By Dawn Suiter

Huntsville Area Realtors Provide Insights on the 2022 Housing Market

As the end of 2021 nears, homebuyers and sellers are eagerly anticipating, or perhaps dreading, what the next year will have to offer in the Huntsville metro area housing market. This past year’s market has been particularly eventful with demand greatly exceeding supply, multiple offers placed on homes within a very short period of time after listing, and buyers bidding well above asking price.

This white hot real estate market raises questions about whether rising prices and low stock will persist throughout 2022 or whether the market will finally see a slowdown.

As of December 13, 30-year fixed mortgage rates were as low as 2.750%. This does work in buyers’ favor, but home values have also risen dramatically in the past year.

According to a recent Huntsville Area Association of Realtors® (HAAR) report, the inventory of area homes rose from the second quarter to the third quarter, the first time this has happened in seven years.

While this sounds like good news for buyers, prices continued to increase significantly due to intense demand for homes. In addition, the number of affordable homes listed decreased dramatically over the past year: 170 homes were listed between $200,000-250,000 in the third quarter of 2020, whereas only 38 were listed during the same period in 2021, a 77.8% decrease. Home sales also decreased by as much as 39.5% for listings $300,000 and under, whereas they increased at all higher price points.

Almost half (48%) of homes sold in the third quarter of 2021 had a selling price above the listed price. The housing market will likely become even more competitive with the expansion of Redstone Arsenal’s workforce next year.

Madison County data provided by HAAR.

New home construction is key to meeting the needs of homebuyers, especially as the Huntsville and Madison County population continues to grow. However, changing construction material and shipping costs, the availability of rental properties, and other factors can quickly alter the momentum of the residential real estate market.

According to Huntsville Area Association of Realtors® (HAAR) and ValleyMLS.com CEO Josh McFall, the trends in the most recent economic report leads him to believe that all the challenges will not disappear in the first quarter of 2022. However, he expressed optimism that as inventory increases, homebuyers will see relief in both prices and buying options.

Robin Cotton of Crye-Leike Realtors and Robin Cotton Properties and Juli Gerrits of Leading Edge Real Estate Group echo this assessment, noting low inventory and fierce competition for housing contracts.

“We are seeing new construction speed up as supply chain problems ease,” Gerrits said. In addition, there is still a backlog of prospective buyers, “be it those who put their plans on hold due to COVID, or frustration with the multiple offer competition as well as the ongoing influx of people newly relocating to here.”

It is nearly impossible to predict next year’s home prices given the uncertainty of the past year. McFall cited multiple factors that could influence future pricing: “If the pandemic continues to recede, if the global supply chain strengthens, if labor becomes more available, if lumber prices decline--all these and more can influence affordability and availability of housing.”

Cotton said she believes home prices will continue to increase, but added “The good news is, in my opinion, the Madison/Limestone County area has been undervalued for a very long time. I think we are just now valued properly.” Gerrits also foresees a continued increase in price, but expects to see prices “begin to calm, rather than the rapid, steep spikes we experienced in 2021.”

Realtor Monica Evans of Keller Williams Huntsville predicts that increasing lending rates over the next year will lead to a slowdown, resulting in less buying power for prospective homeowners and fewer bidding wars as well as fewer sales above and beyond asking price.

Evans also suggested that home values will hold steady, appreciating less aggressively due to increasing rates. “Over time, people will adjust to higher rates and if supply and demand remain as off-kilter as it is now values will remain strong.”

General consensus indicates that recent home price trends are not a repeat of the earlier housing bubbles and that the market will stabilize to some extent over 2022. McFall described the current market as “a completely different beast than what we saw pre-bubble in 2008,” noting that existing homeowners will continue to see a healthy return on their investment.

According to McFall, certain influences that factored into previous housing crashes are not evident this time, such as a high percentage of mortgages underwater and more extreme price increases. “HAAR can only look at trends to see where we’re going in the short term, but we are optimistic about the year ahead for both buyers and sellers across north and central Alabama.”

