Montgomery Business Journal – October 2011 by Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce

October 2011 6

Contents

Chairman’s Column

16 13

Q&A with Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Jim Byard Jr.

Women in Business Forum continues to evolve

Member Profile: Mamma Nem’s Restaurant

Hyundai sets new U.S. sales goal of 624,000 vehicles

Success stories: Up & Running and Transcendence move from the Chamber’s Small Business Resource Center to a downtown office building

Imagine A Greater Montgomery II strategy takes the region to the next level

Wynlakes Golf & Country Club gets creative to retain and grow membership

Business Buzz

Members on the Move

Ribbon Cuttings & Ground Breakings

New Members

Economic Intel

7 Calendar

30 October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

h o l i d ay e v e n t s

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

Randall L. George

Book your Christmas party now!

Executive Editor

Tina McManama Managing Editor

David Zaslawsky Design

Copperwing Design Photographer

Robert Fouts On the cover:

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange (from left); Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean, Sr. and Larry Puckett, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. Advertising:

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

Have yourself a merry little Christmas party at Alley Station! Enjoy mild Alabama evenings on the Rooftop Terrace, close enough to reach up and touch Santa’s sleigh. Or bring it indoors where the gorgeous Ballroom is ready for small, intimate gatherings or all-out holiday bashes—up to 700 people.  Beautiful Rooftop Terrace

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

(Seats up to 350)

 Stunning Ballroom (Seats up to 350)  Freedom in choosing your own vendors  Expert help throughout planning process

334 277 1077

a l l e y s tat i o n . c o m

m a n a g e d b y pa r t n e r s r e a lt y

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

The Montgomery Business Journal (USPS NO. 025553) is published monthly except for the combined issues of June/July 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 3, Issue 9. POSTMASTER send address changes to Montgomery Business Journal, c/o Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 79, 41 Commerce Street, Montgomery AL 36101, or email mbj@montgomerychamber.com. The Montgomery Business Journal welcomes story ideas from its readers. Email to: editor@montgomerychamber.com. Subscriptions are a part of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce dues structure. Subscriptions can also be purchased for $30 per year at www.montgomerychamber.com/mbjsub.

Dreams as big as you can imagine are happening here every day. With a powerful beat and mighty vision, the future of the region moves ahead. Let your dreams soarâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in Montgomery. #1 Economic Development Project in Alabama Hyundai Power Transformers USA $125 Million Capital Investment and more than 1,000 new jobs Record-setting Existing Industry Expansions Creating more than 500 new jobs and more than $320Million in capital investment

Top High School in America Loveless Academic Magnet Program ranked 13th Best High School in America in Newsweekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual list of 500 Best High Schools Nationally Recognized Business Climate Montgomery ranked #7 in Economic Growth Potential by Business Facilities Magazine, 2011 Montgomery ranked #8 for potential job growth in Forbes 2010 Best Places for Business and Careers

d r e a m m o n t g o m e r y. c o m Photo Courtesy of Mark Dauber Business Journal October 2011 Montgomery

Finally, An Employee Benefit That Costs You Nothing.

Offering a Guardian Credit Union membership as part of your employee benefit package shows that you care for your employees and their financial well-being. They get better loan rates and a host of great services and discounts from a stable and secure financial partner, and you attract and retain better employees. The best part? It doesn’t cost you a dime! Benefits include: • FREE Checking • FREE Online Account Access • FREE Online Bill Pay • GuardianLine 24-hour Telephone Teller • FREE VISA Debit Card • LOW RATE Loans with Relationship Discounts • VISA Credit Cards with NO Annual Fee & Low Fixed Rates

EXCLUSIVE Credit Union Member Rewards:

Chairman’s Column Investing in the Chamber’s Imagine A Greater Montgomery II strategy is a nobrainer for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it’s an investment that pays off for all of us – from the small business owner to the mid-sized company to the largest firms – by making Montgomery a better place to live, work and play. The Imagine II strategy is a comprehensive roadmap to take Montgomery to that next level, where we all want to be. We know that the city has come a long way in the last five years with the Chamber’s initial Imagine strategy. The highlights of the successes of that first strategy were featured in the MBJ Progress Edition (June/July). The new, five-year Imagine II strategy will lead to increased business for all of us because when the region grows and prospers we share those gains through the sale of more products and services. When new and existing companies bring people here we all benefit and that’s what the Imagine II strategy will accomplish. That is what I call a solid return on investment. We have so many wonderful things going on right now and the Imagine II strategy continues to build on that momentum. We have the political leaders, business leaders and community leaders all on the same page, working closely together to improve the lives of our citizens. I truly believe that Montgomery is poised for greatness and we have the blueprint that will guide us on that journey. I know we will get there because of our partnerships. Not only does it make good business sense to invest in the Imagine II strategy, but it is also the right thing to do. A lot of us in the business community have been blessed with various degrees of success. We need to pay our civic rent and give back to the community, which has so generously given to us. Please invest in the Imagine a Greater Montgomery II strategy. It will make Montgomery and the River Region an even better place to live, work and raise a family.

• Save Thousands on Select GM and Pre-Owned Vehicles • Save Up to 15% on Wireless Services • Discounts at Over 1200 Online Retailers What’s more, we can do all the legwork and paperwork for you on-site at your business. To learn more about how we can help you help your employees, call Jessica Pigg, Business Development Director, at 834-4494.

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

Larry D. Puckett, 2011 Chairman of the board Montgomery area chamber of commerce

Calendar Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Events

OCTOBER 3

NOVEMBER 1

WOMEN IN BUSINESS ANNUAL GATHERING Presenting Sponsor: Southeast Cherokee Construction, Inc. 5:30 PM @ Wynlakes Golf & Country Club 7900 Wynlakes Boulevard, Montgomery Registration: www.montgomerychamber.com/wibgathering

612 7

FREEDOM ISN’T FREE! MILITARY APPRECIATION INITIATIVE Presenting Sponsor: Dreamland Bar-B-Cue Sunday, November 6 – Saturday, November 12

60 MINUTE COFFEE Sponsored by Guardian Credit Union 8 AM @ Guardian Credit Union 418 Madison Avenue, Montgomery Free event, exclusively for Chamber Members

EGGS & ISSUES WITH CONGRESSWOMAN TERRI SEWELL 7:30 AM @ RSA Activity Center 201 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery Registration: www.montgomerychamber.com/sewell

POINT OF LIGHT AWARD RECEPTION 5 PM @ Union Station 300 Water Street, Montgomery Registration: www.montgomerychamber.com/light

BUSINESS PLANNING SEMINAR 4 PM @ Small Business Resource Center 600 South Court Street, Montgomery $10 at the door, Registration not required

12 17

60 MINUTE COFFEE Sponsored by Trenholm State Technical College, 8 AM @ Trenholm State Technical College Harper’s (Culinary Arts Department) 8 Commerce Street, Montgomery Free event, exclusively for Chamber Members SMALL BUSINESS LOAN CLINIC 12 Noon @ Small Business Resource Center, 600 South Court Street, Montgomery, Free event, exclusively for Chamber Members BUSINESS PLANNING SEMINAR 4 PM @ Small Business Resource Center 600 South Court Street, Montgomery $10 at the door, Registration not required

BUSINESS TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT SERIES Presenting Sponsor: The Deli at Alley Station 12 PM – 1 PM @ Small Business Resource Center, 600 South Court Street, Montgomery Registration: www.montgomerychamber.com/octtraining

BUSINESS TAXATION WORKSHOP Two Sessions: 3 PM & 6 PM @ Small Business Resource Center 600 South Court Street, Montgomery Free event, open to the public

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Sponsored by Berney Office Solutions 5 PM @ Berney Office Solutions 209 Gunn Road, Montgomery Free event, exclusively for Chamber Members

Convention Calendar

RIVER REGION ECONOMIC SUMMIT 7:30 AM @ Renaissance Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center 201 Tallapoosa Street, Montgomery Registration: www.aum.edu/theforum

BUSINESS PLANNING SEMINAR 4 PM @ Small Business Resource Center 600 South Court Street, Montgomery $10 at the door, Registration not required

compiled by the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

10/10-10/12

Alabama Association of Housing Authorities Workshop

11/ 2 - 11/ 4

Gulf Region Intelligent Transportation Society Meeting

10/15-10/19

Southeast Regional Institute on Deafness Conference

Beasley Allen Legal Conference

10/18-10/22

Alabama Society of Professional Land Surveyors Meeting

11/16-11/19 11/30-12/3

10/25-10/29

Alabama Workforce Development

Alabama Education Association Delegate Assembly

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

TOUCHING LIVES Q&A with JIM BYARD, JR.

Jim Byard Jr., former Prattville mayor, is director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. He was recently interviewed by Montgomery Business Journal Managing Editor David Zaslawsky. Montgomery Business Journal: What are your responsibilities as director of Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA)?

Jim Byard Jr., director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, oversees a $374 million budget.

Byard: The director of ADECA is a Cabinet-level position so I report to the governor and work for the governor. I help promote Gov. (Robert) Bentley’s initiatives where ADECA is involved. ADECA was established in the early 1980s. In simple terms, we manage federal dollars that come into the State of Alabama. By managing them, we distribute those federal dollars – most of the time competitively – to cities, towns and non-profits across our state. MBJ: When you say competitively, do those entities compete against one another for those federal dollars? Byard: Yes, they compete. MBJ: What is the size staff that you oversee? Byard: We are about 209 souls today. MBJ: What is the agency’s annual budget?

Byard: Our annual operating budget last year was about $450.3 million. This year our budget is going to be $374 million. About 95 percent of our budget is federally funded. MBJ: Please talk about the agency’s mission: “Building Better Alabama Communities.” What does that mean? Byard: What I tell folks when I’m speaking at civic clubs is that the programs that we help manage across the state touch every citizen in Alabama every day. Most of the time you don’t know you have been touched by ADECA. We have an energy division, LETS division, which is law enforcement and traffic safety; work force development division, communications division, community and economic development division and surplus division. For example, Click It and Ticket It campaigns – most people are familiar with the campaigns across the state – are funded through the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute and the Governor’s Office on Highway Safety. A local police department – say the Montgomery Police Department or the Millbrook Police Department or State Troopers get grant funding for the Click It and Ticket It campaign through the LETS division of ADECA. MBJ: Do you have another example of how ADECA touches citizens? Byard: If you move over to our energy division, there is the very popular appliance rebate program. If a citizen of Alabama goes somewhere and buys an energy star/energyefficient appliance, they are eligible for a rebate for a dishwasher, a washing machine, a dryer, an air conditioner. We manage the rebate program. We manage the community action programs. There are federal dollars that come into our state and then we disperse those to the community action agencies that are all across the State of Alabama.

