Grand Rapids Chamber honors businesses at annual EPIC Awards

Grand Rapids Chamber honors businesses at annual EPIC Awards
Dante Villarreal

GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated entrepreneurial, progressive, innovative and collaborative local business leaders at its 10th annual EPIC awards Wednesday evening.

More than 150 nominations were submitted for consideration, with nine given EPIC awards. The selection committee was comprised of Grand Rapids area business leaders.

The winners are: 

  • Creative Business of the Year: Green Giftz 
  • Emerging Leader: Kevin Patterson, BDO USA LLP
  • Excellence in Business (for-profit): Feyen Zylstra LLC
  • Excellence in Business (nonprofit): John Ball Zoo
  • Minority-Owned Business of the Year: R&R Mechanical Services LLC
  • Nonprofit of the Year: Affinity Mentoring
  • Small Business of the Year: Gordon Water Systems Inc. 
  • Veteran-Owned Business of the Year: Alliant Enterprises LLC
  • Woman-Owned Business of the Year: Pack Elephant 

The awards recognize people who are “leading in growth and innovation, strengthening the business community, enabling collaborating and connections and accomplishing incredible endeavors with a focus on the future,” according to the Chamber. 

The Chamber also recognized employers making strides in diversity, equity and inclusion with the Diversity Visionary Awards, which were awarded to Gentex Corp., Praxis Packaging Solutions LLC, Spectrum Health and West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology (WMCAT). 

“These are the businesses and organizations that are making Grand Rapids a destination — a great place to live, work and thrive,” Dante Villarreal, vice president of business services for the Grand Rapids Chamber, said in a statement.