Mar 2021

Keeping you informed and inspired.

VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 3

March 2021

DEVELOPMENT

Scents, Sights, & Sounds: Town Madison is Coming to Life

COVER STORY

There is still a lot of roiling red dirt and tractors grinding at the firmament. Not all the landscape has been planted and you will see a spattering of bare spots here and there like missing jigsaw puzzle pieces waiting to be filled in.

By Kimberly Ballard - Page 8

RETAIL

End of an Era: Huntsville’s Spencer Oil Sold to Mississippi-based Company

After nearly 100 years in Huntsville, an iconic business has ended “a good run.”

By Bud McLaughlin - Page 18

ADDITIONAL STORIES • Tommy Dothard: No Job is Too Dirty… or Moldy for Dirtbusters Cleaning and Restoration

By Kimberly Ballard • Page 3

• Get Your Appetites Ready!

Cheesecake Factory is Coming!

By Alan Clemons • Page 10

• Main Event Bringing Fun - and Adult Beverages - to Bridge Street Town Center

By Alan Clemons • Page 16

• The Alabama Genome Health Initiative: Knowledge is Power

By Lori J. Connors • Page 22

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HUNTSVILLE

BUSINESS JOURNAL Vol 4, Issue 3 March 2021 600 Boulevard South Suite 104 Huntsville, AL 35802

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

TECHNOLOGY

Annual HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge Goes Virtual Get ready. Get Set. Go! The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and Urban Engine are gearing up for the fourth annual HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge. Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, this year’s event (April 16-25) will take place virtually.

HATCH is a unique life sciences hackathon that brings together Alabama-based college and high school students, as well as professionals in the field.

“The HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge brings together some of the most innovative minds in the state, so it was important for us to continue offering the event this year, even in a virtual format,” said Carter Wells, vice president for economic development at HudsonAlpha. “More than 850,000 STEM-related jobs will be needed in Alabama by 2026 and HATCH is a great way to give students and others currently in the workforce a deeper dive into the exciting and challenging areas of genetics, genomics, computer science, informatics and much more.”

For the fourth year in a row,

HudsonAlpha has teamed up with Urban Engine, a Huntsville-based nonprofit, that specializes in innovative programming, such as hackathons and business accelerators.

“The HudsonAlpha Tech Challenge has become a fundamental part of Huntsville’s tech ecosystem and has grown to facilitate a direct connection for students and professional talent to pursue promising career opportunities in Alabama’s growing biotech industry,” said Urban Engine board member Toni Eberhart. “We are proud to partner with HudsonAlpha to offer the program in its new virtual format and look forward to seeing what teams achieve this year.”

HATCH 2020 brought close to 70 students and professionals to Huntsville. The event took place at the Probst Center on the HudsonAlpha campus, just prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The participants included teams from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Avilution,

JCIB ForensX, Alabama A&M University, Jefferson County International, Colsa, Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School, and Covenant Christian Academy.

By Lori J. Connors / Photos by Steve Babin

The teams work to solve real-world issues; the types of challenges often faced by researchers in genomics, genetics, and biotechnology. Participants will have the chance to win more than $5,000 in cash and prizes. Winners will be divided into two categories: High School and College/Professionals.

HATCH participants must be 16 years of age or older. It is not necessary to be part of a team at the time of registration. It is highly recommended, however that to better grasp the challenge concepts, those participating have taken an advanced level biology, genetics, or biotech related course; or have professional experience in those fields.

Registration is open for HATCH 2021. For information, visit hudsonalpha.org/techchallenge. u

March 2021

3

SIT DOWN WITH SUCCESS

By Kimberly Ballard Tommy Dothard: No Job is Too Dirty… or Moldy for Dirtbusters Cleaning and Restoration Sitdown with Success is a feature of the Huntsville Business Journal on entrepreneurs and their keys to success.

This month’s subject is Tommy Dothard, owner of Dirtbusters Cleaning and Restoration. For the complete interview, visit huntsvillebusinessjournal.com.

You have heard the refrain, “It’s a dirty job but somebody has to do it”.

Tommy Dothard, owner of Huntsville’s Dirtbusters Cleaning and Restoration, is that somebody.

Dothard started Dirtbusters as a carpet cleaning business in 1986, when he was just out of high school.

Today, the business has seen and cleaned it all, from vile forensic scenes to raw sewage dumps, hurricanes, and water damage, to mold remediation. In fact, he said Dirtbusters not only cleans up jobs other companies don’t know how to clean, but jobs they don’t want to clean.

How did you start your business at such a young age?

I worked for Coca Cola all through

high school at night and on weekends and was full-time during the summer.

A buddy of mine cleaned carpets there.

I helped him at nights and learned the business from him until he took a firefighting job in Georgia.

I bought all of his equipment and picked up his carpet cleaning jobs.

Then I started adding more services to it and finally I was getting so busy, I couldn’t do both jobs. By the summer of 1986, I owned my own business and now, it owns me.

How did you grow your business by adding services?

It was all accidental. I was doing a lot of carpet cleaning in apartment complexes, and one of the managers asked if I could clean up water damage.

I said yes, because basically it is the same thing as cleaning carpet. I started drying out structures and carpet and pulling out the pad and replacing it once the carpet is dry.

As time went on, I started taking classes to further educate myself on

how to do it better, what to look for when you have water damage, and it snowballed from there, it just took off.

Then we learned mold remediation and fire damage because that was what we were seeing with insurance companies, what they needed. I thought, I can do that. So, we got IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) certified in all of it.

Were there any challenges along the way that left you feeling stuck or something you struggled with?

I really think the biggest problem I had was that back then, I couldn’t qualify for a loan because I didn’t have any kind of established credit.

I didn’t have a lot of money to put down when I bought a piece of equipment, so I had to just work and save and buy and pay as I go. As a result, today, everything is paid for. I have a mortgage on my building and my house, but everything else is paid for.

What would you tell somebody who wanted to start a new business,

any business, or one in your industry?

Learn to do as much as you can in whatever business you go into.

What do you consider your secret to success?

I’m just too stubborn to quit, or too dumb to quit – however you want to categorize it! I look around me and say, “what else am I going to do?” u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

Subsidiary of EVENT Publishing

President /Publisher................................................................ Todd Stephenson Editor .......................................................................................... Bud McLaughlin Writers.........................................................................................Kimberly Ballard

Alan Clemons

Lori J. Connors

Mike Easterling Graphic Design ............................................................................. Justina Simon Website................................................................................................ Jim Gharib Photographers...................................................................................Steve Babin

Kimberly Ballard

Justina Simon Director of Sales ................................................................. Carolyn Stephenson Account Executives.....................................................................Michelle Epling Distribution......................................................................................Glenda Mace

Huntsville Business Journal is published monthly by EVENT Publishing,

PO Box 14219, Huntsville, AL 35815.

For advertising information call 256.533.8078, e-mail todd@eventhuntsville.com, or visit us on the web at www.huntsvillebusinessjournal.com For editorial information contact editor@huntsvillebusinessjournal.com ALL CONTENTS ©2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION OR USE IN WHOLE OR IN PART OF THE CONTENTS WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER IS PROHIBITED. HUNTSVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF EVENT PUBLISHING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. UNSOLICITED PHOTOGRAPHS OR ARTICLES ARE SUBMITTED AT THE RISK OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER OR AUTHOR. EVENT PUBLISHING ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR THE RETURN OF ANY UNSOLICITED MATERIALS AND MAY USE THEM AT ITS DISCRETION.

March 2021

5

DEVELOPMENT

New $14 Million Runway Distribution Center to Take Flight at Airport With the “sounds of success” in the background and overhead, ground was broken on a $14 million, 208,000 square-foot Runway Distribution Center in the Jetplex Industrial Park at Huntsville International Airport.

As the group of elected, civic and business officials ceremoniously shoveled dirt, heavy equipment continued plowing the soil in the background, preparing the new spec industrial facility for its first tenant in July. The ceremony marked the official groundbreaking for Shamrock Investments’ fourth multimillion-dollar land investment in the Jetplex since 2017.

And, as if on cue, a cargo jet flew over the runway alongside the development for which it is named, drowning out company Vice President Bill Fleagle.

