By 
February 6, 2017
The Huntsville-Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau conducts its annual #iHeartHsv social media campaign every February. City of Huntsville Business Relations Officer Harrison Diamond participates in the campaign with his twist below, explaining three reasons businesses should ‘heart’ the Rocket City.
#IHeartHsv for many reasons. Personally, I enjoy checking out shows and art at Lowe Mill, taking advantage of trails just minutes from my home, grabbing dinner and drinks with friends on the weekend at some of our favorite local spots, being amazed at the growing start-up scene here and more. But what is it about Huntsville that makes businesses love this place?
Talent
Did you know that in Huntsville, almost one in four workers is employed in the tech industry? Those are Silicon Valley numbers we’re talking about. One of the most important factors faced by companies in this area is access to talent with the right skills. Huntsville is producing those workers. Our universities – UAH (full disclosure…I’m an alumn), Alabama A&M University and Oakwood University; our great two year colleges Calhoun Community College and Drake State Technical & Community College; and our premier public schools all play a role in developing the top talent businesses need to be a cut above.
Infrastructure
To most, there is nothing sexy about a road…until you visit a community that has real traffic problems. We are building roads to prepare for the future. Companies recognize that. Polaris identified our capital improvement plan as a key difference maker in its search to find the perfect location for its new plant. But what about the infrastructure of the future? Broadband is critically important. With the announcement of Google Fiber coming to Huntsville plus expansions of service providers such as Xfinity and AT&T, Huntsville is set to be one of the most connected cities in the region. This will enable people to work from home and really take advantage of the Internet of Things (all those products don’t connect to each other through magic, you know).
Quality of Life
Roads, utilities, and labor bring you up to parity when it comes to recruiting industry. What really differentiates you is your quality of life. Companies want to locate in communities where they can get people to move to and feel comfortable. Huntsville has that in spades. Our 18 minute commute time gives the folks who have wasted precious time behind the wheel stuck in traffic in other markets such as Atlanta, Nashville, or D.C their lives back. In Huntsville, you can be inspired by the arts just as much as you can be inspired by nature. You an cheer on the Havoc and Chargers or you can be the star of the show in any of the sports leagues we have here. Plus, we’ve got great, local organizations that keep a running list of fun things to do – including the CVB for visitors, Our Valley Events and Rocket City Mom.
Whether you represent a business looking for a new home or are just curious about why we think Huntsville is so special, I appreciate you sticking around until the end of the post. Hopefully, you learned at least one new thing or considered something you hadn’t previously about why we all ‘heart’ Rocket City, USA.
