Story by Linda Long Photos by David Smith, Discover Staff and submitted
In the shadow of Birmingham’s metropolitan region is what had been seen as just another small Alabama town – a crossroads people passed through to get somewhere else.
Those days are quickly fleeting with Moody soaring to Number 1 on the growth charts while managing to hold on to its small-town appeal.
It is warm, inviting and a quiet escape from the frantic busyness of city life, and its population underscores that notion with its replacement of Pell City (albeit by a few residents) as St. Clair County’s largest city.
Starbucks groundbreaking
On an early morning in March, the quiet is punctuated with the raucous sound of a jackhammer. Across the way, a dump truck lumbers along to the beeping of that monotonous warning signal. The buzz of a power saw joins the chorus. Noise to some, perhaps, but to Moody Mayor Joe Lee it’s the sound of music.
“We’re actually the largest municipality in St. Clair County now,” said Lee. “According to the latest census, we beat out Pell City. We beat them by just a few, but we are the largest.”
If the Mayor sounds proud, it’s with good reason. His city is experiencing a surge in industrial, commercial and residential growth, unlike any other in the town’s history. Ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings, grand openings are all signs of the times.
It’s hard to keep up with some days, said Lee, adding that Moody’s unprecedented growth spurt can be summed up in a single word – location.
“We have easy access to I-20. Turn right and you go to Birmingham and all the activities there. Go left, and you head toward Pell City, the Honda plant and the Talladega Speedway. We’re also convenient for folks to live here to go outside the city to work.”
Couple the city’s location with the city’s ownership of large and small commercial properties having interstate and major highway visibility and/or access, and it’s a winning combination for prospective business and residents.
One such property under development is a 60,00-square-foot family entertainment center off I-20. The center boasts a trampoline park, an arcade and a 16-lane bowling alley. Fall of 2024 is the projected opening date.
The entertainment center sits on acreage where “we think it will help us promote the rest of the property where it’s built, here at the crossroads. The area is built for outparcels
Two coffee shops are new in town. 7 Brews, a national chain, opened on March 6 and is located on the Moody Parkway, featuring only drive through service. Moody Chamber of Commerce Director Andrea Machen has observed that so far, business there has been “very good.”
Also debuting on the coffee scene is Starbucks, set to open on June 6. It will feature its traditional drive-through and in-house service. Appropriately enough Dunkin’ Donuts has opened nearby.
Making old new again, the mayor said, “We’ve also back-filled a 25-year-old shopping with the Fresh Value grocery store. It’s the old shopping center, where Fred’s used to be here at the crossroads. We expect more development. There are many possibilities in that shopping center. The developer is already looking at one potential investment.”
While business development is going gangbusters, residential development is not far behind.
Fresh Value Grand Opening
According to Lee, 425 new homes have been built in recent years. Presently, seven subdivisions are under construction, and 137 lots are left for development.
“People are looking at Moody all the time to open new residential subdivisions,” said Lee. “So, that market will continue.
Also under construction “even as we speak,” said Lee, “is a new 18,000 square foot Moody police station.” It will house Moody’s 30-member police force.
The city has taken on several ambitious infrastructure projects, including a $7 million sewer system, which will double its present capacity. “We had to have it to take care of the growth,” said Lee.
Plans also call for four major road improvements, including $2.2 million in improvements at County Road 10 and US 411. This project will provide turn lanes and traffic signals to upgrade Moody’s main crossroads.
Other projects will upgrade the intersections at Highway 411 and Kerr Road and Washington and Verbena. “These upgrades will improve traffic flow into the city. We’ve got to do that,” Lee said.
Perhaps the crown jewel in all this expansion is Kelly Creek Commerce Park – the only facility of its kind in St. Clair County, the mayor said. Undeniably, the park is big – 172 acres with 1.4 million square feet of building space. According to Lee, “the site is ready to lease.”
When completed the new commercial park is expected to bring with it 600 new jobs.
Those are the kind of stats Machen likes to hear. “Those 600 new jobs are what will keep our people right here in Moody and St. Clair County, so they don’t have to go outside to work. There may be some job transfers so people can be close to home and close to their kids.”
While there are no tenants yet for the park, Machen said, the ribbon has just been cut, and “we are working to fill it right now.”
Story by Linda Long Photos by Graham Hadley and David Smith, submitted
The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades …
Those lyrics from an old 1980s rock song could well be the theme for St. Clair County’s economic movers and shakers. Fiscal 2023 is beginning to shape up as another banner year – like the one before it.
The 2022 numbers tell the story – 675 new jobs, $400 million invested and $20 million in new wages announced in 20 projects that were announced, broke ground, or opened in 2022. The county saw an economic upswing across the board, from housing to manufacturing, retail sales to tourism, new business to expansion of existing industry.
The St. Clair and Tavern at The St. Clair restaurant in Pell City
According to Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Council, there’s reason for optimism. “We’re excited about the prospects that we have in the pipeline for 2023. A lot of the projects announced last year and even the year before will be coming on line this year,” said Smith. “We saw the number of projects at one of its highest levels in 2022 and this is carrying into 2023.”
For Pell City, new retail is coming to town. Smith says, “The groundbreaking we had for the big shopping center, Pell City Square, was actually expected in 2019. It was put on hold for a while because of the pandemic but now it’s moving forward.”
The shopping center, to be completed this year, will include Hobby Lobby, PetSmart, Ross Dress for Less, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Ulta Beauty, Five Below, Rack Room Shoes and others.
St. Clair’s menu for success also includes white tablecloth, fine dining with all the frills. According to Smith, The St. Clair and Tavern at The St. Clair, should be opening the beginning of 2023. “It’s something different. There’s nothing else like it here at all. It will be a place where you can celebrate special occasions and where you could also entertain guests. It just opens up all sorts of possibilities.”
Because of Pell City Square, “other eateries, shops and hotels are expected things that may be in our local market,” he said.
Smith said the largest revenue generator among all the new projects will be that new retail center. “A big number will be generated off that each year in sales tax.”
The largest potential job creator of all new projects is the Kelly Creek Commerce Park in Moody. “It’s a New Year’s present for the county,” Smith said. “The 172-acre industrial park is expected to create 800 to 1,000 new jobs in the next five to 10 years. “We don’t know who the companies are yet, but we will have the space and infrastructure for them to invest. We’re expecting it to accommodate company headquarters, light manufacturing and warehousing as well.”
Ribbon cutting at National Cement
Also new to Moody will be a Starbucks and an entertainment center housing a trampoline park, an arcade and a bowling alley to be announced.
“Both of those projects fall in line with the Moody’s community input that was given to the city by its citizens on projects that they wanted them to focus during their recent comprehensive planning sessions,” said Smith.
The largest investment in the county, by far, is the $325 million dollars committed by National Cement in Ragland.
“This is the largest private investment in St. Clair County’s history,” said Smith. “It secures that facility’s production for another 50 years.”
He said National Cement is central to Ragland’s history. “Decades ago, the cement plant did a lot of labor-intensive mining,” said Smith. “It employed about a thousand people. Trains would come through and drop people off downtown. Over time, automation and machinery became available, and it was a lot easier to extract materials with a machine rather than shovel and pickaxe.”
As time went by, employee numbers have gone down, but wages have gone up. “What we saw,” he said, “was the need to reinvest and keep up with changes in technology. They had to modernize almost their entire facility, so now Ragland will have those jobs for the next 50 years.”
Other parts of the county are seeing growth as well. Springville has new business coming to town, including the Blue Water Bottling company and the opening of the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve. Big Canoe Nature Preserve is set to open in the spring or summer of this year. The long-awaited preserve will provide hiking and horseback riding trails as well as canoeing and kayaking.
New trail at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve
According to St. Clair County Tourism Coordinator Blair Goodgame, “We are thrilled with the progress of the BCCNP. This project will be an asset to St. Clair County for generations to come. Not only will the Preserve enhance the lives of locals, but it will serve as an attraction for outdoor enthusiasts across the Southeast – adding to the county’s already vast catalog of outdoor recreational opportunities.”
In the commercial sector, the EDC is eyeing a number of retail prospects, including a new grocer in the Springville, Odenville, Argo and Margaret area. “There’s a number of developers who represent different grocery brands looking at different sites. We’re just trying to find the right spots for the right brand and the size acreage. That’s the key, but it’s been a challenge because building costs have skyrocketed.”
Interest in sites throughout the county is heightening. “We have active prospects on almost every interstate interchange on the I-59 corridor, and we hope to announce some in early 2023,” Smith said. “A community like St. Clair County has so much potential because of its two interstates and close proximity to both Birmingham and Atlanta. That’s a big draw in helping us recruit.”
Prospects for the future continue to look promising. “So long as long as we continue to make St. Clair County a welcoming place for people to invest, which may include residential, commercial or industrial, we will continue to grow at a strong rate,” Smith said.
“It just makes me very happy to see job opportunities and conveniences now in the county. People will soon not have to drive outside our community to get what they need.”
Eissmann announces $3.4 million expansion, creating 79 new jobs
German automotive supplier Eissmann Automotive, N.A., has announced an expansion to its Pell City facility. It includes a $3.4 million investment in new advanced manufacturing equipment for their new production line. They expect to hire an additional 79 employees to support the production necessary for their new orders.
Eissmann Automotive has 13 locations on three continents. The company specializes in car interiors, built-to-print trim components, shifter modules and many other parts for German and Domestic auto makers, such as Mercedes, Audi, Jeep, Tesla, Porsche, Volkswagen and others. Their commitment to high quality and 100% customer satisfaction has been a key to their success.
“Eissmann Automotive Group’s decision to expand their facility in St. Clair County is wonderful for our citizens and community,” said Stan Batemon, St. Clair County Commission chairman. “It is always beneficial to both our community and the company when higher paying jobs with more advanced technology are announced. This is a testament both to the company’s ability to produce a great product and the faith they have in St. Clair County’s workforce.”
“We have been very pleased with our experience working with the City of Pell City, the St. Clair County Commission and Alabama’s Department of Commerce,” said Tracy Breeding, plant director for Eissmann. “They have been wonderful partners as we continue to invest in Pell City to provide quality service and products to our valued customers.”
“Pell City is excited to be home to quality companies like Eissmann Automotive Group,” said Pell City Mayor Bill Pruitt. “They have always been a great partner in the community, and this expansion is great news. We are looking forward to their continued success and the new jobs that will soon be available in our city.”
“St. Clair County and the State of Alabama are very fortunate to have Eissmann Automotive Group expand in our community,” noted Alabama Senator Lance Bell, (R-Pell City). “We applaud them for their success in capturing the business necessary for this expansion, and we are excited that they are growing as an important part of the state’s automotive supply chain.”
St. Clair Economic Development Council Chairman Joe Kelly said, “Eissmann Automotive is a great company who has experienced much growth and success here in St. Clair County. We are excited to learn that they are making this new investment in their Pell City facility. We congratulate Eissmann and wish them continued success.”
Moody breaks ground on Starbucks development
Commuters and coffee drinkers will soon have a new choice. A project to bring Starbucks to one of Moody’s busiest gateways broke ground in December. The site is located at Moody Parkway and Blue Ridge Drive.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Will Roark, Brice Johnston and Chris McCoy with RJ Development thanked all the stakeholders involved in the project, saying the project was coming up on about the one-and-a-half-year mark. “We’re excited to see this project come to fruition and want to thank all those involved in the process. We have enjoyed working with the city and county on this project” McCoy said.
The 2,500 square foot Starbucks is scheduled to open in June 2023 and will create approximately 20 jobs. Customers will have the option of indoor and patio seating, as well as a drive-through. The project brings a multi-million-dollar investment to the City of Moody.
“The City Council and I listen to our neighbors about the different retailers we would all like to see in Moody,” said Mayor Joe Lee.
“Most times this involves our team connecting the right developer, who has a relationship with the retailers we want, with a property owner who is willing to work with them. I am happy we were able make this happen on this project. I know this project will be a tremendous success because this is a brand many have talked about, and Chris McCoy’s team has worked hard to make it happen. It’s all about working as a team.”
“We are happy to once again be able to partner with Mayor Lee and his team on another great project,” said St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon.
“Chris and his development team have been wonderful to work with, and I believe this is just the first of many of their investments in Moody and other parts of our community.”
RJ Development specializes in all aspects of commercial real estate with a primary focus on the development of new retail shopping centers. The company has developed more than 2 million square feet of retail space.
Entertainment Center on horizon for Moody
Moody City Council cleared the way for a 60,000 square foot entertainment center for the city, an answer to a much-requested type of development in input from the community for quite some time.
The council is entering into an agreement with Signature Developments, LLC and Starz events, LLC to construct and operate a new family entertainment center near the I-20 interchange.
The new facility is expected to be approximately 60,000 square feet and will be built on roughly 6.7 acres with interstate visibility. The project site is owned by the city’s commercial development authority (CDA), and the agreement allows the transfer of the property to the developer with certain personal and business guarantees to repay the city the appraised value of the property over 10 years.
The family entertainment center will offer popular activities like a bowling alley of approximately 10-16 bowling lanes, a trampoline park, a soft play recreation facility designed and intended for use as an area for young children, a snack bar/concessions area and other attractions in high demand.
“We are looking forward to opening a state-of-the-art entertainment center customized to the interest of the local citizens, said Shafiq Samji, the project’s developer and operator. “Moody is a fast-growing community with incredible potential, and we believe this project is a perfect fit. We have enjoyed working with the City of Moody, Chamber of Commerce and County Commission on this project.”
The agreement allows the developer 24 months to open the facility. “We would like to open the facility today, but much of the equipment is specialized and will require a number of months to receive and have installed after the building is constructed. We would like to be open before Thanksgiving of 2024,” Samji said.
“Most times private retailers and developers choose where they are going to locate,” Mayor Joe Lee noted. “On this occasion, the city’s CDA owns the property, which gave us a say in what would locate on the site.
“This is a project both the citizens and our council have wanted to see in our community. People expressed a desire to see more family entertainment options during our recent community input session for city’s comprehensive plan, Moody at the Crossroads. We listened and hope this will be the anchor for a larger, master planned entertainment district.”
St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon expressed confidence in the project.
“Mr. Samji has a number of successful business ventures in St. Clair County and Shelby County. He also has experience in the family entertainment sector, and we look forward to supporting the city in another successful project.”
Coosa Pines FCU gives $500,000 in Bonus, Refund to members
Coosa Pines Federal Credit Union announced that its members in November received over $500,000 as a bonus dividend and loan interest refund for 2022. This is the eighth consecutive year that Coosa Pines members have received a bonus and refund, for a total of over $2.7 million.
The Board of Directors made the decision to issue the bonus and refund based on the success of the credit union in 2022. “This year has been one of the most successful for Coosa Pines, and the outlook for next year is positive,” said CEO Don Carden. “While the purpose of a bank is to make money for its shareholders, as members of a financial cooperative, we all share in the success of our credit union.”
The dividend bonus was figured using 7.25% of dividends earned on the member’s share savings account from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 2022. The loan interest refund amount is determined by 7.25% of the loan interest paid for the same period. Certain exclusions applied, but qualifying members saw a deposit in their share savings accounts.
The bonus dividend and interest refund are based on the current year’s results and projections for the following year. Therefore, any future bonus or refund are not guaranteed. “Every member is an owner of Coosa Pines,” said Carden. “Every decision we make is with their financial success in mind. We are elated when we can save them money, reduce financial stress, or share with them a bonus and refund like this.”
Coosa Pines FCU was chartered in 1950 and has a field of membership that includes Talladega, Shelby, St. Clair, Jefferson, Coosa and Clay counties.
Douglas Manufacturing invests $2 million in technology
Douglas Manufacturing closed out 2022 with an announcement about its future. The company, established in 1978 in Pell City, is investing more than $2 million in growth and automation.
Over the next two years, the investment will go toward new manufacturing technologies, such as new CNC equipment and automation, as well as expanding its physical plant. The company estimates that this investment and expansion will create more than 20 new positions in Pell City and increase the plant by roughly 15,000 square feet.
Once complete, the company plans to add a second shift, thus allowing the business to more than double the production capacity of key components so that the company can keep up with an increase in demand for its core component lines: pulleys, lagging, idlers, magnetics, impact beds and take-ups.
The investments will spur economic growth with increased purchases from local and national suppliers.
“The significant new investment Douglas is making to expand its Pell City manufacturing plant illustrates our strong commitment to the conveyor industry, to Alabama and our local community,” said Paul Ross, company president. “We would like to thank St. Clair County, the City of Pell City and the St. Clair County EDC for their support in helping to make this new investment possible.”
For 45 years, Douglas has established its legacy as a leader and innovator in the conveyor industry.
The plant expansion represents the latest chapter in the Made in Alabama success story that has been written over the past four and a half decades. To learn more about the Alabama-made products Douglas produces, visit www.douglasmanufacturing.com.
Carden opens new Classic Home Mortgage office
Mortgage Specialist Teresa Carden of Classic Home Mortgage celebrated the opening of her new office with an open house for the community. The office is located at 2600 Mays Drive, Suite B, in Pell City.
A Pell City native, Carden began her career in finance in 1996 and insurance in 1989. She worked as an in-house bank loan processor, transferring quickly to mortgage loan processor. She rose to Mortgage Department Head and has 20 years of experience in home loans.
She opened the local branch of Classic Home Mortgage in September 2022, building on her experience and passion for helping people achieve home ownership. “It is the largest investment most people will ever make,” she said.
Carden is a Home for Heroes Mortgage Specialist, which gives EMS, educator, healthcare professional and military service personnel a Heroes Thank You Reward.
It was over four decades ago when Paul Manning first answered the call for public service. As a St. Clair County commissioner and then as the governing body’s chairman, he never seemed to waver in his devotion to serving the county he calls home.
On a chilly October evening, 400 fellow citizens crowded into the St. Clair County Arena to return the favor, paying tribute to Manning’s decades of service.
At least a dozen presentations from officials from around the county and state held a common theme – Manning’s love of county and his dedication to serving it.
Former Pell City Mayor Guin Robinson welcomed the crowd, sharing his first encounters with Paul and wife, Marie, when he moved to St. Clair to take a job at Avondale Mills in Pell City. He said he was fortunate to “meet some really good people early on,” and “their friendship remains today.”
Attorney Billy Church and Realtor and developer Lyman Lovejoy shared master of ceremony duties, each expressing their appreciation for Manning’s friendship and his years of work on the county’s behalf.
A special moment centered on Roy Drinkard, the oldest living U.S. Marine veteran in Alabama, who – at 100 years old – made his way to the stage to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Making official presentations were Sonny Brasfield, executive director, Alabama County Commission Association; Wayne Johnson, retired Veteran’s Outreach director; his family; State Rep. Jim Hill; Commissioners Jeff Brown, Tommy Bowers, Ricky Parker and Bob Mize; Donna Wood, retired chief financial officer for the county; Logan Glass, Young Republicans of St. Clair County; and attorney Larry Ward.
Among the gifts presented were an Alabama flag flown over the state capitol, a U.S. flag flown over the nation’s capitol, a county flag flown over both courthouses, a resolution from the state House of Representatives, letters from U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville and Emory Cox, Tuberville’s chief financial adviser and a St. Clair native, a resolution from the county commission and a portrait of Manning that will hang in the commission chambers now named in Manning’s honor.
Manning talked of his passion for the county and why he served, noting that it was his honor to do so over the many years of progress experienced by what is now one of Alabama’s fastest-growing counties.
A standing ovation answered his comments because, as Ward put it, “You can’t stand anywhere in St. Clair County and not see something that has benefitted from his service.”
Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Mackenzie Free
It’s difficult not to notice the white letters E-C-T-C on the giant Adirondack chairs at the corner of U.S. 231 and U.S. 411 in Ashville. Perched on a hill overlooking the county’s only traffic roundabout, the chairs were built by carpentry students at Eden Career Technical Center to bring attention to their school.
Despite such high visibility, the school has been called “a hidden jewel” by its principal, and “the best-kept secret in St. Clair County” by one of its teachers. Neither knows why that’s true, but it’s something they both want to see changed.
“People don’t realize the opportunities we provide to learn skills that turn into jobs that they can make careers out of,” says Trisha Turner, career tech director for St. Clair County Schools and principal at ECTC since 2018.
Part of the county school system, ECTC is celebrating its 50th anniversary during this entire school year. It was named after its first principal, John Pope Eden, who lobbied for a vocational school for five years. Pope died in November of 1972, nine months before the school opened at the Ashville Armory in August of 1973 and 14 months before it moved to its permanent campus in January 1974. The school was officially dedicated to his honor in February 1975.
Getting ready to weld.
The tech school started with 360 students and four programs — cosmetology, masonry, plumbing and electricity — which are no longer offered. Courses have evolved through the years due to demand in the world of trades and technology. Today, enrollment is at 315.
“When school started in August of 1973, we went to the Armory in Ashville,” says Dorothy “Sis” Wilson, 80, who retired this past May after driving St. Clair County school buses for 55 years, including 50 for ECTC. “That’s where we started the vocational and trade school. Then we hauled kids to help build the new school, and that’s the reason the office, horticulture and air conditioner (HVAC) programs are in brick buildings. (The others are made of metal.) When we got out for Christmas holidays, Mr. Griffin (Thomas L.), principal, said when y’all come back in January come to the (new) vocational school. There are no brick masons there now, but they had one (study program) there for a while.”
Those first three brick buildings were completed and furnished for $500,000, with 70% of that amount coming from Appalachian Funds, 30% from local monies, including a $20,000 grant from the St. Clair County Commission, according to a Birmingham News article from the early 1970s. When Eden began dreaming about a trade and technical school, only 12% of the county’s high school graduates attended college, the article states. Only vocational agriculture (vo-ag) and home economics were offered to the other 88% at the high schools.
County schools now offer 14 different technical programs, according to Trisha Turner, career technical director for St. Clair County Schools and principal of ECTC. “Eleven are located here,” she says. “Agricultural Science and Family & Consumer Science programs are offered at each of the five high schools. JROTC is offered at St. Clair County High, Culinary is located on the Moody High School campus, and there is a business program at Moody, too.”
Programs on the ECTC campus include HVAC (heating and air), welding, carpentry, drafting, business information technology, information technology (IT), collision repair, automotive service, health science, plant & animal science, and emergency and fire management services. JROTC is located at St Clair County High School. The latter is not a military preparation course, but a program that promotes ethics, leadership and respect for business and industry, according to Turner, who calls business and industry “the driving force behind careers in tech programs.”
To attend ECTC, a student must be in the 10th-12th grades and enrolled in a high school in the St. Clair County School System. Students are on campus at ECTC for half a school day and at their high school the other half. They are bused back and forth by drivers employed by the county school system. The courses are considered elective high school classes, but they earn credentials and certifications that enable students to get paying jobs in their fields.
“Virtual or online high school students enrolled in the county’s Virtual Preparation Academy can choose to come here for a program or two with their own transportation or take a bus from their school, if they can get to their school,” Turner says.
Career Coach Christina Puckett says the goal at ECTC is for the students to be career-ready when they graduate. “We also offer dual enrollment in two areas,” she says. “We are paired with Gadsden State for automotive and drafting and with Jefferson State for welding and for child development. In other words, the students can get college credits here for these courses.”
The automotive service program includes everything about car maintenance and repairs, from engines to tires. The collision repair program trains students to repair damage and to refinish vehicles. “The need for automotive service technicians is growing rapidly as people continue to keep their vehicles in operation longer than ever before,” a brochure about the school states.
The ECTC campus now has six buildings, with two classes held in most of them. A seventh may be forthcoming if tentative plans to build a culinary building come to fruition. “Right now, the old Moody High School’s lunchroom, which was converted to accommodate the program, is being used,” Turner says. “Chef Melissa Allphin is in charge and her kids always win in state competitions.”
Most people don’t realize they can have something built by the school’s carpentry students, like a shooting house or a tiny house, for a price. “Our xarpentry program also covers a little electrical, plumbing and masonry. HVAC covers a little bit of electrical work, too,” Turner says. “Kevin Self heads our HVAC program, and he just got some equipment that will allow them to cut ductwork. He’s passionate about getting skilled workers because he sees the need in the HVAC company he owns.”
Self is one of four teachers at the school who are graduates of ECTC, according to Sis Wilson. The others include Marcus Graves, carpentry; Jeff Parrish, emergency & fire management services; and Roger Peace, collision repair, who got the same job his father retired from several years ago.
Medical training is in high demand.
“We’re the best-kept secret in St. Clair County,” says Jeff Parrish, who started his career with ECTC night classes and began teaching there when he retired from 25 years with Pell City Fire and Rescue.
“I don’t know why” it should remain a secret, he says. Its merits are being discovered. Three state troopers visited his program recently looking for future recruits. “One trooper was from the State Bureau of Investigation, one from aviation (helicopter & fixed-wing division of state troopers) and the other was a trooper recruiter. They were pitching jobs. The Air Force visits our classes, too.”
The Health Science program, taught by Deanna Hartley, RN, and Amy Stephan, a nurse practitioner, trains students for their EKG (electrocardiogram) and CNA (certified nursing assistant) certifications and their BLS (Basic Life Support) instructor licenses.
“They can become monitor technicians for hospitals and can conduct stress tests, too,” says Turner. “They actually get practical experience that helps them decide what they really want to be. For example, some of them work in nursing homes and some decide that’s not for them. This saves the parents money on education, because kids sometimes change their minds about their careers after they’ve finished college or a trade school.”
Another feature that helps kids decide on a career is ECTC’s Summer Camp for students in sixth through eighth grades. Camp takes place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., for three days during Memorial Day week. Parents interested in enrolling their children may call the school at 205-594-2070.
The business information technology program is for students who want to pursue careers in business administration and management, whereas the Information Technology program is for those interested in careers involving information technology security, network analysis, planning and implementation, according to the ECTC brochure.
Noah Duke, a senior at St. Clair CountyHigh School who is enrolled in the IT program, was one of the guides explaining robotics to visitors at the school’s open house in the fall. “We participate in the BEST Robotics competition,” he says, noting that BEST stands for “Boosting Engineering Science and Technology.
Sponsored by Shelton State Community College, the multi-level competition has a different theme each year but always involves building a robot. “This year’s theme is Made2Order,” Duke says. His team built a long, wooden conveyor that the remote-controlled robot rolled on. As it moved, it picked up items and loaded them into a cart. Each team got one point for each item the robot successfully loaded, and the team with the most points won. ECTC’s team placed seventh out of 14 at the first level in Tuscaloosa in October.
“We are in the process of trying to begin a modern manufacturing program on campus, pending approval by the St. Clair County Board of Education,” Turner says. “If approved, it will be a partnership with the Alabama Region 4 Workforce, also known as the Central 6.”
The program will cater to the Honda plant in Lincoln and all the periphery manufacturing plants that supply it, and to the Mercedes plant near Tuscaloosa. “The state is divided into workforce regions, and we’re in Region 4, also known as Central 6 because it includes the six counties in the center of the state,” Turner says. “The goal is for every region to have a modern manufacturing program. We’re working with others in our region to develop this program. We hope to start it next school year.”
Career-oriented night classes for adults may be a part of the school’s future next year, too. Turner says they are applying for a grant that will provide for 12-week courses to train people to earn certificates and get jobs in welding, carpentry and HVAC systems. “The grant would enable us to provide courses for free, but some of my teachers want to start it and let people or their employers pay for it,” Turner says.
Joe Whitten, a local historian, was a friend of the school’s namesake. He says all who knew “Pope” were greatly saddened that he did not live to see his dream come true. “The reality of his dream has flourished through the years,” Whitten says. “I know if he could see it today, he would be joyful that he did not fight and labor in vain for a vocational school for the students of St Clair County.”
Aviation Career Day much more than just an air show
Story and photos by Graham Hadley
It’s not every day that you get to see a Soviet-era MiG jet fighter roar down the runway and take to the skies over the St. Clair County Airport in Pell City.
But that was exactly what scores of visitors got to see Oct. 8. Children and adults pressed up along the ropes separating the viewing area from the runway as the powerful plane – and other vintage military and civilian aircraft of all kinds – took off as part of the St. Clair County Airport Aviation Career Day and Open House.
With the airport lined with unique aircraft, the event attracted people from all across the region. The lineup included military helicopters to an assortment of fixed-wing planes, including the Soviet-built MiG-17 fighter jet, a variety of World War II planes, a private jet, vintage and kit planes, not to mention the ever-present yellow sea plane that so often graces the skies over Logan Martin.
Precision flying over Pell City
Ant that was exactly the idea.
The Career Day has several purposes. It raises awareness about career possibilities in the aviation industry, highlights the importance the St. Clair County Airport plays to the local community, and ways the community and local governments can support the airport, said Ike Newton, a pilot, an event organizer and member of the airport board.
“We really wanted to shine a spotlight on why the airport is so important to the Pell City, St. Clair County and surrounding areas …,” he said. “We are the only general aviation airport in St. Clair County and a reliever airport for Birmingham,” and can handle a wide range of aviation needs, with the exception of large commercial airliners.
The St. Clair Airport not only provides hangars and fuel but is home to a flight school and related aviation businesses. It also handles some cargo flights and other related services.
According to a 2020 financial report, the airport had a $9-million financial impact on the region with a combined employment of over 100 people generating more than $3 million in payroll, and contributing over half a million dollars in local tax revenue, Newton said.
What’s more, the airport is a core service for the region, making it more attractive not only to people who own private planes, but also is one of the key things businesses and industries look for in any area where they are considering relocating. It also provides much-needed hangar space, something that is always in high demand across Central Alabama and surrounding areas.
And if what was on display at the Aviation Career Day is any indication, St. Clair County Airport is perfectly suited to the task.
“This airport we have here is a little jewel,” Newton said.
