WINNSBORO BUSINESS EXPO-- 2009

by
Maryann Miller

On October 3rd businesses from Winnsboro and the surrounding area showcased their services and products at the Annual Business Expo at City Auditorium sponsored by the Winnsboro Area Chamber of Commerce.

Even though the economic atmosphere is not great, people still came to the expo to see what new businesses are in town and attendance was right around 800. "A little less than last year," Sandy Thomas, Chamber Executive Director said. "And the number of venders was down a little. But we still had a good showing. There were about 60 exhibitors compared to 66 last year."

The Expo is always a great opportunity for networking and marketing and visitors do like all the freebies given out at booths, as well as the opportunities to sign up to win great prizes. And, of course, there is the free lunch provided by AEP/SWEPCO.

It draws new venders as well as established businesses, like Clements Realty.

In keeping with the time of the year, many of the booths were decorated with pumpkins and other signs of fall, including this wonderful display by City National Bank. Jessica Stephens, a Floater at the bank, was greeting visitors and making sure they had a sturdy bag to carry all the goodies in.

Inka the Clown, AKA Darris Cross, was riding a tricycle through the auditorium drumming up interest in his clown ministry with Jim Carr. Inka said he has been doing clown ministry since he was about 17. "After I met Jim a couple of years ago, we decided to pool our ministry."

Jim has been making puppets and doing shows for several years and the partnership was a natural. Both men love entertaining kids of all ages with their "Puppet Express". They also have bounce houses and other forms of entertainment for birthday parties.

A brand new business in Winnsboro -- literally brand new, they just started last month -- is Cornerstone Laser Creations owned by Mark & Brenda Johnson. Standing behind them in this picture are daughters Caitlyn and Crystal, who have both been seen onstage at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts in numerous productions.

The Johnson's will do engraving on any surface; wood, glass, marble, or tile, and they can make jigsaw puzzles out of any picture. Those are especially nice for gifts. "I'd seen this kind of engraving done for years," Mark said. "And I was always interested in it, so this year I decided I was just going to do it."

Even though their business is so new, the couple recognize the value of Internet marketing, so they already have a Web site.

Another craftsman at the Expo was "Smokey" Middleton, Jr. who does woodworking. He builds everything from cabinets, tables, computer desks, decorative boxes and more, and calls his business Splinters R Us. His pieces are all made from East Texas cedar and built by an East Texan. Smokey wanted everyone to know that for sure. Even though he was born in Dallas, he lived most of his early years in East Texas. "I was here before some of these folks were born," he said.

Like many others who find a new direction in life after a significant event, Smokey started woodworking when he could no longer work in construction. He got hit in the head with a nail gun and was partially paralyzed. "I started building pieces for myself," he said. "I just had a saw, a roofing stapler, a drill and a skill saw at the time. Then people started asking me to make furniture for them. That was four years ago and now I have a lot of tools and equipment."

Smokey, pictured here with his wife, Linda, was a Marine and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He thought it ironic that he survived that and ended up getting wounded by a nail gun.

Deborah Chelette-Wilson, a Winnsboro professional counselor who co-founded a program called Caring for Kids, a Prevention/Intervention Parenting Program through the North East Texas Child Advocacy Center, was on hand to tell people about her new approach to counseling. "I discovered the old methods weren't working as well anymore," she said. "And then I met Bryan Post and attended some of his workshops. He offered a new modality and I started helping with his Parent Camps.

"After a while, I realized that his modality worked just as well for women as it does for children," she continued. "And I also realized that we women do not take care of ourselves like we should."

So Deborah started "Women on the Edge: A Love-Based Approach to Self Care. Her philosophy is simple: Fear sees problems, Love seeks solutions. There is a workshop for women scheduled for October 17th in Winnsboro. For more information visit her Web site.

Jeff & Siouxzi Brasch own "East Texas Moving Company, offering full moving services for residential and commercial needs. They also rent moving equipment and boxes. The couple lived in the Bay area of California for 20 years before moving to East Texas last year. For a while they worked with B&B Moving then decided to branch out on their own. "We still do some work for B&B," Jeff said. "They are just great and we really enjoyed working with them."

Siouxzi, explained the unusual spelling of her name. "My mother decided to be creative. And we do have American Indian heritage."

The couple love living in Winnsboro and the work they do. "We came because we had the ability to own a home here," Jeff said. "In California home ownership was too expensive. Plus, the moving business is wide open in East Texas."

Representatives from Jordan Health Connection had a table and passed out information about their health-care services. They are based in Mt. Vernon but cover a wide area of East Texas. The many services they offer include skilled nursing, pediatric care, and therapy. (Pictured L-R: Dana Pine and Melanie Matkin.)

Andrea and Phil Lambe, (L) innkeepers at 15 Acres Retreat were also exhibiting. They offer a really secluded spot for vacations, seminars, family reunions and more. To see pictures of their beautiful place visit their Web site. They did point out that while they promote the idea that people can come and "escape into the wilderness" they do have some modern amenities. "We have indoor plumbing," Andrea joked. But they also have television and Internet capabilities.

Offering basic handyman services, Arnie Porter does indoor and outdoor repairs. He has 25+ years experience in buildings and facilities maintenance, repair and remodeling and can handle general carpentry, light plumbing & electrical, painting, and the proverbial "Honey-Do" list. He offers a discount for senior citizens and will give a written estimate before starting any job. "I really want to offer a service that is fair, reliable, accountable and on time," he said.

He also has a Web site where more information about services and rates can be found.

Ricky Stinson, pictured here with Carolyn Stone, his office manager, is the manager of Independent Propane Company in Winnsboro. Independent Propane is owned by Inergy and has stores in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Ricky started working in the local store about four years ago when Independent bought the business from a "Mom & Pop" operation. "And we are trying to keep in Ma & Pa," he said.

"That's what people here want," Carolyn added. "They are used to that kind of down-home treatment.