Huntsville, Madison area " fast growth" do you like it or hate it.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by Jim Ward

To the contrary, many of our existing companies and gov agencies could not move to places like Birmingham because they do not have the talent off the street. And that is a fact.

And you think every engineer in Huntsville was born and raised there and won't move away if the jobs move? That is not the reality we live in. Huntsville is known for having lots of people who aren't from there who came there to work and they can pack up and leave just as fast they came in.

Originally Posted by AuburnAL

I do disagree though. I think the city will be fundamentally changed if it becomes mostly a manufacturing center.

I am not suggesting that it wouldn't. I am not saying that it can or will. Adding one Remington plant is not going to upset the balance or fundamentally change anything about Huntsville. If Huntsville wins the auto supplier that Bentley is jockeying so hard for right now, it still won't change it. Government/military based engineering jobs will still be the main honey dripper.

[AuburnAL]

Originally Posted by Tourian

And you think every engineer in Huntsville was born and raised there and won't move away if the jobs move?

There are a lot of us who aren't from here who would love to stay, but our careers outgrow what is available.

I am not suggesting that it wouldn't. I am not saying that it can or will. Adding one Remington plant is not going to upset the balance or fundamentally change anything about Huntsville. If Huntsville wins the auto supplier that Bentley is jockeying so hard for right now, it still won't change it. Government/military based engineering jobs will still be the main honey dripper.

I don't know why you keep coming back to Remington. If the Volkswagon plant had come in, it would have brought many more jobs, and that would have been under Mayor Spencer. But unlike Mayor Battle she actually pursued engineering and tech jobs too so you saw stuff like Hudson Alpha as well as manufacturing jobs. That's all I'm asking for is to show some effort on both sides of the ball here.

At the end of the day, I've spent more than half of my career outside Huntsville, and in the US it is the place I like most. Sure the climate sucks, but I have yet to find another city with a large "nerdy" population that is also conservative. I like being in a city that has local conservative talk radio and one of the best comic book stores in the country. Truthfully, I think if the local government marketed it more as such they could attract some of these folks who are transplants to the coasts instead of seeing things like a rocket manufacturer trying to cut costs putting up billboards in Huntsville looking for workers to move to California. It's a big country, and most of it caters to folks who want manufacturing jobs. I'm just mystified that Huntsville wouldn't try to capitalize and build off the things that already make it unique and successful.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by AuburnAL

I don't know why you keep coming back to Remington.

Because you mentioned them when initially voicing your concerns about pursuing too many manufacturing jobs. And it is the latest "victory" for the "state" that Bentley is touting.

Originally Posted by AuburnAL

Like I said not engineering jobs. If there are 100 engineers at Toyota and Remington together I would be surprised.

I'm not knocking these jobs, but Huntsville didn't become what it is today by pursuing manufacturing jobs.

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by Clark Hobbs

No offense pal, but that is pure gibberish. Intellectual growing pains? DRIVEL.

Using your logic I guess Tiger Woods is going through golf growing pains so he should take up soccer?

Yep, you would know 'gibberish'. I have to hand you that.

(no offense taken)

[AuburnAL]

Originally Posted by Tourian

Because you mentioned them when initially voicing your concerns about pursuing too many manufacturing jobs. And it is the latest "victory" for the "state" that Bentley is touting.

And if you'll notice that was in response to them specifically being mentioned as though that answered my desire for them to try to get engineering jobs here in the post I quoted.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by AuburnAL

And if you'll notice that was in response to them specifically being mentioned as though that answered my desire for them to try to get engineering jobs here in the post I quoted.

I do not have a particular fascination or affinity for Remington. It does however seem logical to talk about when someone is complaining about low wage production jobs coming to the area as opposed to high earning engineering and technology jobs. If you prefer to focus on something else, then say so. Just because there hasn't been a glut of new engineering jobs showing up in Huntsville lately doesn't mean the current administration isn't trying to recruit them. I believe you also mentioned Hudson Alpha, take a look at this post:

Originally Posted by raj kapoor

I'm not so keen on this deal. HUDSONALPHA of Madison County has just entered this field in the past couple of years in that area and already are siphoning funds that could have gone to UAB research and SOUTHERN RESEARCH INSTITUTE. (there is only so much each year to go around)
There is no physical structure involved with this collaboration, just office space here and in Madison County. There is no advantage for Birmingham in this collaboration. It just helps to shift what has historically been a Birmingham focus to the Madison area as well. ( Gov. Bentley's push for all but central Alabama)

Competing for research dollars is big business, so this is questionable, and most likely is very favorable for HA, but I have not found what this area is suppose to find in the deal.

This year the head of HA became the head of the state agency overseeing the biotech development in the state. He replaces the head of SOUTHERN RESEARCH.
So now the state agency has shifted focus to the north away from Birmingham.

Why are they even bothering with UAB? I suspect that based on the nature of genomic research they only need UAB for its access to many disparate diseases that are the foundation of the research, and not found in small medical facilities such as those in Madison County.

I hope I am wrong but nothing about this looks positive for Birmingham in the long run. When the results come in, the actually development work will shift to Madison County.

I do not think you have to worry about your current mayor not being as keen on white collar job recruiting because our governor is working round the clock to bring those types of jobs to Madison co as well. Also, when I was referring to the auto supplier, I did not mean VW, I meant a supplier that hasn't been announced yet they may come to Huntsville's jetplex. That deal is being worked on right now too. You've got no reason to be concerned because whatever project happens to come up, Bentley is going to put on the dog and pony show to make sure Huntsville is in the front of the line - even if it means at the direct expense of another Alabama city, namely Birmingham when it come to what Raj said about HudsonAlpha.