Montgomery Business Journal – October 2016

Q&A WITH NEW AUM CHANCELLOR CARL A. STOCKTON PAGE 16

MANAGING THE $1 BILLION IMPACT OF GUNTER PAGE 32

RUNNING AIR FORCE SYSTEMS

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BELL MEDIA TRANSFORMATION GAINS NATIONAL ATTENTION PAGE 24

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CONTENTS Q&A with AUM Chancellor Carl A. Stockton

OCTOBER 2016

22 MEMBER PROFILE

16

e

2 PM

32

Full-Contact Sport

38

MEMBER NEWS 08 Member Profile: Trustmark Corp.

22 Member Profile: No Streaks Window Cleaning Service 30 Member Profile: Centaur Building Services

CHAMBER NEWS 06 Calendar 44 Reporter’s Notebook

FEATURES 10 AMBASSADORS FILL VITAL ROLE Volunteers represent Chamber, their employers 14 MORE DOCTORS ANSWER THE CALL Baptist Health, UAB create Multispecialty Clinic 16 Q&A BEST-KEPT SECRET Carl A. Stockton the new chancellor at AUM 24 GOING DIGITAL Bell Media revenue soars after transformation

27 HOUSING DEVELOPMENT Foshee Design & Construction is handling the first phase of Columbus Square 32 FULL-CONTACT SPORT Program Executive Officer hears comments from experts 38 NEW HOME State Farm agent develops shopping center 40 PRODUCING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE MPACT will create pipeline of qualified employees

47 Business Buzz 51 Members on the Move 54 Ribbon Cuttings & Ground Breakings 55 New Members 58 Economic Intel

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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THE NUMBER ONE BUSINESS SOURCE FOR MONTGOMERY AND THE RIVER REGION PUBLISHER

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Linda Drumheller 334-240-9494 mbjsales@montgomerychamber.com

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The College for Real Careers 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 8.

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

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

OCTOBER

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

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Now more than ever, Troy Montgomery is fueling the success of our city. At our state university, working professionals are getting the degrees they need to not only seize opportunities but to also create them. That’s progress. That’s the Trojan Warrior Spirit, and it’s alive and well at Troy University.

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October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Member Profile

DOWNTOWN MOVE PAYS DIVIDEND

TRUSTMARK CORP. NUMBER OF BRANCHES IN RIVER REGION

8 NUMBER OF BRANCHES IN MONTGOMERY

3 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN RIVER REGION

57 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN MONTGOMERY

36 YEARS IN MONTGOMERY

3½ WEBSITE

TRUSTMARK.COM

Linwood McClain is regional president for Trustmark

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

Trustmark grows loans, deposits

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

In the banking world, executives at large banks talk about their size advantages and small bank officials talk about their size advantages.

“We’re big enough to do business, but we’re not so big that everybody is a number,” said Linwood McClain, who oversees 12 branches as Trustmark regional president for East Central Alabama. “I think the advantage of our size is that we’re large enough to do complex, sizeable credit offerings, but we’re not so large that we’re out of touch with each market that we’re in.

We are a series of community banks that fall under the same umbrella and under the same leadership. We are what a lot of banks want to be.”

Trustmark is a relative newcomer to the Montgomery market after acquiring BankTrust about three years ago, but the Jackson, Mississippi-based bank has been around for a long time.

“We are a 126-year-old conservative Southern bank,” McClain said when asked to describe Trustmark, which has $12 billion in assets.

“I feel like my primary job is to tell the Trustmark story in a market that we’re new to,” McClain said. He said that Trustmark “never lost money and we never cut our dividend” during the Great Recession. “We never had a reduction in force. We weathered the downturn because of our capital and because we have such strong leadership that we were able to keep doing business; keep taking care of our customers; and put ourselves in a position to expand into the River Region, which brought us here.”

And here was an interview on the top floor of the Alabama Center for Commerce Building on Adams Avenue. The bank’s logo sits atop the seven-story building and there is a branch on the first floor. It was a very high-profile move.

“People have to know who you are,” McClain said.

“Because of our downtown identity, people know who we are. They know where we are. They know what building we’re in. They know we’ve made a commitment and investment in downtown Montgomery.

That’s important in a market like this, that people think you’re here to stay. We are.”

It was about 18 months ago that Trustmark opened its downtown branch. “If you’re going to be what I would call a significant factor in the community, you need to be a downtown participant,” said McClain, who joined Trustmark in 1994. “You need to be part of the downtown community. Our presence here has given us lots of opportunities to do business.”

The move downtown enabled the firm to consolidate its commercial lending to one location. Retail lending is performed at the downtown location and the brokerage person has an office there, too. “We have a strong team approach where we are constantly referring different types of customers to different expertise levels that we house in one place,” he said.

Trustmark is one of a few banks in the region that has an in-house trust service, McClain said. The bank also provides investment advice and offers all types of insurance. “In an ever-increasing regulatory world, we’re looking for ways to deliver customer service creatively through these different arms of what people need,” he said.

Customer service is a hallmark of the firm. Trustmark ranked No. 1 in the South Central region in the 11th annual customer service satisfaction survey conducted

by J.D. Power & Associates.

“We are what a lot of banks want to be.”

- Linwood McClain, Trustmark regional president for East Central Alabama

“We’ve made a lot of commitment to technology, but we have not lost the personal touch,” McClain said.

He said the firm offers a full range of services for commercial and retail customers and has been a mortgage lender in Montgomery for a long time. “This bank is growing loans and deposits,” McClain said. He estimated that the combined loan and deposit growth last year was almost 20 percent.

Before ending the interview, McClain talked about Trustmark’s program called Gift of Time that enables employees on company time to do volunteer work for nonprofits. He said that time was more than 30,000 hours. n

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Ambassadors Fill Vital Role

Volunteers represent Chamber, their employers

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

If you attend Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce networking events, ribbon cuttings or groundbreakings, you will see people wearing silver badges.

Those people are volunteer Chamber Ambassadors and those silver badges have their name, and maybe more importantly, their company’s name. It matters.

“We’re located at Interstate Park and a lot of people don’t even realize that we’re here,” said Ray Brown, director of sales for the 91-room Homewood Suites by Hilton and the chairman of the Chamber’s Ambassador program. “I was able to get the word out that we are here.”

Craig Snell

“The advantage and real purpose (of being an Ambassador) is to get our name out there.”

– Craig Snell, business development executive for Carr, Riggs & Ingram

One of the largest accounting firms in the country – ranked by revenue – is located in Montgomery, but competitors such as Aldridge Borden & Co.; Jackson Thornton; and Warren Averett, which acquired Wilson Price – are better known than Carr, Riggs & Ingram.

“Those firms were all known to this community,” said Craig Snell, business development executive for Carr, Riggs & Ingram and a Chamber Ambassador. “Carr, Riggs & Ingram is an unknown entity for the most part. The advantage and real purpose (of being an Ambassador) is to get our name out there.”

Mia Mothershed, marketing director for Health Services Inc., is a Chamber Ambassador and tells people that HSI operates federally qualified health centers, including River Region Health Center. “I am able to educate business owners about who we are, so they can let their employees know,” she said.

Health Services Inc. takes Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, but also treats patients who are underinsured or without insurance. “I talk to people all the time about who we are.”

Continued on page 12

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

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Left: Mia Mothershed; Above: Ray Brown

The Ambassadors provide a “crucial role,” said Patsy Guy, vice president, Member & Investor Relations for the Chamber. “They are an extension of our staff. The Chamber can’t close down to go to a ribbon cutting.”

Continued from page 10

“I am able to educate business owners about who we are, so they can let their employees know.”

The Chamber Ambassadors are not only faces for the Chamber, but for their company as well, and have oneon-one opportunities to talk to new Chamber members.

Chamber Ambassadors help deliver placards and decals to all Chamber members; deliver ribbon cutting photos; deliver new member bags; and help at events when needed.

“There is a time commitment of what we ask them to do,” said Lynn Norton, senior manager of Member & Investor Relations for the Chamber. That time commitment is about eight hours a month for an outstanding Ambassador, who attends the monthly coffee and after-hours event and at least one-half of the month’s ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings.

Snell said that he enjoys delivering the new member bags because “I get to meet the business owner or the executive management of a business. What’s really interesting to me is asking them about their story. What brought them here? What their idea of Montgomery is?

And also to brag on the Chamber.”

– Mia Mothershed, marketing director for Health Services Inc.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

There are 75 to 80 Ambassadors and the online application process begins in November. After the selection process conducted by a small committee, Ambassadors serve from Feb. 1 to Jan. 31.

“In our orientation we are very, very clear that participation is a must for the program to be successful,” said Brown, who is in his second year in the program and plans to continue after being the chairman. “We try to get it across to (Ambassadors) that they are a representative of their company so there are benefits for them participating.”

He can speak from his experience. People have told him that they have friends coming from out-of-town and need accommodations. “ ‘Can you help me out?’ ” He has also set up business meetings at his hotel, which has 625 square feet of space that can handle 50 people or 36 banquet-style.

“Last year, I brought in about $70,000 worth of business,” Snell said. “I’ve had opportunities to propose on $150,000 to $200,000” this year. He even refers work to other Ambassadors whose firms may be a better fit for a client. “What I get through the Ambassador (program) is that I have made a network of contacts in other businesses.”

Mothershed likes to take a new member bag to a business owner and talk about HSI services. “We are a one-stop shop. We care for the mind, body and soul,” she said, giving an example of a grandfather working out in the wellness center; a mother seeing her OB/ GYN; a child having a dental appointment; and another having a physical to play sports.

Sandra Kelley, manager of Member & Investor Relations for the Chamber, said that Ambassadors get “an opportunity to gain valuable contacts; build relationships; learn more about the growth and development of the city; and (get) personal satisfaction.”

“We try to get it across to (Ambassadors) that they are a representative of their company so there are benefits for them participating.”

-Ray Brown, director of sales for the 91-room Homewood Suites by Hilton and the chairman of the Chamber’s ambassador program

Mothershed highly recommends becoming an Ambassador. “Not only does it generate more business and revenue for our separate entities, but it lets people know how great the River Region is and why new businesses should come here. It works in development; it works in networking; and the Ambassador program just works.

“And nowhere else can you be on a first-name basis with the mayor, unless you’re an Ambassador and he sees you at all these different ribbon cuttings.” n

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MORE DOCTORS ANSWER THE CALL Baptist Health, UAB create Multispecialty Clinic Russ Tyner

“We think that today marks an opportunity that is going to pay generational benefits to our community.”

– Russ Tyner, president and CEO of Baptist Health

by David Zaslawsky

At the bottom of a poster announcing the UAB Multispecialty Clinic at Baptist Medical Center South, in small print was the following message: “Plus, more specialties to come.”

That’s right. The four specialties – urology, gastroenterology, endocrinology and rheumatology – are just the beginning. The clinic will use the first and second floors of the building that houses the UAB School of Medicine, which is located on the third floor.

There is plenty of space to add specialties, including a basement, and there is always the possibility of moving the regional medical school and using the third floor.

Ten doctors were recruited to Montgomery by Baptist Health, including three urologists and three rheumatologists, who not only help fill a shortage of specialists in those areas, but will also deal with an aging population.

Those doctors are working at the Multispecialty Clinic, which is owned and operated by Baptist Health. They will not only treat patients, but will teach students at the regional medical school. Although they work at a Baptist Health facility the doctors are actually University of Alabama-Birmingham employees. The longtime partnership between Baptist Health and UAB, which has existed for 40-plus years, has reached a new level with the announcement.

“This partnership – a partnership of community practice with an academic organization – brings the best and brightest to our community,” said Russ Tyner, president and CEO of Baptist Health. “We think that today marks an opportunity that is going to pay generational benefits to our community.”

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

It might have been the next logical step in the long-term partnership, but it is a revolutionary step.

“This is a pivotal day for Baptist Health and we will look back on it in a few years and realize how important this is, not only to Baptist Health, but to our patients and all of our medical staff,” said Baptist Health Chief Medical Officer Donovan Kendrick at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The UAB relationship has been incredibly important for Baptist Health.”

Tyner said that Baptist Health calls the Multispecialty Clinic an incubator. “This is where it started, but we think we can not only replicate this over the next two to three years, but can really build something that Central Alabama can see for generations.”

It was a quick turnaround from demolishing the existing facility and transforming it into the new clinic.

“This went from an idea a little less than a year ago to concept and then became fruition,” Tyner said. “This is not achievable on faith. We didn’t tell ourselves that.

We said we needed to try this.” He said the clinic was finished on time and on budget in record time, which was about 10 months.

One patient was so overjoyed when the clinic opened that they cried, said Julia Henig, vice president of business development for Baptist Health. Other patients said thanks by the way of cakes.

The 10 physicians at the clinic were called “incredibly brave” by Kendrick, who said that they “decided to come to an unknown entity.” n

Carl A. Stockton is the new chancellor at Auburn University at Montgomery. He was recently interviewed by the Montgomery Business Journal’s David Zaslawsky.

Q&A BEST-KEPT SECRET

Carl A. Stockton is chancellor at Auburn University at Montgomery.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

Montgomery Business Journal: What are your responsibilities as AUM chancellor? n Stockton: As the chancellor it is my responsibility to provide the vision and direction of the institution; to work with not only the faculty, staff and students, but also work with the business leaders, the legislators, alumni, military to meet the community needs in education. I’m excited about that opportunity to be the chancellor here at Auburn University at Montgomery.

In essence, it’s to set the direction and vision for the institution to meet the community needs both internally and externally.

What were your first impressions of Auburn University at Montgomery after three weeks on the job?

You said AUM is a great institution. What makes it a great institution? n The institution provides a good, quality education for many students. I view Auburn University Montgomery in some ways as one of the best-kept secrets.

Excellent educational opportunities; safe campus; very nice campus; and I think there are a lot of opportunities to grow for this institution and to meet the needs of the community.

Why is AUM a best-kept secret?

First impression is, this is a great institution. The faculty, staff, students are very supportive. The faculty and staff are very supportive of the students. People here on this campus are very vested in the university – not only internally, but externally. I’ve met with many community leaders, businessmen, legislators, alumni – very, very strong support for AUM. I’m very pleased to be here and very pleased to see that support. It’s not every day that you go to an institution and that you have that support. Obviously, I have met with (Auburn n

University) President (Jay) Gogue, the board of trustees, and they are very much in support of Auburn University at Montgomery. That’s exciting for me.

n I’m saying that because as I get to know the campus, there are a lot of quality programs here.

There are a lot of programs that I believe can meet the community needs that people may or may not be aware of. One of the things that I would like to do is to share that information with the community. People are very, very vested in providing strong support for these students that come here to Auburn University at Montgomery to get an education and to open the doors for many of those students that otherwise may not have that opportunity.

“I like to get input from everybody so I have a pretty good picture as to what are the needs and then I’ll be setting that direction.”

– AUM Chancellor Carl A. Stockton

Continued on page 18

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October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

17

Continued from page 17 STUDENTS IN THE FALL 2015 SEMESTER:

4,919 EMPLOYEES:

376 FULL TIME PROFESSORS:

188 FULL-TIME FACULTY (NOT COUNTING ADJUNCTS AND GTAS) UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS:

35 BACCALAUREATE LEVEL DEGREES MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS:

21 MASTER’S LEVEL AND 6 EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST LEVEL DEGREES FOR A TOTAL OF 27 NON-DOCTORAL GRADUATE DEGREES DOCTORATE DEGREE PROGRAMS:

1 JOINT DOCTORATE PROGRAM WITH AUBURN UNIVERSITY

When you talk about a lot of growth opportunities, what are you referring to? n To start with, because we are an educational institution, I think there are opportunities to grow new degree programs, but not only new degree programs, but our outreach. We have very strong outreach programs. They are doing a great job. I was very, very impressed with SummaSource, advanced technology and many of the outreach programs. But I also think there is an opportunity to grow additional academic programs to meet the workforce needs; to work with Montgomery and the community and the State of Alabama to meet many of the economic development projects that are out there. And I look forward to doing that.

It sounds like you’re gathering information at this stage to understand the workforce needs. n

Correct.

In your short time here, what have you learned about AUM? n It’s a very supportive campus environment and a very safe campus environment, as I said earlier. People are very, very vested to this institution. It is about the people. It’s about people working together and people do work together in supporting the mission of the university.

Has anything surprised you (in) what you have learned about AUM or something different than your previous experiences? n I’ve been in higher-ed for lots of years and nothing has surprised me.

Have the stakeholders been more supportive than what you are used to? n I sense a very strong support on this campus and not only on the campus, but externally as well. Every institution has their opportunities and their challenges and Auburn Montgomery is no different. With the right people in place and working together, those opportunities and challenges I look as opportunities …

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

What are AUM’s strengths and weaknesses or areas that need improvement or is it too soon after three weeks on the job? n I made a comment about the best-kept secret. I think one of the areas is to get the message out and the university is doing that. Getting the message out about the opportunities for students at Auburn Montgomery as well as other types of programs. Too often universities get so busy in day-to-day activities that we don’t promote (ourselves).

When you’re talking about a best-kept secret, is that in reference to a quality education with a wealth of programs, or that AUM is even here? n I think (people) don’t know that Auburn Montgomery has all the things to offer students. There are a lot of opportunities for students and not only in the classroom, but outside the classroom. Auburn University at Montgomery has a great name. I’ve known Auburn Montgomery for 24 years. I used to live in Mobile, Alabama. I used to come up to the state capital working with my professional organizations.

How do you characterize your first meetings with business and city leaders as well as legislators? n Very supportive. They welcomed me into the community and I thank the business leaders and community members very much for that. They are very supportive of the university. They’ve asked me if there is anything that Auburn Montgomery needs from them – just to reach out to them. I do plan to do that.

What are your goals for the 2016-2017 school year? n Since I’m in my first three weeks, I’m in the process of meeting with everybody. I’ll use the first 100 days. After 100 days, I’m going to set the vision and direction for the institution from my standpoint.

Who are you meeting with? n I’m in the process of meeting with students, faculty, staff, administrators, business leaders, Chamber. I would like to go out and talk to the military and the legislators. I like to get input from everybody so I have a pretty good picture as to what are the needs and then I’ll be setting that direction.

A listening tour? n

Listening and processing information.

What are your first impressions of Montgomery?

Great city; vibrant city; very friendly city; quite a bit to do here. My wife and I, once we get a little settled, would like to go out to the Shakespeare Festival. I got invited to the Dragon Boat Race. I’m looking forward to learning more about Montgomery, but in the short time we’ve been here I think it’s a great city. My wife … grew up in Alabama. n

Where in Alabama? n

She grew up in Mobile, Alabama.

You told the Montgomery Advertiser that AUM can help solve community issues. How do you accomplish that?

You have to assess what those issues are in meeting with people and trying to understand needs. What are the needs from the business community? What are the n

issues they are trying to solve? One quick example is that I know that cyber security is a big issue today. We have a new degree program that’s training individuals in this area – cyber security. You assess what those needs are and you work together as part of not only a university, but a community to talk about a plan, and what’s the way to address those issues.

We’re going to talk again after 100 days.

Please. I was going to ask you to do that after 100 days.

“For me a first-year success is having people on board with the shared

n

What does success look like for your first year?

vision; having people ready to roll up their

n For me a first-year success is having people on board with the shared vision; having people ready to roll up their sleeves and work together to improve whatever challenges we have to address as an institution. It’s important for me to have everybody working together.

sleeves and work

Continued on page 20

we have to address

together to improve whatever challenges as an institution.”

– AUM Chancellor Carl A. Stockton

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Continued from page 19

Do have any long-term goals such as fundraising or student enrollment?

Fundraising is an expectation involving CEOs and, in this case, university leaders. Fundraising is going to be important for the institution and yes, that is one of those long-range goals. You also mentioned enrollment. It’s important to grow enrollment, but more important than growing enrollment is to open doors to provide educational opportunities for the students in Montgomery and the region and Alabama. I believe that AUM has the capacity to grow more students on our campus. It’s a beautiful campus and the facilities are great. We are opening a new residence hall (P40). n

Any other building going on? n We want to continue to build out some of our laboratory space and with the university growing with students, I think that is going to be an issue in the future. n

NEW CLASS OF FUTURE BUSINESS OWNERS AUM launches entrepreneurship degree

by David Zaslawsky

Success for the fledging entrepreneurship undergraduate degree at Auburn University at Montgomery means new businesses and jobs.

Rhea Ingram is dean of Auburn University at Montgomery’s College of Business

It not only means scores of small business owners, but it means employees bringing creativity and innovation to existing companies.

It means attracting venture capitalists who invest in those business start-ups.

It means enticing high school students to pursue their dreams of owning a business.

That’s what the entrepreneurship undergraduate program means to AUM and surrounding communities, said Rhea Ingram, dean of the College of Business.

“If we are as successful as we think we will be,” the program, which kicked off this fall semester, could top information systems and accounting, which each have about 180 students. Think about that. Officials expected there to be 15 to 20 students in the inaugural semester of the entrepreneurship program. Ingram expects that number to double by the second year of the program.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

Why the high expectations? In addition to high school students being interested in entrepreneurship, Millennials want to be their own boss. “They want to be in control of their own destiny.”