MBJ: Do you have an example of a community action agency?

dollars. There are certain things we can do and certain things we cannot do.

MBJ: How much did the communities pay for all that equipment?

Byard: An example would be the Autauga Elmore Community Action that helps the (most needy) people across the state. We receive federal dollars from the community service block grants and those filter down to the community action agencies. A good example locally is Golden Boy Foods in Troy. They are using a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to upgrade sewer lines for that industry. That company is coming (130 jobs) because of CDBG funding that we were able to provide to that community. In work force development, we provide the federal dollars from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). WIA money comes to the State of Alabama and actually comes to ADECA – we are the fiscal agent – we then contract with different entities. The predominate entity being the two-year colleges. We also work very closely with the Department of Industrial Relations’ (DIR) rapid response. When a company announces it’s closing we actually go with DIR to the site, evaluate employees that are losing their jobs. Our folks would be able to – hopefully – find them other skills. We really do touch a lot of lives every day.

MBJ: What are some other things you can do with infrastructure?

Byard: Normally, we charge that community a transportation cost and a unit price. Gov. Bentley authorized us in communities that were declared disaster areas to offer them equipment at no cost until they don’t need it. Once they determine they don’t need it, they can either return it to us or purchase it at the transportation cost.

MBJ: People don’t realize that. Byard: Back in the early ’80s, the state had an Office of Technology, Office of Planning, Office of Energy, so we started getting a lot of federal dollars coming to the state. The Legislature created ADECA and we’re an actually arm of the Governor’s Office. We take those federal dollars and ensure that they are spent wisely and we have monitors that go out and check all of our programming. A good number of our folks make sure that communities are spending those federal dollars wisely because if they are not, then we are the responsible party for the state. We have to repay those dollars. We manage the Land-Water Conservation Fund and the Recreational Trails program. MBJ: Do you have an example? Byard: A community may have gotten a grant for a park. Even 30 years after the funding, the community cannot take that park over and say they want to put an industrial park there.

Byard: We can do site improvements. We can do roadway improvements. We can do water line improvements. Often times a company needs certain fire protection so they may need a water tank on the site. We do a lot of rail spurs. MBJ: What about some other areas ADECA is involved in? Byard: We have a strong BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) initiative in all of our military communities – Huntsville with Redstone and Montgomery with Maxwell and in the Wiregrass with Fort Rucker. Again, we are touching a lot of lives and as I tell folks the average citizen doesn’t know and doesn’t need to know what ADECA is and who ADECA is. I promise you that the mayor of every city in Alabama; the probate judge or commission chairman of every county commission knows about ADECA and knows about our programs. Our surplus property program – we are the depository of the state’s property. That means everything as simple as this chair to a vehicle that the governor rides in… when it’s time for that vehicle or for that chair to go somewhere it goes to the ADECA state surplus. We offer that for sale to cities and counties and nonprofits. They can purchase office equipment. They can purchase vehicles. If the (item) does not sell, three times a year we have a public auction. Surplus is not one of those things that’s an everyday occurrence, but after the April 27 tornadoes and communities had public works’ facilities blown away and they had city halls blown away, they still have to have City Council meetings; County Commission meetings. We were able to provide a table like this one, where a small community could put it in their community room that they still had and it could become their council chambers so they have a temporary structure. We were able to provide temporary housing. We were able to provide police units for communities; scoop loaders; a tremendous amount of generators; air conditioning units.

MBJ: The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) will allocate $31.3 million to Alabama, which was designed to create new private sector jobs. I read where ADECA will use these funds to launch three new small business lending programs: the Alabama Capital Access Program, the Alabama Loan Guarantee Program and the Alabama Loan Participation Program. Please talk about the importance of these lending programs and how soon will the money be available? Byard: We are in the extreme infancy of this program. We are working on hiring a coordinator (by December). What these programs will do is not only help new start-up companies, but also help existing companies that may be struggling. We already run a float loan program for existing companies. This will complement our float loan program. We generally run the float loan program with the assistance of local partners, which are the 12 regional local councils of government. MBJ: Alabama received a large share of the SSBCI money ($31.3 million) compared with Louisiana ($13.2 million); Mississippi ($13.2 million); Virginia ($18.0 million); Oregon ($16.5 million); and Tennessee ($29.7 million). Even Texas, with a much larger economy than Alabama, received ($46.6 million). Why did Alabama receive so much? Continued on page 10

MBJ: When you were talking earlier about Golden Boy Foods, are ADECA funds just used for infrastructure? Byard: Yes. We work very closely with ADO (Alabama Development Office) and other state agencies to help facilitate infrastructure

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

Continued from page 9

Shabbir Olia, program manager for community and economic development programs: I don’t know why it happened. It is possible that it may have something to do with economic numbers and if that being the case, I don’t know what numbers they used. They may have used a formula that benefited Alabama. MBJ: A press release stated Alabama expects to generate a minimum “bang for the buck” of at least $10 in new private lending for every $1 in federal funding, which turns that $31.3 million to more than $313 million in new private lending in that state. Why would that happen? Is that some basic formula? Byard: We will partner local banks and the SSBCI will be a strong financial partner. Olia: There will be (big) banks like BB&T and Wells Fargo and community banks. We expect the loans to be $100,000, $250,000. They can go up to $5 million. We expect the loans to be for working capital or a line of credit. These are the areas that small businesses are having difficulty right now. MBJ: Are you saying that with more federal funds, the local banks will be more likely to lend? Byard: That’s the idea. We will manage the program. MBJ: Let’s say that the initiative does generate $313 million in new private lending in Alabama. How many jobs would that create?

If we tell somebody we are going to do something we have to do it and we have to do it better than what we told them. 10

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

Olia: We are looking at about 10,000 jobs when we are done with this (program) by 2017. If we are able to get all this money out over the next couple of years and we start rolling over some of this money, then the end result could actually be significantly more. Byard: Our goal is to get my boss a paycheck. (Bentley has said he will not take a paycheck until the state reaches full employment, which is about a 5.2 percent jobless rate.) We work every day in all of the programs that we help manage – we are looking toward job creation. That’s vitally important. We joke about the salary for Gov. Bentley. We have three underlying goals. One is to be userfriendly. One is to act locally and that means that something that works or is needed in Marshall County may not work or be needed in Monroe County. We have to be mindful that the local leadership in those cities and towns determine what works in those cities and towns. The third is what we call we have to under-promise and over-deliver. If we tell somebody we are going to do something we have to do it and we have to do it better than what we told them. We remind our division chiefs, program managers and employees of ADECA every day that those are the three things that we want our people thinking about when they are dealing with communities. We get an infinite number of requests and we have 105 members of the Alabama House of Representatives; 35 Alabama senators; and we have two United States senators and seven U.S. congressmen. We get an infinite number of requests from mayors and commissions, cities and towns and counties across the state. We have a finite number of dollars. We have to put all those requests into the bowl. We have to use those three things. MBJ: Do all those people and entities compete for the same dollars? Byard: They do. We are in the process of City CDBG (community development block grants) for next year. We received over 100 applications for CDBG dollars and of those we are going to award $23 million. Most of those grants are going to be in the neighborhood of $250,000 to $500,000. We have to evaluate each of those grants. A good number of our grants have tremendous federal restrictions.

MBJ: When you evaluate the requests, are you looking for getting the most bang for your buck? Byard: That goes back to that acting locally. For example, Vanity Fair had 150 employees in Hackleburg (75 percent destroyed by the April tornado). They are adding 50 more employees with the rebuild in a town of about 1,500 folks. That Vanity Fair rebuild is HMMA (Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama) to Hackleburg and Marion County. Those 200 jobs – that’s their bread-and-butter for that community. This may sound trivial, but I sent an e-mail to all employees of ADECA and I reminded them of the importance that they actually saved a community and saved a way of life for an entire town by assisting (with other state agencies). We do want the biggest bang for our buck, but at the same time when we’re working in Hackleburg, we’re working in Pike County on the Golden Boy Foods; we’re working projects all over with ADO in communities large and small. We have been tasked by Gov. Bentley to lead the long-term community recovery effort in the communities that were affected by tornadoes. That’s where you’re talking about communities like Ider

up in DeKalb County, which is a tiny, tiny area. There is an area in Clarke County that is not incorporated and then you have Pratt City or Tuscaloosa – highly, highly urbanized areas. They have different needs. Some of those communities in long-term community recovery don’t have an engineering/planning department. They don’t have building inspection. They don’t have zoning. They need assistance in those ways. Then you get to a more urbanized area and they may not need as much technical assistance, but they may need assistance in other ways. We try to tailor the programs with the local leadership. MBJ: Has 2011 been a successful year and how do you measure success? Byard: I started 2011 in one job and ending with another job. On the 100th day of Gov. Bentley’s administration and his Cabinet I came the same day he did – we all got here on Feb. 17 – we had goals; I had goals; and our senior management team here at ADECA discussed goals and just had organized for the quadrennium and then we had the tornado. That knocked everybody – literally and figuratively – to our knees. After being tasked for long-term community recovery we

now are just beginning to focus on the goals for ADECA for the rest of the quadrennium. They are simple: They are to continue doing what works, to improve, and one area you will see is our website. We are expecting to launch a new website the first of the year. Our website is an old tool and it needs to be new and fresh. Websites are an ever-changing business card and if you go to the ADECA website, you wouldn’t go back. In 2012, our website should be very userfriendly. We should have every grant that we have the ability to fund. You should be able to see where we funded grants. It ought to be very interactive. Our website is a calling card that we have not used to its fullest potential. We have to manage well. We are living in a different time, where our mainstay federal programs are seeing reductions. We have to Continued on Page 12

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

We touch a lot of lives in a lot of different ways Continued from page 11

manage for those reductions. There are folks who have been at ADECA for a very long time and they have not seen these types of reductions in federal programs. It is what it is and we have to realize that we have to change with the times. Sometimes that is difficult in government. Our goal is to move forward and assist the other agencies in creating jobs. One of the governor’s very first executive orders to all departments was to provide him with the ways your department can create additional private sector jobs. We’ve fulfilled that executive order with a report. The Small Business Credit Initiative, the float loan programs, the Alabama Saves program.

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

MBJ: What is the Alabama Saves program? Byard: The Alabama Saves program (allows) a company to come in and provide energy upgrades at very low-interest loans. Those are ways that ADECA can effectively assist companies in continuing to exist here in Alabama and hopefully hire more employees. We work with that Incumbent Worker program and others. We work closely with Ed Castile and his shop at AIDT (Alabama Industrial Development Training). We work closely with ATN (Alabama Technology Network), ADO and Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. All of the programs that assist in job creation, we are (partners). ADECA is very involved in the Economic Development Association of Alabama. We touch a lot of lives in a lot of different ways. •

Gaining Women In Business Forum nurtures young female professionals by David Zaslawsky

The Women in Business Forum is many things to many people, but it may have been best summed up by the organization’s steering committee chair, Robin Barca. Writing in the group’s monthly newsletter, a new product this year for the Women in Business Forum, Barca wrote, “Recognizing the magic of our journey. Acknowledging those special women who have helped us

photos by Robert Fouts

along the way. Providing times for us to interact with each other. Serving our city in meaningful and purposeful ways. Offering experiences for young business women in our community that are eager for professional development and new opportunities. When Barca, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Baptist Health and CEO of Baptist Medical Center South, talks about

the Women in Business Forum you can feel the energy and enthusiasm. She is excited about the newsletter, which also promotes Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce events. “This is a way for us to get the word out to female leaders that there are other opportunities for you to come together Continued On page 14

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

Women in Business Annual Gathering When

Nov. 3 Where

Wynlakes Golf & Country Club

Cost

Chamber member - $25 Non-Chamber member - $35

corporate discount for 5 tickets - $100

5:30 p.m

Registration

5:30 p.m.-6 p.m.

Networking/reception

6 p.m.-6:45 p.m.

Opening remarks, keynote speaker and ATHENA Award presentation

6:45 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Networking ice breaker, reception

7:30 p.m.

Closing remarks Door Prizes will be awarded periodically throughout the evening For information

Bonnie Evans at (334) 240-9299 or bevans@montgomerychamber.com

Note: Agenda is tentative

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

Continued from page 13

and meet others who are leaders in the community. There are opportunities for you to network and get involved.” Barca said that a steering committee member may be featured in future newsletters for “an opportunity to have a discussion with them about their journey in leadership; what it’s been like to be a woman on the rise; what the challenges are; and what they learned in the process.” The organization, which is a Chamber initiative, is evolving. There will likely be gettogethers for a breakfast or lunch, “where women can talk about ways that we can improve what it is that we are doing with the Women in Business Forum,” Barca said. “The opportunity to get together with other female business leaders has been limited. The Women in Business Forum has increased that opportunity.” There is also an emphasis on bringing young female professionals into the group. The organization has reached out to the leadership of Emerge, a young professionals’ group, as well as the members. “We have encouraged them to get involved in some of the Lunch & Learn events that we have,” Barca said. Barca said the organization will likely expand its community service role. The steering committee donated equipment and supplies to One Place Family Justice Center and helped decorate the facility for Christmas. “We’ve begun to talk a little bit about how we might reach out to junior high or high school young ladies and have opportunities to encourage them to consider furthering their education and becoming a leader in business,” Barca said.

Robin Barca

Now, the Women in Business Forum is concentrating on its Annual Gathering, scheduled for Nov. 3 at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club. Nearly 275 attended last year’s event and Barca expects 300-plus at next month’s fourth Annual Gathering. “It is our signature event,” Barca said. “As the attendance increased at the Annual Gathering so did the interest of the women who come and participate. They are asking for more opportunities to come together and network.” This is the second year that the ATHENA Award will be presented at the Annual Gathering. Last year’s inaugural recipient was Doni Ingram, former director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. The award is presented to a woman who has “demonstrated excellence, creativity and initiative in her business and profession; provided valuable community service and assisted women in attaining their leadership potential.” There were more nominations for the award this year, Barca said. “We are getting the word out that this is a significant award,” she said. “The names (nominations) that were shared at our committee meeting were really impressive women.”

For Barca, recognizing senior female leaders is important, but she said some may feel uncomfortable being recognized. “For us it’s about serving, but if I look externally and think about the importance of recognizing female leaders for the community and for other business leaders to understand the significant impact that women can make in leadership, then yes, there is an absolute advantage to it.” She said female leaders are frequently in the No. 2 spot in a company. “They are not necessarily the CEO and certainly not necessarily the ones chosen to be on boards, but they can be highly effective in their roles. “They tend to be more internally focused on their organization. Also, they are probably doing more hands-on community service vs. leadership roles. There is an untapped advantage out there and as a community we haven’t fully (utilized it). The Women in Business Forum helps women leaders to get more recognition for them; the understanding that they are out there; and they do have gifts and talents that can be useful.” •

Keynote speaker will deliver Wright approach by David Zaslawsky Motivational speaker, trainer, and diversity consultant Brenda White Wright is the keynote speaker Nov. 3 at the Women In Business Forum Brenda White Wright Annual Gathering at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club. Wright has 40-plus years of experience in business management, servant leadership, board and organizational development, human resources, education, multicultural issues, race relations, youth initiatives, community relations, resource development, radio and television. Along the way, her impressive list of clients includes the Tennessee Department of Education, South Carolina Department of Education, University of Kentucky, Oklahoma Departments of Mental Health and Human Services, United Way of America, The Association of Junior Leagues International, McDonnell Douglas, Sprint, Head Start, Job

Corps, Johnson Controls, and YWCA, not to mention a host of other organizations. Her website displays the most-requested topics for her speeches, which are leadership, motivation, diversity, empowerment and professional development. The Wright approach on the website is “providing life improvement strategies for personal and professional success.” Wright, who received a bachelor’s degree in business and communications at East Tennessee State University, has delivered speeches and trained thousands of students, educators, parents, professionals and volunteers. She has a master’s degree in reading and storytelling and a doctorate degree in educational leadership, all from East Tennessee State University. She has served on numerous boards of directors from a chamber group to leadership groups to Red Cross, NAACP, an arts council and Regions Bank, to name a few. •

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

Member Profile

Dee Parks is owner of Parks Pharmacy and Mamma Nem’s Restaurant.

Making a Difference Entrepreneur opens pharmacies and Mamma Nem’s restaurant by Jennifer Kornegay

photos by Robert Fouts

Dee Parks is the definition of an entrepreneur. She started and owns two pharmacies in Central Alabama (with two more set to open soon), and works as a pharmacist at the Montgomery location.

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

She also started the recently opened Mamma Nem’s restaurant in Montgomery. How she finds enough hours in each day to keep her businesses running is a mystery, but after a brief conversation with her, the inspiration behind them all is fairly easy to pinpoint. Parks is passionate about success and about improving her community. “I thought the pharmacies would be a good addition to the place I grew up in,” she said. “I believe I can be a positive role model here.” She’s worked as a pharmacist for 25 years and founded Parks Pharmacy in 2007, and while she’s faced a few challenges, she feels the business is on the right track. “Being the new kid on block in this industry has been kind of tough,” she said. “Mine is the only minority-owned, both as a female and as an African-American, pharmacy in the city. I feel that I’ve had some innovative ideas, but people are used to doing things the way they’ve always been done. Other pharmacy companies have just been around longer, so I’m looking for those that will give me an opportunity.” Parks is already using her business to give back. “I’ve allowed students to come in and work with us to get the hours they need for their pharmacy tech certificates,” she said. She explained that it’s what she likes about being a pharmacist that motivates her to help others reach the same goal. “I really like the freedom; it is a profession that allows you to leave and come back and so is very conducive to having a family,” she said. “I’m actually not married and don’t have kids, but I do like the flexibility.” When she’s not building her business at Parks Pharmacy or helping pharmacy students, she’s wearing her other hat, that of restaurateur. Parks opened Mamma Nem’s restaurant as another way to contribute to her community. “It was really my brother’s idea,” she said. “We realized that there wasn’t anything like it in the city and felt it would be a good thing, a great gathering place.” The eatery opened Thanksgiving Day in 2010, a holiday that celebrates family and food. It was fitting, as its name conjures thoughts of close relationships. “Mamma Nem is just a contraction of something a lot of us in the South say all the time — Mamma and them, meaning mamma and the rest of the family,” Parks said. “When we say it, it sounds like Mamma Nem. To this day, when I call home, I always ask, ‘Where’s mamma nem?’” Other familial touches include a black and white photo of Parks’ grandmother on the outside of the menu and family recipes on the inside. And she co-owns the restaurant with her brother. “For the dishes that are from family, they are named after those whose recipe it is,” Parks said. Items such as Flossie’s Fried Green Tomatoes, Mamma’s Chicken Tenders and others reflect the culinary talents of many aunts, uncles, cousins and more. Sides are named after area churches. The diverse menu features soul food classics - collard greens and fried chicken but also offers items such as steaks, pasta and seafood dishes, as Parks explained. “It’s soul food, but soul food with a spin,” she said. “We’ve got the traditional dishes, but we’ve got some contemporary touches, too and such a wide variety of flavors. It all has the love of soul food behind it, and that’s what makes soul food what it is.”

