By : Beth Smith
Source : http://www.courierpress.com
Category : Small Business Grant
They took it one step and one deep, deep breath at a time.
Starting with the ember of a dream, Jamie Like and Anita Frazer conducted research, purchased land, planted a crop and finally in 2006 opened the doors of Ruby Moon Vineyard & Winery.
This year, the winery expanded by constructing a new building which houses their wine making and bottling operations, a banquet room and an upstairs bedroom suite that can be rented by patrons.
Their perseverance and dedication, not just in establishing a successful business, but to the community who supports them, has made Ruby Moon a favorite venue in Henderson County and across the state.
On Thursday, Like and Frazer were presented a Small Business Persons of the Year award for a company with zero to 10 employees.
The presentation, made by Jennifer Keach, occurred at the annual Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Persons of the Year Awards Breakfast held at the Henderson County Country Club.
"We really appreciate this quite a bit and very surprised by this as well," Like said. "When you start a small business it's a very scary proposition. I know when we started talking about starting the vineyard and the winery several of our friends and family thought we were crazy and we probably are a little bit because I think you have to be to do what we're doing. But we forged on with much support from friends, family and this community.
"We never would have started this business if we didn't think we'd be successful, but we really had no clue the amount of community support we would get and how we'd grow in our thinking about community.
"Everything we do, we do thinking about not only ourselves but how will this affect our community. We try to make wines with grapes we can grow in Henderson County and fruits we can purchase from local farmers. We have our labels made here in Henderson County. We sell wonderful gourmet cheeses made in the region. We try to think local. When you invest locally in the community, it's a win-win for everybody," she said.
"It's been a hard year for us," Frazer said. "Personally, ... we've had some losses ... and at Ruby Moon with the expansion and Mother Nature worked really hard against us this year ... it's been a tough year," she said. "This is a great way to end it."
Receiving the Small Business Persons of the Year award for a business with 11 to 50 employees was Independence Bank.
Voted the second best community bank in the nation and receiving top marks for its customer service and community involvement, in 2011, the bank "constructed an inspired version of Independence Hall (for a banking location) and then sponsored a free Martina McBride concert" for the community, said Herb McKee, who presented the award. "It was an amazing way to cap off an amazing year."
"It was a landmark year for Independence Bank," said Jim Davis, president of the bank in Henderson. "Our ability to work out that building and get it put up ... it was a five-year mission."
"Thank you very much for this (award)," he said.
Source : http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/dec/08/no-headline---gl__small_business_of_the_yea/
Source : http://www.courierpress.com
Category : Small Business Grant
They took it one step and one deep, deep breath at a time.
Starting with the ember of a dream, Jamie Like and Anita Frazer conducted research, purchased land, planted a crop and finally in 2006 opened the doors of Ruby Moon Vineyard & Winery.
This year, the winery expanded by constructing a new building which houses their wine making and bottling operations, a banquet room and an upstairs bedroom suite that can be rented by patrons.
Their perseverance and dedication, not just in establishing a successful business, but to the community who supports them, has made Ruby Moon a favorite venue in Henderson County and across the state.
On Thursday, Like and Frazer were presented a Small Business Persons of the Year award for a company with zero to 10 employees.
The presentation, made by Jennifer Keach, occurred at the annual Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Persons of the Year Awards Breakfast held at the Henderson County Country Club.
"We really appreciate this quite a bit and very surprised by this as well," Like said. "When you start a small business it's a very scary proposition. I know when we started talking about starting the vineyard and the winery several of our friends and family thought we were crazy and we probably are a little bit because I think you have to be to do what we're doing. But we forged on with much support from friends, family and this community.
"We never would have started this business if we didn't think we'd be successful, but we really had no clue the amount of community support we would get and how we'd grow in our thinking about community.
"Everything we do, we do thinking about not only ourselves but how will this affect our community. We try to make wines with grapes we can grow in Henderson County and fruits we can purchase from local farmers. We have our labels made here in Henderson County. We sell wonderful gourmet cheeses made in the region. We try to think local. When you invest locally in the community, it's a win-win for everybody," she said.
"It's been a hard year for us," Frazer said. "Personally, ... we've had some losses ... and at Ruby Moon with the expansion and Mother Nature worked really hard against us this year ... it's been a tough year," she said. "This is a great way to end it."
Receiving the Small Business Persons of the Year award for a business with 11 to 50 employees was Independence Bank.
Voted the second best community bank in the nation and receiving top marks for its customer service and community involvement, in 2011, the bank "constructed an inspired version of Independence Hall (for a banking location) and then sponsored a free Martina McBride concert" for the community, said Herb McKee, who presented the award. "It was an amazing way to cap off an amazing year."
"It was a landmark year for Independence Bank," said Jim Davis, president of the bank in Henderson. "Our ability to work out that building and get it put up ... it was a five-year mission."
"Thank you very much for this (award)," he said.
Source : http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/dec/08/no-headline---gl__small_business_of_the_yea/
