A college dean tours the city before giving the keynote speech at annual meeting.

By Elaine Morris Roberts, Staff Writer, February 26, 2010

SPRINGFIELD — Area business professionals were offered everything from hydroponically grown lettuce to special rates for natural gas at the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Business Expo, held at the Clark State Community College Performing Arts Center.

The business expo, a new addition to the event, gave more than 35 exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their goods and services at booths along the PAC’s concourse, offering information and product samples.

Keynote speaker Edward W. Hill, dean of the College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University, spent the day visiting Springfield before he spoke at the chamber meeting held Thursday, Feb. 25.

His visit showed him, he said, that Springfield is utilizing the strengths its past and adding innovation to create change.

His challenge to every community he visits is to move from having dreams to creating a legacy, and he said Springfield is farther down that road than any other similar community in Ohio.

Hill’s advice to the business community was to celebrate differences and differentiators — be distinctive, not imitative.

During the meeting, three local businesses were recognized with top honors.

Woeber Mustard was recognized as the Chamber Business of the Year.

In addition, two new awards were given this year. They include the Small Business of the Year Award, which was given to Littleton and Rue Funeral Home and Crematory.

The second new award, Minority Owned Business of the Year Award, went to First Diversity Staffing.

The chamber’s executive committee chose nominees for the Small Business of the Year and the Business of the Year using criteria that include being an outstanding chamber member, community involvement and status in specific industry segment.

The Minority Business Council selected the Minority Business of the Year candidates based on their impact in Clark County, being in business at least one year and chamber membership.

Charles Brougher, chairman and CEO of Eagle Tool, was honored with the Richard L. Kuss Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given to a servant leader in the community who inspires others.

The award was presented by chamber President Mike McDorman.

Brougher, former president and CEO of Eagle Tool and Machine Co. Inc., served two terms as the chamber’s board chairman and as chairman of the board of Community Mercy Health Partners.

Some of his other service includes president of the Springfield Rotary Club, United Way campaign chairman, member of the Springfield Foundation’s board and chairman of the 1987 long-range financial planning task force for the city of Springfield.

The Kuss award was created four years ago, during McDorman’s first year with the chamber because, he said, there needed to be a way to honor those who are strong business leaders, strong chamber members and who give back to the community.

The inaugural award went to Kuss; other recipients have been Fred Leventhal and Pete Hackett.

To close the annual meeting, McDorman recounted the progress made in 2009 — forward motion on two area hospitals, a downtown park, an ice arena and an eco-sports corridor.

“Our investment will position us well as a metropolitan region between Columbus and Dayton,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0371 or elroberts@coxohio.com.