​Renasant Bank and the Chamber presented Tickle Me Pink Daycare with the Small Business of the Month award in April.
 
Co-directors Pam and Brent Carter have found that the childcare business is not just work, it’s a true passion. Tickle Me Pink Daycare’s 20-year tenure in the community has withstood the test of time, when many in the industry weren’t so fortunate. “Not only [has it] maintained its existence, it has grown and expanded its Valdosta location to include GA-Pre-K and in the Fall of 2OI8, an accredited Kindergarten class,” said Pam. The facility began in a 1,200 square foot space and has since relocated to a 7,500 square foot location and serves more than 130 children and 70 families across Brooks and Lowndes counties.
 
Tickle Me Pink Daycare is a quality-rated learning facility and will be pursuing their third star in the coming months. The facility was awarded the Georgia Shape Award in 2017, when the center earned its second Quality Rated star which recognizes early learning centers and elementary schools that go the extra mile in educating ...that go the extra mile in educating and providing healthy meals and physical activity on a daily basis, according to Carter.
The owners and staff believe that the children’s success gives our community promise for long-term success. Evidence of that fact can be found in their teachers and employees. Made up of 14 certified, experienced childcare providers that are not only qualified, but have a true love for educating children. One teacher, in particular, is quite the special case. Kenya Durden started at Tickle Me Pink as a child and has since returned as a pre-school teacher with a degree from Valdosta State University.
 
Tickle Me Pink is open Monday through Friday from 5:30a.m. until 10:30p.m.Tickle Me Pink Daycare offers free GA. Pre-K, Summer Transition Program (for students who did not attend Pre-K), and in the Fall of 2018 will begin offering Kindergarten classes. The Carter’s are eager to welcome your family into theirs and invite you to contact them at 229-245-9881 for more information. You can also visit their website at http://ticklemedaycare.com/home.html, or visit them at 252 North St. Augustine Road in Valdosta. Don’t forget, Tickle Me Pink Daycare & Learning Center is the place “Where Children’s Success Matters.”

Renasant Bank and the Chamber presented JL Concepts with the Small Business of the Month award for February.
JL Concepts has been helping businesses reach customers since 1976. The company offers over 500,000 products that can be imprinted with a company name to help attract the attention of prospects.

JL Concepts values forming strong relationships in the process of finding the right product to optimally shape the image of each business. This individualized, personal approach has contributed to the continuing success of JL Concepts. The company’s philosophy is never to separate the person from the business.

The owner of JL Concepts, Joyce Aigen, was the proud winner of an Addy Award of Distinction, one of the most prestigious prizes awarded in advertising. A member of the Valdosta Rotary Club since 1989, Aigen devotes herself to creating the perfect products for her clients and giving back to the community.

An expert in advertising, Aigen has collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce on multiple occasions, providing training for those who would like to promote their businesses and even proposing the idea for the Chamber’s first business expo more than 25 years ago.
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Call JL Concepts at 229-292-2419 to find out more about their business promotion services.

​Renasant Bank and the Chamber presented Jump’n Jacks 4 Kidz with the Small Business of the Month award for November.

Since opening under new ownership in 2013, new owner, James Dominey, began Jump’n Jacks 4 Kidz with only 8 employees in hopes of recreating a fun, safe environment for children to play.

Jump’n Jacks 4 Kidz is constantly making valuable changes to their facility in order to ensure safety of their clients – children and parents. The facitlity has recently undergone changes to their security and policies including entry and exit point alterations and a change to the age range of those that may utilize the bounce houses.

Being named Valdosta Daily Times’ “Best of the Best” four years in a row as the “Best Birthday Party Place”, isn’t just a coincidence. With two party rooms open all weekend long, it isn’t uncommon for Jump’n Jacks to host more than 20 parties on a Saturday.

The facility also hosts a two-hour, after-hours day for children with autism in order to give them time to enjoy the facility in a safe, pressure free environment.  Jump’n Jacks’ community involvement goes way beyond Valdosta’s borders, though.  “Our facility is open for field trips all week long and has had groups travel from as far as Pearson, Georgia and Madison, Florida to visit us,” said Dominey.
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Although Jump’n Jacks 4 Kidz is a child’s paradise, Dominey says that “there is something within these 4 walls for every age.” Jump’n Jacks 4 Kidz is the only facility of its kind that remains open 7 days a week so that parents and their children never miss out on a single day of fun with their bounce houses, arcades, and games. 

VALDOSTA, GA – The Chamber recognized Pinwheels Quilting as Small Business of the Month for August.
Pinwheels has been serving the Valdosta area for the past two years with their passion for sewing and quilting. Their goal is to provide a friendly gathering place where the local community can meet to inspire each other and share their craft. Since the sewing community varies in age and project interest, Pinwheels has catered their classes, clubs and events to meet everyone’s schedules and interests.
While they may have been open for only two years, they have seen phenomenal growth. After growing out of their first location, they have now doubled their fabric inventory and turned a one woman show into a full crew of seven employees.
Programs range from beginner sewing and quilting classes to their Saturday Sampler Event, a class that meets monthly and allows you to make enough quilt blocks after a year to construct your own quilt. They even will allow you to host birthday parties!
The Honor Quilt Program is a highlighted program that allows volunteers to make quilts that are then presented to a Service Member or First Responder at a special ceremony in their shop to honor and show appreciation for their service.
Pinwheels is located at 361 Northside Drive and can be reach by phone at 229-323-4531. Be sure to check out their social media accounts and their website at www.pinwheelsquilting.com for more details.

VALDOSTA, GA- The Valdosta Chamber Ambassadors recognized Jessie’s Restaurant and Catering as the inaugural Small Business of the Month.

Jessie’s Restaurant and Catering has been a staple to the Valdosta-Lowndes area since 1999. Jessie’s is proud to be a local restaurant that serves farm to table food by partnering with local vendors like Carter and Sons Produce, Sunset Farms, and South Georgia Pecan Company. Jessie’s has proudly been a member of the Chamber since 2009.

Onwner, Mikki Hudson, purchased the business in 2009 and shortly after moved locations to help alleviate issues that are accompanied by traffic in Downtown Valdosta, expanded the menu include brunch services, and gained a liquor license.

Hudson points out that the “ultimate goal [of Jessie’s Restaurant and Catering] is to provide the Valdosta area and downtown customers with quality food and service with an eclectic spin.”
For more information about Jessie’s Restaurant and Catering, call (229) 247-4670, or visit them at 205 North Ashley Street in beautiful Downtown Valdosta.

If you would like to know more about Small Business of the Month, or how to nominate a business for this award, please contact Leslie Harris (ext.231) or Kaitlyn Redish (ext.229) at the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce.