There are many factors that help decide where a person moves, but faith helped lead Kirk Johnson back to his hometown.

Johnson, a Selma native who owns Oxford Manufacturing Company, attended Birmingham-Southern College and earned his bachelors of science in Business Administration before working two years in the manufacturing industry and going on to work 10 years in the banking industry in Birmingham.

He said family and faith led him back to Selma.

“I grew up working closely with my father’s manufacturing company and gained great knowledge about the business world from that involvement. I have always loved Selma and the older I got, the more I felt I was being called there by the Lord to not only help out in the community, but to be closer to my family,” Johnson said. “My faith and my family are very important to me, and after lots of prayer and much consideration, I decided to move back and took a job with BankTrust in Selma.”

After three years with BankTrust, Johnson had the opportunity to purchase a company called Oxford Manufacturing Company, a wheel manufacturing company. It is here, he said, where he felt all of his past experiences were being put into motion to be utilized to their fullest.

But more than business, Johnson said as he raises his son and two daughters with his wife, part of his role is to help improve the community he calls home.

“Obviously, I wouldn’t have moved back here if I didn’t want to give back in certain ways. I definitely want to help with the issues that we have here, and really with all of the negative things you here about Selma — I want to help turn that image around,” Johnson said. “I love it here and I’m glad to bring my family back here to a small, close-knit community.”

Johnson said he feels he is now in a position where he can help out in the community and he can be heavily involved in Selma. His ultimate hope is to grow his business in an effort to bring new jobs and new ideas to the city.

“I’m thankful and humbled to be here and I look forward to a bright future for this town,” Johnson said. “I think it’s just a great place and I’m happy to be back home for sure.”