When Joe Lee first arrived in the city he now serves as mayor, population stood at a mere 4,000. That was 30 years ago, and Moody’s ascension to the largest municipality in St. Clair County has been soaring at a dizzying speed.
Little more than ‘crossroaads’ three decades ago, today’s Moody is hardly recognizable to those who remember vehicle traffic stopping to allow cows to cross the thoroughfare.
And to those gathered on 170-plus acres on a breezy afternoon in February to cut the ribbon on Kelly Creek Commerce Park, a cattle crossing isn’t even imaginable. What is conceivable is what is planned there – 1.5 million square feet of distribution facility space, a $125 million investment in well paying jobs and the “huge impact on our community from bobs created in this community,” Lee said.
Moody didn’t arrive at this pivotal crossroad alone, Lee said, crediting partnerships with the St. Clair County Commission and St. Clair County Economic Development Council. “It’s a good example of how economic development works in St. Clair County – everyone working together.”
“Elected officials, mayor, you and your team make it easy,” said EDC Executive Director Don Smith. Through partnerships, they “lead by example.”
Smith talked of Mike Graham of Graham and Co., a leading commercial and industrial broker, as a key partner in helping facilitate the vision for the property, “exceeding expectations.” He talked of Horizon, Metro Bank and Alabama Power Co. as major partners as well, predicting, “The best is yet to come.”
The vision is being fulfilled because Moody is “a great community to support new investment, workforce readiness and has a reasonable tax structure. We’re excited about what lies ahead.”
Alabama’s Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield agreed that Moody’s future looks bright. He should know after overseeing $61 billion of new investment during his tenure, including Airbus, Honda, Google and Amazon.
He pointed to the strides in growth Alabama is experiencing in textile, automobile and aerospace industries, which Moody should benefit from in coming years. “This is a great day for Moody,” he said, looking forward to attracting high paying careers in the community. “The site is spectacular.”
From Alabama’s vantage point, the future is focused on international power. The state ships products to 193 countries around the globe, Canfield said. “Alabama has a future as long as we continue to do things like we’re doing today.”
