in London look forward to focusing on reaching out within the community to see where companies’ staffing and hiring needs FOUR STAR are, and how Extra FREIGHTLINER Help, Inc. can assist HIRES ENGINEER them in solving their MONTGOMERY – Four HR challenges.”

Star Freightliner has hired recent Auburn University graduate Sam Long EX-LEGISLATIVE Sam Long as a chassis AFFAIRS DIRECTOR specification engineer.

JOINS BUTLER SNOW LAW FIRM

Long, who holds a degree in mechanical MONTGOMERY – engineering, will report J. Ross Gunnells directly to Truman has joined the law Ingram, Four Star firm Butler Snow’s Freightliner’s utility and government relations municipal account manager.

J. Ross Gunnells group in Montgomery.

Long’s focus will be to spec and quote chassis and to work Gunnells, who most recently served with the engineers to optimize spec as Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley’s offerings in the utility market. legislative affairs director, brings a

“We believe this addition to our team will allow for increased support in both sales and service as we continuously strive to strengthen relationships with our customers,” Ingram said in a statement. “This newly created position is an example of our commitment to the utility market. We believe Sam will become a great asset to Four Star and our customers.”

Four Star’s dealer-principal, Jerry Kocan, cited increased company growth as one of the reasons behind Long’s hiring.

“Thanks to our growth in our utility and municipalities segments we felt it was important to invest and hire an engineer to add to our sales team,” Kocan said in a statement.

Long will work out of the Montgomery office. The company also has offices in Dothan; Tifton, Valdosta and Albany, Ga.; and Tallahassee, Fla.

chief community banking officer of Synovus, said in a statement. “He knows he has big COLUMBUS, Ga. – Mark shoes to fill, however, Snead became CEO with the retirement of Montgomery-based of Alan Worrell, who Sterling Bank Jan. 1 has served Montgomery following the retirement of with great skill and care for Mark Snead Alan Worrell. decades. We congratulate Alan on a well-earned retirement and Snead joins Sterling Bank from we thank him for the example he has Synovus Bank’s Columbus Bank set for bankers everywhere.” & Trust (CB&T) division, where he was vice president of commercial Worrell will remain chairman of lending. Snead graduated from Sterling Bank’s board of advisers. He Auburn University and joined CB&T co-founded Sterling Bank in 1989 as a management trainee in 2000. and will continue to help guide the He has held a number of retail and firm from his role as chairman. “It commercial banking positions the has been the privilege of a lifetime last 15 years at Synovus, including to serve Montgomery and the River commercial real estate and Region at Sterling Bank,” Worrell said regional lending. in a statement. “Community banking is a noble and important undertaking, “Montgomery and the River Region and the Sterling team and our are important areas of growth for Synovus, and we are very fortunate to community have benefitted from the resources and expertise of Synovus. have a banker of Mark’s energy and

SNEAD NAMED CEO OF STERLING BANK

experience lead the talented team there,” R. Dallis “D” Copeland Jr.,

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While I will miss working with teammates and customers on a daily basis, I have the greatest confidence in Mark Snead and I am certain that Sterling is in very capable hands.”

Sterling Bank, which has 258 branches in five states, was acquired by Synovus in 1992 and has four locations in the River Region.

MONTGOMERY AREA COUNCIL ON AGING ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR HIRE MONTGOMERY – The Montgomery Area Council on Aging has hired Phyllis Fenn as the organization’s development director.

Her mission will include a strategic Phyllis Fenn plan to expand the organization’s flagship Meals On Wheels program throughout the city and county.

“Our goal is to increase volunteer recruitment and build our corporate route partnerships so no one has to spend a night hungry,” Fenn said in a statement.

“Any waiting list for seniors is too long.”

An Auburn University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Fenn’s professional career has its roots in the River Region. As membership director of the Capital City Club for the

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past 30 years, she contributed to the continued success of Montgomery’s only private dining club, meeting the needs of its members on both a business and social level. Prior to that, she spent eight years in the advertising, marketing and promotion department for Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, where she coordinated the printing and publication of catalogs, direct mail and magazines. Fuller & Dees Marketing Group brought her to Montgomery originally as a copywriter and editor for a vast array of fundraising books.

in a statement. “We are excited to have Rhonda join our team and know that her extensive experience and involvement in the community will be valuable to our organization as we continue to grow.”

McGough has more than 35 years of experience in the mortgage banking industry. She specializes in purchase and refinance loans, lot loans and one-time close construction loans.

Houston-based Cadence Bank has 65-plus locations in five states.

“The board of directors MORGAN STANLEY and I are thrilled to have WEALTH Phyllis on the MACOA MANAGEMENT staff,” Donna Marietta, HIRES A FIRST executive director VICE PRESIDENT of Montgomery Area MONTGOMERY Council on Aging, said – Richard “Dickie” in a statement. “She is Richard Blondheim Blondheim has a proven professional joined Morgan Stanley’s wealth and will work diligently to serve the management office as a first vice mission of our organization.” president and financial adviser.

CADENCE BANK ADDS MORTGAGE LENDING MANAGER MONTGOMERY – Rhonda McGough has joined Cadence Bank’s mortgage lending division as a mortgage lending manager. McGough Rhonda McGough will be originating and overseeing first lien mortgages in the Montgomery area.

“The Montgomery market has always been a strong market for our mortgage division,” Jennifer Brittian, senior vice president, Alabama regional operations manager, said

Blondheim previously worked for Wells Fargo and its predecessor firm, A.G. Edwards, for 25 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Georgia. He will be at the firm’s office at 7515 Halcyon Summit Dr., Suite 300.

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a global leader, provides access to a wide range of products and services to individuals, businesses and institutions, including brokerage and investment advisory services, financial and wealth planning, banking services, annuities and insurance, retirement and trust services.

JACKSON THORNTON NAMES PRINCIPAL

He is a graduate of Auburn University at Montgomery, where be obtained his undergraduate degree in accounting.

MONTGOMERY – The certified public accounting and consulting firm Jackson PALOMAR J. Adam Causey Thornton announced that INSURANCE J. Adam Causey has been selected ADDS TWO ACCOUNT as the firm’s newest principal.

EXECUTIVES Causey serves as a principal in the firm’s Montgomery office, where he has worked for more than 10 years. Causey is a certified public accountant; personal financial specialist; and certified financial planner. He specializes in tax and consulting services for closely held businesses and individuals. Causey recently joined Jackson Thornton Asset Management, where he will advise clients on wealth management strategies and planning.

MONTGOMERY – Palomar Insurance Corp. has hired two account executives, adding Clay Milton and Betsy Styles.

Milton was an assistant underwriter with AmWins Group Inc. in Birmingham before joining Palomar.

He is experienced at analyzing skills for commercial, property

and casualty insurance from a wholesale perspective. Milton is a 2011 graduate from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Styles was hired as an account executive for Aesthetisure. She has been in the insurance industry for more than 12 years. After graduating from the University of Alabama, Styles started her career in medical professional liability insurance. She is an experienced underwriter and has worked in Betsy Styles the excess and surplus lines division for nonstandard physicians for six-plus years. n

Clay Milton

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CHAMBER NEWS

RIBBON CUTTINGS & GROUND BREAKINGS

THE TAVERN @ RAILYARD BREWING COMPANY

UNLEASHED POTENTIAL FITNESS

12 West Jefferson Street • Montgomery, AL 36104 334-262-0080 • www.railyardbrewingcompany.com Bob Parker-President • Restaurants-Bar/Grill

8812 Templeton Court • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-868-0796 • www.unleashedpotentialfitness.com Keon Addison-Owner & Personal Trainer • Fitness Training

SWEET HOME BUFFET 6050 Atlanta Highway • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-279-5149 Ashley Brocknell-Manager • Restaurants-Southern

ROYAL NAILS & SPA 3177 Taylor Road • Montgomery, AL 36116 334-356-5688 Andy Nguyen-Owner • Nail Salon

SA ZA SERIOUS PIZZA

OXTON COURT @ WATERFORD PLACE

130 Commerce Street, Suite 101 • Montgomery, AL 36104 334-495-7292 • www.sazapizza.com Jeff Tharp-Owner/General Manager Davo Thames-Owner, Mark Kitchens-Owner Restaurants-Italian

3920 Antoinette Drive • Montgomery, AL 36111 334-288-2444 • www.oxtonsl.com Melody Phillips-Administrator • Nursing Homes/Assisted Living

HOLLEY’S HOME FURNISHINGS 3490 Wetumpka Highway • Montgomery, AL 36110 334-279-3101 • www.holleyshomefurnishings.com Ralph Holley-President • Furniture

ORANGETHEORY FITNESS

HANNAH Z

1645 Perry Hill Road • Montgomery, AL 36109 334-409-2007 • www.orangetheoryfitness.com Lauren Adair-Goldasich, Owner • Fitness Center/Gym

213 A Commerce Street • Montgomery, AL 36104 334-210-2882 • www.hannahz.com Hannah Z-Owner • Gifts & Specialty-Retail

GRACE POINT BEHAVIORAL, LLC 1331 Old Oak Place • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-409-9242 • www.gracepointbehavioral.com Dr. Caroline Abolade-Owner/Medical Director • Psychiatrists

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

NEW MEMBERS ADVERTISING AGENCIES

STOKES, MCNUTT & PARTNERS, LLC Ford Stokes 570 Devall Drive, Suite 303 Auburn, AL 36832 334-501-4807 ADVERTISING SPECIALTIES

AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS

KUKDONG USA, INC. Wan Seong Joo 7765 Bill Joseph Parkway Montgomery, AL 36105 334-281-0906 BEAUTY SALONS/SPAS/BARBER

LOGO’S UNLIMITED LLC Lorie Schmacker 8333 Lochwood Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 334-220-7225

HAIRZONE KREATIONS Annail Fort 3009-B McGehee Road Montgomery, AL 36111 334-280-3930

APPAREL & OTHER

CATERING SERVICES

TEXTILES-MFR.

RUSSELL BRANDS, LLC Dwayne Dark 1 Retail Drive Montgomery, AL 36110 334-394-6000 ARCHITECTS

PAYNE DESIGN GROUP Architects, LLC David H. Payne 1 Court Square, Suite 322 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-272-2180 ASSOCIATIONS/NON-PROFIT

E.A.T. SOUTH Elizabeth Ellerson Laroche 1 Dexter Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104 546-7053 PROFESSIONAL LIFE ENRICHMENT SERVICES (PLES) Tawana Harris P.O. Box 231481 Montgomery, AL 36123 334-517-8636

ASE CAKES & CATERING DBA COURTHOUSE CAFE Gwen Massey 100 South Lawrence Street Montgomery, AL 36104 334-265-7181 JASON’S DELI Landon Shirley 1520 Eastern Boulevard #12 Montgomery, AL 36117 334-409-9890 CHURCHES/MINISTRIES

FRESH ANOINTING HOUSE OF WORSHIP Kyle C. Searcy 150 E. Fleming Road Montgomery, AL 36105 334-613-3363 Ext 212

CONTRACTORS

WOOLARD BROTHERS COMMERCIAL CONTRACTING, INC. Paul Woolard 531 Oliver Road Montgomery, AL 36117 334-277-3703 COSMETICS/SKIN CARE

RODAN & FIELDS-AMY WATERS Amy Waters 59 Jackson Lane Wetumpka, AL 36093 334-538-5437 DENTISTS

WILLIS DENTAL CARE Pat Holt 8161 Seaton Place Montgomery, AL 36116 334-260-2929 EMBROIDERY/SCREENPRINTING

NEW ERA SPORTSWEAR Brandon Hamilton 26-G Penser Boulevard Millbrook, AL 36054 334-868-2624 EVENT PLANNER

CONSULTING SERVICES

RSVP MONTGOMERY, INC. Kim Traff 505 Cloverdale Road Unit 104 Montgomery, AL 36106 334-356-4598

EBW DEVELOPMENT, LLC Elizabeth Williams 3433 Bankhead Avenue Montgomery, AL 36111 334-462-4666

SOUTHERN POSIES Crystal Strickland 1951 Mulberry Street Montgomery, AL 36106 334-391-3651

CHAMBER NEWS

EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANY

LIVE & LISTEN Jordan Kirkland 8533 Old Marsh Way Montgomery, AL 36117 334-657-2804 FACILITY MAINTENANCE/SERVICES

KEMCO FACILITIES SERVICES Wesley Littlefield 5750 Bell Circle Montgomery, AL 36116 334-356-2005 FINANCIAL PLANNER/ADVISOR

PMG Tipper Tipton 5151 Hampstead High Street Suite 100 Montgomery, AL 36116 334-481-1222 FINANCIAL SERVICES

PATHWAY ADVISORS GROUP David Frier 1837 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Suite 200 Colorado Springs, CO 80918 719-260-1184 PRIMERICA FINANCIAL SERVICES Lonnie D. Poole 26 Carol Villa Drive Montgomery, AL 36109 334-593-9215

LEGACY CONSULTING SERVICES Donna White 1714 Platt Place Montgomery, AL 36117 334-354-5765 WARREN & COMPANY, INC. Keith Warren 2777 Zelda Road Montgomery, AL 36106 334-269-9990 Ext 214

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

73

FITNESS CENTER/GYM

PURE BARRE EAST MONTGOMERY Katie Lowder 8103 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL 36117 334-356-5154 FLIGHT INSTRUCTION

GLASS

PROTECH AUTO GLASS Brian Hutchison 7956 Vaughn Road #207 Montgomery, AL 36116 844-745-2777 GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING

BOX AVIATION, INC. Erik Box 4521 Selma Highway Montgomery, AL 36108 334-281-9005

VISIONARY ENGINEERING & SERVICES Lucindra Crutcher 4810 Commercial Drive Huntsville, AL 35816 256-535-9124

GIFTS & SPECIALTY-RETAIL

GOVERNMENT REL/LOBBYING

HANNAH Z Hannah Walton 213 A Commerce Street Montgomery, AL 36104 334-310-2882

THE JONES GROUP, LLC Gregory Jones 10 Court Square Montgomery, AL 36104 334-834-7400 HEALTH CARE SERVICES

HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE Bill Purnell 2520 Fairlane Drive, Suite 340 Montgomery, AL 36116 334-215-9577

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

PRIMEPAY Shawn Daley 3535 Grandview Parkway, Suite 343 Birmingham, AL 35243 205-510-9402 ICE MACHINES/SERVICE

KEMCO FACILITIES SERVICES Wesley Littlefield 5750 Bell Circle Montgomery, AL 36116 334-356-2005 INSURANCE COMPANIES/ SERVICES

STATE FARM INSURANCE, BRECK HONEA-AGENT Breck Honea 61 Market Place, Suite A Montgomery, AL 36117 334-272-8423

INSURANCE-HEALTH

US HEALTH ADVISORS Pat Sellers 3737 Wesley Drive Montgomery, AL 36111 334-649-4007 JANITORIAL SERVICE/SUPPLIES

VERITIV Mike Fuller 9661 Farnham Drive Pike Road, AL 36064 334-462-8777 LANDSCAPING/LAWN SERVICES

STRAW SOURCE, LLC Bill Gunter P.O. Box 215 Mt. Meigs, AL 36057 334-451-1035 LEGAL SERVICES - ATTORNEYS

THE LAW OFFICES OF TROY KING J.W. Godwin 7065 Fain Park Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 334-215-4440

THE VANCE LAW FIRM, PC Stewart Vance 7505 Halcyon Pointe Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 334-440-7865 LEGAL SERVICES - OTHER

SAGE LEGACY COUNSEL Debbie Murchison 8416 Crossland Loop Montgomery, AL 36117 334-649-4911 LOBBYING

THE BLOOM GROUP Hal W. Bloom 401 Adams Avenue, Suite 710 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-244-8948 MORTGAGE/FINANCE

PROSPECT MORTGAGE Jennifer Johnston 445 Dexter Avenue, Suite 4050 #479 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-549-2445

ORGAN SALES & SERVICE

J.E.S. ORGAN COMPANY Jim Sadie 1609 Woodmere Loop Montgomery, AL 36117 205-915-6455 REAL ESTATE-AGENTS

PATTI STONE, REALTOR Patti Stone 9741 Silverbell Court Pike Road, AL 36064 334-651-3003 REAL ESTATE-BROKER

AMERICAN FOREST MANAGEMENT & AFM LAND SALES, LLC Linda Bassett 1813 Glynwood Drive Prattville, AL 36066 334-358-2345

REAL ESTATECOMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL

SOUTHEASTERN LAND GROUP, INC. David C. Milton 16396 Highway 280 Dadeville, AL 36853 256-825-4331 REAL ESTATE-RESIDENTIAL

NICOLE SLOAN REALTY, LLC Nicole Sloan 3625 Farmfield Lane Montgomery, AL 36116 334-356-4288 RESTAURANTS

ARBY’S Lynda Maddox 5759 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36117 334-277-6379

RESTORATION SERVICES

PROCLEAN DISASTER RESTORATION, INC. Rogelio Bailey P.O. Box 230842 Montgomery, AL 36123 334-245-0789 TOBACCO PRODUCTS-RETAIL

SANCTUARY CIGARS Patrick Ryan 7813 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL 36116 334-593-8552 WAREHOUSING/DISTRIBUTION

GLOVIS AMERICA Gary Johnson 250 Hyundai Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36105 334-386-0600

RESTAURANTS-PIZZA

LITTLE CAESAR’S PIZZA Bud Dyess 4021 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36109 334-819-4900

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

75

ECONOMIC INTEL

CHAMBER NEWS

UNEMPLOYMENT

Civilian Labor Force NOV P 2015

AREA

OCT R 2015

Unemployment Rate NOV R 2014

NOV P 2015

OCT R 2015

NOV R 2014

Montgomery MA

169,713

169,691

169,578

5.50%

5.60%

5.70%

Autauga County

25,350

25,410

25,290

4.90%

4.90%

4.90%

Prattville City

16,586

16,627

16,456

4.80%

4.80%

4.30%

Elmore County

36,218

36,238

36,165

4.80%

4.80%

4.80%

3,857

3,905

3,882

10.60%

11.00%

12.00%

104,288

104,138

104,241

5.70%

5.80%

5.90%

91,881

91,781

91,762

5.80%

6.00%

5.90%

537,479

537,499

533,694

5.20%

5.10%

5.10%

93,069

93,039

92,664

6.60%

6.70%

6.70%

Huntsville MA

208,819

209,319

209,361

5.00%

5.00%

5.10%

Huntsville City

90,657

90,795

90,678

5.30%

5.30%

5.20%

Mobile MA

182,263

182,336

182,173

6.60%

6.60%

6.70%

Mobile City

85,505

85,510

85,442

6.90%

6.90%

7.00%

2,150,685

2,160,919

2,139,091

5.60%

5.60%

5.70%

157,340,000

157,313,000

156,297,000

4.80%

4.80%

5.50%

Lowndes County Montgomery County Montgomery City Birmingham-Hoover MA Birmingham City

Alabama United States

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 2014 benchmark.

NOVEMBER 2015

NOVEMBER 2014

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

YTD 2015

YTD 2014

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

Montgomery County

$3,472,817

$3,488,968

-0.46%

$38,859,477

$37,460,924

3.73%

City of Montgomery

$7,920,340

$8,079,106

-1.97%

$92,396,394

$89,013,944

3.80%

$181,523

$133,780

35.69%

$1,938,009

$1,726,167

12.27%

$1,628,720

$1,588,960

2.50%

$19,589,051

$18,421,231

6.34%

Autauga County

$644,074

$684,337

-5.88%

$7,458,459

$7,137,463

4.50%

Wetumpka

$493,040

$471,709

4.52%

$4,579,881

$5,132,575

-10.77%

Wetumpka

$373,869

$464,043

-19.43%

$3,641,487

$4,256,256

-14.44%

Pike Road Prattville

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 2015 thru current month.

