MARLBOROUGH – Area business leaders gathered at the Hudson Portuguese Club on Friday for the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Heroes Among Us celebration.
The event took a look back on business challenges, innovations and successes from 2020 and 2021 while recognizing annual award winners.
“This is a celebration,” Chamber President and CEO Robert Schlacter said during the event. “It’s a celebration about overcoming one of the most challenging periods in human history and the wide range of industries, companies and civic leadership that united in amazing ways to get us through it.”
Event attendees visited booths set up by a number of local restaurants to sample a wide variety of dishes as part of a “Taste of Marlborough” program.
Those attendees then settled in for award presentations in seven different categories.
Schlacter announced winners as follows:
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- Small Business of the Year – Al Brodeur’s Body Shop
- Entrepreneur of the Year – Adam Krasinski (Tacklebox Brewing Company)
- Business Person of the Year – Richard Tomanek (Embassy by Hilton)
- Ann Scott Community Service Award – Mark Vital (AMSA, Sweats for Vets Inc.)
- Business of the Year – American Heritage Museum
- President’s Award – John Logomasini (Chill Kitchen and Bar)
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Emily Greenwood
The Ann Scott award was a new addition to the existing lineup of annual MRCC recognitions this year, serving to honor the legacy of Ann Scott, who passed away in December.
Scott was heavily involved in variety of organizations in Marlborough, including the Chamber of Commerce, offering extensive volunteer efforts over the years..
“She was the ultimate volunteer and go-to person if you needed help with a project, golf tournament, or charity drive,” her obituary noted.
The inaugural recipient of the Ann Scott Award, Vital has, himself, been heavily involved in community service. Among his efforts, he helped found Sweats For Vets Inc., which provides sports-team hoodies and other items to homeless veterans throughout the Greater New England area.
Outside of award recognitions, Friday night’s event also featured keynote addresses from Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant and Marlborough Hospital President and CEO Steve Roach, who both discussed Marlborough’s journey through the coronavirus pandemic.
The MRCC separately recognized the 60-year membership of Central Auto Rebuilders and presented special legislative citations to representatives of Hologic and the New England Sports Center (NESC) for their work during the height of the pandemic.
Headquartered in Marlborough, Hologic has helped develop and distribute a massive amount of COVID-19 tests around the world.
The NESC, meanwhile, partnered extensively with city and Marlborough Hospital officials to run the sprawling Stop the Spread test site in its parking lot through parts of 2020, 2021 and 2022
“It’s funny how we forget what we were all going through,” Schlacter said, referring to award nominees prior to the winner announcements.
“This is a special bond that is shared by all these folks,” he continued. “Their peers represented them during the most difficult and challenging business environment that anyone can remember. This makes the nominations even more significant.”
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