CELEBRATING 65 YEARS - ANNUAL AWARDS CELEBRATION
The Annual Awards Celebration was held at the UWG Campus Center Ballroom on Thursday, February 20th. As always, the Chamber recognizes corporate and individual members in several categories for their outstanding accomplishments to the Chamber and the Carroll County community (Please see award recipients below). While the awards are the focus of the evening, this year we were given the distinct privilege of having the honorable Brian Kemp, governor of the state of Georgia as the guest speaker. Governor Kemp spoke to a sold-out crowd about his priorities for the 2020 legislative session as well as information on the 2020 budget. It was a night of celebration as we acknowledged the successes of the previous year and looked ahead to the future. Special thanks to Kirby Butler for her part in planning such a great event and to all our event sponsors.
After the passing of the gavel, incoming 2020 Chairperson of the Board, Kirby Butler, United Community Bank, thanked Bill Stone (Systems & Methods, Inc) for his service as chair of the board for 2019 and for his commitment and passion to serve. We look forward to a wonderful year under Kirby's leadership.
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
CONGRATULATIONS 2019 CITIZEN OF THE YEAR - GARY BULLOCK Gary has lived in Carroll County for over 40 years, with 24 years of that time as President and CEO of Carroll EMC. During his tenure, Carroll EMC had tremendous growth and relocated from their longtime headquarters on Dixie Street to their current location on Highway 113. Over the years, he served in several community volunteer roles with many local nonprofits and civic organizations. In addition, Gary was involved with many industry organizations such as Oglethorpe Power, Georgia EMC, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to name a few.
Currently, Gary is serving as the City Manager for the City of Bowdon.
Congratulations Gary!
CONGRATULATIONS 2019 BUSINESS OF THEY YEAR -
MILL TOWN MUSIC HALL This year's recipient goes to an undeniable community and cultural resource in Carroll County that since its founding in 2012 has enhanced our quality of life and made more than a few of us dance, laugh or sing along.
Mill Town Music Hall, featuring state of the art audio, video and lighting systems, is the largest facility of its kind in West Georgia and will comfortably seat 1,000 people. Mill Town hosts numerous country, gospel, pop, rock and bluegrass concerts, along with other family-friendly events. For its founders Randall and Tena Redding, Mill Town is a culmination of a life-long passion for music as well as a way to 'glorify God" and give back to the community where they were raised. Mill Town Music Hall is committed to providing people throughout Georgia and Alabama, as well as the entire Southeast, with a quality entertainment venue. Congratulations Randall and Tena and Mill Town Music Hall!.
CONGRATULATIONS 2019 THOMAS S. UPCHURCH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AWARD WINNER - DR. KYLE MARRERO Despite a much too short five-year tenure in Carroll County, there is no doubt that Dr. Kyle Marrero has left a lasting legacy in our community. During his term as president of the University of West Georgia, the university achieved record enrollment, record four- and five-year graduation rates, record degrees conferred, record fundraising, and record annual economic impact on the region. He worked to develop new, student-centered partnerships within the education and business communities, and with the implementation of the Engage West! initiative. This initiative won the 2015 national award for Innovation and Excellence, in the category of Leadership Development and Diversity, from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The institution was selected as the University System of Georgia 2015 Institution and President of the Year for the Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards. He was also named one of Georgia Trend’s 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 “100 Most Influential Georgians.”
Marrero broke down walls between the university and the community and helped to create the Carrollton/Carroll County Educational Collaborative that has become a model for community cooperation in the state. The Thomas S. Upchurch Workforce Education Award represents the essential symbiosis of business and education. In Carroll County, it is a relationship that has been forevermore strengthened because of the work of Dr. Kyle Marrero.
CONGRATULATIONS 2019 JAMES A GILL VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER - KEITH WEST Keith West, an accountant by trade, has used his skills with numbers and gritty determination to make a difference not only in business but within his community. As the former co-owner of the Auto Supply Company in Bowdon, this business thrived expanding into lawn and garden equipment while also maintaining its excellent reputation in the auto parts field.
Although semi-retired, Keith continues to serve in various roles to organizations that serve the automotive industry. In addition, he is a staunch Chamber supporter currently serving on the Government Affairs Council, the Small Business Development Council, and the Chamber board of directors. He is active in his church, serving both as treasurer and as an ordained deacon. Keith loves his Bowdon community and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Bowdon Main Street, where he has been a tireless advocate for businesses in Bowdon. He has fully immersed himself in a project to save Bowdon's historic mule barn, recently donating it to the City for use as a Downtown Development Project. Congratulations, Keith, on being the inaugural recipient of this newly renamed volunteer award!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Click links below to register
March 3 Leadership Academy - Session 4 4 The Ambassadors | 8:30 am | Chamber 5 Junior Chamber | 8:30 am | Chamber 10 Business Development Council | 8:30 am | Chamber Leadership Academy - Session 5 Business of the Month | 10 am | TBA 11 Workforce Development Council | 8:30 am | Chamber 17 Leadership Academy - Session 6 24 Government Affairs Council | 8:00 am | Chamber Leadership Academy - Session 7 25 Sunrise Seminar: The Power of Networking | 9:00 am | Chamber 26 Junior Chamber | Community Service Project 31 Leadership Academy - Session 8
Ribbon Cuttings March 3 RC - Spa 3:16 | 4:00 pm | 302 A Newnan Street, Carrollton 5 RC - Metal Roofing Manufactured by Arrow | 2:30 pm|400 Cottage Hill Rd., Ste 5
LOOKING AHEAD April 16 Membership Breakfast | 7:30 am | Burson Center 22 Sunrise Seminar | 9:00 am | TBA
May 11 Annual Golf Tournament - Sponsorships Available
Additional Info:
No-shows will be billed; 24-hour notice is required for all cancellations. If you have special requirements, please contact us 2 weeks prior to the event. Questions? Contact Director of Programs and Events Suzy McCorkel at 678.890.2360 or suzymc@carroll-ga.org.
SCORE: The StartUp Roadmap - sponsored by FedEx - guides you step-by-step from planning to launch. The Roadmap includes 12 chapters on various business topics and each contains steps to success, mentor tips, and resources. More information can be found here.
Mirror Lake Golf Club Contact: Robert Newsom
1000 Canongate Parkway, Villa Rica, Georgia 30180 Phone: (770) 459-5599 Website: www.clubcorp.com/Clubs/chapel-hills-mirror-lake Category: Golf Club
Roopville Road Baptist Church Contact: Bryant Turner
835 N. Highway 27, Roopville, Georgia 30170 Phone: (77) 854-8824 Website: www.roopvilleroad.org Category: Church
T. Tritt Realty LLC Contact: Mary Robinson
102 Bankhead Highway, Carrollton, Georgia 30117 Phone: (678) 664-0097 Website: www.trittrealty.com Category: Real Estate
RENEWING MEMBERS
Thank you Renewing Members!
Your membership is a symbol of confidence in the work of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce. We sincerely thank renewing members for their ongoing support. Please remember these partners when you do business.
Glenn Shepard Management Seminar 2020 Every organization has dealt with employees who couldn't seem to get their attitudes or performance up to speed, and this type of performance problem can quickly bring an office or department to a grinding halt. In Shepard's 20 years as a business owner and writer, he has developed a set of strategies for dealing with problem employees that have been proven through vast experience. At the seminar held last month, he gave participants the tools needed to correct situations that are salvageable, and the ability to fire without fear when they are not. He was both entertaining and inciteful. The seminar covered the four basic personality types found in the workplace; understanding the different generations; how to give performance evaluations; discipline and termination; how to get employees to work on time and more! One phrase repeated was 'behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated."
Glen Shepard gets great reviews from his seminars and participants always get some nugget of information they can take back and use right away, which is why we bring him back time and time again for our members. If you missed his seminar this time, make sure you take advantage the next time we have him here.
This event was sponsored by our 2020 Forward Carroll investors.
JUNIOR CHAMBER LEARN ABOUT CONFLICT RESOLUTION!
Thank you Carroll County Sheriff's Office for spending time with these young leaders this past month!
FEBRUARY SUNRISE SEMINAR Last month we held a sunrise seminar on digital wellbeing. Participants came away with tips and tools they can use to manage their relationship with technology.
Thank you to guest speaker Lauren Holverson for doing such a great job.
CARROLL COUNTY DAY AT THE CAPITOL The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce takes the role of representing your business seriously. On February 26th, the Chamber hosted its annual Carroll County Day at the Capitol. A delegation of Chamber members traveled to the capitol to meet with legislative leaders to discuss the Chamber's pro-business agenda. Participants viewed House and Senate sessions and took a tour of the State Capitol. Brian Dill with Tanner Health Systems is the 2020 Chair of the Government Affairs Council. This year's event was sponsored by Georgia Power and Jordan Truck Sales -- thank you.
STAR Students Recognized at Chamber Membership Breakfast The Carroll Chamber hosted their quarterly Membership Breakfast featuring the STAR student honorees at the Carroll County Schools Performing Arts Center during the month of February.
During the STAR ceremony, students from Carroll County School System, Carrollton City Schools, and Oak Mountain Academy were recognized. The honorees, their teachers and parents, and school administrators heard from each of the school superintendents.
STAR honorees are:
Bowdon High School - Rileigh Daniel and STAR teacher Mrs. Carrie Gay
Carrollton High School - Audrey Best and STAR teacher Mrs. Kim Eason
Central High School - Courtney Vance and STAR teacher Mr. Lane Daniel
Mt Zion High School - Conner Fisher and STAR teacher Mr. Keith Holloway
Oak Mountain Academy - T.J. Middlebrooks and STAR teacher Mr. Ben Pullin
Temple High School - Isabel Salazar and STAR teacher Mrs. Jessica Bohlen
Villa Rica High School - Caleb Yarbrough and STAR teacher Mr. Bryan Crane
Since its creation in 1958, the Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program has honored nearly 26,000 high school seniors. To obtain the STAR nomination high school seniors must have the highest score on any single test date of the SAT taken through the November test date of their senior year and be in the top 10 percent of their class.
RedCube Creative Conference 2020 The Chamber joined forces with RedCube Creative to co-sponsor the 2nd Annual Creative Conference for small business. The full-day event, FREE for participants, was held Wednesday, February 5 at City Station in Carrollton. The event, attended by over 125 guests, opened with keynote speaker, Kenn Kington. Kington entertained, encouraged, challenged and inspired the audience. The event featured breakout sessions covering topics ranging from financing a small business to tips for iPhone photography. Many thanks to RedCube Creative for allowing our Chamber to take part in this wonderful conference.
CHAMBER INTERN- OAK MOUNTAIN ACADEMY STUDENT ALEX PORTER
Alex Porter, a senior at Oak Mountain Academy, chose Special Events and Marketing for her Senior Project. Lucky for us, Alex chose to work with our staff to assist with the planning and implementation of this year’s Annual Dinner. We have had a great time working with Alex; she is an amazing young lady! Thank you, Alex ~ we have enjoyed having you in our office over the last several months. We wish you much success and happiness as you embark on this next season in your life!
BUSINESS OF THE MONTH
CONGRATULATIONS WILLIE A. WATKINS FUNERAL HOME The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Willie A Watkins Funeral Home as the business of the month for February 2020.
Established in 1982 in Atlanta's Historic West End community, the Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home is a full service funeral home providing individualized funeral services designed to meet the unique needs of each family. Each location is designed to make guests feel at home, and each is strategically integrated into the community it serves. Willie A Watkins is located at 602 Newnan Road in Carrollton. For more information, please visit their website www.williewatkins.com or by phone at (770) 836-0044.
To nominate a local business, please submit the completed nomination form located on our website and send it to our office via one of these options: Fax: 770.832.1300; Email: rhyne@carroll-ga.org; or Mail: 200 Northside Drive, Carrollton, GA 30117.
RIBBON CUTTING
CONGRATULATIONS SUPERIOR RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS & PLAYCORE
Congratulations to Superior Recreational Products and PlayCore as we cut the ribbon on their manufacturing facility! The facility was built by RK Redding Construction, Inc. and will support the company's growth for years to come.
Superior Recreational Products is located at 1050 Columbia Drive in Carrollton, Georgia. For more information, please visit the website at www.superiorrecreationalproducts.com.
NON PROFIT CALENDAR
Spring is a busy time for our local non profits. Check out some fundraisers and community events coming up from some of your fellow Chamber members below and show them some support! Have a fundraiser coming up? Submit a 600 x 200 pixel advertisement for this section by the 21st of each month to get listed in this section. Can link to Facebook page or website if link is provided.
LEADERSHIP & STAFF
Mission Statement: Building a Stronger Business Community by Engaging Progressive Leadership and Diverse Resources
2020 Executive Committee Chairperson: Kirby Butler, United Community Bank Chairperson-Elect: Jay Gill, Carroll EMC Vice-Chairman: Dr. Mark Albertus, Carrollton City Schools Treasurer: Jill Duncan, State Farm Insurance Past Chairperson: Bill Stone, Systems & Methods, Inc.
Daniel Jackson, President & CEO - daniel@carroll-ga.org
JR Charles, Vice President of Economic Development - jr@carroll-ga.org
Suzy Montalto, Director of Operations - suzy@carroll-ga.org
Suzy McCorkel, Director of Program and Events - suzymc@carroll-ga.org
Rhyne Owenby, Director of Member Engagement - rhyne@carroll-ga.org
Katlyn Bradshaw, Incubator Manager at Burson Center - katlyn@carroll-ga.org
Joan Finch, Information Specialist & DFW Coordinator - joan@carroll-ga.org
2020 FORWARD CARROLL
Bank OZK
Carroll County Sheriff's Office
Carroll County Water Authority
J. Smith Lanier & Company | Auto Owners Insurance Company
Scott Evans Chrysler Dodge Jeep Nissan
Southland Insurance Agency
State Farm Insurance - Amy Brown
Synovus Bank
Trident Seafoods Corporation
Bank OZK
Carroll County Sheriff's Office
Carroll County Water Authority
J. Smith Lanier & Company | Auto Owners Insurance Company
Scott Evans Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Southland Insurance Agency
State Farm Insurance - Amy Brown
State Farm Insurance - Jill Duncan
Synovus Bank
Trident Seafoods Corporation
AgSouth Farm Credit ACA / AgSouth Mortgages
C.M. Tanner Grocery Company
Crane Industry Services
Fairfield Plantation Golf & Country Club
John Thornton Cadillac Buick GMC
Southern States Bank
Auto Supply Company
BB&T
Carrollton Emergency Physicians
Combined Worksite Solutions
Dollar Heating & Air
Edward Jones/ Fred O'Neal, Financial Advisor
Garrett, Thomas & Fazio PC
GLA Roofing
Lewis Fire Protection
Oak Mountain Academy
Rushton & Company, LLC
SunSouth, LLC
Tisinger Vance PC - Attorneys at Law
The Times-Georgian