Businesses, too, are asking for employees who are creative and innovative. “It’s becoming a necessary evil in any business for successful businesspeople to make broader decisions and (see) how it’s going to impact across the business,” Ingram said. “If marketing is going to make a decision – how does the marketing decision impact finance? That’s what led us to this interdisciplinary concept.”

The College of Business began focusing on interdisciplinary degrees rather than traditional degrees, Ingram said. “This is probably the first true interdisciplinary degree we spent time to mold, create, get approved and (are) now kicking off.”

Four new courses are required: new venture creation, entrepreneurial finance, entrepreneurial & business planning, and creativity and innovation. Three faculty members have an entrepreneurial background or are currently entrepreneurs: Charles Jackson is director of marketing and development for Emerge Business Solutions; Ravi Chinta has venture capital corporate experience; and Kevin Banning is a previous business owner.

“This is probably the first true interdisciplinary degree we spent time to mold, create, get approved and (are) now kicking off.”

– Rhea Ingram, dean of Auburn University at Montgomery’s College of Business

Business leaders have criticized higher education for not pushing creativity in the classroom. “Instead of New Age thinking and really pushing students to be very creative in their thought process – we don’t focus on that,” Ingram said. “This (entrepreneurial program) is truly going to focus on that.”

She said the new venture creation course will focus on the creative side. “You’re not just reinventing the wheel of some business that already exists,” Ingram said. “We are really going to try to get students to think outside the box.”

Another benefit of the program “will marry our university with our communities that we serve,” she said. “Most of the communities that we serve, and in particular, the River Region, are pushing small business development. We can be a true resource

both from the student side of the house and the faculty side of the house and staff side of the house to help our communities make that a reality. We really have opportunities to build strong partnerships in this area.”

You can expect AUM to develop a co-working space for students. “If we can get that small piece up and running, it absolutely would be a feeder to our community leaders,” she said. AUM will recruit mentors from the business community to work with the students.

The entrepreneurship undergraduate program “is going to be a great addition to the student body here on campus, but also a great addition to the university itself along with our communities,” Ingram said. n

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5/3/16 4:15 PM

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Member Profile

GOOD CLEAN BUSINESS

NO STREAKS WINDOW CLEANING SERVICE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

3 YEARS IN BUSINESS

8 PHONE NUMBER

(334) 201-6940

Victor Turnquest is owner of No Streaks Window Cleaning Service.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

No Streaks handles all window jobs

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

No Streaks Window Cleaning Service has had a small commercial customer for years and the business is a mom-and-pop doughnut shop.

The job is so small it takes just a few minutes to clean the window panes in the front door. The charge is $10.

That also explains the company’s slogan: “No job too big, no job too tall.”

The business began in 2008, but was a side job for owner Victor Turnquest, who was working full-time as a drug counselor. He said he served about 10 to 12 accounts. Then two years ago, he became full-time owner/operator and now the business has grown to 100-plus accounts, including 70 to 75 commercial accounts.

“Right now we are considered a home-based business,” Turnquest said, but he hopes to change that. He is looking for a small warehouse, where he can park his van overnight and store ladders and supplies.

“I’m tired of having it at the house.”

In addition to warehouse space, Turnquest would like to add a second van and crew, which includes a working driver. For larger jobs such as cleaning the windows at the Alabama State University Acadome, he brings in contract workers. That job pays $3,000. He also cleans the windows for three other ASU buildings on campus.

His company cleans windows for the Alabama State Bar headquarters on Dexter Avenue.

He credits networking with increasing his business, but he couples that with meeting tenants after construction clean-ups. It definitely gives him an advantage. That is how he added the account of Wharf Seafood at the Perry Hill Crossing complex and he picked up a

restaurant in Tallassee that Wharf Seafood owns. The company services Prattville, Millbrook and Wetumpka as well.

Turnquest has added jobs working with Orlando Cannon, owner of Cannon Janitorial Services.

The two companies worked on The Morgan at EastChase apartment complex and the Perry Hill Crossing complex.

Although residential is a much smaller part of his business, Turnquest said, “Before we even get started we get a feel for the customer. We get to know their dog’s name. I may send a birthday card to the customer.

“We are friendly, courteous, always on time and give free estimates. We treat all the customers the same way.”

They wear covers over their shoes to avoid tracking dirt in a customer’s house. They clean the screens and tracks. “We do a real detailed clean on the windows,” he said.

He has big plans for No Streaks. After doubling his sales since joining the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce last year, Turnquest would like to have at least five vans and five crews in five years so he can oversee the operation; have a secretary; and a site to train employees. n

“We are friendly, courteous, always on time and give free estimates. We treat all the customers the same way.”

– Victor Turnquest, owner of No Streaks Window Cleaning Service

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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“Our main focus us helping small and mid-sized businesses develop and execute digital marketing strategies.”

Scott Bell is CEO of Bell Media.

- Bell Media CEO Scott Bell

Going Digital Bell Media revenue soars after transformation

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

Bell Media was ranked in Inc. magazine’s Top 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in both 2014 and 2016.

The firm was left out in 2015 because it failed to apply, but what is truly amazing is that after selling off its billboard business and losing 75 percent of its revenue in May 2015, Bell Media reinvented itself. The firm, which has its headquarters in a 2,300-square-foot office at Hampstead in East Montgomery, bills itself as a digital solutions company. And it is literally taking off.

The Inc. 5,000 list uses a three-year period for its rankings and in the 2016 list (for 2015 revenue), Bell Media was ranked 4,556th with a growth rate of 55 percent. It showed an even more impressive 90 percent sales increase with the billboard business. The company’s revenue jumped from $1.5 million in June 2015 to $5.1 million in June 2016.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

“The ranking doesn’t really matter,” Bell Media CEO Scott Bell said. While there is no goal for the 2017 Inc. 5,000 rankings, the firm does have some lofty annual revenue goals: $7 million next year and $10 million in 2018.

The company, which has offices in Nashville, Birmingham, Huntsville and Pensacola, Florida, offers mobile advertising, email management, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, social media management, and website design as well as other services.

“Our main focus is helping small and mid-sized businesses develop and execute digital marketing strategies,” Bell said. “The digital marketing advertising Continued on page 26

Member Spotlight

The Team at the Vance Law Firm, PC

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS? 18 years HOW MANY EMPLOYEES? 12 employees HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY? We are a local personal injury law firm handling anything from small auto accident cases to catastrophic injury and death cases. We dedicate ourselves to having close relationships with our clients and making sure that everyone who comes to see us, and who trusts us to handle their case, is treated like family. We work vigorously to ensure that our clients are never taken advantage of during what is almost always a very stressful time in their lives.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM YOUR COMPETITORS? When WH

someone who has been injured calls or comes into our office they can count on speaking to and meeting with an actual attorney and not being pushed off to an “in-take” person or an “investigator” and then have to wait days or longer to hear back from an actual attorney, if they ever do.

WHY HAS YOUR COMPANY BEEN SUCCESSFUL? Not only are we local people helping local people, we also have quality employees who truly care about the well-being of our clients and go the extra mile to be sure they get the medical treatment from the proper health care providers and the respect from the insurance companies they deserve.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD? We will WH

continue to focus on what has gotten us to where we are and to make certain that client service and satisfaction stays a top priority at our firm with our staff and our attorneys.

AN ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION? I would like to say THANK YOU MONTGOMERY for voting

our law firm No. 1 in Montgomery three years in a row. We are very proud of that award and humbled at the same time as there are many good firms in our city.

WHAT ONE THING ABOUT YOUR COMPANY WOULD SURPRISE WH PEOPLE? That if you are in need of an attorney you can actually meet with

the guy you see in the ads and hear on the radio, me, Stewart Vance. We are not too big that I can’t or won’t take time to meet with the people who make our business what it is.

6631 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery AL 36117 1-800-INJURED, www.TheVanceLawFirm.com

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Continued from page 24

space for a lot of business owners is a challenge to really understand and execute a plan. We help facilitate that.”

Companies understand the importance of social media, but may not know how to implement and execute a plan. “It’s not about clicks,” said Bell, who hired 20 people last year and plans to hire two or three more this year, including one for the Montgomery office. He may add executive positions next year – possibly in finance and operations.

“It’s about reaching the right audience and getting the clicks and taking them somewhere that adds value to that click and then tracking that conversion back to a sale,” Bell said.

“You don’t have to sell something online to be able to know how much revenue is generated from those clicks.”

Bell Media tracks its results, and that can include recordings of phone calls that led customers from ads that the firm developed for that business. He said his firm can show a client tangible results from digital marketing – “based on your investment, this is how much business you’ve been able to generate.”

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

The company became involved with digital marketing after selling the billboard business because clients were asking about it. “We could tell that a lot of our customers were becoming very curious about it,” Bell said.

Bell credited the company turnaround with “hiring really sharp folks. We’ve been fortunate to attract and hire digital marketing experts that come from big-name organizations,” he said. One of those organizations was Google, and other hires came from top digital marketing agencies. “They’ve helped us significantly bridge that gap of going from a billboard company to a pure digital marketing company,” Bell said.

The move from a billboard company meant that the firm was not tied to inventory and specific markets. “We work with companies all across the Southeast,” Bell said. “We can do just as good a job for a company in Texas as we can here because we have the tools to be able to understand their audience. We understand how to reach them.”

Another factor driving the decision was the reliance on devices – laptops, tablets, smart phones. “We do research on nearly everything now,” Bell said. “You got the common cold – we’re self-diagnosing. You need to find a restaurant, you go to your mobile.” He said that Bell Media is helping businesses making the transition to target those customers. n

Drive-Thru & Drop Off

F D C S F

FOSHEE DEVELOPS COLUMBUS SQUARE FIRST PHASE

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

John H. Foshee is manager of Foshee Design & Construction.

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

27

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

Photo Credit: sposabellaphotography.com

The firm asked several companies to bid on the project’s first phase, which is 80 apartment units. Columbus Square, which replaces the housing authority’s Trenholm Court, will have between 250 and 300 units adjacent to Old Alabama Town.

Foshee Design & Construction is handling the first phase. “We are the contractor only on this (project),” said John H. Foshee, manager of Foshee Design & Construction. “We’re not developers. We have no ownership of the project. Typically, we develop from the concepts and then work through the design stage; work through the pricing; construction phase; and also own the project. My brother (Golsan Foshee) runs an apartment management company.”

He said his firm first got involved in the project in April and signed contracts in late summer.

Photo Credit: Kim Box Photography

PERFECT SPACE PERFECT PLACE

The previous contractor for the Montgomery Housing Authority’s Columbus Square project had a conflict.

“It will fill a demand for highquality, affordable housing in Montgomery.”

The first phase will cost an estimated $13.2 million.

Site work, which began in July, should be completed in October. Construction will be completed next year.

John Foshee expects that the original contractor will be in charge of the second and third phases. The first phase will have 23 one-bedroom units; 45 two-bedroom units; 12 three-bedroom units; and a community room.

“Columbus Square will be an invaluable asset to Montgomery, adding rooftops to a downtown district that has become fertile ground for economic activity,” Montgomery Housing Authority Executive Director Evette Hester said in an earlier statement. “It will fill a demand for highquality, affordable housing in Montgomery.”

- Evette Hester, executive director of the Montgomery Housing Authority

The company recently finished the last apartment building at The Morgan at EastChase, a $20 million-plus project. Tenants have been moving into the 216-unit complex. Foshee Design & Construction bought the land; designed the complex; built it; and Foshee Management Co. will manage it. n

RESTAURANTS COMING TO LOWER DEXTER AVENUE

by David Zaslawsky

B O O K Y O U R H O L I D A Y P A R T Y T O D A Y !

Two more restaurants – Momma Goldberg’s Deli and Island Delight – are coming to Lower Dexter Avenue and should be open by the end of the year.

Both will be located at District 36, which is four buildings owned by the Foshee companies, including the former Belk building. There will be 28 loft apartments at the site and John H. Foshee, manager of Foshee Design & Construction, said the units should be completed at the end of October.

There is still commercial space available on the first floor as well as a large basement.

The company is also developing four buildings that are called District 72, and that includes Cucos Mexican Café.

Because the four buildings are smaller than District 36, it will have 15 loft apartments and four to six commercial spaces, Foshee said. Work on the buildings will start next year and will be completed in either late 2017 or early 2018, he said.

Work is also being done on an alley between the two buildings, with the businesses to face the alley, according to Foshee.

There are no current plans for the other four to five buildings the company owns. One of those is the Winter Building, which was built 1840 as a branch of the Bank of St. Mary’s and the site where a telegram was sent from a second-floor office to order Confederate troops to fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C. “We want to see how the market does with these first ones and decide after that,” Foshee said about the remaining buildings. n

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Member Profile

CLEANING UP

Lacy Miller (right) is vice president of operations for Centaur Building Services and Lisa McClain is in charge of business development.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

Centaur Building Services does it all

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

PNC Bank personnel told Centaur Building Services Inc. that they “had never seen so much management so often.”

Lisa McCain, who handles business development for the commercial cleaning company, said that “other companies have phantom management, but Centaur’s is always ever-present. We want to make every business that we service feel that important. If it’s the 2,000-square-foot (office) or a Hyundai – we want everybody to feel like they are that important to us.

That’s what sets us apart (from rivals),” she said.

The firm has an extensive and comprehensive quality assurance department with the goal of correcting any issues before they become problems. Quality assurance “acts like a separate department when they go in and have these inspections,” said Lacy Miller, the firm’s vice president of operations. If there are “any discrepancies” they are given to operations, which has a 24-hour to 48hour window to respond, Miller said. “This is a proactive step that we’ve put into place.”

Miller and McCain are also examples of Centaur Building Services promoting from within. Miller started her Centaur career in sales, moved to quality assurance and moved up through operations. She tells new employees during orientation that “if you show hard work and dedication with Centaur, you will be noticed and you will be promoted.”

McCain she first worked in the firm’s human resources department, then quality assurance, and moved up in operations, where she oversees sales and marketing for the Centaur offices in Montgomery, Mobile and Birmingham. “You start out as a general cleaner and you could end up being business development,” McCain said.

It’s also the employees which set Centaur apart from competitors, Miller said. “We take the time to recruit, interview. We drug test. We background screen and we train. In addition to that – it’s the benefits we offer,” she said, referring to health insurance before it was government-mandated; one-week vacation after one year and two weeks after two years and increasing after that; 401(k) program that includes 50 percent company match; six paid holidays a year; and bereavement pay.

She pointed out that all employees – from cleaners to management – receive the same benefits.

Centaur is different from rivals because it can handle both the small job and the very, very large jobs that require bonds and insurance for which a smaller commercial cleaning company may not have the funding.

Some of the firm’s largest clients are the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama facility in Montgomery; Alabama Power’s headquarters in Birmingham; Honda manufacturing plant in Lincoln; Alfa Insurance, Montgomery Cancer Center, Jackson Surgery Center, Rheem Water Heaters, SYKES Enterprises, and PNC Bank branches. The company added two Tallasseebased companies this year: Neptune Technology Group and Hanil USA, a supplier for the Hyundai plant.

Last year, the firm ventured into the Atlanta market by adding about 75 PNC branches.

CENTAUR BUILDING SERVICES INC. YEARS IN BUSINESS

12 TO 15 YEARS

The firm, which Miller called a “hybrid commercial janitorial cleaning company, is a female-owned, debtfree company based in St. Louis with 1,500 employees and $33 million in revenue. Centaur cleans carpets, chairs and partitions; and offers construction cleanup services, general maintenance, pressure washing, window cleaning, painting, grounds maintenance and parking lot maintenance.

EMPLOYEES

Cleaning fees are based on square footage, but other factors come into play. A class-A office building will have a higher rate than a manufacturing facility because “the scope of the work will be more detailed,” Miller said. Alfa Insurance hired Centaur “to dust every night, where a manufacturing facility might say once a week,” Miller said. A medical facility needs “all of their surfaces sanitized,” she said.

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ABOUT 450 LOCATIONS

ONE WEBSITE

The annual fees range from $100,000 to $2 million, according to Miller. The minimum square footage is usually 250,000, but because the firm has an office in Montgomery, Centaur will take on any size job and as McCain said: “We do it all – educational, medical, manufacturing, industrial.”

Because Montgomery is considered a hub, human resources and payroll for the Southeast are handled here. “If our Mobile office or Birmingham need additional support it would come from Montgomery,” Miller said. n

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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A thick skin is certainly important in the political world, but it is also important in the technology world. Really.

Full-Contact Sport Program Executive Officer hears comments from experts

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

In a PowerPoint presentation, Program Executive Officer Rich Aldridge said that delivering information technology “is a brutal business” and “is a full-contact sport.”

With so many experts, Aldridge said he has a plethora of advisers. “Everybody that normally has a say in a program would have one input and then go away – none of these people go away. They are walking with you all along this Really. journey offering advice. That’s why I say it’s a That’s because he does not work in a full-contact sport, because you better have a vacuum. He has that “functional partner thick skin because everybody with technology sitting right next to me, helping me as we … (they’re) going to tell you on a daily basis deploy the software …” Someone looking how you should be doing your job better and over his shoulder, and don’t forget, a lot of differently because they are as smart as you people think they are technology experts. Just are in what you’re doing. They aren’t bad about everyone with an iPhone thinks that, people. It’s just is what it is.” said Aldridge, who oversees the Program Aldridge, along with about 2,300 employees scattered Executive Office for Business and Enterprise at four locations across the country, including 1,300 Systems, which is based at Gunter Annex. people at Gunter, is responsible for 162 programs Continued on page 34 32

Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

Rich Aldridge is program executive officer for the Program Executive Office for Business and Enterprise Systems.

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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Continued from page 32

and 400 apps/systems in those programs for the Air Force. Those sites are Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio; and Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah.

The organization’s tagline is: “We run the systems that run the Air Force.” Those systems are manpower, money and materiel, he said.

The organization typically awards around $1 billion worth of contracts a year and those contracts range from a couple hundred thousand to a multiyear $600 million project. A customer will give the organization a set of requirements and the Program Executive Office will send out a request for information to private industry. “We get a feeling from industry if this (program) is something capable technology-wise,” Aldridge said. After receiving responses, the Program Executive Office builds “an acquisition strategy” to determine if a small business could deliver the program, or because it’s so complex and so large, if they need to go to larger companies, or does the program need to be broken into three or four pieces.

“I am responsible for cost, schedule (timetable) and performance of those programs,” said Aldridge, who earlier worked at Gunter with the 554th Electronic Systems Group, the forerunner of the Program Executive Office for Business and Enterprise Systems.

When the organization is ready to accept bids, it sends out a request for proposal. Aldridge said there are no secrets how the Program Executive Office scores those bids, that include cost, schedule, right talent, familiarity with the program and adding creativity or innovation to the program.

Here’s how it works. Let’s say the Air Force sends requirements for a new accounting program. He would figure out the timetable and cost, and the Air Force would give the organization money for a contract.

An evaluation team reviews and ranks the bids. Those teams could range from a few people to 50 depending on the size and complexity of the program. The larger programs will have evaluation teams of 20 to 40 people.

The evaluation ranks the bids and sends its recommendation to Aldridge, who almost always follows the recommendation.

“That’s why I say it’s a full-contact sport, because you better have a thick skin because everybody with technology … (they’re) going to tell you on a daily basis how you should be doing your job better and differently because they are as smart as you are in what you’re doing.”

– Rich Aldridge, program executive officer for the Program Executive Office for Business and Enterprise Systems

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

Unlike his predecessors, Aldridge brings an extensive technology background to the post he took over in March. He said that background is one of the primary reasons he is now one of 10 Program Executive Officers. As a systems engineer, he understands the programs and understands vendors “selling you the bright, shiny piece of software” and that was not always the case. He didn’t need two or three years of on-thejob training.

“I’m walking in the door understanding the complexity of IT,” Aldridge said. “I’m not your traditional PEO. I’m not a career program manager.”

With technology, “you touch everybody – every business space of the Air Force, whether it’s civil engineering,

maintenance, logistics personnel, finance, legal community. I have to interact with every tribe in the Air Force because all their systems talk to each other.”

He has three priorities that mirror those of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. Those priorities are taking care of people; balancing sustaining programs with modernization; and “making every dollar count.”

There has been a “huge strain” on the Air Force – basically doing more with less. “We’re the smallest Air Force we’ve ever been, yet we’re doing more missions than we’ve ever done,” he said.

Taking care of people means recruiting the right people; retaining the right people; and placing the right people in the right job. It also means developing people, and that has been difficult, because in the low-cost environment, training usually gets cut first, Aldridge said.

“We’re finding that’s hurting our people because they are not staying current with their skill sets like industry partners are and especially in the IT world, which is constantly changing,” he said.

He is also performing a delicate balancing act of maintaining legacy programs that are 30 to 40 years

old with new programs and new technology to send data faster and more securely. Some programs are actually run on 1960 software technologies. “We can’t just throw away what we have and buy new because we can’t afford that bill,” Aldridge said.

The Department of Defense and Air Force are looking at modernizing weapons systems, which has not been a focus.

Making every dollar count is a necessity in these days of budget constraints and always on the minds of Program Executive Officers. The Air Force saved $67 million when the organization’s IT Business Analytics Office discovered thousands of laptops and desktops it had instead of purchasing 83,000 unnecessary computers.

