Business Is Booming

Episode 14-Darlene Rotch.mp3
Narrator: [00:00:01] Business is booming from the small mom and pops to the big industries. Our local businesses drive our economy and provide the products, services and jobs we depend on. Our host Jennifer McCurdy, brings us these stories as she visits with the business owners and leaders of Fort Payne and DeKalb County, Alabama. And now here's Jennifer.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:00:25] Welcome, everyone. This is Jennifer McCurdy with the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce. And this is our podcast. Business is booming. And today I have my friend and special guest, Darlene Rotch with Boomtown Makers Market is what we're going to talk about today. Darlene also owns her own business Panorama public relations firm, and Panorama. How did you come up with that name, Darlene?

Darlene Rotch: [00:00:48] Well, you know, I married a guy from here. I married Jim Rotch . It's been over 25 years ago. And when I had just started a PR firm at that time, and I lived in Huntsville on Monte Santo Mountain, and he wanted me to change the name of my company, which was not Panorama Public Relations, but I was taking a walk that day and it was really a bone of contention because I wanted to keep my company name the way I had it. It was my name and my old last name, if you can imagine. So I was walking one day and I was like, Look at that panorama. And I thought, Panorama Public relations. See, Panorama was the street I lived on. Okay? And he just thought it was wonderful that I just made that decision just for him. And the rest is history.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:01:31] That's a win win. You made it his idea. That's so important.

Darlene Rotch: [00:01:35] That's very true. Throughout life.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:01:37] It is very important. You got to make it their idea of people.

Darlene Rotch: [00:01:40] That's right.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:01:40] Well, thank you for being here today.

Darlene Rotch: [00:01:42] Well, thank you. I appreciate it.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:01:44] Part of our business is booming objective is to focus on people in the community who are movers and shakers and economic drivers in our community. And I talk about Boomtown Makers Market quite a bit, especially when it comes to economic development because of arts and culture, which is what you hear in any economic development conference you attend. It's so important. Any chamber event, a conference I attend, they talk about the importance of cultural arts in your community. I want you to talk a little bit about the importance of that for you and why you saw the need and how you even came about with Boomtown Makers Market.

Darlene Rotch: [00:02:23] Well, it's you know, things happen sometimes serendipitously, and I have always been involved in economic development in the state of Alabama. I was very involved in Huntsville as it through its metamorphosis and as it changed, you know, Huntsville, people just think it happened and it took years for it to really take hold. And then all of a sudden, the right group of people got together and it just bloomed. So the way that I started Boomtown Makers Market, things just sort of fell into place. I had been a retailer in a previous life, even though I'd had my PR firm since 1999. I had for a long time been in retail. And it's always been a passion. I think once you have that passion as a retailer, my art is I like to display, I like to see things come together. I like the psychology of watching people come in, pick out something and me put that display back together and somebody else do it again. And so it's just fascinating to me. But it was a kind of a sad time for me. My mother was here with me and I live a few blocks back from the main street downtown and she was living with me and had and was and had passed away. And in the meantime, I was, you know, wanting something to do. Just I couldn't get very far away from the house at the time. And I saw these people working on this fabulous building downtown come to find out it was Mr. Westmoreland, the Westmoreland family, that they had just a they have a huge passion and love for Fort Payne. And I saw them working on the building. And at the same time, I had gotten really involved with Fort Payne Main Street, and you may or may not know, but when when Main Street comes into a town, they do an extensive marketing plan. They do a lot of market research to find out what the assets are in the town. And also leakage and leakage means why are people leaving here and going someplace else and buying things? And typically it's because you don't offer what they need. So one of those things happened to be a maker's market because they had identified just the vast amount of talent that we have here with artists and makers, sculptors, carvers, painters. I mean, just the list goes on. Yeah. And so I started brewing this idea in my head and thinking about, well, if I had a maker's market, where would I put it? I started thinking about the old Sawyer building across from the Alabama band statues where Mr. Westmoreland was restoring that building. He had bought it from the Sawyer family. And, you know, the more and more I got into the market research that Main Street, Alabama, had provided Fort Payne Main Street. I was sure that I was doing the right thing. I checked the traffic count with Al DOT and at the time we're probably more than this now. But we were about 12,000 cars a day. And I thought, well, that's pretty good for a small town. That's one thing. One real benefit that we're on this major artery, that it's not just a little side street, it's actually a state highway. So that does play into our benefit with traffic. And then I started researching the name and I found out that there's a block. That's where the Sawyer building is, all the way down to the opera block that is known as the Boomtown historic area. And so it just naturally I was like Boomtown Makers Market. That sounds good. Well, then I went to try to explain it to Mr. Westmoreland, who finally looked at me, and I think he may have thrown his keys across the desk and just said, Go do what you want to do and let me see how it works out.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:06:05] Hey, that's pretty good. It was great. That's a great sales pitch on your part.

