Business Happenings - September 2022

Openings/Closures

Pastry chef Kristen Hall and chef Victor King have opened a new brick-and-mortar location in downtown Birmingham at 2215 First Ave. N., for their shop called Bandit Patisserie. Hall first opened the shop in 2013 at another location but had to close in 2020 and since then has been doing a weekly pop-up at the farmers market at Pepper Place. The new shop opened Aug. 9 next door to what will be the wine bar and sister restaurant Bar La Fete. Bandit Patisserie offers a rotating selection of freshly baked danishes, macarons, sucree tarts, breads and a daily focaccia sandwich. 205-920-1862

Patterson Builds is now open and offering handyman services. 205-739-4539

Little Professor Bookshop, 2844 18th St. S. in Homewood, is adding a second location in Pepper Place this October. “The last two years have surpassed our hopes and confirmed our beliefs: local love is stronger than ever, books are rebounding, and shared spaces strengthen relationships,” the owners said in a statement. The new location is a “blank slate,” and will look a bit different than the 18th Street location in Homewood. There are plans to offer a full-service fixed bar with coffee, drinks and a light cafe menu, along with books and a calendar of events. During the month of September, Little Professor will offer a coffee and book pop-up in the new space from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays during the farmer’s market at Pepper Place.

New Ownership

Centennial, a real estate investment firm with a national portfolio of retail and mixed-use destinations as well as a full-service advisory services platform, has acquired the operating platform of Bayer Properties, a best-in-class open-air real estate company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. Bayer’s management portfolio includes nearly 8 million square feet of open-air fashion, power and neighborhood centers as well as mixed-use destinations with many of the most coveted tenants in the nation, making it an attractive purchase for Centennial. These properties include The Pizitz and The Summit in Birmingham. The combined organization will take the Centennial name and the headquarters will remain in Dallas. Bayer’s Birmingham headquarters will remain operational and will become a regional office for Centennial. Bayer’s president, Jami Wadkins, will join Centennial as Chief Operating Officer immediately upon acquisition.

New Construction

O’Neal Steel recently announced it will invest $2.6 million in new manufacturing equipment to expand the capabilities of its Birmingham headquarters at 744 41st St. N. The investment includes the addition of a flat laser and press brake for the value-added processing of metal parts and will add six new jobs to the operation. Tate Forrester, President and CEO of O’Neal Steel, said the capital investment of $2.6 million will allow the company to strategically expand their first step processing capabilities, which includes one press brake and one flat laser. The additional machines will further support growth into new markets through the flagship plant in Birmingham. 205-599-8000

Bayer Properties and The OPAL Fund have begun construction on The Hardwick, a 111-year-old steel plant located downtown on the eastern end of Birmingham’s Rotary Trail at 2308 1st Ave. S. Formerly occupied by Hardwick Company, the building historically served as a fabricated and prefabricated steel processing plant amongst other uses. The current structure will be redeveloped into a 61,000 square foot mixed-use community hub featuring office and restaurant space. We have explored and considered additional adaptive reuse projects within our city’s urban core,” said Jami Wadkins, president of Bayer Properties. “The redevelopment of the Hardwick building will bring a much needed pedestrian-friendly mixed-use property to the area, complementing the fabric of the surrounding neighborhood.” The OPAL Fund, a nearly $19 million Qualified Opportunity Fund, is the lead equity investor for The Hardwick. 205-323-5258

News and Accomplishments

The Children’s of Alabama Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Center was recently awarded the Children’s ECMO Center with the ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) along with a Gold Level Center of Excellence. “This is a remarkable achievement by our center, and I am proud of each team member’s contribution to this recognition,” Martha McBride, clinical coordinator of the Children’s ECMO Center, said. “As a Center of Excellence, we are recognized for an exceptional commitment to evidence-based processes and quality measures, staff training and continuing education, patient satisfaction and ongoing clinical care. I am extremely proud to work with such an outstanding, hardworking ECMO team!” Children’s has been recognized as a Center of Excellence every year since 2013. ELSO announces Award for Excellence winners every three years, and Children’s is a Gold Level Center of Excellence for the second straight cycle. 205-638-9100

Walton Financial, a financial planning company based in Birmingham, announced that its founder, Scott Walton, has been named to Forbes’ Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list for 2022. Walton Financial has been providing individuals, families, and organizations with financial guidance since 1999. The firm prides itself on crafting strategies to meet each client’s unique needs and goals. 205-871-0154

Byars|Wright Insurance, which has locations in Birmingham, Homewood and other cities, is merging with Pritchett-Moore Insurance, based in Tuscaloosa. As a result of the deal, the Where Relationships Matter Group, LLC (WRM) formed. Both Alabama agencies are now members of the WRM Group. Byars|Wright President Haig Wright II and Pritchett-Moore President Lin Moore are longtime friends and respected industry leaders. They are pleased to formally partner in this way and agree that this partnership provides remarkable opportunities for all involved.

Personnel Moves

American Family Care (AFC), the nation’s leading provider of urgent care, occupational medicine, and accessible primary care, announced the promotion of Jason Badyrka to Chief Operating Officer. In his new position, he will oversee all daily administrative and operational functions of both the corporate and the franchise divisions; to further align the company as one unified brand. Today, the AFC healthcare network includes more than 200 franchise locations and nearly 80 corporate-owned clinics and will open its 300th location later this year. The company is projected to have 500 locations in the coming years. 205-403-8902

Lanayia White has joined the growing team of dedicated real estate sales professionals at EXIT Realty Birmingham, 2808 7th Ave S., Suite 111. The office is a member of EXIT Realty Alabama’s rapidly expanding network of independently owned and operated brokerages across the region. 205-202-2747

Storyteller Overland, an industry leader in the class B RV and adventure vehicle manufacturing space located at 109 West Park Drive, is excited to welcome Summer Trammell as its new Chief of Staff. Summer brings eight years of experience managing people and data at a high level in the vehicle manufacturing industry. As Chief of Staff, Summer will work directly with Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Hunter, as the primary coordinator and liaison for internal and external relations. She is also responsible for collaboration on communications, business development, shareholder and public relations initiatives, as well as oversight of Storyteller’s Outreach Uplift & Love (S.O.U.L.) fund for charitable and community stewardship opportunities. “I’ve always wanted to be part of a successful startup, and it was a perfect match since Storyteller Overland is also connected to the outdoor industry,” she said. “What really sold me, though, was when I came and saw the office space and met the people. I’ve never met a group of people that is so diverse in its backgrounds, but works together so cohesively and so passionately towards building an awesome brand. Storyteller puts an immense effort into building a healthy and lasting culture, and I knew I wanted to be part of it.” 888-999-7442

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. has elected Ted Alling, a Vestavia Hills native, to its board of directors, effective immediately. He brings to UNITED’s board innovative business experience and a passion for creating economic opportunities in Chattanooga, a part of UNITED’s franchise territory and home of the world’s first Coca-Cola bottler. “Ted has acquired a wealth of entrepreneurial expertise and extensive knowledge of the logistics industry, which will be very beneficial as Coca-Cola United continues to grow and excel in customer service,” said Claude B. Nielsen, chairman, Coca-Cola United, the 120-year-old company based in Birmingham, Alabama. “His passion for using his entrepreneurial achievements to create opportunities for others in Chattanooga is truly inspiring and will positively impact the community for generations to come.” Alling’s election to the board continues United’s tradition of having representation on its board of directors from across the company’s geographic territory, with Chattanooga being the cornerstone given its historic significance in the Coca-Cola System and as a dynamic community with extraordinary Coca-Cola loyalty. A resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Alling is the co-founder and former CEO of a $500-million startup, Access America, which merged with the United Parcel Service (UPS) subsidiary Coyote Logistics. That initial success allowed Alling and his fellow Access America founders to create Lamp Post Group, a venture capital firm and tech-focused incubator located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Red Diamond has named Will Bowron as the VP of Wholesale Distribution. Will first worked at Red Diamond from 2014 to 2016, then earned his MBA at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School as the 2016 recipient of the Goetz Scholarship. As VP of Wholesale Distribution, Bowron will manage the division dedicated to growing sales of Red Diamond’s products and services to restaurants, hotels, convenience stores and other foodservice operations across the country. 205-577-4000