Chamber Honors Businesses, Individuals During 41st Annual Banquet

HUNTINGDON (October 25) - It was a night to honor those who have best served Carroll County during the 41st annual Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Membership Banquet. The event was held at the Carroll County Civic Center on Monday, October 28.

Distinguished Career and Leadership
Phil Williams was honored as the Business Person of the Year. He is the owner of Williams Furniture Company and the mayor of McLemoresville.
Williams Furniture Company recently closed after almost five decades as a family-owned business in McKenzie when Phil made the decision to retire. He recently sold the business to Premier Furniture and Bedding of Union City and Jackson.
Williams Furniture began in the City of McLemoresville; it then expanded to Broadway Street in McKenzie. Before long, the business outgrew that building and moved to Highland Drive before moving back to downtown into the former House of Furniture and JA Abernathy buildings.. One more move found Williams Furniture at its current location with “nearly a full city block of furniture in downtown McKenzie.”
Using his prowess as a smart business owner, Phil Williams was always willing to explore methods of expanding into such areas as swimming pools, appliances, VCRs, and hot tubs. Much of Williams Furniture’s longevity can be attributed to the willingness of Phil to diversify his line of products. Most recently, his product line was limited to home furnishings.
One edge Williams Furniture had on its larger competitors was the available inventory. While larger stores had large showrooms without inventory, Williams Furniture could deliver on the day of purchase. Phil’s commitment to customer service and friendly, hands-on approach kept the business strong.
Phil served in the military at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma from 1965 until 1969 as a Chaplain Services Specialist. Today, he is still very active in his church, First United Methodist Church. He has served in various roles in the church and is currently serving as pastor.
Another hat Phil Williams wears is that of a civil servant. He first served four years as a councilman for his hometown of McLemoresville. Since 1977, he has been the Mayor of McLemoresville. He is the longest-serving mayor in the State of Tennessee.
Few people have had an impact on Carroll County like Phil Williams has had. Phil has lived a life of community and generosity and cherishes his opportunity to serve the people. As he has said, “You can’t not be there for people..”
Phil is married to Carolyn. Their children are daughter Jamie Tidwell and her husband Jodie, who live in Florida; son Tim Williams and wife Lisa of McLemoresville; and daughter Selena Shaw and husband Tom, also of McLemoresville. They are also proud grandparents and great-grandparents. Phil has four sisters: Pat, Judy, Betsy, and Peggy, all of whom have helped him in his business at one time or another.
Phil is quick to count his store family among his immediate family members.
Phil Williams was named the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year in 1991 and the Carroll Countian of the Year in 2009.
County Champion Award 2024
In 2024, the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors established a new award and named it the “County Champion Award.” This award is designed to showcase individuals who have been deeply involved in achieving a goal that enhances the well-being of citizens of Carroll County. Lori Dillahunty is the first recipient of this award.
How do you take an idea for a project with one swing for children with limited mobility and turn it into a project that raised over a million dollars?
That is precisely what our County Champion Lori Dillahunty, did with her dream for a Carroll County Inclusion Park. Three years ago Lori noticed that her town was without a park with an inclusion swing. Thus started an idea that would grow into something bigger than even imagined.
So the fundraising began. The fundraising started with a bake sale, which raised a surprising $11,000; eventually, Lori and her group of volunteers would raise over one million dollars through their creative fundraising efforts and grant applications. State Senator John Stevens stated that Carroll County received the largest amount of any community from the State of Tennessee through the Intellectual and Development Disabilities Act because its planning for an inclusion park was well ahead of plans for other communities.
Lori Dillahunty was very successful in developing team members who had the same vision for the project as herself. They all worked together well, began traveling to different playgrounds in Tennessee and other states, and brought their pieces of information together.
Lori also sees the Big Picture, as Community Champions do. What started with an idea for a single swing ended as an impressive state-of-the-art playground for everyone.
Any successful project must have a dedicated leader. Lori Dillahunty has dedicated herself to the Carroll County Inclusion Park. She has gone above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others.
Lori is married to Brent, and they have six children: Johannah, 18; Kaki, 16; Haden, 15; June, 12; Charlie, 9; and Lorelei, 4.
Carroll Countian of the Year 2024
Every year since 1986, the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce has recognized a deserving individual as the Carroll Countian of the Year. Tonight’s distinguished honoree joins the outstanding group of previous winners as its thirty-ninth recipient.
Mr. Willie Huffman recently retired after a thirty-six-year career of developing workers at our Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology, commonly known as TCAT. His career started in 1988 as a Financial Aid Officer at what was then called the State Area Vocational-Technical School in McKenzie. He moved to the sister TCAT in Paris in 2000 and was named vice president in 2007. In 2021, the Tennessee Board of Regents appointed Willie Huffman as president of TCAT at McKenzie and Paris. He retired earlier this year.
During his tenure, Willie witnessed many changes at the TCAT. He recalls that one of the most significant changes is the renewed emphasis on technical education. He feels that technical school degrees have become more recognized and appreciated as the skills of their graduates become more in demand.
Willie Huffman has served in community service, leadership, and civic positions. He served on the McKenzie City Council for sixteen years and was elected to the Carroll County Commission in 2014, a position he still holds. He has also served as chairperson of the E911 Board.
Willie has also been a member of the McKenzie Lions Club, the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Leadership Carroll County, WestStar, McKenzie Housing Authority, and the McKenzie City Board of Zoning Appeals.
He is a 1977 graduate of Henry County High School. He earned a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration from Bethel University and a Master of Professional Studies degree in Strategic Leadership at Austin Peay State University. He has resided in McKenzie and Carroll County for nearly 40 years.
Willie and his wife, Gloria will celebrate 40 years of marriage this year. They have two children, Bryan and Heather, and two grandchildren.
Willie Huffman is truly a quiet, humble, and effective leader. He wants to quietly get the job done. and stay out of the limelight. If you have been around Willie, you know about the “awe shucks” laugh, and you know that you are around a first-class individual.
Business Person of the Year
2024
In 1986, the Board of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce began the tradition of recognizing successful business people in the county.
This year’s recipient is Chris Gurley, owner of Southland Safari in Yuma, Tennessee.
How often does a childhood dream become a reality? As a young boy, Chris Gurley would write stories and draw pictures of animals. He grew up on a farm in Clarksburg raising goats and cattle and became fascinated with all types of animals at a young age. In 2003, Chris began to make his fascination with animals into a reality by making his first purchase of bison while he was attending Jackson State Community College and earning an associate degree in Electro-Mechanical Maintenance..
Following his graduation, Chris worked as an AT&T technician. After hours,, he would be at the farm.. When lay-offs changed his working conditions, it was Chris’s dream to be around animals and work with them every day. Many people did not believe in this dream or relate to his foresight. He was advised to find a conventional job with insurance and retirement benefits.
What started with five buffalo has turned into Southland Safari with over 700 animals and 57 different species. Southland Safari opened its campground in October of 2019 and ran its first tour in March of 2020. They now offer safari tours, cabin stays, and close animal encounters. It is estimated that visitors travel an average of two to five hours to tour or stay the night, with some coming from as far as Alaska, Hawaii, and the Bahamas.
Southland Safari’s most popular animal is the sloth. People love to talk about the sloth, but a large percentage love the giraffes or kangaroos just as much upon their departure.
The most unusual animal-and the one of which Southland Safari is proudest is the rhino.. As a matter of fact, the farm has two rhinos. After a year and a half process, Southland was approved to become the only private owners of rhinos in the State of Tennessee..
Also among Southland’s animals are two on the endangered species list, the Pere David’s deer and the Bone Bok, an African antelope. Various species of deer make it the animal of which they have the most number. Small animals include fennec foxes, lemurs, and aardwolves. The more commonly known are the giraffes, kangaroos, and ostriches, among others.
Chris and his wife, Tosha, have been married for 18 years. They have three children: Gage, who is 16; Natalie, 11; and Ridge, 8. They attend school at Clarksburg. Chris’s parents are Myron and Rhonda Gurley.

Business of the Year
2024
In 2007, the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce established an award to recognize Carroll County businesses for their commitment to making our county a better place to live and work.
Tonight we are honoring another recipient of this outstanding award. Carroll County is very fortunate to be home to two Dynamix Physical Therapy locations, Huntingdon and McKenzie. For five consecutive years, Dynamix has been named an Inc. 5000 company as one of the fastest-growing companies in the nation. In 2022, they were recognized as the country’s top physical therapy clinic.
Dynamix started as a dream in 2008. Russ Huffstetler and Heath Ladd, two physical therapists and native West Tennesseans, wanted to bring something unique and special to the area. They wanted not just to be a building, but to invest in and be a part of the community while providing top-notch healthcare. They opened their first clinic in Milan in 2009..
Since then, Dynamix has grown to serve seventeen largely rural communities all over West Tennessee and will soon open its 19th location with an expansion into Mississippi. The McKenzie office opened in 2017 and Huntingdon followed in the fall of 2022. Will Record is the clinical director of the clinic in McKenzie and is also the regional director. Misty King is the director of the Huntingdon clinic. The two Carroll County locations have 25 employees.
One of the keys to the success of Dynamix Physical Therapy is its focus on innovation and education. The therapists are constantly learning and considered the top in their work. Their commitment to personalized care makes them stand out in their field.
Services provided by Dynamix include treatment after orthopedic surgeries and sports injuries, plus pain management. One important service provided is balance maintenance to prevent falls.
Dynamix Physical Therapy is the largest sports provider in Tennessee. Dynamix in Huntingdon and McKenzie gives back to the community by providing treatment of athletic-related injuries for local schools. In addition, the McKenzie location provides sideline trainers for McKenzie Middle School sports.
Agri-Business/Farmer of the Year
2024
Since 2007, the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce has presented an award to seventeen farming, agricultural, and livestock enterprises that continue to honor and further the agricultural legacy of Carroll County. Blackketter Farms is the eighteenth recipient of the Chamber’s Agri-Business/Farmer of the Year Award.
Blackketter Farms is a family-owned business headquartered in McLemoresville, Tennessee. This father-and-son team farms 3800 acres together, focusing on corn, soybeans, wheat, and canola row crops.
Van Blackketter began his farming career in 1979. When asked how he got into farming, he replied that his dad had farmed, and it is all he has ever done. He now operates the farm with his son Brooks, who has taken over the managerial aspects.
Van states that the most significant change that he has seen in his years of farming is that the farmer formerly worked from the ground up, but now everything is no-till. He also cited the emergence of electronics and GPS as a huge difference since the beginning of his career.
While Van Blackketter does acknowledge that farming does dependent largely on the elements and is risky business, he enjoys the job because it involves a variety of jobs and tasks every workday as opposed to performing the same routine every day.
Van is married to his wife of 44 years, Lou Ann Blackketter. They are the parents of a daughter, Leah Bridges and her husband, Bruce, who live in Indianapolis; and a son,, Brooks and his wife, Hayden. They have three grandchildren: Sam Bridges, Sophia Blackketter, and Carson Blackketter.

Brother Terry Bradshaw emceed the event. Mandy Bryant presented the Chamber’s Business of the Year Award. Don Reed presented the 2023 Agri-Business / Farmer of the year award..
Joe Smothers presented the Distinguished Career and Leadership award.
Terry Bradshaw presented the County Champion award.
Brad Hurley, president of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce presented the Carroll Countian of the Year Award.
John Sanders presented the Business Person of the Year Award.