SAVE-A-LOT was the recipient of the 2016 Chamber Ambassadors Rising Star Award, presented in a surprise announcement Friday, Jan. 15.
Gathered after the announcement are Chamber Ambassadors, Corunna city officials, along with Sav-A-Lot employees. (Independent Photo/MELISSA SHEPARD)
The Chamber Ambassador Rising Star Award was founded in 2003 to recognize a business or individual that is a Chamber Member in good standing and has been in business more than 24 months, but less than 36 months. In making a selection, the Ambassadors took into consideration the businesses’ contribution to both the community and to the Chamber.
The 2016 Ambassador Rising Star Recipient is Save-A-Lot Grocery of Corunna. The only grocery store in downtown Corunna opened in January of 2014, occupying the former H & H Grocery/Brady Foodland Building. The store was chosen as the award recipient for “its frequent contributions to numerous food pantries in Shiawassee County.”
Store manager Tami Sawyer is also engaged in and volunteers with several non-profits in Shiawassee County.
Freeman Family Enterprises, based in Gaylord and operated by brothers Tom, Tim and Paul Freeman, owns and operates 22 Save-A-Lot stores in Michigan. The brothers operate stores in Traverse City, Gladwin, Kalkaska, Bellaire, Mancelona, Midland, East Jordan, Benzonia, Caro, Ludington and several other locations. The Corunna location created over a dozen jobs in the community.
The Freeman family Save-A-Lot chain is separate from the Save-A-Lot operated by the late grocer Al Kessel, which had been in Corunna in the Kmart plaza for a number of years.
Save-A-Lot will be formally honored, along with the recipients of the Citizen of the Year Award, ATHENA Award, Chairman’s Award, Mission Award and the Outstanding Business Awards, at the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 28 at D’Mar Banquet & Conference Center, Owosso. Tickets are available, contact the Chamber at (989) 723-5149.
