Market Van Buren ihas announced the third annual Market Van Buren Awards, a set of awards reserved exclusively for the organizations in Cass and Van Buren County that are leading the way toward a stronger local economy.
Between February 1 and March 1, Market Van Buren will be seeking nominations from the public for the Best New Business of the Year awards. Two awards will be available: one to recognize a business from Cass County and another to recognize a business from Van Buren County.
“We are excited to hold our annual Market Van Buren Awards event to celebrate the small businesses that power our communities,” said Zach Morris, Executive Director of Market Van Buren. “Starting a new business is never easy. Our team puts this on each year to celebrate the hard work, dedication, and drive that it takes to start and grow businesses in Cass and Van Buren Counties.”
The Best New Business Award is reserved for businesses that have been in operation for two or fewer years as of January 1, 2023 and produce a product or provide a service in Cass or Van Buren County. A strong candidate will exhibit excellence in some or all of the following: strategic planning, employee development, community involvement, and customer service. Nominations for the Best New Business can be made here.
Self-nominations are both accepted and encouraged. The total number of unique, high-quality nominations originating from community members will be considered in selecting the winner; nominations with identical responses will not be accepted as they will be considered ballot stuffing. The full set of nomination rules on Market Van Buren’s website can be found here.
Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on March 1, 2023. Eligible nominees will be invited to continue in the awards process in March. Market Van Buren Board of Directors will then select the winners, and there will be a ceremony to honor the award winners in June. For questions regarding the Best New Business Awards, please reach out to Julia Wall at wallj@marketvanburen.org.
Last year, the 2022 Best New Business of the Year award for Cass County went to Patch & Remington of Marcellus, Michigan There were two awardees for Van Buren County due to a tie in the judging process: The Lodge of South Haven, Michigan and Water Views Inn of South Haven, Michigan.
About Market Van Buren
Market Van Buren is a nonprofit focused on connecting people, investments, and organizations with strategies and services that improve the quality of life and economic conditions in Cass and Van Buren counties. Our staff focuses on developing strategies that will allow our communities to thrive by addressing needs related to workforce, community, and business development. For more information, visit www.marketvanburen.org, follow us on Twitter @MarketVanBuren, or “like” us on Facebook @MarketVanBuren.
