Household Enterprise of the Yr
Household Enterprise of the Yr was awarded to Hawkins Household Dental and Indicators By Tomorrow.
Hawkins Family Dental on Inexperienced Road was established by Gainesville native Dr. Lee Hawkins in 1979. His first rent, Christy Sexton, stays with the apply to today, together with workers members Joann Fuller, Karen Ditmore and Tracy Tuggle, who joined the staff shortly thereafter.
“Such tenure and workers dedication says a fantastic deal about Lee Hawkins,” Fowler stated.
“Beginning a enterprise with a 21% rate of interest proved difficult however didn’t curve his ambition to supply top of the range dental care to our group,” Fowler added, as Hawkins supplemented his earnings that first yr by educating anatomy and physiology at Brenau whereas seeing sufferers in Commerce till his apply grew.
In 2006, Hawkins’ son, Dr. Ben Hawkins, graduated from the Medical School of Georgia’s dental faculty and joined the apply — the identical yr his father went to the Georgia Senate, the place he continued within the Home of Representatives and now chairs the Home Committee on Well being.
Lee, who retired final yr, feels he might by no means have served on the Capitol with out Ben “holding down the apply.”
Signs By Tomorrow is undoubtedly a household affair, helmed by husband and spouse Jay and Janet Kelley, their son Michael and daughter-in-law Kari.
Since launching the enterprise in 2001, the Kellys have taken “nice satisfaction in being household owned and operated and work onerous to take a buyer’s imaginative and prescient and produce their know-how and cutting-edge expertise to ship the best signal options,” Fowler stated.
The corporate’s merchandise embody lettering and graphics, actual property and lighted outside indicators and indoor wall frames for shoppers like native faculties, manufacturing vegetation, church buildings, medical amenities and small companies.
Companions in Schooling with 10 Corridor County faculties, the Kellys additionally help native organizations just like the Georgia Mountain Meals Financial institution and Boys & Ladies Golf equipment of Lanier.
“The corporate’s core values,” in accordance with Fowler, “are integrity, engagement, innovation, enthusiasm, group, and humor and enjoyable. If you recognize Jay Kelly and his household — the humor and enjoyable half is certainly on the core.”
Neighborhood Service Award
The chamber’s Neighborhood Service Award was given to Georgia Heart Institute, housed by Northeast Georgia Well being System.
Corridor County’s coronary heart care program was established almost 40 years in the past with Northeast Georgia Medical Middle’s first coronary heart catheterization. Over the following years, this system has improved the lives of 1000’s, “probably a whole lot of 1000’s,” in accordance with the chamber’s vice chair of financial growth Glennis Barnes, “of individuals throughout the area and develop into a pacesetter in coronary heart and vascular care acknowledged internationally.”
“Georgia Coronary heart Institute has constructed on a robust basis and has a vibrant future,” Barnes continued, noting its just lately launched robotic surgical procedure program, which permits sufferers to obtain coronary heart valve replacements by means of incisions no bigger than the diameter of an ink pen, minimizing scarring.
Additionally in growth are modern affected person care facilities tailor-made for girls and coronary heart failure sufferers together with conducting analysis on coronary heart assault prediction and prevention.
“In truth, Georgia Coronary heart Institute now cares for extra coronary heart assault sufferers in a yr than some other hospital within the state,” Barnes stated. “There are faces in our group, our households and even on this room who wouldn’t be right here with out their dedication to offering the perfect coronary heart care. That’s definitely a group service value celebrating.”
Distinguished Citizen Award
The Distinguished Citizen Award was introduced to Brian Daniel, president and CEO of Carroll Daniel Construction.
Based in 1946, the 300-employee basic contracting agency is in its third technology of household management and has develop into “a nationally acknowledged chief within the development business,” in accordance with Package Dunlap, the chamber’s president and CEO.
Its 60,000-square-foot facility located on the nook of Important Road and Jesse Jewell Parkway, she added, is “the cornerstone of all the great issues taking place in downtown Gainesville.”
After finishing levels in enterprise administration at Auburn College and constructing development at Southern Polytechnic State College, Daniel returned house to start working with Carroll Daniel in 2001, assuming the position of firm president following his father’s demise in 2003.
In his tenure, the corporate has seen dramatic progress, Dunlap stated, reaching document ranges in each income and employment “whereas serving an ever-increasing shopper base in a various vary of markets throughout the Southeast.”
As a public servant of the Gainesville-Corridor County group, Daniel has served stints on the board of organizations like United Manner of Corridor County and Sisu, along with collaborating in worldwide chamber enterprise missions, spearheading efforts to develop the Gainesville-Corridor County Workforce Improvement Process Pressure and implementing youth apprenticeships and work-based studying alternatives throughout the group.
“Brian is devoted to the way forward for not solely the development business, but additionally to all segments of enterprise,” Dunlap acknowledged. “Workforce growth is his ardour — creating a talented workforce to make sure Gainesville-Corridor County stays on the prime of the charts in Georgia and the nation for job creation and financial growth.”
W.G. Mealor Award
The W.G. Mealor Award was given to Tread Syfan of Stewart, Melvin & Frost.
Named for the chamber’s first chairman, the chairman’s alternative award honors civic servants who go “past the decision of obligation” of their work with the chamber and in the neighborhood.
A Gainesville native and graduate of Gainesville Excessive Faculty and the College of Georgia Faculty of Legislation, Syfan serves as basic counsel and secretary for the Gainesville and Corridor County Improvement Authority, which has labored with 323 new and increasing firms during the last 15 years to create 15,800 extra jobs with $3.7 billion in capital funding.
Syfan’s involvement in financial growth spans 40 years, in accordance with outgoing chamber chairman William Bagwell, and contains initiatives comparable to Atex, Koch Meals, King’s Hawaiian, Fox Manufacturing unit, Kubota and, most just lately, the brand new Northeast Georgia Inland Port.
“One of many issues I respect about Tread Syfan is that he doesn’t do what he does for accolades,” Bagwell stated. “He does it as a result of he enjoys it, it wants doing and he needs to raised his group. Tread is a superb instance of a champion for Gainesville/Corridor County.”
