The new Publix in Wetumpka was in full bloom Wednesday for the grand opening.
So much so that the first purchase a bouquet of flowers, most fittingly for the First Lady of Wetumpka.
“Well, they better be for my wife,” Wetumpka Mayor Jerry Willis said with a smile as he was decked out in green for the ribbon cutting. He even autographed the first dollar bill for the store after making the sweet purchase.
“It’s a green day in Wetumpka,” Willis said. “We are so excited about this.”
More than 100 people lined up to be one of the first customers in the new store. Although the official ribbon cutting to celebrate the grand opening took just a few moments, getting the store open in Wetumpka took a decade or more.
“It’s a dream,” Willis said. “A lot of people moved a lot of parts to make it happen. It takes a joint effort to make it happen.”
The Trotman Company is the developer responsible for connecting Publix with Wetumpka. The process has been long from the developer’s side as well.
“Publix has been looking at Wetumpka for 10 or more years,” Charlie Trotman Jr. said. “They couldn’t find the right site. They have always wanted to be on 231, but always on a hard corner.”
The developer eventually brought a property owner to the table to help bring the Publix project to fruition.
“It is not easy,” Trotman said. “There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that happens. It’s not an overnight thing. It takes years to pull it all together.”
Publix wanted to locate where it had entrances to U.S. Highway 231 and a side street such as Fort Toulouse Road. Publix also wanted a traffic light nearby. Access to the highway had to be approved by the Alabama Department of Transportation. The City of Wetumpka can help make the connections, but the decision lies on ALDOT.
“They already had plans for this road construction project and we were able to work our plans into theirs to make this come together,” Trotman said. “It’s a group effort.”
Trotman and his father are from Montgomery but know Elmore County as many friends and family live and travel through the area. They know Wetumpka and Elmore County are special.
“We knew how much these citizens wanted a Publix and how long they wanted one,” Trotman said. “To do that is special. That is what we pride ourselves on is enhancing the community and bringing exceptional tenants to the community.”
The Trotman Company has worked with Publix in the past. They have also worked with Best Buy, TJ Maxx and Burlington in other communities. It worked because of connections and relationships developed over the years and by attending large retail trade shows where tenant representatives are.
“You find them and get to the right person that has this area is key,” Trotman said. “You start building a relationship and you never know what might happen.”
At the same time Trotman tries to see where a retailer might fit.
“You know where a tenant is not and where a tenant would do well,” Trotman said. “You have to find a good site for them. In this case, it was this corner.”
Landowners are part of the mix as well. Trotman approaches them to gauge their interest in projects and tries to work a deal to bring a retail development.
Looking at Wetumpka and Elmore County, Trotman believes there is more room to grow.
“Everything Elmore County has going on right now, we want to be a part of to add to the value of it,” Trotman said. “Elmore County has something special right now. It is in a boom not a lot of places are seeing currently because of the economy.”