“Since our first investment in Huntsville in 2017, Shamrock Investments has seen Huntsville in general, and specifically the Port of Huntsville/Huntsville International Airport area, as an excellent location for strategic growth,” said Fleagle. “We are very excited about the addition of Runway Distribution Center to Jetplex Industrial Park … and we appreciate the efforts of the City of Huntsville who helped make this project a reality while we continue to look for future opportunities to … expand our partnership with the greater Huntsville business community.”

He continued over the roar of the plane and laughter from the audience, “And we thank the Airport Authority and the Port Authority in helping us with the FAA, because as you can see, we are slightly close to the runway and were presented with some challenges to work through.”

“That is the sound of a Runway Distribution Center – that is the sound of success!” said Huntsville International Airport CEO Rick Tucker.

L-R: Huntsville International Airport CEO Rick Tucker; Chip Cherry, CEO of the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce; Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong; Bill Fleagle, senior vice president of Shamrock Investments; Dennis O'Brien, founder & president of Shamrock Investments; Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle; and Barbie Peek, director of Business Development for Port of Huntsville.

(Photo/Steve Babin)

“The Huntsville community is on a roll from an economic development standpoint,” said Tucker. “We are pleased with the investments Shamrock Investments have already made and this endeavor represents the future … it is our goal to continue to work with them as partners to ensure success.”

Also on hand were Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle; Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong; and Huntsville Madison County Chamber of Commerce CEO Chip Cherry.

“I think what you see here is a community that believes in partnership,” said Battle. “As partners your success is our success, and we look forward to some great successes here. As you do well, the city of Huntsville does well.

“We see that on a day-to-day basis with our companies coming out and employment being provided. It is really realized when you see the young people working inside a new facility who have moved up in their status to a job where they can … grow a family. And that’s what it’s all about – it’s about providing … something that gives everybody a

chance to be productive citizens and make a living. So, thank you for your investment in Huntsville.”

Based in Birmingham, Shamrock Investments has three other properties at the Jetplex. The new facility adds to

By Kimberly Ballard / Photo by Steve Babin the company’s Huntsville footprint at the park to more than 470,000 square feet.

“It’s phenomenal the growth we have seen over the last few years,” said Cherry. “It’s just evidence of the faith that people like Shamrock have in this community and what’s going on here – in the growth, the development, and the vision you have. So, thank you for placing some of that investment here in the form of buildings and we look forward to the jobs it’s going to create, and you becoming a part of the fabric of this community.”

Strong agreed it is nothing less than phenomenal what is going on in Huntsville and Madison County.

“There is no better place to be than Huntsville and Madison County to grow this economy,” he said. “Thank you for your commitment. What you are doing here today makes our community stronger.” u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

DEVELOPMENT

Construction to Start on 5-Story Bank Independent HQ in Huntsville’s ‘Living Room’

By Bud McLaughlin / Photo by Bud McLaughlin

Downtown Huntsville continues to evolve and today there is a new addition to the skyline.

Or, rather, in the words of Mayor Tommy Battle, Huntsville’s “living room.”

Bank Independent and Prince Holdings broke ground for a fivestory office building – 225 Holmes Avenue.

“Bank Independent is invested in the future of downtown Huntsville and Madison County” The 77,000 square-foot building will include office space and groundfloor retail opportunity. At the corner of Greene Street and Holmes Avenue and across from the new city parking deck, 225 Holmes Avenue is the first speculative office construction in downtown proper in 15 years.

The mayor and Bank Independent Area President Tim Singleton cited a partnership and the city’s investment in enhancing downtown.

“The city has done a tremendous job in making the investments necessary,” Singleton said.

“This is a partnership … part of our commitment” to downtown, Battle said. “Downtown Huntsville is the living room of our community.

We have to have an attractive living room.”

Bank Independent’s Madison

County headquarters will anchor the building with a sales office on the ground floor and commercial offices on the fifth floor of the building.

Additional retail and office space is available for lease and can be customized to meet specific needs.

“Bank Independent is invested in the future of downtown Huntsville and Madison County,” said Macke Mauldin, president and CEO of Bank Independent Inc. “We have been part of the downtown Huntsville community since 2014, and we are excited to demonstrate our commitment to this market with the development of 225 Holmes Avenue.”

“It’s been great to watch downtown Huntsville develop into a lively and distinct community,” said Brendan Prince, manager of Prince Holdings. “It has balanced authen-

ticity with economic growth. Prince Holdings is excited to contribute to such a dynamic area,” Nola VanPeursem Architects

is the architectural firm, Robins & Morton is the lead contractor, and Colliers International | Alabama is the leasing agent. u

March 2021

7

DEVELOPMENT

Building Community, One House at a Time: Gregory Construction Partners with Lincoln Village Ministry Lincoln Village Ministry is working to combat the destructive trends in area communities, one house at a time.

The renovation of two houses on Levert Street is part of a collaboration between Gregory Construction and Lincoln Village Ministry. Gregory renovated two homes in December.

This year, they plan to renovate four houses.

With a team of four, the Gregory crew worked quickly and efficiently.

“We were able to take a very professional and managed approach,” said Aaron Gregory, president of Gregory Construction. “We were able to complete the homes in just a few months.”

Lincoln Village Ministry also had volunteers and paid specialty service contractors complete additional work around the houses, such as finishing touches and landscaping. The little things that make a house a home.

The Lincoln Park homes share

a long and common history. The duplexes were built in the 1930s to house families that worked at the nearby mill.

Over the years, urban blight crept up and left its mark on the once vibrant community.

In time, these charming “shotgun houses” fell into disrepair as the neighborhoods began to deteriorate.

Levert Street, in particular, had the unenviable reputation as a mecca of crime, drugs and, most of all, poverty.

Two years ago, Gregory and Lakshmi Nallamala, Lincoln Village’s executive director, had the good fortune to meet at an Executive Lead-

ership Peer Group.

“As soon as I heard about the work Lincoln Village was doing, I knew I wanted our company to be involved,” said Gregory. “We do work all over the Southeast and are committed to giving back to each community we work in.

“Gregory Construction’s core values align perfectly with Lincoln Village’s mission, so this is a great fit.”

Since its inception in 2012, Lincoln Village Ministry has purchased and renovated 25 homes in the surrounding Lincoln Village neighborhood. Another 33 homes are slated for the next round.

In addition to a newly renovated home, Lincoln Village Ministry offers a program that provides families with a comprehensive set of tools for living. To help combat the downward

By Lori J. Connors

spiral of poverty, Lincoln Village offers counseling, spiritual guidance, professional and vocational assistance, and educational opportunities.

“Knowing that the fruit of our labor will change a family’s life tomorrow,” said Gregory. “And, hopefully, create a home of peace for the next generation that will break a cycle of poverty both physically and spiritually.”

Throughout the more established Lincoln Village neighborhoods, the transformation is evident. There are well-kept homes, neighbors outside visiting, and children playing in their front yards.

“You can see the difference immediately,” said Nallamala. “There is hope here now. This is a real community with families that care about each other and are working to make better lives for themselves and even future generations.” u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

DEVELOPMENT

Scents, Sights, & Sounds: Town Madison is Coming to Life MADISON -- There is still a lot of roiling red dirt and tractors grinding at the firmament. Not all the landscape has been planted and you will see a spattering of bare spots here and there like missing jigsaw puzzle pieces waiting to be filled in.

But over the next few days and weeks – no longer months and years - and, provided all goes as planned and the COVID vaccine continues to be widely available and dispersed quickly, you should soon be hearing the real thwack of a bat on cowhide and the roar of cheers under glistening lights.

“If you’re leaving Toyota Field from Town Madison heading back to Huntsville, it is the same thing. You will get on that exit ramp and it will drop you into the eastbound lanes of I-565.”

In just a few more weeks, you will be able to lift your head, take a deep breath, and catch the aroma of woodfired steaks, shrimp on the barbee, pickled ginger alongside a Futomaki sushi roll, a mint green monster, and something else … can’t quite make it out yet but we are pretty sure it is a whiff of garlic and maybe … meatballs?

It is the sights and sounds, the live energy, and delicious smell of Town Madison, finally coming to life – for real - for the first time since the Breland Cos. first stabbed a shovel in the red soil in 2014.

There have been some fits and starts.

