EDITORIAL: Award shows businesses can have success in small towns
Published 9:52 pm Wednesday, August 2, 2017
A Dallas County business is up for a major award this fall from the Alabama Retail Association.
Dave’s Market will be honored as a Retailer of the Year in the association’s $5 to $20 million revenue category. The grocery will receive an award but doesn’t know yet if it’s a gold, silver or bronze medal.
David Oliver has owned Dave’s Market in Valley Grande for seven years now and recently opened another store in Thomaston in Marengo County.
Dave’s is the latest in a series of local businesses to be honored by the Alabama Retail Association.
Just recently, Buddy Swift with Swift Drugs was awarded the Centennial Award in 2016 for being in business 100 years, while Chet Chappelle with Rountree Outdoors was named a retailer of the year in 2015.
Other Selma and Dallas County stores have won awards from the association over the years too.
The accolades prove that local businesses can have just as much success in Selma and even smaller towns like Valley Grande as they do in much larger markets.
“It’s a very high honor. We’re a small town, rural community and competing against areas that the economic retail is much more flourishing than ours, and it states we are open for business,” said Sheryl Smedley, executive director of the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce.
Congrats to Oliver and all the employees of Dave’s Market for their recognition, and a kudos to Smedley and all the work the Chamber does to highlight local businesses.