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Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

Building Permits

BUILDING STARTS

New Construction Additions and Alterations Others Total

Building Valuations

NOV 2015

OCT 2015

NOV 2014

NOV 2015

OCT 2015

NOV 2014

36

68

58

$5,872,200

$10,010,800

$7,168,600

108

96

61

$13,170,460

$6,576,881

$2,326,064

29

34

14

$242,033

$582,488

$90,040

173

198

133

$19,284,693

$17,170,169

$9,584,704

Source: City of Montgomery Building Department

MONTGOMERY METRO MARKET HOME SALES NOVEMBER 2015

OCTOBER 2015

MONTH/MONTH % CHANGE

NOVEMBER 2014

YEAR/YEAR % CHANGE

STATEWIDE NOVEMBER 2015*

Median Price

$135,000

$126,000

7.14%

$145,000

-6.90%

$130,595

Average Price

$163,187

$148,046

10.23%

$155,007

5.28%

$154,990

2,603

2,705

-3.77%

2,660

-2.14%

30,424

Months of Supply

9.1

7.8

16.67%

10

-9.00%

9.6

Total # Sales

286

345

-17.10%

265

7.92%

3,184

Days on Market

120

118

1.69%

134

-10.45%

139

Units Listed

Source: Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE), The University of Alabama

January 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

77

MONTGOMERY REGIONAL AIRPORT NOVEMBER 2015 Air Carrier Operations

NOVEMBER 2014

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

YTD 2015

YTD 2014

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

853

936

-8.9%

8,801

9,810

-10.3%

4,172

4,780

-12.7%

52,921

60,456

-12.5%

Enplanements

14,851

14,389

3.2%

161,056

154,111

4.5%

Deplanements

14,231

14,684

-3.1%

157,740

155,562

1.4%

Total Passengers

29,082

29,073

0.0%

318,796

309,673

2.9%

Total Operations

Source: Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) Dannelly Field

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

HYUNDAI SALES VEHICLE

NOV 2015

NOV 2014

YTD 2014

Accent

5,041

3,499

58,768

54,743

Sonata

16,732

18,515

190,483

199,012

Elantra

17,634

14,002

227,464

203,163

9,156

9,787

108,616

97,511

Santa Fe Azera

299

272

5,181

6,535

Tucson

6,906

3,642

55,280

44,192

Veloster

2,204

1,296

21,999

25,913

0

0

0

1

Veracruz Genesis Equus Total

1,837

2,431

28,280

27,069

198

228

2,131

3,072

60,007

53,672

698,202

661,211

Source: Hyundai Motor America

78

YTD 2015

Montgomery Business Journal January 2016

Destination

MGM

BHM

ATL

Baltimore (BWI)

$301

$215

$87

Boston (BOS)

$326

$316

$176

Charlotte, NC (CLT)

$152

$152

$309

Chicago (ORD)

$293

$238

$80

Cincinnati (CVG)

$325

$337

$213

Dallas/Ft Worth (DFW)

$327

$173

$80

Denver (DEN)

$335

$273

$138

Detroit (DTW)

$311

$183

$131

Houston (HOU)

$293

$263

$136

Indianapolis (IND)

$277

$279

$219

Las Vegas (LAS)

$404

$326

$168

Los Angeles (LAX)

$372

$352

$236

Memphis (MEM)

$371

$331

$291

Miami (MIA)

$343

$273

$208

Nashville (BNA)

$376

$408

$295

New Orleans (MSY)

$459

$357

$183

New York (JFK)

$347

$306

$220

Orlando (MCO)

$283

$236

$88

Philadelphia (PHL)

$293

$212

$80

Pittsburgh (PIT)

$301

$303

$237

St Louis (STL)

$277

$249

$194

Seattle (SEA)

$322

$319

$233

$1,407

$1,237

$1,282

Seoul (SEL) Tampa (TPA)

$268

$217

$80

Washington DC (DCA)

$319

$183

$136

Date of travel: Jan. 19-24, 2016. Date of pricing: Dec.6, 2015. Source: travelocity.com

Post Office Box 79 Montgomery, AL 36101