A global pandemic, a lot of uncertainty, a great deal of dirt being moved around, some sporadic nightlights, a few moving trucks, holiday fireworks, and a limited number of small, socially distanced events at Town Madison and Toyota Field over the last year.

But now you can see real parking lots, roads, and I-565 interchanges

and overpasses coming into and out of the development. Phase I of the new interchange is in place and it will be opening in late February, which will lead to the groundbreaking on Phase II by the spring.

Phase I is what is called a Right In/Right Out (RIRO) three-way road intersection that permits only right turns.

“If you’re coming from Decatur or western Madison County on I-565, you’ll be able to get on the exit ramp and go right into Town Madison,” said Joey Ceci, president of the Breland Cos., which developed Town Madison. “If you’re leaving Toyota Field from Town Madison heading back to Huntsville, it is the same thing. You will get on that exit ramp and it will drop you into the eastbound lanes of I-565.”

Phase II and the opening of Phase I have been the subject of discussion and dispute among the city, state, Breland and the Rocket City Trash Pandas baseball team. However, the plans are still in progress, Ceci said.

“Phase II will tie in the other side of the interstate,” he said. “For people coming from Huntsville, they will have an opportunity to exit and then like any other interchange, come over a bridge into Town Madison by crossing over I-565, and the interchange will take you into those westbound lanes on I-565.

“There will be a bridge where you leave the stadium and hop on the exit going to Decatur. It takes you over the interstate and deposits you into the westbound lanes going to Decatur and points west.

“Phase II will take longer to build, and it is more expensive to build because it requires very large bridge sections.”

With easier access in and out of Town Madison, life is beginning to stir among the steadily rising hotels, occupied apartment complexes, re-

tail centers itching to open, and even some model homes with doors swung wide.

All of it is about to happen with one cautiously optimistic caveat hope that if the COVID vaccine continues to be widely available and dispersed quickly!

If Major League Baseball players can get the vaccine, it will make it much easier for the Minor League players to follow, and when that happens, Madison will see its first season of Rocket City Trash Pandas baseball!

“From what I hear, the Trash Pandas seem absolutely convinced

By Kimberly Ballard / Photos by Steve Babin

they will have a baseball season with in-person fans this year,” said Ceci.

“Spring training may be delayed for a few weeks until everyone has had a chance to get vaccinated, but there is an expectation there will be a season starting in the April to May timeframe.”

The same cautious optimism holds true for restaurant, retail and hotel construction and openings over the next 90 days.

According to Ceci, J. Alexanders and Outback did a redesign on their restaurants due to COVID, and that step is finished, and they have sub-

March 2021

9

DEVELOPMENT

“They have retooled their stores to have more outdoor seating and to have a whole area dedicated to easy pick-up of to-go orders, and for Uber drivers and restaurant delivery services like GrubSouth and DoorDash to have quick access.” mitted plans to the City of Madison.

“The parking lots, utilities, and all the sitework we needed to do for them is almost finished, so they are both expected to go vertical in March and should be open by late summer or early fall,” he said. “The Town Madison Outback will be the first of their new concept they call the ‘joey’ model, named after the Australian baby kangaroo.

“They have retooled their stores to have more outdoor seating and to have a whole area dedicated to easy pick-up of to-go orders, and for Uber drivers and restaurant delivery services like GrubSouth and DoorDash to have quick access.”

Ceci said restaurants are just now getting the green light to go ahead and they have all been forced to look at redesigns, which is part of why some of them have not yet begun construction.

“Restaurants interested in coming into Town Madison and other locations as well are asking whether they can reserve two or three on-street parking places for pickups,” said Ceci.

“They are doing a huge business in that area and believe people are getting used to it, while the restaurants themselves are preparing more family style meals that are more amenable to pick-up services. Furthermore, they expect the trend to continue after coronavirus is behind us.”

I Love Sushi, at the east entrance to Town Madison facing Zierdt Road, is 75 percent complete and will be the first restaurant to open there in just a few weeks, featuring a nice outdoor patio.

Nashville-based Jonathan’s Grille will have two locations in Madison.

One is at Clift Farm, another Breland development off U.S. 72. The other

is next door to the new Hilton Garden Inn on the west end of the Town Madison development.

“That location near Wall-Triana will make them one of the first restaurants to open on the west end of the development,” said Ceci. “We are working on a few other restaurants interested in that exit coming from the west. It is a great location for Jonathan’s.”

Madison Town Center, across Town Madison Boulevard from Toyota Field, will be home to First National Bank, The Yard Milkshake Bar and a restaurant yet to be announced.

“It will only take about 90 to 120 days to build out those venues, and both will be open this summer,” said Ceci.

There will be several hotel choices at the Wall Triana exit including the Home2 Suites, which opened in 2019, and the avid hotel that opened in December.

A new Hilton Garden Inn is only a few weeks from opening next door to the Home2 Suites. It will have its own restaurant that will open in early April.

A six-story, double-branded Marriott Courtyard and Marriott Residence Inn are about to go vertical, as well. It is a new Marriott concept having two separate hotels in the same building. The hotel will be across the lake from Toyota Field, adjacent to The Station at Town Madison apartments. Plans include a rooftop bar and restaurant concept to take advantage of the views of the ballgames at the stadium.

“Hotels have been more affected even than restaurants by coronavirus,” said Ceci. “With hotel occupancy around the country at only about 20 percent, the corporate-owned flag hotels have put a pause on new projects this past year as they monitor coronavirus.

“Pro Player Park is all about travel and an athletic facility.”

“We are in contact with them every week and feel very confident that as soon as we get into spring and there’s more vaccine out there, they will be given the green light and you will see the construction begin – hopefully in the first half of this year, but it’s one of those things we can’t control until we see the scope of the vaccine.”

Two other projects at Town Mad-

ison are still very much alive but on hold.

The $12 million Pro Player Park project targets the traveling baseball and softball circuits.

“Athletic facilities and travel are the two things most impacted by coronavirus,” said Ceci. “Pro Player Park is all about travel and an athletic facility.

“It isn’t that travel baseball has gone away, but it is way down because over the past year, fewer people are putting their kids on the road. They are just waiting to get on the other side it.”

The project will consist of twelve synthetic championship and convertible baseball/softball fields and a 65,000 square-foot sports facility with batting cages; a pro shop; a small café and vending area; and an indoor soccer field.

The other is Pro Prep Performance, an elite sports performance training facility, owned by three former Alabama and Auburn football players: Jerraud Powers, Juwan Simpson and Rashad Johnson.

“They own the land and have gone through the zoning process, and I know they have plans, but almost every athletic facility has been put on pause because of coronavirus and I know they want to get on the other side of it before they move forward,” Ceci said.

Make no mistake about it – seven years has crept by for many people looking forward to the Town Madison experience, but with fingers crossed and the coronavirus under control – Town Madison is coming alive very soon! u

10

Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

FOOD / DINING

Get Your Appetites Ready!

Cheesecake Factory is Coming!

When officials with The Cheesecake Factory toured Bridge Street Town Centre in late 2019, they were sold on adding the state’s second location here.

All of what happened in 2020 didn’t change that decision, either.

The Cheesecake Factory will move into the 7,350-square-foot corner location on the south side of the property that previously housed Cantina Laredo. It will be across from P.F. Chang’s and adjacent to Barnes & Noble. Opening is “Winter 2021,” with no specific date announced.

The Cheesecake Factory has been consistently named one of the Fortune magazine “Best 100 Companies to Work For.” It has garnered numerous awards for customer satisfaction, quality of atmosphere, food and presentation, workplace diversity, and menu options. Its large, diverse menu contains more than 250 items including more than 50 cheesecakes.

The company also has consistently been nominated and acclaimed for community service and development of employees. Its other location is at The Summit in Birmingham.

The Cheesecake Factory owns and operates 294 restaurants in the United States and Canada under three brands. It also has a bakery division that provides items for its restaurants and third-party bakery customers.

Nikki Columbo, senior vice president of National Key Accounts for Bayer Properties, said the company is opening “very few stores” in the

next 18 months due to the coronavirus impact. Bayer Properties, based in Birmingham, manages Bridge Street Town Centre. Myriad factors contributed to the decision to open here, including the drawing power of the shopping complex to a large demographic.

