Montgomery Business Journal – March 2016

ECONOMIC FORECAST ALABAMA’S FUTURE IS IN THE NUMBERS

LOCAL LAWMAKERS DIRECTORY PAGE 28

TRANSFORMING THE REGION PAGE 18

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ONLINE CONNECTION PAGE 30

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CONTENTS 48

MARCH 2016

Member Profile: Resolution Fitness

30 Business Class

24

26 Spotlight on Infrastructure 32

MEMBER NEWS 14 Member Profile: Groce & Oakley Wealth Management Group 46 Member Profile: Scott Street Deli 48 Member Profile: Resolution Fitness

CHAMBER NEWS 06 Calendar

8

FEATURES 8

ALL ABOUT MANUFACTURING Q&A with Doug Jensen

16 FALLING A NOTCH Montgomery business leaders now second-most optimistic

26 SPOTLIGHT ON INFRASTRUCTURE Chamber supports efforts to improve roads and bridges 28 DIRECTORY OF LOCAL LAWMAKERS

18 MONTGOMERY CYBER CONNECTION Montgomery Internet Exchange transforms region

30 LENDING A HAND ONLINE Regions exports growth with Fundation Group partnership

24 BUSINESS CLASS Troy University reaches out to business community

32 HEADWINDS ABOUND Alabama economic outlook: slowing down

42 Reporter’s Notebook 50 Business Buzz 54 Members on the Move 58 Ribbon Cuttings & Ground Breakings 59 New Members 60 Economic Intel

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Tina McManama David Zaslawsky Lashanda Gaines Melissa Bowman DESIGN

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

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 3.

POSTMASTER send address changes to Montgomery Business Journal, c/o Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 79, 41 Commerce Street, Montgomery AL 36101, or email mbj@montgomerychamber.com. The Montgomery Business Journal welcomes story ideas from its readers. Email to: editor@montgomerychamber.com. Subscriptions are a part of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce dues structure. Subscriptions can also be purchased for $30 per year at www.montgomerychamber.com/mbjsub.

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Doug Jensen is the president and CEO of Alabama Technology Network. He was recently interviewed by the Montgomery Business Journal’s David Zaslawsky

Q&A 8

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

Montgomery Business Journal: How many employees are there in the Alabama Technology Network (ATN)? n

Jensen: About 60.

How many centers/offices does the ATN have in the state?

We have 19, and 14 are part of the actual ATN and some of those are multiple sites, but we also have three university partners.

What would be an accurate description?

n

Who are those university partners? n The University of Alabama, Auburn University and Huntsville (the University of Alabama in Huntsville).

What are your responsibilities as the ATN president and CEO? n I am to provide overall leadership of the ATN and make sure that we’re in compliance with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership – federal grant dollars that we receive. To build strategic partnerships with existing business and expand the ecosystem of the manufacturing sector here in Alabama.

What do you mean by the ecosystem of the manufacturing sector?

Basically, what I mean by the ecosystem is that when you look at the all the industry that is in support of the manufacturing sector – our job is to support those business entities. If there are suppliers, supply chain, distributors, producers and, maybe in the case of the automotive sector, where you have the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), tier 1 (suppliers), tier 2, tier 3 – so when I talk about the ecosystem I talk about the whole manufacturing process in the state of Alabama. n

Which also includes warehousing?

Yes, and logistics. We even go outside of manufacturing, but manufacturing is our primary focus. n

Before we go any further, how long have you been in your position? n

I’ve been here since August of 2015.

What are some of the common misconceptions you hear about ATN? n I think many people perceive ATN as an IT (information technology) company. We do provide some IT services to our business partners in terms of training.

I think the misconception is when they hear the term technology network they think of IT and primarily computer technology. That is not accurate.

n We are more of an industrial technology provider, working with industry – working with them on what their needs are to be competitive in a global market; competitive in the state of Alabama. We serve as a champion for manufacturers throughout the state. We support the state, regional and local manufacturers in partnerships. We can help them broker partnerships.

We can help them identify resources that might be able to support them. Not only do we deliver services, but we can also provide a broker service to assist businesses with needs.

Is ATN similar to the Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) agency? Do you piggyback on what AIDT does?

ALABAMA TECHNOLOGY NETWORK 2015 IMPACTS CLIENTS SERVED

The way I describe it – AIDT is incentives for new businesses coming to the State of Alabama. They can provide workforce training, assistance, recruitment, etc., and they do an excellent job of that. The partnership is really critical because what ATN then picks up – once that business is established – then ATN becomes the service provider for them.

349

I thought that’s what AIDT does by responding to a company’s needs.

$267 MILLION

n

They are really focused on new businesses.

They bring a new business in and they establish a relationship with that business. They get them propped up and established. If there are ongoing needs beyond that, AIDT will make those referrals to ATN. Then we will work with that business as more of an established business or as a maturing business. In some cases, if a business is currently established and they are maybe expanding, then ATN or AIDT can provide services as that business is expanding. n

JOBS CREATED

361

JOBS RETAINED

1,491

INCREASED AND RETAINED SALES

COST SAVINGS

$19.4 MILLION COMPANY INVESTMENTS

$21.5 MILLION

Would you elaborate about the partnership between ATN and AIDT? The relationship between AIDT and ATN is a very important relationship because as you just described, sometimes there could be these shades of gray.

Because of the close communication Ed Castile (AIDT director and deputy Commerce secretary) and myself have, we can make sure that we are addressing whatever the needs of the business community are. n

Continued on page 10

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

9

Are there common issues and needs you are hearing from manufacturers, or is it industry specific?

Continued from page 9

AIDT is part of the Commerce Department while ATN is part of the Alabama Community College System. What is the impact of being a part of the Alabama Community College System?

“We are more of an industrial technology provider, working with industry – working with them on what their needs are to be competitive in a global market; competitive in the State of Alabama.”

– Alabama Technology Network President and CEO Doug Jensen

10

n I think the leverage for that is critical. By ATN being part of the Alabama Community College System and all the community colleges spread out throughout the state there are opportunities for us to reach and serve businesses. We have platforms. We have resources. We have colleagues at all these colleges, so that if we need to reach out to help a business. The network of resources geographically and physically is very important.

How many community colleges are there?

I would say 26. Some of these ATN centers are at community colleges already and some are at the university partners. A couple of these are standalone locations. We are distributed statewide to create that delivery system that meets the needs of our businesses. n

Talk about ATN and its national reach. n ATN is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership under NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology.) There is a network all around the country of MEPs (Manufacturing Extension Partnerships). ATN is the Manufacturing Extension Partnership for the state of Alabama. Not only do we have a network within the state, but if one of our clients or one of our businesses needs resources or needs information, I have the ability to reach out to this entire national network to support businesses.

Do you have an example? n Maybe there is an issue in terms of telecommunications and maybe that is something that we don’t necessarily specialize in. That (specialization) could exist somewhere out in the national network.

You could still bring that expertise to the telecommunications company? n Yes, I can connect them with that network. AIDT has a network they can tap into of like organizations through Commerce throughout the country. ATN has a different network. I think when you have these point organizations like AIDT and ATN and they are kind of the tip – understanding what’s all behind that is really critical and leverages the opportunity to serve our businesses. What’s important to note as well is that ATN historically has been nationally ranked consistently as one of the top MEP centers in the country.

Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

n What ATN does is work with manufacturers to meet their needs. There are certain things that historically we have delivered that are important, but as the need changes we have the ability to adapt and reach out to that industry as well. The major things we focus on are: lean manufacturing, environmental health and safety, industrial maintenance, quality systems and engineering, innovation and sustainability.

Is there one aspect you see over and over again? n The lean manufacturing is important to certain business sectors. Environmental health and safety – we do that a lot for the businesses.

What is the ATN process? n We educate; provide outreach; we connect the gap where there is a need; and we provide support for workforce development. Incumbent worker training – if there is a certain skill set they have. We can customize training to meet the needs of our partner.

What are the fees for ATN services?

There is a fee for service. A contract is put together based on what the costs are and that could be somewhat variable because we have to take into account how many staff we need to put in place; equipment involved; materials and supplies; etc. That is all priced out and presented to the client with a contract. Then what we do is work with the client to figure out what is the best way to make that happen. n

What are the fee ranges for small and large companies? n One of the ways we deal with the difference between small companies and large companies is that if we have small companies that need specific services, we’ll run what is referred to as open enrollment classes.

If a company only has one or two employees, we can aggregate the need and then provide services to individuals based in a kind of a community or a group setting. Those are on our website. There are various prices for different courses. It’s not like a standard college tuition, where you pay X number for credits. It has to be based on the complexity, the need and the elements that are needed to deliver the training.

Continued on page 12

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Continued from page 10

Talk about the organization’s mission “to provide industry and business the tools, training and resources to excel.”

That is a short version of what we have discussed.

It’s really about what do we need to ensure that the new, emerging and established manufacturing sector in the state of Alabama is positioned for growth opportunities to meet the needs of the economy.

That’s what our mission is – to be in contact with that manufacturing base; to build those relationships; to identify what are the needs and challenges for growth opportunities; for expansion – so that they can either explore new markets, new technologies, reach out to maybe markets that they haven’t currently been in; help them with things like OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration); ISO (International Organization for Standardization) – we’re an ISO organization. It’s really about what is the need of the customer and n

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

how do we leverage the assets that we talked about through our statewide network; our partnerships with our community colleges; partnership with AIDT; our partnerships with Commerce; our partnership with the national network of other MEPs; and how do we bring all that to our clients to help them be successful businesses.

Is the word out there so the manufacturing sector – large and small companies – knows about ATN and the services the organization provides? n For any organization it’s difficult to communicate, and every organization faces that challenge of how do you tell your story.

This Q&A in the Montgomery Business Journal is one way.

Exactly. What we’re doing today is part of telling the story. The other part of it is listening. It’s so important as you try to build relationships – listening. The key to me to relationships. It’s all about building relationships and then what happens is relationships start creating word of mouth with testimonials. Those testimonials start a communication process. We are involved with a number of major organizations here in the state. I serve on the AAMA (Alabama Automotive Manufacturers n

Association). I also serve with BCA (Business Council of Alabama). We actively work with Manufacture Alabama. Through that networking opportunity is how we try to get the story out. Can we do a better job?

Absolutely. Every organization, other than a few like Apple and Google (who) don’t need that, but it’s a continual process.

ATN is a fantastic resource that’s available, but how many manufacturing companies know about the organization? n We’re well-known in those inner circles. We’re probably better known in those manufacturing communities than we are in the general public. One of the things we’re doing right now is what I would call market penetration and demographic analysis. We have just completed a study with our partner at Auburn University on where are the small manufacturers located in the state of Alabama. We are focusing on market understanding and market demographics and starting to focus on communications, our strategies to achieve a greater penetration in those areas (where the small manufacturers are clustered).

The smaller companies frequently don’t know what services are available. n

What type of follow-up does the organization perform? n We track all of our projects. What’s also a very important part for us to focus on is our ROI (return on investment). The key for us is, because we are part of Manufacturing Extension Partnership, we are tracked and evaluated on what’s referred to as client impacts.

What are those impacts? n Jobs saved, jobs created, retained sales, new sales, cost savings and client investment. When we engage in a contract with a company, at the end this information is surveyed and then reported to the federal government. The federal government has a contract with an independent, third-party company who follows up with these companies (ATN clients) and says, what were these impacts, because when you did the contract you needed to spell out here’s why we’re doing the contract to address one of these things. The independent (company) evaluates those impacts. The impacts are not subjective. This is the process that we go through – a three-step process. It is independently (done) and then you have the metrics. n

Absolutely.

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Member Profile

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Groce & Oakley Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley couples vast experience, prestigious designations

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

Larry A. Groce (left) and W. Lawrence Oakley are both senior vice presidents of The Groce & Oakley Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley.

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

They are not the only wealth management group in town, but they are the only wealth management group in Montgomery that is not only part of Morgan Stanley, but also have numerous prestigious designations and a combined 57 years of experience.

Meet The Groce & Oakley Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley. Larry A. Groce has 31 years of experience and W. Lawrence Oakley has 26 years of experience. Both are Certified Financial Planners and less than 10 percent of the advisory force can say that.

Oakley has the designation of Certified Investment Management Analyst. He pointed out that a financial planner helps individuals achieve goals, but “it doesn’t teach you anything about investing money.” He studied at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and knows about “portfolio construction and building efficient portfolios and understanding risk associated with different asset classes and how to combine those asset classes.”

Groce, a senior vice president, has the Senior Portfolio Manager designation. That puts him in an exclusive club as does his 15 years in public accounting. He uses six models for portfolios. “I have the ability to manage funds on a discretionary basis,” said Groce, who is a former chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He was a member of the executive committee for six years.

There’s much more that sets this wealth group apart from others. Oakley has a Family Wealth Director designation and less than 250 of Morgan Stanley’s 17,000 advisers have one. “We spend a lot of time talking through the different strategies and approaches that can be taken to help families preserve the family as well as preserve the wealth,” said Oakley, who is a senior vice president. He said he typically works with business owners.

“How do you transition a business? How do you transition family wealth? How do you transition family values and things that are important, but can’t be folded up and put into a wallet?” he asked. The process can get very complicated, Oakley said, when some members of family work in a business and others don’t.

Of course one of the obvious differences with The Groce & Oakley Wealth Management Group is Morgan Stanley – a big difference. “The resources that are available to us through Morgan Stanley are incalculable as far as if we had to try to provide all those services on our own,” Groce said.

When Groce and Oakley recommend outside managers to handle a client’s account, you can feel quite comfortable. “We probably have the oldest and the deepest and the most experienced due diligence (team) that helps us in the vetting process of identifying, analyzing and underwriting the credibility of those outside managers and making sure we are using appropriate managers,” Groce said.

Oakley said, “What we need to do is allocate our client’s capital to the best minds in the business in a particular area of expertise.”

The five-member firm “is unique,” Oakley said.

The support staff has a combined 35 years of experience in the financial industry. Sherry Campbell, senior registered client service associate, has 20-plus years of experience; Muriel Redhead, senior client service associate, has 10 years of experience; and Julie Johnston, registered client service associate, has four years of experience.

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“When a client calls in, one of five people (is) going to answer that phone, and not only are the same people going to answer that phone, but they know our clients,” Oakley said. “We spend a lot of time making sure that our support team knows the needs of our clients … They are very instrumental in helping us provide service and simplify our clients’ financial life.”

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

15

Montgomery’s Confidence Points to a Strong First Quarter

by David Zaslawsky

The streak of Montgomery having the most optimistic business leaders has ended at seven quarters after being overtaken by Mobile.

Mobile topped all metros in the quarterly Alabama Business Confidence Index (ABCI) with a 57.3 index in the first quarter of 2016. Montgomery was second at 55.7 with Huntsville third at 52.9 and Birmingham-Hoover fourth with a 50.5 index.

Montgomery still has been No. 1 in 14 of the last 19 quarterly surveys conducted by The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research in the Culverhouse College of Commerce.

Montgomery still has been No. 1 in 14 of the last 19 quarterly surveys.

The Montgomery confidence index actually rose 1.5 points from the 2015 fourth quarter, but Mobile’s index increased 3.4 points from the same quarter.

Birmingham-Hoover index was up just slightly with 0.9 points while Huntsville jumped from a negative outlook to positive with a 4.0-point gain.

All six of the individual components for Montgomery are higher than or equal to the overall Alabama Business Confidence Index, which points to a strong first quarter in the Capital City.

Montgomery’s first-quarter industry sales index rose 2.8 points to 59.2. The outlook for first-quarter hiring was up 1.3 points at 55.9 and the industry profit index gained 2.4 points from the fourth quarter to 55.3. The indexes for the national economy, state economy and capital expenditures were all at 54.6.

There was a wide disparity between Montgomery executives forecasting an improved quarter vs. a worse quarter: National economy (34.2 percent vs. 13.2 percent).

Alabama economy (31.6 percent vs. 13.2 percent).

Industry sales (44.7 percent vs. 10.5 percent).

Industry profits (31.6 percent vs. 13.2 percent).

Industry hiring (34.2 percent vs. 13.2 percent).

Capital expenditures (26.3 percent vs. 7.9 percent).

The overall 2016 first-quarter ABCI increased 1.8 points from the 2015 fourth quarter to 53.0, but is still the second-lowest index since the 2014 fourth quarter. The lone individual component that declined from the fourth quarter was the national economy forecast, which fell just 0.1 point.

16

Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

The following is a breakdown of the six components for the 2016 first quarter: NATIONAL ECONOMY It is the only component in negative territory at 49.2. About 28 percent are expecting the first quarter to be worse than the fourth quarter of 2015 while about 26 percent are forecasting an improved quarter. About 46 percent expect no change. Businesses with 100 or more employees are the most upbeat about the first quarter while businesses with fewer than 20 employees are the most pessimistic.

ALABAMA ECONOMY The index rose 2.6 points from the fourth quarter – the largest gain of any component.

With an index at 54.6 it is 5.4 points higher than the national economy index. By a more than 2-to-1 margin (32.5 percent vs. 14.7 percent) panelists expect the year’s first quarter to outperform the 2015 fourth quarter. About 53 percent expect the quarter to be the same as the previous quarter.

INDUSTRY SALES The component increased 2.5 points from the previous quarter for a 55.8 index – the highest of any of the components. About 42 percent of the survey respondents expect to see an increase in the first quarter compared with 20 percent forecasting a first-quarter decline in sales.

About 38 percent expect no change from the fourth quarter. The most optimistic sectors are health care, professional, scientific and technical. The retail trade sector is the most pessimistic.

INDUSTRY PROFITS The component was up 2.4

points from the fourth quarter for an index of 53.0.

About 35 percent are forecasting an improved quarter, but nearly 24 percent are expecting firstquarter profits to decline from the fourth quarter.

Forty percent expect the same results.

INDUSTRY HIRING The component gained 2.1 points from the previous quarter for a 53.0 index.

More than half of the respondents (55 percent) are expecting no change from the previous quarter while 30 percent expect an increase and 16 percent are forecasting a decline. The most upbeat sectors are manufacturing, professional, scientific and technical while the most pessimistic sectors are retail trade and wholesale trade.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES The component was up

1.5 points from the previous quarter for an index of 52.4, which is only higher than the national economy index. While 54 percent expect no change in the first quarter, about 28 percent are forecasting an improved quarter compared with 18 percent expecting a decline. The most upbeat sectors are manufacturing, health care, transportation, information and utilities. The least optimistic sectors are retail trade, professional, scientific and technical. n

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MONTGOMERY CYBER CONNECTION Montgomery Internet Exchange transforms region

by David Zaslawsky

18

Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange put into perspective the magnitude of the announcement of a Montgomery Internet Exchange and the Montgomery Cyber Connection.

“This cyber initiative – this cyber connection and this global initiative … (we were told) would have a larger economic impact on our region than Hyundai does,” Strange said. “That got my attention. That’s why we invested the time and the energy and yes, taxpayer dollars, to get to where we are today.”

First of all, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama’s plant in Montgomery and its suppliers have a combined annual economic impact of $4.8 billion in the state and about $2.4 billion in Montgomery County.

The announcement was a “historic day” for Montgomery, said Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean Sr., who noted that the region at one point “was way behind in technology, but that is no longer the case.”

The Montgomery Internet Exchange is not only the first in the state, but only the fourth in the Southeast, along with Atlanta, Miami and Jacksonville, Florida.

For Retirement Systems of Alabama CEO David Bronner, the Montgomery Internet Exchange at the RSA Datacenter is the “fourth leg of the stool.”

The first three legs were Mercedes-Benz building a manufacturing plant in Alabama; RSA funding office buildings in downtown Montgomery and Mobile; and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and hotels at those properties, which transformed tourism.

The missing leg was a massive datacenter, which RSA put inside its RSA Dexter Avenue Building.

“Everybody needs offsite storage for their data,” Bronner said at an announcement for the Montgomery Internet Exchange and Montgomery Cyber Connection, which is an Alabama Global Initiative. “We’re glad to have that fourth leg to the stool because I think you now have a sound economy in the state when you add those three things.”

The Montgomery Internet Exchange will speed delivery of content by storing it in Montgomery. It will take a fraction of the time send to and receive emails.

“You have instantaneous information to be able to communicate with each other,” Strange said.

The Montgomery Cyber Connection’s mission statement includes connecting “every person, every household, every business and every device to the rest of the world at the speed of light.” Several

Internet service providers – WOW, Troy Cable and Camellia Communications – will be using the Montgomery Internet Exchange and talks are ongoing with many other Internet service providers.

The Montgomery Cyber Connection will boost innovation and economic development. It connects the state’s universities for research collaboration as well as collaboration with the Cyber College of the Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base’s Air University.

Lt. Gen. Steven L. Kwast, commander and president of Air University, said, “Here in the River Region we have the leaders that have the vision – that are willing to take a risk – that are willing to put aside who gets credit, but rather come together and find that common strategic ground where the people of Alabama benefit.

“This initiative here does one important thing – that is common ground. It lets us all innovate more rapidly than any other competition in the world … Innovation at the speed of delivering new concepts and new technologies is the coin of the realm of the future.”

U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, R-Montgomery, praised the partners of the Montgomery Cyber Connection, which Continued on page 20

“Here in the River Region we have the leaders that have the vision – that are willing to take a risk – that are willing to put aside who gets credit, but rather come together and find that common strategic ground where the people of Alabama benefit.”

– Lt. Gen. Steven L. Kwast, commander and president of Air University

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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and government and the military and commerce come together and what we can do.” She said that the Montgomery Internet Exchange “will put Alabama – keep Alabama on the map.”

Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said, “For a region to have a vision about its future takes great leadership. This is one of those rare steps that continue to move Alabama forward as a leader in the Southeast and in the U.S. and in the world.”

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said that the Montgomery Internet Exchange and the Montgomery Cyber Connection will have a huge economic impact.

Continued from page 19

included Montgomery County, City of Montgomery, RSA, Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex, State of Alabama, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, business community and universities.

“There is no question that the educational possibilities for the whole River Region, our state our country are endless,” Roby said.

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, said: “It is a true testament of the power of collaboration when business

Montgomery Chamber Chairman of the Board of Directors A. Bruce Crawford said that with the announcement of the Montgomery Internet Exchange and Montgomery Cyber Connection, “Montgomery has staked the first flag on a journey to transform the economy and quality of life in Montgomery and the River Region while connecting the entire state of Alabama to the global economy as never before.”

Kwast called it “a beautiful vision” and said, “I can innovate in cyber for the defense of America in a cyber society here in Montgomery – a gig city in Montgomery – like no other military organization anywhere in the world. That’s the value for me. I can innovate more rapidly than any potential adversary.” n

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

Project1_2016 Montgomery Business Journal 3/3/2016 3:02 PM Page 1

MONTGOMERY’S CYBER CONNECTION

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

by David Zaslawsky

There are plenty of opportunities for growth in the state’s information technology sector and some of those jobs pay twice as much as the average salary in all private sector industries.

The state’s average annual pay for all private sector industries is $42,359 through 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The following is how IT jobs stack up: > Computer and software merchant wholesalers: $115,884. > Software publishers: $85,251. > Computer systems design and related services: $83,808. > Telecommunications: $61,161. > Computer and electronic product manufacturing: $60,073. > Internet publishing and Web search portals: $60,040. > Data processing, hosting and related services: $58,427.

Not only are the jobs high-paying, but many IT jobs are projected to be in high demand through 2022. Nearly 140,000 new jobs will be added for software developers and applications (23 percent increase) and almost 128,000 new jobs are forecast for computer systems analysts (24.5 percent increase). About 110,000 additional jobs are projected for computer user support specialists (20.2 percent increase). The largest percent increase in high jobs – 36.5 percent – is for 27,400 new information security analysts.

The state’s private IT firms are concentrated in computer systems design and services – 2,357 companies with the next-largest segment telecommunications with 575 companies. Less than 50 of the private firms are computer and software merchant wholesalers.

Not surprisingly, almost half of the jobs in the state’s private IT sector work in computer systems design and related services while nearly 22 percent work in telecommunications. The other large segment at 19 percent is computer and electronic product manufacturing.

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From 2007 to 2014, there has been a shift in IT sector employment with huge gains in Internet publishing and Web search portals (86 percent) as well as software publishers (74 percent). The losses have been steep in the following segments: computer and electronic product manufacturing (-41 percent); data processing, hosting and related services (-23 percent); and computer and software merchant wholesalers (-22.3 percent). n

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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MONTGOMERY’S CYBER CONNECTION

QUICKER CONNECTIONS

by David Zaslawsky

“That’s what an Internet exchange is – a transfer point for Internet traffic.”

– Joe Greene, vice president of Military & Federal Affairs for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce

22

Imagine, if you will, that in the next 18 months or so all the state’s major metro areas will be directly connected at 100 gigabytes or higher.

Montgomery into an attractive site for high-tech companies. Greene said that is enough capability for probably 95 percent of businesses.

Imagine that in the next six months or so all seven of the research universities in Alabama will be directly connected to Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base.

That will enable an exchange of data and information as well as cyber research.

“Think of it as being similar to Hartsfield International Airport,” Greene said. “It’s a transfer point for all flights coming into there. That’s what an Internet exchange is – a transfer point for Internet traffic. An international airport like Atlanta draws all kinds of businesses into that area just because the airport is located there. An Internet exchange will draw IT (information technology) businesses in.”

