The 2010 Davie County Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet held at Bermuda Run Country Club on Thursday, October 28th was generously sponsored by CenturyLink, VentLab Corporation and Webb Heating and Air.
Several members fully embraced the spirit of the Halloween Costume Contest by arriving in some very creative costumes. As always, this annual event continues to be greatly supported by the business community and serves as a reminder of the importance of coming together to celebrate accomplishments and to recognize outstanding commitments to our community.
The 2010 Small Business of the Year Award was presented to Raylen Vineyards and Winery, the 2010 Business of the Year Award was presented to Ingersoll Rand Corporation and the E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award was presented to Mrs. Helen Page Crenshaw.
Karyn Howard Accepts 2010 Small Business of the Year Award on behalf of Raylen Vineyards and Winery
Raylen Vineyards ~ Davie County Small Business of the Year!
In presenting the Small Business of the Year award to Raylen Vineyards, Bill Johnson described Raylen as a fully integrated business with retail and wholesale operations, manufacturing operations and raw material production. Raylen continues to put Davie County in the spotlight as they have been featured in numerous local television programs, Our State Magazine and USA Today.
Raylen plays an important role in state and local tourism as travelers visit Davie County to experience the beautiful rolling hills, dramatic sunsets and full moons. The beauty of the vineyard and the friendly, professional staff have made Raylen Vineyards an important North Carolina destination for travelers from across the nation.
“Napa is out, North Carolina is in!”
The ambiance of the facility and the friendly, professional staff at Raylen are outdone only by the quality of the wines they craft. Raylen has been lauded by the Wine Spectator as one of the premier wineries of the Southeast and has won literally hundreds of medals at statewide, regional and international competitions. Raylen is one of the reasons that Phil Lambert announced on the Today Show that: “Napa is out, North Carolina is in!”
While Raylen is in many ways an old fashioned business with master craftsmen involved in every step of the creative process, last year they earned bragging rights for environmental stewardship when they became the first North Carolina vineyard to install state of the art solar energy systems to power their operation.
Upon accepting the award on behalf of Raylen Vineyards and Winery, Karyn Howard invited everyone to visit the winery to see and taste first-hand what the country has been talking and writing about.
Jason Myers, Tracey Burns, Jerry Lakey, Rick Ryan & Phil Wekenemann of Ingersoll Rand accept 2010 Business of the Year Award
Ingersoll Rand ~ Davie County Business of the Year!
In presenting the Davie County Business of the Year award to Ingersoll Rand, Terry Bralley described the Mocksville Ingersoll Rand facility as “Retooled, re-engineered and re-energized!” Ingersoll Rand has invested millions to make people smarter, keep them safer and enable them to compete with anyone in the world. Important partnerships with state and local organizations, K-12 and higher education facilities, and workforce development groups have helped keep Ingersoll Rand operating in Davie County.
A recent article published here describes in more detail the transformation at the Mocksville Ingersoll Rand facility that continues to be driven forward by the management and staff locally and by leadership at the corporate level.
A State of the Art Center of Excellence
In accepting the 2010 Business of the Year Award, Rick Ryan, Vice President Americas Operations, said that the “Investment enabled us to transform an old facility into a state of the art center of excellence. This allowed us to win jobs from other facilities and actually out-compete with Mexico.” Mr. Ryan also thanked the community for coming together to support the efforts of Ingersoll Rand.
For more information on how Ingersoll Rand has grown and prospered during these challenging economic times, see our recent article.
Mrs. Helen Page Crenshaw ~ 2010 E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award
Mrs. Helen Page Crenshaw ~ Recipient of the 2010 E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award
The E. C. Tatum Humanitarian Award is presented annually to a citizen who personifies the commitment to community through their volunteer and philanthropic efforts for the betterment of the Davie County community.
The recipient of the 2010 E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award is Mrs. Helen Page Crenshaw.
Mrs. Helen Crenshaw ~ A Life-Long Educator
Mrs. Helen Page Crenshaw is a life-long educator who worked tirelessly for 31 years serving all of Davie County’s students. A 1936 graduate of Women’s College of Greensboro (now UNC Greensboro) with majors in history and education, Mrs. Crenshaw began her teaching career at Scotts High School near Statesville where she coached girl’s basketball and helped with the Glee Club. In 1939 she began teaching at Mocksville High School where she taught French, English and Civics while also serving as the school librarian.
Mrs. Helen Page Crenshaw ~ World War II Contributor
When her husband, the late Charles R. Crenshaw, was drafted in 1942 they moved to California where Mrs. Crenshaw joined the war effort working for Douglas Aircraft in Santa Anna, drilling holes in nosecones in preparation for riveting. When her husband was discharged in 1945, the Crenshaws returned to Mocksville.
Mrs. Crenshaw returned to teaching at Mocksville High School in 1948 where she remained until the new Davie County Consolidated High School opened in 1956. In 1956, Mrs. Crenshaw became the librarian at Davie County High School and served in that capacity until 1964. Mrs. Crenshaw spearheaded the establishment of an outstanding high school library.
In 1964 Mrs. Crenshaw became the Library Coordinator for all of Davie County serving 7 schools. In addition to her library duties, Mrs. Crenshaw also served in several many other capacities. She sponsored the Beta Club, chaired numerous junior/senior banquets, sponsored the yearbook staff, directed junior and senior plays, coached cheerleaders, supervised graduations, was a charter member of and presided as president of the Alpha Delta Kappa teaching sorority, sponsored the library club, performed class-day skits, chaperoned student trips along with many other activities. Several of the Davie County High School Year Books have been dedicated to Mrs. Crenshaw. Mrs. Crenshaw retired from the Davie County School System in 1973 after 31 years of service.
Mrs. Helen Page Crenshaw ~ A Devoted Christian
Mrs. Crenshaw has been a member of First United Methodist Church of Mocksville for 60 years. She is an active member of the United Methodist Women and has also served as the group’s president. At 95 years old, Mrs. Crenshaw still attends church faithfully and participates in many of its activities. She actively visits shut-ins and nursing home patients, volunteers weekly to assist with the preparation and distribution of the church newsletter and contributes to many church projects. She is a recipient of the Service Award which is the highest honor bestowed by United Methodist Women.
Mrs. Helen Page Crenshaw ~ Thank You!
In 2007, Mrs. Crenshaw received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, the highest citizen award given by the state of North Carolina. Recently, the Mocksville High School Class of 1951 established the Helen Page Crenshaw Scholarship. A life-long educator, a devout Christian, and still a tireless volunteer at 95 years old, Mrs. Helen Page Crenshaw is certainly a worthy recipient of the E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award. Mrs. Crenshaw, all of Davie County says, “Thank You!”
Chamber Business ~ New Officers Approved
The evening would not be complete without a little Chamber business including approval of the new slate of officers. Chairman Jeff Seaford welcomed three new directors including Heather Hayes of WFUBMC, Kyle Swicegood of Century 21/Swicegood Development Group and Chad Bomar of Coffey Bomar. He also thanked Darryl Bandy of Bandy Insurance, Chad Fuller of Fuller Contracting and Izzy Tutterow of Carolina Drilling for their service on the Board. With a passing of the gavel, Jim Cochie of Ventab Corp accepted the position of Chairman of the Board for 2011.
Carolyn McManamy, Chamber President thanked the current board for their tremendous support, hard work and energy throughout the year. A special thank you was also extended to the Executive Committee – (especially Chairman of the Board Jeff Seaford of MidSouth Drilling) – for all their time and open acceptance to new ideas and a lot of changes!
Additionally, Carolyn thanked the following for their assistance with the evening: Shirley Markland of Advance Florist for creating a truly spooktacular atmosphere for this Haunted Chamber Costume Party; Kathy Miller of One ShotPhotography for capturing the moments of the night and generously donating the proceeds of all purchases to The Ora Foundation; Barry Rentz and Max Peterkin of The Mobile Jukebox for entertaining the crowd with their fabulous music.
Resources:
Raylen Vineyards and Winery ~ 2010 Small Business of the Year
Ingersoll Rand ~ 2010 Business of the Year
Event Sponsor: CenturyLink
Event Sponsor: VentLab Corporation
Event Sponsor: Webb Heating and Air
Davie County Chamber of Commerce
