By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Grayson Chamber of Commerce began their April meeting by welcoming new members Caudill Construction and Serve Pro to the chamber. Caudill Construction has been in business for two years, Chamber Director Mike Nelson told chamber members, and will be having an Open House on June 5. Nelson said there will be a ribbon-cutting at 11 am on that day, with refreshments being served.
Serve Pro Marketing Rep Kevin Music told the chamber that Serve Pro serves Boyd, Carter, and Greenup counties and the business will be relocating from Flatwoods to a new location across from the old Boyd County High School. The new location will increase their square footage to 12,000 square foot from the 4,000 square foot location in Flatwoods.
After welcoming new members, Nelson updated chamber members on upcoming events and projects the chamber is currently involved with.
“We are just a little more than a month away from Memory Days,” Nelson told the chamber. “It’s hard to believe that it is right upon us. This is our fifty-fifth year of Grayson Memory Days. It’s an event for our community to remember what Memorial Day is all about; and all of our businesses come together to make this possible. We couldn’t do it without your help, and we appreciate that.”
Nelson told the chamber that the last finishing touches were being put together and would be finalized soon.
“If you will go to graysonchamber.com you will be able to see what is going on, and that is also the best way to answer questions when you are asked. Click on the Memory Days hub when you get there, and everything we know about Memory Days is there including places where people can stay if they are coming into the area.”
The Memory Days hub contains links to area hotels, Air BnB’s, and other accommodations, Nelson told the chamber. It also has links to sign in to be in the Memory Days Parade as well as the entertainment schedule. The official start of Memory Days, Nelson said, is May 21, but there are a couple of events before that date that lead it off, he said.
“Saturday, May 16 will be our 2026 Miss Memory Days Pageant,” Nelson said. “It will be held at East Carter High School, and the doors will be open at 5 pm, with the pageant beginning at 6 pm. There is a registration link at graysonchamber.com, so you can register there and get all the details you need. On Sunday, May 17 will be the Quilts of Valor presentation at First Church of Christ at 287 Pomeroy Street,” Nelson said. “The presentation will be at 2:30 pm. On Thursday, May 21 is the official start of Memory Days, with the events happening on Main Street in Grayson.”
The Golden Age Gala at Memory Days, sponsored by First Light Home care and Forever After Weddings and Events will begin during Memory Days at 11 am on May 21. Nelson introduced the gala representative Casey Steele, who gave the chamber a brief update.
“We will be hosting our Gala again for the second year,” Steele told chamber members. “This year we are expecting it to be much bigger than last year. We already have several facilities confirming that they will be bringing seniors in for us. So, we are super excited about that.”
Nelson then welcomed guest speaker Amanda Kelley from Southeastern Kentucky Economic Development (SKED) who spoke to the chamber about the organization’s special programs.
“We are a CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) based in Sommerset, Kentucky,“ Kelley told the chamber. “But we cover all of Eastern and Southern Kentucky.”
“We do small business lending,” Keley continued. “I get to work in technical assistance, which means I get to help people start and grow businesses. I go out and meet with clients and help them understand their financials or marketing. Whatever it is they are struggling with, I get to help them.”
“In that capacity I was approached by Fletcher Group,” Kelley said. “We got together about seven years ago to do some entrepreneurship training. We did a 12-hour class with folks in recovery on how to start a business.”
She explained that particular project gave them a new path to not only employment but also a more fulfilling life. The class was set up much like the television show Shark Tank, Kelley told the chamber. Participants came up with business ideas then pitched their ideas.
“It was amazing,” she said. “We did five rounds of it and had some amazing ideas come out of the classes. There were some great businesses and all of them were focused on supporting recovery centers.”
Kelley said that during the classes there was discussion on what further could be done to assist those involved in recovery. One result of this, she said, was Ground Up.
“Will Stevens who is a professor here (at KCU) has Goose Bridle Coffee,” Kelley said. “And he is a huge part of Ground Up Coffee.”
Kelley described Ground Up as starting a social enterprise that blends specialty coffee with workforce development.
“It’s a real business,” she said. “We are roasting, packaging, and marketing. We are doing customer service, shipping, and doing all of the things you do in a real business. It’s a pathway to employment for an underserved population. It’s workforce development because we are helping these folks become better equipped to enter the workforce.”
“Solid, gainful employment is one of the strongest predictors of success in recovery,” Kelley said. “Without that piece, it doesn’t work. Obviously, treatment is super important. But once the treatment portion is coming toward the end, having that structure, accountability, and mentorship of a job that provides more than just a paycheck is really, really important.”
Kelley said that Ground Up is only one possible idea, one potential business, and encouraged the businesses in the area to reach out with their own ideas to see how SKED can assist their business.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
