CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Carthage Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Chamber Staff is proud to announce the successful conclusion of its year by honoring a multitude of businesses and individuals at its Masquerade Soiree Annual Chamber Banquet, held on June 6th at Memorial Hall. The event brought together distinguished guests, industry and business leaders, and community members to celebrate outstanding achievements and recognize excellence in various business fields.
Over 300 attendees relished a catered dinner by Chamber member Famous Grill and the chance to connect with peers and honorees. This year, the Carthage Chamber demonstrated its commitment to inclusivity by introducing two new business categories, Medium Business of the Year and Large Business of the Year, in addition to the covenant Small Business of the Year award. An Inaugural Non-Profit of the Year was also highlighted. “It’s crucial that we acknowledge all sizes of businesses in our community,” said Julie Reams, President of the Carthage Chamber, “we have many Chamber members that fit in each of these categories, and we wouldn’t be where we are today at the Chamber or in our community without their support to us and to the citizens they serve.”
2023-2024 Chamber Board Chair Jenny Brust, H.E. Williams, opened the evening with an overview of her term on the board along with the recognition of the Chamber board members including Willy Waggoner, Boomers BBQ, Torie Soriano, Carthage Eye Care, Shelby Baugh-Bruner, Carthage Vision Clinic, Kris Esch, Custom Carpets & Interiors, April Hansen, Mercy-Carthage, Kile Lesmeister, Leggett & Platt, Derek Maneval, Maple Leaf Coffeehouse, Patrice Sacry, The Pavilion, Maria Sanchez, 1% Lists SWMO, Matt Sappington, Sappington Shelter Insurance, and Tyler Smith, Southwest Missouri Bank.
Award Recipients included:
Small Business of the Year: Maple Leaf Coffeehouse
Medium Business of the Year: Specialty Risk Insurance
Large Business of the Year: Southwest Missouri Bank
Non-Profit of the Year: Big Brother & Big Sisters of Jasper & Newton County
Excellence in Industry: Butterball
Citizen of the Year: Danny Lambeth
Athena International: Amanda Fosdick
Carthage Tiger Excellence Award Winners for 2023-24
Early Childhood to Third Grade: Cris Laytham – Fairview Elementary School (presenter: Michelle Hensley, Fairview Principal)
Fourth to Sixth Grade: Anna Maturino – Carthage 6th Grade Center (presenter: Kelly Jacobs, Carthage 6th Grade Center Principal*)
Seventh to Eighth Grade: Kirk Jones – Carthage Jr. High School (presenter: Dr. Brittany Bridges, CJHS Principal)
Ninth to Twelfth Grade: Chris Wilkerson – Carthage Technical Center South Campus
Rising Star: Colton Sprenkle – Columbian Elementary School (presenter: Becky Chadd, Columbian Principal*)
The event also featured a friendly competition for the Best Decorated Table Award, which allowed the business sponsors to decorate a table that showcased their business while encompassing the theme. This year’s award went to 24 Elite, which showcased a red and gold table with many items that guests could take home to enjoy.
This banquet was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, including:
Major Chamber Investor: Carthage Water & Electric
Major Chamber Partner: Butterball
Banquet Presenting Sponsors: Mercy Carthage, City of Carthage
Platinum Table Sponsors: Butterball, Carthage Water & Electric
Business Table Sponsors: Guaranty Bank, H.E. Williams, Fair Acres YMCA, 24 Elite, Schmidt CPAs & Advisors, Spire, Assured Partners, Southwest Missouri Bank, Community National Bank, Leggett & Platt, Specialty Risk Insurance, Knell Mortuary, & Schreiber
