Shers Win Entrepreneurs of the Year

David and Martin Sher, co-chief executives of Birmingham-based AmSher Receivables, were honored Friday as the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce's entrepreneurs of the year.

The brothers beat six other nominees to win the annual award sponsored by the chamber's Entrepreneurial Roundtable, a group of 105 entrepreneurs, owners and professionals who meet monthly to discuss ways to improve their businesses.

The Shers were selected by the judges in part because of their success in overcoming a crisis in which their collection agency was forced to abandon its longtime downtown Birmingham headquarters after a city inspector found major violations two years ago, said Ashley Griggs, a chamber official.

David Sher said the problem put their company in a financial bind when they had to quickly abandon the building and represented the biggest test of their career at AmSher

After problems in their building were discovered, AmSher moved from downtown to a former call center location in Vestavia Hills when it couldn't find a suitable location downtown. A year ago, the company moved back into Birmingham in a building at 600 Beacon Parkway.

The Shers were also cited for their longtime support of chamber causes, downtown development and small businesses. AmSher, which is licensed to collect debts in all 50 states, employs 100 people.

This fall, David and Martin Sher were tapped to represent the collections industry and featured in the book, "The Masters of Impact Negotiating - The World's Most Dynamic Negotiators Share Their Passion for Persuasion."

Published by Insight Publishing of Sevierville, Tenn., the book features 189 leaders in various professions, including Herb Cohen, an adviser to Presidents Carter and Reagan who was involved in negotiating an end to the Iran hostage crisis.

Past winners of the chamber's Entrepreneur of the Year Award were Jeff Cooke of Access Marketing last year, Allen Blackwell of American Behavioral in 2004 and Michael McCown of PPM Consultants in 2003.

Nominees who competed against the Shers this year were Billy Cooch of Highland Technical Services, Jenn Sides of Teach Me Beauty, Mike Washburn of Red Mountain Bank, Marc Porter of Porter Capital Corp., Danny Bedgood of Superior Automotive and Allison Taylor of Maynard Cooper & Gale PC.

© 2006 The Birmingham News