2022 Annual Report: Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

vision

The Chamber is the catalyst for business growth, community engagement, and action to drive economic vitality and advance our position as a global leader in technology and innovation.

Prepare, develop, and promote our community for economic growth mission

A Note from the 2022 Board Chair

I’ve truly enjoyed serving as chair of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber in 2022. It was an honor to represent our Board and membership this past year. We have so much to be thankful for in the Rocket City, and a lot of that is due to leadership from many different segments. We have strong municipal leaders, nonprofit leaders, and civic and community leaders who work in partnership to move our community forward.

Huntsville offers an excellent quality of life and reasonable cost of living. Have you visited our hiking and biking trails? These are just some of the natural resources that make our area attractive to people considering making Huntsville their home. We have great entertainment – you can enjoy live music every night if you choose. Downtown Huntsville, MidCity, Providence, Town Madison and many more local venues are bustling every day. I enjoyed representing the Chamber at so many events last year. As someone who isn’t day to day in the defense contracting world, as most of our members are, I really enjoyed the ribbon cuttings for expanding industries. I enjoyed visiting with companies in Cummings Research Park. I enjoyed meeting your teams to learn what you do. It blew me away, over and over, to learn what happens in this city, this region, every single day.

I was also amazed hearing from the people I met at various events, who weren’t from here, as they talked up our city. Various company leaders recalled how they were told they should locate here – they wouldn’t believe the business climate – and it was just as people told them, when they got here.

I don’t have their experience of living in other places, but I can’t imagine it being like that in many other communities. I take a lot of pride in it and in you, our Chamber members. For me, it’s surreal for a guy who grew up here to welcome the people who have moved here recently. We are glad to have you and we are thankful for what you contribute!

I want to thank the team at the Chamber – I learned so much from each of you. I also want to thank my team at Brown Precision, Inc. for allowing me the time to serve in this role.

In closing, I encourage you to invest in the Chamber and keep engaged. As one CEO from an international company opening an office here in 2022 told me, our Huntsville/Madison County Chamber is an Economic Development powerhouse the likes of which he has never seen in his career. Investment and engagement in our Chamber will pay off as you grow your business! I look forward to seeing you soon.

– Greg Brown

Distinguished Service Award 2021 recipient: Joe Newberry Redstone Federal Credit Union

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Chip Cherry, cce President & CEO

Meghan Chambliss Business Administration Specialist

CHAMBER VALUES

Strategic

We endeavor to understand our region’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and develop short and long-term plans to address them.

Collaborative

We capitalize on opportunities and address challenges by working with our partners.

Innovative

We believe that creative and bold actions are prerequisites to creating a competitive advantage.

Inclusive

We value all people in our community and strive to create equitable opportunities.

Accountable

We are accountable to our members and stakeholders to act with integrity in all regards.

Engaged

We cultivate relationships with our members and community to ensure that our interests and actions are aligned.

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Mary McNairy, iom Vice President

Diana Baccus Director of Event Management

Joe Watson Facilities Supervisor

Jennifer Prewitt Event Coordinator

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Weeks Accounting Specialist - Receivables

Stefanie Davis Resource Desk Coordinator

(DEI)

The Chamber worked to support diverse communities that have historically not benefited equally from the regions growth and prosperity by investigating meaningful programming and looking inward to identify opportunities to apply a DEI lens to internal operations.

MINORITY BUSINESS ACCELERATOR

Engles-Ross Vice President, Small Business

Visited the Greenville Chamber in South Carolina to learn more about the Minority Business Accelerator they implemented.

■ 10 board members traveled to Greenville

■ Connection made with Interise Minority Business Accelerator Program Administrators

ESTABLISHED DEI STEERING COMMITTEE

Identified and met with leaders in the community who will provide support, guidance and oversight regarding the Chamber’s efforts to offer programming that supports diverse communities that have historically not benefited equally from the region’s growth and prosperity.

■ 6 men and women of different demographics

■ Members represent 6 different industries (defense contracting, nonprofits – financial assistance, and services for individuals with intellectual disabilities, business accelerator, entrepreneur, government, and construction)

Women’s Business Council (WBC)

Provided opportunities for networking, mentoring and leadership development for women in business by hosting lunch and learns, business mixers, and panel discussions with women in leadership roles from the community.

■ 6 events & 235 tickets sold

■ 16 woman-owned businesses and 15 different industries represented on the Council

SURVEY FEEDBACK

Engles-Ross Vice President, Small Business

“I think that it is important for women starting out in their business to hear the journey of these successful women.”

Kim

Ashley

Ashley

Economic Development

The Chamber is the lead economic development organization for Huntsville, Madison, and Madison County – one of the most dynamic economies in the United States. In 2022 the Chamber resumed its national and international marketing and updated its targeted industries to better reflect our assets and aspirations. We hired a new Senior Director of Industry Relations and resumed our existing industry program, resulting in 121 existing industry visits. And we continued to position the Rocket City as ASmartPlace for innovation and talent.

TOP

ACCOLADES

Cape, cce Senior Vice President Economic Development & Workforce

Ken Smith Senior Director Research &

Information Services

Ross Ivey Senior Director Industry Relations

AEROSPACE

Lucia

Workforce

Smart work takes smart people. That’s why we remain committed to educating, recruiting, and retaining talent. In 2022, we kicked off a national marketing campaign focused on attracting individuals to our community in our targeted industries and high-demand careers. We also hired a director of talent initiatives to lead our programmatic workforce efforts. The Chamber remains focused on minimizing barriers to employment while maximizing awareness of the in-demand jobs in our region. This includes our ongoing efforts locally and nationally to address the childcare issue, partnerships to ensure all citizens have access to gainful employment, and a focused effort to attract Veterans to our growing community.

ASMARTPLACE TALENT MARKETING CAMPAIGN

With funding from the City of Huntsville, we launched a digital marketing campaign to attract smart talent to our community in our target industries. We refreshed the ASmartPlace brand and relaunched ASmartPlace.com. The campaign generated more than 250,000 link clicks that directed individuals to the site and resulted in more than 65 million impressions.

RELAUNCH JOB FAIRS

JULY & NOVEMBER

■ Total Employers: 70

■ Total Job Seekers: 475+

ASMARTPLACE ON THE ROAD

OCTOBER: AUBURN

■ Employers: 14

■ Students: 150

MILITARY TALENT RECRUITMENT EVENTS

■ Camp Lejeune (April)

■ Virtual Hiring Fair (June): 15 companies; 88 job seekers

■ Fort Campbell (October)

CHARITY TRACKER JOB BOARD

SENIOR SPRINT APRIL

■ Employers: 34

■ Students: 165

INTERN MIXER JUNE

■ 100 interns from 65 local companies and 40 colleges

In partnership with The ELM Foundation and Charity Tracker, we launched a new jobs tab on the Charity Tracker platform to connect the social service community and its clientele with job opportunities in our region.

GO ROCKET CITY!

We released four new videos for the GO Rocket City! campaign highlighting our local festivals, food scene, life in Huntsville, and our legacy in space. These videos are a great way to showcase the Rocket City to those considering relocation.

Lyndsay Ferguson Vice President Workforce

Annie Davis Director Talent Initiatives

STATE OF THE SCHOOLS

APRIL

We were honored to host the 10th Annual State of the Schools event to a sold-out crowd. We celebrated our teachers and learned about the impact of our three local school systems as they prepare students for the future.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

OCTOBER

More than 40 K-12 educators attended Industry Insights to see firsthand about working in our growing high-tech automotive manufacturing industry thanks to tours at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing and Polaris.

Cummings Research Park

Cummings Research Park (CRP) is the Nation’s second largest research park with 3,843 acres and more than 300 companies. We manage, internally market, and promote CRP to expand industry and recruit new companies to a vibrant and connected community that fosters ingenuity, creativity, and scientific achievements that solve our Nation’s most complex challenges.

Erin Koshut Executive Director

LAST YEAR FOR

U.S. PARALYMPICS CYCLING

We were honored to host the country’s top para-cyclists, plus a handful of international athletes April 8-10 in Huntsville for the 2022 U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open, presented by Toyota. This was the second year for the event to be held in the Rocket City.

