Think Dutchess 2016 Business Excellence Awards Celebrate Success

From Think Dutchess Alliance for Business:

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Think Dutchess Alliance for Business recently awarded six area businesses and individuals with the 2016 Business Excellence Award. Launched in 1998, the annual awards recognize businesses and nonprofit organizations of all sizes and industries that are making a significant economic impact in Dutchess County.

This year’s awards celebration was held on November 10, 2016 at The Grandview in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Attended by more than 300 people, the event honored the following Dutchess County businesses and individuals in six distinct categories:

· Agriculture: Barton Orchards, a local farm and successful agrifood business that has operated in Dutchess County for more than 40 years;

· Entrepreneur: Brud Hodgkins, a Hudson Valley native and repeat entrepreneur who has been involved in 40 different startups, including his most recent venture, Indoor Organic Gardens of Poughkeepsie;

· Manufacturing: James L. Taylor Manufacturing Co. Inc., an innovative machinery manufacturer that has operated in the Hudson Valley for more than 100 years;

· Not-For-Profit: House of Hope, a growing not-for-profit and emergency shelter for families who are victims of domestic violence;

· Small Business: Hudson Cadillac Buick GMC, a successful family-owned car dealership located in Poughkeepsie;

· Poughkeepsie Journal Innovator of the Year: Hudson Valley Tech Meetup, a monthly gathering of creatives, engineers, entrepreneurs, educators and students passionate about building tech innovation in the Hudson Valley.

“It is an honor to present our 2016 Business Excellence Awards to this exceptional group of business leaders,” said Charles R. Daniels III, Chairman of the Board of Dutchess County Local Development Corporation. “These six recipients not only contribute to job creation and business growth in Dutchess County, but also serve as champions of our county’s business advantages, dynamic energy and overall economic success.”

“The Business Excellence Awards are an important way for us to recognize and celebrate our diverse business environment,” added Sarah Lee, CEO of Think Dutchess Alliance for Business. “Dutchess County is home to a number of thriving industries, from data centers and aviation to healthcare and craft food and beverage. Our award recipients prove that Dutchess County offers all businesses—no matter the size, industry or scope of operations—the resources they need to succeed.”

The Think Dutchess 2016 Business Excellence Awards are supported by more than a dozen corporate and individual sponsors, including top sponsors Health Quest, Hudson Valley Lighting, Poughkeepsie Journal, Rose & Kiernan, Inc., IBM Corporation and Central Hudson.

Award recipients were selected based on a variety of criteria which contribute to economic development, including innovation, creativity, community engagement and overall impact made in their respective industry. A single winner in each category was picked by a selection committee comprised of area business leaders and former Business Excellence Award recipients.

Image via Think Dutchess Alliance for Business: From L to R, with award category in parenthesis: Peter Barton of Barton Orchards (Agriculture); Mike Mullaney of Hudson Cadillac Buick GMC (Small Business); Dan Schutzsmith, Dan Stone, Kale Kaposhilin and Sabrina Schutzsmith of Hudson Valley Tech Meetup (Innovator of the Year); Jake Greenfield of James L. Taylor Manufacturing (Manufacturing); Brud Hodgkins of Indoor Organic Gardens of Poughkeepsie and The Hodgkins Agency (Entrepreneur), Rev. Luader Smith of House of Hope (Not-for-Profit); and Sarah Lee, CEO of Think Dutchess Alliance for Business.