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DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

INDEX A view from the inside

St. Clair County Economic Development Council P.O. Box 1999 Pell City, AL 35125

Big things ahead for Red Diamond

(205) 814-1440 www.stclairedc.com

STAFF

Don Smith, Executive Director

42 An Explosion of Growth iCademy St. Vincent’s St. Clair New VA Home What Makes St. Clair Zoom 10 Reasons to Locate in St. Clair A Perfect Business Climate Paving the Way for Industry Good News for German Industries Retail Resurgence Antiques Capital

6 10 14 16 18 24 26 36 50 55 58

Cover Photo by Jerry Martin

Concept and layout by Partners by Design www.partnersmultimedia.com Printing by Russell Printing 4

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Candice Hill, Assistant Director Jennifer Forman Office/Special Projects Manager

www.partnersmultimedia.com

President & CEO, Editor & Publisher Carol Pappas Vice President, Creative Division, Design Editor Graham Hadley Photography Jerry Martin Advertising Arthur Phillips Director,

Online Services Brandon Wynn

TheNewHospital.com ST CLAIR

The St. Clair County Health Care Authority, the St. Clair County Commission, the City of Pell City, the St. Clair County Economic Development Council, and St. Vincent’s Health System are working together to build a 40-bed, 79,000 square-foot, two-story hospital that will replace the existing St. Vincent’s St. Clair facility.

Follow the hospital progress and see the latest pictures from the construction site at TheNewHospital.com!

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

‘Project Dynamite’ sparks

An Explosion of Growth Gov. Bob Riley announces groundbreaking for new VA Home.

Jefferson State Community College President Judy Merritt stepped out of a vehicle into the middle of the woods just north of Pell City proper and uttered a single word 10 years ago that started an explosion of growth for the region. “Dynamite!,” she said, as she scanned the terrain fronting Interstate 20. It was the perfect place to put a new community college campus. Turns out, it was the perfect place for a new hospital, a new VA Home and much more yet to come. That fateful day with Merritt, then Mayor Guin Robinson and former St. Clair Economic Development Director Ed Gardner Sr. was like no other, they recall. They saw the future, and Jefferson State would be the first spark. Robinson, now director of Institutional Development for the entire college, convinced Merritt she needed to take a look at Pell City for a new campus. Two ideas were at play at the time. “We thought if the community was going to grow, it had to expand

in that direction,” Robinson said. And it needed a greater community college presence. Robinson and Gardner had taken Merritt to three tracts of land, saving the interstate frontage for last. “When she said, ‘This is dynamite,’ we all knew right then that we were on to something. We had a partner that could join us. With that one word, ‘dynamite,’ we had it.” The effort from then on became, “Project Dynamite.” Today, it is home to the St. Clair campus of Jefferson State. Next door is a workforce development education venture called, iCADEMY, which provides skills training in nursing, welding, robotics and general manufacturing to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. When they finish high school and earn a diploma, they also earn an applied science degree from the two-year college.

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Continued on Page 8

From left, former St. Clair EDC Executive Director Ed Gardner Sr., Jefferson State President Judy Merritt and former Pell City Mayor Guin Robinson on the site where Project Dynamite began. DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY â&#x20AC;˘ ALABAMA

Growth

Work continues on the site where a new hospital will stand in late 2011.

Construction dust is flying just west and north of the campus, where a new cutting-edge hospital is being built for St. Vincent’s Health System. Next to it will be a medical professional office building. A state-of-the-art Veterans Home breaks ground in November or December, offering a totally new concept for veterans care in a community setting. “When everything is complete, it will be the largest economic development project in the history of the county,” Robinson said. “This is what happens when everybody dreams big, and it’s bigger than we ever dreamed.” “It just became a partnership from day one,” Merritt said. “It was my introduction to how a community could work together. Within a year, we were up and running.” Merritt talked of the importance of Jefferson State’s presence at that site. Not only did it spawn more economic development. It meant “no student in St. Clair County comes out of high school as the end of the road. Our presence is changing lives, changing communities.” Alabama, like other states around the country, is facing a lot of lost jobs that are never coming back. “We offer hope. They see they can make a good living, raise a family and stay here. That’s what it’s all about.” Gardner agreed. “The school meant so much to the residents. It improved the quality of life for so many.” From an economic development standpoint, it was the tipping point. Almost simultaneous to the discussion of locating the college there, talk of relocating the hospital to the site emerged. Key players like St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon; EDC Chairman Tommy Bowers; Pell City Mayor Bill Hereford, who served on the

hospital board at the time; and Realtor Dick Whatley all contributed in those early days of developing the vision. Batemon recommended that the County Commission loan the money to the EDC to purchase the property and make it available. Whatley was instrumental in making the sale happen. “It was the best sale I ever made,” Whatley said at a recent announcement of the VA Home groundbreaking by Gov. Bob Riley. It was Bowers who initiated early conversations about the need for a community college, and Hereford was a strong and vocal proponent of the school and the hospital from the beginning. “It was stated at the time that a lot of projects had been brought in with larger, private financial contributions and created more jobs, but in the years to come, this would be the premier economic development project that occurred in St. Clair County over the last 25 years, and that has happened,” Gardner said. If Project Dynamite had not come to fruition, “we wouldn’t be talking about a new hospital or a $50 million VA Home,” Gardner said. Batemon likened it to a 160-acre green field, with the college occupying 50 acres. “It is the catalyst for all kinds of thinking. It marries education, health care and long-term care. It is definitely going to be the catalyst that moves the county and the region forward.” EDC Executive Director Don Smith called it “the beginning of a vision that took shape a little more than a decade ago. First, the community college put in a campus and around the college campus, we’re building a neighborhood. Jefferson State Community College, St. Vincent’s-St. Clair and the Veteras Home. We have three great neighbors so far.” And all involved expect more is yet to come.

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

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iCADEMY Blending education and workforce development

There is an atmosphere of something special going on inside the building next door to Jefferson State Community College in Pell City. It is history being made, a new innovation in education and workforce development. On the college campus, the building stands as a testament to how partnerships can make a difference in what the region’s future workforce will look like. The iCADEMY began operation in January 2010, offering sophomore, junior and senior high school students an opportunity like never before. They attend the iCADEMY to gain skills in nursing, robotics, general manufacturing and welding, and by the time they earn their high school diploma, they also earn a two-year college degree in applied science. It is a partnership of Jefferson State

Community College, St. Clair County Economic Development Council, St. Clair and Pell City school systems, and it is growing into a regional workforce development blueprint. Guin Robinson, Institutional Development director for Jefferson State and chairman of iCADEMY’s advisory committee, called it a partnership like no other. When the plaque went up on the building commemorating who was involved, there were about 50 names on it, Robinson said. “Every name on there needed to be on there.” That’s how comprehensive the planning and execution was on this. “If any one component didn’t participate, the program would not have come about,” said Don Smith, executive director of the Continued on Page 12

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Quality that counts!