“Program managers are charged with looking at their purchases and identify ways to decrease costs,” Aldridge said and that includes bulk buying. n

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October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

35

CYBER CONNECTION Aldridge, along with about 2,300 employees scattered at four locations across the country, including 1,300 people at Gunter, is responsible for 162 programs and 400 apps/systems in those programs for the Air Force. Those sites are Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio; WrightPatterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio; and Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah.

The organization’s tagline is: “We run the systems that run the Air Force.” Those systems are manpower, money and materiel, he said.

“I am responsible for cost, schedule (timetable) and performance of those programs,” said Aldridge, who earlier worked at Gunter with the 554th Electronic Systems Group, the forerunner of the Program Executive Office for Business and Enterprise Systems.

Here’s how it works. Let’s say the Air Force sends requirements for a new accounting program.

He would figure out the timetable and cost, and the Air Force would give the organization money for a contract.

36

Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

by David Zaslawsky

The organization typically awards around $1 billion worth of contracts a year and those contracts range from a couple hundred thousand to a multiyear $600 million project. A customer will give the organization a set of requirements and the Program Executive Office will send out a request for information to private industry. “We get a feeling from industry if this (program) is something capable technology-wise,” Aldridge said. After receiving responses, the Program Executive Office builds “an acquisition strategy” to determine if a small business could deliver the program, or because it’s so complex and so large, if they need to go to larger companies, or does the program need to be broken into three or four pieces.

When the organization is ready to accept bids, it sends out a request for proposal. Aldridge said there are no secrets how the Program Executive Office scores those bids, that include cost, schedule, right talent, familiarity with the program and adding creativity or innovation to the program. n

“The cost has become enormous and you have to start looking to these cloud providers to be able to host this data for us.”

– Rich Aldridge, program executive officer of the Program Executive Office for Business and Enterprise Systems

LOOKING TO THE CLOUD

by David Zaslawsky

You can expect the Department of Defense and the Air Force to award more contracts dealing with the cloud, and it’s mostly about money.

The Department of Defense felt the only way to protect its data was “to have full and total control, and well, that comes with a cost,” said Rich Aldridge, program executive officer of the Program Executive Office for Business and Enterprise Systems. It’s costly to have your own data centers on your base and have a workforce, security guards, electricity, etc., Aldridge said.

He said that cloud service providers such as Amazon, Microsoft and IBM can store the data much more cheaply than the Department of Defense.

The reason that the government has been slow to consider commercial cloud service providers is the level of security and control, Aldridge said.

“We’re just nervous about handing over the keys to our crown jewels …” He said that the costs of having their own controlled data centers is

helping overcome the uneasiness of storing data at commercial sites. “The cost has become enormous and you have to start looking to these cloud providers to be able to host this data for us.”

The thought process is also changing as the commercial service providers have improved their certifications to level 4, with the highest classification being 5. Aldridge said that most of the cloud service providers are at level 4 and working to attain level 5 status, which is needed to host the Department of Defense’s most important systems.

“There is more of an appetite now to allow a commercial cloud provider to offer those hosting (services),” he said. “Now there is a huge rush from our senior leaders on how do we get the stuff out of the Air Force and DoD data centers, which are extremely expensive to manage, and frankly, we don’t have the talent to be able to get the latest technology because it takes so long to get through our bureaucracy to upgrade our equipment.” n

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October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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CREATING A NEW HOME State Farm agent develops shopping center

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

by David Zaslawsky photography by Robert Fouts

State Farm agent Breck Honea (left) joined forces with listing and leasing agent Lee Willcoxon to develop Chase Curve Shopping Center.

“I could have just built the office, but once I had the land in EastChase, it made sense to It’s easy to understand that State Farm agent Breck Honea wanted a larger office and wanted to be closer to clients.

It’s easy to understand that he prefer owning his building rather than leasing. It’s not so easy to understand that instead of building a new office, he developed a small shopping center with three other tenants. That’s how Chase Curve Shopping Center was born. Honea has already been in his new office and two tenants – a neighborhood bar and Your Golf Superstore – were expected to open by Sept. 30. A third tenant, taking up two units, is expected to open by Nov. 30.

His previous office off Atlanta Highway was about 1,300 square feet, or less than half the size of his new 2,700-square-foot office on EastChase Parkway.

“Renting early on was probably the best decision until my State Farm agency got established,” Honea said.

The new office “has helped, in a sense, for me to attract and hopefully retain good people because they will be in an environment that is pleasant to work in,” Honea said. The agency has grown from three employees to seven employees, including three hires in the past 15 months.

Before moving to Chase Curve Shopping Center, Honea said he looked at lots at EastChase, Taylor Road and Vaughn Road. “Putting a building right there appeared to create a product for other tenants that would allow them to locate in a space where they can have successful businesses also,” he said. “It was a good business opportunity long-term.”

It was having a successful business that afforded Honea the opportunity to buy the land about three years ago and invest about $1.6 million in the project.

“My primary occupation is, of course, owning and operating this State Farm agency,” Honea said. “The

maximize and utilize the land in a way that could present the biggest return.”

– State Farm agent Breck Honea on developing Chase Curve Shopping Center

secondary occupation is commercial real estate. I could have just built the office, but once I had the land in EastChase, it made sense to maximize and utilize the land in a way that could present the biggest return.”

Lee Willcoxon, the listing and leasing agent for Chase Curving Shopping Center who developed the Faircourt Shopping Center on West Fairview Avenue, said, “Once Breck built this shopping center, we had a lot of interest. It put Breck in a good position where he could choose what types of business he wanted to go in there.”

Your Golf Superstore, based in Tuscaloosa, will definitely be close to its customers at Arrowhead Country Club and Wynlakes Golf & Country Club. There was also interest from another golf retailer. “Apparently those folks in the golf business saw that Montgomery possibly has a market here that’s not being filled …”

Honea said.

The shopping center will have a wrought-iron fence around a patio with tables and chairs that faces EastChase Parkway along with LED lights in the trees, which Willcoxon called “unique” to Montgomery.

Because the road curves, the shopping center “has incredible visibility,” said Willcoxon, who operates Willcoxon Properties.

“I think it’s going to create a really cool environment for people to go out and sit …” Honea said.

Honea may have caught that commercial real estate bug. “It definitely could be something I would have an interest repeating again – assuming that this (Chase Curve Shopping Center) works out,” he said. n

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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MPACT Will Create Pipeline of Qualified Employees

PRODUCING THE FUTURE WORKFORCE

by David Zaslawsky

photography by Robert Fouts

The Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies opened this fall at One Center.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

“We truly believe that MPACT will come to be known as a center of learning that infuses technology, innovation and creativity, and one that is ready to meet the needs of business and industry.”

– MPACT Principal Marsha Baugh

The impact of the Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies is so great that community leaders and school officials were heaping one superlative after another.

“This is a huge step toward making sure that Montgomery as an economic engine; as a land of opportunity; as a place where people can get jobs and support their families … this is what this is all about,” said Leslie Sanders, vice president of Alabama Power’s Southern Division and a former chairman of the Montgomery Area Commerce Board of Directors. “This is not a fad.”

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It certainly is not a fad. MPACT, which will have about 450 students in its maiden semester this fall at One Center, offers students a path to join the workforce in fields and jobs in high demand such as electrical; medical science; industrial systems; welding; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; building science; advertising and design; information technology; fire science; and public safety.

Continued on page 42

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41

About 450 students were enrolled in the first semester of the Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies, which includes a fire science major.

“Our commitment to you is that every student that leaves this building and graduates from MPS and is a part of MPACT will either have the opportunity to move into a job immediately, or move on to further training, whether that is two year, four year or just a specific skill.”

– Cindy Veazey, director, MPS career and technical education Continued from page 41

The school will “help create and maintain a pipeline of qualified individuals to walk into all of these great jobs that the Chamber, the city, the county are going to be creating and bringing to Montgomery,” Montgomery County Commission Vice Chairman Dan Harris said. “No longer will we have to bypass an opportunity because we don’t have the individuals to field those jobs.

“There are so many kids who don’t see the benefit of a high school education. But once you show them the opportunity to graduate with a certificate and walk into the job making $50,000, $60,000, $70,000 a year – that’s going to keep them in school.”

Sanders said that she is seeking qualified employees daily. “Every day I am looking to figure out who it is that we need to hire for the depth charts and the jobs that we have and the ones that we’ll have in the future,” she said.

“Our mission is to engage, educate and inspire our students to succeed in college, career and beyond,” Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Margaret Allen said before a standing-room only crowd at the school’s ribbon cutting. “We say today that we hit a home run with that mission when we founded MPACT at this location.”

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

This location is the former JCPenney building at the old Montgomery Mall, and MPACT is currently using 71,000 square feet, or less than half the available space.

MPACT Principal Marsha Baugh said that the school “represents new possibilities. It’s a chance to mold and shape the future workforce – that is competent; has technological skills; and has the ability to lead in their perspective fields. We truly believe that MPACT will come to be known as a center of learning that infuses technology, innovation and creativity, and one that is ready to meet the needs of business and industry.”

That is what is so critical. The MPACT students are the region’s future workforce. “Our commitment to you is that every student that leaves this building and graduates from MPS and is a part of MPACT will either have the opportunity to move into a job immediately, or move on to further training, whether that is two year, four year or just a specific skill,” said Cindy Veazey, director of the school district’s career and technical education. “That is our promise to you, so I challenge you to be here and help us make that happen.”

Montgomery County and the City of Montgomery helped fund the project with help from the school board.

Montgomery County Board of Education President

The students at the Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies will become the area’s future workforce.

Melissa Snowden predicted that MPACT’s enrollment will continuously increase and those students will help the area “have a stronger workforce and attract more businesses to the Montgomery area.”

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said, “This is a seed that is going to reward. This is a seed that is going to be fertilized by those students; by that faculty; and by that administration; and by this board of education.

Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean Sr. said, “Everybody is talking about workforce development. We put a lot of emphasis on the magnet schools, but you guys and girls (students in the audience) are our future.”

“This is the best of Montgomery and let’s make sure that it continues to be the best.” n

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October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

43

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

by David Zaslawsky

Return Engagement The Air Force Information Technology & Cyberpower Conference was back in Montgomery after a five-year hiatus. It had been held for nearly 30 years. The conference was expected to draw about 3,000 attendees, including 115 exhibitors. The estimated economic impact is close to $2 million.

SURGING SANTA FE SALES The Santa Fe, which is produced at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery, overtook the Sonata for the No. 2 spot on the automaker’s sales list. Santa Fe sales for August were 15,176 units while 14,888 Sonatas were sold. The Elantra topped all models with 20,733 units sold. All three vehicles are manufactured at the Montgomery facility.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

THIRD RESTAURANT AT CHASE CORNER Pieology Pizzeria became the third restaurant to open at Chase Corner, an Aronov Realty development across from The Shoppes at EastChase. Buffalo Wild Wings and Outback Steakhouse are also at Chase Corner, which will be anchored by Whole Foods Market.

The 54,500-squarefoot shopping center also features Jared The Galleria of Jewelry.

LOOKING FOR SPACE Two companies contacted Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange about leasing space next to the Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies at One Center. He said those firms asked about space for an incubator.

Strange said that he would contact Blue Ridge Capital, a real estate investment company that owns the remaining 400,000 square feet.

There was an auction for that space, but the bids were not accepted, according to Strange.

Montgomery ranked No. 7 Montgomery was seventh out of 223 cities ranked by lowest cost of living by the website Niche. The ranking was based on eight categories, including home value to income ratio; median rent; monthly housing cost to income ration; median home value; and median effective property tax.

The top-ranked city was Fort Wayne, Ind., and the highest ranked Alabama city was Huntsville at No. 4.

MOVING UP IN RANKINGS American Family Care, which has partnered with Baptist Health for eight facilities in the River Region, is now ranked No. 1,010 on the Inc. 5,000 list of the country’s fastest-growing private companies.

The firm was ranked 1,298th in 2015 and 4,635th in 2013. American Family Care was ranked No. 1 for the fastest growing health-related companies in the U.S. with annual revenue of $200 million-plus. The firm has more than $400 million in annual revenue and 1,400-plus employees.

CITY REVENUE CLIMBING The City of Montgomery is expected to hit $230 million in revenue and Strange plans to add another $2 million to the city’s reserve fund. That will enable the city to have about 10 percent of the budget in reserves, which could bolster its credit rating.

The estimated revenue total is about $3 million more than the previous year and $400,000 more than was budgeted. Expenses are projected to be about $200,000 less than budgeted.

HYUNDAI TAKE TWO The Korean automaker launched a new luxury brand – Genesis – and a new model called G80, which is considered a mid-luxury sedan. The company is also introducing the G90 luxury sedan.

ALABAMA POWER RECEIVES HONOR Site Selection magazine has being naming the top utilities for economic development since 1999 and Alabama Power is on the 2016 list for achievements last year.

The Birmingham-based utility assisted in attracting about $2.4 billion in capital spending in its territory, which will lead to 2,325 jobs.

“In 2015, we put emphasis on developing new initiatives in economic development, marketing, supply chain, and other areas of the company to better understand the factors driving our customers’ success as well as identifying new ways to create opportunities for them,” Patrick Murphy, economic & community development vice president for Alabama Power, wrote in a statement.

The Site Selection top utility list is based on jobs, capital expenditures as well as the utility’s own investments and new jobs.

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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MORE DUNKIN’ Four more Dunkin’ Donuts are expected to open in Montgomery with the first store coming next year. The company currently has one location in Montgomery.

AIRPORT SEQUEL Uber will now have a site for its drivers at the Montgomery Regional Airport. That will be a boost for business travelers whose companies may have corporate agreements with Uber.

Meanwhile, American Airlines is now using a larger 76-seat airplane for two of its daily flights to Dallas along with Wi-Fi.

MAIN LIBRARY GETTING FACELIFT The Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library will have a new heating and cooling system as well as new furniture and a redesign of the interior as part of a two-year renovation project.

The library will remain open during the renovation.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

BUSINESS BUZZ Steve Boucher, managing partner of JACKSON THORNTON Brantley, Boucher ACQUIRES BRANTLEY, & Farr, said in a BOUCHER & FARR statement: “Joining MONTGOMERY – Jackson Thornton The certified public puts us in a great accounting and consulting position to expand firm Jackson Thornton and help our clients Ned Sheffield announced the acquisition achieve their goals. of Auburn/Opelika-based Our mission has always been to Brantley, Boucher & Farr LLP. develop client relationships based The addition gives Jackson Thornton on trust and personal attention. more than 200 employees, serving Jackson Thornton has the same clients from six offices in Alabama philosophy while providing hundreds and Tennessee. The merger will offer of years of collective experience and Brantley, Boucher & Farr’s (BB&F) we look forward to enhancing our clients expanded depth of services practice together.” while maintaining the personalized service for which the firm is known.

H&M COMING TO EASTCHASE BB&F was founded in 1959 by John H. Brantley and serves clients MONTGOMERY – Global throughout East Alabama and fashion retailer H&M will open a West Georgia.

22,000-square-foot shop next fall at “The addition of BB&F to the Jackson Thornton family gives our existing clients in East Alabama even greater access to our professionals and services,” Ned Sheffield, president and managing principal of Jackson Thornton, said in a statement. “At the same time, it gives our new clients a depth of experience and resources they haven’t had before. The people they know and trust are now backed by several teams of people offering a diverse array of expertise. We’re excited about this expansion and believe that this is a natural fit for both firms.”

The Shoppes at EastChase and will hire about 20 employees.

“We are beyond excited that H&M has chosen The Shoppes at EastChase to open a new location in Alabama,” Suzanna Wasserman, marketing manager for The Shoppes at EastChase, said in a statement.

“We already have a fantastic selection of apparel retailers at The Shoppes and this store will add a new dimension to our current tenant mix.”

H&M will offer men’s and women’s clothing, including sports apparel and its plus-sized line. There will also be a children’s section, which will include clothes for newborns.

MEMBER NEWS

FIFTH ADVERTISING WINS TWO NATIONAL AWARDS MONTGOMERY – Fifth Advertising was a winner in the 37th Annual Telly Awards for its work with Heritage South Credit Union.

Fifth, the in-house advertising division of Walker360, created a 2D animated video spot for the credit union’s newly released mobile deposit campaign.

With more than 13,000 entries this year from all 50 states and numerous countries, Fifth was chosen for its outstanding achievement in concept and use of graphics.

ASE CREDIT UNION OFFERS CARDVALET TO MEMBERS MONTGOMERY – ASE Credit Union announced that CardValet is now available to all members via download from Google Play or the App Store.

Credit union members now have the extra security of turning their debit card off if lost or stolen, then back on if it is recovered, and all from a handheld device.

ASE Credit Union, which was established in 1954, is a full-service financial institution with free checking, free online banking and free bill pay. There are five locations and the website is www.yourASEcu.com.

CONTINUED ON PAGE

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The company, which opened its first U.S. store 16 years ago, has 428 locations in the country.

H&M has 4,000 stores in 62 markets and its headquarters is in Stockholm, Sweden.

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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BUSINESS BUZZ FROM PAGE

47

EASTER SEALS SEEKS BUSINESS CONTRACT MONTGOMERY – Easter Seals Central Alabama’s Rotary Work Center is looking to contract with a business.

The work center specializes in drill press operations, pneumatic press, quality control, pneumatic staple gun packaging, assembly and packaging, sorting and collating and direct and custom shipping.

For information, contact workshop manager Donnie Martin at dmartin@eastersealsca.org or (334) 387-3270 or (334) 415-2633.

STARKE AGENCY CITED FOR BEST PRACTICES MONTGOMERY – Starke Agency Inc. has been selected by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) as a “2016 Best Practices” Bolling P. “Trey” Starke III insurance agency for the 10th consecutive year.

The agency has been recognized 20 out of 23 years since the list was first launched.

That means that Starke Agency Inc. is in the top 20 percent of independent agencies across the U.S. “We strive to stay relevant in today’s marketplace by offering new products, new technologies, enhanced education of our staff and simply having the best people in the business,” Starke Agency President Bolling P. “Trey” Starke III said in a statement. “No business can be around for over 87 years like Starke without continuing investment in people, technology and product.”

Some of the characteristics of a “Best Practices” agency are focus on customer service and satisfaction; frequent customer contact; valued staff; participatory management; winwin supplier relationships; efficient processes; continuous improvement; and focus on revenue growth.

WELCH HORNSBY ONE OF THE BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR MONTGOMERY – Welch Hornsby Investment Advisors was recently named as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Alabama.

Welch Hornsby was awarded top honors among small to medium firms. This seventhEach year since 1993, annual survey and IIABA and Reagan awards program, Consulting join forces created by Business to study the country’s Alabama and Best leading agencies in six Companies Group, revenue categories. More identifies, recognizes than 1,100 independent and honors the best agencies throughout the employers in Alabama.

Edward Welch Jr. U.S. were nominated The list is made up of to take part in the annual study, 16 companies. but only 217 agencies qualified Companies from across the state for the honor. entered the two-part survey process, evaluating and reviewing aspects of company culture, such as opportunities for growth and advancement; community involvement and engagement; and employee appreciation among

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

others. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics.

The second part was an employee survey to measure the employee experience.

The combined survey results determined the top companies and the final rankings.

“We have truly dedicated people who embody our mission of uncompromising commitment to build and preserve the wealth of our clients, to enrich their lives, the lives of our employees and the world in which we live,” Welch Hornsby President & CEO Edward Welch Jr. said in a statement.

“While there is much room for improvement, we believe it is imperative to create an environment that fosters personal and professional growth. Our new wellness program is an example and we really have had fun with our internal competitions.

We try to support our people with tuition and professional development opportunities. A lot of time together through corporate lunches and gatherings seems to nurture an environment of creativity and collaboration, all of which ultimately supports our mission.”

GILPIN GIVHAN ATTORNEYS NAMED TO BEST LAWYERS MONTGOMERY – Four attorneys from Gilpin Givhan, LLC, were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2017.

The Gilpin Givhan attorneys in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America are Robert E. L. Gilpin, tax law and litigation & controversy tax; Robert M. Ritchey, closely held companies & family business law; Davis H. Smith, tax law; and John Ward Weiss, health care law.

In addition, Gilpin received the additional honor of being named “Lawyer of the Year” in tax law and litigation, a recognition given to only a single lawyer in each category.

Gregg B. Everett was selected as an Alabama “Super Lawyer” in the practice area of health care law. The title of “Super Lawyer” is a distinction that illustrates command of an individual attorney’s craft with a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers describes itself as “the definitive guide to legal excellence.” Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation with more than 83,000 leading attorneys globally eligible to vote. For the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, 7.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in almost 55,000 lawyers being included in the new edition.

RIVER BANK & TRUST NET INCOME JUMPS PRATTVILLE – River Bank & Trust reported a 21.4 percent increase in net income for the first six months of the year and a 22.5 percent increase in earnings per share.

“While financial performance is the ultimate grade, we have not nor will we abandon the River Bank & Trust culture that our customers value and enjoy,” River Bank & Trust CEO Jimmy Stubbs said in a statement.

The bank, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary in April, has Jimmy Stubbs grown to be the 12th largest state chartered bank in Alabama with The bank reported net income of offices in Alexander City, Auburn, nearly $3.9 million. The return on Gadsden, Millbrook, Montgomery, average assets for the first six months Opelika, Prattville and Wetumpka. was 1.08 percent compared to .93 percent on a combined basis for the CONTINUED ON PAGE 50 prior year to date.

River Financial Corp., the holding company for River Bank & Trust, reported earnings per share of 74.5 cents compared to 60.8 cents for the same period last year.

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October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

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BUSINESS BUZZ FROM PAGE

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DAVIS DIRECT ACQUIRES COLOR CRAFT MONTGOMERY – Davis Direct Inc. announced the acquisition of Color Craft Inc. Each of the companies has provided graphic arts services to Central Alabama for decades and will combine personnel and assets under one roof.

Customers can now take advantage of each company’s services in one place, from Color Emile Vaughan Craft’s signage and display graphic capabilities to Davis Direct’s commercial print production, in-house mailing and marketing materials management.

In addition to combining production resources, Davis Direct has retained all personnel from Color Craft’s business.

“They have maintained an excellent reputation in the market,” Davis Direct CEO Emile Vaughan said in a statement. “Also, their culture has always been a lot like ours, so this should be a perfect fit. For Davis and Color Craft customers, there are now more options under one name.”

CHAMBLESS KING ARCHITECTS RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

The Tankersley residence is a singlefamily dwelling for a husband and wife and their pets on a 30-acre plot of countryside in Prattville. Designed with a modern farmhouse feel, the house focuses on natural materials, simple detailing and physical and visual connections to the outside.

The interior main level of the house features open spaces with exposed wood and steel-framed ceilings and access to a large wrap-around screened-in-porch.

“We are honored to win this award and to be recognized by our peers,” John Chambless, owner and principal of Chambless King, said in a statement.

MONTGOMERY – Chambless King There were 63 statewide John Chambless Architects received entries and a panel of a Merit Award for judges awarded one the Tankersley residence from the Honor Award, four Awards of Merit Alabama Council of The American and two Honorable Mention Awards.n Institute of Architects.

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MEMBERS ON THE MOVE HOPE INSPIRED MINISTRIES ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS

development, fundraising and running the day-to-day operations at the site.

MEMBER NEWS

“When working with Kirk and Elizabeth, I saw their gifts and abilities were underutilized in their previous positions and wanted to bring them into positions where they could excel and help continue to grow our organization,” Executive Director Michael Coleman said in a statement. “I have the utmost confidence they will be successful in these roles and bring a new dynamic that this organization needs to go to the next level.”

Richards began her career with Hope Inspired Ministries as the retention coordinator. She worked with graduates from the organization as well as assisted in businesses development and placing students in internships. In her new role, Ingram started as an Hope Inspired Ministries Richards will Kirk Ingram instructor six months is a faith-based nonprofit be in charge ago and was asked to that serves low-skilled, of marketing, public be the Birmingham site director poorly educated and relations, business to help launch the new campus in chronically unemployed development, social January. He will be an integral part men and women by media, fundraising and of preparing and launching the preparing them to obtain and coordinating all events. She Elizabeth Richards Birmingham location in addition maintain employment. is based in Montgomery. to being responsible for business MONTGOMERY – Hope Inspired Ministries recently announced the promotion of Kirk Ingram as site director for the new Birmingham campus and Elizabeth Richards as the director of marketing.

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MEMBERS ON THE MOVE FROM PAGE

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ALDRIDGE, BORDEN NAMES THREE PARTNERS MONTGOMERY – Bonnee Bailey, Scott Grier and Jason Westbrook have been admitted as partners at the certified public accounting firm of Aldridge, Borden & Co.

Melissa Hill

Jason Westbrook

Bonnee Bailey

Scott Grier

Kacie McCloud

Bailey, who joined the firm in January 1997, practices in the taxation department where she serves clients in individual, partnership and corporate taxation, traditional accounting/attestation services and business valuation primarily for estate and gift transactions areas.

Grier practices in the assurance services group. A member of the firm since 1998, he provides assurance, tax and consulting services to highway and bridge contractors, general and electrical contractors and homebuilders. He also assists contractors with licensing and prequalification in multiple states across the Southeast.

Westbrook practices in both the firm’s consulting and assurance areas. He provides a diverse range of consulting services not limited to business valuations, economic damage analysis, financial record analysis, etc. He provides assurance and taxation services to clients in the construction, banking, not-for-profit and associations, and retail and wholesale distribution industries.

All three are certified public accountants.

Melissa Hill and Kacie McCloud have been promoted to the position of senior accountant. Hill joined the firm in September 2015 after graduating from Troy University’s Master of Accountancy program. She has primarily worked in the firm’s assurance services group with a focus on not-for-profit organizations and governmental entities.

McCloud joined the firm in September 2014 after graduating from Troy University’s Master of Accountancy program. She serves in the firm’s consulting department, where she assists in a myriad of data analysis projects.

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Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

in 1988. The firm is headquartered in Montgomery with offices in Birmingham and Charlotte, N.C.

WELCH HORNSBY HIRES CLIENT SERVICE REP MONTGOMERY – Welch Hornsby Investment Advisors announced that Hannah Hall has joined the firm as a client service representative.

A native of Montgomery, she has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Auburn University at Montgomery.

CHAMBLESS KING HIRES CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR

Hannah Hall

“Hannah embodies our ongoing commitment to client service excellence at Welch Hornsby,” Welch Hornsby President and CEO Edward V. Welch Jr. said in a statement. “She is bright, energetic and service minded. Hannah is an exceptional addition to an already talented client services team.”

Welch Hornsby is a registered investment advisory firm founded

MONTGOMERY – Aaron Broach was recently hired as contract administrator for Chambless King Architects.

Broach received a bachelor’s degree in building construction from Auburn University in 2010. While in school, he worked as a construction laborer during the summers, gaining experience performing a variety of tasks including, but not limited to, demolition, building layout, light-gauge metal framing, drywall installation and finishing and concrete placement. After graduation he moved back to his hometown of Nashville, Tenn., where he worked as a laborer, superintendent, estimator and project manager over the next three years.

His responsibilities include comprehensive project document coordination He was hired as a and review to ensure contract administrator design continuity, in 2013 for a code compliance Montgomery-based and adherence to architecture firm and office standards. He was placed at a satellite will report and assist Aaron Broach office in Anniston, where with the review of on-site he managed government/ construction progress and conditions military projects for the Alabama as well as review and interpret plans, Army National Guard. His experience specifications and other construction includes residential, commercial, contract documents in the field. governmental and medical projects. n

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CHAMBER NEWS

RIBBON CUTTINGS & GROUND BREAKINGS

EVENING OUT FORMAL WEAR 1326 Carter Hill Road • Montgomery, AL 36104 334-288-9241 • www.eveningoutformals.com Kim Salter-Owner/Formal Wear Consultant Tuxedo Rental & Sales

INSPIRIEN

UAB MEDICINE MULTISPECIALTY CLINIC/BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH

509 Oliver Road • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-271-5515 • www.coastalins.org Margaret Nekic-President/CEO Insurance Companies/Services

2119 East South Boulevard • Montgomery, AL 36116 334-273-4506 • www.baptistfirst.org Russ Tyner-President & CEO, Baptist Health Hospitals/Clinics T-MOBILE 1470 Taylor Road, Suite 103 • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-239-7624 • www.sparkwireless.com Ed Harris-District Manager-Alabama Henry Doss-Retail Store Manager Cellular/Wireless Phone Services

TK, LLC

T-MOBILE

10613 Troy Highway • Pike Road, AL 36064 334-495-1275 • www.tkglobal.us Tae Kim-President/Owner Electronic Equipment/Machinery Fabricated Metal Products

922 Ann Street • Montgomery, AL 36107 334-239-8138 • www.sparkwireless.com Ed Harris-District Manager-Alabama Antonio Terry-Retail Store Manager Cellular/Wireless Phone Services

THE BOULEVARD 2001 Eastern Boulevard • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-676-2656 • www.goblvd.com Zahi Abdelaziz-President Furniture

PIEOLOGY PIZZERIA MILO’S HAMBURGERS 8747 EastChase Parkway • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-279-7807 • www.miloshamburgers.com Kenya Thompson-General Manager Restaurants-Fast Food 54

Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

1470 Taylor Road, Suite 101 • Montgomery, AL 36117 334-694-9060 • www.pieology.com Bryan Hudson-General Manager Restaurants-Pizza

NEW MEMBERS ADVERTISING SPECIALTIES

BAIL BOND

FREEDOM PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS Mickey Turner 2031 Shady Crest Drive Hoover, AL 35216 205-397-2397

AUTHORITY BAIL BONDS AND SECURITY AGENCY Moses Harper P.O. Box 20622 Montgomery, AL 36120 334-241-9880

APARTMENTS

ADDISON PARK APARTMENTS Audra Froom 101 South Burbank Drive Montgomery, AL 36117 334-277-2601 AUTOMOBILE REPAIR SERVICES

CHICO'S PAINT & BODY, INC. William H. Flores 5506 Wares Ferry Road Montgomery, AL 36117 334-239-9510 GIBSON'S TIRE PROS Hootie Gipson 321 Madison Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104 334-819-4949

BUILDERS-COMMERCIAL

PEMBERTON, INC. Adam Pemberton P.O. Box 210067 Montgomery, AL 36121-0067 334-272-6929 CELLULAR/WIRELESS PHONE SERVICES

T-MOBILE Antonio Terry 922 Ann Street Montgomery, AL 36107 334-239-8138

CHAMBER NEWS

T-MOBILE Henry Doss 1470 Taylor Road, Suite 103 Montgomery, AL 36117 334-239-7624 CHURCHES/MINISTRIES

LANDMARK CHURCH OF CHRIST Buddy Bell 1800 Halcyon Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36117-3436 334-277-5800 CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES-RETAIL

KE'NOIR BOUTIQUE Jelicia McIntosh 1940 Mulberry Street Montgomery, AL 36106 334-625-1287

Proudly serving the River Region for over 59 years!

Family owned and operated by Mavis Walker & Beth Walker McBride Call us for all of your staffing needs!

Professional • Office Support • Industrial Direct Hire • Try & Hire • Temporary • Payrolling (334) 265-4100 Office/Professional

(334) 265-0100 Industrial

300 Arba Street Montgomery, Alabama

www.walkerworkforce.com October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

55

CONTRACTORS-ELECTRICAL

FINANCIAL PLANNER/ADVISOR

INSURANCE COMPANIES/SERVICES

TK ELECTRIC, LLC Katie Oh 5341 Perimeter Parkway Court Montgomery, AL 36116 334-495-1275

WADDELL & REED, INC. Andrew Fitch 445 Dexter Avenue, Suite 4050 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-557-7037

CONVENIENCE STORE

FOOD/KINDRED PRODUCTS-MFR.

FARMERS INSURANCE DISTRICT OFFICE Jessica Goolsby 1760 Platt Place Montgomery, AL 36117 334-271-5545

KNICKER KNACKER MARKET & GROCERY Ron Dean 163 Lee Street, Unit A Montgomery, AL 36104 334-261-4003

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

OFFICE EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES

DANCE

FURNITURE

HALLS OF IVY Jordan Gulledge 136 Mendel Parkway Montgomery, AL 36117 334-701-4526

THE BOULEVARD Zahi Abdelaziz 2001 Eastern Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36117 334-676-2656

OFFICE DEPOT #2378 Christopher Ross 943 Ann Street Montgomery, AL 36107 334-265-8171

EVENT-VENUE

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FIRMS

DEXTER AVENUE KING MEMORIAL LEGACY CENTER Al Frazier 455 Washington Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104 334-239-9382

HACKMGM Boyd Stephens P.O. Box 230546 Montgomery, AL 36123 334-213-1128

OFFICE DEPOT #163 Lisa Pace 5070 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL 36116-1149 334-279-6633

PHARMACIES

JONES DRUGS James C. Jones 59 W. Fairview Avenue Montgomery, AL 36105 334-676-2900

Brokerage . Investment . Development Class A Industrial Space

Spec Building— 66,960 SF Available

AT&T Fiber Ready & EDPA’s AdvantageSite Designation

In Montgomery Industrial Park

Nim Frazer, SIOR

56

Montgomery, AL

Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

(334) 244-8650

www.industrialpartners.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS

PRINTING SERVICES/GRAPHIC DESIGN

RESTAURANTS-PIZZA

STONE IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY Heath Stone 799 Pleasant Hill Road Eclectic, AL 36024 334-467-1900

CCM GRAPHICS AND DESIGNS Christina Mims 600 South Court Street, Suite 455 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-612-7922

PIEOLOGY PIZZERIA Bryan Hudson 1470 Taylor Rd Suite 101 Montgomery, AL 36117 334-694-9060

PHYSICIANS

PUBLICATIONS

TUXEDO RENTAL & SALES

MONTGOMERY VASCULAR SURGERY, PC Sherry A. Johnston 2055 East South Boulevard, Suite 908 Montgomery, AL 36116 334-284-6500

RIVER REGION LIVING MAGAZINE Charles Shamburger 1430 I-85 Parkway, Suite 228 Montgomery, AL 36106 334-265-0066

EVENING OUT FORMAL WEAR Kim Salter 1326 Carter Hill Road Montgomery, AL 36106 334-288-9241

PHYSICANS-DERMATOLOGY

MONTGOMERY DERMATOLOGY, P.C. John L. Anthony 4712 Berry Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36106 334-834-3094

RESTAURANTS-AMERICAN

SMOOTH N GROOVE Keon Davis P.O. Box 2811 Auburn, AL 36831 256-604-9844 RESTAURANTS-MEXICAN

WINDOWS

NO STREAKS WINDOW CLEANING SERVICE Victor Turnquest P.O. Box 242206 Montgomery, AL 36124 334-201-6940

SOL RESTAURANTE MEXICANO & TAQUERIA Al Luna 3962 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36109 334-593-8250

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

57

ECONOMIC INTEL

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

Destination

MGM

BHM

Baltimore (BWI)

$300

$252

$128

Boston (BOS)

$355

$329

$166

Charlotte, NC (CLT)

$274

$274

$225

Chicago (ORD)

$276

$264

$86

Cincinnati (CVG)

$313

$289

$262

Dallas/Ft Worth (DFW)

$347

$261

$116

Denver (DEN)

$365

$377

$170

Detroit (DTW)

$319

$350

$161

Houston (HOU)

$312

$261

$105

Indianapolis (IND)

$319

$335

$193

Las Vegas (LAS)

$447

$478

$191

Los Angeles (LAX)

$384

$386

$255

Memphis (MEM)

$327

$300

$258

Miami (MIA)

$328

$370

$118

Nashville (BNA)

$369

$319

$203

New Orleans (MSY)

$433

$352

$168

New York (JFK)

$335

$337

$247

Orlando (MCO)

$275

$252

$96

Philadelphia (PHL)

$294

$334

$106

Pittsburgh (PIT)

$292

$280

$176

St Louis (STL)

$341

$246

$112

Seattle (SEA)

$437

$383

$355

Seoul (SEL)

$1,137

$1,134

$745

Tampa (TPA)

$292

$252

$90

Washington DC (DCA)

$319

$251

$138

Date of travel: Oct. 18-23, 2016. Date of pricing: Sept. 11, 2016.

Source: travelocity.com

58

Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

ATL

Building Permits

BUILDING STARTS AUGUST 2016

JULY 2016

Building Valuations AUGUST 2015

AUGUST 2016

JULY 2016

AUGUST 2015

New Construction

83

62

84

$8,042,000

$7,241,200

$12,923,820

Additions and AlterationsÂ

78

89

96

$12,306,399

$10,931,555

$8,410,430

Others

35

10

16

$346,302

$104,800

$79,300

Total

196

161

196

$20,694,701

$18,277,555

$21,413,550

AUGUST 2016

AUGUST 2015

Montgomery County

$3,470,126

$3,467,854

City of Montgomery

$8,382,382

Pike Road

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

YTD 2016

YTD 2015

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANG

0.07%

$29,141,504

$28,529,797

2.14%

$8,107,221

3.39%

$69,939,509

$68,157,115

2.62%

$136,842

$96,968

41.12%

$1,496,893

$1,367,369

9.47%

Prattville

$1,817,278

$1,721,138

5.59%

$14,890,941

$14,436,125

3.15%

Autauga County

$702,293

$665,743

5.49%

$5,810,404

$5,449,859

6.62%

Elmore County

$95,389

$105,466

-9.55%

$835,167

$890,179

-6.18%

Wetumpka

$521,636

$484,427

7.68%

$4,029,924

$3,749,993

7.46%

Sources: Montgomery County Commission, City of Montgomery, City of Pike Road, Autauga County Commission, City of Prattville, Elmore County Commission, City of Wetumpka Note: YTD numbers are January 2016 thru current month. * Did not receive this months numbers.

JON C. MASTERS

Our seasoned team provides brokerage, management and development expertise that allows to refocus on your business while we create value in your commercial real estate assets.

Call us to see how we can help you! 334-262-1958

Copyright: Moore Company Realty Starlene Luker

Jon brings 14 years of sales experience in the Motorsports industry to Moore Company Realty. During that time, he achieved Salesman of the year each year he worked in sales. As General Manager of Halls Motorsports from 2010 to 2012, it became one of the fastest growing dealer groups in the country. He increased sales department production by 30%, service department production by 50%, and parts department by 22%. As a graduate from Troy University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing B.A. degree, Jon plans to couple serious business skills, with diligent sales service to win your business in commercial real estate!

Copyright: Moore Company Realty Starlene Luker

SALES TAX

Source: City of Montgomery Building Department

312 CATOMA ST, SUITE 200 | MONTGOMERY, AL 36104 334.262.1958 | moorecompanyrealty.com Moore Company Realty, Inc. | Moore Property Management, LLC EST. 1894

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

59

HYUNDAI SALES AUG 2016

AUG 2015

YTD 2016

YTD 2015

Accent

8,329

4,733

54,705

44,985

Sonata

14,888

21,818

139,932

141,556

Elantra

20,733

22,405

137,668

173,238

Santa Fe

15,176

11,255

86,948

77,648

Azera

398

291

3,356

4,358

Tucson

7,608

6,609

58,000

33,151

Veloster

1,986

2,276

16,917

15,537

Genesis

1,317

2,440

20,818

22,184

Equus

83

185

1,237

1,518

G80

1,497

0

1,497

0

Total

72,015

72,012

521,078

514,175

VEHICLE

Source: Hyundai Motor America

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60

Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

MONTGOMERY REGIONAL AIRPORT AUGUST 2016 Air Carrier Operations

AUGUST 2015

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

YTD 2016

YTD 2015

YEAR OVER YEAR % CHANGE

801

791

1.3%

6,731

6,215

8.3%

6,045

5,299

14.1%

41,811

39,149

6.8%

Enplanements

14,543

14,727

-1.2%

115,361

116,893

-1.3%

Deplanements

14,833

15,066

-1.5%

113,216

114,399

-1.0%

Total Passengers

29,376

29,793

-1.4%

228,577

231,292

-1.2%

Total Operations

Source: Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) Dannelly Field

MONTGOMERY METRO MARKET HOME SALES AUGUST 2016

AUGUST 2016

MONTH/MONTH % CHANGE

AUGUST 2015

YEAR/YEAR % CHANGE

STATEWIDE AUGUST 2016*

Median Price

$149,000

$160,000

-6.88%

$140,000

6.43%

$144,901

Average Price

$166,821

$171,845

-2.92%

$155,773

7.09%

$168,881

2,564

2,633

-2.62%

2,956

-13.26%

29,870

Months of Supply

6.4

7

-8.57%

7.1

-9.86%

5.6

Total # Sales

399

377

5.84%

415

-3.86%

5,301

Days on Market

104

99

5.05%

115

-9.57%

138

Units Listed

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

October 2016 montgomerybusinessjournal.com

61

UNEMPLOYMENT Area

Civilian Labor Force AUG p 2016

Unemployment Rate

JUL r 2016

AUG r 2015

AUG p 2016

JUL r 2016

AUG r 2016

Montgomery MA

171,456

171,357

168,920

5.40%

5.50%

6.40%

Autauga County

25,852

25,810

25,358

5.10%

5.10%

5.70%

Prattville City

16,890

16,854

16,548

4.90%

4.90%

5.40%

Elmore County

36,721

36,645

36,098

4.70%

4.60%

5.50%

3,871

3,861

3,858

10.40%

10.40%

12.60%

105,012

105,041

103,606

5.60%

5.70%

6.70%

92,324

92,392

911,128

5.70%

5.80%

6.80%

540,258

543,200

531,976

5.30%

5.30%

5.90%

93,292

94,058

92,157

6.90%

7.10%

7.70%

Huntsville MA

210,929

211,187

209,698

5.00%

5.10%

5.80%

Huntsville City

91,329

91,597

90,990

5.20%

5.50%

6.30%

Mobile MA

183,959

184,455

182,849

6.50%

6.70%

7.50%

Mobile City

85,847

86,046

85,367

6.70%

6.80%

7.80%

2,179,827

2,182,935

2,149,959

5.70%

5.80%

6.50%

159,800,000

160,705,000

157,390,000

5.00%

5.10%

5.20%

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

Alabama United States

MA=Metropolitan Area. pPreliminary rRevised Estimates prepared by the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations in Cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, based on 2015 benchmark.

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t he people around t he pol icy Professional Liability — General Liability — Workers’ Compensation 62

Montgomery Business Journal October 2016

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63

Post Office Box 79 Montgomery, AL 36101