14 minute read
By Mike Easterling
from HBJ April 22 Issue
New Attractions Coming for Toyota Field this Season
By Mike Easterling / Photos by Justina Simon
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MADISON – Toyota Field, which enters its third year of operation this spring, is a gem of a park sitting just over the divide from neighboring Huntsville.
But the venue, which is home to the Double-A South Rocket City Trash Pandas, will add some upgrades for the fan experience before the start of the team’s second season.
Changes include a new outfield bar, a Mojo Speed Pitching Cage, extended netting and more.
Booz Allen Hamilton joins the Trash Pandas as a presenting sponsor for the 2022 season and will host a number of community events as well as a fireworks show Opening Night on April 12.
“We are thrilled to be a part of Trash Panda Nation,” said Kristina Barbee, principal for Booz Allen Hamilton, Huntsville. “For almost two decades, Booz Allen has been deeply rooted in the Huntsville community, proudly supporting local projects and organizations.” According to a team press release, since 2003, Booz Allen has been providing a broad range of technology and engineering services to the Huntsville area while heavily investing in philanthropic partnerships across the Tennessee Valley.
“The atmosphere here is incredibly energetic and fun and we’re excited to be part of that spirit,” Barbee said. “We look forward to a successful baseball season.” Among the new attractions is the Mojo Speed Pitch Cage. For a small fee, fans can have their pitch clocked and accuracy measured by throwing at a realistic catcher. Also new will be a bar in center field near the bullpens, which will feature craft beers and signature Trash Pandas cocktails. That comes as part of the 360 experience, which is designed to provide a full game-day experience around the concourse with a variety of food and drink options.
The protective netting at Toyota Field has been extended throughout the ballpark to enhance fan safety. The original netting behind both dugouts and home plate has been raised 10 feet to a height of 35 feet. New netting has been added down both baselines and will taper down toward the foul poles to a height of about 12 feet.
“Fan safety is our number one priority at Toyota Field,” Trash Pandas General Manager Garrett Fahrmann said. “Our new protective netting will provide a safer atmosphere for everyone to watch the game without sacrificing the close-up views of the action that fans have grown to love.”
For suite and club level ticket holders, a New Era merchandise kiosk will be open near the press box during Trash Pandas games to give fans an opportunity to purchase caps and merchandise beyond the Junkyard Team Store.
Another addition is a Hawk-Eye system that has been added to provide installed will provide game information as speed of pitch, distance of a home run and more statistics.
Toyota Field is a cashless venue, accepting most major credit cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
For ticket information and rules regulating acceptable bags and prohibited outside items can be found at the team’s website.
Rocket City’s season begins April 8 at Birmingham. w
Booz Allen Hamilton presenting sponsor for the Trash Pandas 2022 season Mojo Speed Pitch Cage will be located behind left field near the bullpen Extended safety netting
The Future of Workforce Development is Here and Now at Drake State
As the expansion of the manufacturing industry continues to grow along with the arrival of new corporations to North Alabama, it all comes with the need for a trained and capable labor force.
In the effort of providing affordable, hands-on training to prepare students to become the workforce of tomorrow, Drake State Community and Technical College is front and center in helping to make this a reality. Through offering STEM bootcamps and providing scholarships for students pursuing careers related to the automobile manufacturing industry, it’s a win-win for students and corporations alike.
Drake State is offering several programs for students to get high quality training, the kind of training that translates into those solid, bona fide job skills that the manufacturing sector is eagerly seeking.
One of those opportunities is the result of a partnership formed between Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association (AAMA) and the Alabama Community College System (ACCS).
Recently, it was announced that there were 30 scholarships available to Alabama residents seeking to pursue a technical education certificate or associate degree in programs related to the automotive manufacturing industry.
Alabama residents, who are interested in automotive-related careers, especially prospective students in North Alabama can apply for a scholarship to attend the automotive manufacturing programs at Drake State.
In addition to offering attractive scholarship opportunities, Drake State continues to build on its workforce-relevant programming. Recently, Drake State hosted free STEM bootcamps for the area’s middle and high school student population. The all-day bootcamps are instrumental in providing opportunities for students to learn about various jobs and perhaps discover a career path they otherwise might not be exposed to.
On a Saturday in late February, there was a sizeable turnout for the bootcamps offered, with thirty-four students participating in the Welding, Engineering Design, or Machine Tool bootcamps. In this all-day event, students had the opportunity to learn new technical skills – skills that could serve as the foundation for manufacturing or could pave the way to careers in science and engineering. The bootcamp event was made possible in part by Drake State’s multi-year grant from NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). MUREP supports minorityserving institutions working to increase the number of racially or ethnically underrepresented students, and female students in STEM occupations. “I took a welding class at Bob Jones High School,” said Cameron Cummings, a high school student who participated in the Welding bootcamp. “I really enjoyed welding. I want to go into computer engineering, so welding is like soldering on a bigger scale. That was one of the main reasons why I got into this.”
“All the designs that they would produce as an engineer one day would have to be machined,”said Tyler Williams, Machine Tool Instructor at Drake State. “The bootcamp allowed students to experience how intricate parts are produced.”
There are also bootcamp opportunities for adults interested in attaining workforce ready training. Whether it’s first-time career venture or adjusting one’s sails to meet the continuously growing staffing demands of the North Alabama manufacturing sector, Drake State has plenty to offer.
On another note, Huntsville has always enjoyed the benefits of a wellestablished Arts sector, and to meet the needs of creative community, Drake State recently offered an Art Welding bootcamp. In this all-day class, students learned the basics of safety, as well as how to use the equipment, how to weld pieces of metal together effectively, and to produce their very own sculpture. In this case, the finished piece was a log resting on a stand.
Despite it being a full day of welding, the structure of the bootcamp made the day go by quickly. “This has been really interesting for me because I had a lot of fun with it,” said Lori Connors, bootcamp participant. “The scary part was that freshly welded metal is hot! Even if the metal has returned to its original color, it’s still hundreds of degrees.”
First off, the welding class is outfitted with good safety equipment and tools. Safety and quality make huge difference in course delivery. It’s also important to have a great instructor leading the class.
Welding instructor Joseph Bevil’s started out in the construction industry. Six years ago, he took a teaching job at Drake State. In addition to being a welding instructor, he’s also the division chair of advanced manufacturing and works closely with machine tool, automotive, HVAC, and electrical engineering design.
Despite his fulltime workload and responsibilities, Bevil stresses the importance of staying current in manufacturing and walks the talk. “I still get to practice some in the field. A lot of good friends of mine are still working in the field, so, I get information from them,” said Bevil. “One of my former students owns welding shop, he’s been in business for a few years. So, I get to help him out, some, too when I’ve got some free time, like spring breaks and stuff like that. So, I can see what’s going on in the industry.”
Staying relevant in the manufacturing industry and keeping apprised of industry trends is crucial with regards to workforce development. “It is advanced manufacturing, and it changes every day,” said Bevil. If you’re not doing some type of work in the field, you’ll get behind.”
For more information, go to: www.drakestate.edu. w
Hill Technical Solutions Awarded $46 Billion Air Force Contract
By Marie Johnson / Images courtesy of Hill Technical Solutions
Huntsville-based engineering firm Hill Technical Solutions has been awarded the Air Force’s “Eglin Wide Angle Acquisition Contract.” The EWAAC is a $46 billion indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with a period of performance over 10 years.
Glenn Turner, CEO Hill Tecnical Services
Hill Technical Solutions will be providing the Air Force with advanced, specialized digital engineering, model-based systems engineering, agile processes, open system architecture support, data analytics and management, and weapon system integration support for the U.S. Air Force.
Sites to receive support from Hill Technical Solutions include Eglin Air Force Base, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Armament Directorate (AFLCMC/EB), the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), and the Air Force Nuclear Warfare Center (AFNWC).
“Our new ADEPT (Analysis, Digital Engineering, and Prototype Technology) Center will enable us to develop, prototype, and demonstrate innovative solutions,” said HTS CEO Glenn Turner.
The ADEPT Center, part of the new HTS Corporate Headquarters that opened in January, functions as a combination laboratory and demonstration center. The Center’s focus on adaptability synergizes with the EWAAC’s demands for swift responses to complex technical problems. w
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The U.S. Air Force recently awarded JS Solutions a $46 billiondollar indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract that will span the course of 10 years.
Headquartered in Huntsville, JS Solutions, LLC (JSS) is a VeteranOwned Small Business dedicated to providing logistics support, engineering, and consulting services to Federal Government Agencies, Department of Defense (DoD), prime contractors, and commercial organizations.
This is certainly a significant achievement for a young business of this size and scope to be awarded one of multiple prime USAF contracts. In fact, it speaks volumes of the company’s expertise, quality, and past performance record.
The Eglin Wide Agile Acquisition (EWAAC) IDIQ contract will enable the government to rapidly develop and integrate new technologies, solutions, and techniques to the USAF & Eglin Air Force Base.
EWAAC delivers digital engineering, model-based systems engineering, agile processes, open system architecture support, data analytics and management, and weapon system integration support for the U.S. Air Force customers at Eglin Air Force Base, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Armament Directorate (AFLCMC/EB), the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), and the Air Force Nuclear Warfare Center (AFNWC).
As the Department of Defense pushes to modernize the warfighter, this contract will help provide new capabilities within multiple areas of life-cycle management, weapons systems development and requirements development.
“As a leading support provider to the US Government, we will continue to deliver in the Digital Trinity areas of Digital Engineering, Agile Development and Open Systems Architecture,” said Jason Swafford, President, and CEO of JS Solutions. “We will provide support through all parts of the weapons system life cycle and will bring our expertise in this area to support the Air Force and its mission partners. JS Solutions is excited to contribute to the USAF Armament Directorate and its motto of ‘Go Fast, Think Big.’” w
By Noah Logan / Images courtesy of Aerobotix
Last month, Aerobotix officially announced an agreement with Minteq International, Inc. to distribute Minteq’s industry altering FIREX™ RX-2390 Thermal Protection System (TPS) coating for hypersonic flight hardware. Aerobotix will work directly with Minteq’s Pennsylvania-based Pyrogenics Group, the global technological leader in hightemperature coatings for military and aerospace applications.
of high MRL technologies,” aircraft as quickly as possible,” said Kent Pfeifer, Aerobotix’s process de-
This comes at a time when the velopment manager. Pentagon is urging America’s largest “By making the commitment to defense manufacturers to accelerate keep fresh FIREX™ RX-2390 on our hypersonic weapon production. shelves, we can immediately assist
“The system includes ‘never been the major programs by robotically done before’ adaptations of high spraying accurate panels and even MRL technologies,” according to prototype parts for flight tests. We’ve representatives from Aerobotix. been robotically spraying, scanning
Minteq engaged Aerobotix due and sanding shrouds and rockets alto the company’s expertise in roboti- ready, and now – with coating on our cally spraying parts and test panels shelves – we cut critical weeks in dewithin specifically tight tolerances livery time.” for uniformity and broadness of cov- Aerobotix and the scientists at erage. Aerobotix also has significant Minteq collaborated to develop a FIprior experience with primes using REX RX-2390 recipe and a unique the FIREX product. robotic paint dispensing system that is primed for automation and
“Our desire was to assist heavy production. The FIREX formulations optimize modified epoxy our customers and the U.S. binders with thermally active mate-
Government in fielding rials that form cooling gases when hypersonic missiles and aircraft as quickly as possible,” exposed to temperatures in excess of 350°F. Minteq also notes that Aerobotix’s customized robotics provides all
“Our desire was to assist our cus- this, plus the ability to automatically tomers and the U.S. Government spray-taper the paint thickness in in fielding hypersonic missiles and various areas of the part, which can
reduce weight, manufacturing time and cost.
The new contract with Minteq is a noticable enhancement to Aerobotix’s Fully Automated Hypersonic Coating Production SystemThe facility provides a broad selection of services for preparing and painting hypersonic structures, including automated structured light scanning/ projection, automated masking tape application, automated FIREX™ spraying, automated non-contact Terahertz measurement, automated force controlled sanding and adaptive robotic machining of coatings. w
