Nov 2023 Issue

Keeping you informed and inspired.

November 2023

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 11

SMALL BUSINESS

Huntsville/Madison Chamber Recognizes Small Business Owners at the 38th Annual Small Business Awards Gala

COVER STORY

The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber honored several local small businesses and individuals this past October. The 38th Annual Small Business Awards Gala was held at the Von Braun Center Saturn Ballroom.

By Noah Logan - Page 6

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Huntsville’s Urban Planning and Infrastructure Hopefull Amidst Growing Pains

Over the past few years, Huntsville has experienced a population increase that has resulted in some “growing pains” on the overall infrastructure of the city.

By Laura Boehringer - Page 14

ADDITIONAL STORIES • Sit Down With Success: A Conversation with Michael Kirkpatrick of DESE Research, Inc.

By Heather Price • Page 3

• Huntsville Local Reflects on Five Decades of Defense Industry Experience

By Laura Boehringer • Page 5

• Huntsville Ranks in Top Five for Southern Metro Tech Development

By Gus Wintzell • Page 17

• Types of Communication and How They Can Benefit Your Workplace

By Alexander Duck, II • Page 18

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HUNTSVILLE

BUSINESS JOURNAL Vol 6, Issue 11 November 2023 600 Boulevard South Suite 104 Huntsville, AL 35802

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

REAL ESTATE

Huntsville Real Estate Trends Show Pending Sales Pick Up Despite National Trend The Huntsville Area Association of Realtors (HAAR) has released statistics for the Huntsville/Madison County market that shows that our local real estate market is defying national trends in terms of pending sales.

Nationally, pending sales have been dropping. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), pending home sales have declined by an average of 7.1% month-over-month, reaching the lowest level since April of 2020.

The NAR attributes this decline to rising borrowing costs and a scarcity of new homes on the market.

However, the latest statistics out of HAAR, dated to the last week of September, show that pending sales in our region have actually picked up.

Pending sales of singlefamily homes increased 8.6%, representing 241 total sales.

Pending sales of townhouse/condo units increased by 44%, but as those units represent a much smaller portion of the units bought and sold in our region, that represents an increase of only 13 sales.

Still, these numbers do show continued high demand for housing in our area. New listings for singlefamily homes increased 1.3%, while townhouse/condo units saw a 50% increase in new listings. While the inventory of single-family units increased by 9.4%, the inventory of townhouse/condo units actually decreased by 22.9%.

In interest rate news, an alliance of real estate industry groups, including the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Homebuilders, issued a rare public letter to the Federal Reserve, urging it to stop rate hikes.

The open letter cited “profound concern” about the “instability” caused in part by uncertainty about

the Fed’s willingness to hike rates once more.

This letter comes the same week

By: Marie Johnson / Infographs courtesy of Huntsville Area Association of Realtors

that a report from Freddie Mac shows interest rates rising for five weeks in a row. w

November 2023

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SIT DOWN WITH SUCCESS By: Heather Price / A Conversation with Photo by Steve Babin Michael Kirkpatrick of DESE Research, Inc. Sit Down With Success is a feature of the Huntsville Business Journal on entrepreneurs and their keys to success. To read the full story, please visit the Huntsville Business Journal website.

The missile defense technologies developed by DESE Research Inc. hit the mark for their customers, which is one measure of the Huntsville company’s success.

But what also hits the mark is the company culture.

DESE Research CEO Michael Kirkpatrick said his father, the late Dr. Wallace “Wally” Kirkpatrick, started the business, 41 years ago in 1982, with culture in mind, desiring to create a great place to work for himself and for others.

The Huntsville Business Journal recently sat down with Kirkpatrick to talk about company culture and the challenges and joys of carrying on the family legacy.

Tell me about the history and founding of DESE Research.

When my father decided to start his own business, his principal goal was

to have a great place to work, and he could control the culture if he owned the company. That’s one of the things that we still pride ourselves in, that we have a wonderful place to work and everything that we do is focused around employee satisfaction, delighting the customer, and providing security for our employees.

When did you enter the business and what was that like?

I entered this business after I had worked for several major companies including Intergraph Corporation and United Technologies on the space shuttle program. I was well seasoned when I came to DESE, and I have been working here for 30 years. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to work in a family business and work side by side with my father for most of that 30 years. It was a great joy and honor to work together as a team.

Describe what it’s like being part of a family business.

Working in a family business is a special opportunity and challenge. It gives you a richness of family life that

most people don’t have a chance to experience because you have your family side and you have your professional relationship with your family member.

Overall, it’s a wonderful opportunity to build on the legacy of the founder.

It’s kind of like a multi-stage rocket to orbit. You have a founder that does the heavy lifting of getting the business off the ground, and then you have a second stage that can add additional energy and effort to lift the business higher and higher.

What is an obstacle you have faced and how did you overcome it?

The great challenge in business today is finding good people. Huntsville has a very low unemployment rate.

There is a lot of competition for talent, so you have to use a lot of creativity in how to attract and retain good talent. We’re always thinking about ways that we can attract good talent, including giving generous referral bonuses to our employees who recruit their family and friends. We do lots of fun things with our coworkers to make sure that they’re enjoying their work

life here at DESE, and that helps with retention. We work very hard at the soft skills of working with people to make them feel valued and appreciated, and let them know how much we honor their choice to work with us in the company. A career can be challenging and the work is not always easy, but when you show appreciation to people and you try to make it fun and have a happy welcoming culture, people feel good about going to work everyday. w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

Subsidiary of EVENT Publishing

President /Publisher……………………………………… Todd Stephenson Editor………………………………………………………………… Gus Wintzell Writers…………………………………………………………Laura Boehringer Ashlyn Grey Marie Johnson Noah Logan Heather Price Contributing Writers……………………………………… Alexander Duck, II Carl Holden Graphic Design ………………………………………………… Justina Simon Amy Pearson Website……………………………………………………………… Jim Gharib Photographers…………………………………………………… Steve Babin Justina Simon Director of Sales ……………………………………… Carolyn Stephenson 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 ALL CONTENTS ©2023. 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.

November 2023

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PEOPLE

Huntsville Local Reflects on Five Decades of Defense Industry Experience At 87 years old, Bill Clayton has earned 25 patents, the most recent of which was awarded this year, graduated at the top of his class from Yale in 1958, owned his own business, survived two bouts of cancer, and co-founded GATR Technologies with Paul Gierow, who he worked with for many years prior.

When Gierow first suggested he and Clayton launch their own company focusing on the inflatable technologies they had developed together, especially inflatable solar concentrators for solar powered rockets and inflatable antennas, Clayton had his doubts.

“And I wrote him a letter saying why I didn’t think it would work,” Clayton said. “I said it’s too little, too late. We would never be able to compete in that area.”

Six months after Gierow started GATR on his own, he’d won two contracts, at which point Clayton decided to join in 2005. Initially, GATR ran its business from a rented portion of a flower shop. After years of growth, GATR was purchased by Cubic Defense, its current owner.

“Paul had an instinct for business, and it was sort of like Hewlett and Packard. He was Packard,” Clayton said.

Though, ultimately, the solar powered rocket project was canceled, Clayton noted that his and Gierow’s experience in trying to

Bill Clayton, who is celebrating his 50th year anniversary with GATR Technologies

develop them taught them a lot of what not to do with inflatable technology. Since then, they’ve made strides in their inflatable antenna technology, which they have used to aid in natural disaster relief efforts by providing satellite communication to the American Red Cross during Hurricanes Irma, Maria and Katrina, as well as the 2012 tornadoes.

T.C. Miller, Director of Engineering at Cubic Defense, explained that Gierow and Clayton had developed satellite dishes out of fabrics rather than the traditional metal or carbon fiber, which allows them to be more easily transported.

“If you had to transport one of

The Inflatable Satellite Antennas (ISAs) that helped put GATR Technologies, now owned by Cubic Defense, on the map

these big antennas, you’d need a trailer or, you know, some large truck to transport it. We’re able to collapse it down into a couple of cases. And so say, for instance, hurricane Katrina, the first time we ever used it, all the

By: Laura Boehringer / Photos courtesy of Cubic Defense

infrastructure was destroyed in the area. So, the team went down with an antenna in a bag, they showed up at a Red Cross site because a lot of the streets were impassable because of all the destruction. And so, they, they brought in the, the antenna inflated it. And then they were able to set up a Wi-Fi connection that people at the Red Cross Center were able to call back to their families and you know, in contact with loved ones,” said Miller.

Though over the long course of his career Clayton has patented more technologies than he can name off-hand, he noted that his greatest point of pride is the GATR Flex Antenna, which expands to its full size without introducing air.

Now celebrating his 50th year working at the same company, Clayton has no plans to retire. Miller noted that Clayton is simply too curious to stop working. w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

SMALL BUSINESS

Huntsville/Madison Chamber Recognizes Small Business Owners at the 38th Annual Small Business Awards Gala The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber honored several local small businesses and individuals this past October. The 38th Annual Small Business Awards Gala was held at the Von Braun Center Saturn Ballroom.

Since the Small Business Awards Gala coincided with Huntsville Music Month, the gala also showcased a live performance by Huntsville singer/songwriter Victoria Jones to start the show. Victoria also co-hosted the event with Matt Mandrella, Huntsville Music Officer. In total, there were 15 winners representing a variety of different categories. We have included a list of the winners along with some information about each recipient.

Congratulations to all the winners: • Young Professional of the Year: Terica Pope – Director of Operations for the Huntsville Housing Authority since August 2023.

Pope has eighteen years of experience in office management, administrative support and ensuring customer service, and is the former Superintendent of Housing Operations • Nonprofit of the Year: Village of Promise – Family Advancement Center founded to address the needs of children and families in distressed, high poverty neighborhoods. Their mission is to empower families to advance out of poverty using a multigenerational approach.

• Construction Company of the Year: Bret Slaton Homes – Bret Slaton has either been the winner or runner up of Alabama Remodeling Excellence Awards a total of seven times. Services provided include kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, whole home remodels, windows, doors and garages.

• Minority-Owned Business of the Year: MB Solutions – A customer focused, women owned

small business that provides superior solutions to warfighters in logistics, program support and cyber security for the Department of Defense and Civilian-Federal Sectors.

• Emerging Business of the Year: 106 Jefferson Huntsville Downtown, Curio by Hilton – Surrounded by eateries, entertainment and businesses, this hotel is close to several of Huntsville’s top attractions. The hotel features an onsite restaurant and the Baker & Able Rooftop Lounge.

• Professional/Technical Services Business of the Year: Red Sage Communications – One of Huntsville’s and Decatur’s top full-service agencies offering traditional and digital marketing, advertising, public relations and website design solutions.

• Engineering/Defense Business of the Year (Small): TriVector Services – A company that provides quality aerospace engineering solutions to complex problems through a renowned team of engineering professionals.

• Engineering/Defense Business of the Year (Medium): HigheEchelon – They aim to optimize organizational performance

to meet the rapidly changing requirements of today’s world by developing resilient and adaptive leaders, implement-

By: Noah Logan / Photos by Jeff White Photography

ing transformational technology solutions and modernizing and enhancing processes.

• Engineering/Defense Business of the Year (Large): Trideum Corporation – Whether it is the development of new processes and tools, implementing information assurance procedures, maintaining budgets or facilitating a working group, Trideum continues to continue to foster a customer support reputation that is top quality.

• Veteran-Owned Business of the Year: Offset Strategic Services – OSS applies unique technologies, tactics, skill sets and peak performance principles to enhance and augment teams to perform their

November 2023

SMALL BUSINESS

best influence on strategic outcomes.

• Hospitality Services Business of the Year: Pizzelle’s Confections – A unique chocolate shop co-owned by Chef Michelle Novosel and General Manager Caitlin Lyon. The menu includes a large selection of chocolates made with fair-trade Felchlin chocolate.

• Arts & Recreation Business of the Year: Von Braun Center – Downtown Huntsville’s premier entertainment and business venue with an $80 million economic impact for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

• Health/Social Services Business of the Year: Alabama Colon and Gastro – Services provided include colonoscopy, liver biopsy, upper GI endoscopy, ERCP, fibroscans and other advanced GI procedures.

• Woman-Owned Business of the Year: OTC – A woman owned small business earning a reputation of solving complex technical and management, programmatic and logistics challenges posed by today’s evolving technologies into warrior-ready, operational capability.

• Russell G. Brown Executive Leadership Award: Susan Wagner, Huntsville Botanical Garden – Wagner joined the Huntsville Botanical Garden as CEO in October 2019 after serving as Vice President for Education and Information at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago.

The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber hosts this annual event to recognize the outstanding work of businesses and individuals who make an impact in our community. Scoring and judging was handled by the Plano, Texas Chamber of Commerce. w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

AI TALKS

AI’s Top Ten Tips for Starting a Small Business

Oops, We Accidentally Hired ChatGPT

Starting a small business can be an exciting but challenging endeavor. Here are some tips to help you get started on the right foot.

1. Business Idea and Planning: a. Start with a clear and viable business idea. Identify a problem your product or service can solve or a need it can fulfill. b. Create a comprehensive business plan that outlines your business’s goals, target market, competition, financial projections, and marketing strategy.

2. Market Research: a. Understand your target market and customer base.

Research their needs, preferences, and behaviors. b. Analyze your competitors to identify gaps and opportunities in the market.

3. Legal Structure and Registration a. Choose the appropriate legal structure for your business (e.g., sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation) and register it with the relevant authorities. b. Obtain any necessary licenses and permits.

4. Finances a. Develop a budget and financial plan. Estimate your startup costs, operating expenses, and revenue projections. b. Secure funding, whether through personal savings, loans, investors, or grants.

5. Business Location and Setup a. Choose a suitable location if your business requires one. b. Set up your workspace or storefront with the necessary equipment and supplies.

6. Branding and Marketing a. Create a strong brand identity, including a logo, business name, and consistent messaging.

At our booth during the National Cyber Security Summit, I met a well-known government contractor who accidentally hired ChatGPT. The contractor was thrilled initially with their talented hire, who impressed the company with a perfect resume and astute answers in the online interview.

However, the facade crumbled when the individual asked, “Hey, why is ChatGPT blocked at work?”

There had been suspicions that this person was unable to do recent assignments.

The manager responded, “We aren’t allowed to use ChatGPT in government.” Half the Huntsville population sitting at Redstone gates every morning should know that fact!

The young person soon confessed to using AI to make it match their resume precisely to the job posting.

They also aced the remote interviewing questions with ChatGPT, confidently spewing all the terminology they needed.

Before this company told me of their “artificial applicant,” they expressly told me they DO NOT use AI when they first approached my booth. After I heard this hiring horror story, I made it clear to them that AI can USE you. Cybersecurity and risk management should include non-human threats and liabilities, even in the HR department. Because it did not expect or prepare for this, the company will likely incur the cost of firing an unqualified hire.

Many stopped by my booth, unaware that Microsoft, powering their computers and email, owns a significant share of ChatGPT. Moreover, only some recognized the video I was playing of Microsoft CoPilot, the AI that has already launched in

b. Develop a marketing strategy that includes both online and offline efforts to reach your target audience.

7. Online Presence a. Build a professional website and establish a presence on social media platforms. b. Invest in online marketing, including search engine optimization (SEO) and payper-click advertising.