You can imagine those things because Montgomery is thrusting itself into the high-tech world of the 21st century thanks to two key components that were recently installed. Akamai Technologies has set up servers at the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) Datacenter on Dexter Avenue to speed up content from such companies as Netflix, Facebook and Google.

The city, county and RSA collaborated on an Internet exchange, which enables Internet service providers such as Charter, WOW and others to connect at higher speeds. There are only about 80 Internet exchanges in the country and three in the Southeast: Atlanta, Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. There are no cities the size of Montgomery that have an Internet exchange unless it is adjacent to a major metropolitan area, according to Joe Greene, vice president of Military & Federal Affairs for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Internet exchange “will provide acceleration of the Internet for every business and every person in Montgomery for all the Internet service providers that connect directly to the exchange,” Greene said.

There are seven Internet service providers who have committed to connecting to the Internet exchange.

Akamai’s role is moving content and storing it locally to greatly reduce the time of downloads – eliminating those frustrating pauses while content is being retrieved. Some downloads could take just a few seconds instead of a minute, Greene said.

Let’s say that you want to download a Netflix movie that is being stored in Michigan. You compete with millions of other people for that content, which significantly “The Internet exchange ties commercial businesses to slows the time to download the movie. Akamai DoD (Department of Defense) – both for cyber research moves that film to the local area and now viewers are “competing with only a handful of people and you’re and for the exchange of ideas and information for downloading it almost instantaneously,” Greene said. potential government contracts,” Greene said.

This only impacts content retrieved from the Internet.

These developments create the environment for The future plans for the Internet exchange call for new jobs, including spin-offs from the research increasing the capability to 100 gig or more because universities. The Internet exchange, which has the current infrastructure to go to 40 gigs, helps transform there will be companies needing more than 40 gig, Greene said, referring to 3-D printing companies that “need to move a lot of high-content data.” Firms that manufacture or produce parts “will have huge data files that will require mass storage and also the capability of pushing large amounts of data across the system,” he said. n

Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

POWERSPORTS OF MONTGOMERY

Member Spotlight

Joe Greene is vice president of Military Affairs & Governmental Affairs for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.

David Huneycutt (lee) is general manager of Powersports of Montgomery and Gerald Smith (right) is vice president.

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS: 44 years HOW MANY EMPLOYEES: 22 HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY: We offer all segments of

WHY HAS POWERSPORTS OF MONTGOMERY BEEN SUCCESSFUL:

We have great employees who are very well trained and dedicated to the business. The product lines we carry are the most dependable and desirable ones on the market.

outdoor recreational products from Honda, Yamaha, Sea-Doo and Can-Am. These include ATV’s, motorcycles, dirt bikes, utility vehicles, watercraa and generators. We also service all these products and provide parts and accessories.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD: The WH powersports industry has had a steady increase year over year since the recession in 2008. Honda, Yamaha, Sea-Doo and Can-Am are all highly innovative and are continually bringing new products to market.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM YOUR COMPETITORS: We have many WH

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT POWERSPORTS AN OF MONTGOMERY: We started in downtown Montgomery about 1970.

long-term employees who are experts in the powersports industry.

Additionally, we are located in a $1.2 million remodeled state-of-the-art facility.

WHAT ONE THING ABOUT YOUR COMPANY WOULD SURPRISE WH PEOPLE: We are owned by Milton and Andy Wendland and Suzie Rhodes,

Our current spot was built in 1972 and operated as Hunter Honda. In 1988, the Wendlands purchased the business and have owned it ever since. We are a Powersports Business Top 50 dealer, have received numerous Top 100 awards and are a 2002 COSBIE award winner. We are also a Pro Yamaha Gold and a Honda Council of Excellence dealership.

father, son and daughter. They are also owners and operators of Autauga Farming Company in Autauga County, one of the larger and more successful farming operations in central Alabama.

535 NE Boulevard, Montgomery AL 36117 334-272-6600, info@psmontgomery.com, www.powersportsofmontgomery.com

Troy University reaches out to business community

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

BUSINESS CLASS Lance Tatum is a vice chancellor at Troy University.

When Troy University Vice Chancellor Lance Tatum first came to lead the Montgomery campus, there was one corporate partnership with the Montgomery Water Works & Sanitary Sewer Board.

A corporate partnership is a win-win for the university and an organization’s employees. For Troy University the win is more students, and for employees, there is a 10 percent tuition discount and application fees are waived. The application fee for undergraduate is $30 and $50 for a graduate. That 10 percent discount ranges from $86 a class for an undergraduate to $148 for a graduate student taking an online course.

The university is at the stage of “building awareness for this type of program,” said Tatum. “We are probably looking at a two- to three-year growth period before we really see the type of involvement with the corporate partnerships.”

The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce is a corporate partner and that means that not only fulltime Chamber employees, but full-time employees of Chamber members are eligible to participate in the program. Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce, Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce and Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce are also corporate partners.

Plus an employee who goes back to college for either a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree may benefit with higher pay and promotions. There were nearly 70 applications submitted and there were 15 new enrollments.

Some state agencies are corporate partners and two businesses – MAX Credit Union and Jackson Hospital – are corporate partners and Tatum said they would like to have other financial institutions and health care firms join the ever-growing list.

Although the program is in its infancy, there are now 19 active corporate partnerships and three that are awaiting signatures.

“We’re always looking to add more,” Tatum said. “We want to strengthen our connection to the business community.” He said the university targets businesses and organizations “where our degree plans are relevant to them.”

So far, the bulk of the participants in the corporate partnership program study in the Sorrell College of Business to obtain a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree. Some are enrolled in a graduate-level computer science program.

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

He talked about the region’s higher education being “a very crowded market. We have a number of quality, respectable institutions that are in this community.

To go head-to-head with Alabama State or Faulkner or AUM on traditional experiences is really not what we’re about.

“What we’re trying to do is find a space in there that we can operate in. We really think it’s that career advancement/professional development piece where we’re going to find the best opportunity for us to (grow).”

The focus is on graduate education, Tatum said, but not at the expense of undergraduate degrees. This past fall the average age of first-time students at the Montgomery campus was 21, according to Tatum. The focus is also on a non-traditional student, “who most likely is working a full-time job and who is looking to go back to school,” Tatum said.

When Tatum talks to businesses and organizations about becoming a corporate partner, he said there is a reluctance about appearing to limit employees to one option. “I have no problems if you have partnerships with other institutions. I think that’s great. All I’m looking for is being in the mix.”

The university recently hired Amy Waters as director of community outreach to “maintain those relationships (corporate partnerships) and make sure that we’re doing the types of things that we need to do to keep the partnerships alive and relevant,” he said. “And look for new business opportunities as well in partnerships.” n

“We want to strengthen our connection to the business community.”

– Troy University Vice Chancellor Lance Tatum

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“An adequate, improved and a sustainable infrastructure is vital for any community and essential to keeping our community competitive for economic development.” Rose said.

The Chamber’s Executive Committee recommended that in addition to simply supporting legislative infrastructure initiatives, that the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce should also join with other metro chambers and economic development organizations to support the efforts of the Alabama Alliance for Infrastructure. The alliance is a grassroots organization that emphasizes fiscal responsibility while addressing long-term solutions for improving roads and bridges across Alabama.

Sheron J. Rose is vice president of Community Strategies for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.

Spotlight on Workforce and Infrastructure

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

When companies are being recruited to Alabama or considering expanding existing operations, infrastructure is at or near the top of the list along with education.

“You want safe roads,” said Sheron J. Rose, vice president of Community Strategies for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. She said that companies look at infrastructure “to move goods and services.”

They want easy access, she said.

The Chamber supports improving and funding transportation infrastructure in the legislative session, which started in February. A legislative committee was a looking at a 12-cent increase on gas taxes, which have not been raised since 1992 – and 24 years later, vehicles get much better gas mileage, further reducing gas tax revenue.

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

The alliance members “understand the importance of roads, bridges, infrastructure for economic development, quality of life, public health and safety,” Rose said. “You have to maintain your roads and bridges … I think it’s a priority.”

Corporations being recruited also want to know about a region’s education system. They are not only looking at their future workforce, but also where their employees’ children will attend school.

“We have to prepare a pipeline of students who are ready and prepared to either continue education, whether it’s at a two-year or four-year college, or be ready to go to work with the minimum skills needed for employers, but also with a work ethic,” Rose said.

“It does no good if you have a great skill and no work ethic. In most instances companies will accept you with minimum skills needed and will teach you what they need you to know in terms of their product or processes if you’re willing to come to work on time; willing to be a dependable employee.”

She said that “education is everybody’s responsibility” and would like to see the community more aware of the impact education has on the quality of life and economic development – both in recruiting and retaining companies. “Education matters – it really does,” Rose said.

The Chamber supports initiatives for adequate funding for public education at all levels “starting with pre-K,” Rose said. “You have to understand the importance of beginning early with kids.”

The Chamber supports initiatives to strengthen and expand workforce development at all levels, including Alabama Industrial Development Training, Alabama Technology Network and the school district’s Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies, which is scheduled to open in August at One Center – the former site of the Montgomery Mall.

More businesses and more hotels mean a growing tax base, which improves the quality of life in the River Region. “Quality of life is important for recruitment; for retention; for making sure there are opportunities for our students upon graduation to … to remain at home or to return home,” Rose said.

“An adequate, improved and a sustainable infrastructure is vital for any community and essential to keeping our community - Sheron J. Rose, vice president of Community Strategies competitive for economic development.” for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Montgomery and the riverfront have benefited from various tax credits and the Chamber supports those initiatives, including historic tax credits, new market tax incentives, cultural district incentives and other vehicles that boost revitalization.

“I think it presents future opportunities,” Rose said about downtown and the riverfront, where a handful of projects are under way and the city is in talks with two or three hotel groups.

The Chamber’s Governmental Task Force, led by Chairman Horace Horn, determined that the areas that would have the most impact on Chamber members were business and economic development; education and workforce development; and tax and fiscal policy. n

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION

SEN. DICK BREWBAKER (R)

REP. JOHN KNIGHT (D)

District 25

District 77

COUNTIES: Crenshaw, Elmore,

COUNTY: Montgomery COMMITTEES: Chair, House Black

Montgomery COMMITTEES: Confirmations, Chairman of Education & Youth Affairs, Constitution Ethics and Elections, Governmental Affairs, Rules FIRST ELECTED: 2003 (House of Representatives) 2014 Senate PHONE NUMBER: 334.242.7896 EMAIL ADDRESS: dick.brewbaker@alsenate.gov OCCUPATION: Automotive dealer

SEN. QUINTON ROSS (D) District 26 COUNTY: Montgomery COMMITTEES: Banking & Insurance,

Confirmation, County & Municipal Government, Vice Chair of Education & Youth Affairs, Finance & Taxation Education, Transportation & Energy, Veterans & Military Affairs FIRST ELECTED: 2002 PHONE NUMBER: 334.242.7880 Email address: quinton.ross@alsenate.gov OCCUPATION: Manager, Alabama Education Association

REP. ALVIN HOLMES (D) District 78 COUNTY: Montgomery COMMITTEES: Chair, Montgomery

Legislative Delegation FIRST ELECTED: 1974 PHONE NUMBER: 334.264.7807 EMAIL ADDRESS: N/A OCCUPATION: Retired college professor, licensed Real

Caucus, Health Committee, Internal Affairs, Ways & Means General Fund, Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Legislative Delegation.

FIRST ELECTED: 1993 PHONE NUMBER: 334.242.7512 EMAIL ADDRESS: john.knight@alhouse.gov OCCUPATION: Retired college administrator

REP. KELVIN LAWRENCE (D) District 69 COUNTY: Autauga, Lowndes, Montgomery, Wilcox COMMITTEES: Boards, Agencies and Commission, Economic Development & Tourism FIRST ELECTED: 2014 PHONE NUMBER: 334.548.6125 EMAIL ADDRESS: kelvin.lawrence@alhouse.gov OCCUPATION: Restaurant franchise owner

REP. THAD MCCLAMMY (D) District 76 COUNTY: Montgomery COMMITTEES: Financial Services,

Judiciary and Military/Veterans Affairs committees FIRST ELECTED: 1994 PHONE NUMBER: 334.224.7606.

EMAIL ADDRESS: thadmcclammy@aol.com OCCUPATION: Real Estate broker and developer

REP. DIMITRI POLIZOS (R)

Estate Broker

District 74

REP. REED INGRAM (D)

COUNTY: Montgomery COMMITTEES: Constitution, Campaigns

District 75 COUNTY: Elmore, Montgomery COMMITTEES: Agriculture & Forestry,

Vice Chair of County & Municipal Government, Financial Services FIRST ELECTED: 2014 PHONE NUMBER: 334.242.7707 EMAIL ADDRESS: reedingram75@gmail.com OCCUPATION: Automotive dealer and farmer

& Elections, Vice Chairman Commerce & Small Business, Ethics & Campaign Finance FIRST ELECTED: 2014 PHONE NUMBER: 334.356.4662 EMAIL ADDRESS: dimitri.polizos@alhouse.gov OCCUPATION: Restaurant owner

REP. CHRIS SELLS (R) District 90 COUNTY: Butler, Coffee, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Montgomery COMMITTEES: Ways & Means General Fund, Transportation, Utilities & Infrastructure FIRST ELECTED: 2014 PHONE NUMBER: 334.371.9304 EMAIL ADDRESS: csea@centurytel.net OCCUPATION: Medical equipment salesman

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

THE KING’S TABLE CATERING

Member Spotlight

Al Steineker is owner of The King’s Table Catering HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS: 20 years HOW MANY EMPLOYEES: 6 HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY: As one of the oldest and most experienced catering companies in the River Region, we’re the Montgomery area’s premier source for wedding and event catering.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM YOUR COMPETITORS: Our WH

commitment to the idea that anyone, regardless of their budget, can and should be able to work with us to create a menu they’re guaranteed to remember for an event they’ll never forget.

WH ONE THING ABOUT YOUR COMPANY WOULD SURPRISE WHAT PEOPLE: I think the most surprising thing about our business for most

folks would be the fact that catering doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

We’re excited to work with customers at every single price point in order to help them execute their events in a much more enjoyable and affordable way than they might imagine possible!

WHY HAS THE KING’S TABLE CATERING BEEN SUCCESSFUL: We’ve worked hard for more than 20 years to maintain a comprehensive definition of perfection. Consistently offering flawless service, unbelievable food and breathtaking presentation are all part of an equation that, for us, has been the key to our success.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD: Continued WH growth! It seems like every year somehow manages to be better than the last for us. We’re hopeful that we can continue that trend as we help make Montgomery’s weddings and events even more beautiful and delicious than they already are!

AN ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THE KING’S TABLE CATERING: There are a lot of great caterers in the Montgomery

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Lending a Hand Online REGIONS EXPORTS GROWTH WITH FUNDATION GROUP PARTNERSHIP

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

About 20 percent of Regions Financial Corp. customers and prospects in the business banking segment wanted an “alternative lending vehicle.”

Translated, they wanted to apply online and skip the visit to a brick and mortar branch.

“We started looking for a partnership,” said Mike Hart, Montgomery market president for Regions. “We looked at a lot of different organizations and vetted them. We found Fundation (Group).”

The partnership is two-fold for Regions, the state’s lone Fortune 500 company, which has its headquarters in Birmingham. “We should attract some new businesses where they don’t have that (online) availability wherever they are banking now,” Hart said. “No. 2, it helps us retain our good customers who want that kind of delivering.”

The online loan application for small businesses takes less than 10 minutes and will fund in three days or less. Those loans are typically for working capital or expansions, according to Hart. The term loans are from one year to five years and are for $25,000 to $1 million.

Regions partnered with Fundation because they, too, “have a high standard for customer service that we have,” Hart said. The bank also wanted to partner with a company that had similar lending structures.

“This unique agreement with Fundation allows Regions Bank to expand loan product offerings and method of delivery for small businesses while also cultivating long-term revenue and loan growth opportunities,” Joe DiNicolantonio, head of Regions business banking, said in a statement. “Small businesses continue to drive growth throughout the economy and in order to meet their ever-evolving needs and desire to utilize online and digital processes, the financial services industry must provide innovative solutions that offer flexibility, speed and capital access in a responsible manner.”

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

Mike Hart is Montgomery market president for Regions Financial Corp.

Hart expects that demand in the program will increase. He said that millennials “want a bank (where there’s) this online platform that works for them and if they don’t find that – that’s probably what’s going to lead them to moving (to another bank). It’s not how many branches you have or how convenient you are.”

Meanwhile, the bank has undergone some restructuring in Montgomery. Business banking (clients with annual revenue of $1 million to $15 million) and commercial and industrial banking (clients with annual revenue of more than $15 million) have been combined under the business services umbrella. The difference is one team instead of two, Hart said.

“There is no customer impact. It’s not that we’ve changed the way we’re delivering anything.” He said it pertains to just the Montgomery market and not across the bank’s 16-state footprint.

The bank did announce 262 layoffs from its workforce of about 24,000. The Montgomery market has more employees now – 317 – than it did a year ago. “We’re a net positive in Montgomery,” Hart said. “We’re growing our associate population in Montgomery. We are continuing to add customer-facing positions,” he said, referring to bank tellers, but primarily relationship managers. There were no branch closures in the Montgomery market.

Regions, which has 1,600-plus branches and 2,000 ATMs, reported net income of $1 billion from continuing operations last year.n

by David Zaslawsky

There is a pent-up demand for personal financial information, according to a Regions Financial Corp. executive, and the Fortune 500 company is doing something about it.

Regions has plenty of information online for business groups and private wealth, said Mike Hart, Montgomery market president for Regions. The bank conducts seminars for private wealth “that have been built around women and wealth,” Hart said. There are seminars on succession planning for business owners. The information is for “all aspects of a financial life cycle,” Hart said.

PERFECT SPACE PERFECT PLACE

Photo Credit: Nick Frontiero Productions

GETTING FINANCIALLY FIT

Photo Credit: sposabellaphotography.com

LENDING A HAND ONLINE

There are a wide range of subjects online that help customers with buying a home; saving for college and retirement “or looking for a new job and the financial ramifications that might come with that,” Hart said.

The third annual Regions Financial Fitness Fridays was held in January as a tie-in to New Year’s resolutions. The bank wants people to talk to Regions “about their financial fitness,” Hart said.

“It all goes back to this notion of what do you want the bank to be.

How will you utilize and leverage their services? How will that be delivered to you? Regions is doing a lot more of what we call advice, guidance and education.”

Regions is doing a lot more of what

Hart asked where do individuals learn about financial matters, and that’s answered with Regions 360.

“As the 360 indicates, we have the ability to help in every aspect of our financial life,” Hart said. “We think that as a bank we have an obligation to deliver those services – particularly around education and advice.” n – Mike Hart, Montgomery market president for Regions Financial Corp.

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HEADWI ABOUND The state’s automotive sector continues to pump up the Alabama economy, but the headwinds of weakness overseas, a rising dollar as well as uncertainty in the stock market are putting pressure on the financial outlook for 2016.

Speaking about gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year, Keivan Deravi, dean of the Auburn University at Montgomery College of Public Policy & Justice and an economics professor, said, “If we hit 1.5 (percent) to 1.8 percent – and that’s the rate we’re looking at – we’re going to be doing real well. We will not hit 2 percent.”

He said there will be growth this year, “but you’ll need a magnifying glass to find (it). I think it’s going to be very, very challenging for businesses, and if you’re challenged and you are right on the line, then the slightest crisis can push you down.”

The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research in the Culverhouse College of Commerce is a bit more optimistic with a GDP forecast of 2.3 percent. The forecast range is 1.5 percent to 3.0 percent. The center is also forecasting a 2.3 percent in GDP for 2017.

One of the key drags on the U.S. economy as well as the state economy is the slowdown in China, which is expected to grow its economy about 6 percent this year. That would be a decline of one-third from its Sam Addy is dean for economic development outreach in the Culverhouse College of Commerce at The University of Alabama and a senior research economist.

INDS D

ALABAMA ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: SLOWING DOWN

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

peak, and if the actual growth is closer to 4.5 percent as some economists have stated – the decline would be 50 percent. Even China’s 6.9 percent growth in 2015 was the lowest in 25 years, said Ahmad Ijaz, executive director and director of forecasting the for The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

It’s important to Alabama because China is its No. 2 trading partner at $3.2 billion in 2014 behind Canada ($4.2).

The weakness overseas is not limited to China. Japan’s economy grew 0.5 percent last year and is expected to do the same this year, according to Deravi. He said that the European economy “is sick” and Brazil is in recession. “So where’s the growth?” he asked. “The disturbing part in all of this is, as mediocre as the economy in the United States has been, it’s the best economy in the world,” Deravi said. “If mediocracy is the best, then what is weakness? It just changes the scale of proportionality.”

As the dollar increases in value it makes U.S. exports more expensive, and that has been impacting companies with overseas sales.

Continued on page 34

Keivan Deravi is dean of the Auburn University at Montgomery’s College of Public Policy & Justice and an economics professor.

Continued from page 33

Because U.S. companies that invest in heavy equipment “don’t see the European and Chinese (economies) are going to turnaround anytime soon, they are halting plans,” Deravi said, and that is beginning to trickle down to less heavy manufacturing.

“We think that manufacturing will be in recession,” Deravi said. “We think services (sector) will be under a lot of pressure and that’s a big provider (of jobs) simply because of pressure on consumer spending and consumer income.”

He said the energy sector, because of oil prices that have declined by as much as 80 percent, “is not in a recession, but in a depression, and it’s going to take years for the energy sector to pull out.” The impact will affect royalties that Alabama receives from offshore oil and gas operations. Deravi is forecasting a decline of about $50 million for the state.

He expects the price of gas to be closer to $1 than $1.50. “Fifty dollars for a barrel of crude right now would be a dream,” he said at the time when crude was selling $27 to $33 per barrel.

Another concern is the longevity of the recovery, which is in its sixth year, while other post-World War II recoveries have lasted about four years, Ijaz said.

“I think it’s going to be very, very challenging for businesses, and if you’re challenged and you are right on the line, then the slightest crisis can push you down.”

– Keivan Deravi, dean of the Auburn University at Montgomery’s College of Public Policy & Justice and an economics professor

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

He does not forecast a recession this year. “We’re not seeing any excesses,” he said at the 28th annual Economic Outlook Conference at Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center.

Deravi also said “this recovery is long in tooth. I think the best is over and now we’re going to go up and down a lot to find a direction.” He, too, does not foresee a recession unless “there is a global slowdown of a major proportion.” He asked, “Are we really down to our last life of this recovery out of our nine lives? Probably not, but we maybe at the seventh life or eighth life. We just don’t have much to go with and the world economy seems to be in a state of imbalance and that’s what makes it very, very difficult.”

Employment is forecast to grow about 1 percent this year, according to the Center for Business and Economic Research. The center is forecasting a range of 0.8 percent to 1.5 percent. The state is still not back to pre-recession employment numbers, according to Ijaz. Alabama lost 180,000 to 200,000 jobs during the Great Recession. “The lost jobs are not coming back,” he said. The center expects 15,000 to 20,000 new jobs this year, but that pales in comparison to 30,000 new jobs a year in the 1990s and some years when employment grew 40,000 to 50,000.

Stagnant wages and growth in low-paying sectors compound the problems. The leisure and hospitality sector showed the largest employment gains from January 2011 to November 2015 – accounting for 32,000 of the 136,000 new jobs.

Bucking the trend is the state’s motor vehicle and parts manufacturers, which are forecast to deliver another strong year in 2016. What also bodes well for Alabama and its Hyundai, Honda and MercedesBenz manufacturing plants and Toyota’s engine facility – the forecast for new vehicle sales shows a 3.7 percent increase on top of last year’s record of 17.5 million vehicles. That would be an increase of about 640,000 vehicles. Light truck sales are expected to rise 5.7 percent while car sales are expected to decline 0.6 percent.

That is why Hyundai Motor Co. announced that it was adding Santa Fe production to the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery. With Hyundai leading the way with 384,519 units produced last year, the three Alabama automotive manufacturers combined for more than 1 million units.

A 6.7 percent GDP rise is forecast for the motor vehicle, trailer and parts sector this year and a healthy 5.7 percent increase in 2017.

We see right now that the GDP is limping, but employment is pretty good. Eventually, employment is going to get in line with GDP.”

Employment for motor vehicle and parts manufacturers is expected to grow 4.4 percent and another 4.7 percent in 2017.

For Deravi, his 2016 forecast changed when he saw December 2015 data, including weakness in factory production; decline in heavy manufacturing; and a slowdown in truck traffic and cardboard production.

He also cited increasing uncertainty and volatility in the stock market in the first part of the year, which hit home. Deravi said his wife saw the stock market dropping 400 points one morning and asked if he sold their positions. “I said, no.’ She said, ‘Do you know what you’re doing?’ No.”

“… As much as I love the automobile sector in Alabama and specifically in Montgomery, I think it is long (in the recovery),” Deravi said. “The (sector) has had a long, long stretch of very good years. At any point in time that may break. The consumer can change their mind very quickly.”

Construction is another solid sector and is forecast for a third straight year of jobs gains with a 3.4 increase this year. Other employment forecasts are 4.1 percent growth in leisure and hospitality and 3.6 percent in professional and business services.

Tax revenues are forecast to grow 3.3 percent this year to $10.1 billion and 2.5 percent in 2017 to about $10.3 billion.

