Back Forty Beer Company, co-founded by Southside High Class of 1998 Grad Jason Wilson to move to Gadsden later this year.

(Gadsden, AL - August 19, 2010) A local boy is bucking the trend and bringing his business back to Gadsden. Its a trend he hopes to see reversed in the future. But, there's a few more hurdles to overcome, says former Gadsden area resident and Auburn grad, Jason Wilson.

Earlier this month, the Gadsden city council approved a first step effort that will eventually result in the operation of a micro brewery in the Downtown Gadsden district. Once those efforts are concluded next week, Back Forty Brewery will officially begin merging operations and management from several locations throughout the Southeast to Gadsden, AL in the old Puckett's building on 6th Street.

By state law, a micro brewery is limited in the amount of beer it may brew to 15,000 barrels a year. The local beer company will build to be able to produce that maximum capacity, but is unsure if it will need to create that much inventory initially. There are moves afoot in the Alabama Statehouse to increase the maximum number of barrels allowed, according to the "Free the Hops" Association.

"We're not a massive operation," Wilson explains, "its a 'hands-on' operation." Back Forty is truly an Alabama company. Wilson's co-founder, Zack Folmer hails from Pelham. The company's logo was designed in Athens, their attorney is from Birmingham, and their accountant is in Dothan. However, some of the operations is currently run from Atlanta, while the beers are actually being brewed just north of Pass Christian, MS in the sleepy little town of Kiln, MS - most known for its favorite son NFL great Brett Favre.

Once the equipment is built, delivered and installed, Back Forty will move its entire operations into Downtown Gadsden as quickly as possible. Once the company begins brewing its lines of alcoholic drinks, Wilson says they will employ about 15 workers within the first year, with a payroll of up to forty laborers and salaried employees within five years.

None of those workers will "smell like they work at a brewery or distillery," Wilson notes. "Contrary to the old cliche' a brewery doesn't smell like a lot of beer. It actually smells a lot like a bakery." That smell, he recalled, used to spread from a bread bakery just a few hundred feet down the railroad tracks on 12th Street.

Wilson says his company turned down offers from Birmingham, Auburn and Sylacauga - all of whom offered incentives to move there to move to his hometown. Gadsden offered no incentives to bring their business to the city. "We love Gadsden. It is Beautiful, has lots of natural resources, the tourism business is improving and I want to bring something to Gadsden the city can be proud of."

Wilson graduate from Southside High School in 1998 and then attended Auburn University where he earned a Logistics and Supply Chain Management degree. When asked how an Alabama boy goes from a Logistics degree to co-owning a micro brewery, he explained that as a student he traveled a bit and noticed a "commonality in most metro areas - we noticed a new trend of local brew pubs in those growing areas."

While the state law won't currently allow a true "brew pub" in Alabama, it has, with the "Free the Hops" legislation made it easier for breweries to produce their beers and sell them in the state. Previous to passage of that law, lower alcohol levels required made it harder to produce marketable product.

He says he saw a southern sensibility in the business model. "At a local brew pub, you buy a local product from a local producer - you know the person you're buying from. We've been doing that in the south for years!" he exclaims. Wilson recalled produce stands, the long-held practice of word of mouth referrals and other methods of doing business in the south that has held to the "buy local" mentality that has kept the south strong.

Currently, brewmaster Jamie Ray, from Montgomery, AL travels to Lazy Magnolia Breweries in southern Mississippi to produce their two labels of beer. Both labels helped earn the Back Forty Brewery recognition as one of the Top 50 Contract Craft Brewers by the American Brewers Association in 2010.

Label Proof for Back Forty Beer Company's second micro-brewery flavor, Truck Stop Honey that features wildflower honey from the Mobile area.

Truck Stop Honey is the company's newest label and is created with  wildflower honey made in Mobile. The light colored ale is different from the original beer from Back Forty, creatively named Naked Pig Ale. Wilson says they company is working on several other recipes, including a Wheat-Ale that uses peaches from Chilton County, and are investigating the possibility of using hops that could be grown in Alabama soil.

The company "hopes to change the perception of Gadsden as a place to live, not a place to leave," says Wilson. He readily acknowledges his desire to leave Gadsden and not come back when he graduate from high school thirteen years ago.

That desire began changing as soon as he graduated from Auburn and started looking for jobs. Saying he had offers from several locations, he began to feel that he wanted to at least stay in the Southeastern United States. As soon as he took a job in Baton Rogue, he says, he started looking back home for a job.

"I've watched Broad Street transform from an empty street where young people would get a ticket if they drove down the street too many times to what it is today - filled with entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment from the city to see it grow." He pointed out the restoration of the Pitman Theatre and other improvements he would see while returning to visit as reasons to move back.

Wilson says the company plans to make the brewery a tourist attraction with tours of the operation which will include brewery and bottling operations. In the future, if the state laws change allowing a brewery to sell its product, the company might even develop its on restaurant/pub in the building.

He says the company will be expecting delivery of Stainless Steel tanks from Chicago, followed by installation and inspection of the equipment. "We should be open within eight to ten weeks - sometime in October or November," he says.

(Gadsden, AL - August 19, 2010) The Gadsden City Council is considering an amendment to its business license regulations that will clear the way for Back Forty Brewery to move into the old Puckett's Distribution Center on North 6th Street later this year.

