Olive Hill business wins award

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By Jeremy D. Wells

See this article at the Carter County Times.

A number of Carter County businesses were nominated for awards at this year’s Northeast Kentucky Small Business Awards, but only one local business brought home an award.

Jennifer Madden, of Paws Inn Keeper. brought home the award for Service Business of the Year. Madden, who opened her business to offer boarding and grooming services back in 2021, has expanded her business over the past two years, offering more space for boarding and increasing her grooming services.

The business, Madden told us at the time, had been a dream of hers – a place, she explained, where she could indulge in her love for dogs.

But it was also a way to serve a need she saw in her community.

“We kept seeing on Facebook that people didn’t have any place to keep their dogs,” she explained at her 2021 ribbon cutting. So, she decided to help, and to do so with an eye towards the comfort of the animals. She said she designed the place to feel more like a home than a kennel, and to keep others’ pets as comfortably as she would want her pets to be kept.

The continued dedication to maintaining that standard, even through growth and expansion, and providing an excellent service to the community was what the Kentucky SBDC recognized with their award.

Other Carter County businesses nominated included Chris and Brooke McFarland of Grayson Sporting Goods for e-commerce business of the year, Janie Marcum of Southern Charm boutique for retail/wholesale business of the year, Jason Duvall of Duvall & Moore Funeral Home for service business of the year, Jeremy Lucas of J Lucas Logging for service business of the year, Kaitlynn Taylor of Kait’s Upkeep for young entrepreneur of the year, and publisher Nicole Stinson Winkleman of the Carter County Times for young entrepreneur of the year.

There were also three Carter County businesses nominated in the New Business of the Year category, highlighting the growth in the county over the last year. These included Becky Adkins and Events by Beck, Margaret Garvin of the Flower Cottage, both in Olive Hill, and Kyleigh McClure of the Nook & Cranny Coffee Shop in Grayson.

Olive Hill Chamber of Commerce President Crystal Branham, and Grayson Chamber President Jill York, offered their congratulations to the nominees and winner.

“We are fortunate to have an amazing business like Paws Inn Keeper in our county,” Branham said. “Their superior community presence and outstanding client care exemplify the businesses we, as the chamber, pride our organization in aligning with. We are fortunate to work with businesses daily to help our community grow and excel.”

York commented on the new business growth, and the role the chamber could play in supporting that growth.

“We are excited to see new businesses settling in our communities,” York said. “As a chamber of commerce, we are working to give businesses the tools and promotion they need to succeed.”

On top of that, she explained, the chamber can be a great place to build relationships and learn from the experiences of others. It can also be a great way to promote the service you offer, she noted.

“Chamber members are eager to support, refer, and work with other chamber members to grow our local economy, and keep those dollars that are going to be spent right here at home.”

Contact the writer at [email protected]

Originally posted by Olive Hill Area Chamber of Commerce via Locable