Initiatives - December 2017

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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Better Together At Bradley, we combine legal experience and knowledge with a sophisticated understanding of the industries that drive Huntsville. We use our talents, judgment, work ethic, and experience to come up with practical, strategic solutions specifically tailored to our clients’ business operations. We go above and beyond expectations to help our clients meet their goals.

Our Huntsville attorneys leverage a broad range of perspectives to help achieve the results that we expect and our clients demand.

bradley.com

200 Clinton Ave. W | Suite 900 | Huntsville, AL 35801 | 256.517.5200 No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. Contact: Frank M. Caprio., 256.517.5142, fcaprio@bradley.com, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, 200 Clinton Avenue West, Suite 900, Huntsville, AL 35801.

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initiatives dec 2017

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

Precision to the X degree.

Your spine is complex and delicate. So precision matters.

Huntsville Hospital is the only Alabama hospital with Mazor X, the most precise robotic technology for spine surgery. With powerful 3D visualization and superior guidance ability, the Mazor X allows surgeons to create a custom surgery based on your anatomy.

Unrivaled technology and precision.

It’s precisely what your back needs.

huntsvillehospital.org A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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welcome new chamber members Joined in October 2017 Absolute Wireless, LLC Alabama Sling Center

Joined in September 2017

Alex Adams Agency, Inc.

24e Health Clubs

AUVSI Pathfinder

Air Med Care Network

Badd Newz BBQ Carlton’s Market & Catering

Ashley Home Store Business Systems & Consultants

CERTIFIED MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES LLC Cook Museum of Natural Science

Civil Axe Throwing, LLC The Clint McClain Agency

Cost Segregation Services, Inc.

Fire & Spice Smokehouse

Fabulous Finds of Huntsville, LLC Flow Dynamics and Automation, Inc.

Home Care Assistance

Hazel Green Foodland

Huntsville - Pacesetters Lions Club Integrity Services, Inc.

The Home Depot - S. Memorial Parkway Integrity Family Care

Jersey Mike’s Subs (Shekinah Glory)

Main Street Apartments

Klean Tech

MZM Events

Lankford & Battle Allstate Insurance Agency

NorthWind Group

MorganFranklin Consulting, LLC

Nothing Bundt Cake

Oasis Systems, LLC

Parks Construction LLC

Outpatient Diagnostic Center - Huntsville

Poarch Band of Creek Indians

Pulaski-Giles County Economic Development Commission

Southern RV Wholesale

Rockaxe City Throwing Club, LLC

Stone Martin Builders

Rousseau Sporting Goods & Awards, Inc.

Tire Discounters

SilMan Construction

Tummah Technology, Inc.

SRC, Inc.

The Wealthy Child

Sumo Solutions, LLC TestRack, Inc. Texas de Brazil Tutu Cute TVA Energyright Solutions for Business + Industry Program The Wedding Chapel on the Mountain Women4Women OBGYN, LLC

If you want to make a valuable investment in your business and the community, the Chamber is the place to start. Contact Donna McCrary, Membership Retention Manager: 256-535-2027 or dmccrary@hsvchamber.org.

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initiatives dec 2017

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

HU N TS VI LLE / M A DI S ON

C OU N T Y

C H A M BE R

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER

DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

REGIONAL PARTNERS

LEADERSHIP FORUM

Huntsville Hospital

Port of Huntsville

ADTRAN, Inc. The Boeing Company City of Madison Landers McLarty Corporation Redstone Federal Credit Union Vertiv

Madison County Commission

Tennessee Valley Authority

Regions Bank

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BBVA Compass • Crestwood Medical Center • Dynetics, Inc. • General Atomics • Lockheed Martin Corporation PNC Bank • SAIC • SES - Science and Engineering Services, LLC • Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.

CHAMBER TRUSTEES AEgis Technologies Group • Aerojet Rocketdyne • Akima, LLC • All Points Logistics, LLC Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama • Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. • First Commercial Bank • Five Stones Research Corporation Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation • Jerry Damson, Inc. • KBRwyle • Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C. Northrop Grumman Corporation • PARSONS • Raytheon Company • S3 • Sealy Management Company, Inc. SportsMed Orthopaedic Surgery and Spine Center • Torch Technologies

PROGRESS PARTNERS Ability Plus • ASRC Federal Analytical Services • Baron Services, Inc. • BASF Corporation • BB&T • Bill Penney Toyota, Scion & Mitsubishi Bradley • Coates Transportation Group • Colliers International • Connected Logistics • Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) Davidson Technologies, Inc. • Google • Huntsville-Madison County Builders Association • IBERIABANK • Hexagon US Federal J Smith Lanier & Co., a Marsh McLennan Agency LLC company • Keel Point, LLC • L3 Technologies • LMI • LogiCore • The Orthopaedic Center Progress Bank • Radiance Technologies • Re/Max Alliance • Rosie’s Restaurants, Inc., & Right Way Restaurants, Inc. (DBA Steak Out) SCI Technology, Inc. • SELEX Galileo Inc. • ServisFirst Bank • Turner • Vencore, Inc. • Wells Fargo Bank • Woody Anderson Ford

PROGRESS INVESTORS 4SITE, Inc. • AECOM • Alpha Beta Technologies, Inc. • Amanda Howard Real Estate • Anglin Reichmann Snellgrove & Armstrong, PC • Averbuch Realty Co., Inc. – Scott Averbuch BancorpSouth • Brown Precision, Inc. • Bryant Bank • CB&S Bank • Century Automotive • CFD Research Corp. • CGI Federal • Coast Personnel Services • deciBel Research Decisive Analytics Corp. • Deloitte LLP • DESE Research, Inc. • Digium, Inc. • Fite Building Company, Inc. • Foreign Language Services • Fountain, Parker, Harbarger • Garver HEMSI • Hiley Cars Huntsville • Huntsville Botanical Garden • Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau • Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc. INTERFUZE Corporation • Investor’s Resource/Raymond James • IronMountain Solutions • Legend Realty – Jim Hoekenschneider • LINE-X LLC • LSINC Corporation MSB Analytics, Inc. • National Bank of Commerce • nLogic, LLC • North Alabama Multiple Listing Service • PALCO Telecom Service • PHOENIX • PROJECTXYZ, Inc. Public Financial Management, Inc. • QTEC • RE/MAX Distinctive – Sandra Lowrey • Renasant Bank • RJ Young Company • S&ME, Inc. • Sierra Lobo, Inc. • Sigmatech, Inc. Systems Products and Solutions, Inc. • Technicolor • Troy 7, Inc. • U.S. Space & Rocket Center • Venturi, Inc. • West Huntsville Land Co., Inc. • Wilmer & Lee, P.A. • Worxtime, LLC A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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Get to know

Our Story Bank Independent was created in 1947 as the Bank of Leighton in rural Colbert County, Alabama. On our opening day 70 years ago, we had $25,000 in assets. Today, we are a $1.4 billion institution serving folks through 28 locations across seven counties of north Alabama, including our new sales office in downtown Huntsville.

S TO P B Y O U R B R A N C H AT 1 3 2 H O L M E S AV E

Our Stability We’re proud to share our latest awards and ratings:

“Superior”

Five-Star rating™

by BauerFinancial™ every quarter since September 1989

“Blue Ribbon”

Commendation of Excellence™

by Veribanc™ every quarter since September 2007

Equal Housing Lender | Member FDIC | 877-865-5050 | bibank.com

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initiatives dec 2017

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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coverstory

Investing in Community 16-year investment in Huntsville community pays off

12 13 15 22 24 27 28 29 32 34 37

corporatenews medicalnews specialcelebration government&publicaffairs speakerspotlight localdignitaries educationnews technologynow infrastructureupdate cyberupdate spacenews

4 5 8 10 16 18 38

Welcome New Chamber Members HREGI Investors Message from the President | Board Listing Community Profile SNAP Was Your Credit Hacked?

Chamber Staff | Associated Organizations

editorial staff publisher Chip Cherry, CCE editor

Claire Aiello editorial designer

Kristi Sherrard contributing writers

Jill Bruton Lucy Berry DeButy Erin Koshut Lydia Pennington Jennifer Statham Mike Ward ad sales Kristy Drake

kdrake@hsvchamber.org

Tina Blankenship tblankenship@hsvchamber.org

The mission of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber is to prepare, develop and promote our community for economic growth.

HSVchamber.org

(additional contact information on page 30)

Tiffany Miller

tmiller@hsvchamber.org

Eloise Stanley

estanley@hsvchamber.org

Submissions for editorial content are not accepted. Information in this and other Chamber publications is at the discretion of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber.

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

Executive Committee and Board of Directors 2017 Executive Committee

Joe Newberry, Chair, Redstone Federal Credit Union Gary Bolton, Chair-Elect, ADTRAN, Inc. Rose Allen, Immediate Past Chair, INTERFUZE Corporation Ron Poteat, Chamber Foundation Chair, Regions Bank Cynthia Streams, Secretary/Treasurer, Domino’s (Valley Pizza) Kim Lewis, Vice Chair, Economic Development & Industry Relations, PROJECTXYZ, Inc.

Kevin Byrnes, Vice Chair, Government & Public Affairs, Raytheon Company

Tharon Honeycutt, Vice Chair, Membership, MSB Analytics, Inc. Penny Billings, Vice Chair, Workforce & Education,

A Message from

Chip Cherry

BancorpSouth

Greg Brown, Vice Chair, Small Business & Events, Brown Precision, Inc.

Dear Chamber Investors, Community Leaders and Friends:

Jeff Gronberg, Vice Chair, Marketing & Communications,

We mourn the loss of two leaders, Bob Harrison and Jim Patterson. Bob and Jim were both passionate advocates for their communities and constituents. Our community, region, and state are better because of their tireless efforts to advance the causes they believed in. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families – Bob and Jim will be greatly missed!

Beth Sippel, Vice Chair, Member Engagement,

deciBel Research, Inc.

In this issue, you will read about Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama’s impact as both an employer and an engaged corporate citizen. The primary reason our region enjoys such a high quality of life is that we have many strong corporate citizens that range in size from the small family businesses to large companies. They all have one thing in common – they are passionate about enhancing the communities where they work and live.

One of my favorite stories is “The Man Who Planted Trees”– a story of a lone shepherd who makes it his life’s work to revive a barren valley. It is a powerful story for three reasons.

First, vision and perseverance can have a significant impact. Second, plans need to evolve to reflect changing circumstances. Third, the result of the quest happens over such a long period of time that observers of the end result think it just happened.

The quality of life we enjoy in our region today is a result of the vision and efforts of both public and private leaders from the past and the present. We are all benefiting from those efforts. To the families of Bob, Jim, and the other elected officials in the region, thank you for supporting them. To our business and corporate partners, thank you for engaging in the community to make it a wonderful place to live, work, and play!

Whenever possible, I encourage you to shop and trade with local businesses. Doing business locally starts a chain reaction that leads to more jobs and provides the foundation for those businesses to support local activities. When you spend locally, you fuel our economy!

On behalf of the Members, Volunteers, and Staff of the Chamber, I wish you and your families a Blessed Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year!

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

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First Commercial Bank

Mark Curran, Chair-Appointed, L3 Technologies, Inc. Tim Thornton, Chair-Appointed, n Logic, LLC Frank Williams, Chair-Appointed, Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep

Mayor Tommy Battle, Ex-Officio Member, City of Huntsville Mayor Paul Finley, Ex-Officio Member, City of Madison Chairman Dale Strong, Ex-Officio Member, Madison County Commission

Tracy Marion, General Counsel, Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne, P.C. Chip Cherry, President & CEO, Huntsville/Madison Co. Chamber

Elected Board Mike Alvarez, Venturi, Inc. Bill Bailey, Radiance Technologies, Inc. James Barclay, S3, Inc. Mike Bertoldi, PROJECTXYZ, Inc. Janet Brown, Belk Frank Caprio, Bradley Lynn Collyar, Deloitte LLP Deke Damson, Jerry Damson Honda Acura Dr. Dorothy Davidson, Davidson Technologies, Inc. Bryan Dodson, PHOENIX John Eagan, BB&T Joe Fehrenbach, Hexagon US Federal Trip Ferguson, U.S. Space & Rocket Center David Fernandes, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc. Gene Goldman, Leidos Mike Gullion, SCI Technology – a Sanmina company Jan Hess, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. Steve Hill, AEgis Technologies Group Dr. Pam Hudson, Crestwood Medical Center Hank Isenberg, IronMountain Solutions John Jordan, KBRwyle Sean Kelly, Regions Bank David King, Dynetics, Inc. Bob McCaleb, Northrop Grumman Corporation Janice Migliore, PALCO Telecom Service, Inc. Craig Naudain, SAIC Alana Parker, Rocket City Drywall & Supply, Inc. Leigh Pegues, PNC Bank Mike Randolph, Par Pharmaceutical, an Endo International Co. Joe Ritch, Sirote & Permutt, PC Jim Rogers, Lockheed Martin Corporation Jeff Samz, Huntsville Hospital Dr. Gurmej Sandhu, Sigmatech, Inc. Charlie Sealy, Sealy Management Company E.J. Sinclair, SES - Science and Engineering Services, LLC Sameer Singhal, CFD Research Corporation Robert “Bob” Smith, Booz Allen Hamilton Nilmini Thompson, Systems Products and Solutions, Inc. Lynn Troy, Troy 7, Inc. Ken Tucker, The Boeing Company Mike Watkins, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama Danny Windham, Digium, Inc.

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

Care. When your family needs it.

Not three days later.

Looking for Convenient Healthcare?

