CarpetsPlus COLORTILE honored Mark Dougherty and Vern Montgomery with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award during the Awards Banquet at the group’s annual convention in Tucson, March 4-7, 2016. Ron Dunn, co-CEO of Alliance Flooring, gave the audience a little background on the award, “The Lifetime Achievement Award gives us the opportunity to recognize individuals who demonstrate exceptional business achievement and outstanding contributions to one’s community over their lifetime. The common trait among the individuals that have been given this award is humility. Humility is the opposite of arrogance; it is leadership that serves others without looking for personal gain. Humility resides in the heart.”
He continued, “This award is given to a person who has certainly achieved much in business but has also touched people beyond that. We travel to Bloomington, Indiana and Hoosier CarpetsPlus COLORTILE for the first award. The winner is Mark Dougherty.”
Mark Dougherty receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award
Mark’s wife, MaryAnn, said, “When I met Mark, I had an instant spark with him. I loved his honesty; he thought everyone was a great person and saw all of the positives in life that were very important to me. In all of the years that I have been with Mark, I have never heard him say anything against another person. He doesn’t even realize that about himself; it’s just his nature to be that way.”
Kate Doyle, Retail Sales at Hoosier CarpetsPlus, said, “It’s amazing to me how much Mark and MaryAnn are involved in the business and how much they are involved in our lives personally. Mark is always out looking for new ideas, new ventures for us, things that can make us better. He’s always got his finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the world of flooring and even us personally.”
Jon Logue added a few words about Dougherty, “When I think of Mark, I think of honesty, integrity, detailed, family. He’s my kind of man. He’ll call me sometimes and we’ll talk about the numbers and he’ll ask me questions. It’s just fun to be around him.”
The second winner is Vern Montgomery of Montgomery CarpetsPlus in Venice, FL. Dunn said, “He exhibits confidence, he’s fearless and holds a very high standard. On the other hand, he’s got a great sense of humor, genuine, always positive. He’s humble and he lives the Golden Rule.”
Vern Montgomery receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award
Vern’s wife, Bev Montgomery, said, “He is the person of my dreams. I’ve respected him from the day I met him because he is a gentleman. The longer I’ve been with him, the more I’ve learned that he’s that way with everybody. He’s honest, upfront, a man that gives back to the community and has never been selfish with his own life.”
Missy Montgomery, Vern’s daughter, said, “I would describe my dad as larger than life, happy, outgoing, family-centered and dedicated; he gives 100% on everything. The biggest thing he’s ever given us is this wonderful business that we have, because it’s not just a business and is much more than that. We are involved in the community and get to give back. Most importantly, we are a family and how many people can say they work with their family every single day.
Vern Montgomery
His son, Mark Montgomery, “As I like to say, he’s gone from zero to hero with a whole lot of hard work, determination and a never quit attitude. He is an inspiration and a lot of people look up to him; they see if he can make it, they can make it.”
His other son Mike Montgomery, said, “My dad believes in a handshake and that a man is only as good as his word; that’s his character. This is the way he always run things and how he taught us. If you say you’ll do something, you follow through with it and that’s the way he’s always been.”
