Business Awards Luncheon

Past Honorees

Since 1988 the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce has been recognizing excellence in business with our annual Business Awards Luncheon.

Small Business Owners of the Year

1988, 1989 – Jim Nahan, Nahan Printing

   1990 – *Ron Schmitz, Ron’s Cabinets

   1991 – Jim & Dan Feneis, First Fuel Bank

   1992 – Sue Pladson, Pladson Realty

   1993 – Darwin & Roger Bonn, Peters Body Shop

   1994 – Roger Bechtold, American Door Works

   1995 – **Carl & Barb Caspers, Scott & Cori

               Schneider, TEC Interface Systems

   1996 – *Tom Schlough, Park Industries

   1997 – Mike Fitch & Pat Welty, SCR

   1998 – Mark & Dave Traut, Traut Companies

   1999 – Terry Rothstein, Continental Press

   2000 – Arland “Brownie” Carlson,
               C & L Distributing (deceased)

   2001 – *Dave, John & Lyle Ferkinhoff,
                East Side Glass/Thermo-Tech Windows

   2002 – GLTArchitects

   2003 – *Diane Mendel & Melody Peterson,
                Playhouse Child Care

   2004 – Steve Palmer, Palmer Printing
   2005 – Duane Schultz & Keith Schupp,
              Winkelman Building Corporation

   2006 – *Tom Grones & Dan Rudningen,

               GeoComm, Inc.

   2007 – Doug Adamek, Workplace Behavioral
               Solutions

   2008 – Deb Kosloske Kittridge, Bill “Sonny” &
               Tim Kosloske, Granite City Armored Car

   2009 – *Byron Bjorklund, Custom Catering

   2010 –  Kip Cameron, Granite-Tops, LLC

   2011 –  Dr. Brownie Williams, DC,
               Williams\Integracare Clinic (deceased)

   2012 – Mike Meyer & Pat Huesers, PAM’s Auto

   2013 – *Scott Warzecha, Netgain

   2014 – *Jim Kruse & Melissa Kelley, J.F. Kruse

                Jewelers

   2015 – Larry Logeman, Executive Express

   2016 – Sue Borgert, Borgert Products, Inc.

   2017 – Kevin Johnson, K. Johnson Construction

   2018 – Joel Bauer & Tim Burg, Midsota

               Manufacturing
   2019 – Doug & Carol Severson, Handyman’s Inc.

   2020 – Bruce Hagberg, riteSOFT, LLC

2021 – Joe Francis, Central McGowan

2022 – Tom Frericks, Ultimate Sports Bar & Grill

Entrepreneurial Success Award

1998 – Harold Anderson, Anderson Trucking 

1999 – Dan Coborn & Bill Coborn, Coborn’s, Inc.

2000 – *Gary Marsden, Marco
2001 – The Bauerly Companies (now Knife River
           Corporation North Central)

2002 – Don & Mike Helgeson, GNP Company

2003 – Don & Sylvia Weeres, Spee-Dee Delivery

2004 – Bob Hennen, Hennen’s Furniture

2005 – Clint Lee & Gordon Brown, Weeres Industries

2006 – Patty Yarbrough, McKay’s Chrysler/Jeep/
            Dodge/Mitsubishi

2007 – Linda & Bob Feuling, Westside Liquor

2008 – Fred Bursch, Bursch Travel Agency

2009 – John W. McDowall, McDowall Company
2010 – Paul M. Heath, MD & James M. Smith, MD,
           Midsota Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons

2011 – John & Diane Schlecht, Crafts Direct

2012 – Jim Christensen, Array Services Group

2013 – Bob Strack, Strack Companies

2016 – Scott Blattner, Blattner Energy

2017 – Doug Bischoff, Design Electrical Contractors

2018 – Dan Pearson, PleasureLand RV Center, Inc.

2020 – Richard Hobbs, Simonson Lumber

2021 – Joe Sexton & Gary Posch, Brandl Motors

 Small Business Advocate of the Year

1989 – *Andy Hilger, WJON Radio (deceased) and
            Jim Allen

1990 – *Al Didier, Bremer Bank (deceased)

1991 – Jerry Kigin, Norwest Bank (deceased)

1992 – *Mike Sipe, AIS Planning

1993 – Dean Bertsch

1994 – Alexandra Blum, Minnesota Business
           Finance Corp.

1995 – Jim Hoolihan, District Court Judge (deceased)

1996 – *John Herges, Falcon National Bank

Business Central Mark of Excellence

Woman in Business Champion

2006 – Sue Poser, Gruber’s Quilt Shop/DanTree Ct.

2008 – Grayce Berg, GB & Co. Hair-Skin-Spa

2012 – Joyce Brenny, Brenny Transportation, Inc.

2019 – Brenda Eisenschenk, InteleCONNECT, Inc.

2020 – Melinda Tamm, Ms. Melinda’s Dance Studio

2021 – Donella Westphal, Jules’ Bistro


Family Owned Business

2007 – Robin Alton, Pan-O-Gold Baking Company

2009 – Mahowald Insurance Agency
2010 – Dick Bitzan, D.J. Bitzan Jewelers

2011 – Dan Miller, Miller Architects & Builders, Inc.
2014 – Pat & Paul Duininck, Royal Tire

2015 – Michael Faber, Viking Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

2016 – Carmie, Brian, Travis Mick, CWMF Corp.

2018 – Rollie Anderson, Anderson Trucking Service
2019 – Jeff & Steve Mies, Mies Outland

2022 – Pete Rengel, Rengel Printing

Business Advocate

2013 – Lee Hanson, Gray Plant Mooty Mooty &
           Bennett, P.A.

 Emerging Entrepreneurs

2014 – Midwest Machinery Co.

2015 – Luke Riordan, DAYTA Marketing

2017 – Nick Barth & Matt Studer, Beaver Island Brewing  Co.

2022 – Michelle Henderson, BadCat Digital Marketing