Brandon

She'll need a bigger mantel for trophies

Pat Magruder adds another small business award to the one she won a few weeks ago. She's joined by three other firms to be honored.

It's a good thing Pat Magruder just opened a new office. With the trophies she's racking up these days, she'll need the space.

Magruder won the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Year award on Oct. 16. Three weeks ago, she received the chamber's Minority & Woman-Owned Business of the Year award.

Magruder Nationwide Insurance was one of four winners at the Small Business of the Year banquet, held at the Crowne Plaza at Sabal Park.

Also winning were Ken and Susan Fearnow of Fearnow Insurance Inc., Rufus Ashby of Flooring America, and Carole Gill of CRG Training & Consulting Inc.

"It's the most incredible thing that's happened," said Magruder, who also finished second in Brandon's honorary mayor's race this summer. "I can hardly believe it, but I'm just elated."

Magruder, whose agency moved to a new Brandon office in July, edged out Rachel Weissman of Allstate Insurance Co. and Tracy Halfman of Drug Screen Solutions in the category of businesses with one to five employees.

She said this award was just as sweet as her other Chamber trophy, the Minority & Woman-Owned Business of the Year award.

"Both of them actually were a surprise, because I never feel like I'm any better than any of the other businesses," she said. "I never felt that I had it in the bag."

Among businesses with six to 15 employees, the Fearnows were selected over Mary Boor of Whidden Florist and Lela Lilyquist of Nature's Health Foods Inc.

Ken Fearnow said their insurance agency has grown every year since it was founded in 1991. This week, they held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new office building on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Seffner.

"We should have 25 employees by next year," he said.

Asbhy's Flooring America beat out Dahlia Fernandez of La Septima Cafe and Paul and Tammy Holmberg from the Chick-fil-A at Lake Brandon Village for best business with 16 or more employees.

Ashby owned a flooring store during the 1980s and early 1990s before joining a larger company. In 1998, he opened a Flooring America store in Brandon.

"We've had phenomenal growth over the last five years, in both employees and volume," he said.

Gill received the title of best home-based business over Chuck Long of Ice Pro Mechanical and Shirley Alquist of Alquist Enterprises, a synthetic oil distribution service.

"It's not just a job," she said. "This is something that's very real to me and very meaningful to me. As a result, that passion keeps me going."

A panel of retired business executives selected the winners based on community involvement, how well each business structures its growth plan and increased sales and through on-site visits. Any community member could nominate a business.

- Jay Cridlin can be reached at 661-2442 or cridlin@sptimes.com