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02/07/2023 11:58 AMThe integrated Shoreline Chamber of Commerce (SCC) is announcing its Annual Awards breakfast, set to honor eight winners at the event on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Woodwinds in Branford. Governor Ned Lamont will be a special guest and the keynote speaker at the ceremony to highlight shoreline businesses’ recent successes and bring attention to the fact that many area businesses are still struggling to keep their doors open post-COVID.
SCC President Dee Jacob said the event this year will be special because of the governor’s involvement, but just as importantly, the forum will focus on what resources shoreline entrepreneurs will need in order to flourish.
“The governor will speak about The Future of CT – Business at its Heart,” said Jacob. “The Shoreline Chamber covers three important towns in terms of the economy and the community, and we thought this would be a great place for the governor to come and speak. We think having him exposed to what is happening here on the shoreline, and particularly, in talking about the future of Connecticut with a business focus at its heart. Our businesses really need to know where the direction for the next four years is going.”
According to Jacob, the awards highlight the progress small businesses have made and are also an opportunity for the Chamber to engage the entire profit and nonprofit sectors.
“We recognize a number of different categories. The Employer of the Year is an important recognition because that is awarded to an organization that is developing and valuing their employees. We also have our Nonprofit of the Year, and this year we are recognizing all three towns’ TV stations,” said Jacob, “All of the stations have been incredible in their dedication to our communities. We think this is a wonderful recognition and richly deserved.”
Jacob said that the Community Partner and Hometown Hero awards are also significant as they highlight companies that strive to give back to their towns and customers.
“The Community Partner is an award for that company or nonprofit that typically does outreach into the community. And the Hometown Hero awards are for those individuals who do the same,” said Jacob.
According to Jacob, “access and advocacy” are the foundation of any successful Chamber. Jacob said forging ties with local and state leaders is critical to serving shoreline businesses.
“We actually provide a twice a month column, rotating through each of our legislators, talking about what they are working on in committee because that’s where a lot of issues are developing and where we want members to react if they have a concern,” said Jacob. “Obviously, someone in the governor’s position is crucial to that. We want our members to be knowledgeable and educated on this and be able to give feedback to our legislators and our governor.”
According to Jacob, shoreline businesses are still struggling post-COVID.
“We do see some small businesses that started up that didn’t make it. We have seen some businesses that have been here long-term that are moving. However, on the other hand, we are still seeing new businesses forming every day, and there is a lot of excitement around those, and we are happy to see that. We are also seeing some businesses that thrived during COVID. Our job is to ensure that we can continue that course. We have some shining examples of that,” said Jacob.
The Shoreline Chamber announced its 2022 awards recipients to be honored at the Feb. 21 event. The winners are Gracious Gifts and Home, Branford, New Business of the Year; Back to Balance Chiropractic and Wellness, Guilford, Small Business of the Year; Pat Munger Construction Company, Branford, Employer of the Year; Bio-Med Devices, Guilford, Innovation Award; The Shoreline Community Television Stations: BCTV, GCTV, Totoket TV, Nonprofit of the Year; The Rotary Club of Branford, Community Partner/Hometown Hero Branford; Linda Toscano, Community Partner/Hometown Hero Guilford; Andy Bozzuto, Community Partner/Hometown Hero North Branford.
The awards are open to the public and will take place at The Woodwinds, 29 School Ground Road, Branford at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Tickets are available at shorelinechamberct.com
To sponsor the event, contact Shoreline Chamber President Dee Jacob at 203-488-5500 or email dee@shorelinechamberct.com.