Looking back, looking ahead
T
he Austin Area Chamber of Commerce is about recognize businesses for their 2015 accomplishments, but it’s also primed to look ahead. The annual chamber banquet will be Thursday at the Holiday Inn Austin Conference Center starting with a 5 p.m. social hour, a 6 p.m. dinner and a 6:45 p.m. program. The banquet’s theme is “The Future is So Bright,” and Executive Director Sandy Forstner said that’s evident with the many projects going on in Austin, from the Spam Museum to work at The Hormel Institute. The chamber is changing its awards a bit. It did away with new business of the year, and split business of the year into two awards: small business (up to 15 employees) and large business (15 and above). The chamber will again recognize project of the year, volunteer of the year, ambassador of the year, ambassador team of the year, and the Mower Refreshed businesses of the year.
kSmQ puBlic tElEviSion
Address: 2000 Eighth Ave. NW, Austin President & CEO: Eric Olson Established: 1971 Business type: Television station
uSEm chEvrolEt
Address: 703 17th Ave. NW, Austin Owner: Tom Sherman Established: 1923 Business type: Retail/Automotive
kEnny’S oak Grill
Address: 307 W. Oakland Ave., Austin Owner: Kenny Knutson Established: 1965 Business type: Diner/grill
tiEnda y taQuEria GuErrEro
Address: 301D Fourth Ave. NE, Austin Owners: Custodio & Georgina Serrano Established: 2004 Business type: Restaurant/groceries
pizza ranch
Address: 1300 18th Ave. NW Suite B, Austin General manager: John Tietje Established: 2012 Business type: Restaurant
torGE’s livE
amErican Family insurancE
Address: 101 8th St. NW Suite 101, Austin Agent/owner: Lindsay Bires Established: 2009 Business type: Insurance
Address: 301 N. Main St., Austin Market president: Paul Baessler Established: 1863 Business type: Financial/banking
Elrod, GrEEn & Hyland dEntal
HardEE’s
Hoot & olE’s
Address: 1701 4th St. NW, Austin General manager: Tracy Benesh Established: 1989 Business type: Bar/restaurant
Address: 800 1st Ave. SW, Austin Manager: Drs. David Elrod, Peter Green & Bobee Hyland Established: 1941 Business type: General dentistry
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
Address: 1406 4th St. NW, Austin General manager: Meghan Wieber Established: 2015 Business type: Restaurant
u.s. Bank - austin
Address: 105 11th St. SE, Austin Owners: Judy and Wayne Enright and Jeremy Olson Established: 2014 Business type: Bar
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD – AUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
austin Bruins Junior HockEy
Address: P.O. Box 451 Co-owners: Craig Patrick and Mike Cooper Established: 2010 Business type: Entertainment/sports team
tHE cEdars oF austin
Address: 700 1st Drive NW, Austin Executive director: Tom Knoepke Established: 1986 Business type: Senior housing
HomE FEdEral savinGs Bank
Address: 201 W. Oakland Ave., Austin Market president: Tom Klapperich Established: 1934 Business type: Financial/banking
Project of the Year
2000: Main Street-Sterling Drug 2001: Hormel Foods - Spam Museum 2002: Cooperative Response Center 2003: Collision Specialists Inc. 2004: USEM Inc. 2005: Our House 2006: Jimʼs Supervalu 2007: B&J Bar 2008: The Hormel Institute 2009: Hormel Historic Home 2010: McDonaldʼs 2011: Clasen-Jordan Mortuary 2012: Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin 2013: I.J. Holton Intermediate School 2014: Cedar Valley Services
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD – AUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
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SEarS homEtown StorE
Address: 1300 18th Ave. NW Suite H, Austin Owner: Cory Squier Established: 1999 Business type: Appliance retail store
Business of the year: 2000: Double K Speciality 2001: MJ OʼConnor, Inc. 2002: Bissen TV & Appliance 2003: Hy-Vee Food Store
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
Shopko
SkB EnvironmEntal
Address: 1209 18th Ave. NW, Austin Store manager: Pam Oster, Established: 1984 Business type: Retail store/company
Address: 52563 243rd St., Austin Site manager: Chad Wangen Established: 1983 Business type: Industrial Waste/Construction Debris Landfill
2004: Golden Tress 2005: Perkins 2006: Austin Medical System (Now Mayo Clinic Health System Albert Lea and Austin) 2007: Anderson Memorials 2008: Davis, Thoen, Kramer & Associates
2009: Apollo Liquor & Superette 2010: Hoversten, Johnson, Beckmann 2011: Quiznos 2012: Hormel Foods Corp. 2013: Smyth Companies Inc. 2014: T ‘N G Plumbing
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD – AUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR