14 minute read
By Noah Logan
from HBJ Feb 22 issue
Newby Industrial Park Shares in the Development of South Huntsville’s Business
By Noah Logan / Photos courtesy of John Blue Reality, LLC
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South Huntsville’s Newby Industrial Park is growing faster than expected due to market demand. Developers John Blue Realty has ramped up the completion date to the first quarter of 2022 in order to service more tenants in the one hundred thousand square foot development.
John Blue Realty acquired the property at the intersection of Newby Road and Bob Wallace in 2018 when it was still an abandoned trailer park. The purpose of the development was to turn the abandoned trailer park into an upscale industrial park built primarily of masonry.
The primary focus for the park has been on small trades and industries needing a small office footprint and storage ranging up to 2,500 feet or larger. When construction started in 2019, the plan was to build the park out in small segments over time as the market dictated. Due to increased demand, the construction of additional buildings is being moved up to early 2022.
Tenants can acquire space at Newby Park ranging from 2,500 square feet up to 40,000 square feet at the price of $9.50 per SF. The space can be custom built to fit the needs of each tenant and include features that are ideal for small manufacturing, workshops, distribution, breweries and other creative spaces. New tenants will be joining companies who already reside in the park such as Clear Defense Pest Control, Rocket City Deli Provisions and IERUS Technologies among others.
Three buildings have been completed with a total of 35,000 square feet fully occupied. The fourth building of 12,500 square feet has been fully leased, and a fifth building of 45,000 feet is under design with strong interest in most all this building. Two additional buildings will also be added to the park. When asked about the property, John Blue Realty expressed their interest in maintaining the site as a positive addition to south Huntsville. “It is our intent to hold the property, as we do most all our development, for an extended period of time and build on our reputation to be a positive contributor to both the beauty of Huntsville, as well as its vitality.” w
Blue Summit Supplies Bringing a Personal Touch to Local Businesses Who Need Office Supplies
By Noah Logan / Photos by Steve Babin
Huntsville officially became Alabama’s most populous city in 2021. In order to accommodate this rapid growth over the last few years, countless companies have started, expanded or relocated within the city. And in order for them to accommodate Huntsville’s ever growing population, someone has to accommodate the needs of these newfound business entities. That’s where Blue Summit Supplies comes in.
Starting in 2016 with just 500 boxes of envelopes to be sold on Amazon, Blue Summit Supplies quickly grew into a leader in office supplies online. Huntsville resident and former Lockheed Martin engineer Owen Franklin grew the company from $60,000 in sales in its first year of operation to over $3.3 million in 2017. Blue Summit never stopped growing and the company achieved a rank of 654 on the Inc. 5000 in 2021.
The next step for Blue Summit Supplies is to use their online success to help local businesses in the city in a more direct and personal way. Director of Marketing for Blue Summit Supplies Shannon Miller sat down with HBJ and elaborated on this next phase for the company and their future goals.
“We’ve never wanted to think small so we’re always looking ahead for ways to innovate and continue to grow,” Miller said. “We realized that we can’t work on Amazon forever. So in order to create a longer lasting business model, we’re using the profits from Amazon sales and branching out into local business to business distribution as well. We’ll start in Huntsville and then expand into other cities from there.”
Blue Summit Supplies aims to use the scale and resources they have acquired from their large online operation and combine it with a “mom and pop” touch to help businesses in the Huntsville community that can be underserved in the office supply industry according to Miller.
Owen Franklin, Blue Summit Supplies owner
“There’s a lot of places to buy office supplies. One thing we found that some small to medium sized companies don’t have when buying is that one on one touch because people aren’t taking the time to go out and talk to them,” explained Miller.
“A lot of people we talked to will buy a few things from Staples, a few things from Amazon and a few things from other various places. What they are missing, that we will provide, is a one stop shop where someone will come to them with all the product knowledge, do all the pricing, do all the shopping and even test out products for them.”
By focusing heavily on personal and professional development and building an engaged culture, it is Owen Franklin’s vision to establish Blue Summit Supplies as a long-lasting company that will be able to give back to the city in both service and profits.
“Our goal is to focus on communication,” said Blue Summit Supplies owner Owen Franklin. “We don’t just want to go to our clients and tell them that their goals matter. We want them to already expect that from us by how we interact with clients during every step of the process.”
When asked about the major goal of the company, Owen responded that he wanted to impact the Huntsville community in a way that reflects the core values that Blue Summit Supplies practices everyday.
“Eventually, once we have grown, we want to be a part of the conversation that is moving and growing the City of Huntsville.”
In order to do so, we shape our office space around this mentality, make hires from people that actually care about investing in Madison county, and create an office culture that is both personal and professional.” w
Breeze Airways Debuts Airbus A220 Aircraft in Huntsville
By Lori J. Connors / Photo courtesy of Breeze Airways
Huntsville travelers will soon be able to fly on new Airbus aircraft to Tampa, FL and Charleston, SC. Beginning May 6th, Breeze Airways will be premiering its new ‘Nicest’ fare with first-class seating and an introductory fare of just $99.
Huntsville International Airport (HSV) will be one of the first in the nation to be served by the fleet of new, Mobile-built planes. As the largest commercial airport in North Alabama, HSV serves over 1 million passengers annually. Additionally, HSV offers nonstop service to ten destinations that are served by American, Delta, and United Airlines, along with ultra-low-cost carriers, such as Breeze Airways, Frontier Airlines, and Silver Airways.
Breeze will have 15 Mobile-built A220-300s in service by the end of 2022, which will be used primarily for longer-haul flights, including transcontinental service. The carrier, which began service in May 2021 with an all-Embraer fleet, has agreed to purchase eighty A220-300s, with one aircraft scheduled to be delivered each month for the next six and a half years.
The A220-300 aircraft will feature a dynamic seating plan which can be customized for seasonality or by route. The A220s offers a range between 10 and 45 extra legroom seats and 80 standard legroom seats, all in a two-by-three configuration. The aircraft also will be outfitted with between 12 and 36 first class seats in a twoby-two configuration, featuring 39-inches of seat pitch, 20.5-inches of seat width, and special features such as a footrest for added comfort. All seats will be fitted with in-seat power and USB ports.
Until now, Breeze guests have been able to select from either the ‘Nice’ or ‘Nicer’ fare when booking on the Breeze website or app. Travelers will have an enticing third fare option. When booking a flight on the A220-300, guests can choose the ‘Nicest’ fare, which will include a range of bundled amenities, along with first-class seating.
The ‘Nicest’ fare will include two checked bags, a carry-on bag, and a personal item. Travelers will also receive 6% BreezePoints earned. On the longer routes, fresh food items will be introduced sometime in the future.
Later this year, all A220-300 aircraft will be outfitted with technology that will allow guests to seamlessly stream TV or movies, check email, browse the internet, and stay connected via social media or messaging apps while inflight.
Breeze has extended its travel booking window through September 6, 2022, revealing which routes the A220 will operate. To determine which flights are operated by the A220, travelers should check to see if there is a “Nicest” fare option, only available on the Airbus jet.
For more information, visit https://www.flybreeze.com/home
The Covery: A New Concept in Restoration and Wellness
In a high-paced world fraught with seemingly endless to-do lists, assorted personal challenges, and topped off a global pandemic, attaining inner peace and serenity might seem far out of reach for many.
If one thing is certain, COVID-19 has made many people better attuned to their health. The last two years have strongly emphasized the importance of boosting one’s immunity, not only our own individual well-being but for the health of those around us.
To help those on the path of health and wellness is The Covery, a new concept focused on total wellbeing that is coming to the Times Plaza.
After the established success of Regymen Fitness, Jason and Anu Haynes have expanded on their business model with the spring rollout of The Covery Huntsville.
The concept behind The Covery is to bring overall wellness, athletic recovery and injury prevention, and aesthetic services together, all under one roof. In this way, guests can focus on their individual needs, using a holistic approach.