Parks Pharmacy Number of employees at both locations

12 Address

3323 Mulberry St., #A, Montgomery Phone number

(334) 264-1416 Address

225 Hayneville Plaza, Hayneville Phone number

(334) 548-6240 Two new locations, a second in Montgomery and one in Selma, are set to open soon. Mamma Nem’s Address

1200 Eastern Blvd. Phone number

(334) 420-6262 Number of employees

25 Open Wednesday-Sunday for lunch and dinner and features an all-you-can-eat breakfast/brunch buffet Saturday. The restaurant also has a deli and hot bar for quick take-out lunch service, provides catering and can be rented out for special events. While she insists everything on the menu is good, she did point to a particular favorite. “I’m not a cook, but I like to eat, and everything is prepared by chefs. Plus, all our veggies are cooked without meat, so they are good for vegetarians. Personally, I love the Cajun chicken pasta and the jerk chicken,” she said. Parks also designed the décor to create a welcoming, home-like atmosphere. “The style is to make you feel like you are at your house,” she said. “Most of the photos and artwork came from my house or my brother’s house.” While the first few months were challenging, Parks stressed that they’ve worked out some small kinks, and she believes the place is poised for success. “At first, there were many things we didn’t know that we didn’t know,” she said. “We’ve all done a lot of on the job training, and we had so many customers so fast. But we’ve got it now, and the crowds keep coming.” • October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

Great Expecta Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-Koo quietly visited the company’s two automotive manufacturing plants in the United States. Those plants in Montgomery and West Point, Georgia, near the Alabama border, manufacture some of the company’s best-selling vehicles. Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama produces the Hyundai Sonata and Elantra while the Kia plant produces the Kia Sorento and the Hyundai Santa Fe. During that visit against a backdrop of record-breaking sales, Chung raised the combined U.S. sales goals of Hyundai and Kia to 1.06 million vehicles – an increase of 18 percent. The automakers sold a combined 894,496 vehicles last year, including 538,228 units from Hyundai, the first time the Korean automaker topped the 500,000 plateau. Now Hyundai is expected to top the 600,000 plateau – 624,000 units to be more exact. Hyundai and Kia are certainly on pace to reach that magic 1.06 million vehicles sold in 2011. Through August, the two have combined for 772,659 sales, or more than 96,000 units a month. To reach the new

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

goal, the two combined have to average less than 60,000 units a month for four months. This year’s sales were up 21 percent compared with 2010 through August.

The 156,580 Sonatas sold in eight months is actually the vehicle’s No. 2 all-time record. Remember, there are four months to go. A record 196,623 Sonatas were sold last year.

Hyundai is expected to continue its torrid pace with the Montgomery-manufactured Sonata and Elantra leading the way. The two vehicles, with combined sales of 290,116 units in eight months, have accounted for about two-thirds of all Hyundai sales. Five of Sonata’s top-selling months have occurred this year while six of Elantra’s best-selling months and six of Hyundai’s best-selling months were also this year.

Meanwhile, the newly designed Elantra is enjoying a record-setting year with 133,536 units sold in the first eight months of the year. That is an all-time annual record with four months remaining.

“We are still seeing consumer demand increasing, with Hyundai consideration rates now at an all-time high,” Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of national sales for Hyundai Motor America, said in a statement. “This should drive continued sales momentum for Hyundai through the rest of the year even if the industry struggles a bit.”

“Continually offering consumers stylish and fuel-efficient vehicles is critical to building Hyundai’s brand momentum and generating higher traffic in dealer showrooms across the country,” said Robert Burns, senior manager of public relations and sales for Montgomery-based Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. “The Hyundai line-up is also geared toward maintaining the brand’s top position as the most fuel-efficient manufacturer in the U.S. market. The broad mix of vehicles drive traffic in Hyundai showrooms and Alabama-built vehicles are leading the way. Our team members have been working extended hours to keep up with demand

ations and they have not let safety or quality take a back seat to production during this incredible run for the Hyundai brand.” Hyundai, which sold 440,863 vehicles through August, has already reached its fifthhighest annual total ever and will move into the No. 2 all-time spot after September sales are announced. Now add the newly designed Accent, the Veloster making its U.S. debut, and the 2012 Azera, to be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. “Accent sales are up an astounding 75 percent in the first full month of deliveries and our new sub-compact is expected to become the top-selling nameplate at retail in its segment for July,” Zuchowski said. The Veloster was expected to become available by September. The new Azera, which is called the Grandeur in Korea, will actually go on sale next year and will feature the fluidic sculpture of the Sonata, Elantra and Accent, according to Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson. •

Hyundai annual sales goal rises to 624,000 vehicles by David Zaslawsky

Hyundai’s top months

Sonata annual sales

March 2011: 61,873 April 2011: 61,754 Aug. 2009: 60,467 July 2011: 59,561 May 2011: 59,214

2010: 196,623 (1) 2009: 120,028 (1) 2008: 117,357 (1) 2007: 145,568 (1) 2006: 149,513 (1) 2005: 130,365 (1) 2004: 107,189 (2) 2003: 82,330 (2) 2002: 68,085 (4 2001: 62,385 (3)

Hyundai’s annual U.S. sales

2001: 346,235 2002: 375,119 2003: 400,221 2004: 418,615 2005: 455,012 2006: 455,520 2007: 467,009 2008: 401,742 2009: 435,064 2010: 538,228

Elantra’s top months

April 2011: 22,100 Aug. 2009: 21,673 May 2011: 20,006 June 2011: 19,992 March 2011: 19,255

Sonata’s top months

Elantra annual sales/ranking

Dec. 2007: 24,872 March 2011: 22,894 May 2011: 22,754 April 2011: 21,738 Aug. 2010: 21,399

2010: 132,246 (2) 2009: 103,269 (2) 2008: 94,720 (2) 2007: 85,724 (3) 2006: 98,853 (2) 2005: 116,336 (2) 2004: 112,892 (1) 2003: 120,858 (1) 2002: 120,638 (1) 2001: 111,293 (1)

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

onthemove Josh Bush is CEO and president of the information technology company Up And Running.

Small Business Resource Center helps companies grow and prosper by David Zaslawsky

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

photos by Robert Fouts

When Josh Bush moved his information technology company Up And Running from Maryland to Montgomery he did not know the area’s movers and shakers. He located his company at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Resource Center, where he found someone to champion his firm. That someone was Douglas Jones, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce vice president of business services and executive director of the Chamber’s Small Business Resource Center (SBRC). “He helped me understand who’s who in Montgomery,” Bush said about Jones. “He introduces you and says, ‘Hey, have you met Josh Bush? He has a local IT company and does an outstanding job.’ He will tell people what the company does. “I was the new kid on the block coming from Maryland and re-establishing the business here. To have someone like Douglas sit down and go over what you actually do so he understands it and can accurately tell other people (was critical).” That was the exposure that Bush needed for his small company to grow and Jones’ words carry a lot of weight and respect in the community because he is a Chamber vice president. “I put that in the category of advocacy – advocating for our businesses,” Jones said. “Of course, we only do that when we are confident that the business can deliver what their product or service is. With that confidence in hand, we can facilitate a lot of introductions in our community a lot easier than they can make happen themselves.”

It is all part of the mentoring that goes on at the SBRC for the business clients located there as well as clients not in the incubation program. Jones said that “because we have a broader view of what is going on in the business community,” he and other Chamber staff are able to “make partnerships happen where both businesses benefit and maybe two are start-up businesses.” The ultimate goal of the incubation program at the SBRC is to nurture start-up companies and help them grow and become successful so they will move into an area office building. Bush, who is CEO and president of Up And Running, moved into the SBRC back in 2008 into a 400-square-foot office. In April of 2011, he moved his company, which has grown from five employees to 40, to a 4,000-squarefoot office on Commerce Street, the heart of Montgomery’s business district. His office is across the street from the downtown Chamber office. Bush’s own office is about twice as large as his original office space at the SBRC. That is something that Leland Talbert, president of the information technology Transcendence Inc. can relate to. He started his company in a 200-square-foot office at the SBRC and now is located in the same 15-story office building as Bush. Talbert has about 1,600 square feet of office space and is planning to double that space when some contracts come through.

“We help to facilitate the growth and development of small businesses, especially our start-up businesses,” Jones said. “As I tell our start-up businesses, it’s not our job to do the heavy lifting, but it’s our job to try and guide them and help them navigate the Montgomery business environment. That involves a lot of different things depending on the type of business.” Both Up And Running and Transcendence are Department of Defense contractors. Talbert said his company was once 100 percent DOD, but has since diversified and now about half of his business comes from civilian agencies. Transcendence, according to Talbert, is a “system integration company” that provides program management, engineering services and risk mitigation services. Meanwhile, Up and Running specializes in cyber agility, legacy modernization (modernize old applications), medical staffing and virtualization, Bush said. “As a matter of fact, I went to Transcendence because we were able to get one of those certifications that allowed us to bid on a very large contract,” Bush said. “You need to partner with multiple companies and we added Transcendence to our team to go after this project.” Continued On page 22

Talbert, who spent six years at the SBRC, began with one employee and currently has nine. He said he is planning to add another 12 employees.

Because of the Chamber’s sterling reputation, “businesses are open to our opinions and referrals for our small businesses,” Jones said.

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

Continued from page 21

The project he was talking about is a $1.8 billion contract. Three years ago, his firm had about $400,000 in sales. That $1.8 billion contract will not be awarded until June. Talbert said that the SBRC staff “walk with you and work with you in development.” He described a hands-on approach, “but they don’t tell you how to run your business.”

Leland Talbert is president of Transcendence, an information technology company.

He attended and graduated from the Chamber’s 12-week intensive Entrepreneurial University and then moved into an office at the SBRC. He took advantage of the expert advice of the Chamber staff as well as Service Corps of Resource Executives counselors and other resource clients at the SBRC. He also talked to former SBRC clients such as the highly successful

“When you’re talking about the Small Business Resource Center you’re talking about a low cost step-in to a professional office building,” - Leland Talbert, president, Transcendence, Inc.

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

Integrated Computer Solutions and Advanced Computer Technologies. Bush said he also benefited from attending the CEO Roundtable discussions at the SBRC and he met his accountant at the SBRC – Wealth Management Partners. Both companies took advantage of the SBRC’s low costs for the office space and amenities. That certainly came in handy for Talbert, who said he had to delay enrolling in the Entrepreneurial University because he didn’t have the $200 fee. “When you’re talking about the Small Business Resource Center you’re talking about a low cost step-in to a professional office building,” Talbert said. Bush said his company did not require “a lot of capital in the initial stages, but from a rent perspective, it allowed us to get the space we needed at a reduced rate. That allowed me to hire the people I needed or actually add more capability to the company. You could laser in on things that you knew would bear fruit.” Up And Running and Transcendence have come a long way from their respective days at the SBRC. Bush was excited about his spacious, 10th-floor office across from the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center and could not wait to entertain clients from the Air Force Information Technology Conference at the Renaissance. “We have a booth there (AFITC),” Bush said. “We can invite our clients over to showcase our capabilities and conduct our marketing strategy right across the street.” •

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

Three of the River Regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shakers and movers are (from left) Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange; Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean, Sr. and Larry Puckett, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.

Imagine a Greater Montgomery II provides a blueprint for the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success by David Zaslawsky photos by Robert Fouts

IMAGINE A GREATER MONTGOMERY I GOALS Goal 1: Champion public education and build a competitive workforce Goal 2: Strengthen the Montgomery regional economy Goal 3: Transform the image of Montgomery Goal 4: Embrace diversity and enhance leadership capacity

IMAGINE A GREATER MONTGOMERY II GOALS Goal 1: Achieve educational excellence and develop competitive regional talent Goal 2: Diversify economic growth Goal 3: Accelerate revitalization and achieve quality of place Goal 4: Build community capacity, engagement and image

Political leaders gather monthly around the large table in the Blount Boardroom of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. There, over grits, scrambled eggs, bacon, cups of coffee and glasses of orange juice the leaders take turns chatting about what is going on in the region. Although the sessions are informal and the media are present, the discussions are both substantive and serious. In addition to talking about some individual issues, the group quickly became cohesive when the subject of Garrett Coliseum’s fate came up. Nobody at the table, from the city and county to the state Senators and state Representatives, from Democrat and Republican, wanted to see that 60-year-old facility become vacant because of funding issues. They joined forces and offered to support one another to ensure that Garrett Coliseum not only survives, but thrives. They came up with a short-term fix while continuing to work on a permanent solution. “In the past you probably had one or two people making decisions and the other people being left out,” said Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean. “You learn from corporate America that you need to be inclusive with your team members and that everybody is a player. Everybody needs to be around the table to give input.

The brainstorming process has to do with communication – good listening.” Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce President Randall L. George talked about that dynamic of political leaders working together. “I think a great deal of that has to do with buying into a common vision for economic growth and very simple and plain communication among peers,” George said. “When you have elected officials sit down at the table and have genuine dialogue that continues over time, it doesn’t mean that everyone will agree on strategies. What it does do is provide a forum for people to say, ‘Well, we can’t really agree on that topic so let’s set that aside and let’s talk about these other issues that we can agree on.’ You have a level of respect that leads to action on challenging issues that generally result in a positive outcome.” That spirit of partnership – of being on the same page – has brought Montgomery to a special time that is not overlooked by political leaders and the business community. When Kenny Coleman, the former Alabama Power vice president for the Southern Division, was promoted, he sent a letter of resignation to Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman Larry Puckett. Coleman was the Chamber vice chairman at the time and would have become chairman in January. “I truly believe that Montgomery is in a fantastic strategic position right now – with public and private leadership working phenomenally to move this community forward,” Coleman wrote. That sentiment is echoed time and time again. “Everything is starting to line up,” Puckett said. “If we don’t (mess) this up, we could be in really, really great shape five years from now.… If we can’t move the needle and take Montgomery to the next level, we probably won’t have the stars lined up this good for us again.”

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said city, county, state, business community and board of education “are all aligned and we have a window of opportunity to move the ball downfield.” L-R: Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange; Elton Dean, Montgomery County Commission Chairman; and Larry Puckett, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.

For Dean, he compares these unprecedented times to a motor. “Whether they have six cylinders or eight cylinders, all the cylinders are working,” he said. “We have all these entities around the table trying to make it a better Montgomery and a better state as a whole.” Strange, who was Montgomery County Commission chairman before becoming mayor, has a special relationship with Dean. The two grew up in the Bell system where training and teaching employees how to be a manager were stressed. They worked together five years at the Montgomery County Commission. “Not only did we forge that relationship there, I know what the activities of the county can be,” Strange said. I know what the city can do. If you put that knowledge together – that is a powerful alliance. We have just a handshake agreement that what we do is 60-40,” he said, referring to economic development projects that the city funds 60 percent and the county funds 40 percent. Remember that Strange is a former director of the Alabama Development Office, the state’s foremost economic development agency. Dean said that his relationship with Strange is a big advantage when it comes to those economic development projects. “We always say that we are joined at the hip because we do understand what economic development can bring,” Dean said. “We understand what the best public school system can bring to us. We understand what jobs can bring to us. “We understand business and we are able to work so closely with the Chamber. We understand the business process. We understand business people’s goals and objectives.” What can be accomplished when all those entities are working together? “There is nothing that can’t happen,” said Randall L. George, president of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. “We must take advantage of this opportunity, which is perhaps even a once-in-alifetime opportunity. Certainly, it’s a career opportunity for many of us to exploit this and make Montgomery and the River Region the exceptional place that we all know it can be.”

Return on investment Business community, organizations reap benefits Supporting Chamber five-year strategy by David Zaslawsky To say that the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce’s Imagine a Greater Montgomery was a successful strategy that brought meaningful improvements and change to the region would be an understatement. The five-year strategy, which was implemented from 2007-2011, played a significant role in attracting and retaining thousands of jobs; creating seven Career Academies in the Montgomery Public Schools system; engaging young professionals to stay in the area; and all the while helping to create a better image of Montgomery. The city has dramatically progressed the past five years into a more vibrant Montgomery thanks in part to the Chamber’s comprehensive Imagine a Greater Montgomery strategy coupled with its well-orchestrated behind-the-scenes effort. The impressive list of highlights from 2007-2011 are far too numerous to include in this article, but here some: Montgomery landed the state’s economic development jewel last year when Hyundai Heavy Industries announced it was building a $125 million facility at Interstate Industrial Park and would create 1,000 jobs. The local company is called Hyundai Power Transformers USA. Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) announced a $173 million renovation/expansion of an engine plant and would add 214 jobs. That was in addition to an earlier $270 million investment for a second engine plant, which resulted in 522 jobs. MOBIS Alabama, the largest Tier 1 supplier to HMMA, has also announced several expansion projects with a combined total capital investment of more than $100 million and creation of about 400 jobs.

GenPak invested $3.1 million in its facility to produce new food-service containers and planned to add 40 jobs. Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. moved its corporate headquarters from Birmingham to Montgomery, creating about 35 high-paying jobs. The media company is one of the first tenants in the 12-story, $190 million RSA Dexter Avenue Office Building, which has almost 350,000 square feet of office space. BB&T is moving its regional headquarters from Interstate Office Park to RSA’s new office building. Hausted Patient Handling Systems decided to remain in Montgomery, invest $3.1 million to renovate a facility and keep nearly 50 jobs here. Dow Corning created 30-plus jobs as part of a $30 million investment to increase capabilities at its Montgomery plant. Even during a slow economic recovery, Montgomery County ranked No.1 in the state for new industry job announcements in 2010 and capital investment. From residential developments to retail to renovating long-vacant buildings on historic Dexter Avenue, the city has been transformed the past five years. During the span, Montgomery positioned itself as a tourist destination and a convention market for events with 400 to 600 delegates. That was not the case before the 342-room Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center opened in February 2008 with 100,000-plus square feet of meeting space. Across the street, the 86room Hampton Inn and Suites opened Continued on page 29

Continued on page 28

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

‘So goes education, so goes Montgomery’ by David Zaslawsky Political leaders and the business community are keenly aware that improving the educational system will take Montgomery to that desired next level. Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange and Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean have frequently said, “So goes education, so goes Montgomery.” Dean said, “Education has got to be a top priority and not only public education, but private and home schooling. We wrap our arms around all education because when Hyundai and these other big businesses come to town… we need to make sure that we have the education system that these companies need.” Improving the public education system was one of the four goals in the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce’s five-year Imagine a Greater Montgomery strategy. Not surprisingly, it is one of the four goals in the Chamber’s new five-year Imagine a Greater Montgomery II strategy. “We have spent a great deal of time working with the school system on strategic planning, leadership training and a number of targeted projects… specifically, major structural changes like the Career Academies that have been put into the high schools,” said Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce President Randall L. George. “All of these things we believe over time will make meaningful changes in the system. We are proud of the efforts that have been made in that regard. There is no quick-fix in public education that we’re aware of. With

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

committed public officials and the business community, we believe we can make public education something that everyone can be proud of in the city.” There have been numerous successes in the Montgomery Public Schools system including an increased graduation rate; more students taking Advanced Placement courses; and more passing the AP tests for college credit. Loveless Magnet High School was named one of the top schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report and Booker T. Washington Magnet High School was also ranked among the country’s best schools. More than 600 students are enrolled in the district’s seven Career Academies and there are plans for additional Career Academies. New schools have been built and a new eastside high school is scheduled to open in 2013. “The education system is not the same education system it was three or four years ago,” said Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Larry Puckett. “We are seeing results. Everybody has a vision on where we want to be and we are not there yet, but we’re steadily gaining on it. The Chamber has led the charge on how we can best improve education.” Strange applauded the Career Academies and the magnet programs, which have about 2,500 students. “We’ve spent the last few years working on reorganization; working on facilities; and getting new infrastructure in place,” Strange said. “Now we have to focus on the classroom. We have to focus on educating our kids. We have to focus on improving what happens in the classroom. We need more magnet programs. We need the international baccalaureate program.”•

Continued from page 26

The Chamber’s Imagine a Greater Montgomery II strategy is a five-year blueprint to move the region to that next level that both political and business leaders ascribe to. That strategy, which painstakingly sought input from a very diverse group, is the shared vision of making Montgomery a better place to live, work and play. “I think the shared vision is largely defined by the Imagine strategy itself that maps out how we go about improving the economic well-being and quality for life for our citizens,” George said. Strange said the Imagine a Greater Montgomery II strategy “is so aligned with what we are trying to do as a city that we adopted it as our strategic plan. If we can work those areas (economy, education, leadership/diversity and transforming the city’s image), then we’re a better city. “Previously, the city has not been involved in the strategic plan. We’ve embraced it. We’ve had elements of our leadership at the Cabinet-level involved in it. We will embrace it, adopt it and lend every support we can to make it a reality.” That shared vision for Strange is about jobs “because if you create jobs that makes the world go around. It makes taxation better; your revenue stream better; it makes your education system better because you have

some money to fund it. If your educational system is better it produces trainable and trained workers, which is the secret to having new jobs. It’s an unbroken circle.” Dean talked about Montgomery being “one big house.” He said, “EastChase is one side and that’s how we all want Montgomery to be. So what do we do? We want a greater Montgomery so we use EastChase as a template and everything out east is a template. “So what do we do? We revitalize downtown; we revitalize West Montgomery. We have that whole house being so complete that anybody can shut their eyes and choose any room they want to sleep in.” Strange recalled a conversation from someone who said that “Montgomery has been moving in the right direction for a good bit of time, but we’ve been driving with our foot on the brake. All we are trying to do is lighten up that brake and let us get some momentum going. It’s not speeding down recklessly, but it’s that measured incremental things that we’re doing.” Puckett said now the community needs to implement and execute the Imagine II strategy. “We have really got some golden opportunities for this entire area,” Puckett said. We have a solid base – we are not starting from ground zero. We already have the foundation up and now we’ve got to add some framing walls and get the roof on. “You want to make Montgomery a place that (a) you want to live and raise your family and you want to make it a place where the young people that are here want to come back (after college). “For us to be the kind of community we want to be – we’ve got some work to do. We’ve never had a better chance than where we are right now.” •

Continued from page 27

six months after the Renaissance. More than 1,400 hotel rooms and 15 hotels were added from 2007-2011, a nearly 25 percent increase. Montgomery now has around 7,000 hotel rooms. The number of conventions grew and room demand increased by 80,000 from 2007-2010. All of those conventioneers and visitors needed places to go and things to do, so The Alley opened in the downtown entertainment district and now has four restaurants with a fifth one coming soon and an art gallery. “Think of what Montgomery would be like today had we not achieved those particular accomplishments,” said Randall L. George, president of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. “I think you can say we have done well and we’re far better off than many.” Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Larry Puckett, who owns Larry Puckett Chevrolet in Prattville, said, “If nobody in this area had made an investment to the Chamber in the first Imagine (strategy), where would we be during this economic downturn? It wouldn’t be a pretty picture. It wasn’t rosy, but it was a helluva lot better than it could have been if we had not done the things we did.” “I think it would have been a train wreck if the Chamber had not done all the good things they did. It was bad enough with the Chamber hitting on all eight cylinders.” Why should companies and organizations invest in the Chamber’s new five-year Imagine a Greater Montgomery II strategy? “Whatever makes Montgomery better makes the business community better,” Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton N. Dean, Sr. said. “It makes our education system better. It makes our recruitment tools for businesses better.”

Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said that without investing in Imagine II “we would be dying on the vine. “If we’re successful in health care improvement, in creating jobs, in improving education, reducing crime, improving our cultural well-being… any area that you talk about – if we can make a degree of difference the entire community, including those businesses will improve. They will get better employees. They’ll sell more services or more products.” Puckett, who said business owners should pay their civic rent and give back to the community, pointed out that his dealership has sold cars to companies that the Chamber helped to recruit here or assisted existing industries with expanding their operations. “I don’t look at this as a donation,” he said. “I look at his as an investment. I feel that I have more than gotten my investment back (from Imagine I strategy). “When people look at investing in Imagine II, you need to look beyond what you write your check for. You’re betting on people coming and this investment paying off. If nobody did anything, then we could do none of these programs. “I would encourage people if they haven’t considered investing in Imagine II, at least listen to Randy (George) and his story. Let him tell you some of the things that have happened.” George said, “There is a difference between a contribution and an investment. With an investment, you expect a meaningful return. The reason a company or individuals make investments in Imagine a Greater Montgomery is because of the enlightened self-interest. “They recognized that not only will they build a better economic climate and social climate for the community, but equally as important they believe that their markets will continue to grow as a result. As markets grow, your opportunity for an expanded customer base and sales also grows. It becomes a win-win for everyone.”•

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

Membership programs pay off for Wynlakes Golf & Country Club by David Zaslawsky

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

“Then you have to keep promoting to your existing members and make them your own ambassadors,” Krause said. “We try to drive value at this club. We try to offer as much value as we can. “In this world, you’ve got your family; got your job; you’ve got your church or whatever you believe in; and you’ve got your club. That’s not to say we don’t compete with the lake and beach, but the staycations have helped us the last two years when the economy tanked.” Wynlakes Golf & Country Club was not and is not immune to economic cycles and the Great Recession did hit the exclusive resort. Although the recession technically started in December 2007, Wynlakes felt the impact six months earlier, according to Brent Krause, general manager of Wynlakes Golf & Country Club and a PGA Master Professional. He said at one point membership had declined to 965. During difficult economic times, Wynlakes was competing against private school tuition, Krause said. Consumers were eliminating impulse buying as well as cutting back on going out to eat or watching a movie – or joining a country club. To combat a declining membership, Krause crafted what he called a “Preview Membership” program. Using a database of 3,000plus names, applicants were allowed to enjoy all the benefits of membership, but did not have to pay the $20,000 initiation fee. Instead, there were monthly dues of $400-plus. “After the 12 months were up, they had to make a decision whether they were going to stay and pay the initiation fee or leave,” Krause said. He was happy to report that about 70 percent of the 120 applicants decided to stay, “which is huge,” said Krause, who has been a fixture at Wynlakes for 22 years of the club’s 25-year history. He followed that successful marketing campaign with an encore program in which anyone who sponsored a new member would receive one of those very popular iPads. In this program, a prospect received a six-month trial period of paying monthly dues without the initiation fee. That program resulted in 42 new memberships.

The 1,000-plus members (about half of whom live at Wynlakes) enjoy numerous amenities, including golf and tennis, swimming, fitness facilities, hair salon, massage therapy, ballroom and restaurants. Members also have a wide variety of membership categories to choose from: resident, non-resident, 65-plus, intermediate (30-35), junior (21-29), legacy, tennis, health and social. The club’s fitness center has become a hotbed of activity with more than 70,000 documented visits a year, according to Krause. He estimated there are probably 80,000 visits a year. The club offers boot camps, youth camp in the summer, water aerobics and offers five different classes daily for its bikes. There are 12 bikes currently and plans to add three in January. That fitness center was one of two 10,000-square-foot wings added to the clubhouse back in the late 1990s. The other wing housed a men’s locker room and grill. Those two additions doubled the size of the original clubhouse, which opened in 1987. That original 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, which Krause called “adequate,” featured men’s and women’s locker rooms. When the club first opened in October 1986 all activities were conducted out of a double-wide trailer. Krause recalled that during those early days of Wynlakes, food servers brought orders to customers from a small grill. The first home was built at Wynlakes in 1986 by longtime board member Spencer Swann. Now, Wynlakes has about 1,050 homes and only 25 or so undeveloped lots. Continued on page 32

“Every person on this staff and all 1,000 people that pay dues every month are my marketing committee,” Krause said. “They are my ambassadors – my inner circle.” Krause recalled another membership program a couple of years ago when gasoline was near $4 a gallon. He said if someone sponsored a new member they received a $300 gasoline card.

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

Continued from page 31

Actually, the original site of Wynlakes was on 660 acres south of its existing site off Vaughn Road in East Montgomery. But the club’s founder, Jim Wilson Jr., who was president and CEO of Jim Wilson & Associates until his death in September 2006, wanted a larger tract of land. The club, which now sits on 1,100 acres, was first home to a chicken farm, a horse farm and a dairy farm.

Brent Krause is general manager of Wynlakes Golf & Country Club

“Some questioned building the complex out of the middle of nowhere,” Krause said, “and some called it Wilson’s folly. Vaughn Road was two lanes at the time, but Wilson’s vision became a reality.” The club celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with a bash and a tribute to its founder. Krause said the Wilson family considers Wynlakes as Jim Wilson Jr.’s legacy. Wynlakes is synonymous with an upscale lifestyle and is one of the most exclusive residential developments in the region. “I would say that Wynlakes Golf and Country Club is the focal point of Wynlakes residential

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

life,” Krause said. “It was the golf course that sold. The golf component became the conduit to sell real estate.” After the 20,000-square-foot addition to the clubhouse, Wynlakes added a 33,000-squarefoot ballroom and a massive $3.3 million zeroentry pool complete with a 20-foot slide, 132foot plume, five cabanas, shade structure and hot spa. It holds more than 200,000 gallons of water. Visits to the pool doubled from 10,000 a year to 20,000. The two projects combined cost about $12 million. At one point, the practice putting green was replaced by a courtyard, which has become a spot for weddings. The club was scheduled in October to have either a Jazz on the Green or Jazz under the Stars at the courtyard. “Our membership is very diverse; we are family oriented and we are owned by a family and are not committee driven,” Krause said. “Those are the three strengths of Wynlakes and made us what we are.” •

Member News

Business Buzz Nationally, the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the UPS Foundation teamed up to provide nearly $1.5 million in student scholarships this year, which will be distributed through state-based independent college associations around the country. The Alabama Association of Independent Colleges (AAICU) received a $31,200 scholarship grant from UPS Educational Endowment Fund. Attending the ceremony were (from left) Stan Garrett, UPS division manager; Paul Hankins, president of AAICU; and Lonzell Wilson, UPS human relations manager.

UPS AWARDS $31,200 SCHOLARSHIP GRANT TO ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES MONTGOMERY - A grant of $31,200 from the UPS Educational Endowment Fund was awarded to the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges (AAICU) in a ceremony at the Montgomery UPS offices. AAICU will distribute the contribution via UPS scholarships to students at its member independent colleges and universities in the state.

