WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce announced it’s Small Business Award recipients Tuesday morning.
The 2019 Small Business of the Year Award contains three different categories, business-to-business, business-to-consumer, and charitable non-profit. The three winners were announced at a ceremony on Tuesday morning.
The three winners this year were Luoma Design Systems Inc in the business-to-business category. Ruppel Chiropractic LLC in the business-to-consumer category. And the Wausau River District Inc won in the charitable non-profit category.
Luoma Design Systems Inc who won the business-to-business category is an engineering and drafting firm specializing in 2D and 3D drafting for shop drawing and building information modeling. Which means the business drafts the designs for the metal and glass portions of a commercial building.
Business President Dan Luoma says his business was initially recognized by the Chamber for the small business culture they’ve created in the area. And their impressive body of work around the country.
“We’ve done Google’s main headquarters. We’ve done a project called 56 Lenord, basically the Jenga building in Manhattan. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. We’ve done some work with Expedia and Amazon out west.”
Luoma mentions they’ve also drafted designs for several buildings in the Wausau area. Some of those include the Hilton Garden Inn in Rib Mountain and the Century Insurance building in Stevens Point.
The Chamber also recognized Luoma Design Solutions for their humble beginnings. Luoma explains he and his wife created the business in 2004 to spend more time with their children.
“Our children were little at the time and we wanted to be present for them. And be able to have flexible schedules as our parents did when we were growing up. We wanted to provide that opportunity to our children too, to be able to go to their events and things of that nature.
And our kids have been pretty involved with the business in the years. I remember taking them on spring break trips to like Pittsburg and back to make sales calls. And we had some fun along the way but they’ve been living this dream right along with us.”
Louma also explains the company has a great relationship with other small businesses in the area while doing their work.
“A great vendor of ours is PC Portal of Wausau. They do a great job for us. Several companies around that really help us maintain the programming. We do have a couple of AB Contractors that we work within town here. As well as some pretty major manufacturers. So we have both the connection around town. But not only that we also do a lot of charity outreach around the area.”
When Louma and his staff found out Louma Design Solutions had won the award, Louma said it was humbling to be recognized.
“It was very humbling. Not only surprising but very humbling. Our team has worked so hard over the last fifteen years. Some team members have been with us that long since we opened up the business. And they’ve worked so hard so this is quite the achievement for them. But it was quite the honor.”
Steve Ruppel the owner of business-to-consumer winner Ruppel Chiropractic felt similarly, saying it was an honor just to be nominated for a second time this year.
“It’s just an honor even being mentioned in the same breath as everyone else who was nominated. And so we’re thankful for them and we’re all apart of this community together. And I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Blake Opal-Wahoske the Executive Director of Wausau River District Inc. said the group was excited to be recognized for their work in downtown Wausau and their recent designation as a Great American Main Street winner.
“Oh my gosh, it is so exciting and such an honor to be recognized for all our revitalization work we’ve done in our downtown. And to be up there among our peers and to be receiving the award is such a great honor as well.”
The Small Business of the Year Awards is one part of Small Business Week in Wausau. The Chamber will be holding other events throughout the week to celebrate small businesses including a business expo and a Small Business Recognition Banquet.