Sigma Chi - Auburn University

3 AUBURN UNIVERSITY A Family Business and Brotherhood Significant Sig Jim Batson '91 Shares His Key to Success T he Significant Sig Award honors alumni who excel in their field and "have brought great honor and prestige to the name of Sigma Chi." Jim Batson '91, as the sixth-generation owner of a family business that's lasted 137 years, became the latest Gamma Sigma brother to receive this honor last year. Success in the Community H.C. Blake Co. (a plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical contractor) was founded in 1884, and Jim's family has lived in Huntsville since the writing of the Alabama Constitution. When Jim bought the company—a family tradition— and became CEO, the market crashed that same year; he knew they'd have to adapt to stay afloat. H.C. Blake initially worked mostly in commercial construction but shied to a 50-50 split between that and retail service. A willingness to adapt was also how the company survived the Great Depression, and its suite of services was a boon to both the business and its community as many stayed home during COVID-19 lockdowns. Some claim young people are lazy or that there's a shortage of workers; Jim disagrees. "ere are tons of people out there to work," he argues, "but it's more than just putting an ad in the paper." e company recruits people at job fairs and other local events, and Jim says when they get a potential employee through the door, they're usually hired. He told ACHR News in 2018 that his employees under 25 were, "e hardest workers I've ever seen." His company employs about 200 people from all walks of life and education levels. Staff are trained at an in-house facility and profiled to find their best position within the company. It's also important to Jim that H.C. Blake stays right on the cusp of new technologies and techniques to keep people happy, healthy, and hassle-free in their homes. "We call ourselves the oldest newest business in the industry." Jim has shared his success with the community not only through the company's services, but also through a major revitalization project: taking a condemned shopping center and turning it into one of the highlights of North Huntsville. e building features an art guild and history center that highlight the culture of North Alabama as well as restaurants and a yoga studio. True to its nature, the whole center is repurposed with old pieces of local history, from columns of antebellum mansions to lamps from the town square in the 1800s. "It's really brought back a deteriorated part of our town and created a major resurgence of the area." Family and Brotherhood "I have always lived by the spirit of Sigma Chi," Jim said of his life and work philosophy. "One of the greatest lessons I learned from the brotherhood is that a diverse team can succeed at any level." Jim always puts family first, which made Sigma Chi an easy choice when it came time to pledge. ree uncles were Gamma Sigma alumni and his cousin, Bill Crump '89, was an active brother; Jim and his cousin Bryant Crump '91 followed suit. Ever since those undergraduate years, he has been best friends with his cousins as well as fellow Significant Sig Carey Bringle '91. Always Moving Forward "When I received the [Significant Sig] award, all I could remember was how bad a student I was in high school," Jim admits. He thinks about where he would be if he had listened to the teachers who said he would not succeed in college. His experiences since then have shown that everyone has the potential for success—you just have to tap into their passion. "is award is just the start, and I have always believed that I can do better than what I have done in the past. Hopefully, I will not disappoint." rough all the accolades of Jim's career, the backbone of his life has been his wife, Bonnie, and three boys: Luke, Andrew, and Cole. "As crazy as it is being married to an entrepreneur, she has been there for me at every turn." Jim is proud of the young men his sons have become, creating their own paths and succeeding by their own merits. Jim can be reached at since1884@ aol.com. S igma Chi has begun its 2021 fall semester at Auburn, and we look forward to a more normal experience as football games and tailgating are expected to be back in full swing. Our Sigma Chi Foundation at Auburn University continues to do well, and I want to thank everyone who has supported it with time and donations. e last 18 months have been a trying time for many reasons, but our chapter and foundation have weathered the storm and are poised to enjoy a successful 2021-22 academic year. One of our goals is to better connect with alumni. Our partner in publishing this newsletter, creating email blasts, and hosting our website, Pennington & Company, recently approached us with an opportunity to clean up our database, to which we agreed. It is our hope that more Gamma Sigma alumni receive this newsletter and will either reconnect or reach out for an opportunity to start connecting! As noted in the last newsletter, the foundation's Robert A. Benz White Cross Society had a successful year in 2020 despite the chaos brought on by the pandemic. Contributions have continued into 2021, and we are proud to announce that our second White Cross Society member appreciation event will be held the weekend of the Texas A&M away game on Saturday, Nov. 6. At the event, we will welcome and thank our WCS members, watch the game, share a meal together, and receive an update from our Gamma Sigma Chapter leadership. If you would like to join the Robert A. Benz White Cross Society, please contact Fred McCallum '79 at mccallumfred@gmail.com. You may also make tax-deductible donations to the Sigma Chi Foundation at Auburn University by going to auburnsigmachi.com and clicking on Donate. Fraternally, Alan Shackelford '90 Sigma Chi Foundation Updates Join Us is Fall for Our Foundation Event

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