INVESTOR PROFILE
Sameer Singhal, President & CEO CFD Research Corporation
Tell us about your company... CFD Research, an employee-owned company, was founded in my parents’ basement in Huntsville in 1987. Our first major project was the Space Shuttle Challenger Solid Rocket Booster redesign. It was through this effort, helping NASA return to space, that we began transforming the future through innovative technology solutions. Since our humble beginnings, we have always sought to work on and solve the nation’s toughest problems and make an impact on society. This is reflected in our Vision: Transforming the Future through Innovative Technology Solutions.
What would you like the community to know about your team? CFD Research is an employee-owned company of 163 highly qualified and technically diverse staff. More than 30 percent of our staff have PhDs, and over 70 percent have an Advanced Degree. Additionally, we have over 25 different technical degrees represented within our staff. Some of the broad areas we serve are: Aerospace, Biomedical, Cyber, Energy, Materials, and Propulsion. Customers include the DoD, NASA, National Institutes of Health, and others. CFD Research has made a firm commitment to the north Alabama area in the last few years with the purchase of our 45,000-squarefoot headquarters in CRP in 2018, construction of a test facility in Hollywood, Ala., in 2021, and we are currently building a 15,000-square-foot laboratory addition in the back of our CRP building.
What challenges have you conquered during the pandemic? The pandemic was and still is an ongoing challenge. To say we weren’t prepared for having to transition to 100 percent remote environment would be an understatement. That said, I can’t say enough about our employees’ resilience and perseverance which has allowed our company to continue to execute and grow and thrive despite the disruptions to normal work conditions. Putting a positive spin on this question, the unprecedented challenge of the pandemic has provided an opportunity to demonstrate our core values in action.
Why should companies consider investing in HREGI? Through HREGI, the Chamber is able to step in and fund various studies and projects that are critical in recruiting the large companies to Huntsville and growing our community. This growth leads to more local customers and business opportunities for companies like CFD Research, and it also leads to growth in restaurants, hotels, and events. At the end of the day, all of the growth and positive publicity have made recruiting and hiring that much easier – I never get asked the question, “Why Huntsville?” anymore!
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initiatives FEB 2022
A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION