Celebrating 70th anniversary with host of new projects on the horizon
Pell City-based Goodgame Company, Inc. apparently knows how to celebrate a 70-year success story – with the announcement of seven new project awards in 2025.
This significant achievement marks seven decades of growth, innovation and unwavering commitment to delivering quality construction solutions. As the company enters this new chapter, it remains dedicated to excellence and shaping the future of the industry.
Among the new awards are:
First Baptist Church (Pell City, AL) This project is set to create a centralized welcome/information center plus the addition of five classrooms and a centralized elevator. It will be built out of typical conventional construction methods that would include structural steel, slab on deck, light gauge metal trusses with shingle roof.
Riverside Baptist Church (Riverside, AL) This project includes a complete new 10,000 square foot church after their entire church was razed by fire in June. The new Church will include a 150-person sanctuary, fellowship hall, seven classrooms, safe room and full-size kitchen.
Talladega Superspeedway (TSS) New Grandstand Elevator (Talladega, AL) This project involves the installation of a grandstand elevator to improve accessibility and enhance the experience for racing fans.
Conecuh Corporate Headquarters (Andalusia, AL) Design-Build by Goodgame Company, this new 11,000 square foot facility will house corporate operations, administrative employees, sales and executive officers. It will represent Conecuh’s new look and be adjacent to the new product facility in Andalusia.
Avient (Birmingham, AL) There are currently three projects at Avient: a warehouse addition and two resin mixing rooms. The warehouse addition is a 70-foot x 140-foot pre-engineered metal building with insulation, heating and cooling. It includes two loading docks for handling shipments. Building 3 resin room is a 20-foot-by-54-foot, explosion-proof, steel-reinforced mixing area with specialized HVAC to safely handle volatile materials. Building 5 resin room is a 20-foot x 30-foot version of the Building 3 room, featuring an adjacent tank farm with two 15,000-gallon insulated tanks and heat-traced piping. This area is covered by a 43-foot-by-50-foot open-sided structure to facilitate resin offloading.
Pell City Police Department (Pell City, AL). This 17,000 square foot facility will replace the current 3,000 SF space, it will feature evidence management, ample storage, break areas, a gym, training and conference rooms, office space, an operations center, and a 3-bay garage. It is located on 19th Street South
City of Pell City Fire Station No. 2 (Cropwell, AL). A new 16,665 square foot fire station with 4-bays and eight bunkrooms, hardened storm shelter area, and other residential operations for a daily facility with three shifts. It is located on U.S. 231 South.
Pell City Fire Department, Station 2, Cropwell
Goodgame had its beginnings in 1955 as Goodgame Welding. Ten years later, the late Adrick Goodgame bought the business and began managing it.
Adrick Goodgame was described as a visionary, seeing needs and changing market conditions and tailoring his company to meet those needs. The diversity of the company showed in its pre-engineered building sales and erection and general contracting in the 1980s.
By the 1990s, the general contracting business had grown so much they doubled the employee roster from 10 to 15 workers to 30.
In the 2000s, the auto industry grew in Alabama. So did Goodgame. The company became contractor for Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Lincoln. The workforce grew to over 100 employees and is one of the leading construction companies in Alabama.
Goodgame passed away in 2022. His son, Jason, now leads the company as president.
Jason Goodgame had served as corporate vice president and senior project executive.
ecember took action residents around these parts have anticipated for years.
The Council made it official – Longhorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden – are coming to Pell City. Leases are signed, and infrastructure work is expected to begin in February. Owned by the same company, Darden, the restaurants will be located next to each other on Veterans Parkway near Walgreen’s.
“It’s supremely located,” said City Manager Brian Muenger, noting that the sites are the last remaining quadrant along that section of interstate, which is prime property for developments like these.
To ensure that work moves at a good pace, the city invested $2.5 million in site preparation funding. The property had some challenges, requiring utilities to be relocated and other work to get it ready for construction.
The Council reasoned that the investment will yield dividends in tax revenue generation as well as being able to fulfill residents’ ‘wish list.’ “We are aggressively pursuing things people tell us they want,” Muenger said.
Outback is expected to open in February
City leaders are confident that the growth trend will continue based on the successes of other projects locating in the city. “These brands are thriving, and they will do exactly the same here,” Muenger predicted. With names like Longhorn and Olive Garden, “more brands will look to locate here,” he said. “We’ve demonstrated success, which gives green lights for other developments.”
He has good reason to be confident. The announcement comes on the heels of the opening of Outback Steakhouse, just across the interstate near Pell City Square shopping center. Outback is expected to open in February.
The new shopping center saw over 1 million visitors over the past year. Wingstop just opened in the strip center anchored by The St. Clair, Tavern, Starbuck’s and Jersey Mike’s.
Just across the way, Whataburger opened on John Haynes Drive.
Kami Thai Sushi & Fusion has just announced that it, too, plans to make Pell City home, giving greater diversity to the restaurant scene. Its sights are set on the former Papa Murphy Pizza location near Publix.
“We’re a growing area with growing demand,” Muenger said. “It speaks to the area’s needs. I’m glad to see business succeeding here.”
Planet Fitness opened in January, and Mariott’s TownSuites hotel may be open by summer.
“There has been a lot of investment in the (interstate) corridor,” Meunger added, “and we’re happy to be able to meet the demand. We’re excited to see people enjoying it.”
Housing market continues upward trend
He cited rising population and strong community support as factors in swinging the latest deals. Pell City is seeing sizable increases in the housing market year over year.
The newest residential development on Florida Road, Oak Village, has completed the preliminary phase of roads and infrastructure and permits for construction should follow quickly. There are over 200 lots in the development.
Sumter Landing and Dickey Drive are in the final phase of building out. Meadowbrook on Hardwick Road is nearing full build out, as has Horizons on Logan Martin Lake. The fourth phase within Morningside should be “going vertical” soon, said Muenger.
Pell City has averaged adding over 100 new residences per year, sometimes much higher, over the past five years. In 2024, Pell City saw the same level of new construction as it saw the previous year – even in a higher interest rate environment. “We’ve seen steady growth since 2018. We don’t think it will stop in the near future.”
There also are housing developments just outside the city limits that should have an impact on the area’s growth.
He noted, “There is a lot of demand for people wanting to get into the area,” and multifamily rental property is a need, too. The planning commission has just approved plans for a new set of apartments on 19th Street South. It has not gone to the council yet, but 60 units are planned in what is the first multifamily property planned since 2012.
Just when you thought Realtors Nicole and Amanda Anderson-St. John’s schedule couldn’t get any fuller, they open a retail gift shop … at Christmas.
It follows their purchase in the Fall of The Realty Pros building at the corner of U.S. 231 South and John Haynes Drive on 12th Avenue North to operate the The Anderson Group of Lake Homes Realty. Then, they bought the property management asset of Realty Pros, and Lake Homes Property Management now manages 40 rental properties and two homeowners associations.
One would think that was plenty for one year, but these two entrepreneurs weren’t quite finished. The realty building has two floors. On the top floor is the Nicole Anderson Group, and they expanded to include South Bend Land Solutions contractor, property management and Real Source Title and Closings. It gives them the ability to offer a range of real estate and property services all under one roof.
On the bottom floor, you’ll now find their newest venture, Martin Street Mercantile, a gift shop featuring specialty gifts and apparel for the whole family. It may seem like quite a leap from their real estate business, but the two had always wanted to open a retail store. They were out of town and saw a mercantile shop, and “we fell in love with it,” Nicole said. “Something hit us, and we said we should just do it.”
They already had the space, originally planned for office rentals, but the open floor plan lent itself well to the shop. They opened just as the Christmas shopping season began. “It has been so well received,” Nicole said. “It shows there was a need.”
The mercantile is filled with all sorts of products – from locally made to national brands, from cradle to special items for men and women. Men’s gifts were really popular this Christmas, she said.
Browse around the store, and you’ll find local vendors like Goodnight Moon Candle Co. and Yae’s Yae’s Soap Shop, coffee from Red Bike, a bamboo line of linens, pajamas and slippers from Face Plant Dreams.
Especially popular have been the Capt. Rodney’s soups, dips and glazes, Mud Pie, towels and pillows.
There’s plenty for babies, teens and tweens – a little something for everyone, Nicole said, and they continue to add more lines and products. It was one of those leaps of faith that might not have worked. But judging by the response so far, Nicole said, “we did right.”
TherapySouth has expanded its presence in St. Clair County, adding a clinic in Springville at 300 Springville Station Boulevard, Suite 600. Cade Mullins serves as clinic director, and Libby Watkins is office coordinator.
Mullins earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Samford University. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with a passion for impacting his patients physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
“I am thankful for the opportunity that TherapySouth offered me coming out of school,” Mullins said. “When I was in school, we had to go to four different clinicals, and one of them was with TherapySouth, and I knew from the beginning that this was the company that I wanted to work for. They offer a unique model that is different from the rest of PT companies, that is where we are owned and managed by active PTs.”
The advantage, he added, is that “any discissions made by higher ups has been in my shoes of treating patients in that clinic. They also believe that that faith guides our service to patients, and as a Christian, I believe that we are called to serve wherever God takes us. It gives me confidence that I can openly talk about my faith with patients, and our company supports that.”
TherapySouth was founded in July 2006 by Steve Foster, PT, LAT, with a vision that it would be a therapist-owned practice, specializing in “hands-on care, close to a patient’s home or work”. Clinics are known for maintaining an informal atmosphere that helps patients feel comfortable in the surroundings and in their therapy.
“I am excited to serve the community of Springville with a great company whose core values align with mine,” Mullins said. “We treat a wide variety of injuries and impairments here. If anyone is interested in knowing more about us, they can call, or even drop by and talk in person.”
Heritage Team puts the vr-r-r-oom back into speedway legends
Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Richard Rybka
Cars, airplanes and the museum itself are getting a facelift at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega County, thanks to some St. Clair County guys and their buddies who share a love of automotive racing. And it all started when one of them visited the late Bobby Allison at his home in North Carolina.
“I went to his house in Mooresville in 2020 during COVID,” says Eric Perrine, who actually lives in Shelby County. “I had done an event with him in the past. My intention was to take him to the Herb McCandless Museum and have a fun day. McCandless was a champion drag racer for Sox and Martin and a friend of mine through the Mopar Circuit, where owners of Chrysler vehicles have car shows.”
While Perrine expected their conversation to be about cars and racing, Allison took it in another direction. He talked about his disappointment with the deterioration of his airplane at the Hall of Fame, as well as the overall well-being of the Talladega museum, as most people call it.
“He talked about getting the museum back into its glory days, and the local support for that,” says Perrine. “Certain things hadn’t been kept up.”
With the help of friends Herbie Griffith, Johnny Capps and Barry Isbell, all of St. Clair, Perrine led the restoration project of Allison’s plane, a twin-engine Piper. Perrine met Dennis Dobbs of Springville at a local car show and invited him to the annual Heritage Preservation Show, which takes place at the museum every fourth weekend in October.
A vintage Corvette inside Dobbs’ shop
Dobbs volunteered to help Perrine restore cars for the museum, which was established in 1983 adjacent to the Talladega International Speedway, known today as the Talladega Superspeedway. Dobbs brought another Springville resident, Wade Wells, on board. Then, Robert Allison (no relation to the racing Allisons) and Ricky Humphries joined them and the Heritage Preservation Team took shape.
“The Heritage Preservation Show last October went very well ,” Perrine says.
“We had 300 vehicles from all over the USA, about $45 million worth, including the Richard Petty Superbird, Marty Robbins’ Dodge Daytona and his 1973 Dodge Charger, Bobby Allison’s Torino and Mustang. We also had the first Dodge Daytona ever built, which resides there at the museum, the No. 88 test mule (a drivable, pre-production vehicle) and many, many more.”
Visitors came from all over world, including Australia, the Netherlands and Canada, and from all over the United States. The two-day event drew about 700 people, which Perrine says is good for a car show.
The show is always open to cars and spectators, and he wants people to understand the purpose of what the museum and the Preservation Team are doing, and the event ties into that.
“The 2024 show raised $25,000 to spend toward building the Bobby Allison tribute room at the museum,” Perrine says. To make a donation, go to imhofhp.com. “Look for the sponsorship page.”
In 2022, Donnie Allison’s 1969 Ford Torino (No. 27) became the restoration team’s first car project. Next came the 1974 Richard Petty championship Dodge Charger, then the Buddy Baker Dodge Daytona.
Since the 2024 show, Perrine has been looking for volunteers and sponsors to help build Allison’s tribute room. It will feature personal memorabilia from Allison, who died Nov. 9, 2024, less than a month shy of his 87th birthday.
Perrine gained possession of that memorabilia long before Allison’s death. “I’ve taken in 20,000 items that are in a climate-controlled storage place,” he says. “The collection will be rotated frequently so people can enjoy all the items through the years. Our whole purpose is to preserve the history of legends and legacies of Alabama racing.”
The teamrecently restoredthe Dodge Daytona that was test driven by Buddy Baker. During that test, he became the first driver to average 200 mph at Talladega. “The Baker car is worth a lot of money,” Dennis Dobbs says. “It would easily bring $200,000 to $250,000, and probably cost only $4,000 to $5,000 when it was new.”
Wade Wells talks animatedly about the “neat history” of this car, which was a prototype for Dodge Daytonas sold at dealerships. “Back in the 50s – 70s, race cars had to be street cars first,” he says. “Even street versions had wings on them. Manufacturers had to make and sell 500 of these to qualify that model to be put into a NASCAR homologation.” (According to Wikipedia, a homologation in motorsports is a testing and certification process for vehicles, circuits and related equipment for conformance to technical standards.)
Dobbs also has restored Camaros, Chevelles and Novas, and is working on a 1970 Mustang now. He has a shop next to his house that he calls Red Dog Automotive after a dog he had named, you guessed it, Red. Wade has a shop at his house in Washington Valley, and calls it Real Performance Muscle Cars, meaning real performance muscle cars.
Wade Wells, Dennis Dobbs, Brenda Allison and Robert Allison
Dobbs comes by his love of race cars naturally, but surprisingly, from his mother, not his dad. “My mother used to drag race in the ‘50s and ‘60s in New Mexico when my dad was stationed there in the Army,” he says. “She tinkered with the cars and that got me interested. Many good friends have taught me along the way.”
As an adult, he worked for Chandler’s Garage in Irondale for 15 years. He has worked for Motion Industries for 21 years and is in the maintenance department now. “The Torino led to the Petty car and that to the Baker Daytona,” he says. “Wade got involved because I asked him to come aboard. Wade is into drag racing and restoring muscle-car classics, like Corvettes and Camaros.”
One of the most challenging aspects of race-car restoration is locating parts, according to Dobbs and Wells. “A lot of them are custom made,” Dobbs says. “Motion Industries, where Wade also worked for 37 years, has allowed us to make some there.”
Numerous companies have donated parts and labor, Wells says. “Bryce Thomas Radiator in Gadsden is one, and U.S. Radiator in Gadsden. Also, V.P. Racing Fuels, through Rick Pennington, their distributor, has been very helpful in getting the special high-octane race fuel for the cars. Jamie Willis of Willis Performance Engines in Pell City has helped us out on all engine machining required. Herbie Griffith Paint and Body, Odenville, painted Bobby Allison’s airplane and other race car pieces. NAPA in Trussville has also helped tremendously. We rely on people’s goodwill.”
Goodyear recently provided them with $5,000 worth of tires and only charged them for taxes and shipping, according to Perrine.
Wells and Dobbs have made a few small pieces themselves, and several companies have put up money to help. Finding time to work on these projects can be a problem sometimes, though. Perrine will push the team when a car show, like the one held each October, is coming up.
“We especially want to thank the Springville Police Department for allowing us to operate these cars on the road (for shows and other events) without license plates,” Wells says. “You gotta road test these cars, right?”
