ASHEVILLE  – The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated more than 125 years of building community through business at its Annual Meeting on Monday, June 17 at the Omni Grove Park Inn. The program included honoring individuals and businesses with leadership awards and a surprise flash mob coordinated by Conny Andres.

Awards presented were:

• Small Business Leader of the Year (15 or fewer employees): Meredith Campbell, Express Employment
• Small Business Leader of the Year (16-50 employees): Todd and Anne Smith, College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving of Asheville
• Family Business Award: A-American Electric, LLC
• Entrepreneurs of the Year: Quillity (with local founders Meredith Ellison, Brandon Ellison, and Casey Watkings)
• President’s Award: Kudzu Brands
• Excellence in Public Service Award: Wyatt Stevens of Roberts & Stevens

Small Business Leader of the Year Awards (sponsored by HomeTrust Bank) are presented each year to individuals who reflect quality and dedication in their business operations and who have exhibited leadership accomplishments in the areas of innovation, initiative and civic responsiveness. 

• Meredith Campbell of Express Employment received the award for a company with 15 or fewer employees. In Campbell’s 17 years at Express Employment, the staffing agency has filled over 26,000 jobs in our community, helped nearly 2,900 people find permanent careers and supported the growth of 1,099 companies.

• Todd & Anne Smith of College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving of Asheville received the Small Business Leader of the Year Award for the 15-50 employees category. The Smiths have grown their business from five employees to more than 40 employees in three short years. Along the way, they have won awards, including 2023 Best of AVL Silver Award for Place to Work. Out of 200+ College H.U.N.K.S. franchises across the US, The Smith’s business received the 2022 and 2023 Brand Alignment awards and was recognized as H.U.N.K. of the Year.

The Family Business Award (sponsored by UNC Asheville) recognizes a family-owned business for their contributions to the community and success as a family-owned enterprise. This year’s recipient is A-American Electric, LLC. A-American Electric has three generations of the Wilson family working in the company (including founder Phil Wilson, his son Kris Wilson, and his grandson). Extended family members make up 10% of the company’s employees.

The Excellence in Public Service Award (sponsored by Mission health) recognizes outstanding contributions to the community through involvement, service, or motivation to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Buncombe County. This year’s award honors the late Wyatt Stevens of Roberts & Stevens. An Asheville native, Wyatt had a passion for the environment and conservation. Wyatt also believed deeply in helping the people of the region, devoting many hours to helping Mountain Housing Opportunities and Pisgah Legal Services. Wyatt’s legal career garnered him numerous awards and included a thoughtful approach to land use and zoning. He was a champion for smart development that balances the need for growth alongside upholding the quality of life that we all hold dear.

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award (sponsored by Wells Fargo) recognizes entrepreneurs with soaring ventures and who serve as role models leading through example for all the startup entrepreneurs in the region. This year’s award goes to Quility. While scaling their business with a large local and remote workforce and disrupting the insurance industry with innovative technologies and partnerships from their headquarters in the Swannanoa Valley, local founders Meredith Ellison, Brandon Ellison and Casey Watkins have exhibited a dedication to our community. Their latest venture is reinvigorating the Beacon Mill site in Swannanoa with a community focus and economic development opportunities.

The President’s Award (sponsored by First Bank) recognizes an individual or company deserving of recognition for their work and contributions to the community. This year’s award goes to Kudzu Brands. The Kudzu Brands team was instrumental in planning and executing the 125th Anniversary Celebration in Fall of 2023. They also lent their time and talents to the relaunch and rebranding of the young professionals program PROpel AVL. Kudzu Brands partners Heather Johnson and Lindsey Bnadad have volunteered with the Chamber in so many capacities in recent years.

The Chamber shared accomplishments from the past year including:

• Celebrating 125 years with grant awards to local non-profits. In September 2023, $130,000 was awarded to 13 nonprofits.
• Receiving reaccreditation from the International Economic Development Council, making the Chamber one of only 65 accredited economic development organizations in North America.
• Welcoming more than 250 new members and conducting over 50 ribbon cuttings to celebrate grand openings and company milestones.
• Facilitating more than 17,000 business connections through networking events.
• Honoring over 60 individuals and companies throughout the year for business successes (through Venture 15 and Sky High Growth Awards) and for leadership (through the PROpel AVL Awards and WomanUP Awards).
• Nurturing the talent pipeline by connecting with more than 1,100 students and job seekers through programs like NEXT AVL and Accelerate Buncombe.
• Completing feasibility study on Business Improvement District and proposing a BID for Downtown Asheville, which was approved by City Council on June 11, 2024.
• Serving more than 172,000 visitors and newcomers at the Asheville Visitor Center and connecting them to local businesses.

Topping off the evening, the 700+ audience was surprised by a flash mob to the Kool & The Gang classic “Celebrate!” More than 40 dancers, including Chamber staff, flooded the dance floor from all corners of the ballroom in an energetic performance choreographed by local dance educator Conny Andres. Andres teaches dance at the YMCA as well as choreographing for Asheville Community Theatre.

About Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce:

For 125 years, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has been the catalyst for economic vitality in our community. Asheville Chamber initiatives have stimulated economic development, influenced public policy, and supported the growth of thousands of local and regional businesses.  

Today, the Asheville Chamber: 

• Fosters collaboration among business and community leaders from Asheville and throughout the region, 
• Connects businesses to the resources they need to be successful and 
• Takes a reasoned and thoughtful approach to advocating for business and community issues. 

 Together with its members and partners, the Asheville Chamber nurtures a healthy business environment to create a better quality of life and future for the people who call our region home. Learn more at AshevilleChamber.org. 

Source: Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce