Twenty-one companies and business leaders are competing for the Chamber’s Annual Small Businesses and Entrepreneur of the Year awards at the June 4th Rooster Booster Breakfast at the Hines Center. This recognition is the most prestigious annual business awards in the area.
Small Business of the Year (1-10 employees)
Captured Moments Photography
Taking control of their own lives is cited by Jason and Kate Higdon, owners of Captured Moments Photography, as the reason they started their business in 2004. They believe in taking risks and “pushing the envelope” and also believe that attitude has brought them customers who value family images as artwork for their homes. The Higdons have also harnessed the power of social networking by using the targeted advertising program on Facebook to reach their market. Jason and Kate have won several awards including the 2008 Jim Thacker Scholarship from the Kentucky Professional Photographer Association.
Cartridge Depot
Started by Matt Payne and Matt Lucas in 2006, Cartridge Depot has grown to four employees and increasing sales each year. The remanufactured printer cartridge business is a tough one with Payne and Lucas competing with the Internet, lots of other outlets and the negative perception some have about using remanufactured cartridges. Payne and Lucas took what they learned by working for other companies and decided they wanted to work for themselves when they formed the company. Matt Payne is a very involved Chamber member and serves as an Ambassador and member of the Small Business and Golf Classic task forces.
GC Promotions
Long-time Owensboro printer Greenwell-Chisholm branched into the advertising specialties business in 2004 with GC Promotions and enjoyed a 20% growth in business in 2008. The company stresses the importance of ad specialties being more than just “stuff” or a “giveaway” with its clients and talks about how they emphasize branding and quality. GC Promotions can send customers photos of specialties by email and eliminate the need for clients to leave their office to view options. The company has helped customers build their own “company stores” which allow employers to have a central place for their employees to order company apparel. Garry Pierce of GC Promotions is active with the Chamber and serves on the Small Business Task Force and is co-chair of the new Owensboro Buys It! expo later this year.
The Hines Center
Previously a private facility, the Hines Center went public in 2006 and has grown to more than 500 members for its fitness center and a large banquet hall which accommodates weddings, anniversaries, corporate events and more. To meet its members’ needs, the fitness center has added structured fitness classes and personal trainers. Center staff also organized the effort to allow alcohol sales in what had been a dry precinct. The successful community vote to allow sales meant the center could obtain a convention center liquor license and made for overall safer events. The facility has also worked to overcome the perception that it is too far from Owensboro. These efforts have made the Hines Center the #1 choice in the community to hold large events.
Impact Marketing Consultants
Marketing and advertising service for small businesses is the approach that spells success for Impact Marketing Consultants, a business started in 2004 that enjoyed sales growth of 50% in 2008. “We value our clients’ business as if it were our own…because it is,” says Belinda Abell of the firm. The company has contributed free of charge or discounted its services and time to several community organizations including Friday After 5, We The People—Citizens for Good Government, Environmental Impact Council and Owensboro Business & Professional Women.
Limos by Knight
In business for several years, the Burton family purchased Limos by Knight in 2000 and continues to provide chauffeuring services around the area. B.J. Burton recalls one example of the company going above and beyond: “One one occasion I received a call at 4 a.m. from my driver who was transporting 14 people to the Nashville airport. He was having mechanical trouble in Madisonville so I immediately called different limo companies and was able to get the clients to their destination on time. When they returned, my father and I met them at the Nashville airport to take them to Madisonville. We took them to dinner and apologized for their earlier trouble; we always put the client number one.” The company helps a long list of community-oriented organizations including the American Heart Association Heart Walk, the RiverPark Center silent auction, the annual Hospice fundraiser and many others.
Owensboro Music Center
Started in 1973, Owensboro Music Center has grown from a music equipment store to providing teaching programs to about 150 students per week. Founder Gordon Wilcher and his partner, Hank Starks, stay on top of the trends and innovations in their industry. They’ve recently joined the social networking wave and actively promote the store on Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and with Twitter. Wilcher is the first elected president of Musicstoreowners.com, a group comprised of more than 300 independent music store owners from across the country. The store is well-known for its civic contributions, including the donation of guitars on numerous occasions.
