Ron Autrey is president of Miller Electric, the biggest electrical contractor in the Southeast and No. 12 in the nation based on the past two years economic performance. The company has worked on everything from Jacksonville Municipal Stadium to several area hospitals to the Proton Beam Accelerator at Shands Jacksonville to the Anheuser-Busch plant.
Autrey is also entering his last few months as chair of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce. Earlier this week, he sat down with the editorial staff at the Financial News & Daily Record to talk about his company and his role as Chamber chair.
How are you handling being Chamber chair and president of a company the size of Miller Electric?
Our company is well organized with six market based divisions. Each division is led by a vice president who is fully capable of running his own business. They are trained and motivated for success and growth. I also have my business partner, Susan Walden, who serves as our EVP (executive vice president)and CFO. She is also my sister. We are both very blessed to have my father as a mentor and advisor. I could not give back to the community without their support and guidance.
What did you think of China?
It was an incredibly interesting place. (Jaguars owner) Wayne Weaver told me there are three Chinas. One lives in the 22nd century, one lives in the 21st century and one lives in the 17th century. We were told the Chinese people are hardworking people who want a better life. That’s what we found and their leadership has that same mission.
Are you enjoying your year?
Absolutely. It’s very time-consuming, but it’s an enjoyable time. I get to work with a lot of great people.
How much do you work with Chamber President Wally Lee?
Sometimes, we are too close. Wally and I have a great relationship and he’s been very helpful. I picked him to be our company’s honoree at our upcoming Community Connections event. Mike Hightower is our primary honoree, but Wally is the perpetual presence of the Chamber. Year after year, he gets new volunteers and a new board and he holds it together.
What do you want your year as Chair to be remembered for?
We furthered the goal of economic development for our area. We talked to Mayor John Peyton a year ago and said, ‘What are your concerns?’ He said it was a three-legged stool: public safety, economic development and education. A couple of days later, it came to me. We are a chamber of commerce, the better job we do, the better all three of those are. Public safety is not our focus or education or building roadways and bridges. Our focus is on making money.
Tell us about the Chamber... has it been a tough year? Your thoughts?
We’re within our budget for the year and still the second largest Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. with 4,550 members. (The largest being St. Louis, in terms of membership dollars.) I was chairman at a very interesting time because we had a number of things come to fruition like the Leadership Trip that ultimately went to China and all related to our port development. What I tell people is I look forward in five years and tell them the capital is invested in the port.
Has the Chamber been able to take advantage of the trip to China in terms of things other than just contacts?
I think it met our objective, which was to open minds, open markets. It hasn’t been a mad rush to Beijing to open new businesses, but it has gotten people thinking more globally as we start interacting with other global businesses. With Cornerstone (the Chamber’s economic development arm) we can track business leads and generally have 50–60 prospects that we’re trying to bring to North Florida. Five years ago, we’d have maybe 3–4 percent of those were international prospects ... today it’s more like 20 percent. It’s definitely an increase.
Tell us about your successor Mike Hightower and what he brings to the table for the Chamber.
Mike will do a great job. One thing he will do is put a face on one of the best community citizens we have here in Blue Cross Blue Shield, obviously a major employer here. It’ll directly link Blue Cross to the Chamber and the business community.
How about Downtown development. What’s the status? Any hopes for the Shipyards project?
I think absolutely development is coming. I’ve told people at large Chamber gatherings this is an incredible opportunity ... if you fly over Jacksonville and see the old JEA site and the Shipyards site, you see 20–30 continuous acres that stretch along the river. I don’t know of another city you can go to and find that. As people come to understand that this land is available and it’s in pieces large enough for campus-type construction, you’ll see some changes. Headquarters can move here in multiple buildings. I see it (land availability) as an opportunity, not as something that’s holding us back. As for the Shipyards, there’s nothing I am aware of. There are people looking at it, but it falls into confidentiality agreements that are in place.
Years ago, the Chamber was the only group that was focused on growing Jacksonville’s economy. Today, it seems the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission gets all the credit when a company like Hanjin or Mitsui or Deutsche Bank or Alenia invests in the community. How has that changed what the Chamber does?
