Another shining star in the Michigan’s Great Southwest universe has been cited as being among the very best in the world. She’s a diamond in an emerald orchard and she’ll be recognized as one of less than 100 award winners this spring at the 15th Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration & Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Sarah Jollay, owner and operate of Bainbridge Beverage Company in Coloma, has a date with Enterprising Women magazine and the 95 other award winners for the annual tribute to the world’s top women entrepreneurs. The celebration will take place at The Ritz-Carlton of Fort Lauderdale from Sunday, April 2nd to Tuesday, April 4th.
The Enterprising Women of the Year Awards are widely considered one of the most prestigious recognition programs for women business owners anywhere. To win, nominees had to demonstrate that they have fast-growth businesses, they mentor or actively support other women and girls involved in entrepreneurship, and they stand out as leaders in their communities. Many also serve as leaders of the key organizations that support the growth of women’s entrepreneurship.
Sarah Jollay certainly fills the bill in every regard, clocking in last year as among the 50 Small Businesses to Watch in Michigan, and recipient of last fall’s 100 Women Strong Leader of Distinction Award at the Shadowland Ballroom on Silver Beach in St. Joseph. She was also a prime creator with Kinexus of the Emerald Avenue destination attraction branding campaign for multiple regional attractions in SW Michigan including agri-tourism attractions such as her own Jollay Orchards, wineries, distilleries, chocolatiers and other businesses.
Her Bainbridge Beverage along Friday Road in Coloma, a rapidly rising enterprise, placed her in the Enterprising Women magazine category winners with “over $2-million and up to $5-million in annual revenues.”
That is one of seven categories ranging from annual sales of up to $1-million to more than $100-million. Only three other Michigan women won the high honors including Candice Simons of Brooklyn Outdoor and j’adore Detroit, based in Detroit with sales in the more than $5-million and up to $10-million category, and two women in the over $1-million and up to $2-million ranks including Marcy Bell of Bell’s Landscape Services in Wixom, Michigan and Erin Millerschin of The Millerschin Group in Auburn Hills.
Worldwide winners ranged from other U.S. states to international winners from British Columbia, Kenya, The Netherlands, and even South Africa.
Monica Smiley is Publisher & CEO of Enterprising Women magazine. She says, “The recipients of the 2017 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards represent an amazing group of women entrepreneurs from across the United States and as far away as The Netherlands, South Africa, Uganda, the United Kingdom and Canada.” She adds, “We could not be more proud to recognize their accomplishments as CEOs of the fast-growth companies, community leaders, and role models and mentors to other women and girls. We look forward to shining the spotlight on them at our 15th Annual Awards event in April.”
Sarah Jollay actually turned disaster into opportunity when the widespread loss of apple crops in 2012 forced her to look elsewhere and she ingeniously converted Grandpa’s Cider Mill into the Bainbridge Beverage Company, a juice processor for more than apples. That innovative recovery and her drive to succeed helped deliver new and different juice customers to her doorstep from across the nation.
Sarah also pays it forward through her work with Cornerstone Alliance, Michigan Agri-Women, the Twin City Area Catholic School Fund and others.
Congratulations on the shooting star that reaches every higher with every passing year.
