Proud Past and a Bright Future: Businessman Scott Wamsley
Gwen Akers
The Ashland Beacon
Becoming a good business person is something that requires hard work, perseverance, and ambition, and chasing your dreams is another factor all in itself – something that successful Ashland native and businessman Scott Wamsley has perfected.
Growing up, Wamsley’s grandparents were the owners of a local trophy store, PNB Trophy. They were very proud of the business, even expanding into a second storefront in Grayson, Ky. After seeing all the hard work his grandparents put in, and the amazing impact their work had upon the community, Wamsley knew that he wanted to follow in their footsteps and become an entrepreneur himself one day.
“I’ve always had that entrepreneurial spirit and drive, and with an accounting background, I've always had that analytical [or] financial business thought process,” expressed Wamsley.
Wamsley was born and raised in the Ashland area, graduating from Paul G. Blazer High School and then moving to Morehead State University where he graduated in 2009 with double majors in accounting and business administration. It was here that Wamsley was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and started his first business, B.W.H. Security along with two of his high school friends.
While still in school, Wamslely managed the financial side of B.W.H. Security, and since then the company has grown to over 100 employees and has offices in six states. After graduating, Wamsley also took on a career working in CPA firms in Ashland for around 13 years. During this time, Wamsley was building both his confidence and skills to strike out on his own in the coming years. By 2019, B.W.H. Security was thriving, and Wamsley and his partners started investing in commercial real estate with their community in mind.
“I was fascinated with the idea of working for yourself and investing in our community. I have always seen myself as someone to be my own boss and yeah, go that path with it,” detailed Wamsley.
Community-oriented, Wamslely knew that his vision of Ashland was inviting, one where people would keep coming back to this area. Wamsley is a firm believer that if you are fortunate enough to be able to give back to your community in some way–you definitely should.
“I have kids; my wife and I have four kids between us. I want to try to do my part in ensuring that people from that generation stick around Ashland and continue in our area,” explained Wamsley.
Wamsley aims to give back to the Ashland area in as many ways as he can, not just through his revitalization of the 29th Street area, his recent purchase of the Fat Patty’s franchise and ownership of the Catlettsburg Giovannis, or in his operation of 11 Subway franchises throughout the state, but also at the school level where he is the assistant baseball coach at Paul G. Blazer.
In particular, Wamsley even supplied the team with a training facility he purchased after hardships almost left the team without a place to condition.
Wamsley, with all of his successes, could not be more proud of the community we have, and the future we are creating. It is our future generations who will carry on the legacy of Ashland, and the best thing they can do is keep chasing after their dreams just as Wamsley has.
“The best ability you can have is availability, and if you can show up every day and face challenges and just be ready to take on anything that is coming your way. Persistence and grinding, being willing to do things that you don't want to do but you know you have to. Being a self-motivator–all these are great attributes for anyone wanting to be successful as an entrepreneur,” advised Wamsley.
Wamsley has big plans for the future of Ashland, whether it is on 29th Street or in the burgers we will all be enjoying at Fat Patty’s. Wamsley encourages us to remember where we have come from and what we are heading toward.