Lifestyles magazine, a partnership between the Moore County Chamber of Commerce and The Pilot that annually showcases the county, has been named best Chamber magazine in the Carolinas.

“We couldn’t be happier because what we have in Lifestyles is unique,” said Patrick Coughlin, president and CEO of the Chamber. “While a lot of Chambers contract with large national publishers, they don’t get the local flavor that we do.

“The partnership with The Pilot, for us, is the best of both worlds.”

The award was announced Thursday by the Carolina Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE) at its Annual Management Conference in Pawleys Island, S.C.

David Woronoff, publisher of The Pilot, lobbied the Chamber for a decade to partner on the production of Lifestyles and said the results speak for themselves.

“Lifestyles is a celebration of our wonderful community,” Woronoff said. “We’re proud to have received recognition from CACCE, but we’re more proud of the dozens of favorable comments we have received from Chamber members who love and use the magazine.”

Woronoff added that the partnership enabled both entities to do what they do best.

“The Chamber is able to take care of its members, and we’re able to produce another top-quality publication,” he said.

Coughlin said he has never taken the Chamber’s relationship with The Pilot for granted.

“When I tell my peers that we’ve partnered with our local newspaper on a project like this, they’re blown away,” he said. “A lot of Chambers don’t have this kind of relationship with their local paper.”

The PineStraw magazine staff wrote the editorial content, developed the design and produced the layout for Lifestyles, while the Moore County Telephone Directory staff sold the advertising and produced the ads.

“This award recognizes the quality of Lifestyles, which reflects well on the Chamber members who chose to advertise,” said Kit McKinley, general manager of the directory. “The magazine showcases the diversity of not only our community, but the businesses within it.”

McKinley added that advertising sales for the 2013 edition of Lifestyles begin Aug. 7 and end Oct. 28.

“We’re also coming out with an interactive digital edition in 2013, so we’re excited about the new opportunities that creates for us, the Chamber and our advertisers,” she said.

Last year, Lifestyles received a Bronze Award from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, which meant the magazine exceeded the fundamental standards and criteria for communications excellence.

“We’re happy to partner with the Chamber on a project that has won awards each of the past two years,” said Andi Rose, creative director of PineStraw.

The Moore County Chamber of Commerce was also one of five finalists for Outstanding Chamber of the Year in the Carolinas, but that award went to the Greer (S.C.) Chamber of Commerce.

“We were thrilled just to be named a finalist,” Coughlin said. “To me, that was a real honor.”

Contact Ted M. Natt Jr. at (910) 693-2474 or tnatt@the-pilot.com.