Sonny Hires (left) and Jessica Tilse (center) accept the Buckhead Business of the Year Award alongside BBA President Christ Godfrey (right) at Buckhead Business Association Annual Luncheon Jan. 25 at the Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta hotel. (Evelyn Andrews)

Construction Resources at Cambria Gallery was awarded the Buckhead Business of the Year Award by the Buckhead Business Association at its Annual Luncheon Jan. 25 at the Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta hotel.

Jessica Tilse and Sonny Hires accepted the award, which recognizes newer businesses that are growing and known for charitable contributions to the neighborhood. The Cambria Gallery is located at 3096 Roswell Road.

Other nominees included Postnet Buckhead; True Food Kitchen; Roam Innovative Workplace; and Southern Baked Pie Company.

The BBA added two new sustainability awards, which were presented by the executive director of Livable Buckhead, Denise Starling. The Triple Bottom Line Award was awarded to Transwestern and its property management team for its building 3630 Peachtree Road for decreasing electricity use and increasing recycling.  The Buckhead Mobility Champion Award was presented to Rubicon, a waste and recycling company, for its program that sponsors transit passes for employees.

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award was awarded to Bonneau Ansley of Ansley Atlanta Real Estate.

The Buckhead Beautification Award was given to Three Alliance Center, an office building near the Buckhead MARTA station.

Juanita Baranco, center, accepts the Sam Massell Bullish on Buckhead award alongside former BBA President Barry Hundley, left, and new President Chris Godfrey. (Evelyn Andrews)

The Sam Massell Bullish on Buckhead Award was given to Juanita Baranco, the owner Baranco Automotive Group, which owns Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead. Baranco also serves as the chair of the Buckhead Coalition.

Klaus Zellmer, the president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, said in his keynote speech, which focused on the company’s future, that Porsche expects half of all new sales to be electric cars in five years.

“Despite the fact that we love the noise of our cars, we’re very much engaged in electrifying all of our fleet because that is the way forward,” Zellmer said.

Klaus Zellmer, president and CEO of Porsche North America, gives the keynote speech at the luncheon. (Evelyn Andrews)

He also expects that in five years, combustion engines will not be allowed in most of the world’s major cities.

“In the next five years we’re going to see more change than we have in the last 50 years,” he said.

But the company, which headquartered its North American operation in Atlanta near the airport, will continue to make gasoline-powered engines until they are outlawed, Zellmer said.

“We will offer combustion engines as long as we are legally allowed to do so and as long as our customer’s demand,” he said.