Manchester’s beloved downtown coffee shop has won the honor of “Business of the Year”.
Aunt Emmy’s received the award at the Chamber’s annual awards event on Wednesday night (pictured above). Along with their outstanding customer service, Aunt Emmy’s was nominated for donating to several organizations’ fundraisers throughout the year – and for sourcing their merchandise, supplies and ingredients locally as much as possible. Last year, the upstairs portion of the building underwent a major renovation, bringing back character from the early 1900’s and creating a short-term rental for the community now known as “The Coffee Loft”. Owner Emily Kelchen says she appreciates the honor from the Chamber.
The two other “Business of the Year” nominees were Manchester Fareway and Palmer Hardware (pictured below).
The Chamber also presented Chamber Board President Kurt Heims, who owns Heims Awards & Custom Gifts, with the “Ernest Hayhow Chamber Person of the Year” Award (pictured below). The award is given to a Chamber member who has demonstrated exemplary service to the Chamber. Heims was nominated for helping with all the Chamber community events and brainstorming numerous new ideas to improve events.
And the Manchester Chamber’s Delaware County Meritorious Service Award goes to a person or group demonstrating exemplary volunteer service to the county. This year’s award was presented to Keith Kramer for his community leadership and service (pictured below). Kramer was instrumental in creating the Maquoketa Valley Dollars for Scholars program in 1999 and still serves as President – it’s a program that has awarded more than a million dollars in scholarships to over one-thousand graduating MV students in the past 22 years. And most recently, he started the Delaware County chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace – an organization with the goal that “no kids sleep on the floor in our towns”, building and delivering over 250 beds in just over two years.
Manchester Chamber Director Dave Wakefield says it was a great night – and a great way to celebrate 2022, which saw the return of many Chamber events after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic.
And what can we expect from the Chamber in 2023?
And Wakefield says an event they’re really excited about that will be coming to Manchester this summer is a new event. Instead of hosting their annual one-day Rhubacue on the River festival, they’re expanding the event to three days with a brand new name – River Days – set for June 1st through the 3rd.
The 2023 Manchester Chamber Board of Directors (pictured below) includes President Kurt Heims (Heims Awards & Custom Gifts), Vice President Jade Schneider (ISU Extension & Outreach), Treasurer Luke Imsland (Community Savings Bank), Secretary Nicole Riley (Visit the Magic – Travel Agent), Mitch Hermiston (Stryten Energy), Faith Hermanson (KMCH Radio), Leanne Fangmann (Quiltmaker’s Shoppe), Lucas Fangmann (Physical Therapy Solutions), Julie Woods (Northwestern Mutual), Abby Buesing (Buesing, LLC), Stuart Sleper (XL Trailers) and Angie Salow (Regional Medical Center). The Chamber thanks their three outgoing board members – Tadd Moorman (American Family Insurance – Tadd Moorman Agency), Caitlyn Scherbring (Brides & Weddings) and Val Lindsay (Regional Medical Center).
photos courtesy of Janelle Tucker/KMCH
