Members of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce gathered Wednesday night to honor the "Best in Business" at the Chamber's annual awards program, held at George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria.
Photo courtesy of Alexandria Chamber
Bill Butcher
The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce announced that Bill Butcher, founder of Port City Brewing Company, has been selected as the 2018 Business Leader of the Year.
The Chamber honored Bill Butcher, founder of Port City Brewing Co., as the 2018 Business Leader of the Year. Butcher's good friend Cathy Puskar of Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh, PC, told the story of Butcher's beginnings in Alexandria and his climb to success in the business. Butcher accepted his award and a standing ovation from the hundreds gathered for the awards program.
Butcher is a fourth generation Alexandrian and alum of T.C. Williams and Alexandria City Public Schools. After graduating from James Madison University, he spent many years working with Robert Mondavi Wine Company building world-class fine wine brands in the Mid-Atlantic market. As a longtime craft beer aficionado, Butcher watched the craft beer business evolve and become more like the fine wine business.
It was this evolution that convinced Butcher and his wife, Karen, to start Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria in 2011, when there were no other packaging breweries in the DC area. Bill's expertise in fine wine sales and brand building helped him quickly establish Port City as a quality leader in the D.C and Mid-Atlantic craft beer market. Port City Brewing Company has garnered national and international acclaim for its beers; at the craft beer industry's most prestigious competition, the Great American Beer Festival, the brewery has earned nine medals and was named Small Brewing Company of the Year in 2015. Bill and Karen live in Rosemont with their two sons, Riley and Key.
Winners Wednesday night in a variety of categories were:
- Rising Star: Alexandria Living Magazine
(Other nominees in this category were: ALX Community, Cafe 44, Legacy Navigator and Manumission Tour Company.)
- Small Business: AR Workshop
(Other nominees in this category were: Hudson Studio, Intelligent Office Alexandria, Sweet Fire Donna's and Wholistic Hound Academy.)
- Medium Business: Business Management Associates
(Other nominees in this category were: Avanti Holdings Group, Daniel O'Connell's Irish Restaurant and Bar, The Potomack Company.)
- Overall Business of the Year: American Physical Therapy Association
- Large Business of the Year: B3 Solutions
(Other nominees in this category were: Brandywine Living at Alexandria and Easterns Automotive.)
- Non-Profit / Association Business of the Year (tie): RunningBrooke and Together We Bake
(Other nominees in this category were: Agenda: Alexandria, American Red Cross in the National Capital Region and Volunteer Alexandria.)
An anonymous selection committee reviewed nominee applications and selected the winners.
The evening was hosted by Virginia "Gin" Kinneman, of Kinneman Insurance, the 2018 Board chair. Walter C. Clarke of Burke & Herbert Bank, the award program's presenting sponsor, welcomed the large crowd. Lonnie Rich of Rich Rosenthal Brincefield Manitta Dzubin & Kroeger, honored two businessmen who had passed away, Tim Geary and Donald Simpson Sr.
After the awards ceremony, the crowd gathered for a celebration with a selection of bites from Alexandria restaurants including Bastille Brasserie & Bar, Buzz, Chart House, Columbia Firehouse, Hank's Pasta Bar, Daniel O'Connell's, Evening Star, Meggrolls, Rocklands, Rustico and Vermilion.
In addition to presenting sponsor Burke & Herbert Bank, Red Carpet sponsors were: Avanti Holdings Group, BMA Business Management Association, Greenville, Easterns Automotive Group, Jen Walker Team, John Marshall Bank and RRBMDK LLP. Award sponsors were: Cotton & Company, Focus Data Solutions, Halt Buzas & Powell, Ltd. and Simpson Real Estate Services. Friend sponsors were: Advancing Inspiration, American Physical Therapy Association, Clarke & Sampson, Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, GHC Associates Inc., Hudson Studio and Ironistic. Patron sponsors were: BB&T Scott & Stringfellow, BOWA, CliftonLarsonAllen, Jack Taylor Toyota, Kinneman Insurance, M&T Bank, McLaughlin Ryder, Tartan Properties, Alexandria Times and Zebra Press.
Lonnie Rich was chair of the event committee.
