DURANT, OK – The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma recognized 12 small businesses at its annual Chahtapreneur Awards Dinner. Each year, the Choctaw Nation presents Chahtapreneur Awards to one Choctaw-owned business from each of the reservation’s 12 districts and names one overall Chahtapreneur of the Year. This year’s highest honor was awarded to Coffee Creek MFG of Antlers.
Coffee Creek MFG is a trailer manufacturing business owned and operated by Jett Gardner. The company offers a variety of trailers, including utility trailers, car haulers, goosenecks, and dump trailers.
Chahtapreneur Award winners by district were as follows:
District 1: Jennifer Watson, Watson M&M Food (Idabel)
District 2: Leona Rivers, Beads by Bears Lariat (Broken Bow)
District 3: Emi Wright, Wright’s Glass (Talihina)
District 4: Matthew Coopers, Cooper’s Furs and 6th Day Creations (Bokoshe)
District 5: Tammy Jackson, Garland Drilling (Stigler)
District 6: Charisse Gragg, Small Town Talk (Quinton)
District 7: Jett Gardner, Coffee Creek MFG (Antlers)
District 8: Amanda Milner, Red Bear Construction (Soper)
District 9: Don Hyde, Jr., Pearl Snap Limo Services (Calera)
District 10: Deidre Elrod, Stringtown General Store (Stringtown)
District 11: Justin Few, Platinum Appraisals (McAlester)
District 12: LaTildra Fortenberry, Kreative Kidz Learning Academy (Ada)
“The Chahtapreneur Awards give us an opportunity to recognize small businesses that are working to improve the customer experience, expand their offerings and give back to the communities they serve,” said Gary Johnson, Director of Choctaw Nation Small Business Development. “We are proud to shine a spotlight on these businesses and encourage them to continue making an impact within the Choctaw Nation.”
Choctaw Nation Small Business Development focuses on delivering technical assistance, one-on-one business coaching, training programs and access to capital to entrepreneurs, helping build successful, job-creating Choctaw-owned companies within the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.