Waterbury Regional Chamber Announces Recipients of 2020 Harold Webster Smith Awards

Waterbury Regional Chamber to Present 2020 Harold Webster Smith Awards Jan 22

WATERBURY, Conn. – Dec. 23, 2019 – PRLog — The Waterbury Regional Chamber will present the 23rd Annual Harold Webster Smith Awards on Wednesday, January 22, 2020, from 7:45-9:30 a.m. at Aria Wedding & Banquet Facility, 45 Murphy Road in Prospect. The awards recognize smaller companies and small business executives who have achieved excellence.

Award recipients are Entrepreneur of the Year Virginia O’Rourke Cookson, owner of O’Rourke & Birch Florist Inc. in Waterbury; Small Business of the Year Litchfield Distillery of Litchfield; and Manufacturer of the Year Seidel Inc. in Waterbury.

David Lehman, commissioner of the state Department of Economic & Community Development will be the keynote speaker. Mr. Lehman, who also serves as Gov. Ned Lamont’s senior economic adviser, has a background in finance that includes serving as global head of real estate finance for the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs.

Harold Webster Smith founded First Federal Savings of Waterbury in 1935 to help people build and buy homes. He served as CEO until 1937, and as chairman of the board until 1995, when First Federal was renamed Webster Bank in his honor. Today, Webster Bank is the largest financial service organization in New England, and each year, the Chamber honors small business leaders who, like Smith, have the vision to expand, diversify, and prosper.

“In honor of Harold Webster Smith’s legacy and small business inspiration, we recognize small companies and entrepreneurs who share his passion for business development and his commitment to the positive economic progress of the Waterbury region,” said Lynn Ward, president, and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber. “Throughout his career, he served as an inspiration for countless small businesses. We are very pleased to recognize companies that share his ideals.”

The 2020 Harold Webster Smith Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient is Virginia “Ginny” O’Rourke Cookson, owner of O’Rourke & Birch Florist at 170 Freight St. in Waterbury. The business was founded by her father and aunt in 1922 at 417 North Main St. O’Rourke Cookson took over the business 40 years ago and has run it since, thriving even as the internet and online shopping created new challenges. Her business employs a dozen professionals who create beautiful centerpieces and floral arrangements for her customers.

The 2020 Harold Webster Smith Small Business of the Year Award recipient is Litchfield Distillery at 569 Bantam Road in Litchfield. Founded as a hobby in 2014 by brothers David, Jack and Peter Baker and master distiller James McCoy, the distillery quickly grew into a thriving business. Starting with one small still and purchasing bourbon to build a base, Litchfield Distillery now has several employees and offers multiple flavors of bourbon, vodka, and gin.

The 2020 Harold Webster Smith Manufacturer of the Year Award recipient, Seidel Inc., is located at 2223 Thomaston Ave. in Waterbury. A family-owned and operated business founded in 1987 by Michael Ritzenhoff and his father, Hermann, Seidel specializes in anodized and decorative finishes for aluminum alloy parts, primarily for the cosmetics industry. The company recently acquired two other Waterbury manufacturers, Eyelet Crafters, and Eyelet Design, bringing its total number of employees to over 200. Seidel is working to merge the three companies into a larger and more stable enterprise.

Premier Sponsor for the event is Webster Bank; Supporting Sponsors are Brass Axe Capital and Drew Marine, and Small Business Sponsors are Braxton Manufacturing Company Inc., Employers Reference Source Inc., Hartford Stamp & Sign; Largay Travel Inc., Litchfield Bancorp, Nardelli’s Grinder Shoppes, People’s United Bank, Pisani Steel Fabrication Inc., Powerstation Events, Saint Mary’s Hospital, and Winvian Farm. If you or your organization does business with any of our honorees, a sponsorship is a great way to show support for them.

For tickets, or to learn more about the Chamber, visit www.waterburychamber.com, call 203-757-0701, or email [email protected].