Hanover businesses awarded for growth, community
The Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated local businesses on Thursday at its Annual Business Awards Ceremony.
The ceremony at Bay City Restaurant recognized businesses for accomplishments including Educator of the Year, Positive Action, Small Business of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year.
The 2016 recipients for Educators of the Year, recognized by their superintendents, included Caryn Flaherty, South Western School District; Katherine Walton, Hanover Public School District; Nancy Duffy, Delone Catholic High School; Anne Shaffer, Spring Grove Area School District; and Melissa Gantz, Conewago Valley School District.
Hanover Public School District was also recognized for Positive Action, powered by its S.T.E.A.M. Academy at Hanover High School. The program addressed a need in Hanover for expanding business, manufacturing, and technology through its 14 new science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics courses, taught with state of the art equipment and technology. The school district supported community collaboration by allowing students to design and develop projects with local businesses.
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Ken Kirkpatrick, owner of KLK Welding, Inc. won the award for Entrepreneur of the Year. Kirkpatrick started with a sole proprietor business out of his pickup truck and a small shed, expanded to a 1,450 square foot building, and then grew to add locations in Penn Township Industrial Park and York. In recent years, Kirkpatrick expanded the satellite welding division out of the Hanover area and partnered with South Western High School Welding Academy to establish a school of welding theory.
Small Business of the Year was awarded to Miscreation Brewing Company for being a key player in the downtown revitalization movement and taking an active role in community activities such as Main Street Hanover, Sip-N-Stroll, Christmas Tree Wars, the YMCA, and Relay for Life.
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Mark Mathias, one of the owners at Miscreation, said he felt "honored" to be recognized with larger and more established businesses after only operating for two years.
He believes it's important to give back to downtown Hanover.
"If you do your part for the community, the community will respect it and give it back to you," he said.
The Chamber additionally recognized outgoing Treasurer, Nat Fissel from Smith Elliott Kearns & Co. for serving as treasurer on the Chamber Board of Directors for five years, and volunteer Chamber Ambassador Teresa Seamans from Smith & Company CPAs as Ambassador of the Year.
The award ceremony highlighted several Chamber member anniversaries as well, including Guthrie Memorial Library, a 25-year member.
For more information on this year's winners and other local businesses, visit www.hanoverchamber.com.