NORWICH – Commerce Chenango had the chance to honor its 2014 Small Business Award winners on Thursday during the organization’s annual Salute to Small Business Dinner at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich.
Each year, the annual gala serves as an opportunity to laud small business owners as the backbone of the local economy. Commerce Chenango recognized three distinguished business owners in three separate categories during this year’s event. Awards included Entrepreneur of the Year (presented to Matt Lagoe of Heartwood Frame in Sherburne), Small Business of the Year (presented to Giltner’s Paint and Floor Covering in Norwich), and Small Business Gem (presented to Garf’s Deli in Norwich).
This year’s recipients were further recognized by State Assemblyman Clifford Crouch as well as Norwich Mayor Joseph Maiurano on behalf of the City of Norwich.
“I think it’s safe to say there’s really no harder working group of people than those who are toiling in the vineyards of small business,” said Commerce Chenango President and CEO Steve Craig. “Part of the reason it’s tough to get them to go to Commerce Chenango events is because they’re still working at this time most nights.”
Matt Lagoe, named this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year, started his venture as Heartwood Forest Products, a full service millwork and cabinetry shop located in a manufacturing facility in Sherburne. While the business offers a variety of mouldings, exterior wood sidings, flooring, stairs and stair parts, Lagoe only recently found a niche in handmade custom frames that have earned him credibility among artists, photographers, and gallery owners nationwide.
“Becoming an entrepreneur, I’m not sure how it happened. It’s just something that happened to me,” said Lagoe. “I left a corporate job with benefits to start a crazy wild path of being in business for myself.”
But knowing that he enjoyed woodworking, Lagoe said once he started his business, there was no looking back.
This year’s Small Business of the Year was awarded to Giltner’s Paint and Floor Covering in Norwich, a business that has become a staple in downtown Norwich. Giltner’s has served the community for more than 50 years. Their work can be seen in homes and businesses throughout the county, including inside the newly refurbished chambers of Commerce Chenango on South Broad Street in Norwich. In 2010, the business took on new ownership when Phil Giltner, who started the business at 19-years-old, turned it over to his son, Mathew Giltner.
“It’s so important to shop local,” said Mathew Giltner upon receiving the award. “It’s not to make me a better person or make us more successful ... It’s because in 20 or 30 years, that’s what will still be here.”
Garf’s Deli was dubbed this year’s Small business Gem. As one of the most recognizable locations in downtown Norwich, Garf’s has become a local favorite for the lunchtime crowd. The business was started in 1992 by former Chenango Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mary Lou Stewart and has since changed hands to her son, John Stewart. In addition to offering a variety of soups, sandwiches, wraps and grilled foods, Garf’s has taken on a community role too. John works closely with the Norwich High School tennis team and his wife, Beth, uses her experience as the business bookkeeper to act as treasurer for Colorscape Chenango.
“Twenty-two years on the corner, it’s been a nice run,” said John Stewart. Steward explained how his parents invested in the business, building it from the ground up and working the business model to change with the times. “It really is the true American spirit,” he said.