Nominations for Chamber awards due Thursday
The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its 2023 Business of the Year Awards until noon Thursday.
Candance Castlen Break, chamber president, said nominating forms are available on the chamber’s website — chamber.owensboro.com — under “events and networking.”
“We’re getting good nominees every day,” she said. “Sometimes every hour.”
All nominees are listed on the ballot for chamber members to vote on.
The winners will be announced at the Chamber Celebration, presented by Owensboro Health, on Jan. 20 at The RiverPark Center.
The event generally attracts around 800 people.
It had been held in January for years, but in 2021 it was canceled by the COVID pandemic.
And this year, it was postponed to March 11.
The chamber awards began in 1986, when the chamber presented its first “small business person of the year” award.
In 1992, it added the entrepreneur of the year category.
In 2002, the chamber split the small business honor into two categories.
Now, there are four categories of businesses.
Since then, the program has grown to include 10 awards.
“We added minority-owned businesses last year,” Brake said.
This year, she said, a special legacy award will also be presented.
Categories include 1-10 employees, 11-49 employees, 50-249 employees, 250+ employees, education & workforce development, emerging business, manufacturing business, minority-owned business, nonprofit and the Rick Kamuf agri-business award.
Nominees have to be chamber members.
By Keith Lawrence Messenger-Inquirer