Call Center Company in Huntsville, AL

Dozens of sailors will descend on Huntsville beginning Monday for seven days of activities to mark the first-ever Navy week in the Rocket City.

The kick-off is set for the U.S. Space & Rocket Center at 5:30 p.m. Monday, according to a release from the service Navy Office of Community Outreach, which also posted additional details on its website.

Each year, Navy Week is held in 15 communities, targeting cities without a significant naval presence. While this would be the first time Huntsville is hosting Navy Week, Montgomery, Mobile, and Birmingham have all hosted the event before.

Activities this week include more than 50 sailors participating in community service projects, musical performances, STEM events, and public appearances to “inform, educate, and inspire.”

Carolyn Shelby McGilvray, a Montevallo native and Cyber Warfare Technician 2nd Class, said, “This Navy Week is important to me because it gives me a chance to tell others about my experiences in the Navy, and it gives a real look into the opportunities the Navy has provided me.”

This week, sailors will volunteer with several nonprofits, including the Boys & Girls Clubs, Downtown Rescue Mission, Manna House Food Distribution, Huntsville Community Drumline, Next Step Farms, Food Bank of North Alabama, 305 Eighth Street Community, Habitat for Humanity, Operation Making a Difference, Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Huntsville Botanical Garden.

Sailors coming include those from different combat ships, the recruiters and the ceremonial guard. Others are the Navy Bureau of Medicine, Naval History and Heritage Command, Navy Band Southeast, Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, Navy eSports, and The Strike Group virtual reality activation.

These are a some of the outlined activities:

• Navy Band Southeast Performances – Multiple dates and venues, including Burritt on the Mountain, Lowe Mill, and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center

• Earth Day Community Clean-Up – April 22, 4–6:00 p.m.

• Military Salute Night at Panoply Arts Festival – April 25, 5–9:00 p.m.

• Arbor Day 5K & Sapling Fun Run – April 26, 7–10:30 a.m.

• STEM & History Experiences – Featuring the Navy’s Meteorology & Oceanography Command, Naval History & Heritage Command, and more.

A key missile defense component manufactured by Boeing in Huntsville has been named the “coolest thing made in Alabama” this year.

Manufacture Alabama, a trade association for the state’s manufacturers and partner industries, announced the award for the company’s Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) seeker Thursday at the conclusion of its annual Manufacturing Madness competition.

The PAC-3 seeker component allows the Patriot air defense system’s interceptors to identify, track and defeat threats, including hostile aircraft and ballistic and cruise missiles. Patriot is fielded by U.S. forces and global allies. Boeing produces the seekers as a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin.

“We’re incredibly proud to manufacture the PAC-3 Seeker—an essential component of the world’s premier air defense system—right here in Alabama,” said Jim Bryan, director of Boeing Integrated Air & Missile Defense. “It’s an honor to be recognized, and we’re grateful to our talented teammates in Huntsville who consistently deliver this lifesaving capability for the service members and the civilians around the world who rely on it.”

Boeing recently announced it produced over 500 PAC-3 seekers in Huntsville last year, an all-time record. The company expects to open a 35,000-square-foot expansion of its Huntsville facility this spring, which will enable up to a 30% increase in PAC-3 seeker production.

The aerospace giant’s product faced stiff competition to be named “coolest thing made in Alabama.” More than 130,000 votes were cast, according to Manufacture Alabama, across 44 entries representing 10 industry sectors. The other three finalists were:

“This competition not only celebrates the incredible products made right here in Alabama, it’s a testament to the people, companies and communities driving innovation across our state,” said Jon Barganier, president and CEO of Manufacture Alabama, in a news release.

This is an opinion column

The county where I live in North Alabama—Madison— has just been named one of the fastest growing places in the state. This makes me feel proud, though I didn’t do anything to cause it. Still, it’s like getting an A on a pop quiz in a state that often gets an F. The city I live in—Huntsville—is a boom town and good for us.

I’ve heard some people complain about our growth, and I’ve probably done the same. But what it means is that people can move here—ordinary people—and buy a house—though costs are going up—and grow a garden and a family. They can slow their speech to match the southern speed. They can y’all it up after they’ve been here awhile, and they do.

They can learn not to plan a party or a wedding on game day if either of our two premier teams is playing. Or, if they do, they haul a big screen TV into the reception hall so that half the guests—usually male—spend a good bit of time drinking wedding booze and shouting at the team on the screen. They can learn the habits and traditions of their new hometown, just the way anthropologists learn native customs when in a strange land.

And if you’re from Minnesota or Michigan or Maryland or Montana, you can put down roots—tendrils, really, until you feel comfortable committing to the place and your children are on a soccer team and have enough friends to have a sleepover. Maybe you wake up in the middle of the night, hoping you did the right thing by moving here, and the moonlight glows in the garden you just planted and maybe you start to feel at home.

With growth comes grief, at least a little of it. We notice the obvious things first, like the traffic. I know, I know, it’s not like DC or Atlanta, but for a town that used to be sleepy and easy to navigate on all roads, it’s just short of treacherous, especially to cautious drivers. We are of the old school that taught red lights really do mean stop and are not to be raced through, and turn signals should be used, you know, when you turn.

Too many cars mean that lots of people have moved here and I welcome them, but with two cars per family, the Parkway can look like a parking lot at rush hour, which seems to be all the time now. Over 100, 000 cars drive down it each day, mostly in complete safety, but every now and then, there’s a wreck. Why wouldn’t there be? Drivers like me have found alternate routes and we snake around behind buildings and drive on almost forgotten two-lanes.

That game we used to play when our children were young and we wanted to keep them occupied on a long road trip would work well now. How many out of state car tags can you find? Let’s write them down. Now we’d have a long list.

With growth comes longer lines at almost any checkout counter at the grocery store or the department store. But if you listen, you can learn. Just behind me in the line at a local athletic store, I heard the angry tones of a mother and daughter arguing about a purchase the daughter wanted to make. This is a typical scenario in most families. But as I listened, I realized their argument was in French. I don’t speak French, but everybody knows what “no” means. I think the mother won.

Spanish is the most useful foreign language in our part of the country, even when so many native speakers have moved away. If you hear it spoken, it gives you a good chance to brush up on your high school or college vocabulary, so when you see a Spanish speaker, you can have a brief conversation, even if it’s only “Hola!”

With growth comes the opportunity to learn from people from all over. One of my former colleagues at the college where we taught was from Germany. Every house on her street was occupied by a family from a different country. On Friday nights, they each hosted a neighborhood dinner with Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, or German food. Sauerbraten and Pakora and Ravioli shared the table and welcomed the newcomers to their new home. Even in an Alabama town, she learned to do that in five languages. We should follow her lead, and welcome the strangers and thank them for coming to this boom town of ours.

Beth Thames welcomes your comments at [email protected].

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Published on March 18, 2025

The City of Huntsville, Alabama has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025, earning a spot in the Economic Development category. The City is named alongside the ranks of Waymo, Nvidia, Duolingo, and more.

This year’s list shines a spotlight on businesses that are shaping industry and culture through their innovations to set new standards and achieve remarkable milestones in all sectors of the economy. Alongside the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Fast Company recognizes 609 organizations across 58 sectors and regions.

“Innovation is in Huntsville’s DNA, being the home to NASA. We are honored to be recognized for harnessing music as a catalyst for economic growth. Our investment in music is not just about entertainment—it’s about job creation, tourism, and fostering a vibrant, creative economy that benefits our entire community.” — Mayor Tommy Battle

Over the past 18 months, Huntsville has made transformational strides in leveraging music to drive economic success, including:

Known as “The Rocket City” for its rich history with NASA, Huntsville has been a center of innovation for over 50 years. Lesser known, though, is the City’s vibrant music scene. In 2018, the city government officially began investing in music as an economic growth tool, starting with the first-ever government-funded music audit to assess local music culture and plot a road map for growth. At the heart of this transformation is the country’s first-ever city appointed music officer, a role that exemplifies Huntsville’s commitment to integrating music into its economic and cultural fabric.

“This recognition validates the work we’ve been doing to position Huntsville as a true music city,” said Matt Mandrella, Huntsville’s Music Officer. “By investing in music, we’re not only enriching our cultural landscape but also unlocking real economic opportunities for artists, entrepreneurs, and local businesses.”

In addition to this recognition, Mandrella has been invited to join Fast Company’s Impact Council, a collective of global leaders shaping the future of business and innovation.

The World’s Most Innovative Companies stands as Fast Company‘s hallmark franchise and one of its most anticipated editorial efforts of the year. To determine honorees, Fast Company’s editors and writers review companies driving progress around the world and across industries, evaluating thousands of submissions through a competitive application process. The result is a globe-spanning guide to innovation today, from early-stage startups to some of the most valuable companies in the world.

“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies offers both a comprehensive look at innovation today and a playbook for the future,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “This year, we recognize companies that are harnessing AI in deep and meaningful ways, brands that are turning customers into superfans by overdelivering for them, and challengers that are introducing bold ideas and vital competition to their industries. At a time when the world is rapidly shifting, these companies are charting the way forward.”

The full list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies honorees can now be found atfastcompany.com. It will also be available on newsstands beginning March 25.

Huntsville will also be celebrated at the Most Innovative Companies Summit and Gala on June 5 in New York City, bringing together the brightest minds in business, technology, and culture.

For more information on Huntsville’s music and economic development initiatives, visit www.huntsvillemusic.com.

Published on March 13, 2025

Huntsville Animal Services is bringing good luck to shelter pets with its St. Pitty’s Week adoption campaign from March 17-22.

During this special promotion, adoption fees will be waived for all pit bulls and pit bull mixes, giving these lovable dogs a lucky chance to find their forever homes.

“These are some of the most affectionate and loyal dogs in the shelter, but they often take longer to be adopted,” said Animal Services Director John Fischer. “St. Pitty’s Week is the perfect opportunity to break that trend and show these dogs the love they deserve.”

Each available dog’s kennel will have a shamrock, making it easy for potential adopters to find their new lucky charm. Every adoption includes spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchipping and a City of Huntsville license.

To end the weeklong promotion, Animal Services invites residents to share a pup cup or two and find your forever friend at an Adopt-on-the-Spot pop-up pet adoption event on Saturday, March 22, from 1-3 p.m. at Starbucks Village of Providence, 20 Town Center Drive NW. To help ease the adoption process, Animal Services will accept cash or checks, and staff will assist with paperwork and answer questions.

A full list of available pets at Animal Services can be found here.

Animal Services is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 256-883-3782, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/Animal, or visit their Facebook page to learn more.