26 Huntsville, Madison Businesses Named to Inc. 5000

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More than two dozen local companies have landed on this year’s version of the Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

The list represents the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment — its independent small businesses.

There are 26 businesses from Huntsville and Madison with 17 performing government services. Also included are three engineering firms, two real estate companies, one IT and one human resources business.

The 2019 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2015 to 2018. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2015. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2018. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2015 is $100,000; the minimum for 2018 is $2 million.

Here are this year’s Huntsville-Madison companies listed by ranking:

617 – Cintel, 711 percent, $2.9 million, government services; 727 – Crossflow Technologies, 603 percent, $2.9 million, engineering; 927 – Kord Technologies, 458 percent, $70.1 million, government services; 942 – Freedom Real Estate, 451 percent, $3.7 million, real estate; 1,179 – Shearer, 352 percent, $6.4 million, engineering; 1,408 – Matt Curtis Real Estate (Madison), 293 percent, $5.2 million, real estate; 1,553 – Cortina Solutions, 267 percent, $2.7 million, government services; 1,591 – Martin Federal, 258 percent, $16.9 million, government services; 1,651 – R2C, 249 percent, $5 million, government services; 1,655 – Corporate Tax Advisors, 248 percent, $3.2 million, financial services;

2,083 – Nou Systems, 194 percent, $23.2 million, government services; 2,106 – Noetic Strategies, 191 percent, $4.6 million, IT management; 2,170 – Hill Technical Solutions, 186 percent, $9.9 million, government services; 2,223 – Pinnacle Solutions, 181 percent, $61.9 million, government services; 2,297 – LSINC, 175 percent, $12.7 million, government services; 2,452 – IronMountain Solutions, 162 percent, $42.1 million, government services; 2,818 – i3, 134 percent, $69.8 million, government services; 2,872 – Mission Driven Research, 130 percent, $3.4, million, government services; 2,927 – nLogic, 128 percent, $48.5 million, government services; 2,961 – Engenius Micro, 126 percent, $2.9 million, government services;

3,242 – Simulation Technologies, 112 percent, $31.6 million, engineering; 4,046 – Bevilacqua Research, 80 percent, $52.6 million, government services; 4,200 – Torch Technologies, 74 percent, $405.4 million, government services; 4,316 – Crabtree, Rowe & Berger, P.C., 71 percent, $4.6 million, financial services; 4,404 – Trideum Corp., 68 percent, $27.7 million, government services; 4,976 – Spur, 53 percent, $34.9 million, human resources.

Pruning Cummings Research Park Infuses Vibrancy, Marketability

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Any good gardener knows a first-class park requires long-term planning and seasonal pruning to ensure its vibrancy.

In 1962, Teledyne Brown Engineering (then Brown Engineering) lay deep roots on 100 acres off a dirt road that later became Sparkman Drive.

IBM, Lockheed Martin, Northrop-Grumman, and the University of Alabama-Huntsville quickly followed. Since then, Cummings Research Park’s 3,843 acres of prime Huntsville real estate has been a focal point of a 50-year master plan.

Cummings Research Park, with a 92 percent occupancy rate and 240 untouched acres to spare, is the second-largest research park in the nation and fourth largest in the world.

But to better understand the growth strategy at work in the park, it is best to differentiate between Research Park East and Research Park West.

“When we talk about current growth, we mean business growth from companies within the park, especially on the west side,” said Erin Koshut, the executive director of Cummings Research Park. “On the east side, market studies show we need to redevelop that area to create greater density and to replace 1960s and 1970s buildings with properties that align with today’s economy. That will infuse the older section with new vibrancy.

“By doing that, we won’t have to look at physical land expansion per se for a very long time.”

Within the master plan are five-year work plans. The city is currently working off a plan finalized in 2016; a new plan begins in 2021. The plan acknowledges that some of the original buildings and key properties in the oldest sections of Research Park East are no longer viable in the market.

