Douglas County recognizes seven businesses with Spotlight Award

For the sixth consecutive year, seven Douglas County businesses were recognized with a Spotlight Award. This year’s awards were given at the Critical Issues Conference held on Thursday.

The Spotlight Awards recognized businesses in seven different categories: Business and professional service, entrepreneur, manufacturing and production, restaurant, retail, sports and recreation, and tourism and hospitality.

“The Spotlight Awards are the County’s opportunity to shed light on those businesses investing in our community and choosing to do business in here,” said Economic Vitality Manager Lisa Granahan. “We are recognizing them to acknowledge their value to the community and say thank you.”

The businesses were selected based on achieving some or many of the following eligible criteria:

1. Unique and marketable

2. Involved in the community or business community

3. Investing in their businesses

4. Exhibited ability to partner with public and/or non-profit sector

5. Developed or refined their business plans

6. Taking steps to provide employee training or growth opportunities

Selections were made based on staff knowledge and input from business community organizations such as the local Chambers of Commerce, the Main Street Gardnerville, the Nevada Small Business Development Center, and the Business Council of Douglas County.

The following businesses received Spotlight Awards:

■ Business & Professional Service Spotlight – Weidinger Public Relations

■ Entrepreneur Spotlight – Getaway Reno/Tahoe Media

■ Manufacturing and Production Spotlight – VIP Rubber and Plastics

■ Restaurant Spotlight – Lake Tahoe AleWorX

■ Retail Spotlight – Sierra Chef

■ Sports & Recreation Spotlight – Testa Motorsports

■ Tourism & Hospitality Spotlight – Bently Heritage Estate Distillery

Each winner received an engraved lantern with a glowing flameless candle symbolic of keeping the Economic Vitality torch lit in creating a “Community to Match the Scenery.”