(SAVANNAH, GA) Carriage Trade Public Relations®, Inc. is pleased to announce the firm’s 30th anniversary of providing PR and reputation management services to Savannah businesses and organizations.
“Thirty years ago, I was a newly single mom with a 7-year-old daughter, but took a leap of faith and launched Carriage Trade Public Relations after witnessing the power of PR in turning around my father’s publishing and printing company,” said Marjorie Young, founder and president. “Over the past years, my mission has been to help other business owners use PR to create positive word-of-mouth in their communities and online.”
In naming her company, she honored her family roots and the company her parents had founded: Carriage Trade Publishing.
“It’s an old Colonial term, which refers to high-end clientele, but ‘Carriage Trade’ did not define my idea of success, which was never about status or wealth,” said Young. “Success was about raising my daughter, being present for her childhood, and building a life where family always came first.”
While Young is known for nurturing clients to help them reach beyond expectations, she is also renowned for her keen ability to focus on PR innovation. In 1997, the company launched COMMUNITY HEADLINES™, a local news wire, followed in 2000 by the online business education show, “Open for Business.” Recognizing the internet’s potential early on, Young became an early adopter of using digital platforms for press releases and reputation management.
“When Google launched in 1998, it was a major shift,” said Young. “We were among the first in the region to recognize the potential of online reputation management.”
The firm also offers Crisis PR workshops led by trainers certified by FEMA and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
“Our trainers are uniquely equipped to guide clients in developing an actionable roadmap to protect their reputation and effective response when challenges arise,” said Young. “I am selective and tend to work with companies that share the same values I embrace. By offering this training, we can help businesses build and strengthen a firm brand foundation.”
Young is also the author of “Reputation Matrix, Five Strategies To Increase Your Visibility, Credibility, and Positive Word of Mouth in the Community and Online.” She is often asked to speak about her book and its concise approach on creating and promoting brand awareness to audiences, from local to national, eager to learn how to strengthen their brands.
In addition to leading Carriage Trade Public Relations, the company’s founder and president has championed numerous causes as a community advocate. Her leadership roles include serving as president of the Small Business Chamber, chair of the Small Business Council, and chair of Savannah SCORE. She has also served on boards for Leadership Savannah, Hospice Savannah, Public Image Chair for Rotary District 6920. In 2021 she served as the president of the Rotary Club of Savannah. She has also served as an adjunct professor at Savannah State University, teaching upper-level Public Relations.
Young’s contributions have been recognized with awards including the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Business Advocate of the Year, as well as the Savannah Morning News’ Small Business of the Year and Community Star awards. In 2021, Young received the Robert S. Abbott Memorial Award for Meritorious Service in Mass Communications from Savannah State University.
With a foundation in journalism and fine arts from the University of Maryland, and expertise in crisis communications from the PRSA, Young navigates the world with both strategic insight and creative flair. Her completion of the arduous Camino de Santiago speaks to her determination, while her love for hiking and painting reveals her appreciation for beauty and solitude. Above all, she credits her daughter, Dr. Carol Young, a robotics engineer from Georgia Tech, as a constant source of inspiration.
“This journey has never been just about PR. It’s been about family, resilience, and creating something meaningful,” Young reflected. “I thank my daughter for her patience, love, and understanding during those early years; the Savannah community for embracing me and CTPR with open arms; and every client who has trusted us to share their story.”
ABOUT CARRIAGE TRADE PUBLIC RELATIONS®, INC.
Founded in 1995, Carriage Trade Public Relations®, Inc. (CTPR) is a reputation management company based in Savannah, Ga., helping businesses improve their visibility, credibility, and positive word-of-mouth through the Reputation Matrix method. CTPR’s trainers are certified by FEMA and the Public Relations Society of America, uniquely equipping them to guide clients in developing an actionable roadmap to protect their reputation and effective response when challenges arise. For more information, visit www.carriagetradepr.com or call 912-844-9990.