It was a well-kept surprise and his colleagues had a hard time getting him there. However, when Paul Palma, founder of Auto Recyclers, LLC in Buena Vista attended the Virginia Chamber of Commerce annual awards banquet on April 30th, he found out that Auto Recyclers, LLC had received a Virginia Vanguard Award as the top fastest growing retail/wholesale company in the state.
In their announcement, the Virginia Chamber said they were extremely pleased to announce that Auto Recyclers LLC of Winchester and Buena Vista is a top winner in the 2009 Virginia’s Fantastic 50 Awards Program. The Fantastic 50 is the only statewide awards program in Virginia that recognizes 50 of the fastest growing companies. The winners were announced at a gala banquet held on April 30 at the Westfields Marriott. More than 400 people attended.
The Fantastic 50 Award program sponsored by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Business Magazine, Goodman and Company, SunTrust Bank and the Westfields Marriott. The networking reception prior to the awards banquet was sponsored by SAIC. Multi-media sponsors include Alion Science and Technology, Washington Gas and In Your Ear.
Former Rockbridge Partnership director Dave Kleppinger was there to help make the award. Kleppinger was instrumental in getting Palma to locate in Rockbridge. The first site that Palma looked at was the Stillwater plant in Goshen. When that proved to be too difficult a site due to contamination, Kleppinger kept working with him and Palma then decided on the old Reeves Brothers building in Buena Vista.
“These growing companies are proof positive that optimism is very much alive in Virginia’s business community,” said Hugh Keogh, president of the Virginia Chamber. “Small businesses are the very life blood of the Virginia economy, creating jobs necessary to revitalize the Commonwealth following the recent worldwide financial crisis.”
Nominations for the Fantastic 50 were sought statewide from local chambers, economic development organizations; small business development centers and through the sponsors’ networks. Companies could also nominate themselves. To be eligible, companies were required to be privately held, with headquarters in Virginia, and to show sales between $200,000 and $100 million. They were judged on a four-year sales revenue history. Verification of all award entries was conducted by the accounting firm of Goodman and Company.
|  | Banquet Vanguards....with Paul Palma of AutoRecyclers in Buena Vista on the front row, far right.
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