With nearly 8,000 students, one of the nation’s fastest growing online universities is located in Orange Beach on Canal Road. Columbia Southern University has invested millions of dollars in Baldwin County since the university was established 13 years ago. Revenue generated from students throughout the country – and even the world – is giving a major boost to the local economy.
Last year, more than two million dollars were spent on salaries for the 64 individuals Columbia Southern University employs from Baldwin County. In fact, 69 percent of the workforce consists of Baldwin County residents. Plans to hire an additional 50 employees in the next three years opens up the doors for other locals searching for new and better jobs.
Baldwin County businesses gained $500,000 in profits produced by Columbia Southern University in 2006. All office supplies and printing services are supplied through local vendors such as Gulf Coast Supply Hut in Foley. However, this total does not include money brought into Baldwin County from students who attend the summer graduation ceremony held in Orange Beach each year.
Partnerships with the City of Gulf Shores, City of Orange Beach, Orange Beach Police Department, Foley Fire Department, and Orange Beach Fire and Rescue include tuition discounts to encourage area firefighters, law enforcement and city employees to achieve their educational goals. In many cases, this benefit is also extended to spouses and children.
A leader in online education, Columbia Southern University commits resources from around the globe to enhancing the quality of life on the Gulf Coast. These types of corporate partnerships are what Baldwin County needs to make Alabama a better place to live and work.
For more information, visit www.columbiasouthern.edu
DSSI is a firm that started in Michigan, then moved to Orange Beach just over 5 years ago. They provide internet, telecom, television, and movie-on-demand to the residential and condo market in this area - and in several other markets around the world - using their own fiber-to-the-house technology. Jeff Hathaway, CEO/President, brings over 20 years of technical, sales, executive and entrepreneurial experiences, working for both Fortune 100 companies and early stage startups. One of Hathaway’s goals for DSSI is to help DSSI travel through the corporate life cycles from a startup to stability and beyond.
Hathaway’s experience encompasses the gamut of executive leadership roles. He has spent 8 years of his career working inside billion dollar corporations such as Xerox, Businessland and Brother International. The balance of his 20 years experience has been spent founding, building and selling several small businesses. Hathaway is a premiere example of a serial entrepreneur who has spun off several enterprises based on his expertise.
DSSI, LLC maintains its corporate headquarters in Orange Beach, Alabama. DSSI is the holding company of SmartTV and SMARTRESORT (soon to be re -branded as Beyond Communications). SmartTV is a System Integrator specializing in the IP Services Industry. Smart Resort is a Next Generations Service Provider using Ethernet and IP as its Platform and Protocol.
SmartTel Communications is one of Baldwin County's fastest growing telecommunications provider and also a subsidiary of DSSI. SmartTel offers interactive communications and entertainment services at premier resorts throughout Alabama and Florida.
"Converged voice, data, and video services are the future of telecom, and IP is the future of converged telecom-services delivery," said Jeff Hathaway, chief executive officer of DSSI. Hathaway has learned the value of surrounding himself with talented people and has brought together a team of professionals that have the ability to take DSSI to a high level of success.