Coming down to one vote, Titus Bakery beat out Indiana Mills and Manufacturing, Inc. for the Lantern Award for Business of the Year during the Westfield Chamber of Commerce annual Lantern Awards celebration Sept. 29.
This was the first year the chamber let members vote on who they believed should win the Lantern Award. One hundred and twenty-one people voted.
“We did things different this year for Business of the Year; we wanted the business community to decide who will be the Business of the Year,” said Rob Garrett, board members chairman. “The criteria for Business of the Year is it has enhanced the Westfield community, and it upholds and supports the mission of the Westfield chamber.”
Titus Bakery received the award just a day before it also won Best Donut at the first Fishers Tri Kappa Donut Festival.
Also new this year at the Lantern Awards was the Emerging Leader Award, which was announced by the Westfield Young Professionals which is a division of the Westfield Chamber of Commerce. Kolton Blickenstaff, agency owner of State Farm Insurance in Westfield, won that award.
Other award winners were announced prior to the celebration. They include:
- The Spark Award (New Westfield Business): Urban Vines
- The Globe Award (Outstanding Service Organization): Westfield Youth Sports, Inc.
- The Beacon Award (Citizen of the Year): Danyele Easterhaus
- The Wick Award (Volunteer of the Year): Matt and Amy Lutz
- Shamrock Excellence Award (Westfield Washington Schools): Nick Verhoff
- Exemplary Employee Award (City of Westfield): Kristen Sparks
- STAR Award (Westfield Public Works): Dustin Shoe
- Above and Beyond Award (Westfield Police Dept.): Tony Howard
- Leading with an Attitude of Servitude Award (Westfield Fire Dept.): Tony Tracy
Chamber President Jack Russell awarded the President’s Award to Tom Dooley.
For more, visit westfield-chamber.org.
