DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) – Small businesses are the backbone of America, and they’re not far behind in Dothan.
“Small businesses make up 85% of the chamber of commerce,” said Walter Hill, president of the Dothan Chamber of Commerce. “Not only are they the driving force of our community, but they are our people.”
Nominees for the 2024 Dothan Small Business Person of the Year award included Sandi Hodge of Shute Pecan Company, Dave Guiler of Premier Entertainment Group, Reginald Greenwood of Sister’s Soul Express and Joshua Bane of Evergreen Creative Company.
“These four finalists are incredible entrepreneurs,” Hill said. “Whether they started their own business or took over a family business.”
Small businesses are the heart and soul of this city, and these four finalists represent the impact small businesses are making.
But at the end of the day there could be a winner and that winner was Dave Guiler.
This is proof positive that perseverance pays off, because this was Guiler’s fourth nomination.
“Being able to overcome that obstacle and get the recognition was nice, it was the icing on the cake,” Guiler said.
Striving to be different, Guiler brought entertainment value to Dothan.
“It started as a DJ company and we grew into larger events,” Guiler said. “We were able to bring in some really interesting production value, like different lighting and bigger sound systems.”
The journey wasn’t always easy and setbacks like the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to think outside the box.
“We thought, ‘What are we going to do?’” Guiler said. “We had a great space, camera equipment and live streaming capabilities. “We then talked to clients about taking their events virtually.”
Getting through these difficult times would not have been possible without the area community.
“There are so many people in the city who have reached out to me,” Guiler said. “They have been an essential part of our consolidation.”
Guiler gave a look at what he hopes the future of his business will bring.
“I can see some buildings with Premier Entertainment in Atlanta, Nashville and some larger metropolitan areas,” Guiler said. “But Dothan will always be home. “We are going to bring the gold here.”
The city will continue to honor small businesses throughout the rest of the week.
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