But a negative perception of the market impacts consumers’ spending and they may start hoarding or saving money, Deravi said. “That’s why if we hit 1.5 or 1.8 in terms of growth for GDP for Alabama, we’re good. My biggest fear is not to hit that. If I’m proven wrong that is good. Nothing is wrong with being wrong.” n

“What we see is that consumers are healthy, but the industrial sector is not healthy,” Deravi said. “Eventually the industrial sector is going to impact the consumers.

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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HEADWINDS ABOUND

‘SIMPLE, BUT NOT EASY’

by David Zaslawsky

Sam Addy

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

If the state tax ratio to gross domestic product reached an optimal 5.5 percent, Alabama would have an additional $1.6 billion in tax receipts.

But how do you get there? Sam Addy, dean for economic development outreach in the Culverhouse College of Commerce at The University of Alabama and a senior research economist, has some proposals. He looks to overhaul the state’s current tax system, which he said does not raise adequate revenue; is regressive; and is inefficient in collection and use.

Before tackling the $1.6 billion issue, Addy said it’s paramount that people acknowledge the revenue shortfall and define the problem.

Here are Addy’s proposals: Remove the federal income tax deduction, which would generate between $700 million and $850 million. Alabama is one of three states that permits the deduction of federal income tax.

Charge road use fees that would be the equivalent of an 11-cent increase in gasoline taxes. That would raise $300 million. With higher-mileage vehicles, the gas tax does not generate enough revenue. Addy would like to see a fee based on vehicle miles traveled and drivers would pay when they renew their vehicle tags. There could be various fees for axle or weight classes. He does not phase out the current gas tax.

He would like to see the creation of a flexible fund that would have $400 million to $500 million.

Half of that amount could be used for economic development incentives.

“Simple, but not easy,” Addy said about his recommendations at the 28th annual Economic Outlook Conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Montgomery Hotel & Conference Center.

“We are more capable than we think we are,” Addy said. “We are more knowledgeable than we think we are. The key is investment.”

He talked about the “big strides” that Alabama made when the state per capita income was less than 50 percent of the U.S. per capita income. That gap has been closed to 81 percent, but that margin has stalled for the past 25 years. Increasing that ratio is key, Addy said.

Reduce the sales tax rate, but add a tax on services.

That would generate $430 million. The services sector is not only the fastest-growing sector, but consumers spend more on services than goods. Services are currently not taxed. Sales taxes used to generate more revenue than individual income tax, but last year the individual income tax brought in about $900 million compared with less than $560 million from sales tax.

Declining public sector spending is holding back “optimal” growth for Alabama, according to Addy and for policies to be optimal they must be “efficient, far, flexible and sustainable.” n

Double the property tax rate from 6.5 mills to 13 mills, which would raise $370 million. The state has the lowest property tax in the country, which, according to Addy, is one of the primary reasons why there are repeated revenue shortfalls.

“We are more capable than we think we are. “We are more knowledgeable than we think we are.

The key is investment.”

- Sam Addy, dean for economic development outreach in the Culverhouse College of Commerce at The University of Alabama and a senior research economist.

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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The U.S. economy “is still the prettiest ugly house on the block.”

– David Altig, executive vice president and director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

The following quotes and statements are a compilation from the 28th annual Economic Outlook Conference at the Embassy Suites

by Hilton Montgomery Hotel & Conference Center. The speakers were: Sam Addy, dean for economic development outreach in the Culverhouse College of Commerce at The University of Alabama and a senior research economist; David Bronner, CEO of Retirement Systems of Alabama; David Altig, executive vice president and director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Jo Bonner, vice president of government relations & economic development for The University of Alabama System. IHS Global Insight also contributed to the conference booklet.

www.jackingram.com

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

U.S. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IHS Global Insight is forecasting the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) to grow 2.7 percent this year and 3.0 percent in 2017.

FEDERAL RESERVE GDP FORECAST The Fed is forecasting GDP to grow 2.5 percent for 2016 with long-term growth of 2.1 percent.

RESIDENTIAL INVESTMENT IHS Global Insight expects residential investment to jump 9.0 percent this year and 10.3 percent in 2017.

EMPLOYMENT IHS Global Insight sees employment increasing 1.6 percent in 2016 and 1.3 percent in 2017. The Fed expects job growth to fall to 100,000 to 125,000 a month, which would keep the unemployment rate from increasing.

“An investment in education is an investment in a better future.”

– Jo Bonner, vice president of government relations & economic development for The University of Alabama System

LABOR PRODUCTIVITY Labor productivity has declined to 0.5 percent from 2010-2015 while it was nearly 3.5 percent from 1995-2003.

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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CONSUMER SPENDING

STATE TAXES

IHS Global Insight is forecasting a 3.1 percent increase this year to about $11.3 trillion and 3.0 percent rise in 2017.

If Alabamians paid the same level of taxes as Kentucky, the state would have $2.6 billion more. The same level of taxes as Arkansas would give Alabama $2.9 billion more and the same as Mississippi would give the state $2.7 billion more.

BUSINESS INVESTMENT SPENDING IHS Global Insight expects a 5.3 increase this year and 5.1 percent increase in 2017.

CYBER ATTACKS

FOURTH-QUARTER GDP

The worldwide cost of cyber attacks is $400 billion to $500 billion.

A rundown on inventories was a key drag on the 2015 fourth-quarter GDP, which had growth of 0.7 percent.

GLOBAL GROWTH

INFLATION The 2016 forecast is less than 2 percent, which is the Fed target rate. The trend rate is 1.3 percent to 1.6 percent.

FEDERAL RESERVE INTEREST RATE OUTLOOK The earlier forecast was four interest-rate hikes of 0.25 percent each. If growth continues “to limp along” the Fed will go slowly and could very likely raise interest rates fewer than four times.

IHS Global Insight expects GDP worldwide growth to average 1.9 percent a year through 2025 from the country’s major currency trading partners.

PRICE OF CRUDE OIL IHS Global Insight forecasts the average price of Brent oil will be $54 a barrel this year and average $65 in 2017. n

HIGHER EDUCATION For every $1 a college graduate earns, someone without a college degree earns 67 cents.

POWER TO

FAST MOVING COMPANIES

© 2016 Alabama Power Company

Safe, affordable, reliable electricity is one form of power we provide, but not the only one. There’s also the power devoted to realizing the amazing potential of our state and its people. That’s power to propel business forward. That’s Power to Alabama.

amazingalabama.com

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK HAMPSTEAD UNVEILS SPECIAL HOME Hampstead disclosed that its Southern Living Inspired home has four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and a lake view. It is scheduled to be open this spring.

by David Zaslawsky

MIXED BAG The most upbeat sectors in the first quarter of the Alabama Business Confidence Index are manufacturing, health care, professional, scientific, technical services, financial, insurance and real estate.

Those are the findings of a quarterly survey conducted by The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research in the Culverhouse College of Commerce.

AIRPORT GROWTH STORY CONTINUES

The Montgomery Regional Airport had its second straight year of passenger increases with a 4 percent gain in 2015. Any growth year-over-year is a reason to celebrate, but in this case it has even greater significance. It marks the first time since 1999 and 2000 that the airport had increased passenger traffic in consecutive years.

The airport had about 175,000 passenger enplanements in 2015.

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

“The continuous growth is in line with goals that the (Montgomery Regional Airport) Authority and our team set for ourselves,” Phil Perry, executive director of the Montgomery Regional Airport, said in a statement. “Furthermore, working closely with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce has allowed the Authority to leverage our limited resources to enjoy maximum benefit.

Indeed, the partnership between the Authority and the Chamber has never been stronger.”

In contrast, the retail trade sector is bracing for a weak first quarter with an overall index of 39.1, a decline of 5.6 points from the 2015 fourth quarter. That compares with an overall index of about 55.0 for the most optimistic sectors, including an 8.6-point gain for manufacturing.

The sector index reflects the outlook for sales, profit, hiring and capital spending. An index of less than 50 denotes contraction.

GRADUATION RATE RISING Alabama’s high school graduation rate jumped in the 2014-2015 school year, climbing to 89 percent.

That is up from 72 percent in 2012, according to the Alabama Department of Education, which has a set goal of reaching a 90 percent graduation rate by the year 2020 – which is part of State Superintendent Tommy Bice’s Plan 2020.

IMPORTANT FIRST LEG The first phase of the Outer Loop, which connects Vaughn Road to Interstate 85, has been completed. The new four-mile section is State Route 108. It cost $150 million.

The Outer Loop is a $500 million, 20-mile project that would connect Interstate 85 and Interstate 65.

GROUP RANKS SYKES ANNOUNCEMENT Site Selection Group has identified the Top 25 Onshore & Offshore Call Center Deals of 2015 and Montgomery tied for No. 16 with the Sykes announcement of 500 new jobs. The rankings did not include expansions of existing businesses.

PARTNERS REALTY

Member Spotlight

Graham Cook (pictured) and T.J. Williford own Partners Realty HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS: 7 HOW MANY EMPLOYEES: 24 HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY: Partners Realty is a

full-service real estate company. We believe that our client’s best interest is our most important responsibility and we reflect that in the relationships we build. We are constantly innovating to provide a better experience to our many community members, commercial clients, tenants, sellers and buyers we serve. Our associates and staff are trained real estate professionals who have helped Partners quickly become an industry leader.

WHY HAS PARTNERS REALTY BEEN SUCCESSFUL: Our team is hand selected and passionate about building relationships.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD: Finding the right people who believe in what we are trying to fulfill: solving real estate needs in communities.

AN ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT PARTNERS REALTY: I would like to say thank you to our wonderful team and to the

clients we serve.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM YOUR COMPETITORS: We believe in WH

providing the best tools and guidance for our clients to make the best decisions possible in navigating the real estate world.

WHAT ONE THING ABOUT YOUR COMPANY WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE: We started out in a small home off Mulberry Street with a simple goal in mind: solve people’s real estate needs.

12 W Jefferson Street, Suite 200, Montgomery AL 36104 334-277-1077, info@partnersrealty.info, www.partnersrealty.info

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

BAPTIST HEALTH NEW ADDITION

HYUNDAI RANKED NO. 1

It’s official. The $5.5 million, 20,000 square-foot addition of women’s services postpartum unit and the new ICU step-down unit at Baptist Medical Center East has opened.

Hyundai was the top-ranked automaker in the 2015 CarMD Vehicle Health Index Manufacturer & Vehicle Reliability Rankings of manufacturers and vehicles with the lowest combined check engine repair incidents and costs.

The facility was 36 births from being ranked fourth in the state in 2013.

NEW DIGITAL TOOLS

A GROWTH STORY

The City of Montgomery and First Transit introduced new digital tools for public transportation.

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. UNITED first planned to double its revenue in 10 years, but it now is looking to triple revenue by 2017 after a series of acquisitions that doubled production centers. The firm added more than two dozen distribution centers, including one in Montgomery.

There is now a Google Transit Trip Planner and the TransLoc Rider app.

Both are available for free. The Google Transit Trip Planner is a feature on the website www. montgomerytransit.com.

The Montgomery CocaCola Bottling Co. operates out of an 850,000-squarefoot facility near the Montgomery Regional Airport. There are 284 employees.

The index ranks the top 10 manufacturers, top 100 vehicles, top three vehicles by vehicle category and common repairs by vehicle make. The 2015 index is based on 250,000-plus recommended repairs.

Rounding out the top five were (in order) Toyota, Honda, Ford and Chrysler. Finishing six to 10 in order were Kia, General Motors, Mazda, Nissan and Volkswagen.

WALMART OPENS FIRST OF TWO STORES Walmart, which had announced the closure of 154 stores, has opened its first of two neighborhood stores in Montgomery. The first opening is on Federal Drive and the company was scheduled to open a second neighborhood store in early March near Vaughn and Taylor roads in East Montgomery.

Those are the first two Walmart neighborhood stores in Montgomery and are only 25 percent as large as a supercenter.

We are exactly like the traditional accounting and advisory firms you’ve come to know — except completely different.

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

LOGOBRANDERS

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS: 23 HOW MANY EMPLOYEES: 43 HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY: LogoBranders is an independent, woman-owned, promotional products distributor based in Montgomery. It was founded in 1993 by company president Terry Southern.

Known then as McKee Southern Marketing, LogoBranders has grown to be recognized in the top 1 percent of distributors in the U.S. and Canada. We believe in hard work but also in having fun. Chosen as the recipient of Counselor Magazine’s Best Places to Work, we celebrate with bowling parties, wine tastings and doggie days.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM YOUR COMPETITORS: Our people. Our

team. We have been very fortunate to build the business through the hard work, dedication, perspective and fresh ideas of a group of people who have a common vision and truly are family. Terry believes in the value of ongoing training and the importance of recognizing employees for their contributions.

Member Spotlight

WHY HAS LOGOBRANDERS BEEN SUCCESSFUL: Our clients! We

develop long-term relationships – many of our clients have been with us since 1993! Our clients range in scope from local companies to major corporations and institutional customers across the nation and the globe!

Every April LogoBranders hosts an open house. We have 28 multi-line vendors, music, food and an awesome theme!

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD: We will WH

continue to grow as long as we remember what got us here in the first place: appreciation of the LogoBranders team for the job they do daily and respect for our clients. We know our clients have choices and for 23 years they have chosen us! And finally, the resources and knowledge to target and land accounts beyond our geographic location.

AN ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT LOGOBRANDERS: Due to Terry’s vision and conviction to allow people the

freedom to target their own area of expertise, to grow in their own area(s) of interest and to develop not only as business people but also in their personal lives, we all enjoy a home/work balance that allows creativity and self-growth. We look forward to many more years of success in Montgomery!

WHAT ONE THING ABOUT YOUR COMPANY WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE: That our people have been a part of the LogoBranders team for so

long that we have seen children born, graduate from college and get married. Our people are dedicated and turnover is low. As a company, based on more than 2,700 client satisfaction surveys on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest, we score an impressive 4.9171!

1161 Lagoon Business Loop, Montgomery AL 36117 334-277-1144, leslie@logobranders.com, www.logobranders.com

Member Profile

MADE-TO-ORDER UPGRADE

by David Zaslawsky

Scott Street Deli doubles sales with renovation

photography by Robert Fouts

Kathy Powell, owner of Scott Street Deli and her husband Rusty Powell, worked 16-hour days to renovate the restaurant.

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

Before-and-after photos are common for weightloss programs, but the before-and-after interior at Scott Street Deli in downtown Montgomery has doubled sales.

First, let owner Kathy Powell describe what she bought on July 3, 2014. She said the front windows were “so nasty you couldn’t see through them.”

There was a large cooler – the length of a wall and about five-feet wide, and she was told that it had not worked for 50 years. The floor was black and in some areas rotten.

That’s not all. There was a toilet that served as a restroom, but no real restroom. There were no tables – no chairs. You picked up your sandwich and left.

I almost forgot to mention there was no heat and no air conditioning.

For a couple of months, Powell was given a rare opportunity to work at Scott Street Deli and observe – a crash course in restaurant 101. She worked for free, but learned valuable lessons and necessary lessons for someone who had never operated a restaurant. She had painted and restored furniture for about 10 years, selling dressers, chests of drawers and buffets at the three booths she ran at Eastbrook Flea Market & Antique Mall. She left the furniture restoration business “because it was getting very hard on me physically. I was moving furniture myself and something was always hurting. It was time to make a change and I knew it.”

She was able to “envision what she wanted to do with” Scott Street Deli. “What I wanted it to look like.”

She closed the deli for 10 days – it’s still opened from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday – and with a lot of help from her homebuilder husband Rusty Powell, the inside was renovated. They worked 16-hour days.

It was more like a complete overhaul – a $25,000

makeover. That old cooler was removed, which freed up space. The counter was extended and another sandwich station was added.

The Powells tried to keep as much of the original flooring as possible. The floor was sanded and where it was rotten they installed black and white tile. The front windows were replaced and a restroom was added, along with air conditioning and heat.

Perhaps the most dramatic change was adding tables and chairs from Eastbrook Flea Market. With eight tables inside and four chairs to a table, there is now room for 32 people. There are another four or five tables outside. Having tables and chairs has made all the difference, according to Kathy Powell.

She’s had tour buses lined up outside and a large group coming inside to sit down and eat. “I wanted people to be able to come in and sit down,” she said.

“Business has more than doubled.”

Two large local groups which ate lunch at the deli were players and coaches from the Jeff Davis High School girls basketball Class 7A state championship team and players and coaches from the Carver High School boys basketball Class 6A championship team.

They ate at the same time and it was on the house.

Ham Jordan, an employee, made earrings for all the girls.

EMPLOYEES

4 YEARS IN BUSINESS

20 MONTHSLOCATION WEBSITE

SCOTTSTREETDELI. COM

The menu has been only slightly modified. Kathy Powell added chicken slices, taco salad, wraps and homemade banana pudding. Sandwich prices did rise about 50 cents because the cost of meat increased, Powell said.

On a very busy day, the deli will serve about 120 sandwiches and 60 salads. Two of the most popular sandwiches are the club and the Italian while the chef salad takes top honors.

Now, Kathy Powell is working to rebuild the catering business, which had pretty much died. “That’s been my biggest obstacle to overcome,” she said. “I just want a little piece of it (catering business).”

First-time diners get a special treat at Scott Street Deli, and that’s a homemade cookie. Powell even had a recommendation for a first-timer. “The lemon is great.” n

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Member Profile

TRAINING FACILITY

Resolution Fitness focuses on cross-training

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

EMPLOYEES

4 PERSONAL TRAINERS

4 YEARS IN BUSINESS

9 YEARS PHONE NUMBER

(334) 309-4341 FACEBOOK

REZ FIT

Corey Ellis and Donna Ellis are co-owners of Resolution Fitness.

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

The co-owners are both personal trainers as well as group instructors. All four employees are personal trainers. The company offers several options for working with a personal trainer, including 30-minute, 40-minute and one-hour sessions. A client can work with a personal trainer session-by-session or opt for a package deal of eight or 12 sessions.

When you walk inside Resolution Fitness on Madison Avenue in downtown Montgomery, you won’t find a lot of machines or a ton of free weights.

There is a reason. “We are a training facility,” Corey Ellis said. “We’re strictly a training facility.”

The facility is 9,000 square feet and there are some ropes/pulleys tucked away as well as a handful of Total Gyms. Instead, the four-member staff at Resolution Fitness use the client’s body weight in their exercise programs.

“Our style of training is cross-training,” said Ellis, who is co-owner along with his wife Donna Ellis. “Our programs transfer to any individual; any sport that you play. What our programs do for kids is, it keeps them in the realm of fitness – not so much specified to a sport.

“If you need an offseason fitness program, we have the complete package because we do strength, endurance and flexibility. Every sport needs that. The flexibility part is the most important. Most athletes will not do flexibility.”

The facility contains a basketball hoop, exercise balls, heavy-duty boxing bag, tires; a free weight area; and dressing rooms. There is a wide range of classes from boot camps to Zumba, yoga, extreme ab and cardio-kick. One of the classes called “20-20” is 20 minutes of strength training and 20 minutes of aerobics. There are corporate packages as well, but you won’t see any membership fees or contracts.

Boot camps are how the business began in its humble start at Blount Cultural Park about nine years ago and 18 months after Hurricane Katrina, when the Louisiana couple moved to Montgomery. “We were a mobile consulting company then,” Corey Ellis said about the time at Blount Cultural Park, when Resolution Fitness had no facility but the outdoors.

It’s the experience of the personal trainers and their professionalism that sets Resolution Fitness apart from other fitness training centers, said Corey Ellis, who has 10 years as a personal trainer. Donna Ellis has 20 years of experience and the two others have a combined 10 years of experience.

In addition, Resolution Fitness has experience in the community. “You have to look at how we do what we do, and what we do is, we connect with the community,” Corey Ellis said. The staff knows that a lot of people here “are going to be out of shape, so they are not going to be able to do the high intensity,” he said.

Donna Ellis said the personal trainers are strict on performing the exercises and routines correctly so the participants won’t injure themselves. If someone is injured, the staff will modify the exercise so that person “does not feel left out of the group,” Donna Ellis said.

Resolution Fitness – through its cross-training program – does a lot of “rehabilitation-style exercising,” Corey Ellis said.

“If you need an off-season fitness program, we have the complete

The business has surged since it moved to the Madison Avenue facility. “We were able to incorporate classes that would enhance the boot camps,” he said.

package

“When (people) go to the gym they know there’s a plethora of machines, but when you come to do something like this – you know coming in that you’re going to be out of your comfort zone. When they begin to stick with it – it shows growth in their mindsets.” n

do strength,

because we endurance and flexibility.”

– Corey Ellis, co-owner of Resolution Fitness

The current nighttime boot camp has about 40 people, Donna Ellis said, and another 20 participate in a boot camp for those weighing 200 or more pounds. That boot camp has “a lower impact and lower intensity” than the other boot camp, Corey Ellis said. “We just slow it down for the 200-plus and we speed it for the five-week challenge.”

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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MEMBER NEWS

BUSINESS BUZZ GOODWYN, MILLS AND CAWOOD EMPLOYEES ACHIEVE CERTIFICATIONS

Matt Thomason

MONTGOMERY – Three Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood employees received professional certifications.

Birmingham transportation engineer Lisa BowenWhaley attained her professional engineering license after passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. To become Rachel Crafton-Stiver licensed, engineers must earn a four-year degree from an accredited engineering program, pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, complete four years of progressive engineering Lisa Bowen-Whaley experience under a professional engineer and pass the PE exam.

Airport planner Matt Thomason recently received his American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Certification after passing the AICP Comprehensive Planning Examination. To become certified, candidates must meet the requirements for education and experience defined by the American Planning Association (APA), pass the AICP exam, and pledge to uphold ethical standards and engage in ongoing professional development.

Thomason joined GMC’s airport planning and engineering division in January of 2015, bringing with him a wide-range of expertise, including development of airport master plans, airport layout plans and capital improvement plans; agency and public coordination; airport planning design; airspace analysis, noise and environmental analysis; safety management systems; and terminal programming studies. He also became a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) in September of 2015.

The list of independent feeonly planning firms had strict requirements excluding firms with broker-dealer and insurance company affiliations and large outside owners. The list included only firms that provide holistic financial planning – not just investment advice – to more than 50 percent of their individual clients, ranked by assets under management.

Ronald Blue & Co., which has a downtown Montgomery office, was founded in 1979. It is one of the largest independent fee-only wealth management firms in the United States with more than $8 billion of assets under management and has 6,000-plus clients.

Rachel Crafton-Stiver, an architect in the firm’s Montgomery office, achieved National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Certification upon AUM COLLEGE completing all of the OF BUSINESS requirements to become RANKED a registered architect. To AMONG MOST become NCARB-certified, AFFORDABLE candidates must have a Rhea Ingram MONTGOMERY – Online professional degree from a business education and career National Architectural Accrediting guide Top Management Degrees Board-accredited program, complete has ranked the master of business the intern development program administration degree program in training requirements, pass all Auburn University at Montgomery’s divisions of the Architect Registration College of Business among the top Examination and receive a license 50 most affordable MBA programs in to practice from one of the state the U.S. registration boards.

RONALD BLUE & CO. RANKED NO. 4 ATLANTA – Ronald Blue & Co. was recently ranked No. 4 for 2016 among the nation’s “Top 150 RIAs” (registered investment advisors) by the weekly industry publication Financial Planning.

This ranking looked at the more than 500 schools in the U.S. that hold an accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, which is the gold standard for business school accreditors. Data was then gathered from AACSB International, the National Center for Education Statistics and the individual program websites. The MBA programs were ranked based on in-state tuition and fees.

AUM’s College of Business was ranked No. 33.

50

Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

“Our MBA program, a public education delivered in a private school experience, offers a highquality program in which students receive personal attention thanks to the small class size,” College of Business Dean Rhea Ingram said in a statement. “We are also able to accommodate many working schedules, allowing most students to achieve their goal of earning their MBA. We continuously partner with the local business leaders, who validate what students should learn to become the next effective business leader.”

AUM PROFESSOR PUBLISHED; MARKETING MANAGER RECEIVES DESIGNATION MONTGOMERY – Auburn University at Montgomery professor Don Amoroso has published a research paper entitled “Exploring the

Personal Innovativeness Construct: The Roles of Ease of Use, Satisfaction and Attitudes.”

Amoroso, Lowder-Weil Endowed Chair and information systems professor in the College of Business, was published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems.

In another development, Megan Hughes, senior manager for marketing and communications in the university’s College of Business, has successfully completed the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, which enables her to use the APR professional designation.

The accreditation program aims to improve the practice of public relations by assessing competence in 60 areas of knowledge, skills and abilities associated with the profession. The examination is designed for public relations professionals with five to seven years of job experience and/or a bachelor’s degree in a communication field.

Candidates who successfully complete the process, including presenting a portfolio to a Readiness Review panel of three peers and sitting for a computer-based examination, are granted the APR designation.

Meanwhile, Amoroso’s research paper found that personal innovativeness, early acceptance of an innovation, was strongly correlated to repurchase intention. “Personal innovativeness also explained consumer satisfaction through attitude of the consumer,” Amoroso said in a statement.

“This research helps to define personal innovativeness and its CONTINUED ON PAGE

Megan Hughes

Don Amoroso

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BUSINESS BUZZ FROM PAGE

51

impact on consumer repurchase intention and is important to online retailers who count on repeat sales.

Online retailers may build factors that encourage personal innovativeness, such as co-creation through user participation in consumer focus groups.”

