CULLMAN, Ala. – Local artisan and merchant Leldon Maxcy recently brought home the 2020 Outstanding Business of the Year award from the Cullman County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD). Maxcy, who this year opened his own storefront shop in Cullman’s Warehouse District, has lent his woodworking expertise to the CCSWCD on numerous occasions.
CCSWCD’s Kathy Holmes said, “He has done a lot of awards for the conservation awards and other different awards.”
The awards Maxcy has created are crafted from natural materials from local sources.
“He used, for some awards, wood from Vinemont that was like 100 years old,” said Holmes. “They really like his groundedness, his hominess and his natural use of things. He did some awards in the shape of Alabama and the shape of Cullman. He made some Christmas ornaments that were in the shape of Cullman. Everything is made from wood. For the state’s bicentennial, he actually embedded some 1819 coins in some state and Cullman County plaques that he had made.”
Due to COVID-19, the CCSWCD award ceremony didn’t take place this year, so the award was presented to Maxcy unexpectedly at his shop.
“When they walked in, I wondered, ‘What is this?’ I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! I can’t believe that.’ I was completely shocked,” he said. “I’ve been working with the Soil and Water Conservation District for the past two years and I do a lot of their awards and special projects for their people. I’ve just developed a great relationship with them. I use a lot of local woods for my things. It’s nice working on local projects like that. Especially because they work with the local farmers and others like that. I don’t know if you call it giving back, but it’s still nice to be able to help.”
For more information on Maxcy’s shop, Leldon’s, visit www.facebook.com/Leldons.
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