A local business owner was recently recognized as the best of year among his peers.
Randy Lee, owner of Lee Marketing, was named 2013-2014 Business Person of the Year during the Annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet recently.
Lee said he is shocked, but also honored, to be named the Business Person of the Year.
“I was just surprised and shocked really that somebody would have nominated me. It was a major shock, so that’s the first thing that went through my mind,” Lee said. “I’m really appreciative of whoever it was that even nominated me. Any time you get an award like this, it kind of speaks about the group you’re with and the businesses you’re with, and I think that’s the biggest thing about getting anything like this. It means we must be doing something right at Lee Marketing.”
Throughout the years, Lee said his business has continued to transform and grow.
“We started 10 years ago with Lee Apparel, which did screen printing and embroidering on apparel products, and since then we’ve morphed into three other businesses under the Lee Marketing umbrella,” Lee said. “We’ve got Sign Source, R and B Media and eSolutions.”
Watching that growth, Lee said, is one of the things he has enjoyed about the business.
“I guess the thing I enjoy the most is seeing the growth of all of the businesses currently. We’ve got a location in Alex City, one here in Dadeville and a new location in Auburn-Opelika with plans to open more locations in years to come,” Lee said. “I would say that’s the part of the business that I enjoy the most is our media business with TV and radio programming that we do here in the state.”
Being able to grow and succeed in these tough economic times is a testament to the business and the hard work of its employee’s, Lee said.
“It means that we are doing something right. It’s exciting to see the growth, and every day it’s fun to come here to work with the people I work with,” Lee said. “I think that’s the most rewarding thing about it all is that if you like who you work with, you normally do better at work. I really like the people I work with. I’ve enjoyed having started the business with my dad, learning from him. He keeps us all grounded and moving in the right direction.”
And as the business has grown, Lee said he is happy to be a part of the community it has grown in, and also thinks that the community is transforming as well.
“I’m proud to be from Alex City, and I’m proud to still be living in Alex City. I’m proud to serve with a lot of great people on different boards including being on the board of the chamber of commerce,” Lee said. “I’m excited about the direction of the community, and I have no intentions of ever moving away.”