Est. 1922 A CITY ON THE MOVE - Bessemer

1 2015 | Volume XA city ON THE MOVEEst. 1922A publication of the Besssemer Area Chamber of CommerceWallace B. Purdy, MDGraduate of UAB School of MedicineBoard Certified Internal MedicineReid S. Christopher, MDGraduate of UAB School of MedicineBoard Certified Internal MedicineReid S. Christopher, MDWallace B. Purdy, MDBoard Certified, Internal MedicineGround Level ParkingOn-Site Lab & Bone Density ScreeningBessemer Medical Building1088 9th Avenue SW Bessemer 35022 426-0546 Members of the Bessemer Chamber of Commerce & Vestavia Hills Chamber of CommerceWest Jefferson Internal Medicine4 TABLE OF CONTENTSWANT TO CONTRIBUTEThis is a publication of the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce. Mail letters and story ideas to Bessemer Area Chamber, 321 18th Street North, Bessemer , Alabama 35020.. Copyright 2015 by Bessemer Area Chamber of Com-merce.

2 All rights reserved. Disclaimer: This book is for informational and promotional purposes only. Bessemer Chamber in no way warrants or guarantees any information contained herein. All pictures not taken by staff of Chamber are used by permission. Welcome 5 Letter from the Board 7 New to Bessemer (Map) city 9 A city on the Move Business 18 Milo s Tea Co. Goes Nationwide 20 A Koch Family Tradition 22 Autobahn Indoor Speedway Comes to BessemerEnvironment 32 A Better Way to Recycle 33 Every Drop CountsEducation & Culture 34 A New Sound in the city Bessemer city Schools 1:1 Digital Initiative 35 Life Mosaic: A Book Review Partner With Us 37 Directory 52 Corporate SponsorsFour Years in the Making: Building A Better BessemerBusiness is BoomingInvestment by the business community is at an all time high.

3 MilestonesReflecting Over 20 Years Service of Sarah Belcher in the Bessemer community. Investing in Better HealthBessemer area hospital: Medical West is ! The Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce is one of the most historic chambers in the United States and is proud to enter its 93rd year of supporting businesses and the surrounding community. Thank you for picking up a copy of the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce Magazine. In this publication, you will find several articles about great happenings here in the Bessemer area. From the expansion of services by the city of Bessemer to the location of new businesses within our community, we are excited to share with you some of the things ahead in our community. Filled with examples of the strong foundation of city government and local busi-nesses, this edition will also highlight health, environment, and other education & culture happenings in the Bessemer area.

4 Businesses are thriving here, and our area continues to draw people from across the country because of stable govern-ment, low-cost of living , ease of access to three interstates, and the industry sup-port necessary to make your business successful. The Mission of the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce is to promote the eco-nomic well-being of regional businesses and represent the business community in economic, political, civic, educational, and cultural development of the region. Our first priority is to assist the community in economic growth by inviting new employers and helping existing industries expand. The city of Bessemer is experiencing a period of unparalleled growth and expan-sion that we are excited to be a part of, and we invite you to join in. The Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce is here to provide you with information and person-alized service to meet your needs.

5 We are located in Historic Downtown Besse-mer at 321 18th Street North. Come by to visit us, contact us at (205) 425-3253, or visit our website: for more information on how we can partner with Messer2015 Chairman of the BoardBessemer Area Chamber of Commerce| Bessemer Magazine 2015 |Published by Bessemer Area Chamber of CommercePublisher: Roderick J. EvansLayout/Design: Sandra SlateContributing Writers: Sarah Belcher, Alan Gurganus, Toraine Norris, Dr. Erline PatrickAdvertising Sales: Latasha Cook Administration: Mary MilanPrinting/Production: Craftsman PrintingContact: Debbie Patton120 Citation Court, Birmingham, AL Membership Information Contact: Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce321 18th Street N., Bessemer , AL | fax: 2015 Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce67 The University of Alabama, UAB, Miles College, Birmingham-Southern College, Samford University and Montevallo College are all within a short drive of FACILITIES: Medical West Hospital, an affiliate of the UAB Health System.

