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| Announcements |
The Entrepreneur Strikes Back
23rd Annual Small Business Awards
Honoring those organizations and individuals that are helping the community continue to thrive and prosper, the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County recently held its annual tribute to the area’s small businesses, while honoring non-profit organizations, the young professional of the year and the entrepreneur of the year. The 2008 awards featured a record 93 nominations, 18 of which were finalists.
According to Elizabeth Morard, the Chamber’s vice chair for small business and the president/CEO of Qualis Corporation, the number of nominees is a clear indicator of the success of small business in Huntsville and the strength of the Huntsville economy. “The awards event is an inspiring showcase of the caliber of talent and contributions of area small businesses to the community.”
Evans Quinlivan, chairman of the Chamber’s board of directors and the Northeast Alabama market executive with RBC Bank, praised all of the winners and nominees for the impact they have had on the Huntsville/Madison County community.
“All of you in this room are helping our community grow and succeed at nearly unprecedented levels, and while only a select few will be honored, you are all the envy of many other communities,” Quinlivan said.
2008 Small Business Award Finalists and Winners
Personal Services
Nesin Therapy Services, P.C. - Winner
Average to Art, Inc.
Eagle Collision Center, Inc.
Business Services
AZ Technology
T & W Operations, LLC -- Winner
LESCO
Technology
System, Studies and Simulation, Inc. (S3) - Winner
Digium, Inc.
Gleason Research Associates, Inc.
Non-profit
The Volunteer Center of Madison County
The Land Trust of Huntsville & North Alabama – Winner
Kids to Love Foundation
Young Professional of the Year
Olly Orton – Smith Barney
Jay E. Town – Madison County’s District Attorney’s Office
Alison Gillespie Trefry – Huntsville Museum of Art -- Winner
Entrepreneur of the Year
Jan Smith, System Studies & Simulation, Inc. (S3) - Winner
Anita Williams, LESCO
Andy Bevilacqua, Bevilacqua Research Corporation
The event, presented by Redstone Federal Credit Union, featured emcees Bob Ludwig, publisher for The Huntsville Times and 2004 Executive of the Year winner and 3-D Research Founder Lisa Williams.
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Gov. Riley Applauds Huntsville/Madison County Economic Growth at Update 2008
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Gov. Bob Riley recently gave the Alabama Update sponsored by Dynetics.
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Gov. Bob Riley gave the 2008 Alabama Update hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County in front of nearly 1,200 people in the Von Braun Center North Hall. Riley said the area continues to lead the state in economic development and said he was confident that success would continue. Riley attributed Huntsville’s diverse industry and willingness to work with foreign-owned companies as keys to the resiliency of the Huntsville economy.
Evans Quinlivan, Chamber board chair, opened the event by addressing the crowd of business leaders, community leaders and elected officials. He said the size of the crowd was a sign of Huntsville’s success.
“The number of tickets sold for this event can be seen as a measurement of customer satisfaction,” Quinlivan said.
Gov. Riley first addressed the audience by saying how much he enjoys coming to Huntsville and hearing the good news surrounding the industries in Huntsville and Madison County.
“Of everything that I do every year, I always look forward to coming to Huntsville. Huntsville is like an oasis in the state. I don’t know of any other place where 1,000 people would show up to a Chamber of Commerce event.” Continue »
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"Show Me the Money" Career & Workforce Expo
 Looking to reach your future workforce? Companis have the opportunity to register for “Show Me the Money,” the Chamber’s career expo for 10th graders. Participating companies will be able to promote their high-demand careers to high school students on Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at UAHuntsville. No cost to participate.
Contact: Mitzi Floyd
Phone: 256.535.2089
mfloyd@hsvchamber.org
Gold Sponsor: Bechtel
Silver Sponsor: ADTRAN • Teledyne Brown Engineering
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Korean Chamber of Commerce Welcome Reception
 The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County will give a warm community welcome to the Korean-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Huntsville and North Alabama. This event will take place from 5 - 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11 at the Korean Presbyterian Church of Huntsville located at 2901 First St. Huntsville, Ala. 35805.In addition to representatives from several Korean companies in Alabama, top representatives from Korean companies in neighboring states and the leadership from Korean-American Chambers of Commerce in California, Tennessee and Georgia are expected to attend. The reception starts at 5 p.m. with a brief program starting at 6 p.m.
For more information, contact Mr. Kim at (256) 777-9932.
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Qualis Corporation Placed on the Inc. 5,000 List
for Second Year in a Row
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Elizabeth Morard, President and CEO of Qualis Corporation
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Inc. recently ranked Qualis Corporation number 1,294 on its Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. This is the second year in a row Qualis has ranked on the Inc. 5,000. The Inc. 5,000, an extension of Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 500 list, catches many businesses that are too big to grow at the pace required to make the Inc. 500, as well as a host of smaller firms. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.
“The Inc. 5,000 gives an unrivalled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing fascinating things with cutting-edge business models, as well as older companies that are still showing impressive growth,” said Inc. 5,000 Project Manager Jim Melloan.
Qualis also ranks number 12 in the top 50 engineering firms in the country. For companies in Alabama (67 total), Qualis ranks number 16 in all industries and number 2 in engineering firms. Continue »
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Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Partners with UAHuntsville
Officials with The University of Alabama in Huntsville and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Inc. (PWR) have signed a formal agreement to forge a stronger research collaboration.UAHuntsville President David Williams and PWR President James Maser signed a Research Collaboration Protocol agreement under which cooperative activities and projects will be undertaken to leverage and strengthen the research, education, innovation and strategic missions of the two organizations.
“These types of industry-university collaborations are going to be playing an increasingly important role in creating innovation in a number of areas — science engineering, business and technology transfer,” said Dr. Williams. “The research and development activities of PWR are closely aligned with those of the university, thus giving us the confidence that this partnership will be of tremendous benefit to both organizations. Continue »
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Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau Announces Photo Contest
 The Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau wants to see your best local photos. From now until Sept. 30, they are accepting digital photos of visitor friendly sites throughout the county. First prize for the contest is $750.
The CVB is looking for photographs that highlight the beauty of the area. “We encourage area residents and visitors alike to capture images of people enjoying our attractions and special activities or events,” states Judy Ryals, President/CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County CVB. “This contest along with the Staycation (vacation close to home) program really allows people to rediscover the great area attractions and activities,” added Ryals.
The photo contest is open to everyone. Prizes of $750 for first, $500 for second and $250 for third place photos will be awarded. Submitting photos is easy. High resolution digital images in .jpeg or .tiff formats with an accompanying print of the photo along with the entry forms will be accepted. Full contest rules can be found on the CVB website www.huntsville.org
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Red Sage Communications, Inc. Selected as the WBCNA"2008 Small Business Start-up of the Year"
 Red Sage Communications, Inc. was selected as the "2008 Small Business Start-up of the Year". It is the third year the WBCNA has offered this award, which was created as a way to recognize small business owners who implement best practices when starting their new business. The award was announced at the Small Business Awards Celebration, an annual event hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. Edible Arrangements and Goin' To the Dogs and Cats Mobile Grooming were finalists.
Past winners have included Living Art Water Gardens (2006) and Myers Technical Services (2007). Continue »
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Inergi Announces new VPs
 Inergi Design Services announced two new leadership positions for the company.
Nick Parker and Terry Johnson, both part of the original team that launched Inergi eight years ago, will move to roles as executive vice presidents within the company. In his new position, Parker will be responsible for all aspects of the Inergi division that includes the Exhibit, Museum, Broadcast and Retail business units. Johnson will be responsible for the division that encompasses the Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Product Commercialization, Rapid Prototyping, CNC Machining Center, Simulation and PLM software business units. Continue »
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Calhoun Announces New Academic Deans
 Calhoun Community College President Marilyn Beck announced the addition of four new deans to the college. The new positions are the result of the restructuring of Calhoun’s academic and technology divisions and the recent retirements of two former division chairs. National searches were conducted to fill each post.The new deans are Kenneth Anderson, humanities and social sciences division; Bethany Clem, business/computer information systems, technologies and workforce development division; Jimmy Duke, math and natural sciences division; and J. Bret McGill, health division. Continue »
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Mouser Electronics Signs Global Distribution Agreement with Future Designs, Inc.
 Mouser Electronics, Inc. announced it signed a global distribution agreement with Future Designs, Inc., a design consultant of embedded development support products for microcontrollers from NXP and other semiconductor manufacturers located in Huntsville.Mouser Electronics, Inc. is an electronic component distributor, focused on the rapid introduction of new products and technologies to electronic design engineers. Mouser.com features more than a million products online from more than 366 manufacturers. Mouser’s 2,100 plus page catalog is published every 90 days, providing designers with up-to-date data on the components available for the next generation of electronic devices. Mouser ships globally to over 280,000 customers in 170 countries from its 432,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility in Mansfield, Texas.
Future Designs, Inc. is a design and technical services organization founded in 1989 and specializing in embedded product design and development. Its team of experienced engineers can handle electrical, mechanical, software, manufacturing and systems engineering requirements. Continue »
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JH Partners Architecture announces Kathleen Maker Becomes Licensed Architect
 JH Partners Architecture & Interiors is pleased to announce that Kathleen Maker, AIA, LEED AP, has earned the professional designation of registered architect from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Maker also is the LEED-SPiRiT coordinator for JH Partners’ eco-friendly, green building efforts.
Maker holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in linguistics from the University of Oregon and a Master of Architecture degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before joining the intern architecture program at JH Partners in 1998, she worked with the City of Seattle.
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