Cheers to 100 Years: Decorah Chamber Celebrates a Century of Success with Business Awards

DECORAH — On Tuesday, September 24, the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce marked its 100th anniversary with a celebratory milestone: the inaugural Business Awards Ceremony, honoring outstanding achievements in the local business community. The event was hosted in the Vesterheim Commons. The evening kicked off with a lively social hour from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., where business owners, Chamber members, and community leaders gathered to network and enjoy hors d'oeuvres catered by Luther College. Rhapsody String Quartet provided musical entertainment for the evening. Later, Chamber Executive Director Jessica Rilling, Chamber Board President Lisa Lantz of The Getup, and Presenting Sponsor Representative Blake Courtney of Viking State Bank took the podium to present awards, recognizing the exceptional contributions of this year's nominees, who were submitted by Chamber board ambassadors, staff, and committee members, with the full Chamber Board selecting the final award winners. Business Awards Cody and Katie Schweinefus of Salú Sauna + Wellness Spa were presented with the "Emerging New Business Award" for their modern building design and their products' impressive regional pull. Aryn Henning Nichols and Benji Nichols of Inspire(d) Media were presented with the "Positivity Award" for their mission to tell stories about the good and beautiful things that happen in the Driftless region. Jamie Gavle of Rendered Unique was presented with the "Excellence in Marketing" award for their refined integration of social media into their business model. Darrin Walter of Double Windsor was presented with the "Excellence in Customer Service Award" for their consistent dedication to an "above-and-beyond" in-store customer experience. Bob and Robby Jewell of Jewell Enterprizes were presented with the "Excellence in Agriculture Award" for outreach work involving the Chamber of Commerce's "Empower Decorah" Class, Iowa State Univeristy Extension and Outreach and many more local and regional entities. Chris Johnson of Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum & Folk Art School was presented with the Excellence in Design & Construction Award for Vesterheim's recent award-winning Commons addition. The Decorah Gear Exchange was awarded the "Collaboration Award" for creating a grassroots private and public collaboration that benefits a wide audience. Eric Sovern of Cardboard Robot was presented with the Innovation Award for developing multiple fun and family-friendly "CardBored Box" kits that are sold at the Cardboard Robot storefront. Toppling Goliath was awarded the "Tourism Award" for their nationally renowned beverage releases and special events. Decorah Bank and Trust was awarded the "Dedication to Community Award" for its longstanding presence and dedication to serving the people of Decorah. Colin White of Mabe's Pizza accepted the "Legacy Award" on behalf of Mabel White. Mabel White, who passed away in 2002, left an impact on Decorah that is still felt to this day through her pizza recipes and the lasting "unpretentious, out-on-a-saturday-night" feel of her business. Bill Holland of JB Holland was presented with the "Business of the Year Award" for its impressive expansion since its establishment in 1950. Ambassador of the Year Joe Hammel of Hammel Jewlers was presented with the Chamber "Ambassador of the Year Award" for his 27-year dedication to the Chamber of Commerce as an ambassador. According to Rilling, Hammel has been present for "more than 400 business ribbon cutting events". Volunteer Excellence Award Mike Harman of Harman Realty was presented with the "Volunteer Excellence Award" for his work in creating a welcoming downtown area by inheriting and spearheading the effort to maintain the hanging flower baskets in Decorah. 2024 Young Professional Awards Sean Brown - Impact Coffee Mary Duvall - Luther College Stephanie Fromm - Winneshiek County Development and Tourism Mark Jensen - Viking State Bank & Trust Brittany Todd - Mill Street Mocha Spark Joy Awards Decorah Fareway Meat Department - For meat and cheese trays/salami roses. Elsey Gavle - For social media promotions on behalf of Rendered Unique. Siri Steven - For production & performance in Ridiculous Days video. Pete Espinosa - For preservation of the Ronnie Roll recipe at The Landing Market. Decorah Public Library - For pop culture social media reels. Pulpit Rock Brewing Co. - For What's Up Wednesday social media series. At the end of the event, there was a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony to launch the next 100 years of the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce. Knowledge is power! Stay empowered by subscribing to the free newsletter, packed with valuable insights, stories of local newsmakers and ideas to get your weekend started.