2017 Business Awards to honor Corridor companies next week in Cedar Rapids

The Gazette will honor businesses in the Corridor next week during its third-annual Business Excellence Awards banquet.

The banquet will take place Thursday, Nov. 9, at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids.

The event will begin with networking at 5:30 p.m., followed by the keynote speech and awards beginning at 7 p.m.

Some 40 awards will be presented to for-profit and not-for-profit businesses and organizations as well as individuals in 20 categories.

Robynn Shrader, CEO of National Co+op Grocers, based in Iowa City and representing 146 co-ops in 38 states, will keynote the awards ceremony with a discussion of 'B Corps: Doing Well and Doing Good.” B Corps. are for-profit companies that receive certification for how they create value, not just for shareholders, but for their employees, customers, community and the environment.

Shrader will be introduced by Iowa City Area Development Group President Mark Nolte.

The night's emcees will be The Gazette's Michael Chevy Castranova, Zack Kucharski, Quinn Pettifer and Matthew Patane.

To purchase tickets, visit 2017GazetteBusinessAwards.eventbrite.com or call (319) 398-8345.

l Comments: (319) 398-8366; matthew.patane@thegazette.com