The Birmingham-based grocer, Fresh Value, has executed a lease at Crossroads Plaza Shopping Center at the northeast corner of U.S. 411 and Park Avenue in Moody. The space was most recently occupied by Fred’s but was also home for many years to Food World.
“This is a culmination of tireless effort from a lot of great people over the past 18 months to bring this deal to fruition,” said Bear Burnett of The Canvass Group, who represented the property owner in the transaction.
The move comes as several transformative shifts continue to shape the U.S. 411 corridor with the growth of several residential neighborhoods in the area as well as major investments in nearby business parks.
“The City of Moody has worked hard over the last year to backfill the old Fred’s building at Crossroads Shopping Center,” said Moody Mayor Joe Lee. “Moody City Council, along with myself, are happy to announce that Fresh Value Grocery will open soon and are excited to welcome them to our community.”
Fresh Value will occupy approximately 21,860 square feet and plans to also include a drive-thru pharmacy. A grand opening date will be announced in the coming weeks, but plans indicate the store could be open by summer.
“Currently, we operate stores in Trussville as well as Pell City, so Moody was a natural fit for us,” said Gerry D’Alessandro, owner of Fresh Value, Inc. “The community’s growth and numerous requests from our customers made this an ideal location expand our footprint.”
“Myself and our team are really excited about this location,” he added. “There are a lot of great things happening in Moody, and we are honored to have the opportunity to serve this community.”
In addition to the Fresh Value announcement, Burnett says he is in discussions with other regional and national retailers to back fill the adjacent 19,000-square-foot space.
“Our primary focus was getting Fresh Value across the finish line and now that we are there, we are shifting gears to procure not just any co-tenant but the ‘right’ co-tenant,” said Burnett. “We’ve had a ton of interest from retailers across many different categories, and we look forward to sharing more very soon.”
Editor’s Note: Fresh Value is currently accepting applications. For more information, visit www.apply4positions.com/grocery.
Long-awaited groundbreaking celebrates 422-acre nature preserve in Springville
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Mackenzie Free Discover Archive and submitted Photos
When public officials hoist shovels full of dirt into the air, it traditionally celebrates the coming of a new business or industry. But when officials struck that familiar pose for the cameras in March, it signaled the coming of a new era for St. Clair County.
On a ridge surrounded by dense forest above Big Canoe Creek in Springville, a crowd gathered in a clearing to celebrate the groundbreaking for Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve – 422 acres of nature –preserved, protected and treasured.
Now designated as a Forever Wild site in Alabama, this preserve protects the pristine creek that runs through it, allowing its rare species to thrive. It preserves its flora and fauna. And it is being designed so that all can enjoy now and for generations to come.
“In 1999, the St. Clair Economic Development Council was formed to recruit projects that would create jobs and improve the quality of life” in St. Clair County, said EDC Executive Director Don Smith. “This doesn’t normally fit with what we usually do,” but it does not stray from its mission to improve the quality of life. “People will be able to hike and enjoy nature with their friends, family and children.”
Early day
Go back a bit – 2009, to be precise – and the idea of Forever Wild came to the attention of Doug Morrison, who was president of Friends of Big Canoe Creek at the time, and Vicki Wheeler, who holds that title now. “It took nine years to make it happen, but it happened,” Morrison said.
“Friends of Big Canoe Creek brought to the attention of our community the importance of protecting Big Canoe Creek – its channel, its banks and its forested flood plain – that led to the creation of Big Canoe Nature Preserve,” Wheeler said. “For it to be designated as a ‘preserve’ was rewarding for us because it spoke to the importance of the ongoing protection of the natural aesthetic and ecological properties of the land and the creek and, by extension, the entire watershed.”
She noted that “As a member of the Alabama Rivers Alliance, Friends of Big Canoe Creek wanted to ensure that the preserve would be an example for other watershed protection groups in the state to follow, a model for ecological preservation and restoration and environmental stewardship. It also would serve as an educational resource for the community, to teach that ‘Through Nature Comes Understanding.’”
Team work
They had help along the way. Wendy Jackson, then executive director of Alabama Freshwater Land Trust pitched the idea to then Springville Mayor Butch Isley, who embraced it. Springville Mayor Dave Thomas got behind the project and enhanced it through the push for creating Big Canoe Creek Preserve Partners, a nonprofit that will help with sustainable funding. Morrison chairs that nonprofit.
St. Clair EDC Executive Director Don Smith addresses crowd.
“We will have funding for outdoor education, new trails and endless opportunities,” Morrison said. He noted that Alabama ranks fourth nationally in biodiversity, but No. 1 in species like fish, salamanders, snails, mussels, crayfish and turtles, all of which are found in Big Canoe Creek. “There are so many discoveries to be made. It’s here in our own backyard. We are going to bring people to nature.”