“The Cheesecake Factory’s phi-

losophy, pre-pandemic, was to not go into markets that did not have a set demographic draw,” Columbo said.

“I believe that was something like 500,000 in 10 miles, which Huntsville does not have. But after looking at this project, and we’re the dominant project in the entire market until you get to Birmingham, given the way Bridge Street Town Centre trades in the market and attracts visitors from 25 to 50 miles, and looking at the core customer coming to Bridge Street 25 or more times a year, they looked at it as being able to draw in a market in excess of half a million.

“Then it was a decision of which (location) to choose, and when they toured 15 months ago it was clear to them that Bridge Street was their only choice. They’ve been great partners.”

The company’s history dates to the 1940s in Detroit when Evelyn

By Alan Clemons

Overton used a newspaper recipe to create her “Original” cheesecake. She opened a small shop but closed it to raise her two children, Renee and David. She still made cheesecakes at home for local restaurants, building a strong reputation. In 1972, with the children grown, Evelyn and her husband moved to Los Angeles to chase their dream.

She began making cheesecakes and quickly established herself in Los Angeles. In 1978, the Cheesecake Factory opened its first restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif. Calling it “upscale casual dining” — today it’s known by influencers and others as “experiential dining” — the restaurant’s popularity took off. Its extensive menu covers a wide range designed for a variety of diners.

Columbo said other projects are in the works for Bridge Street Town Centre. Dallas-based Main Event is opening in what was the Toys R Us building on the corner of Governors Drive West and Eagle Drive Northwest. The 50,000-square-foot entertainment and restaurant complex will be the company’s first in Alabama.

Columbo said traffic and shopping patterns, demographics of outlying areas from Huntsville and Madison County, housing starts, known brands expressing interest and other factors are contributing to the flurry of projects here. Announcements about the move of the FBI headquarters to Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville landing the Space Command headquarters also are impactful.

“We have a lot in the works, but obviously we don’t announce until things are signed, sealed and delivered,” she said. “But suffice to say we have a lot in the works. I like to say we cast a large net.

“It’s surprising that even in pandemic this (Huntsville) market is so strong. We’re seeing a lot of interest in this mini-economic boom the market is experiencing.” u

March 2021

11

FOOD / DINING

Bubby’s Diner: Bringing a Taste of the ‘50s to South Huntsville Meat and threes.

Hand-dipped milk shakes, malts, and banana splits.

BLTs. For those hankering for the kind of comfort food that diners are known for, the wait is over.

Serving up those comfort foods along with hamburgers and French fries, Bubby’s Diner has opened in South Huntsville.

Located in what was once Gibson’s on Whitesburg Drive, Bubby’s bright turquoise exterior is hard to miss. The interior walls are equally colorful, with several windows allowing the natural sunlight. Prints of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean smile approvingly from the walls of the new endeavor.

Iconic, yet understated, the booths, chairs, and counter stools are red and white. The black and white checkerboard floor completes the look and feel of iconic diner décor.

Serving up a variety of traditional diner fare, Bubby’s also offers “meat and threes,” made from the family’s own collection of recipes. “American” fare, such as hamburgers, French fries, and club sandwiches are a few of the mainstay menu items.

There’s also an interesting twist on an old favorite. Donuts take on new life at Bubby’s where diners can enjoy a donut slider for breakfast or a donut burger for lunch or dinner.

What would a diner be without hand-dipped milkshakes, malts,

and the time-honored banana split to provide a sweet finish to a delightful meal? There’s all of this and root beer floats, too.

Bubby’s offers an assortment of tasty sandwiches including the Tesla’s Philly cheese steak sandwich; a fried green tomato BLT; a mouth-watering Patty Melt on toasted rye bread; and the Rocket Towne wrap, a sandwich consisting of spinach, cucumber, tomato, topped with homemade ranch dressing.

There’s also a fully dressed fried crawfish Po Boy served with remoulade sauce, on a freshly toasted Po Boy roll.

“We are thrilled to be opening our restaurant in South Huntsville to serve delicious comfort food in a throwback, family friendly environment,” said owner Chris “Bubby” Belcher.

Bubby’s Diner is yet another boost for South Huntsville, representing the robust business growth in an area that had grown barren over the years.

“Bubby’s Diner is a unique dining experience and fun for the whole family,” said Bekah Schmidt, executive director of the South Huntsville Main Business Association. “When we did

our community survey in 2019, residents expressed a desire for additional casual eateries.

“Chris and Mrs. Kathy, two South Huntsvillians, have opened a restaurant the entire community will enjoy. We are proud of their hard work and look forward to their success.”

The diner concept is uniquely American and continues to grow in popularity. Over the years, diners have come to symbolize the period of post-WW2 era prosperity of the 1950s and early 1960s. Diners have enjoyed a measure of fame, featured in films, such as “Grease” and, of course, “Diner,” and in the TV series “Happy Days.”

The pandemic has not been kind to small business ventures, especially those in the service industry. Since last March, more than a handful of locally owned

By Lori Connors / Photos by Steve Babin

dining establishments have shuttered their doors.

Timing is everything.

Bubby’s opening in the midst of COVID-19 has allowed for the careful orchestration of wellspaced seating and Plexiglas dividers between the booths. There were no shifting gears or pivoting needed to adjust to capacity, safety, or social distancing. There are fewer tables, giving the restaurant a bright, open feel. Condiments and menus are routinely wiped clean after each customer, silverware is provided in small wax-paper envelopes.

Small-scale façade improvements have the power to spur economic growth and Bubby’s is one of the many South Huntsville businesses that have taken advantage of the Main Street Alabama façade grant opportunity. Building renovations, enhancements, and landscape improvements are all a part of the grant package.

“We are delighted to have a new restaurant concept move into a vacant space in South Huntsville,” said Jennie Robinson, District 3 City Council Member.

“It is another great example of old properties taking on new life in the South Parkway corridor.”

Bubby’s Diner serves breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday at 8412 Whitesburg Drive. The eatery offers dine-in, drive-through, carry out, and curbside pickup, with online ordering and GrubSouth delivery options coming. u

12

Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

COVER COVER

Wells Fargo Neighborho Small Business Ow

By Lori J.

Strong communities go beyond affordable housing, they also pave the way for small businesses to provide economic opportunities. An obstacle faced by minority small business owners securing financial backing to qualify for a loan.

Organizations such as Neighborhood Concepts and Wells Fargo have partnered to help aspiring entrepreneurs invest in their communities and build wealth.

Redeveloping North Huntsville is something that’s gaining traction.

To some, the north side is viewed as declining neighborhoods, struggling businesses, and no opportunities for employment.

“Businesses fail if they don’t have a plan,” said Judy Hardin, the executive director of the North Huntsville Business Association. “There are other elements that business may need; minority, small, or large, but if we can find a way to share that information or point them to a resource, that makes everyone successful.”

That’s why it’s important to have the tools to sustain a business long after its grand opening. Adequate funding just is the first piece of the business puzzle.

Dark Side Coffee A new, minority-owned small business in North Huntsville. The Dark Side specializes in a variety of espressos, coffees, lattes, and teas.

Darkcino, its signature beverage, is a delightful mix of Cappuccino meets Hot Chocolate. The menu centers on a variety of grilled cheeses, in-

cluding specialty sandwiches, which represent each of the four Dark Side owners: Devyn Keith, Jarius Palmer, Jaray Wilson, and Joe Clark.

“One of the things that we talked about is wanting to give back to the community, in a different type of way. A way where people in the community could feel like they had a place where they could go to where they felt comfortable.”

Devyn Keith is also a City Council member who represents District 1, an area that covers North Huntsville, including Alabama A&M University stretching into the downtown core.

A native Huntsvillian, Keith is driven by a passion for public service and a deep connection to the people of his community, he is a true believer that “Huntsville is the best city this side of Heaven.”

“Devyn reached out to all of us,” said Jaray Wilson, one of the four owners. “One of the things that we talked about is wanting to give back to the community, in a different type of way. A way where people in the community could feel like they had a place where they could go to where they felt comfortable.

“We researched different things of that nature, we realized there was

an opportunity in the coffee market, especially in Huntsville. There are several locally owned coffee shops, but none in North Huntsville. So, that’s what started the Dark Side.”

The initial plan was for a 3,000 square-foot coffee shop farther north on the parkway, across from Alabama A & M, near Winchester Road.

When COVID-19 threw a wrench in those plans, the team took advantage of an opportunity to rent a space in the H.C. Blake plaza. Plans include opening the larger location this summer, while keeping the smaller location open, too.

Neighborhood Concepts Neighborhood Concepts came into being more than 30 years ago.

The nonprofit organization was formed out of a lawsuit involving public housing in Huntsville that was being torn down. The residents sued to have it rebuilt. Out of the mediation of that lawsuit, Neighborhood Concepts was created, completely autonomous from the Housing Authority, but tasked with rebuilding some of the demolished housing.

“For the first 20 years or so, Neighborhood Concepts focused on affordable housing,” said Executive Director Mary Ellen Judah. “But our board recognized that strong neighborhoods needed more than just affordable housing, they needed access to economic opportunity.”

About six years ago, Neighborhood Concepts set up a revolving loan fund and became certified by the U.S. Treasury Department as a

Community Development Financial Institute.

“We were the first Alabamaborn CDFI and we provide access to capital to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the 11 counties of north Alabama,” said Judah. “We are not designed to compete with the banks, but we are set up to provide financing for businesses that aren’t quite ready for a traditional business loan.

“We give them the loan for their business, we provide some technical assistance, and then we help them get ready to graduate to traditional financing. Or, in some instances, we might partner with a local bank to provide the financing.”

About two years ago, Keith contacted Neighborhood Concepts with the idea for Dark Side, she said.

“He came sat down and talked to us about it,” said Judah. “I was very impressed from the very beginning because these guys did their research, knew the market.”

There was a Starbucks on Mastin Lake Road and North Memorial Parkway, which was one of the few remaining retail chains that had invested in North Huntsville and it had closed.

“Devyn came in and he knew all the statistics for their sales, what was going on at that Starbucks, and what the need was,” said Judah.

Unfortunately, COVID happened and it slowed everything down. With the economic uncertainty, a lot of financial institutions were tightening their reigns.

March 2021

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STORY STORY

ood Concepts Help Make wnership a Reality

. Connors

“North Huntsville is starting to see things come back.

Things like coffee shops are what make neighborhoods,” said Judah. “We were so excited when we received this grant from Wells-Fargo because it allowed us to provide not only some concessionary financing as well as some grant money.”

“I never cease to be amazed at the ingenuity of young entrepreneurs in our community because Jarius, Devyn, and the rest of guys pivoted very quickly,” said Judah. “They said, ‘well, hey, we might not be able to do that today, but here’s what can do to start an investment in our com-

munity.’

“To me, not only was it just a wonderful thing for North Huntsville, but it’s a great idea to have a smaller investment to begin with and let’s see how it goes. And that gives us some good actual sales data that we can share when we’re ready to do the next phase.”

Many of the small businesses Neighborhood Concepts works with have minority owners who have been traditionally underserved. Neighborhood Concepts helps these small business owners recognize their entrepreneurial trade, but more importantly, they help them build wealth through business ownership.

“North Huntsville is starting to see things come back. Things like coffee shops are what make neighborhoods,” said Judah. “We were so excited when we received this grant from Wells-Fargo because it allowed us to provide not only some conces-

sionary financing as well as some grant money.”

Wells Fargo Open for Business Program Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Program focuses on increasing access to capital, providing technical expertise, and long-term resiliency programs for small business owners, with an emphasis on diverse small business ownership.

To date, the Open for Business Fund has deployed more than $84 million in philanthropic capital to Community Development Financial Institutions, which has helped an estimated 16,000 struggling minority-owned small businesses and helped to keep in place 50,000 small business jobs.

Created in July 2020, the Open for Business Fund provides capital and expertise for businesses hardest hit by the pandemic. Wells Fargo has donated approximately $400 million in gross processing fees from participating in the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and has set aside about $250 million of that funding for CDFIs. “The Open for Business Fund

was created as a result of Wells-Fargo donating the processing fees that we collected by our participation in the Paycheck Protection Program,” said Stephen Norris, Wells Fargo Regional Bank President. “Through the fees that we received, we were able to launch the Open for Business Fund. “ As many small businesses are still experiencing hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic, Wells Fargo is working to support its customers in another round of the PPP and continuing to provide additional small businesses support through its Open for Business Fund. For the next round of PPP, the company is committing not to take a profit and will continue seeking out opportunities to support small businesses most in need.

“I was absolutely thrilled when we were able to award Neighborhood Concepts with a $550,000 grant,” said Norris. “Knowing firsthand what Neighborhood Concepts is all about, it’s just a great example of how we can work together and help more diverse small business owners reach their full potential.” u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

ENTERTAINMENT

Huntsville Music Initiative: A Duet in Economy and Song In 2019, the city of Huntsville played a duet in economy and song.

The Huntsville Music Initiative was launched, accompanied by a citywide music audit to celebrate the music industry’s significant impact on the city, with the understanding that impact could be significantly more.

One of the initial recommendations coming from the music audit was the need for a board of professionals and people in the local music industry, to help guide the city in implementing a strategy.

In January 2020, the Huntsville Music Board (huntsvillemusic. org) was established. Its members are chairman Brett Tannehill of WLRH radio; Celese Sanders, founder and executive director of Encore Opera Huntsville; local singer and songwriter Chuck Rutenberg as vice-chair; Codie Gopher, founder of the Huntsville Hip Hop Tech Conference; Cricket Hoffman, founding member of Hip Hop Live and CodeName Underground; alternative pop artist Deqn Sue; Judy Allison, CEO/director of Purple19; Mario Maitland, founder of Huntsville’s Maitland Conservatory; and Mark Torstenson, co-owner and manager of The Fret Shop.

According to Dennis Madsen, the city’s manager of Urban & LongRange Planning who also oversees the Music Initiative, Huntsville has always been creative in its approach to economic development.

Redstone Arsenal is No. 1 when it comes to Huntsville’s economic driver, but there are other means the rest of the city can support it by diversifying. Similar to the diversity of businesses in Cummings Research Park and the burgeoning automotive manufacturing industry in Limestone County, Madsen said there is a huge driving music industry opportunity in Huntsville that if nurtured, could really grow.

“A growing music industry will do great things for our quality of life and create a whole other job and economic sector in Huntsville,” said Madsen. “That was the big motivation behind doing the music audit and creating the Board.”

Madsen uses the city’s Industrial Development Board as an example.

“When we talk about recruiting industry, that board is filled with folks who really understand industrial development and they partner with the City to help drive industrial development,” he said.

“For years, Huntsville has people immersed in the music industry or related industries like communications and public relations and they are the people who can help guide Huntsville in making policies and in supporting development to grow the music industry here.”

One might think COVID stopped the concerto right in the middle of the third movement, but instead, the board took its meetings virtual the rest of 2020 and the list of accomplishments built a base to work on in 2021.

First, a Spotify playlist was established which shared local music from a variety of genres; and they also shared their own playlists as a great way to get more exposure for their own work.

The Board created a charter and a webpage, and developed a resource guide for artists negatively impacted by COVID-19, currently on the City’s website, to share ways in which they can reach out and get help.

They also formed committees on things like marketing; education, looking at strategies for engaging in schools with low-cost instrument rentals; and they formed an events committee to create a calendar, that hasn’t been implemented yet, but will be a one-stop-shop and central clearinghouse for people wanting to know about local and regional music events.

Music Board member Mario Maitland, founder of the Maitland Conservatory in Huntsville, is on the education committee. He started his music school to offer students ages 2 to 76, a modern application of music and the arts.

“We focus on the careers that can be created from the arts. A lot of time, the arts get stuck in this box of, ‘It’s cute to take piano lessons or violin lessons’ and maybe one day you can play in church,” he said. “But we don’t

really talk about, nor do we really expose people to, how to take traditional arts school training and apply it to modern careers in music production, film scoring, deejaying, video editing, even vlogging and podcasting.”

As a Music Board member, he said the ultimate goal is to get people thinking about music as a sustainable economic engine. And, once it gets going, music creates jobs and residual income in businesses connected to it.

“Everyone loves entertainment, everyone loves music, and they want to go out and enjoy it, but they are not really used to paying for it,” said Maitland. “We’re trying to promote this culture of paying for your music so that we can really push the whole idea of a music economy.

“We don’t want these individual music venues to exist as silos. We want them interwoven. That is how we help to cultivate the music scene.

But then we want to take it a step further: How can we interconnect all of those things to really create a cohesive music economy?”

The board also met to establish a music policy handbook.

Among the most important

By Kimberly Ballard

policies is initial research into noise ordinances and how they impact artists planning musical events. It lays out a plan for how the board can work with the city to clarify those ordinances, and make it easier for artists, venues, businesses and residents to comply to those policies.

“Noise ordinances and policies are important because you will be faced with conflicts between venues and nearby businesses and residences,” said Madsen. “The Music Board will set a policy to mediate these things that says essentially, whoever was there first has the right to do what they were doing. Whoever comes in afterwards, has to take that into account and is responsible for attenuating the noise.”

Madsen said the city has been talking about an amphitheater in Huntsville for a long time. The idea of the MidCity Amphitheater dovetailed with the opening of the VBC Mars Music Hall.

“The Mars Music Hall has been incredibly well received not just by audiences but by artists who say it is a great place to play,” said Madsen.

“We recognize the need for something along the lines of an 8,000-seat out-

March 2021

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ENTERTAINMENT

door venue that can attract a certain level of artists who are on the national circuit.

“What came out of the music audit was an affirmation of that. This market is big enough for something like that, but it is also big enough for meeting a broader variety of event venues.”

The Music Initiative also seeks to partner with the unique independent music culture and history of places such as Florence and Muscle Shoals, and to share artists from there and Huntsville to encourage a cross-cultural exchange.

“But we are even looking beyond that,” said Madsen. “We are adjacent to what is known as the Americana Music Triangle that incorporates the major music cities in the Southeast. We will never be Nashville, but how can Huntsville become part of that broad music culture exchange so young and aspiring artists can cut their teeth in the regional music ecosystem and go on to hit the bigger stages.”

Another issue to come out of the audit was the need for more public events.

Impossible last year due to COVID, there are now discussions about restarting Big Spring Jam or, once we are on the backside of COVID, to create a signature Huntsville Music and Arts Festival.

Board member Codie Gopher has several ideas about this.

By day, Gopher designs attack helicopters on Redstone Arsenal, but his true love is music, and he is fully committed to developing and supporting local talent.

He founded the Huntsville Hip Hop Tech Conference more than five years ago, bringing in music leaders from around the globe, and has consistently focused on subjects such as hip hop tech production development, teaching music technology in Huntsville/Madison County schools, the global influence of hip hop, and the future of STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts,

Guitar teacher, Aaron Stapler and student Grayson Caldwell at Maitland Conservatory

Mathematics).

“Codie G. is a very influential member of the hip hop community here and he has been promoting the

idea of 256 Day,” said Madsen. “256 is the local area code, but the 256th day of the year falls in mid-September, the happy zone for outdoor public events.

“It is the beginning of the private music industry starting to shape a new fall music festival, or maybe other festivals on a variety of scales, over the course of a year.”

Madsen points out that Huntsville already has a diversity of music ranging from the chamber music festival Twickenham Fest to the Hip Hop Tech Conference to the Huntsville Orchestra to the city’s robust blues, country and rock music scene.

With the city’s amphitheater coming to MidCity and an amphitheater planned for Home Place Park in Madison, as well as venues such as Toyota Field, Big Spring Park, the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall and others, the Huntsville Music Initiative seems to be hitting the high notes when it comes to musical and economic harmony. u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

ENTERTAINMENT

Main Event Bringing Fun and Games - and Adult Beverages to Bridge Street Town Centre Remember the arcade from your days long ago, the big place with Galaga, Centipede, Pac-Man, pinball machines, Skee-ball and air hockey?

Perhaps a pool table or two, as well, with a line of stacked “got next” quarters on the rail?

Now imagine that for adults — and kids, of course — with much more space, bowling, laser tag, billiards and more than 120 arcade games, along with restaurants and beverages including cocktails and craft beer. That’s what’s coming, with Main Event Entertainment opening a 50,000 square-foot complex at Bridge Street Town Centre.

“They looked at Huntsville and the growth Huntsville will have over the long-term,” said Nikki Columbo, Senior Vice President of Key Accounts for Bayer Properties,

which manages Bridge Street Town Centre. “They’re projecting for 1015 years and what they’re seeing is that growth (in Huntsville) will surpass other markets. They’re looking

for long-term.”

This is the first location of Main Event in Alabama and it is slated to open by 2022 but no specific date has been given. It will be a family-

By Alan Clemons

friendly option for multiple age groups.

Dallas-based Main Event has 44 locations in the United States ranging from 45,000 to 75,000 square feet.

The company bills its centers as having state-of-the-art bowling, multi-level laser tag, gravity ropes adventure courses and more. It offers a variety of deals and specials, including happy hour, along with birthday, private and corporate parties/events.

Chris Morris, President and CEO of Main Event, has a strong upper management background in the restaurant and entertainment industries. He has been with California Pizza Kitchen, On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, CEC Entertainment (owners of Chuck

March 2021

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ENTERTAINMENT

E. Cheese’s and Peter Piper Pizza), NPC International and Applebee’s International. Morris has opened more than 200 units with five businesses.

“We couldn’t be more excited about becoming part of the Huntsville community and bringing our unique family entertainment experience to the area,” Morris said. “Our brand promise is to provide guests an opportunity to make memories together while enjoying the best activities and games imaginable all in the comforts of one fun-filled location. We are committed to doing that every single day.

“The team at Bayer Properties was instrumental in making this a reality and we are thankful to be working with a top-notch group on our first-ever location in Alabama.”

Columbo said the scouting for Huntsville began prior to 2020. But the pandemic impact didn’t stop Main Event from moving forward toward opening.

“We kept moving forward and they reorganized as well,” Columbo said. “Coming out of the pandemic they’re moving forward with one or two leases in the country and Huntsville is one of them. I think it’s safe to say they’re not going to open five in the next year. They’re going to open one or two, maybe three, and Huntsville is one of them.

“The essence of Main Event En-

tertainment and Bridge Street Town Centre fits perfectly,” she added.

“Bridge Street really draws from a large area of the Huntsville market.

It draws from 25-50 miles, and our core customer is coming from that distance 25-30 times a year for the Bridge Street experience. One of the reasons they planted their flag in Huntsville is they saw traffic patterns and (growth) and saw this as a

good opportunity.”

Main Event joins The Cheesecake Factory in announcing a new location at Bridge Street. The Cheesecake Factory will move into the 7,350-square-foot corner location on the south side of the property that previously housed Cantina Laredo. It will be across from P.F. Chang’s and adjacent to Barnes & Noble. Opening is “Winter 2021,” with no specific date announced.

Columbo said Bayer Properties has projects in the works for Bridge Street but declined to offer specifics.

The property is a regional mixed-use outdoor fashion center with more than 50 unique or specialty stores, more than 207,000 square feet of Class A office space, the 232-room Westin hotel, 150-room Element

by Westin, and a 14-screen Cinemark theatre that is the busiest in Alabama. New developments include Watermark, a 244-unit luxury apartment complex, and 131-room Hyatt Place hotel. u

18

Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

RETAIL

End of an Era: Huntsville’s Spencer Oil Sold to Mississippi-based Company After nearly 100 years in Huntsville, an iconic business has ended “a good run.”

Spencer Oil, founded in 1923, was sold to Mississippi-based Dutch Oil and Victory Marketing, the operators of the Sprint Mart convenience stores. The family-owned company has operated from the same building on Woodson Avenue for 98 years.

“We’ve had a good run and a lot of good employees,” said company President J Spencer. “We want to say a big ‘thank you’ to our 200-plus loyal employees who spend every day focused on taking care of our customers.

“We are especially honored to have supported the City of Huntsville and Huntsville Utilities for the past 15 years through many natural disasters and emergency situations.”

The acquisition includes Spencer’s 31 MinitMan stores across six counties (Madison, Morgan, Marshall, Limestone, DeKalb and Jefferson), several dealer locations, unmanned cardlock facilities, and fuel transportation assets.

Spencer said he had been approached several times over the last few years with offers before considering Dutch Oil. He also knew the company was close to the milestone century mark but the sale was market-driven.

