Business Leaders from around the Lima area gathered Thursday night in the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center to celebrate the Lima News Best of the Region Awards.
LIMA —Business Leaders from around the Lima area gathered Thursday night in the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center to celebrate the Lima News Best of the Region Awards.
There were 177 winners, but the more than 540 nominees all felt like winners.
“Tonight, it’s all about celebrating each of you being the top businesses in the region,” Lima News General Manager Todd Benz said in his opening remarks.
“As a small business owner’s daughter, I know how important these community events are,” Miss Ohio Madison Miller, who emceed the event, said. “It’s incredible to bring an entire room together full of community leaders, business owners and families.”
Nominees were excited to join the event, whether they had been there before or it was their first time.
“It’s a great place to network and see everybody in our community,” Jeremy Garretson of Taylor Kia Lima said. “It’s great to make new friends and see old ones.”
Myron Beggs of Buckeye Furniture said that just being nominated meant that a business was being recognized.
“You’re in the top three already so, you’re already a winner,” he said. “It’s a good thing to happen for your business. It gives customers more trust and faith in your ability to take care of them.”
Benz said after the winners were unveiled that he hoped attendees and everyone paying attention were able to take away something very important from the night.
“I think I hope everybody took away what a phenomenal business community we have in the region,” he said. “We have great businesses that we need to support right here in Lima and the surrounding area.”
Alexa Miller of Anytime Fitness said that she hoped that everyone just felt honored to be at the event.
“There are so many awesome people here that it’s a very humbling experience,” she said. “And to be here is just an incredible honor. And for our team to get together and represent Anytime Fitness, have fun together and celebrate all the Lima businesses is great.”
And Benz added that he thinks the future of the program can only get better.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” he said. “Every year we do it, it gets bigger and better and I think it will continue to do that.”
Winners of this year’s Best of the Region Awards can be found at yourchoiceawards.com/lima and in the special section of this weekend’s edition of the Lima News.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
