If there is one word to describe the expansion and relocation climate in the Huntsville, Ala., metro, it would be “diverse.”
Huntsville has seen growth and an expansion of jobs in a variety of industries, including aerospace and defense, call centers, and research and development. Such a diverse sector of industries means that a metro needs to have a well-qualified work force, and the Huntsville metro has that.
Going back nearly 60 years to the advent of the U.S. space program in Huntsville, the community has put an emphasis on education.
“This community has always prided itself on its work force, and we have always been able to provide a highly skilled, highly motivated work force,” said Rick Davis, director of the Cummings Research Park (CRP) in Huntsville. “We have a work force that is prepared for any [company] that comes here.”
An example of how the highly skilled work force impresses companies is Verizon Wireless’ decision to increase employment from 1,300 to 1,650 workers at its new call center in Huntsville.
“The company is so happy with what it found [in Huntsville],” Davis said. “That is a good illustration of what work force means to Huntsville.”
Verizon Wireless launched operations in the state-of-the-art, 152,000 square foot facility earlier this year. The facility will also be the headquarters for Verizon’s operations in Alabama.
Comcast announced in November its intention to site a regional call center in Huntsville. The company will create 200 jobs in the facility, which will serve more than 500,000 customers in five southern states with cable, high-speed Internet and digital phone issues.
Comcast expects to begin operations in the new facility in January.
Metro Has Strong Research Presence
Several companies have established operations at the new HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology at CRP. The 270,000 square foot facility will eventually hold about 900 employees, several companies and research organizations, and state-of-the-art laboratories for research and development in genetics and personalized medicine.
The state of Alabama allocated $50 million in funding to help launch the complex, which will include 12 companies.
CRP is one of the largest research parks in the country. A mix of Fortune 500 companies, local and international high-tech enterprises, U.S. space and defense agencies, a business incubator, and higher education institutions help transform research into commercial applications.
Beginning with the advent of the U.S. Space program in the mid-1950s, Huntsville has had a strong emphasis on research and technology development. Huntsville/Madison County is home to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal, both combining to drive a strong research and development economy, affecting spinoff and commercial activity of technology innovations. More than 90 aerospace companies employ more than 11,000 workers in the metro area. There have been several industry expansions in recent months, including Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Sparta
Northrop Grumman recently dedicated its new facility at CRP. The facility is the first of four planned buildings to complete the company’s CRP campus.
Raytheon also launched operations in a new 140,000 square foot facility in CRP that consolidates Huntsville operations from three facilities.
This will enable multiple divisions and employees to work in the same building, increasing productivity, said Dan Smith, president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.
Sparta, an employee-owned aerospace and defense contractor, recently opened a 95,000 square foot facility in Thornton Research Park. The company currently employs 300 workers in the metro. The new building is accompanied by enough property to add another 35,000 square feet. Sparta is a contractor for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). About 200 MDA jobs will relocate to Huntsville resulting from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round.
Cummings Research Park is one of the largest research parks in the country.