Keeping you informed and inspired. VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 4
April 2021
TECHNOLOGY
Skyfire Opens Innovation Hub in Huntsville
COVER STORY
Skyfire Consulting, an Atlanta-based drone designer and manufacturer, has expanded with an office in Huntsville with plans to grow within the space, law enforcement, defense and technology sectors. By Alan Clemons - Page 2
DEVELOPMENT
The Women Building the Huntsville Amphitheater at MidCity
As construction begins on the Huntsville Amphitheater at MidCity, once again the Rocket City is on the cutting edge with two women holding critical leadership positions on the much-anticipated building project. By Kimberly Ballard - Page 18
ADDITIONAL STORIES • Fleet Feet is Off and Running in Madison By Lori J. Connors • Page 5
• Sanctuary Huntsville Provides Membership-Driven Space for Craftsmen, Hobbyists By Mike Easterling • Page 11
• Mumford & Son’s Ben Lovett is Hands-On with Amphitheater Project By Kimberly Ballard • Page 16
Page 12
• Trash Pandas a Better Organization After Pandemic By Mike Easterling • Page 20
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HUNTSVILLE
BUSINESS JOURNAL Vol 4, Issue 4 April 2021 600 Boulevard South Suite 104 Huntsville, AL 35802
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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL
TECHNOLOGY
Skyfire Opens Innovation Hub in Huntsville Skyfire Consulting, an Atlanta-based drone designer and manufacturer, has expanded with an office in Huntsville with plans to grow within the space, law enforcement, defense and technology sectors. Skyfire is based in Marietta, Georgia. It a has a facility in Maine that focuses on R&D and manufacturing. Another in northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., provides accessibility to federal law enforcement, defense training specialists and other federal contacts. “Home to Redstone Arsenal, which has been the center of the U.S. Army’s missile and rocket programs for more than 50 years, the new headquarters for the U.S. Space Command and the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s I²C Invention to Innovation Center, Huntsville is the perfect location for Skyfire to continue our growth,” said Matt Sloane, Skyfire founder and CEO, in a press release. The 7-year-old company focuses on use of drones by public safety agencies. It offers POST-certified training sessions for basic pilot flying, law enforcement, SWAT and custom programs. Skyfire is located in the Shelby Center for Science and Technology on the campus of the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Skyfire has a diverse array of partners including Netflix, CNN, the Montana State Patrol, Los Angeles Fire Department, Colonial
Pipeline, Bravo, YouTube, The Weather Channel and others. Sectors it serves cover federal, state and local public safety agencies, international UAS programs, oil, gas, engineering, global public health, private security and event overwatch, film and television. “This office will allow us to foster new relationships with the FBI, which recently announced their plans to build a $1 billion facility in the area, and others within public safety and flight, as well as staying on the pulse of new and innovative technology in our industry,” Sloane said. The FBI’s new facility on Redstone Arsenal will increase the presence it has had in the city for more than 40 years. More than 400 FBI employees work in the area and will be joined by others transferring from Washington, D.C., or who are new hires. Among the FBI operations at the Arsenal are the Hazardous Devices School and Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center. The Arsenal also is home to other agencies and contractors, Army operations, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Defense Intelligence Agency’s Missile and Space Intelligence Center, and others. n
By Alan Clemons / Photos Provided by Skyfire Consulting
April 2021
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SIT DOWN WITH SUCCESS
Mario Maitland: Work ‘Plan A’ Until the Wheels Fall Off “Sitdown with Success” highlights local entrepreneurs and their accomplishments. This month’s feature is Mario Maitland, founder of the Maitland Conservatory. For the complete interview, visit huntsvillebusinessjournal.com. Where did the idea of starting Maitland Conservatory come from? One of the things that catapulted me into starting the conservatory happened when I was in graduate school at Tennessee State working on my master’s degree in music education. In my research I discovered a lot of people are interested in the arts and a music education, but most people don’t know what they can do with a music degree beyond things like playing piano in church or being a high school band teacher. Maitland Conservatory focuses on the modern careers that can be created from the arts like music production, film scoring, deejaying, video editing, even vlogging and podcasting.
Was it difficult starting a music school? I wrote the business plan in 2006 for something called the Maitland School of the Arts. I was giving private lessons at my church but, like a lot of entrepreneurs, my dream wasn’t coming to fruition quickly enough and I was getting discouraged. A pastor friend encouraged me not to give up. He said that until you know what you are supposed to be doing, do what you know how to do. and you will discover it. That was profound, and yet simple. When did you know it was going to be okay and that you were going to make it? In 2015, I quit my job and went all in. I knew if I wanted to grow it, I had to be fulltime. But I attended a college graduation for one of our students and the guest speaker asked the graduates, “How many of you have a Plan B?”
Of course, a lot of them raised their hands. He said, “If you have a Plan B, you will fail.” I immediately eliminated my Plan B. Then all I had was Plan A and I knew I had to work it until the wheels fall off. I have a wife and child and a business with my name on it. I have no choice but to make it work! What are the hardest challenges you had to overcome? Mountains of paperwork you don’t know you need like permits and a tax ID number when you open a business bank account. And you have to figure out what your cost is to hire help versus what you are charging for your products and services. In the beginning, my focus was making everything affordable to get as many students as possible, but you have to weigh the costs to make sure you don’t lose money when all your expenses like
By Kimberly Ballard / Photo by Steve Babin
employee salaries, utilities, and rent are paid. I never thought about it in terms of net profit versus gross profit. What advice would offer anyone starting their own business? You have to decide how much you are willing to sacrifice when you start a new business. You also have to develop a managerial and operational mindset. n
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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL
Subsidiary of EVENT Publishing
President /Publisher................................................................ Todd Stephenson Editor .......................................................................................... Bud McLaughlin Writers.........................................................................................Kimberly Ballard Alan Clemons Lori J. Connors Mike Easterling Noah Logan Graphic Design ............................................................................. Justina Simon Website................................................................................................ Jim Gharib Photographers...................................................................................Steve Babin Kimberly Ballard Justina Simon Director of Sales ................................................................. Carolyn Stephenson Account Executives.....................................................................Michelle Epling Noah Logan 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
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ALL CONTENTS ©2021. 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.
April 2021
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RETAIL
Fleet Feet is Off and Running in Madison
By Lori J. Connors / Photos by Steve Babin
MADISON -- If Madison’s growth and revitalization endeavors were to have a unified voice, the newly renovated Hughes Plaza would be its 2021 spokes-building. Although there’s Toyota Field and the seemingly endless miles of new development, Hughes Plaza is truly the story of the “comeback kid.”
