Geneva Riddick of The V was the award-winner.

Chamber President and CEO Allen Purser said Riddick helps price-conscious families find ways to dress and furnish their homes on a budget with the feel of a traditional retail store.

“The staff's ability to select quality merchandise and their welcoming personalities have been the strengths for the business.”

The store, located in Becker Village Mall, offers items from sporting goods, sporty to formal clothing and shoes for the entire family as well as jewelry, holiday items, fine china, crystal and a special gift section. The store will soon move to the Cato's storefront at the mall.

In addition to being a small business owner, Riddick's background includes more than 23 years as an educator.

New Business of the Year

The Chamber’s New Business of the Year award winner was Joy Jones of Joy J’s Shoppe.

Joy J's has been a long time dream of Jones.

She was an orthodontist assistant for more than 20 years, but has always had the passion to start up a new boutique, Purser said

“Jones worked hand in hand with Christina Caudle from Main Street Roanoke Rapids, Jerry Edmonds from HCC and the chamber to make her dream become a reality. From day one Joy wanted to open a store within the Roanoke Avenue district, to help revitalize the downtown area. Emily Luter's bike shop became the ideal store to transform and became Joy J's Shoppe.”

Joy J's was completely stripped down and recreated with an industrial theme.

The store carries dresses, blouses, shirts, Milk House candles, hand bags, purses, jewelry and more. “As a small business we need to work together with other small businesses for everyone to become sustainable and profitable,” she said.

The store is located at 935 Roanoke Avenue.

Business of the Year

Lauren and Mason Price of MJ Price Construction won Business of the Year.

The company was founded by the late Marion Jackson Price and Barbara Inscoe Price of Roanoke Rapids in 1971.

It began with two flatbed dump trucks, a backhoe, tractor and four full-time employees and was primarily focused on general building contracting. By the late 1970s, MJ Price was increasingly catering to large industry in the area such as Champion International, Coastal Lumber, and Timberlands.

Today, MJ Price employs approximately 70 employees in the Roanoke Valley area and operates more than 40 trucks and more than 100 plus pieces of heavy equipment.

Woman of the Year

This award went to Tammy Crowley Deloatch, a business woman in the Roanoke Valley for approximately 30 years.

Deloatch purchased land and began construction of New Day Fitness’s current location, a 10,000- square-foot facility.

Current membership is more than 500.

“Being a true entrepreneur at heart,” Purser said, “About 18 months ago she started toying with expanding her current business with something that would complement it as well as use her certification in sports nutrition.”

She ran a trial period for about six months which turned into her buying an adjacent building to expand her services to include meal prepping for her clients as well as providing healthy eating alternatives for the general public. This was the birth of her new venture —The Trainer and The Chef which is located in New Day Health and Wellness Studio.

Outside New Day Fitness and New Day Health and Wellness Studio, she can be found teaching Women of Action—a Christian Woman’s program at Valley Community Church

The Small Business Awards was sponsored by Roanoke Rapids Savings Bank and Roanoke Valley Savings Bank.