The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce hosted the 10^th Annual Banquet and Red Carpet Gala on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Columbia County Exhibition Center. This year the Chamber celebrated 10 years as the Columbia County Chamber and the 5-Star Accreditation Award the Chamber received this year from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Award winners were:

Mark Herbert of Herbert Homes, Inc. received the Lifetime Achievement Award. He was not able to attend so his wife JoAnn Herbert accepted for him. Herbert has been involved in Columbia County since 1984. He has served as President of the local Builders Association in 1991 and 2001. In 1991 and 1997, he received the local Builder of the Year Award for his outstanding efforts in volunteering his time, service and experience to the Association to promote and defend the industry in our local area. In 2005, he was appointed to the State Licensing Board for residential and commercial contractors and still serves as Chairman in 2014-2015. He became the State Builder Association President in 1997, and he was awarded the Hall of Fame Award by the State Home Builders in 2008. This individual was instrumental in the hiring of the Columbia County Building Official and the Fire Marshal as well as reconstructing the Columbia County Advisory Board. He has served Columbia County on the Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as Advisor on many other boards and committees. He is very involved in his community and gives back to various organizations including Golden Harvest Food Bank, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Safe Homes of Augusta, Columbia County Arts, Association of the United State Army, and contributed to the City of Grovetown.

The Small Business of the Year & Business of the Year Awards are given to highly distinguished companies who have proven to be successful and are actively involved in our community. The Small Business of the Year represents a company with less than 20 employees. The Business of the Year is a company with 20 or more employees.

Mary Pat Tubb, Factory Director, accepted the Business of the Year award for John Deere Commercial Products. It’s been more than 20 years since the first tractor rolled off the assembly line at the John Deere factory in Grovetown in 1991. In November, the company marked an equally significant milestone: The 1 millionth tractor was built. That’s a lot of tractors. The Grovetown plant has come a long way since those early days. Today it produces 27 models of compact utility tractors and utility tractors that are distributed throughout North America and exported to more than 40 other countries. The facility occupies more than 400,000 square feet, spans more than 175 acres and employs about 470 employees to support the design, production, and distribution of John Deere compact utility and utility tractors. John Deere is a worldwide corporation dedicated to those who are linked to the land. Since its founding in 1837, the company has seen tremendous growth by ceasing opportunities in a changing world and remaining true to its core values: Integrity, quality, commitment and innovation. Locally, John Deere has been an outstanding corporate citizen and a dedicated member of the Chamber.

Petch Respiratory received the Small Business of the Year Award. Owner David Petch is celebrating 15 years in business this year. Their strong commitment to their customers is evident in the quality of their work. The philosophy of Petsch Respiratory Services to provide quality home respiratory services in the patient’s home setting where the patient can relax, breathe easier and continue to enjoy life. Petsch Respiratory Services stands out in the way they give back to the community. They believe that the local people and businesses make this a great community to live in. Here are just a few of the programs and organizations Petsch Respiratory supports: WJBF Scholar Athlete, Ronald McDonald House, Augusta Special Olympics, Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation, and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Other award winners were:

· Leadership Columbia County Alumni Award – Scott Johnson, Columbia County Administrator.

· Ambassador Award – Keith Henderson of Wingate Hotel.

· Volunteer of the Year Award – Samantha Stough of Costco.