Shelter Insurance Company, Susann Bartlett, agent
Long-time community volunteer Susann Bartlett became a Shelter Insurance agent in June of 2007 and believes “going the extra mile” for her clients helps gain their trust. “I took a leap of faith ten years ago as an independent AFLAC insurance agent,” she says. “When I opened Shelter, I was a ‘scratch’ agent without an existing book of business. I had to overcome the ‘new kid on the block’ syndrome that is often a hindrance when you are competing with established agents in the area. Thankfully, I am not new to the business community so I have been able to capitalize.” Bartlett continues her work for many organizations including Junior Achievement, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics and the Komen for the Cure Foundation. She was the Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year in 2008.
Small Business of the Year (11+ employees)
Comfort Keepers
Levi and Jamie Reames moved to Owensboro two years ago from Kokomo, IN and purchased the local Comfort Keepers business which provides in-home, non-medical care for clients. Levi became interested in the business after he saw his own aging grandfather need assistance without leaving home. The company has now grown to 70 local employees, all of whom are carefully screened, bonded and insured before they are allowed to enter clients’ homes as caregivers. The Reames are implementing technology in their business; this includes a telephone clock-in system that allows them to know their caregivers’ status via text messages or email. More recently, they’ve begun using 24-hour monitoring systems to be even more watchful of their clients. The business was named a Kentucky Pacesetter by the Kentucky Small Business Development Center earlier this year.
Cromwell Radio Group
The Cromwell Radio Group operates four FM and three AM radio stations from its offices at 1115 Tamarack Road. This all started with the establishment of one of them—WKCM-AM—in 1972 in Hawesville. Cromwell managers point to their coverage of the February ice storm that devastated the region as a prime example of their support of the communities it serves. Staff and their families worked 24 hours a day for nearly two weeks to collect and broadcast information to listeners—all made possible by prior installation of backup generators at their studio and FM tower sites.
Gipe Automotive
Growing from 55 employees in 2005 to 69 today, Gipe Automotive was started in 1931 and is still operated by the Gipe family. Tom Gipe points to honesty, compassion and dedication as the traits his grandfather instilled in the company and what continues today to set them apart. The company faces stiff competition from a growing number of national brand auto parts companies. They have added locations in Hartford, Morgantown, Bowling Green, Glasgow, Elizabethtown, Greenville, Caneyville and Rockport, IN in recent years in addition to their stores in Owensboro, Lewisport and Leitchfield. Gipe says, “Being nominated for this award speaks more to our employees’ hard work and company legacy than to my entrepreneurship.”
The Messenger-Inquirer
The long-time daily paper of Owensboro and the surrounding region, the Messenger-Inquirer is also an online publishing, information technology and printing business. It’s the changing nature of their industry and the reading public that makes “the newspaper” constantly evolve. The Messenger-Inquirer reaches 80,000 readers per day and has recently invested nearly $1 million in new technology to become a regional publishing and graphic design center. The Owensboro facility publishes and prints six newspapers from Vincennes, IN to Portland, TN—all part of the Paxton Media Group. The Messenger-Inquirer is well-known for its philanthropic nature; the Goodfellows Club was founded by previous owner Lawrence Hager and has raised millions of dollars in the past 70 years to provide clothing, gifts and dental care to underprivileged children.
Owensboro Dermatology Associates
Drs. Michael Crowe and Artis Truett, III are the physicians behind Owensboro Dermatology Associates that has grown to 61 employees at a time when one in five Americans are estimated to develop skin cancer in their lifetime. This year, more than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.—more cases than prostate, breast, lung, colon, uterus/ovaries and pancreas combined. The practice stays ahead by investing in the most effective diagnostic and treatment tools available, including a new treatment, Photo Dynamic Therapy, for pre-cancerous skin lesions. They also have offered free skin cancer screenings for more than ten years, including on-site at employers’ facilities. Drs. Crowe and Truett are also proud to be one of the first and few medical practices in the area to fully implement electronic medical records—a coming trend in the healthcare industry.
Stonebridge Insurance Service
“One size does not fit all” in the insurance business is the rule at Stonebridge Insurance Service. Ronnie Raymond and Calvin Gilbreath worked together at Green River Steel for more than 20 years before partnering in the insurance business as independent life and health agents. They’ve recently added Chip Dooley as a partner and have tripled their personnel with offices in Lexington and Ashland. The firm is up to 14 employees and enjoyed a 37% sales growth in 2008. “In the beginning,” says Gilbreath, “we studied our products long and hard and worked without pay for two years. We’ve never lost sight of our dedication to be service-oriented and have worked very hard to keep a client once we get them and truly feel ‘a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’” The company is active in the Lions and Rotary clubs and other civic groups and is proud to say they have moved their operations to downtown Owensboro.
Entrepreneur of the Year
Greg Gordon – All American Fabrication
Greg Gordon started All American Fabrication in the fall of 2007 to better provide for the security of his family after his job was terminated at his employer. He put his many years of experience in the metal fabrication business to work and follows the slogan, “All Quality All the Time.” Gordon has acquired new customers across the country and is on track to have sales of $2 million in 2009. The company specializes in mining equipment and conveyors, structural steel, platforms, handrails, chutes, hoppers, stainless steel, aluminum and more. Gordon took advantage of the start-up business services provided by local organizations including GRADD, SCORE, the Chamber of Commerce and others. “I believe in the American way of doing business,” he states. “Give a customer a quality product at a good price and they will continue to do business with you, and our growing customer base proves this still works.”
Vicki Mills – Blossoms Apparel & Gifts
After being a stay-at-home mother of five children for 20 years, Vicki Mills opened Blossoms in 2004 as a maternity apparel store. “After being pregnant for a quarter of my married life, I felt like I knew the business and felt the need for such a store in our community,” explains Mills. As her customers started asking for more “non-maternity” clothing, she has changed the store’s direction in the past two years to include contemporary clothing for women and children as well as gifts. The store has recently moved to 805 Frederica Street. Mills supports a long list of non-profits and says she believes donating is a wonderful form of advertising. “I treat people the way I want to be treated,” she says. “I get along with almost everyone and love meeting and talking with all my customers. They are my friends and they have helped us to get to where we are today.”
Cheri Landis – Cheri’s Creations
Cheri Landis opened her gift basket business in Owensboro last June. The business specializes in retro candy baskets, and Landis goes the extra mile to make unique combinations for her customers. “I just completed a wedding package for one of my clients,” she says. “I was asked to create baskets to put in each room for the out-of-town guests staying at a hotel. They wanted it to have the feel of the bridge from Owensboro as well as the groom from Texas so I designed a basket in the wedding colors with a custom label and several locally-made products. The bride’s mother called the day before the wedding and added another 18 baskets. I pulled them together and delivered them right on time. She said they were ‘delighted’ with the baskets.’” Landis believes in volunteering and is the 2009 co-chair of the Chamber Ambassadors.
Jim Weafer – Financial Freedom Partners
A UPS driver for more than 20 years, Jim Weafer retired in 2004 to pursue his goal of being a financial planner. “Whether it is a young couple struggling to get by or a couple preparing for a comfortable retirement, I give each of my customers the same sincere respect and attention,” says Weafer. “At all times, I place my honesty and integrity before everything else.” He credits satisfied customers’ referrals for growing his business; he also cites his Chamber involvement for helping him meet many people when he first started his business and for giving him confidence to keep his goals in sight. Weafer was named Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year in 2006 and has been chair of the Golf Classic Task Force the past two years. He’s active in other organizations including the alumni association and president’s advisory council at Brescia University.
Denny Alford – Knox Technologies
Denny Alford says his motivation has always been “challenge” oriented. In his 23 years of work in the engineering department at Texas Gas, he became aware of services only within the means of large corporations or only available in larger cities that would be of significant value to smaller businesses if they were available. He founded Knox Technologies in early 2001 and it has grown to 17 employees today. The company’s biggest business involves converting paper documents to computer databases. Digitizing paper saves significant space and money for clients; the service has led to clients in Tennessee and Indiana and other locations. “I enjoy having the freedom to utilize my abilities, explore innovative solutions and accomplish something of benefit,” says Alford.
LeAnne Musick – Musick Studios
Leanne Musick considers herself to be an inspiring success story to motivate people to follow through with their dreams. Opening in 2008 on East 2nd Street, Musick Studios provides dance instruction to hundreds of students. “Our goal for all clients—child or adult—is for them to leave Musick Studios with a feeling of self-accomplishment,” she says. “When you have your own business, you learn how to be flexible and not so rigid. Starting your own business presents tremendous challenges but is also very rewarding and every client is important to us.”
Bobby Taylor – Signs by Gina
“I always knew I could, I just did not know what,” is how Bobby Taylor describes his road to entrepreneurship and his 1997 establishment of Signs by Gina. The business provides a wide array of signs and banners, and business has increased by at least 25% each of the past four years. “I’ve used lessons I learned in many of my previous ventures so I’ve taken all of those things and applied them to my new business,” says Taylor. He produces banners for local schools at a discounted price for their fundraising.
