18 minute read
By Lori J. Connors
from HBJ April 22 Issue
Huntsville Ranks #5 in Tech Town Index
By Lori J Connors / Graphic by Lori J. Connors
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With the ongoing migration of high-tech companies to North Alabama, opportunities in the IT industry continue to grow. In fact, a recent Tech Town Index ranked Huntsville, AL at #5.
In 2018, when the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) launched its inaugural Tech Town Index, Huntsville was well on its way at 10th place. There, it maintained a solid #10 spot for the first two years, then jumping into the #9 slot last year.
By leaping into the fifth-place position in the rankings, Huntsville continues to establish itself as a region ripe with opportunities.
When most people think of Huntsville, images of rockets, military defense organizations, and aerospace technology come readily to mind. While these are and probably always will be a large part of what puts the Rocket City on the map, Huntsville also attracts a variety of IT talent, making it one of the best places to live for technology professionals.
Going beyond Huntsville’s long-standing history as a leader in aerospace technology, there has been growing diversity among its corporate community and, as a result, an increasing number of tech job postings. In 2021, Huntsville employers posted 14,085 available technology jobs. That’s a lot of opportunity over a 12-month period.
Over the next year, the area’s number of IT jobs is expected to grow to nearly 20,000, and to 21,000 in the next five years. What is driving the growth? With the ongoing growth and expansion, the Rocket City needs IT professionals.
Several companies have either expanded or relocated to the Huntsville area in the past year, including Dynetics, Torch Technologies, Invariant Corporation, Nippon Express, Aldez Palco, Ridgeview Industries and TriRx Pharmaceutical Services. In fall 2021, Special Aerospace Services (SAS) moved to Huntsville, as well. These new economic development projects are estimated to bring 510 new jobs and more than $71 million in investment to the Huntsville community.
It’s no secret that in Huntsville, the living is easier. The cost of living in the area is relatively affordable, compared with much larger metropolitan areas, which makes the median salary of $98,251 go much further.
Huntsville and Madison County continue to enhance the quality of life in the region. Last summer, plans were announced to introduce Upland Park, a 60-acre, $200 million mixeduse development in Cummings Research Park. The development will feature a senior living community – which serves as an enticement to young families that want to put roots in Huntsville yet want their extended family of parents and grandparents living nearby.
The Tech Town Index identifies US markets where tech employment and business opportunities intersect with affordability and quality of life. This years’ index is based on 2021 IT job posting data in 20 metropolitan areas with populations over 250,000 where demand for tech workers is greater than the national average. Markets were then evaluated and ranked based on cost of living, number of postings for open IT positions and projected job growth over the next 12 months and the next five years.
Four years ago, the idea was to show how and where technology flourishes in the United States and provide guidance to IT professionals seeking upward movement or looking to put down roots. Every year since then, the report has been updated as new data and trends are assessed.
For the third consecutive year, Austin, TX, leads the Tech Town Index. Joining Austin in the top 10 are San Jose, Dallas, Atlanta, Huntsville (AL), Charlotte (NC), Raleigh (NC), San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The second half of the Tech Town Index includes Lansing (MI), Baltimore, Durham-Chapel Hill (NC), Trenton (NJ), Boulder (CO), New York, Colorado Springs (CO), Des Moines (Iowa), Hartford (CT) and Tallahassee (FL).
Last year there were 3.3 million total job postings for open IT positions in the United States. About one-quarter of those (27%) were advertised as remote work.
Accelerated, in part, by the pandemic, technology has edged its way into our everyday lives. Niche companies are popping up left and right to meet this demand. It’s never been a better time to work in IT, and it’s never been a better time to be an IT professional in the Rocket City.
For more information, go to: https://www.comptia.org/content/research/best-tech-cities-it-jobs. w
Artificial Intelligence for Huntsville’s Future
By Marie Johnson
The development of ever-increasingly sophisticated computing software programs has radically changed the way that business is conducted in the 21st century. Information is gathered and processed at a scale and speed unprecedented in the history of our species.
Algorithms compile browsing data on billions of customers, providing retailers heavily-customized shopping experiences custom-tailored to each customer. Software programs facilitate the mass traffic of shipping all over the world. The financial sector relies on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to monitor a truly dizzying array of transactions, and at blistering speed.
AI technology has a wide array of uses, even in industries that aren’t typically considered to be high-tech. North Alabama’s Bridgeforth Farms, for example, relies on data analytics programs to monitor weather data and water usage for drip irrigation systems.
Automating the compilation of that massive input of information enables farmers to output greater yield more efficiently. With the infamously razor-thin margins of agriculture, that efficiency could spell the difference between prosperity and bankruptcy.
While every business can benefit from AI technology, Huntsville has become a hub for high-tech industries servicing the Federal government. For businesses looking to land the most lucrative contracts, mastery of AI tech is a necessity.
“Since Huntsville is a city with a lot of defense contractors, AI expertise in the community would be useful to these contractors,” explained Dr. Tathagata Mukherjee, Assistant Professor at UAH’s Computer Science department.
“AI would benefit the defense community immensely. There are applications of AI for cybersecurity, guidance systems, navigation systems as well as timing and control.”
Dr. Mukherjee went on to discuss how Artificial Intelligence can be crucial to Huntsville’s aspirations of becoming America’s hub of space exploration.
“AI is being used more and more in engineering applications, for example, in modeling fluid flows and propulsion systems. ANA is starting to use AI in various engineering applications starting from designing new propulsion systems, to modeling fluid flows to the use of AI in robotics for plenary exploration.”
Dr. Mukherjee listed entire fields of scientific and technological study where the application of AI tech is yet in its infancy, including biological, atmospheric, and material sciences.
Indeed, exciting news from Europe suggests that mastery of AI can be the key to breakthroughs in the most bleeding-edge of high technologies.
In February, researchers working for the Google-backed firm DeepMind published an article in the scientific journal Nature.
The article describes the process of utilizing artificial intelligence to autonomously control the flow of plasma through a model fusion reactor, the Variable Configuration Tokamak, operated by the Swiss Plasma Center. Previously, efforts had been stymied by the magnitude of calculations that had to be performed to sequence the electromagnetic actuators with rapid precision.
“AI, and specifically reinforcement learning, is particularly well suited to the complex problems presented by controlling plasma in a tokamak,” says Martin Riedmiller, control team lead at DeepMind.
If mastery of AI technology proves to be the key to unlocking fusion power, then Huntsville will be particularly well-placed to pioneer commercializing that technological Holy Grail.
Even now, the University of Alabama in Huntsville has taken a leading role in AI projects for the government. In a joint program with Florida State University and Perdue to develop a forensic tool for the National Institute of Justice, UAH heads the AI and machine learning portion of the project.
UAH faculty receive funding from the Department of Justice, NASA, and other government agencies to develop AI programs for their systems. Furthermore, grants go to fund graduate research, ensuring that businesses in Huntsville looking to develop their AI capabilities will have a deep pool of highly-trained local specialists with which to build their workforce.
For decades, Huntsville has invested heavily in its technological infrastructure, both physical and educational. Now, that investment could pay dividends beyond measure. Forward-thinking businesses could stand to open entire frontiers of new opportunity, by using Huntsville as the solid foundation beneath their feet, and AI as the key in their hands. w
Every Day is Pastry Day: Tour les Jours to Make its Debut at MidCity
By Lori J Connors / Photos courtesy of Tour les Jours
It’s a really sweet deal that’s making its way south to Huntsville. And the anticipation continues to build here in North Alabama.
MidCity District recently announced that Tous les Jours (TLJ), a French-Asian bakery café franchise will soon be joining the exciting roster of its new retail, restaurants, and entertainment options. Slated to open in Fall 2022, TLJ at MidCity will be the bakery’s first location in the state of Alabama.
Jim Xue and Yunus Hasan, two of Huntsville’s most successful culinary entrepreneurs, with concepts such as Chop N Fresh, Kamado Ramen, Oh Crepe, and I Love Sushi, will own and operate the Huntsville TLJ location. The build out has already begun on the 2,400 square foot space, located on MidCity Drive adjacent to Wahlburgers and Kung Fu Tea.
Tous les Jours means “every day” in French. As its name indicates, TLJ presents a wide range of baked goods with over 300 different varieties of artisan pastries, gourmet cakes and desserts all baked fresh in-store daily.
Since its launch in the United States back in 2004, Tous les Jours has grown into a highly popular bakery and café franchise offering delightful baked goods and handcrafted beverages, all passionately made from the finest ingredients.
There are more than 70 TLJ bakeries in the U.S. and more than 1,650 locations worldwide. Each franchise location prides itself in local sourcing and using carefully selected ingredients; thus, promising to deliver a double header of freshness and quality to its eager clientele.
Once open, operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. There will be ample seating for relaxing, meeting with friends, or studying.
Whether it be in form of breakfast, lunch, or dessert, Tous les Jours endeavors to offer great food, as well as to bring smiles to patrons’ faces and joy to their day.
TLJ is already accepting applications for management and staffing. For more information, go to: https:// www.tljhsv.com.
Follow @touslesjoursHSV on Facebook and Instagram to get all the latest and greatest information on the upcoming opening. For more information, visit www.tljusa.com. w
On February 8, 2021, Alabama Senator Richard Shelby announced his retirement from the U.S. Senate after a successful six consecutive terms of office.
During this time, Senator Shelby released a statement sharing his gratitude for the voters of Alabama.
“I am grateful to the people of Alabama who have put their trust in me for more than forty years. I have been fortunate to serve in the U.S. Senate longer than any other Alabamian.”
Serving in the U.S. Senate has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I have done my best to address challenges and find ways to improve the day-to-day lives of all Americans. I have also focused on the economic challenges of Alabamians, increasing access to education and promoting facilities to improve the quality of schools. I have worked to enhance Alabama’s role in space exploration and the security of our nation.”
In the months that followed, a variety of candidates stepped forward to take up the mantle of a Senate seat previously held for 36 years by Senator Shelby.
Katie Britt, Richard Shelby’s former Chief of Staff, announced she would be campaigning for Senator Shelby’s seat. Shelby endorsed her shortly after.
“She’s like family. She’d make a good candidate. She’s probably the best-qualified candidate to come along in a long time,” Shelby said in an interview. “I’d support her, I’d vote for her.”
However, recent polls conducted over the last few months with pools of over 500 Alabama voters showed a much tighter race than some anticipated.
A poll conducted by McLaughlin & Associates in early March showed a virtual deadlock between Republican frontrunners Mike Durant (33%) and Katie Britt (32%), with Mo Brooks falling behind by a little over 14 points.
This was a dramatic shift from
Huntsville’s Place in Alabama’s 2022 Senate Race
December 2021, where a poll conducted by the same company showed a tight race between Britt and Congressman Mo Brooks. Financial reports from December 31, 2021 also showed a tight race between Republican candidate campaign finances, with Britt sitting at around $4,988,850, Durant at $4,316,153, and Congressman Brooks coming at around $2,153,984.
The election also features strong Democratic candidates Dr. Will Boyd from Florence and Brandaun Dean from Birmingham. Although fighting a large uphill battle in a predominantly GOP-led state, the Democratic candidates are hoping for another surprising victory mirroring Doug Jones’s marginal win over Roy Moore in 2017.
This election will be the first following the 2020 census and the recent approval of Alabama’s redistricting map approved by the U.S. Supreme Court on February 7, 2022. Voters in Alabama will have the opportunity to elect their next Senator in the general election on November 8, 2022. The primary for the election is currently scheduled for May 24, 2022, with a primary runoff scheduled for June 21, 2022. However, for many North Alabama voters, the tight senate race has left many questioning each candidate’s economic goals and business ideas regarding their region. With the primaries just around the corner, some Huntsville-based voters are questioning how each candidate’s platform will line-up with explosive growth of the city. Below is a list of each candidate with a brief survey of their economic platforms and how they relate to the greater HuntsvilleMadison County area. With election season looming large on the 2022 horizon, it is important to remain aware and informed voter moving forward.
KARLA DUPRIEST
Born and based out of Mobile, Dupriest is all about working hard today to make a difference tomorrow. Her economic platform is highlighted by a strategic 10-point plan for the entire state, which includes reducing small business taxes statewide, increased military and veteran support, an active Alabama role in America’s economic competition with China, and a renewed focus on infrastructure, all while reframing how Alabama’s political leadership and experts interact with urban and rural voters.
For Huntsville-Madison County, this means taking the economic driver for the thirteen-county area and making it a model for state economic development. Following her tenpoint plan, Dupreist plans to connect with local experts, create a strategic industry and economic model, and expand it to the rest of the state, all while making Huntsville the model example. And, as a small business owner, her goal is to help maintain Huntsville’s small business identity, while also doing everything she can to make sure Huntsville’s boom doesn’t die down anytime soon.
For Dupriest, it’s all about vision, collaboration, innovation, worker retainment, and proper preparation.
KATIE BRITT
Katie Britt is by no means new to the political scene. Between 20162018, Britt served as Shelby’s Chief of Staff, followed shortly as the President and CEO of Alabama’s Business Council. From Enterprise, Alabama, Britt’s platform is based largely on her experiences growing up. Growing Alabama jobs, strengthening both the urban and rural business scene, and connecting with Alabama’s diverse small businesses to maintain the core foundation of Alabama’s economic growth are all fundamental to Britt’s goals.
Katie Britt hopes to continue many of the great projects and goals that Senator Shelby had for Huntsville. Recently, Senator Shelby secured $570 million in funds for the new FBI location in Huntsville, and it is no small feat that UAH’s largest academic building, the Shelby Center for Science and Technology, is named after him. Britt will continue this focus on Huntsville’s ever-growing technology and science scene, and hopes to model state economic growth from Huntsville’s image. Britt also will be focusing on connecting and maintaining a relationship with Madison County’s small business sector in hopes that it will continue to be the foundation for all of North Alabama.
