Chamber Announces Small Business of the Year
The Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce concluded its June Small Business Month activities with the annual banquet held Thursday, June 28 at Benvenue Country Club where area businesses were honored for entrepreneurial creativity, determination, and commitment to success.
Marty Clarke, the banquet keynote speaker, delivered a witty and compelling address on "Leadership Credibility in the Real World". A small business owner himself he works closely with business owners, leadership teams and sales teams with the vision to make changes that yield material improvements in real time - and he serves as the principal of Martin Productions (www.martyclarke.com), a highly successful consulting firm, focusing on keynote speeches, custom training sessions, management consulting, and sales team turn-around. Marty has authored two books: Communication Land Mines, 18 Communication Catastrophes and How to Avoid Them, which sold out in its first printing; and Leadership Land Mines, 8 Management Catastrophes and How to Avoid Them, which focuses on the eight specific behaviors that cripple any business owner or manager's ability to emerge as a true leader.
As always, the evenings highlight was the much-anticipated announcement of the 2007 Small Business of the Year recipient - Rick Davenport, Rick Davenport Auto Sales. The Small Business Nomination committee selected this year's recipient based on staying power, employee growth, innovation, increased sales volume, and community involvement. A native son to Rocky Mount, Rick graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High and then attended NC Wesleyan College. When he was 21 he started selling cars at Don's Datsun - which to the younger generation today means Nissan. After seven years of selling Datsuns, Rick Davenport went into business with a partner on their own lot. After four years Rick started a new lot.
Established in 1985, Rick Davenport Auto Sales — a family-owned and operated business — opened to consumers on a small corner lot on what was then called Hwy 301, offering consumers the ability to shop for used vehicles of all makes and models in one location. Over the years the business continued to search for the best quality vehicles to offer consumers and the best convenience for purchasing a vehicle, serving also as the financial center for the purchases. Today Rick Davenport Auto Sales operates with a service center and a significantly larger lot and much larger inventory. Also, the business has grown with satellite locations as well.
Following twenty-two years of consistent and steady growth in the marketplace, Rick Davenport Auto Sales now operates two locations in Rocky Mount and one each in Nashville and Tarboro. The most recent venture being the addition of the new Truck Center - serving pickups and related trucks only. Today the business has grown to 20 employees and the Rick Davenport Auto Family is now truly a family operation. Both sons, Brandon and Travis, are in the business. Brandon now heads the Truck Center and often carries the responsibilities for marketing of the entire operation and Travis operates the Tarboro and Nashville stores. Rick even says - "if it weren't for my kids I'd be swinging on the back 9 somewhere - but I keep going for them - and for the business we're building together."
Rick Davenport also gives back to the community and consumers. Besides supporting local charities and not-for-profit endeavors, the Davenport Family started "The Big Wheel" to capture the attention of the many NASCAR fans in the area. Consumers pick a NASCAR drivers name on the large wheel of fortune and enter to win a weekly cash prize, with a huge celebration at the end of the racing season of those weekly winners vying for a much larger cash prize (no obligation necessary - but it keeps potential customers coming back). Pairing up with the NASCAR promotion - Rick Davenport Auto Sales also has now championed with VICTORY JUNCTION GANG CAMP in Randelman, NC - established by the Petty Family in honor of their late son Adam - to support challenged youth and provide them camping and life-enriching opportunities they would otherwise never have - free of charge. Rick Davenport in conjunction with AutoTrader.com over the last four years has raised over $50,000 for the camp.
Not a stranger to being recognized for their strong business and consumer friendly ethics - Rick Davenport Auto Sales won the 2005 Auto Dealer Monthly Top 50 - a national award that recognizes the top independent dealers in the country.
The Chamber further honored additional area small businesses for outstanding achievements in the following categories: Minority Small Business Person of the Year; Small Business Woman of the Year; Entrepreneurial Success of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Downtown Small Business of the Year; and honored Work First Award recipients from the Twin Counties.
(L-R) Dr. Angela C. Stokes, Northside Family Pharmacy, Inc. as Small Business Woman of the Year; Dianne W. Bulluck, Dianne’s Bridal and Formal Wear, LLC as Rookie of the Year; Rick Davenport, Rick Davenport Auto Sales; Yolanda Evans, A Taste of Paradise Caribbean Restaurant as Downtown Small Business of the Year; Russell Proctor, 2007 Chamber Chairman; Joyce DeBroux, Readers Book Emporium as Minority Small Business Person of the Year; Work First Award recipients from the Twin Counties, Tina Bullock from Nash County and Pleasant Wiggins from Edgecombe County; and Cammy Bailey Hodges, CoolCupsandStuff, Inc. as Entrepreneurial Success of the Year.
Joyce DeBroux, Readers Book Emporium was awarded the 2007 Minority Small Business Person of the Year. This award is given to an individual who has attained one of the highest honors of professional status he or she can achieve as a small business owner and for supporting the continued growth and development of minority businesses. A cozy, quaint bookstore, Reader's Book Emporium was organized in 2005 and is an independent bookstore focusing on literacy and free expression for readers of all ages - but especially children. In addition to reasonably priced new and used books, signed, printed editions, special out-of-print edition orders, personalized service, Wi-Fi availability and literary events each month the store has become a meeting place to share poetry reading, debate politics, host children's events and general discussion groups. Joyce has built a true community store and believes in local support, which she does by sponsoring children's events and by providing a forum for promoting literacy and a venue for local artists' works.
Dr. Angela C. Stokes, Northside Family Pharmacy, Inc. was honored as Small Business Woman of the Year, which is awarded to a business owner who has achieved significant accomplishments and attained the highest level of professional excellence in her business by supporting the continued growth and development of working women. The winner also serves as a valued leader in the community. A community pharmacy specializing in old-fashioned service with modern day knowledge, Northside Pharmacy has built its business on being a "helping hand pharmacy" for consumers. Dr. Stokes has spent her entire adult life attaining degrees and certifications, such as: Diabetes Education; an Immunization Pharmacist; and other specialties like natural hormones and herbal and natural medicines, that allowed her to fulfill her dream of helping people and doing so in the retail end of the world of medicine. Now with two locations in the area and being the host of a weekly call-in show called "The Helping Hand" on WHIG TV, Dr. Stokes is well deserving of the title Small Business Woman of the Year in 2007.
Dianne W. Bulluck, Dianne's Bridal and Formal Wear, LLC was awarded the honor of Rookie of the Year, presented to an individual who has used direction, commitment, vision and risk to start a new enterprise and make it flourish. A woman with much energy and drive, Dianne has established her business - now just 2 years old - on the basis of excellence in service to her brides and bridal needs and has gained the reputation of class, distinction, and a commitment to personal service. Each gown is custom fit with an in-house seamstress, delivers the dress for pictures and presses and steams the gown again in preparation for delivery of the gown for the bride to the church. Dianne has strong family values and enjoys having her 2 daughters, ages 15 and 17, work at the Bridal shoppe with her. She is a strong believer of "Shopping Local" and has strong educational and community involvement; and is a founding member and past member of the Tar River Swing Band.
Cammy Bailey Hodges, CoolCupsandStuff, Inc. was recognized as the business recipient of the Entrepreneurial Success of the Year, an award presented to an individual who owns and operates a business originally launched as a micro enterprise and has subsequently experienced phenomenal growth in sales and creation of jobs. Cammy, along with her husband Fred have used their promotional background and entrepreneurial spirit to grow CoolCupsandStuff from an initial investment of $400 selling "fun cups for fun people" to $670,000 in sales in just 3 short years - turning commodity products such as cups and napkins into high-demand fun items, with other cool products in the pipeline. The company also offers a charitable fundraiser cup program for Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer and Hurricane Relief. The line of fun products continues to grow with such popular cups as "Redneck Stemware", "Coastal Crystal" and Weekend Waterford". The product lines can be found in upscale gift shops all across the country.
Yolanda Evans, A Taste of Paradise Caribbean Restaurant was recognized as the Downtown Small Business of the Year. This award is given to a Downtown area business owner that has responded to adversity and taken risks, established or maintained a successful business, and is involved in the community. Yolanda was born in Kingston, Jamaica, grew up in Maryland with her mother being a caterer of Caribbean food and had early interest in the foodservice business. While dreaming of opening her own restaurant she operated a family daycare services until 2003 when she moved to Rocky Mount; and in December 2005, along with her husband Joeroyal, opened A Taste of Paradise Caribbean Restaurant on the corner of Main and Marigold Streets Downtown - an area that needed risk-takers and a restaurant. She serves the finest, authentic Caribbean cuisine in Eastern North Carolina, attracting patrons from Greenville and Raleigh. Yolanda sponsors two teen basketball teams through the Boys and Girls Club, has been a minister for 19 years and is currently the youth minister at Mount Calvary Holiness Church in Wilson.
The Chamber additionally honored the achievements of individuals in the Work First program, recognizing recipients from the Twin Counties - Pleasant Wiggins from Edgecombe County, employed by Sam's Club; and Tina Bullock from Nash County, employed by the Waffle House - for their dedication to becoming self-sufficient and the commitment they have made to their jobs and in their lives. Now in its 10th year, The Chamber and the Twin County's Department of Social Services have work dedicatedly to assist in the training and development of welfare-to-work participants for positive changes in quality of life for area citizens, creating an 85% reductions in our welfare ranks with an average participant retention rate of 83%. Many thanks to the area businesses actively supporting the Work First program.
Small business activities, which also included tours and seminars, were sponsored by Premier Sponsor: Southern Bank; Presenting Sponsors: COECO and Nash Health Care Systems; Gold Sponsors: The Cavalier Companies, EMBARQ, Strategy Performance and Wade Designs; Co-Sponsors: Allegra Print & Imaging, Bobby Murray Toyota, Century 21-The Combs Company, ElectriCities of North Carolina, Poyner & Spruill LLP, Tatum LLC, US Cellular and Annual Sustaining Partners: Edgecombe Community College Small Business Center, Nash Community College Small Business Center, Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce, Rocky Mount-Edgecombe Community Development Corporation and the Small Business & Technology Development Center.
Small Business Appreciation Month is a program of The Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, located in the Historic Downtown Train Station, is the largest business organization in the community and is dedicated to the recruitment and support of small businesses growth, promotion of community investment initiatives, engagement in political action for the betterment of the community; and enhanced quality of life for area citizens.
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