By Keysha Drexel
Journal editor
Several Over the Mountain retailers were among the 13 honored last week by the Alabama Retail Association and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Collat School of Business.
The presentations were made Sept. 23 at the 2014 Retail Day Luncheon at the Vestavia Country Club.
A panel of judges chose the Retailer of the Year finalists in four categories by Alabama annual sales volume: less than $1 million, $1 million to $5 million, $5 million to $20 million and more than $20 million. Bronze, silver and gold awards were presented in all categories.
“This was an exciting day for us,” Rick Brown, Alabama Retail Association president, said. “It is an honor to be able to recognize such an outstanding group of retailers. Each retailer honored is a credit to the retail industry and its community.”
For the third year, the judges also selected an Emerging Retailer of the Year. The award is given to an innovative and effective Alabama retailer who has been in business for at least two years but less than five years.
The winners in the 15th presentation of the Retailer of the Year Awards were:
Annual sales of less than $1 million
Gold award: Silvertron Café in Birmingham’s Forest Park community, owners Marco and Elan Morosini, nominated by Victor M. Brown, vice president of minority and small business development for the Birmingham Business Alliance.
Silver award: Dreamcakes Bakery in Homewood, owner Jan Jacks, also nominated by Brown.
Bronze award: Four Corners Gallery on U.S. 280, Carla Hamilton, chief executive officer, nominated by Amanda Spencer, senior development officer for the Birmingham Museum of Art.
Annual sales of $1 million to $5 million
Gold award: Continental Bakery in Mountain Brook and Birmingham, Carole Griffin, president and owner, nominated by Suzan Doidge, executive director, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce.
Silver award: J.R.’s Lawnmower Shop in Opp, Joe Richburg, owner and president, nominated by the shop’s secretary, Taylor Wilkerson.
Bronze award: Fleet Feet Sports in Huntsville, Dink and Suzanne Taylor, owners, nominated by Ken Smith, director of research and information services for the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County.
Annual Sales of $5 million to $20 million
Gold award: Bromberg & Company in Birmingham and Mountain Brook, Frederick W. “Ricky” Bromberg, president, nominated by Bill Powell, executive director of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce, Doidge with the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce and Brown with the Birmingham Business Alliance.
Silver award: Dreamland, with restaurants in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Northport , Tuscaloosa and Georgia, Betsy McAttee and management team, nominated by Brown with the Birmingham Business Alliance and Patricia Ford, executive director of the Homewood Chamber of Commerce.
Bronze award: Darby’s Village Pharmacy in Andalusia, David and Laura Darby, owners, nominated by Chrissie Duffy, executive director of the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce.
Annual sales of more than $20 million
Gold Award: Century Automotive Group in Huntsville, Tracy Shields Jones and George Jones, president and general manager, nominated by Smith of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County.
Silver Award: Publix Super Markets in Vestavia Hills, Dave Quinn and Joe Blaszczak, former and current managers, nominated by Karen Odle, president of the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce.
Bronze Award: Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers, based in Birmingham with 216 locations in 13 states, Ricky Brooks, president, nominated by Josh Henderson, senior vice president of marketing for Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers.
GEE Emerging Retailer of the Year
The Orchard Apple Specialist in Gulf Shores, Mike LeCroix, owner, nominated by John Chamberlain, Retail and Business Service Council chairman for the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber.
