Forging a stronger identity in the minds of residents and guests, coordinating with other local towns to plan future events, and raising the city’s online profile for the rest of the world to see — those are just some of the ideas that can help Hanceville grow, according to business owners and residents who attended the latest business roundtable event, hosted by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce.

About a dozen retailers, residents, and elected leaders traded ideas at Tuesday’s informal session, held at the Hanceville Civic Center as part of the Chamber’s ongoing community engagement effort. 

Chamber business development director Brian Poole, who oversees the quarterly sessions, said Hanceville has a unique and rich tradition that, if tapped, could help it stand out among other local communities. 

“There’s a lot of pride here in Hanceville, and a lot of history — especially Hanceville’s sports history — that I think is worth uncovering and celebrating,” he said. “At one time, Hanceville was a powerhouse in football — and they will be again — and I would love to see that history reflected out in the open, where people could really see it and recognize it.”

Mayor Kenneth Nail said he’d like for local municipalities to coordinate more closely with one another when planning their annual events calendar.

“Someone, somewhere, needs a calendar of events that everyone in Cullman County can refer to when they’re trying to schedule things in their own towns,” he said. “We have seen a lot of overlap between events that we have scheduled here in Hanceville, and events that come along later in Cullman or another part of the county and get scheduled for the same date.

“We need a master calendar so that we can all look at these events, and share these events between us. No one wants to cut anyone else’s legs out from under them, from our city to the next, but we’ve just got to do more coordination between the cities. We can all benefit that way.”

A number of business owners at the roundtable said the city’s retailers would be well served by becoming more savvy in the use of Google search mechanics, as well as social media, to ensure that the outside world sees what Hanceville’s restaurants and shops have to offer. 

“Right now, it’s hard to find a downtown business that has their information out there on Google in a way that allows them to be seen in the best way,” said one owner. “When you type in the name of a restaurant, most of what comes back is based in Cullman, not here. That’s one way that we can really tell people about what we already have. It takes a little time — about a month — but it’s not expensive and it works.”

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 145.