The judges have made their decisions and the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber has announced the nominees for their annual chamber awards which will be presented at the 2021 Business Recognition Event on March 10th. At the same time today, they announced tickets are now on sale for the event.
This year, the Chamber has added a new Pandemic Excellence awards category to specifically recognize businesses and organizations who managed to stand out in their industry and step up for their community, despite the unprecedented challenges brought on by COVID-19. Five new awards will be given in that category, along with the traditional five Organizational Excellence awards.
The 2021 Chamber Organizational Excellence Award Nominees are:
Business Focused:
- Economic Impact Award
o Lake Michigan College
o Michigan Works!
o South Bend International Airport
o Wightman
- Small Business of the Year Award
o Edgewater Bank
o Pipestone Indoor Country Club
o Railsback Indoor Sports Expo – The RISE
o St. Joseph Dentistry
- Non-Profit Excellence Award
o Berrien County Historical Association
o Railsback Indoor Sports Expo – The RISE
o Senior Nutrition Services Region IV / Meals on Wheels
o Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency
o The Pokagon Fund
Individual Focused:
- Rising Star Award
o Matt Hanley, Vail Rubber Works
o Adam Lester, Pipestone Indoor Country Club
o Chris Mason, Watermark Brewing
o Michael Nixon, Andrews University
o Jessica Springer, Spectrum Health Lakeland / Well Planned Adventures
- The Pat Moody Award
o Kimberly Vincent Bicard, 1st Source Bank
o Rick Dyer, Edgewater Bank
o David Eifler, Horizon Bank
o Dawn & Scott Schroeder, Schroeder Furniture
The 2021 Chamber Pandemic Excellence Award Nominees are:
- Community Guardian Award
o American Red Cross of Southwest Michigan
o Berrien County Health Department
o SERVPro of Berrien County
o Spectrum Health Lakeland
- Community Hero Award
o Competitive Edge
o Fab Lab at Lake Michigan College
o Thayer, Inc.
o Whirlpool Corporation
- Excellence in Pandemic Reporting Award
o Leader Publications
o MoodyontheMarket.com / Mid-West Family Southwest Michigan
o The Herald Palladium
- Excellence in Pandemic Innovation Award
o 221 Main Restaurant & Cocktail House – Pleasant Street Plaza
o Art F/X Signs & Graphics
o CrazeVR / CrazeVR Tours
o Pipestone Indoor Country Club
o Silver Harbor Brewing – Pleasant Street Plaza
- Excellence in Pandemic Lending Award
o Edgewater Bank
o Fifth Third Bank
o Honor Credit Union
o Horizon Bank
o United Federal Credit Union
Additionally, the Chamber will recognize one of their 11 Ambassadors as the 2020 Ambassador of the Year.
The Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber, the Women’s Business Center and Cornerstone Alliance will host the 2021 Business Recognition Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony virtually from the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Mainstage on Wednesday March 10th at 6:00 pm. Tickets are available for purchase at http://www.smrchamber.com for $10 each. The event will feature a recap of 2020, board updates and awards from both the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber and Cornerstone Alliance respectively.
The Business Recognition Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony Sponsors include:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
- Horizon Bank
- Kruggel Lawton CPAs
- Lake Michigan College Mendel Center
- Mid-West Family Southwest Michigan
- MoodyontheMarket.com
- United Federal Credit Union
The Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber is a member-driven organization working to achieve economic prosperity throughout the region, by leveraging every available resource within their network for the advancement of their members and the betterment of all who live and work in the community.
Cornerstone Alliance is a non-profit, investor-governed economic development organization primarily focused on increasing employment opportunities, private sector capital investments and the local tax base in Michigan’s Great Southwest; with specialized business services offered in economically distressed areas.
Cornerstone Alliance Small Business Services provides technical, business, and financial assistance to small businesses with an emphasis on income disadvantaged and women-owned businesses. The Women’s Business Center and Cornerstone Alliance and the Microloan Program are funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
