Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners at our 2023 Annual Awards! We are grateful to everyone who joined us in a night of celebrating business excellence in Sarpy County.
Business of the Year (25+ Employees)
Streck
FCC Environmental
Lueder Construction
American National Bank
Meta
Abe's Trash
Cobalt Credit Union
Papillion Sanitation
Hy Vee Papillion
Chick-fil-A
Pinnacle Bank
Turner Construction
Winner: Turner Construction
Henry Turner founded Turner Construction Company back in 1902 based on the core values of teamwork, integrity, and commitment. Their work has resulted in the transformation of not only the construction industry and skylines, but also communities. As part of Turner’s core values, volunteer and service remains a constant focus. They have spent more than 475 hours volunteering within the Sarpy County Community so far this year at more than 20 volunteer events. Turner Construction has been growing exponentially, hiring 75 full time hires in 2022 and 14 this Year. In addition to their full-time employees, Turner Construction also runs a workforce development program in Sarpy County, resulting in the option for full-time employment upon graduation. Turner Construction has been diligently focused on supporting the Sarpy County business community and are incredibly proud of the impact they have made in the communities within Sarpy County.
Business of the Year (1-24 Employees)
Cross Pointe Innovations
SmithPro Plumbing
Hawley Orthodontics
Bellevue Family Practice
All Hands Waterproofing
Insight Marketing Concepts
Farm Bureau Financial Services- Joe Rickley
Fairfield Inn & Suites
Royalty Roofing & Renovations
SignIT
Ambius
little guy branding
Hike Real Estate
Industrial Escape Rooms
Union Omaha
Winner: Hawley Orthodontics
Out of their eight-year journey as a company, almost half of the Hawley team has been with the company for five or more years. In the past year, Hawley Orthodontics has seen growth in patient volume, leading them to add three additional job positions, completing the hardworking team of 15. At Hawley Orthodontics, they believe in the life-changing power of smile transformations. Their dedication to changing our world for good, goes beyond helping people achieve straight teeth. It is through the way they interact with their patients and their families as well as their commitment to giving back to the community they are apart of, that strives them to be a force for good while spreading positivity more than one smile at a time.
New or Emerging Business of the Year
1884 Fleet Services
Venues at The Granary
Hello Garage
Caze Concussion Institute
Mary the Medicare Lady
American Family Insurance - Franker & Associates
Commercial Title Services
Winner: American Family Insurance - Franker & Associates
The American Family Insurance Franker & Associates team are here to serve. First and foremost, they are passionate about educating the community on the ever-changing industry trends to provide long-lasting value to the people. Their goal is to make insurance easy while building a relationship they truly value with their clients. Franker & Associates growth and prosperity is driven from the commitment of showing up consistently to the majority of the Sarpy County’s community events. Being a new small business within Sarpy County doesn’t always come with deep pocketbooks, but supporting one another within the community far exceeds a dollar sign and creates a lasting impact.
Non-Profit of the Year
Share Omaha
Lift Up Sarpy County
HETRA
Fontenelle Forest
Moving Veterans Forward
Papillion Community Foundation
Knights Event Center
Bags of Fun Omaha
Sarpy County Museum
Restored Wings - Rejuvenating Women
Heartland Family Services
Midlands Community Foundation
Mosaic
PLCS Foundation
Winner: Bags of Fun
Bags of Fun
started in Denver in 2004, spread to Kansas City in 2010, and extended their reach to Nebraska in 2019. A Bag of Fun is an essential tool that brings the power of play into hospitals. Each bag is custom made for the child receiving it. They not only take into consideration the child’s cognitive abilities, age, and interests, but also any physical limitations they may have and activities that might aid in their rehabilitation. This is not just a bag of toys. A Bag of Fun is a tool that allows children fighting for their lives a playful distraction instead of fear, families a chance to laugh together and medical providers a tool to see their patients as playful children instead of a devasting diagnosis.
Business Leader of the Year
Brian Smith, SmithPro Plumbing
Alan Kennedy, Lueder Construction
Mimi Hannor, All Hands Waterproofing
Angie Velardi, Fairfield Inn & Suites
Dan Fuller, Hy Vee Papillion
Ron Hernandez, Moving Veterans Forward
Fred Uhe, Sarpy County Tourism
Tanya Gifford, Lift Up Sarpy
Winner: Fred Uhe, Sarpy County Tourism
Fred Uhe has been a great example of community commitment and servant leadership. He has been with the Sarpy County for over 34 years in a variety of roles including but not limited to, president of the Papillion-La Vista Optimist Club, Board Chairman of Metro Community College, and Director of Tourism at Sarpy County Tourism. Although new to the travel/tourism industry, he has guided the office to levels of success that were not envisioned previously. Under Fred’s leadership, lodging receipts in Sarpy County have set a record every year. The most recent record in 2022 saw county-wide lodging receipts of $47.6 million. To this day, Fred has become a respected voice and trusted mentor to many in the industry.
Modern Marvel Award Winner: TJ Matgen, HiTouch Business Services
This award represents our Modern Professional group and its members that are at the heart of developing their career. We select an award winner based on their contribution to the growth of this group, their events, and their support of assisting the participant in their career development for several years. They contribute countless hours and are true superheroes.
Golden Ambassadors:
TJ Matgen, HiTouch Business Services
Angie Velardi, Fairfield Inn & Suites
At the Sarpy Chamber there are a select few that are called our Golden Ambassadors. This is not an easy award to receive as it requires many hours and many years of volunteering as the welcoming arm of the chamber.
Elected Official of the Year: Congressman Don Bacon
Each year our Government Affairs Group nominates and votes on an Elected Official that stands out for their service to our community.
Chamber Excellence Award Winner: Patrick Boyle with Metropolitan Community College
Patrick has been a long-time member of the Sarpy Chamber and one of our strongest advocates. He attends many of the chamber events, graduated from Leadership Sarpy, has be a Sarpy Chamber board member for many years, led the Sarpy Chamber Government Affairs Group for an extended period of time, Patrick is always looking for ways to support our businesses through educations and training to get the employees need for your business to hire.
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