Former Alabama Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources Barnett Lawley was a driving force behind the Forever Wild push along with Jackson. While their positions were lofty on the state level – Lawley as a cabinet member for former Gov. Bob Riley, and Jackson, as a leader in acquiring lands that enhance water quality and preserve open spaces, this project was personal to them, too. Their roots are firmly planted in St. Clair County soil as native born – Lawley in Pell City and Jackson in Ashville.
Dean Goforth, a Springville businessman who owns nearby Homestead Hollow, and Candice Hill, an executive with St. Clair EDC, entered the picture to push the project along, and “things got off the ground,” Morrison said.
In 2018, it became a site in the Forever Wild program, which funds the acquisition of land to preserve what the name implies. St. Clair County and City of Springville have joined forces behind the project along with EDC, and investment to date is $1.5 million.
Patti McCurdy, director of Alabama State Lands Division of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, called the unprecedented show of support locally an example she holds up to other communities across the state working toward similar goals. “You deserve a true pat on the back,” she said.
About the preserve
A visit to the preserve area is like discovering a long-hidden treasure. Preserve officials call the Big Canoe Creek watershed “a jewel in the crown of Alabama’s biodiversity.” And rightly so.
According to the preserve’s own description, “About 80% of the main stem remains free-flowing through its 50-plus-mile length, as do all four of its major tributaries. Both the main stem and tributaries throughout the watershed retain much of their forest cover, helping maintain critical natural water temperatures. And to a significant degree, the watershed’s high quality is attributable to its drainage area remaining essentially rural and agricultural in character and land use.”
The creek is home to more than 50 species of fish, including the rare Trispot Darter, which was discovered in 2008 in Little Canoe Creek. The Trispot Darter is a species that used to be found in Alabama but had not been seen in nearly 50 years. It is now listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act.
Mussels, nature’s own water filter, are in “great supply” in Big Canoe Creek, which has retained most of its species, and has kept the creek pristine. Officials note that they are most endangered because of the need for extremely high water quality.
“Mussels are one of the most imperiled animal groups in North America, and their presence in the Big Canoe Creek watershed is a testament to its ecological integrity,” according to the preserve. “Big Canoe Creek has eight federally listed freshwater mussel species, and an 18-mile stretch of its main stem was designated in 2004 as a ‘critical habitat’ under the Endangered Species Act.”
Rainbow shiner
A brand-new species, The Canoe Creek Clubshell (Pleurobema athearni), is only found in Big Canoe Creek and has been discovered in one of its tributaries.
The preserve’s 422 acres includes hilly, forested terrain as well as the creek, and its northern border is about a mile long with the northwestern corner spanning both sides of the creek.
Creekside scenery is abundant and higher points of the preserve provide views of the Big Canoe Creek watershed, including picturesque Canoe Creek Valley and the ridges of Pine and Blount mountains.
Realizing the vision
The groundbreaking ceremony celebrated the beginning of the foundational aspects of the preserve property. It includes improvements to the entrance road and the initiation of its first hiking trail designed by Flow Motion Trail Builders through a contract with the City of Springville. Once completed, the goal is to have a series of trails that will eventually cross the preserve.
Other activities anticipated to eventually become part of the preserve’s offerings include horseback riding, kayaking and hiking.
“The Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve is a project that we are all behind here in Springville,” said Mayor Thomas. “Giving the public a place to experience the beauty of this area, increase their knowledge about nature, exercise and spend time in the quietness of the outdoors is something this entire administration has a desire to do.”
He noted that previous administrations began this project, “and we plan to see it through. We look forward to welcoming those in the surrounding communities as they visit Springville to enjoy this beautiful area at the heart of our community.”
Perseverance pays off
Lawley, by virtue of his cabinet post, was chairman of Forever Wild. “This is what Forever Wild is for,” he said. These properties are “an asset for the community and provide free opportunities for citizens to utilize property that is theirs. It’s taxpayer property.”
This project took longer than most because of the land acquisition delays in dealing with landowners. “But everybody stayed committed to it. It was a great team,” he said. “You can’t give enough credit to Doug Morrison. He hung in there, was tenacious and kept people motivated.”
He noted that the program around the state has great potential, pointing to other Forever Wild properties that communities can take advantage of and have a real impact on their economy. “They see major increases in their tax base,” Lawley said.
Springville, he added, will reap sizable benefits because it gives the city the opportunity to “create its own economic impact.” Similar properties without as many amenities as Big Canoe Creek draw hundreds of thousands of people each year. “This is going to be a destination point.”
Jackson sees the potential as well. Through her work at Freshwater Land Trust, she was heavily involved in the early stages. “I have had the honor of being involved with land conservation here in Alabama and across the country. This project in my home county, is an excellent example of how to do successful conservation. Over the years, the project traversed multiple political administrations who all stayed the course. The leadership shown by the City of Springville and the St. Clair County Commission is amazing as are the public-private partnerships” with the Big Canoe Creek Preserve Partners, Freshwater Land Trust and Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.
“It is a testament to what I have always known and that is the beauty of the people who call this amazing place home and how special our natural areas are,” she said. “This is why, no matter how far I travel, my home will always be here with some of the finest people in the world. I really can’t emphasize how rare it is to find a lack of egos and such a collaborative nature in these projects.
“Every single person and agency made tremendous contributions, yet all of them stood at the podium giving credit to others.”
She had a name for them all – “land conservation rock stars” – but singled out one in particular. “Doug Morrison poured his heart, soul, sweat and tears in this effort. Every project needs a local person with the determination to see it through, and he is that person on this project.”
Hill sees the value in the work, too. “It is exciting to be able to offer opportunities for recreation on public properties in St. Clair County. The land itself is beautiful, and it will be preserved as greenspace in the middle of one of our fastest growing communities.”
Looking to the future, she said, “We believe that this project sets a tone for other projects yet to come. We would love to see more greenspace preserved and allow more public recreation throughout the county. All of the parties involved work together so seamlessly, and it really makes you proud to be a part. So much can be done with this type of concerted effort, and we applaud our current leadership for their role in this endeavor.”
Crossing the finish line
It took a yeoman effort from a number of corners to get the project where it needed to be to become Forever Wild. Goforth, who now serves on the Preserve Partners board, was instrumental in that process.
When he was asked by the former Springville administration to help the project along, “I didn’t fully realize the impact it would have on this city, county and the entire area.”
The pieces were there, but it needed a point person who knew their way around state agencies to put it all together. Goforth had those contacts and knew the inner workings, and he helped move it closer to fruition.
“I reached out to Candice Hill (at EDC) and others at the state level. We involved others at the county, state and city level to get it over the finish line,” he said. “I really believe it is going to become a premier destination spot in our state,” he said. “It’s going to be great for everyone. It’s not just about the economics, it’s education and preservation.”
A byproduct in opening the space is “providing a way for people to get together with family and friends and enjoy the outdoors,” he added. “It’s going to be wonderful for the local community, the county, the state and for people who travel in and out of this area.”
Smith agreed. He told the groundbreaking audience, “It’s in our nature,” coincidentally giving a nod to the county’s tourism slogan. “This kind of property would normally be in private hands with few to enjoy it. This preserve gives the public “opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and create those memories. They don’t have to drive out of state. I think they’ll like our good nature.”
Pell City native building on performance, experience on The Voice
Story by Scottie Vickery Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted Photos
Berritt Haynes is no stranger to life-changing news, so when a talent recruiter from television’s The Voice told him to pack his bags and head for Los Angeles last May, it was sort of a “same song, different verse” situation. This time, however, the verse was a whole lot sweeter.
Competing on The Voice
The Pell City native and his family were first stopped in their tracks by unexpected news when Berritt was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart disease at age 8. Eleven years later, the call welcoming the 19-year-old aspiring singer-songwriter to Season 21 of the NBC reality singing competition was much more fun.
“We were all whooping and hollering,” Berritt’s mother, Monica Haynes, said. “It was so loud, Berritt had to go outside to talk to her.”
Although he was eliminated in the Knockout Round of the competition that aired last fall, Berritt said he has no regrets. He earned high praises from the celebrity judges, including country singer Blake Shelton, who was Berritt’s team coach, and he said he grew as a singer, a performer and a person.
“This whole experience has been so amazing!!” Berritt said in a social media post after his elimination. “This is only the beginning, y’all!”
Since then, Berritt has been playing as many gigs as he can, writing music, honing his craft and continuing to dream big. “I’ve gotten a lot more confident, and my voice is stronger than before I went,” he said. “I’m just playing as much as I can and hopefully, something will come of it.”
Heartbreaking news
Berritt, who turns 20 on April 12, was at his 8-year-old checkup when his pediatrician, Dr. Keith Stansell, heard a heart murmur he hadn’t heard before. “A lot of doctors would have said to watch it for a while, but he’d seen Berritt all his life and knew it hadn’t been there before,” Monica said. “We sing his praises all the time.”
Berritt was referred to a cardiologist, who diagnosed him with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s a disease in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick, making it harder for the heart to pump blood. It’s often known as “sudden death disease” because it can cause life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms, and it’s the most common cause of heart-related sudden death in young people.
“They kept asking who in our family had died in their early 30s, but there was no one,” said Monica, adding that the disease is usually inherited. Genetic testing revealed that she has it as well, although her case is not as severe as her son’s. Berritt’s youngest sister, 13-year-old Kynlee, carries the gene but so far has not developed the disease. His father, Jeremy, and his sisters, EllaGrace, 14, and 17-year-old Ryleigh, have no heart issues.