After hosting two successful Para-cycling road events with U.S. Paralympics Cycling, it was announced on November 15 that the Huntsville/Madison County community will host a much larger race with international prestige and teams of athletes from approximately 40 countries. Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has awarded Huntsville the Para-Cycling Road World Cup, to be held over Memorial Day weekend, May 26-29, 2023. This event will be the first Para-cycling Road World Cup ever held in the United States.

Government & Public Affairs

The Chamber represents the business interests of the Huntsville/ Madison County area on all levels of government, promoting policies and legislation that enhance the economic prosperity of the region. Federal spending on Defense, Space, and Homeland Security accounts for over half of the Huntsville Metro GDP. As a result of the importance of this sector to our economy, much of the Chamber’s government and public affairs efforts are focused on the growth and protection of Redstone Arsenal and these related activities.

WASHINGTON UPDATE EVENTS

Mike Ward, cce Senior Vice President

■ Hosted our Washington Update with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville on February 22 – 800+ attendees

■ Hosted our farewell Washington Update Breakfast with U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby on September 19 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. He was presented with a proclamation signed by the mayors of Madison and Huntsville, and the Madison County Commission chairman, declaring the day to be Richard Shelby Day.

CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION

■ Hosted a briefing on May 4 to key defense industry leaders by Congressman Robert Aderholt, followed by a reception

■ Senior volunteer leadership and staff met with Congressional Delegation members on May 17, to brief them on the Chamber’s priorities, as reflected in the Chamber’s Federal Agenda

ANNUAL MONTGOMERY TRIP

■ The 2022 Chamber Montgomery Trip set a record for registrations, with over 115 people registering for the March 8-9 trip.

ALABAMA UPDATE

■ Hosted our 2022 Alabama Update with Gov. Kay Ivey on April 14 with over 1,000 attendees.

SCHRIEVER SPACE SCHOLARS

Worked with the Air Force War College at Maxwell AFB to host a delegation of military officers participating in the Schriever Space Scholar program.

SPACE COMMAND LOCATION DECISION

The GAO and DoD IG concluded that the Air Force methodology which resulted in the selection of Redstone Arsenal as the preferred site for the Space Command Headquarters was sound. The NEPA Environmental Assessment by the Air Force was completed in September.

HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION DC ADVOCACY EFFORTS

Supported a virtual human space exploration advocacy event with members of Congress; Citizens for Space Exploration conducted a virtual DC Fly-in with members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation and members of Congress from several other surrounding States.

NATIONAL SPACE SYMPOSIUM

Exhibitor at the 2022 National Space Symposium; hosted a briefing from MSFC’s Technical Director, Larry Leopard; also coordinated a number of meetings with key aerospace company executives and Mayor Battle and Chamber leadership.

NASA WELCOME RECEPTION

Hosted a reception for NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana.

SLS/ARTEMIS 1 LAUNCH

Hosted a reception in Cocoa Beach following the initial launch attempt that was well attended. NASA successfully launched the Artemis I mission on November 16 at 1:47 a.m.

STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

This annual event with Mayor Battle held on November 29 was sold out with more than 1,400 attendees, making it the largest event that the Chamber has ever hosted.

STATE OF THE COUNTY ADDRESS

Hosted a sold-out event with Chairman Dale Strong on August 2. It was his last update as Commission chairman, prior to his election as the congressman from Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District.

UAH STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORT

ARMED FORCES CELEBRATION WEEK

Events included Gold Star Family appreciation event at Trash Pandas game; a proclamation signing ceremony; Concert in the Park & fireworks show; a Community Leadership vs. Team Redstone softball game; and the AFC Luncheon featuring Gen. Ed Daly.

ANNUAL OUTING

Honoring all of the federal agencies and commands based on Redstone Arsenal; event was moved to the Depot Roundhouse at the last minute due to potentially hazardous weather conditions.

REDSTONE UPDATE

Morning briefings followed by a luncheon featuring LTG Chris Mohan.

■ Chamber team developed and deployed a survey to approximately 225 key community stakeholders and received 85 responses

■ Hosted a series of focus group sessions with key Redstone and community leaders to gain additional insights into community priorities for UAH’s future growth

■ Presented President Dr. Chuck Karr with a report on May 16

As the state’s largest business coalition of entrepreneurs, small businesses, middle-market companies, and corporations, membership in the Chamber offers a wealth of opportunities to gain expertise and knowledge, build meaningful relationships, engage with business peers, and make a positive impact on your business. Through our members’ investment and active engagement, the Chamber is working to improve Huntsville and the region’s business climate, infrastructure, and overall quality of life.