8. Customer Service a. Prioritize excellent customer service to build trust and gain repeat customers. b. Listen to customer feedback and make improvements based on their suggestions.

9. Networking a. Attend industry events, join local business organizations, and network with other entrepreneurs. Building relationships can lead to valuable partnerships and collaborations.

10. Accounting and Record-Keeping a. Maintain accurate financial records from day one. Consider using accounting software or hiring an accountant to help with this.

Starting a small business is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning, dedication, and a willingness to learn and adapt, you can increase your chances of success. It’s essential to have a long-term vision for your business and be persistent in pursuing goals. w This column is written entirely by AI. ChatGPT, the engine used to generate the following article, is a large language model-based chatbot developed by OpenAI and launched on November 30, 2022. EVENT Publishing, nor Huntsville Business Journal and legal entities assume no liabilities to the content provided by AI. Expressed published content is for entertainment and informational purposes only.

By: Carl Holden

Carl Holden, Creative Director of Zellus Marketing

the latest version of Windows. Microsoft has successfully monopolized the government’s operating systems.

Isn’t it naive to think that they aren’t going to get the government to buy into their AI as well?

Over recent years, my company, Zellus Marketing, has been using AI to assist in content and data activities. The November 2022 release of ChatGPT marked the first time I felt an AI had formidable capabilities.

Since then, a flood of new technologies has entered the market, and we have been consulting local businesses on navigating or implementing the technology effectively and ethically.

It was a very popular topic with visitors at our Security Summit booth.

This hiring mishap isn’t merely a humorous tale but a profound lesson. A 24-year-old with a ChatGPT Pro account outsmarted a multimillion dollar contractor employing hundreds of people. As AI continues to weave itself into the fabric of the modern workplace, resisting its effects seems futile. Even these capable bastions of data security must adopt this technology one day or risk losing to a company full of 24-year-olds and a “government-approved” AI. w

“AI Talks” is a new series from the Huntsville Business Journal on Artificial Intelligence and its applicability to the world of business. Each month, HBJ plans on bringing you interesting topics led by our new contributing expert writer, Carl Holden. This series will also introduce another new “writer” to our journal: Artificial Intelligence itself. Using Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT), we plan on bringing our readers an “article” written directly by AI. While AI cannot currently write a news article with fully original sources, this series hopefully will introduce our readers to the nuances of Artificial Intelligence in the modern age of business.

November 2023

New Art or Pickup?

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

No Shop, No Problem: A Conversation with The Snail on the Wall Bookstore Huntsville is home to a rather unique bookstore…a bookstore without an actual store.

What began as a pop-up book shop in 2017 has grown into quite the sophisticated operation for Lady Vowell Smith, founder and owner of The Snail on the Wall independent bookstore. A bookstore without a physical store certainly has its challenges, for which Smith has creative solutions.

For decades, independent, locallyowned bookstores have been displaced by large national bookstore chains and then online bookstores. But Smith said she’s noticing a resurgence of the independent bookstore and the sense of community that it brings.

A former college English professor and former editor at Southern Living and Coastal Living magazines, Smith started The Snail on the Wall as a pop-up bookstore, opening a booth at the annual Under the Christmas Tree holiday event. Her primary business model combines book recommendations and book sales with personalized, home delivery.

“Pop ups were gaining ground in various industries, so I called it a pop up bookstore, but I knew that I needed to deliver books to people’s doorsteps because there was no other way they could get them,” said Smith.

Lady Vowell Smith, owner of Snail on the Wall pop-up bookstore

“There are people that say, ‘I can’t find books, I can’t find anything I like. I like to read everything.’ But then we send them books that they’ve never heard of, and they find a new author that they didn’t know about. They are happy and that makes us feel like we did something good.”

Front porch book delivery in a brown paper gift bag with a handstamped green snail logo on the bag is a personal touch that sets apart The Snail on the Wall from other book sellers.

Another creative idea for her store that became very popular right away was book bundles by genre or by interests, which made great gifts.

“I had very few books at that first booth, but I did book bundles and that kind of took off. I did themed book bundles, which I still do, especially around the holidays. It might be a historical fiction bundle, or it might be the mystery bundle, and people liked that it felt like gifts,” said Smith.

The name “The Snail on the Wall” comes from the story “The Mark on the Wall,” by one of Smith’s favorite authors, Virginia Woolf, and was the name of Smith’s blog at the time.

“This woman is sitting in a chair and she sees something on the wall and it makes her think about the war that’s just ended. It makes her think about the history of her life and her family, of time passing, and it makes her think about all these things. She’s not sure what it is on the wall. Her husband walks in at the end and says there’s a snail on the wall. So the idea of the blog was, I’m going to talk about

By: Heather Smith / Photos by Heather Smith

books, but I’m going to make you think. Then when I decided to do the bookstore, it was kind of the same mission and it is still,” remembered Smith.

Today, Smith has delivery drivers, sometimes delivering 50 or 60 books a week after a big book release. But at first it was just her, often with her kids in tow, delivering four or five books a week. “I had kids that couldn’t drive at that time,” Smith recalled, “and if you asked them, they would say every time we went anywhere, we delivered a book on the way.”

The Snail on the Wall offers a quarterly book subscription where customers complete a questionnaire to help Smith and The Snail team learn customers’ reading interests and personally select books especially for them. This can be challenging but fun, Smith said.

“There are people that say, ‘I can’t find books, I can’t find anything I like.

I like to read everything.’ But then we send them books that they’ve never heard of, and they find a new author that they didn’t know about. They are happy and that makes us feel like we did something good,” said Smith.

Smith partners with local businesses and organizations on bookish events including pop up events like “Books & Brews” book fairs for grown-ups at Straight to Ale brewery and this summer’s pop up bookstore at Constitution Village.

Her favorite events, though, are bringing authors to the Rocket City.

She saw friends and family traveling to nearby Nashville, Tenn., and Birmingham, Ala., for author events, and recalled thinking to herself that Huntsville is right between these two cities and missing out.

“I knew that (author events) was one of the missions early on. What I didn’t know is how to bring authors,” Smith shared. “That was the biggest surprise, that not only am I marketing my bookstore to readers, I’m also marketing my bookstore to publishers to get them to send authors to us, and that is very important. You are trying

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SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

to tell them that you can host an author event successfully, and that you know how to do it, that you can bring an audience, and that you can sell a certain number of books,” said Smith.

The Snail on the Wall has done quite well bringing author events to Huntsville, with packed houses for well-known authors like Sean Dietrich, aka Sean of the South, Ian Morgan Cron, best known for writing about the enneagram, and the four bestselling authors who make up the “Friends & Fiction” podcast - Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, Kristin Harmel and Mary Kay Andrews.

“Authors are willing to come if you reach out to them. I won’t say everyone’s coming free of charge, but most of them will come because they’re looking for a way to connect with readers,” said Smith.

The Huntsville Library Foundation has been a constant partner for Smith, sharing her passion to bring authors to the community. Bringing author events to Huntsville is very important to Smith because she said these events start conversations that we, as a society, need to have.

“It goes back to what the snail on the wall is about, and it is about making you think. Sometimes we read books and if we’re just reading them by ourselves and we’re flying through them, we may not stop to consider what they’ve taught us. But when we hear an author talk about their inspiration for a book, when we hear them talk about their process of writing it, and what they put of them-

selves into it, then I feel like we walk away knowing so much more. Then we think about our own lives and the way we move through the world,” Smith remarked.

Smith said it’s important for Huntsville to have an independent bookstore because independent bookstores in communities everywhere are doing so much more than selling books.

“They are encouraging literacy.

They are talking about tough subjects.

They are contributing to the fabric of their community, and they’re bringing people together to have conversations. Libraries certainly do that, but libraries can’t do everything, so it’s nice to have bookstores that also do that,” said Smith.