“We believe in getting the community active for everything from marathons to being comfortable walking around Disney World.” Jon Krichev and his wife Alicia, a pair of sports medicine physicians and avid fitness fanatics, have transformed the shopping plaza from blight to beautiful. Their overarching vision for renovation includes the creation of a hub for shopping, dining, and most importantly, health and fitness. Fast forward to 2021, their vision is fast becoming a reality. As a major part of that reality, Fleet Feet, one of its newest tenants, recently opened in Hughes Plaza. Despite the delays presented by COVID-19, the walking/running specialty store officially opened March 11. The other tenants include Absolute Nutrition, Results PT, Bicycle Cove, and coming soon to the fold, Just Love Coffee. Fleet Feet owners Suzanne and Dink Taylor are excited about opening the Madison location, which was a two-year project in the making. “For us, Fleet Feet is much more than a store—it’s a lifestyle,” said Suzanne. “We believe in getting the community active for everything from marathons to being comfortable walking around Disney World.” With Fleet Feet’s strong commitment to community involvement, the Taylors found the Hughes Road location very
“We’ve wanted to open a second location in Madison for a long time and everything finally came together.” appealing. Proximity is everything. With Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools nearby, coupled with a local community that values fitness, the couple quickly got on
board with the Krichevs’ vision. Fleet Feet has close to 200 stores in the United States, with three in Alabama: Montgomery, Birmingham, and Huntsville. “Our Huntsville location has been up and running for 17 years and we’ve loved every minute of it,” said Suzanne. “We’ve wanted to open a second location in Madison for a long time and everything finally came together.” Although set in a different
configuration than the HuntsvilleValley Bend location, Fleet Feet’s 6,200-square foot retail space is nearly identical in size and has all the enticing bells and whistles one comes to associate with the fitness brand. There’s careful attention paid to detail and textures in the 6,200-square-foot space. The store is set up to accommodate social distancing – something that is much easier to do in the initial planning phases than in retrospect. Along with an indoor running track, Fleet Feet boasts its Fit ID personalized 3D foot scanning experience. Since no two pairs of feet are alike; Fit ID is instrumental in securing an ideal, personalized fit solution for customers. The Taylors look forward to being a part of the Madison community and to help area customers find products and programs that meet their fitness needs. A ribbon-cutting will kick off the grand opening on April 9, followed by a “Store to Store” (HSV2MAD) 14.1 mile virtual run the weekend of April 10-11. n
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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL
FOOD / DINING
Hummus & Pita Opens in Stovehouse; Good Food That’s Good for You Hold on tight and brace your tastebuds, The Hummus & Pita Company is delivering a fresh take on Mediterranean fare, here in the Rocket City. It’s great tasting food that’s also good for you. Since 2011, Hummus & Pita Co. has been delivering guilt-free, homemade cuisine. The Brooklynbased restaurant features a fast-casual Mediterranean-inspired concept, with nods to Greece, Israel, Morocco, and Middle Eastern fare. All menu items are made from scratch onsite, using only the freshest ingredients. “It’s a company based out of New York,” said Tiffany Jenkins, General Manager. “They wanted to start franchising in the south, our first store is in Atlanta, in the Dunwoody area, where we trained. The next store is Huntsville, and then, we’re opening a store in Montgomery.” There are eight locations, three are in the Big Apple: Chelsea, Tribeca, and the Upper East Side. There are also Hummus & Pita Company franchises in New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, Georgia, and now, Huntsville. Before taking on the role of general manager, Jenkins spent several years working for Earth Fare. Once Earth Fare shuttered its doors, Jenkins sought to find work in foodservice industry, a place that offered healthy food choices and high quality
eats. Hummus & Pita was the perfect fit. “We’re excited to be expanding The Hummus & Pita Co. further into the Southeast with the Huntsville opening,” said co-founder Dave Pesso. “The popularity of Mediterranean cuisine is rapidly growing in the Southeast and we look forward to introducing our fresh, innovative, and flavorful meals to this region.” There’s an endless assortment to select from, with six varieties of hummus, eight sauces, and a wide assortment of vegetables. Menu items include gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options. Upon arrival, guests can choose from the many options to “Quick it – Start it – Build it – Fill it – Top it – Sauce it.” As one of the “Quick it” entrees, “ROYGBIV (the Roy) is a study in color. Consisting of rice, hummus, eggplant, corn salad, red cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, and choice of sauce to top it off, the Roy is guaranteed to fire up every single tastebud. The Chickpea Chiller is Hummus & Pita’s signature shake. To most people, this might not sound very appetizing right off the bat. It’s popular up North and definitely worth trying. The Chiller is all-natural vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free and comes in five flavors: butter pecan, pistachio,
chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. In addition to chickpeas, the frozen concoction includes tahini, frozen bananas, dates, almond milk, and a pinch of pure vanilla and cinnamon. Business has been doing well, according to Jenkins. For those dining inside, there’s staggered seating and frequent sanitization. Although the dining area seems empty, the pickup, takeout, and delivery orders balance
By Lori J. Connors / Photos by Steve Babin
out the equation. Hummus & Pita is open daily from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. and offers dinein, curbside, takeout, and delivery via third-party partners. Customers also can download the app through the Apple Store and Google Play to order in advance and take advantage of loyalty features. For more information, visit hummusandpitas.com. n
April 2021
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FOOD / DINING
Agave & Rye Opening in Bridge Street Town Center Are you a fan of tequila, bourbon and cool vibes in a funky atmosphere? If so, the newest addition to Bridge Street Town Center may be right up your alley. Agave & Rye Epic Tacos Tequila & Bourbon Hall will open this spring in the former Bar Louie location. It is the first venue outside of the Midwest for the company, which is based in Covington, Ky. Agave & Rye offers more than 70 varieties of tequila and more than 90 of bourbon, along with a varied menu of specialty cocktails, wine, beer and dining options. “Agave & Rye was originally looking to expand into Nashville or Atlanta as they laid out their plans for their expansion into the Southeast,” said Jaclyn Palmeri, leasing manager for Bayer Properties. “But once they were introduced to Huntsville, they knew Huntsville had to be a part of that plan.” Agave & Rye, which began in 2018,
has been honored for innovation and adaptability in Restaurant Hospitality magazine. Diners often don’t think about upscale presentations of tacos, but that’s what Agave & Rye strives to do. The Bridge Street restaurant will seat more than 170 indoors and another 100 on its outdoor patio. The company has seven other restaurants, opening four in the last year. “Agave & Rye is built with heart and passion,” said Yavonne Sarber, founder and CEO of Agave & Rye. “We truly feel we’ve created an escape, and we’ve started calling Agave & Rye a ‘playground’. We’re creating something that causes guests to want to leave their homes to experience something amazing and one-of-a-kind.” The menu features what it calls “epic tacos,” including The Crown Jewel of truffle mac ‘n cheese with lobster, the Swipe Right with honeylime grilled chicken, sweet-spicy bacon
and aged white cheddar, and The Proper Dinner of whiskey and Coke short rib, butter-whipped potatoes, glazed baby carrots and tobacco onions. Signature craft cocktails offer a mix of modern and traditional, from Jalapeño Pineapple Margaritas to Whiskey & Cherry Dr Pepper slushes. Bridge Street has announced the addition of The Cheesecake Factory in the 7,350-square-foot southside corner of the property that previously housed Cantina Laredo. It will be across from P.F. Chang’s and adjacent to Barnes & Noble. Also, Dallas-based Main Event is opening in what was the Toys R Us building on the corner of Governors
By Alan Clemons / Rendering Courtesy of Agave & Rye
Drive West and Eagle Drive Northwest. The 50,000-square-foot entertainment and restaurant complex will be the company’s first in Alabama. With more than 50 retail shopping and dining offerings, Bridge Street Town Centre is also home to more than 207,000 square feet of fully occupied Class-A office space, a 232-room Westin hotel, 150-room Element by Westin hotel, 244-unit Seleno luxury apartment complex and a recently opened 131-room Hyatt Place Hotel. n
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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL
FOOD / DINING
Taco Mama Brings Its Festive Atmosphere and Deliciosa Mexicana to Clift Farm MADISON -- The first time former banker Chris Brown and his wife Paige took their family to eat at Taco Mama in Crestline Village in Birmingham, they discussed how nice it would be to have a Taco Mama in Huntsville. The second time they ate there, the discussion was “how do we bring Taco Mama to the Tennessee Valley?” In 2014, the Browns opened Huntsville’s first Taco Mama at Twickenham Square in the Medical District. Having no restaurant experience of their own, the entrepreneurial couple found a veteran food and beverage expert who could help them make their new venture a success. “No, we did not have any prior restaurant experience, but we love food, especially Mexican food, and we eat out a lot and feel we have our finger on the pulse of what people in Huntsville and Madison like,” said Paige Brown about opening in the medical district. “David Weand has over 20 years in food sales and restaurant management, and he came highly recommended by the Taco Mama founder in Birmingham. “When he moved to Huntsville to become general manager of our Twickenham restaurant, we made a deal with him that if we survived a year, we would bring him in as a partner in opening any other locations. Today, he is our partner in
all three subsequent locations and any additional stores in the future.” Taco Mama’s Build Your Own Tacos and Burritos offering over two dozen free toppings; a selection of margaritas and sangria; along with the fun and festive atmosphere that twice impressed the Browns in Birmingham, took off under Weand’s management. In the past six years, Taco Mama has opened locations at the Village of Providence and Jones Valley in Huntsville and, most recently, in the new Publix Super Market at Clift Farm shopping plaza, on U.S. 72 in Madison. What was it like this past year, opening restaurants during a pandemic where for a while, people
were discouraged from going out to restaurants? “We had to go on our faith and positivity,” said Brown. “Everybody has been in the same boat. We had been talking to Clift Farm for a long time and had already signed a lease when the pandemic hit. We were not the only restaurant to be committed to a new build out, so we did what had to be done.” Brown said a couple of inherent aspects of Taco Mama made the transition fairly easy for them. “We always preferred corner locations because it gives us room for an outdoor patio,” she said. “The Village of Providence location has a humongous outdoor patio and so does Clift Farm.
Pictured in photo to the right, L to R: Chris Brown, Paige Brown, Alyssa Weand, and David Weand
By Kimberly Ballard / Photos by Steve Babin and Taco Mama
“Because of the 50 percent capacity rule, we had to move tables and chairs to ensure they are six feet apart, but as far as having to change our build out, we did not really have to do that because we have always offered outside dining and a fairly wide-open environment.” The other aspect of Taco Mama that made COVID restrictions relatively easy is that they have always offered take-out service and the pickup shelf is right up front when the customer walks in the door. “We have always done a big takeout business,” said Brown. “You can order online and pay online, or call in and pre-pay, so the pickup order shelf is right there at all our locations and it will remain there going forward.” Brown said they feel incredibly grateful to have weathered the crisis so well and to be able to continue their plans for expanding to Clift Farm. “I know the pandemic is not completely over, but at least things stayed on track for us to open in Madison this year,” she said. “We love the high energy created by our team members and our customers.” Taco Mama employs more than 140 workers, and they are already talking about expanding. “We definitely see one more location, but in our hearts, well, there may be a couple more,” said Brown. n
April 2021
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FOOD / DINING
Moe’s Original BBQ Takes the Outfield at Town Madison MADISON -- The Alabama connections are strong. The Huntsville connections are even stronger. But Moe’s Original BBQ, surviving the closure of Cecil Ashburn Drive and now standing stronger than ever after COVID, is opening a location just a short stop away from Toyota Field. Located along St. Louis Street, Moe’s Original BBQ will be within walking distance of centerfield and in the center of The Heights at Town Madison neighborhood. “We are excited about going in at Town Madison not only because of baseball and all the new residential, but because it gets us closer to Redstone Arsenal as well,” said co-owner Mike Ellis. “The building is there, we have the plans and permits and the first studs are in the ground…”. According to Ellis, Moe’s Original BBQ was started by three Alabama boys who took off out west to sow their oats snow skiing in Vail, Colo., in 1988. Ben Gilbert was from Athens; Jeff Kennedy and Ellis grew up in Jones Valley and
were friends in school. Mike Fernandez was from Tuscaloosa. He owned a bar where a friend and pitmaster named Moses Day (Moe) taught him the art of slow cooking meat over a barbecue pit. Fernandez would later go on to culinary school at Johnson and Wales to become a chef, but after graduation from the University of Alabama, the trio took off to Vail where they opened a roadside barbeque stand. It was such a hit they opened a restaurant and bar at the foot of their favorite ski slope. They are all still celebrities in Vail. Ellis, who remained friends with Kennedy, knew they were looking to grow the franchise. He and his business partner Chris Clowers opened Moe’s in Jones Valley in 2010, their 10th franchise. Today Moe’s has more than 60 locations from Maine to California
and Mexico City. “Our original location in Jones Valley was known as a family-friendly restaurant,” said Ellis. “We went on to open at the Village of Providence in 2012. That is when we added a bar because most of the locations, especially those in Tuscaloosa and Auburn, were known for their bars, which were hits on game day during football season. “We also opened a Moe’s in Decatur. We were growing.” But when the construction began on Cecil Ashburn Drive in Jones Valley, Moe’s began losing money. A lot of it. “We had never lost a dime and now we were losing $10,000 month, so we closed it,” Ellis said. “I cashed in my 401k and Chris sold a couple of cars and
By Kimberly Ballard
we regrouped.” They opened in downtown Huntsville two years ago, and Ellis said their rooftop patios and two bars have made Moe’s one of the hottest spots to be on Friday and Saturday nights. “COVID was tough with everyone telling the public not to go to restaurants, but I guess the crisis in Jones Valley prepared us for anything,” said Ellis. “A lot of restaurants like J Alexanders and Outback have only built one location nationwide this year and that is at Town Madison, so we signed a lease in January, and we feel we are in a great location.” He said they had to rethink their outdoor design and will have a covered outdoor patio with gas lines for heat and plenty of fans for summer. They have also reworked their pick-up and to-go services to make it quick, friendly, and efficient. “If you were weak going into COVID, you are gone,” he said. “If you were at least semi-strong like we were going into COVID, it knocked you to your knees, but we’re still standing.” n
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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL
SMALL BUSINESS
Amdek Specializes in Products from High Tech to Super Bowl and BCS SOMERVILLE -- For anyone who received an autographed collectible football at Super Bowl LV in Tampa, here’s a fun fact: the souvenir made its way to the Sunshine State via Somerville. The small town in Morgan County is home to the headquarters for Alabama Molding and Decorating (Amdek). That’s the name founder Robert Tetzlaff gave the business when it launched in 1991. Amdek is a multi-service contract plastic molding company specializing in custom injection molding, decorating, pad printing (a process that transfers a 2D image onto a 3D object), tool design and packaging. Among other items, Amdek is a supplier for Wilson Sporting Goods. Wilson recently shipped 4,500 footballs to Amdek where Super Bowl and team logos were printed on them. “I have basically every Super Bowl and all the BCS bowl games for the last 10 years or so sitting here on a display shelf,’’ Tetzlaff said. The company prints logos on more than just inflatable sports balls for Wilson. There are also baseballs, softballs, golf balls and the highlypopular insulated container Hydro Flask among other items Amdek handles. “We print for other customers that we print here in the state,’’ Tetzlaff said. “We do a lot of things out here. “We decorate for all kinds of products from coat hangers to race cars, cosmetic bottles to carts and, of course, all kinds of sports teams.’’ Amdek also does work for Thermo Fisher Scientific and automotive and medical companies. Tetzlaff and his family have had a relationship with Wilson dating back to 1985. He opened Amdek in 1991. When a plant site was vacated and became available, Tetzlaff
moved his business into the building in 2008 and now occupies 38,000 square feet. Amdek has satellite operations around the country. Tetzlaff’s Tennessee Valley story began when his father took a job at SCI in 1975. The former eventually attended Brewer High School in Somerville, then headed to UAH to pursue a chemical engineering degree. He was also a member of the rowing team. He met his wife, Huntsville High graduate Kathleen, through a college roommate. Their love story involves an initial meeting at the beach during a Christmas break when a large storm rolled in while the pair and the roommate/brother were parked near the Atlantic Ocean at New Smyrna Beach, awaiting sunrise. Waves engulfed the car. “I lost my car,’’ Tetzlaff said, “but found my wife.’’ Robert and Kathleen recently celebrated their 30th anniversary. They have four children -- Dr. Mary E. Halper, Katy Tetzlaff, Wolf Tetzlaff and Anna Vice. At UAH, he became a standout rower while also raising watermelons and pigs and working as a security guard to support his education. “Unfortunately, in my junior year, while I was teaching Olympic weight-lifting, I tore some muscles,’’ he said. “So that ended my rowing career. I was actually supposed to go to the Olympics.’’ That was when President Jimmy Carter boycotted the 1980 Games, which were held in Moscow, after Russia invaded Afghanistan. When U.S. troops went into Afghanistan in 2001, Tetzlaff said that was when he “got mad’’ about missing
his opportunity. Tetzlaff has a warming smile and spirited laugh, admirable traits considering he had a heart transplant five years ago.
By Mike Easterling / Photo provided by Amdek
He turned Amdek operations over to his son Wolf, but the father still handles sales and new products. He’s had issues but, he added, it was “nothing to kill me.’’ n
April 2021
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SMALL BUSINESS
Sanctuary Huntsville Provides Membership-Driven Space for Craftsmen, Hobbyists Less than a year working at Walt Disney World, Kenny Paone lost the feeling of any magic in the summer of 2016. The infamous Pulse nightclub shooting that killed 49 in Orlando dominated the news. Days later, a 2-year-old toddler was dragged into water by an alligator at Disney World and killed. There were other headline-screaming deaths. Against that backdrop Paone, working in the entertainment sector of Disney World, was among workers whose hours would be reduced because the company’s Shanghai project was behind schedule and over budget.
“I moved back home with ambitions of opening my own place. I started doing contract work for local theater as well as several other small attractions around town and around the state. It got to the point where I kinda wanted to open my own entertainment venue. Then COVID hit.’’ The Sunshine State didn’t appear too bright for the native Huntsvillian at the time. “Shanghai Disneyland was being built at the same time,’’ said Paone, Grissom Class of 2014 who is preparing to open 24/7 makerspace workshop Sanctuary Huntsville. “And so, I got basically hired and trained and then worked there. And then Shanghai was falling through for them. They started cutting our hours, I was one of those people affected and I just couldn't afford to stay down there anymore. So, I just came back. “I moved back home with
By Mike Easterling / Photos by Steve Babin
need to make just about anything,’’ Paone said.
“I was here in Huntsville and we looked, we looked around, we looked at a couple of businesses that were doing similar things, but we didn't think they were doing it quite right”
ambitions of opening my own place. I started doing contract work for local theater as well as several other small attractions around town and around the state. It got to the point where I kinda wanted to open my own entertainment venue. Then COVID hit.’’ Undeterred, Paone continued to chase his dream. He said he talked to close friends, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and a real estate agent who had just the right property. But instead of operating an arts and entertainment-only venue, Paone and friends went in another direction. Thus was born Sanctuary Huntsville, a membership-driven
“The whole idea is to create a place for a craftsman and hobbyist to come in and have the tools and the basic building materials that you need to make just about anything’’ space for craftsmen and hobbyists where they can work their trade 24 hours, seven days a week, in a creative environment. “The whole idea is to create a place for a craftsman and hobbyist to come in and have the tools and the basic building materials that you
There will be seven shops at Sanctuary, which is at 3305 Governors Drive. An orientation will be held near the first of each month with the first to be for the carpentry shop, which is coming soon. Orientations will ensue for the following: • Mechanics (small circuitry to work on own vehicles). • Photography and video (small scenes, headshots, products and services, learn equipment). • Textiles (leather working, t-shirt printing, crafting). • 3D printing (laser printing and engraving, CNC routing). • Audio (reporting, producing and music audio). • Media and design (state-ofthe-art computers). “I was here in Huntsville and we looked, we looked around, we looked at a couple of businesses that were doing similar things, but we didn't think they were doing it quite right,” Paone said. “And so, we realized that this was a huge opportunity, and we took the idea I had for an entertainment space and just translated it directly into a shop where creative people and hobbyists could come in and either make new things or make old things like new.’’ Visit sanctuaryhsv.com. n
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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL
COVER COVER
Outdoors Activities Bo
By Alan Clemons / Ph Like other organizers of outdoors events, Will Rogers and his team at Running Lane didn’t know what to expect last year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. A year later in hindsight, the restrictions and measures weren’t as severe here as in other states. Limited outdoors activities were allowed to take place, with guidelines and changes. But while running can be done individually, and sometimes in groups, Rogers didn’t see a gigantic leap in interest, either, until later in the year. Running Lane puts on road and trail running events, and offers individual and group coaching. “It was somewhat of a mixed bag,” he said. “In June, July and August, our event participation was down slightly. Once we got through September and into the fall, things began to pick up. “Coaching-wise we were down about 25 percent compared to the same time the previous year. This was challenging, as many folks who normally would use us to train for a big marathon kept having their races cancelled. I feel like this led to a lack of motivation for some and they ultimately needed to take a break from formal coaching.” Events, large and small, were canceled throughout the country. They have begun to return, with limited attendance and myriad changes. Running Lane’s summer fourevent trail series is held at Monte Sano State Park. It puts on other events at
locations such as Joe Wheeler State Park, Cathedral Caverns State Park and the John Hunt running facility in Huntsville. Rogers’ crew repeatedly stressed to participants to follow the CDC and state guidelines in order to have events, as well as changing some things including social distancing for checkin on race day, staggered wave starting times and more. “We offered (neck gaiters) to all participants to use for PPE,” Rogers said. “The start and finish were very different from past years in that we had waves of small groups of people using chip start timing so people could start the race when they felt comfortable. “Lastly, we didn't have as many options at aid stations to reduce high contact points. For example, we did individual water bottles versus communal coolers. We also had to cut out our post-race award ceremony and party to avoid large gatherings. All in all, I do feel that people were very thankful to have the opportunity to get back out there and race.” Outdoor Activities While some businesses were closed, others found ways to stay open or were deemed essential and exempted from closing. Shooting ranges such as Bullet & Barrel and the new Hobbs Island Shooting Ranges saw increases. Archery ranges and shops did, as well. Bicycle stores throughout the
country reported surges in requests for maintenance and sales of new or used bikes, and exercise equipment such as kettlebells, weightlifting bars and other items shot up in price or were sold out online or in stores. For the first time in 17 years, Suzanne and Dink Taylor closed their Fleet Feet store in Jones Valley. Like many small business owners, whether independent or franchisees, turning off the lights was crushing. Some were able to return. Others weren’t. “When we first got news last year about the pandemic that was the first thing I mentioned to our suppliers and buyers, the potential for supply chain issues. But I didn’t forecast that the world was going to fall apart and we would have to close our business,” Suzanne Taylor said. “The day we shut down, I sat back in here and told Dink that we’d have to close the store. I was crying, and one of our guys came in to give me a hug but we couldn’t even hug. That was a really hard day for us, to close the store, and we did it before the governor announced anything. We just made the decision that it wasn’t safe to open the store. It was very hard. “The hardest part was going to have
to furlough people. We furloughed our own son. The next day there was a Zoom call with all Fleet Feet owners and we didn’t know what we were going to do. The day after that, we had our manager meeting (on a call) to make a plan, and everyone pitched in 500 percent. We’re indebted to our managers … they could’ve said they didn’t want any part of it but they did a phenomenal job. You just have to adjust.” Greg Lein, a native of Huntsville and director of the Alabama State Parks system, said attendance was up about 1.2 million above average in 2020. The parks system is self-supporting and did not close. But Lein said managers and staff did a great job “of adjusting and finding ways to make things work.” “We saw business increases pretty much across the board, but they were nuanced,” Lein said. “We’re a complex business entity so it wasn’t uniform. Camping and day-use were through the roof, and I mean dramatic increases at some parks, more than others. On the lodge side, with public health rules and such, conference business just went in the tank. Joe Wheeler and Lake Guntersville lodges’ business was terrible, which impacts food-andbeverage business.”
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ooming Despite COVID
hotos by Alan Clemons Lodges, he said, began offering carry-out food and beverage for park visitors but not seated dining. Cathedral Caverns State Park cut tour group sizes by 50 percent, “and we did mock tours to make sure we could socially distance but still hear the guide.” Visits to parks near bigger cities, such as Monte Sano in Huntsville, Oak Mountain in Birmingham and Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, saw significant attendance increases. “When you rely on self-generated revenue, no one’s going to come to your rescue,” Lein said. “I credit our managers and staff for working hard and finding ways to make it work.” Trends and Figures In Alabama, and other states, hunting and fishing license sales increased significantly. Chuck Sykes, director of the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division in the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said hunting license sales increased by 8 percent and fishing license sales were up 15 percent. Already this year, he said they are up 5.3 percent for hunting and 8.8 percent for fishing. With more time on their hands last year, hunters and anglers renewed their passions on the water and in the woods. That’s not a surprise to Trent Marsh, marketing specialist with SpyPoint game cameras. The cellular or battery-operated units capture images of wildlife — and sometimes trespassers or poachers — and are sold throughout the U.S and internationally. They are sold locally in outdoors and sporting goods stores. "I think as 2020 started to unfold, we were all concerned about what the year would mean from a customer and sales perspective,” Marsh said. “As it turned out, getting back into the outdoors was kind of the one thing that everyone was able to do. We certainly saw the uptick in customers, new customers and usage, and frankly, everyone I talk to in the industry saw the same thing. The hunting side grew no doubt, but the folks on the fishing side have seen nothing short of explosive growth. It's been great to see." Some other notable trends and figures from 2020: — An analysis of prospective buyers
of RVs by LendingTree showed that in Alabama there was a 216 percent increase in interest of purchasing an RV, the 10th largest in the country. Interest in RVs rose 162 percent nationwide last year, and in June 2020 there was a 303 percent year-over-year increase in the number of people completing query forms for RVs compared to 2019. — Wearable devices, such as health and fitness tracking monitors like the Garmin Instinct or Fitbit, surged despite issues with supply. Shipments hit 153.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 27.2 percent from the previous year, according to the International Data Corporation. Garmin recently launched a new wearable, the Enduro, and other companies are ramping up production. — The Outdoor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Outdoor Industry Association, released its Outdoor Participation Report topline findings in February. It showed gains of 28 percent (7.9 million additional participants) in camping, hiking (8.1 million more) and freshwater fishing (3.4 million more). The United States Tennis Association said participation increased by 22 percent, with 6.78 new participants. — Shoe companies saw increases. Hoka One One, a popular brand for road and trail runners, saw its third quarter net sales increase 52.1 percent to $141.6 million. It made $93.1 million in Q3 the prior year. — Home fitness equipment sales surged, despite issues with supply chain and production. Peloton Interactive,
makers of the exercise bike with custom classes, saw revenue increase 128 percent in the second quarter ending Dec. 31, to $1.06 billion. The company’s Connected Fitness subscriptions grew to 1.67 million, a 134-percent increase from the previous year. In December 2020, Peloton Interactive announced its agreement to purchase Precor, one of the world’s largest commercial fitness equipment manufacturers. What’s Coming in 2021? In mid-March, the Taylors opened a Fleet Feet store in Madison on Hughes Road. April weather typically means blooming dogwoods, bass and bluegills biting in area lakes and turkey hunting season in full swing. The bird migration may be tailing off by mid- to late-April,
but birdwatchers will be getting their fill of hummers, robins and others making nests to welcome their young. There will be no shortage of bikers, hikers, campers, RVers and other outdoors enthusiasts ready to hit the roads, campgrounds, parks and lakes. “I think there is a lot of pentup demand for races with so many cancelled over the past year,” said Rogers of Running Lane. “Some states had much stricter restrictions in place and the folks who felt comfortable participating in races from those states, traveled to Alabama and neighboring states to run. We heard nothing but praise from the out-of-town folks for giving them an opportunity to have some sense of normalcy.” His team put on a trail-running event at Desoto State Park on March 13 that included 10K (6 miles), Half Marathon and 50K (31 miles) races. The field was capped at 300 and had runners from Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. During an event at Cathedral Caverns last November, runners from at least six states including Kentucky participated. He’s seeing that trend continue. “Participation numbers are increasing through the early part of 2021 and I'm optimistic that as the treatments and vaccine roll out, we will start to see more and more races return,” he said. “Coaching interest have also picked up in the past month and I believe that trend will continue as we head towards summer.” n
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Amphitheater to Bring Harmony to City’s Music / Culture Economy About this time next year, the City of Huntsville’s longtime vision for an iconic major music venue will be realized. The 8,000-seat, state-of-the-art Huntsville Amphitheater will serve the community and bring top music talent to the region. It will play as a major contributor in the City’s Music Initiative, to build a music and cultural-based economy throughout the region. Huntsville Venue Group (HVG), a joint venture partnership led by Ryan Murphy, former CEO of the highly successful St. Augustine Amphitheater in St. Augustine, Fla. will be operating the venue on behalf of the City of Huntsville. He will be assisted by leadership from the global Venue Group team including Ben Lovett and Greg Lovett of the Grammy-winning Mumford & Sons, Graham Brown, and Jesse Mann, in partnership with other respected industry veterans Mike Luba, Don Sullivan, Jeff Kicklighter and Al Santos. According to Dennis Madsen, manager of Urban & Long Range Planning for the City of Huntsville who also oversees the Music Initiative, Lovett’s involvement is extraordinary because artists have a lot to say about the venues in which they perform. “Artists themselves like to play in some venues because of the atmosphere and environment,” said Madsen. “I believe Ben Lovett’s motivation in starting Venue Group was driven by wanting to create more of those types of venues.” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the City has wanted to build more than an amphitheater. They want a facility that will help grow Huntsville’s music and culture economy. The amphitheater will be a centerpiece of MidCity and the new West Huntsville Park. “It will allow us to become a community of curators, where we can develop our own creative content that is unique to Huntsville that we can share globally,” said Battle. “In addition to arts festivals, markets, and
world-famous musicians, we’ll be able to incubate our own talent, showing that our next great entrepreneurs don’t all have to be in space and missile defense.” Ryan Murphy believes the main reason Venue Group won the contract for the Huntsville Amphitheater was because they had a shared vision of a year-round operation and of making it a community asset. “When I saw Huntsville doing this Music Initiative, I was so impressed. They are putting the roadmap together. They understand the economics of it and the importance of it,” said Murphy. “I have to say they stepped up to understand that music is not just a quality-of-life issue that adds to the culture and arts in a city. Huntsville understands music is an economic driver and that it creates jobs. He said having worked in
local government for 15 years, it is often hard for local government to understand the benefits of a music and culture economy because there is not a lot of long-term vision. “We are creating something that is not just your run-of-the-mill amphitheater stage and lawn. The uniqueness of the architecture and the uniqueness of how it will be operated makes it much more of a community asset.” Part of that uniqueness will be the Amphitheater’s integration into the new West Huntsville Park. The city will be preserving much of the natural trees and wooded areas and will be creating nature and hiking trails throughout the surrounding area. There has been some early criticism that so elaborate a venue may well bring in 20 major concerts a year, but what about the remaining
By Kimberly Ballard
345 days a year? “That would be the biggest waste of taxpayer dollars, even if 20 big names a year was an economic driver, brought more quality of life to the residents, and provided jobs,” said Murphy. “What we’re going to create is a community asset. The Huntsville Amphitheater will be an extension of the new West Huntsville Park so that on any given day there may be multiple stages set up with multiple areas of engagement, much of it free.” From a Gospel Sunday brunch with barbecue and great gospel groups, to local Saturday afternoon music showcases, Murphy said they aim to create a very successful venue the community will get behind because they know on any given day year-round, they will find something really cool going on there. “It will attract major concerts that have never been seen in North Alabama, but it will also be scaled appropriately with plenty of flexible space and will be affordable for nonprofits and local events to lease space to fit any occasion from farmer’s markets and graduation ceremonies to small arts festivals.” Another unique aspect of the Huntsville Amphitheater is the result of Ben Lovett’s vision to build a new era of world class music venues combined with significant community growth and amenities. Among those amenities is food – good food! Huntsville Venue Group is in talks with regional chefs and local food vendors to bring to life their
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prized food village that will operate year-round and provide food and beverage options not only to patrons of the Amphitheatre but also serve as an additional amenity and social space for Mid-City. “One of the biggest trends in the past 10 years has been an elevation of the quality and variety of food offerings, especially around music,” said Lovett. “We believe there is a huge amount of opportunity in the hospitality side of entertainment to deliver food and drinks of such excellence that they stand on their own two feet as an offering not simply as a way to ‘tide you over,’ quench the thirst, or satiate the hunger temporarily. “We have to aspire for higher standards than that. One of the reasons that Huntsville is so appealing to me and the team is it feels like going the extra mile is in the DNA of this city and we intend to go the extra mile when it comes to not just the concert experience, but the restaurants and
bars that lay adjacent and that will serve customers year-round.” Murphy promises that Huntsville Venue Group is going to become much more involved in the entire community. “Whether they are festivals downtown or smaller venues in town
struggling to get back on their feet after COVID, we are going to help them too,” he said. “The Huntsville Amphitheater will not open in isolation. We are watching the recommendation coming from the Initiative’s music audit, and we are going to help every step of the way.
You can watch a newly released video about the Huntsville Amphitheater featuring Ryan Murphy and Huntsville City officials: https://youtu.be/hcBR_PeRdTk For more information about the venue visit https:// huntsvilleamphitheater.com/. n
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Mumford & Son’s Ben Lovett is Hands-On with Amphitheater Project Kimberly Ballard of the Huntsville Business Journal had a one-on-one with Ben Lovett of the Grammy-award winning group Mumford & Sons. His company – Venue Group - is involved with the development of the Huntsville Amphitheater in MidCity. For the complete interview, visit huntsvillebusinessjournal.com Q: Maybe there are more rock stars than I know who are involved in business ventures, but I am fascinated by your involvement on such a corporate level. Can you talk about that? Ben Lovett: I have been an entrepreneur my whole life. I started my first business in event promotion on the rock scene about 20 years ago and then opened a record label publishing artists’ records about 15 years ago. I see my life with Mumford & Sons as my artistic outlet, but there is a side of me that believes in having a day job. Owning these companies is great honest work. I started doing venues about six years ago and started Venue Group with my brother Greg (Lovett). He has a very strong career in business and most recently he was CFO of Soho House & Co. before joining us as CFO at Venue Group. Our dad was in corporate management and consulting for 45 years and we grew up in that environment. Q: Are you actually involved in building these music venues from the acoustic and design standpoint or are you just a consultant to those who do? A: I roll up my sleeves and get into the intimate detail. I think you don’t want any single element of the venue to let you down both from the artist’s experience and from the patron’s experience, because that’s really what it is all about. When you attract a Jimmy Buffet or Travis Scott, or whoever it might be through a venue, you want them to say, “That was pretty good. I want to come back here and play when I am on tour.” You can’t underestimate their (artists’) experience whether it is the sound on the stage, the temperature in the dressing room, or the limitations of the production loading docks.
But from the patron’s point of view, you might have done a lot of things well. The sound was great, and the lights were great, but if it takes half an hour to get the car out of the parking lot at the end of the night, then patrons say to themselves, there was so much right about the experience, but there was something that let me down. We are looking at the details to make sure we are not going to fall short on this venue. Q: Is Huntsville really the first of these venues you are building? A: Yes, Huntsville Amphitheater is Venue Group’s first amphitheater in the U.S., and this is a very specific type of building, an open-air theatre. We’ve joined up with some great veterans of the industry like Mike Luba and Don Sullivan, who brought back the Forest Hills Stadium in New York. He has been in this industry for decades and I have collaborated with him on a number of projects. Q: Without sounding corny, but ‘‘of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world” – why Huntsville? A: I think in my travels across the U.S., it has occurred to me that some of the secondary and tertiary markets and cities have a bit of insecurity about them, an inferiority complex. But as far as I see it, Huntsville has people of great stature and it not only deserves to be one of the great U.S. cities, but it is really on its way to being so. I don’t think it is as hard to imagine building a world-class venue in Huntsville. The city government is incredibly well run. Our first meetings with the
current administration a couple of years ago with Mayor (Tommy) Battle, Shane Davis and John Hamilton - these people are smart, they are ambitious, and they are aware of the responsibility they have in public office. These are, I think, some of the best examples of city officials I have ever met, and I have met a lot of people on different project across the years in the U.S. So that is a big part of it, and also, just the rate of growth right now in Huntsville is off the scale. You’ve got all of these new jobs, all of this new activity, but what are these people doing on the weekend? I think the task we’ve been given is to stop people from running off to Birmingham or Nashville or Atlanta to spend their hard-earned money on the weekend. Q: Back in my concert-going days, the only place to eat after a late-night concert was Krystals or perhaps you know it as White Castle. I heard you talk about how food is a centerpiece of the venue experience. Can you explain what that means for Huntsville?
By Kimberly Ballard
A: Yes, the food experience has changed. The food element is something that is very important to us, but probably not something people deem as important across the industry. For many people, it will be their one night out that month or one big night out that year and it needs to be from start to finish, exceptional. But if you go beyond the show, those people are going to want to park efficiently. They will want to have dinner and some drinks. We see these things as a kind of equal match to the main event itself. We want to work with people in Huntsville, within Madison County and around the region to showcase their delicious cuisine, whether it is a Poke Bowl or pizza, to those 8,000 people. We want to offer patrons the best options, and we want them to be great, so they become part of their memory of that event. And we want people to know that is open and available 365 days a year. We want to make Huntsville an inbound destination when the show is on, and when the show is off. Q: One last question about your music – for a British rock band, Mumford & Sons has a very American folksy sound. Where does that come from? A: I think it is just a fascination with “the other” and it’s been that way for years. If you think about the Rolling Stones coming to Muscle Shoals all those years ago, it was a British band wanting to learn and nurture themselves with southern American roots. It’s gone back and forth. A lot of American bands have felt the same way about British and Celtic music, and some of it is that historic relationship culturally between the UK and the US. It has led me to living here and growing a family in the U.S. I love this country and I love the South. I think there is an incredible romance about it, so I’m all in. Q: Can we expect to see you playing here a lot? A: Playing here is definitely on the agenda! n
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The Women Building the Huntsville Amphitheater at MidCity While most constructionoriented publications show the percentage of women working in the construction industry hovering between 9 and 10 percent, the percentage of women classified as construction managers, has grown from 5.9 percent in 2003, to 7.7 percent in 2018. As construction begins on the Huntsville Amphitheater at MidCity, once again the Rocket City is on the cutting edge with two women holding critical leadership positions on the much-anticipated building project. Senior Project Manager Rallisa Jones and Regional Virtual Design + Construction Manager Hannah Harrison, both with Robins & Morton, the building contractor for the new Amphitheater, are playing pivotal roles in building the distinctive facility designed by Matheny Goldmon Architects + Interiors. As low as the 9 to 10 percent number is, Jones said it has indeed greatly improved since she got into the construction industry right out of Auburn University 25 years ago. In fact, her first big building project was with Robins & Morton here in Huntsville in the mid-1990s when they built Alabama A&M’s Louis Crews Football Stadium, the School of Business, and what was at the time, the school’s first dormitory and cafeteria. “It was sometimes tough, but believe it or not, the fellows took care of me and made sure I was represented at events,” she said. “I can’t say I ever got a lot of pushback, in fact, I was somewhat welcomed, and I sort of enjoyed being an anomaly in the building science classes at Auburn.” Jones admits there was a learning curve however, when it came to self-growth working in a predominantly male industry. “I had to learn early on to be comfortable in my own skin,” said
By Kimberly Ballard / Photos provided by Robins & Morton
back since,” she said. As senior project manager on the amphitheater project, Jones acts as a solutions provider to Robins & Morton; The Venue Group, who will be operating the Huntsville Amphitheater; the Public Building Authority; and the City of Huntsville. She Pictured L to R: Regional Virtual Design + Construction Manager Hannah Harrison and Senior Project Manager Rallisa Jones makes sure there is collaboration and coordination Marshall Space Flight Center. Jones. “I don’t need to worry about between all parties and is on the “I was given an assignment to how my male counterparts are front line solving problems starting analyze metals from outer space,” doing their jobs. I needed to know from preconstruction, all the way Jones said. “They kept the samples how I am doing at my job. That through to the finish line. in a controlled environment in what was the biggest challenge for me as “The way I explain it, we speed amounted to a cooler. I would sit a woman in the building industry, the construction machine to make for hours, not talking to anyone, accepting that it was okay for me to sure the building can be built polishing metals from outer space be me first, and then I could be a physically onsite,” Jones said. “We and analyzing how they were project manager.” coordinate with the design team, we different from earth rocks and how Originally from Birmingham, coordinate with our trade partners, they reacted to earth’s exposure.” Jones got her inspiration for we procure materials, we write some She said that was not exactly building by watching new structures contracts, we make sure everybody what she had in mind and knew change the skyline of downtown gets paid, and we answer questions. instinctively she needed to pursue Birmingham when she was growing “Essentially, we keep the a new career path. A colleague was up. Thinking she wanted to machine oiled and fed, from studying architecture and building become a materials engineer, she groundbreaking to ribbon cutting.” science and suggested she try it out. enrolled at Auburn and won a coJones is passionate about “I fell in love and haven’t looked op opportunity with NASA at the bringing women into the building industry and helping to grow the incoming generation of female builders. “It takes women like Hannah and I to be advocates for women in construction and to get women involved in our career.” Hannah Harrison is a Huntsville native and daughter of an architect, but she went to Auburn to study veterinary medicine. “About a year into
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it, I realized that was not really for me so, like Rallisa, I started looking at another career opportunity,” she said. “My dad suggested the building sciences and after taking some classes, it turned out to be kind of cool.” As a virtual design/construction manager for Robins & Morton, she implements technology solutions using 3D computer modeling coordination. From the steel to the big anchor bolts to the big beams, every section of the amphitheater will have a precast model. “We have precast models of the entire building including a concrete model for the footings and the structure; mechanical plumbing and electrical models,” Harrison said. “And we basically build the building in a 3D computer model, before they physically built it on site, and we coordinate it to make sure everything fits the way it needs to fit.” She said the modeling has been available to the construction industry for more than 20 years but it was only used on select projects until 10 years ago. Now it is the norm. “3D modeling helps minimize problems in the long run for the guys in the field,” she said. “By building it in a model before building it onsite, it minimizes the problems in the field and expedites the installation and minimizes waste. By fabricating things from the model, the builders can put the fabricated pieces together like a puzzle on site. “It’s a race to build the model prior to construction because that way they can order the materials they need and get it on site and in time to build it on schedule. In other words, we work out the kinks in the virtual world, so the kinks aren’t as expensive in the real world.” The amphitheater is in the beginning stages of construction and she gives an example of her recent work. “We have a model of all the foundations to the amphitheater and we have a model of all the
underground plumbing and electrical,” Harrison said. “We are coordinating the plumbing and electrical pipe around each other and around the footings because you can’t have an electrical pipe running through a plumbing pipe or through a footing. If we can identify problems and work out those problems virtually before we have material onsite that is already made to fit something, we can prevent laborers onsite waiting around for an answer before they can continue with their job.” That is another benefit of 3D modeling. She says you will not see a cluster of people in the field standing around trying to work out the kinks, slowing down the progress and costing time in labor. According to Jones, it is important they get off on the right foot with the Huntsville Amphitheater because with its round shape, everything must tie together perfectly, so they connect at the right points. “Hannah helps us mitigate most of our problems so with the problems solved in advance, its less time you are waiting around for a solution, which in turn helps the process schedule and keeps progress on track,” she said. Both women live in Huntsville and worked together on the Jefferson Hotel project in downtown Huntsville. Jones said Huntsville is a much different place than it was 27 years ago when she was working on construction at Alabama A&M.
“Huntsville has become so diverse,” Jones said. “I am excited as a woman to be contributing to something that will help the city grow and that will connect the community. “The amphitheater is looking to be a 100-year legacy to which I was able to contribute that will make the community grow and prosper. I believe things are going to happen
at the amphitheater we haven’t see before and those happenings will be talked about across generations forever. “And we do it all the time, change the face of cities with hotels and athletic facilities, event venues and hospitals. It is a wonderful feeling to be building a new Neonatal ICU that gives babies a better chance of survival.” Jones and Harrison believe women are genetically predisposed to manage multiple things at one time. “I think women and men are equal but not the same,” said Harrison. “It is in our nature to work on multiple jobs and on multiple projects. It involves things I do well naturally like networking, relationship-building and team building, in addition to the operational aspects. “I think those qualities come more innately easy to women.” n
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SPORTS / RECREATION
Trash Pandas a Better Organization After Pandemic MADISON -- One year after COVID-19 led to the cancellation of Minor League Baseball, and wiping out the highly anticipated inaugural season of the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the organization is gearing up for a restart. While some cities lost teams as the minor leagues were trimmed down in the aftermath of the pandemic, the Trash Pandas survived and will open their first season with a six-game set at the Chattanooga Lookouts May 4-9. The Trash Pandas, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, will host their first series at the 7,000-seat Toyota Field in Madison against the Tennessee Smokies for a six-game set May 11-16. Ralph Nelson, the team’s president and CEO, found positives in last season’s cancellation. “We came out of the pandemic stronger,’’ he said. “We had to pivot on who we were and become an events and entertainment organization as opposed to just a baseball organization. Many of the events we held would have occurred during the season when the Trash Pandas were out of town but became more essential as we looked for ways to drive revenue. “We found out what worked and what didn't. In the end, we will learn from this experience and become a better organization for it.’’ In the revamped Minor League Baseball system, the Trash Pandas, who originally joined as a member of the Southern League, are now in the Double-A South with Birmingham, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Biloxi, Pensacola, Montgomery and Mississippi. “We are excited to finally bring what North Alabama has been missing since 2015, and that is affiliated minor league baseball,’’ Nelson said. “Through the location of the stadium, the name the team contest, the building of Toyota Field, and the horrible pandemic, our fans have been with us through thick and thin. “We are eternally grateful for
their support. They are going to be treated to a first-class experience from our staff as the Angels organization provides us with their top farm hands for the next decade. Now that Opening Day was delayed for a year, I can only imagine it has increased the fans’ excitement even more so. I know it has for me.’’ In addition to scheduling six-game clashes to cut down on travel, Major League Baseball made a defensive positioning rule for Double-A. The new rule states: “The defensive team must have a minimum of four players on the infield, each of whom must have both feet completely in front of the outer boundary of the infield dirt. Depending on the preliminary results of this experimental rule change, MLB may require two infielders to be positioned entirely on each side of second base in the second half of the Double-A season. These restrictions on defensive positioning are intended to increase the batting average on balls in play.’’ Whatever the schedule and rules Jay Bell, an 18-year MLB veteran and the Trash Pandas manager, said coaches and players are eager to return after spring training was halted after a short period of time last year. Then, the Minor League season was canceled. Minor league camp will begin
By Mike Easterling
around the first of April. The current plan is to have a 120game season. “The guys are looking forward to getting started again,’’ Bell said. “I mean, it’s been a long year and they’re looking forward to getting on spikes and dirt again.’’ Bell has a “preliminary list’’ of players who will be in the Double-A camp but added that the Angels were still to get players signed of
March 11. “I’m not really familiar with some of the guys that are coming,’’ he said. “We’re hoping that everything goes
smooth during spring training.’’ MLB is going to use “alternative sites’’ as it did last year where they can draw players from to join the big league team. The Triple-A season will be delayed until May so teams can stock the sites. Meanwhile, Bell said the focus will be on moving beyond the pandemic. “You know what we can do now is just look forward to the future,’’ he said. “You know, kind of a golf analogy. You know, that was one of the things I learned a long time ago from some friends that I played golf with. “Their thought process was, ‘We always take one shot at the time.’ That’s how it is for us now. You know, you go one day at a time. We’re not guaranteed tomorrow anyway, so you might as well enjoy the day.’’ n
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Cotton Row Run Moved to Labor Day; HudsonAlpha Double Helix Goes Virtual Two popular running events in Huntsville are undergoing changes again this year due to the coronavirus situation. The 10th annual Double Helix Dash 5K at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology will be held April 6, but in a virtual format. That means runners can walk, jog or run the 3.1 miles anywhere between April 6-20 and still be part of the event. Virtual events have been widely used in the last year to help people stay somewhat connected for work, fun and fundraisers such as the Double Helix Dash. Also, the 2021 Cotton Row Run sponsored by Bill Penney Toyota, Fleet Feet, The Orthopaedic Center and others has been moved to Labor Day. The nationally known event began in 1980 and is a popular tradition on Memorial Day, with a salute to
America celebration prior to the 10K start. The run attracts thousands annually thanks to its fast layout and financial payouts. It begins at the Von Braun Center on Clinton Avenue and winds around Big Spring Park, along McClung and through Blossomwood, up the notorious Mountainwood hill, down Bankhead Parkway, and through Five Points and downtown back to the finish on Clinton.
The 2020 Cotton Row Run, like other running events, was first postponed to Labor Day 2020 but eventually canceled. Organizers hoped for a return to Memorial Day this year, but, due to the continued uncertainty about the coronavirus, they opted to push back another three months out of an abundance of caution. The Double Helix Dash is coordinated by HudsonAlpha and the Huntsville Track Club. It raises awareness of how HudsonAlpha’s scientists study and develop genomics to benefit patients and families here and abroad. Dr. Greg Cooper, faculty investigator at HudsonAlpha, said
By Alan Clemons
the goal is to use genome sequencing “to identify the causes of symptoms found in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” “Many things in the past year have looked differently, but that doesn’t mean that children and families don’t need our help,” Anna Kirkpatrick, Double Helix Dash coordinator, said in a press release. “We hope the public, regardless of where they are, will join us for the 10th annual Double Helix Dash and support childhood genomics research. The advantage of hosting a virtual race is more people can participate; not just those in North Alabama.” The Double Helix Dash winds through McMillan Park on the HudsonAlpha campus. The path is laid out in the design of the structure of a DNA molecule, which is two single strands winding around each other like a twisted ladder. n
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BRIEFCASE
Ad4! Group Names Hollie Beaver as Partner MADISON -- Ad4! Group announces the addition of Hollie Beaver as partner. Beaver has been the advertising/ marketing agency’s director of content for four years. The full-service agency specializes in branding, marketing strategies, digital marketing campaigns, social media and more; and has served the Madison County area for more than 15 years. “Her innate understanding of social media has been invaluable to our clients who look to us to tell their stories, and I look forward to working alongside her to continue to grow Ad4! Group well into the future,” said company owner Felica Sparks. A Florence native, Beaver graduated from Jacksonville State University and has worked for television stations WBRC in Birmingham and WHNT and WAAY in Huntsville. “I believe my career working in the media, and with the public, has enabled me to develop a unique skillset,” said Beaver, “one that truly helps me convey our clients’ stories to the community. I am proud of the past four years I have spent with Ad4! Group and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me, and the entire Ad4! Group team.” n
MartinFederal Designated CMMC Registered Provider MartinFederal Consulting has received an official designation as a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Registered Provider Organization. The RPO affiliation gives contractors reassurance in hiring when seeking CMMC consulting. With its RPO approval, MartinFederal’s cybersecurity
compliance experts can guide companies through the necessary steps to prepare for a CMMC audit. “MartinFederal is excited to become a formal RPO and add this designation to our growing list of capabilities qualifications in cyber solutions,” said Matthew Schmitz, Chief Growth Officer. “Dr. Wes McGrew and his team are ready to assist our fellow members of the defense industrial base in strengthening the security of our nation’s defense and federal supply chain.” To secure work with the DoD, contractors must prepare for a CMMC assessment. Starting this year, contractors will require verification from an independent C3PAO who will be responsible for conducting CMMC assessments. For information about CMMCAB, visit www.cmmcab.org. n
Firehouse Subs Hiring for 100-plus Positions in Huntsville Area Firehouse Subs is hiring more than 100 employees for crew member, shift leader and management roles at eight locations in the greater Huntsville area. The company has openings in partand full-time positions. Applicants can apply in person at the restaurants. Firehouse Subs will reopen its Madison store early this month and will open its newest restaurant location in Albertville in mid-April. A portion of every purchase at Firehouse Subs benefits Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation which has donated more than $254,000 to first responders in greater Huntsville. Along with the Albertville store (8171 U.S. 431) and the Madison store (8572 Madison Blvd.) in greater Huntsville, Firehouse Subs has locations in Huntsville (2750 Carl T. Jones Drive, 6275 University Drive, 3022 South Memorial Parkway and 1079 Balch Road), Athens (935 U.S. 72 E) and Decatur (2812 Spring Ave.). n
QOMPLX Acquiring Huntsville-based Sentar Risk analytics company QOMPLX has entered into an agreement to acquire Sentar, the two companies announced. Sentar is a cyber-intelligence company, applying analytics, operations and systems engineering expertise to protect our national security by innovating, building, and securing mission-critical assets. The Huntsville-based company will continue to be headed by President Darren Kraabel with other key management. Bridget McCaleb will continue in a formal capacity, leading integration efforts for Sentar during the transition. In the past three years, Sentar’s Research & Development Division has helped to drive growth of its cybersecurity services division with innovative technology and approaches. “I am excited to take on this new role and pursue a new challenge combining QOMPLX’s robust cybersecurity offerings with Sentar’s established presence in the Defense sector,” said Kraabel. “Our organization celebrated its 30th anniversary in February 2020, and reaching this milestone helped us put in perspective our impressive growth journey.” n
Heritage Kitchen + Bath Relocating to Lincoln Mill Heritage Kitchen + Bath, a fixtures showroom that features curated brands, will move from its location on Washington Street into the redeveloped property on Meridian Street. In a news release from Crunkleton
Marketing, Showroom Manager Heather Herrington said the team was drawn to the historic property and looks forward to becoming part of a thriving neighborhood with other interiors-focused businesses nearby. “Many of the established shops on the Meridian Street corridor feature items for the home,” she said. “Being near businesses like Brooks & Collier, Preservation Co., and Holtz Leather is a natural fit for us. We think the new location will give us the visual we need to bring in more walk-in customers. “Our new showroom will have better accessibility, convenient parking, and be part of a historically significant project. We are very excited about the move.” Heritage Kitchen + Bath will open at its new Lincoln Mill location this spring. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. “We plan to move out of our current space around the end of March,” said Heather. “We want people to know that we will be fully operational during the move and throughout the entirety of our buildout.” n
Heidi Knight School of Dance Earns Safety Certification Heidi Knight School of Dance has become one of the first dance studios in Alabama to achieve Youth Protection Advocates in Dance certification. The certification marks its commitment to keeping kids happy, healthy and safe in dance. “We want to do more than just teach great dance at HKSD” said studio owner Heidi Knight. “We want to help develop healthy, happy dancers with an environment that focuses on the well-being of children. Of course, this also helps us contribute to a sustainable, safe future for dance overall.” YPAD is the nation’s only dance certification program focusing on
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BRIEFCASE
safety and wellness for dance students. To earn the designation, studios must complete two training tracks. The first track centers on dance safety and educational best practices. It focuses on background checks, CPR and First Aid, abuse awareness and prevention, injury prevention and response, and safety and emergency preparedness. The second track focuses on the wellness and development of youth dancers and covers social media, social media safety, today’s dance culture, developmentally appropriate artistry, body image, nutrition, disordered eating, bullying, and conflict resolution. Only studios that complete both tracks are eligible for certification. Heidi Knight School of Dance opened in 2003 and is serving more than 400 local families. n
spirit to advance research in UAS operational and threat applications for the FAA as a committed research partner.” According to Dr. Bob Lindquist, UAH vice president for Research and Economic Development, Jerry Hendrix in UAH’s Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulation Center has been working with the airport on the project for more than two years. “This project will allow UAH to leverage its Unmanned Aircraft Systems expertise and engage with the FAA and aviation organizations with superior UAS engineering, research, integration and test capability from across the United States,” he said. n
Nashville-based RGI Group Purchases Reed Contracting Huntsville International Airport Approved for Drone Research Huntsville International Airport has been selected as one of the four airports to host the Federal Aviation Administration’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems research test site program. “We applaud this decision by the FAA and look forward to hosting a test site at our airport,” said Huntsville International Airport CEO, Rick Tucker. “We are grateful to our partner UAH, to industry partners like COLSA, QuantiTech. and Dynetics, and to city, county and state leadership for their support and vital roles in this endeavor.” Under the program, the FAA will test technologies and systems that could detect and mitigate potential safety risks posed by unmanned aircraft. The testing will begin this year. “UAH is proud to be a research partner with the Huntsville International Airport …,” said UAH President, Dr. Darren Dawson. “UAH will leverage its creative and innovative
Reed Contracting Services has been acquired by Rogers Group Inc., according to a news release from Rogers Group. The purchase includes Reed’s quarry, sand plant, five asphalt plants and all construction assets. Since its inception in 1987, Reed has grown to be the leading provider of mass excavating, grading, underground utilities, asphalt paving and trucking services in Huntsville. Reed has some 600 employees. “Selling to Rogers Group gives me peace of mind that the values and principles I have created at Reed Contracting will live on,” said owner and founder Mike Reed. “I am confident the family environment and growth opportunities for our people will continue for decades to come.” Nashville-based RGI is a leading supplier of crushed stone in the northern Alabama market and a provider of asphalt paving services in northwest Alabama. With the acquisition, RGI will provide start-to-finish construction and materials services to the greater Huntsville market. “This acquisition exemplifies
RECOGNITION
Nalley Accepts Position as Leasing & Sales Specialist with NAI Chase Commercial Joy Nalley has been hired as leasing and sales specialist in the Huntsville office of NAI Chase Commercial. She will be responsible for lease/sale transactions of office, retail, land and industrial properties in Huntsville and surrounding markets. “We're pleased to have Joy join NAI Chase Commercial after more than 10 years as a geospatial scientist specializing in business intelligence through GIS systems and products,” said Douglas A. McCullough, executive vice president of NAI Chase Commercial. “With Joy's new career path in commercial brokerage, she will be using her past skill sets on site selection, site optimization, and enhancing client services. “We're delighted she's joined us as a very welcomed member of the NAI Chase team”, Nalley has worked in the Everglades with the U.S. Geological Survey, at the Grand Canyon with the U.S. Forest Service, and on ocean exploration, research, and survey vessels from Hawaii to the Arctic Ocean with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. one of Rogers Group’s key growth strategies, which is the acquisition of well-run aggregate and construction businesses closely aligned with our core values and displaying a strong sense of responsibility to the communities where we work,” said RGI President and CEO Darin Matson. “We could not be more pleased to be able to welcome the Reed employees to RGI as we combine our core strengths with theirs, to build upon the fine reputation Mike and his team have created the last 34 years.” Founded in 1908, RGI is the largest privately held aggregate company in the U.S., employing 2,700 people across 10 states. n
Madison County Service Center Opens The new Madison County Service Center has officially opened.
The building, which houses the Board of Registrars and offices for license, probate, sales tax, tax assessor and tax collector, is at the intersection of North Memorial Parkway and Oakwood Avenue. “The location is perfect, where people from all over Madison County can take care of their services here at this center,” Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong said. “But also a lot of people are now choosing to do it online. This is just another opportunity where we have made it so that you can do a one stop shop right here.” One feature will be a kiosk to aid in queuing and getting visitors to the right office. Glass panels were placed to follow COVID-19 protocols. “We are excited to have sufficient space and improved access that will allow us to better serve the entire community,” said Probate Judge Frank Barger. “The Probate Court’s new space will include room for a growing staff, an area designated for long-term projects including the transition of paper records to a digital medium, a state-of-the-art courtroom, and much needed office suites for conducting administrative work of the court.” n
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