2010 EIEA recipients Kaye Bowman and Stacey Wilson of Community Medical Services Inc. in Columbia are honored for their win in Small Business category.
COLUMBIA, Ky. — As entrepreneurs in rural Adair County, the owners of Community Medical Services Inc. know what it takes to grow a business.
From its humble beginnings 10 years ago in a cramped two-room office with one window and one door, Community Medical Services is now recognized as one of the area’s leading providers of healthcare equipment and services.
In recognition of their hard work and success in business, owners Kaye Bowman, Stacey Wilson, and David Bowman—recipients of 2010 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award (EIEA) in the For-Profit Small Business category—were honored for their win at an Oct. 29 open house reception at Community Medical Services, the business they started together to meet the needs of people in and around Adair County.
The program was the second of four EIEA Hometown Events planned to honor each of the program’s award recipients in their home communities or other selected venues before an audience of their peers and invited guests.
“The Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards (EIEA) program was established in 2001 to recognize and honor excellence in entrepreneurs who demonstrate exceptional achievements in Southern and Eastern Kentucky,” Gary Marshall, executive director of Eastern Kentucky University’s Eastern Region Innovation and Commercialization Center and emcee at the event, said. “Community Medical Services illustrates that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well and is a perfect example of how small businesses remain the backbone of our region’s—and the state’s—economy.”
Community Medical Services was announced as an EIEA winner on Sept. 13 at the annual awards luncheon, which featured U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) as special guest at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.
“It’s an honor to receive this year’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award,” Kaye Bowman said speaking on behalf of Community Medical Services. “Stacey, David, and I want to express gratitude to our community and many local customers who have made this achievement possible.
“It is indeed gratifying to be recognized for our hard work and excellence in serving Columbia, Adair County, and surrounding areas,” she added. “We built our business on the concept of ‘corporate responsibility,’ and we strive every day to make a positive difference in our community.”
Community Medical Services, located at 801 Burkesville Street, is a privately owned company specializing in sales, rental, and services of a wide variety of durable medical equipment and respiratory products.
Other 2010 EIEA recipients include Shannon and Kendall Wright, owners of Wright Concrete and Construction Inc., Dorton, Ky., For-Profit Business; Amber Stone, owner of Body of Stone Fitness, London, Ky., Start-Up Business; and Dr. Ron Hustedde, director of Kentucky Entrepreneurial Coaches Institute and University of Kentucky (UK) Department of Community and Leadership, Lexington, Ky., Not-for-Profit Entity.
The EIEA program is sponsored by Eastern Kentucky University College of Business and Technology, Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, and The Center.
Awards are based on economic success of the enterprise, contributions to the community, and job creation and operational achievements as measured by innovative business practices, superior safety achievements, and superior technology.
For more information on the EIEA program, visit The Center’s Web site at centertech.com and click on the EIEA link.
