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Awards and Events

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• Alabama Retailer of the Year
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• Examiner of the Year
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  • Examiners of the Year Since 2001
  • Driver License Division Arrest Record
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MORE THAN $5 MILLION

• GOLD

Andy and Andrew Brown
Brown Lumber & Building Supply Inc., Columbiana
This father and son/owner and vice president duo provide leadership for a third-generation family business, which employs 31 and is affiliated with the Ace Hardware chain of stores. The Retailer of the Year judges cited the Browns for adapting to changing economic and business conditions and for “great sales numbers” in relation to the population of the city where the business is located.

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Nominated by Stacy Walkup, executive director, South Shelby Chamber of Commerce 

• SILVER

Michael Mazer
MAZER DI$COUNT $UPER$TORE, Homewood

This customer- and civic-oriented winner spent 2009 coping with the most difficult economic times since his grandfather founded the company during the Great Depression. Dropping a distressed segment of the business, slashing operational costs and consolidating into one location showed his ability to adapt to the market, Retailer of the Year judges said. Still, he found time to advocate for a grant to revitalize an historic park in his community.

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Nominated by Tricia Ford, executive director, Homewood Chamber of Commerce 

• BRONZE

Brian Bice
Bice Motors Inc., Alexander City
What impressed the Retailer of the Year judges about this winner was his ability to keep his family’s 60-year-old car dealership open without any layoffs during the 2008-2009 recession, while maintaining his community involvement and keeping the business on the cutting edge of technology. Bice is the third generation owner of Bice Motors, which began as an automotive shop business in 1949 and added new car sales in 1965.

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Nominated by Marvin Wagoner, president and chief executive officer, Alexander City Chamber of Commerce 

$1 MILLION to $5 MILLION

• GOLD

Leo, J.L. and Ken Shaia
Shaia's of Homewood 
These gentlemen operate a fourth generation family business that is older than the city of Homewood. In 2009, these retailers of high quality men’s clothing, furnishings and shoes have trimmed expenses everywhere possible, with the exception of their employees. These owners proudly say "when a customer walks into Shaia’s, he is greeted by a Shaia."

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Nominated by Randy and Mary Adamy, owners, O’Henry’s Coffees Inc., and Tricia Ford, executive director, Homewood Chamber of Commerce 

• SILVER

George Wilder
The Locker Room and TLR Outdoors, Montgomery
This winner sells high-end men’s clothing at two stores in Montgomery. Managing inventory and margins was crucial to minimizing the steep decline in consumer spending so the stores he has operated for 32 years could survive and emerge from the recession even stronger. He also has been able to achieve a balance between running two highly successful retail businesses, while remaining involved in the life of his community.

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Nominated by Bob Akers, vice president, Davis Direct Inc., Montgomery 

• BRONZE

Stanley Enfinger
Badcock Home Furniture & More, Ozark
Councilman Stanley Enfinger has owned his store in Ozark (population 15,000) for 31 years. It has a customer base of more than 1,300 accounts and is one of the top-performing stores for Badcock Home Furniture & More. But it was his compassion for his customers and community that cinched this award.

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Nominated by Joe Whiddon, director of dealer retail operations for the western division, and Will Morgan, dealer advisor, W.S. Badcock Corp. 

LESS THAN $1 MILLION

• GOLD

Tim Jennings and Michael Dyer
The Monkey's Uncle and Monkey Tails Baby Emporium, Leeds

Tim Jennings and Michael Dyer have done all they can to reinvigorate downtown Leeds. They were instrumental in starting a weekly Farmers Market. They help plan and sponsor the Leeds Downtown Folk Festival, plus they run two downtown businesses four doors apart and operate a Christmas store during the holiday season.

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Nominated by Sandra McGuire, executive director, Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce 

• SILVER

George Jones Jr.
Snoozy's Kids Inc., Mountain Brook  
His nominators praised George Jones as THE biggest cheerleader for business in Mountain Brook. He and other family members run two businesses named for his dad. Snoozy's Kids has been in operation for 21 years. The Retailer of the Year judges praised Jones for grooming the next generation of retailers.

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Nominated by Suzan Smith Doidge, executive director, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce

• BRONZE

Justin Edwards, Scott Dean and Hal Craig
Momma Goldberg's Deli, Homewood and Inverness 

These three young men opened a franchise of a beloved Auburn eatery in Homewood in December of 2007, and then opened another in Inverness in July 2009. Year-over-year sales for the Homewood location increased from the store’s initial year, despite the 2008-2009recession and they were able to cut labor costs by two percent by developing a program that evaluates sales over time intervals allowing them to adjust schedules appropriately.

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Nominated by Tricia Ford, executive director, Homewood Chamber of Commerce