We’re accepting new patients. Crestwood Medical Group with locations throughout Madison County offers primary care along with a variety of specialties to meet your family’s needs. We accept most major health plans. Find a complete list of locations and providers at CrestwoodMedGroup.com. Online scheduling is now available for select providers.

MEDICAL GROUP Same-Day Appointments Available!

1-888-261-3422 Online scheduling at CrestwoodMedGroup.com

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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communityprofile Madison City of County Huntsville

Population

City of Huntsville Madison Metro Area

Top Ten Employers Redstone Arsenal* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,866* Huntsville Hospital System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,129

2010 Census

334,811

180,105

42,938

417,593

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,000

2016 Census est.

356,967

193,079

47,959

449,720

Huntsville City Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,079

6.6%

7.2%

11.7%

7.7%

The Boeing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,600

% Growth

Madison County Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,389

Households & Income 16,857

169,980

Avg. Household Income $79,044

$71,430 $110,662

$76,897

Per Capita Income

$30,979

$30,792

# of Households

137,767 $32,131

78,554

$41,596

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov), 2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

SAIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,229 City of Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,206 The University of Alabama in Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,675 ADTRAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,549 Source: Huntsville/Madison County Chamber *includes on-site contractors

Aerospace & Defense Huntsville/Madison County is home to the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center which combine to drive a thriving aerospace and defense technology industry. More than 41,000 people work at Redstone Arsenal and NASA, managing some of the country’s most important and sophisticated technology programs including missiles, aviation, and space exploration.

Research & Technology Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park has earned a reputation as a global leader in technology development. The second-largest science and

For more information, visit:

technology research park in the U.S., Cummings Research Park is home

hsvchamber.org

research and development.

to more than 300 companies and 29,000 people involved in technology

Happy Holidays From Your Bryant Bank Family!

JOIN THE BRYANT BANK FAMILY TODAY! Personal, Business and Mortgage Banking Services

WWW.BRYANTBANK.COM | NMLS ID: 582857 | DOWNTOWN HUNTSVILLE: 320 Pelham Ave. SW | 256.535.1045 | SE HUNTSVILLE: 1804 Four Mile Post Rd SE | 256.217.5170

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C e l e b ra t i n g

10 YEARS in Huntsville

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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corporatenews

Rocket Shop Aerojet Rocketdyne: putting rockets back in the Rocket City

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erojet Rocketdyne broke ground on a new era of advanced manufacturing in Huntsville in October. The new, 136,000-square-foot manufacturing facility will be located in North Huntsville Industrial Park, adjacent to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant. Governor Kay Ivey, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, and other local dignitaries were on hand to help the company take this next step in its journey to expand its existing presence in the region with a new, state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Facility.

Earlier this year, Aerojet Rocketdyne announced that it was locating its Defense headquarter business unit in Huntsville, along with its defense advanced programs group known as the Rocket ShopSM, bringing roughly 800 new jobs to the region. In addition to the new manufacturing facility, Aerojet Rocketdyne recently leased 122,000 square feet of office space at 950 Explorer Blvd. in Cummings Research Park to accommodate newly hired employees and those relocating to Huntsville from other company locations. The changes are part of a larger Competitive Improvement Program the company launched in 2015 that is on track to deliver $230 million in annual savings once complete.

“The new Advanced Manufacturing Facility we are officially breaking ground on today is an essential component of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Competitive Improvement Program,” said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and President Eileen Drake. “The steps we are taking are focused on making our company increasingly agile and able to deliver high-quality, affordable products to our customers as we position Aerojet Rocketdyne for the future.”

The new Advanced Manufacturing Facility, which is expected to begin production by the end of 2019, will be used to build a variety of aerospace products, including production work on the AR1 advanced rocket engine; composite cases for solid rocket motors; case pneumatic and hydrostatic proofing; and additive manufacturing (3-D printing) production work to support of a variety of programs in the space and defense sectors. This new facility

Representatives of UAH, the State of Alabama, the City of Huntsville, Madison County Commission, and Aerojet Rocketdyne break ground on the company’s new RocketShopSM in the North Huntsville Industrial Park on Oct. 24, 2017.

will also be used to conduct advanced rocket propulsion research and development activities.

“Aerojet Rocketdyne has been a member of the Huntsville community for more than 50 years,” added Drake. “Our major expansion in this region that started in 2016 underscores Aerojet Rocketdyne’s belief that Huntsville, which is known as Rocket City, will continue to grow as a key aerospace and defense hub for our nation for many decades to come, and Aerojet Rocketdyne plans to be a leader in that growth.”

Aerojet Rocketdyne is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets.

Mike Ward

Artist’s rendering of new facility

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initiatives dec 2017

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

medicalnews

Spinal Tap Mazor Robot used for enhanced plan before orthopaedic surgery

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state-of-the-art medical advancement will change the future of orthopaedic surgery. The invention of the Mazor Robot will allow doctors the capability to see a patient’s spine from every angle and therefore provide surgical assurance.

It creates a comprehensive surgical plan with a streamlined process. This new software will enhance the performance of surgeons by creating a 3D representation of the spine which allows doctors to pre-operatively plan the exact position of the spinal implant.

“To provide exceptional care, we have to stay abreast of current trends in medical technology,” said Thomas Fender, Huntsville Hospital’s Vice President of Surgical Services. “Huntsville Hospital has definitely developed an expertise in computer-assisted surgery. It’s a big part of our commitment to the community, and we are the first hospital in Alabama to provide this to our patients.”

The technological breakthrough happens in the operating room where the robot is able to integrate the CT scan with two simple X-ray images taken with a standard surgical fluoroscopy unit. The robot essentially combines the X-ray and CT scan im-

ages to determine the exact location of the patient’s spine in the operating room. The robotic arm can then target each area sequentially – allowing the surgeon to place the screws quickly with robotic precision. continued on page 30

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A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

myprogressbank.com

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initiatives dec 2017

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

specialcelebration

50 Years Strong Huntsville International Airport sets sights on future

H

untsville International Airport, Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority, the Port of Huntsville, or even the “Jetport”– no matter the moniker – your airport is celebrating 50 years of operation in its current location this year.

On October 29, 1967, what once was a cotton field officially became the home of this region’s jet-age airport. Years before though, anticipation was building and plans were being made. In July of 1964 the Huntsville News featured a story that observed: “It seems strange that the city which has become known as one of the main hubs of America’s efforts in space should get so excited about something as down to earth as an airport. However, this airport is no ordinary one. It is one of the nation’s first airports designed especially for the jet age.

The location and design of the new airport will make it one of the finest in the Southeast… The facility will be ultra-modern throughout... and will feature the latest equipment for passenger and freight handling.

The new airport’s future impact on the community and surrounding areas is almost beyond imagination. It will be one of the only airports constructed solely to the specifications of the jet age.”

On September 22, 1964, the groundbreaking ceremony took place, and Alabama Governor George Wallace described the multi-million dollar airport as a “milestone in development not only in this section of Alabama, but for the entire state.” The Governor also announced a $7 million road program with a large portion slated for a fourlane project completing an eight-mile stretch on Highway 20 from Huntsville to Decatur. The goal was to improve access to the new airport. Then, instead of using a customary shovel, the Governor climbed aboard a 5,000 horsepower tractor to scoop up the first red soil – a fitting beginning for the mammoth project that would change Huntsville in more ways than anyone could imagine.

In 1965, preparation continued at a feverish pace, and the A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

City of Huntsville asked the Alabama Legislature to annex 12.21 square miles of land including the entirety of the new airport site, 4.7 square miles on Redstone Arsenal, and a 2.75-square-mile strip between the Arsenal and airport property – a total of 7,812 acres in order to control growth around the site.

In 1966, Huntsville’s new control tower was described as a showpiece by the FAA Chief of Airports, Division of the Southern Region. Finally in 1967, as the project came closer to completion, The Huntsville Times hailed the facility as “a marvel of planning for aviation efficiency, passenger convenience, and business transaction.” With all the pieces coming together, the Airport Authority set October 29 as the date for the grand opening.

At 11:59 p.m. on October 28, operations at the existing Huntsville airport ceased, and the long-anticipated, multi-million-dollar jetport opened officially at 12 a.m. for operations to begin bright and early on October 29, 1967.

The same vision that had turned a cotton field into an airfield continued as through the years the facility became more than just an airport. A Multi-Modal Master Plan was put into place in 1971 to outline growth and future development of the airport and property surrounding it to include mass transportation modes across the region – air, land, rail, and water. Upon completion, this became the first Multi-Modal Master Plan fully funded by the FAA. In the years that followed, industrial development continued with tenants joining the “Jetplex”. This brought about the need for a new rail spur, so it was built too, and serviced by Norfolk Southern. From the approval for a U.S. Customs Port of Entry Status, to a Foreign Trade Zone designation, the vision of a multi-modal Intermodal facility became reality. As time ticked by,

continued on page 16 dec 2017 initiatives

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snap: What a whirlwind 2017! We were named the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) 2017 Chamber of the Year, and it renews our mission to be a catalyst for business growth, community engagement, and action. The Chamber is pleased to have support from local and state government in our efforts to promote the economic development and well-being of our region.

In October, Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong (right) presented a resolution to Huntsville/Madison County Chamber President Chip Cherry (left) and 2017 Chamber Board Chair Joe Newberry (center). The Resolution was signed by Chairman Strong and Commissioners Roger Jones, Steve Haraway, Craig Hill, Phil Vandiver, Phil Riddick, and the late Bob Harrison. ∏

50 Years Strong, from page 15 Jetplex Industrial Park groundbreakings continued, the air-cargo operation soared, and rail cargo climbed.

Through the years, the Port of Huntsville has continued to evolve as a truly unique multi-modal transportation center for industry and commerce. There’s another important factor that has also set the center apart. For all Airport Authority employees across the board, the mission is the same: Provide a level of customer service that is unmatched anywhere else in the world.

“Whether they are airline employees, public safety officers, custodians, car rental agency representatives, employees of the Four Points by Sheraton, or concessionaries – it’s the people who make the difference, the people who set us apart, the people are the heart of the Port of Huntsville,” said Rick Tucker, Huntsville International Airport Executive Director.

Not content to rest at reaching the 50-year milestone of past service to the community, the Port of Huntsville and regional partners now look to the future with a new long-range planning initiative. The new Huntsville International Airport Master Plan covers the next 20 years of strategic growth.

One thing is certain: the same vision that transformed those cotton fields into an ultra-modern transportation center over the last five decades will have the region ready to meet the future and find even more success in the next 50 years.

Visit FlyHuntsville.com for the latest airport updates and flight deals.

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A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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NAI Chase Commercial has the expertise to find opportunities for your business that others simply wouldn’t recognize. We provide a full range of brokerage, asset, property and facilities management services to meet your needs for retail, office, and industrial properties. Our professionals offer you an intimate knowledge and a collaborative approach to client services, delivering results to help your business.

Was your credit hacked?

E

Park Place

Huntsville, Alabama

Corporate Park

Huntsville, Alabama

arlier this year, cyber criminals hacked Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting agencies. They stole the personal information of up to 143 million Americans, including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and even driver’s license numbers.

Have you checked to see if you’re in this group? Visit equifax. com and click the link about the hack to see if you’re possibly impacted. If you are, it’s recommended you take preventive steps to check and protect your credit.

“Awareness and education are the keys to protecting yourself in our modern digital world,” said Investigator Bradley Adams of the Huntsville Police Department. “There are many resources online that teach about protecting identifying information. The Federal Trade Commission’s consumer protection website at consumer. ftc.gov is a great starting place.”

The first step is to request credit reports from Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Also consider putting a credit freeze on your accounts – you also do this through each of the three credit reporting bureaus. This helps stop criminals from opening credit cards under your name, and restricts access to your credit reports and scores. The credit freeze will remain on your accounts until you lift it.

“Online criminals know that the most valuable resource is information,” said Adams. “A simple way to protect yourself is to think about the information asked from you when opening up a line of credit then limit that information in your online social media profiles and conversations. Another preventive measure is to never give your personal information to an unverified person online or during a phone conversation.”

Claire Aiello

Bailey Cove Shopping Center Huntsville, Alabama

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A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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Investing in community 16-year investment in Huntsville community pays off

by Jennifer R. Statham Since breaking ground in 2001, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama has continuously grown, with six major investments in the site, including four expansions, for a total of more than $970 million invested in the Huntsville plant. When plant president David Fernandes is asked about the key to the company’s success, he says Toyota really thrives from a different kind of investment – teaming up through workforce and community.

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A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama donated $90,000 to Huntsville STEAMWorks, which helps with STEM education in local schools.

L-R: Mark Brazeal, Mike Murdock, Kim Ogle, and David Fernandes.

Opposite page: Toyota employees participate in a work day at Hays Nature Preserve.

“We’ve had continued growth over the last 16 years,” said Fernandes. “Throughout that process we’ve gotten here because of key partnerships. Toyota has invested in Huntsville, but Huntsville has also invested in Toyota.”

Toyota the Corporate Citizen Community members, elected officials, and business leaders all worked together to bring Toyota and its economic benefits to the region. Their work paid off, and the Huntsville plant has had a positive financial impact on the entire state. A study released by the Center of Automotive Research found that, in 2015, one out of every 200 workers in Alabama was employed as a result of Toyota manufacturing, sales, logistics, or support operations – creating 9,700 jobs in the state.

In turn, Toyota maintains those key partnerships through local and state organization involvement. For example, the company heavily supports the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber and is an annual contributor to the Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative (HREGI), reaching a milestone of $1 million invested since 2001.

