BY SHERI TRUSTY
PORT CLINTON – On March 5, the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation (OCIC) honored business and industry leaders who have brought innovative change and impacted lives in Ottawa County at the annual Business & Industry Awards dinner. The event, hosted by OCIC Executive Director Chris Singerling at the Camp Perry Conference Center, recognized leaders whose businesses spurred economic growth in the county. Their efforts to build their businesses flourished in an environment focused on integrity, community engagement and a belief that success only holds value when it is shared.
The 2025 OCIC Business & Industry Awards recipients were:
- Entrepreneur of the Year – Erie Environmental – Mold Asbestos Radon
- Economic Development Partner Award – Mike Bassett, Knoll Crest Investors
- Bill Mack Business Leader Award – Jeremy Fitzgerald, Fast Eddie’s Sports Park – Bar and Kitchen / Cameo Pizza
- Business of the Year – Ørchard Bar & Table
- Community Champion Award – Ottawa County Commissioners Mark Coppeler, Don Douglas and Mark Stahl
The recipients exemplified a wide scope of business experience. Erie Environmental was founded as a two-man business in 2018, and by 2024, it had earned the distinction as an Inc. 5000 company. On the other side of the spectrum, Bassett’s family has been in business for 127 years, giving him a strong leadership foundation to draw upon.
“I come from a family of innovators,” Bassett said.
Regardless of their differences, all of the businesses have something in common: success and gratitude.
“It’s not an easy business to be in,” Fitzgerald said of the restaurant profession. “We couldn’t do it without all of your support.”
The OCIC staff took the awards event in a new direction this year when they set aside the Volunteer of the Year Award to honor three men who have used their position as elected officials to help foster economic growth in the county. The volunteer award was replaced with the Community Champion Award and presented to Ottawa County Commissioners Mark Stahl, Donald Douglas and Mark Coppeler.
Singerling said the commissioners were chosen for the award because of their “tireless work to advance the mission of OCIC” and because they “boost economic development in our county by showing up time and time again.”
Ørchard Bar & Table was recognized as a “farm-to-table dining experience inspired by the area’s rich cultural heritage.” It was honored as the Business of the Year for its contributions to the culture and community of Ottawa County.
It is a bit ironic that the OCIC staff spent an evening recognizing others for their contributions to economic development because their three-person leadership team is arguably the foundation of the county’s business and industry growth.
Singerling, along with Director of Workforce Innovation Katherine Adams and Business Outreach Manager Jessica Grzechowiak, pour their collective knowledge, experience, enthusiasm and passion for Ottawa County into spurring economic growth every week of the year. They are a magical mix that brings creative solutions to economic problems, opening the door for wide-scope business success across the county.
The OCIC leadership team are visionaries who serve as the county’s economic anchor and business cheerleaders. As they presented awards to business and industry recipients on March 5, they were unknowingly honoring the work they do creating an atmosphere where businesses can thrive and business owners can find the support they need to attain their dreams.
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