“Without the revitalization, if a company wants to go in and invest in that part of the park, they wouldn’t get their return on investment,” said Koshut. “That is why the zoning ordinances were changed for Research Park East – to give back some of the land to the park and to reduce economic setbacks.”

Cummings Research Park East

Rendering of Bradford Crossing

One such property is at Bradford and Wynn drives on the former site of the St. John Paul II Catholic High School. Driven Capital Partners in California purchased the four-acre site and plans to redevelop it into a mixed-use site called Bradford Crossing.

“Article 55 of the new zoning ordinance is very specific and says if you have a retail element on the ground floor, there has to be two or more uses,” said Koshut. “We cannot build a standalone gas station or drop a superstore in there, but a multistory building with ground floor retail will create density on a small but efficient parcel of land.

“No decision has been made on what other uses will be included, but it could be office space, multi-family residences, a hotel, or a mixture of all three on upper floors.”

There are four big red circles marking areas of Cummings Research Park East targeted for potential mixed-use redevelopment. Currently, no groundbreaking date is set for Bradford Crossing.

“This is not just the (Huntsville-Madison County) Chamber or the city calling for these changes,” said Koshut. “We have landowners like the Olin King family at Crown Leasing who own property on Bradford Drive. They demolished the building that was on it and now have the land for sale. Business and landowners understand the flavor of changes happening in the older section of the park.”

Other planned redevelopments include converting Executive Plaza off Sparkman Drive into a multi-use facility, including an arena for the UAH hockey team and convocations; and Huntsville’s plans to donate up to $1.8 million in land to Alabama’s third magnet school, the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering. It has a temporary home at the Tom Bevill Center on UAH’s campus, but plans are to build a permanent location in Cummings Research Park East by 2022.

“This will give the whole park along the outskirts of UAH, a big infusion of vibrancy and marketability,” said Koshut.

Cummings Research Park West

The new Radiance Technologies facility will consolidate operations and employees.

Over in Cummings Research Park West, it is not about redevelopment but about taking what is there, making it better, and expanding the footprint. In fact, Cummings Research Park West will see three major projects and numerous moderate but significant business expansions this year.

By the end of the year, Radiance Technologies will be moving into a 100,000-square-foot facility at 310 Bob Heath Drive. The new facility will consolidate operations and employees, but with significant growth, Radiance will keep its 38,000-square-foot facility on Wynn Drive in Cummings Research Park East for a while.

The new $45.5 million, 83,000-square-foot BAE Systems building is sprouting from a 20-acre site at Old Madison Pike and Jan Davis Drive. It is scheduled to open in 2020.

The $45.5 million, 83,000-square-foot BAE Systems building is scheduled to open next year.

“BAE Systems has a long history with Huntsville dating back many years when they had only a couple of employees,” said Koshut. “We are proud to see them bringing in 200 employees, many new hires, and some recruited to Huntsville from the Northeast.”

Fifty-four-foot walls are up around the $200 million Blue Origin rocket engine production facility on Explorer Drive. Expected to open its doors in March 2020, Blue Origin is estimated to bring up to 300 jobs to the local economy.

Dynetics just expanded its footprint with the 78,000 square-foot Dr. Stephen M. Gilbert Advanced Manufacturing Facility; and IronMountain Solutions found a new home on Voyager Way.

“We have the first apartments, Watermark at Bridge Street Town Centre, built in Research Park,” said Koshut. “They consist of two four-story buildings and 240 apartments. Over half already leased before they open and of course a majority of those people work in Research Park.”

She said they would like to see an extension of Bridge Street Town Centre or at least retail that is congruent to Bridge Street grow into the commercial retail corridor between Bridge Street’s outdoor shopping promenade and Lake 4.

It’s All for the Employees

“There is a key component of all this expansion and redevelopment,” said Koshut. “It is driven by the wants and needs of employees.

“These companies want to recruit top talent to Huntsville, and they want to retain them. They require conveniences, activities, and amenities that have been available to them in cities where they are recruited from, many bigger than Huntsville.”