Drake, iom Vice President

Bigoney Membership Account Executive

Brown Director of Member Engagement

Van Winkle Membership Account Executive

Baker Membership Retention Specialist

ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP CAMPAIGN

Thank you for your continued support of our events during 2022! Increased member participation in Chamber activities such as ChamberON helps us to prepare, develop, and promote our community for economic growth. Your strong engagement allows us to continue our mission.

Kristy

Lakeysha

Richard

Tara

Crystal

Small Business

The Small Business Office supports small businesses through shop local campaigns, networking events, professional development presentations, and celebrations honoring the achievements of businesses in our community.

SHOP LOCAL CAMPAIGN

Ashley Engles-Ross Vice President

SHOP LOCAL-OPOLY encouraged patrons to make a personal investment in the community by shopping local during the 2022 holiday season. The LOCAL-OPOLY board was made up of 26 companies that shape our community’s unique character and personality through their business.

■ Receipts totaling $5,295 were submitted to the Chamber

■ Reach

▶ 1,000 people at the 2022 Small Business Awards received a SHOP LOCAL-OPOLY board

▶ 25,085 people from the Chamber’s social media platforms were reached with over 600 comments, likes or shares

NETWORKING

Hosted at the Chamber and member venues throughout the community like The Foundation Coffee House, Yellowhammer Brewery, and Redstone Federal Credit Union, Breakfast & Biz and Business & Brews offered opportunities to increase visibility, establish and grow support networks, and build business through networking.

■ 10 events

■ 685 tickets sold

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

SURVEY FEEDBACK

“It was extremely professional, and I enjoyed meeting so many people from various industries.”

“The round table, speed dating structure produces productive conversation.”

The Chamber partnered with the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library to offer computer classes. In other programming, we engaged members who serve as experts in their fields to participate as panelists to discuss Human Resource topics such as benefits and recruiting strategies, and how to do business with entities such as the FBI and the City of Huntsville. We also hosted presentations that featured accomplished CEOs including Rey Almodóvar and Julie Schumacher, who shared their struggles and successes as they worked their way to the C-Suite.

■ 35 events

■ 795 tickets sold

■ 25 different presenters, representing 20 different companies

■ 22 different topics discussed

SURVEY FEEDBACK

“Great program, please have more.”

BEST PLACES TO WORK®

In the competitive job market of 2022, a Best Places to Work® designation was more important than ever. Members dedicated to attracting and developing talent in their company devoted time and manpower to win this title.

■ 712 tickets sold

■ 193 companies nominated

■ 8,263 surveys completed

■ 15 award winners

■ 95 contenders (completed enough surveys to compete)

■ 2 companies inducted into the Best Places to Work® Hall of Fame

SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS

2022 couldn’t end without taking the opportunity to celebrate those small businesses (companies with 250 employees or less nationwide) and individuals who made a positive impact on the community through their products, services, and outstanding leadership at the annual Small Business Awards Gala.

■ 950 tickets sold

■ 400 companies nominated

■ 122 contenders (completed application to compete)

■ 10 winners

SURVEY FEEDBACK

96% of attendees say they will participate in the Small Business Awards again.

Marketing & Communications

Our team works diligently to provide accurate, up-to-date information to help your business grow and thrive. These avenues include Initiatives magazine, published six times per year, as well as weekly newsletters and robust social media updates. In addition, be sure to view our videos about working and living in the Huntsville area. We encourage you to share these with talent in your recruiting efforts.

NOTABLE MEDIA ACCOLADES

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

May 2022

Huntsville named #1 Place to Live in the U.S.

Huntsville 3rd Most Affordable Place to Live in the U.S.

SMARTASSET

July 2022

Huntsville Ranks #2 in the U.S. for Best Places for Career Opportunities

ROLLING STONE

September 2022

Huntsville, Ala. Is Rethinking the Amphitheater Experience

BUSINESS FACILITIES May 2022

Huntsville Named a Top City for STEM Opportunities

COMPTIA

March 2022

Huntsville #5 on CompTIA Tech Town Index

WALLETHUB

January 2022

Huntsville No. 6 Job Market in the U.S.

