Who Was Named Urbandale Business of The Year for 2012?

What company brought the entire Urbandale community together in 2012?

What company added 300 employees to the current 315 last summer?

And which firm was named the best business in Urbandale?

If you guessed Urbandale Hy-Vee, you'd be spot on.

On Thursday, the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce named Hy-Vee the 2012 Urbandale Business of the Year at the annual chamber dinner.

The Chamber sought business of the year nominations late last year -- the list was narrowed to Urbandale Hy-Vee, Dice.com and VanMeter, Inc.

"Each of these businesses significantly impacted the community in a number of ways,” said Becky DeVries, 2013 Chamber president. “The decision was extremely difficult because each business made an impact in a different way. Hy-Vee was selected because of the economic impact they’ve had on the community, coupled with the thousands of dollars they gave to charitable organizations in Urbandale in 2012.”

The new, opened to much fanfare in August after being closed for four weeks.

The largest store in the metro features a full-service restaurant, a milk-bone bar for dogs, a sushi bar, and an olive and hummus bar,

Shortly after, the store's fuel station also opened.

Not only has the new Hy-Vee been the talk of Urbandale, it's also helped thousands of residents.

Hy-Vee's efforts have included participating in community activities such as Character Counts, UCAN, Walks for ALS, JDRF, and the Hy-Vee Triathlon. 

Last year the Urbandale Hy-Vee donated more than $39,000 to the community through cash donations, and donations of bread to charities, shelters, and many other church and school organizations. 

In 2012, the store donated more than $2000 to JDRF and their giving does not stop there.