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Trussell & Funderburg, P.C. • Loan Closings • Commercial/Residential Real Estate • Wrongful Death • Corporations • Personal Injury • Insurance Claims William J. Trussell & Erskine R. Funderburg

Office: (205) 338-7273 • Fax: (205) 338-6094 1916 First Avenue, North • Pell City, AL 35125 www.trussellfunderburg.com No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of these legal services performed by other lawyers.

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

iCademy A pair of students learn manufacturing skills.

St. Clair Economic Development Council. “This program is one of the first in the state to capitalize on a partnership between workforce development and the two-year college system,” St. Clair Commission Chairman Stan Batemon said at the school’s first graduation ceremony. Grant money from the U.S. Department of Labor and funding from the County Commission for tuition helped get it started. Jefferson State’s involvement in instruction on a college-level basis makes it relevant to today’s work world, and the school systems’ enthusiasm for new opportunities for their students has been a recipe for success already. Nurses’ aides have already graduated from the program in the third fastest growing field in the country. Future welders, robotics operators and workers in general manufacturing have a jump-start on their careers with good paying jobs straight out of high school. “We all have high expectations and confidence the St. Clair County iCADEMY program will lead the way for workforce development in Alabama,” Batemon said.

Welding is in high demand, and iCADEMY training helps students land good paying jobs.

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

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St. Vincent’s Hospital

St. Clair County A new era of medical care unfolding for region The foundation has been poured, the steel is going up, and what is growing out of what once was only woods is the county’s health care future. What began as a dream more than a decade ago — a new hospital for a burgeoning St. Clair County population — is taking shape on the horizon overlooking Interstate 20 on Pell City’s northern side near Jefferson State Community College. St. Vincent’s-St. Clair is a state-of-the-art hospital with 79,000 square feet and a medical professional office building, adding another 30,000 to 50,000 square feet of health care space. The new hospital, expected to open in the fall of 2011, is the result of yet another partnership upon which the county has built a reputation. The City of Pell City, the Health Care

Authority, St. Vincent’s Health System, the St. Clair Economic Development Council and the St. Clair County Commission have all come together to say it’s time for a new hospital. The community is stepping in with a capital campaign to raise $3 million. The $31.4 million investment in a new hospital replaces a 40-year-old facility just across the interstate, offering cutting -edge technology to handle today’s and tomorrow’s health care needs. The face of health care has changed in 40 years, and this hospital is designed with the latest techniques and technology in mind. Situated on 20 acres, the site has room to be expanded horizontally, and the hospital has been designed with the ability to add on if needed. Health care delivery has shifted to more outpatient, “and

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

we will be set up for that,“ according to Sean Tinney, president of Rural Hospital Operations for St. Vincent’s in Blount and St. Clair counties. “It has all of the latest technologies all the Birmingham hospitals have and then some.” It will have a 64-slice CT scan, usually found only in larger, metropolitan areas. “Some Birmingham hospitals don’t even have this,” Tinney said. MRIs and nuclear medicine are also part of the diagnostic equation. “We’ll have digital mammography, a GI lab, surgical suites, and we’re expanding cardiology, orthopedics, general surgery and ENT coverage.” He noted that if the new hospital can grow services enough, officials plan to look at adding a catheterization laboratory for heart patients and delivering babies again. “If the need dictates, we’ll look at it.” What those involved in the planning of this new hospital are concentrating on are the details with the aim of “the exceptional experience the patient will have when they’re here.” There is a “real focus” on emergency services, said Terrell Vick, former CEO of the hospital and now overseeing the transition process. “It is designed for convenience. It is its own service unit with its own parking lot. The lab and imaging are right there next to it.” It will have 14 separate rooms with two of those designated for trauma. In the old hospital, visitors must go through Emergency to get into the hospital. “These units are segregated. That’s the big difference,” Vick said. “It’s behind the scenes with the latest technology.” Same-day surgery will be performed on the second floor of the hospital, which will be connected to the professional

office building so that doctors can come and go easily between surgery and their offices. The hospital features 32 private rooms and six universal rooms. Two of the rooms have another room adjacent to them for families to stay. It has a cafeteria and a chapel, and the look of the new hospital mirrors St. Vincent’s Birmingham. And the goal within a year is to go paperless with electronic records from a patient information standpoint. There will be no need for the patient to recite information repeatedly. There also is a push on to expand coverage for specialty areas, like cardiology, pulmonology, general surgery and orthopedics. Recruitment of new doctors is ongoing. “Doctors from Birmingham are already calling to rent space in the new professional office building,” 20,000 square feet of which will be anchored by St. Vincent’s Health System. It offers the care patients no longer have to go to Birmingham to get, and it offers the convenience of not having to navigate the traffic, parking decks and other time-consuming activities associated with traveling for health care. It’s about convenience for residents in a 15-mile radius of the hospital, offering quality health care right here in their own backyard. This isn’t just a Pell City hospital. It is for people who hail from places like Ashville, Moody, Odenville and Margaret and all points in between. While all of the new technology is impressive, Vick said, “Our people here are our main asset. My excitement is being able to provide state-of-the-art tools along with their attitude and commitment to community. There’s no telling where that will get us. “Patient service — that’s where we’ve got to be.”

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

New Veterans Administration home will set

HIGH STANDARDS Take a look at the architectural renderings, and you might think you were looking at a resort community. A lodge-type dining area with double-sided, stacked stone fireplace, a town center, neighborhoods, shops, offices, a chapel and a library are all a part of the plan. So is a barber shop, a beauty salon, courtyards, cottages and even a sports bar. But what this planned community means is a place to which veterans can come home. Ground will be broken later this fall on a Veterans Home in St. Clair County’s Pell City. It’s much more than a construction project or a veteran’s facility, it is a prototype for long-term care for military men and women. “It is a prototype of what we can do going forward,” said Gov. Bob Riley at an announcement in September. “What you are about to do here, you’ll look back and take the most pride in.” It adds 224 more rooms for veterans in the state, only the fourth veteran’s home in Alabama and the first of its kind for this community concept. “It will be one of the leading in the United States and will offer so much to so many of our vets.” The governor said he believed that communities are “judged by the way they take care of their veterans. They did what we asked them to do, and they only ask their country to take care of them if they can’t take care of themselves.” This community does that and more. It is state-of-the-art, offering more of a home environment in a large facility. There is an Alzheimer’s wing, a domiciliary, a town center with adult daily living facilities, three neighborhoods and a “main street.” Each neighborhood has three houses with 14 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms each. They feature a common kitchen, living room and dining room. The domiciliary is a two-story house with 40 residents on each floor who require less skilled care and supervision. It is the first in the state. The first floor has a common living room, lounge, dining room and kitchen. The second floor has a common living room and lounge. In the Alzheimer’s wing, there will be two neighborhoods with two houses in each. Each house has 12 rooms, 12 bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room, courtyard, screened porch and a window in each room. There was no blueprint for the plan in the beginning, it was created from the ground up with “green” concepts in mind, and walking trails and a park planned for the future. Pell City Mayor Bill Hereford, an ex-Marine himself, called it a “signal honor” to have this veteran’s home in the city, serving the region. “It’s once in a lifetime in our community.”

