Progress Lakeshore held its 2023 Awards Breakfast Tuesday at the Venue at Union Square in Manitowoc.
The following five awards were presented to local businesses and individuals for contributions to the Lakeshore community:
The Entrepreneurial Achievement Award, sponsored by UnitedOne Credit Union, recognizes an individual or emerging small business that has developed their ideas, products and/or services into a viable, competitive business, while positively impacting the community. Summit Clinical Services was presented with this award for their outstanding accomplishments. The business started operating in April 2022 and aims to improve mental health and substance abuse services in Manitowoc and nearby regions. Summit Clinical Services’ mission is to reduce barriers to healthcare by simplifying the intake process and minimizing requirements for their clients. Two Honorable Mentions in this category were presented to Retro Eighth Coffee & Açaí and Third Gen Salvage.
The Neighborhood Development Award, sponsored by Froedtert Holy Family Memorial, was presented to Allie Family Companies. This award recognizes innovative real estate development or reuse projects which are purposely built or adaptively reused to enhance the community. Specifically, the River North development project stands out for revitalizing a previously neglected property that had been abandoned for more than half a century. By creating 87 market-rate apartments, this development has not only given a new home to approximately 150 people in downtown Manitowoc but also served as a catalyst for further development in the River Point District. Honorable Mention in this category was presented to Cool City Brewing Company.
The Economic Accelerator of the Year Award, sponsored by Fox Communities Credit Union, was presented to Nicolet National Bank. This award recognizes an individual or organization that has played a key leadership role in economic development – workforce development, entrepreneurship, community collaboration, and/or business retention and expansion. Nominees demonstrate effective leadership in mobilizing the development of programs and projects and are advocates for economic development. By partnering with local businesses and providing access to capital, Nicolet National Bank has indirectly supported job growth and retention, and helped to create a dynamic economic ecosystem that fosters investment in technology and workforce. Honorable Mention in this category was presented to Mike Howe.
The Corporate Investment Award, sponsored by CLA, was presented to a business that has made a positive economic impact on the community through capital investment, has developed product innovation, and has gone above and beyond to enhance their workforce. AMMO, Inc., the winner of this award, partnered with a local business to expand and include a new 160,000 square foot state of the art manufacturing facility, 200-meter underground, on-site firing range and the creation of many new jobs. Honorable Mention in this category was presented to Dramm Corporation.
Lakeshore Foster Families was presented with the Community Enhancement Award, which is sponsored by Jagemann Stamping and given to a noteworthy business or organization that has had a significant positive influence on the standard of living in Manitowoc County. Lakeshore Foster Families was recognized for their work in supporting children in foster and kinship care by advocating for their needs and providing essential resources and support. This organization is made up of parents and concerned citizens who volunteer their time and energy to aid disadvantaged kids and their families in the community. Honorable Mention in this category was presented to Do It for Dillon.
Jamie Zastrow, Executive Director of Progress Lakeshore, spoke with Seehafer News as she looked to the future.
“We are growing significantly,” she said. “There are some really exciting projects, some that we’ll talk about today and some in the future. So, we’ve got more to talk about next year. But we’re coming up on our 20th anniversary for our organization, so it’s really exciting to just see the continual progress that we’ve made since we started in 2004.”
This marked the 12th annual Awards Breakfast for the economic development organization for Manitowoc County.
