Belk’s Savannah-area regional vice president, Mark Sonenshein, honored four local Belk employees for service and longevity as part of the company’s 125th birthday celebration outside the store’s Oglethorpe Mall entrance Wednesday morning.
Those awarded included Barbara Fling, Charmaine Horne, Evelyn Bradley and B.G. Morgan, whose combined employment amounts to 111 years with the company.
Fling has worked for Belk since 1988. The store located in Savannah in 1946 on Broughton Street, and moved to Oglethorpe Mall in 1969 as one of the mall’s two original anchor stores.
“I love the company and the people,” Fling said. “The organization is very encouraging for you to grow from within it. I have done all different kinds of jobs. It’s just a great atmosphere.”
Working for Belk has been rewarding for Fling both professionally and romantically.
“I met my husband here and married him — he was my boss,” she said.
To help celebrate the company’s 125th birthday, each location promised its first 100 customers free gift cards ranging from $5 to $1,000. Savannah’s Equinox Jazz Trio entertained the large and eager crowd waiting outside Belk’s mall entrance at 9 a.m.
Although there were more than 100 customers in attendance, Sonenshein assured the crowd he had something for everyone.
“Don’t worry about gift cards,” he said. “We have plenty of gift cards for everyone.”
He then thanked the audience for coming out to celebrate.
“Throughout the last 125 years we stand tall with over 300 stores in the South with our current slogan as ‘modern, Southern style,’” Sonenshein said.
Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce chair Jenny Gentry also spoke at the event and thanked Belk’s Savannah location for being a longstanding chamber member.
“I am very appreciative of all that Belk gives back to the community,” she said. They are a great corporate citizen.”
For customers unable to attend the event, Sonenshein said the celebration will continue through July with in-store sales and other festivities as part of the company’s 125 days of prizes.
“Every day, someone has a chance to go on line and win different prizes — from spa trips to vacations in New York to free merchandise within our store.”
