Businesses Recognized at Neillsville Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting
Friday, February 21st, 2025 -- 11:00 AM
The Neillsville Chamber of Commerce held their Annual banquet on Thursday evening.
They held their Year of Participation drawing, drawings for door prizes, and played some fun games lead by Board Member Amy Gerhardt. They also had some special recognitions.
Newly elected Chamber Board President Jenny Kujawa recognized outgoing Chamber Board President Dr. Bruce Davis for 18 years of service to the Neillsville Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber Director Tea Moscinksi recognized Julie Simik and Tim Brecke for being essential partners in running the Chamber Golf Outing. She also recognized Kay Anason and the Moraine Motel for helping with the Holiday Light Decorating Contest during the Holiday Season and bringing even more Christmas spirit to Neillsville.
She also recognized Michelle Frimoth for her partnership in rebranding Autumn Harvest Fest and making it a very successful event. Award winners for the evening included the Byrne Family and Byrne Dairy Farm receiving the Ag-Business of the Year Award.
The Byrne family hosted last year’s dairy breakfast and is involved heavily in the community including, for the past 14 years, they have opened their farm to Neillsville’s 4th graders for the Food for America field trip, helping to connect youth with the importance of farming.
Debbie Perkl was selected for the Spotlight Award. Since 2011, Debbie has been an integral part of the Feed My People – BackPack Food Program, ensuring that local children and families have access to nutritious meals.
Through her leadership and dedication, the program currently supports 60 families, reaching approximately 210 children and their parents. Over the course of a school year, that amounts to an astounding 8,500 pounds of food distributed to those in need.
The Chamber selected two winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. One winner was For Craft Sakes and owner Diane, selected for bringing a unique shop to downtown Neillsville and her dedication to creating a “creative community” in Neillsville.
The next winner was Uplifting Movement Factory. Although located in Loyal, Uplifting Movement Factory has strong ties to Neillsville, being a part of the Chamber and seeing many Neillsville students attending classes to be a part of the experience. Under owner Samantha’s leadership, Uplifting Movement Factory has become a hub for dance, fitness, and more.
Finally, for Business of the Year, Family Roots Hair Salon was selected for providing top-tier services and their dedication to helping and giving back to the community.
A new award was introduced this year, the Spirit of Neillsville Award, which honors those who go above and beyond, not just for their own success, but for the success of our entire community.
This year’s award went to the Neillsville Industrial Park Businesses, including Atmus Filtration Technologies, Chippewa Valley Technical College, Mayville Engineering Company, OEM Fabricators, and Westwood Kitchens, for their dedication to the community and the very successful Business After 5 event they put together this summer.
The Chamber also recognized those businesses that celebrated milestones in 2024 including:
- Moraine Motel for 5 years,
- Family Health Center - Neillsville for 15 years,
- J&K Cleaning & Restoration for 15 years,
- Tufts’ Mansion Bed & Breakfast for 20 years,
- S&S Distributing for 30 years,
- Neillsville Improvement Corporation for 35 years,
- Century 21 Gold Key Realty for 45 years,
- Simplicity Credit Union for 75 years,
- Gaier Construction for 85 years,
- Citizens State Bank of Loyal for 115 years,
- Grassland Dairy Products Inc. for 120 years,
- And Schuster-Campman Abstract & Title Company for 145 years.
The Chamber Board of Directors includes Jenny Kujawa, Jesse Elmhorst, Riley Hebert, Jim Mankowski, Haley Ackerman, Sally Zillman, Amy Gerhardt, Greg Volovsek, and Eleacia Gulbranson.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.