This past weekend I had the honor of being one of three people to make comments at the Georgia Chapter of the Association of General Contractors (AGC) annual conference in San Destin, FL. The subject was the Skill, Integrity, & Responsibility Award that AGC presents to one recipient each year. This year’s award winner was my friend and business associate of 25 years, Charlie Garbutt, CEO of Garbutt Construction Company, located right here in Dublin. The other two speakers were Senator Johnny Isakson, who spoke to us by way of video, and Sean Moxley, President of Garbutt Construction Company. In addition to the speakers, J. Charlie Garbutt and Kimberly Moore did a great job of assembling and presenting an outstanding video of some of Charlie and Garbutt Constructions’ memories and accomplishments throughout the years.
Ok, now that the stage is set, my job was to let the folks at AGC know the local side of Charlie… and maybe to roast him just a little bit. That’s what I thought my job was anyway! In preparing for my remarks, I did some reflecting on everything that I could think of that Charlie has been involved in since I’ve known him. This is by no means a complete list, but here are some of the things I reflected on:
- He was a Sunday School Teacher for high school students for over 20 years, and many of these young people are now productive citizens either in Dublin or all over.
- He coached recreation football.
- He both taught and sponsored many continuing education classes pertaining to construction. This didn’t just apply to his employees, but anyone in the construction industry that wanted to improve themselves.
- He spent a decade working on the revitalization of our “Skyscraper”, the Old First National Bank Building. A project that helped launch an entire downtown revitalization.
- He spearheaded an effort to send kids to an amazing youth camp called Camp Grace in Crawford County. The prerequisite for attending the camp is that the youthcan’t afford to go. This year 20 kids will be going, and next year there will be 100!
Like I said, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what I know Charlie has done. His industry recognizes his service, and they did a great job of showing that this past week at the convention.
You know, we all have our ups and downs, and Charlie will be the first to tell you he has had his, but the great thing about faith in God and faith in yourself is that you can overcome those downs and be a blessing to many others. Charlie Garbutt is a perfect example of what strong faith and hard work can do, and I appreciate the example he is to many, including myself.
Congratulations my friend!
Phil Best, Sr. CRS, GRI
478 278-1819 C
478 274-1606 O
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