The Clarke County Chamber of Commerce held its annual banquet at First Baptist Church of Quitman on January 23. Lynnita Bartee welcomed guests and served as the emcee of the program. Brooks Wood provided entertainment as everyone enjoyed a dinner catered by Dianne Holloman and Chamber volunteers.
Wayne Henson, an advisor for economic development in the county, was the special guest speaker for the event. He started the evening off with an encouraging speech regarding change.
“Change makes most of us uncomfortable,” stated Henson, “but change is what brought us to where we are today. The winds of change are blowing stronger than ever in our society. We can choose to work with that change, we can fight against change, or we can ignore change. Either way, we will be impacted by change. The winds of change are blowing in our face today. It can lift us up personally causing our horizons to expand.”
As part of his speech, he made an amazing announcement about a new industry that will soon make its way to Clarke County.
“We focused on a large warehouse behind the original location of Quitman Knitting Mills. We first offered it for sale. After about six months, there were no successful bids,” explained Henson. “I asked the BOS and ED Comm to let me seek an alternative use for the building. On the very day I was traveling to meet an architect to get his estimates for rehabbing the building, I got a call from a contact at Howard Industries. That was August 19, 2022. In a short five-month period, we have collectively achieved an agreement to bring an electrical transformer winding operation to Quitman, which as planned will provide skilled technical job opportunity to over 200 people in our community. Work is already underway, and we will have a formal announcement soon and a ribbon cutting by early summer.”
Once Henson completed his uplifting speech with great news of the prospective job opportunity for many citizens in the county, awards were given to different members of the community.
The Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Howard Crocker. Howard has become known in the community as “Mr. Dependable” and has shown himself to be a man of strong faith and integrity. He has consistently shown support and love for the community as he has worked with his business partner and invested in the community, the county, and the people. Larry Lofton stated, “When I think of Howard, the word I would use to describe him is dependable—whether it’s opening the store every morning at 7:00 or when he gets there at 6:00 a.m. or greeting customers and making sure they get the respect they deserve and doing it with a smile on his face. When you meet Howard, you get the feeling he’s someone you’ve always known. His goal is to help you, the customer, find whatever it is that you’re looking for. He’s there to help, he’s there to serve, and he’s there to offer a handshake and a pat on the back.”
Fantasy Cottage and Gifts in Quitman was declared the Business of the Year. The business is now in its fifteenth year of operation and was recently nominated the Best of Mississippi for 2023 in Mississippi Magazine. The owner, April Hunter, and her staff were selected by the Governor’s office to design and provide arrangements for the Governor’s Mansion this past November, bringing recognition to the City of Quitman and Clarke County. They provide a variety of services to the community and offer in-house floral classes. Becky Watkins said, “Her customers refer to her strong work ethic, talents in floral design, the welcoming environment she and her staff provide, and their ability to treat every person with dignity and respect. April Hunter and her staff, Hunter Harper, Tommy Norris, and Ashley Hicks, along with her family support, at Fantasy Cottage and Gifts have contributed greatly to our community through their success.”
At the conclusion of the banquet, Lynnita Bartee announced the President for the upcoming year would be Greg Jackson, with Frank Jadzinski serving as 1st Vice President, Arlene Shackelford as 2nd Vice President, Dianne Holloman as Secretary, Adam Fleming as Treasurer, and Lynnita Bartee as Past President.