While she’s grown a successful retail business without a dedicated retail space, Smith is interested in establishing a more permanent space for The Snail on the Wall, which would allow her to expand inventory and host more author events.

“I have to rein in all the ideas because sometimes I think, oh, I wanna start a podcast. There are a lot of bookstores with podcasts. Sometimes I think about other subscription services or trying to get out there to people across the country with a book club box where you could start your own book club. I’ve got ideas like that, but I think the next thing really is the brick and mortar, because I want to do author events on a more regular basis. Not just the big events but having an author in every week would

be really nice, and especially debut authors that people haven’t heard of yet,” said Smith.

Like many businesses today, Smith uses social media to engage with customers, sharing book recommendations and new releases. This has expanded her business to include authors and readers around the world.

“There are a lot of people in other places that don’t have a bookstore in their town, and so we’re happy to be their bookstore. They follow us on social media or they get our newsletter and see books they want. We always say ‘If you see it on The Snail, buy it from The Snail,’ and a lot of people do, so that’s nice to get support from people that aren’t even here,” said Smith.

Smith interacts with a lot of book clubs looking for recommendations on what to read next and wanting books that they can discuss.

“The bookstore feels like I get to use all my different skills. I get to use my passion for books and the teaching aspect, but, also, I really love trying new things and trying new ideas and

collaborating with community partners. That’s been one of the most rewarding parts of the job to work with a lot of organizations that either have book clubs or they want to bring an author to town, or they want books to give away to kids that need them,” said Smith.

Reading between 30 to 40 books a year on average, Smith guesses she’s read several thousand books in her lifetime, with many more to come. She said she was “just born loving books” and credits the school library with fostering her love of reading.

“I started working my way through a series like ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ and I had to read every single one in order. When I was in about third grade, I made my own little library cards and put them in books and I wanted my friends to check them out.

“They didn’t check them out nearly as much as I thought they would.”

Today, though, readers are checking out Smith’s books, with many loyal, local customers in the Huntsville area and online. w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

COVER COVER

How a Shutdown Could Affect Huntsvil

By: Marie

America just barely avoided a shutdown of the Federal Government at the end of September, with a stopgap compromise bill that will keep the lights on until mid-November. However, the architect of that compromise, the nowformer Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), was almost immediately ousted in a historic vote called by members of his own political party.

McCarthy only became the Speaker of the House after a humiliating fifteen rounds of voting, an early sign that he had, at best, only a tenuous grasp on the House Republican majority, and virtually no sway with the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, a weakness that ultimately doomed his Speakership.

In the weeks since those events, an all-out war has erupted between Israel and Hamas, following the deadly surprise attack by Hamas which killed a thousand Israeli civilians and resulted in hundreds more being taken hostage. In retaliation, Israel declared war, unleashing devastating airstrikes against the Gaza Strip.

These events have caught the United States rather flat-footed, as it has neither a Speaker of the House, paralyzing Congress, nor an Ambassador to Israel, once more concentrating de facto operating power into the hands of the Executive Photo courtesy of Redstone Arsenal

Branch. As this piece goes to the press, the leading nominee for the Speakership, the Trump-backed Representative Jim Jordan (ROhio) has fallen short in the first round of voting, with the House convening for the next vote.

The longer it takes for the House of Representatives to elect a Speaker and set the House to rights from its current disarray, the less time said Speaker will have to hash out some form of compromise that could avert a shutdown.

This task is made even more difficult by the circumstances of the former Speaker’s ouster; had there been a decisively strong leader in the House Republican Party, they would have emerged as such before now, meaning that any Speak-

er during this term will be on shaky ground by default, and thus unable to weather the inevitable storm of backlash from the House Freedom Caucus and conservative political commentators that would no doubt arise from making compromises with the Democratic members of the House to keep the government open.

In short, any Republican leader that emerges would have to choose between letting the stopgap bill expire in November, or else enact the political equivalent of dousing themself in steak sauce and diving into the lions’ den.

What does all of this Washington political jockeying mean for us here in Huntsville?

Well, the most immediate con-

sequence is that it is likely that we will experience a government shutdown in mid-November. Going into the holiday season with insecurity about when they will receive their paycheck is hardly the gift that the many Federal workers who call Huntsville home would appreciate.

One local engineer, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed his sympathy for the plight of his coworkers, many of whom are contractors.

“These contractors are people working in the same buildings, doing the same work, right alongside us,” said the engineer. “But while we federal employees typically get backpay after it’s all said and done, many of our contractor coworkers are just out of luck. Whenever Washington plays these games and there are completely unnecessary funding interruptions like this, oftentimes the contractors are forced to burn through their personal leave, or just simply don’t get paid that whole time.”

Further commentary from other Redstone workers suggest that a severe, mass case of “Cranial-Rectal Insertion Syndrome” in Congress is to blame and that, should a shutdown persist for too long, physicians, or “perhaps firefighters equipped with the Jaws of Life,” could

November 2023

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STORY STORY

lle Employees Headed into the Holidays

e Johnson

be deployed to resolve the matter in a timely fashion.

Unfortunately, legislative dysfunction is an old hat to Huntsville at this point. We can look at shutdowns in previous years - the most recent was in 2019 - as a guide of what to expect.

A Washington Post article from 2019 titled “Huntsville, Alabama, stunned by government shutdown,” summarized some of the stressors that could be felt by the community in regards to another potential shutdown.

The article reported that back in 2019, 597 unemployment claims were filed between December 21, the day before the shutdown, and January 22 via the Alabama Department of Labor.

During that time, the Washington Post reported a rather “bleaker holiday” stat: more than 2,300 Huntsville-based workers were furloughed for a month.

Another article from AL.com back during the same shutdown reported that even Transportation Security Administration employees were “working without pay at the city’s airport” and “spending their own money to bring in quiches and breakfast rolls as a morale booster.”

The article reported that, at the time, the 38,000-acre Redstone arsenal hosted around 70 federal agencies, which now includes the FBI campus opened last year. What this means for Huntsville’s economy is that, according to the article, more than half of the Huntsville/Madison Area economy is tied directly to Washington’s budget. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data as of August 2023, around 20,000 people in Huntsville are currently employed by the Federal Government. Back in 2019, that number was only 5,000.

However, with the hardwon experience gained with the Covid pandemic, Huntsville’s options for weathering the storm are more flexible than in years past.

Perhaps the most salient adaptation that can be made is a return to remote working for as many essential workers as possible during a shutdown. For those Federal workers deemed essential, yet whose physical presence is not strictly necessary, warming up the Zoom apps

The Von Braun Complex at Redstone Arsenal (Photo courtesy of Redstone Arsenal)

again can prevent unnecessary fuel and childcare expenses, which are some of the most draining daily expenses during a protracted legislative siege.

Unfortunately, with so many workers directly drawing their pay from the Federal government, most of Huntsville’s economy, designed to service those workers’ needs, are indirectly dependent on the Federal government continuing to pay its workers. This puts restaurants, bars, and clubs, still on shaky footing after the pandemic, back into the hot seat. With the particular timing of this potential future shutdown occurring right before the holidays, it would severely depress spending in both the service and retail sectors.

Obviously, the quicker a shutdown ends, the better. Protracted siege means that travel from Federal workers and contractors coming to Huntsville on work-related tasks would dry up, leaving hotels and restaurants in trouble.

During the 2019 shutdown, the longest

in American history, Redstone Federal Credit Union issued low-interest loans of $5,000. Pawn shops did brisk business buying up items from furloughed workers needing enough cash to make ends meet; one heartbreaking story involved a woman forced to pawn her wedding ring.

Shutdowns are painful disruptions to the lives of the many people who depend on the Federal Government, a number that is concentrated here in Huntsville. Avoiding them should be a

high priority, but too often, it’s only the pain and suffering of the constituency that provides sufficient pressure to force an end to these legislative standoffs.