This includes access luxury apartments and single-family homes in or surrounding the park; creating a sense of vibrancy and community with activities such as the Food Truck Fest that draws some 300 people a month; free monthly happy hours in the park; and free Suzy’s Pops or Steel City Pops during the summer.

Later this summer or early fall, Koshut said the city will launch a pilot Bike Share project in Cummings Research Park West with three bike-share stations.

“As the city continues to invest in that program, we hope to connect many bike-share systems across the city so, at any time, an employee can hop on a bike and ride out to lunch,” said Koshut. “Young people enjoy being outside and easily get tired of being stuck in an office all day. Huntsville companies are recruiting people from cities that offer a quality lifestyle amenity.”

So, as new buildings are sprouting up all over Cumming Research Park, it always helps to keep the park neatly clipped and pruned to inspire growth and opportunities among the older, well-established buildings alongside the new and flourishing.

Teledyne Brown Engineering receives 4-Star Award from Raytheon IDS

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Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems business unit recently presented a 4-Star Supplier Excellence Award to Teledyne Brown Engineering.

The award was presented at the annual Raytheon supplier conference. at a ceremony held during their supplier conference in Boston. The annual event allows Raytheon to acknowledge superior performance and service received by their suppliers and partners.

“We are a proud partner with Raytheon IDS on multiple programs.  It is an honor to be a part of their unparalleled supply chain, providing hardware for programs that require the highest standards and quality,” said Jan Hess, president of Teledyne Brown Engineering.  “This award recognizes our company’s emphasis on exceptional work and our many employees who are supplying quality deliverables to our valued customers.”

Award candidates are judged on certain criteria, including overall quality and on-time delivery.

MDA Director: We Can Sleep Knowing We are Protected

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It was a simple question from a Nevada congressman to the director of the Missile Defense Agency:

“Am I protected?”

“Yes.”

Vice Adm. Jon Hill: “We’re going to continue to make things hard for our adversaries.” (Photo/Eric Schultz)

“I gave that answer because I have the utmost confidence in those soldiers sitting at the console,” MDA Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill said Thursday at the 22nd Space & Missile Defense Symposium.

Hill spoke before a packed and attentive Von Braun Center ballroom audience on the final day of the annual event. It was a record-setting event with more than 3,500 people attending the three-day symposium which had nearly 200 exhibits and some 1,400 private exhibitors and 605 government exhibitors.

The director said the a modern-day threats are much more complex than in the past and the United States must be ready for the ever-changing, constant challenges.

“For me, it always starts with the threat,” Hill said. “What’s really changed has been the advancement of the threats.

“Our adversaries are figuring out ways to stress our systems and we’re figuring out ways to stress theirs. We’re going to continue to make things hard for our adversaries.”

While the threats are constant and complex, Hill said he has spoken with Army Lt. Gen. Jim Dickinson, commanding general of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command; and Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, commander of the U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), about developing means to overcome the threats without overburdening the personnel.

“The more complex things become, that you put before the eyes of the soldiers and sailors, it’s harder for them to execute,” he said.

In effect, keeping things simple instead of causing the personnel to spend time learning and relearning, forcing them to divert their attention from the mission.

Hill also touched on our international relationships as key to our security.

With NATO and the U.S. having installations around the world, it provides the United States with something Russia, China, Iran and North Korea don’t have – “partnerships,” he said.

“It’s what our adversaries do not have; they don’t have partnerships. That gives us an advantage.”

Overall, Hill said, the mission of the Missile Defense Agency is “a great mission.”

“I call it a noble mission,” he said. “It’s very motivating to defend our troops, our allies and friends.

“I feel great about where we are today.”

Video below: The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, in cooperation with the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, U.S. Northern Command, and elements of the U.S. Air Force Space Command’s 30th, 50th, and 460th Space Wings, conducted a successful test March 25 against an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) class target.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northrop Grumman Selected for Army Laser Initiative

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Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract for the U.S. Army Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) directed energy prototyping initiative. The program includes integrating a directed energy weapon system on a Stryker vehicle to help protect frontline combat units.

The M-SHORAD directed energy prototyping initiative is managed by the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office at Redstone Arsenal.

“Northrop Grumman is eager to leverage its portfolio of innovative, proven technologies and integration expertise to accelerate delivery of next-generation protection to our maneuver forces,” said Dan Verwiel, vice president and general manager, missile defense and protective systems, Northrop Grumman. “Our flexible, open systems approach offers an end-to-end solution for the Army’s growing and ever-changing mission requirements in today’s complex threat environment.”

Under the contract from the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office and Huntsville-based Kord Technologies, Northrop Grumman will build and integrate advanced sensors; target acquisition and tracking; a 50-kilowatt class laser system; and battle-tested command-and-control on an Army Stryker combat vehicle. 

M-SHORAD includes laser weapon systems as a complement to kinetic capabilities in countering rockets, artillery and mortars; unmanned aircraft systems; and other aerial threats.

 

The ‘Final Frontier’ is a ‘Warfighting Domain’

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Science fiction met science reality Monday in the Rocket City.

And no punches were pulled when it came to discussing national defense at the 22nd Space & Missile Defense Symposium. The symposium runs through Thursday at the Von Braun Center downtown.

“It’s a very crowded environment,” said Army Lt. Gen. Jim Dickinson, commanding general of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command. It is the mission of the SMDC to “defeat, penetrate and disintegrate” our adversaries’ levels of defense and “operate and dominate a combative” space environment.

Dickinson said the Army is the largest user of space of the military branches and has some 3,000 soldiers trained. The Army’s involvement dates to the 1950s with the Redstone rocket and the launch of the Explorer I satellite in 1958 began its space involvement.

And, as we know, technology has traveled at warp speed over the last 60 years.

Maj. Gen. Rick Evans addresses the 22nd Missile & Space Defense Symposium. (Photo by Steve Babin)

“We have become increasingly reliable on space and cyber,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Rick Evans, assistant to the commander, U.S. Strategic Command. “Space and cyber are vital to our defense.

“We must adapt to new threats and stay ahead of our adversaries.”

To counter those threats, President Trump directed the U.S. Space Command be re-established as a full military branch. But, Evans said, that doesn’t mean “SAC will be out of the space business.”

And, the Army and Air Force still have their own space commands.

The Army’s 1st Space Brigade with headquarters in Colorado Springs supports joint forces and their critical dependence on space capabilities. The Air Force Space Command is headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

“Space is a warfighting domain,” he said. “We need those commands. Almost everything we do is tied to space in some way.”

The “crowded environment” in space includes threats from Russia and China, as well as “new threats” from the likes of North Korea and Iran through missiles, satellites and directed-energy (laser) weapons.

Evans said the U.S. must be prepared to answer the challenge by focusing on agility and speed.

“We need resilient, redundant capability,” he said. “We need a rapid, reconstituting capability.

“We can’t wait five years to replace a satellite.”

Dynetics Technical Solutions Adding Hemisphere’s Largest Electron Beam Welding System

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Big things are happening for Dynetics Technical Solutions.

In fact, some of the largest things in the world are happening for the Huntsville company.

Executives from Dynetics and Pro-Beam signed the electron beam welding system agreement in Burg, Germany. (Dynetics Photo)

Dynetics Technical Solutions recently signed an agreement with Pro-Beam to acquire the largest electron beam welding system in the Western hemisphere. The 22 feet long, 22 feet wide and 22 feet high system will be capable of supporting government and commercial programs at both the unclassified and classified levels.

“This unique welding facility will establish North Alabama as the U.S. leader in advanced electron beam welding for aerospace, defense and commercial sectors,” said Steve Cook, DTS president.  “We are proud to partner with Pro-Beam and our customers to bring this revolutionary capability to bear on programs of national importance.”

Pro-Beam partners with international high-tech companies to provide precision welding and mass production of components. DTS officials said Pro-Beam’s electron beam welding capabilities provided the type of product they needed.

