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 (deceased)
1990 – *Ron Schmitz, Ron’s Cabinets (deceased)
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
2023 – Rich & Jodi Erkens, Audio Video Extremes
2024 – Jeremy & Emily Salzbrun, H & S Heating, A/C, Electrical and Plumbing
Entrepreneurial Success Award
1998 – Harold Anderson, Anderson Trucking
1999 – Dan Coborn (deceased) & Bill Coborn (deceased), Coborn’s, Inc.
2000 – *Gary Marsden, Marco
2001 – The Bauerly Companies (now Knife River Corporation North Central)
2002 – Don (deceased) & 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
2023 – Mary Hondl, Regional Diagnostic Radiology
2024 – Jill Magelssen, Express Employment Professionals
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
2024 – James, Andrew and David Jacobs, Jacobs Financial
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
2023 – Jay & Tina Mrozek, Blacklight Adventures