Imagine a Greater Montgomery Report of Progress and High-Impact Priorities for Growth

Imagine.

Build.

Believe.

IMAGINE A GREATER MONTGOMERY REPORT OF PROGRESS AND HIGH-IMPACT PRIORITIES FOR GROWTH

CONTENTS 3

REPORT OF PROGRESS

4

FUELING ECONOMIC GROWTH

6

TRENDING UP

7

ACCOLADES

8

IMAGINE A GREATER MONTGOMERY MILESTONES

12

BUILDING ON THE MOMENTUM

14

IMAGINE A GREATER MONTGOMERY INVESTORS

T H E I M PA C T O F I M AGI N E A GR E AT ER MON T GOMER Y 2 01 0 - 2 016

$

2

Capital Investment by announced new locations and

expansions

BILLION

9,415

A NNOUNCED JOBS by new and expanding industry

12,000

EN T R EPR ENEUR S A ND SM A LL BUSINESSES

mentored, counseled and trained.

1.4

$ FIRST INTERNET

EXCHANGE IN ALABAMA AND 1 OF 4 IN THE SOUTHEAST - MGMIX

MILLION

being spent daily by visitors to Destination MGM

BUILDING THE WORKFORCE PIPELINE

1,000 EMPLOYEES AT 65 COMPANIES TRAINED THROUGH THE NEW MONTGOMERY REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER

421 students engaged in career paths and technology at MPACT

783

2,100

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ENGAGED THROUGH EMERGE MONTGOMERY AND TORCHBEARERS

Jobs protected at Maxwell/Gunter AFB

5,000 people have embraced Diversity through the Chamber’s Annual Diversity Summit, now in its 9th year.

Since the launch of the inaugural phase in 2007, the Chamber’s Imagine a Greater Montgomery strategy has focused business, elected and community leaders around a vision of what could and should be. The Montgomery of today is vastly different than when we first gathered around the table to imagine a better and more prosperous future for the entire River Region. This report celebrates the progress made by an incredible team of business, elected and community leaders who not only dared to imagine a better future, but rolled up their sleeves to build it.

With our past efforts serving as a springboard to new opportunities, the next phase of the Chamber’s Imagine a Greater Montgomery economic development initiative will yield an even greater return on investment for the public and private partners who Believe that the best is yet to come.

SEEING IS

BELIEVING. 3

F U E L I NG ECONOM IC GROW T H Creating jobs is the cornerstone of the Imagine a Greater Montgomery initiative and at the heart of the mission of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. Since 2010, Montgomery County has consistently ranked within the top three among all Alabama counties in terms of announced new industry, jobs and/or capital investment.

ANNOUNCED NEW JOBS 2,234 1,651

1,637

1,074

999 607 2010 2011

ANNOUNCED CAPITAL INVESTMENT 2010

591

2011

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Q3

2012 2013 2014

8,793

$237.8 M $181.2 M $276.5 M $212.8 M $525.8 M

2015 2016 YTD

ANNOUNCED JOBS 2010-2016Q3

$293.9 M

$201.9 M

$1.9 BILLION

ANNOUNCED CAPITAL INVESTMENT 2010-2016Q3

4

Source: Alabama Department of Commerce New and Expanding Industry Announcements Annual Report

ANNOUNCED NEW & EXPANDING COMPANIES

31

29

28

25

164

29

2010-2016Q3

38

13

ANNOUNCED NEW INDUSTRIES

9 7

6 2 2010

ANNOUNCED EXPANSIONS

4

7

2010-2016Q3

6

6

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Q3

Expanding

New

The Chamber’s Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program launched as a result of the Imagine a Greater Montgomery initiative and is directly responsible for securing and growing

18,000 JOBS in the region’s economy since 2010.

5

T R ENDING UP Through the strong Public/Private partnerships of the Imagine a Greater Montgomery initiative, key indicators show a trend of growth and momentum across a variety of sectors.

Home sales up 37.6% Travel-related employment up 14% Manufacturing employment up 13% Hotel Occupancy rates up 12.7% Hotel room night demand up 11%

Montgomery per capita income up 8.5%

Total Employment Up 4.4%

6

ACCOL A DE S One of the top Southern cities for computer programmers - New York-based consumer finance site Value Penguin

LAMP consistently ranked #1 best public high school in Alabama and one of the best in the Nation.

- US News & World Repor t Best City in Alabama for Black Entrepreneurs – 28th nationally

2

#

1

#

for Black-Owned Businesses - NerdWallet.com

Consistently ranked one of Alabama’s Most Business Friendly cities

Best-Run City in Alabama

Consistently leading in Business Confidence among Alabama cities

Chamber Tourism effort named “Best”

Chamber named Tourism Office of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society.

of Commerce/Air Education & Training Command.

in the U.S.

- Alabama Business Confidence Index, University of Alabama CBER

Altus Award names Montgomery Best Hometown in the Air Force - Altus Oklahoma Chamber

Alabama Policy Institute

One of the best cities in the U.S. to start a business.

- American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association

> Montgomery named one of the Top 10 Great Southern Downtowns

Best Historic City

> Chamber named one of “Ten more shining examples of economic development that’s working in the South” > Chamber listed as one of three Best Local Economic Development Agencies in Alabama

ESPN Raycom Media Camellia Bowl ranked top 20 Best Bowl Games

- CBSsports.com.

- Southern Business & Development 7

IM AGI NE A GR EATER MONTGOMER Y MILESTONES

2010 Chamber InterCity Leadership Visit to Austin Texas begins next phase of Imagine a Greater Montgomery.

Montgomery lands State’s largest economic development project of the year Hyundai Power Transformers USA 1,000 jobs, $125 Million investment.

• CNHI locates its corporate media headquarters in Montgomery with 70 jobs.

• Chamber launches new Business Retention & Expansion program – solidifying 18,000+ jobs over the next five years in the regional economy.

Chamber launches Seven Career Academies that spark the transformation of MPS’s (Montgomery Public Schools) Career and Technical Education program, and catalyze elected and education leadership around the creation of MPACT – Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies.

Emerge and Torchbearers programs, targeted at retaining and attracting young professionals, are off and running due to a partnership between the Chamber and Leadership Montgomery. Over the next five years more than 283 young leaders will graduate as Torchbearers and some 200 YP’s each year engage through Emerge.

8

2011 • HMMA engine plant expands creating 214 new jobs and $173 million investment.

• Chamber facilitates community leadership to strategically grow and support cyber and technology missions at Gunter; securing and creating 1,400 jobs and more than $800 Million in contract acquisition flow.

• The Chamber partners with the City and County of Montgomery, along with River Region communities to launch the Central Alabama Sports Commission. Increased emphasis on the sports market results in 28 additional leads and 8,000 sports-related room night bookings in the first year.

2012 Montgomery posts largest job growth totals since the location of Hyundai. Major projects include DAS North America, TK LLC, Alabama Media Group, HMMA third shift, and significant expansions at Lear Corp., GLOVIS, Mobis, Rheem and others.

• Corporate and industrial prospect activity moves into a new realm - 120 prospect visits reflect a 25% increase over the prior year and the trend continues.

• In a close call, the 908th Airlift Wing mission and its aircraft, 600 FT and 400 PT positions remain at Maxwell AFB, due to swift action by the Alabama Congressional Delegation.

The UAB School of Medicine announces a Regional Campus at Baptist Medical Center South – a game-changer for Montgomery and the River Region.

2013 Denso, one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers and the first Japanese supplier in Montgomery, announces 41 new jobs and $2.2 million capital investment.

Hancock Bank announces 200-job corporate operations center and national pharmacy service company Mims Management chooses Montgomery for corporate headquarters.

Chamber launches partnership with Montgomery Airport Authority focused on expanding air service and positioning Montgomery Regional Airport as an economic development asset.

• Defense Information Systems Agency at Maxwell Air Force Base’s Gunter Annex selected by DoD as one of only eight Core Data Centers, a $19 million investment.

9

2014 In a major news event, the Chamber joins with stakeholders to announce the alignment of the Workforce Development Pipeline in Montgomery and the River Region. Key components of the pipeline are the linkages between business and industry, Trenholm Community College, Alabama Regional Workforce Councils, MPACT, and the newly created Montgomery Regional Workforce Training Center by AIDT. Coca-Cola UNITED announces new distribution center hub in Montgomery - a $37 million capital investment.

Montgomery begins a long-running trend of leading all major metro cities in Alabama for record growth in hotel occupancy.

• Chamber and community leaders rally around the new DoD P4 (Public/Public Public/ Private) process, engaging the private and public sectors in Montgomery to engage with Maxwell/Gunter in innovative partnerships that fuel base efficiencies while spurring economic development opportunities.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama celebrates its 10-year anniversary with a $2.4 billion impact in Montgomery County, and a statewide economic impact of $4.82 billion.

• FOUR of the Top 10 global automotive suppliers now call Montgomery home (Denso, Mobis, Faurecia, Lear).

• Hyundai and Kia supplier DAS North America opens its 360,000-square-foot plant – doubling its announced size and increasing its workforce to 440 people.

• The Chamber and its Foundation unite with the City and County to build Freedom Park on Maxwell Air Force Base, cited by the Secretary of the Air Force as a “model for all communities.”

• The Chamber’s Air Service Partnership with the Montgomery Airport Authority is making an impact – 13 consecutive months of enplanement growth.

• Utility companies Dixie Electric Cooperative and Alabama Power Company work together to facilitate dual power supply to Gunter – a critical infrastructure step to growing jobs and opportunities that will support the cyber mission.

• The SYKES Corporation locates in Montgomery, creating 500 jobs and $3 million investment.

Named a Top 25 onshore project by Site Selection Group.

• Chamber begins discussions with Akamai and others that will lead to the launch of the Montgomery Internet Exchange and key initiatives that support the soon-to-be launched Cyber College of the Air Force.

10

2015

• Expert Global Solutions announces $1M expansion and 300 new jobs.

• Maxwell Air Force Base stands up the new Cyber College of the Air Force at Air University under the leadership of Lt. General Steven Kwast. The Chamber convenes a Cyber Vision collaborative to support the Air Force mission and leverage economic growth.

2016 German auto supplier Gerhardi Kuntstofftechnik announces it will invest $37.9 million and create 235 jobs in Montgomery to create its first North American manufacturing facility.

Montgomery aligns defense, public and private partners to create Alabama’s first Internet Exchange – One of only Four in the Southeast. Through a unique partnership of the City of Montgomery, Montgomery County, the State of Alabama, Maxwell/ Gunter AFB, Air University and the Cyber College of the Air Force, regional and statewide universities, and the RSA Data Center, Montgomery is the only non-Tier-One city with an Internet Exchange, partnered with industry leading content delivery giant Akamai. Known as MGMix, the exchange is critical infrastructure that will foster economic development, research and innovation.

The Air Force Information Technology Cyber Conference (AFITC) returned to the capital city after a five-year absence due to sequestration.

Leading a team that included the City and the County, the Chamber worked relentlessly to facilitate the return of the conference. Not only is the AFITC a major tourism boost, but it is now a platform from which Montgomery can promote its cyber strategy and build integral relationships within the tech industry.

The Montgomery Preparatory Academy for Career Technologies (MPACT) opened fall 2016 at ONE Center– a comprehensive educational and workforce development complex. MPACT is the result of collaboration by the City, the County, Montgomery Public Schools and the business community to reinvent the regional workforce pipeline.

REMARKABLE PROGRESS. EXTRAORDINARY PARTNERSHIP. UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES.

11

BU IL DING ON T HE MOMEN T U M

High Impact Priorities for Growth The outcomes of the Imagine a Greater Montgomery strategy are evident. Benchmarks demonstrate that Montgomery is competitive across key indicators like job creation, tourism impact, military mission expansion, downtown revitalization, cyber innovation, and the list goes on.

Yet we continue to face challenges that limit our ability to grow, such as underperforming public schools, threats to air service, a disconnected workforce delivery system, and the need to engage diverse leaders who demand better. Working this year with Mac Holladay of Market Street, the Chamber and its public/private partners evaluated our progress and clearly defined the obstacles to growth. These narrowed goals and initiatives reflect the High Impact Priorities that can and must be addressed.

TALENT GOA L 1

BUILD COMPET IT I V E R EGIONA L TA LEN T

• Align the Workforce Pipeline and delivery for the MGM region and capitalize on changes in the State’s Regional Workforce Council System.

• Align the needs of high demand sectors with highly performing workforce training options.

• Ensure that the new AL Region 5 Workforce Council has a strong focus and staffing addressing the needs of the greater Montgomery area.

• Focus attention on the performance, governance and leadership of Montgomery Public Schools.

• Work with the Education Foundation to implement Pre K throughout Montgomery.

ECONOMY GOA L 2

DI V ERSIF Y THE R EGIONA L ECONOM Y

• Leverage the Montgomery Internet Exchange and the unique assets of Maxwell, Gunter, Government and Universities to build a new industry vertical in the River Region around Cyber/Tech and Smart City Strategies.

• Design a comprehensive Tech strategy for MGM, accompanied by an integrated branding effort.

• Facilitate development of a PublicPrivate Mil Cloud facility on Gunter that assists the USAF transition to the Cloud.

12

• Create positive perceptions among parents and students that career tech is a viable and lucrative path to success.

• Launch an Innovation Center/PublicPrivate think-tank to support the Cyber College of the Air Force, build the regional tech and start-up eco-system, and create a talent pool continuum.

• Expand the Business Retention & Expansion Program to include key sectors beyond manufacturing.

• Secure funding for a Cross Wind Runway at MGM Regional Airport and secure the F35 mission for the 187th Alabama Air National Guard.

IMAGE GOA L 3

T R A NSFOR M IM AGE & QUA LI T Y OF PL ACE

• Attract a catalyst project to transform Montgomery’s I-65 gateway and forever change the quality of place perception of Alabama’s capital city.

• Establish the Montgomery Regional Airport as a true economic development asset for the region; work in partnership with the MGM Airport Authority to expand air service, improve passenger traffic and experience, and grow commercial development opportunities.

• Expand convention & visitor destination sales capacity to increase recruitment of city and region-wide meetings and events that drive widespread occupancy and expenditures.

• Market Montgomery as a destination with a unified brand and voice; launch an aggressive media placement effort and story-telling campaign that integrates economic development, visitor and resident messaging; launch the #mgm initiative to build community stewardship.

COMMUNITY GOA L 4

BU I L D DI V E R SE C OM M U N I T Y C A PACI T Y

• Aggregate diverse interest groups around key community priorities to effect change.

• Foster trust, communication and collaboration among elected leadership.

• Convene stakeholders and business owners around diversity and inclusion as part of a comprehensive small business growth strategy; evolve the Diversity Summit to reflect emerging opportunities.

• Support collaborative efforts to retain vibrant talent and engage diverse young leaders around community priorities.

Leveraging what we’ve learned will make our next phase of economic development initiatives even smarter and stronger.

13

IMAGINE A GREATER MONTGOMERY INVESTORS LE A DING

{ L EG AC Y }

The City of Montgomery The Montgomery County Commission Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC Alabama Power Company Regions Bank The Colonial Company Aronov Realty Management, Inc. Baptist Health Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, Inc. Hodges Warehouse + Logistics Larry Puckett Chevrolet SABIC Spire Inc.

THE

WAY

{ S U S TA I N I NG } BBVA Compass Alfa Insurance Companies Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, PC Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama Barrie and Laura Harmon Montgomery Industrial Development Board Information Transport Solutions, Inc. Jackson Hospital & Clinic, Inc. Jerry Kyser Builder Advertiser Media Group Merchant Capital Investments a division of Stifel Nicolaus

Montgomery Water & Sewer Board Rheem Water Heaters ServisFirst Bank Southeast Alabama Gas District Stivers Ford Lincoln

14

The most competitive communities are those with a steadfast commitment to improving their workforce, quality of life and business climate through aggressive, proactive programming and committed partnership.

The investments made by the Imagine a Greater Montgomery partners allow the Chamber to work aggressively every day, ensuring the economic prosperity and vibrant growth of Montgomery and the River Region through job creation and expansion.

{ CH A M PION }

{ PA R T N E R }

BB&T

Palomar Insurance

Jim Wilson & Associates, LLC Dixie Electric Cooperative

Aldridge Borden & Company, PC

Industrial Partners

Balch & Bingham, LLP Jack Ingram Motors, Inc.

{ L E A DE R S H I P }

STAMP Idea Group

Jackson Thornton

Trustmark National Bank

PowerSouth

Sterling Bank

Coca Cola UNITED

Capell & Howard, PC

MAX Credit Union

Alabama Ag Credit, ACA

McConnell Honda

AmeriFirst Bank

Montgomery Aviation

Ball, Ball, Mathews & Novak, P.A.

Renasant Bank River Bank & Trust USAmeriBank Warren Averett, LLC

Big Lots Stores, Inc. CH2M Hill Gilpin Givhan

“No good idea succeeds simply because it is a good idea.

Good ideas must have champions – people willing to believe in them, push for them, fight for them, gain adherents and other champions, and press until they succeed.”

Hancock Bank

{ COLIN

JESCO, Inc. John Stanley & Associates, Inc. Montgomery Area Association of Realtors

POW ELL}

It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership { 2012 }

IMAGINE. BUILD. BELIEVE. 15

MONTGOMERY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 41 COMMERCE STREET, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36104 334 834 5200 MONTGOMERYCHAMBER.COM

MISSION: Committed to exceptional service the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce works to improve the economic well-being of the business community and enhance the quality of life of the area through the creation and preservation of jobs.