Celebrating What Makes Summit County Thrive: 2026 Business Excellence Awards Recap
On April 9, the Summit Chamber welcomed the community to Warren Station in Keystone for the 2026 Business Excellence Awards - an evening dedicated to celebrating the businesses, organizations, and individuals helping Summit County thrive.
While the awards have always been about recognizing excellence, this year also highlighted something essential to the future of our community: the importance of supporting local in a meaningful, intentional way.
This Year’s Winners
The Chamber was proud to recognize the following businesses and community leaders:
- Small Business of the Year: The PlayGarten
- Medium Business of the Year: Summit Daily News
- Large Business of the Year: Summit Express
- beLocal Business of the Year: A&A Pet Supply
- New Business of the Year: ECHO Adventures
- Business Team of the Year: Summit Express
- Nonprofit Program of the Year: Elevated Community Health
- Government Department of the Year: Summit County Sheriff’s Office – School Resource Officers
- Chamber Champion (Ben Fogle Award): Corry Mihm
Each of these winners reflects what makes Summit County’s business community so strong—not just successful operations, but a genuine investment in the people and place that define this community.
As Executive Director Cheri Ryan shared during the evening, the impact of these businesses extends far beyond their storefronts or services.
A Growing and Engaged Business Community
This year’s awards also reflected growing momentum across Summit County’s business community, with 78 applications, up from 61 last year.
That increase speaks to a community that is engaged, invested, and proud of the work happening here - and it made this year’s selection process especially competitive across every category.
Introducing the beLocal Business of the Year
New this year, the Chamber introduced the beLocal Business of the Year award, recognizing businesses that actively work to keep dollars circulating within the local economy.
This can take many forms - from sourcing products locally and featuring Summit-made goods to collaborating with fellow businesses and making intentional decisions that prioritize community impact.
A&A Pet Supply was named the inaugural recipient, recognized for consistently putting these values into practice and strengthening the local business ecosystem.
Supporting Local in Action
That focus on local impact showed up throughout the evening, including in the return of the always-popular Whiskey & Wine Gamble.
Beyond being a guest favorite, the activation helped raise funds for the Chamber’s beLocal initiative, which reinforces a simple but important idea: when dollars stay local, the entire community benefits. From supporting small businesses to strengthening a more resilient, year-round economy, those choices add up in a meaningful way.
A Reflection of Summit County
At its core, the Business Excellence Awards is about more than recognition -it’s about connection.
The evening brought together business leaders, nonprofit partners, and community members, highlighting the collaborative spirit that defines Summit County. It’s a reminder that a strong local economy isn’t built in isolation - it’s built together.
