Mankato, MN (October 4, 2023) – Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. is excited to announce the 2023 honorees that will be recognized at the Greater Mankato Business Awards & Hall of Fame on November 14 this year. This premier event is a time where Greater Mankato Growth, Visit Mankato, City Center Partnership, and GreenSeam honor outstanding businesses, professionals, and organizations within the Greater Mankato community.

Greater Mankato Business Awards & Hall of Fame, presented by Abdo, will be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato. Registration is now open; please visit Greater Mankato Growth website at greatermankato.com/bahof. This year’s emcees will be Lisa Kaye and Brett Prescher of Radio Mankato.

2023 Greater Mankato Business Awards & Hall of Fame Honorees:

Greater Mankato Growth Awards

2023 Business Hall of Fame: Keepers RV Center | Pioneer Bank
Each year, at least one outstanding private sector business from the Greater Mankato region is inducted into the Business Hall of Fame for their contributions to our vibrant community. Those contributions include improving the quality of life in Greater Mankato through the creation of quality jobs and developing opportunities for their employees, demonstration of personal and business ethical qualities, including dedication to family, community, the environment, and private enterprise, as well as demonstration of qualities of entrepreneurship by assuming the risk of organizing, developing, and managing a successful private business enterprise in Greater Mankato.

Business Legacy: Jones Metal, Inc.
The Business Legacy award honors private sector businesses that have been in business in Greater Mankato region for 10 or more years and have previously been inducted to the Hall of Fame. The award is designed to call recognition to business whose principles are involved and reflected the same type of care, investment, and entrepreneurial spirit that was represented by their predecessors.

Brian Fazio Business Education Partnership: Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota (Education) & Glen A. Taylor Foundation (Business)
The Brian Fazio Business Education Partnership award recognizes partnerships that enhance education and business in Greater Mankato.

Hap Halligan Leadership Award: Jamie Jacobs (APX Construction Group), 2021 – 2022 Leadership Institute Graduate
The Hap Halligan Leadership Award recognizes an individual who has participated in the Greater Mankato Leadership Institute program and has demonstrated outstanding creative and innovative contributions to the community. The award was named after Hap Halligan, a community businessperson and volunteer leader, as well as one of the founding members of the Leadership Institute program in the early 1980s.

Young Professional of the Year: Dr. Murphy Grotewold (Carlson-Tillisch Eye Clinic)
Each year, one distinguished member of the Greater Mankato Young Professionals is recognized for leadership and service through commitment to community, service, and volunteerism, as well as involvement in efforts to enrich the professional and/or leadership development of other Young Professionals. This person is actively involved in welcoming others to learn, live, work, and engage in Greater Mankato.

Visit Mankato Awards

Bring it Home: The Landing on Madison (Governor’s Fishing Opener)
The Bring it Home award recognizes an individual, group, or organization that works alongside Visit Mankato to bring a significant event to Greater Mankato.

Hospitality: Mankato Playhouse
The Hospitality Award recognizes an individual, group, or organization who has gone above and beyond to provide outstanding hospitality to the visitors of Greater Mankato or who has helped promote Greater Mankato as a great destination to visit.

City Center Partnership Awards

CityDesign Award: iSpace Environments Showroom
This category recognizes new construction or renovation projects that contribute to the vitality of the City Center. The project could be the result of significant investment to develop a new building within the city center or redevelop an existing building or property for an improved use that contributes to the economic vitality of the city center. This applies to projects completed in the last two years.

Creative Placemaking Award: Hubbard Park Gardens
This category recognizes projects that include aesthetic improvements such as exterior signage, landscaping and beautification, public art, and exterior furnishings, or that integrates arts and culture (permanent or temporary) to foster interaction among community members, spark vitality, or create an environment conductive to creativity and social engagement. This applies to projects completed in the last two years.

GreenSeam Awards

Seamed in Success: The Meatery
The Seamed in Success Award honors an outstanding business, organization, community, or individual which has made a large impact and added value to the community and region. This award recognizes those who have highlighted the importance of agriculture, with an emphasis on rural vitality building upon our agricultural roots.

Growing in the GreenSeam: Kahler Automation
The Growing in the GreenSeam award honors an outstanding business that has recently planted its seed in the GreenSeam region. Each year, one remarkable new business is recognized for their innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and contribution to our vibrant community.

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About Greater Mankato Growth, Inc.
Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. is comprised of four business units: Greater Mankato Growth, the regional chamber of commerce and economic development organization; Visit Mankato, the local destination management organization; City Center Partnership, a downtown development organization; and GreenSeam, which utilizes agriculture to build on the region’s extensive agribusiness assets to develop the ag economy.

Contact:
Liz Sharp
Director of Business Events & Sales
507.385.6641