Roy Drinkard
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Roy Henry Drinkard (born July 12, 1920 in Falkville, Alabama) is an American businessman who owns numerous properties and shopping centers throughout the Southeastern United States. He currently resides in Cullman, Alabama, where he serves as president and CEO of Drinkard Development, Inc., a company which provides management, leasing and maintenance services for commercial properties.
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[edit] Early Life
Roy Henry Drinkard began his business career at the age of nine as a newspaper boy in Falkville, Alabama. He continued this career successfully and on giving up the job, was the local representative for all three newspapers then circulated by the carrier in his area. Noting this keen business interest his father, E.L. Drinkard, Sr., founder of the Drinkard Companies, encouraged and tutored the boy through these formative school years. As a result of this early training, Roy was experienced beyond his years.
Graduating from Mortuary College at the age of nineteen and licensed by the State Board of Embalming the next year, Roy's father deemed him ready to assume managerial responsibility. On April 6, 1940, he made him manager of the Company's newly acquired Guntersville Funeral Home at the age of 20. Working in partnership with his father and brothers, Roy was promoted to manager of the Marshall-Etowah-Calhoun division of the Company offices. When his late brother W.H. (Bill) Drinkard resigned to become Finance Director for Governor James E. Folsom, Roy became Executive Vice President of the Drinkard Companies and General Manager of its 16 funeral homes. Roy assumed the President's chair in 1951. On the death of his father in 1956, according to pre-arranged plan, Roy placed the Drinkard Companies in liquidation for division among the owners. One brother, E.L., Jr., had been the Ford dealer; John E. the Pontiac-GMC dealer and Roy acquired ownership of the Drinkard Chevrolet Company.
[edit] Cullman County Chamber of Commerce
When he came to Cullman in 1949, Roy found the economic outlook for the Cullman County small businessman less than bright. Taking over as President of the Cullman County Chamber of Commerce at the age of 29, Drinkard obtained the Board of Director's approval for a long range growth pattern. The Chamber of Commerce through its Industrial Committee set as its goal the location of an industrial plant to provide jobs for the surplus labor pools and thus check the exodus of Cullman's citizens. The Jno. H. Swisher Cigar Company located and built its plant in Cullman, Alabama with the plant's plans captioned "A Cigar Plant for Kosciusko, Mississippi". The plant's change of location from Mississippi to Alabama was the result of Drinkard's powerful sales campaign for his community. He staged an elaborate banquet by the Cullman business community for the Cigar Plant officials. This banquet originally planned for Cullman was held in Jacksonville, Florida, when the Cigar Plant officials declined to come to Cullman. Fifty Cullman businessmen left their businesses on one day's notice in answer to Roy's plea, flew to Jacksonville, and met with the plant's officials in their own city. After the successful acquisition of the cigar plant, a revitalized Industrial Development Board of the City of Cullman elected Roy H. Drinkard as President and Board Chairman. He served in that position for 27 years.
[edit] Drinkard Chevrolet
In May of 1955, Drinkard became the owner and operator of Drinkard Chevrolet, a car dealership in Cullman, that is still in business today. The dealership is now named Mitch Smith Chevrolet, with Drinkard as 50% owner and Chairman of the Board. Smith, for whom the dealership gets its name and is now operated by, is Roy's son-in-law.
[edit] Drinkard Development, Inc.
Drinkard's land-development company, Drinkard Development, Inc., is located in Cullman, Alabama, where he serves as President and CEO. Through this company, Drinkard has helped to turn the city of Cullman into one of the fastest growing cities in the State of Alabama. In Cullman County alone, Roy owns three shopping centers, (Town Square Shopping Center, King Edward's Shopping Center, and the Marktplatz Shopping Center) as well as numerous other properties and businesses. Drinkard also owns shopping centers in Kentucky and Tennessee.
[edit] Troy University Trustee
In April of 2000, Roy H. Drinkard was appointed a trustee of Troy University in Troy, Alabama by then Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.
[edit] Miscellaneous
Drinkard served honorably in the US Marine Corps during World War II as a Private First Class.
Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman declared Friday 13, 2002 as "Roy Drinkard Day" in the State of Alabama.
Many of the buildings owned by Drinkard are designed in German village-inspired themes, reflecting the German heritage and history of Cullman County, Alabama.
The King Edward's Shopping Center in Cullman features a working carillon which towers above the buildings. When the clock chimes on the hour, two doors open on the front, from which robotic models of Drinkard and his late dog, Guffy, emerge. The "robotic-Drinkard" then raises his hand and calls to the dog, "Here, Guffy, here girl!", to which Guffy responds with a series of barks. The clock tower is one of the most recognizable and light-hearted places in Cullman.
Throughout his home city of Cullman, Drinkard is widely-known to give out $2 bills with his signature on each one.
