The Tanner family name has always been synonymous with the growth of new businesses in Hartselle.
It all started when Orville W. Tanner returned home from WWII and opened a barbershop in downtown Hartselle, where the Tattoo Parlor is located today. Tanner later moved the barbershop to Tanner Heights Plaza Shopping Center when it was completed.
Tanner worked side by side with his wife, Mabel Nettie Tanner. He built her a beauty shop in the back of his downtown barbershop and later her very own beauty shop at the Tanner Heights. Mrs. Tanner was totally involved in the day to day affairs of the business. When the men got a haircut, shave and even a bath – the women, well they too got their hair washed and “set.”.
The return home of the soldiers from WWII was not as many had expected. Soldiers came home with dreams of returning to their families, finding jobs, and owning cars and houses. But this didn’t happen for some. Tanner was one of the lucky ones.
Billy Tanner, owner of Tanner Heights Shopping Plaza in South Hartselle, has loving memories of his dad and his dynasty.
“My dad started to build one house at a time wherever he could purchase a lot. He built about 10 houses, and then bought more land near the location of where First Baptist Church is today,” Tanner added. His plans were to build Hartselle’s first subdivision.
Bank executives refused to loan the elder Mr. Tanner money, saying Woodland Street area was too far out of town. Mr. Tanner partnered with Hugh F. Penn, who owned a building supply company at that time. They agreed to split the profits as the story goes.
Tanner said he worked alongside his dad and Penn while he was in high school.
“There was no power equipment then. We dug foundations by hand. Cut trees with crosscut saws. Pulled stumps up from the earth by cutting all the roots. We then wrapped a chain around the stump and pulled it out with a WWII four-wheel drive Jeep.”
After graduation from high school, young Tanner left Hartselle and attended college at The University of Alabama. He later joined the Army.
“When I got home, dad was thinking of buying 150 acres in south Hartselle. His plans were to build a large subdivision. I went into business with my father.”
In 1958, Tanner said they begun by doing a survey and then clearing streets. Tanner recalls fondly the day his dad bought a Case bulldozer to help with the clearing.
By 1959, the real estate and construction business was moving forward for the Tanners. Some of the first purchases were “rock solid citizens” like Dr. Bob Sittason, Merrill Doss, Arthur Bean, Charles Rutledge, and Lamar Lawrence; this really kicked things off, he said.
By 1960, the Tanners had started construction on a small shopping center. The first building was the old Dairy Queen – the first franchise restaurant in Hartselle. Then came the first six buildings next to Dairy Queen. Three additional buildings were completed by 1962 with the end building being Hartselle’s first 7/11 convenience-type grocery. The city later closed the 7/11 under the Blue Law for staying open on Sunday. Tanner said the owner defaulted on the lease after the closing so he bought the business and in 1964, he bought his dad’s business.
“We got the business back on it’s feet,” Tanner said, “and in 1967 we built and opened a Norge Village Self Service Dry Cleaners and Laundromat where Henry’s Music is today. I built a second 7/11 grocery at Highway 36 and 31 where Cash USA is today next to the Exxon.”
Next, came the construction of what was described as a “large” restaurant building and beauty shop on the north side of Tanner Heights for the Hogans, who had a beauty shop in one part. It was called Hogan’s Kitchen and could seat well-over 50 people. This restaurant later became Jerry’s Restaurant.
Then came the additional building next to Henry’s Music, which was 120-feet long. With its completion, he became the owner of 16 businesses by 1972. In just 12 years, he and his dad had built shopping centers, grocery stores, restaurants, including 150 homes, which housed a lot of NASA and Chemstrand employees.
“During that time, Werner Von Braun was going to the moon, Chemstrand had come out with astro turf and our residents were some of the highest paid in Alabama,” he added. “We couldn’t build houses fast enough.”
It’s not as easy for Tanner today. The recession of 2010 made it harder for Tanner to keep tenants at his shopping center but he is optimistic that 2011 will be better.
Tanner has two brothers – Jeff Tanner, another familiar name in the business community of Hartselle, and John Tanner, who resides in Birmingham. His third brother now deceased, Orville Joe Tanner, was the owner of the Hartselle Paint Center, once located at Tanner Heights.
Mrs. Tanner died in 2006. The Tanners were married for 66 years.