“Pro-Beam is extremely pleased to partner with Dynetics, and excited to be part of this great project that will provide the largest and most modern electron beam welding system for the U.S. market,” said Rod Mourad, president of Pro-Beam USA. “This installation will provide Dynetics with electron beam welding capabilities of large structures that are essential for the U.S. market needs.”

The system includes a large vacuum chamber and an 80 kilovolt/40 kilowatt power supply capable of welding high strength/high temperature alloys up to four inches thick in a single pass, said DTS manufacturing division manager Bob Meadows.

“It is equipped with a five-axis robotic positioner and automatic seam tracing software providing the ability to weld complex shapes quickly and precisely,” he said. “The system will be an essential addition to our precision machining and fabrication center.”

Dynetics Technical Solutions has also acquired a smaller system from Pro-Beam, which will be operational in October. The larger system will be delivered from Germany and installed in 2020. Both systems will be located at the company’s Huntsville headquarters.

New Manufacturing Technologies Helping Create the ‘Smart’ Factory

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Manufacturing innovations such as Blockchain, Additive Manufacturing, and Augmented Reality are a few of the hot new technologies that were discussed at the recent Society of Manufacturing Engineers-National Defense Industrial Association Technology Interchange Symposium.

Blockchain and Digital Thread

According to Forbes, Blockchain offers manufacturing great potential to deliver business value through increasing operational transparency across every area of manufacturing. From shop floor operations to the suppliers, manufacturers will be able to meet delivery dates, improve product quality, and boost sales by improving supplier order accuracy, product quality, and effective track-and-tracing technology.

“Companies generally lose $500 milllion a year in the counterfeit parts market,” said Chris Adkins, CSO at Identify 3D. “With cybersecurity, there’s always a level of vulnerability you’re going to have to live with.”

Adkins said although risks cannot be fully eliminated, there are ways to minimize risk.  Blockchain technology promises to tighten those gaps while delivering operational transparency.

However, not all supply chain partners are open to adopting blockchain technology.

“Think of this as recording data, sharing data across the supply chain,” Adkins said. “Information sharing poses one of the biggest obstacles. How do you convince suppliers to share core data?”

“Every process step should have traceable data, which allows you to have analytics. Although you might not be able to stop hacking, the information will allow you to find who stole it.”

Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is the official industry standard term for all applications of the technology. It is defined as the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data.

Essentially, it is printing 3D copies of replacement parts. The ability to produce manufacturing aids, such as jigs or fixtures increases efficiencies and reduces costly traditional machining.

When properly implemented, additive manufacturing can significantly reduce material waste, streamline production steps, and reduce the amount of inventory and specific parts needed for an assembly.

Augmented Reality

According to the Franklin Institute, augmented reality is one of the biggest technology trends and it’s only going to get bigger as AR-ready smartphones and other devices become more accessible. A popular example of AR technology is the “Pokémon Go” mobile phone app.

All fun and games aside, there are many everyday applications for AR. Enhanced navigation systems use AR to superimpose a route over the live view of the road. A helmet visor AR that projects altitude, speed, and other data allows fighter pilots to keep their focus without the need to glance down at the instrument panel.

Smart glasses are a great example of Augmented Reality technology. Lightweight and durable, smart glasses fit easily over regular prescription glasses, or they can be worn alone.

Tech support calls can be made directly from the glasses using a voice command feature, which keeps both hands-on equipment repair or calibration, without taking one’s hands off the machinery.

For the factory floor, the peer-to-peer calling features enables the repair tech to see exactly what the shop floor specialist is seeing. Precise, effective repairs and shorter equipment downtime easily translates into dollars and cents.

Enhancements in the manufacturing technology landscape promise to deliver first time quality, the kind of quality that’s crucial for the warfighter.

Technology Changing the Way Factories Are Operated

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It’s a great time to be in manufacturing and Huntsville is quickly becoming the pre-eminent manufacturing hub of the South.

Advancements in technology promise to deliver solid returns on investment while realizing cost savings over the long haul. 

As technology continues its rapid growth and development trajectory, the shop floors are becoming “smart factories” to meet demands for high quality, low cost, and speed.

