06/01/2026
And the winners are… 🤩🤩 What an incredible afternoon celebrating the businesses, leaders, and community champions who make Opelika such a special place to live, work, and do business! 🎉
At our Annual Meeting, we reflected on another year of growth, recognized outstanding achievements, and honored those who continue to make a lasting impact on our community.
Congratulations to our 2026 Award Winners:
🏆 Ambassador of the Year: Crystal Russell, MidSouth Bank
🏆 Legendary Award: Smith T Hardware
🏆 Business Woman of the Year: Kendyl White, Flipper Marketing
🏆 Chairman’s Award: Brian Benson, Texas Roadhouse
🏆 Emerging Business of the Year: Lin + Leigh Catering and Events
🏆 Business of the Year (1-10 Employees): Room2Room Movers
🏆 Business of the Year (11-50 Employees): Whistle Stop Bottle & Brew
🏆 Business of the Year (51-100 Employees): Bonnie Plants
🏆 Large Employer of the Year: Southern Union State Community College
🏆 Spirit of Opelika Award: Ronnie Wilson, Troy Bank & Trust
A special thank you to our Annual Meeting Presenting Sponsor, Christie Ray Hill State Farm, for helping make this event possible. Thank you to our business award sponsor Bailey-Harris Construction. We are also grateful to K + M Celebrates for the beautiful balloon décor and to Golden Crown Flower Shop for the stunning floral arrangements that helped make the day even more memorable.
Thank you to everyone who joined us as we celebrated the accomplishments, innovation, leadership, and community spirit that continue to move Opelika forward. We are proud to serve such an outstanding business community and look forward to another year of success together!