6 995 9th Avenue South-west, Bessemer , AL 35022 (205) 481-7000. Emergencies dial 911. Brookwood Medical Center, 2010 Brookwood Medical Center Dr, Birmingham, AL 35209, (205) 877-1998, Middle Creek Medical Center, PC, 4810 Bell Hill Road, Bessemer , AL 35020, (205) 426-3737 MUSEUM: Bessemer Hall of History 1905 Alabama Avenue, Bessemer , AL 35020, (205) 426-1633 RECREATION: Alabama Splash Adventure Water & Theme Park 4599 Visionland Parkway, Besse-mer, AL 35022, (205) 481-4750 city of Bessemer s Frank House Municipal Golf Course - 801 Golf Course Road, Besse-mer, AL 35022 - (205) 424-9540. Also in the area are Bent Brook Golf Club 7900 Dickey Springs Road Bessemer (205) 428-1999; Woodward Golf & Country Club 2141 Wheel Drive Bessemer (205) 428-0307; and Robert Trent Jones at Oxmoor Valley -100 Sunbelt Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35211 - (205) 942-1177 Historic Tannehill State Park is just a short drive from downtown.

7 12632 Confeder-ate Parkway, McCalla, AL 35111 - (205) 477-5711. Premiere Cinema 14 Tannehill 4801 Promenade Parkway - Box Office: (205) 428-4401 RESTAURANTS & SHOPPING: See Directory beginning on page 37 for complete restaurant listing. Promenade Tannehill off Exit 1 on I459, 4933 Promenade Pkwy, Bessemer , AL 35022 (includes Target, Publix, JcPenney, among other shops and various eateries); Other shopping available at Exit 108 on I-20/50 includes Walmart, ALDI, various hotels and eateriesWith a mix of shopping, world-class restaurants, churches, recreational and enter-tainment attractions, Bessemer is a place to explore. Please review the directory listing for other great places to toBessemer? Nestled in the Jones Valley at the end of the foothills of the Appalachian Chain, Bessemer sits strategically along Interstate 59/20 and is centrally located to the econom-ic centers of Birmingham, Hoover, Tuscaloosa and the Mercedes Plant in Vance.

8 The Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area where our city is located is home to over 1 million recent years, Dollar General, Amsted Rail, Pipe, Shoals Ambulance, Processing , Steyr Arms and others have located facilities within our city . W here Bessemer once thrived through iron ore manufacturing , the city is now home to a diverse blend of industry and companies. Please note this quick reference of the most requested items:AIRPORT: The Bessemer Airport is one of the city s gems and preferred destination for small plane traffic. Mitchell Field is a short drive from downtown Bessemer , Birmingham and Hoover. 900 Mitchel Field Road, Bessemer , Alabama 35022, (205) 424-7234 Bessemer AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:321 18th Street North, Bessemer , Al 35020, (205) 425 - 3253 Bessemer LIBRARY: 400 19th Street North, Bessemer , AL 35020, (205) 428-7882 city OF Bessemer .

9 Administrative Mayor s Office, Building & Inspections, city Clerk & Treasurer, Of-fice of the city Council, Economic Development, GIS/Information Technology, and Revenue Department-1800 3rd Avenue North, Bessemer , Alabama 35020 (205) 424-4060 city Attorney 1826 3rd Avenue North, Suite 200, (205) 432-0270 Civic Center 1130 9th Avenue SW, Bessemer , Alabama 35022 (205) 424-7469 Fire - 1111 2nd Avenue North, (205) 428-5151, if emergency dial 911 Fleet Maintenance - 1121 15th Avenue North, (205) 425-3291 Municipal Court - 23 North 15th Street, (205) 426-8602 Police - 23 North 15th Street, (205) 481-4351, if emergency dial 911 Parks & Recreation - 100 14th Street South, (205) 428-1124 Public Improvements 1205 15th Avenue North, (205) 424-4084 Utilities Electric & Water Service 1600 1st Avenue North, (205) 481-4333 EDUCATION: Bessemer Board of Education 1621 5th Avenue North, Bessemer , AL 35020, (205) 432-3000 Lawson State Community College Bessemer Campus - 1100 Ninth Avenue SW, Bessemer , AL 35022, (205) 925-2515 ITT Tech - 6270 Park South Drive, Bessemer , AL 35022, (800) 488-7033 Bessemer Academy - 1705 Fourth Ave.

10 , SW, Bessemer , AL 35022, (205) 428-45459 Fast- forward188718861886. The town of Bes-semer, Alabama was born. Iron and steel magnate Henry Fairfield DeBar-deleben founded Bessemer , and his dream was to make Bessemer a city steel center that would attract compa-nies and people from all over the Unit-ed States. 1887. DeBardeleben bought 4,000 acres of land and marked off blocks for a new town along the rail lines of the Alabama Great South-ern Railway. Sir Henry Bessemer , who invented the open-hearth method of steel producing and revolutionized the steel industry, was chosen as the town s namesake. Soon the dream of DeBar-deleben began to take shape and the newly incorporated city of Bessemer as we know it today began.