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

What makes St. Clair County

Photo courtesy of Kevin Giles/J&K Fencing

Kevin Giles drives his GSX-R during a track day at Barber.

ZOOM Like a powerful sports car on the track at St. Clair County’s next door neighbor to the west at Barber Motorsports or to the east at Talladega Superspeedway, the engine that drives the success of the region is a former game warden turned masterful politician turned visionary leader and a focus on partnerships. From the state’s governor on down to the county’s constituency, most agree Commission Chairman Stan Batemon and a team of economic and elected officials put St. Clair ahead of the pack. Now the fastest growing county in the state, St. Clair wasn’t always a progressive county others held in high regard. It had the amenities — more house for your money, two lakes, small-town appeal, two railroads for convenient shipping, two major inter-

state systems for easy access to transportation, one of the best general aviation airports in the state and the only county without a single dirt road in it. But it wasn’t enough without leadership to capitalize on what St. Clair County had to offer. More than a decade ago, “similar leadership” started lining up across the county. The County Commission, various municipalities and the forming of a countywide Economic Development Council aligned “progressive minds at the same time.” It soon became a county that thrived on regionalism and partnerships, and a litany of success stories followed. Jefferson State Community College, a new

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Continued on Page 20

STEELE, ALABAMA

St. Clair County’s growth

hotspot

We are a melting pot of industries that represent companies from around the world and close to home, offering an unrivaled business climate. A progressive city with progressive leadership, Steele continues to keep pace with Alabama’s fastest growing county. The quality of life is outstanding, and Steele’s proximity to larger metro areas makes Steele an ideal location for home or business. Come home to Steele, Alabama. We have it all!

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

ZOOM

While they are just across the line in Jefferson County, St. Clair has strong regional connections to Barber Motorsports and Bass Pro Shops. hospital, a VA Home, new industries in places like Steele and Pell City, a financial partnership to bring Honda to nearby Lincoln, and a regional water system that will satisfy water needs across city limits and county lines for decades to come are part of that. Like a Sunday school teacher giving a lesson, Batemon talks of St. Clair’s evolution. “To me, regionalism and not being jealous of your neighbor are interchangeable.” He said the “light came on for me” 20 years ago. It was a time of great political emotion. There was jealousy, particularly toward Birmingham and Jefferson County. “We had to get rid of that history of jealousy. “You can compete, but you don’t need to be jealous. It’s like any other competition — a lack of jealously when the other team wins.” The next step was to get rid of jealousies with other entities within the county. Rather than an industrial recruiter for separate municipalities, a countywide economic development council was created with a director serving and marketing the entire

Continued on Page 22 Stan Batemon

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

ST. CLAIR COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Building on Tradition. Focused on the Future. 205.814.1440 www.stclairedc.com DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

ZOOM

Movers and shakers behind the project that started it all, from left, EDC Chairman Tommy Bowers, Commission Chairman Stan Batemon, Jefferson State President Judy Merritt, former Pell City Mayor Guin Robinson, Realtor Dick Whatley, former EDC Executive Director Ed Gardner Sr., Pell City Mayor Bill Hereford.

county. Former Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Ed Gardner Sr. became its first director. Former Pell City Mayor Guin Robinson formed a countywide mayor’s association, and they networked with one another, sharing problems and solutions to issues facing their cities. Pretty soon, mayors and leaders from towns across the county would show up at each other’s ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings. It was a big step, Batemon said. And it applied the “rising-tide-lifts-all-boats” philosophy to real life in St. Clair County. When the early economic success occurred in the tiny town of Steele, it was a turning point. Yachio, a supplier for Honda, decided to locate in Steele. Other industries followed there and in other parts of the county. “Mayors from all over the county were happy,” Batemon said. The EDC brought pride to the whole county, not just parts of it. That all points back to leadership, Batemon said. “If a community is not successful, that feeling of not being successful comes from the top.” When a plant locates in one community, leaders shouldn’t look at it like they lost that particular industry. Instead, they should ask themselves, “How many of my citizens get to work there?” “Expand the parameters into regional thought. It’s like a family. You take care of little brother and little sister, and they have to look up to big brother and big sister. You have to nurture it all the time.”

ParTners for Progress St. Clair EDC Executive Director Don Smith couldn’t agree more with Batemon’s assessment. “St. Clair County was one of the first communities to step up to partner with other communities and organizations. They don’t just say it; they’ve done it.” The county played an integral role in bringing Honda to Lincoln in Talladega County through a multi-county partnership. It partnered with Leeds in Jefferson County and the City of Moody in St. Clair to bring Bass Pro Shops across the line in Jefferson. The Coosa Valley Water Authority originally involved municipalities in St. Clair as well as Lincoln in Talladega County. St. Clair officials work closely with Regional Planning Commission, and they’re involved in a $1 million energy efficiency loan program with Blount, Bibb, Walker and Chilton counties in the largest grant in the state from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Grand River Project in Jefferson County, which involves an outlet mall and residential and office developments, had help early on from St. Clair County. “It was one county and one city assisting another city in another county,” Smith said. “Going forward, it is going to have an enormous economic impact.” The retail outlet mall that opens in October in Leeds “will open the door for a lot of high-end retail that would not have looked at our county,” said Assistant EDC Director Candice Hill.

“We are known for partnering with other communities for the benefit of everyone,” Smith said. “Workforce does not know boundaries.” Hill summed it up with a simple, yet telling observation: “We see radius, not lines.”

