As a relatively new businessman in Natchez, Michael Winn was honored one week ago with one of its highest honors.

Winn, owner of Winn Pharmacy on Wilson Road, was named the Natchez Business and Civic League’s G.F. West Man of the Year.

&uot;It was quite an honor,&uot; Winn said of the award. &uot;It says what people think about you. I’ve been amazed at the positive comments we’ve received.&uot;

Winn and his wife, Rita, opened Winn Pharmacy about a year and a half ago. Both husband and wife are licensed pharmacists in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Before opening Winn Pharmacy, they worked as pharmacists for large pharmaceutical chains. And during their tenure with the big drug companies, they noticed opportunities to better serve their customers, but he said they didn’t have the time to act on them.

&uot;We would see different patient needs going unmet,&uot; Michael Winn said. &uot;We had to fill so many prescriptions that we had no time to talk to customers. Now, time is our biggest asset. We set our time according to customer needs.&uot;

Keeping communication open and confidential with customers was such a priority for the Winns, that in their new pharmacy, they built a separate consultation room.

&uot;If we need to counsel a customer for longer than just a few minutes, we have a place to do it,&uot; Michael Winn said.

Winn Pharmacy is very much a family business, Winn said.

&uot;It’s a great asset for my wife and I to be in business together,&uot; he said. &uot;One of us can pick up where the other left off.&uot;

Also, Winn said it helps to have both male and female pharmacists available. There are times when customers would rather talk to someone of their own sex about a particular medical problem or medication.

Winn said he spent his first year in business getting to know his customers.

It was this eye toward customer needs that led the Winns to develop a drive-thru window and something called a health touch monitor in his waiting area.

This kiosk allows patients to punch up their diagnosis or medication and print out detailed information, Michael Winn said.

Running a local business not only pays off for the business owner, he said, it is good for the local economy.

&uot;I never fully understood that ’til I opened my own business,&uot; he said. &uot;When the large chains make sales, the money is wired out of town the next day. Our money stays local.&uot;

Running his own business also allows Winn the flexibility to move as his market moves.

&uot;If I&160;start a new program and it isn’t working, I can make an immediate change without going through a chain of command,&uot; he said.

He has been involved over the years as president of the Alcorn Alumni Association and as a member of the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority’s executive board.

His involvement in the Natchez Business and Civic League has been valuable source of information, Winn said.