Chuck Stewart, director of continuous improvement at Unified Brands, was the guest speaker of the monthly Vicksburg Warren County Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday and gave those in attendance an update on the new manufacturing facility at the Ceres Industrial Park.

His presentation of the commercial manufacturing plant that opened in September was very informative, but Stewart also enlightened attendees on his other passion.

Stewart is the father of CJ Stewart, a decorated US Army veteran who was seriously wounded as a medic in Afghanistan.

Stewart spoke about his son, who died twice before his life was saved and ended up at Walter Reed Medical Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, where he rehabbed and as fate would have it, met his wife and they now have a beautiful daughter.

His son and daughter-in-law now run Camp Down Range in Clinton, which is a facility designed to help individuals and teams overcome obstacles in order to reach their full potential. It was while CJ was undergoing rehabilitation that he realized how to make the best of the situation he was in by creating Camp Down Range to help others overcome obstacles in their lives.

Looking back now, Camp Down Range might never have been created, his son might not have met his wife and had a beautiful daughter if CJ had not been wounded or joined the US Army.

The message Stewart left with those at the luncheon is that life is about opportunities and making the most of the hand you are dealt.

He encouraged people to take a leap of faith and don’t look back on life with regrets for not risking more.

Stewart doesn’t believe in luck but rather believes in taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.

It’s a message we all need to hear.

There are plenty of opportunities in our personal and business lives if we just know to take advantage of them.

Opportunities like joining the Vicksburg Warren County Chamber of Commerce and learning more about economic development that is happening in our community from people like George Stewart.

We thank Stewart and the opportunity for Unified Brands to be a part and grow in our community; thank his son for his service to our country and much success making a difference in the lives of people.