GILPIN GIVHAN NAMED TO ‘BEST LAW FIRM’ LIST MONTGOMERY – Gilpin Givhan, PC was recently named as a “Best Law Firm in America,” by the review guide Best Lawyers.

With offices in Montgomery and Birmingham, Gilpin Givhan, provides services throughout Alabama with practice groups that include, taxation, business transactions, estate and trusts, health care, labor and employment and municipal and public financing.

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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 guide to the legal profession worldwide.

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Individual attorneys named by Best Lawyers are 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.

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

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WIND CREEK HOSPITALITY RANKED NO. 5 BY EMPLOYEES ATMORE – Wind Creek Hospitality (WCH) placed fifth in the Best Casinos to Work For contest.

The Best Casinos to Work For 2016 contest was created by Casino Journal, an independent global information source for gaming, and Best Companies Group (BCG), a company whose goal is to establish programs that “distinguish companies who demonstrate and are superior in workplace excellence.”

The contest gave casino employees across North America an opportunity to voice their opinion about their workplace by confidentially completing surveys and questionnaires that consisted of eight core focus areas. The results were then tallied in a point system in order to recognize the highestranking contenders.

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WCH, which has casino/hotel properties in Montgomery, Wetumpka and Atmore, has 2,000plus employees. Employees are recognized with quarterly incentive compensation and recognition programs such as the Best of the Best Awards and Wind Creek Cash.

In addition to a company-wide wellness program, each property has a wellness center with an on-site trainer.

“I am thrilled that our employees feel so positive about working at Wind Creek Hospitality,” Catherine Timmons, vice president of human resources for WCH, said in a statement. “Being recognized as “One of the Best Casinos to Work for in 2016” is a tremendous honor, especially since it was our own employees who provided the feedback.”

MACHEN MCCHESNEY ACQUIRES MONTGOMERY CPA PRACTICE AUBURN – The certified public accounting and business advisory firm Machen McChesney has acquired the Montgomery-based accounting firm of Wolf & Taunton.

100 percent convinced it will be a very rewarding relationship for our existing clients and the new clients we anticipate obtaining in the Montgomery area as we grow as a newly combined accounting firm.

Under the firm’s leadership, I know our Montgomery office and clients will be well taken care of.”

Machen McChesney has a 60-year history. “We are very excited to combine Wolf & Taunton forces under the Machen began offering McChesney name to professional services continue having a positive in Montgomery in impact on our region,” Machen Bobby Taunton 1987. The firm was McChesney Managing Partner formed by Bobby Marty Williams said in a statement.

Taunton, who will continue to head He said that Wolf & Taunton and their the Montgomery office, and the employees “share the same values recently retired Marcus Wolf. we do when it comes to returning value through outstanding client “Machen McChesney is a CPA firm service, top-notch services and a I have admired my entire life – to commitment to community.” n become a part of their organization is personally very exciting for me,” Taunton said in a statement. “I am

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CHAMBER NEWS

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE HILL HILL CARTER NAMES SHAREHOLDERS

Alicia F. Bennett

E. Dianne Gamble

MONTGOMERY – The law firm of Hill Hill Carter opened an office in Birmingham and announced the addition of Alicia F. Bennett, E. Dianne Gamble and Dana B. Hill as shareholders.

The firm also announced that James “Jim” E. Beck III has been named a shareholder.

“We have long represented entities in education and employment matters and opening an office in Birmingham to be staffed by three seasoned education and employment lawyers, makes a lot of sense,” David Henderson, managing partner at Hill Hill Carter, said in a statement.

Bennett has represented boards of education, their James Beck members and employees for more than 19 years. In her capacity as general counsel for such boards, she provides advice and litigation representation in several areas, including labor and employment, contracts, civil rights and Dana B. Hill student matters. Bennett received her bachelor’s degree from Birmingham-Southern College in 1992 and received her Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1996.

Gamble has provided legal counsel to school boards, educators, peace officers and local governments for

54

Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

more than a decade and serves as general counsel and special counsel STARKE AGENCY to several Alabama boards HIRES SALES, of education. Licensed MARKETING DIRECTOR in Alabama and MONTGOMERY – The Mississippi, Gamble Starke Agency has hired has extensive trial Mark J. Ludick as director and appellate of sales and marketing. experience and specializes in labor Ludick, a 30-year veteran and employment, in the insurance industry, student matters, policy has experience in various roles Mark J. Ludick development, civil rights on both the agency and carrier and tort matters. She graduated in sides of the business. Starting as 1996 from the University of Southern a personal lines underwriter, he Mississippi and received her Juris had numerous promotions on the Doctor from Cumberland School of carrier side. He was sales manager Law at Samford University in 2001. of a large international insurance Hill currently serves as general counsel to three Alabama boards of education and has represented nearly 20 other local school districts in state, federal and appellate courts.

She focuses her practice in the areas of education law, employment law and general litigation. She graduated from Alabama State University and received her Juris Doctor in 2000 from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

“Alicia, Dianne and I have worked collaboratively for years with Spud Seale, Liz Carter, Jayne Williams, and Erika Tatum and the education and employment group at Hill Hill Carter,” Dana Hill said in a statement.

“We are excited to be merging our practices with theirs.”

Beck represents governmental entities, corporations and insurance companies in federal and state courts and in front of various administrative bodies. His practice focuses on general and complex civil litigation as well as administrative law matters. As a shareholder, he will continue to concentrate his practice on labor and employment, construction, insurance, public procurement and administrative law matters.

company. Following that, Ludick moved to the agency/retail side, where he most recently served as a profit center leader for a national insurance brokerage firm.

“The addition of Mark to our management team is a milestone for our agency” Starke Agency President Trey Starke said in a statement.

“To recruit a seasoned industry practice leader with marketing, sales management and teambuilding skills complements our agency well. Mark will lead a team of six commercial account advisers and seven risk consultants as we work through risk management and cost-effective strategies for our corporate customers.”

Ludick is a graduate of St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., where he received a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He has been a certified insurance counselor since 2000 and has completed six parts of his charter property casualty underwriter designation.

“I am extremely excited to join the impressive team of insurance professionals at Starke Agency,” Ludick said in a statement. “The agency truly exemplifies what a quality independent insurance

agency should be. I look forward to being a contributor to the continued success of the agency.”

Starke Agency is an insurance brokerage and risk management company.

marketing director for several leading consumer brands.

He graduated from Duke University and received a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“We are fortunate to have a high-caliber business WARREN AVERETT leader like Todd join HIRES CHIEF our team at Warren MARKETING Averett,” Tommy Sisson, OFFICER Birmingham office managing member BIRMINGHAM and chief growth officer, – Warren Averett said in a statement. “I am Certified Public Todd Decker confident that he will take Accountants and our business development and Advisors has hired Todd Decker as marketing efforts to the next level.” chief marketing officer and head of business development.

In another development, Warren Averett announced that nine employees were promoted to members of the firm, including two in the Montgomery office: Tia S. Levanda and Jangkeun (Paul) Han.

MONTGOMERY ACADEMY ANNOUNCES LOWER SCHOOL DIRECTOR MONTGOMERY – The Montgomery Academy announced the appointment of Nicole St. Amand as the Lower School director.

Levanda, a certified public accountant, is a member in the firm’s She will start July 1 tax division. Her practice and was hired after a Nicole St. Amand specializes in multi-state nationwide search. St. tax returns and tax research and Amand has extensive experience she provides tax planning for in independent schools. She began clients in the retail, real estate and her career as an art educator manufacturing industries. She also and currently serves as the Lower serves on the firm’s committee for School director of educational tax best practices. technology and innovation at Shorecrest Preparatory School, a Han, who is also a certified public PreK-12 independent school in St. accountant, leads the firm’s national Petersburg, Fla. Prior to that, she service leader of Korean business. served as a technology curriculum He provides multi-disciplinary coordinator at Woodward Academy services to Korean-owned in College Park, Ga. While at businesses including auditing, Woodward, she also served as the taxation and start-up consulting on director of summer professional tax and business incentive filings. learning and was an art teacher in He serves as a member in the their primary division for 12 years.

Montgomery office.

She graduated from the University Decker comes to Warren Averett of Georgia with a bachelor’s from Stifel, where he was chief degree in education and has a marketing officer. Prior to Stifel, master’s degree in education Decker spent nearly a decade from Walden University with a holding leadership roles in banks focus on curriculum, assessment including Regions, BBVA Compass and instruction. and Bank of America. He began his marketing career at Johnson CONTINUED ON PAGE 56 & Johnson, where he served as

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55

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE FROM PAGE

55

“I am thrilled that Nicole St. Amand is joining our administration as the new leader of the Lower School,” John McWilliams, associate head of school, said in a statement.

“Throughout her career, Mrs. St. Amand has been an innovative and passionate educator. She will build on the legacy of excellence left by Jan Pringle as she retires from the position at the end of the year.”

HEALTH SERVICES NAMES CHIEF OF PEDIATRICS MONTGOMERY – Health Services Inc. appointed Dr. Mahmood Zaied to chief of pediatrics.

Zaied, who has 30 years of medical CLOVERDALE PLAYHOUSE experience, is licensed to practice NAMES ARTISTIC in three states as well as DIRECTOR three countries. He has spent more than half of MONTGOMERY his medical career with – Sarah Walker Health Services. He Thornton has joined will lead the company’s the Cloverdale pediatric teams in clinical Playhouse as artistic solutions and quality director of Montgomery’s Sarah Walker Thornton community theater as it patient care. enters its fifth season.

St. Amand said in a statement: “Contributing to a community with which I share my deepest values is my highest priority from a professional perspective and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to assist in leading Montgomery Academy to continued success.”

The Montgomery Academy was founded in 1959 and is a kindergarten through grade 12 independent, nonprofit, college preparatory day school with 850-plus students.

JOY TO LIFE FOUNDATION NAMES MARKETING DIRECTOR

ALABAMA NEWS NETWORK HIRES SPORTS DIRECTOR MONTGOMERY – Alabama News Network has announced that Vince Lennon has been hired as sports director, Vince Lennon marking his return after a near 20-year hiatus.

MONTGOMERY – Denise Blake Greene has joined the Joy to Life Foundation and LEAN Magazine as marketing director.

Denise Blake Greene

She will play a vital role in spreading awareness throughout the state, fundraising and developing community partnerships.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Denise Greene join our staff at Joy to Life,” Joy Blondheim, co-founder of Joy to Life Foundation said in a statement. “She brings a wealth of knowledge we need as we move on and up with our marketing strategy.”

“I’m thrilled to be back in the Capital City,” Lennon said in a statement.

“This is where my sports reporting and anchoring career took off more than 20 years ago.”

Lennon comes to Alabama News Network from WRCB, the top-rated NBC affiliate in Chattanooga, Tenn., where he was the sports anchor/ reporter. Prior to Chattanooga, Lennon served as executive producer at Macon’s dual FOX/ ABC affiliate WGXA-TV and as a segment producer and show writer for CNN and Headline News, where he worked with Kyra Phillips, Rick Sanchez and Robin Meade.

Before his CNN days, he worked as a reporter/fill-in anchor at Knoxville, Tennessee’s ABC affiliate WATE-TV. Before Knoxville, Lennon served as reporter/anchor/sports photographer for Chattanooga’s ABC affiliate WTVCTV. He spent four years as sports director at ABC Montgomery from 1994 to 1998.

56

Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

Lennon can be seen weeknights on Alabama News Network at 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on WAKA CBS 8 and WNCF ABC Montgomery as well as at 9 p.m. on WCOV Fox 20.

Thornton has a wealth of theater experience in Montgomery and New York City. She spent the last seven years in New York City, where she co-founded the Bama Theater Co. with fellow alumni from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s Master of Fine Arts graduate program.

She joins the Cloverdale Playhouse as its second artistic director. “I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity that the board and the artistic committee have given me and for the heart-warming faith they have in me,” Thornton said in a statement.

“I have a great love and respect for the work done at the Playhouse and I’m thrilled to play a part.”

The Playhouse also welcomes Joe Collins to the new position of technical director. A volunteer at the Playhouse since his role in 2014’s “It’s a Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Play,” Collins coordinates production and facility maintenance at the former church-turned-theater.

The Cloverdale Playhouse, which opened its first season in 2011, is a volunteer-based community theater.

FOUR STAR FREIGHTLINER ADDS TRUCK SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER

McGuire also spent two years as a driver and knows what drivers are looking for when purchasing a new vehicle.

“When I initially left sales, I knew I’d want to come back,” McGuire said in a statement. “I love the MONTGOMERY – Tom McGuire interaction with people and the Experienced salesman challenge that comes with the job.”

Tom McGuire has joined the Four Star Freightliner sales team as an account manager.

McGuire, who will work primarily out of the Montgomery office, has six years of experience in sales.

“We are very proud to add Tom to our team,” New Truck Manager David Turner said in a statement. “He is a very knowledgeable salesman that will work well with our customers. He is very enthusiastic and brings a renewed energy to our team.”

GILPIN GIVHAN ANNOUNCES TWO SHAREHOLDERS MONTGOMERY – Gilpin Givhan has named attorneys Royal Dumas and Clinton Graves as firm shareholders.

Dumas practices in the firm’s commercial real estate, litigation and labor and employment practice groups. He received his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. His practice focuses on numerous and varied aspects of corporate law, including commercial

litigation and transactional matters for clients throughout the United States.

Graves practices in the firm’s taxation, business organizations and transactions, and municipal and public finance practice groups. Graves received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Mississippi and his law degree from Cumberland School of Clinton Graves Law. He practices primarily in the areas of municipal and public finance in Alabama.

Gilpin Givhan is a fullservice business law firm that represents clients ranging from large, publicly traded corporations to small businesses, individuals and entrepreneurs. n

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57

CHAMBER NEWS

RIBBON CUTTINGS & GROUND BREAKINGS

JOURNEY MONTGOMERY

ROCKIN’ JUMP

MURPHYUSA

P.O. Box 231503 • Montgomery, AL 36213 334-431-3253 • www.journeymontgomery.com Abraxas Pickens-Partner • Illia Hayes-Partner Transportation Services

5544 Atlanta Highway • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-239-2587 • montgomery.rockinjump.com Paul Register-Owner • Chad Stinson-Owner Attractions-Sports & Recreation

3801 Eastern Boulevard • Montgomery, AL 36116 870-814-8653 • www.murphyusa.com Marketa Johnson-District Manager • Convenience Store

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2229 East South Boulevard • Montgomery, AL 36116 334-676-1598 Ida McCrary-Owner • Bakery

8416 Crossland Loop • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-649-4911 • www.sagelegacy.com Sayge Grubbs-Attorney • Legal Services-Other

405 Cloverdale Road • Montgomery, AL 36106 334-819-7215 • www.vymgm.com Jud Blount-President • Derk Lyerly-Partner Restaurants-Fine Dining

PURE BARRE EAST MONTGOMERY

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WALMART NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET

8103 Vaughn Road • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-356-5145 • www.purebarre.com/al-eastmontgomery Katie Lowder-Owner • Tiffany Bell-Owner Fitness Center/Gym

4268 Lomac Street • Montgomery, AL 36106 334-356-3480 • www.smpacct.com Trevor Small-Managing Partner Eric McKenney-Managing Partner Payroll Preparation Services

1600 Federal Drive • Montgomery, AL 36109 334-777-5865 • www.wal-mart.com Kory Foster-Store Manager • Groceries-Retail

58

Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

NEW MEMBERS ACCOUNTINGCERTIFIED PUBLIC

MACHEN MCCHESNEY LLP Bobby Taunton 1761 Taliaferro Trail Montgomery, AL 36117 334-244-8900 APARTMENTS

THE MARK APARTMENTS Bobbie James 5701 East Shirley Lane Montgomery, AL 36117 334-244-0772 TURTLE PLACE APARTMENTS Bobbie James 5701 East Shirley Lane Montgomery, AL 36117 334-272-5404 ASSOCIATIONS/NON-PROFIT

CENTER FOR CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT, A PROJECT OF GL Teresa Green 2361 Fairlane Drive Montgomery, AL 36116 334-262-5744 STARTING POINT, INC. Betty Washington 105 Wilow Oak Drive Prattville, AL 36067 205-294-5772

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA SYSTEM Porter Banister 770 Washington Avenue, Suite 520 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-242-2262 ATTRACTIONS-HISTORY

CIVIL RIGHTS-MONTGOMERY Jeremy Cromblin 239 Marian Drive Prattville, AL 36066 334-595-9243 AUTOMOBILE DEALERS-USED

ALABAMA BETTER CARS, LLC Amanda Harding 2510 E. South Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36116 334-288-3796 DENTISTS

TOOTHBUDS AT LAGOON PARK, LLC Nikki Driggers 553 North Eastern Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36117 334-801-9800 GROCERIES-RETAIL

WALMART NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET #4672 Kory W. Foster 1600 Federal Drive Montgomery, AL 36109 334-777-5865 WALMART NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET #4691 Jeff Young 8035 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL 36117 334-777-5881

INDIVIDUALS

PUBLICATIONS

JIM TOWLE P.O. Box 6563 Montogmery, AL 36106 334-399-0772

GUMPTOWN MAGAZINE Jamal Thomas 5701 East Shirley Lane Building 1506 Montgomery, AL 36117 334-245-4127

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FIRMS

CYBERDEFENSES, INC. Randell Casey 1205 Sam Bass Road Suite 300 Round Rock, TX 78681 512-255-3700

RESTAURANTS-FINE DINING

VINTAGE YEAR Jud Blount 405 Cloverdale Road Montgomery, AL 36106 334-819-7215

LEGAL SERVICES - ATTORNEYS

RESTAURANTS-ITALIAN

WEBSTER, HENRY, LYONS, BRADWELL, COHAN & SPEAGLE, P. C. Scott Speagle P.O. Box 239 Montgomery, AL 36101 334-264-9472

PAPA ROC’S Joey Avery 7780 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36117 334-676-4212

LOBBYING

QH CONSULTING, LLC Quintin Hawkins 660 Adams Avenue Suite 301 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-233-1307 OFFICE FURNITURE

VERSIE TOTAL OFFICE SOLUTIONS, INC. Tammi George 4131 Carmichael Road Suite 1 Montgomery, AL 36106 334-801-9636 PLUMBING

CHAMBER NEWS

RESTAURANTS-PIZZA

FOLCARELLI’S PIZZA Steve Cardwell 3351 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36109 334-356-3732 RESTAURANTS-VENEZUELAN

D’ ROAD CAFE Janett Malpartida 121 Montgomery Street Montgomery, AL 36104 334-328-2938 SWIMMING POOLS/SPAS

SKIPPER POOLS, LLC Brad Skipper P.O. Box 242233 Montgomery, AL 36124 334-356-0237

BURNETTE PLUMBING Aleahta Burnette 601 6th Street Montgomery, AL 36110 334-819-9279

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

59

ECONOMIC INTEL

CHAMBER NEWS

UNEMPLOYMENT

Civilian Labor Force DEC p 2015

Area

Unemployment Rate

NOV r 2015

DEC r 2014

DEC p 2015

NOV r 2015

DEC r 2014

Montgomery MA

169,085

169,329

168,916

5.60%

5.50%

5.40%

Autauga County

25,242

25,293

25,150

5.00%

4.90%

4.60%

Prattville City

16,508

16,548

16,374

4.90%

4.80%

4.00%

Elmore County

36,069

36,135

36,033

4.90%

4.80%

4.60%

3,844

3,848

3,822

10.70%

10.60%

10.50%

103,930

104,053

103,911

5.80%

5.70%

5.60%

91,597

91,673

91,466

5.90%

5.80%

5.60%

535,298

537,516

530,623

5.30%

5.20%

4.80%

92,630

93,071

92,118

6.70%

6.60%

6.50%

Huntsville MA

208,299

208,852

206,534

5.10%

5.00%

5.00%

Huntsville City

90,350

90,668

89,429

5.30%

5.30%

5.00%

Mobile MA

181,538

181,965

180,547

6.80%

6.60%

6.40%

Mobile City

85,045

85,367

84,562

7.00%

6.90%

6.60%

2,143,988

2,149,356

2,122,742

5.80%

5.60%

5.50%

157,245,000

157,340,000

155,521,000

4.80%

4.80%

5.40%

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.

JANUARY 2016

JANUARY 2015

Montgomery County

$4,247,132

$4,107,867

City of Montgomery

$10,180,317

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

YTD 2016

YTD 2015

3.39%

$4,247,132

$4,107,867

3.39%

$9,866,737

3.18%

$10,180,317

$9,866,737

3.18%

$179,453

$61,503

191.78%

$179,453

$61,503

191.78%

$2,177,542

$2,339,430

-6.92%

$2,177,542

$2,339,430

-6.92%

Autauga County

$820,552

$814,062

0.80%

$820,552

$814,062

0.80%

Elmore County

$137,698

$159,884

-13.88%

$137,698

$159,884

-13.88%

Wetumpka

$504,085

$532,136

-5.27%

$504,085

$532,139

-5.27%

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 March 2015 thru current month.

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Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

Building Permits

BUILDING STARTS

Building Valuations

JAN 2016

DEC 2015

JAN 2015

JAN 2016

DEC 2015

JAN 2015

New Construction

34

62

84

$7,401,401

$5,057,600

$23,721,881

Additions and AlterationsÂ

60

53

95

$2,532,406

$6,786,052

$19,801,712

Others

20

17

22

$154,400

$92,300

$145,100

Total

114

132

201

$10,088,207

$11,935,952

$43,668,693

Source: City of Montgomery Building Department

MONTGOMERY METRO MARKET HOME SALES JANUARY 2016

DECEMBER 2015

MONTH/MONTH % CHANGE

JANUARY 2015

YEAR/YEAR % CHANGE

STATEWIDE JANUARY 2016*

Median Price

$128,500

$140,000

-8.21%

$127,700

0.63%

$133,267

Average Price

$136,294

$157,775

-13.61%

$145,151

-6.10%

$156,979

2,472

2,434

1.56%

2,694

-8.24%

28,488

Months of Supply

8.8

7.1

23.94%

10.9

-19.27%

9.3

Total # Sales

282

344

-18.02%

248

13.71%

3,050

Days on Market

129

123

4.88%

136

-5.15%

154

Units Listed

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

March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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

DESTINATION

HYUNDAI SALES VEHICLE

JAN 2016

JAN 2015

YTD 2016

YTD 2015

Accent

5,050

4,438

5,050

4,438

Sonata

15,209

12,363

15,209

12,363

Elantra

9,885

12,240

9,885

12,240

Santa Fe

5,139

7,749

5,139

7,749

Azera

MGM

$222

$107

Boston (BOS)

$356

$158

$213

Charlotte, NC (CLT)

$239

$158

$319

Chicago (ORD)

$332

$256

$80

Cincinnati (CVG)

$338

$377

$217

Dallas/Ft Worth (DFW)

$316

$181

$80

Denver (DEN)

$349

$329

$167

Detroit (DTW)

$342

$195

$131

Houston (HOU)

$332

$287

$136

Indianapolis (IND)

$344

$337

$166

Las Vegas (LAS)

$412

$367

$164

Los Angeles (LAX)

$378

$371

$239

Memphis (MEM)

$397

$321

$322

Miami (MIA)

$347

$317

$125

Nashville (BNA)

$401

$369

$379

New Orleans (MSY)

$349

$368

$219

New York (JFK)

$368

$259

$244

Orlando (MCO)

$313

$211

$108

Philadelphia (PHL)

$342

$247

$98

Pittsburgh (PIT)

$327

$337

$176

$309

$245

$210

584

409

584

Tucson

5,218

3,036

5,218

3,036

Veloster

2,023

1,302

2,023

1,302

St Louis (STL)

Genesis

1,907

2,573

1,907

2,573

Seattle (SEA)

Total

171

220

171

220

45,011

44,505

45,011

44,505

Source: Hyundai Motor America

ATL

$304

409

Equus

BHM

Baltimore (BWI)

$398

$364

$306

$1,260

$1,206

$1,150

Tampa (TPA)

$309

$250

$88

Washington DC (DCA)

$348

$188

$136

Washington DC (DCA)

$319

$183

$136

Seoul (SEL)

Date of travel: March 22-27, 2016. Date of pricing: Feb. 23, 2016.

Source: travelocity.com

MONTGOMERY REGIONAL AIRPORT JANUARY 2016

JANUARY 2015

790

776

1.8%

790

776

1.8%

Total Operations

4,569

4,603

-0.7%

4,569

4,603

-0.7%

Enplanements

12,158

12,987

-6.4%

12,158

12,987

-6.4%

Deplanements

12,027

13,447

-10.6%

12,027

13,447

-10.6%

Total Passengers

24,185

26,434

-8.5%

24,185

26,434

-8.5

Air Carrier Operations

Source: Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) Dannelly Field

62

Montgomery Business Journal March 2016

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

YTD 2016

YTD 2015

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

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.

RENEE HUBBARD CPA TAX LEVELER Renee’s experience helps businesses grow. She understands their longterm goals, optimizing future opportunities through tax planning and consultation. Simply put, she gets the job done.

MONTGOMERY, AL

DOTHAN, AL

PRATTVILLE, AL

WETUMPKA, AL

NASHVILLE, TN

334.834.7660

MARTY LEE CPA AUDIT AND ASSURANCE SUPERVISOR With a reputation for reliability, Marty is the firm’s quality control for audit and assurance.

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

www.jacksonthornton.com

Photo taken on location courtesy of W. S. Newell & Sons, Inc. March 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

63

Post Office Box 79 Montgomery, AL 36101