The situation with the House Speakership will continue to develop, but Huntsville won’t be able to rest easy until funding is secure for the next fiscal year. The last shutdown in 2019 affected departments and agencies that had yet to be covered by the appropriations bills that the Congress had enacted before the shutdown; a shutdown in FY 2024 would affect all federal agencies covered by discretionary appropriations.

With 2024 being an election year, it’s entirely possible that this process could get ugly indeed. While some Huntsvillians remain hopeful of the intense economic growth that the city has seen over the past three years, it is doubtful that Huntsville will escape fully unscathed. w

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Huntsville’s Urban Planning and Infrastructure Hopeful Amidst Growing Pains Over the past few years, Huntsville has experienced a population increase that has resulted in some “growing pains” on the overall infrastructure of the city.

From sidewalks to public transportation, community growth has constantly kept city planners and the Huntsville City Council on their toes each and every week.

To address some of these issues and talk about how past projects have made positive effects on the area, city planners and council representatives met in early October for National Community Planning at the South Huntsville Public Library. The event featured city planners Thomas Nunez, Dennis Madsen, James Vandiver and Jo Beth Gleason, as well as Council Member Jennie Robinson.

“This activity in itself is a culmination of community planning in general, but not just the efforts of the, with every nonprofit and every private sector and every citizen that has an input into this process. And we thank you for that,” Thomas Nunez said in reference to the event.

The event initially focused on the explosive growth seen in South Huntsville as an example of the progress, albeit slow and meticulous, that Huntsville representatives are bringing to the city’s overall infrastructure.

Dennis Madsen, Manager of LongRange and Urban Planning, noticed “paint peeling” in South Huntsville starting around 2014 with the establishment of the South Huntsville Main Business Association.

Since then, the city has seen developments that included a revamping of Memorial Parkway with new overpasses, streamlining some traffic flow just in time for South Huntsville’s urban development to take off. Another major development included the Sandra Moon Community Center and the opening of the expanded Grissom High School.

Further development aimed to revitalize South Huntsville includes the annexation of Hayes Farm, which included hundreds of acres that are now part of the city’s tax base rather than the county’s. This development brought

By: Laura Boehringer / Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Transportation

Completion of the Memorial Parkway intersection at Martin Road in South Huntsville

new and revitalized storefronts to the area, office spaces, and more housing to an area seeing increased demand. Hays Market includes anchor tenant Publix, fine dining with Tom Brown’s and Amerigo’s, and will see the opening of yet another Bank Independent location in the coming months.

According to Madsen, most of these projects and subsequent growth of the area were directly aided by the instructure growth brought to the area.

“With the help of the planning department finding these uses for those properties, we now have been able to revitalize that area. And with it has come more and more redevelopment along the South Parkway. But I think it’s just the beginning of what we’re going to see,” said Madsen.

Public transportation was also a central theme of the meeting.

James Vandiver, another member of long-range planning staff, said that a high-capacity transit study helped the department identify two corridors within Huntsville that are viable locations of Bus Rapid Transit.

BRT buses run every 15 minutes, a quality of life improvement that would minimize bus waiting times. Further development of the “72 Medical” corridor has been approved by the Federal Transit Administration. This route would connect Huntsville Hospital, downtown, University Drive, and the Village of Providence.

Vandiver also explained that the ef-

forts of city planners led to a great deal of success in circulating census materials in 2020. Despite the pandemic, 75% of Huntsville neighborhoods had a higher self-response rate than they did in 2010. He also noted how much he enjoys working in a relatively small planning department in a large city as it allows him to work on a variety of project types.

Jo Beth Gleason, the newest member of the Long Range and Urban Planning Department who was hired around a year ago, talked about alternate means of transportation such as walking and biking. Gleason noted the development of the Holmes Avenue Complete Streets Project, aimed to make the area more equally accessible to any mode of transport whether that’s vehicular, transit, pedestrian, or biking.

Huntsville has set a 2055 goal for Vision Zero, which is the goal to bring Huntsville to zero traffic fatalities. As of now, University Drive is the city’s worst high-injury network; Bob Wallace and Memorial Parkway were also noted as having elevated rates of serious injuries and fatalities.

Elevating these areas also helps interlink Huntsville for entertainment and arts purposes, which will only open up accessibility to special events going on yearly throughout the city. The representatives and city planners also alluded to the growing pains experienced by theaters in the

Huntsville area.

Council representative Robinson emphasized projects that are helping to expand Huntsville arts and entertainment sector.

Robinson discussed an upcoming office and rehearsal space coming from Arts Huntsville slated to open this fall. As of now, six performing arts groups will work out of the space. The auditorium will be a 600-seat proscenium theater, a need identified by the 1996 Arts Council via a community engagement survey.

“There are theaters or event spaces that are around two hundred, three hundred seats. You’ve got the VBC or you’ve got the big old concert hall and, and even that is so expensive and is booked five years in advance.

The performing arts community thought that they needed a smaller venue,” she said.

The speakers followed up with an open question and answer session in which they addressed one resident’s concerns with the possibility of growing populations out-pacing infrastructure. The resident stated that the explosive population growth has had a significant effect on his commute times and believes the developers should be taking on larger impact fees to help infrastructure keep up.

Nunez responded optimistically, and ultimately explained that the Huntsville City Council will continue to look into ways to help the city infrastructure grow alongside Huntsville’s population increase.

“And there are some things that we are investigating what impact, what things look like for not just one form of development, but all forms of development across the board. So there is something that is a consideration, but it will be up to our city council to adopt something of that nature,” concluded Nunez. w

November 2023

TECHNOLOGY

Invariant Corporation Slashes into the Spooky Season with Friday the 13th Ribbon Cutting By: Noah Logan / Photo courtesy of Invariant

Costumes graced either side as Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle helps cut the ribbon on Invariant’s new expansion

One Huntsville company was eager to embrace the Halloween season this past Friday while also celebrating a new milestone.

Invariant held a ribbon cutting for the company’s newest expansion at 4040 Chris Drive which was branded as a “Spooky Soirée” and a “Wicked Ribbon Cutting” since it occurred on Friday the 13th just weeks before Halloween.

Many in attendance wore their spookiest costumes to tie in the theme.

The new facility is 24,000 square feet of office space, labs, shipping and receiving and meeting room space. Highlights of the new expansion includes new electronics labs along with two separate optics labs for hardware design and development. Another addition is a newly designed shipping and receiving center that will allow the company to store inventory in-house as needed.

“In just two short years, we’ve doubled our footprint to expand our workforce and capabilities,” says Invariant President David Anderson.

“The addition of our new space allows Invariant to not only design sophisticated mechanical and

“The addition of our new space allows Invariant to not only design sophisticated mechanical and electrical components, but now manufacture and integrate these products into exciting and new capabilities.” electrical components, but now manufacture and integrate these products into exciting and new capabilities.”

This latest expansion brings Invariant Corporation’s total employment up to 120. The software company has experienced continuous growth in recent years as this is their second expansion in the last 24 months. Invariant partnered with Freedom Real Estate, Torch Technologies, and Turner Construction back in 2020 to finish the initial build at 4040 Chris Drive. Their expansion in October of last year added 23,000 feet to the center.

For more information, please visit www.invariant-corp.com. w

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Governor Ivey Helps Welcome New Discovery Life Sciences Global HQ HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology celebrated a significant moment in its history with the inauguration of a sprawling 93,000-square-foot building on its campus, marking the establishment of the global headquarters for Discovery Life Sciences (Discovery).

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, along with other esteemed leaders, graced the occasion with enthusiasm and support for the promising venture and the impact it will bring to the region’s scientific landscape.

“Discovery has continued to grow in Alabama and make an impact throughout the world,” Governor Ivey highlighted. “When Discovery chose the HudsonAlpha Biotech Campus in Huntsville for its global headquarters, I knew this was a milestone moment for Alabama as we work to recruit other life science companies to the state.

With innovative leadership, a talented workforce, and a state that is focused on the life sciences, good days are ahead for Discovery.”

She also commented on her continued support for HudsonAlpha.

“During my time as Governor, it has been a privilege to be a friend of HudsonAlpha and see first hand this organization’s impact not just here in Alabama, but in the world,” said Governor Ivey.

Echoing the Governor’s optimism, Glenn Bilawsky, CEO of Discovery Life Sciences, underscored the pivotal role of the new facilities.

“These state-of-the-art facilities

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey was in attendance for the Ribbon Cutting of Discovery Life Science’s new HQ last month

will cement our market leadership position and enable us to accelerate the research and development of new therapies, diagnostics, and technologies by the global healthcare product industry, as well as expand our support of important academic and government-sponsored research worldwide,” Bilawsky emphasized, reflecting on the broader impact of the headquarters on global healthcare advancement.

The newly established facility promises to revolutionize the way research and development take place, offering an integrated and streamlined approach from sample collection to advanced data analysis. This strategic consolidation ensures a reliable and efficient research and development outcome for scientists, setting the stage for potential breakthroughs in the field. The comprehensive

The new Discovery Life Sciences Global HQ located on HudsonAlpha’s campus in Huntsville

end-to-end solutions offered by the facility span critical stages from drug discovery to phase 3 clinical trials, demonstrating the institution’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of medical research.

“We are thrilled to open our new global headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama,” Bilawsky reiterated, emphasizing the community’s support and dedication to fostering a culture of healthcare innovation and excellence.

Neil Lamb, President of HudsonAlpha, emphasized the shared vision and dedication among the community members. “This building and the people working in it highlight shared priorities for HudsonAlpha, Huntsville, Madison County, and Alabama: making a positive impact in the lives of others and bringing and keeping jobs in our community. That’s a key part of what we celebrate today,” Lamb stated.

By: Noah Logan / Photos courtesy of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology The meticulously designed facility boasts an array of cutting-edge laboratories and a collaborative work environment to facilitate the exchange of ideas among top scientists and technology thought leaders. With a comprehensive suite of services including genomics, proteomics, molecular pathology, flow cytometry, and cell biology, the headquarters aims to provide richer and more comprehensive data to the global scientific community. Moreover, the facility houses one of the world’s largest commercial biospecimen inventories, catering to the diverse and evolving needs of researchers and scientists worldwide.

The construction of the facility was made possible through collaborative efforts, with vital funding provided by the State of Alabama, Madison County, and the City of Huntsville.

Brasfield & Gorrie served as the general contractor for the project. Fuqua & Partners designed the building.

Discovery has already successfully relocated over 115 jobs to Huntsville since 2022 and is poised for further expansion, highlighting the burgeoning potential of the region’s life sciences sector and the economic impact of this initiative.

More than 100 people from the Huntsville community came together to celebrate this significant achievement as it marks a pivotal moment for the intersection of cutting-edge research, technological advancement, and community-driven collaboration. w

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle gives remarks and applauds the work done to open the new Discovery HQ

November 2023

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TECHNOLOGY

Huntsville Ranks in Top Five for Southern Metro Tech Development An interesting trend nationwide has once again brought Huntsville, Alabama into the spotlight.

According to research from CommercialCafe.com, a leading national commercial real estate blog, the nation is currently experiencing somewhat of a “decentralization” of traditional tech hubs. What this means is that, for tech-related jobs, the industry is experiencing a major shift from typical metro locations, such as San Francisco and San Jose, California.

Research from BestColleges.com shows that, although the industry took major loses in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tech positions remain in relatively high demand, increasing by 13% between 2020-2023.

Since 2022, employers have posted around 1.6 million tech-related job positions nationwide, which represents a whopping 40% increase from the previous year.

Even more interesting, however, is that the tech field seems to be expanding into Southern metropolitan areas faster than ever before. Locations, such as Austin, Texas or Raleigh, North Carolina, have experienced a massive growth in both tech jobs and

companies relocating or expanding to Southern metros.

Among this list of growing cities, Huntsville, Alabama ranked 3rd in the South, outpacing the likes of Atlanta, Georgia and Houston, Texas.

According to CommericalCafe. com, Huntsville ranked 2nd overall for tech employment growth between 2017-2021 with an incredible 53.4%.

Huntsville did outrank Austin, Texas, which placed 2nd overall on the list, in the tech employment destiny category. CommercialCafe explained what the term employment destiny meant.

“Professionals on the lookout for tech jobs can expect to find a good match for their skillset given Huntsville’s share of 77 out of every 1,000 jobs being in the tech industry,” noted

By: Gus Wintzell / Photos courtesy of CommercialCafe.com

the article.

Huntsville also ranked 4th overall in pay, with tech job earnings averaging around $102,545 per year. Finally, to cap off the high ranking, the city also ranked top of the list in quality of life due to its current low employment rate of 1.8% and relative low cost to live, which are both the lowest in the region.

To accumulate this data and rank these metros, CommercialCafe.com relied on metrics from nine different categories, which included the concentration of tech establishments at the metro level, the percentage of tech jobs, the median income of tech workers and a composite life-quality index.

While this new accolade is a major accomplishment, it is just a small splash in the pond of the recent growth that Huntsville has experienced over the past three years.

For more information, please visit www. commercialcafe.com. w

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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Types of Communication and How They Can Benefit Your Workplace The ability to express ourselves and to be able to understand others affects every aspect of our lives. How we communicate and how well we communicate has a significant impact on our social life, our love life, and our professional life.

However, with a few notable exceptions – like public speakers and therapists – most of us spend very little time striving to deepen our understanding of communication or improve our communication skills.

In professional development, building better communication skills is recognized as an essential key for further success. While any conversation or discourse can be incredibly nuanced and specific, it can be helpful to understand the following broad categories of communication.

Passive Communication Passive communicators are typically much quieter and more reserved than their counterparts. These staff members are unlikely to openly speak their mind or ask questions, especially in group settings. If a group is asked for their opinion or where they would like to get lunch from, this individual is usually fine with whatever everyone else decides.

When they do voice their opinion, they are often soft-spoken or use as few words as necessary to convey their thoughts.

When dealing with a passive communicator, it is often best to approach them one-on-one in a private setting, ask them direct questions, and patiently allow them time to formulate their responses. Also consider that these individuals may communicate better through written messages as opposed to verbal discussions.

Aggressive Communication On the far opposite end of the spectrum, aggressive communicators frequently express their thoughts and tend to dominate conversations.

While aggressive communication can be very obvious in the form of abusive language or threats, it can often be displayed through more subtle cues as well.

Interrupting others, maintain-

ing intense eye contact, or using domineering body posture are other ways these individuals may attempt to intimidate those around them.

While they may appear to be strong leaders, their arrogance and bullying tactics can be costly to the organization as it drives away other talent. It is important when faced with this communication style to remain calm and professional, focus on actionable items, and keep the conversation from veering into unrelated issues that may be more emotionally charged.

Passive-Aggressive Communication If your workplace has a known “office gossip”, you have met a passive-aggressive communicator. These individuals are often afraid to express their opinions or feel they cannot do so openly due to their workplace’s social dynamic.

However, unlike passive communicators, these individuals will use other tactics in an attempt to undermine or harm their counterparts.

Signs of this communication style include muttering, using sarcasm, stubbornly ignoring instructions or workplace changes, engaging in gossip, having a generally negative attitude, and being a tattletale.

