by Greater Reading Chamber Alliance
Photos courtesy of Wayne Becker of Zerbe Photography
On Wednesday, May 22, the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) celebrated the vitality of the Berks County business community at its 111th Annual Dinner held at the Santander Arena. More than 750 people gathered for the brightly colored event.
The evening kicked off with the Wilson High School percussion line welcoming Brian Westbrook, the keynote speaker and former Philadelphia Eagles running back, onto the stage. He presented his first slide that said, “DALLAS SUCKS!”
“This is the way I like to start all my talks,” he said as the crowd cheered.
Westbrook spoke about one of his favorite teammates of all time, Terrell Owens (T.O.). He said that when T.O. joined the organization in 2004, he brought a swagger and confidence. T.O. famously played in the Super Bowl that year on a broken leg, a move Westbrook said was a lesson in perseverance — the same type of perseverance is needed to successfully run a business, he said.
“Brian reminded us that like all great sports teams, great companies set measurable goals, work together through adversity, and are able to adapt swiftly to change,” said Lucine Sihelnik, President and CEO of GRCA.
The evening continued with recognizing the 45 companies that made up the Business Excellence Awards in Category 1. Dolan Construction, Inc., Pennsylvania Anesthesia Coalition, LLC, and Diamond Credit Union took the top three spots. The honored businesses in Category 1 are for-profit companies with revenues of at least $1 million in each of the past three fiscal years.
Smaller businesses were recognized in Category 2 with Catering by John Lowe, VA Productions, Inc., and D&S Portable Toilets, LLC, making the top three. The recognized companies in Category 2 are for-profit businesses with revenues of at least $250,000 in each of the past three fiscal years.
“I am thrilled to recognize the hard work and dedication of businesses in the Greater Reading region at GRCA’s Annual Dinner. Their success demonstrates the vitality and perseverance of our community, and we are devoted to encouraging their progress and success,” said Sara Kuzma Stump, Director of Marketing at Suburban Testing Labs and GRCA’s board chairwoman.
The Title Sponsor of the event was Wells Fargo, and the Platinum Sponsor was Shuman Development Group.
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