Albany Chamber recognizes businesses, nonprofits during annual Business Awards ceremony

ALBANY — It was an emotional night for “Farmer Fredo,” whose efforts to provide fresh food to low-income communities in the region were recognized during the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business Award ceremonies.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by our local businesses for the work we do in the community and the work we do to make fresh food more available,” Fredando Jackson said following the Wednesday event held at the Imagination Theater in downtown Albany.

Flint Community Bank was named the chamber’s Small Business of the Year, heading a list of businesses recognized by the chamber.

After receiving the award with some of the Flint River Fresh team, Jackson, the board chairman of the organization, took the podium with tears streaming down both cheeks. Flint River Fresh was named the Nonprofit of the Year for 2022.

The organization was recognized for advocacy of equitable access to fresh, healthy, locally sourced food to help address the issues of poverty, food insecurity and food deserts that exist across southwest Georgia. Whether helping out with community gardens, providing produce or teaching residents how to grow backyard vegetables or advocating for residents with policymakers and lawmakers, the group has devoted five years to those goals.

Jackson also told a Herald reporter that he hopes the award raises the organization’s profile so it can be more effective and build more community relationships such as the one forged with the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy.

Other finalists in the nonprofit category were the Artesian Alliance, Family Literacy Connection, Feeding the Valley Food Bank and Sherwood Christian Academy.

In the Uniquely Albany Award category, two businesses located next to each other across the street from where the ceremony was conducted were named co-winners.

The Flint Restaurant and Pretoria Fields Brewing were crowned co-champions, with a tie declared.

Both represent what’s presently best in the city, chamber officials said. The restaurant is located in a former cotton warehouse built in the 19th century.

“Everything about the (Flint’s) decor is ‘Albany,’ from the floors that contain river rock that was taken from the Flint River itself, to the animals mounted on the walls that were harvested from the Flint River basin,” Chamber President and CEO Barbara Rivera Holmes said in presenting the award. “Located in downtown Albany, with a farm just outside of town, Pretoria Fields is known as the only farm-to-pint brewery in Georgia. They have product in all 200-plus Publix stores, 120 Krogers, 35 Ingles supermarkets, and other prominent grocery chain accounts across the country.”

The other finalists in the category were the Flint River Entertainment Complex and Sunnyland Farms.

Finalists in the Women-Owned Business of the Year category were MADlab Marketing, ReMAX of Albany and L.E.G.A.C.Y. Case Management, with MADlab selected as the overall winner.

The finalists in the Small Business of the Year category included First Media Services, Pro Outdoor, Roof Services, Southland Children’s Dentistry and Woodall’s.

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f714026fc83d6150ab9a4350b4169940?s=100&d=mm&r=gStaff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
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Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f714026fc83d6150ab9a4350b4169940?s=100&d=mm&r=g