Business has been good for the 1998 Business Person of the Year, commercial contractor Wayne Leslie of Fayetteville.

The winner of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce's yearly award went from three employees and no business in 1990 to 150 employees and annual revenues of more than $40 million. Leslie Contracting, Inc., headquartered in Fayetteville, is ranked number 197 on Inc. Magazine's list of the nation's 500 fastest growing private companies.

The Chamber announced the award at its annual meeting over the weekend. Last year's recipient, Randy Hayes, a local builder, made the presentation during the Chamber's annual banquet.

To qualify for consideration, a candidate must own, operate, or manage a business or profession in Fayette County and must have also demonstrated an unselfish support of the community.

Leslie, a graduate of Auburn University, in 1997 was recognized as one of the Top "Forty under Forty" Rising Stars in Georgia by Business Trend Magazine.

For the past four consecutive years the firm has been recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta's Top 25 Commercial Contractors.

Leslie is a "Patron" contributor to the Fayetteville Main Street Program; serves on the Board of Directors of the Joseph Sam's School, is a sustaining contributor to the Fayette Society of Fine Arts; donated services to Fayette YMCA; coordinated demolition and the moving of the historic Hollingsworth house in Fayetteville; donated goods and services through the Brooks Community Club; donated goods and services to rebuild a house destroyed by fire; and helped with materials and services for the Fayette Youth Protection Home and the Asden Johnson Home.

"His commitment to our community," said presenter Hayes, "should serve as an example and inspiration to all of us to continue to give back to society so that Fayette County will continue to be a great place to live, raise our families and do business."