Chamber banquet to feature entrepreneur Fred Daitch

Fred Daitch, a small business owner from Augusta with a powerful rags to riches story, will be the guest speaker at the Lincolnton-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet set for Thursday, January 24, at 7 p.m. at The Lincoln Center. Daitch is pictured here with his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Alexandrea, and Brad.

The Lincolnton-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual banquet on Thursday, January 24, at 7 p.m. at The Lincoln Center.

The guest speaker for the occasion is Fred Daitch, a small business owner in Augusta.

Throughout the years, four generations of the Daitch Family have established over 10 businesses in downtown Augusta. It all started when Daitch's great-grandfather founded Levy's Department Store on Broad Street in 1908; other businesses followed, including Daitch & Company, which had been in operation for 78 years before it was forced to close its doors in 1998.

The company's wholesale customer base virtually disappeared as Wal- Mart, Sam's Wholesale, and other mass merchants moved into smaller communities causing the demise of small family clothing businesses.

Down, but by no means out, Daitch established International Uniform, Inc. on Broad Street in 1998. At that time, his product line consisted of golf coveralls and one medical account.

Since then, his business has grown to feature the largest on-site inventory of medical scrub wear in the CSRA. The golfing side of his business has also expanded to the point where Daitch now supplies caddie coveralls and bibs for all PGA-sponsored events nationwide.

An innovator in the golfing industry, the young entrepreneur personally designed the "Masters Edition Caddie Coverall," a full-body caddie suit with interchangeable name, number, and logo applications. He is likewise responsible for the cart bottle carrier, used for carrying sand and seed bottles on the golf course, as well as the three-pocket apron, which was designed for Bill Murray's restaurant chain, Murray Brothers Cafeteria. All of these items may be viewed on the company's website at www.internationaluniform.com.

Furthermore, it must be noted that an entire chapter of Ward Clayton's book, "Men on the Bag: The Caddies of Augusta National," was devoted to Daitch and his contributions to the golfing world. In 2006, he and his family were featured in "Columbia County Magazine" as the company behind the Masters uniforms.

According to Daitch, his business philosophy is simple: "C1 T2 = Customer, first, and Task, second."

He is also quite adept at motivating his employees, using a performance rewards program and weekly inhouse luncheons, during which staff members are encouraged to make written suggestions for improving the business.

"Our employees are responsible for problem solving and implementing solutions in all areas of the business," said Daitch. "It is much easier to have employees find the problem and suggest a solution than force them to follow mine. I have been amazed at how much more can be done when employees are empowered."

Along with running a successful business, Daitch has served on several boards and committees for groups such as the Alzheimer's Association, the March of Dimes, the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Dealers, and the Universal Purchasing Association. He has also helped those in need by supporting agencies such as Augusta Urban Ministries, the Golden Harvest Food Bank, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society.

In fact, Daitch donated cases of medical uniforms to Slidell Memorial Hospital in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He likewise gave hundreds of sets of scrubs to First Baptist Church in Augusta to help medical missions around the world.

In 2006, he was named the Small Business Person of the Year by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to Daitch, another highlight of the chamber banquet will be the presentation of the Lincolnton- Lincoln County Community Service Awards, which include Public Safety Officer of the Year, Teacher of the Year, Fireman of the Year, and Business of the Year.

Other groups and individuals who will be recognized during the course of the evening are Lonnie Martin, grand marshal of the 2007 Lincolnton Holiday Parade; the 2007 Chamber Board of Directors; the Director of the Year; and the new directors for 2008.

There will also be a brief presentation on the "State of the Chamber," which will outline what the chamber has accomplished this past year as well as its goals for the coming year.

Tickets for the banquet are $15 each and may be purchased at the chamber office, located in the Blanchard House at 112 N. Washington Street. The deadline is Tuesday, January 22, at 5 p.m.

Furthermore, tables for six to eight people may be reserved by calling the chamber at 1-706-359-7970.

The public is cordially invited to attend.