Modern-day production facilities bear little resemblance to the factories of our parents or grandparents.

For a manufacturing plant embracing new technology, the highest costs are faced on the front end: acquisition, transition, training, and implementing. This is usually the sticking point when it comes to adopting new technology, especially when companies have been working with Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, with some measure of success.

“Innovation matters and it has a big impact,” said James Crean, CEO of Austin, Texas-based Crean Innovation. “Hoping that it doesn’t happen is not a solution.”

Speaking at the recent Technology Interchange Symposium hosted by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the National Defense Industrial Association Manufacturing Division, Crean said several former industry giants, such as Sears’ and Kodak’s “failure to capitalize on the online revolution, combined with the inability to innovate processes and service offerings caused them to fail.”

Some, like the United States Postal Service, he said, “literally need an act of Congress to innovate.”

Crean discussed the business life cycle and need for innovation and continuous improvement.

“Company mortality is accelerating the growth-peak-decline cycle; the average business lifecycle is now 7 to 10 years,” said Crean. “This negatively impacts the supply chain, such as acquiring parts, for example. If a business doesn’t make innovation a part of their business plan, they risk extinction.

“Are they even going to be in business in five years?

“Continuous improvement must continuously evolve,” said Crean. “Digital transformation cannot be ignored; companies and their suppliers must not fall behind. Lean programs are no longer sufficient. Six Sigma can only take us so far. In fact, we’re getting left behind.”

And it’s not just companies, it’s countries, as well.

“Back in the ‘70s, Japan started eating our lunch in the auto and electronics industries,” said Crean. “Then, the Chinese entered the electronics market with faster and cheaper products. Japan failed to adopt driver assist, now the Chinese are the industry leaders.”

He said, “Product is good, but process is just as important. Smart factory goes beyond the factory floor. You can’t focus on the factory floor alone. Digital transformation cannot be ignored; companies and their suppliers must not fall behind. America must lead the Smart Factory transformation. We have to disrupt ourselves. If we don’t do it, China or another country will.

“As a national security imperative, it is critical that the U.S. lead the global industrial base. The countries with a smart factory base will dominate the defense markets.”

Raytheon, United Technologies ‘Merger of Equals’ Creates Defense-Aerospace Giant

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Raytheon and United Technologies have announced an all-stock agreement the two companies call a merger of equals.

It will also create the defense-aerospace giant Raytheon Technologies with an expected $74 billion in annual sales, second only to Boeing’s $101 billion. The transaction website is www.futureofaerospacedefense.com.

Both companies have a significant presence in Huntsville. 

“Today is an exciting and transformational day for our companies, and one that brings with it tremendous opportunity for our future success,” said Tom Kennedy, Raytheon chairman/CEO. “Raytheon Technologies will continue a legacy of innovation with an expanded aerospace and defense portfolio supported by the world’s most dedicated workforce.

“With our enhanced capabilities, we will deliver value to our customers by anticipating and addressing their most complex challenges, while delivering significant value to shareowners.”

The merger of Raytheon, a leading defense company, and United Technologies, a leading aerospace company, comprised of Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, will offer a complementary portfolio of platform-agnostic aerospace and defense technologies.

“The combination of United Technologies and Raytheon will define the future of aerospace and defense,” said Greg Hayes, United Technologies chairman/CEO. “Our two companies have iconic brands that share a long history of innovation, customer focus and proven execution. By joining forces, we will have unsurpassed technology and expanded R&D capabilities that will allow us to invest through business cycles and address our customers’ highest priorities. Merging our portfolios will also deliver cost and revenue synergies that will create long-term value for our customers and shareowners.”

Raytheon plans to consolidate its four businesses into two businesses: Intelligence, Space & Airborne Systems and Integrated Defense & Missile Systems. The new businesses will join Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney to form the four businesses of Raytheon Technologies.

Hayes will be named CEO of Raytheon Technologies and Kennedy will be appointed executive chairman. Hayes will assume the role of chairman and CEO two years after closing.