“For us, it’s important to be a good corporate citizen because it works towards helping us fulfill our commitment to our communities. We are able to do that through partnerships with organizations such as the Chamber and other nonprofits,” Fernandes said.

“Collaboration results in better outcomes, and we believe that when good ideas are shared, great things can happen.”

ing, using technology such as 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, and design programs.

Toyota also supports the community through volunteer work.

In September, more than 70 team members and their families participated in a work day to improve Hays Nature Preserve.

Toyota’s investment in Alabama’s future Toyota Alabama is the only Toyota plant globally to produce 4-cylinder, V6, and V8 engines under one roof. The plant builds about 3,000 engines a day, which supplies one-third of the vehicles made in the U.S. Announced in September, the Huntsville plant is currently upgrading the 4-cylinder engine line as part of the Toyota New Global Architecture initiative. The $106 million overhaul is the sixth major investment in the Alabama facility. Toyota has invested $23 billion in its U.S. operations and has committed an additional $10 billion over the next five years to support the company’s plan to build vehicles where they are sold.

“This latest investment further secures the jobs of our 1,400 team members and shows Toyota’s confidence in the Alabama team. We are currently building about 3,000 a day, and I am so proud of our team members’ dedication and commitment to safety – meeting customer demands with the highest quality engines,” Fernandes said.

Toyota the Community Member Along with economic development, Toyota also gives its time, knowledge, and financial resources to support organizations that work to improve the community and develop future workforce.

The company has made more than $8 million in local donations, and employees serve on 25 nonprofit boards.

“Education, environmental sustainability, and mobility-related initiatives are our key areas of focus. We want to enrich our society globally as a leading mobility company,” said Kim Ogle, Toyota Corporate Communications Analyst. “Recent contributions include donations to the University of Alabama in Huntsville supporting STEM education and Huntsville STEAMWorks to develop the area’s first mobile fabrication lab.”

The mobile “fab lab” will travel to area schools at no cost, giving students experience in digital fabrication design and manufacturA PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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government&publicaffairs

State of the City Mayor Battle: All citizens are part of Huntsville’s future growth

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L-R: Mark Brazeal, General Manager of Administration for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, accepts a plaque from Chamber Board Chair Joe Newberry.

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untsville Mayor Tommy Battle delivered his 10th State of the City Address to more than 1,000 members of the Chamber in November in the Von Braun Center North Hall. It was a message of vision – emphasizing the “building blocks” put in place years ago that have made our growth possible today – and his vision for Huntsville’s bright future.

Mayor Battle paid tribute to the previous community leaders “who had the vision and the fortitude … that led us to our universities, Cummings Research Park, the Huntsville International Airport, Huntsville Hospital, our park system, museums, symphony, and libraries.”

A quick inventory of recent accomplishments included the certification of the 1,200-acre Mega site; development of the new CRP Master Plan; and new commercial developments at Twickenham Square, Campus No. 805, Merchants Square with Whole Foods, City Centre, in addition to the recent approval of $42 million for the renovation of the north end of the VBC. “It’s now our turn,” Mayor Battle added. “It’s up to us to put in building blocks; to set the foundations and the conditions to support future generations for the next 20, 40, 50 years.”

The Mayor noted that our city leads the state with 62 percent of all new jobs in the state in the past 10 years being created in Huntsville. “Expansions and new business announcements in the last year included Toyota, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Blue Origin, BASF, Boeing, Torch Technologies, GATR, GE Aviation, and Yellowhammer Brewing – and these are just a few of the small and large employers.” The Mayor’s scorecard included “20,000 jobs created, 2.9 percent unemployment, and $2.2 billion in capital investment.”

Among the other accomplishments, the Mayor noted $250 million invested in new schools and one-half billion dollars on improvements to major roads.

“Within a 40-mile radius, there are now 1.2 million people making our regional market numbers highly attractive. The reason that is so important is workforce development. That is the one question we get when we have groups come in. Do you have the workforce to provide for my company, and we can say yes,” said Battle.

Mike Ward A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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speakerspotlight

Q&A with Jonah Berger The Chamber’s 2018 Annual Membership Meeting keynote speaker

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onah Berger, a New York Times best-selling author, will be the featured speaker at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber’s 82nd Annual Membership Meeting on February 13. Register today at hsvchamber.org!

Q: Can you tell us a little about the New York Times best-selling author of Contagious?

A: In terms of a little bit about me, you know, I’ve always been interested in why products, ideas catch on and why things are successful. We often see things, whether it’s Greek yogurt at the grocery store, certain movies, certain books, that succeed and catch on. But we often don’t understand why. So to me, I found it really interesting and exciting to study these questions. Why do certain products succeed while others fail? Why do certain news articles go viral while others don’t? How, by understanding these questions, can we can craft more contagious content and help our own brands and products and ideas be more successful?

Q: What triggered you to write Contagious?

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A: I think we all recognize that word of mouth is important. We all recognize that everything from the products we buy, to the babysitters we choose are shaped by other people more than ads. But the challenge is figuring out how do we get that word of mouth, how do we get people to talk about and share our stuff rather than something else. I had been doing a lot of research on that topic. I looked around and there were a lot of thoughts, but really not a lot of really practically driven research applied in a practical way. So, I wanted to write the book to help people see the principles we’d found in our work. That it’s not random or luck or chance, there’s really a science to why people talk and share; and help them see how they apply that science to their own brands and lives to help their own things become successful.

Q: What behaviors can companies learn from reading and applying the tools from Contagious?

A: It’s really about how to get any product, service, or idea to catch on. Just finished up a project with Google, for example, helping them launch a new product and get it to become more popular. I

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

did a project with Facebook recently around getting a new hardware product to catch on. I’ve worked with large B2B companies like GE and small startups to nonprofits. The great thing about word of mouth is you don’t have to have a lot of money to get people to spread your ideas, you just have to understand why people talk and share, and that’s what Contagious is all about.

Q: What made you want to write about making choices?

A: We think that we drive our own choices from the simple things like what breakfast cereal to buy or what TV show to watch. And the more complicated things like what job to take and who to marry.

But actually, it’s so obvious that it doesn’t need saying that we make our own choices. Except, that that intuition is wrong. Other people have a huge impact on almost everything we do. Ninety-nine point nine percent of all decisions are shaped by others, but we don’t necessarily realize that. And so, we don’t understand how we make our choices, and it’s an interesting area to study further.

Q: What is the Invisible Influence and how can companies benefit?

A: So, influence often happens below awareness. People don’t realize that they’re influenced, and they don’t realize when they’re influencing others. And influence is a powerful tool, but just like any other tool, if we don’t understand how it works, we can’t take advantage of its power. And so, whether we want to motivate our employees to take action, make better decisions, or be more persuasive, we can use the tools of influence if we understand how they work.

Q: How does social influence affect our everyday life?

A: You know, it’s hard to find a decision that’s not shaped by influence, from the basic stuff to the more complicated. Almost everything we do is shaped by other people around us. From our friends and colleagues, to the person that might sit next to us on the bus, or run next to us on the treadmill at the gym. And so, as local, small- to medium-sized businesses that are trying to get ideas to catch on and as organizations that want to influence others, we need to understand the tools of influence and how we can take advantage of them.

Q: Could you share one golden nugget from Contagious and one golden nugget from Invisible Influence - what will members learn?

A: In terms of one nugget from Contagious, I would say we often think of word of mouth as online. We think about Facebook and Twitter and blogs and online reviews. But if you actually had to guess, if you look at the data, only about seven percent of word of mouth is online. A very small percent is online, most of it is offline.

People sharing face to face, person to person. More importantly, the technology is the psychology, whether online or off, we have to understand why people talk and share to get them to share our stuff. In terms of a golden nugget from Invisible Influence, what will members learn? Well, I’ll give you one example: a tool called behavioral mimicry or the chameleon effect. Turns out people non-consciously often imitate the behavior of others without realizing it.

So if you have a conversation with someone, you’re more likely to mimic their postures, their language, and their mannerisms even without realizing it. But it turns out that we can use this tool actually to become more influential ourselves. Interaction, if you want to be more persuasive or impact other’s behavior or influence other’s behavior, mimicking is a powerful way to do that. It leads negotiators to be five times more successful in the sales context, it leads to 70 percent higher tips or chances of closing the deal. And so, as I’ll talk about in the presentation, mimicry or imitating others is a powerful way to increase our own influence.

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Helping people with disabilities achieve employment for over 45 years Helping businesses connect with motivated employees throughout North Alabama

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localdignitaries

In Memoriam Public servants leave lasting legacies

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wo Madison County public servants will be long remembered for their service and for highlighting issues of families and individuals in need. Commissioner Bob Harrison and State Representative Jim Patterson both died during the month of October.

Harrison died October 25. He was 74 years old and had represented District 6 on the Madison County Commission since 2004.

“Bob Harrison spent his life seeking shelter for the homeless, clothes for the unclothed, and food for the hungry,” said Chairman Dale Strong.

“Harrison always had Madison County and the Harrison people of his respective district first, and he will be truly remembered for his faithful service.”

Harrison oversaw the construction of the $4 million Robert

“Bob” Harrison Wellness & Advocacy Community Center in his north Huntsville district. It opened in 2013. He also helped with fundraising for the Alabama A&M University Foundation and the Harris Home for Children.

State Rep. Jim Patterson (R-Meridianville) died of a heart attack on October 2. He was 67 years old. Elected to the legislature in 2010, the highlight of his legislative career came earlier this year when he led the effort to pass legislation requiring insurance companies to cover Patterson life-changing autism therapy.

Patterson also served on the Madison County Board of Education from 1988 to 2000. ~ with help from Al.com

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educationnews

Vote December 12 Important School Tax Renewals on ballot along with Senate race

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ight now, thousands of children across Madison County are taught by highly qualified teachers, in buildings designed to support learning, with materials that bring their lessons to life.

This was made possible when, years ago, you and others like you voted FOR our children. We need you to do it again.

When you go to vote in our Senate Special Election on December 12th, you will see property tax renewals on your ballot. These are NOT new taxes. These taxes were passed by local voters years ago with sunset clauses and are now up for renewal. This revenue is an essential source of funding for our local schools. Without the renewal, our three school systems will lose more than $58 million dollars per year. That $58 million goes to teacher salaries, classroom materials, sports, clubs, and more.

If the renewals pass, you won’t see a change in your property taxes – we will still have the lowest property tax rates in the nation. If the renewals don’t pass, you will see serious declines in our schools’ ability to prepare our children with the skills and education they need to be successful in the 21st Century economy.

“A vote for the tax renewals is a vote for our community’s ability

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to continue recruiting high-quality jobs to our area. It is essential that we renew this funding for our schools” said Ron Poteat, North Alabama Area President of Regions Bank.

Because of the funding provided by your property taxes, our schools are making improvements every day to better serve all of our community’s children. We can’t slow down this momentum.

You did it before, so please do it again. Vote FOR our children.

Vote FOR the tax renewals.

Jill Bruton

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

technologynow

Give Spur a Try Local app developed to spur hospitality workforce needs

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n communities across the country, it seems you can’t say holiday without hospitality. The holidays are fast-approaching, and the hospitality industry reaches a surge of customer demands – and in some cases, a shortage of staff this time of year.

Have you heard about Spur? Spur is a new app developed by Glenn Clayton, the founder of Appleton Learning in Huntsville.

Spur is an on-demand jobs app designed to simplify how workers and workplaces find and fill jobs. Its function allows hospitality workers to become freelancers and pick up shifts for restaurants, hotels, event venues, catering companies, and more – when it’s convenient for them and when the hospitality venue needs additional staff. That’s called a win-win.

“Spur allows workplaces to easily post jobs and enables workers to fill them – all for free,” said Melissa DeBolt, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Spur. “The app is especially helpful for catering companies, event venues, and other hospitality businesses that need help with setting up and staffing events as well as for anyone who wants to make extra money in their spare time.”

The Spur app allows the hospitality industry to post jobs for

free, and workers to sign up and apply to fill positions for free. All workers who apply have background checks before they are approved as an available worker. Spur is paid 10 percent of what the worker is paid, which tends to be 40-50 percent cheaper than other hiring practices for short-term employment.

So how does the app really work? Workplaces sign up and post jobs on spurjobs.com. Potential workers apply. The workplaces view the applicants and accept/decline the worker. The worker uses the Spur app to “clock-in” and “clock-out” for the shift they were hired for. Within 24 hours of the worker completing the shift, he or she is paid through the app.

Following completion of each shift, the workplace and worker rate each other to ensure quality on both sides of the arrangement.

The Spur app launched in Nashville and Huntsville three weeks ago and has more than 300 workers and 40 workplaces, though that number is increasing every day. continued on page 30

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Spinal Tap, from page 13

This technology allows for only a slight incision to be made for a standard single-level fusion. It also enables a major open surgery to be done at a much greater speed. An additional benefit to the patient is the low volume radiation CT scan. Current technology can expose the patient to levels of radiation three to ten times higher.

The invention of the Mazor Robot is an exciting new tool that will be significant to not only doctors, but to the patients they serve.

Lydia Pennington

Give Spur a Try, from page 29

“We are excited to head into the holidays and for Spur to support hospitality businesses with their staffing needs at important holiday events,” said DeBolt.

Spur would like to expand the app’s use with workplaces and workers across the nation.

For now, they are really excited to see what started as a pilot effort grow successfully in two communities.

Are you a potential worker who might want to pick up a shift or two based around your schedule to make a little extra money? Or are you a restaurant, bar, catering company, hotel, event venue that is looking to fill staffing surges? Sounds like Spur might be for you! For more information visit www.spurjobs.com or download the Spur app through iTunes or Google Play.

