HUNTSVILLE – It was clear, blue-sky day with a brisk morning breeze Tuesday in Cummings Research Park, what the Huntsville business community calls a beautiful day for a groundbreaking and an exciting day to launch a business expansion.
Radiance Technologies broke ground on Phase II of its expanding campus in the country’s second largest research park … earlier than initially planned.
“We moved into this building (Phase I) about two and a half years ago,” Radiance CEO Bill Bailey said. “When we planned this building and when we moved in, we thought it would be five-plus years before we would need any more space, but here we are, breaking ground on another building.”
Tim Tinsley, president of Radiance Technologies, said he was “excited about their growth in Huntsville” as he welcomed elected state and city officials, including former U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, to the ceremony.
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) talked about how big growth projects like Radiance’s campus do not happen in a vacuum.
“It takes a lot of folks working together not only in Huntsville and Madison, but across the entire region,” he said. “As I travel all over the country, people are impressed with what is happening here in North Alabama.
“I’m glad to have a chance to work on the appropriations committee in Washington, D.C., and we can fund defense, so we can make an effort to work with companies like Radiance to make sure we defend this country when we need to.”
Huntsville City Administrator John Hamilton represented Mayor Tommy Battle at the event.
“At City Hall, we talk a lot about quality of life in our community and there is a long laundry list, pieces of infrastructure and things it takes to achieve what we all want in quality of life,” he said. “One of those is great jobs and great companies that by investing in themselves, investing in our community, investing in its employees, and investing in our economy, grow our economy – and that is our strength.”
Bailey gave what he believes has been Radiance’s path to fast growth.
“I often speak about the ecosystem in Huntsville,” he said. “The thing Huntsville does better than anyone else on God’s green earth, and we need it across our country – it nurtures its small businesses, giving them the opportunity to grow.
“You take a company with a good business model and good technology, then hire the right people to make it a 100% Employee-owned company… this (Huntsville) is the one place where everybody pulled in the same direction, creating an ecosystem that allows a company like Radiance to prosper and grow.
“It’s good to be Radiance right now.”
Madison County Commission Chair Dale Strong thanked Radiance for “a phenomenal ride.”
“Bill and Tim, for this company to grow like it has, and what it does for our country, tells me our brightest days and brightest hours are still ahead,” he said.
See the ceremonial groundbreaking here:
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our email newsletter to have all our smart stories delivered to your inbox.
