Alabama Retail Association honors Birmingham businesses

The Alabama Retail Association recently recognized 20 retailers across 30 Alabama cities as Alabama Retailers of the Year. According to the Alabama Retail Association, these businesses employ 2,413 people at 51 locations in Alabama.

About the Alabama Retail Association

According to their website, the Alabama Retail Association was formed in 1943 for retailers by retailers. Today, the association represents 4,000 members with 6,000 statewide locations.

The primary goal of the Alabama Retail Association is to lobby the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. Congress on behalf of retailers. Alabama Retail works at the local, state and national level to cultivate a strong business climate in Alabama.

Retailers of the Year

The Alabama Retail Association presented the winners at the 2017 Retail Day luncheon. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Collat School of Business partnered with the association to present the 18th Retailer of the Year Awards.

According to the association’s website, this marked the 18th presentation of the Retailer of the Year Awards since 1999 and the 13th Alabama Centennial Retailer awards presented since 2002.

Birmingham Centennial Retailer Winners

For the Centennial Retailers, Birmingham winners included:

• Ousler Sandwiches, Mountain Brook: Founded in 1915 by Dana Ousler. The current owners are Bill and Becky Elmore.
• Edwards Chevrolet, Birmingham: Founded in 1916 by William Sterling Edwards Jr. The current owners are Leon Edwards and Lee Edwards.
• Bham Now partner Books-A-Million, Birmingham-based with more than 250 locations, 20 in Alabama: Founded in 1917 by Clyde W. Anderson. The Anderson family owns BAM.

Birmingham Retailers of the Year

For annual sales less than $1 million, Birmingham winners included:

• Gold: Annie Damsky, owner of Villager Yoga in Mountain Brook.
• Silver (tie):
  • Komeh Davis, owner of CakEffect in Homewood.
  • Katie Smith, owner and president of Please Reply LLC, Mountain Brook.

For annual sales $1 million to $5 million, Birmingham winners included:

• Silver: Andrew Pharo, chief financial officer and managing partner of Cahaba Brewing Company in the Avondale neighborhood of Birmingham.

For annual sales $5 million to $20 million, Birmingham winners included:

• Silver: David and Andrea Snyder, founders of Urban Cookhouse and owners of the Homewood, The Summit, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa locations.

For annual sales more than $20 million, Birmingham winners included:

• Gold: Ken Hubbard, chairman and chief executive officer of Western Market in Birmingham, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills; Food Depot in Gardendale; and Village Market in Birmingham.

The GEE Emerging Retailer of the Year winner was Ryan and Geri-Martha O’Hara, owners and founders of Big Spoon Creamery in Birmingham.

Congrats to all the businesses that are making our state and city flourish! Big thanks to the Alabama Retail Association’s hard work in recognizing them.