BIRMINGHAM - AL -
The metal that moves through a machine as it bends and screeches in downtown Birmingham is the beginning of what Foster Phillips hopes will change people's thoughts on how they get around the city.
"To be able to cycle from Railroad Park to Pepper Place and then maybe back for a ball game at night is really an exciting opportunity."
So 29 year-old Phillips had a thought: maybe if people had more places to store their bikes they would actually use them more often.
"We just began with the idea of could we make a better bike rack designed specifically for Birmingham and could we make it in Birmingham," said Phillips.
He reached out to Mike Brooks, a local welder whose business has been in Birmingham since 1947. Phillips wanted his work to support the local economy.
"Most of my work comes from out of state," said Brooks. "Most of it comes from all over the country so anybody we can keep here in Birmingham, we're proud to do it."
Something else also sold Phillips on using Brooks to build his bike racks.
"We can make them on a low quantity scale so if we need 3 or 6 or 10 we can make those and we don't have to start with an order of 1,000 so it was attainable."
Perfect for Phillips, considering Birmingham's needs may be slow to grow.
"I see it more of a service and so if somebody needs a bicycle rack and they need a really nice bicycle rack we can provide that but it's not really an attempt to grow and sell millions and millions of bicycle racks," said Phillips.
But make no mistake, word about Phillips' bike racks is certainly spreading. He's put up racks at Alabama Power and Samford University.
His newest racks will eventually end up at the Birmingham News and Southern Research Institute.
"It's made for a 2 bicycles for a small business in town that maybe wants to encourage cycling traffic but doesn't need a rack that holds 10 to 20 bicycles."
Alternative transportation group Commute Smart supports Phillips' project. It helped him secure one of his first orders. Now, he is hoping that support will encourage people in Birmingham to think outside of their box.
"It's tough because we're really tied to our cars in the south," said Phillips. "It's an independent thing really. But a bicycle can be just as independent as a car. You can get on it and go anywhere you want for free."
Foster has businesses interested in the bike racks. However, he is looking for a sponsor to help him put racks in community spaces around Birmingham.
