Our View: Way to go, Chamber winners

The Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce held its 68th annual meeting, banquet and awards ceremony this week, after skipping last year due to the pandemic, and it was fun to see area business leaders get together in one room again.

We appreciate the local chamber, which has an active membership and stays involved in the community it serves. It’s involved in advocating for local businesses at the local levels and is responsible for such events as the annual Home Show and the fall craft fair, as well as many other events and services throughout the year.

But we’re particularly happy to see its annual “Small Business of the Year” and “Large Business of the Year” awards this year.

The Small Business award went to B&B Market, which has been owned by John and Kim Lind for 33 years, and has been involved in so many local events that it’s impossible to mention them all. But of particular note was last year’s food train, which raised money and provided food to those affected by the pandemic. It was a truly amazing endeavor undertaken by the Linds and it captured the attention of many people in the community and around the region.

The Linds announced that they are retiring and have sold the business to a longtime meat counter employee. We’ll miss the couple’s nearly constant presence in their store. As John Lind thanked the crowd, he said, “We’ve been at it 33 years: 356 days a year.” Just as the crowd was silently trying to figure out which days the workaholic team took off, Kim leaned over and whispered, “It’s 365 days a year, John.” They will be missed.

Cloquet superintendent Michael Cary accepted the award for Large Business of the Year, and noted it was a somewhat odd award because the school district, of course, is not a business but rather a public governmental agency. We think the award is fair, though, although we’d characterize it as this year’s Large Employer award. Regardless, the district was faced with spectacular challenges during the pandemic and seemed to come through it with flying colors.

And bravo to Jeannie Kermeen, who was well-deserving of the volunteer award. Not only is Jeannie a wonderful volunteer for the Chamber, she’s a fabulous community member who truly cares.

We appreciate these award ceremonies as they strengthen and support our local businesses, and we join in the Chamber in congratulating this year’s winners.