When interacting with these staff members it is important to refuse to

participate in spreading rumors or backbiting, set healthy boundaries, reframe issues in a more optimistic way, and be a role model of positive,

By: Alexander Duck, II

ethical behavior.

Assertive Communication Assertive communication, where one advocates for themselves without

November 2023

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

denigrating or undercutting others, is the gold standard we should all strive for. The assertive communicator is comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns, and will frequently use “I” statements during discussions.

Other signs of this style include friendly eye contact, good posture, a clear voice, and an openness toward collaboration. To be a more assertive communicator, one can practice active listening, improve their emotional intelligence, actively seek constructive feedback, and attend professional development courses to build their communication skills.

Askers vs. Guessers While a relatively new concept, appreciating the distinction between “ask culture” and “guess culture” can be very helpful in understanding others. An Asker is never afraid to make a request because they understand the answer may be “no” and they are comfortable being told so, at least having tried.

A Guesser, however, will not make a request unless they are fairly

certain the response will be affirmative in their favor.

For these reasons, “ask culture” is considered more direct, while “guess culture” is considered more polite.

This concept has been expanded on greatly since its first appearance in 2007 and can be really eye-opening in certain situations.

Conclusion Communication is pivotal to everything we do in life. Successful professionals will actively seek out opportunities to hone their communication skills as it can enhance both their personal and professional relationships. While completing a leadership program is a fantastic way to build communication skills, this option may not be easily accessible to everyone.

Thankfully, many other, highly convenient options also exist. Both Indeed.com, in its Career Guide section, and LinkedIn with its multitude of training videos, offer great resources for those interested in stretching their communication muscles. w

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ADVERTORIAL

The Ark Pet Spa & Hotel Expands with Second Huntsville Location The Ark Pet Spa & Hotel, a leading name in premium pet care services, is thrilled to announce its second Huntsville area location is coming soon! Strategically situated at 2007 Bob Wallace Ave, just off of Memorial Parkway, the new facility aims to bring unparalleled pet care to the local community.

“We are delighted to expand our services to the Huntsville area with the opening of our second location,” said Adam Harbin, Vice President of Development at The Ark Pet Spa & Hotel. “Our team has worked tirelessly to create an exceptional space that offers top-notch boarding, daycare, and grooming services for dogs, and cats. Additionally, what sets us apart is our commitment to catering to small domestic pets such as birds, hamsters, rabbits, and more, providing

them with the same love and attention as their larger counterparts.”

The Ark Pet Spa & Hotel prides itself on its state-of-the-art facili-

ties, designed with the comfort and well-being of pets in mind. The staff is filled with highly trained and passionate animal lovers who are

committed to ensuring every guest’s stay is a pleasant one. One final thing that guests love about The Ark is their all-inclusive pricing. Daycare is always included in boarding visits, so pets get all the awesome benefits whether they are staying for the day or for a week.

Pet owners in Huntsville can now look forward to a safe and caring environment for their furry, feathered, or small-scale companions. The new location, located at 2007 Bob Wallace Ave SW, Huntsville, AL 35805 will offer pet boarding, doggy daycare, and full service pet grooming.

The Ark Pet Spa & Hotel encourages pet owners to stay connected and updated through their social media channels and website www.thearkspa.com for exciting announcements, promotions, and additional services. w

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BRIEFCASE

ServisFirst Bancshares Named on Inaugural National Award List ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS), has announced its inclusion in the D.A. Davidson’s Inaugural Best-of-Breed Bison report, a prestigious recognition that underscores the bank’s commitment to excellence and long-term success.

In an inaugural industry report released on September 28, 2023, D.A. Davidson named ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. as one of the first 17 companies that has qualified for the official Best-of-Breed Bison designation. The Best-of-Breed Bison report, a department-wide research initiative undertaken by D.A. Davidson, showcases the highest quality businesses under coverage at D.A. Davidson within the purview of institutional analysts.

Each company is evaluated by 12 criteria across 5 different categories: Outstanding Business Opportunity, Enduring Moat, Exceptional Financials, Shareholder-Oriented Management, and Compelling Risk/Reward Profile.

ServisFirst Bancshares excelled in several crucial areas of the Bestof-breed Bison methodology, as highlighted in D.A. Davidson’s report.

“We are honored to receive the prestigious Best-of-Breed Bison distinction from D.A. Davidson. This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence and the exceptional quality of our services,” states Tom Broughton, ServisFirst Bank Chairman, President and CEO. “This achievement underscores our dedication to providing value to our clients and shareholders, and it reinforces our position as a leading financial institution.”

The report noted that “SFBS is an organic growth story that operates in select Southeastern metro markets – all benefitting from healthy economic growth, identified key industries and employers, and in-migration of people and businesses. The bank aims to continue opportunistic expansion in new metro markets over time… and, in an industry well known for rapid consolidation over past decades, SFBS is unique for its steadfast aversion to growth via acquisitions.”

ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. stood out in areas such as trading at a significant discount to intrinsic value, favorable market dynamics, superior financial performance, and a shareholder-oriented management team.

For more about ServisFirst Bank, please visit www.servisfirstbank.com. w

CFD Research Announces Major Company Transition As of October 2nd, 2023, Huntsville-based CFD Research transitioned to a 100% ESOP company.

ESOP, which stands for Employee Stock Ownership Plan, is a retirement plan that empowers employees by granting ownership stock in the company as a cost-free benefit, fostering not only their ownership in the company but also bolstering their retirement savings.

Fifteen years ago, CFD Research’s late founder Dr. Ashok K. Singhal recognized the benefit of starting an ESOP program as a way to directly reward CFD Research employees for their hard work and dedication. Last week, the company announced the fulfillment of this vision under the leadership of its current President & CEO, Sa-

meer Singhal.

“Through this ESOP journey, we have discovered first-hand that employee-ownership creates several differentiating characteristics in our team such as a greater dedication and pride in their work, as well as increased collaboration and a sense of teamwork,” Singhal stated.

Having tripled in size over the past six years, CFD Research’s shift to 100% employee-ownership solidifies its employees’ heightened stake in the company’s success.

Moreover, this ESOP transition positions CFD Research to attract and retain top-tier talent, aligning with the company’s vision of ‘transforming the world through innovative technology solutions.

Dr. Ashok Singhal founded CFD Research in 1987. Since then, the company has worked with government agencies, businesses and academia to provide innovative solutions within the Aerospace & Defense, Biomedical & Life Sciences, and Energy & Materials industries.

To learn more about what the ESOP means for CFD employees, please see the attached video here.

For more information, please visit www.cfd-research.com. w

Alabama A&M Reports Record Enrollment for 2023 Academic Year Alabama A&M University has officially reported the largest enrollment in its history. As of today, 6,633 students are enrolled for the Fall 2023 semester - a 10 percent increase over the 2022-23 academic year. This year’s enrollment is supported by significant gains in new

and returning students, with a 5 percent increase in the retention of first time, full-time students, which reached 64 percent.

“As the reputation of our University continues to grow and the return on investment is proven by our students and alumni, we expect to attract more talented students to The Hill,” Alabama A&M University President, Dr. Daniel K. Wims said. “This is an exciting milestone as we march toward our 150th anniversary in 2025.”

The University also enrolled the largest incoming class in its 148-year history with 2002 freshmen students and 2,567 total new students in a cohort that is both diverse and talented. The incoming class, made up of 91 percent African American students and 60 percent women, has an average GPA of 3.1 and includes a record number of new international students (175).

This fall, the University also welcomed 105 students through a new partnership with Huntsville City Schools, where students are dually enrolled with both HCS and AAMU simultaneously.

“Record student enrollment is a signal of the strength of Alabama A&M and what we have to offer students and families,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Braque Talley.

