Cape Chamber Awards Local Businesses for Service to the Community

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Cape Chamber members gather at the 2019 Cape Chamber Annual Dinner.

The Cape Chamber celebrated its Annual Dinner at the Drury Plaza Conference Center November 21. During the evening, more than 800 members from the Cape Girardeau region gathered for cocktails, dinner and awards. The Chamber Annual Dinner is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate business members of the community. Several business figures from the area were honored during the ceremony because of their hard work and dedication.

The 2019 award winners are as follows:

Ambassador of the Year — Greg Vaughn

The Ambassador of the Year Award is bestowed upon a Chamber Ambassador who has excelled in membership recruitment and retention efforts and has gone above and beyond by volunteering at Chamber functions throughout the year.

Small Business of the Year — Coalter Insurance Group

The Small Business of the year is a leader in their industry. They go above and beyond for their customers and truly take the time to make a difference in people’s lives. This award is given to a business that employs no more than 50 people, is at least 51% locally owned and has been serving our community for at least five years. Award selection is based on business history and growth, financial soundness and profitability, customer satisfaction and reputation, employee relations, civic and business leadership, and innovative products and/or services.

Drury Family Spirit of Entrepreneurship — Gary W. Rust

This recipient must be from the Cape Girardeau area, have studied here or achieved entrepreneurial success in the region. He or she must be recognized as an entrepreneur by others — having started at least one venture that is very successful regionally, if not nationally or internationally. The individual must be at mid-career or older, and the recognition may be awarded posthumously. Finally, the recipient must be of high character, well-respected and worthy of the award.

Rush H Limbaugh Award — Earl Norman

The Rush H. Limbaugh Award is bestowed to an area businessperson who has expended exceptional effort on behalf of the community for a sustained period of time.

50 Year Member Recognition — Drury Land Development Inc., Kohlfeld Distributing Inc., and Procter and Gamble Paper Products Co.

Please help us congratulate the award winners and thank them for their involvement in the community — our community thrives because of the devotion from members like these.

Thanks to all who attended the dinner to celebrate the occasion. Cheers to a successful 2020!