11 honored at York Co. Chamber awards banquet

[media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Nearly a dozen leaders in business were honored Thursday night at the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards banquet.

Thursday’s event marked a banner year for the business group, which added over 200 members to its rolls in 2013.

“We just have a quality business community that’s resilient,” said chamber president Rob Youngblood. “Our growth continues and we have a great mix of new folks in the community and those who have been here for a while. I think that’s special.”

The chamber also expanded its buy local program in 2013 with monthly promotions promoting spending an additional $20 on the 20th of every month, a holiday scavenger hunt and several “cash mobs” at local businesses.

Among Thursday night’s award recipients were James Galloway of People’s First Insurance. Galloway, a graduate of the Citadel, cut his teeth in the insurance business in 1954. He was honored with the Lifetime Business Achievement Award.

P.S. Reddy of Care Haven Senior Homecare was named the Fort Mill Area Business Person of the Year, Warren Norman of the Warren Norman Company was named the Rock Hill Area Business Person of the Year, while Linda Dyer Hart of Hyer Hart Productions was named the Tega Cay Area Business Person of the Year.

Jason Collett of ARCPoint Labs, Donna Seeman of MSEP, LLC and David Buist and Adam Ferrara, both of Ferrara Buist, were named Small Business Achievers. Watts Huckabee of Carolinas Insurance and Investment Group was named the chamber’s Small Business Person of the Year.

Gita Patel of the Country Inn and Suites and Comfort Suites, both Rock Hill hotels, was named the chamber’s Ambassador of hte Year for her work promoting York County through service on the Convention and Visitors Bureau and actress with the Yorkville Players.

Toy Rhea of Gala Affairs Party Rentals was named awarded the Citizenship and Service Award, in memory of Eddie Black. Rhea, who formerly worked in the financial sector, bought Gala Affairs Party Rentals in 2000.