“It was devastating,” Monica said. “I had a lot of mama guilt for a long time just knowing I gave that to my kid.”
Berritt’s lifestyle changed immediately after the diagnosis. He loved sports, but he had to quit playing baseball and football. At 14, after passing out on a hunting trip with his grandfather, Berritt had surgery to have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placed in his chest. The battery-operated device detects abnormal heart rhythms and will provide an electric shock if necessary to make his heart beat normally.
Three years later, in 2019, 17-year-old Berritt underwent open heart surgery at the end of his junior year of high school. “My family and the Lord are what got me through it,” Berritt said when he shared his testimony a few months later.
Although Berritt had to give up a lot of things he loved, he discovered some new joys, as well. Right after the diagnosis, his parents started him in competitive BB gun shooting events so he could still compete in an outdoor activity. He won a number of awards in competitions all over the South, including a gold medal in the Alabama State Games. In 2013, he was named the ASF Foundation’s Male Athlete of the Year. “My dream is to one day compete in the Olympics,” Berritt said at the time.
Berritt credits family and faith in getting through open heart surgery.
It was music, though, that truly captured his heart. Both of his parents sing in the church choir, and even as a toddler, “Berritt would sit in our laps during practice,” Monica said. “He would sit there and sing his little heart out.”
That’s why they also enrolled him in guitar lessons after he had to give up sports. “We told him, ‘You can still be playing this when you’re 70, but you wouldn’t be playing baseball at 70,’” Monica said. In addition, Berritt started singing and playing with the praise band at his family’s church, Seddon Baptist Church, and he played the alto sax and tenor sax with the Pell City High School Jazz Band.
“I just love music,” said Berritt, who was singing with the praise band again two weeks after his surgery. “I really love singing worship songs.”
In full voice
Following his surgery, Make-a-Wish, a nonprofit that fulfills wishes of kids with critical illnesses, arranged for Berritt to be in the audience during a taping of The Voice and to meet the judges. COVID-19 derailed the plans, though, and Make-a-Wish refurbished Berritt’s pickup truck instead.
Berritt’s mom knew about her son’s dreams, though, so she took matters into her own hands and submitted a video of Berritt singing Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven to The Voice. He had auditioned twice before – once in middle school, once in high school – but the third time was the charm.
The initial call from the talent recruiter came during a family movie night. Monica saw a California number on her screen, thought it was spam, and let it go to voicemail. “Y’all are going to want to pause the movie for this,” she told her family after listening to the message.
When word finally came months later that Berritt had officially made the cut, he packed two suitcases, his guitar and a backpack and headed for Los Angeles. The shows were pre-recorded with audiences of about 150 screaming fans. “Sometimes you can’t hear what you’re doing,” he said.
The first time he took the stage during the “Blind Auditions” and sang Brett Young’s Mercy, Berritt tried not to think about the more than 7 million viewers who would eventually be watching the show’s premiere. “At that point, I was just singing for my coaches,” he said of celebrity judges Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Ariana Grande and Shelton. “When Blake turned around (to signify he wanted the singer on his team) all those nerves I had went away.”
Although Berritt, who graduated from Pell City in 2020, didn’t get a lot of air time during the show, the judges were quick to praise his talents. “I think you’re just a damn good singer,” Shelton told him following his first performance. In other shows, Clarkson said “his tone was cool” and told Berritt, “I was just captivated by you.”
During the two and a half months he was in Los Angeles, Berritt got to work with a vocal coach for the first time and enjoyed hanging out, singing and playing games with his fellow contestants. He also added a few new pieces to his wardrobe.
“There was nothing they gave me that didn’t fit me tight,” he said with a laugh. Although he got to keep a leather jacket, shirts and a few pair of jeans, he said the best thing he got from the experience was the feedback and encouragement from the coaches.
“Blake always had nothing but good things to say about what I was doing, what I was singing,” Berritt said. “They really build up your confidence. They want you to do good; they want you to be successful.”
Since he’s been home, Berritt has worked some as a substitute teacher to earn some extra money while continuing to do what he loves most – make music. He released a new single, Sidewalks of Birmingham, on all streaming platforms in January, served as grand marshal of the Pell City Christmas Parade and is performing as often as he can. In addition to playing Lakeside Live and other venues, he recently opened for Girl Named Tom, the Season 21 winner, at Iron City in Birmingham.
“The whole experience was amazing,” Berritt said. “With all the stuff I’ve been through, I just didn’t think I’d ever make it that far or amount to anything. It’s been a dream come true.” l
Editor’s Note: Want to keep up with Berritt’s career? Follow him on Instagram @berritt.haynes or on Facebook at Berritt Haynes Music.
Nearly a year to the day after officials gathered in an empty field near Interstate 59 in Odenville to break ground on a major car dealership, All American Ford moved in and started selling cars and trucks.
The ceremony was seen as breaking ground on a new era for the region with All American Ford driving the economic impact. It didn’t take long to see that officials were right. In just the first 48 hours, they sold six brand-new vehicles.
That was quite a start. “It speaks well of things to come,” said co-owner John Makovicka. He and his wife, Katy, along with their partners, Frank and Jane Neal of Ft. Worth, Texas, saw the potential when settling on a site for the new dealership. They owned All American Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Oneonta, so they were already familiar with the area.
They collaborated with Ford on the decision of where to locate and after pulling the economic data sets, “the buzzer went off,” Makovicka recalled. “It was a great opportunity. This is a great place.”
Sales staff Tyler Copeland, Dee Holmes, Johnny Clardy and Mike Swindle outside the new building
And in late February, they opened the doors to the first full Ford signature-branded dealership in Alabama and Georgia. “Probably the Southeast,” Makovicka said.
Located on aptly named Mustang Avenue, the dealership is wall-to-wall state of the art. The 20,000-square-foot facility features free Type 1 and 2 electric charging stations and fast charging at a cost. With an eye toward the future, they are soon to be subsidized by solar power. All American has two stations now, and they are working on four more, Makovicka said.
It doesn’t take long to recognize the cutting-edge technology found throughout. Drive into the service area, and your vehicle is automatically laser screened to detect possible problems before you even reach a service representative.
In addition to servicing cars, trucks and SUVs, the service department is equipped to handle commercial vehicles. And customers can make themselves comfortable while they wait in the customer lounge, complete with snacks, a five-foot, fresh-roasted coffee machine and free Wi-Fi.
The showroom is an open concept with reception desk, sales areas and financing. Walls are filled with inspiring quotations from Ford founder, Henry Ford.
Makovicka, originally from Texas, sees the dealership as a means of bringing their Texas-sized hospitality and focus on community to Alabama. All American’s partners are dedicated to giving back to community, he said.
The dealership features a “community room” open to the public where after-hours events, training and meetings can be held. It can easily seat 30 people with plenty of space for two conference tables and chairs.
Back home in Fort Worth, the Neals have an engineering firm, but their hobby is cutting horses used to train children with disabilities. They also own a 50-year legacy ranch where they have served Austin, Texas with after-school programs that include horseback riding, archery, gymnastics, sports, and more.
All American’s partnership is built on community and giving back, he said. Even the official grand opening was a multi-day event with plenty of activities, food and fun to roll out the welcome mat to its new home.
Odenville Mayor Buck Christian knows their impact on community already. “When the City of Odenville annexed the property near I-59, we knew it would be good for our economic future. We certainly embrace residential growth, but we survive on commercial developments,” he said.
“The revenue it generates provides professional services to the citizens of Odenville and St. Clair County,” and their presence as well as their community involvement spells nothing but a brighter future for the entire area.
“The I-59 corridor remains an excellent opportunity for financial and commercial growth in St. Clair County,” the mayor said. “We’re excited to see All American Ford so well embraced by the community, and we’re confident in their success. We believe it will be a catalyst for even more growth opportunities in that area.”
The reception area
and sales offices
As one of the six fastest-growing counties in the state, the addition of the first major vehicle dealership within the county on the I-59 corridor means good things lie ahead for St. Clair, said Commission Chairman Paul Manning.
“We see it as a catalyst for growth for the entire area,” Manning said. “St. Clair County certainly welcomes All American Ford. We know that it is a prime location for business, and we thank them for recognizing that and investing in our county.”
St. Clair Economic Development Council Executive Director Don Smith agreed. “John Makovicka and the entire Neal family have been a pleasure to work with on this exciting, new project. The company, City of Odenville, and the County Commission all worked very well together. We all believe it’s a perfect site in a fast-growing area. The new facility will benefit both the community and the business. Soon that exit will be known as the All American Ford exit.”
With 40 jobs created, a sizable economic investment and room to grow, the horizon looks even better for the I-59 corridor region, officials predict.
“All American Ford is a great addition to our community,” said Realtor and developer Lyman Lovejoy, who sold the property. He has surrounding parcels that are expected to be developed as well. “Through this development, you’re going to see more and more all around Highway 174 and I-59. This is a game changer for this part of our county.”
Owners John and Katy Makovicka at groundbreaking a year ago
New dealership supercharging other local businesses
When All American Ford announced St. Clair County as its new home, the benefits were obvious. A major commercial business locating at the Highway 174 interchange of Interstate 59 is the first major development at that exit.
It was easy to see the potential when the doors opened. But long before that, the economic impact was already being felt. When officials broke ground on the dealership,
Local businesses reaped the benefits of the announcement early on. Lovejoy Realty of Odenville sold the property to All American. Phifer Landscape Services of Pell City did the grounds work. Massey Paving of Argo handled the asphalt work. Goodgame Company of Pell City built the facility.
Subcontractors saw benefits as well. And City of Odenville will be on the receiving end of taxes generated through the dealership and the business growth it is likely to spur in the future.
Couple the early rewards with the 40 jobs All American created when at full capacity, and officials cannot disguise their excitement over the prospects. In February 2021, Odenville Mayor Buck Christian predicted, “It is the catalyst that will make this interstate interchange. You won’t recognize it in five years.”
With the state-of-the-art dealership now open for business, already booming in the early days, it is easy to imagine that the mayor’s prediction is well on its way to coming true.
Two large pallets sit shrink-wrapped and ready to go on the loading dock, just waiting for pickup. Dozens of similar shipments have started their treks from this location already this year.
From the simple facade in Ashville, you’d never know that within its walls is produced a product sought after by the military, by campers, by other countries and by your own neighbors. Owned and managed by two military veterans, the company, GO-KOT®, produces a foldable and packable cot and does it all in St. Clair County.
Mike and Teresa Downing bought the 43-year-old company in 2017 from O’Neal Behel and Pete Smith, who were operating it in Jasper. Several other buyers were interested but wanted to take the operation overseas. Behel and Smith were passionate about selling to someone who was committed to keeping the operation in Alabama. Equally committed to keep the product “Made in America,” the Downings bought the company, operated it in Springville, then moved it to Ashville just over a year ago.
Mike Downing demonstrates the gear.
American-made is also the reason they sell to their biggest domestic client, the U.S. military. “We are the only Berry-compliant, low-profile cot on the market,” explains Teresa. The Berry Amendment is a federal requirement that items purchased by the Department of Defense give preference to domestic companies who grow, produce and/or manufacture products in the United States. The cot’s fabric, aluminum, steel and hinges are all domestically made. “Everything about it is made right here in the USA. We’re very proud of that,” says Mike.
The fabric, an extremely durable Cordura brand 1,000 Denier, comes in 50-yard rolls, each weighing about 65 pounds. The frame is made of aluminum, and legs are steel. Both of those elements are shipped in. “Shout out to the best UPS driver out there, Tina Hopper,” Mike says enthusiastically. “She works hard for us.”
Their facility is capable of shipping out 4,000 cots a year, a modest number by major chain standards, but a challenge for a “boutique” local company. “Our competitors are big companies. They have lots of products. We have one product that we make really well,” Mike adds. “The big companies have massive budgets. And they don’t make it locally.
“The biggest challenge in current times is, predictably, shipping. Lead times for materials they need for production has more than tripled in the past year. “What used to take us 6-8 weeks can now take 6-8 months,” Teresa explains. “That means we have to order it way before we need it. That’s not typically good for a business plan.”
The pandemic has also caused some staffing issues. They have a small staff of mostly family and friends. One of their employees on the sewing line is a working mom who struggles with being able to work amid COVID-related school closings and exposures.
Greg Burckhard at the cutting table
Two days a week the Downings have help with the business, but both work hands-on with their product – Teresa on the sewing line and Mike in the metal shop. On those days, after the fabric is marked and cut, the leg holes are stamped out by a huge hydraulic press. Each of the four sewing stations completes a specific task in finishing the fabric and carrying bag.
Meanwhile, in the metal shop, aluminum tubes are being cut and hinged, and the steel legs are bent into the cot’s signature pattern. As the fabric and frames are finished, they are sent to the packing station to be assembled.
The company’s beginnings can be traced back to Pete Smith’s work with a Boy Scout troop. The boys needed cots, so Smith experimented with a product and began making them. The youths and leaders loved the cots, and subsequently the business took off.
Still, quality remained a foundational tenet for the company. When someone complained that the cot squeaked, founder Smith developed a technique to stop the squeak. It’s a technique that is still followed today. Each of the frames is assembled and rubbed end to end with a bar of soap prior to putting the fabric on. “He was such a perfectionist. He took any little comment he ever got and figured out how to make it better,” says Mike. “We don’t get returns. And we have a great product and a great warranty.”
Campers love the cot to get them up off the ground. It’s warmer and more comfortable. But it doesn’t stop at camping. “People also buy them for use at home,” says Teresa. “When my son was still at home, he’d have six or seven friends over, and we used the cots for extra sleeping.” Mike even says he sleeps on one occasionally to help his back.
Son, Gabriel, may be using the cots more in the future, since he’s a military man himself. A 2018 graduate of Moody High School, the 22-year-old is now a junior at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Gabriel is at least partially responsible for their involvement in the GO-KOT® business. “I owned a small boutique in Springville when Gabriel was in 8th grade. We just didn’t have any time to spend together,” explains Teresa. So, she decided to close the boutique and the couple got into the military supply procurement business, sourcing items for the government. They discovered GO-KOT® products in the process and contacted one of the owners about becoming a distributor for him.
He declined because he didn’t want to create a bigger need than he could fulfill locally. The 80-year-old Smith did, however, offer to sell it to them. They spent several months being mentored by him and learning the business. “I didn’t even know how to operate a sewing machine,” says Teresa. “The extent of my sewing skills was putting back on the occasional button.”
Mike and Teresa are quiet, unassuming people. They met when they were both in the Air Force. After tours in Germany, Georgia, Mississippi, Iowa and Ohio, they retired at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi. Now they’re working more than full time and say they are inspired by the opportunities their business success has afforded them in missions. They’ve taken several mission trips to Bulgaria, but their favorite mission is a local one. They produce a specialized cot for a homeless mission in Birmingham called “Ethan’s Heart.”
Mike and Teresa Downing
Teresa explains how she saw the story about Ethan Hill on the news and knew they had to help. “He’s a really good person,” she comments on Ethan. “He was just six years old and met a homeless man, used his own Christmas money that first year to buy things to help him and others.”
The couple invited Ethan to come to their operation and decided to support him in his effort to help the homeless. The specialized cots are printed with the words “Jesus loves me, this I know,” a message they hope will be encouraging to those who have found themselves in difficult times.
“Our thought process is that people who don’t have a place to sleep, (those words are) the last thing they see before they close their eyes,” Teresa adds. Since their meeting, the Downings and GO-KOT® have provided about 25 of these cots for Ethan’s mission each year. Ethan trains the recipients on the 60-second set-up procedure before he gives them to each person.
“They’re super fast to put together,” says Mike, demonstrating as he talks. He opens the bag, pulls out the cot and unfolds it. Then he pops the legs into holes in the frame and flips it over. It’s ready to use in seconds.
The cots come in two sizes and several colors. The standard cot is 74-inches long and sells for $189. The premium cot is 84-inches long and sells for $209. Cot accessories, like end kits (to keep sleeping pads in place) and side bags for cellphones and flashlights are also available.
They recently added a dog bed that is two-thirds the length of the standard cot. Go to campingcot.com for more information or to order. Teresa also invites locals to call (205) 384-4134 if they would like to purchase a cot.
For the local bargain hunter, they sell products with slight imperfections at a 25% discount.
The two pallets on the loading dock are headed to Japan, one of GO-KOT’s biggest markets. “They love things that are made in America,” explains Mike. “The Asian market is extremely big for us, so much so that we have three distributors there.”
Mike adds, “The shipping rates are good here, though, because of being in such an accessible location near Interstate 20.”
The Downings also credit the St. Clair County Economic Development Council with being helpful and accessible. “You can talk to an actual person to get help and answers,” says Mike. “It’s our life and our business. People tell you it’s just business. Don’t take it personally. But for us, as involved as we are, it’s very personal.”
Even as all-consuming as the business is, they see themselves continuing for years to come.
Ethan’s Heart and GO-KOT on a mission together
By Roxann Edsall Submitted photos
Ethan Hill and his nonprofit Ethan’s Heart-Bags4Blessings handed out special editions of the GO-KOT® to some of Birmingham’s homeless population in December at the city’s Linn Park.
Along with the cots, more than 200 Winter Survival duffel bags were given to those for whom the cold is more than just an inconvenience. These bags included food and non-food items donated to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit group through corporate sponsors, a GoFundMe page and an Amazon Wish List. Non-food items included sleeping bags, washcloths, hand warmers, raincoats and thermal blankets.
At just six years old, Ethan was moved by his concerns for a homeless man he kept seeing under the freeway. “He wanted to know what was going to happen to him when it got cold,” said mom Ebony Hill. He was so deeply concerned that he asked to use his Christmas money that year to purchase supplies for “Mr. Marcus” and other homeless people living under the freeway in Birmingham.
In the five years since its inception, the nonprofit has grown so much that the young philanthropist is frequently asked to speak on behalf of the homeless and holds fundraisers throughout the year to raise money and supplies for the next giveaway event.
Editor’s note: For more information or to donate to this continuing mission, go to ethansheartbham.org.
Vacant hospital land sees new life as shopping center
Story by Carol Pappas Staff and submitted photos
In the 1970s, this land gave way to a new, three-story hospital for St. Clair County in Pell City. In the 1980s to accommodate this quickly growing city, a fourth floor was added. Ten years ago, the hospital saw its last patient moved to its new state-of-the-art hospital across Interstate 20 – again to accommodate the growth of a thriving city.
An abandoned building stood dormant for years then was demolished to once again make way for growth, this time in retail.
For five years, local developer Bill Ellison had been recruiting national retail brands, like Hobby Lobby and T.J.Maxx, to various properties around Interstate 20, but it wasn’t until McSweeney Automotive cleared trees on its development at the corner of I-20 and U.S. 231 that he saw the ideal spot. An unobstructed view left by clearing the trees revealed the old hospital property – visible from U.S. 231 and I-20. “That day, I saw the opportunity,” Ellison said. “That’s it!,” he told himself.
That act of clearing the land led to making it the perfect location for the retailers he was after and more. He approached county officials with the idea that it would be the perfect spot for retail development. It had all the right essentials of Interstate 20 frontage, plenty of acreage and the key – access and visibility from the interstate and U.S 231.
The St. Clair County Commission, which owned the property at the time, gave Ellison options on the land. Later, the City of Pell City assumed ownership of the property. Knowing the kind of retail the city and county needed, Ellison recruited a national commercial development company with a proven track record for this type of development.
Ellison had been making calls on the national retailers, but he was a local developer without the national relationships he needed to swing the deal, he said. He learned of the reputation of key executives of a development company that had those national ties, and he met them at a national shopping center conference in Las Vegas.
Those executives, now with Noon Development based out of Chattanooga, Tenn., began marketing the property, and in recent weeks, officials in Pell City announced the first two confirmed tenants with others to come.
Noon developed the Trojan Marketplace in Troy, where Hobby Lobby and T.J.Maxx are the anchor tenants along with Ulta Beauty, Five Below and Rackroom Shoes.
Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but not deterred, the Pell City development is now becoming a reality. Officials announced Hobby Lobby and T.J.Maxx as anchor tenants on the 19-acre tract with more news on the way about other household name tenants committing to set up shop there.
“The two anchor tenants are confirmed,” said Pell City Manager Brian Muenger. While others have not yet confirmed, Muenger said other tenants frequently locate with anchor tenants and are “proven, name brands. We are very happy to see them committed to it.”
Muenger pointed out that there are four outparcels in addition to the 135,000-square-foot retail complex. The one closest to the interstate has been reserved for a restaurant. In the agreement with the city during adoption of tax abatement incentives, the city will provide the land for a national, sit-down restaurant provided the developers locate one there within two years. If not, it reverts back to the city. “Rather than simply filling the space, we specifically said a national restaurant has to be part of the development.”
For years, citizens have been asking for amenities that would improve the quality of life in the city – more upscale restaurants and quality retail. “The developers are confident they can deliver on that agreement,” Muenger said.
To further ensure the city gets the kind of development its population wants, there was a pre-approved list of retailers.
The “gap” going unfilled for the city, Muenger said, has been soft goods and a sit-down restaurant.
The city has solidified its opportunities by partnering with the St. Clair County Commission as well. All involved see it as a “game changer” for the region.
The city is filing a petition to validate the project with the court, which will review the development agreement to ensure it complies with state law. Once approved, “that’s when work will begin,” Muenger said. Groundbreaking is expected later this year – mid-2022. As a comparison, the Trojan Marketplace broke ground in December 2019. It opened in May 2021.
There is grading work to be done at the U.S. 231 intersection and clearing more trees at the interstate.
“We’re excited about it,” Muenger added. “This is the highest and best use of this property. It will establish Pell City as a viable shopping destination, keeping dollars in the community that frequently were spent somewhere else.”
Ellison agreed. “There is a natural progression in commercial development in a community. Brands follow brands. In the future, any retailers that looks to expand in St. Clair County, they’re going to look at Pell City first. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, and it keeps local tax dollars at home to do some good in the community – providing funding for schools, infrastructure and a better place to live.”
The development, Ellison noted, “greatly expands our shopping trade area. People who would not ordinarily shop here will come here. While they’re shopping at the new stores, they’ll shop at existing stores, too. It’s a win-win for everybody. It makes us a stronger economic hub than ever before, building on our already firm position in the region,” Ellison said.
“This property has been a tremendous partnership between the city and county commission,” said Commission Chairman Paul Manning. “It began with us working together to construct a top-rated, new hospital but then continued with the redevelopment of the hospital’s old site.”
Officials project the investment will generate more than $30 million in tax revenue over 20 years – $11 million of which is allocated to schools – and create a significant number of jobs. “This project will be good for the City of Pell City, the County Commission, and all of our citizens,” Manning said. “This project will provide both job and shopping opportunities that will help keep our families shopping local and attract more shoppers from outside of the county.”
St. Clair Economic Development Council Executive Director Don Smith echoed the essence of the development’s potential impact and talked of the partnership that helped bring it about. “The County Commission and Pell City have a long history of successfully working together on transformational projects. This project was no exception and would have been impossible without both entities supporting one another.”
