Dr. Anton Dormer's $30 Million Plan to Turn 15 Acres of His Family Estate in Huntsville, Alabama, Into a Diversity Tech Hub
Dr. Anton Dormer has the vision for creating a thriving innovation workforce development center for technology entrepreneurs in the North Alabama region. The diversity tech hub will consist of a 100,000SF facility that includes a bioincubator and manufacturing capacity, an apartment complex, and hotel and tech conference center creating vibrant economic and employment opportunities.
- Huntsville, AL (1888PressRelease) January 09, 2023 - Dr. Anton Dormer has this statement which drives him to complete this innovative project.
"If Elon Musk can dream of building habitats throughout Mars, why can’t I, Anton Dormer, dream of building laboratories throughout the United States."
This dream will first begin first in the city in which he grew up, Huntsville, Alabama. It was in that city where he completed elementary school, high school, and college education. His goal is to create a diversity technology hub on 15 acres of his family estate which is mostly empty. The site is in a prime location for it is located near University of Alabama - Huntsville, Cumming Research Park, and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Huntsville International Airport is only 15 minutes from this prime location.
The 57-year-old physician scientist and educator is the chairman, co-founder, and chief scientific officer of PepVax, Inc. (Silver Spring, Maryland) The company is involved in the development and utilization of its novel drug delivery system called SMARTmid™, a DNA plasmid vector. He has been with the company for 10 years. In 2019, he started BioLabShare, LLC after his company, PepVax, Inc. wanted to move their labs to Baltimore, Maryland. There was a lack of affordable wet lab space. Dr. Dormer decided there must be a better way. As he was thinking about a solution, he had an epiphany that he could build a company which could address the challenges associated with lack of affordable wet lab space within the United States while diversifying the field of biotechnology, life sciences, and health technology.
His mission begins with plans for a $30-million diversity technology center that will complement the growing innovation prowess of the Huntsville/Madison County regions that consist of Redstone Arsenal, Marshall Space Flight Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, and Cummings Research Center. For Dr. Dormer, bringing investment to a community in a diverse matter adds to the atmosphere of excellence and growth of the region. Dr. Dormer states, “This will be a homecoming for me. I grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and also look forward to coming back. To be able to bring something that will add to the essence of the local business community in North Alabama is very rewarding.”
The plan is to have a 100,000SF building which will contain an anchor tenant which is scheduled to be Core Technology Molding Company. Core Technology is one of the largest Black owned companies in the United States with sales of $25,000,0000. It is known for excellence in the manufacturing of highly engineered plastic products that have tight tolerances, require sophisticated tool designs and mandate efficient manufacturing like 2-shot injection molding. Core Technology is attracted to the Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama region due to its proximity to Mercedes, Honda and Hyundai. Alabama is one of the top five automotive States within the United States. In addition, the region has one of the fastest growing biotechnology/life sciences/pharmaceuticals located within the country.
Core Technology will use 75,000SF within the innovation center. The other 25,000SF will become a workforce development center managed by BioLabShare, LLC that will be designed to train the next generation of STEM based workers working for the North Alabama region. This center will work to partner with the university in Huntsville, Alabama, Alabama A&M University, Oakwood University, and University of Alabama - Huntsville providing students internships and faculty research fellowships.
The center will also have a business incubation center that will cater to supporting startup entrepreneurs in the area of engineering, biotechnology, life sciences, and health technology. The center will have office space and wet labs spaces (benches and small labs (100SF to 200SF)). The center will work to build these early companies to grow to graduate to spaces located in the University of Alabama in Huntsville Invention to Innovation Center (I2C), Cumming Research Park, and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. BioLabShare, LLC will be a feeder for economic growth. In addition, BioLabShare, LLC plans to provide certification training to diverse populations in the area of engineering, biotechnology, and pharmaceutics supporting those respective industries with a trained workforce. Dr. Dormer states, “PepVax, Inc. is planning to open a lab space within the facility. It will be our goal to lease 2,000SF to support our biomanufacturing and research and development focusing on continuing developing our patented technology SMARTmid™.
Dr. Dormer first envisioned that there would be just a biomedical research lab at about 12,000 square feet and a 16-plex residential complex on the designated location. However, as others have seen the vision and have joined the project it has grown. In addition, to the 100,000SF diversity tech center, there will be a affordable 40-unit apartment complex that will have amenities, such as, recreational areas, swimming pool, barbecue areas, firepits, gym/fitness centers, · yoga/cardio rooms, community clubhouse, playground, etcetera. The Huntsville/Madison County Alabama region has a severe housing shortage. Therefore, having individuals that will work in the diversity tech center will also be able to choose whether they desire a live walking distance from their worksite. This is one of the unique features of this innovative center.
Another feature will be the 100-room technology hotel and conference center. The hotel will include ergonomically and beautifully designed guest rooms to promote a restful night with modern amenities. The multi-purpose conference center will feature 10,000 square feet of meeting and conference space. The space will be able to support event planning with creative food and beverage menu offerings. The incredible innovative center will consist of a hotel, conference center, technology center (manufacturing and workforce development), and apartment complex. “It will be my goal,” says Dr. Dormer, “to create a location that is an innovative space where technology entrepreneurs can not only live, play, and work, but also think, create, innovate, and network. This will be a scientific community of like minded thinkers.”
The mission and the vision
Dr. Dormer's road to this point where he can create a unique and diverse platform actually begins with his parents, Drs. Aline and Caryll Dormer. They both came to the United States during the 1950’s and did so without a high school education. Yet, they had a goal individually and collectively once they got married to live the American dream. They embark on a journey of education. Over the next 30 years they obtained their associate degree, bachelors, and masters in nursing and then went on to obtain their doctorate while raising three sons. They worked as professors at Oakwood University. Along the way they began to acquire real estate which includes the property that will be developed into a diversity tech center.
Dr. Dormer attended Oakwood Adventist Academy for elementary school and high school and then attended Historically Black College and University Oakwood University. Therefore, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Chemistry. He completed his medical doctorate at UTESA School of Medicine and his masters in biotechnology at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. He has been associated with founding or co-founding four technology companies. He has also been a professor and is an STEM educator. Dr. Dormer was motivated to start BioLabShare, LLC when he was looking for a wet lab space within the City of Baltimore in Maryland to be closer to the University of Maryland - Baltimore and John Hopkins University. What he found was limited space and the space that was available was very expensive. Dr. Dormer felt that he could do a better job, but then added the uniqueness of partnering with HBCUs. Admittedly, Baltimore, Maryland is a challenging market to build individual lab space for a company. Huntsville, Alabama became the most logical location to begin the process of building wet lab capacity that is affordable and yet, being able to promote diversity within STEM.
Building a coalition of the willing to expand tech manufacturing
The 15-acres that is being provided by the Dormer family for this project has a real estate market value of $3,000,000 and is debt free. There are many individuals that have seen the value of the project, such as, Stan McCall and Roland Carter, principals in the company Management Enterprise Development and Services (MEDS), Inc. located in Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1984 MEDS has been a diversely managed multi-faceted HUD-approved SBA 8(a)-certified corporation. Their services include facilities management; property management; construction and renovation of commercial and residential buildings; and staffing and management of medical facilities. They will be working with BioLabShare, LLC to start the building process of one of the first diversity tech centers within the United States by the end of 2023.
Dr. Dormer’s life goals have been propelled by emulating successful individuals. One of his heroes is Dr. Percy Julian. Dr. Julius was a self-made millionaire pharmaceutics entrepreneur who owned his own factory. He lived in the time of segregation and yet he was able to overcome and still create therapeutics that positively touch all lives no matter their background. Dr. Dormer says, “When I read the life of Dr. Julian, I said to myself that if he could be successful during those challenging times I know that I can be successful during these times. ” He continues, “I am not alone in trying to build tech hubs that promote diversity. Nashlie Sephus is a 35-year-old Black artificial intelligence researcher. She has a transformative vision for Jackson, Mississippi, her hometown. Ms. Sephus is building a 12-acre $25,000,000 tech hub for his city and has acquired all of the land. If she could do it, I know I can do it too. We are both making a difference.”
Dr. Dormer plans to fund the completion of the Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama using private investment, tax credits, United State economic development fund, crowdfunding rounds, and grants. Once done this location will be self-funding with multiple streams of income. The biggest accomplishment will be bridging the gap within the field of biotechnology/life sciences, engineering, and health technology. There is a change that is coming and that change is a positive one.
About BioLabShare, LLC
BioLabShare, LLC (since 2019) mission is to create affordable wet labs while diversifying the fields of biotechnology, life sciences, and health technology. BioLabShare, LLC plans to fulfill its mission by building wet lab facilities while partnering with like minded universities including HBCUs to foster student internship, faculty fellowships, bioentrepreneuship, and institutional biolincensing opportunities. Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of innovation in the development of healthcare solutions. For more information, visit www.biolabshare.net
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