Team members attended the Richard Petty Foundation event in Gatlinburg this past summer, and Petty was there. “We brought the car to the show for him to enjoy and autograph,” Wells says. “He signed the hood and the trunk, and it’s now at the museum.”
On the short list for restoration is the Wonder Bread car belonging to Ricky Bobby in the movie, Talladega Nights. It’s already at the museum. Bobby Allison’s Matador and a Davey Allison Thunderbird are on that list, too,but the Allison room is up first.
Back in the day
Most of the team members grew up watching the Alabama Gang race on television. “The original Alabama Gang really was only three guys: Bobby and Donnie Allison and Red Farmer,” says Perrine. “The irony is that none of them were from Alabama. They moved up here from Florida and weren’t even born there. They were labeled the Alabama Gang by other racers. You can blame the media for throwing others from Alabama into the gang. Farmer is the only one of the original gang who lives in Alabama. He’s 92. Donnie is 85, and Petty is 87. Bobby died last November at 86.”
The Hall of Fame has 122 -plus vehicles on display, according to Executive Director Adam Stocks. “We have a couple of volunteer organizations that are absolutely phenomenal,” he says. “They don’t get paid, they do it for love of the sport and restoration of these autos that have great history behind them.
“They put so much of their time, effort and some personal money into raising money and begging companies for parts, to put these vehicles back to running again. That says a lot. And it helps us a lot because we’re then able to take these vehicles to shows and other events. Take the Richard Petty car or Donnie Allison car we have, crank it up, every head turns and people walk to the car. That’s a great piece of advertising.”
The whole purpose of the Hall of Fame is to preserve the history of the legends and legacies of Alabama racing, according to Perrine. The team and other volunteers want to raise awareness of the museum and help raise money for it.
Wells puts it another way. “It’s our love of racing that keeps us going, to be able to carry on the legacy of early NASCAR and all forms of racing.” Adds Dobbs: “We’re restoring cars that belonged to some of the racing heroes we grew up with, and we want to honor their contributions to racing. If these museums close up, the cars end up in private collections and no one will see them anymore.”
It’s somehow fitting that the Howard Family Holiday Farm in Moody has quickly become a go-to destination for folks hoping to create wonderful family memories. After all, the farm, which opened in September and was a celebration of all things fall before getting decked out for Christmas, is the culmination of a dream that grew from the childhood memories of owner David Howard.
“When I was 14, I told my grandmother I wanted to start a business,” Howard said. “She asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, ‘I’m going to sell Christmas trees.’” He set up a stand at a gas station at Moody crossroads owned by a family friend, Clemons Macon, and got to work.
“He had an old produce truck that sat out front,” Howard said. “I would ride the bus there and sit inside that old produce truck and do my homework and sell Christmas trees until my parents (Charles and Mary Ann Howard) came to get me at 8. My dream was that I would become a Christmas tree farmer, and it stuck with me all my life.”
Forty years later, Howard has turned that boyhood job into a way of life. And the best part, he said, is that after living and working in other places for 25 years, his dream brought him back home.
“Moody helped create the foundation of who I am today,” he said. “To be able to come back and do this and bring something wholesome and family-centered to the community is amazing.”
All the holidays
Although Christmas trees, wreaths and garland are getting top billing now, Howard opened the farm as a pumpkin patch. More than 5,000 visitors came through between opening day on Sept. 20 and Oct. 26, when they closed for a few weeks to gear up for Christmas.
Fall visitors could pick their own pumpkins from the patch or choose from a variety of gourds offered in an assortment of sizes, colors and shapes. The hayride was a huge hit with the kids, and the cut-your-own-flowers field of zinnias and sunflowers was a big draw, as well.
The farm reopened for Christmas on November 22, and two days later, Santa Claus arrived in dramatic fashion. He landed at the farm in a helicopter just in time for “Ice Cream Sundaes with Santa,” something Howard plans to make an annual event.
