Loop Recruiting and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions received the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Augusta Entrepreneur Award and Corporation of the Year Award, respectively, at the Chamber’s Best in Business luncheon at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center Dec. 8.
Jay Forrester of SouthState Bank presented the Augusta Entrepreneur Award to Charlie Wall and Jason Kennedy, founders of Loop Recruiting, commending them for their rapid growth and impact in just six years of business.
“At a critical point in Augusta’s growth, this small business leveraged that growth to contribute to the success of their clients and make this area a hub of the best of the best in professional talent,” Forrester said. “The success of their company is a reflection of how they care and support the community and they attribute their success to hard work and good luck.”
Forrester said the business has grown from two employees to 31, and at this company, nobody works for a boss; everyone works for and with each other.
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Jason Kennedy echoed that statement, asking his staff in attendance to stand as he commended their hard work is helping to grow the company and contribute to their clients’ success.
“This is why we’re here,” Kennedy said as his staff received a round of applause. “We wouldn’t stand here without them. Charlie and I also learned a lot about entrepreneurship and doing the right thing from our families and specifically, our parents.”
Wall then jumped in and said, “My mother so eloquently reminded me before we came up here that we wouldn’t be here without them, so thank you to my parents for that.”
Loop Recruiting is based on Broad Street in Downtown Augusta and operates as a technology staffing and recruiting company. Forrester said in his opening comments that Wall and Kennedy recognized the burgeoning tech and cyber footprint in Augusta and capitalized on its growth as they aided industry partners in staffing their operations here.
Loop also partners with various organizations in Augusta such as the Family YMCA of Greater Augusta, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Augusta, SafeHomes Domestic Violence Center and Forces United.
Jason Cuevas, VP of East Region for Georgia Power, presented the Corporation of the Year award to Stuart MacVean of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions.
“We could not do what we do without the community and business relationships we have throughout the Augusta area,” MacVean said. “We now have an indefinite extension working with the Savannah River Site and we hope that extension is really long.”
SRNS is one of the largest employers in the CSRA, and 1,600 of SRNS’ 5,300 employees live in Georgia. Cuevas said SRNS’ role as an economic force in the CSRA is as important as the philanthropic and community-support role they also serve in.
Since 2008, SRNS and its corporate parents have contributed more than $12 million to the CSRA through philanthropic and charitable causes, education outreach and economic development, per a press release from the Augusta Metro Chamber.
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SRNS is also a corporate sponsor of the Augusta Metro Chamber, and in opening comments to the crowd, MacVean said SRNS would be hiring 1200 people soon in an expansion at the company.
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com