Cotton observed that unlike before, “this market is built on cash, a solid foundation. In the 1990s and 2007-2008 the market was based on bad lending practices--a castle built on sand.”

Another recent development is that “we have a lot of corporate investment gobbling up the entry level homes and turning them into rentals,” Cotton said. “If those investors disappear it will not leave a void. It will just make room for the first time homebuyers that have been pushed out of the market lately--they are eager and waiting.”

Gerrits noted that today’s housing market does not have underlying issues such as excessive risky lending and high unemployment that brought about earlier crashes. “Locally, we’re expecting thousands of new jobs and our cost of living is still below national averages, even following recent home price spikes.”

Evans stressed the importance of distinguishing between a bursting bubble and a market correction, saying “I believe a slight correction (five to six percent) is inevitable as the market has been hot for so long.”

For those currently in the Huntsville-area housing market or planning to be soon, Cotton and Gerrits advised sellers to buy before they sell if possible, acknowledging that although there is some risk, the seller will not be left scrambling for a place to live before they are able to find the right house. Gerrits added that rentals, including AirBnBs, are also in high demand and short supply.

According to Gerrits, this is the time for sellers to take advantage of the market: “Generally speaking, for sellers my advice is to do it now! The competition to buy a home in today’s market means buyers are not as particular, so even previously hard-to-sell homes are not lingering on the market for extended periods. However, that’s not to suggest they will get top dollar for a home in poor condition. It still needs to be priced right for location and condition.”

Evans also recommended that sellers wanting to capitalize on their homes should do so now if they want to downsize or absolutely need the cash. This comes with a caveat, however: “If you plan on buying again and want something similar to what you sold, it may not be a good idea as you will more than likely end up spending way more than you were paying before.”

As for buyers, Cotton said “Hire a professional. Make sure your agent knows how to write an attractive offer... You will quite possibly have to bid on several homes before you are successful. Don’t get your heart broken if you lose out on a house. Remember, you can make any house a home but a good neighborhood is priceless.”

Gerrits echoed the mantra of “Location, Location, Location,” cautioning buyers not to settle for a location they’re unwilling to accept long term. “Kitchens can be remodeled, but they can’t change their home’s location. I’ve been licensed since 1998 and have seen way too many hopeful sellers regret their purchases of just a few years earlier.” Buyers also need to take into consideration whether they will tire of their commute or prefer a different school district as children age.

Although rates are expected to increase, Evans’s recommendation is that buyers save as much money as they can in order to be more competitive against other cash-heavy buyers. She also advises longer term housing investments on the grounds that they are safer than shorterterm purchases since the chances of some volatility may be approaching.

McFall’s advice to both buyers and sellers is to “make sure you’re working with a Realtor®. They’re going to be your strongest voice, biggest advocate, and a professional advisor in the homebuying process. For most of us, our home is the largest investment we’ll make, and we should be hiring a professional to protect it. For buyers, be patient and prepared. For potential sellers, there’s never been a better time to list your property on ValleyMLS.com if you’re on the fence.” w

By Dawn Suiter

Hays Farms Continues to Take Shape With The Liam Groundbreaking

By Noah Logan / Photo courtesy of Tina Blankenship

added Gilbert. “We are happy to join the new shopping center, Goodall Homes, Grissom High School and the various commercial projects.”

Gilbert also took some time to include specific details about the upcoming project. The Liam will be a 329-unit Class ‘A’ property that will include 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. It will be comprised of one four story building that will hold 299 units and 30 additional townhomes that will each contain three bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

Those who become tenants of The Liam in 2023 can expect to take full advantage of a resort style swimming pool, zen area, office spaces, fitness center and even a dog park. A separate building will be installed for bicycle maintenance and repair.

City councilwoman Jennie Robinson explained how the new housing complex fits with the other developments at Hays Farm to revitalize South Huntsville. “In case you haven’t noticed, change is coming to South Huntsville,” she stated.

