NORWICH – Commerce Chenango hosted its annual soiree on Wednesday, awarding local businesses for their dedication to entrepreneurship, employees, and their community.

The event was held at NBT Bank in Norwich, and the award recipients were Principle Design Engineering, Oliver's Campers, and Blueox Energy Products and Neighborhood Markets.

According to Commerce Chenango President and CEO Steve Craig, this year's award winners followed an unofficial theme of, "young people with talent deciding to stay in Chenango County."

Principle Design Engineering owners Dan and Michael O’Reilly received the award for Entrepreneurs of the Year. Craig said they deserved the award because of the work they've put into overhauling unused buildings and repurposing them in our area.

Michael O'Reilly spoke at the event and said they were humbled to have even been nominated for the award, and said they plan to continue to live and invest into the area.

“We are the guys answering the phone, making the copies, drawing the plans and executing the project," he said. "We aren't owned by an out-of-area firm, and we certainly aren't just a small sub-let office."

"We're local, we live here, have families here and have a shared interest in not only seeing projects through, but working at rates that are reasonable and fair."