Dave Hargrove, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, presents a plaque to Walter Batson, chief executive of Camber Corporation.

Camber Corporation announced the opening of their third facility in Huntsville on December 13. The employee-owned company was founded in Huntsville in 1990. According to Walter Batson, CEO of Camber, the company supports customers both stateside and abroad, providing expertise in engineering; training; modeling and simulation; software development; operations; acquisition management; and information technology.

The new office was opened at 670 Discovery Drive in Cummings Research Park.

Dave Hargrove, chairman of the board of directors for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, emceed the event which featured special guests Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer and the Missile Defense Agency’s Harvey Player, assistant deputy for agency operations south. Also pictured: Huntsville Operations Vice President Furney Wood, Paradigm COO Gerry Zimmerman, and Chamber Ambassador Alissa Murnane, owner of Average to Art.

Paradigm first opened its doors for business in the Tennessee Valley in 2001 with two employees. Since that time, the company has added 50 new employees providing support to local and national customers. Paradigm’s core technical capabilities include acquisition program management, financial management, cost estimating & analysis, strategic planning, system engineering, and mission & policy analysis

Pictured left to right: Angela Hardin, office manager at Operon Biotechnologies, Inc.; Brad Jones, chair-elect of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County; Patrick Weiss, CEO of Operon; Violette Weiss; Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer; and Jim Hudson, president of the Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology.

The life-sciences company celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony on December 4.

The new operation overhauls and repairs framed aircraft cockpit windows. It opened earlier this year under PPG’s FAA repair license and received FAA approval.

Alabama Governor Bob Riley

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Verizon Wireless will build a new, high-tech state headquarters facility in Huntsville, bringing up to 1,300 jobs and an investment of over $44 million to the area, announced Gov. Bob Riley on September 21.

“This is outstanding news for Huntsville and the state of Alabama,” said Gov. Riley. “Today’s announcement is proof that a strong business climate - good schools, a solid community and a highly-skilled workforce – make a difference to growing businesses like Verizon Wireless looking to expand.”

The company plans to break ground by year’s end, with hiring to begin next summer. “When the company ramps up to 1,300 employees, Verizon Wireless will be one of Huntsville’s top ten private sector employers,” said Evans Quinlivan, vice chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County and emcee of the announcement ceremony. Continue (PDF)»

Pictured left to right: Jim Kuzmick, founder and chairman of WBB; Kevin Moore, president of WBB; Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer; Carol Frazier, manager of Huntsville Operations for WBB; Dave Hargrove, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County.

Whitney, Bradley & Brown, Inc. (WBB), Vienna, Va., celebrated the opening of a new Huntsville office with an official ribbon cutting ceremony on September 20. “We are excited to establish an office in Huntsville and look forward to being part of a world-class community serving the warfighter and other elements of the federal government,” said WBB President and CEO Kevin Moore. The WBB offices are located in downtown in the AmSouth building.

Dave Hargrove, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, emceed the event. "For the past 25 years, Whitney, Bradley & Brown has provided expert consulting services to both government and commercial entities," he remarked. "We're pleased to have them as a new member of the Huntsville business community."

Moore noted most of the company’s 250 employees have served in the U.S. military and are now focused on assisting clients with, “some of their tougher challenges in acquisition, program development and operations.” He added, “The common bonds in the Huntsville community, which bring so many together in support of America's interests, are strong draws for firms like WBB. We look forward to being a contributor to this effort and to the community.”

Pictured left to right: Brad Jones, chairman-elect of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County; Frank L. Collazo, president and general manager of FCA Properties; Al Sullivan, president of COLSA Corporation; Governor Bob Riley; Francisco J. Collazo, founder and chairman of COLSA Corporation; and Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer.

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“COLSA’s expansion is more good news for Alabama’s economy. The jobs and opportunities this expansion will bring to our state will make a tremendous difference in the lives of many citizens. I applaud COLSA and its employees for their outstanding work which has made the company so successful,” commented Governor Bob Riley during groundbreaking ceremonies held September 14 for the Huntsville-based company’s new facility. The building will become part of the current COLSA Corporation campus located on Odyssey Drive in Cummings Research Park.

According to COLSA President Al Sullivan, the 132,000 square-foot facility will house a number of NASA- and U.S. Department of Defense-related research and technical support activities. “Once completed,” Sullivan noted, “the new facility will accommodate in excess of 350 personnel, including 124 new jobs.” Hiring for the new positions will be spread over the 2008 to 2010 timeframe. Currently, COLSA employs more than 900. Continue (PDF)»

Steve Finnell presents a plaque to Marcus Poggel, vice president of operations; also pictured, Harald Unterieser, vice president and general manager of Kömmerling USA.

On August 30, Kömmerling USA, cut the ribbon on a 100,000 square foot plant expansion at its Chase Industrial Park location while celebrating 10 years of Huntsville operations. The expansion includes additional extrusion capacity to supply the growing KOMA trim products business. Ultimately, the expansion is expected to add more than 60 new jobs.

KOMA Trim Products provide exterior trim solutions primarily to the building and construction industry. They can be used for a variety of applications including fascias, window and door surrounds, flat panel applications, custom millwork, decorative columns and trim.
Harald Unterieser, vice president and general manager of Kömmerling USA Inc., said the company has made the sheets in Germany, transported them by ship to the U.S. and cut and converted them for delivery in Huntsville.

"We saw it was necessary to produce it here for the domestic market," Unterieser said. It takes eight weeks for shipment from Germany, he added. Unterieser noted the decision to manufacture in the U.S. was influenced by training provided by the Alabama Industrial Training Development program (AIDT).

Steve Finnell, industrial development director for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, said, "The AIDT program is probably one of the best incentives the state has to offer. It allows a company to open up and immediately begin production. You can hardly measure how valuable that is."

Kömmerling featured its "better than wood" KOMA wood trim products during festivities.

Yup’ik Eskimo dancers performed during the ceremony.

Yulista Management Services opened a new 14,000 square foot aviation hangar at the Madison County Executive Airport on August 18. The facility supports joint venture work with Science and Engineering Services (SES), Inc. In 2002, these two companies formed Joint Venture Yulista and SES (JVYS) to provide engineering and technical support to the Prototype Integration Facility (PIF), located on Redstone Arsenal. “Over the past four years, JVYS, in support of the Prototype Integration Facility, or PIF, at Redstone Arsenal, has provided rapid response to readiness and material problems encountered by U.S. soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq. This new facility will support the JVYS/PIF team and their mission of rapid response to critical requirements for modifications to military helicopters and fixed wing aircraft,” said Dave Hargrove, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County and emcee for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Army aircraft include Apache, Black Hawk and cargo helicopters.

Yulista is one of five subsidiaries of Calista, Inc, an Alaska Native Corporation founded in 1972 and engaged in work ranging from Yulista’s nationwide professional and technical management services to Alaskan construction, drilling, printing, and newspaper services. “Calista” comes from Yup’ik Eskimo for ‘someone who does’ (ista) ‘work’ (cali). Calista is the second largest of 13 regional Alaska Native Corporations.

Mayor Loretta Spencer led the ribbon cutting activity with Calista Chairman Matthew Nicolai.

Chamber Chairman Dave Hargrove welcomes guests to the groundbreaking.

Lockheed Martin kicked off construction of a new office building in Huntsville with a groundbreaking ceremony on August 15. The new facility will expand the corporation’s Huntsville Operations business unit on Bradford Drive.
Officials participating in the ceremony included: Sen. Jeff Sessions; Rep. Robert “Bud” Cramer Jr.; Rep. Robert B. Aderholt; Alabama Governor Bob Riley; Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer; Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie; Dave Hargrove, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County; and Dr. Robert H. Trice, senior vice president of business development for Lockheed Martin.

“This new building accommodates the continued growth of our talented workforce,” said Huntsville Operations Director Robert A. Drolet, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “Most importantly, this facility will enable us to further expand our support to our Department of Defense customers and the important work they do for our nation.”

Lockheed Martin Huntsville Operations, which employs nearly 550 people, has increased its workforce by 13 percent in the past year and expects to further increase its workforce over the next few years due to increased business associated with several core missile defense programs and a major thrust to support directed-energy initiatives.

Construction of the 166,000-square-foot office building is scheduled to begin later this month, subject to final negotiations between Lockheed Martin and Sunnyvale II development group of Huntsville. The building is scheduled to be completed in October 2007. In addition to office space, the building will include computer labs, conference rooms and a customer interface center with state-of-the-art electronics for specialized presentations and multiple meeting capabilities.

Approximately 350 people attended the event, including Lockheed Martin employees, government and military personnel, community members and other guests.

The new Lockheed Martin building will house employees working on missile defense programs. View larger image »	The new Lockheed Martin building will house employees working on missile defense programs. Download rendering (PDF) »

Left to right: Congressman Mike Black; Chamber Chairman Dave Hargrove; President & CEO Rob Topping, Westar Aerospace & Defense Group; Senator Jeff Sessions; Executive Vice President and COO Garrett Martz, Westar Aerospace & Defense Group; Congressman Terry Everett; Mayor Loretta Spencer; Congressman Bud Cramer and Representative Sue Schmitz.

“Our Huntsville operations have been expanding every year since we hired our first employee here in 1996. Today we have nearly 500 employees in Alabama,” said Rob Topping, Westar president and chief executive officer. “These new facilities reflect the good work of our people in meeting the growing needs of our customers, and give us the increased science and laboratory space we need to deliver solutions to our customers’ most important challenges.” Topping noted that BRAC-related jobs boosted their decision.

Dave Hargrove, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, welcomed attendees to the May 1, 2006 event and said “Westar is a company on the move, advancing to meet the needs of their customers and their community. This new facility and new expansion plans are shining examples of their commitment to both.” Continue (PDF)»

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Governor Bob Riley congratulates and welcomes Dan Smith, president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.

“We’re making this significant investment in Huntsville because it’s the right thing to do for our people,” said Dan Smith, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) president. “Several years ago we projected the tremendous growth opportunities in North Alabama and planned on building this new facility.”

Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer, Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County Dave Hargrove joined other elected officials, community leaders, Raytheon customers and employees for the groundbreaking ceremony. Most of the Raytheon employees who attended the event will relocate to the new facility upon its completion early next year.

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Pictured left to right: Dave Hargrove, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County; Alabama State Representative Sue Schmitz; Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer; SPARTA CEO Bob Sepucha; U.S. Congressman Bud Cramer; and Madison County Commissioner Dale Strong.

The company plans a signature building in Thornton Research Park. Located at 401 Diamond Drive, the proposed 97,000 square-foot facility will be situated on 15-acres. Plans also feature an expansion option for an additional 35,000 square feet. Mayor Loretta Spencer noted, “Huntsville is very fortunate to see the continuing investments made by major companies in the city’s research parks.”

Dr. Bob Sepucha, chief executive officer for SPARTA, announced, "This facility will consolidate all our Huntsville operations and allow SPARTA additional room to grow during the BRAC relocation." Missile defense work represents about 45 percent of SPARTA's business and company officials anticipate BRAC-related moves by their current workforce living in the northern Virginia area, as well as business growth in the Huntsville market.

"SPARTA celebrated its 25th anniversary last year," noted Dave Hargrove, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, "and at that time the company was well into planning this phase of growth. Today, you see evidence of the success that SPARTA has enjoyed in Huntsville." Continue (PDF) »

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Ken Dahlberg, SAIC chairman, president and CEO, and Congressman Bud Cramer unveil a rendering of the SAIC campus during groundbreaking ceremonies held Feb. 23.

Work on a 4-story, 100,000-square-foot building will start in May.  Completion is anticipated in June 2007.  The two buildings should accommodate about 1,000 workers. Plans also call for a third building.  

According to Gurley, SAIC is positioning for continued growth. Among potential growth areas, he noted: work on future combat systems; continued collaboration with Marshall Space Flight Center; work with the U.S. Army's Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center; and future opportunities resulting from the U.S. Army Materiel Command's planned relocation to Redstone Arsenal.

The move also consolidates five locations. “There is a lot of time and energy spent in traveling between locations,” noted Gurley.  The concept for the integrated campus actually began two years ago, he added.

SAIC, an employee-owned research and engineering company, was founded in San Diego in 1969 and opened its third office in Huntsville in 1972.  The local office is the company’s third largest today.   SAIC employs about 2,000 in Huntsville.

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Pictured left to right: Larry Foor, Sheila Cummings and Kerry Wisnosky, Millennium Engineering and Integration; Irma Tuder, vice chair of economic development, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce; Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer; Dale Strong, Madison County Commission; Dr. Patricia Sanders and Carlton Brewer, Missile Defense Agency.

Millennium Engineering and Integration (MEI) Company celebrated the opening of their Huntsville office on February 21. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the MEI office in Cummings Research Park. The MEI Huntsville office will focus on technology development and integration for missile defense and other aerospace/weapon systems.

"We are looking forward to extending our services and capabilities to our clients and customers in the Huntsville area. Huntsville has many opportunities for our company and clients, and we are excited to extend our expertise in advanced aerospace technology development," said Kerry Wisnosky, president and CEO of MEI. Continue (PDF) »

Dave Hargrove, chairman of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, presents a plaque to Tom Harrison, vice president and LUH program manager, EADS North America Defense.

"EADS- North America is a welcome addition to the elite cadre of aerospace giants already located in our community," said Dave Hargrove, chairman of the board for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County.  "The work being performed out at Redstone Arsenal means Huntsville is where the action is -- and now it's where EADS-North America is located," he noted during the company's announcement ceremony.

"Our new Huntsville facility is another element of EADS North America's growth in the U.S., and is an important part of our strategy to invest, win and perform on key U.S. Army programs," said EADS North America chairman and CEO, Ralph D. Crosby, Jr.  

The office, located in Huntsville's Cummings Research Park, will support EADS North America*s participation in a full range of U.S. defense initiatives through such product offerings as the C-295/CN-235 Future Cargo Aircraft (FCA), TransHospital mobile hospital, UH-145 Light Utility Helicopter and helicopter engine test equipment.  

Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer commented, "Huntsville welcomes EADS North America to the Tennessee Valley.  Redstone Arsenal is a vital and unique asset for our nation's security.  We look forward to working with our new defense partners in pursuit of this important mission."  Mike Gillespie, chairman of the Madison County Commission, added, "Huntsville is a center for aerospace technology excellence. The decision by EADS-North America to locate an office in Huntsville certainly illustrates the company's vision to expand its strategy and success in the U.S." Continue (PDF) »

Pictured left to right: Senator Roger Bedford; Senator Tom Butler; U.S. Congressman Bud Cramer; Irma Tuder, vice chair of economic development for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County; Governor Bob Riley; Jim Hudson, president of HAIB; Lonnie McMillian, chairman of the HAIB board of directors; and Mayor Loretta Spencer.

Governor Riley commented, "When I ran for Governor, I said we could propel Alabama's economy forward by leveraging state dollars to attract biotechnology research. That's exactly what we've done. Today, we're positioning Alabama to be a national leader in biotech, which opens up new opportunities like never before seen in our state. The hundreds of jobs this project will create are high-wage jobs that won't be exported overseas."

The mission of the HAIB is to use biotechnology to improve human health, stimulate economic development and inspire Alabama's youth to seek careers in science. Jim Hudson, president of HAIB, is excited about the progress the Institute has already made. "The groundbreaking today marks the first physical phase of our development, but much work has already been done behind the scenes," he said. "With an exemplary board of directors, outstanding scientific advisory board, a distinguished HAIB investigator, and our first research fellow in place, research and plans for the future are already underway." Continue »

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