Back Forty has been brewing its beer in Kiln, MS for several years. Following the state's passing of the "Free the Hops" law last year, the path was set for the company to move "home" to Gadsden. Currently, the beers are brewed in Mississippi while much of the operations has been managed in Georgia.

The company is already working toward bringing in the necessary stainless steel tanks and piping to brew the ale and beer recipes that are already being sold from the Tennessee Valley to the Gulf Coast.

Council members read the ordinance into the minutes during the August 17, 2010 meeting and will vote on the measure next Wednesday, August 25.

The amendment will add a new classification of business licenses. Once passed, the city will offer licenses for Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (CODE 312) and Breweries (CODE 312120), with Breweries listed as a Schedule 64 business license.

Included in the ordinance is a location restriction for breweries. Based on state code "no original license for the manufacture of beer or malt or brewed beverage... shall be issued for a location that is within 300 feet of a church building or a school building."

However, there are some loopholes to that restriction. "This restriction shall not apply within any area zoned as a B-4 design review district."

The ordinance changes will become effective as soon as it is published.

Back Forty Brewery is also awaiting official acceptance from the Zoning Board following acceptance of the measure by the city council.

Gadsden is one of 22 cities listed nationwide at risk of slipping into recession again, according to Moody's Economy.com

(New York, NY - August 19, 2010) Moody's Economy.com is predicting the Gadsden metro area will be one of 22 cities at risk of slipping back into a recession within the next three months or more.

That report, based on the evaluation of a team of economists considered employment, housing and industrial production.

Also included in the list from the Southeastern US region are: Anderson, SC; Athens, GA; Gulfport-Biloxi, MS; Macon, GA and Mobile, AL. More than half of the cities are in the traditional "South" of the United States, with five cities concentrated in the Midwest.

The author of the report, Andrew Gledhill, says there is a 25% chance of a national "double-dip" recession, while he estimates Gadsden and 21 other cities in the nation are likely to experience another dip in the economy between now and the first half of 2011.

Part of Gledhill's evaluation is based on hiring in those communities. According to his report, employment has been tapering off when compared to earlier months this year.

Gledhill says Gadsden's chances of a double-dip recession will increase significantly if there is not a "substantial" increase in hiring in the metropolitan area.

The report indicates part of the problem is a strong reliance on manufacturing for employment, which will cause the localized recession - one that likely will not result in a national recession.

Gadsden Industrial Development Authority Director Mike McCain says he has problems understanding the negative report in light of various articles and papers indicating the strength of Gadsden to attract re-locating industries, such as an 2007 article in Expansion Management magazine.

That article showed the strengths of the region in attracting industries interested in re-locating, according to McCain. While the article is no longer available from the link on the Gadsden Industrial Development webpage touting the findings of the report, it indicates the area ranked 11th in a national list of small communities poised for recruitment and attraction of industrial re-locations.

McCain points to a recent announcement of Fehrer Automotive to build a Tier-1 level manufacturing operation in Gadsden that will supply just in time delivery of molded foam products for Mercedes in Tuscaloosa and Volkswagen in Chattanooga, TN.

McCain stresses that the county's unemployment rate remains below the statewide rate, and that the three industrial development announcements this year will result in an increase in employment opportunities in the region starting next year.

According to Moody's Economy.com website, Gadsden's economic outlook ranks slightly above the 50% mark. That report indicates the metro area has a relatively high cost of doing business and cost of living, mostly due to tax structures.

It lists the recent decision by Goodyear to remain in the area as an immediate strength in the Gadsden economy, while it also says the region's "high exposure to secularly declining old-line manufacturing" is one of the county's weaknesses.

While listing affordable housing as a strength, it also reports low per capita income, preventing many in the area from being able to purchase a home. A third weakness reported by the website is "poor demographics."

The website offers several economic evaluation products for purchase to help clients including businesses, governments and professional investors evaluate regions for strategic planning purposes, sales forecasting, and investment research.

(Piedmont, AL - August 18, 2010) The Alabama Department of Public Safety is issuing a missing child alert for a 16 year old boy last seen in Piedmont, Alabama on July 10.

The alert indicates that James Micheal Devoe, a 16 year old white male is considered a runaway and may be in the states of Alabama, Louisiana or Texas. He is described as a white male, 5 ft 7 in, with blue eyes and black hair. It is unclear how Devoe is traveling at this time.

If you have any information leading to the recovery of the teenage boy, please call Officer Carolyn Durham at (256) 447-0901.

MISSING PERSON REPORT

Category: Unknown Status: Active Case Number: M908974932 Date Issued: 08/18/2010 Comments: James Michael Devoe was last seen in Piedmont, Alabama on July 10, 2010. He is considered a runaway and may be in the states of Alabama, Louisiana, or Texas. His mode of travel is unknown.
Contact Information Contact: Officer Carolyn Durham Phone: (256) 447-9091 Alternate Contact: Alternate Phone:
Person Information Status: Missing Name: Devoe , James Michael Gender: Male Race: White Eye Color: Blue Hair Color: Black Height: 5'7 Weight: 177  lbs. Current Age: 16 Year(s) Age Last Seen: 16 Location Last Seen: Piedmont, Alabama NCIC Number: M908974932 Comments: Picture(s)