Dubois County Chamber of Commerce holds annual luncheon
The Dubois County Chamber of Commerce honored several individuals and businesses in Dubois County while accenting the success of a growing local company.
The annual luncheon named the 2024 Young Professional, Business Person and Business of the Year before hearing from Mom Water Co-owner Bryce Morrison.
Dustin Betz, local pilot and flight instructor at the Huntingburg Regional Airport, was named the 2024 Professional of the Year. Dustin currently teaches aviation to 28 area high school students through the Patoka Valley Career and Technical Education Cooperative.
President and CEO of Branded by Woods, Devin Springston, was named the Business Person of the Year. Devin is the third generation owner of the Holland company, originally founded by Maurice and Emma Lou Woods in the back of a barbershop. In recent years, she led the company through a rebranding and expansion to two locations. She is also dedicated to the Town of Holland; through the Maurice and Emma Lou Woods Foundation, the family supported the creation of the Holland Commons. She also serves on the Destination Huntingburg board of directors and has worked to support the endowment created to support the Huntingburg Country Club by organizing an annual golf scramble.
Sultan’s Run was named as the 2024 Business of the Year. The company, headed by Chris Tretter, has undergone a transformation in recent years. In addition to major updates and expansions in the clubhouse, the course hosted an LPGA tournament in 2023. Along with the excellent golf course, Sultan’s Run now offers banquets and catering, luxury lodging and premium merchandise.
Bryce and Jill Morrison have grown their flavored alcoholic drink startup Mom Water from about 38,000 cases in its first year in 2021 to just under a million cases this year.
Morrison outlined the company’s story, growth and setbacks during the meeting.
Here is a story we did in anticipation of the Mom Water hitting shelves in Dubois County in 2021.
Now, the local company’s products can be found in 36 states and regularly fall in the top 10 to 12 alcoholic fruit beverages in the country.
Morrison credited the drink’s explosive growth with its uniqueness, creative branding, and the backstory. He highlighted these three qualities as necessary in any business but also attributed the company’s Midwestern authenticity as a quality that has helped it gain a following across the country and on its social media channels.
Dubois County Chamber Board President Amy Gehlhausen noted that Bryce and Jill’s backstory and success are a perfect example of struggling through the creation of a startup and succeeding despite setbacks.
She said it likely resonated with many entrepreneurs in the room. “I think they have a lot of insight to give,” Gehlhausen said.
Chamber Director Anthony Tarullo was excited by the quality of the individuals and businesses nominated for this year’s awards.
“There’s so many deserving individuals and businesses in this community it’s a darn near impossible task to choose one,” he said.
Gehlhausen added that she was already getting recommendations for next year’s nominees.
The Dubois County Chamber of Commerce is also still accepting applications for this quarter’s business grant. More information and applications can be found on its website here.
