Winter 2024 Bainbridge Living Magazine

WINTER 2024

98TH ANNUAL

FOR YOU!

TABLE OF CONTENTS 06

10

14

18

22

OUTSTANDING CHAMBER MEMBER A-1 INDUSTRIES

26

OUTSTANDING COMMITTEE MEMBER CHRISTINE WELSH

28

32

36

CORPORATE CITIZEN AWARD BASF

PIONEER AWARD CHIP & LINDA PERRY

OUTSTANDING COMMITTEE MEMBER LANDEN BRYANT

CHAMBER STAR BUSINESS SCOOPS

MAN OF THE YEAR TOMMY DOLLAR

PUBLISHER JOHN WELLS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS SELAH IMAGE

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ETHAN REDDISH NOAH WATSON JILL HOLLOWAY

SALES & MARKETING MORGAN WHITE

Page 5

RISING STAR AWARD KOLBY SHEPHERD

WOMAN OF THE YEAR CECILIA WILLIS

BASF

Page 7

Corporate Citizen Award

Giving back to the Decatur County Community and investing in its youth

T

he Corporate Citizen Award is given to a business that has made significant contributions to the economic vitality of Bainbridge and Decatur County through business growth, job creation, investment in infrastructure and participation in other endeavors that benefit the community and its residents.

BASF met those requirements with flying colors in 2023, according to Chamber of Commerce President Karen Tobin.

“I was very proud of the site,” said Mark Herring, the Site Director of the BASF Catalyst Production Facility in Attapulgus, GA. “To be recognized for last year… It was good for the site to have and to be recognized for that work.”

She said they also exemplify excellent corporate citizenship by giving back to the community and fostering a corporate culture that enhances the lives of its employees. Herring said earning the trust of the Decatur County residents is one of the top priorities at the BASF facility.

“The activity within a community is extremely important to BASF,” Herring said. “If the community loses confidence in what we’re doing at the site, we won’t be around here long. To continue gaining the confidence of our community, our surrounding neighbors, that’s always going to be extremely important to me and this site… That’s the backdrop of everything we do.”

BASF was very active in the “Bearcat

Workforce Now” program at Bainbridge High School. The program brings local businesses in and allows students to meet employees of Bainbridge companies and ask questions / participate in mock interviews to prepare themselves for employment later on down the line.

Herring and his staff visited Bainbridge High School on multiple occasions, running mock interviews and preparing students to enter the workforce. They also brought students to the BASF site in Attapulgus.

“Bearcat Workforce Now was a place and is a place that we really said, ‘Let’s go do this well,’” Herring said. “Let’s go participate in this sector, because we can help."

Through the program, They hired an apprentice who got the chance to work at the site and get on-the-job experience.

“When we went up to help interview the kids,” Herring said. “I told the group, ‘If you find some superstars in here, let me know, and we’ll see if we can figure out how to get them going.’ We found one gentleman through the interviews, and we moved very quickly and pulled him into an apprenticeship here at the site.”

Herring said 2023 was just the start and that he and the site plan to continue to reinvest their time and energy into Bainbridge and Decatur County.

“Last year was just the first step in the path to doing it better,” Herring said.

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ScoopS

Providing sweet treats to the community and job experience to the youth

F

rom gourmet candy apples to hand-dipped chocolate strawberries, ScoopS Bainbridge is one of the sweetest shops in town, offering something for every sweet tooth. Nostalgia can also be found in their classic Coke floats and candy cigarettes, making it one of Bainbridge’s most unique stores for both young and old alike.

Named the 2024 Star Business of the Year, it’s easy to see how ScoopS’s innovation and fun atmosphere became the talk of the town.

Originally opened in December 2021, the franchise had long been a vision of owners Sherry and Doug Young. Having first visited a franchise in McDonough, Sherry and Doug returned home to purchase one of the historic buildings downtown on Water Street and finalize the franchise deal. Since its inception, ScoopS has been one of the many downtown success stories. Part of its success stems from the fact that is unlike anything else Downtown Bainbridge has to offer, which was Sherry’s initial goal.

“ScoopS brought something new, different, and fun to our downtown,” she said. “We offer a large variety of candies, chocolates, specialty coffees, and ice creams you can only find at ScoopS.” While ScoopS has certainly been a sweet tooth heaven for the masses, it also has created an opportunity for the youth in Bainbridge to train at a first job.

“ScoopS is able to employ 8-10 youth part-time and two full-time,” Sherry explained. “I know this is not their forever job, but I try to work on soft skills that will hopefully help them with their future endeavors.”

For most of the youth Sherry employs, this is their first job. Sherry said it can be challenging at times to help them develop a good work ethic, but she believes it is essential when looking toward their future.

“We focus on punctuality, no electronic devices

while clocked in, making eye contact, speaking up and talking to customers, while showing customer service,” she said.

Due to the fact most of the staff is youth, Sherry sees constant turnover as many employees leave each year to attend college.

“Staffing has probably been my biggest challenge,” she said. “It’s constant retraining.”

Nevertheless, faithful customers still return day in and day out to support ScoopS. “We had lots of support from the community when we first opened,” Sherry said. “We could not believe the turnout; seeing the expression on people’s faces when they walked through the door for the first time was and still is so fun to see.”

Since that opening day, ScoopS’s customer base has changed. While the business continues to see its regular clientele, it also sees a lot of out-oftowners.

“We have people coming up from Tallahassee, Havana, Dothan, Blakely, Thomasville, and Colquitt and we could not be here without their support,” Sherry said.

She admited the traffic wouldn’t be the same without the help of fellow downtown businesses though: “All the businesses downtown help each other by generating more foot traffic,” she said. “If we only had a candy store or just one restaurant, out-of-towners might not come for one thing, but the more we have to offer, the more reason to come.”

However, Sherry still sees those unfamiliar with the sweet shop.

“ScoopS opened two years ago and we still have people that live in Bainbridge walk in and say ‘How long have you been here?’” she said.

She concluded by thanking the community for their support over the past two years and claiming she looks forward to “another sweet year.”

Page 11

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Kolby

Giving a helping hand to his community and his staff

T

his year’s recipient of the Chamber Rising Star Award is Kolby Shepherd, owner of the local Chick-fil-A. The Rising Star Award, according to the Chamber, is “an award to recognize an individual in the Chamber membership who has shown themselves to be an excellent young business person in their profession as well as their commitment to the Chamber and the community.” During the Chamber Award presentation, Bert Hines applauded Shepherd for some of his contributions, as well as his maturity.

“Serving on the business Development Committee, he has brought fresh incites and innovative ideas that have enriched our Chamber’s initiatives,” Hines said.

Shepherd has been involved with Chick-fil-A since 2013, first joining its Leadership Development Program (LDP) out of college. He described it as “10 years of experience mashed into two-and-a-half years” traveling around to various locations.

Shepherd has been with the Chamber for some time, and will join the Chamber board as a member this year. “We’ve always just had a good relationship, so that’s been really fun,” he said.

Shepherd is not just involved with the Chamber though, as he and Chick-fil-A engage in various avenues of community outreach. One of these is donating to the Salvation Army.

“Basically any leftovers we have in the morning,” he explained, “we take it all to the Salvation Army, and so they’re able to feed a large group every day. So it ends up being tens of thousands of dollars worth of product over the course of a year.”

One of the biggest ways Shepherd said Chick-

fil-A gives back to the community is handing out free food. “We spend a good deal of money every month,” he said. “We’ll spend $5,000 a month in just giving out free food, whether we send it to your apps, or we love on people, or we mess up an order and want to make it right.”

Not only does Bainbridge Chick-fil-A look to take care of the community, but Shepherd wanted to take care of his workers, offering to help pay for his worker’s college tuition. “To me that’s special, because I don’t expect everyone to work at Chick-fil-A for the rest of their lives, but if I can have you for two or three years, or four years, and you get a degree with me, and you get to go be a nurse or a mechanic… it’s really cool.”

Shepherd’s hard work has not just been recognized by the Chamber, but by Chick-fil-A itself.

“We, at one point in 2021, were one of the top 15% of performing Chick-fil-As in the country,” he said. Shepherd remained humble, not claiming all the credit for himself. “Bainbridge Chick-fil-A has a lot to be proud of, and that’s not me… that’s this team, that’s this community.

I tell them all the time, ‘Y’all did this.’”

Shepherd described receiving the award as an honor. “When you do things, you’re not doing it for an award, you’re not doing it for someone to pat you on the back. You just do it because it’s what we should do for each other.” He described his vision for Chick-fil-A Bainbridge as, “a place in Bainbridge where people can come enjoy their jobs, and have fun doing it.”

Page 15

Rising Star Award

S h e p h e r d

Chip & Linda Leaving a mark on Bainbridge through dedication and faith in God

T

he Pioneer Award is given to a person or, in this case, persons who have shown great efforts in advancing the Bainbridge and Decatur County community. The Chamber of Commerce describes a pioneer as a person who leads the way, breaks new ground, develops something new and forges a path.

Bainbridge natives Chip, who worked as a juvenile judge for 40+ years, and Linda Perry did just that, and the Chamber chose them as the Pioneer Award recipients.

“This award acts as a lifetime achievement award,” said Chamber of Commerce President Karen Tobin. “Their journey through life has been nothing short of inspiring— marked by dedication, love, and a profound commitment to the betterment of their community.”

John and Brenda Dowdy, long-time friends of the Perrys, described the two as trustworthy, caring, and of good integrity.

“I don’t say this flippantly,” Mr. Dowdy said.

“The word is [Chip’s] bond, and I really value his opinions… He’s true to his word. If he makes a commitment to it, he sees it through.” “[Linda] stands for truth,” Mrs. Dowdy said.

“She’s very faithful to the Word of God, and that’s where she gets her truth. She just applies it to her whole life.”

One of the Perrys’ most significant accomplishments in Bainbridge is playing an integral role in the creation of Grace Church and Grace Christian Academy.

The church started as a simple bible study among friends in Bainbridge. The Perrys were a part of that bible study, and in the early 1980s,

they had a vision for more.

A group was created to start the church, and they made it official. The Perrys were a part of that, and the Dowdys joined shortly after.

“We just had to have more,” Mrs. Dowdy said.

The growth was slow, but consistent, and in 1994, they decided to start Grace Christian Academy. Mr. Perry was part of the group that started the school, and he and Mrs. Perry have continued to be involved in it.

Mrs. Perry works at the school teaching chapel.

“She has been doing it for so many years,” Tobin said. “That is such a big part of her mission and how she can give back.

Mr. Perry comes in as a guest speaker regularly. His claim to fame is a Christmas-time presentation about candy canes.

“He tells his story about candy canes and how candy canes came about,” Tobin said. “For a lot of students, They may not know that he was a judge or that he does this and that, but he’s the man that comes and tells, every year, the story about the candy canes and hands out candy canes to all the school children.”

Mr. Perry said he’s grateful for the award and the help he’s received throughout his life.

“Anything that me and Linda have accomplished, we owe first of all to God, and to him be the glory for anything that we get done,” Chip said. “Secondly, we couldn’t do it on our own.

There are people behind everything— behind the church, behind the school, behind the court system that kept things going, and we could not do that on our own.”

Page 19

Pioneer Award

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Outstanding Chamber Member

Treating their employees and the community like family

T

he Chamber’s Outstanding Chamber Member Award is given to “a member who should be recognized for their immense support of the Chamber in the last year.” The member business recognized for said support this year was none other than A-1 Industries.

Chamber President Karen Tobin praised the company, for exemplifying “the spirit of community, dedication and family values,” and described the company’s aim, that of being a 100-year company, as “nothing short of inspiring.”

“This is not just a lofty goal,” she said. “It’s a testament to their commitment to longevity, sustainability, and making a lasting positive impact.”

Having established itself in Bainbridge in 2021, and holding its grand opening in 2022, A-1 Director of Marketing Michael Fagan described the company’s reception from the community as “fantastic, warm and accepting.”

The Bainbridge location currently employs 85 members of the community.

“Our commitment to the community and Bainbridge extends beyond the workplace. It’s about enabling dreams and aspirations,” CEO and Chairman John Herring said. A-1 has also contributed to workforce development initiatives, held job fairs, and supported community events like River Town Days and the SWGA Tinsel Trail. Fagan previously told the Post-Searchlight that the company hopes to host job fairs more, and to host them with other businesses.

The truss manufacturer ships 50 units daily, and aims to ship 200 units abroad in the future. The company recently became employ-

ee-owned just last year with its employee stock ownership plan. According to a statement to the Post-Searchlight, next month will see 36 Bainbridge employees involved in the program become co-owners of A-1.

As a company that deals with housing, and one that emphasizes treating its employees like family, Fagan said that, “When someone at A-1 buys a home, it’s a celebration.”

The company takes pride in its status providing economic stability. “This Chamber of Commerce award celebrates not just a business’s success, but the profound impact A-1 has had on changing lives, realizing dreams, and uplifting the community through the embodiment of its core values,” its statement read, also stating that it “values its people as much as its products.”

A-1 recently held its employee Christmas celebration at the Chamber of Commerce, providing food gifts and a raffle for its employees.

Herring concluded by saying, “Together, we will use compassion to change the way America builds communities and continue ‘Using Technology to Change the Way America Builds Homes™.’”

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S AWARD WINNERS

Christine Putting her head down and working hard to make Rivertown Days the best it can be

T

he Outstanding Committee Member Award is given to a committee member at the Chamber of Commerce who has exceeded the expectations of the chamber board in advancing the committee by way of the event or program’s success, time given or dedication to the mission and vision.

Chamber of Commerce President Karen Tobin said Christine Welsh, this year’s recipient, fits that description wholeheartedly. Welsh is on the Rivertown Days committee and deals primarily with securing vendors for the event.

“It’s a huge undertaking,” Tobin said. “Out of all the different tasks Rivertown Days, she by far has the hardest… This is her third year doing it, and she has taken it and ran with it.”

Welsh lives an hour out of Bainbridge in Boston, GA, but makes sure not to miss frequent committee meetings in town, and she dedicates time outside of her professional occupation to Rivertown Days.

“I just enjoy it,” Welsh said. “I do frequent Bainbridge, and I really love the area over there.”

In her role on the committee, Welsh is responsible for bringing over 60 vendors to Rivertown Days. That means reaching out, conducting business, organizing day-of operations, and

securing payment to 60. Different. Vendors.

“Spreadsheets are my friend,” Welsh said. “I make sure we’re only getting good people, not junky stuff… It comes second hand to me.”

Rivertown days 2024 will be Welsh’s 3rd year on the committee. She said she got involved because She works with the Chamber of Commerce in her professional career and wanted to get more involved with the various clients she serves.

“I decided that I wanted to be more invested in my clients,” Welsh said. “And who doesn’t love to hear music all day when they’re working.”

Tobin described Welsh as a “hard worker” and someone who does things because she loves them, not for recognition. Tobin told Welsh she was chosen for the award prior to the night of the ceremony and said she was surprised to hear that she won.

“She was shocked,” Tobin said. “She was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I would never have thought- You know I don’t do it for-’ and I said, ‘No. That’s why you’re getting it. Because you don’t expect it and you don’t ask for anything in return. You’re not looking for recognition, and you work hard to make it great.’ So we are honored to be able to give that to her.”

Page 27

Outstanding Committee Member

W e l s h

Landen

Humbly working to help bring Christmas cheer to Bainbridge

T

he Chamber of Commerce recognized more than one member this year with the Outstanding Committee Member Award. The award is given to a member “who has exceeded the expectations of the Chamber Board in advancing the committee.” While Christine Welsh was recognized for her efforts with River Town Days, another received the award for their work on the SWGA Tinsel Trail.

That member was Landen Bryant.

Bryant has been involved with the Chamber for roughly ten years, and has been with the Tinsel Trail since its creation. When asked about the Chamber interviewing him about the Tinsel Trail (and unbeknownst to him, for his award) last year, he joked, “I just figured I was the one that drew the short straw really.”

He described the process of organizing the Tinsel Trail, beginning with the tree’s arrival on Sunday, followed by the preparation and set-up the next day, complete with the help of local students.

“At 7:00, 7:30 Monday morning, I’m there before everyone else gets there, and Decatur 4-H, and Bainbridge FFA sends a crew of high school students,” he said. He continued, “You’ve got a crew cutting trees, a crew drilling the holes for the spades in the trees, and then you stack them on the trailer… It’s kind of a community effort.”

During his interview with the Chamber for the award, Bryant further spoke on the community aspect of the Tinsel Trail. “Downtown businesses buy a tree, mom-&-pop shops, big business, everyone comes together to bring in Christmas to Bainbridge.”

Bryant recalled how much more chaotic things were at the first Tinsel Trail, “It was so

chaotic that it took until 4:00 the first year to put up 100 trees, and I was like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to do something different.’”

Bryant has always been willing to help those in the community in need, “if someone in the community asks me to do something, whether I want to do it or not,” he said.

Dana Bryant described her son’s willingness to help as “being a caretaker by heart”, saying, “Landen is that back door guy. He’s the person that you don’t see, kind of like the silent partner.”

She implied that he wasn’t necessarily seeking credit or a spotlight with his choice of work at the Chamber. “There are other things that happen at the Chamber that, he’s not going to be your committee chair, he’s not gonna be the front man, He’s gonna be a worker.”

Bryant not only helps out with the Tinsel Trail, he has also helped prepare meals for shut-ins with the community Thanksgiving meal, and is also involved with Decatur County Young Farmers.

As for the Outstanding Committee Member Award, Bryant said, “There’s a lot more that’s a part of that committee that’s more deserving than I am. I’m not a one-man band, for sure.”

Page 29

Outstanding Committee Member

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Tommy

Improving the lives of those around him by being a good friend

I

t has been said that the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge,” Anna Kinchen wrote in a note about her father, Tommy Dollar.

The Bainbridge Rotary Club chose Dollar as the 2024 Man of the Year.

“No matter the time, energy, and passion he puts into accomplishing his goals, it is his relentless thirst for knowledge and unwavering faith that gets him where he wants to go, every time,” Kinchen wrote.

Dollar said he was honored to receive the award at the event, but said the feelings set in after, when he got to read a document of statements from his friends and colleagues.

“It hit home when I read this last night,” Dollar said, referencing the document. “It’s very honoring. It’s very appreciated. It makes me feel very humble.”

The document had comments from Gary Black, Tarrell Bennett, Dean Burke and Chad Etheridge. Dollar said he considers all of them to be friends.

Black, the former Commissioner of Agriculture for Georgia, highlighted Dollar’s loyalty and dedication as a friend in his comments.

“Friends call even when they don’t need a thing,” Black said. “You pray with friends, mourn with friends, and celebrate successes with friends. Your friends guard your back even when it may not be popular. Praying the signal holds, you talk to said friend in the eye of a literal hurricane. I am so proud of [Dollar], who I can truly say is my friend in every way just described.”

Bennett, the Relationship Manager at SWGA

Farm Credit, revered Dollar’s legacy in the Agriculture industry in his comments.

“I do not know of any person who has been more involved in every area of farm production & farm-related business than Tommy,” Bennett said. “He has been an advocate for agriculture all his life... He has always shared the resources and knowledge available to him through his experiences as a farmer… Tommy can also be credited as the primary person responsible for bringing cotton production back to Southwest Georgia with the construction of Decatur Gin.” Burke, a retired Georgia Senator, reflected on Dollar’s resolve and integrity in his comments.

“Tommy understands that to have influence on policy, you have to develop strong relationships,” Burke said. “To develop relationships on a state level, it requires time and COMMITMENT... In support of his community and agriculture as a whole, Tommy has always been available to share his knowledge so others can better understand the issues.”

Etheridge, the founder of Growing America, celebrated Dollar’s capacity to care in his comments.

“I introduced myself to Tommy via phone call years ago,” Etheridge said. “Within minutes of reaching out, Tommy responded with an invitation to sit down together… When we met, I was young, and this older, wiser businessman made time for me. He never rushed me along because my questions were simple. He never made me feel like he had other important things to do. He has been a friend for many years – never asking what he could get – only what he could give.

I am thankful for people in this world like my friend, Tommy.”

Page 33

Man of the Year Tommy Dollar

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Cecilia

Working to help the Decatur County justice system

C

ecilia Willis has dedicated her life to serving the community. From keeping citizens out of harm’s way to making sure everyone receives a fair trial, Willis has gone above and beyond for her neighbors.

However, Willis doesn’t see it that way, which is why she was shocked when she was recently announced as the Pilot Club’s 2024 Woman of the Year.

“There’s some awesome women on this trophy and I just feel totally outclassed,” she said. “I have some work to do. I have a new standard.”

Born and raised in Bainbridge, Willis previously was an officer at the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office before being elected as the Clerk of Courts.

“I loved my job as the Sheriff’s Office, but I followed Judge Cato and now Judge Lanier and they have been phenomenal,” Willis said. “They have been incredibly gracious to teach me.”

Reminiscing on her time prior to being named Clerk of Courts, Willis said she can’t even look back at the original ballot she entered her name on, as it seems surreal.

Since becoming Clerk of Courts, Willis has played an integral role in the restoration of the historic courtroom.

The courthouse had not been painted since its first renovation in 1998 and still had its carpeting. Slowly, Willis has been ripping up the old carpeting and helping organize a fresh coat of paint to restore the courthouse to its glory.

In addition to that, she worked with Judge Heather Lanier to utilize ARPA funds to upgrade the courtroom’s ELMO, which was tied into the sound system. ELMO is integral for electronic evidence presentation and is used in nearly every case.

“We have now replaced all of that with grant money,” Willis said proudly. “That has been huge and we got these two TV screens that we are still working on, which provide specific feeds for the court reporter.”

The two TV screens allow attorneys to hook up their laptops to the lectern and display evidence to the audience and jury.

Willis shared that the main courtroom, the courtroom in the jail, and the secondary courtroom’s renovation are now complete, but she still has more she would like to do. She hopes to install seat cushions in addition to replacing surface-mount candlelights in the main courtroom.

Despite the major undertaking, Willis still doesn’t believe her role in the renovation of the courthouse merited an award.

“I’m just still daunted by the whole award,” she said. “It will change how I go forward. I’m thankful for the unexpected blessing.”

But, Willis isn’t alone.

She noted that she never feels alone as she has an amazing village, that has always lifted her up.

The names that come before hers on the Woman of the Year trophy are now a new village to encourage her and walk beside her, while she continues her journey of trying to restore history and leave her town better than she found it.

“This is just a phenomenal place to live and a phenomenal place to grow with phenomenal people to help you along the way,” she concluded.

Page 37

Woman of the Year Cecilia Willis

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