ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Chamber of Commerce celebrated community leadership and its own history during its 2026 Annual Meeting and Awards ceremony on March 5.
Held inside Atrium Health Stanly’s Magnolia Room in Albemarle, the event marked the chamber’s 90th year serving the community while recognizing several local leaders and organizations for their contributions during the 2025 calendar year.
Five major awards were presented during the evening: Citizen of the Year, Ambassador of the Year, Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year and Nonprofit Organization of the Year.
The keynote speaker for the ceremony was William R. “Bill” Webb Jr., chairman of the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority and a board member of the Golden LEAF Foundation.
Larry Baucom, founder of Tarheel Auto Sales of Locust Inc., received the chamber’s Citizen of the Year Award, as presented by Duke Energy representative Joe Crapster.
“It’s very humbling, and I’d like to thank the people of the Chamber,” Baucom said. “I’ll give you one line to remember, and I guarantee it will help you because I’ve used it for a very long time. Everything that you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. If you get over that fear, it’s amazing what you can accomplish. With deep gratitude and humbleness in my heart, thank you.”
The Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to author and poet Renee McRae.
Uwharrie Bank received the chamber’s Business of the Year Award, while Albemarle Sweet Shop was named Small Business of the Year.
“Thank you very much for this honor,” Albemarle Sweet Shop owner Shawn Oke said. “We made substantial investments in our new building, and we could not have done that had it not been for the financial backing and trust in our family to do that.”
The chamber also introduced a new award category this year, recognizing Tillery Compassionate Care as the first-ever recipient of the Nonprofit Organization of the Year Award.
The category was open to chamber member nonprofits that were founded in Stanly County and carry out their missions with local programming while addressing community needs.
In recognition of the chamber’s 90th anniversary, special Legacy Recognition honors were also presented by Wil Huneycutt to several longtime local businesses and organizations, including Hartsell Funeral Home, Brown and Senter PLLC, Starnes Bramlett Jewelers, B.E. Holbrooks Co. and Dun-Rite Cleaners.
Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas served as presenting sponsors for the 2026 Annual Meeting and Awards. Additional sponsors included Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company, Atrium Health and Uwharrie Bank.