Erin Koshut 30

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infrastructureupdate

Managing Growth Planning, persistence and patience are necessities

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t can be tough to see orange cones as a sign of progress if you’re the one waiting in traffic every day. But they are – and we live in a city that is growing by the hour.

The Restore our Roads project is a $250 million cost-sharing agreement between the City of Huntsville and the Alabama Department of Transportation to complete major road projects in key corridors throughout the City.

As we close out 2017, here’s a check on where these projects stand.

South Memorial Parkway “We’re starting to see the end here,” said Jennie Robinson, who represents District 3 on the Huntsville City Council.

Robinson has closely followed the multi-phase $53.9 million project since it started in 2014. The first part involved new service roads and an elevated intersection on Martin Road, and those were finished in August.

“The easy part – the access roads – we did those first,” said Robinson. “The hard part, building those bridges. That’s happening during the day when people are at work, when traffic is not at a peak.”

Crews are now in the second phase, building the Memorial Parkway mainline and overpasses at Byrd Spring Road and Logan Drive/Lily Flagg Road. They are scheduled to be finished by June 2019, but are six months ahead of schedule. Reed Contracting and Miller & Miller will earn up to $2.5 million in incentives per phase to finish early.

“People have been very complimentary of the progress,” said Robinson. “It’s been wonderful to watch ALDOT work, because they’ve been so conscious of trying not to disrupt traffic, and conscious of the businesses on South Parkway. The businesses have been helpful as well, making it all work.”

The state will soon re-engineer Memorial Parkway from Weatherly Road to Hobbs Road for controlled access.

North Memorial Parkway More improvement is happening on North Memorial Parkway, with one mile of new mainline and service roads between Jonathan Drive and Stallworth Drive to include an overpass at Mastin Lake Road. Plans are 80 percent complete, and sidewalks were also recently added.

Construction on the $35 million project should begin in Fall 2018 and last about two years. Once this area is finished, the controlled access area will extend all the way from Alabama A&M University in north Huntsville to Hobbs Road in south Huntsville.

Huntsville Northern Bypass (MLK Extension Pulaski Pike to U.S. Highway 231) The City’s $39 million project to build the Northern Bypass will help make for an easier drive to a rapidly growing industrial area.

The work will include approximately 3.4 miles of new four-lane service roads beginning near Pulaski Pike through North Memorial Parkway. The project includes one mile of improvements along U.S. 231 to accommodate for the new intersection. Plans

South Huntsville drivers have factored extra time into their weekday commute for a few years. This view from atop the new overpass being built at Lily Flagg shows traffic headed north on a recent morning.

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are 90 percent complete, according to the City’s Engineering division, and construction could begin in late 2018 through 2020 depending on right-of-way acquisition. Drivers will be able to use one lane in each direction along Bob Wade Lane during this time.

Cecil Ashburn Planning is underway for the city’s 3.4-mile project to widen Cecil Ashburn Drive and add two additional lanes between Four Mile Post and U.S. Highway 431. Eight-foot shoulders will also be added along each side of the road for bicycle traffic.

The City’s Engineering Department is working on final designs and right-of-way acquisition. Construction should begin in mid2018 after school dismisses for summer break. The $15.5 million project is expected to take until the end of 2020.

Blake Bottom Overpass This project, being managed by Madison County, involves building an overpass on SR-255 at Blake Bottom Road. The $7.8 million project should begin this fall.

Zierdt Road

The new Northern Bypass will be built along Bob Wade Lane between Pulaski Pike and U.S. Highway 231.

Northbound traffic is essentially complete, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation, with minor work remaining. Southbound construction should begin in Spring 2018.

Claire Aiello

Fiber Connection Crews moving through Huntsville at rapid speed to build lines for GIG City

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onnectivity is more critical than ever in Huntsville/Madison County as the number of connected devices and need for broadband speed grows.

Since debuting fiber-optic service in north Huntsville in May, Google Fiber has expanded its service in Hampton Cove. Targeting south Huntsville next, the technology company is working with Huntsville Utilities to bring its fiber network to more businesses and neighborhoods by its target completion date of August 2019.

In a city that represents space exploration, technology advancements, and scientific achievements, the demand to do more with the Internet is high.

“We’ve been really excited about the response we’ve seen in Huntsville since we launched in May 2017,” a Google spokesperson said. “We are so happy to be a part of helping the city get up to speed. Super-fast Internet opens opportunities for everyone.”

Huntsville Utilities began construction on the network in 2016.

The fiber network, only available in the city limits of Huntsville and Madison County, will not spread into unincorporated counties or smaller surrounding towns – at least not for a while.

Google is currently the only service provider of its kind on Huntsville Utilities’ fiber network, but spokesman Joe Gehrdes said there’s room for one more.

“As of right now, we are not accommodating anyone else, though we are more than ready to talk to anyone interested,” he said.

Gehrdes said Huntsville’s GIG City designation is a huge economic development tool for the fast-growing healthcare industry, which must be able to transfer large packs of data in a timely manner. For institutions like HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and Huntsville Hospital, fiber-optic speeds are a crucial first step

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cyberupdate

Curriculum to Career HCS ramps up cyber classes to ready students for workforce

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s the lead cyber security instructor for Huntsville City Schools, Ira Lacy spends a lot of time developing new ways to prepare bright young minds for the workforce.

He creates cyber curriculum, plans professional development, and coordinates camps and competitions for students and teachers. The hard work is paying off as nearby colleges revamp their programs to accommodate Lacy’s students.

Huntsville City Schools is one of only a few districts in the nation to be recognized as a CyberPatriot Center of Excellence, a designation awarded to institutions or cities that excel in emphasizing cybersecurity and developing the workforce of tomorrow.

The Cyber Course of Study is now active at all high schools in the Huntsville city limits.

When Lacy’s students finish high school,­many already have certifications and internship experience under their belt. That’s a big motivator for companies like Northrop Grumman and SAIC to begin grooming them for future employment.

“We want to build a workforce,” Lacy said. “We want to be the model for the next generation of cyber professionals and I think we’ve done a great job of leading the way thus far.”

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Huntsville City Schools isn’t the only institution leading the charge for cybersecurity. Dr. Tommy Morris, director of the Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), said the university is conducting research to learn about vulnerabilities and security controls for industrial control, automotive, positive train control, and weapon systems.

In August, Gov. Kay Ivey gave the U.S. Space & Rocket Center a $10 million economic development grant to support the new U.S. Cyber Camp and other initiatives. Rocket Center CEO Dr. Deborah Barnhart said the response to the pilot U.S. Cyber Camp program this past summer was positive from the participants, partners, and community.

“It’s abundantly clear how important it is to show students the importance of cybersecurity and encourage them to consider potential careers in that field,” she said. “From our initial efforts this summer, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center team has worked with the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Cyber Huntsville in an ongoing effort to develop and define exactly how this program will look.”

Morris said UAH is developing curriculum and providing in-

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

Fiber Connection,, from page 33

structors for the camp, which introduces high school students to cybersecurity concepts with hands-on activities.

UAH also offers Gencyber camps for teachers, students from 7th to 9th grade, and pupils who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The GenCyber camp for deaf and hard of hearing high school students is just another example of Huntsville’s commitment to cyber education for all people.

“Deaf and hard of hearing students from the southeast United States do not have the same level of exposure to STEM education as their mainstream counterparts,” Morris said. “This GenCyber camp had 20 high school students from nine states. The camp was similar to other UAH GenCyber students camps except it was residential. We are very happy that several students from this camp have already applied to UAH.” Lucy Berry DeButy

in the race to share information more quickly.

Harrison Diamond, business relations officer for the City of Huntsville, said the network strengthens the city’s infrastructure by allowing Huntsville Utilities to operate more efficiently. It also introduces healthy competition between fiber network providers, benefitting consumers with better prices and service.

“The amount of information that is being generated today is nothing compared to what’s to come,” he said. “The fact that we are putting into place the infrastructure to accommodate this growth in data needs will put us in an enviable position. The knowledge economy is built on data and telecommunications infrastructure is the highway for that.”

Uniti Fiber, formerly Mobile-based Southern Light, is one of several providers offering super-fast Internet in the Huntsville area.

Spokesman William Hanes said Uniti’s fiber-optic network covers much of the state, including all major metro areas and more rural communities like Athens and Monroeville.

The company said it has seen a great deal of interest from the technology, education, and military sectors in Huntsville.

“Huntsville is an especially pro-business city, and we are appreciative of the mayor, the city council, and the city staff who have provided support as we have deployed fiber and small cell networks,” Hanes said. “Uniti Fiber is excited about the growth in Huntsville, and we will continue to allocate resources to the area.”

Lucy Berry DeButy

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spacenews

Space Tech Expo Huntsville positions itself for commercial space growth

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nternationally, space is a $300 billion industry, with commercial products and services accounting for more than 75 percent of that amount. To position Huntsville/Madison County for growth in the commercial space sector, the Chamber is implementing a three-part strategy. The first is supporting the initiative to land Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser at Huntsville International Airport to leverage our capabilities in payload development, integration, operations and processing. The second is identifying opportunities to apply our geospatial expertise, and the third is raising our international profile to encourage the establishment of US headquarters in Huntsville/Madison County. In support of the international strategy, the Chamber organized a community presence at the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen, Germany on Oct. 24-26.

Partners in Bremen included UAH, NAITA, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Teledyne Brown Engineering and RadioBro Corporation. More than 300 exhibitors and 3,000 individuals participated in the Expo, which included technical and policy tracks in addition to the exhibits and business-to-business matchmaking.

“This Expo is very focused on business opportunities for European space technology companies, and there was a lot of interest in doing business in the United States,” said Lucia Cape, the Chamber’s senior vice president for economic development. “We were able to discuss the opportunities for these companies in Huntsville while promoting the aerospace customers and partners that make Huntsville a good choice for a US headquarters.”

“Joining the Chamber at the Space Tech Expo in Bremen has already provided the Rocket Center with new partnership opportunities and raised the awareness of the Space Camp brand with an untapped audience,” said Trevor Daniels, chief of staff and government relations for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. “Traveling with a brand as strong as ‘Rocket City, USA’ makes people take notice of your mission and your value. My only advice: bring twice as many business cards as you think you need, and clear your calendar to follow up on leads.”

This is the second time Huntsville/Madison County has participated in the Space Tech Expo Europe. We exhibited at the inaugural Expo in Bremen in 2015. The Space Tech Expo will return A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

to Bremen in 2019, and Huntsville/Madison County has already secured a booth in a prominent location.

“The Space Tech Expo Europe is a great stepping-off point for entering the European market,” said Nathaniel Long with RadioBro. “Everyone is there to do business, and my time is maximized through the B2B meeting service. RadioBro will definitely be attending again in 2019.”

To learn more about the Space Tech Expo Europe and the opportunity to participate in 2019, please contact Lucia Cape at lcape@hsvchamber.org.

Above: The Huntsville/Madison County delegation at the Rocket City USA booth at the Space Expo in Bremen, Germany.

Below: Nathaniel Long of RadioBro Corporation at a B2B meeting.

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Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

STA FF Executive Staff

ADVANCE YOUR CAREER

Chip Cherry, CCE, president & CEO Amy Locke, executive assistant Annette Atchley, resource desk coordinator Margarita Horton, resource desk assistant

Economic Development, Industry Relations & Workforce Lucia Cape, CCE, senior vice president Jill Bruton, workforce development director Erin Koshut, Cummings Research Park director Lydia Pennington, industry relations director Ken Smith, research & information services director Will West, project manager

Government & Public Affairs Mike Ward, CCE, senior vice president

Marketing & Communications Claire Aiello, director Kristi Sherrard, graphic designer Hiroko Sedensky, web designer

Membership

NEW PHR®/SPHR® AND SHRM-CP/SCP EXAM PREP Demonstrate your HR knowledge and expertise by attaining the most widely recognized HR certifications.

This course prepares you for the APHR, PHR®, or SPHR®.

Begins January 27

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE Build a solid foundation in project management and ensure your projects are set up for success. This certificate is responsive to the PMBOK® and is focused on practical applications, particularly in a Government/contractor environment. Take one course or the complete certificate.

Begins January 30. Also available online.

Robert Recker, senior vice president, investor relations Donna McCrary, membership retention manager Kristy Drake, ChamberON & investor relations manager Tina Blankenship, membership account executive Tiffany Miller, membership account executive Eloise Stanley, membership account executive

Small Business & Events Pammie Jimmar, IOM, vice president Devon Elston, coordinator

Finance & Administration Mary McNairy, vice president Kim Savage, accounting specialist – receivables Lori Warner, accounting specialist – payables Joe Watson, facilities supervisor

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber 225 Church Street NW, Huntsville, AL 35801 phone 256-535-2000 | fax 256-535-2015

HSVchamber.org

PMP CERTIFICATION BOOTCAMP ®

Prepare to pass the PMP® exam while obtaining the 40 required contact hours of project management education.

January 22 – 26. Also available online.

Associated Organizations

communityfoundationhsv.org

uah.edu/sbdc

PCS.uah.edu/PDSolutions | 256.824.4430 38

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theschoolsfoundation.org A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

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DOUBLE CASHBACK THIS CHRISTMAS! with your Visa Signature®

3% UNLIMITED CASHBACK* through Dec. 31

800-234-1234 | redfcu.org *Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. Limited time only.

Visit redfcu.org/creditcards or a branch for details. Restrictions may apply.

This credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

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initiatives dec 2017

A PUBLICATION OF THE HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER