McLean County Chamber presents Business Excellence Awards | Local Business

BLOOMINGTON — Business and community leaders gathered Saturday night to celebrate the McLean County Chamber of Commerce’s 12th annual Business Excellence Awards. The sold-out gala was hosted at the Illinois State University Brown Ballroom and served as an opportunity to award the success of chamber member businesses of 2021.

Shirk has been building his legacy though the continuation and growth of Beer Nuts Brand Snacks, the creation of other businesses in real estate and agriculture, and the development of the Shirk Family Foundation. By providing grants to local institutions, the foundation seeks to promote the programs and initiatives that support the arts, education, athletics, leadership and spiritual growth. This has resulted in contributions exceeding $20 million in McLean County.

Born in the height of the pandemic, CRAFTED Commons has proven that a symbiotic relationship between business and community is the key to success. After opening Clinton’s, Coffee Corner in 2018, sisters Bryn and Kylie partnered with friends and family to expand their enterprise in Bloomington-Normal, which now includes CRAFTED, CRAFTED Coffee Brews, & Pokeworks.

Each year, Project Oz, founded in 1973, reaches more than 6,000 youth through school-based prevention initiatives, early intervention, emergency crisis response, counseling, skill building, and tailored housing solutions for runaway and homeless youth. As more young people in the community face homelessness for the first time as a result of the pandemic, job loss or family conflict, they are at increased risk of contracting and spreading infection. Project Oz’s work to shelter and educate local youth extends beyond their traditional mission, helping to curb the impact of the pandemic on the underprivileged and homeless.

Founded and operated by Kate Burcham in 2018, Moxii Marketing Solutions’ personal approach to consultation allows them to deeply understand their clients’ needs and ideas to articulate a clear, creative and effective message. Burcham also donates her time, talents and money to nonprofits in McLean County, including the Boys & Girls Club, Lymph Logic and Pub Club Rotary. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, Burcham continued to support her clients with pro bono work