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

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MAP 13. The View at Lake Cyrus • 205-428-6420 1. LOCATION Deerfoot Pointe • 205-681-8362 14. Union Station • 205-668-2541 2. Glen Cross • 205-655-5807 15. Cheshire Parc • 205-424-2434 3. Kelly Creek • 205-640-0124 16. Winchester Hills • 205-681-8730 4. Southern Trace • 205-699-2228 w w w.G O H O RTO N . co m 17. Briar Ridge • 205-503-2962 5. The Ridge at Southern Trace 18. Alden Glen • 205-640-0141 205-699-2228 19. Lacey’s Grove • 205-410-7958 6. The Cotswolds • 205-977-8145 20. Polo Crossings • 205-678-5678 7. Belvedere Cove • 205-410-7958 TUSCALOOSA MAP 21. Legacy Springs • 205-467-0625 8. Rosser Cove • 205-425-0339 22. Tannehill Preserve • 205-283-8438 9. Camden Cove • 205-668-1969 23. Smith Glen • 205-876-6875 10. Kensington • 205-668-0826 Maxwell Manor Kings Ridge 24. Beaver Creek 11. Brookhaven • 205-640-0247 12. The Villas at Lake Cyrus • 205-428-6420 205-492-5918 or 205-503-2962 University of Alabama

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1 DEERFOOT POINT: from the 120’s call: 205-681-8362 359 DIRECTIONS: I-59 to Exit 141, W on Chalkville Mountain Rd., S on Old Springville Rd., W on Dug Hollow Rd., N on59Dewey Heights Rd. 2 GLEN CROSS: from the 150’s call: 205-655-5807 69 DIRECTIONS: I-459 to Hwy 11 / Trussville Exit, R on Mary Taylor Rd.

17 BRIAR RIDGE: from the 100’s call: 205-503-2962 DIRECTIONS: I-59N, Exit 148, Left on Hwy 11, Right on Argo Margaret Rd, Left on Roulain Rd. 18 ALDEN GLEN: from the Low 100’s

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17 BRIAR RIDGE: from the 100’s call: 205-503-2962 DIRECTIONS: I-59N, Exit 148, Left on Hwy 11, Right on Argo Margaret Rd, Left on Roulain Rd.

6 THE COTSWOLDS: 12 THE VILLAS AT University from the 200’sof Alabama LAKE CYRUS: call: 205-977-8145 from the 160’s DIRECTIONS: call: 205-428-6420 I-459 to 280/Colonnade DIRECTIONS: Mercedes R on Blue Lake Drive / W on I-459 Plant Colonnade Dr. Exit 10 R on Hwy 150 Manor RMaxwell on Sicard Hollow Rd. 7 BELVEDERE COVE: Kings Ridge from the 190’s call: 205-408-2592 DIRECTIONS: I-459 to Hwy 280 E N on Hwy 41

TUSCALOOSA 23 SMITH GLEN from the Low 100’s call: 205-876-6875 DIRECTIONS: Take I-65 North to Exit 281. Turn Left at the stop sign and go under I-65. Turn left onto Dana Road.

1. Kings Ridge 205-343-6910 2. Maxwell Manor 13 THE VIEW AT 18 ALDEN GLEN: 24 BEAVER CREEK 205-343-6910 LAKE CYRUS: from the Low 100’s from the Low 100’s from the 250’s call: 205-428-6420 DIRECTIONS: W on I-459 Exit 10 R on Hwy 150

8 ROSSER COVE: from the 110’s 14 UNION STATION: 3 KELLY CREEK: call: 205-425-0339 from the 100’s from the 130’s DIRECTIONS: call: 205-668-2541 call: 205-640-0124 I-459 1 to Exit 1 KINGS RIDGE 23 SMITH GLEN DIRECTIONS: DIRECTIONS: N on Eastern Valley Rd. from the147 Low 100’s from the 100’s S I-65 exit 234, I-20 to Exit 9 CAMDEN COVE: L on County Rd. 12 call: 205-876-6875 N on Kelly Creek Rd. call: 205-999-0024 from the 140’s DIRECTIONS: 15 CHESHIRE PARC: 4 SOUTHERN TRACE: call: 205-668-1969 from the 110’s TaketheI-65 2 MAXWELL MANOR from 180’sNorth to Exit DIRECTIONS: call: 205-424-2434 (All Southern Trace I-65S to exit 231, Soon 281. Turn Left at the stop Coming DIRECTIONS: Communities) sign and go under I-65. Right on 31call: 205-999-0024 I-459 S to exit 1, Right call: 205-699-2228 10 KENSINGTON: Turn left onto Dana Road. on McAdory School Rd. DIRECTIONS: from the 110’s I-20 to Exit 140 16 WINCHESTER HILLS: call: 205-668-0826 24 BEAVER CREEK R on Hwy 78 from the 130’s DIRECTIONS: the Low Rfrom on Rex Lake Rd. 100’s call: 205-681-8730 I-65 to Exit 231

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call: 205-640-0141 DIRECTIONS: Take I-20 East. Exit 144B to US-411 North toward Moody.

19 LACEY’S GROVE: -COMING SOON! call: 205-410-7958 20 POLO CROSSINGS: from the Low 100’s call: 205-678-5678 DIRECTIONS: Take 280 East toward Sylacauga. Turn left at Hwy 39 and then right on Hwy 261. 21 LEGACY SPRINGS: from the Low 100’s call: 205-467-0625 DIRECTIONS: Take I-59 North to Exit

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1 KINGS RIDGE from the 100’s call: 205-999-0024

2 MAXWELL MANOR Coming Soon call: 205-999-0024

call: 205-503-2962 or 205-492-5918 DIRECTIONS: From I20 E., take the Leeds/Moody, go North on Hwy 411, Turn right onto Hwy 174

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DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA Directions to both: From I-459: Take I-459 to 65N toward Birmingham. Take the US-31/S Columbiana Road Exit – Exit 252.

An executive perspective:

CEOs — 10 good reasons to

1. “The business climate in St. Clair County is extremely pro business and one of cooperation. We have found that by working together with the leadership and citizens of this area, the company can benefit the area, and in turn, the area benefits the company.” — Spencer Weitman, president, National Cement Co. in Ragland 4. “We wanted to locate in an area where there will be future growth in the form of more homes, schools and other businesses, so that we would be assured of having a large pool of qualified people to interview for jobs in the future. ... We have been in St. Clair County for over five years, and we are completely happy with our decision to locate in this wonderful county.” — Jeff Johnston, president, J.M. Exotic Foods Inc., in Moody

2. “We moved our food brokerage office (in 1992) and put it together from there. It has been a success story. Together, we made a pretty good team.” — Curtis Capps, president and CEO, Royal Foods and Royal Sausage in Pell City

3. “It was a good startup from the first day. The support has been ongoing.” — Jost Bierbaum, president, Eissmann Automotive North America in Pell City

5. “Our business has grown substantially over the past few years and we are continuing to reinvest in St. Clair County in both assets and personnel, as we have increased both significantly in each of the past three years and look forward to continued growth.” — Heath Buckner, president, Buckner Barrels in Springville

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

call St. Clair County home

6. “Having lived in Jefferson County, which is large and bureaucratic, it was quite a surprise to realize you get to know these leaders, city officials and county officials, on a first-name basis. It has its advantages when you need to accomplish something. It really does.” — Joe Kelly, president TCI-Sales in Moody

7. “We are glad we are in St. Clair for a reliable, stable workforce. Our people have a strong work ethic, and the average employee has over 20 years of service. Location to the main major interstate highway helps us get our products quickly to our marketplace. There is a strong sense of community and civic responsibility and a great recreational area to draw more people to our company and the area.” — John Morris, president, Riverside Refractories in Pell City

8. “Vision: It’s not today or tomorrow; it’s 10 years from today and tomorrow. We’ve got some real good leadership.” — Jason Goodgame, vice president, Goodgame Company in Pell City

9. “We chose St. Clair County to expand the operation because of the vitality of the business climate here. It is fresh and energetic and poised for longterm growth, uniquely situated along the corridor between business centers to the east and west. Access is simple to business centers to the north and south. With a commitment from the county to help develop the plentiful workforce with education and skills training for our industry, we have a partner with continuous improvement as a goal. The beauty of the mountains, the lakes and proximity to worldclass sports facilities means there’s no other place we would want to be than in St. Clair County, Alabama.” — John Garrison, president, Garrison Steel Fabricators and Erectors in Pell City

10. “The biggest asset in St. Clair County is the people. They all get along and work together. They’re united. It’s a team concept. I’m honored to be a part of it.” — Phil Webb, owner and president, Webb Concrete in Pell City, Heflin, Oxford, Roanoke, Centre

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

When it comes to business, St. Clair has the

Perfect Climate

When it comes down to the difference between locating a business in a certain place or putting it somewhere else, it’s all about relationships. A bad one can ruin a community’s future prospects. A good one just seems to lead to more. In St. Clair County, executives are like ambassadors of goodwill. They tell their stories of how they landed in the county and why they stayed, and pretty soon, the county’s reputation as being open for business simply strengthens. They cite the leadership, the spirit of cooperation, the people and the quality of the workforce as reasons for their decision to call St. Clair County home. And they stay because none of those attractions changed once they arrived.

Spencer Weitman, president of National Cement Co. in Ragland, said his cement-producing company has a long history in the county. It opened a plant under the name Atlantic and Gulf Portland Cement Co. a century ago. Despite undergoing a few ownership changes since 1910, it is still going strong with 115-120 workers on its St. Clair County employment roster. Weitman noted that what sets St. Clair apart as a good place to do business is its approach. “The business climate in St. Clair County is extremely pro business and one of cooperation. It has allowed NCC to enjoy a strong, long-term rapport with the

Continued on Page 28

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Corporate Office 2000 SouthBridge Parkway Suite 600 Birmingham, AL 35209 205/423-2600 800/633-6473 (Sales)

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DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY â&#x20AC;˘ ALABAMA

8/27/10 1:47:48 PM

Perfect Climate leadership and citizens of St. Clair County and the City of Ragland — many of whom are our plant employees.” Buckner Barrels, whose headquarters is in Springville, is a family-owned business that has thrived in St. Clair County for 35 years, and President Heath Buckner knows the advantages of doing business in St. Clair County. He cites them easily — “great interstate transportation access, good weather, a sensible tax structure. …” But he is quick to point out “the single most important reason we continue to do business in St. Clair County is the people. Much of our success over the past 35 years is directly related to the quality and dedicated workforce that we have been fortunate enough to have working with us. They have been a tremendous asset to us in the past, and we are confident that they will be a cornerstone of our continued growth.” The company’s products and services include new and reconditioned steel drums, poly drums and a wide assortment of containers. During its tenure in St. Clair, it has grown from five employees and two trailers processing 50 drums a day to multiple company locations with more than 40 employees, 200 trailers and more than 2,000 containers shipped daily to 14 states. Joe Kelly, president of

Continued on Page 30

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Proximity to major transportation routes, like Interstate 20, has been a huge economic draw for St. Clair County.

Perfect Climate TCI-Sales Inc. in Moody, has enjoyed similar success. He moved his company to St. Clair — first locating in Moody, moving to Branchville, then back to Moody, where it remains. “We needed affordable office space and a place we could do business that was convenient to the interstate and was professional so that we could entertain customers,” Kelly said. “We wanted a business-friendly atmosphere, and we

found that in Moody.” Kelly complimented the city and county’s leadership, describing the “cohesiveness” of both. “They all are approachable. If you have an issue, they will sit down with you, discuss it and help you work it out.” Few know that better than Red Diamond

Continued on Page 34

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

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DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Perfect Climate

CEO Bill Bowron Jr. When he decided to move his 100-year-old company from Birmingham to Moody, the site was ideal except for a gas line that needed to be moved. County leaders made sure that obstacle was out of the way, and internationally known Red Diamond’s headquarters are now in Moody. “What we found in St. Clair County and Moody was a willingness to work with businesses for the betterment of the community. That’s why we’re here.” In 2008, the company built a state-of-the-art facility, and two years later, expansion is on the immediate horizon. “The difference between us and everybody else is it’s a group effort,” said Jason Goodgame, vice president of Goodgame Co., a design build contractor. The various entities of the county find a way to come together to make things happen. His family business has been a mainstay of Pell City since 1955. It was started by his uncle and later run by his father, Adrick Goodgame. And Jason Goodgame has been involved per-

sonally in recruiting industry to Pell City through his contracting business, having played a role in the location of three German-based industries, Eissmann, WKW and Oerlikon Balzers. Though governmental administrations may change, the philosophy and the vision have remained constant — “they always work hard to make those projects happen,” Goodgame said. If that means traveling to Germany or Japan, the leadership does it. “We travel,” said Stan Batemon, chairman of the County Commission. “It’s important to physically touch and thank your partners, whether it’s across the county line or across the ocean.” They may not always walk away with the business, but they have laid the groundwork and forged a bond. “It’s about building relationships. We all say it, but we don’t all do it,” Batemon said. In St. Clair, it’s different. It’s leaders say and do it. “We’re like any other successful team, building on the things that got you there.”

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

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2323 Moody Parkway, Moody, AL 35004 DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

A Day in the Life St. Clair EDC Executive Director Don Smith stands in a clearing on property that is making way for economic development and is changing the face of the region. Smith envisions much more ahead for the Project Dynamite site.

