Economic growth is vital to Hartselle

By Staff
Bob Francis, Guest Columnist
Chairman, Hartselle Development Board
Hartselle is postured for significant new retail development. Key demographics, including transportation infrastructure and profile of potential customers, beg for a distinct and modern regional shopping complex.
The I-65/Highway 36 interchange area, recommended in the 2002 I-65 corridor study for major retail development, offers Hartselle the opportunity to become a regional shopping destination with easy access by a large customer base.
Over 150 acres of property adjacent to the interchange are available for development. Comprehensive utilities infrastructure exists west of I-65 and is planned for the east side in 2007. I-65 and Highway 36 combined traffic at the interchange is 45,000 vehicles daily, a major asset for attracting retail development.
Widening of Highway 36 into Hartselle, now an approved project by the Alabama Department of Transportation, will, when completed, offer Hartselle one of the most attractive interstate gateways in the North Alabama region, thus attracting visitors and shoppers to our city.
The interstate, networked with other regional highways, accommodates access to Hartselle for 40,000 and 162,000 residents within 15-minute and 30-minute driving times, respectively.
The respective average household incomes within this trade zone are $58,000 and $52,000, suggesting favorable disposable
income.
Hartselle is limited and in some cases totally deficient in being able to offer shoppers a comprehensive variety of merchandise. Thus, numerous potential customers who would find travel to Hartselle convenient must go elsewhere to satisfy their shopping needs.
Opportunity exists for Hartselle to become a major retail center for much of the North Alabama region with the added bonus of attracting interstate travelers and regional visitors as customers.
With a major retail center offering “core” shopping attraction, it can be expected that additional trade will permeate the city. Intense, organized effort to recruit new business has resulted in expressed interest by major developers, and it seems reasonable to expect extensive development to occur in the near future.
Meanwhile, Hartselle has immediate opportunity to gain customers in the form of interstate travelers and regional visitors. This opportunity lies largely in the historic character of the city coupled with antique and specialty shops.
Concerted effort began in the summer of 2005 to develop a marketing campaign to bring these customers into our city. The goal was to catch travelers eyes and maintain their interest from the time they enter the state until they reach “destination Hartselle.”
The foundation of this campaign was to be a memorable logo. The logo, all in bright red color, “You’ll Love (symbolized graphically by a heart) Hartselle” was conceptualized and discussed with 16 local business owners/operators who unanimously voiced approval.
With this expression of support, the following has been accomplished, all prominently displaying the logo in bright ref on a yellow background:
Brochure appealing visitors and prospective residents and businesses to be placed in all eight Alabama welcome centers and the Cullman I-65 rest stop. These brochures characterize Hartselle’s attractiveness to each segment and are currently in the I-65 welcome center near the Tennessee state line and the Cullman rest stop. Mass reproduction of the brochure is in progress, and it will be placed in remaining seven welcome centers by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.
Posters, approximately 3 feet by 3 feet, displayed in the I-65 welcome center near the Tennessee state line and in the I-65 rest stop near Cullman. These posters call attention to Hartselle’s historic attraction, antique and specialty shops, and recurring festivals while advertising food and lodging.
Two billboards, respectively about four miles north and south of Hartselle along I-65, which reiterate the city’s attractions and beckon travelers to exit.
Additionally, plans are in progress to install a welcome sign at Exit 328 (I-65 and Highway 36), which bears the logo, is internally lighted and will have a changeable message board to publicize events such as Depot Days, Christmas Open House, Wings of Thunder, etc.
It is anticipated that this initiative to create a “destination Hartselle” will stimulate new ideas among business and property owners for creative marketing of our city, thus increasing volume for existing businesses and further encouraging new businesses to locate here.
Success is dependent on teamwork of all who have a vested interest in our city. Maximum success can be attained by developing an overall plan so convincing and compelling that determination to achieve overwhelms the risk of investment.
Vision and creative thinking are essential.
The overall potential is so great that we cannot afford to ignore it. Such a venture requires participation and shared investment by all stakeholders including government, civic organizations and business and property owners.
Retail growth is vitally important to Hartselle’s future. We must act with haste and diligence to prevent further business leakage and to capture business now being lost to neighboring municipalities.