Daily Herald Media Group earns top business honor
The Daily Herald Media Group won the Brian H. Burke Business of the Year designation Saturday night and was among several other businesses honored at the Schaumburg Business Association annual dinner.
More than 370 business representatives celebrated at the formal event titled Vogue, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg.
The Daily Herald garnered the top honor named after SBA founder Brian Burke, CEO of Links Technology, the Schaumburg company that originated as an office supply company and reinvented itself into a growing digital firm.
When Daily Herald Publisher and CEO Douglas K. Ray accepted the award, he said it was appropriate as his company has also had to reinvent itself. What started out as a newspaper has added an array of other related products, including producing chamber of commerce guides, Reflejos, the Daily Herald Business Ledger and holding events that inform people in the suburbs.
“The newspaper is reinventing itself, but our core value is still the same — to make the community a better place,” Ray said.
Other business award winners honored during the evening included Leadership of the Year, Ray Horn; Volunteer of the Year, David Ven Horst; Ambassador of the Year, Jim Idstein; Member of the Year, Michael Alagna of Nation Pizza; Rookie of the Year, Club Colors and the not-for-profit award went to Clearbrook.
Organizers of the event were pleased with Vogue, the incarnation of the Toast of Schaumburg. “There are 44 percent more people here over last year,” said Kaili Harding, Schaumburg Business Association president.
“There is a good energy here in the room,” Harding said while looking at participants socializing with friends and family. “It's a really fun event. It's very glamorous,” she said, adding that it's nice to see the business community all dressed up, instead of sporting their regular business attire.
She said that for the first time members of the Schaumburg association nominated the award nominees. “This was a really positive improvement,” she said.
“The six winners are really deserving of the recognition,” she added.