Plenty of groundwork paves way for new industry A crowd gathers in an empty field to witness the first shovelful of dirt on a construction project. The ribbon is cut on a new industry. A city’s mayor, a county’s commission chairman or the state’s governor stands before a microphone, announcing a new business coming their way. But the work that goes into that groundbreaking, ribbon cutting or announcement starts long before the ceremony. Just ask Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Council, and Candice Hill, assistant director. They know firsthand the effort behind the scenes is

rarely told and even more rarely seen. “The ribbon cutting is the most exciting time. In general, that’s the easiest part of it,” Smith said. “The groundbreaking is another exciting point. But that one-hour ceremony represents years of hard work.” For proof, he can look no further than his own office on the third floor of Jefferson State Community College, a project that sprang from discussions more than 10 years ago. Or he can see evidence of it just beyond the college site in the Continued on Page 38

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL

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DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

A Day in the Life

St. Clair EDC Assistant Director Candice Hill reviews another project with Executive Director Don Smith.

foundation being laid and steel going up on a new hospital for St. Clair County. It, too, had its beginnings more than a decade ago. What goes into projects like these is preparedness — being prepared with a site, marketing the community and working through challenges as a project moves forward. “If an industry wants to locate a new facility in Alabama, the Southeast or the U.S., we make sure we’re the community being considered,” Smith said. Of course that takes solid teamwork. “We can’t do it be ourselves,” Smith said. “We bring in state and regional organizations, the County Commission and local elected officials to ensure we are the most competitive we possibly can be.” “You have to be aware of the challenges of sites and be prepared with solutions,” Hill said. “You want companies to get in the easiest way possible.”

Hopping hurdles Smith and company are among the best at what they do. St. Clair County is often held as an example others want to emulate in economic development. They see the value in partnerships, relationships and regionalism. They reach across borderlines inside and outside the county, and they are willing to invest in the effort, knowing it may be years before they see the payoff. WKW Erbsloeh North America is an example. When St. Clair EDC officials learned the German company was looking to expand in the United States, it went through a rigorous selection process, involving multiple states and multiple sites in each state. Pell City was among those communities vying for the automotive industry supplier, and it took a year to finally be selected. “It Continued on Page 40

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

A Day in the Life

Leaders are excited about the new VA Home, gathering for the groundbreaking announcement. From left, EDC Executive Director Don Smith, EDC Chairman Tommy Bowers, Pell City Councilman James McGowan, Commission Chairman Stan Batemon, Jefferson State President Judy Merritt, Jefferson State Institutional Development Director Guin Robinson, Realtor Dick Whatley, Pell City Councilwoman Dot Wood, former EDC Director Ed Gardner Sr. and Pell City Mayor Bill Hereford.

took another year before a structure was coming out of the ground and another year to be completed. It was three years before the first employee was working in the facility,” Smith said. “And that’s typical.” Rainbird, a sprinkler system manufacturer, began looking for a site for a new facility. Four years later, EDC officials closed the deal on locating the company in the vacant Saks Distribution Center building in Steele. “It was a fouryear process, and that was with an existing building,” Smith said. “There is no quick success in economic development,” he said. He compares it to “a tortoise approach,” ensuring that all is in place to ensure a higher degree of success. And he learns as much from the ones that got away as he does from the ones that chose St. Clair County. “We made it to the final three for a white-collar project” but lost because of a lack of more urban amenities. But what he and other officials discovered along the way in that project hunt was what the county did have in place to go after data centers. “We’ll be more competitive in the future.” It’s no 8:00 to 5:00 job, Smith said. Prospects may be in different time zones, as much as 12 hours ahead or behind St. Clair County, Ala. “I get calls in the middle of the night from a company needing answers before they go into their morning meeting.

Quick facts • Since 2006, the EDC has announced 1,792 new jobs and more than $340 million in new investment. • Since 1999, the EDC has announced 3,329 new jobs and more than $675 million in new investment. • Since 1999, the EDC has helped obtain more than $7.8 million in grants for economic development projects. • St. Clair County has eight different nations with manufacturing facilities located within its borders. “But our staff understands the big picture. They know it takes time and dedication, and they know that a company with 30 employees is as important as the one with 150 or 1,000 employees because one day that company with 30 could become that company with 1,000,” Smith said. “Those are the companies we want to bring to St. Clair County.”

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Odenville

A Special Place To Call Home

NEW ST. CLAIR COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL At the heart of the fastest growing county in the state, Odenville boasts of its own growth with the highest growth rate in St. Clair County. It hosts a major utility operation for the county, and retail outlets and restaurants are finding it a great place to do business. Gorgeous subdivisions against the backdrop of a pastoral setting make life in Odenville one that others want to emulate. Odenville cares about its historic roots but does not lose sight of the future. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Odenville is such a special place to call home.

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY â&#x20AC;˘ ALABAMA

A view from the inside

Red Diamond set to expand with facilities and jobs When Red Diamond CEO Bill Bowron Jr. says he is glad he moved his company to Moody, believe him. By June 2011, Red Diamond will have completed construction on its Food Service Distribution Center, adding at least 50 new jobs to the local economy, joining another 110 already on board at the St. Clair County office headquarters and plant. After a two-year delay because of soaring steel prices, bids are being let at this time on the new facility on the 65-acre campus, adding to its already 450,000 square feet of building space. “We believe this is a great time to begin construction,” Bowron said. The distribution center will replace the company’s Vanderbilt Road location in Birmingham, essentially moving the entire operation and staff to St. Clair County, and it will be double the size of that building. The 2011 projection is that Red Diamond’s employment roster will swell to 190 at the company. “We believe the cooperation of Moody, the citizens of the city, the Economic Development Council and the County Commission have led us to the promise of a brilliant future,” Bowron said. Williams Blackstock is the architectural firm handling the project with Bill Williams as lead, the same architects who designed the impressive office headquarters and manufacturing and packaging plant that now stand on the Continued on Page 44

View from the inside site. The building will use “tilt up concrete panel construction,” a process that enables greater insulation, more stability and the ability to expand by removing a panel, enlarging, and then replacing the panel. LBYD is structural engineer for the project, and Nimrod Long and Associates will be the landscape architects. When the food service project is completed, it also will complete construction of the original design of buildings planned for the site. And always with an eye toward the future, Bowron quickly added, each can be doubled in size without interfering with the operation. There are three more building sites, and “we are well planned for the future,” he said. As with the other buildings, there is much attention paid to environment in the new construction. “It is as environmentally sensitive as we can get,” he said, noting that it will have reflective roofing materials, have leading-edge refrigeration techniques, will conserve energy in the lighting system, and feature new and efficient battery restoration techniques. All the runoff water will be directed to the lake, which is a focal point of the Red Diamond property, but more than that, it serves as a way to recycle water and irrigate the land. On weekends, it’s even a favorite

Bill Bowron Jr. inside Red Diamond’s headquarters in Moody.

Continued on Page 46

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

MONEY-SAVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIP No.20

BECOME A FAN OF THE FAN. By Jamie Sandford Alabama Power Company

Ceiling fans do more than just move air around. They help your air conditioner or heating system work more effectively, keeping you comfortable in both summer and winter, while reducing your energy bills. If you ask me, ceiling fans are one of the most underrated, underutilized energy efficiency devices. And yet

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In which direction should your fan blow? If your fan has a reversible switch, make sure you’ve got it on the right setting. Now, there is a lot of debate about what the “right setting” is, but here is my take on things.

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Don’t touch that dial. Just two degrees above 78 (in the summer) can reduce your air conditioning energy use by up to 10%.

For more tips on ceiling fans, visit AlabamaPower.com/tips.

In the summer, your blades should be rotating counterclockwise, so that you can feel cool air being pushed down on you.

An impressive plant produces and packages Red Diamond’s coffee and tea products.

View from the inside fishing hole for employees. The food service operation is a comprehensive one. It serves the entire needs of restaurants — from the entrée to the plate itself to the dishwasher after the meal to the dishwashing detergent used to clean the plate. From food to food preparation to cleanliness — “all items are provided by Red Diamond,” Bowron said. And, of course, “accompanied with the best coffee and tea available, it’s an un-

beatable combination.” When the company moved to St. Clair in 2008 from a county it had been headquartered for a century, it naturally turned heads. But Bowron said it has turned out to be a wise decision. “It transformed our company. We analyzed every facet of our company to best utilize the design talent on board before we built.”

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Continued on Page 48

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DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

View from the inside

Known as a company of firsts, Red Diamond’s pioneering moves are recounted in signs that line both sides of a hallway leading into the plant.

And the end result, he said, “We became a truly national company.” Among its myriad achievements, it is the No. 1 maker of ready-to-drink tea. At the same time the food service building is under construction, the company is putting in place a complete software and hardware system, which will enable it to “fully take advantage of the technology of the new building’s equipment and allow us to be more aggressive in the marketplace,” Bowron said. Red Diamond has evidently been on the move in the marketplace already. Just this past month, the company rolled out its new line of canned specialty coffee in environmentally sensitive cardboard containers, specially designed for coffee, rather than using steel. “We are very busy rolling out a one-cup pod system so that consumers can have coffee or tea by the cup. It’s a green approach — no plastic containers to make the product. They use biodegradable coffee and tea filters. “And, it allows us to make a much better coffee and tea. That’s a win for the company, the customer and the environment.” It also is a winning business philosophy, according to Bowron, delivering “the best possible product to the customer at a fair price to the company, being environmentally sensitive as reasonably possible and delivered by the best employees one could find.” As he glanced toward a massive window overlooking the pastoral setting just outside his office, he gave one more plug for the decision to move to St Clair County: “It’s hard not to enjoy coming to work when you have a place as pretty as this.”

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

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DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Gute Nachrichten ‘GOOD NEWS’

An Eissmann worker, flanked by flags depicting the company’s international footprint, gets leather ready for sewing.

German companies thriving in St. Clair County In 2004, officials at Eissmann Group Automotive began looking for a site to expand their services in the United States. They had the contract to make dashboards for the Mercedes GL and M Class, which are manufactured in the Alabama community of Vance, just outside Tuscaloosa, and their supplier was in Gadsden. But Eissmann had no presence in the U.S. It became clear that the plant was needed, and the search began. “Strategically, it could be anywhere between the supplier and the customer,” said Jost Bierbaum, who now serves as Eissman’s president for North America. Continued on Page 52

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Strong community Strong businesses

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

‘GOOD NEWS’

The plant floor at Eissmann.

Criteria centered on the geographic needs plus where textile was previously and “a nice environment to live for our team and management members,” Bierbaum said. They looked at places like Sylacauga, Bessemer and Trussville. But they eventually settled on Pell City in St. Clair County. “I have to say the EDC (St. Clair Economic Development Council) was the most active and the most supportive,” Bierbaum said. “The labor rates were affordable. We had all we needed from the first day.”

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DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

‘GOOD NEWS’

Eissmann North America President Jost Bierbaum (right) and a worker inspect a dashboard.

Not to sell quality of life short, water sports enthusiast Bierbaum added, “And the lake was a nice benefit.” The contract was signed in 2004, Eissmann moved into its new plant on Ed Gardner Drive in February 2005 and sold the first part produced there in October 2005. Today, it has 110 employees, having hired 25 just this year because of a higher volume of dashboards needed for Mercedes M Class and several new contracts expected on the horizon. By the numbers per day, it produces 250 dashboards, 650 arm rests, 150 floor consoles and 1,200 grab handles for floor consoles, and it serves as a Continued on Page 54

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ANNETTE MANNING HALL Circuit Clerk St. Clair County 1815 Cogswell Avenue, Suite 217 Pell City, AL 35125 205-338-2511 Fax: 205-884-4224 100 6th Ave. Suite 400 Ashville, AL 35953 205-594-2184 Fax: 205-594-2196 email: annette.hall@alacourt.gov

PHILIP K. SEAY

DISTRICT JUDGE THIRTIETH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT ST. CLAIR COUNTY COURTHOUSE 1814 COGSWELL AVE. - SUITE 308 PELL CITY, ALABAMA 35125 (205) 338-3869 FAX (2505) 884-0115 ST. CLAIR COUNTY COURTHOUSE 100 6TH AVE. - SUITE 400 ASHVILLE, ALABAMA 35953 (205) 338-3869 FAX (2505) 884-0115 phil.seay@alacourt.gov

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

‘GOOD NEWS’ logistic and engineering satellite for Eissmann Mexico. This worldwide company has three locations in its homeland of Germany, one in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. In the United Kingdom, sales are headquartered, and in China, Eissmann is involved in a joint venture. The Alabama welcome and the business experience have been good for Eissmann, Bierbaum said. “We had a good start-up from the first day.” Jason Goodgame of Goodgame Company, who was involved in the recruitment of Eissmann, helped the company with contractors and tax abatements. Economic Development staff introduced him to key people in the industry. “Support is ongoing. They will do anything they can to help me.” They even planned an impressive Oktoberfest, the German beer festival, to make Eissmann officials feel more at home. Curtis Capps, who owns Royal Sausage, was called upon to make bratwurst for the Pell City version of the famed event. It was their way of saying, “Welcome. We’re glad you are here.” And rightly so. Companies like Eissmann put Pell City and St. Clair County on a world stage. Eissmann’s footprint is not just in other countries, but on other continents.

When Eissmann located in Pell City, it was able to draw on sewing skills of those displaced by the textile industry. Behind Eissmann came other international companies, WKW Erbsloeh and Oerlikon Balzers. They, too, saw the merits of locating in Pell City. As Bierbaum put it, “We found everything we needed around here.”

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Retail Resurgence The new Publix coming to Pell City is generating plenty of excitement.

New projects are a sign of retail’s growing return When the Shops of Grand River open just across the county line in late fall, officials in St. Clair see it as a catalyst for more retail growth and economic impact along the I-20 corridor. Bass Pro Shops already lures thousands to the area each week, and events at Barber Motorsports next door, including the highly

successful IndyCar race in April, can’t help but make their mark on St. Clair, too. They are examples of regional draws that benefit the county because of their proximity to St. Clair County. Inside the county, retail is starting to grow once again. Construction on a highContinued on Page 56

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Retail Resurgence Shops of Grand River, opening in October in Leeds, is expected to have a major impact on retail for the region.

end grocery store, Publix, is well under way in Pell City as an anchor store to other shopping on that same site. Development executives on the Pell City Publix project are evaluating sites in Moody as well, and they are optimistic that more retail offerings are heading Moody’s way.

It appears to be a resurgence of retail that has been on hold during the economic recession and downturn, and officials are hopeful that Publix and the shopping center being built along with it are only the beginning of a retail boom across the state’s fastest growing county.

DISCOVER ST. CLAIR COUNTY • ALABAMA

Antiques Capital of the South By Gigi Hood

Bait salesman turned antiques entrepreneur tells success story Through the years, St. Clair County, as any other place, has grown and changed. As time passed, dirt roads were widened and paved, and barns were torn down as farms disappeared and made way for planned urban developments. Many businesses have come and gone. Some have grown, survived and done well. But none has probably grown more or done better than St. Clair County’s own native son, David Tims, who has built an antique mecca in the region. Looking back to the beginning of being the owner of his own business, Tims didn’t start with the idea of selling furniture, imports or priceless antiques. The concept just kind of evolved. While living in Atlanta and working in the printing business and not particularly enjoying life in the big city, he found that a combination grocery store and gas station was for sale in St. Clair County’s Cropwell area. Upon buying it, he returned to his roots and familiar surroundings. “It was a simple beginning,” Tims said. “I knew I wanted to come home, and the store and gas station seemed like a good avenue. At the time, business wasn’t exactly booming. But I was aware that plans for Logan Martin Lake were in the works. Most of my first customers were excavators for the lake,” — grave diggers, who were exhuming and moving bodies from existing cemeteries to another location before they built the dam and created the lake — “and cotton pickers.” The completion of the dam and lake gave Tims reason to expand his business. “I’d always loved to fish, and knowing that bait, tackle and other fishing supplies would be needed, I decided to stock my store with these items,” he reminisced. Making the most of being the first bait store on Logan Martin, he found a minnow supplier, bought them by 3-gallon buckets and sold them by the dozen. “The bait business drew more customers, and I became so busy on Saturdays that I had to hire an extra helper just to dip the minnows.” While fishing supplies did improve his business, further sales opportunities were literally just around the corner. One day a fellow stopped at his store, said he needed to sell off a couple of beds he had on his truck and asked if Tims wanted to buy them for $20 each. David agreed to the purchase and before the end of the day, he re-sold them for $45 each. “Those beds made me more profit than the sales in my store that day, so I thought, ‘Why not get a little more furniture and see what happens,’ ” he explained. “ I took my pick-up

David Tims truck, found some other furniture, sold it and started a new part of my business.” In 1969, when his furniture venture had proven to be so successful that another building was needed, he purchased The Little Red Barn, a small building just across the street from the grocery store. In that location began a story of vision and success, which has grown into a corporate empire and made David Tim’s Antiques the largest wholesale distributor in the Southeast. The idea of growth in business isn’t in itself astonishing. But the transition from grocery/gas store, bait and sometimes furniture salesman, to an antique entrepreneur brings cause for a litany of questions. How would someone decide where to go to buy 40-foot containers of furniture, what to buy, what to sell or where to sell it? How would an earthworm, minnow salesman know how to have containers of furniture from Indonesia, Europe and England and carpets from Iran shipped to a relatively small place in St. Clair County, Ala-

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bama? And how did Tims ever think this would work‌? “Initially I started going to Amish Country in Pennsylvania and Ohio,” he said. “I’d take a trailer, fill it up, bring it back and sell it.” Word got around, and more and more people began to find their way to my store.” While exploring avenues for buying furniture, he met a man from New York who still remains one of his best friends. “He taught me how to order and purchase 40-foot furniture containers from other parts of the world; the first one we ordered came from England.” After being successful with the first, he bought others. “Many times when the containers arrived, I’d go to Birmingham and sell the goods to antique dealers there. We would actually unload the containers for the purchasers.” Through the years, Tims has had many times when one or two containers per day would arrive in Pell City. “The trucks would pull in, we’d be trying to unload them and there would be people there trying to buy the merchandise while we were taking the items off the truck,” he explained. “It could get a little hectic and tiring sometimes.” Early on, he increased the visibility of his business by holding antique auctions. Every second and fourth Friday night of each month, the auctions are still held. Tims, who

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Antiques Capital earned his professional auctioneer license, is the auctioneer (as well as the owner), and his wife does the cooking. Tims doesn’t like to charge for the food, so it’s provided at each auction as a gesture of goodwill, hospitality and friendship. Today, the Tims’ dynasty and its recognition are amazing. People come from all over the country to visit his stores and purchase his wares. Considering the diversity of salesmanship in his earlier days, it should come as no surprise that as the business has grown, the offerings are no longer just antique furniture. Now they are complemented by fine Persian rugs, gorgeous paintings, Remington sculptures and much more.

Journey of success

The David Tims Antique Galleries have come a long way from the small grocery or The Little Red Barn. There is the historic storefront in Cropwell that sits just diagonally from The Little Red Barn and a stone’s throw from the grocery. The building provided the backdrop and room needed for the first containers, the first auctions, the first large sales to designers and wholesalers. Today, it is filled with beautiful furnishings from front to back and provides just one of several sales locations. Other locations include the majestic antebellum home called Gone With the Wind in Cropwell, where the movie by the same name plays continuously. The home itself is a masterful work of art, well worth the visit. It is filled with

paintings David bought from a gallery that was formerly located in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina took its toll. Persian rugs, bronze statues, and “Gone With The Wind” memorabilia that Tims purchased at an estate auction are also showcased. Two renovated barns and a redesigned chicken coop, all in Pell City, serve as both warehouses and additional sales areas. Inventory is both plentiful and surprising. Items range from an 1890s baby carriage to a vintage car once owned by Hank Williams. Finally, there’s the building in the heart of downtown Pell City, which serves as both storefront space and the auction hall. Two to three hundred people usually attend the second and fourth Friday night sales gatherings. “The auction events are profitable, but they’re also fun,” David said. “I’ve been doing this a long time, but I haven’t grown tired of it.” There are no regrets for Tims. “I love the community and all the opportunities it offers. The people are great, and St. Clair County is a wonderful place to live. It’s conveniently located close to several big cities and there are so many things in which to be involved.” It has been an ideal place to grow his business and achieve much success. But his favorite things are still the simplest. “There’s a beautiful lake right in my own backyard, and fish and bait are still a big part of my life. My family is here, and I’m involved in the church and the community. Who could possibly want anything more?”

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