Letter to the Editor: Beverly, A Great Place to Have a Business

To the Editor:

On February 28, The Beverly Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2^nd Annual Beverly Business Awards at Danversport Yacht Club to celebrate the dedication and commitment of the business talent and the entrepreneurial spirit that exists within Beverly. The Beverly Chamber of Commerce staff and Board of Directors wanted to recognize the exceptional talent of the business men and women of Beverly who make a difference in our Business Community. 

Jo Broderick, Dean of College Relations at Montserrat College of Art served as the Master of Ceremonies at the event More than 250 people came to support the Beverly Business community and recognize the award nominees. 

The winners in each category were:

• Young Entrepreneur of the Year:  Medley Long III of Medley Sites
• Family Business of the Year:  Super Sub/Casual Catering
• Small Business of the Year:  My Print and Copy
• Large Business of the Year:  Beverly Hospital, A member of Lahey Health
• Non Profit of the Year: Beverly Bootstraps
• Corporate Citizen of the Year: North Shore 104.9FM
• Business Person of the Year:  Fran Dichner of R&L Associates

The Leslie S. Ray Hall of Fame Award was presented to Bill Howard for his dedication and commitment to the Beverly Chamber of Commerce and the Beverly business community.

The Business Awards demonstrates the confidence and pride that we have in our city and those that represent it, especially, those that are succeeding during hard economic times.  The Beverly Chamber wanted to send a clear message that Beverly is an exciting place to do business. Our Chamber is committed to helping Beverly businesses succeed.  We help to facilitate the process of bringing Beverly based businesses together and help them to market themselves to the right audiences in our community. 

Our Chamber also plays an important advocacy role for our members as it relates to governmental issues that impact them. The Awards are about celebrating the successes of each and every one of those businesses that have been nominated and we are proud of what they have achieved. They are an inspiration on the success of being a business in Beverly.

Thank you to the sponsors who helped make the Business Awards Night a success: Beverly Hospital, Beverly Cooperative Bank, Marblehead Bank, MassPay, R&L Associates, Eastern Bank, Leslie Ray Insurance, Salem 5, North Shore Music Theatre, The Hamilton Group, and North Shore Bank. 

In addition, we would like to thank those individuals and businesses who helped make this event a big success: Jo Broderick, Lauren Poussard Photography, Liberty Photo, PIP Printing, Thomson Communications, My Print and Copy, Danversport Yacht Club and our Business Awards Committee:  Jane Ash, David Ray, Dave Thomson, Jason Maxwell, Matthew Schroeder, Fay Salt, Doreen Lucido, and Bob Mitchell.

This was truly a night to remember and we look forward to seeing everyone again next year.  The turnout and support that the local businessmen and women shows that Beverly is a great place to have a business. 

Sincerely,

Gerald MacKillop, Jr

Chamber President