Tony Jones (center), Boeing site executive, receives the “Industry of the Year” award for 2009 from Evans Quinlivan(left), past board chair, and Jim Bolte (right), president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, the first winner of the Chamber’s “Industry of the Year” award.

In order to qualify, companies must meet the following criteria:

• Been in Business in Madison County Prior to December 31, 2006
• In good standing with the Better Business Bureau
• Must be enrolled as a Chamber Member by January 1, 2009
• Must have more than 350 employees
• Must have completed a company profile

The Industry of the Year nominees should show a panel of anonymous judges:

• How they responded to challenges or adversity
• Measure results against long and short-term business goals
• Employment growth or stability
• Innovativeness of the product or service they offer
• Significant community involvement

The Industry of the Year is a successful and recognized annual Chamber award. The Huntsville/Madison community is fortunate to have so many companies which excel in their respective industry sectors, and this award brings much deserved recognition to Chamber member companies as well as the Huntsville/Madison County community.

Previous winners of the Industry of the Year include:

• 2008: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama
• 2009: The Boeing Company

Click here to download a nomination form (Word) »

Please submit nominations to Loren Traylor at ltraylor@hsvchamber.org.

“Metal has no DNA; machines have no genes. But that doesn't mean they don't have pedigrees — ancestral lines every bit as elaborate as our own. That's surely the case with the Ares 1 rocket. The best and smartest and coolest thing built in 2009 — a machine that can launch human beings to cosmic destinations we'd never considered before…” Jeff Kluger writes in his description of Ares.

Sen. Richard Shelby said that the accolade is a well-deserved recognition for NASA and its engineers.

“This is hard-earned and well-deserved recognition for NASA and its legion of talented scientists and engineers that are developing the Ares rocket. This honor underscores the great progress and critical importance of the Ares rocket to the Constellation program. As the White House and Congress deliberate the future of American space flight, I will continue to fight to see that this successful program is continued for the future of human space flight," Shelby said.

For the complete article, click here. »

Brad Bohan, DMD Vice President of Corporate Development; Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle; Irma Tuder, Chair of the Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors; Bob Cashion, DMD chief engineer; Bill Best, DMD president; Greg Stolt, DMD executive vice president; and Madison County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie.

DMD has supported the Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command since 2002. The company specializes in radar and missile engineering services, technology evaluation, deployment planning, software development and quality assurance.

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County Board Chair Irma Tuder praised the company for its leadership, competence and commitment.

“DMD is supporting the agencies and the areas that are helping grow our local economy. By providing these services with distinction, the company is likewise growing with our community – which is one of the reasons we are here today,” Tuder said.

DMD President Bill Best thanked the employees for their dedication and hard work.

“While this is a ribbon cutting for our new building, it is really an event about our people. It is about the efforts of a lot of people who take pride in giving our soldiers the technical advantage,” he said. “And we are very proud to be right here in Huntsville.”

Huntsville Mayor Battle echoed the sentiment and said he expected DMD would continue to grow thanks to the company’s highly skilled workforce.

“We are excited about your company. DMD will be a big part of Huntsville’s growth. You are a quality company that represents the quality of Huntsville,” Battle said.

Madison County Commission Chair Mike Gillespie congratulated the company, its employees and thanked them for their support of the nation’s soldiers.

“This is such a meaningful day in our community,” Gillespie said. “And I urge you to continue providing the excellent support that you do and I can promise you we will continue to support you. This building houses the people who support our nation’s soldiers, and we are proud of them and we are proud of you.”

The Chamber’s Huntsville/Madison County Street Map is one of the most requested items at the Chamber and is a great opportunity to put the Chamber’s members’ services and products in front of new residents and those looking to relocate to Huntsville/Madison County as well as people visiting on business or vacation. The map will also be placed in the Chamber’s relocation packets. Approximately 5,000 of these packets are mailed each year.

For more information on purchasing an ad in this high-demand map, contact Kathleen Byrne at 256.535.2080 or kbyrne@hsvchamber.org.

Will Worthington and Tim Singleton of Worthington Federal Bank cut the ribbon for Worthington’s new corporate headquarters in Huntsville.

