B VIEW - November 2006 - Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

Transcription

NOVEMBER 2006
VOL. XXXVI I, NO. 10
Wooing Employees with Benefits
Chamber Chase – A Mega Success
A New Concept for the Health
Occupations Career Fair
18,499 OTHER
DECISION MAKERS
RECEIVED
THIS TODAY.
NOV EMB ER 2006
VOL. XXX VII,
NO. 10
Wooing Emplo
yees with Be
nefits
Chamber Ch
ase – A Mega
Success
A New Concep
t for the Healt
Occupations
h
Career Fair
Introduce your company.
Market your company.
Promote your company.
Advertise your company.
Now it’s easy to get your company in front of the Mobile area business community.
By advertising in The Business View, you can reach the decision-makers
at more than 18,000 area businesses every month.
Call today or visit our Web site to discover how The Business View
can complete your marketing plan.
René Eiland
251.431.8635
[email protected]
www.mobilechamber.com/view/media_kit.pdf
THE BUSINESS VIEW is
published monthly, except for the combined
issue of December/January, by the
Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce,
451 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602
(251) 433-6951.
www.mobilechamber.com
©2006
Publisher
Winthrop M. Hallett III
Executive Editor
Leigh Perry Herndon
TABLE OF CONTENTS
On the Cover
Nicole Johnson is one of World
Omni’s telecommuters. The company
invests heavily in extra perks like
telecommuting, an on-site fitness center
and on-site medical clinic to woo new
employees and keep existing ones happy.
Features
6
8-9
Mobile hits national
news circuit
page 6
10-11
Congratulations to the
2006 Eagle Award winners
Made in Mobile:
Wilson Dismukes
page 10-11
Cover photo by Susan Rak Blanchard.
pages 4-5
Managing Editor
Susan Rak Blanchard
Copy Editor
Alison W. Gonzales
Contributing Writers and Editors
Ashley Collins
Jessica Knight
Michelle Roberts Matthews
Michele Rumpf
Meredith Simmerman
Carolyn Wilson
Printing Services
Interstate Printing/Direct Mail
16
4-5
19-24
Graphic Design
Wise Design Inc.
World Omni Financial
Corp. – a trendsetter in
employee benefits
7
2006 Chamber Chase –
volunteer and member
businesses commit more
than $1 million
17
Travel the world at
the annual Mobile
International Festival
17
page 7
Chamber Annual
Meeting set for Jan. 16th
Nov. 1 deadline for
Corporate Community
Service Award applications
Sen. Jeff Sessions to be
honored as Patriot of
the Year at Veterans
Day luncheon
Advertising Account Executive
René Eiland
431-8635
[email protected]
Advertisers Index
page
al.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Alabama Orthopaedic . . . . . . . . . . .17
Alabama Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
BugMaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Colonial Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Communication Technology Services .26
Compass Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Copper T’s Restaurant . . . . . . . . . .11
Delaney Development . . . . . . . . . . .34
Financial Solutions Inc. . . . . . . . . .28
GNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Hand Arendall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Interstate Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Lagniappe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Mobile Area Chamber . . . . . .2, 24, 28
Office Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Premier Medical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
RedShift Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Reliable Staffing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Safe Archives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Safety Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
SEAC Parents as Partners . . . . . . . .31
Springhill Medical Center . . . . . . .13
Star Service Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
United Marketing Solutions . . . . . .15
University of South Alabama . . . . . .6
MOBILE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
page 17
28
16
Annual Health
Occupations Career Fair
scheduled for November
Employee holiday
gift program
Departments
13
14-15
25
26
26
27
29
Small Business
of the Month
FYI
Business Spotlight
of the Month
Diplomat of the Month
CEO Profile
Investor Focus
Building Business Column
29
29
30
31
32
33-34
34
35
The Business View
Who’s in Town
Economic Indicators
Board of Advisors
Chamber at Work
Calendar
Member News
Anniversaries
New Members
NOVEMBER 2006
3
Competing in an Employee-Driven Market
Venett Williams occasionally visits World Omni’s on-site medical
clinic staffed daily by Cynthia Warner RN.
On her morning break, Sandy Thomason puts
on her walking shoes and hits the treadmill,
Barbara Williams and Gwen Johnson are the faces of World
right down the hall from where she works.
Omni’s on-site credit union.
Johnson continued, “Those employers
• telecommuting;
Locally World Omni employs
In recent business circles, executives
• on-site medical clinic staffed daily by know that offering flexibility helps compa360 full- and part-time workers who occuhave said it is an employees’ market. The
nies to recruit and retain the best talent.
a nurse and once a week by a doctor;
py a 70,000 square-foot office near the
fact is the United States, including the
They also know it helps improve productiv• free annual mammogram and
intersection of Grelot and Hillcrest roads.
Mobile area, has a growing economy and
ity because every study shows that people
health assessments;
World Omni, one of the nation’s largest
unemployment is nearing record lows.
are generally happier with their work when
• Toyota and Scion vehicle purchase
diversified automotive financial services
August 2006 statistics show a national
they receive such accommodations.”
program;
unemployment rate of 4.7 percent, and the companies, based in Deerfield, Fla., is a
A fairly new practice at World Omni,
•
on-site
fitness
center;
subsidiary of the privately owned JM
Mobile area at 4.2 percent.
the company launched a pilot telecom• on-site credit union;
Family Enterprises Inc.,
And according to a
muter program with 10 associates in
• 401(k)/profit sharing/pension;
a diversified automotive
survey of U.S. employers
December 2004, and has added five more.
• educational assistance (up to
company. Established in
and adult workers sponEmployers are
As of September 2006, there are an addi$5,000 annually per associate); and
1981 and opened in
sored last year by
getting more
tional 15 in the process of converting from
• adoption assistance (up to
Mobile in 1991, World
Spherion Corp., a leadworking in the office to working from
$2,000 per adoption).
creative in
Omni provides financial
ing North American
home.
services to consumers,
staffing and recruiting
recruiting benefits
Telecommuting
The program is driven by unemploydealers and lenders, and
company, employers
to woo new
ABC’s Good Morning America’s workment rates, said Toifel, and the company is
account management for
and employees weigh
employees and
considering requests for job sharing.
Southeast Toyota Finance place contributor Tory Johnson reported
benefits differently (See
earlier
this
year,
“Most
companies
that
“The low rate of unemployment in
and
CenterOne
Financial
Drivers of Retention
keep existing ones
offer family-friendly benefits don’t do so
Mobile has presented challenges, and the
Services’ customers and
box on page 5). For
happy – all while
because it’s nice and charitable. They
telecommuting program will allow us to
dealers in five
example, 60 percent
the
watching
implement such programs because it
differentiate ourselves from other employSoutheastern states.
of workers rate time
makes
smart
business
sense.”
ers in the market,” said Toifel.
The company’s
and flexibility as a
expense and
Associates in the telecomphilosophy comes from
very important factor,
revenue columns.
muter program work 100 percent
its founder Jim Moran,
but only 35 percent of
from home and come in to the
and continues with his
employers feel the same.
office for training and meetings.
daughter, Pat, at the
As a result, employNicole Johnson has worked for
ers are getting more creative in recruiting
helm. Their efforts haven’t gone unnoWorld Omni for eight years and
benefits to woo new employees and keep
ticed. For eight consecutive years, JM
joined the telecommuting proexisting ones happy– all while watching
Enterprises has been ranked among
gram last August.
the expense and revenue columns.
Fortune magazine’s annual “100 Best
“I miss the associates, but I’m
In an unassuming corner of west
Companies to Work For in America,”
definitely saving money,” said
Mobile sits World Omni Financial Corp. –
most recently in the 40th position.
Johnson, estimating her daily
a company that not only seems to underFortune weighs employee opinion, comround trip to the office at 20
stand the needs of its employees, but
pany policies and corporate culture to
miles. Two days a week, Johnson
aggressively bends over backwards to invest determine placement.
– who is in collections – works a
in its “associates.” According to Brick
In addition to health insurance
late shift until 8 or 9 p.m. Those
Toifel, vice president of operations for
offered on a sliding fee scale based on
days she is especially grateful for
World Omni’s Mobile Customer Service
salary, and flex time where employees
Nicole Johnson is one of World Omni’s telecommuters.
the
“quick commute” from her
Center, employees are considered the comcan make up missed time as long as
By the end of the year, 8 percent of the company’s
home office to her sofa, where she
pany’s most important asset.
supervisors have 24 hours to approve it, Mobile team could be telecommuting.
winds down.
World Omni employee benefits include:
4
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
exercising is getting there, and with equipThe company estimates telecommuters
ment in-house, at least one major excuse
save $2,500 a year in gas, clothes, dry
is out of the way for World Omni employcleaning, lunches and other workplaceees. The company also has an agreement
associated costs.
with the YMCA to perform a physical
Johnson keeps the same lunch and
assessment before the associate dives into a
break times as she did when she worked
new fitness routine.
on-site at World Omni. Instead of running
Williams also has taken advantage of
errands or grabbing a quick lunch, howevthe on-site medical clinic available to
er, she takes advantage of the fresh air,
puts in a load of laundry and washes a few family members.
“I hope to retire from here. With any
dishes.
job there is stress, but wanting to go to
“By telecommuting, I’m freeing up
work makes all the difference,” she added.
time on the weekends,” Johnson said.
“Working for a company like World Omni
To set up her new work space, Johnson
makes me eager to go the extra mile.”
carved out a spot in a spare room she was
already using as a
home office. The
company supplied
all the necessary
technology, including a second phone
line and a computer,
to ensure a seamless
transition from the
office to home. She
logs in at the designated time and goes
to work without the
stress of her morning
commute. “It’s suiting me quite well.”
Sonsherraye
Heather Ryals (standing) is taking advantage of World Omni’s
Gowder, World
tuition reimbursement benefit. And, as a 12-year-employee had
Omni’s human
the luxury of taking an all expense trip to West Palm Beach, Fla.,
resource manager,
for her 10th anniversary with the company. Ryals is pictured
said the company
with Kim Burrell.
asked for volunteers
for the program and then identified those
who were already high performers, selfTuition Reimbursement
motivated, worked independently and
Heather Ryals started at World Omni
enjoyed the work.
as a temp through Kelly Services. She
Toifel has seen a 5 to 10 percent
became an official associate 12 years ago.
increase in production in those who are
“It’s been a wonderful company for me
telecommuting. By year end, Toifel expects
to grow up in,” Ryals said. “They really
to have 8 percent of his workforce working
push you to be your best.”
from home. “We’re here, and we’re comRyals is taking advantage of the tuition
mitted to Mobile, but telecommuting gives
reimbursement benefit and is working on
us an option. It gives us the entire U.S. to
an accounting degree at Spring Hill
draw employees from, and we don’t have to
College. When asked if she would stay at
rely on just the local market,” said Toifel.
World Omni after she got her diploma, she
said, “They are going to have to push me
Fitness
out of here.”
Venett Williams was hesitant about
The last few years, her career has really
changing jobs when a former supervisor
taken off. Ryals recently was promoted to a
called her to come to World Omni. “I’m
supervisory role.
not the type to job hop, and now I couldn’t
say enough good things about the compaAnd More
ny,” the six-year employee said.
This summer World Omni celebrated
Her favorite perk is the on-site fitness
15 years in Mobile and marked the occacenter that includes weights and treadmills.
sion by donating $15,000 to 10 area
She appreciates the money it saves her and nonprofit agencies including the Bay Area
the convenience of hitting the fitness center Food Bank, Boys & Girls Club of South
before she heads home.
Alabama, Child Advocacy Center, MARC
Fitness experts say half the battle of
(Mobile Association for Retarded Citizens)
and St. Mary’s
Home.
The company
also gives associates the option to
“earn” a company donation up to
$1,000 to the
charity of their
choice based on
volunteer hours,
through its
Dollars for Doers
program.
Associate
Sonsherrye Gowder, human resource manager, and Brick Toifel,
appreciation is
vice president of operations for World Omni’s Mobile Customer
engrained in
Service Center, meet briefly in the hall. Both are proud of how
the fiber of the
the company appreciates its employees and rewards them for
company, from
a job well done.
events where
associates can win
cash to an anniversary trip to West Palm
graduate of the University of South Alabama
Beach, Fla., for employees celebrating
with a bachelor’s degree in business admin10-15-20-25-30 and 35 years of service.
istration, has been with the company 23
“World Omni doesn’t owe me any of
years, starting in Deerfield as a field auditor.
this. I get a paycheck,” said Ryals. “But the
He moved back to the area when the combenefits the company offers refuel my company opened the Mobile Service Center.
mitment and makes me feel so special.”
Toifel added, “The programs we offer
World Omni’s Future
underscore our company’s corporate values
Last year World Omni hired 150 people.
and demonstrate all of the ways – beyond
“As Toyota’s product grows, we’re going
salary and standard health and retirement
to grow,” said Toifel. “We will continue
benefits – that World Omni recognizes the
to provide the best service to our existing
strong commitment and high performance customers and grow our business operations
of its associates.”
in the city,” he added.
Additionally the company honors asso“Recruiting is always challenging. Not
ciates exemplifying the company’s core
everyone is suited for the environment,”
values of consideration, cooperation, comsaid Gowder. “We’re looking for a skill set
munication, accountability and innovathat can perform, and then we rely on our
tion. And successes are celebrated with ice
training.”
cream, candy, popcorn socials, special
World Omni is results oriented and
lunches and an annual company picnic.
measures goals each month, explained
World Omni also works to further its
Gowder. “We give a lot and expect a lot.”
associates. Toifel, a Mobile native and
Drivers of Retention
The following chart shows the difference between employers and employees on what
will keep workers in their current positions. Results come from a study conducted by
Harris Interactive®, one of the largest and fastest-growing market research firms in the
world, perhaps best known for The Harris Poll® and for pioneering and engineering
Internet-based research methods.
Employer View
Employee View
1. Management climate . . . . . . . . .80%
2. Supervisor relationship . . . . . . . .80%
3. Culture & work environment . . .65%
4. Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61%
5. Growth & earning potential . . . .58%
6. Training & development . . . . . .54%
7. Financial compensation . . . . . . .49%
8. Time & flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . .35%
1. Financial compensation . . . . . . . .69%
2. Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68%
3. Growth & earning potential . . . . .64%
4. Time & flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . .60%
5. Management climate . . . . . . . . . .60%
6. Supervisor relationship . . . . . . . . .57%
7. Culture & work environment . . . .54%
8. Training & development . . . . . . .49%
Note: Based on percent indicating “very important” when asked what are the most important drivers of retention
Source: Spherion Corp.
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
5
Across the Nation, They’re Talking About Mobile
Headlines in some of America’s most
respected newspapers, magazines and radio
programs are putting a new face on Mobile
– one that’s seeing rapid growth, bucking
the national trend of a cool housing
market and, despite its school system’s size,
impacting the lives of tens of thousands of
school-aged children. And the great news?
There’s more to come.
Publications like The Wall Street Journal,
Parade magazine, Entrepreneur magazine and Louisville Courier-Journal have
recently included Mobile in stories with
content ranging from Hurricane Katrina
recovery and the Mobile Area Education
Foundation to being a stellar market for
entrepreneurs and Mobile options for
tourists.
For every article already run, there are
more than three times as many stories in
the works. It’s not by happenstance that
many of the recent articles appeared. The
Mobile Area Chamber, Mobile Bay
Convention and Visitors Bureau and Public
Education Network have all worked to lay
the groundwork for reporters’ interest in
Mobile.
Some of the recent press inquiries are
6
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
based on a contract the Chamber, Mobile
County and the city of Mobile have with
Development Counselors International
(DCI), a firm specializing in international
economic development marketing.
Since April, the Chamber, along with
Mayor Sam Jones and Mobile County
Commissioners Juan Chastang and Steve
Nodine, have participated in several trips to
major media markets including Atlanta,
Washington D.C. and the city of New York.
A follow-up trip to New York was planned
this fall to talk about the education foundation and Mobile County Public School
System.
Additionally, several media outlets were
represented on a reverse media trip to
Mobile in late October. The group of
reporters and freelance writers were in
Mobile to write about the Alabama State
Docks, the Brookley complex, burgeoning
aerospace, transportation and distribution
industries and hurricane recovery.
“DCI has enabled us to effectively and
succinctly tell Mobile’s story to a captive
audience interested in what we’re doing,”
said Leigh Perry Herndon, vice president
of communications for the Chamber. “And
we’re not only able to accomplish this with
key media we’ve identified, but also with
site selectors who are critical for bringing
new economic advancement projects here.”
With the city and county, the Chamber
has worked to identify approximately 15
story angles to pitch to reporters. Topics
range from successful small- and mediumsized business owners and the changing
maritime industry along Mobile’s waterfront
to the Northrop Grumman/EADS tanker
refueling project.
These and other ideas are generated on
a regular basis and pitched to reporters and
editors who seek to localize national stories,
learn about new initiatives potentially
impacting areas outside of Mobile or
promote a growing mid-sized city.
Mobile International Festival Brings Culture to Mobile
Travel around the world in a
day and without ever leaving the
city limits. See a cultural dance
group from Indonesia, Matsuriza
Traditional Japanese Taiko
Drummers and martial artists
from China. Have the world come
to you at the annual Mobile
International Festival. The event
will be held Saturday, Nov. 16-18
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the
Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile
Convention Center, but is open to
the public only Nov. 18.
Student dates for the festival
are Thursday, Nov. 16 (for middle
school students) and Friday,
Nov. 17 (for high school and
elementary students). Participating
students come from counties in
Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
The 24-year-old festival draws
more than 16,000 people to expe- Estela Dorn, left, president of the Mobile International Festival, visits the Bolivian food booth and
rience a diverse display of cultural shares a smile with the exhibitors.
booths including food, art, live
entertainment, cultural exhibits,
only one held along the Gulf Coast.
“The members (of the organization)
children’s activities, a parade of flags and
Entertainment
for
this
year’s
event
will
are
people proud of their heritage, and the
more. Its mission is to help educate school
feature Akbar Imhotep, an Atlanta storyfestival is an avenue for them to showcase
children and share international cultures
teller who shares tales of African folklore;
their traditions without being intimidated
in Mobile. Attending students are not only
the
Puppet
Arts
Theatre
from
Jackson,
by others,” said Dorn. “The members work
exposed to world culture and racial tolerMiss.;
Mobile
native
Tim
Morris
playing
so hard to present their culture during the
ance, they also learn about geography,
the
didgeridoo,
an
instrument
of
the
event.”
social studies, foreign languages, art, sciNorthern
Australian
aborigines;
the
MIF was started by the late Dr. Annelle
ence and mathematics, said Estela Dorn,
She and her husband, the late
Jerome.
Matsuriza
Traditional
Japanese
drummers;
president of the Mobile International
Dr.
Shepard
Jerome, a military physician,
and
the
Liu
Institute
International
with
the
Festival (MIF).
Shaolin Temple Warrior team from China. lived in Japan after World War II. “While
Since 1982, the Mobile International
there, she had a vision to one day have a
Upon entering the festival, all visitors
Festival has featured the more than 100
group of people from different races/
will
be
given
a
passport
to
be
stamped
at
cultures and nationalities of Mobile’s diverse
nationalities who could work together to
each
cultural
booth.
It
is
a
popular
festival
population. It is one of many international
share their heritage and cultures,” explained
pastime
to
see
how
many
countries
each
and cultural festivals held across the country
Dorn.
attendee
can
visit
in
one
day.
and worldwide, and the Mobile festival is the
Charter members in the group included people from various sister-city organizations and friends who were interested in
the same goal for this community – to
show that people from different racial and
cultural backgrounds can work together to
present an event to enhance the quality of
life in Mobile.
“The world is getting smaller thanks to
world economics, the media and even
Hollywood,” said Dorn. “They expose people to other cultures. And those of other
cultures are no different than anyone living here in Mobile. I can say this because,
as a Filipina, I have the same thoughts,
feelings and ambitions as anyone else. I
may look different, but when people talk
to me, they see me as a person. Learning
about different cultures is the connector to
better understanding. When people learn
to trust others, success follows. MIF does its
share of making this connection.”
A children’s chorus entertains attendees of the festival. The chorus represents different
In 2005, more than 70 countries parcountries such as India, Panama, Scotland, Philippines, China, Senegal, Greece and Japan.
ticipated in the festival, with attendees
from the Gulf states, Tennessee, Texas,
Pennsylvania and New York visiting to
enjoy music, food and entertainment.
This year’s event will add to its participating countries those of Australia, New
Zealand, Malaysia, Uruguay and
Ecuador. The Andes Region of South
America (Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia) is
represented by the performance of the
Native American Incas through their
Runa Pacha musical group. They play
the pan flutes and will have a cultural
exhibit booth at the festival.
“It was a wonderful experience,”
said Stacey Dillaber, upper school
Spanish teacher with St. Paul’s
Episcopal School in Mobile. “The students are able to take their ‘passports’
to the different countries they visited.
They are able to have conversations
with native speakers and are given the
opportunity to sample authentic foods.”
Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for
seniors, $4 for students (ages 7-15) and
free for children age 6 and under.
For more information about the
festival, call 470-7730 or visit
www.mobileinternationalfestival.org.
A Spanish flamenco dancer performs at
the festival.
Through education, the Mobile
International Festival (MIF) plays
a major role in carrying out the
organization’s mission, and, from
its success, MIF has received many
accolades and expanded its outreach
in the community. The organization
created the Annelle Jerome Scholarship
Fund and was awarded the statewide
2006 Daughters of the American
Revolution Americanism Award,
was honored by Rep. Sonny Callahan
in a Congressional Record, received
recognition by former Mayor Mike
Dow and the Mobile County Public
School System, was named one of
the Top 20 Events of the Year by
Southeast Tourism for two years, and
was nominated as an Alabama Event
of the Year for multiple years.
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
7
2006 Eagle Award
Winners Announced
The Eagle Awards are given annually to honor minority-owned businesses in the
Mobile area. Five winners are chosen each year based on specific criteria including having their business headquartered in the Mobile-Baldwin area, being in business for at
least three years, producing revenue or employee growth, showing a solid financial base
and community service and involvement. The following are the
winners who were presented with their award at a dinner reception, hosted by
the Mobile Area Chamber and Mobile Area Water& Sewer System, at the Arthur R.
Outlaw Mobile Convention Center.
Sponsors for the event were BellSouth, Commonwealth National Bank, Mobile Gas
Service Corp., Mobile Group Inc., Spectrum & Associates, Volkert & Associates Inc.,
Wachovia and Fox 10.
** Denotes second-time Eagle Award Winner *** Denotes Hall of Fame
Accurate Tax & Bookkeeping Management Inc.
Type of Business: Financial
Established: 1998
Key Executive: Helen Hertz, president
Location: 7875 Moffett Rd., Suite B
Semmes, AL 36757
Telephone: 645-0694
Employees: 6
What started out as a part-time job
quickly turned into a full-time business
for Helen Hertz, president of Accurate Tax
& Bookkeeping Management Inc., when
she offered her tax services to 20 clients
back in 1998. Today, Hertz has more than
700 clients and still offers them the same
professional tax service plus a few more
financial-related services, including
bookkeeping management and mortgage
services.
With clients in 11 states, the company
continues to look to the Mobile community
for support by recruiting employees from
local universities and then empowering its
employees through a tax tutorial program.
Accurate Tax & Bookkeeping, located on Moffett Rd., provides financial services to
its clients. From left President Helen Hertz, Adriene James and TeKoah Parnell.
Commonwealth National Bank***
in their own community, where they could directly benefit
from the economic impact and employment opportunities.
A full-service commercial bank, Commonwealth provides
banking products and services with a special emphasis on
serving inner-city communities. Primarily serving Mobile
County, the company is also one of the largest black-owned
financial institutions in the country.
Showing their pride in the community by supporting
local projects and scholarships, Commonwealth strives to
achieve good customer service and offers funding to many
Founded in 1976, Commonwealth National
local job producing small businesses.
Bank opened for business and became the first and
The bank has a full range of lending options
only minority-owned national bank in the state.
including personal loans, mortgage loans, business loans,
The bank offers its clients the option to do business revolving lines of credit and commercial real estate lending.
Type of Business: Finance
Established: 1976
Key Executive: Sidney King,
president and CEO
Location: 2214 St. Stephens Rd.
Mobile, AL 36617
Telephone: 476-5938
Employees: 31
Web Site: www.cnbmobile.net
Sidney King, president and CEO of Commonwealth National Bank,
stands with a few of his employees. From left Tracie Tate, King,
Sophia Newby, Roxie Pearson and LaTonja Jackson.
Parker’s Adult Foster Homes Inc.**
healthcare, recreation and transportation.
Samuel and Carol Parker have worked to
provide the best service possible to their
special needs clients through in-home
services since the company opened in 1981.
Whether providing healthcare needs or
giving a ride to the doctor’s office, Parker’s
assists families with their daily activities
and offers individuals the freedom to be
Located on Stanton Road in Mobile,
active members of society. Parker’s also
Parker’s Adult Foster Homes Inc. is a 24-hour provides homes throughout the city and
supervised facility providing residential serv- county caring for these special needs adults
ices to individuals with mental illness
and 24 full-time employees caring for
or mental retardation. Services include
them.
Type of Business: Professional Service
Established: 1981
Key Executive: Samuel and Carol
Parker, directors
Location: 671 Stanton Rd.
Mobile, AL 36617
Telephone: 456-7100
Employees: 71
8
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
The staff of Parker’s Adult Foster Homes Inc. pose in front of their main office on
Stanton Road. Directors Carol Parker on far left and Samuel Parker on far right in back.
State Farm Insurance - Makeda Nichols***
through State Farm Bank and helping to manage
financial situations.
As one of 391 claim offices nationwide,
Nichols’ agency is part of the State Farm family
that claims to insure more cars than any other
insurer in North America and is the leading U.S.
home insurer. Nichols has received numerous
professional designations and has been awarded
a Legion of Honor Qualifier, an ambassador for
In Mobile since 1982, State Farm Insurance
Life Qualifier and a member of the Society of
Agent Makeda Nichols has grown her business to Financial Service Professionals. The agency also
more than 1,800 regional clients, offering services offers learning calculators for retirement, college
such as auto, home, life or health insurance
or any life-changing event.
needs; a variety of loan and deposit products
Type of Business: Insurance
Established: 1982
Cheif: Makeda Nichols, agent
Address: 2558 Old Shell Rd.
Mobile, AL 36607
Telephone: 471-1108
Employees: 6
Web Site: www.makeda-nichols.com
State Farm Insurance agent Makeda Nichols was inducted into the Eagle
Awards Hall of Fame. She poses (third from left) with members of her staff.
Superior Masonry Inc.**
Type of Business: Construction
Established: 1978
Chief: Frank S. Seltzer Jr., president
Address: 3401 Beltline Park Dr. N.
Mobile, AL 36617
Telephone: 452-1252
Employees: 40
As a masonry and general contracting
company since 1978, Superior Masonry
has been providing commercial and
residential general building construction
with a special interest in masonry. The
company’s craftsmanship can be seen at
the Mobile Regional Airport, Dauphin
Way Baptist Church and the Arthur R.
Outlaw Mobile Convention Center as well
as locations in Florida and Georgia. In
addition, the company has worked on
homes for the MLK redevelopment area.
Superior Masonry President Frank Seltzer stands in front of St. James Major
Catholic Church where his company worked as the general contractor.
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
9
M
A D E
I N
M
O B I L E
Wilson Dismukes has carved a niche with its generator sales and repairs. Pictured here are (left to right) Butch McLaney, Bob Jones, Edward Dismukes and Kevin Duffey.
Wilson Dismukes Transforms Company
for the 21st Century Customer
Three years ago, Edward Dismukes
Jr. was in Louisville, Ky., working as the
midwest regional manager for Novartis, a
major pharmaceutical company. His
father, Ed Dismukes Sr., who had run the
family business, Wilson Dismukes, since
the 1960s, was ill. Edward was needed, so
he dutifully returned to Mobile to take over
the business where he had spent summers
cleaning, sweeping and assembling equipment until he went away to college.
“It was a little intimidating,” admitted
Edward, who now runs the company that
sells and services a variety of lawn, garden
and outdoor power equipment along with
generators, pressure cleaners, replacement
engines and parts.
“But we made it because we had a core
group of loyal employees, quality products
and a great customer base.”
10
NOVEMBER 2006
Since the beginning of this year,
Edward has instituted a number of strategic
changes to the company aimed at increasing its market share, expanding across
Mobile Bay, modernizing and refocusing
on the customer.
Formerly the oldest
Maytag dealer in the
state, in January Wilson
Dismukes stopped carrying appliances and
filled the space with
additional models of
its famous brands of
power equipment. The
company carries a variety of
national and international lines such
as Honda portable and Winco home-standby generators; Stihl chainsaws and backpack blowers; Cub Cadet, Echo, Snapper,
The Business View
Toro and Honda lawn tractors, mowers,
edgers, tillers and chipper shredders; and
Hotsy industrial pressure washers.
“What the customer needs changes
over time. What stays the same is that we
carry quality products backed by
quality service,” said Edward.
The company doubled
the size of its service
department,
expanded its parts
inventory and
dropped work on brands
not carried in the showroom. Dismukes looked at the
typical 10- to 12-day backlog on
repairs and felt his customers deserved a
faster turn around time. That move guaranteed two-day repairs, and if the needed
part was in stock, same-day service.
“Is it a little scary that I can’t see two
weeks of work back here,” rhetorically
asked Dismukes. “Yes,” he answered. “But
we’re making the same money we did
before, and our customers are happier.”
The company has a base of industrial,
commercial, municipal, governmental
and residential customers.
Started in 1945 by his grandfather and
uncle, Wilson Dismukes began as a fish
market and small grocery store. Family
stories say a meeting with a certain
Delchamps friend convinced the company
to evolve into a hardware store to avoid
competing with a new grocery store. About
the time Ed took over the company, it exited the hardware business to capture the
emerging market of small engine tools,
like lawnmowers and chainsaws, and electrical appliances.
M
Now his son is making a similar transition. Wilson Dismukes serves as the
area’s part supplier for its brands selling
both as a retailer and wholesaler.
“Other companies don’t sell enough to
make it worth their while to stock those
parts, so they come to us,” said Dismukes.
His challenge in the 21st century is to
change the perception that Wilson
The company refocused its repair shop
to only service equipment sold at Wilson
Dismukes. Technician Johnny Billy is
pictured above.
A D E
I N
M
O B I L E
Dismukes cannot compete with the
big box retail stores. “People think
we don’t have the selection or can’t
beat the price. The truth is, we have
the same price, have expanded our
selection and can service or repair
it,” said Dismukes. “We live in a
throwaway society, but our brands
are worth working on.”
“What makes us unique is we
service what we sell. And we do it
here. No boxing it up or shipping it
off,” he added.
This year the company also
opened a location in Daphne to meet
the needs of Baldwin County customers, adding two more employees.
With a total of 18 employees, his
team has decades of experience.
A new computer system allows
Dismukes to pull up hourly reports if
he chooses and has assisted in reor- Wilson Dismukes is both a retailer and wholesaler of parts. Pictured here behind the counter is
Earl McRae with customers John Williams and Jimmy Driver.
ganizing the parts department. He
had the company’s logo redesigned
and launched an outdoor billboard camanalyzing your needs and finding out
refurbishing the showroom and company
paign.
what you like or don’t like about what
offices.
The company’s main showroom on
you’re using now,” said Dismukes. “We
But the modern conveniences will not
Government Boulevard is also going
listen to what our customers say, and that
replace what really makes Wilson
through modernization. Dismukes rented
helps us decide what to carry in the future.”
Dismukes the most valuable to its cuswarehouse space and is expanding and
tomers – personal service. “We spend time
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
11
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12
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE MONTH
Bar-B-Quing with my Honey
In the South, eating barbeque is a
tradition like football and sweet tea.
However, finding good, home-cooked
barbeque can be a challenge. Bar-B-Quing
With My Honey owners Tim and Glenda
Witherspoon take pride in serving pitcooked barbeque and are the Chamber’s
Small Business of the Month.
Specializing in ribs, chicken and
sausage, the restaurant’s success can be
traced back to a simple recipe. Glenda’s
mother, who owns a restaurant, sold her
famous rib recipe to the Witherspoons. So,
when Bar-B-Quing With My Honey opened
more than four years ago, that famous
recipe quickly built a loyal customer base.
Initially, the restaurant was located only
in Mount Vernon. In 2002, in response to
the request of many devoted customers, the
Witherspoons opened a new location on
Highway 98/Moffett Road, and it handles
the bulk of the business. There is an outdoor lounge called the Pig’s Pen, where
there is live jazz and karaoke on Sunday
nights. The Witherspoons have brought in
several artists, including Ike Johnson and
John Anthony, to perform at the Pig’s Pen,
making it a popular spot for private parties
and high school reunions.
The Witherspoons have tried to make
Bar-B-Quing With My Honey’s atmosphere
both fun and inviting. Inside, the walls are
covered with airbrushed artwork featuring
antique cars and motorcycles.
“The name of our restaurant and the
colors inside go with the type of business we
have,” said Tim.
Not only does the restaurant offer a full
buffet Monday through Friday, it offers
delivery services and provides catering for
events such as weddings, office meetings
and company picnics.
“We are ready at any time to give our
customers whatever they need,” said Glenda
referring to their catering services.
In the future, the Witherspoons hope to
bottle their barbeque sauce, introduce new
items on their menu and host car shows
and bike nights. Until then, they hope their
customers continue to experience “love at
first bite” whenever they dine at Bar-BQuing With My Honey.
Owners Tim and Glenda Witherspoon hope to feature more entertainment along with
new menu items.
For more information about
Bar-B-Quing With My Honey, visit the
Witherspoons at 6871 Moffett Rd. or
call 645-2100.
For more information on the Small Business of
the Month program or to submit a nomination,
contact Brenda Rembert at 431-8607
or [email protected].
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
13
FYI
Watching the Tube
The Mobile - Pensacola market moved
up three spots to 59th in the annual Nielsen
ratings used to measure U.S. television
households and influence advertising rates.
According to a Nielsen Media Research
release in August, the rankings were impacted
by last year’s hurricane season. Baton Rouge,
La., also moved three spots and now sits at
93. New Orleans dropped 11 spots, from 43
in 2005 to 54 in 2006; Biloxi-Gulfport also
fell two spots, from 158 to 160. The company reported many shifts in local market
rankings and also cited U.S. Southern and
Western migration.
At the top of the list containing 210
cities was New York, followed by Los
Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and San
Francisco - Oakland - San Jose. Montgomery
- Selma moved up one slot to 124;
Birmingham - Anniston - Tuscaloosa
remained at 40. Huntsville - Decatur
remained at 84.
Monumental Research
Grant Tops USA History
Dr. Troy Stevens (standing) leads the NIH
research project at the University of South
Alabama Center for Lung Biology.
The University of South Alabama
Center for Lung Biology announced the
largest research award in the university’s
43-year history – an $8.5 million grant
from the National Institute of Health
(NIH) to continue world-class pulmonary
research in Mobile.
“In addition to the health benefit and
the new information research provides, it
also has a direct economic benefit to the
people who work and live in our region,"
said Gordon Moulton, USA president.
NIH awards are made through a
competitive process based on scientific
merit, and ranked USA’s grant proposal
the highest among all program project
grant (PPG) applications focused on pulmonary diseases.
A renewal of an NIH PPG grant award14
NOVEMBER 2006
ed in 2001, this grant promotes synergy
among scientists to accelerate discovery,
providing funding for four interrelated
projects and three core research labs.
“This award allows us to continue cutting-edge research to better understand
lung disease and, as a research team, to
work collaboratively toward developing
treatment programs and novel therapies to
better care for pulmonary patients in our
region and beyond,” said Dr. Troy
Stevens, the principal investigator for the
PPG award who also leads the center.
The USA team also includes Dr. Mark
Gillespie, Dr. Songwei Wu and Dr. Mary
Townsley.
“The high quality of work and research
productivity that occurs at our medical
school is validated by the investment the
National Institutes of Health has made
here,” said Dr. Samuel J. Strada, interim
dean of the USA College of Medicine. “At a
time when the NIH research budget is
undergoing dramatic cuts, competition for
scientific research is extremely competitive,” added Strada, who is also a scientist.
USDA Grant Funds Regional
Ethanol Plant Study
With the help of a $45,712 grant from
the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), PRX Geographic will determine if a
site in Leroy, Ala., in Washington County, is
a good location for an ethanol production
plant.
The Mobile Area Chamber’s Foundation
initiated the proposal on behalf of Southeast
Alternative Fuels (SEAF), which is looking
at the Leroy site to construct and operate a
50 - 100 million gallon ethanol production
plant along the Tombigbee River. If chosen,
the facility will utilize excess heat/steam
from the Charles R. Lowman Power Plant,
a power generating facility owned and
operated by Alabama Electric Cooperative.
The SAEF-Lowman Power Plant partnership will dramatically reduce the
energy needed – the second largest cost
of an ethanol plant and the initial capital
investment by eliminating the need for a
furnace/boiler in the design plan. SEAF
will also share existing barge unloading
facilities and rail access, and locating on
a navigable waterway will provide the
additional benefit of significantly lower
inbound transportation costs for grain.
According to officials at USDA Rural
Development, “Renewable fuels are coming of age, and that’s great for rural
America. The road to energy independence
runs through the farm, and USDA Rural
Development is playing a key role in
encouraging the new agriculture economy
The Business View
represented by the renewable fuels industry.”
Last year America produced 4 billion
gallons of ethanol, and that figure is
expected to rise to 10 billion gallons by
2010. Biodiesel production has risen from
an insignificant 500,000 gallons per year
in 1999 to 245 million gallons this year.
The funds are part of $6.5 million
given to fund rural economic development
projects in 42 states.
100 Homes and Still
Building
The MLK Avenue Redevelopment Corp.
(MLKARC) celebrated the building of its
100th house aimed at renovating MLK
Avenue.
MLKARC is a not-for-profit organization
that builds affordable homes in the community, with a goal of improving home
ownership opportunities for low- to moderate-income individuals and families. The
organization also announced it has plans
for a second retail space to draw businesses
and professionals into the area.
Since its inception, MLKARC invested
more than $6.5 million to construct
affordable housing units.
Down, Set, Hike!
Through Friday, Nov. 17, the Gulf Coast
Exploreum continues to host Football –
The Exhibit organized by the Arkansas
Museum of Discovery.
The popularity of football provides an
opportunity to introduce
a large audience
of diverse
ages to
the
science,
mathematics and
technology
content that underlies the game.
Organized into zones directly relating
to the game, the exhibit encourages
hands-on participation. To see if you can
be as strong as a lineman, try the Grip
Tester. Or rotate through the Passing Game
Zone and focus on the stability of a wellthrown spiral by experimenting with the
Bicycle Wheel Gyro. Test your time with a
turtle, or even a cheetah, through the
Sprint Track, and your time will be calculated when you reach the end.
Wind down in the history zone where
the beginnings of the game are explored.
Or join the tailgate party in progress over in
the football and society zone, and check out
the early versions of football board games
on display.
In addition, giant airbrushed paintings
of players in action lead the way into the
zones, illustrating key concepts like collisions, peripheral vision, reaction times,
trajectories and balance. Audio and video
kiosks also help tell the story behind football’s mysterious hold on Americans. And
there are videos showcasing the moves of
real cheerleaders in action, helping attendees learn about the inner ear and its role
in balance.
For more information on times, exhibits,
movies or prices, visit www.exploreum.net.
Women In Charge
The YWCA of Greater Mobile announced
a Semmes Empowerment and Economic
Development (SEED) program to provide
interpersonal, money and business management/ownership skills for the growing
Hispanic/Latina population and the
economically disadvantaged.
The program will serve as an innovative and motivational approach for women
through mentoring, education and
advocacy. SEED is funded by the American
Association of University Women and
includes community partners such as
Provident Hospital Outreach Services and
the Women’s Business Center.
New One-Stop Federal
Compliance Web Site for
Business
With compliance demands on small
businesses growing over the past decade,
business owners can be overwhelmed.
For the first time, there’s a single Web
site that business owners can turn to for all
their federal compliance information. The
site, Business.gov, was re-launched in
October and allows browsers to search for
compliance news, information and federal
forms from nearly 100 government
Internet sites and compile government
compliance contact information from
throughout the federal government.
The average small business owner
spends $7,647 per employee staying in
compliance with government regulations,
according to the U.S. Small Business
Administration’s Office of Advocacy. That’s
45 percent more per employee than larger
firms.
Business.gov is managed by the U.S.
Small Business Administration in a partnership with 21 federal agencies and is
part of the President’s Management
Agenda.
11th Magic Christmas Slated
The 11th annual Bellingrath Gardens
and Home Magic Christmas in Lights
holiday display opens Friday, Nov. 24.
Throughout the
gardens’ 65 acres of
winter blooms are
more than 25 themed
displays highlighted
by more than three
million strands of
lights.
The event runs
from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
nightly through
Dec. 31, closed on
Christmas Day.
Activities throughout the season include
nightly choral performances, photographs
with Santa and supper in the Magnolia
Cafe on a nightly basis.
In addition, the Bellingrath Home,
filled with antiques and furnishings, will
be decorated in its holiday finery and
poinsettias encompass the gardens.
Groups of 20 or more must reserve their
space in advance, and group discounts are
posted on the organization’s Web site,
www.bellingrath.org.
For information on discounted group
packages, including events held in
Bellingrath’s party tent, call Shanna
Bennett at 973-2217, ext. 163.
Hurricane Assistance
Continues through BushClinton Katrina Fund
Volunteer Mobile, coordinator of Mobile
County Long-Term Recover, is expecting
round two of Hurricane Katrina grants.
In mid-September, Presidents George H. W.
Bush and William J. Clinton announced a
second wave of funds would be heading to
the Gulf Coast to assist Hurricane Katrina
victims through Bush-Clinton Katrina
Fund (BCKF).
The new grants will help rebuild schools,
rehabilitate and build new housing, help
citizens get back to work, provide mental
health services and ensure that the region’s
rich culture and heritage retains the distinguishing characteristics of Gulf region,
according to BCKF officials.
Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund grants are
already at work in the region and making
an impact in Alabama. Two Bayou La Batre
companies, Chan Ta Seafood and J.R.
Seafood, received grants earlier this year.
Combined, both businesses will provide 66
jobs in the seafood industry in south Mobile
County and allow businesses to expand
operations within the regional and national
seafood markets, according to Diana
Brinson, Volunteer Mobile’s director of
development and communications.
Darrell Randle, the Chamber’s vice
president of small business development,
served on the committee evaluating the
needs of small independent businesses,
along with representatives from Volunteer
Mobile and Mobile Community Foundation.
Of the $130 million raised through the
BCKF, the allocation is as follows:
• $30 million was allocated to 33 institutions of higher education, including universities, colleges, community colleges and
technical training institutions;
• $40 million was allocated for recovery
funds set up by the governors of Louisiana,
Mississippi and Alabama to fill unmet needs
in their states;
• $25 million was allocated to
religious organizations throughout the
region; and
• $35 million was allocated for projects
focused on health, housing, education,
community and infrastructure needs.
As of August 31, 2006, the fund awarded
$76 million or just over 60 percent of its
available funds. The remaining balance of
the funds is expected to be dispersed by the
end of this year.
Volunteer Mobile is the managing
organization of the funds for Mobile County
and collaborates with a multitude of agencies including the American Red Cross and
Volunteers of America.
The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund collected
donations following Hurricane Katrina to
assist the Gulf region in recovery efforts.
Back in the Groove
ImaginOffice returned to its restored
location nearly a year after Hurricane
Katrina flooded the offices. Located in
the old DeVan Motor Co. Car dealership
originally built in the 1930s, the showroom is located at 201A St. Joseph St.
The space planning and design firm
and seller of commercial furnishings and
interiors was temporarily located on
Dauphin Street. Founded in 1997 by Jim
Vaughn, ImaginOffice employs eight people
and also has an office in Pensacola, Fla.
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
15
Chamber Annual
Meeting Set for
Tuesday, Jan. 16
Students to Get a
Crash Course in
Healthcare Careers
Additionally, the Chamber will recognize
Mobile has been in the news lately and
the outstanding efforts of area companies
nationally many eyes are on the Port City.
and will present the Small Business of the
The Wall Street Journal touted Mobile for
Year, Manufacturer of the Year, Innovator of
its economic windfall; the Louisville
the Year and Diplomat of the Year awards at
Courier-Journal showcased Mobile’s silent,
this year’s meeting.
steady and strong demeanor; Entrepreneur
“The event attracts business professionals
magazine named Mobile as the top spot
in the area interested in networking,
for budding entrepreneurs; and Parade
enjoying great food from local caterers
magazine celebrated Mobile County public
and restaurants, and learning what our
schools. (Read more about Mobile in the
incoming chairman believes our most
News on page 6.)
To learn more about what activities are critical issues will be for the coming year,”
said Leigh Perry Herndon, vice president
pushing Mobile to the top and get a
behind-the-scenes
of communications
look at next year’s
for the Mobile Area
FAST FACTS
business developChamber.
ment efforts, attend
The cost to attend
WHAT: Mobile Area Chamber’s
the Mobile Area
is
$45
per person or
170th Annual Meeting
Chamber’s 170th
$425 for a table of 10.
BankTrust is the
Annual Meeting. Set
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007
presenting sponsor of
for Tuesday, Jan. 16
TIME:
5:30 p.m. champagne
this year’s meeting.
from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
reception, sponsored
Other sponsors
at the Mobile Civic
by BankTrust
include Alabama
Center Arena, the
Power Co., Callis
event is a must for
6 p.m. program
Communications,
local professionals.
Compass Bank,
The Chamber’s
7 p.m. networking
Integrity Media,
Annual Meeting
reception
Long’s Human
gives the business
Resources, Meyer
community an
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This event
Real Estate, Mobile
opportunity to see
typically draws 1,200 of
Air Center, Mobile
the Chamber’s
the community’s leaders
Gas Service Corp.,
progress over the
and managers
Teledyne Continental
past year, hear
Motors, Thompson
about numerous
COST:
$45 per person or
Engineering,
area successes and
$425 for a table of 10
University of South
get a preview of
CONTACT: Carolyn Wilson at
Alabama, Wachovia
what’s on the
431-8606 or cwilson@
Bank and Whitney
horizon.
mobilechamber.com
National Bank.
“The Chamber is
Restaurant and
an advocate for all
beverage sponsors include Abita Springs
businesses in the Mobile area,” said Win
Water, ARAMARK, Atlanta Bread Co., BarHallett, president of the Chamber. “This
B-Quing with My Honey, Bienville Club,
year’s annual meeting will provide attenCommunity Coffee, Cooper Restaurants,
dees a birds-eye view of the past year’s
Creative Catering, Chris & Carla’s Catering,
accomplishments and a brief overview
Crosby Catering, Don’s Catering, Lassere’s
of our 2007 goals.”
Catering, The Mobile Marriott, Naman’s
This year’s meeting will begin with an
Catering, Royal Cup Coffee and Wintzell’s
introduction and presentation of Chamber
Oyster House.
executives, volunteers and award winners
For more information, visit www.mobile
and will be followed by an accomplishment video then a networking reception
chamber.com or call Carolyn Wilson
featuring 16 local restaurants and beverat 431-8606 or cwilson@mobile
age sponsors.
chamber.com.
When students arrive at this year’s
Health Occupations Career Fair, instead
of waiting patiently to enter the exhibit
floor at the Mobile Civic Center, they’ll
enter the scene of a head-on collision.
This mock disaster, complete with
wrecked cars and “victims,” will be
staged in the parking lot behind Expo
Hall. The fair is the signature event of the
Bay Area Healthcare Coalition (BAHC).
The Health Occupations Career Fair is
an interactive and hands-on fair with
exhibits from area hospitals and healthcare providers. Designed and targeted
toward area high school students, the fair
gives a unique view of the healthcare
industry in an effort to pique the interests
of students to join the profession.
This year, students will follow (on
paper) the accident victims through a
series of exhibits representing the order of
actual patients moving through hospital Students at the career fair will learn about
various healthcare professions.
departments or units upon admission.
In groups of 20, students will rotate
Community Workforce Development (CWD)
through the event starting at the (mock)
Director Michele Rumpf, statistics and
accident scene and then move to the
information about the outcomes of drunk
following exhibits: the ER, radiology/
driving will be included in the program.
laboratory, surgery, nursing, respiratory
“Volunteer involvement is key to the
therapy/pharmacy, rehabilitation and
success of this event,” said Annalisa
discharge. Each exhibit will have specific
Daughety, CWD project manager. “Each
activities tied to the victims’ diagnoses
exhibit
is coordinated by a healthcare proand care. For example, students will start
fessional
who volunteers his time to recruit
IVs (on model arms) and intubate manadditional
volunteers to work during the
nequins in the ER exhibit, and review xtwo days of the event and round up the
rays to identify broken bones in the
equipment and supplies required for the
radiology exhibit.
interactive activities.”
Mary Ellen Leffard, BAHC chairman
Exhibit coordinators for this year’s
and volunteer services director at USA
fair include Charlie Erwin, USA EMS
Children’s & Women’s Hospital, and David
Education; Suzanne Hicks, Thomas
Powell, vice president of human resources
Carol Statter, Mobile Infirmary
Hospital;
and operations at Providence Hospital, are
Judy Brevik and Jean
Medical
Center;
the architects of the event’s new concept.
“Our goal in redesigning the fair is to show Graham, Faulkner State Community
College, Tim Op’t-Holt and Bill Pruitt,
students how the different health profesUSA Department of Cardiorespiratory Care,
sions work together, as well as to provide
Tim Maynard and Joe Thompson,
something new and dramatic to really
Providence Hospital.
engage the students,” said Leffard.
The fourth Annual Health Occupations
Powell authored the scenario that
Career
Fair will be held on Thurs., Nov. 2
involves a family being hit head-on by a
and
Friday,
Nov. 3 at Expo Hall in downdrunk driver. He used it to provide both an
town Mobile. The event is for select
extraordinary learning experience for stu9th - 11th grade students from Mobile and
dents and a venue to get the message
Baldwin counties who meet eligibility
across about the consequences of drinking
requirements. Students must sign up with
and driving.
their guidance counselor to attend. For
“Teenage drinking is a major issue in
more information, visit healthoccupations
our community, and we believe kids can’t
careerfair.com or contact the Chamber’s
hear enough about the tragic outcomes
Center
for Workforce Development at
that can happen from such behavior,” said
[email protected].
Powell. According to the Chamber’s
16
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
Corporate Community
Service Award
Applicants and winner will be notified
Every year, the Mobile Area Chamber,
in late November. All submissions must be
in a partnership with Envision Coastal
received by Wednesday, Nov. 1 to qualify.
Alabama and Volunteer Mobile, sets out to
The winner of the award will be announced
recognize companies who focus on more
at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting on
than the bottom line and who are good
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007.
corporate stewards through
The Corporate
community volunteerism.
Applications will
Community Service Award
The Corporate
program was established
Community Service Award
be judged on the
in 1999. The goal is to
is presented to a business
percentage of
encourage business
demonstrating exemplary
volunteer
owners to foster an
commitment to communiparticipation
environment where
ty service through employwithin the
employees are motivated
ee volunteer service during
to volunteer and given
the current year. Any
organization,
the flexibility to do so.
member of the Chamber
so small
Former winners of
may submit an application
companies are
the award include Degussa
for the award. One award
also encouraged
Corp. (2005), Ciba Specialty
will be presented to the
Chemicals (2003), Mobile
outstanding corporate
to apply.
Gas Service Corp. (2002),
employee volunteer proThompson Engineering
gram.
(2001) and Regions Bank (2000).
A panel of local judges, coordinated
For more information on how to apply
by Volunteer Mobile, will review the
or to request an application, contact Linda
applications and select the award winner.
Applications will be judged on the percentIngram at 431-8628 or lingram@
age of volunteer participation within the
mobilechamber.com.
organization, so small companies are also
encouraged to apply.
Sen. Jeff Sessions Named
Patriot of the Year
in Montgomery and the
On Friday, Nov. 10, Mobile
Anniston Army Depot. He is
will celebrate and honor
chairman of the Armed Services
America’s veterans with a
strategic subcommittee, a panel
variety of activities, including
overseeing all strategic forces,
a downtown parade and a
space programs, Department of
luncheon, the Friends of
Energy nuclear programs and
Freedom celebration and a
ballistic missile defense.
Mobile Pops concert all at the
Raised in rural Alabama,
Fort Whiting Armory.
Sessions
worked his way
“Veterans Day is a time to
Sessions
through Huntingdon College
think about your father,
uncle, brother – and today, even your sister in Montgomery, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1969. He received his juris
– and the contribution they made to the
doctorate degree from The University of
nation and community regardless of the
Alabama in 1973. Sessions was nominated
personal risk involved,” said David
by President Reagan
Reaney, executive
in 1981 and condirector of the Bay
FAST FACTS
Area Food Bank and
WHAT: Veterans Day Luncheon firmed by the Senate
to serve as the United
chairman of the
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 10
Chamber’s military
WHERE: Fort Whiting Armory, States Attorney for
Alabama’s Southern
affairs committee. “A
Brookley Field
District, a position
lot of people say that
TIME: Noon - 1:30 p.m.
he held for 12 years.
America needs ‘real’
COST: $15 per person
Sessions was elected
heroes. All they have
RESERVATIONS: 431-8612 or
Alabama Attorney
to do is look around
www.mobilechamber. com
General in 1995,
to see there are people
serving as the state’s
who joined our milichief legal officer until 1997 when he
tary and served, not knowing if they would
entered the United States Senate.
have to fight or if they would give their
As a U.S. Senator, Sessions has focused
lives. Every veteran is a hero.”
his energies on maintaining a strong miliEvery year since 1989, the Mobile Bay
tary, upholding the rule of law and limiting
Area Veterans Day Commission has selectthe role of government. During his tenure,
ed a Patriot of the Year to be honored at
Sessions received numerous awards includthe luncheon. This year’s honoree is Sen.
ing: the Reserve Officers Association
Jeff Sessions. “His contributions to our
nation and the world have been significant,” Minuteman of the Year Award, the National
Taxpayers Union Friend of the Taxpayer
said Col. Pat Downing, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Award and the Watchdogs of the Treasury
and member of Mobile Bay Area Veterans
Golden Bulldog Award.
Day Commission. “Senator Sessions is held
For more information about local
in tremendously high regard by the military
activities for Veterans Day, contact
and veterans communities, as well as our
community at large.”
Jessica Powers at 431-8621 or
Sessions is a strong advocate for
[email protected]. To
America’s military, including the four
make a reservation for the luncheon,
major defense installations in Alabama –
call the Chamber at 431-8612 or register
Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Fort
on-line at www.mobilechamber.com.
Rucker near Ozark, Maxwell Air Force Base
Every Chamber member is automatically entitled to savings
at Office Depot! Chamber members now have the exclusive
opportunity to save as much as 67% on all office supplies at
Office Depot. Office Depot makes ordering easy – order by
phone, fax or internet and receive next day delivery!
Contact Tom Ondrejcak
Contact
Wendy Gambrell
[email protected]
[email protected]
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
17
18
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
Chamber Chase 2006
Smashes All Records
TOP PRODUCERS
Top Overall Producers
Jamie Horton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $106,775
John McCrory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $44,192
Susan Embry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39,375
Jo Shannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $33,396
Karyl Hanisch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24,631
Top Cash Producers
John McCrory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41,472
Susan Embry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,575
Karyl Hanisch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,743
Harris Oswalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,480
Monique Rogers-Ruffin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $16,602
Top New Member Producers
Monique Rogers-Ruffin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Susan Embry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Rachel Willcox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Pam Roberts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Jeremy Eudy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Top Overall Teams
Whitney National Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $177,265
Diplomat Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $122,002
Regions Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $70,739
AmSouth Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $69,364
Degussa Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $56,050
Top Cash Teams
Diplomat Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $76,286
Regions Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $56,419
AmSouth Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $44,764
Whitney National Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $44,625
Alabama Power Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41,802
Top New Member Teams
Board Member Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Degussa Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Diplomat Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Alabama Power Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Whitney National Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Top Rookie Producer
Rachel Willcox, Alabama Power Co. . . . . . . . $16,951
Chamber Chase 2006’s theme was “Breaking Records” and played on Chairman Angela Grice’s love of music. Holding
the Chamber Chase trophy is Grice with Whitney National Bank. From left to right pictured with Grice are Karyl Hanisch,
Riverview Plaza Hotel; Frank Barragan, Cellular South; Beverly Crandall, Alabama Power Co.; Monica Wiggins, Whitney
National Bank; and Greg Bowen, UBS Financial Services.
When Angela Grice with Whitney National Bank agreed
to chair the 2006 Chamber Chase campaign, she had one
goal in mind – to become the million dollar woman.
In less than 16 weeks, Grice and her group of enthusiastic
volunteers did what no other Chamber Chase group had
accomplished: they raised more than $1 million in new
members, sponsorships and ads, money that will be used to
produce first-class events for members and create publications
that will benefit all businesses in the Mobile area.
Grice’s key volunteers during this year’s campaign were
Greg Bowen, UBS Financial Services; Karyl Hanisch,
Riverview Plaza Hotel; Beverly Crandall, Alabama Power Co.;
Monica Wiggins, Whitney National Bank; and Frank
Barragan, Cellular South. This year’s campaign theme was
“Breaking Records,” and the volunteers did just that.
Chamber Chase Pro and
Veteran Awards
“Angela’s leadership took us off the charts,” said
Carolyn Golson, the Chamber’s vice president of
membership. “Her ability to encourage and motivate set the
tone and led us to break all previous records.”
Chamber volunteers began this year’s campaign in
May with a kickoff breakfast at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile
Convention Center. Each week, volunteer batteries were
recharged during reward sessions that recognized top
volunteers for the week and their companies. In July, a victory
celebration was held at Whitney National Bank. While the
goal was officially reached in August, the volunteers were
honored during the celebration for their hard work.
To learn more about Chamber Chase or how to
become involved in next year’s campaign, contact Golson
at 431-8622 or [email protected].
Top Pro Teams
Whitney National Bank..................................$177,265
Diplomat Team...............................................$122,002
Regions Bank....................................................$70,739
Top Veteran Teams
Board of Directors Team ..................................$36,429
Colonial Bank...................................................$24,956
BellSouth...........................................................$14,335
The Business View
Teams Over Goal
Alabama Power Co.
Board of Directors Team
Ciba Specialty Chemicals
Cingular Wireless
Degussa Corp.
Diplomat Team
Regions Bank
Whitney National Bank
NOVEMBER 2006
19
LATINO MUSIC DIVISION: Manager Frank Barragan — $144,939
AmSouth Bank
Central Insurance Management
Regions Bank
Veritas Wealth Management
$69,364
$820
$70,739
$760
Bill Seifert
Jo Shannon
South Alabama Captain
Area Executive
Mark Fillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,318
Russ Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,300
Jo Shannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$33,396
Mark Spivey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$19,300
Pratt Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,050
Willie Taylor
Captain
Willie Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$820
W. Todd Mixon
CEO /President
John McCrory
Captain
Trish Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,447
Alma Hickman . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,500
John McCrory . . . . . . . . . . . . .$44,192
Jason Singley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,500
Rusty Vinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,000
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15,100
Damian Bell
Managing Partner
Damian Bell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$760
COUNTRY MUSIC DIVISION: Manager Greg Bowen — $177,596
Adecco Employment Services
Board of Directors Team
Cingular Wireless
$12,679
$36,429
$23,748
$32,166
Kay Watson
Branch Manager
Russ Ford
Captain
Anne Martin
Captain
Ramonica Gamble . . . . . . . . . . .$810
Anne Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$11,869
Bayne Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,141
Lorie Gaillard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$615
Mike Hofto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,883
Jeff Mayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,294
Dave Reaney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$500
Yolanda Richardson . . . . . . . . . .$608
Monique Rogers-Ruffin . . . . .$16,602
Sandy Stimpson . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,000
Tommy Zoghby . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,250
Al Heffernan
Plant Manager
Denise Taylor
Captain
Denise Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . .$11,000
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,748
Bill Withers
Area Retail Sales Manager
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$32,166
Degussa Corp.
Lewis Communications
$56,050
$11,524
Tom Bates
Site Manager
Gary Criscione
Captain
Gary Criscione . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,043
Susan Embry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39,375
Linda Faulkner . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,172
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$460
John Lewis
Chairman
Tripp Lewis
Captain
Tripp Lewis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$11,524
As Chamber Chase’s annual campaign kicked off, Anne Martin, AKA “Joan Rivers”
with Adecco Employment Services interviewed volunteers. Pictured with Martin
from left to right are Susan Embry, Degussa Corp; John McCrory, Regions Bank;
Lana Mosley, Clark Personnel Service; and Michelle Cook, BankTrust.
20
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
GOSPEL MUSIC DIVISION: Manager Beverly Crandall — $161,138
Alabama Power Co.
BellSouth
Colonial Bank
Wachovia Bank
$53,802
$14,335
$24,956
$19,127
Gigi Armbrecht
Regional Manager
Edward O’Gwynn III Janet Johnson
Area President
Captain
Jennifer Gontarski . . . . . . . . . .$5,100
Belinda Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,800
Janet Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,282
Chris Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,200
Liz Karcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,100
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,474
Lee Moncrief
Market President
Cheryl Thompson
Mobile Division
Vice President
Phil Hughston
Captain
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14,335
Phil Hughston . . . . . . . . . . . .$20,820
Pam Roberts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$16,031
Rachel Willcox . . . . . . . . . . . .$16,951
Holly Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,800
Jamie LeDoux, Captain . . . . .$14,042
Brent Scott, Captain . . . . . . . . .$1,285
CLASSICAL MUSIC DIVISION: Manager Karyl Hanisch — $142,821
Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Compass Bank
Diplomat Team
Holcim (US) Inc.
$8,850
$10,307
$122,002
$1,662
Michael Granger
Phil Domke
City President
Captain
JoAnne Cagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$720
Phil Domke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9,122
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$465
Lana Mosley
Captain
Clay Walden
District Manager
Michael Pierce
Captain
Michael Pierce . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,850
Savoring success during Chamber Chase’s victory celebration were Kellie Roberts,
Holcim (US) Inc.; Nancy Peoples, Multi-Staffing Services; Karen Blackwell,
Marriott ExecuStay Suite Living; Donna Turner, World Omni Financial Corp.;
Laurie Kennedy, BankTrust; and Linda Faulkner, Degussa Corp.
Joe McFalls
Plant Manager
Gary Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,178
Karen Blackwell . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,390
Willie Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$605
Terry Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,580
Jason Embry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,525
Karyl Hanisch . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24,631
Millie Sue Hawk . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,754
Jeanine Koons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$399
Daniel Leonard . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,544
Rajool Mehta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$491
Lana Mosley . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$16,769
Nancy Peoples . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,848
Victoria Perry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,760
Jannea Rogers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$600
Leo Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$688
Donna Turner . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,168
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$44,072
Kellie Roberts
Captain
Kellie Roberts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,662
Alabama Power Company team
members are all smiles after a
successful week. Pictured here
are Beverly Crandall, who also
served as a division chair, and
Rachel Willcox.
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
21
JAZZ MUSIC DIVISION: Manager Monica Wiggins — $217,062
BankTrust
Commonwealth National Bank
$32,957
$6,840
$177,265
Terry Harbin
Michelle Cook
President
Captain
Chris Conken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$885
Michelle Cook . . . . . . . . . . . . .$16,352
David Hagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14,300
Laurie Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,420
Partners for
Growth/Campaign
Contributions
$10,349
Sidney King
CEO
Rodney Lee
Captain
John Turner Jr.
Vice President
Lynda Burkett . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,335
Sidney King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$200
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,305
Jamie Horton
Captain
Skip Becker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,132
David Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000
Angela Dunn . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$18,623
Jeremy Eudy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$26,395
Travis Guest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,382
Jamie Horton . . . . . . . . . . . .$106,775
Spencer Wiggins . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,958
Team Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,000
Member
Investments
$159,715
Donations of
Products/Services
$220,016
Advertising
in Chamber
Publications
$81,213
Board of
Advisors
$192,129
Trade/Sponsorship
of Projects/Events
$371,976
FINAL TOTAL
$1,035,398
22
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
Enjoying a meal at Outback Steakhouse prior to a Chamber Chase reward session
are Lynda Burkett, Marshall McLeod; Yolanda Scott, Network Telephone Corp.;
Phil Hughston, Alabama Power Co.; and Cheryl Thompson, Alabama Power Co.
Weekly reward sessions were a great chance to network with other volunteers. Pictured here are Willie
Davis, Davis Photography; Donna Turner, World Omni; Heather Weeks, Cracker Barrel; Rajool Mehta,
AIG; Millie Sue Hawk, Welcome Friends; Lana Mosley, Clark Personnel Service; Nancy Peoples, MultiStaffing Services; Daniel Leonard, Alabama School of Math and Science; Gary Adams, Principal Financial
Group; Terry Downs, Nationwide Insurance Downs Agency; and Leo Springs, ABS Business Systems.
22
Thanks
Kick Off Breakfast
Lunch & Learn
Fazoli’s
to the Chamber Chase 2006 Events Sponsors
Reward Sessions
AmSouth Bank
Bienville Club
Colonial Bank
Dreamland BBQ
A Note of Thanks
$Two Dollar$ Bill’s
1st Class Water Service
84 Lumber
A & A Screening Solutions
A & C Home Lending
Abbott Systems
Abita Springs Water
ABS Business Systems
ACCUSTAFF
ACO Employment Services
ACS Ministries
Adams & Reese
Adecco Employment Services
Advance Appraisal & Consulting
AIG/American General
AIM Mail Center
Airgas-Gulf States
Alabama Computer Forms & Printing
Alabama Development Office
Alabama International Trade Center
Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic PC
Alabama Power Co.
Alabama Relocation Services
Alabama State Port Authority
Alabama Telco Credit Union
Alacom Finance
All Clean Janitorial
Allied American
ALLTEL
Alter Scrap Processing
Alto Imaging Tech.
Amber Consulting
AMC Liquidators
American Computer Enterprises
American Income Life
AmSouth Bank
Amtech Lighting Services
Animal Barn
Annie’s Beauty Salon
Ann’s Nails
April’s Mane Attraction
Aqualife
ARAMARK
Arbonne International
Arkema
Armbrecht Jackson LLP
Army Aviation Center Federal Union
Arrival Systems
Artcraft Press
Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile
Convention Center
Atlanta Bread Co.
Atlantic Marine
Auctions That Work
Austal USA
Austin Industrial
B@kerBytes
Baldwin County Sewer Service
Bama Pest Control
BankTrust
Bar-B-Quing With My Honey
Bay Area Women Coalition
Bay Paper Company
Bay Security Co.
Bayou Concrete
Bayview Ford Lincoln Mercury
Beef O’Brady’s
Bell’s Truck-Trailer Repair
BellSouth
Belmar Furniture & App.
Beltone Audiology
The Berry Co./The Real Yellow Pages
BES Inc.
Better Business Bureau
Bienville Club
Bishop State Community College
Blue Bell Creameries
Blue Cliff Career College
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama
Boan Contracting
Boundless Flight
Boys & Girls Club of South Alabama
BP Energy
BR Creative
Brinks Home Security
Bronsteins Fine Furniture
Budget Blinds
Budweiser-Busch
Buffalo Rock-Pepsi Cola
Business Network Intl.
C. H. Robinson Worldwide
Cahaba Disaster Recovery
Callis Communications
Camp Whispering Pines
Capps College
Cardiology Associates
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Cartridge World
Cellular South
Century 21 Hope Downey
Century Bank
Chapura
Children’s Hospital of Alabama
Chiropractic Life Center
Chris & Carla’s Catering
Cimco Refrigeration
Cingular Wireless
Cisco Systems
Citigroup-Smith Barney
City Hostess Welcome Service
Clark Personnel Services
Climate Control
Club Sun Tanning
The CM Group
CMB Masonry
Coast Safe & Lock
Coastal Clinical Research
Coastal Events Management
Coastal Ford
Coastal Waters Federal Credit Union
Coldwell JME Realty
Colonial Bank
Colonial Mall Bel Air
Comcast Cable
Comcast Marketing
Commercial Property Directory
Communication Tech Services
Community Coffee
Compass Bank
Consolidated Pipe
Martini’s on Dauphin
Mobile Botanical Gardens
Outback Steakhouse
Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q
Wachovia Bank
Wintzell’s Oyster House
Victory Celebration:
And thanks to
Whitney National
Bank for loaning us
Angela Grice.
to Those That Supported Chamber Chase 2006
Constantine Human Resources
Construction Solutions Intl.
Cooper Restaurants
Country Club Woods
Courtyard by Marriott
Cranes Mechanical Seals
Creative Catering
Creative Consulting
Creola Ace Hardware
Crosby Catering
Crown Products
Culligan Water
Custom & Fit to Perfection
Custom Direct Logistics
Custom H20 Products
DailyAccess Corp.
Dale Carnegie
Dauphin Management
Dauphin Realty
Davis Photography
Debbie’s Fashions
Debra’s
Desi Career Training
Designs By Karon
DHS Contractors
Digital Data Solutions
Digitech
Dogwood Productions
Don’s Catering
Downtowners on Dauphin
Dreamland BBQ
DuPont Agricultural Products
Dvorak International Linguistics
EADS North America
e-graphics & design inc.
Eight Mile Nursing
El Bethel Primitive Baptist Church
Empire Business Associates
Enterprise Car Sales
Enterprise Rent A Car
Enveloc
Esfeller Construction
Estes Heating & Air
Evans Financial Services
Express Personnel
ExxonMobil
Faith Enterprises
Fazoli’s
The Finch Companies
First Baptist Church
First Community Bank
First Data Commercial Services
First Protective Life
Fluor
Ford Lumber - Saraland
Ford Lumber - Semmes
Frame Shop & Gallery
Frank R. Wade Office Equipment
Friends of the Mobile Animal Shelter
FSI Equipment Co.
Furmanite/Southern Valve Service
G. R. Harvill
Gameroom Gallery
Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Grand Entertainment & The Grand Band
Grande Advertising
Greater Mobile Development Corp.
Gulf Coast Air & Power
Gulf Coast Christian Center
Gulf Coast Metal
Gulf Distributing
Gulf Electric Co.
Gulf Lumber Co.
Gulf South Pipeline
Gulf Waste
Gwin’s Printing
Hampton Inn & Suites
Hampton Inn & Suites Mobile/I-65
Hampton Inn Pensacola Beach
Hand Arendall
Harbor Communications
Harcros Chemicals
Hargrove & Assoc.
Heggeman Realty
Hertz
Hilton Garden Inn (Orange Beach)
Holcim (US) Inc.
The Holyfield Co.
Horizon Ship Building
Hosea O. Weaver & Sons
House of Specialties
Hughes Plumbing
Hurricane Electronics
IBM
IKON Office Solutions
Imagistics
INEOS Phenol
Instrument Technical
Integrity Media
Internet Global Phone
IPSCO Steel (Alabama) Inc.
J.D. Adams Contracting & Painting
J.F. Pate and Associates
Jay Eubanks Tree Service
Jeff Tesney Photography
Jimmy Lowe’s Fruit Stand
Joe Bullard Automotive Companies
Joseph M. Crow DMD
Just Rite Supply
K.Z. Corp.
Keith Miller Advertising
Keller Williams
Kellogg Brown & Root
Kimberly-Clark Corp.
Kingsize Enterprise
Konica Minolta Printing Solutions
L & S Air Conditioning
L & W Developers
L.E. Electric
Lafayette Plaza Hotel
Lamar Advertising
LAS Mobile Homes Parts & Service
Lassere’s Catering
Lending One
Lenny’s Sub Shop
Leon Atchison Furniture
Lewis Communications
Life Television
Lifelines/Family Counseling
Lil’ Red Schoolhouse
Learning Center
Line-x of Mobile
The Business View
Living Well
LLB & B Inc. Real Estate
Logical Communication Services
Logista
Londa’s Collectibles
Long’s Human Resources
Los Rancheros
Lucy Barr Designs
Mack Davis Construction
Magnolia Mortgage
Major Move Automotive
Makeda Nichols-State Farm Insurance
Malcolm Pirnie
Maloney-Strohmeyer
Mapusoft Technologies
Maria Gorum Photography
Marriott ExecuStay Suite Living
Marshall A. McLeod
Marshall Biscuit
Martini’s Fine Food & Spirits
Masland Carpets
Mayer Electric Supply
McAleer’s Office Furniture
McDowell Knight Roedder & Sledge
MCG Business Solutions
McKean & Meyer
Mercy Medical
Meyer Real Estate
Miller Hamilton Snider & Odom
Mississippi Development Authority
Mitsubishi Polysilicon
Mobile Aeroteam
Mobile Air Center
Mobile Airport Authority
Mobile Area Water & Sewer System
Mobile Arts & Sports/Senior Bowl
Mobile Asphalt
Mobile Association for the Blind
Mobile BayBears
Mobile Carnival Museum
Mobile Emergency Group
Mobile Gas Service Corp.
Mobile Group
Mobile Infirmary
The Mobile Marriott
Mobile Memorial Gardens
Mobile Mental Health
Mobile Paperboard
Mobile Technical Institute
Mobile Works
Moore & Wolfe
Mr. Rooter of Southwest AL
Multi-Staffing Services
My Victorian Bed & Breakfast
MyLocalHotSpots.com
Naman’s Catering
National Coalition of 100 Black Women
Nationwide Insurance Downs Agency
Neal-Waltman & Assoc.
Neighbor Networks
Newtek Business Solutions
Nexcall Communications
Nextel Partners
Nobles Group Homes
Nortel Networks
NOVEMBER 2006
23
A Note of Thanks
North Mobile Internet Services
Northern Gulf Trading Group
Northrop Grumman
Norton Lilly
Oak Master Tailors
Office Depot Business Services Division
Office Equipment Co.
Office Max
Office Supplies Inc. (OSI)
Outback Steakhouse
Overseas Hardwood
Pacesetter Personnel Service
Paula’s Hair Unlimited
Paulk’s Moving & Storage
Peavy Construction
Performance Diversified Services
The Pillars
Pilot Catastrophe Services
Pine Crest Funeral Home
Pixallure LLC
Planted by the Rivers of Living Water
Planted Painting Paving & Maintenance
PPI Inc.
Premier Medical Management Inc.
Press-Register
Prime Source Mortgage
Providence Baptist Church
Providence Hospital
Quality Technical Services
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
Re/Max Partners
Re/Max Realty Professionals
Realty Leaders Corp.
Red Brick Café
Regional Steel Products
Reliable Staffing
ReMax Partners
Remington College
Ridgway’s Ltd.
Rite Way Service
Riverview Plaza Hotel
The Robert Trent Jones Golf
Trail/Magnolia Grove
Roberts Brothers Real Estate
Rock Creek Golf Club
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
Rose Bud Florist
Rosie’s Fashion Center
Roy Lewis Construction Corp.
Royal Cup Coffee
Royal Lagoon Seafood
Ruby Tuesday
S.J. & L.
Safe Archives Safe Shredding
Safeguard Business Solutions
Saunders Engine & Equipment
Scatter Joy Photography
Sheffield & Assoc.
Shook and Fletcher
Shore Acres Plant Farm
Sipco
Sirmon & Pawlowski
Skelton’s Fire Equipment
Snelling Personnel Services
Solid Rock Promotions
Sonja Fowler & Assoc.
Soundworks
South Alabama Regional
Planning Commission
to Those That Supported Chamber Chase 2006
Southeast Technical Solutions
Southeastern Salvage Home
Emporium
Southern Company Services
Southern Furniture Leasing
Southern Wood Works
Southland Capital Realty
SpaceSavers Document
Spectrum Assoc.
Spot of Tea
Spring Hill College
Springhill Dental Health Center
Springhill Medical Center
The SSI Group
Standard Equipment
Staples
Star Vision Centers
Steve’s Gun Shop
Streamline Logistics
Styles in Motion Salon
Summit Interiors
Superior Wear Products
Syngenta
T.A. Hall Contractor
The Talking Phonebook
Targeted Technologies
Technique Automotive
TekLinks
Telamon Corp.
Teledyne Continental Motors
TeleVox Software
Terminix International
Thames Batré Mattei Beville & Ison
The Wave Transit System
TheDailyClassifieds.com
Thompson Engineering
Thompson Holdings
Thompson Tractor
Tijuana Flats
T-Mobile
Toddlers Academy Beginners School
Tolbert Meetings & Events
Tonya’s Florist & Gift Mart
Tooling Concepts
TORP Technology
Trinity Kids Learning Center
TriNova
Trugreen Chemlawn
Turner Distribution
Turner’s Heating & A/C
Tyco/ADT Fire & Security Services
Tyner’s Catering
UCI Communications
U-J Chevrolet
United Shipping Solutions
University of Alabama
University of South Alabama
URS Corp
US Lec
USA Research & Tech Park
Veracity Consulting Services
Verizon Wireless
Dr. Walt Vickers
Villa Dauphine
Virginia College
Vision Builders
Volkert & Assoc.
VSS
Wachovia Bank
WALA FOX 10/The CW WBPG TV
Waste Management
The Watermelon Patch
Wavenet Technologies
Webb Murray & Assoc.
Webjed
Wedding & Event Planner
Westminster Village
Wheless & Assoc.
WHIL RADIO 91.3 FM
White-Spunner & Associates
White-Spunner Const.
Who’s Who in Mobile
Wilmer Hall Children’s Home
Window Fair
Wintzell’s Oyster House
Winzer’s Surface Brightners
WKRG-TV
WNSP RADIO 105.5 FM
Word of Life Learning Institute
World Omni Financial Group
WPMI/Red Shift Media
Xante Corp
Yance Inge & Assoc.
Yellow Book USA
YMCA of South Alabama
Zaxby’s Real Chicken
Zea Rotisserie
Zimlich Patio & Garden
Zippy Sign Center
Many Thanks
to
for loaning
Angela Grice
to us for the
Chamber Chase
Campaign.
24
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT OF THE MONTH
Auctions That Work
Owner: Chris and Sharon Feaster, Bill and Felicia Brownell
Managers: Sharon Feaster and Felicia Brownell
Location: 5013 Cottage Hill Rd.
Member since: 2006
Brief description of business: Auctions That Work is an eBay drop-off store. The
company specializes in selling items on the Internet auction site eBay. For personal sales,
fundraisers and liquidations, Auctions That Work will research product selling values,
professionally photograph items, write detailed descriptions, monitor the auctions and
handle all sale transactions.
What is unique or innovative about your business? Auctions That Work is the
only eBay drop-off site in Mobile. The company is also a full-fledged packing store with
crate shipping available.
Most significant challenge: “The only challenge we’ve experienced is educating the
public about our service,” Feaster said.
Sharon Feaster and Felicia Brownell manage the only eBay drop-off
site in Mobile.
Telephone number: 662-3229
Web site: www.auctionsthatwork.com
The Business Spotlight of the Month is selected at random from a
drawing of business cards from Mobile Area Chamber members
collected at the prior month’s Business After Hours event.
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
25
DIPLOMAT OF THE MONTH
CEO Profile
Company: EnergySouth Inc., parent company of
Bay Gas Storage and Mobile Gas Service Corp.
Title: President and CEO
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Education: Liollio received a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Texas
A&M University, where he currently serves as chairman of the industrial engineering advisory council. He is a member of the Southern Gas Association board of directors and the
American Gas Association leadership council.
First job: Liollio’s first job was changing tires and performing auto repair at his father’s
Goodyear tire store.
Previous experience: Division president and COO, CenterPoint Energy Southern Gas
Operations
Accomplishments: Liollio explained one of his most gratifying personal accomplishments is serving as chair of the Texas A&M industrial engineering council. “My experience
at Texas A&M has been the foundation for my success, and it’s very rewarding to give back
to the university in a way that helps younger students start their professional careers.”
Career-changing moment: “Early in my career when I worked as an engineer with
Entex in the south Texas division, I was involved in what turned out to be a very unusual
event for south Texas,” said Liollio. “A snow storm with icy conditions froze a pipeline
valve disrupting gas flow on the distribution system. Working in the field to restore services, which included going house-to-house to relight heating equipment for customers, I
realized just how important utility services are to people. Our business makes a difference,
and it was at that moment my passion for this business became most apparent.”
Secret to success: Liollio says he puts his employees first and has passion for the business.
Family: Liollio and his wife Angie have three children.
Which historical figure would you like to invite to dinner? Henry Ford. “Ford
was a visionary,” said Liollio. “His innovations revolutionized the nature of transportation
and industrial production. It would be a pleasure to have dinner with Ford just to see his
reaction to the global economies we know today and just how his innovations shaped
those economies.”
Brief company description: EnergySouth is the holding company for a family of
energy-related businesses headquartered in Mobile. EnergySouth’s principal subsidiaries
are Bay Gas Storage, a company providing underground storage of natural gas, and
Mobile Gas Service Corp., a natural gas utility company.
26
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
A capital partner with the law firm of Adams
and Reese LLP, Jannea Rogers is the Mobile Area
Chamber’s Diplomat of the Month.
Rogers’ practice focuses on defense in the areas
of product and premises liability; professional
malpractice, including medical, architectural and
engineering; labor and employment; and insurance
claims litigation, including bad faith.
She has been a volunteer on the Chamber’s
diplomat team for more than four years and enjoys
the Chamber’s Business and Technology Expo and Business After Hours events.
“The Business Expo is a wonderful opportunity to familiarize myself with the
businesses in Mobile and the products and services they offer,” said Rogers. “I also
appreciate the Business After Hours sessions because they allow me to socialize and
meet other business people in an informal and comfortable setting.”
“Jannea is a long-time volunteer and supporter of the diplomat team,” said
Maria Bladorn, the Chamber’s director of customer service and liaison to the
diplomats. “We know we can rely on her assistance any time.”
Rogers said being a diplomat has opened doors to varying professions and
businesses. It also gives her additional contacts within the business community
and an opportunity to obtain a different perspective on ideas, issues and life.
She is a member of the Mobile County Bar Association, Defense Research
Institute, Alabama Defense Lawyers Association, American Bar Association, Alabama
Bar Association, Florida Bar Association and Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity.
Rogers also sits on committees for the Senior Bowl and American Cancer Society.
Photo by Jeff Tesney
Jannea Rogers
C.S. “Dean” Liollio
Diplomats are volunteers from member organizations who assist with Chamber
activities. To get involved in the diplomat program, contact
Maria Bladorn at 431-8649 or [email protected].
Investor Focus
IPC Industries
(Investment Property Companies)
Company officials: Clifton Inge and McGowin Patrick
Years in business: 13
Brief company description: IPC Industries started in 1993 in the manufacturing
industry and has evolved into a provider of subordinated debt equity for small- to middlemarket companies and real estate projects primarily located in the Southeast. The
company makes commercial and residential real estate investments for acquisition
and development.
Why are you located in Mobile? Patrick and Inge are native Mobilians who worked
in Atlanta and New York after college because of strong employment opportunities in those
cities. They operate their business in Mobile because “the Gulf Coast is becoming a
dynamic area in which to operate,” said Inge.
Why do you support the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce’s Partners
for Growth initiative? “As Mobilians, it is our responsibility to invest in our city,”
said Inge. “If we don’t, who else will? My hat’s off to David Bronner, Mike Dow, Sam
Jones, EADS, Jimmy Lyons, Ann Bedsole, Win Hallett and many other loyalists who are
committed to Mobile.” Inge added he feels there are great times ahead for the Port City.
What do you see as Mobile’s greatest potential? “The desire of our young
people to live and work in Mobile,” said Inge. Historically, some of the city’s brightest have
gone to other cities seeking employment. Of late and increasingly, they are staying here.
Now, people from Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans and other places are moving to Mobile
Clif Inge is committed to investing in Mobile-based projects.
for the quality of life and the economic boom beginning to take place here. “The business
community must provide quality jobs and leadership for our future to remain bright,”
he said.
Length of Chamber membership: Since 2000
Partners for Growth (PFG) is the Mobile Area Chamber’s long-term economic and
community development program. For more information on PFG contact Shelly Mattingly,
the Chamber’s investor relations coordinator, at 431-8655 or [email protected].
Premier Medical Physicians
ENT Physicians
DONALD J. MULLER, MD FACS
RONNIE E. SWAIN, MD
W. CARTER BRYARS, JR., MD
BARRY L. BROWN, MD
WILEY H. JUSTICE, MD, FACS
JAMES R. SPIRES, JR., MD
JOHN S. WILSON, MD, FACS
JAMES K. PITCOCK, MD
P. VAN. CROCKER, MD
MARK R. GACEK, MD
ALFRED M. NEUMANN, JR., MD
RONNIE E. SWAIN, JR., MD
J. MARK HARRISON, MD
MICHAEL R. LEE, MD
KIMBERLY A. ELLIOTT, MD
NURSE PRACTITIONER
DIANTHA MILLER, CRNP, MSN
Audiology
JIM MCDILL, PHD
JENNIFER TAYLOR-GUY, AUD
Eye Physicians
WILLIAM R. HEALY, MD
JAMES M. HARRISON, JR., MD
CLAUDE M. WARREN, III, MD
ROLLINS L. TINDELL, JR., MD
CHARLES R. SALISBURY, MD
MATTHEW W. MOSTELLER, MD
CHARLES S. MOSTELLER, MD
RICHARD J. DUFFEY, MD
H. CHRISTOPHER SEMPLE, MD
ANDREW P. TERRY, MD
STUART F. BALL, MD
WILLIAM F. MURRAH, III, MD
MARK J. DOUGLAS, MD
CURTIS M. GRAF, JR., MD
BEN F. KING, OD
GREGORY R. JACKSON, OD
ROBERT E. EDGE, OD
VALERIE L. VICK, MD
JAY A. BROWN, MD
DIANNA L. SELDOMRIDGE, MD
CHARLES F. JONES, M.D.
JEFFERY A. MORROW, O.D.
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
27
Thinking about Holiday Gifts for Employees?
Think Certifichecks.
Recipients of a Certificheck can redeem
the gift certificate at one of the Chamber
members below:
• All About Sewing
• All Music Pro
• B&B Pet Stop Inc.
• Belle Bouquet Florist & Gifts LLC
• Black Classics Books & Gifts
• Brown’s Hallmark
• Buttercream Dreams Specialty Cakes
• Cruise Away
• CruiseOne
• Fazoli’s
• Fremin’s Contractor Services LLC
• Friedman’s Fine Jewelry
• Fringe Benefits LLC
• Gerhardt’s Luggage and Gifts
• Gourmet Galley
• Heavenly Ham of Mobile
• Jennifer MacLeod Appraisals LLC
• Leaf & Petal Florist & Gift Shop
• Metzger’s Inc.
• Mobile Ballet Inc.
• Mrs. Wheat’s Treats
• My Victorian Bed & Breakfast
Do You Need a Personal CFO™?
Most sophisticated investors appreciate the
common-sense approach of a Personal CFO.
But this comprehensive approach is not for
everyone. Take a few minutes to answer the
following questions and find out if a Personal
CFO is right for you.
Greg Dorriety
Co-owner and Vice President
of Financial Solutions Inc.
in Daphne, Alabama
❏
Are you looking for a financial advisor to help
you make decisions over the long term?
❏
Do you make investment decisions with confidence?
Would you appreciate a well-researched and well
thought-out plan to reduce the surprises of investing?
❏
Would you like to simplify the investment process?
❏
Are you aware of methods for repositioning highly
appreciated assets for a higher current income
without incurring capital gains taxes?
❏
Do you know how much capital would be necessary
to be able to stop working without compromising
your current lifestyle?
❏
Are you aware of methods to reduce taxes on the
transfer of assets to your heirs?
Financial Solutions Incorporated is committed to helping
investors address these tough issues. Greg Dorriety has
extensive experience in financial planning and investment
services. He is uniquely qualified to help clients invest
strategically, reduce taxes and make smarter long-term
financial planning decisions.
9805 Millwood Circle • Daphne, AL 36526
251.625.8885 • Fax 251.625.0117
[email protected]
www.financialsolutionsinc.us
28
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
•
•
•
•
•
•
Office Equipment Co.
Port City Realty
Pump It Up
Quality Limousine Service Inc.
Rayford & Associates Inc.
•
•
•
•
•
Springdale Travel
Tanner’s Pecans & Candies Inc.
The Museum of Mobile
The Rose Bud Flowers & Gifts LLC
Wendco of Alabama (Wendy’s)
Brilliant ideas deserve
brilliant results
You work hard to design print
pieces that will dazzle your
customers. We work hard
to make sure those pieces
look even better than
you dreamed. That’s the
full-service concept that
sets Interstate apart.
&
With the holiday season fast approaching, many business owners and managers
are looking for a holiday gift their employees will appreciate. Rather than searching
for one gift that everyone will love, why not
consider Mobile Area Chamber gift certificates, called Certifichecks? Recipients are
able to select the merchant of their choice
and can use the gift certificates just as they
would a check.
With several dozen businesses to
choose from, Certifichecks can be
redeemed for goods and services at multiple locations in the area. Each one is packaged and mailed in a festive envelope. Gift
boxes also are available for purchase.
There’s no cost added to the amount
of the gift certificate, and checks can be
ordered for any monetary amount.
Advantages include supporting local
businesses and avoiding the complications
of intricate corporate gift giving.
To order Certifichecks or become a
Certifichecks vendor, contact Maria
Bladorn at 431-8649 or mbladorn@
mobilechamber.com.
PRINTING/ PRE-PRESS MAILING
interstate
inc.
1135 Corporate Drive North
Mobile, AL 36607
Toll Free 1-888-670-7377
Ph 251-476-3302 • Fax 251-476-4072
E-mail: [email protected]
Who’s In Town?
NOVEMBER 2006
Conventions are the backbone of Mobile’s
burgeoning tourism industry. From statewide
associations to national sports events, on any
given day, hundreds of tourists descend upon the
Port City. In an effort to keep you informed about
“Who’s In Town,” the Mobile Bay Convention and
Visitors Bureau (MBCVB) provides The Business
View a list of the current month’s conventions
coming to the Bay area. If you have any questions
about the groups listed below, contact the MBCVB
at 208-2000.
Source: Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau
November 13-17
November 30 - December 5
Alabama Counseling Association
Annual Meeting
Ervin “Chip” Wood, planner
Alabama Counseling Association
217 Daryle St.
Livingston, AL 35470
Phone: 205-652-1712
Delegates: 1,000
Room Nights: 825
Hotel/Location: Riverview Plaza Hotel
Alabama Farmers Federation
Annual Meeting
David Smart, director
Alabama Farmers Federation
2108 East South Blvd.
Montgomery, AL 36116
Phone: 334-613-4211
Delegates: 2,300
Room Nights: 2,780
Hotel(s): Citywide
Location: Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile
Convention Center
Building Business
Area organizations ask the Mobile Area Chamber’s business retention
and expansion committee business-related questions on a regular basis.
The Chamber uses this forum to provide the answers in an effort to help
your business become more successful. If you have a question about a
business-related topic, contact Steve Russell, the Chamber’s director of
business retention and expansion, at 431-8654.
Q:
A:
Before the end of the year, I plan to start construction on
a new office building in the city limits. Does the city of
Mobile offer any assistance before I begin construction?
According to Mayor Sam Jones, predevelopment meetings have provided
an opportunity for developers, contractors and design professionals to
meet with city staff regarding proposed projects and are now required before certain
construction projects begin. These meetings benefit both the applicant and the city
and are designed to provide the city with an early overview of a proposed project
and its many associated nuances surrounding the application. Also, applicants learn
how the city’s code requirements impact a project or proposed design.
Required attendees for predevelopment meetings are the project’s design professional (architect, engineer, etc.), contractor, developer or business or property owner.
From the city, attendees should include: a representative from city engineering,
traffic engineering, right-of-way, zoning, permitting and development; the building
inspector, plumbing inspector, electrical inspector, mechanical inspector, fire marshal
and revenue officer; and a representative from historic development, if applicable.
As of Oct. 2 this year, predevelopment meetings became required on the following
projects: new commercial property, change of occupancy, an increase in impervious
area including surfaces such as roofs, parking lots, sidewalks and roads by at least
4,000 square feet (building or pavement), commercial or residential additions in a
flood zone, and new equipment on a telecommunications tower site. Construction
of new subdivisions is exempt from this requirement.
Regularly scheduled meetings are held Tuesday mornings on the 5th floor of
the south tower of Government Plaza. Twenty-four hour notice is needed to
schedule a meeting; however, special meetings may be scheduled at other times
with a minimum of three days advance notice. To schedule a meeting, call the
city’s urban development department at 208-7600.
Comparative Economic Indicators
July ‘06 vs July ‘05
Unemployment
Rates
Mobile/Baldwin counties
Business Licenses
City of Mobile
Homes Sold
Mobile County
598
3.6% 4.2%
2006 2005
Air Passengers
From Mobile
Mobile Area
26,925 28,523
471
299
262
2006 2005
2006 2005
The Business View
2006 2005
NOVEMBER 2006
29
Featured Profiles
Advisors
The Mobile Area Chamber is proud to salute members of its board of advisors. These business leaders represent
key companies whose significant dues investment leads the way in funding the Chamber’s programs and
initiatives. For more information contact Katrina Dewrell at 431-8611 or [email protected].
E. Chandler Bramlett
is president and CEO of
Infirmary Health System,
parent company of five
hospitals and one nursing
home in Mobile and Baldwin
counties, with almost 1,300
licensed beds, including Mobile
Infirmary Medical Center, the
Bramlett
largest not-for-profit acute care
hospital in Alabama. Bramlett earned a bachelor’s
degree in chemistry from The University of Alabama
and a master of business administration and certificate
in hospital administration from the University of
Florida. He has served in administrative positions in
healthcare facilities in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi
and Alabama. Bramlett joined Mobile Infirmary as
administrator of its Rotary Rehabilitation Hospital in
1976 and has served in his current position since
1983. With more than 30 years of service at the
Infirmary, he is one of the longest-tenured CEOs in
Alabama healthcare. Infirmary Health System is a
Partners for Growth investor.
30
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
Thomas W. Fulton is
president, chairman of the
board and CEO of The Finch
Companies Inc. He earned a
bachelor’s degree in transportation from The University of
Alabama and joined his family’s business in 1978. Fulton is
also president of Interiors Now,
Fulton
a division of The Finch
Companies. He has served as governmental affairs
chairman for the Mobile Area Association of Realtors
and in a similar position for the International
Warehouse Logistics Association. He is a member of
the management committee for the Mobile Bay
National Estuary Program, vice chair of the YMCA of
South Alabama and on the board of directors of the
Mobile Area Apartment Association. His other community activities have included involvement with Leadership
Mobile, United Way of Southwest Alabama, Mobile
Kiwanis, Home of Grace for Women, the Mobile Area
Chamber and the Mobile Jaycees. He has also served as
president of the Alabama Jaycees and was recognized
with life memberships in the Alabama and United
States Jaycees.
T. Bestor Ward III is
president of Safe Archives &
Safe Shredding LLC, a company
specializing in secured document
and media storage and destruction.
He earned a bachelor’s degree
in marketing from Auburn
University in 1980 and began
his career with SouthTrust Bank
Ward
of Mobile. Ward is also president
of Ward Properties, originally incorporated as Bedsole
Investment Co. in 1928 to develop, own and manage
real estate investments. He is past president of The
Rotary Club of Mobile and serves on the boards of
the Gulf Coast Exploreum/IMAX Theater, AmSouth
Bank, Infirmary Health System, Uriah Land Co. LLC,
Alabama Forest Resources Center, Lillian Plantation
LLC, St. Paul’s Episcopal School, the Mobile Area
Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the
Mobile Area Foundation for Aviation & Aerospace
Development. Ward serves as chairman of J. L.
Bedsole Foundation distribution committee and is
a member of the Mobile Real Estate Exchange Club.
Ward Properties is a Partners for Growth investor.
The Chamber at Work for You
Chamber Hosts ALDOT
Meeting
The Chamber hosted the Alabama
Department of Transportation and members of the maritime community in a
meeting this fall to discuss ALDOT’s
recommendations for an I-10 Mobile River
bridge. Other attendees included elected
officials and engineers who participated
in the impact study of potential bridge
locations.
Chamber Representatives
Involved with Leadership
Mobile
Bridgette Clark, the Chamber’s
international trade program manager, was
named to the 2006 - 07 Leadership Mobile
class. The year-long leadership program
provides participants with an in-depth look
at Mobile, including its vibrant past and
progressive present. Chamber executive
vice president Bob Chappelle was named
dean for this year’s class. Ginny Russell,
Chamber vice president of community and
governmental affairs, will facilitate the
program’s government session. Leadership
Mobile is an initiative of Mobile United.
Mission to the Dominican
Republic
Representatives of the Alabama State
Port Authority and Mobile Area Chamber
traveled to Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic, to increase trade relations. While
in the country, the two entities met with
shipping agencies, the primary utility
provider, Secretary of State Eddie
Martinez, grocery store chains and the
Dominican Republic-American Chamber
of Commerce.
As a result, the Alabama State Port
Authority developed strong contacts with
shippers interested in the port of Mobile.
Several local companies will have the
opportunity to sell transformers, utility
poles, electrical fasteners, and low- and
high-pressure valves to the Dominican
Republic, and the possibility of Mobile
hosting part of Dominican week is on the
table before Secretary of State Martinez.
Communications Team
Serves on PR Board
Several members of the Chamber’s
communications department will spend
the year serving on the board of the Public
Relations Council of Alabama - Mobile
Chapter, a professional organization for
communications, marketing and public
relations professionals in the Mobile area.
Leigh Perry Herndon will serve as president, along with Susan Rak Blanchard as
president-elect and vice president of membership, and Ashley Collins as historian.
PRCA consists of more than 120 members.
Legal Issues on Immigration
To meet the ever-growing concerns
Chamber members have about hiring legal
immigrants, Greg Jones with Hand
Arendall LLC presented a free workshop to
Chamber members on the new immigration laws. Members were able to learn how
the new laws will impact their businesses
and whether or not they’re in compliance.
Chamber VP Named to
SBA Advisory Council
Darrell Randle, vice president of small
business development, was named to the
National Advisory Council for the Small
Business Administration. Representing the
Southeastern United States, Randle and
others on the council are charged with
recommending policy and programming
to the SBA for implementation. Randle was
nominated for this prestigious board by
Michael Ricks, director of Alabama’s SBA
office in Birmingham.
Export Alabama Trade
Alliance Meeting
Each year, organizations within the
state supporting international trade meet
to advise the governor and the Alabama
Development Office on a trade strategy for
the following year. The Chamber’s trade
division attended this year’s meeting,
where strategy included continuation of
the Governor’s Trade Excellence Award
program.
The Alabama Development Office will
lead a mission to India in February 2007,
and the Mobile Area Chamber will lead a
mission to Asia in October 2007.
Educational events for 2007 will include
the World Trade Conference hosted by the
Mobile Area Chamber, statewide roundtable
discussions on pertinent trade issues, and
briefings on India and Asia.
Taking a Regional Approach
to Growth Patterns
Michael Gallis of Michael Gallis &
Associates of Charlotte, N.C., addressed a
group assembled at the Chamber this
summer regarding an opportunity for the
region to participate in a demonstration
project funded by National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and other
entities. NOAA is offering opportunities to
apply for a series of grants to look at
growth patterns and their impact on environments. This analysis would study all
the various “systems” operating in a metro
area, and if the Mobile Bay region is chosen for this demonstration project, the outcome will be a very comprehensive set of
data to assist us in shaping the area’s
future.
Workforce Resource Guide
Now Available
Following a successful workforce
development summit this fall, the
Chamber produced a resource guide to
help employers locate qualified skilled and
unskilled workers to meet their ever-growing needs. “Connections” is a guide to
local, state and federal programs, and
higher education institutions and is a
must-have resource for human resource
managers. The book cost is $6 for Chamber
members or $10 for non-members and can
be ordered on-line at http://buy.mobile
chamber.com.
U.S. Representatives
Discuss Trade
As part of the Alabama World Trade
Association, representatives from the Mobile
Area Chamber trade division met with Rep.
Artur Davis and Rep. Jo Bonner to discuss
trade issues. Support of past and future
free-trade agreements, grassroots trade
issues and immigration were discussed.
Providing training and
resources to empower
parents and strengthen
parent-school partnerships
across Alabama
576 Azalea Road, Suite 105
Mobile, AL 36619
(251) 478-1208 (V/TTY)
or 1-800-222-7322
www.seacparentassistancecenter.com
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
31
CALENDAR VIEW
For information on Chamber events, visit the Chamber’s Web site at www.mobilechamber.com.
NOVEMBER
Networking@Noon
8
NETWORKING
@ NOON
*Members Only
Time: Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Place: Outback Steakhouse
Cost:
$8 with lunch
Contact: Kim Perrone at 431-8638 or
[email protected]
10
SBA - BUSINESS
LOAN EXPRESS
CLINIC
Time: 5 - 8 p.m.
Place: Mobile Area Chamber Atrium
Cost:
Free
Contact: Brenda Rembert at 431-8607 or
[email protected]
16
NEW MEMBER
WELCOME/BUSINESS
AFTER HOURS
NMW Time: 4:45 - 5:30 p.m.
BAH Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Place:
BAH Cost: $2 for members/$5 for
potential members
Contact: Kim Perrone at 431-8638 or
[email protected]
30
VETERANS DAY
LUNCHEON
Time: Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Place: Fort Whiting, Brookley Field
Cost:
$15 per person
Contact: 431-8612 or
www.mobilechamber.com
(See related story on page 16.)
New Member Welcome/Business After Hours
Sponsored by Alabama Telco Credit
Union, Networking@Noon will be
held Wednesday, Nov. 8 at Outback
Steakhouse at 901 Montlimar Dr. N@N
is a bi-monthly event offering members
45 seconds to introduce themselves
and their business. Following a brief
presentation, introductions and lunch,
attendees are invited to continue to
network. The event is limited to Mobile
Area Chamber members only, and one
representative per company. The cost
is $8 and includes lunch. Reservations
are required no later than Monday,
Nov. 6, and can be made by calling
Kim Perrone at 431-8638 or
[email protected].
Reservations not cancelled by Nov. 6
must be honored to cover the cost of
the lunch.
*Members Only
SBA - Business
Loan Express Clinic
The Chamber and the University
of South Alabama Small Business
Development Center will host a lending
clinic on Thursday, Nov. 16 in the
Mobile Area Chamber’s Atrium, 451
Government St., from 5 to 8 p.m.
The clinic will educate small
business owners on the application
process for two SBA loans. Start-up and
existing small businesses can apply for
unsecured (no collateral required)
small business loans up to $50,000.
In addition, existing businesses (in
business two years) can also apply online for unsecured loans up $150,000.
There is no charge.
For more information, contact
Brenda Rembert at 431-8607 or
brembert@mobile chamber.com.
(location sponsor)
On Thursday, Nov. 30, new Chamber members are invited to attend the New
Member Welcome at Mobile Botanical Gardens from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. Learn about
the Chamber and how to get the most of your membership. At 5:30 p.m., join
Chamber members and diplomats for Business After Hours until 7 p.m. While
there, take a guided tour through the 100-acre gardens.
“Your First
Source
For Safety
Equipment
and Supplies”
SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS
Complete Line Of Safety Equipment
▲ RENTAL Monitors, SCBA, Confined Space
▲ AIRBOSS Safe Breathing Air Trailers
▲ Equipment Repair, Service and Calibration
▲ OSHA Safety Surveys, Seminars, Training
▲ Respirator Fit Testing, PFT & Medicals
▲ Walk-In Safety Sales Showroom
▲ RX Glasses, Safety Shoes, Uniforms
▲
251-443-7445
5865 Rangeline Rd. • www.safetysourceinc.com
32
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
“Providing Comprehensive
HVAC Solutions”
Happy Holidays to our
customers and employees.
4663 Halls Mill Road
Mobile, AL 36693
Phone 251.661.4050
Fax 251.661.7050
MEMBER NEWS
Share the Good News
Member News features a variety of
announcements from Chamber members.
Submission deadline is two months prior to
publication. News releases should be one or
two brief paragraphs. Photos must be professional headshots in either color or black and
white, labeled with the person’s last name,
and must be 300 dpi at full size and saved
in an eps, tif or jpg format.
Send your information to news@mobile
chamber.com or Member News, Mobile Area
Chamber of Commerce, P. O. Box 2187,
Mobile, AL 36652.
WHO’S NEW?
Roy Duncan PE was
promoted to civil and
structural department
leader for Hargrove and
Associates Inc., an engineering and construction
Duncan
firm. Duncan has a master’s degree in structural engineering from
Auburn University and is a registered
professional engineer.
Don Dowdy was
named project controls
manager for the company.
Dowdy has more than
25 years of cost control,
Dowdy
planning, scheduling and
estimating experience for industrial projects.
✦
Langan
Fussell
Williams
Skelton
Cheeseman
Snow
Roberts Brothers Inc. announced six
new agents to serve the Mobile area.
Damien Langan, Tiffany Lynn Fussell,
Rebecca Williams and Janet Skelton
joined the Airport Square office; Bobby
Cheeseman joined the Cottage Hill West
office; and Mary Elizabeth Snow joined
the Dauphin Square office.
Debbie Willemsen joined Reliable
Staffing as its newest account manager
specializing in the area of clerical/professional. She has a bachelor’s degree in
human resources management.
✦
Amy King joined the
firm of Russell Thompson
Butler & Houston LLP,
a local accounting and
consulting firm, as a staff
accountant. King, who
King
recently received a master of
accountancy from The University of Alabama,
will work in the firm’s Mobile office.
✦
Richard Harski joined
Dauphin Realty and will
be working out of the real
estate firm’s Dauphin Street
office.
✦
Summerville
Thomas
Harski
Wright
Alabama Power Co. recently
announced several promotions. Alisa
Summerville was named business office
manager for Alabama Power’s Monroeville
office. An employee with Alabama Power
since 1991, she holds a bachelor’s and
master’s degree from the University of
Alabama-Birmingham. Loretta Thomas
is now business office manager of the
Prichard office. Thomas joined the company in 1981 and earned a bachelor’s
degree from Faulkner University. Ed
Wright was named business office manager of the Brewton office. Wright, a company employee since 1999, holds a bachelor’s
degree from Jacksonville State University.
✦
WAVEnet technologies announced the
addition of five new employees to expand
business offerings in the Gulf Coast area.
Omar Augila is an engineer assigned to
the Pensacola office. He is a graduate of
the Northern Virginia Community College
and has his Microsoft Certified Systems
Administrator certification. Beau Berry is
in the company’s Destin location, providing front-line customer network support.
Berry is a graduate of Pensacola Junior
College. His industry certifications include
Cisco Certified Network Administrator, A+
and Network+. Amy Crain is a sales professional responsible for Pensacola and
Mobile, working from the Mobile office.
Crain graduated from the University of
North Alabama. Seth Edewaard is an
engineer in the Panama City office.
Edewaard has certifications in A+,
Network+ and a range of manufacturer
certifications. Justin Henderson joined
the network engineering department in
Destin. Henderson most recently served in
the United States Air Force in Okinawa,
Japan.
✦
Gretchen Starkey and Rachel
Edwards recently joined Clark Personnel.
Starkey is a staffing coordinator, primarily
focused in the clerical and administrative
division. Edwards will offer support to the
staffing team.
✦
Jeff Middleton joined
Odyssey Networking and
The Computer Trainers as
a network engineer and a
trainer. Middleton has more
than five years experience as
a computer technician and Middleton
is a certified network administrator.
✦
Stephen Hedrick was named executive director of the Mobile Symphony.
The former Walt Disney World executive
will lead the symphony’s administration,
creative and strategic development. From
1982 to 2002, Hedrick worked for Walt
Disney companies in the United States,
Europe and Asia. Most recently, he served
as CEO of ShoBiz Creative Inc. and was
director of production for the Glendale
Symphony Orchestra in California.
BUSINESS ENDEAVORS
WAVEnet technologies purchased a
building at 1509 Government St. to better
serve its Mobile-area customers. WAVEnet
has had an engineering presence in Mobile
since 2000 and has offices in Pensacola,
Destin and Panama City.
✦
AIM Mail Center is now open at its
5300 Halls Mill Rd. location.
✦
Construction is underway on Rendu
Terrace West Senior Residences, located in
Mobile Terrace, on Old Shell Road west of
Cody Rd. The project, funded by a $4.3
million grant from the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, will be
managed by Volunteers of America
Southeast Inc. and features 49 apartment
units, each with a front porch and garden
area. The project offers low-income seniors
safe, attractive, affordable housing.
WELL DONE!
The University of South Alabama’s
(USA) Center for Women’s Health now
provides fetal echocardiography testing
and is the first obstetric care center in the
nation that is not affiliated with pediatric
cardiology to receive accreditation from
the Intersocietal Commission for the
Accreditation of Echocardiography
Laboratories (ICAEL) to perform echocardiography studies on unborn infants. The
perinatal laboratory at USA also is accredited by the American Institute for
Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) in the
areas of obstetrics and gynecology.
✦
Two plants owned and operated by
Mobile Area Water & Sewer System
(MAWSS) were named “Best Operated
Plants in the State” by the Alabama Water
Pollution Control Association (AWPCA).
MAWSS’ Clifton C. Williams Wastewater
Treatment Plant received the award in the
wastewater division and the E. Morgan
Stickney Water Filtration Plant was the
recipient for the water division. In addition,
MAWSS’ Wright Smith Jr. Wastewater
Treatment Plant and the MAWSS
Distribution System received Awards of
Excellence from AWPCA.
In related news, Mike
Sims, plant manager at
MAWSS’ Clifton C. Williams
Wastewater Treatment
Plant, was this year’s recipient of the Bolton-CrockettSims
Beck Award presented by the
Alabama Water Pollution Control
Association (AWPCA). The award is presented
annually to an individual who has made
outstanding contributions to the water and
pollution control industry and supports the
educational objectives of AWPCA.
✦
Alan L. Milliken, an instructor for the
south Alabama chapter for APICS-The
Association for Operations Management,
and Andrew Evans, vice president of Abbot
Systems, passed the Pilot Certified Supply
Chain Professional exam to become
certified by APICS. Milliken and Evans
were tested on their knowledge of supply
chain management in the areas of supply
chain fundamentals, operations, planning
and logistics, customer and supplier relationships, and information technology.
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
33
Carolyn Dunnam, an
accredited cruise counselor
and owner of Cruise Away
in Robertsdale, recently
achieved her Master Cruise
Counselor through Cruise
Dunnam
Lines International
Association (CLIA). CLIA offers the comprehensive program of classroom and
cruise sales training, product instruction
and in-depth case studies, along with personal cruise experience.
✦
Bill Roedder of the
law firm McDowell
Knight Roedder & Sledge
was elected president of
the national organization
known as Lawyers for
Roedder
Civil Justice. Based in
Washington D.C., the organization serves
as an umbrella to other groups with similar goals, including the Defense Research
Institute, the Internal Association of
Defense Counsel and the Federation of
Defense and Corporate Counsel.
✦
Following the end of a successful baseball season, several Mobile BayBears
players were recognized by their peers,
coaches and fans. Luis Cruz was selected
as the BayBears 2006 Player of the Year;
Stephen Smitherman was named Most
Valuable Player; Sean Thompson was
recognized as Pitcher of the Year; Drew
Macias was named Most Popular Player
of the Year; and Jose Oyervidez was given
the coveted Community Service Award.
✦
Charles White, CEO of
Franklin Primary Health
Center Inc., was awarded
The Aaron L. Brown
Memorial Public Service
Award during the Awards of
White
Excellence presentation at
the National Association of Community
Health Centers’ (NACHC) 2006 Annual
Community Health Institute. This award
was given to White for his significant contributions to the community health field
as a health center leader in public policy.
The Alabama Power Foundation
Inc. also donated $500,000 to Campaign
USA for the construction of two new
instructional and research laboratories at
the university’s College of Engineering.
The gift to the department of electrical and
computer engineering brings Alabama
Power’s combined giving to the university
to more than $1 million.
✦
Bellingrath Gardens and Home will
host its annual scarecrow display through
Nov. 12 throughout the gardens and home.
The culminating event for this competition
and display will be the annual Mum
Festival Family Day, scheduled for Saturday,
Nov. 4. More than 8,000 chrysanthemums,
salvia, copper plants, dianthus and more
will be in bloom this fall.
A Commitment to Quality Living...
Windsor Place
Come visit all of our communities,
where style meets comfort.
Cabana 251.344.0022
The Pathways 251.471.2446
Sandpiper 251.661.7075
Yester Oaks
251.344.3400
Windsor Place
COMMUNITY NEWS
251.343.9725
Corporate leases available.
IPSCO Inc., a Canadian steelmaking
and fabricating company with a facility in
Axis, donated $125,000 to Campaign
University of South Alabama to equip a
high-tech computer teaching laboratory in
USA’s College of Engineering. The lab will
be used to train engineering students in
computer-added design and using Internet
resources in engineering processes.
www.delaneyinc.net
ANNIVERSARIES
Members Are Our Greatest Asset!
35 YEARS
5 YEARS
U.S. Amines
AMVAC Chemical Corp.
Fort Condé Restoration Venture LLC
H.H. Jordan Construction Co. Inc.
Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Co. of Alabama Inc.
Lenzing Fibers Inc.
Mark Dodge LLC
Mobile Society for Human Resource
Management
30 YEARS
Helmsing Leach Herlong Newman
& Rouse
20 YEARS
IPCA
YEARS
Lyon Fry Cadden Insurance Agency Inc.
Altrus
Builders
LLC
Royal Cup Coffee Inc.
American Medical Response
AQUAlife Water & Coffee Service
YEARS
Arrival Systems Inc.
Cooper Marine and Timberlands Corp. Baldwin County Sewer Service
Baldwin Mutual Insurance Co. Inc.
YEARS
Bar-B-Quing With My Honey
American Tank & Vessel Inc.
Barrow Fine Furniture
EMO Trans Inc.
Bayfour Design LLC
1-4
15
10
Belmar Furniture & Appliance Inc.
Bridge Staffing Inc.
Buck Taylor Manufacturers Sales
Chambers Property Development LLC
Chem-Dry On The Shore
Chiropractic Life Center
Chris S. King, Realtor d/b/a
Roberts Brothers
Commercial Property Directory
Cornerstone Investment Management
& Consulting
Corpus Christi Catholic Church
D. Bradley Investments Inc.
Daniels Louver & Sheetmetal Co. Inc.
Dockside Services Inc.
Dyer Trucking Rolloff Service
Emerson Electrical Reliability Services
Home Instead Senior Care
Hood’s Discount Home Center of Foley
Hotel Magnolia
Lomax Cabinets Inc.
McCoy Outdoor Co.
Merritt Oil Co.
MT Johnson Associates
Panera Bread (Airport Blvd. location)
Printed Impressions LLC
Ridgway’s Ltd.
Robert B. Doyle III
Rooftop Solar Shield
Sawyer Furniture Co. Inc.
Sonja Fowler & Associates Inc.
Southern Industrial Solutions Inc.
Star Shipping Inc.
The University of Alabama
Witherspoon Landscaping, Irrigation
& Garden Center
World Ship Supply Inc.
Please show your support through the patronage of these businesses. Thank you.
34
NOVEMBER 2006
The Business View
ATTENTION MEMBERS!
If you know of a company interested in
benefitting from Chamber membership,
contact: Heather Bell at 431-8627 or
Erika Eslava at 431-8647.
A 1derful Horse &
Carriage/Ceremony &
Dreams
Harold Garrett
5973 W. Shore Dr.
Penscaola, FL 32526-1536
850-982-2900
www.a1derfulceremony.com
Horse & Carriage
Amber Consulting Inc.
Jack Boatman
10375 Kerns Rd.
Theodore, AL 36582-7471
314-422-8208
Consultant
Ann’s Nails
Anh Vo
314 Azalea Rd.
Mobile, AL 36609-1969
251-342-1450
Fingernail Salons
April’s Mane Attraction
April Bread
1301 Michigan Ave.
Mobile, AL 36605-1604
251-432-8200
Beauty Salons
Best Body Fit
Bonita Kinchen
3758 Airport Blvd.
Mobile, AL 36608-1618
251-343-7599
Fitness
Burk-Kleinpeter Inc.
Jeff Wood
273 Azalea Rd., Ste. 2-300
Mobile, AL 36609-1929
251-461-0815
www.bkiusa.com
Engineering Services
Business Communications
Distributors Inc. (BCD)
Al Giles
2301 Perimeter Rd.
Mobile, AL 36615
251-661-9709
www.bcd.org
Telephone Equipment/SystemSystem/Repair
Business
Communications Inc.
Tammy Means
606 35th St.
Gulfport, MS 39501-7105
228-223-1654
www.bcianswers.com
Technology Business
Solutions
Cheapskates South
Barbara Scarbrough
30 N. Schillinger Rd., Ste. 105
Mobile, AL 36608-5060
251-607-1199
Jewelry
NEW MEMBERS
CLIP AND ADD THESE TO YOUR MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY.
Corporate Express
Peter Lacasse
211-D DeSales Ave.
Mobile, AL 36607-2239
251-662-1870
www.cexp.com
Office Supplies
Gulf Coast Christian Center
Clarissa Smith
6500 Zeigler Blvd.
Mobile, AL 36606
251-343-7300
www.gulfcoastchristcenter.com
Churches
Crane Custom Computers
Keith Collard
901 E Butler Dr.
Mobile, AL 36693-5137
251-661-2021
Computer Sales & Service
Harcros Chemicals Inc.
Ashley Adams
1480 Telegraph Rd.
Mobile, AL 36610-1867
251-457-5316
www.harcroschem.com
Chemicals
Dabbs HR LLC
Mark B. Dabbs
P.O. Box 66048
Mobile, AL 36660-1048
251-479-2479
Human Resource Consulting
Daniel Communications Inc.
Melissa Harris
26450 Pollard Rd. N.
Daphne, AL 36526
251-626-5748
www.dci-av.com
Audio Visual Equipment
Dealers
Designed to Sell
Sherril Canton
22 Audubon Pl.
Mobile, AL 36606-1907
251-209-1877
www.realtystaging.com
Decorator
DJJ Technologies NTL LLC
Patrick Higgins
1216 Eagle Park Rd.
Birmingham, AL 35242-6954
251-219-4558
www.3com.com/powerofzero
Telecommunications
Eagle Business Systems
Darrell Stephens
255 Vershaw Industrial Blvd.
Montgomery, AL 36117
334-270-1665
www.eaglebizsys.com
Mailing Machines & Equipment
Evans Financial Services Inc.
Catha Evans
355 Westwood St.
Mobile, AL 36606-1732
251-478-8895
Accountants
Faulkner State
Community College
Linda Lunsford
1900 U.S. Hwy 31 S.
Bay Minette, AL 36507-2619
251-580-2202
www.faulknerstate.edu
School-Academic-Colleges/
University
Hilton Garden Inn
Gabe Dicianni
23092 Perdido Beach Blvd.
Orange Beach, AL 36561-3000
251-974-1600
www.orangebeach.stayhgi.com
Hotels
Humana Market Point
Steven Peterson
2608 Mountbrook Dr.
Mobile, AL 36693-2719
251-490-0678
www.humana.com
Insurance-Health
Information Transport
Solutions Inc.
Tomi Selby
335 Jeanette Barrett
Industrial Blvd.
Wetumpka, AL 36092-5437
334-567-1993
www.its-networks.com
Information Technology
Ink Works Printing
Dennis Wombaugh
659 St. Francis St.
Mobile, AL 36602-1816
251-438-2103
www.4inkworks.com
Screen Printing
J.B. Trimble Inc.
Gary M. Tillman
857 Downtowner Blvd., Ste. F
Mobile, AL 36609-5420
251-343-4825
www.jbtrimble.com
Engineers-ProfessionalConsultant
Jay Eubanks Tree Service
Jay Eubanks
7881 Morris Hill Rd.
Semmes, AL 36575
251-422-7939
Tree Service
Jubilee Landscape
Management Inc.
Robin Luce
28170 N. Main St., Ste. F
Daphne, AL 36526
251-626-5587
Landscape Design &
Construction
Knight-Abbey Commercial
Printing & Direct Mail
Tonya Spiers
315 Caillavet St.
Biloxi, MS 39530-2044
228-374-3298
www.knightabbey.com
Printing
Leon Atchison Furniture
Dianne Lee
5597 Hwy. 90 W.
251-653-0816
Furniture-Dealers
Lil’ Red Schoolhouse
Learning Center
Pamela L. Bell
7172 Old Military Rd.
251-654-0490
Child Care Centers
Meet Your Market LLC
Julie Jeffress
P.O. Box 851101
Mobile, AL 36685-1101
251-602-1300
www.meetyourmarket.com
Meeting Planning
National Coalition of 100
Black Women, Mobile
County Chapter
Merceria Ludgood
1058 Savannah St.
Mobile, AL 36604-3144
251-432-1916
Civic Organization
Panera Bread
Sonya Gray
750 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, AL 36695
251-634-9604
www.panerabread.com
Restaurants
Planted By the Rivers
of Living Water Outreach
Ministers
Paula A. Pettway
1817 Wolf Ridge Rd.
Mobile, AL 36618-1416
251-340-8119
Churches
NOT A MEMBER?
Business owners and managers, why not consider
joining the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce? We
are a nonprofit organization with a staff and volunteer
base dedicated to making Mobile’s economy stronger
by helping entrepreneurs start, manage and grow
their businesses.
We build a better community by recruiting jobs,
developing a competitive workforce, creating a
positive business climate, increasing community
development expectations and adding member value
through networking events, seminars and promoting
positive business news in The Business View.
For more information about becoming a member,
contact Carolyn Golson at 431-8622 or cgolson@
mobilechamber.com or visit www.mobile
chamber.com.
Planted Painting Paving
& Maintenance Inc.
Paula A. Pettway
P.O. Box 9634
Mobile, AL 36691-0634
251-343-9420
Painting Contractors
Providence Baptist
Church
Rev. Rodger Randall
2159 Dauphin St.
Mobile, AL 36606-1913
251-479-0422
Churches
South Regions Minority
Business Council
Scott A. Vowels
4715 Alton Ct.
Birmingham, AL 35210-3744
205-957-1883
www.srmbc.org
Economic DevelopmentProfessional Services
Spa Works
Lisa Gilbert
105 Donette Loop
Daphne, AL 36526-7765
251-656-9673
www.welovespas.com
Spas
R. Jeffrey & Associates
Jeff Newcorn
120 W. Eastman, Ste. 307
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
866-753-3379
www.rjeffrey.com
Tax Credit Recovery
SportPlex of Mobile
Heather McCollum
6363 Piccadilly Square Dr.
Mobile, AL 36609-5125
251-342-1777
Health Clubs
Service Construction
Supply Inc.
Christy Jeffcoat
26094 US Hwy 98
Elberta, AL 36530-2872
251-986-6481
www.serviceconstructionsupply.com
Contractors Equipment &
Supply Dealers
ThermaFreeze
Products Corp.
Joe Murray
5770 I-10 Industrial Pkwy.
251-653-0000
Packaging Materials
Sidney’s Inc.
John Irby
2206 Dauphin Island Pkwy.
Mobile, AL 36605
251-583-4661
www.sidneys.com
Restaurants-Fast Food
Wealth Management
Consultants
Kent F. Krause
851 E. I-65 Service Rd. S., Ste. 402
Mobile, AL 36606-3190
251-476-2131
www.wmc-llc.com
Investment Advisory Service
Software Plus
Tiffany Embry
8505 Huger Way
Tampa, FL 33635-6006
866-391-6528
www.softwareplusonline.com
Computer Software
WebOperations.Net LLC
Michal (Webby) Douglas
182 St. Francis St., Ste. 201
Mobile, AL 36602-3529
251-662-1467
www.weboperations.net
Web Page Design & Hosting
As of 8/31/06
The Business View
NOVEMBER 2006
35
THE BUSINESS OF MOBILE IS OUR BUSINESS.
WE BUILD A BETTER COMMUNITY BY
recruiting jobs
developing a competitive workforce
creating a positive business climate
increasing community development expectations
adding member value
For information about becoming a member of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce,
contact Carolyn Golson, 251.431.8622 or [email protected] or visit www.mobilechamber.com.

B VIEW - November 2006 - Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

Transcription

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