The Covery offers personal restorative therapies within an environment where guests can recharge their body and mind. Guests will leave feeling and looking better, thanks to proven therapeutics that address various aspects of wellness.
Featuring a wide assortment of popular cutting-edge therapies, The Covery features Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, NormaTec Compression, IV Infusions, Whole Body Cryotherapy, Ballancer Pro Lymphatic Drainage, Hydrafacials, medical-grade skincare products, and much more. What’s more, all services are medically supervised by licensed professionals.
“Huntsville is a high-achieving, fast-growing, and high-tech city, which makes it the ideal location for a wellness facility,” said Haynes. “We’re making many forms of therapeutic treatments more accessible and affordable to those who need it. There are therapies that combat vitamin deficiencies, aid in muscle recovery, target cellulite, improve mental clarity, and enhance the skin’s overall health and glow.”
The Covery opened its first location in Baton Rouge this past March; the concept came into fruition at an ideal time.
“The Covery is something we have been working on in the background for the past few years,” said EK Navan, co-founder of The Covery and Regymen Fitness. “When the pandemic hit, I had the opportunity to research the science behind the services we offer and the amazing benefits that these treatments contribute to increasing an individual’s overall well-being. Self-care isn’t selfish; rather, it is essential to get the maximum benefit out of the life you live and lift the others up around you. To accomplish this, we all need to unplug to recharge; to take a little time for yourself.”
“People can take better charge of their health, and The Covery is here to make it easier and more effective,” added Jason Haynes, co-owner. “After you put in the sweat equity of a workout, it’s time for recovery. The body is a complex mechanism. Physical and mental health are closely connected. We hope to make the journey toward better health a little easier and more enjoyable.” w
West Huntsville Rental Property Nearing Completion
By Gus Wintzell / Photos by Gus Wintzell
Back in October 2020, JFC Living announced the development of various updates to Virtuoso Living, a unique rental community that opts for “housements” over the traditional, and often crowded, apartment style units.
Fast forward to 2022. JFC Living is nearing the completion of Virtuoso Living, which totes some extremely welcoming, and unique, amenities available for renters in Huntsville.
The major concept that John Fitzmaurice, CEO of JCF Living, wanted to bring to Virtuoso Living was a singular, new concept to rental properties known as “housements’’. This new living style offers rental properties with increased amounts of individual space and flair. And, for John, will hopefully set a precedent for luxury rental living.
Each unit comes with individual driveways, personal front and back patios, independent access, and minimal to no common areas, apart from those found at the clubhouse.
“What this does for tenants is set a future standard for luxury living. It affords the residents a higher quality of living with all the bells and whistles,” said Fitzmaurice.
The entire complex will have sidewalks throughout the property, connecting the community to offer a neighborhood feel. Other amenities include 24 hour on-site maintenance, private storage units, a pet friendly atmosphere, and a resort-style pool.
Fitzmaurice also stressed the importance of individual space. No resident at Virtuoso Living will have to climb flights of stairs to get to their living space or deal with noisy neighbors above or below.
“No more living in mouse traps.”
Apart from the individual units,
one of the most singular features of Virtuoso Living is a relatively new concept to rental property complexes: a first of its kind three-story clubhouse. The newest addition to Virtuoso Living will be completed soon, and will include three floors of social areas, a luxurious fitness center, a resort-style pool, coffee bar, Wi-Fi Lounge for study and work space, and an assortment of high-end finishes.
Assistant Manager, Effie Woodruff, stated in a recent interview that this three-story clubhouse will not only serve as a major hangout spot for current residents, but also offer an attractive view for new resi-
dents looking to move to the area. The clubhouse will also have two balconies, which will help residents catch a view of the Space and Rocket Center, as well as show off the green space for interested tenants.
Residents will have 20-25 feet of green space between other units, which also means that Vir-
tuoso living will offer low density living spaces.
For John, the green space is what helps define the privacy and individual flair of Virtuoso Living.
“Would you rather live in a small apartment, with three flights of stairs between your front door and a shared parking space, or would you rather enjoy a private
driveway within feet of your front door, surrounded by your own yard?”
