Holmes Chamber hands out awards at annual banquet

Ahuge turnout gathered at Carlisle Inn in Walnut Creek to celebrate the annual Holmes County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau’s annual meeting and awards banquet on Thursday, Nov. 9.

Tiffany Gerber, executive director of Holmes County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau, welcomed a crowd of more than 325 people to the event, and following a meal, chamber board member Jay McCulloch provided chamber remarks expressing the organization’s gratitude to the people of Holmes County and the business partners who continue to help the county prosper.

Gerber then spoke briefly about the chamber’s year and coming goals.

“This was a year of transition and change for us,” Gerber said. “We are nearly fully staffed now, and we’ve built a team who can best serve member needs, increase communications and support our community.”

The chamber staff includes Gerber; Samantha Whitworth, membership and finance manager; Taylor Sigler, community and project coordinator; and Michaela Miller, administrative coordinator.

Gerber also talked about the many projects the chamber is involved in and said her team has done an exemplary job of tackling challenges and planning for the coming year’s agenda.

Gerber, who now lives in Holmes County but hails from Tuscarawas County, said the people of Holmes County’s values, work ethic and philanthropy inspired her to want to invest herself into Holmes County as the chamber continues to work hard and invest in reflecting the very best of what Holmes County has to offer.

Holmes County commissioner chairman Joe Miller talked about the current state of county government, exploring the past year’s successes and looking toward the future.

“The state of Holmes County is in great shape. I don’t think it’s ever been better,” Miller said. “Overall, our economy in Holmes County is better than a lot of the other counties. Our sales tax is still strong. Building is strong. A lot of new places opened up.”

He said the county has invested heavily into improved sewer and water systems, along with building the finest roads possible, and he said the addition of the new health department building will only make Holmes County more attractive to those hoping to begin a business or move into the area.

Then came the highlight of the evening, the presentation of the six chamber awards that are given annually to people and companies that have made a positive impact on the county.

“The committee had such amazing nominations this year,” Gerber said. “There were some tough decisions, and they worked hard to find the best recipients.”

The Small Business of the Year was presented to Tyler and Tabitha Shoemaker, owners of Shoemaker Custom Apparel.

The Medium Business of the Year was given to JDM Structures. Chris Roush of sponsor Rea & Associates talked about the dedication of the people of a company that has grown vastly and had a huge economic impact on the county.

Sponsor Rob Hovis of LPL Financial LLC presented the Large Business of the Year to Dan Schlabach, owner of Little Cottage Company.

The Community Service Award designed to honor a nonprofit organization that has benefited the county went to Holmes Center for the Arts, with director Holley Johnson accepting the honor on behalf of everyone who has invested in growing the HCA.

A new award this year was the Educator of the Year, which was presented to Leah Miller, who has led the Holmes County Leadership program for many years. Shasta Mast, executive director of Holmes County Education & Community Foundation, said Miller’s contributions in providing leadership for young business entrepreneurs has been a driving force in developing those who choose to enter the program.

Finally, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented posthumously to Mark Weaver, who unexpectedly passed away in early October. Weaver, owner of Ivan Weaver Construction, was the second generation of Weaver Construction, a company that has its fingerprints all over the area in the structures it has built.

Presenter Vaughn Troyer of Hummel Insurance said Weaver was a driving force in the community, not just for the buildings his company built, but also because of his humanitarian efforts.

The evening proved to be another celebration of the people of Holmes County, their desire to serve others, and the chamber’s work in promoting the county and its many assets while celebrating the accomplishments of not only the chamber, but also its many members.