Worthington is a federally chartered savings bank that began operations in 1989 when it opened in Huntsville. Because of its federal charter, the bank is able to provide services in all 50 states. When Worthington opened, it was the first local bank established in 20 years.

“Worthington Federal Bank is excited about our new Corporate Home Office on South Memorial Parkway. We believe that people go where they are invited and stay where they are made to feel welcomed. In 2007 we invited the Huntsville community to come and be a part of a new, locally owned, community bank. The response has been overwhelming and we have grown to over $160 million in total asset,” said Will Worthington, president and CEO.

Don Nalley, chair-elect of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County Board of Directors, applauded Worthington for its growth when many financial institutions are struggling.

“At a time when many financial institutions are struggling and much of the nation is experiencing economic challenges, Worthington Federal Bank is prospering because they understand the return on investing into this community. And as the Huntsville/Madison County community continues to positively buck national economic trends, so does Worthington Federal Bank,” said Nalley.

Sponsored by System Studies and Simulation, Inc. (S3), BRAC to the Future III speakers will address a variety of topics to include workforce issues, move timelines, agency missions, construction updates and what these moves mean for the community.

This year’s event will feature a special Hail to USASAC (U.S. Army Security Assistance Command) Luncheon and presentation by Brig. Gen. Christopher Tucker, Commanding General of USASAC. USASAC is "The Army's Face to the World" -working in close collaboration with The Army Materiel Command’s life cycle management commands, Department of Defense agencies and U.S. industry for support. The mission of USASAC is to implement approved U.S. Army Security Assistance programs. This includes Foreign Military Sales of defense articles and services to eligible foreign governments. USASAC is responsible for life cycle management of FMS cases, from pre-letter of request, development, execution and closure.

Registration for this event is only available online.

“I recently joined the Chamber and participated in the Business Expo for the first time ever. Through this experience and my initial involvement, I was able to reach customers and take orders for more than $500,000 worth of new business in just one day,” said Chuck Sanderson, owner of If Its Wood Cabinetry, Granite & Tile. “The new member luncheon was extremely helpful in showing me other ways to get involved and grow my business.”

As a high tech chamber in a high tech town, the Chamber rolled out several new tools in the past few months to help members get the most from their membership and to take advantage of gains in information technology. For example, the new online membership database tool, WebLink, allows members to manage their company information and review referral reports in real-time using the internet.

In addition to learning how to access this information, during the recharge events, members were shown how to view the Chamber’s online calendar of events and register from the Chamber’s website. Many events, such as the recent State of the City address by Mayor Tommy Battle, are selling out quickly and timely registration is essential to be able to network with other community business leaders.

“We have never had a chamber use the online software tools to the extent that your Chamber has and our list of clients include chambers in cities like Las Vegas that have more than 6,000 members,” said a representative with WebLink recently to the Chamber’s IT manager.

“It is always helpful to remind people about the services you provide and how to access the resources available to them through the Chamber,” said Ron Poteat, Chamber vice chair for investor relations. “By bringing members to the chamber, we can not only tell but we can show them how to get involved,” he added.

Whether a new or long time member, the recharge events reinforce the message that this chamber is always working to improve its services and products to help the community grow and help businesses reach their goals.

Gen. John P. Abizaid

Abizaid retired from the United States Army in May, 2007, after 34 years of active service. After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, he rose from second lieutenant of infantry to four-star general in the Army. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-serving commander of United States Central Command, with responsibility for an area spanning 27 countries in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and the Horn of Africa. During a distinguished career, he commanded units at every level, serving in the combat zones of Grenada, Lebanon, Kurdistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Abizaid worked on the Joint Staff three times, the last as director.

Abizaid serves as the Distinguished Chair of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and works with the Preventative Defense Project at Stanford University and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He speaks on leadership and international security through the Washington Speakers’ Bureau. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and serves as a Director of the George Olmsted Foundation. Through his consulting company, JPA Partners LLC, General Abizaid advises small businesses through Fortune 500 companies nationally and internationally, and serves as a Board Member for both USAA and RPM, Inc.

In addition to the speech by General Abizaid, Industry of the Year will awarded to one of Huntsville/Madison County’s large employers as well the announcement of the Chamber’s Distinguished Service Award, the Chamber’s highest honor.