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"We are so honored to have been named a Blue Ribbon Small Business Award Winner and grateful to our staff who is deserving of this level of recognition. Nesin is proud to have maintained our commitment to providing the highest quality of care for our patients and continuing support for the development of our employees and of our community. We are committed to the preservation of our value system as we grow toward a bright future for our company," said Janine Nesin.

"Winners of the Blue Ribbon Small Business Award represent the country's finest business success stories," said Thomas J. Donohue, the U.S. Chamber's president and CEO. "In today's difficult business climate, it is especially important to highlight those companies that continue to excel. It is their dedication to sound business principles that will enable us to rebuild our nation's economy." Continue »

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County Chair Irma Tuder, ManTech International CEO George Pedersen, Brenda Martin of the City of Huntsville and Nexolve President and General Manager Joe Bergantz cut the ribbon on Nexolve’s new facility in Cummings Research Park. (Click photo to enlarge.)

According to Nexolve president and general manager Joe Bergantz, the move to the new facility will make the company more efficient because of its proximity to high bays that the company already owned and more office and lab space.

“Our name may have changed from ManTech SRS to Nexolve, but the people haven’t changed,” Bergantz said. “We are still going to provide high quality service and we look forward to growing in this community with our neighbors in Research Park.”

ManTech International CEO George Pedersen flew in from corporate headquaters to attend the event. In February 2008, Pedersen received a Federal 100 Award from Federal Computer Week. He was chosen for having a significant influence on how the "federal government buys, uses and manages information technology," and "for a risk-taking, vision and pioneering spirit in the federal IT community." Pedersen said how amazed he was with Huntsville’s growth. Continue »

Members are invited to participate in the Chamber’s Montgomery Trip 2009 Tuesday and Wednesday, March 10-11. The annual meeting is designed to advance the Chamber’s state agenda and provide an opportunity to meet with key leaders in state government.

Local business and elected leaders who participate in this visit also receive excellent networking opportunities with other community leaders, companies and potential customers while familiarizing themselves with Huntsville/Madison County’s critical state issues.

To maximize the exposure, the Chamber has extended the Montgomery trip to include parts of two days. There will be a reception Tuesday evening, March 10. The entire Alabama Legislature and key members of the Governor’s cabinet have been invited to the reception. Meetings with key education and transportation officials have already been arranged.

A $120 registration covers meetings, materials, breakfast, lunch and the reception. A $165 registration includes bus transportation to and from Montgomery, meetings, materials, breakfast, lunch and the reception.

Chamber members are eligible for a special discounted rate to stay in the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa at the Convention Center. To make reservations to the hotel, call 1-877-545-0311.

For more information about the trip, contact Tina Leopold at 535-2031 or TLeopold@hsvchamber.org. Attendees can also register for the Montgomery trip online at www.HuntsvilleAlabamaUSA.com.

The Chamber is partnering with Expo Experts, LLC, a leading job fair provide specializing in industry-specific career expos, for four national recruiting events this year. The Chamber will be recruiting in Orlando, Dayton, Ohio, Washington, D.C. and Colorado Springs, Colo .

The events the Chamber will attend this year focus on mid- and senior-level professionals with backgrounds in engineering, IT and security clearances. The Chamber encourages all member companies that have recruiting needs to join in recruiting / marketing the Huntsville/Madison County area and the Tennessee Valley Region.

“These four events are a great way for your company to source top talent to fill your local high-demand positions. Should you choose to attend all four career expos, your company would save a total of $2,400 in event costs,” said Mark Brown, director of workforce recruitment at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County.

Companies can register directly with Susan Tuner of Expo Experts LLC at susan@expoexpertsllc.com. When registering with Susan, alert her that you are a Chamber member. Companies attending are responsible for their on travel arrangements and expenses.

For more information, contact:
Mark Brown: (256) 535-2019, mbrown@hsvchamber.org
Mitzi Floyd: (256) 535-2089, mfloyd@hsvchamber.org

Representatives from SAIC present a $94,000 donation to students and faculty members of the business school at UAHuntsville. (Click photo to enlarge.)

The SAP software is used in ten graduate and undergraduate business school courses, with as many as three other courses -- including a course in business intelligence management -- in various stages of development, according to Dr. Jeet Gupta, UAHuntsville’s eminent scholar in management.

More than 1,000 students have taken classes using the SAP software since it became part of the UAHuntsville curriculum in June 2006. That includes more than 20 business school alumni who are members of the SAIC team supporting NASA’s SAP environments. Continue »

The economic stimulus bill that the U.S. Congress approved and President Barack Obama signed into law presents many opportunities for small businesses. The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County is presenting a program to help small businesses better understand the 1,000-plus page bill and what it means for them.

The Chamber will host a free educational forum focusing on the stimulus bill’s impact on small businesses concerning taxation, legality and lending opportunities March 31 at 8:30 a.m. in the Auditorium. Speakers from Beason & Nalley, Sirote & Perumutt, the Small Business Administration and the Southern Development Council will give presentations and take questions from participants.

Those interested in attending this event must RSVP to reservations@hsvchamber.org. For more information on this event, contact Jenni Jeffers, director, small business/membership services at jjeffers@hsvchamber.org.

Hawk was recognized for its expertise in aircraft maintenance, its information-sharing capabilities to the soldier and for the development various components of Aviation Ground Support Equipment.

“Employee engagement is measured by the ability and willingness of individuals to exert extra effort for the benefit of the company, their tendency to speak highly of the organization and their intent to stay,” according to Harris.

Best known as the research firm behind Best Places to Work programs in more than 40 metro areas including Huntsville/Madison County, Quantum Workplace surveys more than 1.5 million employees among 5,000 companies nationwide. The surveys are conducted at different times of the year, but at the same time of the year in each location. The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County participates in the Best Places to Work Program.

“In the past, our surveys have shown how employers can significantly influence, if not control, how motivated and satisfied their employees are. But, we couldn’t help but wonder what affect such a significant event beyond employer’s control—an economic crisis—might have on employee feelings and perceptions of their workplaces.

By an almost two-to-one margin (134 to 76), more employers had lower overall employee engagement scores in the fall of 2008 than in the fall of 2007. This result is out of the ordinary from our trends for the last five years, and strongly suggests that external circumstances regarding the economy may well be influencing employees’ attitudes about their jobs and workplaces,” Harris said. Continue »