By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

An Adamsville-based family pharmacy is gearing up to open its first Shelby County location in October, which will bring about a dozen new jobs to the area.

The Brooklere family, which currently operates the Brooklere Pharmacy in Adamsville, will open its Alabaster location in the former Wood Discount Pharmacy on Oct. 11, said Johnny Brooklere, one of the pharmacy’s owners.

When the pharmacy opens near the intersection of Alabama 119 and Kent Dairy Road, it will employ 12 workers, many of whom will be full-time, Brooklere said.

“We have been wanting to open a new location for a long time,” Brooklere said. “A friend of ours in the pharmacy business found the building in Alabaster, and we found the location and the city very nice.

“The potential for growth in Alabaster is extraordinary,” Brooklere added. “We wanted to bring a local, family owned pharmacy to Alabaster. Everything has been really positive through this whole process.”

The Brooklere family has been in the pharmacy business since 1968, when it opened the first Brooklere Pharmacy in Forestdale. In 1986, the family opened its second location in Adamsville, and combined the two pharmacies in 2003.

While the family was looking to open its newest pharmacy, it considered several cities before settling on Alabaster, Brooklere said.

“Several opportunities had presented themselves, but we found the Alabaster location very nice,” he said. “There really aren’t a lot of independent, family owned pharmacies in that area.”

Because the pharmacy will be locally owned, its customers will see many of the same faces each time they enter the store, Brooklere said. At least one member of the family will usually be at the Alabaster store, and current Adamsville store pharmacist Anna Ray Wertheim will manage the Shelby County location.

“We really focus on service to our customers. We are very patient-oriented,” Brooklere said. “We are right here, so we are always easily accessible. We’re just a phone call away.”

Because members of the Brooklere family live and work in the communities in which they do business, they try to be involved in local events and give back to the communities, Brooklere said.

“We work hard to be out in the community as much as we can,” Brooklere said. “Alabaster is just a very nice city. The population is booming, and we are very happy to be coming there.”