Blog
May
River Heights Chamber Small Business Award Celebration Steps Up Virtually
Nicole Bengtson 0 comments Editorials, Event News
April 23, 2020 (Inver Grove Heights, MN) – The River Heights Chamber of Commerce celebrated with the business community at its first-ever Virtual Small Business of the Year Award and Trade Show on Thursday, April 23.
“Our small businesses are a critical piece of our community, and as such, the River Heights Chamber felt like it was important to continue to celebrate business success during these challenging times and decided the show must go on,” noted Chairman of the Board, Adam Bengtson with Endorse Communications. The River Heights Chamber has held a traditional Salute to Small Business Award Luncheon and Trade Show for the past 31 years and found a creative way to highlight its members in a virtual trade show with business videos on the Chamber’s website and through a YouTube Playlist, as well as, have its keynote speaker (Scott Welle of Outperform the Norm) present, and award the 2020 Small Business of the Year recipient during a national pandemic. Check out the local businesses in the Virtual Trade Show at https://riverheights.com/virtualtradeshow.
Earlier this year, the Chamber accepted nominations from local community members who they felt rose above the crowd in how they conducted business. The River Heights Chamber’s Recognition Committee reviewed the applications and selected this year’s recipient, Mississippi Pub!
Joe and Melissa Harms, owners of Mississippi Pub in Inver Grove Heights, were honored with the River Heights Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Small Business of the Year Award. Harms shared their philosophy and how they run Mississippi Pub as, “We want them (people), when they leave the Pub to be happy, be full, go tell their friends, bring them back, and just really enjoy their time that they spend at the Pub.” Mississippi Pub was started in 1999 by Joe’s father and sister – “there weren’t a lot of places on the river that you could boat up to, and have a beverage and some food, and take your family, so that was ultimately the driving force of why Mississippi Pub started,” Harms added, “plus it was a perfect location.” Joe started working as a bartender at the Pub on the first day it opened and now owns and operates the business from top to bottom. They have grown significantly over the years and did a remodel in 2016. Mississippi Pub is constantly expanding and growing, developing new food, ideas, drink menus, and continuing trying to adapt to the times.
The Small Business of the Year Award recognizes an organization that has been in business for five years or more, has 20 or fewer employees, has at least two years of membership in the River Heights Chamber, and encompasses a business that has a commitment to the community through its involvement and assistance to community organizations, to its employees, suppliers and customer relationships, in addition to, a commitment to excellence in service, business ethics, friendliness and business operations. Mississippi Pub outperforms in all of these areas, and they personally and professionally enjoy giving back to the community. Joe stated they donate to many organizations and benefits, sponsor events and volunteer their time through the River Heights Chamber of Commerce, as well as, he coaches youth athletics.
Joe and Melissa Harms, owners of Mississippi Pub and River Heights Marina added, “We appreciate being nominated for this award and we appreciate the support we get from the River Heights Chamber, it’s staff and all of its members. Thank you for moving forward with presenting us with this award.”
Congratulations to Mississippi Pub!
This event was supported by our generous sponsors, Town Square Television, Enbridge Energy, Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC, Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham and DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton Downtown St. Paul.
Watch their award video here:
Apr
Annual Small Business Award & Trade Show Going Virtual
Nicole Bengtson 0 comments Business Ideas, Editorials, Event News, Marketing
Dear River Heights Business Community,
We are all feeling the pain from this worldwide pandemic in different ways. The River Heights Chamber is here to assist your business in any way possible; we remain committed to supporting you during these challenging times.
Our small businesses are a critical piece of our community, and as such, the Chamber is moving forward to bring you the Small Business Award and Trade Show virtually, to honor and recognize our Small Business of the Year and the importance of small businesses in our community.
Our 2020 Virtual Small Business Award and Trade Show will be held on Thursday, April 23 at 2:00 pm via a Zoom Webinar and is FREE to attend. Chamber Chairman, Adam Bengtson, will facilitate the 2020 Small Business Award Celebration and Best Selling Author of Outperform the Norm, Scott Welle, will share strategies used by high achievers to take your game to the next level, especially during this unique time. And for the grand finale, be there LIVE for the announcement and to honor the 2020 Small Business of the Year and watch their video during this webinar! You don’t want to miss it!
The Trade Show component is a popular piece to this event. All members are invited to participate in the Trade Show which will remain online, viewable and shareable through the end of the year. For only $35, a business can share its logo, messaging and/or a video to the Virtual Trade Show. This is an opportunity to be creative and interact as if it were sharing your business at a LIVE trade show. For example, you can include a link to download and print a coupon to be used at a later date or bring in the coupon for a free giveaway. The sky is the limit!
Click HERE to register for the Virtual Trade Show
This event is supported by our generous sponsors, Town Square Television, Enbridge Energy, Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC, Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham and DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton Downtown St. Paul.
Register in advance for the 2020 Small Business Award Celebration here!
Apr
River Heights Chamber Celebrates 30 Years of Small Business Success
Nicole Bengtson 0 comments Editorials, Event News, Marketing
Inver Grove Heights/South St. Paul (4/4/19) – The River Heights Chamber of Commerce invites you to celebrate with the business community at the Small Business of the Year Award Luncheon & Trade Show on Thursday, April 25 at 11 a.m. at Mendakota Country Club in Mendota Heights.
The River Heights Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 30th Anniversary of the Small Business Award and it promises to be a great event! Do you know a past recipient? We ask that you encourage them to attend and be recognized! See the history of Small Business Award winners here – if you don’t see your favorite small business, nominate them for next year!
Jake Sedlacek, Chairman of the River Heights Chamber of Commerce noted, “Small business drives our economy – locally and nationally. The Small Business Awards are an opportunity to recognize, celebrate and connect with outstanding small businesses right here in our community.”
How you can participate and benefit from attending:
- Showcase your company in the Trade Show (and be entered to win a prize in the “Favorite Booth” Contest – NEW this year!)
- Network with area business and community representatives
- Meet & support the finalists for the 2019 Small Business of the Year Award and watch LIVE as the 2019 recipient is announced and recognized – Finalists include: Allrounder Remodeling, Point North Networks and Yours Truly Marketing Incentives!
- Hear from our exceptional keynote speaker, Phil Gwoke, BridgeWorks – be entertained and informed on “When Generations Connect” – Watch a video to get a glimpse of Phil’s presentation here
With all of the outstanding businesses in the community, the River Heights Chamber is excited to honor the following finalists: Allrounder Remodeling, Inc., Point North Networks, Inc., and Yours Truly Marketing Incentives, Inc., each one deserving of the 2019 title! Finalists were nominated their peers, the community participated in an online voting poll and the River Heights Chamber’s Recognition Committee selected the winner. RSVP to attend to find out LIVE who will win the Small Business of the Year Award! The Small Business of the Year Award acknowledges an organization that has been in business for five years or more, has 20 or fewer employees, has at least two years of membership in the River Heights Chamber, and encompasses a business that has a commitment to the community through its involvement and assistance to community organizations, to its employees, suppliers and customer relationships, in addition to, a commitment to excellence in service, business ethics, friendliness and business operations.
Thank you to our event sponsors, Deerwood Bank, Town Square Television and Velocity Public Affairs. The event is also sponsored in-part by Trade Show sponsor Good Samaritan Society – Inver Grove Heights and contributing sponsors LeVander, Gillen & Miller PA, Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham (Inver Grove Heights), Mississippi Pub and Ultimate Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning.
For more details about the Small Business Award Luncheon & Trade Show, visit and register at www.riverheights.com/smallbusiness. To learn more about the finalists and this year’s award recipient announced at the event, please watch for their videos on the River Heights Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page @RiverHeightsChamber and on their YouTube channel at YouTube.com/riverheightschamber following the event on April 25th.
About River Heights Chamber of Commerce
The River Heights Chamber of Commerce is committed to its mission to aggressively promote the interests of the business communities of Inver Grove Heights and South St. Paul. The organization is volunteer-driven and strives to attract and retain businesses to keep the business community thriving. Driving economic progress and business development is its focus. The River Heights Chamber continues to provide value-added opportunities for all members and is dedicated to making connections and delivering resources that benefit local businesses. Visit www.riverheights.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn about the benefits of membership and events.