“It started with three new overpasses. We have the new shopping center with Publix opening yesterday. The Liam will complement the other 500 houses that are also being developed. Altogether, it will build the energy that will make it possible to bring new retail and commercial business and revitalize this area.” w

Pictured L to R: Tina Blankenship, Jennie Robinson, John Gilbert, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, and Brandy Quick

The Hays Farm development in South Huntsville continued its progress and growth recently as ground was broken for a new upscale multifamily community called Liam at Hays Farm. Neither the cold nor the strong gusts of wind could deter anyone’s excitement for the new project headed by Houston-based Bomasada Group.

Mayor Tommy Battle kicked off the groundbreaking by thanking Bomasada President John Gilbert for the investment in the city and emphasizing the importance of growth in all areas of the city. “I want to thank you for your investment in this city. This is what is so important in making sure we see growth in every section of the city. We are looking forward to great things to come.”

Bomasada President and COO John Gilbert expressed the company’s excitement in being a part of the Hays Farm development. “Bomasada prides itself in selecting the best locations and designing the best multifamily projects in our prospective markets. We feel we have done that again with the Hays Farm development and we are excited to get started,” he explained.

“Hays Farm is a wonderful master plan development as it contains all of the best elements one looks for in live, work and play environment,”

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber’s Redstone Update Provides a Glimpse Behind the Gates

By Dawn Suiter

Recently, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Redstone Update at the Von Braun Center, its first inperson event since the COVID-19 outbreak forced it to go virtual.

This event allowed Redstone Arsenal to highlight its continuing growth as a Federal Center of Excellence, which has helped the regional economy to soar to new heights. Attended by members of the Huntsville business community, the media, and members of key agencies on the Arsenal, the Redstone Update emphasized the diverse work taking place there and the thousands of jobs created by its agencies.

Chamber Board of Directors Chair Jeff Gronberg kicked off the event, noting that Redstone Arsenal is an economic engine powering half of Huntsville’s economy with unparalleled capital investment and increasing employment.

Senior Commander of Redstone Arsenal Lt. Gen. Donnie Walker greeted those in attendance, emphasizing the growth of the Arsenal from only 6,000 employees in 1942 to its current 45,000.

Recurring themes discussed by the participants included a steadfast focus on the future, an emphasis on modernization and growth, the synergy achieved by the numerous agencies on the Arsenal, and the importance of people dedicated to serving their nation.

U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Duzzny discussed Redstone’s Materiel Command and the importance of Huntsville to the Army’s global reach: Redstone Arsenal supports all six combatant commands which cover North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East/Central and South Asia, and the Indo-Pacific region.

Marshall Space Flight Center Director of Operations Robert Champion highlighted the importance of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to Huntsville, the Arsenal,

Photo by Eben Boothby, courtesy of Redstone AMC Public Affairs

and the Artemis program. He noted that over 7,000 people work for MSFC, with 70% of those engineers, 25% business and institutional, and 5% scientists. “We reap the benefits of Marshall’s economic impact. Statewide, Marshall provides $105 million in tax revenues and $1.7 billion in procurements. As an agency, Nasa provides more than 35,000 jobs in the state.”

According to Champion, the pandemic was a learning experience: “We’ve learned how to adapt and still operate efficiently during that time.”

Champion also discussed the Artemis program being developed in Huntsville, which will land the first woman and person of color on the moon “using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.” MSFC is building the Space Launch System (SLS) to send astronauts to the moon aboard the Orion spacecraft as well as the Human Landing System (HLS).

The SLS is going through final testing and will be launched in mid-February 2022. The unmanned Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration. Marshall is the lead center for the Human Landing System, “the final piece of the puzzle needed for us to get astronauts to the moon. HLS is an example of how Marshall is embracing and applying new partnerships and procurements and developing new operating models cooperating with industry and with NASA.”

Champion noted that NASA is working with SpaceX to land the next humans on the moon with their Starship.

In addition to its efforts to send human explorers back to the moon and on to Mars, Champion noted that Marshall’s Earth Science Division (ESD), which works in collaboration with UAH, focuses on controlling flooding and other natural disasters.

Champion noted that they refer to this generation of young people as the Artemis Generation, adding that “we’re not only doing STEM, but STEAM as well as STREAM, adding arts and reading to that because we need all types of backgrounds and disciplines and fields to support our missions.”

MSFC strives to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers through its sponsorship of community events like Artemis Day, as well as events such as the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, the FIRST Robotics Competition, and the Student Launch Competition.

In his discussion of the FBI com-

Image provided by Nicholas Dimos

ing to Huntsville, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Finance and Facilities Division Acting Assistant Director/CFO Nicholas Dimos reported that its move to Redstone is the largest single investment in the institution in its history. “It’s really the future of the FBI and it’s all about technology, innovation, talent, and resiliency.” Currently, 1,218 individuals work for the FBI in its Huntsville location, with 2,000 additional personnel coming to Huntsville by summer 2022. That number will increase to 5,200 by 2028, with an additional 2,500 training seat capacity.

The FBI will have a North and South Campus on the Arsenal property. Five key North Campus facilities opened this year on base, with several others currently under construction. The South Campus Academic Zone and Smart City is on track to break ground next year and will be operational by 2025. Dimos described the facility as having a walkable, campuslike feel with a sense of community.

Dimos stated that there are four key strategic objectives set by FBI Director Chris Wray that apply to Huntsville specifically: developing a Counter-IED Center of Excellence, strategic realignment that will transition a large portion of the DC workforce to Huntsville, enterprise and applied technology addressing emerging threats, and advanced and specialized training providing knowledge, skills, and talent for 21st century challenges.

The FBI is actively hiring data analysts, computer scientists, forensic examiners, cybersecurity analysts, and network engineers. Dimos stated that although they are working with local educational institutions, they are also seeking people to come to Huntsville from elsewhere. He added that the FBI has two dedicated recruitment platforms: FBIJobs.gov/Huntsville, and FBI Jobs on LinkedIn.

The selection of Huntsville as its new location is already paying off for the FBI’s recruiting efforts. Dimos said that there were positions they could not fill in the DC area, but as soon as they posted those openings in Huntsville “the inboxes filled up.”

Lt. Gen. L. Neil Thurgood of the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) stressed the uniqueness of his organization and the importance of its industry partners. His organization works at “a pace we haven’t seen since 1950...we are behaving differently than we ever have.” Thurmond credits transparency and open communication with its speed.

Thurgood said his organization is set up differently from any other Army organization. Because the RCCTO is organized like a venture capital organization, it has the ability to create short-term teams to develop rapid prototypes for warfighter capabilities.

Thurgood discussed a few of the projects the RCCTO is working on, including the “Dark Eagle’’ Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) and the Valkyrie 300kW-class laser system. He added that “this valley, for our nation, is the heart of hypersonics for the nation.”

Another thing the RCCTO does to set itself apart from other Army organizations is its solicitation of technology ideas from industry and academia. Its Army Strategic Rapid Acquisition (AStRA) program allows companies to submit concepts and proposals: “If you have a good idea, we want to know about it.”

Projects developed through this program include a Bradley hybrid electric vehicle, a spherical brake system modeled after those of race cars, and an Enhanced Vehicle Security System (EVSS).

During the Redstone Synergies Panel discussion, panel members Tom Webber, Don Nitti, Col. Steven Ansley, and Kim King focused on the synergistic aspect of their respective agencies on the Arsenal and their agencies’ roles in protecting the safety of the nation. Each of the speakers stressed the importance of cutting-edge technologies in the implementation of their missions, as well as the cooperation between the agencies and the importance of the local community in helping them to achieve their goals.

Lt. Gen. Donnie Walker wrapped up the Redstone Update by providing an overview of Redstone Arsenal’s importance to the Tennessee Valley, highlighting its exciting work and the global impact of the Army Materiel Command, as well as the economic impact of the Arsenal on Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley.

Redstone Arsenal has a total annual economic impact of $18 billion, equivalent to 9,8 percent of the Alabama state GDP. In addition, it generates approximately 109,000 jobs, including 44,500 direct jobs on Redstone Arsenal, along with 64,500 indirect jobs across the region.

Major career fields supporting Redstone include science and engineering, logistics management, and acquisition and contracting. The Arsenal produces around $467 million in total state and local tax revenue and provides approximately $5.9 million in contracts to the state of Alabama.

Lt. Gen. Walker also discussed future developments underway, including the Redstone Gateway development, its focus on minimizing the Arsenal’s impact on the environment, and a new partnership with Huntsville Utilities for water, electricity, and gas.

Walker stressed Redstone’s dedication to improving the quality of life for Arsenal employees, including access to affordable housing and higher education. He pointed out that unlike other locations, the Arsenal continued its morale activities throughout the pandemic despite financial losses incurred. Redstone Arsenal also issued almost 2,000 recreation badges to local residents in 2021, enabling the general public to hike and fish on base.

Walker echoed the sentiments of all of the speakers, saying “Everything we do is about people...our people demonstrate the best qualities in this nation: dedication, commitment, patriotism, pride in what they do, and a selfless service to the greater good. They give their time and energy and their brain power to every mission they face. Our people really are our greatest strength and the reason we can envision the bright future that’s both here and now and that’s ahead.” w

HudsonAlpha Aims for Collaboration, Increasing Workforce Diversity, and Reducing Fertilizer Use

By Lori J. Connors

There’s nothing quite like a pandemic to shake up the best laid research plans.

In late 2018, researchers at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) were awarded a $3.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study nitrogen efficiency in sorghum.

Sorghum is a grain with many uses. It’s highly prevalent in the South and used as an inexpensive sweetener, sorghum molasses. It is also used for livestock feed and ethanol production.

The research team had been evaluating sorghum to pinpoint the genes and regulatory networks that play a role in nitrogen uptake efficiency. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers can be both energy intensive and costly. What’s more, fertilizer runoff negatively impacts the environment. Cultivating nitrogen efficient plants would reduce the need for synthetic fertilizer.

The project was initially designed to promote student involvement in various stages of the research, with the overarching goal of training the next generation of scientists in the field of Agrigenomics.

However, COVID-19 was a game changer, bringing research activities to a halt. As a result, many of the student-oriented learning opportunities were temporarily put on hold.

To reboot the sorghum research efforts, the HudsonAlpha-UNL team was recently awarded a supplemental grant. Part of the grant involves the research of several sorghum varieties that will be planted in Nebraska and Alabama. The grant also includes the reinvigoration of the educational component.

When it came to mindful diversity and extending valuable learning opportunities to students, Alabama A&M University (AAMU) was an ideal match for collaborating on the sorghum research project.

By bringing on Alabama A&M University (AAMU) as a third partner, it is anticipated that both the research and educational goals will be successfully reached. The team plans to place an emphasis on minority students who are often under-represented in STEM fields, particularly in the agricultural sciences.

“Alabama A&M is excited to be a part of this NSF-funded project,” says Ernie Cebert, PhD, director of the Winifred Thomas Agricultural Research Station at Alabama A&M where the sorghum will be grown. “In addition to playing a part in such a scientifically and environmentally impactful project, it is also important to us that we will be contributing to the training of the future biosciences workforce.”

The two-year supplement will mentor and cross train young researchers at AAMU, a public, historically black, land-grant university. The team hopes to help significantly increase the retention of young scientists in agriscience and broaden participation of minorities in agriscience.

“Our supplemental grant aims to address the practical limitations of our first grant by scaling up the number of sorghum genotypes that we study and growing the sorghum in the field,” says Jeremy Schmutz. “At HudsonAlpha we have had a successful relationship with Dr. Ernie Cebert and his team at Alabama A&M University for many years, so it only made sense to bring them on as a third partner for this project to run field tests in Alabama.” w

One On One With Philip Kovacs, PhD of Tango Tango

A former high school English teacher turned education professor, Dr. Philip Kovacs saw the need for transformation in education, and as a college professor he made it his mission to encourage his students to also shake things up, to create leaders.

After leaving academia, Kovacs brought his transformative philosophy to the business world, where he facilitated massive growth for tutoring company Appleton Learning, then for communications company Tango Tango, located at 7800 Madison Blvd. STE 702 in Huntsville.

After learning that he was stepping down as CEO of Tango Tango to become Chief Revenue Officer, I sat down with him to discuss his decision and to learn more about his unique skill for transforming small startups into highly successful enterprises.

Dawn Suiter (DS): What led you to leave academia for Appleton Learning?

Philip Kovacs (PK): I’d just gotten tenure in my 11th year [at UAH]. I’d been doing some part time consulting with Appleton and as the company was starting to grow pretty quickly they offered me a full time position with a salary and benefits that simply couldn’t be matched by the university. I also had a discretionary research budget so I could explore different ideas. In the humanities, money like that isn’t easy to come by so I was attracted to that opportunity. Also, I had a short attention span and I’d been either a graduate student or a professor for the better part of 13 years, so I was ready for something else.

DS: What were your takeaways from this experience with Appleton?

PK: Everything is not as bad as it seems when things get off the rails a little bit. It’s no reason to panic, just time to figure out what the problem is and fix it. Laying blame even when people deserve it is generally a waste of time. It’s really more about a problem to be solved. Another thing: setting measurable, achievable goals and celebrating them is important because business can be a grind.

DS: You helped transform Appleton into a major player in the education field here in Huntsville. What convinced you to leave?

PK: We started off with 10-13 full time employees and 40-50 part time employees. By the time I left it was 70 full time employees and 4,000 part time employees. Growing an idea and having it succeed and then managing that success are different enterprises and skillsets. Some people have those, but if there’s a running theme it’s my short attention span. I really like the growth part, but I really don’t like the management part.

DS: What was your initial plan after leaving Appleton and how did it lead to you ultimately transitioning into the role of CEO of Tango Tango?

PK: When I left Appleton Learning amicably, they gave me a great severance package, so I was set. I wanted to take a year off and do three pro bono consulting gigs and the reason for that was the recognition of how much time and energy they put into me...I definitely knew nothing about running a business when I started there but when I walked out I knew things. I worked with two other companies, and Tango Tango was going to be my third project. I’d heard about them and had coffee with the CEO at the time, Trey Sharp, who is now CEO again, and he asked me if I was interested in coming in and doing some consulting.

I came in with 20 questions covering all aspects of the business, talked to the entire team for about two hours, and went home and typed up a plan saying “this is where you guys are strong, where you’re weak, where your opportunities are, and here’s what I would do over the next 90 days.” I gave it to Trey and he was like “well, you come in and do it for 90 days.” That was no longer going to be pro bono consulting.

In 90 days we lowered prices and established product market fit--where we got the pricing of the product right, we knew there was a need in the market, and we figured out how to get it out there. In April 2018 it really started taking off toward the end of my consulting gig. They offered me a job as Chief Operating Officer, which I accepted. I really liked the idea and thought the team had what it would take to get Tango Tango going.

Trey was running another business and just had twins and said “I’d like for you to come on and me to step down and you’ll run the company as CEO.” I said “yeah, but there’s a caveat. In 36 months if I do my job I’m going to hate it because I’ve grown this thing to a level where you need someone with attention to detail and an attention span that I just don’t have.”

One of the good things about being a professor was that if you get bored you can just switch to a different topic. With a business you can’t do that. There are just more things you need to pay attention to. So I was like “you’ll either have to come back or find something else for me to do.” That brings us to right now.

Sharp returned as CEO in November, while Kovacs stepped down to become Chief Revenue Officer. During Kovacs’s tenure the company grew fivefold, from four employees to 21, with considerable revenue growth.

DS: What are the greatest professional challenges you’ve faced at Tango Tango?

PK: Being perpetually out of money, and part of that is we are essentially building out the internet of radio. That comes with a capital cost for equipment, so a lot of the money we raised goes into infrastructure and it’s a one time cost to get a customer up and running but it’s still expensive. To maintain high growth you have to continually add to your sales team or improve your product. We’ve really focused on growing the sales team.

DS What brought about your decision to step down as CEO?

PK: I really wanted to focus on growth--that’s what was fun for me. I’ve already got eight exciting projects for me over the next 12 months...one thing I want to do is multiply our presence in K-12 schools 10X. The majority of our income comes from first responders but we do have about a dozen schools or school systems across the country that are using us...I think we’ve got something that every school should have and really, what you need in order to have it is a PTO or PTA bake sale once a year. It’s a no-brainer. We just need someone chasing that project down and for me that’s exciting.

DS: What’s your vision for the future of Tango Tango?

PK:: The future is likely us integrating with or acquiring similar offerings to form an emergency communications platform company. That would be a one stop shop for multiple software services that first responders would find useful, like computer assisted direction--in big cities, firefighters who go up buildings need altimeters so you know where they are, so we’re working on someone to figure out how to integrate that into the offering. That’s the likely progression, but for now it’s growing the team nationally.

DS Tell me a little about your ideal business/corporate culture.

PK: There’s a very famous quote by Peter Drucker: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” The ideal culture is thick, without trying hard...everyone wants to be here, they feel like they’re respected, and they want to be contributing and growing.

The key is in the people you hire, and every hire since August 2018 has been through that lens. Cultural fit is important, but also skills. It’s about checking in with your employees, letting them know they can come to you with anything they need to. w

By Dawn Suiter / Photo courtesy of Philip Kovacs

Beth Pippin Accepts Position as NAI Chase Huntsville’s

Newest Property Manager

NAI Chase announced that Beth Pippin accepted a new position as Property Manager at the company’s Huntsville office. Pippin will be responsible for managing over 675,000 square feet of property in Alabama.

“We are excited to have Beth join our Property Management Team. With over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, she brings attitude, talent and understanding of the industry, which provides depth to the NAI Chase Property Management Team,” said Tracy

Hunter, Executive Vice President of NAI Chase Commercial.

Prior to accepting the position, Pippin worked a myriad of roles that looked over various daily operations within the real estate field, including land development, construction design, re-fits, project management, and managing and leasing 1.5 million total square feet of office and industrial assets and spaces.

NAI Chase Commercial, a member of NAI Global, is an Accredited Management Organization with offices in Huntsville and Birmingham. NAI Chase Commercial offers a wide variety of services, including Commercial Property Development, Commercial Property Management, Investment Property Brokerage, Construction Management Consulting, and Building Renovation Services.

David Raby Receives Founder’s Award from SMTA

David Raby, president, and CEO of Huntsville’s STI Electronics, Inc., has been awarded the Founder’s Award from the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA), recognizing him for exceptional contributions to the electronics manufacturing industry, as well as ongoing support and service to the SMTA. He accepted the award during SMTA International in Minneapolis, Minn.

The STMA is an international network of professionals who build skills, share practical experience, and develop solutions in Electronics Manufacturing

Raby was selected for his leadership as a past president and member of the Board of Directors, as well as an officer in the Huntsville Chapter, and an ambassador.

“SMTA and the electronics industry have benefited immensely from David Raby’s contributions over the years,” said Tanya Martin, CMP, Executive Director of SMTA.

“To say I am honored to receive this award might be the biggest understatement of the year,” said Raby. “What really stands out in my mind in receiving this award is the contribution the industry and, most notably, the friends and industry colleagues have made in my life and my career path. SMTA has played a huge role in the opportunities to support and give back to our industry.”

STI Electronics provides a full slate of services to the contract electronics manufacturing industry. The company joined SMTA upon founding in 1984. Over the years, Raby has been very involved in the organization, having held every office in the Huntsville office.

He was elected to the Association Board of Directors in 1997 and re-elected in 2001. He served on the Planning Committee from 1997-2000 and was the Treasurer in 2003. In 2004, he was elected President and re-elected in 2006.

Currently, he is again serving as the Huntsville Chapter president.