Hundreds congregated under the huge chandeliers at the Grandview, the waterfront banquet hall in Poughkeepsie, to attend the Dutchess County 2007 Business Excellence Awards dinner Nov. 8.
Hosted by the Dutchess County Economic Development Corp. (DCEDC), the event combined Oscars-style glamour with pride in Dutchess County”™s agricultural roots. A plate of gourmet cheeses from local artisan cheese makers graced each dessert table. Departing guests were handed paper bags to take their pick of the local plenty displayed on tables in the lobby, including gourds, apples, pears, bottles of Hudson Valley Fresh milk, tiny jars of honey and miniature jugs of maple syrup.
After a buffet in the large reception area, the crowd moved into the dining room for dessert and to attend the awards ceremony. Following enthusiastic welcoming remarks by DCEDC President and CEO Anne Conroy, Nancy Giordano, chief of staff for County Executive Bill Steinhaus (who was away on vacation), cited a spate of statistics reflecting the growing prosperity of the county and the city of Poughkeepsie. KeyBank was the event”™s platinum sponsor, and two Hudson Valley-metro New York district senior exucutives, Michale Orsino and Reginald Fuller, spoke briefly.
Betsy Seaman Brown, director of marketing at Morris Associates, introduced each presenter, who in turn introduced each award winner. If the gowns weren”™t as sumptuous as the Oscars extravaganza the ceremony was clearly meant to evoke, at least the speeches were far more engaging, reflecting a diversity of business accomplishments.
And the winners are:
Ӣ Kirchhoff Construction Management Inc., whose phenomenal growth since its founding in 1991 has resulted in more than $70 million in construction projects this year, for the Business Excellence Award.
Ӣ Hudson Valley Fresh, a nonprofit dairy cooperative, whose premium product enables its members to make a profit, for the Agriculture Business Award.
Ӣ Jon Behrends, a contractor who launched the rehab movement in downtown Poughkeepsie and also incorporates green building practices, for Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Ӣ J&J Log and Lumber, which is the worldӪs largest distributor of New England hardwoods and built its business on a hands-on quality-control program, for the Manufacturing Award.
Ӣ Muddy Cup Coffee House, whose eight locations are helping revitalize downtowns in the Hudson Valley, for the Newcomer Award.
Ӣ Mid-Hudson ChildrenӪs Museum, which took the pioneering step of locating on the Poughkeepsie waterfront when it was an empty wasteland, for the Not-for-Profit Achievement Award.
Ӣ Neave Landscaping Inc., a family-owned business that offers a host of services and has spawned six other successful business spinoffs, for the Service Business Award.
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Ӣ McGuire Construction Corp., another longtime family business, whose business model has been built on betterment of the community, for the Small Business Achievement Award.
Ӣ Coyote Point Systems Inc., which moved its tech services from Silicon Valley to the mid-Hudson Valley, allowing small businesses to benefit from efficiencies previously only available to large enterprises, for the Technology Innovation Award.
Ӣ Locust Grove, the Samuel Morse Historic Sites, whose recent land acquisition and other activities helped boost the number of visitors to the area, for the Tourism Award.
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