Auburn, June 21, 2002 --- When Frank McCormack retired from the U.S. Army in 1984, he and his wife Joann moved to Gulf Breeze, Fla., where Frank began a second career as a church administrator.

Soon after, Gulf Breeze became congested and the McCormacks got tired of spending hours in lines and traffic. They decided it was time to search for another retirement location.

Having adult children in Virginia, the couple thought it would be nice to move closer to their children. However, before making the move, they agreed it would be smarter to rent instead of buying a place to live in Virginia. Renting would give them time to see if they liked living in Virginia before making a permanent commitment and move.

Within a month, the couple realized Virginia was not the place for them. The cost of living was too high, and retirement there was not feasible.

While preparing to leave Virginia, Frank saw an article in an issue of Consumers Digest about the Ozark and Enterprise area being one of the top 25 places to live in America.

Remembering the area from his U.S. Army tour at Ft. Rucker, Frank and Joann decided to revisit Enterprise.

Revisit they did! After three visits to Enterprise as tourists, the McCormacks found that the cost of living, the friendly people, the size of the community, the price of homes and having a small community college close by were exactly what they wanted in a retirement location. They moved to Enterprise and as they say, the rest is history.

The McCormacks' story is a perfect example of how important it is for tourism and retiree industries to work together and why Southeast Alabama Trails (SEAT) is a vital component in the economic development strategy of this region.

SEAT is dedicated to promoting tourism and retirement in an 11-county region in southeast Alabama known as the Wiregrass.

"By working together and pooling resources, county and city governments and other entities in the rural Trails region are able to more effectively promote and market their respective areas to tourists and retirees," says Lin Graham, executive director of the SEAT association.

Reports show that rural areas with strong tourism and retirement industries usually have population and employment growth that exceed those communities who depend only on manufacturing, mining and agriculture.

The Trails region is rich in history with plenty of landmarks and artifacts, great recreational areas for fishing, golfing, boating and biking, fun festivals and fairs, and of course, great Southern hospitality.

"We want tourists and retirees to feel at home in our little corner of the state," says Graham. "Our target market includes tourists and retirees who not only will stay in our hotels, and visit our attractions but also will live in our cities, start or expand businesses in our region, and stay and enjoy our hospitality."

SEAT is a membership-driven association and is always seeking new members. For more information about SEAT membership and the Trails region, contact Lin Graham at

(334) 894-5596 or visit their Web site at www.southeastalabama.com.

(Source: Lin Graham, SEAT Executive Director, 334-894-5596)

Article in MS Word

Article in Text