Brad Jones

Brad Jones, chair-elect of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, spoke next:

Well, Jim, the Chamber is proud to represent the city itself with a little bit of land. If anybody has any interest, we've got a couple extra lots that we have to sell you, just see me at the cars later ...

What a great day it is with this wonderful groundbreaking on an asset that means so much to this city, to this county, and to north Alabama, and truly to all of Alabama. Alabama came together to create this miracle of modern engineering that is a marvel of our time and probably of all time. It is so notable for our state as well as to our local economy, what this has meant. The Saturn V truly launched the modern economic structure of Huntsville/Madison County. So much has been built around it. You see what we have today, and so much potential because the Saturn V still exists here in Huntsville and Madison County.

As I've traveled with the Chamber, doing economic development across the country, really across the world, when we talk to Huntsville, those who may even just vaguely know Huntsville, their first response to me has almost always been, "Oh the Rocket City. Rocket City." And I think that's a great thing. I think that is so unique and so special for our community.

Our Chamber is working every day to try to continue the growth of our economy and helping business here grow, and helping to attract new businesses here, help develop the workforce that can allow our community to continue to expand. But we're able to have such great success because we've got the foundation, the wonderful NASA program, particularly the Saturn V. And it's the Saturn V project that's going to propel us to so much success in the future. The tourism potential of this center is enormous, and I'm certain that it will go beyond our expectations, and the economic opportunities that this presents on its foundations are enormous as well.

On behalf of the Chamber, I want to express our gratitude to each of you who have contributed your time, your finances, your ideas, your enthusiasm to this project. We're very proud to be partner of this organization, and this wonderful event, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of it. Thank you.

Larry Capps then introduced the next speaker:

[deadpan, referring to Brad Jones] He's tall [laughter].

We're very proud because we have received a wonderful response from the community over the last three to four years. The city of Huntsville is a strong supporter of the Saturn V restoration effort, and it is my pleasure to welcome the mayor of all of Huntsville Alabama, Loretta Spencer. Mayor ...