More than just an airshow
While all manner of unique planes lined the airport and flew in stunning aerial displays overhead – with regular overpasses by visitors taking rides in a helicopter – vendors lined the parking area and other parts of the property. Inside the airport building proper, presenters lined up to talk about careers in aviation and other topics of interest, like the roles women have played in the industry over the years.
Civil Air Patrol units from around St. Clair were especially on hand to help educate people, especially the younger crowd, about all the options open to them in the field of aviation and how to get involved.
Tomaze Jackson’s first time next to a jet
Major Richard Caudle with the Civil Air Patrol, with assistance from Cadet Staff Sgt. Luke Davis, manned the booth for the Springville Squadron 129 of the Civil Air Patrol. Touting the success of the program, especially the number of young members who have received their pilot’s licenses, the major showed off their displays of aviation information. It also featured tools, like model rocketry, they use in their training programs.
One of the key goals is to educate young people on the huge diversity of aviation careers available and the opportunities open to them for getting started with the programs from a young age.
And it’s not just airplanes and helicopters that the CAP and similar organizations are working with. Drone technology is becoming more important in both the civilian and military sides of aviation, and demand is high for people with those skill sets, they said.
While the vendors were busy talking to visitors outside, presenters in the airport were giving programs on all the career opportunities for people going into aviation, and there was something for everyone.
Holly Row, a retired air traffic controller and pilot, gave a class on Careers for Women in Aviation, followed by Lewis Holder, owner of Holder Aviation in Pell City, on Careers in Aviation Electronics. Other classes involved flying large commercial planes, aviation maintenance, military aviation and much more.
All about the aircraft
As much as the vendors and educators kept people informed, the biggest draw of the day was the aircraft – helicopters, seaplanes, personal jets and vintage aircraft of all shapes and sizes were on display – both on land and in the air.
As the various planes, particularly the vintage military ones, lined up and sped down the runway, people flocked to the dividing ropes to catch the takeoffs. Followed by demonstrations of formation aerial demonstrations, low passes just off the runway. It was particularly impressive when the MiG fighter jet did its flybys, followed by tight formations flying over the crowds, trailing streamers of smoke for all to watch.
Wave after wave of pilots showing off their very best skill held the constant attention of everyone on the ground.
For the planes on display, visitors got an up-close-and-personal view of some amazing aircraft.
Koley Thompson looks inside the Commemorative Airforce’s Fairchild PT-19 cockpit.
Tomazz Jackson of Pell City posed in front of a private jet on display and was quick to point out that was the first time he had ever been near a jet. The owner allowed people to walk through the small, twin-engine private jet and get a feel for what flying in one would be like.
Koley Thompson of Alpine got to see firsthand what a vintage open cockpit of a trainer airplane from World War II looked like up close and personal. The beautifully restored and maintained blue and yellow Fairchild PT-19 is maintained by the Commemorative Air Force unit in Birmingham.
Allen Pilkington and Andrew Kennedy from the Commemorative Air Force Birmingham Escadrille were thrilled to show off the plane, a great source of pride for both men. Compared to the cockpit of the jet or even some of the newer propeller planes, the controls for the Fairchild were about as simple as you can get – the bare minimum necessary to fly a plane. Because of that and what Pilkington and Kennedy described as one of the smoothest flying planes they had ever been in, the Fairchild PT-19 made for the perfect pilot trainer during the war.
As popular as the vintage planes were, one of the biggest draws of the day, especially for the youngest future aviators, was the UH-72A Lakota helicopter from the National Guard Unit in Birmingham.
The pilots had disconnected the batteries, and children were allowed full access to the military chopper, including the cockpit. The pilots said this helicopter is mainly used for scouting missions in the United States – everything from border patrol assistance to search operations and other support roles after hurricanes and other emergencies.
Looking to the future
Airport Manager Wendy Watson and Newton classified the day as a huge success.
“We had a good turnout this year. Every year we have been growing, and that is definitely the direction we want to continue,” she said.
Newton noted the event does an excellent job of highlighting the important role the airport plays in many aspects of quality of life for the area and in the economic success of the region.
Likewise, both cannot stress the important role the community and local governments can play in the success of the airport enough.
Aviation Career Day plays a vital role in doing all those things – in addition to being a great, family friendly way, to spend a sunny Saturday.
“It’s a win, win, win situation for everyone involved,” said.
And with everything it takes to put the event together, they are already looking ahead to next year, with expectations of an even bigger crowd. l