Claire Aiello, iom Vice President

Kristi Sherrard Graphic Designer

Hiroko Sedensky Web Designer

Kayla

CHAIR-ELECT

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

CHAMBER FOUNDATION PRESIDENT

CHAIR-APPOINTED

Michelle Jordan Executive Director, TARCOG VICE CHAIR Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Greg Brown CFO/Co-CEO, Brown Precision, Inc. BOARD CHAIR

Jim Rogers VP, Army Programs Integration, Lockheed Martin Corporation VICE CHAIR Marketing & Communications

Frank Williams Owner-Operator, Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

Jami Peyton CEO, Canvas, Inc. VICE CHAIR Small Business

Jeff Gronberg CEO, deciBel Research, Inc.

Ronnie Chronister

Paul Finley Mayor, City of Madison EX-OFFICIO MEMBER

Lynn Troy President, Troy7, Inc.

Sameer Singhal

Joe Ritch Shareholder, Dentons Sirote PC VICE CHAIR Redstone Regional Alliance

Tommy Battle Mayor, City of Huntsville EX-OFFICIO MEMBER

Ron

Dr. Karockas Watkins

Sean Kelly Huntsville Market Executive, Regions Bank

Dale Strong Chairman, Madison County Commission EX-OFFICIO MEMBER

Jeff Samz CEO, Huntsville Hospital Health System

SECRETARY/ TREASURER

Jason Puckett President, Toyota Alabama CHAIR-APPOINTED

Blake Bentley CEO, SportsMED Orthopaedic Surgery & Spine Center VICE CHAIR Investor Relations

Chip Cherry, CCE President & CEO, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ted Baudendistel INTERFUZE Corporation

David Bier

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. Penny Billings Cadence Bank

G.W. Boon Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI)

Thomas Busby SouthState Bank

Katie Comer Meta Platforms, Inc.

Brett Crain Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc.

Dr. Patti Dare

Davidson

Melissa Davis MTA, Inc.

Kevin Fernandez L2 Mindset

Greg Fortier SAIC

Owen Franklin Blue Summit Supplies

Dr. Greg Gaddy Five Stones Research Corporation Scott Hall Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.

Ginger Harper First Horizon Josh Herren Yulista Tharon Honeycutt MSB Analytics, Inc.

Laura HuckabeeJennings Transcend, The Fearless Co. Lincoln Hudson Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.

Tyce Hudson Freedom Real Estate and Capital, LLC Hank Isenberg IronMountain Solutions Clint Kirkland Progress Bank

Rich Kretzschmar Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3)

James Lackey

Parsons

Todd May KBR

Bob McCaleb Northrop Grumman Corporation

Chrystal Morgan The Boeing Company

Craig Naudain The Naudain Group, LLC

Nadia Niakossary RCP Companies

Alana Parker Rocket City Drywall & Supply, Inc.

Meredith Payne Caliola

Zack Penney

Bill Penney Toyota/ Mitsubishi

Chris Russell Linscomb & Williams

Alicia Ryan LSINC Corporation

Beth Sippel Synovus

Wayne Sisco Redstone Federal Credit Union

Tom Stanton Adtran, Inc. Sandra Stephens Keel Point, LLC

Dr. Mitch Stevison Mercury Systems, Inc.

Nilmini Thompson Systems Products and Solutions, Inc.

Mark Vaporis Intrepid

Mike Watkins Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

John Watson Torch Technologies

2022 hregi investors

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) ■ Crestwood Medical Center Dynetics, Inc. ■ Lockheed Martin Corporation PNC Bank ■ Raytheon Technologies ■ SAIC Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. ■ Torch Technologies ■ Yulista

CHAMBER TRUSTEES

Bill Penney Toyota/Mitsubishi ■ Five Stones Research Corporation

Intrepid ■ KBR ■ Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C. ■ Parsons ■ S3, Inc.