Santa’s arrival by helicopter on November 24 is just one of many events planned
Guests had their pick of flavors, thanks to the Hershey’s Ice Cream bar located inside the farm’s country store. In addition to the 24 ice cream flavors, which Howard plans to expand to 36 next Spring, there is an array of toys, gifts and assorted jams, jellies, and other treats sold under the Howard Family Holiday Farm label, including pickled okra, candied jalapenos and peach halves.
“We have sold out of the apple butter so many times, it’s crazy,” Howard said. The peach butter, blackberry preserves and fig preserves are favorites, too, and the offerings also include muscadine grape jelly, red pepper jelly, green pepper jelly and peach preserves.
“We provide our family recipes, and a company produces it for us,” Howard said. “These are all flavors that I grew up on and helped can, pick or both.” They also offer GunRunner Gundog Honey, made by Howard’s cousin, Kenny Armstrong, a beekeeper.
The big draw now, though, is the Frasier Fir and Black Hills Spruce trees that were cut and shipped from farms in Michigan and N.C. Howard hasn’t given up on his dream of being a Christmas tree farmer, however, and he plans to plant a field of Murray Cypress trees so visitors can cut their own.
“It’s a variety of Cypress that’s specifically bred for Christmas trees,” he said. “We’re going to plant some real mature trees so we can speed up the process. We hope that in two years, we’ll be cutting 7-foot trees.”
The plans don’t stop there. They’ll take a break after Christmas and build an outdoor pavilion before reopening in March for the rest of the year. Howard said they’ll offer Alabama-grown produce, some of which will be grown at the farm. “Our first crop will be watermelons, cantaloupes, and various peppers, and then we’ll grow from there next year,” he said. “We’ll also plant Silver Queen corn, and ultimately, that will be a corn maze.”
Howard said they’ll offer seasonal potted plants and three acres of flowers, including zinnias, sunflowers, dahlias and peonies. “Folks can come pick flowers for their special events and have photo shoots in the field,” he said.
“We’re going to do anything we can that’s community-driven,” Howard said. “We’ll just see what the community will support, and that’s what we’ll morph into.”
The road back home
Howard and his partner, Gary Perkins, are thrilled to be back to their rural roots. Perkins, a pharmacist, grew up on a tobacco farm in Kentucky, and they both were ready to get back to a slower pace of life.
After graduating from Moody High School and then college, Howard worked in the RV industry, in marketing and advertising, and owned a martini and sushi bar. He’s also worked in the residential construction and real estate industries. For the past 15 years, he’s owned Panama City Beach Properties, a full-service real estate brokerage company that he recently sold. “I would build five houses, keep one in my inventory of rental properties and manage properties for other people,” he said.
David Howard and Gary Perkins have Christmas trees ready to sell
While he loved his career, having a heart attack three years ago at age 51 changed his perspective. “Being faced with the possibility of something catastrophic, I felt like there is so much more for me to do,” he said. “At the beach, there’s constant tourism and everything is always ‘on.’ You can’t just go out to dinner without waiting at least an hour. Something just clicked, and I said, ‘I’m done.’ We were both done. I didn’t have to convince Gary; he was ready to make the leap to farm life long before I could get the words out of my mouth.”
Although his new venture is a far cry from the fast-paced world of real estate, Howard said he and Perkins couldn’t be happier. “We’re here to stay,” he said. “I’m back home. I think about that, and I get emotional.”
Family has always been important to Howard. “My grandmother owned multiple restaurants, and she instilled that entrepreneurial drive in me,” he said. “My first job when I was 12 was washing dishes in the restaurant because I wanted a dirt bike. When I sold the Christmas trees, I got a taste of making a few bucks, turning that into more bucks, and I was hooked. I’ve been working for myself ever since.”
Now he’s thrilled to be doing just that back home. “Moody helped shape me,” he said. “I love this city, absolutely love it. I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up anywhere else, and our commitment here is community.
“When we did this, it was a leap of faith, and we didn’t know what would come of it,” Howard added. “Seeing all the families and the smiles makes it all worthwhile. Everybody comes in and says, ‘I hope you’re successful.’ We already are, and we’re having a blast.”
