09/26/03
By GINA HANNAH
Times Business Writer ginah@htimes.com
Initiative includes five strategies to aid companies
The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce's new economic development push contains measures that will ensure the city reaches its goals, including becoming the South's top technology-based economy, officials said Thursday.
The Huntsville Regional Economic Growth Initiative was unveiled by chamber leaders in a news conference Thursday.
The effort will require local companies to donate a combined $1 million annually, with another $500,000 coming from government, said Brian Hilson, president and chief executive officer of the chamber.
Howard Thrailkill, president and chief operating officer of Adtran Inc. and chairman of the chamber's board of directors, said companies who invest in the initiative will be able to see measurable results. Teams will meet regularly to review data that will be compiled measuring the number of new jobs, the number of economic development projects the chamber is pursuing or has recruited, and how those activities compare with competing cities. "Any company contributing deserves a conversation with (committee) chairs to make sure their money is spent wisely," Thrailkill said.
The initiative includes five key strategies to position Huntsville at the top of the Southeast's high-tech cities, pitting it against Austin, Texas, and the famed Research Triangle Park near Raleigh-Durham, N.C. The plan sets immediate, mid-term (five-year) and long-term (10-year) goals.
Help local businesses stay in Huntsville and expand their operations. Because 75 percent of new jobs come from existing employers, the chamber aims to limit the decline of local jobs that happens when companies cut jobs, shut down or move away. The chamber's new strategy includes one-on-one meetings with 125 local companies each year, contact with at least 50 local employers at the headquarters level, special business forums for industry sectors and, ultimately, the addition of 2,100 jobs from expanding local companies. The cost: $331,000 annually.
Recruit new, targeted businesses to the Huntsville area. Thrailkill said he doesn't want to see just any type of job come to Huntsville, but those that are compatible with the area's high-tech environment, as opposed to heavy industry. Luring these high-tech jobs is expected to cost $550,600 annually.
Nurture Huntsville's space and defense infrastructure. That includes being ready for the Army's 2005 round of base realignment and closures, or BRAC. The chamber has set aside $200,000 annually for lobbying to keep and expand activities at Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center.
The chamber plans to spend $245,000 annually for marketing to enhance and improve Huntsville's image. Huntsville is often named on "best city" lists in Forbes and Fortune magazines, but it isn't on top, said Dave Hargrove, regional manager for BellSouth and vice chair of the chamber initiative's resource development and finance committee.
"If we're a best-kept secret, we're not doing a good job," he said
The chamber will work with area leaders to ensure that Huntsville and Madison County are attractive places to live. The budget calls for $173,400 to be spent annually to measure such things as infrastructure, education and other government services, and to administer the initiative.
Public money for the chamber's new initiative is coming from Huntsville Utilities, the Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority and Tennessee Valley Authority. Forty companies have pledged money for the program; Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama announced it would donate $400,000 during the next five years to the initiative. Toyota is the only company making its donation public.
"As Toyota continues to grow in Huntsville, we recognize the importance of economic development," said Haruaki Hoshino, president of the Huntsville engine plant. "We have received tremendous support from the chamber of commerce and area leaders and we are proud to invest in the future of this community."