Colleges in Alabama receiving UPS scholarships this year from AAICU include Amridge University, Birmingham-Southern College, Concordia College, Faulkner University, Huntingdon College, Judson College, Miles College, Samford University, Spring Hill College, Stillman College, Talladega College, the United States Sports Academy and the University of Mobile. The UPS Educational Endowment Fund, which is held and administered by CIC, was initiated through endowment gifts from the UPS Foundation totaling $4 million and is now valued at $39 million-plus. Since its inception, this fund has awarded more than $48 million in scholarship support to 16,000-plus students nationwide. The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of

nearly 700 independent, liberal arts colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations that work together to strengthen college and university leadership, sustain high-quality education, and enhance private higher education’s contributions to society. The Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, founded in 1956, is a non-profit association whose mission is to promote and protect the interests of independent higher education in Alabama and oversee scholarship fundraising efforts for students attending each of its member schools. HMMA DONATES NINE VEHICLES FOR DRIVING TRAINING PROGRAMS MONTGOMERY – Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA), LLC provided six 2012 Sonatas and three 2012 Elantras for use in driver’s education programs in three Alabama county high schools. High schools in Bullock, Macon and Montgomery counties

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama President and CEO Y.D. Lim presented Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent with new vehicles for the district’s driver training program.

received the vehicles at the HMMA facility in Montgomery. More than 1,600 students per year will benefit from the use of these vehicles in their driver’s safety programs. The new sedans replace the nine 2006 Sonata sedans that were loaned to the high schools in 2006. “We understand there is a great need for new vehicles in the public school safe driving programs and are pleased to continue to provide these vehicles to assist in Alabama’s drivers-ed programs,” HMMA President and CEO Y.D. Lim said. “This donation is a part of our continuing efforts to support education in Alabama.”

(Continued on page 34)

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

BUSINESS BUZZ (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37) “School driver education programs are essential in developing today’s students into tomorrow’s safe, courteous and defensive drivers,” said Rick Neal, vice president of administration and general counsel for HMMA. “HMMA’s donation of these extremely safe, high-quality, and fuel-efficient vehicles will not only help to keep driver education programs operational at these high schools, but will keep the student’s as safe as they can be during the learning process, and will save the schools money in fuel costs and operational expenses.” Recipients of the vehicles for use in driver’s education courses will install a brake on the front passenger side for the course instructor.

“We are very grateful and honored by the donation of these wonderful automobiles to our driver’s education program,” Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Thompson said. “The students not only get the benefit of these fantastic cars, but they know that people and companies in the community care about them. We appreciate Hyundai for not only this donation, but their commitment to education partnerships and support of our schools.” Neal said, “Hyundai is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the River Region, with a genuine interest in safety and education in Alabama. And this is another example of our commitment to the schools and the students of these Alabama communities.”

jACKSON HOSPITAL PERFORMS REVERSE SHOULDER REPLACEMENT SURGERY MONTGOMERY – Dr. Hussein Turki recently performed one of the first reverse shoulder replacement surgeries in the River Region. This complex procedure is used to treat patients for conditions such as rotator cuff tear arthroplasty (arthritis with a large cuff defect), pseudoparalysis, and failures of surgery for arthritis and fracture management. “With this type of surgery, we are basically reversing the ball and the socket,” said Turki, a new surgeon at Alabama Orthopaedic Specialists specializing in hand and upper extremity orthopaedics.

Your employees are your most valuable asset. And when you need urgent care for on-the-job injuries and accidents, the last thing you need is an over-crowded waiting room and a long wait to slow down your business’s productivity. Luckily, Jackson Clinic Family Medicine now offers extended hours and walk-ins are welcomed so you get care for your employees without all the hassle. From drug screenings to lab tests, we also offer the medical attention you need for your employee’s health and productivity. So when healthcare can’t wait, get the right care right away.

M-F 8am-8pm • 334-240-2334

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

Surgeons performing this procedure are highly experienced in this area and have undergone extensive training. While it is a very technical procedure, the surgery takes around two hours under general anesthesia. CAPELL & HOWARD ATTORNEYS NAMED TO THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA MONTGOMERY - Eighteen attorneys from the law firm Capell & Howard, P.C. were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America. The following attorneys were named: William D. Coleman, Frank H. McFadden, William K. Martin, Bruce J. Downey, Henry C. Barnett, K. Palmer Smith, Robert T. Meadows, Henry H. Hutchinson, Shap D. Ashley, D. Kyle Johnson, Robert

BUSINESS BUZZ F. Northcutt, J. Lister Hubbard, James N. Walter, Debby D. Spain, R. Brooke Lawson, M. Courtney Williams and James M. Scott. The attorneys selected practice in the areas of arbitration, mediation, construction law, labor and employment law, family law, real estate, trusts and estates, tax law, commercial litigation, corporate law and employee benefits law. EMERGE WILL CONDUCT INAUGURAL LEAD SUMMIT MONTGOMERY – Emerge Montgomery will conduct the inaugural Learn, Expand, Achieve, Develop (LEAD) Summit at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center. Young professionals and community leaders throughout the Southeast are encouraged to

attend the event and learn how to enhance their community through personal and professional development, networking, branding, volunteerism and other critical skills. Attendees will also learn how to create and manage a young professionals’ organization and how to nurture and retain young professionals.

For information, contact Jason Goodson at (334) 799-4001 or Jason@wkupchurch.com.

Geek Factor; and Stephen Black, president and founder of Impact Alabama. There will be a roundtable discussion with Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange; Chad Emerson, director of development for the City of Montgomery; and Jim Byard Jr., director of Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. The cost for the conference is $150 until Oct. 15th. After that date, the conference will cost $200.

The event, scheduled Nov. 1315, will feature six speakers as well as breakout sessions that will be presented by both young professionals and community leaders speaking on topics such as “How to Start a Young Professional Organization,” “How to Effectively Fundraise” and “How to Become a Change Agent in Your Community.”

Ted Meadows

Emerge is a program of Leadership Montgomery and an initiative of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. Emerge is dedicated to creating opportunities for young professionals to grow, connect with the community, interact with their peers and voice their opinions.

Speakers include Jeremiah Castille, founder of the Jeremiah Castille Foundation; Peter Shankman, CEO of the

BEASLEY ALLEN ATTORNEY WILL HELP LEAD LITIGATION EFFORT MONTGOMERY - Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., attorney Ted Meadows has been chosen to help direct litigation related to hormone replacement (Continued on page 36)

tŚĂƚ͛Ɛ zŽƵƌ ŚĂůůĞŶŐĞ͍

'ĞŶĞƌĂƚŝŶŐ ƋƵĂůŝĨŝĞĚ ůĞĂĚƐ ĨŽƌ ǇŽƵƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͍ ŽŶǀĞƌƚŝŶŐ ůĞĂĚƐ ŝŶƚŽ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ͍ dƵƌŶŝŶŐ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ ŝŶƚŽ ĐůŝĞŶƚƐ͍ /ŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĐůŝĞŶƚ ƌĞůĂƚŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ͍

>Ğƚ͛Ɛ dĂůŬ ^ƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĞƐ Θ ^ŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ͗ ϭ͘ϯϯϰ͘Ϯϲϯ͘ϯϰϭϵ ŝŶĨŽΛŐƌĂƉŚŝĐƐĂŶĚŵĂŝůŝŶŐ͘ĐŽŵ

'ƌĂƉŚŝĐƐ Θ DĂŝůŝŶŐ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ͕ /ŶĐ͘ ;'D^͕ /ŶĐ͘Ϳ ŽĨĨĞƌƐ ƐŽƵŶĚ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽǀĞŶ ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĞƐ Θ ƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ Ăůů ǇŽƵƌ ĚŝƌĞĐƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚŝŶŐ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ͘ tĞ ĐĂŶ ŚĞůƉ ǇŽƵ ĨŝŶĚ ŶĞǁ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ͕ ǁŝŶ ŵŽƌĞ ƐĂůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƚŝǀĂƚĞ ƌĞƉĞĂƚ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĨĞƌƌĂůƐ͘ dŚĞ ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŝƐ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ƚƌĂŶƐĂĐƚŝŽŶĂů ǀĂůƵĞ ĂŶĚ ƌĞůĂƚŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ͘ 'D^͕ /ŶĐ͘ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐ ƚƌĂĚŝƚŝŽŶĂů ƉƌŝŶƚ ĂŶĚ ĚŝƌĞĐƚ ŵĂŝů ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĞƐ ĂůŽŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ĞǆĐŝƚŝŶŐ ĚŝŐŝƚĂů ƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂůŝǌĞĚ ƉƌŝŶƚ ĂŶĚ ĞŵĂŝů ĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶƐ͘

dĞůů ƵƐ ĂďŽƵƚ ǇŽƵƌ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ ƚŽĚĂǇ͊

'ƌĂƉŚŝĐƐ Θ DĂŝůŝŶŐ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ͕ /ŶĐ͘ ϮϬϮϲ >ŽĐƵƐƚ ^ƚƌĞĞƚ DŽŶƚŐŽŵĞƌǇ͕ > ϯϲϭϬϳ

ŝƌĞĐƚ DĂƌŬĞƚŝŶŐ ^ƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĞƐ Θ ^ŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ ϭ͘ϴϬϬ͘ϴϬϭ͘ϯϮϰϳ ǁǁǁ͘ŐƌĂƉŚŝĐƐĂŶĚŵĂŝůŝŶŐ͘ĐŽŵ

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

BUSINESS BUZZ (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35)

bringing

VALUE to communities across the Southeast for over 58 years

therapy (HRT) as part of the plaintiffs’ steering committee. Thousands of cases against drug manufacturer Wyeth Pharmaceuticals have been consolidated under U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson in the United States District Court in Arkansas.

Her retirement plans include spending more time on her favorite hobbies: fishing and antiques. “The employees who I worked with throughout the years are what I will miss most about Max,” Lovelace said.

Hormone replacement therapy was prescribed to treat the symptoms of menopause and for other off-label uses. Meadows practices in the firm’s mass torts section.

Herman Watts

WATTS RETIRES FROM ALFA INSURANCE

Gerry Lovelace

MAX CREDIT UNION CFO RETIRES AFTER 33 YEARS MONTGOMERY - Max Credit Union Chief Financial Officer Gerry Lovelace retired after 33 years.

Retai l O ffi ce WaR ehOuses apaRt ment s neW hO mes ex is ting hO mes R esO Rt s insuRance

call us at 334-277-1000 or visit aronov.com

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

Lovelace began her career as Max’s first internal auditor in March 1978. She was promoted to vice president then senior vice president of accounting in less than 10 years. She served as Max’s senior vice president of finance and CFO since 2005. At a reception held in her honor, Max President and CEO Greg McClellan praised Lovelace for her dedication to the company. “Gerry’s financial leadership for so many years has been an asset to Max,” McClellan said. “We all wish her the best as she begins a new chapter of her life.”

MONTGOMERY - After more than 33 years with Alfa Insurance, Executive Vice President of Marketing Herman Watts announced his retirement. A native of Bullock County, Watts joined Alfa in 1978 as a district manager after eight years of coaching football in Shelby County. During his time as a district manager, Watts grew his district from five agents to more than 30 and was named District Manager of the Year for 15 consecutive years. In 1996, he was inducted into the inaugural class of Alfa’s Hall of Fame. Ten years later, he received another promotion. “In 2006, I had the privilege of asking Herman to lead our sales force as executive vice president of marketing,” recalled Alfa Insurance President and CEO Jerry Newby. “During his time in that position, Alfa has set records for life insurance sales and auto units in force. Though Herman’s leadership will certainly be missed, he is leaving Alfa in the capable hands

BUSINESS BUZZ of a marketing team that shares the enthusiasm, optimism and devotion of their ‘coach.’ ” Watts said his greatest accomplishment has been helping others achieve their goals. “I’m most proud of the success of the people who I might have had a little influence on coming to the business,” Watts said. “Seeing them accomplish dreams they never thought they could and visit places they never thought they’d see is pretty special.” As Watts prepares to leave Alfa, he said he will miss the people the most. “The foundation of Alfa’s culture is based on fundamental grassroots values, centered around farm, family and faith,” Watts said. “While awards and incentive trips have been very enjoyable, they would be empty without all the people we shared them with.” Watts said he’s looking forward to catching up on things he’s missed out on over the years. He plans to reconnect with old coaching buddies, work around his house and spend time with his family.

Jeff Drury

The office will enable ITS to provide services to businesses and educational institutions throughout the Mobile and Gulf Coast areas.

Forget 1-800 numbers.

Equipped with a Network Operations Center, ITS will offer managed services such as technical support, network management, disaster recovery and backup, 24-hour network monitoring, data storage, configuration services and more to customers directly from the Mobile office. More than 18 of the company’s 128 employees work out of the Mobile office. “With our newly opened satellite office, the Information Transport Solutions team is now well-equipped to offer dedicated operations/business support services to our Gulf Coast customers,” said Jeff Drury, CEO and chief financial officer of ITS. “Over the next few months, we hope to provide businesses of every size – whether large or small – with the most current voice, video and data capabilities.” In addition, the company received Inc. 5000’s Small Business Award in 2011. It marked the fourth consecutive year that ITS received the prestigious honor.

Call Datashred directly to speak with a local voice that you can trust with your secure document destruction.

Call

or visit www.GoDatashred.com

Best Lawyers is recognized as the definitive guide to legal excellence and Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers, “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.” •

INFORMATION TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS OPENS SATELLITE OFFICE IN MOBILE WETUMPKA – Information Transport Solutions (ITS) has opened a satellite office in Mobile.

A member of NAID We recycle.

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

Members on the Move FOUR PHYSICIANS JOIN JACKSON HOSPITAL STAFF

Vladimir Zahradnik

Basil O. Burney

Brian Richardson

Hussein Turki

MONTGOMERY - Four physicians recently joined the Jackson Hospital staff in the fields of endocrinology, orthopedics, urology and vascular surgery. The four are Dr. Basil O. Burney, Dr. Brian Richardson, Dr. Hussein Turki and Dr. Vladimir Zahradnik. “We are excited to have these outstanding physicians join our medical team,” Jackson Hospital CEO Don Henderson said. “The doctors are highly skilled in their specialties and will be a great asset to the River Region community and to Jackson Hospital.”

Burney completed his fellowship in endocrinology at Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center. He also performed a fellowship in clinical hypertension at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He has conducted

several extensive research studies at John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis and Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. His specialties include the management of diabetes, thyroid and metabolic disorders.

He is located at Jackson Clinic Vascular Surgery at 1758 Park Place, Suite 300. The office phone number is (334) 293-8922. All four of the physicians are accepting new patients.

His office is at Jackson Clinic Endocrinology at 1801 Pine St., Suite 203. The phone number is (334) 293-8877. Richardson studied at Samford University in Birmingham and completed his residency at Tulane University Health Sciences Center. He also completed a general surgery internship training at the University of Florida at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Richardson is skilled in minimally invasive robotic surgical procedures using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. His additional specialties include laparoscopic, percutaneous and endourologic techniques. His office is located at Jackson Clinic Urology at 1722 Pine St., Suite 502. The phone number is (334) 293-8588. Turki is practicing at Alabama Orthopedic Specialists. He received his degree from Emory University School of Medicine and studied orthopedics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Turki completed his fellowship in hand and upper body extremities at the University of Chicago. His office is at Alabama Orthopaedic Specialists, PA at 4294 Lomac St. The phone number is (334) 274-9000. Zahradnik completed his fellowship in vascular surgery at the Cleveland Foundation and performed his general surgery residency in Birmingham at the Carraway Methodist Medical Center and Baptist Health System, where he was chief resident. His specialties include the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease through minimally invasive and endovascular techniques.

AL.COM HIRES TWO FOR MONTGOMERY REGION

Richard Behr

Natalie Wade

BIRMINGHAM Natalie Wade and Richard Behr have joined al.com. Wade, a lifelong Alabamian and recent graduate of Auburn University, has been hired as an associate editorial producer. She previously guided the Auburn Plainsman.

Behr has joined al.com’s sales force. He has more than 20 years of media sales and marketing experience and has worked in Birmingham, Nashville, Tenn., and Montgomery radio markets. Behr worked for Cumulus Radio in Montgomery and most recently was a loan officer with Equisouth Mortgage. al.com, which offers real-time updates, video and photos from events around Montgomery, has 2.8 million unique monthly visitors. MONTGOMERY METRO REALTY ANNOUNCES HIRE

Jim Beck

MONTGOMERY Montgomery Metro Realty Inc. has hired Jim Beck.

Beck, an Air Force and Department of Defense retiree, will specialize in the marketing and sales of residential properties in the Montgomery area. He is a 1973 graduate of the University of Alabama.

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

RUTLEDGE TO LEAD MARKETING FOR ALFA INSURANCE MONTGOMERY – Alfa Insurance Executive Vice Steve Rutledge President of Business Development Steve Rutledge will assume responsibility for the company’s overall marketing efforts. He will succeed Herman T. Watts, who recently retired as executive vice president of marketing. Rutledge, who previously served as Alfa’s chief financial officer and senior vice president of investments, was tapped to lead Alfa’s business development team in March 2010. As executive vice president of business development and marketing, Rutledge will have an opportunity to implement new products and processes designed to enhance customer service.

Newby said. “His team has expanded the functionality of our call center and website while developing new discounts and rewards for Alfa customers.

representatives in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. This is a great opportunity to enhance Alfa’s focus on product improvement and customer service.”

“Steve also has enhanced marketing by leading efforts to better understand the needs of our policyholders. In this expanded role, Steve will be able to work with our agents, managers and customer service representatives to deliver Alfa’s products and services.”

Rutledge began his career with Alfa as a securities analyst in the investments department.

Rutledge said he is excited about the opportunity to work more closely with Alfa’s sales force to serve policyholders and develop new customers.

To submit your business news for publication, email a press release to editor@montgomerychamber.com. Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Members only.

“It has been my privilege to serve Alfa in various roles for the past 26 years, and I look forward to this new responsibility,” Rutledge said. “I am excited about working with an outstanding team in sales management as well as our agents and customer service

He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Auburn University and is a certified public accountant. •

“During the past year, Steve has taken Alfa’s personal service to new heights,” Alfa Insurance President and CEO Jerry

Drive, drive, drive, search for parking, ride, ride, ride, then ﬂy.

Or drive. Park. Fly.

Easy going

iﬂymontgomery.com

October 2011 Montgomery Business Journal

RIBBON CUTTINGS & GROUND BREAKINGS

HERE WE GROW AGAIN

Montgomery Multisport 8107 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL 36117 334-356-7271 montgomerymultisport.com Hardy Sellers, Quinn Millington, Robbie Sandlin, Greg Miles, Steve Windham - Owners Sporting goods/Equipment

Piedmont National Corporation 1570 Jean Street Montgomery, AL 36107 334-265-8888 www.pncorp.com Jerry Milner-Vice President, Alabama Group Packaging Supplies

ALABAMA Magazine 1740 Oxmoor Road, Suite 210 Birmingham, AL 35209 205-870-8177 www.alabama-magazine.com Bishop Chavers-Publisher Publications

Craftmaster Printers, Inc. 687 North Dean Road Auburn, AL 36830 334-502-3456 www.craftmaster.com Barry Whatley-President Printers/Copy Centers

Confidential Consultants, LLC P.O. Box 3795 Montgomery, AL 36109 334-649-2114 confidentialconsultants.net Dr. Tammie McCurry Consulting Services

Montgomery YMCA Y’s Up @ Westminster 2948 Carter Hill Road Montgomery, AL 36111 334-832-1013 v Sam Adams-Vice President Associations/Non-Profit

MOntgomery Business Chamber_Layout 1 9/9/2011 10:44 AM Page 1

OCTOBER 7 - 16, 2011 P.O. Box 3304 Montgomery, AL 36109 (334) 272-6831 www.alnationalfair.org

Celebration for Desert Shield & Desert Storm Veterans October 7

Luke Bryan October 8 Charter Business WLWI

The Marshall Tucker Band October 14 FORD & al.com Alex 100.9 FM & Fox 95.1 FM 40

Montgomery Business Journal October 2011

Boyz II Men October 9 HMMA USA Magic 97

Foghat October 14 FORD & al.com Alex 100.9 FM & Fox 95.1 FM

Other Attractions: Wolves of America - Sponsored by: Adams Drugs Animals That Built America - Sponsored by: Tucker Pecan Company Cow Town USA - Sponsored by: Alaga Great American Petting Zoo Joseph Bauer’s Circus Maximus - Sponsored by: Foshee Management Puppetone Rockers - Sponsored by: Montgomery Paint & Body Ham Bone Express 3 Racing Pigs - Sponsored by: ALFA Insurance & ALFA Farmers

Rodney Atkins October 15 All American Automotive & Tire, Cook’s Pest Control & WBAM