Science and Engineering Services, LLC (SES) ■ Sealy Management Company, Inc. SportsMED Orthopaedic Surgery & Spine Center ■ Synovus

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

REGIONAL PARTNERS

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL LEADERSHIP FORUM

PROGRESS PARTNERS

Ability Plus, Inc. ■ Aerojet Rocketdyne ■ Amazon ■ Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. ■ ASRC Federal ■ B.L. Harbert International, LLC ■ Baron Weather, Inc. ■ BASF Corporation ■ Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP ■ Brown Precision, Inc. ■ Beyond Gravity ■ CFD Research Corporation ■ Colliers International ■ Corporate Tax Advisors Inc. ■ Davidson ■ First Horizon ■ Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC ■ Goodwyn Mills Cawood, LLC ■ Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc. ■ Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3) ■ Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation ■ IronMountain Solutions ■ Keel Point, LLC ■ Leonardo Electronics US Inc. ■ LSINC Corporation ■ Marsh & McLennan Agency, locally known as J. Smith Lanier & Co. ■ The Orthopaedic Center (TOC) ■ Progress Bank ■ Radiance Technologies, Inc. ■ RE/MAX Alliance ■ Robins & Morton ■ ServisFirst Bank ■ SMX ■ SouthState Bank ■ Steak-Out (Rosie’s Restaurants, Inc., & Right Way Restaurants, Inc.) ■ Venturi, LLC ■ Woody Anderson Ford

PROGRESS INVESTORS

Accenture Federal Services ■ Air Essentials, Inc. ■ Alpha Beta Technologies, Inc. ■ Amanda Howard | Sotheby’s International Realty ■ Avion Solutions ■ Averbuch Realty / Enterprises ■ Bailey-Harris Construction ■ Bell Textron Inc.

■ BRPH Architects-Engineers, Inc. ■ Bryant Bank ■ Cadence Bank ■ Canvas, Inc. ■ CB&S Bank ■ Century Automotive ■ CGI Federal ■ Coast Personnel Services ■ Corvid Technologies LLC ■ deciBel Research ■ Deloitte ■ DESE Research, Inc. ■ Express Employment Professionals ■ FITE Building Company ■ FLS Translation & Interpreting ■ Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates, LLC ■ Garver, LLC ■ GTEC, LLC ■ Hexagon US Federal ■ HEMSI ■ Hiley Automotive Group ■ Huntsville Botanical Garden ■ Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau ■ INTERFUZE Corporation ■ Investor’s Resource ■ L3Harris ■ The Lioce Group, Inc. ■ MSB Analytics, Inc. ■ nLogic, LLC ■ PALCO

■ PHOENIX ■ PROJECTXYZ, Inc. ■ QTEC Aerospace ■ Quadrus Corporation ■ Renasant Bank ■ RJ Young Company ■ Rosenblum Realty, Inc. ■ S&ME, Inc. ■ Schoel Engineering Company, Inc. ■ Shee Atiká Enterprises, LLC ■ Sigmatech, Inc. ■ Signalink, Inc. ■ Systems Products and Solutions, Inc. ■ Transcend, The Fearless Company ■ TriVector Services, Inc. ■ Troy 7, Inc. ■ Truist Bank ■ TTL, Inc. ■ ValleyMLS.com ■ Valor Communities ■ Van Valkenburgh & Wilkinson Properties, Inc. ■ Volkert, Inc. ■ Warren Averett, LLC ■ Wilmer & Lee, P.A.

The Huntsville Region has never been content to leave our future to the will of others. We have a vision of what our future will be and are working strategically to realize that vision.

Many ask about the “secret to our success.” Well, one aspect of the “secret” is the resources provided to the Chamber through the Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative (HREGI). HREGI funds allow us to punch well above our weight class, making us a stronger, more visible force in the national competition for economic growth. The Initiative’s overarching vision is for our community to become a primary center of technology in the South and in the nation. HREGI is designed to position the area as one of the leading economic growth centers in the Southeast and the nation. HREGI investors contribute funds in addition to their membership dues and sponsorships – they understand a rising tide lifts all boats, and the Chamber is working to raise the water level for everyone.

HREGI funds strengthen us in a multitude of ways. They help the Chamber market Huntsville for continued progress – dispelling the myth that the high tech and leading edge activities that our citizens engage in every day can’t happen here. Our efforts in education, childcare, talent development, and workforce recruitment are all enhanced because of the resources provided by our HREGI Investors.

Join those who understand what is possible when we take control of our future and strive to become the community we all believe is possible –become a HREGI Investor.