chamber banquet

  • By Tami Lange Mosser
  • October 30, 2013
  • 402
                        
The only thing surprising about Richard Seaman being selected as the 26th person to be on the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce’s Wall of Fame was that he wasn’t already there. Seaman, the chairman and chief executive officer of Seaman Corp., will be officially honored during the Chamber’s annual banquet on Thursday, Jan. 16 at the Greenbriar Conference & Party Centre on Riffel Road in Wooster. It’s an honor, Chamber President Justin Starlin said, “that is long overdue.” He cited Seaman’s many contributions to Wooster and to Wayne County, as well as to Holmes County, and his “tremendous support of small businesses and entrepreneurship.” Some of that support of small business may have come from Seaman’s own background, Starlin said, as Seaman’s father, Norm, started the business in a basement workshop with two sewing machines in Canal Fulton. From those humble beginnings, Seaman Corp. has grown to a global provider of high-quality knitted and woven cloths and coating formulas. In addition to its corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility in Wooster, Seaman Corp. also has a weaving and coating facility in Bristol, Tennessee. Richard Seaman joined the company as plant manager in 1968. While Starlin had high praise for the company and for its commitment to remain in Wooster, he added that the award honors Seaman for much more than his business life. “When you think of him, you think of the Seaman Corp.,” Starlin said. “(The award) is more about him, not the business.” He pointed to the Seaman Family Foundation and to the many ways Seaman has given back to the community. He is member of The College of Wooster Board of Trustees, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Board of Trustees in Boston, the Burton D. Morgan Foundation Board of Trustees, as well being appointed to the Ohio Third Frontier Commission by Gov. John Kasich. Seaman also is a former board member at FirstMerit Corp. Nominations for the Wall of Fame are reviewed by a nominating committee composed of past Chamber chairs, as well as the current leadership, according to Starlin. That committee’s recommendations are then voted on by the Chamber board. Starlin said the banquet gathering also will take a few moments to honor the memories of Wall of Fame inductees Viola Startzman Robertson, Al Van Wie , and Julia Fishelson, all of whom died this year. The evening’s other top honoree will be Frito-Lay, which will be honored as business of the year. The Wooster facility has operated for more than 50 years, Starlin said, and employs 400 people. Frito-Lay, which is now a subsidiary of Pepsico, has facilities all over the country and the Wooster plant, Starlin said, is a leader among its peers. This comes as a result of its ability to be both efficient and cost effective, which Starlin said is a reflection of local management and its workforce. Other companies and individuals to be honored at the banquet include: Peggy Schmitz of Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Jack O’Donnell Award for Community Service; Stacy Rottman of Central Farm and Garden, Mike Lezak Award for Volunteer Service; the University of Akron Wayne College, Board of Directors Award; Dr. Alan Kiefer, Leadership Wooster Alumni Award; and D.C. Curry Lumber Co. and Pizzazz Performance Wear, Small Businesses of the Year. Other awards include RBB Systems, the Wayne Economic Development Council’s Quality Growth Award; The Counseling Center of Wayne and Holmes Counties, the Wayne County Community Foundation’s Worthy Works Award; and Judy Delaney of Goodwill Industries and Deanna Troutman of Troutman Vineyards, the Wayne County Women’s Network Athena Awards. Invitations will go out this month, Starlin said, but for the first time, reservations main be made online at http://woosterchamberdinner.eventbrite.com/. A social hour begins at 5 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m., the awards ceremony at 7 p.m. and an after-part at 8 p.m. Reservations must be made by Dec. 9. The dinner typically draws about 800 people, Starlin said, adding “hopefully, the community will support another sell out.”


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load