October 2020

Keeping you informed and inspired.

VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 10

October 2020

COVER STORY

MANUFACTURING

With a Heart of Gold, Redline Makes Products of Steel

Quickly becoming one of the largest steel monogram companies in the U.S., Redline Steel is expecting to surpass $100 million in sales by the end of the year.

By Kimberly Ballard - Page 2

DEVELOPMENT

It’s the Beginning of the End for Zierdt Road Construction

A recent social media post from a resident of the Edgewater community off Zierdt Road at Lady Anne Lake said, “Things That Have No End: The Universe, numbers, Pi, and Zierdt Road construction.”

By Kimberly Ballard - Page 8

ADDITIONAL STORIES •

Ponder Properties Joins Forces with NAI Chase Commercial

By Lori J. Connors • Page 10

• To Get a Loan or Not Get a Loan - That is the Question in the Age of COVID-19

By Kimberly Ballard • Page 16

•

Huntsville Chosen to Test Google Fiber’s 2-gig Service

By Bud McLaughlin • Page 20

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BUSINESS JOURNAL Vol 3, Issue 10 October 2020 600 Boulevard South Suite 104 Huntsville, AL 35802

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

MANUFACTURING

With a Heart of Gold, Redline Makes Products of Steel Decorated Army veteran seriously injured in Afghanistan.

Traveling the world as a fitness model.

Entrepreneur and steel manufacturing guru.

Humanitarian and philanthropist in line to receive Huntsville’s “Key to the City”.

A person can accomplish a lot in just 31 years. Ask Huntsville native and social media extraordinaire Colin Wayne.

His company, Redline Steel, is ranked 110th among the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America – and is the fastest-growing company in the state. In addition, Inc. 5000 recognized Redline Steel as the No. 4 Fastest Growing Manufacturing Company nationally with a recorded growth increase of 3,215 percent from 2019 to 2020.

Quickly becoming one of the largest steel monogram companies in the U.S., Redline Steel is expecting to surpass $100 million in sales by the end of the year.

But, to Wayne, giving to the community is what moves him.

“I am an entrepreneur, but I have always been a humanitarian and philanthropist at heart,” he said.

Wayne’s journey to becoming a steel manufacturing expert has been nothing short of extraordinary.

He was seriously injured in a rocket attack eight years ago in Afghanistan and spent six months in physical therapy and recovery from lumbar fusion surgery on his back.

Transitioning out of the Army in 2013, he traveled the world as a fitness model gracing the cover of more than 50 men’s health magazines and pro-

moting products for Under Armour and Nike.

Moving back to Huntsville in 2015, it was a fortuitous business transaction that led Wayne to steel manufacturing and eventually build Redline Steel into his own company in January 2016.

Since then, Wayne has paid his good fortune back to the local, regional, and national communities that have resulted in his success many times over.

His company donated $50,000 to the Huntsville Police Department and, in 2017, donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross. Redline Steel has also given back millions of dollars to Alabama farmers, veterans groups, schoolteachers, and truckers.

In the meantime, like hundreds of other businesses, Redline Steel has been adversely affected by the pandemic.

But, unlike hundreds of other businesses, he didn’t let it adversely affect his employees. Redline Steel employs more than 85 employees and based on current projections, Wayne expects that to reach over 100 by end of the year.

“When the coronavirus hit this spring, I doubled our workforce, and we did not lay anyone off, even during the worst of it,” Wayne said. “Then, to lessen the negative impact, I paid all our employees’ house payments in April.

“The coronavirus has been challenging because we have struggled like everyone else to find ways to combat it and keep going. It caused a lot of stress on the company’s growth because of the unknowns and we have had more unemployment the past couple months

By Kimberly Ballard / Photos provided by Redline Steel

Colin Wayne, owner Redline Steel

than we have had in over 50 years.

“People aren’t spending like they were before the pandemic, so we had to get creative to find different ways to monetize.”

He said now that almost every state including Alabama has mandatory mask requirements, they began getting a lot of requests for them through their website. They set up a partnership to make and sell face masks but – to him - that wasn’t enough.

“We donated over $4 million in products to provide support for essential healthcare workers and partnered with my friend, actress Megan Fox, to donate $3.2 million to medical support personnel and first responders,” he said.

From its 110,000 square-foot facility in SouthPoint Business Park just off Interstates 65 and 565 in Tanner, Redline Steel manages all manufacturing and fulfillment coming from their online retail store. In its first four years in business, they have moved some 5 million products. Their mostly steel-based products include personalized and monogrammed gifts, home décor, jewelry, children’s items, and accessories.

This year, President Trump invited him to the White House where he awarded Wayne with a signed commendation plaque. They also took a selfie together and Trump bought an American flag from his company’s Patriotic Flag Collection.

More recently, he was nominated for the 2020 Russell G. Brown Executive Leadership Award in Alabama for

Small Businesses and will be receiving Huntsville’s Key to the City recognition for his charitable community involvement.

In August, Redline Steel launched three nonprofit campaigns.

“I look for causes whose missions align with my values and beliefs,” Wayne said. “My five-year-old niece was recently diagnosed with cancer and the Olivia Hope Foundation specializes in pediatric cancer.

“She is currently in remission, but she is still on oral chemotherapy and it is very difficult.”

The Olivia Hope Foundation was created in honor of 11-year-old Olivia Hope LoRusso, who lost a 15-month fight with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Redline Steel is offering exclusive home décor pieces with every donation. For information, visit oliviahope. org.

“We are also launching a campaign with Midnight Mission,” he said. “They feed the homeless and, of course, that is important to me because 70 percent of homeless people are war veterans.”

In August, a long list of Hollywood celebrities teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to promote a social media campaign called #Hammertime. Redline Steel became involved by making a special steel hammer to send to every person who donated $25 or more.

“And Habitat for Humanity,” he said. “They are a much larger organization obviously, but they are also a Christian organization that helps people in need to build homes.” w

October 2020

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HOUSING

Westward, Ho! Anthem Apartments and Cottages Join Growing Area of Huntsville

By Lori J. Connors / Capstone Building Corp.

Coming soon to growing west Huntsville, a rental community that graciously merges country living with easy access to the best that Huntsville-Madison County has to offer.

In August, the Birmingham-based Capstone Building Corp., in partnership with developers EYC Cos. and The Kalikow Group, announced the development of Anthem Apartments and Cottages, a $67 million, multifamily community in Huntsville.

“It’s at the corner of Johns Road and Plummer Road. It’s in a great location with a lot of the new growth that’s going on in Huntsville.”

“It’s a pretty interesting concept,” said Michael Henrickson, vice president of Preconstruction and Estimating for Capstone. “It’s at the corner of Johns Road and Plummer Road. It’s in a great location with a lot of the new growth that’s going on in Huntsville.”

Once completed, the 40-acre property will consist of 406 units: 14 apartment buildings with 312 units, 94 single-family cottages with 48 stand-alone garages. The apartments and cottages are one-, two- and threebedrooms. The new community will feature front porches that face onto community greens, along with parklike design elements interspersed

throughout the property.

“The concept is a little different,” said Ellis Coleman for EYC Companies. “It’s a large site, There’s a lot of open area.

“We’re putting the cottages on one side of the property and the apartments on the other.”

The living space is roomy, too.

Apartment sizes range from 757 square feet for the one-bedroom apartments up to 1,300 square feet for the three-bedroom units. The cottage sizes range from 694 square feet to 1,485 square feet.

The finished apartment units and the cottages will have 10-foot ceilings, LED lighting, energy-efficient gas appliances, quartz countertops,

and high-quality vinyl flooring.

Other amenities will include two saltwater pools, firepit terraces, a dog park, a playground, an herb garden, and more.

“It will be very park-like when we finish, with lots of open space, sitting areas, and walking trails.”

“We are building with the end user in mind,” said Coleman. “It will be very park-like when we finish, with lots of open space, sitting areas, and walking trails.”

The groundbreaking took place in July.

“We are a month ahead of schedule and are moving quickly,” said Coleman.

March 2022 is the targeted completion timeframe but some units will be available sooner.

“We have a 21-month schedule from July,” said Henrickson. “We have what we call a ‘phased turnover,’ so, in about 16 months, we’ll have the first apartment building ready to rent.

“We really pay attention to quality of life, so we want the new tenant to have a good experience. It’s going to be a lovely community when it’s done. The developer has really paid attention to ‘How do I make this feel like a home?’” w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

Subsidiary of EVENT Publishing

President /Publisher................................................................ Todd Stephenson Editor .......................................................................................... Bud McLaughlin Writers.........................................................................................Kimberly Ballard

Lori J. Connors

Mike Easterling Graphic Design ............................................................................. Justina Simon Website................................................................................................ Jim Gharib Photographers...................................................................................Steve Babin

Kimberly Ballard

Eric Schultz

Justina Simon Director of Sales ................................................................. Carolyn Stephenson Account Executives.................................................................... Amanda Peach

Michelle Epling Distribution......................................................................................Glenda Mace Huntsville Business Journal is published monthly by EVENT Publishing,

PO Box 14219, Huntsville, AL 35815.

For advertising information call 256.533.8078, e-mail todd@eventhuntsville.com, or visit us on the web at www.huntsvillebusinessjournal.com For editorial information contact editor@huntsvillebusinessjournal.com ALL CONTENTS ©2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION OR USE IN WHOLE OR IN PART OF THE CONTENTS WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER IS PROHIBITED. HUNTSVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF EVENT PUBLISHING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. UNSOLICITED PHOTOGRAPHS OR ARTICLES ARE SUBMITTED AT THE RISK OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER OR AUTHOR. EVENT PUBLISHING ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR THE RETURN OF ANY UNSOLICITED MATERIALS AND MAY USE THEM AT ITS DISCRETION.

October 2020

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COMMERCIAL FINANCE

Loan Forgiveness FAQs by SBA Answer Some Questions, but Others Remain The Small Business Administration and the Department of Treasury recently issued a set of Frequently Asked Questions about Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness.

Below is a summary of the key information from the released FAQs: • The FAQs clarified that C-corporation owner-employee health and retirement benefits are eligible PPP expenses in addition to their $100,000 salary cap.

Eligible owner-employee retirement is capped at 2.5 months of the 2019 amount.

• The FAQs also clarified that Scorporation owner-employee retirement benefits are allowed; however, no health benefits are eligible in addition to the $100,000 salary cap.

• Retirement and health benefits for non-owners are eligible if “paid or incurred.” There is no cap on retirement benefits for non-owners like there is for owners.

• Retirement and health benefits cannot be prepaid unless they are “incurred” during the covered period.

• Dental and vision insurance is included under health insurance and is an eligible payroll cost.

• For self-employed borrowers, no owner-employee health or retirement benefits are allowed in addition to the $100,000 salary cap.

In a subsequent interim final rule, the SBA stated that owner-employees for C and S corporations are exempt from the PPP owner-employee rules if they own less than 5% of their company.

The FAQs clarified several questions for borrowers about PPP; however, there are still many questions to be answered. Below, we discuss some of the outstanding questions surrounding PPP and key considerations for those waiting to apply for loan forgiveness.

Will pending legislation be approved?

There is pending legislation that could change the loan forgiveness process. Two senators introduced the “Continuing Small Business Recovery and PPP Act” on July 27, 2020.

The bill, which reportedly has bipar-

tisan support, includes several key features; it would: • Allow a potential automatic forgiveness feature for loans of $150,000 or less, along with a simplified process for loans up to $2,000,000; • Allow borrowers to choose any covered period ending by Dec. 31, 2020 of at least eight weeks; • Allow borrowers to include new qualified expenses; and • Provide a second round of PPP loan draws for borrowers with a 50 percent or more decrease in revenues.

Are borrowers’ eligible expenses limited to their PPP loan proceeds?

Why is this important? If the loan forgiveness application does not limit the eligible expenses to the borrowers’ PPP loan proceeds, borrowers would be able to include additional eligible expenses on their loan forgiveness application, which could significantly reduce any “penalties” associated with the full-time employee equivalent (FTE) reduction limitation.

For example, a borrower receives a PPP loan of $1,000,000. The borrower incurs $2,000,000 of eligible PPP expenses during the covered period; however, the borrower has reduced FTE employees by 50 percent.

Under this scenario, if the borrower can include $2,000,000 in eligible expenses, there would theoretically be no reduction in loan forgiveness.

Alternatively, if the borrower’s eligible expenses are limited to the loan proceeds of $1,000,000, there could potentially be a reduction in loan forgiveness of $500,000. Additional guidance is needed from the SBA to address this issue.

Will a tax deduction be allowed for expenses paid with PPP funds that were forgiven?

The IRS initially issued notice 2020-32 that stated a tax deduction would not be allowed for the expenses paid with PPP loan proceeds that are forgiven. Congress has mentioned an intent to change this with legislation, but it has not happened to date.

If Congress doesn’t pass legislation to make these expenses deductible, borrowers are presented with a timing issue on their tax returns. What happens when a borrower applies for loan

By Van Trefethen, CPA, and Adam West, CPA, with Warren Averett

forgiveness before Dec. 31, 2020, but receives a decision approving loan forgiveness in 2021? Presumably, the expenses would be deductible on the borrower’s 2020 and would become nondeductible in 2021. Guidance is needed from the IRS on this timing issue and whether an amended 2020 income tax return would need to be filed.

What will the SBA audit process look like for PPP loans over $2,000,000?

This has easily been one of the biggest questions since the SBA issued FAQ 31 in April. We still don’t know what this review process will look like. The SBA is expected to release their audit policies and procedures for loans over $2,000,000. It would be advantageous for borrowers to have an understanding of the SBA’s audit process before they submit their loan forgiveness applications. w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

COVID-19

Local Businesses Step Up to Meet the Challenges Faced During Pandemic The full impact of COVID-19 has yet to be felt.

It seems that with each passing month, another looming economic concern appears on the horizon. The pandemic has struck an especially mighty blow to the heart of the local business community.

Despite the gloom-and-doom prognostication, there are a few bright stars still shining. Landers McLarty and Chick-fil-A are two local businesses that have demonstrated sound strategies for maintaining viability, providing for their teams, and in-

vesting in the Huntsville-Madison County community.

“My whole team has really banded together and has taken on the challenge.

Business is very different right now than it was before.”

Norman and Danielle Dull are the operators of the Chick-fil-A Madison and University Drive locations. The onslaught of COVID-19 impacted their business immediately, as well as impacting the financial security of their employees.

“It’s been a stressful time for them,” said Norman Dull.

“My whole team has really banded together and has taken on the challenge. Business is very different right now than it was before.”

Dull committed to keeping the staff on

Pictured left: Norman Dull, Operator Chic-fil-A Madison and Huntsville

Pictured right: Frank Williams, owner and operating partner Landers McLarty Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, and Subaru

the schedule, even if the stores were not operating at the normal business volume.

“And that’s what we’ve done,” said Dull. “I wanted to make sure that that we were able to keep everybody in a job and keep everybody financially viable.”

At the corporate level, Chickfil-A provided store operators with additional financial support. Dull, in turn took that financial support and redistributed it as an employee appreciation bonus.

“We took a pretty significant amount of money and was able to divide it up among our team,” said Dull. “We did that, in addition to their regular hours, just to help with any finances.”

“We took a much harder hit,” said Williams.

“But we did not let a single person go.”

Frank Williams, owner and operating partner of the Landers McLarty Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, and Subaru dealerships, as well as Fiat and Alfa Romeo of Huntsville, could only operate at 50 percent capacity, despite being an essential business.

By Lori J. Connors / Photos by Steve Babin

“We took a much harder hit,” said Williams. “But we did not let a single person go.”

To help offset some of the financial burden, employees were given a full week of paid time off, to be used when needed.

The routine cleaning and disinfection protocol was also taken up a few notches at the dealerships. An additional weekly sanitization service and a daily disinfection service were added to the repertoire.

“It was important that our team and our customers feel safe,” said Williams. w

October 2020

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

DEVELOPMENT

It’s the Beginning of the End for Zierdt Road Construction A recent social media post from a resident of the Edgewater community off Zierdt Road at Lady Anne Lake said, “Things That Have No End: The Universe, numbers, Pi, and Zierdt Road construction.”

Without a doubt, for those living in the midst of the “mess,” it must seem like a black hole.

But the good news is that with the lane shift from the southbound lanes to the northbound lanes on Zierdt in early September, motorists are now traversing the new Zierdt Road – marking Phase IV and the beginning of the end of the $25 million road project.

There has been a lot of frustration about the project because in 2010, it began as a $7 million widening project at the intersection of Madison Boulevard and Zierdt Road.

Because there wasn’t a lot of funding at the time and Town Madison and Toyota Field were not on anyone’s radar, the original plan consisted of a four-phased approach to widening the 3.5-mile stretch from Madison Boulevard to Martin Road outside Redstone Arsenal Gate 7 from two lanes to four.

Each of the four phases were estimated to take two to four years to complete.

Then, in April 2017, public input sessions resulted in the addition of a pedestrian and bike path. The

12-foot-wide multiuse path was added on the west side, changing the scope of work significantly and increasing the budget to $25 million.

As messy as it may seem, this current phase of Zierdt Road includes new drainage, curb, subgrade, paving and the multiuse path for the remainder of the project duration.

The final phase (IV) of improvements will also consist of two southbound lanes, seven lanes at the intersection of Martin and Zierdt roads, and six lanes at the intersection of Madison Boulevard and Zierdt Road.

While the project has had its share of hiccups due to fluctuations in funding, according to the City

of Huntsville, they have been able to make up some time during the pandemic due to the significantly decreased traffic flow.

For residents. the hindrance has been complete but for the construction crews, residential traffic has been a hindrance.

Although it is only 3.5 miles long, Zierdt could not be shut down entirely because of the significant residential population along that stretch of road.

As Kelly Schrimsher, Communications Director at the City of Huntsville points out, it is significantly more difficult to reconstruct a road when it is in use.

“When you build a new road, you keep it closed until it is finished and passable,” she said. “Or if you look at the road construction off Research Park Boulevard, that work seems to

By Kimberly Ballard / Photos by Marty Sellers, Sellers Photo move along without much traffic disruption because they are widening it from the center median and traffic is unaffected.

“Zeirdt was always a heavily traveled two-lane road with access to Redstone Arsenal Gate 7, access to the airport, a lot of residential communities, and now Town Madison with the new Toyota Field - which was not a consideration when the project was initiated.”

All residents of the neighborhoods on Mountainbrook, Edgewater and Nature’s Way can see, however, is the demolition and reconstruction of the original southbound lanes that were the main access into those apartment complexes and communities.

But regardless of how it looks, city engineers promise the end is coming soon and it will be great. w

October 2020

DEVELOPMENT

Intersect Development Group Moving Forward on $35M Huntsville 565 Logistics Project From Staff Reports / Image provided by Intersect Development Group

Atlanta-based Intersect Development Group has closed on a 47-acre tract for three buildings in a planned 400,000 square-foot industrial park.

The Huntsville 565 Logistics park expects to be home to more than 300 workers and represents an investment of some $35 million. The first phase of 144,500 square feet is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

“This is an exciting time for the Huntsville business community and its workers who will benefit from this new investment” The facility is designed to meet the needs of the growing e-commerce industry and local logistical/ service requirements.

The site is adjacent to GE Aviation, the Target distribution center, Polaris Manufacturing and the Mazda Toyota plant.

“This is an exciting time for the Huntsville business community and its workers who will benefit from this new investment,” Intersect founding partner Scott Brown. “With the closing process completed, we look forward to beginning construction quickly and developing this new Class ‘A’ business park that will support hundreds of jobs in the local community.” w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

REAL ESTATE

Ponder Properties Joins Forces with NAI Chase Commercial Two of Alabama’s leading commercial real estate firms recently joined forces to create one of the largest full-service commercial real estate brokerage companies in Alabama.

With nearly 60 years of combined market expertise, Ponder Properties Commercial Real Estate and NAI Chase Commercial Realty bring a synergistic blend of core competencies to the table.

The merger came about out of a need that each company had.

As a well-respected, small familyowned business, Ponder Properties operated at full capacity.

Company President Terry Ponder and his sons, Glenn and Keith, handled the day-to-day operations as part of a team of five. Although the company was not short of business, Ponder had limited growth potential.

Meanwhile, NAI Chase sought a larger presence in the Birmingham market.

It was an ideal match.

In addition to an inventory of properties throughout Alabama, the merger creates a leasing, sales, and property management inventory of more than 4 million square feet, plus some 240 acres for sale/ground-lease commercial development land.

“The combination of our professional brokerage teams and exceptional property management, construction and receivership services will create a synergy incomparable to other local commercial real estate firms,” said Ter-

ry Ponder. “We have tremendous respect for the NAI Chase team and their impact on the Alabama commercial real estate market, particularly the impressive growth and market share they have secured in Huntsville and throughout the North Alabama region.”

Since 1992, NAI Chase has been part of the NAI Global, a commercial real estate brokerage firm with more than 375 offices throughout North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Annually, NAI Global completes over $20 billion in commercial real estate transactions worldwide.

The Ponder-Chase merger also integrates the NAI platform into daily

By Lori J. Connors

brokerage operations for both firms - the five team members from Ponder and 25 from NAI Chase.

“Both firms have a long legacy and tradition in the Birmingham market,” said Charlie Grelier Jr., president of NAI Chase Commercial Realty. “The merger brings together world-class expertise and a shared vision of strong relationships and commitment to our clients and customers.”

In his new role as executive vice president, Randy Thomas oversees the day-to-day operations in the Birmingham office.

“I am excited to see these two professional teams, combining their strong brokerage and management capabilities, brought together in this merger,” he said. “Our goal is to continue being a significant contributor to Alabama’s economic growth, as a key member in the future of Alabama’s commercial real estate.” w

October 2020

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RETAIL

The Stay-at-Home Blues Are Good News for Retail It’s funny how when you only spend six out of 15 daylight hours a day at home, you don’t notice that lumpy sofa, weeds growing in the flower pot or how much better that movie would have been on a wide screen TV. But stay at home 24 hours a day for days, weeks, growing into months on end with no TV sports or outside entertainment, and everyone’s alter ego rises to the occasion…taskmaster, contractor, landscaper, housekeeper …everyone turns into Lucy & Ethel wallpaper hangers! Who knew there was so much to do around the house!

According to Statista, a company that provides insights into some 170 industries worldwide, reported in August that U.S. retail sales saw a sharp rebound in May and continued to recover in June and July from the historic slump brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show total retail and food services sales amounted to $536 billion in July, up 1.2 percent over June and 2.7 percent over last year’s July figure.

That follows an 8.4 percent monthover-month increase in June and that latest increase puts retail sales back on its pre-pandemic trajectory.

According to housewares industry news source Homeworld Business, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the mass-market furniture business and that continues to drive unprecedented sales.

Charlie Swearingen with Lily Flagg Furniture said sales have increased significantly since the store reopened in May after an eight-week closure from mid-March through April.

“Our problem now is getting furniture in from the manufacturers,” he said. “We have our own warehousing so our customers have always known they can buy right off the floor and we can quickly restock from our warehouse.

“But sales have been so good, we have sold and replenished most of what we usually have in the warehouse and manufacturers are telling

us it will be three to six months before we will get certain items from them. Customers don’t want to wait that long.”

Miranda Jackson has been with Huntsville’s La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery for 15 years and she said they are facing the same dilemma.

“We were only closed for about four weeks in April, but we have seen a tremendous upsurge in living room and dining room furniture and rockers,” she said. “Now we are low on stock on a lot of popular items and out of stock on rockers, which is one of our best-selling items.”

She said their rocker manufacturer has resumed production, but they are backlogged so they are telling stores to expect a minimum 110-day wait.

Swearingen says during normal times, three factors drive furniture sales: building or buying a new house, downsizing, and the desire for change.

But he believes staying at home and stimulus checks have driven some of the pandemic upsurge.

Several Huntsville furniture retailers report surges in home office furniture as well.

According to Homeworld Business, the office furniture market is set to grow by $22.32 billion during the 2019 to 2023 period, progressing at a compound annual growth rate of

almost 6 percent during the forecast period.

Electronics Express manager Priestley Thomas said the pandemic put its store in Jones Valley on the map.

“Electronics and appliances were deemed essential, so we did not close, however the big box names did close or had limited hours and access based on blanket corporate decisions,” he said. “That was excellent for us as a small business and a lot of people who did not know we are here have become regular customers.”

He said computer and home freezer sales have been phenomenal.

“People realized their home computers were not sufficient for what they needed to work at home,” Thomas said. “Between that and kids needing computers for home schooling, we have sold more computers and home freezers in the months since the pandemic than we have sold since we opened.”

Freezers?

“In the early days of the pandemic, people were worried about food shortages, so they were buying up a lot of meat and frozen foods and needing freezers in which to store it,” Thomas said. “We sold freezers to people who has never had a freezer before.”

According to the National Re-

By Kimberly Ballard

tail Federation, just over half of retail categories saw month-over-month gains and three-quarters saw yearover-year increases with electronics and appliance stores up 22.9 percent month-over-month seasonally adjusted.

The numbers coincide with what Thomas reported locally.

The biggest monthly gain came at electronics and appliance stores, which are selling more computers for home offices and online learning, along with more appliances associated with home improvement spending and higher home sales.

Another area where Huntsville retailers are reporting high pandemic sales is in lawn, gardening, and landscaping.

Randy Cobbler, store manager for TriGreen Equipment, said home mowers and trimmers have been big sellers during the pandemic but it may be surprising to hear that handheld tillers are far and away in the greatest demand. So much, Cobbler said, the store has run out its stock and can’t find any available with surrounding dealers, either.

“There is nothing like a pandemic to make people start thinking about the food supply and food shortages,” said Cobbler. “Farm-grown food would be essential in that case and a lot of people started planting vegetable gardens, some for the first time.

A tiller is essential to planting vegetables and we have a lot of people, especially ladies, calling us because they discovered they need one.”

The NRF sales figures differ from Census Bureau figures because they exclude automotive, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus more on core retail. Those retail figures showed July up 1 percent seasonally adjusted from June, but the July numbers showed a trend. The numbers were up 7.1 percent unadjusted year-over-year on a three-month moving average and up 4.7 percent for the first seven months of the year.

What are the blues for consumers make for good news for retailers! w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

COVER COVER

Masks and More Masks: Hallo

By Lori J.

cor.

Witches, goblins, and ghouls.

Costumes, candy, and yard dé-

It is evident that Halloween is a popular holiday here in America.

What other time of the year can adults and children alike freely dress up, disguised as their favorite superhero or movie icon, and legitimately beg for candy?

From craft stores to costume and party stores, seasonal merchandise abounds. Even the grocery stores are well-stocked with Halloween candy and décor.

There is no denying that Hal-

loween is on its way. But will this year’s Halloween be different from years past and if so, how?

In the time of COVID, if one thing has proved to be certain, it is uncertainty.

2020 has already proven to be vastly different than any other year.

After six months living under the dark cloud of a global pandemic, it is possible that some of the many large gatherings that normally take place here in the Rocket City might take a back seat.

As far trick-or-treating or home-based Halloween parties, it

is hard to say.

While no one has directly come out and said, don’t go trickor-treating, it has been implied.

“Congregate settings increase the potential for transmission of respiratory droplets” “Local hospital representatives have advised against any close contact activity,” said Kelly Schrimsher, communications director for the City of Huntsville.

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) advises that all preventive measures and extreme caution be exercised in any instance where groups of people congregate.

“Congregate settings increase the potential for transmission of respiratory droplets,” said Dr. Karen Landers of the Huntsville’s COVID-19 team.

Despite the cautionary statements and recommendations, the natives are getting restless and, after many months of curtailed social encounters combined with a

October 2020

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STORY STORY

loween in the Time of COVID

. Connors

blisteringly hot summer, everyone is eager for the arrival of fall and the sense of merriment that Halloween brings.

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, which is ideal for families and especially good for local entertainment venues.

But how will it play out here?

“We have several events going on this year and are hoping to add a few more,” said River Reed, event coordinator for Straight to Ale. “October’s Drag Brunch on the 25th is Halloween-themed and we will be releasing our Old Town Pumpkin Ale as a tribute both to the holiday and Huntsville History Month, which will go live on October 1st. Homegrown Comedy and Rocket City Art Hops, which are on the 9th and 15th respectively, also have a Halloween theme and we are encouraging attendees to come in costume.”

“Our events are all following all of our current safety protocols in the taproom” As far as hosting an event on Halloween, Straight to Ale hasn’t confirmed.

The state mandate limits eight

people to a table and hosting a large group event, such as a Halloween party, presents a unique challenge.

“We do hope to have a costume contest and a few other Halloweenthemed events, but we are working out the safest way to do so,” said Reed.

“Our events are all following all of our current safety protocols in the taproom,” said Kimberly Casey, marketing director at Straight to Ale. “This means all venue spaces are at half capacity, tables are spaced six feet apart, and masks must be worn when not seated at your table. Patrons can check out a detailed description of our policies before they visit at straighttoale.com/updates.”

In addition to the social gathering aspect, Halloween is a big deal for retail.

Since the National Retail Federation began keeping track in 2005, Halloween spending has almost doubled. In 2019, close to $9 billion was spent on costumes, candy, and decorations alone.

These figures do not factor in the additional revenue generated at bars, clubs, and other entertainment venues such as haunted houses, corn mazes, and hayrides.

Without this substantial boost of

holiday-inspired spending, it could mean another massive blow to the nation’s economy.

While nothing has been set in stone locally, it remains to be seen whether any mandates will come into play regarding Halloween activities and events.

In major cities, such as Los Angeles and Chicago, decisions have already been made and revised, or at least modified, in response to community push-back. In L.A., large-scale Halloween events at the big theme parks, such as Universal Studios and Disney have been canceled. At the city level, although the smaller neighborhood events and the door-to-door candy hustles are “not recommended,” city ordinances will not be enforced.

In the meantime, local retail establishments remain hopeful.

Stores that specialize in Halloween décor and apparel are well-stocked with an assortment of costumes, just in case. w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

SMALL BUSINESS

Delayed by Pandemic, The Flower Shoppe of Providence is in Full Bloom “Lo and behold, I’m back!” said Jessa Harris about her return engagement as a florist.

Harris, an author, photographer, and floral artist recently opened The Flower Shoppe of Providence.

And, business seems to be blooming.

“We’ve have had a really good response from the community,” said Harris.

The Flower Shoppe opened its doors Aug. 1 after a delay brought on by the pandemic.

“We listed having a storefront in February, but then COVID hit,” said Harris.

Despite the setback, Harris and her team still managed to create special arrangements during two of the biggest holidays that florists everywhere anticipate.

“We made it through Valentine’s Day, working out of my apartment,” said Harris. “I had a crew of nine help-

ing me get through Mother’s Day. When we did Mother’s Day, we were still in my apartment.”

The Flower Shoppe location is idyllic, just across from the green space in Providence.

“We found this location and we totally gutted it,” said Harris. “It’s gorgeous, it turned out really well.”

In 1997, Harris opened Gunilla’s, her first flower shop. It was housed in an old barbershop on Main Street in Madison.

However, the demands of parenting prompted Harris into closing the shop two years later.

“I had children, went home to raise my babies, and closed the shop,” said Harris. “We closed in 1999, right after Mother’s Day.” At the time, Harris wasn’t sure if she would return to the floral business.

“I was knee deep in photography, but I had an investor approach me about opening a shop,” she said. “The

more we talked about it, the more we considered it, we just thought we’d see what happened if we did.

“And, oh my gosh, it just kind of snowballed!”

The Flower Shoppe is a Europeanstyle florist, in that it makes for a great place for friends to gather. There’s inside and outside seating, along with free coffee and tea.

“It’s very community-oriented,” said Harris. “We’ve got this huge table that we work on inside that has barstools around it. You can just come and hang out and chat while we work.”

For those who love bouquets, the Flower Shoppe has a “Fresh Flower Friday” from 3-6 p.m.

“We put buckets of flowers out in our flower cart for you to create your own bouquet and pay by the stem,” said Harris. “We have a lot of men that come and ask us to pull something together so they can take flowers home when they get off work.”

By Lori J. Connors Photos provided by The Flower Shoppe

In addition to flower arrangements and other assorted gifts, The Flower Shoppe offers classes in floral design.

Harris incorporates her Facebook Live floral design videos into a small instructional event at the shop. The class is limited to eight participants.

For information, visit FlowerShoppeOfProvidence.com w

October 2020

15

BANKING / FINANCIAL

Banking Industry Sees Digital, Mobile Services Increase During Pandemic

up 21.5 percent, mobile deposit dollar volume was up 108.3 percent, and online wires transactions were up 49.6 percent. There were also 31.7 million checks deposited using mobile devices, which was a 35.9 increase over a year ago.

Naturally, there were learning curves and the need for increased bandwidth capacity.

With the onset of the global pandemic, businesses rolled up their collective sleeves and grimly faced the arduous task of shifting gears.

And financial institutions quickly found themselves in the spotlight. When it comes to continued access to money, whether it be a loan, savings, or one’s paycheck, everyone feels the effect when that access is hindered.

“The current COVID pandemic focused a spotlight on the importance of providing uninterrupted services to all customers, including, personal, business and government,” The banking industry with its customers faced technological hurdles and economic hardships.

But banks stepped up with solutions to protect their customers and employees as well as keeping themselves insulated against financial catastrophe – such as the crash of 2008.

“The current COVID pandemic focused a spotlight on the importance of providing uninterrupted services to all customers, including, personal, business and government,” said Tim Singleton, senior commercial lending manager for Bank Independent. “In many ways, the banking industry became hyper-vigilant preparing for multiple unknown economic factors.”

If one thing is certain, COVID-19 has been an accelerant for increased consumer usage of digital banking technologies.

Although most banks were already invested in digitalized and mobile banking services, the pandemic quickly prompted many of non-to-low-end digital users into the age of mobile banking.

Many banks, which had mobile banking tools and were already maintaining digital rela-

By Lori J. Connors

“I think the industry will scramble to find the balance between digital and personal,

tionships with customers, had to quickly adjust to a sudden increase in demand for mobile services.

According to data collected

by Fidelity National Information Services), April 15, 2020 witnessed a 145 percent spike in the average daily traffic for mobile banking platforms, as compared with the

“In many ways, the banking industry became hyper-vigilant preparing for multiple unknown economic factors.”

March’s numbers. Along with the uptick in traffic, new registrations for mobile banking apps jumped 207 percent.

“Wells Fargo has seen increased digital and mobile logins, mobile deposit volume, checks deposited using mobile devices and online wire transfers since COVID-19 started,” said Stephen Norris, regional bank president for Wells Fargo. “All of this translated into more digital banking access and transactions than ever before.”

For Wells Fargo, those numbers are significant when compared 2019’s second quarter statistics.

For April 2020, digital logins were

“Our IT Department ensured an uninterrupted workflow for our team members who suddenly found themselves working remotely,” said Singleton. “The robust features built into Sync Mobile and Online found popularity with our customers.”

Bank Independent’s loan processing teams shifted gears by using the digital signature platform, in lieu of traditional signatures to close documents.

Since the pandemic exploded, customers have significantly changed how they do their banking. According to an FIS survey, 45 percent of consumers said they started using some form of mobile wallet following the pandemic’s onset. Once comfortable with usage, it is seen as another option, in addition to the face-to-face banking.

However, there are customers who prefer the return of “brick and mortar” banking.

“I think the industry will scramble to find the balance between digital and personal,” said Singleton. “Our customers have voiced their desire for things to return to ‘normal.’

“We have a plan in place that will accommodate our customers in a manner that is safe and secure for both the customer and our team members.” w

16

Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

BANKING / FINANCIAL

To Get a Loan or Not Get A Loan - That is the Question in the Age of COVID-19 If you talk to a commercial real estate developer, they will say there is plenty of money out there for the lending and, believe it or not, it is cheap money.

If you talk to a Realtor or homebuilder, they will tell you there is no better time to sell, buy or build a home because interest rates are low, and lenders are lending.

But, by all economic measures, the worldwide pandemic has had an enormously negative impact on the overall economy and employment numbers. It is not a secret that the very existence of thousands of restaurants, hair salons, fitness centers, hotels, airlines, personal services, and tourism businesses have been threatened.

And yet, since the effects of the pandemic began in March, dozens of restaurants have either opened or are moving forward with plans to open in Madison County including Outback at Town Madison, Culvers in Madison, Bark & Barrel Barbecue at Stovehouse, and Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint in downtown Huntsville.

The pandemic hasn’t stopped government contractors and manufacturing plants from expanding.

Look at Redline Steel, Moog, Mazda Toyota and Booz Allen Hamilton.

So, what is the truth about banking, lending, and the financial fallout on businesses, small and large across the Tennessee Valley?

Is it, or is it not a good time to start or expand a business right now, especially if you need a bank loan to do so?

“Banks are always lending money for good projects - any kind of project where the owner or borrower has their own money in it and are taking some of the risk, and the bank is taking acceptable risk,” said David Nast, president and CEO of Progress Bank.

“If you have an owner who is a good operator, has been in the business for some time, and have their own money in the bank in

By Kimberly Ballard

support for their company so the bank is not loaning all the money and taking all the risk, then banks are willing to lend money.”

He said there are always certain economic cycles where certain industries are considered higher risk than others and restaurants are already high risk, even during normal times.

“Restaurants are clearly struggling, but if you are a big well-known chain that planned three years ago to open in Huntsville, most of those companies are continuing with those plans” “Banks look, in general, at what is going on in the economy and, with the fallout from COVID-19, any new start-up with limited experience and limited equity in the project is going to be tougher to do right now,” Nast said. “On the other hand, a business owner who has been in business a while and has good money in a new project like building a larger company building to expand their business, employees and product/service offerings is always going to offer opportunities more interesting to a bank.”

But it isn’t necessarily just because a customer wants to open a restaurant that puts them under more scrutiny right now.

“Restaurants are clearly struggling, but if you are a big well-known chain that planned three years ago to open in Huntsville, most of those companies are continuing with those plans,” Nast said. “Those companies have the capital, the brand recognition, and the capability to open successfully.

“However, if you are a small Mom and Pop shop whose dream has always been to open a restaurant, I’m not sure this is the ideal time to do that.”

He said other businesses such

as hair salons and health spas may find the same resistance from lending institutions because they have so many restrictions on them, including questions about whether clients will be willing to go patron those businesses.

“It doesn’t feel like the right time to put your life savings into a business like that right now,” Nast said.

Sean Kelly, Huntsville market executive for Regions Bank, said the capital is there but there is no onesize-fits-all approach to providing financing.

“Regardless of industry, whether a client is in the commercial office or retail space, the manufacturing space, or other industries, we believe the key to a successful banking relationship is to work collaboratively with clients on ways we can offer insights on cash flow, financial management and other needs to help them through whatever need they are facing,” he said. “At Regions, we take the time to get to know our clients. We talk about their business model, how they are adapting during the pandemic, and what needs and opportunities are ahead for them.

“From there, we work to develop financial solutions that meet their individual needs. We work with clients to determine where the op-

“Regardless of industry, whether a client is in the commercial office or retail space, the manufacturing space, or other industries, we believe the key to a successful banking relationship is to work collaboratively with clients on ways we can offer insights on cash flow, financial management and other needs to help them through whatever need they are facing,” portunities are and how can we best meet individual needs and work to provide customized solutions where prudent.”

Penny Billings, BancorpSouth president for the Huntsville market, said their business lending practices have changed very little since the pandemic and she is optimistic about starting a new business.

“As always, our lending practices are relative to the type of business, the proposed collateral, and the guarantor strength,” she said. “This has not changed. We are fortunate

October 2020

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BANKING / FINANCIAL

to be in a community where the economy has continued to be strong and supportive of those businesses that have been adversely impacted.

“Starting a business at any time can be tough, but there are probably some opportunities depending on the type of business you’re interested in starting. With our current environment, it’s the perfect time for savvy entrepreneurs to think outside the box for solutions to fix trending problems they see or maybe even add digital elements to their existing business plans.”

Perhaps one of the points of confusion is that today’s pandemic crisis is too closely compared to the 2008 financial crisis.

“While similar in their disruption of the economy, the two situations are entirely different,” said Nast. “The mood is different. 2008 was an enormous financial crisis and at the time, the mood was terrible because we knew we were in for a protracted recession like we had never seen before, and there was no end in sight.

“Not to minimize the negative impact of today’s crisis on many small businesses, the 2008 crisis prepared us in many ways to be more proactive in helping clients get through it this time. We have been able to react quickly and put strong measures in place locally, and at the state and federal level, to prevent a total collapse like what we saw in 2008.

“When you are in the banking business, you are here to help people live their dreams and be successful, so you hate seeing any business fail, but banks have been much more accommodating than they were then.”

Kelly said Regions set aside a credit provision of $700 million in the second quarter of this year for loan loss reserves.

“We did this as a precaution amid the uncertainty the pandemic has caused. It is important to remember, though, that Regions and banks across the industry remain very well capitalized,” he said. “We have diversified our business, we have lessened risk in our loan book, and we have streamlined our op-

“BancorpSouth generated more than 15,000 PPP loans with total funding of more than $1.23 billion” erations and efficiencies, and we are operating from a position of strength.

“We are prepared to serve and support our clients and communities through the pandemic.”

Billings said Payroll Protection Program loans are an extremely important accommodation that eased the pain for a lot of commercial customers.

“BancorpSouth generated more than 15,000 PPP loans with total funding of more than $1.23 billion,” Billings said. “Everyone felt a great sense of pride as our company started funding these loans. Many of our customers said the PPP loans provided the necessary financial relief to help them meet their payroll, preserve jobs, and keep their doors open.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities; therefore, we’ve been doing everything we can to provide resources and financial relief to help them navigate these challenging times.

Nast agreed PPP helped a lot of businesses.

“At Progress Bank, we are now beginning the forgiveness phase and those loans are being forgiven, so they are not having to pay that money back. It was a nice stimulus that helped a lot of businesses stay open,” he said.

The initial days of the PPP program were challenging for Regions as well, Kelly said.

“Those initial days included a lot of long nights and weekends as we worked through a wave of applications from clients who had never been in need of SBA financial resources before,” he said.

“We cross-trained a significant portion of our workforce from various departments to process applications for this type of financing. In the end,

we were able to help 45,000 customers receive $5 billion in loans that saved or supported 600,000 jobs.”

On the residential front, Billings said the right time to buy a home is different for everyone and in every market.

“But the housing market is thriving due to record low mortgage rates and more people working from home during the pandemic,” she said. “A lot of customers are refinancing, buying new homes, or doing home improvements. New home construction is booming right now, and homebuilders are working hard to keep up with demand in our market.”

Furthermore, she said BankcorpSouth has seen an increase in consumer equity lines of credit as people renovate and update their existing homes.

“People have been spending more time at home and working at home to support the control of the virus, and as a result, sales for specific items such as computers, household appliances, and gardening supplies, have risen,” she said.

“Across the nation, commercial construction was impacted by the shelter-in-place orders implemented in the early months of the pandemic, causing many builders to halt their construction plans. However, the industry is forecasted to recover as the economy improves. In Huntsville, we haven’t seen a significant

“People have been spending more time at home and working at home to support the control of the virus, and as a result, sales for specific items such as computers, household appliances, and gardening supplies, have risen” impact. As you can see in our community, large commercial projects are underway.”

Kelly provides some good local context on commercial real estate.

“It is true that commercial real estate, on a national level, is facing a challenge during the pandemic,” he said. “But here in Huntsville, our office-space market is in a good position, even during COVID-19.

We’re seeing occupancy rates around 90 to 95 percent. Our business sector here includes a lot of government contractors that lease space in the area. Even with many people working remotely, the leasing activity remains strong. That’s an outlier from much of the rest of the country.

“Our nation was, and still is, facing a tremendous challenge.

But the banking industry is well capitalized, and we can serve as part of the solution.” w

18

Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

EDUCATION

STEM Grant Opportunity for K-12 Tennessee Valley Educators Now Open KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The TVA STEM Classroom Grant Program is open for applications with $800,000 in funding available for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics learning projects in classrooms and schools in areas served by TVA across the Tennessee Valley.

The education program is sponsored by TVA in partnership

with Bicentennial Volunteers Inc., a TVA retiree organization, with TVA contributing $500,000 and BVI contributing $300,000 to the effort.

The 2020-2021 STEM grant application is open through Oct. 16. Grants may be requested in amounts up to $5,000 each. Eligible applicants are teachers or school administrators in public or private schools, grades K-12. Schools must be in the TVA service area and receive power from a local power company served by TVA. Grant application submission and review will be managed by the independent Tennessee STEM Innovation Net-

work.

“TVA recognizes that excellence in education is the key to developing our future workforce in the Valley and helping communities attract great jobs for the next generation,” said Jeannette Mills, TVA executive vice president and chief external relations officer. “This program directly supports teachers in advancing STEM activities in their classrooms to develop a talent pipeline for TVA, its customers, and the region.”

Last year’s program awarded $600,000 in grants to schools across the Tennessee Valley. The competitive grant program gives preference to applications that ex-

From Staff Reports / Photos Courtesy of TVA STEM Program

plore TVA’s primary areas of focus: energy, environment, economic and career development, and community problem solving. In addition, this year educators can also apply for a grant to support pandemic response or virtual learning materials to assist in STEM education.

For information and to apply, visit www.tvastem.com. w

October 2020

19

20

Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

TECHNOLOGY

Huntsville Chosen to Test Google Fiber’s 2-gig Service Google Fiber is looking for people to test their new 2-Gig service.

According to a blog from Google Fiber’s Amalia O’Sullivan, director of product management, the company is testing the service this month in Huntsville and Nashville.

“Game changers, super users, and families who need more from their internet can join the Google Fiber Trusted Tester program to be among the first to put the extra speed to use,” O’Sullivan wrote. “Our testers help us make sure we’re launching the best products and services possible for our customers, and we appreciate their help!”

To apply to be a Trusted Tester (having a Google Fiber account is required), visit https://goo.gle/2GzPgau The 2-Gig service costs $100 per month, that includes a new WiFi router and Wi-Fi mesh extender.

Google Fiber’s 1-Gig service is $70 per month.

O’Sullivan wrote the demand has increased due to the number of people working from home and students taking classes online because of the pandemic.

“This year has made this need for more speed and bandwidth especially acute, as many of us are now living our entire lives — from work to school to play — within our homes, creating unprecedented demand for internet capacity,” she wrote. “At $100 a month, it’s double the top download speed of our 1 Gig product (with the same great upload speed) and comes with a new Wi-Fi 6 router and mesh

extender, so everyone gets a great online experience no matter where they are in the house.”

O’Sullivan said 2 Gig will roll out to all of Google Fiber’s Nashville and

By Bud McLaughlin

Huntsville customers this year, with plans to launch the service across most of the company’s Google Fiber and Google Fiber Webpass cities in early 2021. w

October 2020

21

TECHNOLOGY

Moog Doubles Huntsville Footprint with New Regional Support Center Another innovative technology company is expanding its presence in Huntsville.

Moog - the name rhymes with vogue - has opened a regional support center next to the Army Materiel Command headquarters at 360F Quality Circle.

“The Regional Support Center will also support growing defense sustainment activities in support of the warfighter.”

The company cited the proximity to Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center as a major factor in its long-term growth strategy to better support a growing list of aerospace, defense, and industrial customers across the

southeast.

Martin Bobak, Moog’s vice president defense sustainment, said, “The Regional Support Center will also support growing defense sustainment activities in support of the warfighter.”

The New York-based company specializes in the design and manufacture of advanced motion control products for aerospace, defense, industrial and medical applications.

The new facility consists of a large laboratory to support local research, development, and testing activities. It also offers abundant office space and essential collabo-

ration space.

Huntsville native Mary Occhipinti takes on the role of Moog’s Huntsville operations’ site manager. She has supported a variety of Moog business groups for more than a decade.

“Huntsville is recognized as a thriving metropolitan area for both business and living,” she said.

By Kimberly Ballard

“With this opening, we have already doubled our local presence and plan to add additional technical positions in the days ahead.”

For job opportunities, visit www.moog.com/careers.

Moog held an official “soft opening” in late August but plans a more formal grand opening based on COVID-19 regulations. w

22

Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

BRIEFCASE

driver can be huge barriers in their ability to complete the prescribed course of therapy. This barrier can have a negative impact on survival rates as well as the overall quality of life.” w American Cancer Society Awards $25,000 Transportation Grants Cancer patients undergoing treatment frequently require assistance getting to and from facilities, often creating a financial and logistical burden.

To help lessen those burdens, the American Cancer Society has awarded transportation grants totaling $25,000 to Huntsville Hospital, Alliance Cancer Care, and Clearview Cancer Institute.

The grants were available through an application process and focus on addressing transportation needs of cancer patients, particularly vulnerable populations experiencing an unequal burden of cancer.

“We’re proud to collaborate with community health partners to serve individuals in areas with higher burdens of cancer and limited or no access to transportation because even the best treatment can’t work if a patient can’t get there,” said Jeff Fehlis, executive vice president of the American Cancer Society. “(Transportation) … is an issue that we have been working to address. When patients miss treatment due to circumstances such as transportation issues, it can have a negative effect on their cancer treatment outcome. This generous grant allows us the opportunity to help our patients with the cost of going to and from their treatment appointments and may relieve one more worry that they may have,” said Karen Adams, Huntsville Hospital Cancer Program Director.

“With this funding, we will be able to assist patients with transportation who would otherwise be unable to get to CCI for necessary treatments and appointments,” said Emily Garnett, director of Social Work at Clearview Cancer Institute. “We are so thankful for the support of ACS in helping us to overcome a significant barrier to care.”

Terry Jones, director of Nursing and Quality at Alliance Cancer Care, said, “Alliance Cancer Care is honored to have been awarded the American Cancer Society’s transportation grant.

For many patients, transportation issues such as keeping gas in the tank, managing car repairs or the need for a

Warren Averett Names Wiginton Estate Group Principal Christopher Wiginton has joined Warren Averett as an estate group principal in the Huntsville office. He will focus on providing services for the firm’s estate planning, federal tax and nonprofit clients.

Prior to joining Warren Averett, Wiginton was a partner in two Alabamabased law firms. His previous work included estate and business planning, corporate and partnership taxation and general corporate matters.

“We are happy to have Chris join Warren Averett,” said Ray White, managing member of the firm’s Huntsville office. “Given his well-rounded experience, I am confident he will be a strong advisor to our team and our clients.”

Wiginton holds a bachelor of accountancy from the University of Mississippi, a Juris Doctor from the Wake Forest University School of Law and a master of laws in taxation from the Georgetown University Law Center.

He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Alabama State Bar, the Huntsville/Madison County Bar Association and is the president of the Financial and Estate Planning Council of Huntsville. w

HudsonAlpha On Team Awarded 5-year, $68M Biofuels Grant Several research groups at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology are passionate about producing crops that can be used as fuel to create clean and sustainable energy for our planet.

And now, with the help of a newly awarded Department of Energy grant, they can move one step closer to this goal.

The grant is part of a DOE project

that will provide $68 million in funding over five years for basic research aimed at making more productive and resilient crops that can be used to produce biofuel. Material from these crops can be harvested and converted into liquid biofuels for use in transportation, or as energy for heat and electricity. Biofuel is a renewable, sustainable, and carbonneutral source.

Faculty Investigator Jeremy Schmutz of HudsonAlpha is on a team of researchers from across the United States working for more than a decade to genetically characterize and improve the biomass production of switchgrass.

The collaborative research team is led by Dr. Thomas Juenger of the University of Texas. Dr. Kankshita Swaminathan of HudsonAlpha brings her team’s expertise in plant gene editing to the project.

One of the most exciting aspects of our project is the diverse research perspectives on the team – a group that includes ecologists, evolutionary biologists, genomic and data scientists, microbial ecologists, physiologists and plant breeders,” Juenger said. w

Coronavirus Brings Down Curtain on 2020 Huntsville Ballet Company Season The news was bittersweet: “No Nutcracker.”

A long-time Huntsville tradition and its host organization – Huntsville Ballet Company – are the latest victims of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Community Ballet Association/ Huntsville Ballet Company announced, in consideration of the health and safety of patrons, dancers, students, and staff, they are cancelling all performances and events for 2020.

It was a difficult and agonizing decision to make.

“As you can imagine, this is a sad, challenging time for everybody,” said Phillip Otto, the Ballet Company’s Artistic Director. “Unfortunately, the Huntsville Ballet cannot survive without grants and ticket revenue from performances.”

Huntsville Ballet Company relies entirely on grants, donations, sponsorships and ticket revenue from

performances. To help keep Huntsville Ballet viable, they have developed a fundraising campaign called “Bridge the Ballet” and has set up a GoFundMe page. Help Bridge the Ballet to a Brighter Future: https://charity.gofundme.com/ communityballetassociationofhuntsvilleinchuntsvilleballetcompanyhuntsvilleballetschool. w

Huntsville Housing Sales Up but Median, Average Sales Prices Drop It was hot in July – and we’re not just talking weather.

Huntsville home sales continued to climb and last month was no exception.

However, the average and median sales prices for houses in July saw a drop from June’s prices.

According to the Alabama Center for Real Estate’s monthly report for July, 929 houses were sold last month, compared to 863 a year ago and 847 in June.

Usually, the report said, July’s sales fall from June’s sales.

“Historical data indicates that July residential sales on average (2015-19) decrease from June by 6.1 percent,” the ACRE report said. “This month’s sales increased 9.7 percent from the prior month.”

There were 663 existing single-family homes sold, compared to 332 a year ago, while newly built houses accounted for 248 of July’s count, along with 18 condos.

While July’s median and average prices were up from a year ago, they dropped compared to June’s numbers.

The median sales price in Huntsville for the current month was $249,900, a 12.1 increase from July 2019’s median sales price, but the median price was “historically” down from June’s median price of $253,900.

Like the median sales price for houses, average sales prices, while rising from a year ago, saw a drop from June. The average sales price for July was $277,844, a 10.8 percent increase from $250,742 one year ago. But it was off some 2.3 percent from June’s price of $284,489. w

October 2020

23

CLASSIFIEDS

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I’ll help you determine a fair selling price and market your home so it sells and go over my proven marketing system that has helped over 300 clients get their homes sold. Just give me a call to get started! Contact: Allie Wright at allie@ amandahoward.com. Phone: 256-7999021

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2770 HWY 101 COMMERCIAL BUILDING/BUSINESS 2770 Hwy 101 Commercial Building/ Business opportunity. 5 units. High Traffic/High Visibility. Former Doctor Office/Boutique Convenience Store. $499,900. For more information on this property contact Pamela Holt Butler CRC Realty, Inc. 256.762.8756 12450 HWY 20 COMMERCIAL LEASE $3000.00 long term lease liquor store “Creekside Beverage” High Traffic/High Visibility. For more information on this property contact Pamela Holt Butler CRC realty, Inc. 256.762.8756.

BUSINESS FOR SALE Business for sale: Distinguished Auto Diagnostic and Transmission Service Franchise Business in Huntsville. (Franchise = Franchise Support forever from great company) The asking price is $125,000 – Call or text 419.297.7367 or DM me for more details. Jonathan Anderson

ACCOUNTING / BOOKKEEPING / FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING AND TAX SERVICES Owning a business can easily become overwhelming. Free up time spent agonizing over the numbers and let us solve the unknown issues lurking in your books. By trusting Profit Wise with your accounting tasks, you’ll have more time to concentrate on running your business and generating profits.

SERVICES

EMPLOYMENT

NO RISK CMMI ADOPTION

EXHIBITS ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE FULL-TIME

No-risk Firm Fixed Price CMMI adoption! After we do a no-charge analysis of your processes against your goal CMMI model and maturity level, we will provide a FFP proposal for our consulting and appraisal services. If, in the unlikely event (we have a 97%+ pass rate) your organization does not pass its appraisal, we will provide, at no additional charge, consulting and appraisal services until you do pass. See brightlineperformance.com or email us at jeff@brightlineperformance. com.

OFFICE / BUSINESS EQUIPMENT WAREHOUSE LIGHTS 400 WATT Warehouse Lights (400watt) Multi-tapp.

(Qty 7) $30.00 each or $180.00 for all 7.

Text or Call 256.412.8096.

Responsible for interacting with potential clients and translating those interactions into sales. They identify marketplace opportunities, prospect, engage new clients, develop proposals, and manage the contract process. They meet sales and/or profitability objectives, typically from new clients or accounts.

Contact: Mike Bean, (888)HR-SERVE, info@passionhr.net.

HEALTHCARE FULL-TIME PRN LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE LPN IMMEDIATE NEED LPN License required. Benefits for F/T. Max 20 pt load. Geriatric Psych Inpatient Hospital. Contact: Teresa Houser Phone: 256-964-6700

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL