2026 Large Business Excellence Award Nomination

The McLean County Chamber of Commerce celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of its members with the presentation of our annual Business Excellence Awards*.  


The Large Business Excellence Award is presented to a member business that has achieved outstanding business performance through quality personalized service to customers and clients and business distinctiveness with 51 or more employees. (# of employees is calculated with full-time employees counting as 1, and part-time employees counting as .5) 


Previous winners of the Large Business Excellence Award include:
Carle BroMenn Healthcare (2009)
Commerce Bank (2010)
The Snyder Companies (2011)
Little Jewels Learning Center (2012)
Nicor Gas (2013)
Farnsworth Group (2014)
Busey Bank (2015)
McDonald's Restaurants (2016)
Heartland Community College (2017)
Epiphany Farms Hospitality Group (2018)
Corn Belt Energy Corporation (2019)
CEFCU (2021)
Wilber Group (2022)
Synergy Home Care (2023)
PNC Bank (2024)
Four Seasons Health Club (2025)


In order to be eligible for this award, the business must meet the following requirements:

• Be a member in good standing of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce

• Have been in operation for at least 3 years

• Have 51 or more employees

• Demonstrates integrity and community involvement

• Not be a previous recipient of this specific award*


*Recipients of this award are eligible to win other Business Excellence Awards in the future, but not back to back years. 


Associations, companies, or individuals may nominate large businesses that meet the requirements of this award. Self-nominations are accepted.


Nominations must be received by 5pm on October 19, 2026. 


All finalists will be asked to submit additional supporting information including a business professional resume, letters of recommendation, and photos for their nomination packet, which will be due by December 7, 2026.  Finalists are also required to be in attendance at the Chamber's Annual Gala on Saturday, February 6, 2027.


*Judged and selected by chamber executives from across our state, these prestigious awards will be presented on Saturday, February 6, 2027, as part of the Chamber's Annual Gala.

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Nominator Information

Criteria

*Please understand non-member businesses may be nominated, however, in order to be a qualifying candidate, businesses must join the Chamber prior to nomination deadline of Monday, October 19th in order to be considered.

Yes
No

*It is required to get permission in advance from the nominee.

Yes
No

Provide information on general business operations, milestone achieved, community involvement, Chamber involvement, and historical and current excellence that sets the business apart from others in the same business area. The judges will score the nomination based on these categories.  

Maximum 500 words.

Nominated Business Information