The Greater Shreveport Chamber on Thursday honored top innovative businesses and local grocers at its Spring Forward Annual Meeting Luncheon, presented by Wills Knighton Health System.
This year, the Chamber made the decision to honor local businesses in our community who persevered through the pandemic, historic wintry storms, and other challenges of 2020 by presenting the Top Business Innovations Award.
The Top Business Innovations Award recognized outstanding small businesses for their ability to adapt to the ever-changing landscape and the unprecedented challenges we’ve faced over the past year.
“This past year put every business to the test, but the small businesses we recognized today found a way to pivot and to innovate; to remain open, while prioritizing the safety of customers and colleagues during a worldwide pandemic. Beyond surviving, many also aided our community with novel approaches to ensure our neighbors were comfortable and out of harm’s way during one of the worst winter storms in decades.” said Dr. Timothy Magner, president of the Greater Shreveport Chamber. “The Shreveport-Bossier community has shown us repeatedly they know how to adapt, and these businesses are some of our best examples.”
The recipients of the Top Business Innovations Award included Bossier Parish Community College, El Cabo Verde, Daniel 1:20 Academy, Murray’s Diesel Repair, Industrial Solutions, Lowder Baking Company, Lang Orthodontics, LearningRx, Robinson Film Center, SOBO Promotional Products, and Trust Technology Consultants. Details of each company’s innovation and contribution are available online at http://shreveportchamber.org.
In 2020 we also learned firsthand about the challenges of our supply chain and the critical role played by those individuals who were indispensable in keeping not just our businesses open, but our families fed. No group of companies was more important to that effort than our local grocers. As a truly essential service, our grocers needed to have staff on hand, stocking shelves, stacking produce, cutting meat and checking out patrons. From the front-line workers who put themselves in harm’s way to show up every day to the store managers and company leaders who provided clear guidance and confident leadership to keep supply lines operational and shopping safe, our community is truly appreciative of their tremendous and sustained efforts during this time.
Trent Brookshire, Chief Operating Officer of Brookshire’s/Super 1 Foods, Gary Creel District Manager at Shoppers Value, and Greg Smith, District Manager of Kroger were in attendance to receive the recognition.
As the Chamber closed out the event, those in attendance also took a moment to reflect on the previous year, taking stock of everything our community has to appreciate as we spring forward in 2021.
“Each of you has played a role in your family, in your business and for the Chamber, keeping calm, persevering and continuing to plan for the worst and hope for the best,” Dr. Timothy Magner told those in attendance. “My hope is that while today’s in-person event is a turning point as we emerge from the pandemic, we will also all take stock of the past year and appreciate the community we have in this room and the larger community we are blessed to be a part of. I want you to know how much we at the Chamber are grateful for each of you.”