“Everybody’s trying to buy into Huntsville, now,” he said.

“It would be nice to wait a couple more years but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

“Things are driven by the market and not by your schedule.”

The acquisition will bring Spencer’s 31 MinitMan stores to Sprint Mart’s 80.

“Sprint Mart’s mission is to be the best convenience and foodservice retailer in the markets we serve,” said Charles Morris, managing partner of Sprint Mart. “For the past few years, we have worked hard to create a unique and personal customer experience in our stores; building customer loyalty that strengthens our business and funds future growth.

“Adding MinitMan to the Sprint Mart family is a leap forward in achieving our vision of setting the standard by which other convenience stores are measured.”

Rex Gillis, president of Dutch Oil Company, pointed out the similarities between the MinitMan and Sprint Mart organizations.

“The Spencer family has done a tremendous job of building a business that operates with consistently high standards and values its customers and employees,” he said.

“The cultural similarities between our companies cannot be ignored – both reflect a family heritage and strong ‘people culture’ – and should allow for an easy transition for employees and customers alike.

“This is an exciting time for Sprint Mart, and we are thrilled to welcome the MinitMan team into the Sprint Mart family.”

The third-generation president of Spencer Oil, Spencer said this is the end of an era.

“I grew up in the business; I worked in the ice company as a kid,” he said. “It’s going to be a very different thing to see we’re sold.” u

By Bud McLaughlin

March 2021

19

TRAVEL / LEISURE

Touronimo: All Dressed Up and Looking for Local Adventures It may come as a surprise the number of cool things here that residents miss out on.

Sure, there are the biggies, like the Space and Rocket Center, the Huntsville Museum of Art, or the multitude of events at the Von Braun Center.

What about a few of the more uncommon experiences, such as aerial yoga, paranormal investigation, distillery tours, or even soaring? What if those adventures were led by passionate local subject matter experts?

The answer is simple … Touronimo!

building exercises.

In developing Touronimo, Askins did her homework. While researching the top 10 tech companies, she happened upon Vayable – a San Francisco-based enterprise offering tours of area attractions, with local experts providing the experience. Many of the companies such as Vayable were in big cities and largely catered to an International clientele.

Using the information gleaned from Vayable, Askins tailored her business model to suit the interests of the North Alabama community.

Experiences offered are primarily geared toward locals, with local experts hosting the adventures.

What’s in a name?

Touronimo owner/CEO/chief adventuress Jenny Askins In the case of Touronimo, it’s everything.

With the business blasting off like The company name was the result of a rocket in September 2019, owner/ a name generator app.

CEO/chief adventuress Jenny Askins “When I decided to create a busiidentified a real need for adventure ness, I kind of went to that to start in North Alabama. The experiences off with to get some inspiration,” offered have all been well-received, said Askins. “Creating something most have been sell-outs, whether it that sounds like something more be salsa dancing, cigar and bourbon fun.” events, ceramic glazing, or art jourOnce it all started coming tonaling. gether, a friend of Askins designed A Grissom High grad and a Touronimo’s catchy logo - an image local to the core, Askins has a wellof a city marker with feet, running established background in the world around town. of nonprofits. Much of her expeWhile most new ventures face rience has focused on organizing challenges and setbacks at the onset, and hammering out the details for most circumstances do not include events. Many of those events have a global pandemic, game-changing been group activities and teamcomponent.

When Askins opened for business in the fall of 2019, she could not have predicted the arrival of COVID-19 just months later. With a four-month shutdown, there was strong potential for the pandemic to completely upend her new business.

“I’ve always heard that it takes a year to get things going, so it’s been quite a year,” said Askins. “I was just kind of figuring it all out, learning my market and providing things that people were asking for.

“I had some really cool things ready in February, scheduled for March of 2020. I held onto the last minute, then realized it had to shut down.”

Touronimo was shut down from March until June, leaving Askins wondering about the future of the business.

“It was a mess. I didn’t really think I had anything left,” said Askins. “Then, a friend of mine said, ‘now that people are beginning to get out, you might be the only show in town. Just put something out there and see what happens.’”

And that is exactly what Askins did.

“I put on an aerial yoga class because I felt like it was distanced and safe enough, and I did a local distillery tour,” said Askins. “I did that, and they sold out with the number of seats we offered.

“So, I thought, ‘OK, maybe there is something still left.’ Maybe the timing was good

By Lori J. Connors / Jenny Askins photo by Steve Babin / Salsa bowl photos by Marianne Higgins

for me.”

Then, each month, Askins would add another event to the mix, just to gauge interest. She found that people were ready to try new things, to get out and go places again.

In addition to new things added, there are three mainstay experiences offered each month: Aerial Yoga, Cigars & Bourbon, and the Iron’s Whiskey Distillery tour at Lowe Mill.

Partnerships have also been another key to Touronimo’s success. Askins has developed strong partnerships with restaurants, area attractions, yoga and art studios, and local musicians.

Askins’ goal is to expand Touronimo throughout North Alabama.

“Last year I was trying to expand into Decatur, Florence, Guntersville, and some other cities,” said Askins.

“I want to cover North Alabama.

I didn’t make it last year, but I’m working on that this year. Anywhere there’s locals doing cool things.”

For more information, visit touronimo.com; facebook.com/ Touronimo. u

20

Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

SMALL BUSINESS

A Lesson in Resilience, Terramé Salon, Day Spa & Blow Dry Bar Opens in Madison MADISON -- Remember this time last year when the local economy was booming and business owners were focused on expansion and growth?

Terramé Salon, Day Spa & Blow Dry Bar was one of them.

Mike and Charla Johnson and Mike’s brothers, Jeff and Charles, opened their first Terramé Salon on Cecil Ashburn Drive in Jones Valley 18 years ago. That was before Cecil Ashburn traversed over the mountain to Hampton Cove and they became one of the first businesses to locate on the Jones Valley side.

Over the years, Terramé grew steadily and their Midtown location on South Memorial Parkway became a big hit after featuring the city’s first Blow Dry Bar. In 2019, the Johnsons purchased land across I-565 from Toyota Field along Madison Boulevard in Madison to build a third Terramé salon.

In February 2020, with the future bright ahead, they broke ground on the Madison site, only to have it come to a crashing halt when the COVID-19 pandemic tightened its grip on the country.

If there was any business more brutalized economically by the pandemic than the hospitality industry, it was the personal services

businesses such as hair salons, massage therapy, and day spas.

“It was scary, it really was,” said Charla Johnson.

“But we decided our word of the day, every day for the year 2020 and 2021 would be ‘resilience’. And that has kept us focused and moving forward.”

Their persistence paid off and the Johnsons opened their two-story, 16,660 square-foot salon and day spa at 8151 Madison Boulevard on Feb. 1. It is the largest freestanding hair salon and day spa in Alabama, excluding hotel and resort spas.

They are still completing a 5,000 square-foot commercial space next door, which they will lease to a business with whom they feel some synergy.

Madison Mayor Paul Finley praised their arrival.

“We are very happy Terramé chose our city,” said Finley. “Their new location will draw daytime traffic to Madison and, although we have a lot of people who come

home to Madison after work, I am focusing on offering quality of life services that bring more people to

By Kimberly Ballard / Photos by Steve Babin

Madison to shop, dine, and enjoy the day here.”

Jonathan Little, Midtown’s

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SMALL BUSINESS

senior hairstylist and now at the Madison location, said he and his wife Tish, also a hairstylist at Terramé but on leave with their new baby, said they were terrified when the statewide shutdown orders came last year.

“Suddenly, hair became a secondary thought to people,” he said. “We didn’t know how things would go – would people start doing their own hair, or would they want a stylist to come to their home? And then there was the fear of being out of work indefinitely, which turned out to be eight weeks, especially with a baby on the way.

“But we have great leadership here. We stayed in contact with Mike and Charla the whole time and they were amazing. They made it clear there was no backing out of opening this location.

“When we came back to work,

they took care of all the PPE and made sure everyone was taken care of - both employees and customers were kept safe.”

The ground floor of the new store consists of a 25-station salon for cut and color; shampoo stations with scalp massage; an eight-seat blow dry bar; a six-seat barbering station with full shaves and haircuts available; and an almost department store selection of retail products.