Darlene Rotch: [00:06:08] I mean, he is such a visionary and was so helpful to get us started and off the ground.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:06:14] So what that was in what year?

Darlene Rotch: [00:06:16] That was 2016-17.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:06:20] Okay. And you but you have lived in Fort Payne for how long now?

Darlene Rotch: [00:06:25] Well, quite a while. Jim and I as I said, we're married 25 years ago, and he has a family farm here. So we would come up on we'd leave, hightail it out of Birmingham the second, you know, Friday got there and we could leave and we would come up here to the family farm. And I just fell in love with the area. You know, my children were close in Huntsville. Birmingham was an hour and a half away. Chattanooga, 45 minutes. But what really got me was were the people and just I just fell in love with the area. So

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:06:53] And I'm so thankful that you saw with the help of Main Street Alabama, you were instrumental. You were one of the you were first on the board, weren't you, for the.

Darlene Rotch: [00:07:01] I was there shortly thereafter of the with the first board,

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:07:04] Which is wonderful. I mean, Main Street Alabama's done a fantastic job for us and for them to identify probably what you already knew in your heart, having come from Huntsville.

Darlene Rotch: [00:07:12] Absolutely.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:07:13] And seeing the growth there and a lot of it around the cultural arts and just art in general.

Darlene Rotch: [00:07:19] Well, absolutely. And you know, when an economic developer goes into a town, they want to know what people can do after five because a lot of these folks are coming from more metropolitan areas and they they have grown accustomed to fine dining, art, museums. And that's what they want to see. And they don't want to see a town boarded up. This is the heart heartbeat of our downtown, of our town, Fort Payne, Alabama.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:07:44] Yes. And truthfully, I feel like y'all are a staple there on the corner with all of your many artists. Talk about what you do have in there.

Darlene Rotch: [00:07:53] Okay. And we do feel like we were we are an anchor for downtown. And I think that I feel that way because I did have such a depth of retail experience coming into this. And then, of course, in my PR career, I have worked with consumers and consumer messaging, whether it be in a crisis scenario or in an issue management marketing, you know, with companies like Belk can Publix and others. And so I did have a good handle on what I thought I was doing. But I really, you know, had I had thought through how we would get artists, but it was honestly word of mouth. So I think with Main Street Alabama coming in and showing us the asset that we had in the art community, it was just. Just ready to explode. And so all we had to do was put the word out and the artist came to us. So that was fabulous. And the kind of stuff that we have, the kind of things we have, we have, you know, wonderful artists that paint. You know, we have Lydia Randolph, who is kind of considered the painter of this area. Not I'm not saying that to downgrade anybody else because it blows me away. What people? Oh, my goodness. You know, we have everything from that to Zakano socks, which is made locally. I consider that an art. And we do have things that are curated collections because anybody that knows my husband knows that he's always been kind of a junker. And so I had to do that to keep him from just bringing random things in the store. But if he gets, for example, a fabulous collection of walking sticks that he wants to sell, then I will let him or someone else bring that in. And I think it just adds to the whole, you know, ambiance of the place.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:09:40] Gives options for people.

Darlene Rotch: [00:09:41] Yes, absolutely.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:09:42] Do you see a lot of tourists or most of your customers tourists, or do you have a lot of locals that come in and shop?

Darlene Rotch: [00:09:49] We have a lot of tourism, a lot of tourists that come through the store. And, you know, they like that 50 to $60 price point and that's something they can take with them. But we have a lot of people that have second homes in this area in Mentone, and that is our bread and butter client. They are coming there. Some are retired, some retired very early. Maybe they've made a very good living. And they they want to expand their art collection. And we sell everything, you know, from that bar of soap made by Shinbone Valley for $7.50 to a $5-$10,000 painting. So and of course, those are few and far between. But we know those collectors and they'll come back time and again. Yes, you have.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:10:36] And you have cutting boards and furniture.

Darlene Rotch: [00:10:38] We do. We have you name it. Kevin Chitwood makes the most fabulous cutting boards. They've been a staple and several others that we have had in the store, that sort of thing. So, yeah, we jewelry, I mean, it's just the list is endless.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:10:55] Crazy heads in there. You know? I love sculpture sculptures. Yeah, we'll call them sculptures. You know, when I go out of town, I always go to their downtown. Sure. Because that's where you want to go. That's like you said, in most places, it's the heartbeat of the town. And the stores that I enjoy the most are the ones that are like yours that are boom town makers, markets, the makers markets are the ones that I always like to go into because I like to take something unique home with me that you can't get anywhere else. So those are the places that's where you find those things. We're so blessed to have so many talented people in our community.

Darlene Rotch: [00:11:29] We are. We are. I mean, and you know, I think about Alice Circle. I think about just so many.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:11:36] Katherine's.

Darlene Rotch: [00:11:36] Katherine's. And she carries James Dean, you know, Pete the Cat.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:11:40] Pete the Cat, which also just so everyone knows, the Sawyer building Boomtown Makers Market has the largest Pete the Cat mural, I guess in the world.

Darlene Rotch: [00:11:49] In the world. And James, James, James came there and painted it himself. And, you know, we're getting more and more cute little restaurants and lodging downtown with The Lofts and different things. So I'm very hopeful that our our success continues down here. And I feel like it will.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:12:08] So I think we're only moving forward. I mean, now we have Mater's Pizza, too. And recently we had Southern Craftsmen. They moved in downtown in Martin the old Martin building.

Darlene Rotch: [00:12:17] Thrilled for them. It looks so good. It looks wonderful. How about Tiger Lily? I mean, we are really getting the what we need as far as what's really going to make a difference for people to come downtown on Saturday morning to the farmers market and stay to shop.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:12:31] Yes, we have the farmers market. There's so many things in our community that are already happening and so many opportunities for people to like you did see a need in the community to meet that need.

Darlene Rotch: [00:12:44] But, you know, you asked me earlier about my husband and if I'd been here for a long time and I think I told you so. 25 years off and on. Now I live here in a historic home a few blocks back. But my husband's parents were teachers here in this community, and they were beloved. I mean, they really were. Mrs. Rotch was probably one of the first female principals in the state of Alabama. And so when I'm in the store and somebody asks, we, you know, there's introductions and everything, and I'll say, my name is Darlene Rotch, sometimes they'll get a funny look on their face. And I don't know if they were paddled by her or if they were hugged by her.I mean, she hugged everybody, so you know that. But yeah, she she got me out of line and more than one time, so, you know, paddled me.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:13:28] But your husband's an attorney.

Darlene Rotch: [00:13:30] Yes, Jim's a retired attorney.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:13:32] Attorney from Birmingham, and he's had some significant success in his career as well.

Darlene Rotch: [00:13:38] Yes. Yes. And of course, you know, he wrote the Birmingham Pledge, which is a pledge to end racism, which is always important.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:13:44] Oh, so important.

Darlene Rotch: [00:13:45] Yeah. And so, you know, I love it here. I don't want to live any place else. I want to see Fort Payne continue to grow.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:13:51] Yes. And we're thankful for that. I mean I really it takes people like you who have the the not just the want to, but the know how to start something like Boomtown Makers Market.

Darlene Rotch: [00:14:03] When you're in retail, you need to be mean. And by that I mean you can't be a wallflower. You've got to be... You've got to be strong.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:14:12] Let's don't say mean. Let's just say persistent. Determined,

[00:14:17] Okay. You really do. You've got to be determined. You can't let some little something get you down. You know, you've got to work really hard. It's a hard business, but it is the most fun thing you'll ever do. And now is the perfect time. While we have a few buildings left that are highly visible to make that commitment and get in and do your thing, there's lots of us down here that'll help you.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:14:40] Yes, So much help. I mean, again, I'll go back. I say this almost every episode of our podcast, but the chamber offers free help for you and you don't even have to be a chamber member to access the help. So please let us help you. We want to we want to see all of Fort Payne thrive. And if you're someone who's wishing we had this or hoping we get that, how can you help make that happen?

Darlene Rotch: [00:15:05] Got to get involved.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:15:06] You do. And one way to do that is to what's available downtown. What How can I what kind of business can I take to downtown to make it even better?

Darlene Rotch: [00:15:17] And I would say to, you know, you may have been in the store when it opened 5 or 6 years ago. Go back I mean, do your shopping here if you can, or try at least to start here because you get better at things as time goes on. And so you learn what people want. And so the store that you've gone in once or twice, maybe they didn't have what you wanted, but kind of give them a chance and keep trying.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:15:40] And your stuff changes out. I mean, all the time you sell pieces, you get new pieces. So there's you're not going to see the same thing.

Darlene Rotch: [00:15:48] No, artists are never repetitive. They may have a style, but you're not going to find two of the same thing.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:15:54] So, you know, someone else I forgot to mention earlier is Bleu River. She has one of the largest candle wax bars like. Yeah, in the Southeast. I mean, maybe the United States, I don't know. But it's it's large. She's got great home items in there. So. Geography.

Darlene Rotch: [00:16:14] She's a photographer. Yes. So there's another talent there. So Bleu River.She's amazing downtown.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:16:20] Well, Darlene, are you planning any other projects for the future? What's brewing?

Darlene Rotch: [00:16:26] Oh, gosh, I don't know. There are some things happening maybe in the communications arena. I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. I want to see Boomtown. I want to get better at what we're doing there. I want to see us expand. I want to see us take better care of our makers. There's a pent up demand for people to have. They want to hear about how you did things about lectures on art, and we've got some amazing talent in that regard. You know, people that graduated from fine arts colleges around the country that live right here in this community that would be happy to come and speak. So, you know, I'd like to see I'd love to see a museum here.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:17:09] Oh, my goodness. I would, too.

Darlene Rotch: [00:17:11] We deserve to have a fine arts museum that reflects our community and our history. Yes. Sequoia, the Manitou Cave. I mean, just the sock industry. Now, we do have a small museum, a sock museum. And and I think that could be expanded, you know, but also in the arts arena, the outdoor arena, we need we really need a museum.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:17:35] We do have the depot museum, but we need art.

Darlene Rotch: [00:17:38] And we could take elements from all of that and put it together in one big story. And, you know, certainly not to diminish what they do know.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:17:47] And I'm sitting here with things running through my head. You and I could brainstorm all day, but this is not but we have to go to work today. We do have to go to work. So is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

Darlene Rotch: [00:18:00] I don't think so, other than just I would encourage everybody to come downtown shop, enjoy yourself, come down here and eat and just go Fort Payne.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:18:09] And get involved.

Darlene Rotch: [00:18:10] Get involved.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:18:11] Bring your if you're in another town and you have see something that's cute,

Darlene Rotch: [00:18:15] Tell us about it.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:18:15] Yes, we want to know about it. We love new ideas.

Darlene Rotch: [00:18:18] Yes, absolutely.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:18:19] Well, thank you for joining me today. I've enjoyed this.

Darlene Rotch: [00:18:21] Well, thanks. I appreciate it.

Jennifer McCurdy: [00:18:23] I hope to have you back.

Darlene Rotch: [00:18:24] Thank you.

Narrator: [00:18:25] You've been listening to Business is Booming, a podcast brought to you by Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce. The host is chamber director Jennifer McCurdy, executive producer Stephen V Smith. Our engineer is Lucas Smith of Lucky Sound Studios. Business is Booming is a production of Rare Life Media.