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Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Back Forty Beer Co. CEO Hatton Smith speaks at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Vestavia Country Club on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.
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Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Back Forty Beer Co. CEO Hatton Smtih was the keynote speaker at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Vestavia Country Club on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.
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Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Back Forty Beer Co. CEO Hatton Smtih was the keynote speaker at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Vestavia Country Club on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.
Determination and tenacity are key factors that “move the needle” in any effort to provoke meaningful change and improve the quality of life in Birmingham and surrounding communities, Hatton Smith told the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.
Smith, CEO of the Back Forty Beer Co. since 2018 and former CEO of Royal Cup Coffee, told a luncheon audience at the Vestavia Country Club about his journey to help reinstate UAB football as chairman of the UAB Athletic Foundation.
In 2015, Smith and a group of local business leaders took on the monumental task of raising tens of millions of dollars to bring back UAB football, which had been disbanded. Their efforts not only saved the UAB Blazers’ place in their college football conference, but also resulted in the construction of new athletic indoor and outdoor facilities. Smith led the charge, uniting stakeholders through camaraderie and a shared vision and securing $40 million in donations.
“We had some power shifting going on,” Smith remarked of the UAB situation a decade ago.
Raising the money was not easy, and getting to the finish line and reinstating UAB football was not easy, he said. “But here’s the deal, the Birmingham business community and the most powerful institutions rose up,” he said.
Smith highlighted the significance of monthly gatherings with key players in the city, including Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.
These meetings eventually led to the creation of Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham, which now serves as the home of UAB football, the Birmingham Legion FC soccer team and the USFL. The stadium, which also hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 World Games, was a product of collaboration between the state, Jefferson County, the city of Birmingham and business leaders.
“It’s a $185-$200 million stadium, and we needed the support of Birmingham’s corporate community to raise the seed capital,” Smith explained.
During his speech Tuesday, Smith drew parallels to the leadership of Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry, whose guidance and vision, he said, are driving similar progress for Vestavia.
Photo by Je'Don Holloway-Talley
Back Forty Beer Co. CEO Hatton Smtih, center, was the keynote speaker at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Vestavia Country Club on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Shown with him, from left, are chamber President and CEO Michelle Hawkins, state Sen. Jabo Waggoner, chamber Chairman Clabe Dobbs and Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry.
Smith’s multifaceted career spans decades across the beverage and finance industries, with leadership roles on numerous boards, including but not limited to the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation and the recently closed Birmingham-Southern College board of trustees.
His influence extends far beyond business; he has lent his fundraising expertise and business acumen to countless nonprofits and organizations throughout Birmingham, teaching others how to rally community support and galvanize endorsements.
Smith on Tuesday encouraged Vestavia Hills’ business leaders to unite under a common purpose.
“When the business community comes together like that, when we have a common purpose, we can win anything,” he said. “To move the needle within any enterprise, people have to come together, buy into the vision, stay motivated, and never quit. I challenge you, Vestavia, to continue to move the needle and never quit.”
