Photo courtesy of Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce
Ashlyn West of West Avenue Boutique (second from left) receives her Bronze Award for Emerging Small Business of the Year, given by the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama and the Business Council of Alabama.
The Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama (CCAA) and the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) announced the Alabama Small Business of the Year and Emerging Small Business of the Year award winners during their annual meeting on Dec. 7 at The Harbert Center.
Winners were awarded at three levels, which included gold, silver and bronze awards in four different categories: Emerging business and businesses with 1-10 employees, 11-50 employees and 51-100 employees.
In the Emerging category, the Bronze Award recipient was West Avenue Boutique, located at 410 Main Street in Trussville. The Gold Award recipient was Rack and Reel Sports Grill, LLC located in Camden.
West Avenue Boutique was started in downtown Trussville only a couple of years ago by Ashlyn West. In March 2016, she remodeled, decorated and stocked the small boutique to achieve her entrepreneurial dream.
For the first four months, she was the only employee of her little enterprise, doing everything from finding suppliers to running the store. But within those four months, the boutique outgrew its location and by July 2016, she had moved her business into a standalone location on Main Street. Last year, the business expanded yet again and now occupies a 2,400-square-foot building on Main Street.
For a complete list of the small business award winners, visit alabamachambers.org.
Submitted by Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce
