On Tuesday, Morristown’s premier dining and brewery won the 2022 Small Business of the Year award, beating 28 other nominees for recognition sponsored by the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce and member businesses.
Founded in 2019 by three local entrepreneurs: Kris Yarlett, David Ellis and Brandon Tomassoni, the 1907 Brewing Company opened after extensive renovations to the historic building at 103 West Main in downtown Morristown. The place serves craft beers, ciders and sodas. Haley Fugate is the general manager.
The bar extends its reach in the community by hosting special events.
“That’s the whole point of what we do here,” Fugate said at the recent Taste of Morristown preview event held in 1907 to benefit Girls Inc. “It’s in our mission statement. giving back to the community; we are not just a bar or a faucet room, we want to make sure the community knows we are here to give back.
Blue Ridge Title Company received the Horizon 2022 Award, given to a Chamber member company five years or newer showing tremendous potential for future growth and success. All applicants who have been in business for five years or less were considered.
Other winners include Crye*Leike Lakeway Real Estate, ServPro of Hamblen County, Snowbird Coffee Morristown, Clinch Powell Resource Conservation & Development, and Porter’s Tire Store.
Tony Miksa, Speaker of the 2022 Chamber, was the emcee for the program and described the companies represented at the luncheon as the foundation of the American economy.
The event was presented by First Horizon, and Tim Coley, president of the First Horizon community bank, agreed with Miksa.
“You are the basis of the local economy. You provide valuable products to our residents and other businesses. You support the local economy with taxpayers’ money. You drive employment and you create community pride and development,” Coley said from the podium.
“Look, I couldn’t imagine Morristown and Hamblen County without you here. In fact, I don’t think it would be the perfect place to live, work, and raise our families, without small businesses.
“That’s why we’re here today. We want to give our small businesses well-deserved recognition and say, “Thank you,” said Coley.
Following the event buffet, provided by Jersey Girl Catering, attendees viewed 29 original videos filmed and edited by Daniel Munson throughout the awards show.
The majority of the videos were strictly informational, but humor was infused in those featuring Mobility Plus Morristown, a nominee in the retail award category, and Clinch Powell RC&D, an award nominee non-profit.
The Small Business Awards of Excellence program was created to recognize outstanding Chamber member companies with 50 or fewer employees. Companies were nominated by members of the Chamber, and each nominee completed an application providing information to a panel of judges who determined the winners in each category.
The awards committee, made up of representatives from Chamber member companies and organizations, included Candace Blair; Mary Kathryn Coffman, Southern Marketing Group; Delores Cole, Morristown ReHab group; Brenda Eagle, Getting Out; Norma Elkins, Elite Real Estate Group; Lisa Grooms, Morristown-Hamblen Lions Club; Tonya Hall, College Park Pharmacy; Diana Lara-Chavaz, Luttrell Staffing Group and Kelly Vittatoe, First Bank & Trust.
The media sponsor was the Citizen Tribune; the theme sponsor was Quality Plumbing; event sponsors were Walters State Community College, Murrell Alarm Services, Wimberly Lawson, and HomeTrust Bank. The award sponsors were Express Employment Professionals, First Bank & Trust, First Peoples Bank, Morristown Utilities, The Tennessee Credit Union, Purkey Carter, Compton, Swann & Carter and Citizens National Bank.
For more photos of the winners from the event, see Sunday’s edition of the Citizen Tribune.
