Hanover’s Perspective
Hanover County Establishes Inaugural Business Industry Awards
The Heart of Hanover Awards, the inaugural Hanover County Business Awards program, is set to recognize and celebrate outstanding local businesses in the County. This inaugural event is made possible through dedicated collaboration of Hanover County Economic Development, Hanover Education Foundation, Hanover Chamber of Commerce, and Richmond Times Dispatch, as well as the generous support of our sponsors. Leading the way is the Hanover County Economic Development Authority, joined by our Heartbeat sponsor, Luck Companies, and Pulse sponsor, Accent Professional Recruiting.
“Businesses are the heart and soul of the Hanover economy, offering so much to our local community every day” states John Budesky, Hanover County Administrator. “This is a small way which County government and, especially residents of the community, can say ‘thank you’ and provide recognition to our vibrant business community.”
With seven public-voted awards and three committee-determined awards, this program aims to spotlight exceptional contributions to the community and economic development in Hanover County. Committee-determined categories historically awarded such as the Legacy Business Awards (business in continual operation in Hanover for 50+ years) and Marc S. Weiss Award (given to the top business of the year who has shined bright in areas such as investment, community involvement, workforce development, and/or other outstanding ways), will be honored along with a newly designated Design and Building Improvement Award.
The public will determine the Heart of Hanover Awards in the following categories: Destination Business of the Year, Health and Wellness Business of the Year, Manufacturer of Coolest Thing Made in Hanover, Nonprofit of the Year, Retail Business of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, and Service Business of the Year.
Nominations for the seven public-decided awards will open for a three-week period starting on Monday, April 14, 2025. Business nominations can be self-nominated or submitted by the public. All business nominations will be verified to ensure they operate within Hanover County and meet the other award guidelines. The more nominations received, the more chances a business will make to the top 10 for the public voting awards. And as a special incentive to encourage more nominations, individuals who nominate a business in all seven categories will be entered to win a Hanover Economic Development “swag bag” full of local prizes!
Public voting is scheduled to start on Monday, May 5, 2025, and will remain open for two weeks. The business with the most votes in each category will be declared the winner and announced at the Business Awards Luncheon Program on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Registration for this event will open later this spring.
For more information about the Hanover County Business Awards or to submit a nomination, please visit HanoverVirginia.com or contact Ann Glave, Existing Business and Project Manager at 804-365-6459. For those who cannot submit nominations or vote for finalists electronically, a paper nomination form will be available beginning April 14, 2025, and a paper voting ballot will be available starting May 5, 2025, in the Hanover County Economic Development office located at 8200 Center Path Lane, Suite E, Mechanicsville, during office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The direct link to the contest is https://go.richmond.com/heartofhanover. A link to the campaign rules can be found at the bottom of this contest page.