We refer to it and sell it as a public-private partnership. When we make sales trips for the city whether it’s in Japan or New York or anywhere else usually the mayor is there with us. The businesses that we’re trying to bring here understand that they can connect directly with the mayor. We also sell the consolidated form of government very heavily because it makes it much more streamlined for companies looking at Jacksonville to implement their plans here.
Some cities have only a separate economic development arm and they are the primary source of that development. In Jacksonville, the Chamber is the economic development arm of the City working in partnership with JEDC. We really don’t view it as two separate entities. Jerry Mallot at the Chamber works very closely with Ron Barton at the JEDC and the mayor’s office.
Has the Chamber ever considered absorbing the JEDC and the assets it has in terms of people and what they do?
With this administration, I don’t see that occurring. Some future administration may decide they only need the Chamber’s efforts, but I don’t see anybody ever taking that role away from the Chamber. We’re capable of being flexible in bringing the sales effort together. We also have access to nonpublic money, which is a benefit.
You mentioned the Alenia North America project coming to Jacksonville. This follows Deustche Bank and Pilot Pen moving to Jacksonville within the past year. What does this mean for Jacksonville and what’s next?
All three of those are very important deals for Jacksonville and I think you’ll see following those large announcements even more secondary announcements. If you look at the Hanjin and Matsui projects that will improve the throughput of the port ... that generates a demand for warehouse and distribution space that’s been estimated to be 100 million square feet.
What is the purpose of the Small Business Center?
It’s something of an incubator on the Northside. We have an enormous facility that’s misleading when you drive by it because it looks like a storefront. But it opens up into large meeting rooms and they provide the assistance. The Women’s Business Center is out there as well. A person wanting to start a small business — or is already in a small business and needs help and education — can go there. And if they’re not already offering a class to address problem they can create it and get some one-on-one coaching and mentoring.
How does Jacksonville’s economy compare to the rest of the nation?
Really over the past 10 years the Southeastern United States grew with a trend of companies moving to the Southeast. While the (national) economy has slowed over the past couple of years, the Southeast has fared better. National construction statistics bare that out. We’re doing far better here than in the rest of the nation in non-residential construction — things like schools, hospitals and airports — and non-building construction like transportation systems.
You learned a lot from the Chamber of Commerce trip to China. On Nov. 11, you’ll be taking a trip to Seattle. What are you looking to learn?
The trip to Seattle falls in line with our focus on global trade interest. It’s a very valued port city. It’s a city that has gone through a great transformation that had terrible budget problems and was at the end of its rope at one point. Today, it’s a city that has a vibrant economy and much diversity. I’ll be able to tell you a lot more when we get back.
You’re chair of the 2008-09 Jacksonville Community Council Inc. study “Our Money, Our City: Financing Jacksonville’s Future.” What is it exactly and what do you hope to achieve from it?
The “Our Money, Our City” is the new study that takes a look at Jacksonville’s city budget and what goes into it. It’s a community based committee that goes into great detail and comes back with recommendations. Hopefully, it will be a beneficial tool for the mayor and City Council, as we’ve had a very good success rate with past studies that have been implemented.
The City’s Concurrency Management System Ordinance is in place to ensure any new development has the infrastructure in place before a final development order is issued. How big of a hurdle is concurrency to the development of Cecil Field?
The City has made a request for a master developer and once that person is in place that process will move along a lot quicker. That project has the support of the mayor, City Council and governor to streamline that process.
Has the Chamber’s membership drive initiative, “The Uncampaign,” helped grow the Chamber’s membership?
Building membership is more challenging this year than last. We aren’t losing members. Some are just choosing to invest at a lower level this year.
How do you attract younger or new business owners to the Chamber membership?
They can get involved with one of our nine area Chamber councils. These councils are largely made up of small business owners. They have very productive meetings and they are energetic to get things done. (There are councils for Arlington, Downtown, Jacksonville Information Technology, Mandarin, North, Northwest, Professional Women’s, South and West.)
How did your boat hold up during the recent storms?
It held up great. I was able to sell it between tropical storms Fay and Hannah.