With its focus on serving the community, The Winston County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual banquet April 26 at 6 p..m. in MarketCafe in downtown Louisville.
The annual dinner and awards celebration, with dining, socializing and honoring award winners, is always a look back and a look forward as the community members are honored for their past works and new Chamber President is welcomed.
This year the Chamber invites the community to help them honor:
• Mike Forster as Man of the Year. Forster along with his wife Bettye have helped spacer many improvements in Winston County. The vision of renovating the Old Blond Harris building into the present day MarketCafe has helped revive downtown Louisville. He has orchestrated the "Wings over Winston Air Show" for several years which brings thousands of visitors to Winston County each year. He continues to lead the airport board in projects that make the Winston/Louisville airport the best small airport in Mississippi.
• Dorothy Jean Harper as Woman of the Year. Harper is a tireless volunteer who wears many hats in the community. She has been the volunteer leader of the Future Generation 4-H Club for over 19 years. She volunteers with the Good News Club in the Louisville Municipal School District to help the youth of the community in another capacity. She volunteers as the manager of the Winston County Farmer's Market under the auspices of the Coalition for a Healthy Winston County. She also volunteers and leads several areas of the Winston County Self Help Youth Group.
• Garry V. Hughes for a Lifetime Achievement Award. Hughes has been a coach, educator, businessman and constant community minded man. He had helped grow over a dozen businesses in addition to his own Hughes Construction Company. A small glimpse at Hughes helpful nature in 2012 after Mt. Moriah Church burned he donated materials, labor and equipment. After the 2014 tornado, Hughes assisted with cleanup and construction throughout the county.
• Hazel Garrett for or a Lifetime Achievement Award. Garrett helped establish the Good News Club and has always been a involved member of First Baptist Church and the North Mississippi Walk to Emmaus. With an interest in genealogy, she has helped update the Winston County Cemetery Book.
• Market Cafe to be honored as Retailer of the Year. Market Cafe is located in a renovated 1890 building downtown Louisville. The restaurant is a draw for out of town guest and a welcomed venue for events for many in Winston County.
• Terry Reynolds as Forester of the Year. Reynolds owns about 2000 acres of land with both pine and hardwood trees with the majority growing in hardwood. Reynolds understands the timber market and needs. He helped establish Rives and Reynolds Lumber company in 1971 with the mill producing millions of board feet of wood annually.
• Tim and Kim Hobby to be honored as Farmer of the Year. Tim and Kim Hobby, husband and wife, owners of T&K Farms located in Southwest Winston County. Tim grew up on a dairy, cattle and timber farm in Winston County and Kim grew up on a poultry, cattle and row crop farm. Together they started T&K Farms in 2010 with a 10 house poultry operation and 40 head of beef cattle as well as a trucking, track hoe and dozer service. On April 28, 2014 the devastating tornado that crossed Winston County completely destroyed their 3 year old poultry operation and left behind a path of destruction through the heart of the farm destroying timberland, cattle operation, 90% of the structures on the farm as well as equipment and the trucking business with over 4.5 million dollars in damages. Today T&K Farms has grown to an average of 200 head of beef cattle. They have rebuilt farm structures, new fences, livestock watering and feeding facilities and continue four years later cleaning and improving from the devastation of the tornado.
The Chamber is an organization with a long and successful history at fulfilling its mission of “representing each and every one of its members while amplifying the collective voice of business in an effort to advocate economic vitality, quality of life and the preservation of the competitive enterprise system,” according to Amy Hillyer, the Chamber’s Executive Director.
What do members get out of joining the Chamber? Members become part of a mutually supporting network with other local businesses. Members can display their brochures and business cards in the lobby of the Chambers information centers which is a prime place for tourists and newcomers to visit. The chamber also hosts seminars designed specifically for members to help in operating, managing or expanding a business. The Chamber also sponsors ribbon cuttings for businesses when they join the chamber or move to a new location or remodel, and help business owners meet each other and community members to network, socialize, and promote their businesses. The Chamber office staff and volunteers greet thousands of visitors every year and not all of them are tourists. In addition, they field thousands of telephone calls inquiring about businesses. There are various committees that every member has an opportunity to participate in as well.
For banquet reservations and information call the Chamber office at 662-773-8719
