Chalker Group announced their expansion from Birmingham into Huntsville with a ribbon cutting on the afternoon of October 9. The celebration was held on the second floor patio of the Davidson Center, in the shadow of the Saturn V rocket.

The event was hosted in partnership with the Huntsville/Madison Chamber of Commerce.

Founded in Birmingham in 2014, Chalker is an all-female consulting firm that recruits and retains top talent by providing tailored experiences for potential hires.

“We serve as an added layer in the recruiting process and our mission is to help recruit candidates’ partners, their spouses, and their families,” said Chalker Co-President, Walton Foster. “Our tagline is ‘The power of connection.’ We are all about discovering how our recruits define ‘home,’ and then we connect them to those vital resources.”

Foster said that the companies that Chalker serves are recruiting high-quality talent from around the nation and the world.

The firm provides bespoke experiences — whether for an afternoon, a day, or a weekend — that can help candidates visualize themselves and their families making a home in a new city.

“Connecting candidates to the resources they need and value most helps dispel any concerns they may have about relocating to Alabama. By helping recruits and their families find community, Chalker nurtures that crucial connection to a sense of place outside of work,” said Chalker Co-President Jen Dent. “Our clients want to help their potential new employees make a life, not just a living.”

Dent knows that relocating for a job is a major life stressor.

“Seventy-five percent of people say that finding a new job and relocating is one of the most stressful things they do in their life,” said Dent. “It’s pretty cool that we get to destress people for a living.”

Employees that develop an attachment to their newfound towns are retained, said Dent.

Ann Kepner, Director of Huntsville Services for Chalker, has direct experience with relocating to Huntsville for work. Kepner and her family relocated to Huntsville from Pennsylvania 14 years ago when her husband took a new job in town.

Kepner encouraged candidates who are considering relocating to Huntsville to come visit.

“Come visit because once you see the community and you see the kindness of people here, it will really make a difference,” Kepner said to the Business Journal.

Kepner emphasized that there is so much to do in Huntsville, and that she has witnessed local offerings expand in the time since she moved here.

“We have so many benefits of a bigger city in a smaller package — without some of the bigger city problems, like traffic,” said Kepner.

Kepner threw herself into the community when she moved here, finding connections through church and community service organizations, and she said that has made all the difference.

“Just get into it,” said Kepner. “There’s something for everyone here.”