Katie Britt’s platform is character-
Huntsville’s Place in Alabama’s 2022 Senate Race
ized with continuity, small business focus, community strength, and professional guidance. Richard Shelby endorsed Katie Britt back in 2021.
MO BROOKS
Mo Brooks is also not unfamiliar with the national political arena. Since 2011, Congressman Brooks has been serving as Alabama’s U.S. representative for the 5th congressional district. From Huntsville, Brooks entered the race as an early frontrunner backed by a long political career. His business platform is characterized by creating a fair and sustainable economy, providing a balanced budget year in and year out, and growing Alabama’s military and defense industry to become a powerhouse for national defense.
As for his home within the Tennessee Valley, Brooks plans to align Huntsville with his goal of growing Alabama’s statewide economy. Congressman Brooks declined to comment further.
To summarize the Huntsvillebased candidate’s platform, his goal for Huntsville is to lead by example and to aid in Alabama’s overall industrial and manufacturing growth.
JAKE SHAFER
Although not from Alabama, Jake Shafer brings a new perspective from his home state of California. Shafer’s platform focuses on continuing what Alabama is known for, while also focusing on the untapped potential of the state. His basic platform focuses on increasing the state’s role in cyber and aerospace business, helping shape the state into the nation’s “go-to” vacation spot, promoting an increased focus on education in the state, and ensuring a cost of living that is effective for each family’s economic goals.
Many of the goals play directly into many of the trends and discussion here in Huntsville’s business scene. His goal would be to continue the positive trends in the Tech industry, and to make Huntsville the preferred location for national aerospace research, development, and manufacturing. He also wants to focus on soothing the Great Resignation’s impact on Huntsville by increasing other sectors of Huntsville’s economy, such as medical, software, hardware technology, and media production.
Shafer’s platform for Huntsville can be summarized by continuity, workforce development, growth, and generating new opportunities.
MIKE DURANT
Although Mike Durant doesn’t bring some of the same political experience as other candidates, he is no short of business and economic experience. Prior to turning over the company to the employees, Durant was the CEO of Huntsville-based Pinnacle Solutions Inc. His political ideas match his past experiences. Durant runs on the grassroots campaign platform, promising Alabama voters that his economic goals will continue to provide key and strategic opportunities for economic growth, which include a decrease on small business taxes and a renewed focus on rural businesses.
For Huntsville, his business experience directly in the city drives his economic goals for the region. Durant, like many other candidates, sees Huntsville as an example for both Alabama business, as well as a competitor within the national market. He plans to cut taxes, utilize a common sense approach to increasing the military industry in Madison County, and also partnering with small businesses to continue to grow them as the backbone of Huntsville.
Durant’s platform can be summarized as common sense, grassroots, and military/veteran focused.
WILL BOYD
Florence minister Dr. Will Boyd ran back in 2017, finishing three places behind winner Doug Jones. His economic platform includes a “blue collar revival,” a focus on workforce retention, a complete revamp of state infrastructure, balancing fiscal budgets, and thrusting Alabama into the global economic scene.
For Dr. Boyd, Huntsville is crucial for this success and mirrors many of the basic tenets of his platform listed above. His goal is not to change anything that makes Huntsville great and to focus on providing an increased access to urban and rural healthcare in the Huntsville-Madison County area while also creating equal opportunities for workforce development and gender pay equity. He promises to listen to small business leaders and local professionals, cut taxes, and detangle regulations that might hold back Huntsville manufacturing.
Dr. Boyd’s platform focuses on promoting the good and listening to Huntsville experts.
BRANDAUN DEAN
Based out of Birmingham, Brandaun Dean’s economic platform is based on equitable opportunity for all Alabama citizens by providing equal opportunity to existing and new revenue streams within the state. Dean’s platform focuses on how the economy changes and adds new industry around every turn, and how Alabama can be shaped to adapt to said changes. Providing more sustainable approaches to infrastructure, more equitable access to the growing cannabis industry, and providing increased packages to underpaid educational professionals are key components of Dean’s platform.
Dean recognizes how Huntsville has established itself as an example of economic growth for the entire State. His goal is to overcome federal negligence by focusing on community growth that sustains equitable economic ventures in the Madison County area, and hopes to ease the effects of Huntsville’s increased cost of living on Huntsville’s underrepresented and minority populations.
Dean’s platform can be summarized by an equal-opportunity approach and economic adaptation.
Candidates Lanny Jackson (D), Richard Bowers (I), and Jarmal Jabbar Sanders (I) declined to comment on the Huntsville Business Journal’s questions.
Key Voter Registration deadlines:
• In-person registration deadline May 9, 2022 • Mail-in registration deadline - May 9, 2022 • Online Registration deadline - May 9, 2022 w
LEGEND KEY