Talley says creating more support and services for students is essential to the continued growth of Alabama’s largest HBCU. “Students who persist to year two are far more likely to matriculate to graduation,” he said. “That’s why we are so focused on the first-year experience. This year, we have 80 percent of our first-year students living on campus. We’re keeping them engaged and continuing to bring about additional support because of the proven connection this has on retention and resilience.”

AAMU’s record numbers buck a trend of declining enrollment across the U.S. Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment dropped 8 percent from 2019 to 2022, with declines even after

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BRIEFCASE

returning to in-person classes, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse.

“Our strong academic programs make the case for Alabama A&M,” said Dr. John D. Jones, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs.

“We believe families will continue to recognize the value and strength of an AAMU education. This record breaking cohort sets the stage for our work to continue to attract talented students to The Hill.” w

Huntsville Approves Agreement to Bring LargeScale Music Festival to John Hunt Park Music fans rejoice! A large-scale

festival featuring internationally acclaimed artists is coming to Huntsville.

City Council voted last month unanimously to allow Mayor Tommy Battle to enter into a three-year partnership agreement with C3 Presents LLC, to produce a twoday festival in John Hunt Park.

Mayor Battle described the festival as a quality-of-life enhancement for residents and said he can’t wait for the first event. The festival’s name will be announced later.

“This will have significant appeal and should attract music fans from other states and possibly other countries,” Mayor Battle said. “The investments we’ve made over the years to John Hunt Park are already attracting large-scale sports events, and it’s also what appealed to C3 Presents. It’s the perfect venue for an event of this magnitude.”

The first Huntsville festival is set for 2025, but organizers say it could happen as early as the week-

RECOGNITION

ServisFirst Bank Huntsville Announces New First Vice President ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS), has announced the promotion of Margaret Riethmaier to First Vice President, Regional Branch Officer for the ServisFirst Bank Huntsville region.

“As First Vice President, Regional Branch Officer, Margaret Riethmaier will play a pivotal role in the continued success and growth of ServisFirst Bank,” states Andy Kattos, Regional CEO of ServisFirst Bank Huntsville. “Her extensive experience, commitment to our clients and team, and passion for the community make her a valuable asset to the Huntsville team.”

Riethmaier has been an integral part of the ServisFirst Huntsville team since July 2017, when she joined as Branch Operations Manager. With over two decades of dedicated banking experience, Riethmaier’s career has been marked by a series of significant achievements and positions of responsibility.

Her impressive career path has included roles such as Branch Sales Manager, Investment Banker, Financial Center Leader, Small Business Consultant and Branch Operations Manager.

Riethmaier earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ateneo de Davao University in the Philippines. Following her undergraduate studies, she pursued a Master of Business Administration degree, further enhancing her expertise in business and finance.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, she has served on the Board for the Better Business Bureau, the Philippine Heritage Group, and Nexus Energy Center. Her dedication to volunteer work is exemplified by her contributions to organizations such as Lincoln Village, Manna House, and the Cornerstone Initiative.

For more about ServisFirst Bank, please visit www.servisfirstbank.com.

end of Sept. 28-29, 2024. Factors affecting timing for the inaugural event include talent acquisition and logistics. C3 Presents estimates about 30,000 people will attend in year one.

Per the agreement, C3 would manage all festival production, from booking the talent to logistics, vendors and volunteers. The contract also requires restoration of John Hunt Park following each event.

The City of Huntsville is required to reimburse C3 Presents for any net losses, up to $1 million, each year. Unused funds will be reinvested into John Hunt Park. The City will also provide public safety and EMS services for each event as well as matching funds for marketing.

The festival will provide a new revenue stream for Huntsville’s businesses and hospitality industry. The 2022 edition of the Austin City Limits Festival, held the first

two weekends in October, had an economic impact of $447 million in the City of Austin. Lollapalooza 2022 contributed more than $335 million to the City of Chicago’s economy.

Huntsville Music Officer Matt Mandrella said he’s excited about the City’s partnership with C3 Presents and looks forward to the first lineup announcement.

“C3’s global body of work speaks for itself, and the fact that a festival producer of their caliber is committed to developing a signature event in Huntsville speaks volumes to our reputation as an emerging music city,” he said.

“Their team is very excited about coming to Huntsville, and we’re confident they will deliver the world class festival experience our community deserves.” w

RECOGNITION

ServisFirst Bank Huntsville Taps Helms as VP, Private Banking Officer ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS), announced the promotion of Kasey Helms to First Vice President, Private Banking Officer for the ServisFirst Bank Huntsville region.

“We are fortunate to have Kasey be a part of the ServisFirst Bank Huntsville team,” states Andy Kattos, Regional CEO of ServisFirst Bank Huntsville. “Her commitment to taking care of our clients and helping them reach their goals has helped us grow and establish a strong presence in the community.”

In this elevated role, Helms will maintain her commitment to cultivating new business opportunities and effectively managing the personal and business needs of the bank’s private banking clientele. Helms joined the ServisFirst Bank team in 2014 following her successful graduation from Auburn University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Finance. Throughout her career at ServisFirst Bank, Helms has displayed unwavering dedication to her clients and has undertaken various pivotal roles within the organization, including Loan Assistant in Private Banking, Private Banking Officer, Assistant Vice President, and Vice President.

Beyond her contributions to the banking sector, Helms has also demonstrated her commitment to the Huntsville community. She currently serves on the distinguished Huntsville Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees, is a current member of the Women’s Economic Development Council, and previously served 6 years on the Huntsville Ballet Board of Directors.

For more about ServisFirst Bank, please visit www.servisfirstbank.com.

November 2023

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BRIEFCASE

Huntsville-Madison County Chamber Launches “Smart Careers” Initiative to Fast-Track Job Seekers In a move to bolster workforce development, the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber is expanding its ASmartPlace.com initiative.

This extension, known as “Smart Careers,” aims to accelerate the careers of job seekers interested in four specific industries: Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Construction, and Healthcare. This innovative approach caters to individuals who may not have the time, opportunity, or inclination to pursue a traditional four-year college degree.

Lyndsay Ferguson, Vice President of Chamber Workforce, emphasized the significance of nurturing skilled and technical talent, which plays a crucial role in the success of local employers. Beyond the renowned rocket scientists, Huntsville needs skilled professionals in various industries, including rocket builders.

The ASmartPlace initiative, established over 15 years ago, recently underwent a comprehensive revamp in early 2022. The latest addition, Smart Careers, has already garnered positive feedback. This resource serves as a valuable hub for employers considering relocation to the area, offering consolidated information for site selectors and prospective companies eyeing Huntsville.

Smart Careers, part of ASmartPlace.com, promotes opportunities in industries that offer long-term career paths and require two years of education or less to get started.

The four featured sectors are poised for significant growth in the coming decade: – Manufacturing: With 275+ employers in the region, a 24% growth rate is projected over the next 10 years.

– Information Technology: Over 450 employers operate in the region, with a 16% growth forecast over the next decade.

– Construction: Over 900 employers are active in the region, with a 16% growth projection over the next 10 years.

– Healthcare: With 1,600 employers in the region, a 17% growth rate is anticipated over the next decade.

To ensure the success of this initiative, the Chamber is partnering with key institutions like Calhoun Community College, Drake State Community & Technical College, AIDT, KTECH, and the North Alabama Homebuilding Academy, among others, to dissem-

inate vital information.

Smart Careers also caters to K-12 students who seek a faster entry into a promising career while still in school. The new addition also shares real life experiences from local employees in each field, thanks to the help of Big Communications. Five videos show how an individual’s dreams became their current career realities. Created with futuristic animation, these videos set the stage for opportunities abound in the four industries – individual videos represent each industry and one summarized video includes the overall message.

For comprehensive information on the Smart Careers initiative, or to view the above videos visit https://asmartplace.com/smart-careers. w

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL