The Business Excellence Awards honor organizations and businesses that have shown excellence in their field every day.
Muskegon’s ever-expanding growth and successful business climate allow us to give awards in six categories: Manufacturing, Tourism/Hospitality, Retail, Service, *Entrepreneur, and ^Employer of Choice.
Nominations for 2026 Business Excellence Awards are now open!
An award will be given in each of these six categories: Manufacturing, Tourism/Hospitality, Retail, Service, *Entrepreneur and ^Employer of Choice. The nominees should demonstrate excellence in a number of the following areas:
- Provide quality products or service
- Demonstrate profitable growth and innovation in products or process investments in facilities and/or their people
- Committed to an environmentally friendly operation
- Creates a positive impact in the Muskegon Lakeshore community
- Exemplifies a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
*Entrepreneur – a person who started a business with a unique idea and overcame adversity to achieve success.
^Employer of Choice – business or organization with strong leadership, engaged workers, meaningful work and an attractive company culture
Nominations and supporting information should be submitted by Friday, January 23, 2026
Submit a nomination here
Previous Business Excellence Award Winners
2025
- Retail – Pine Street Mercantile
- Manufacturing – Lorin Industries
- Service – Corine’s Cakes and Catering
- Tourism – Dreamstay
- Entrepreneur – i’move
- Employer of Choice – Muskegon Area Intermediate School District
View interviews of 2025 winners
2024
- Retail – Art Cats Gallery
- Manufacturing – Motion Dynamics Corporation
- Service – Redi Rental Muskegon
- Tourism – Michigan’s Adventure, Muskegon Irish Music Festival
- Entrepreneur – Paul Billings
- Employer of Choice – Goodwill Industries of West Michigan
View interviews of 2024 winners
2023
- Retail – Urban Apparel
- Manufacturing – Smart Vision Lights
- Service – H&S Companies
- Tourism – Burning Foot Beer Festival
- Entrepreneur – Aldea Coffee
View interviews of the 2023 winners.
2022
- Retail – Blended Furniture Market
- Manufacturing – Rolar Products
- Service – Forrest Tax & Accounting Services
- Tourism – The Deck
- Entrepreneur – Fomcore
View interviews of the 2022 winners.
2019
- Retail – Sanborn’s Inc.
- Manufacturing – Geerpres, Inc.
- Non-Profit – Read Muskegon
- Service – The Station Grill
- Tourism – USS Silversides Submarine Museum
- Community Engagement – CWC Textron
- Entrepreneur – Ice Box Brand Ice Cream Bars.
2025 Presenting Sponsor
