Nine Awarded at Celebrate Business Awards

I am excited to recognize our winners from the 2020 Celebrate Business Awards held virtually in December 2020. We couldn’t be prouder of their contributions to our city, especially during a challenging year.

SMALL BUSINESSES OF THE YEAR – Turbine Flats, The Bay. Turbine Flats is an idea community. With over 40,000 square feet of office, incubator and startup space, the campus is home to 40 different companies. The project was designed to foster a space for innovation in the entrepreneurial community. The Bay is a 20,000-sq.ft. community space that features the state’s only indoor, public skatepark, digital media lab and other amenities. A program of Rabble Mill, the pandemic spurred The Bay to innovate, creating The Bay Online, digital after-school programming that teaches youth and at-risk youth statewide.

MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR – inExhaust. inExhaust has over 50 years combined experience in exhaust system manufacturing, power generation, emissions and the oil and gas industries. They provide quality standard and custom exhaust systems components solutions for the diesel, gas and power industries, exhibiting leadership and a strong commitment to our city.

GREEN BUSINESS OF THE YEAR – Monolith. Monolith uses renewable electricity to transform natural gas into carbon black and hydrogen to ensure their customers have sustainable, high-performing materials for the products they produce. A next-generation chemical and energy company, they believe technology will create the path to environmental transformation.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AWARD – BasicBlock. BasicBlock serves fleets nationwide, leading the trucking industry in technology. With safety paramount in 2020, they utilized technology to ensure essential workers did not have to risk their health to complete their job – connecting an entire industry with the tools needed to complete their work.

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AWARD – Lincoln Sports Foundation. Lincoln Sports Foundation strives to own and operate a complex that is of service to the community. They partner with quality organizations that focus on developing, mentoring and training student athletes and their families by providing high-quality and caring coaches, enabling them to reach their full potential as athletes and members of the community.

CORNERSTONE AWARD – Union Bank & Trust. Family-owned for over 50 years, Union Bank & Trust provides complete financial services to help individuals, families and businesses thrive. Their commitment to customer service and significant PPP loan leadership throughout the pandemic earned them recognition by Forbes Magazine as the #2 bank in the U.S.

ROGER T. LARSON COMMUNITY BUILDER AWARD – Sändra Washington. Sändra Washington worked with the National Park Service for nearly 25 years and served multiple terms on the Homestead Girl Scout Board of Directors, the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and as a Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commissioner before her appointment to the Lincoln City Council in 2019. With the creation of Together, One Lincoln, she has made a lasting impact by teaching us to embrace our differences to achieve greatness, making a stronger community.

MASTER OF THE PIVOT AWARD – Duncan Aviation. Duncan Aviation is an aircraft service provider supporting business aircraft operators with airframe inspections, engine maintenance and numerous other vital services. When the pandemic hit, they significantly altered their business operations to support relief efforts, making and distributing crucial PPE to first responders and essential workers.