Social distancing is built into the wide-open floor plan. Everyone is masked, and there is Plexiglas at all the counters.

Upstairs is the luxurious day spa with its massage, facials, manicure and pedicure, waxing, professional make-up services, body treatments and Mike Johnson’s pride and joy – a 256-water jet hydrotherapy tub flown first class from Germany into Hunts-

ville International Airport.

“Many customers enjoy getting into the hydrotherapy tub first and then having a massage because it makes your muscles more malleable,” said Charla.

“We did a lot of studying and research before we added the spa

services because for a long time, massage therapy was considered self-indulging pampering.

“Now we know it is very medically beneficial to our bodies, helps us control stress, and helps the body release toxins that can make you sick.” u

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HEALTH / SCIENCE

The Alabama Genomic Health Initiative: Knowledge is Power Imagine a world where disease can be quickly identified through genetic analysis. Once considered the stuff of science fiction, genomic sequencing is now emerging to the forefront as a valuable means to identify and quite possibly, predict disease.

Genomic sequencing is an invaluable diagnostic tool for patients with rare genetic diseases. However, in the past, limited access, cost, and the understanding of its usefulness have been major challenges. As genomic testing has now become more available and affordable, it has made the uncovering of rare diseases, as well as the genetic potential for disease, an easier process.

In 2017, the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative (AGHI) was launched to address barriers to understanding genomics. It is one of the nation’s first state-funded efforts to harness the power of genomic analysis in finding answers for children and adults with undiagnosed medical challenges and adults who may have a high risk for developing certain diseases.

A collaborative effort among the University of Alabama in Birmingham, HudsonAlpha, and the state of Alabama, AGHI is led by Drs. Bruce Korf and Matthew Might of UAB and Dr. Greg Barsh of HudsonAlpha.

AGHI provides genomic testing, interpretation, and counseling free of charge to Alabama residents. The goal of the program is to engage at least 10,000 Alabamians in genetic testing, while educating participants about their genomic health.

“AGHI is helping to improve patient care, not only by providing diagnoses, but also by giving the general public a foundational understanding of the importance and value of being informed about their genomic health,” said Barsh. “Through the AGHI platform we are able to provide an invaluable opportunity to physicians and geneticists to confirm or identify a diagnosis that has gone undiagnosed despite a vast array of previous medical testing.”

The initial AGHI study results were recently published in Genetics in Medicine. The information reflects the first 176 rare disease participants and 5,369 participants in the first screening group.

Participants were recruited statewide. Each participant provided a blood sample, along with their personal and family health histories.

Two distinct groups of participants were identified: children and adults with undiagnosed rare diseases, and adults in the general population that did not have a personal or family history suggesting a genetic condition.

Participants in the rare disease group received genome sequencing, which evaluates a group of variants that are known to increase the likelihood of disease. The general population group received a genotyping test, a test that assesses each letter of a participant’s genetic code.

Of the 176 affected individuals in the rare disease group, thirty-five (19.9 percent) received a pathogenic or likely pathogenic result, indicating that a genetic variant was identified and thought to contribute to disease. Forty-two participants (23.9 percent) received an uncertain result, suggesting that a found genetic variant might have the potential to contribute to disease.

All participants received a report summarizing the results of their tests. Individuals whose results in-

clude actionable findings received genetic counseling and a referral to appropriate medical care.

Understanding the results and the implications associated with the

By Lori J. Connors

findings are crucial for participants, as well as for their families. In some instances, the new genetic information might help physicians to make a diagnosis for a disease that has been yet undiscovered for months or years.

“Being able to provide answers to individuals and their families who have been impacted by rare disease who may not have been able to otherwise access genome sequencing is one of the crowning achievements of AGHI to date,” said co-author Kelly East, a genetic counselor at HudsonAlpha. “We hope that the AGHI model can help inform similar programs elsewhere to give more communities awareness of and access to genomic testing.”

For more information, visit hudsonalpha.org. u

March 2021

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BRIEFCASE

New Orleans Selects Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure Division to Manage Records System The Orleans Parish Communication District, in coordination with the City of New Orleans, has selected Hexagon’s Safety and Infrastructure Division to provide a state-of-the-art, multi-agency records management system.

Huntsville-based Hexagon’s OnCall Records is a cloud-deployable records management system that serves law enforcement operations and administration. Accessed via browsers and mobile apps, it provides reliable access to comprehensive information and tools whenever and wherever needed.

“Hexagon OnCall Records is a flexible, powerful records management system that will serve as a centralized resource for the City of New Orleans,” said Ben Ernst, vice president and general manager of U.S. public safety for Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division.

“With OnCall Records, agencies in Orleans Parish will be able to quickly capture and harness information, inform investigations, enhance data quality and effectively manage resources.

“We’re excited to be partnering with OPCD and the city to deploy this robust solution safely and securely in the cloud and to serve as the administrator, which will allow first responders to focus on their primary role in keeping the community safe.” u

Progress Bank Celebrates 13th Anniversary Progress Bank celebrated its 13th anniversary, marking the oc-

casion with a social media gift card giveaway to support local restaurants.

Progress Bank was formed in 2007 as the only state-chartered, locally owned and managed bank in Huntsville and Decatur. The initial leadership team, which has more than 120 years of combined banking experience, includes four executives who are still with Progress today.

In 2017, Progress merged with First Partners Bank and opened branches in Birmingham, Vestavia and Destin. A branch in Inlet Beach, Fla., opened in 2018.

The company expanded its mortgage division and opened a full-service office in Inlet Beach and Santa Rosa Beach in 2020; a deposit and loan production office opened in Daphne last fall. u

Reboot Wellness Therapy to Aid Mental Health Concerns Reboot Wellness, a mental health center, has opened in Huntsville.

The office, at 475 Providence Main Street, uses a non-invasive therapy to address various mental health concerns.

The FDA-registered device created by IASIS Technologies helps improve forms of clinical depression, anxiety, addiction, ADD/ ADHD, insomnia, autism, PTSD, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and more. The device uses Micro Current Neurofeedback to help the brain and nervous system regulate themselves, without the need for long term prescription medications.

“My goal has always been to

help people heal from whatever challenges hinder them from their most abundant life,” said cofounder Beau Armistead. “We have found this technique is a very effective and results driven solution.”

For information, call 256-9072770, visit http://www.rebootmcn. com or email info@rebootmcn. com. u

Limestone, Madison Counties Among State’s Easiest to Get Mortgages Two metro Huntsville counties are among the state’s easiest to get a mortgage.

That’s according to a recent study from financial technology company SmartAsset that ranked the counties that are “Best Places to Get a Mortgage.”

Limestone County was first on the list and Madison County was fourth.

To determine the best places in the state to get a mortgage, the study compared four factors: overall borrowing costs, likelihood of securing a mortgage, property taxes and annual mortgage payments.

To calculate the overall borrowing costs, SmartAsset analyzed the expected costs throughout the first five years for a $200,000 mortgage with a 20 percent down payment, including closing costs.

The company calculated the ease of getting a mortgage as the ratio of mortgage applications to mortgage originations (secured mortgages) in each county.

Limestone County had a 68.26 percent loan funding rate with five-year borrowing costs figured at

$69,107. The average property tax is $4,782 with the average annual mortgage payment of $13,056. Its loan funding rate index is 68.30.

In Madison County, the study showed a loan funding rate of 67.81 percent with five-year borrowing costs of $69,107; property taxes of $6,015 and $13,056 annual mortgage payment. The loan funding rate index is 67.80.

Shelby County was ranked second, Lee County was third and Lauderdale County was fifth. u

Alabama Coal Association Rebrands as Alabama Mining Association MONTGOMERY – Expanding its focus to include sand, stone and gravel industries, the Alabama Coal Association announced its rebranding as the Alabama Mining Association.

AMA’s formation following a membership vote includes a new digital identity and website – alabamamining.org.

The mission of AMA is to promote the safe and sustainable mining of the natural resources that “strengthen our infrastructure and grow our economy for all Alabamians,” the news release said.

“Whether you mine the stone, sand and gravel that strengthens our infrastructure, met coal exported to steelmakers around the world or the thermal coal that powers local industry, AMA is the partner that keeps you producing,” said Patrick Cagle, president of the Alabama Mining Association. u

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