 Well, it was a big day for businesses in the Bemidji area as they were recognized by the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce through their awards of excellence. Chamber members gathered for the annual spring luncheon at the Hampton Inn in Sweets. The Charlie Naylor Lifetime Achievement Award was the highest honor awarded at the event. This year's award recipient was Andy Wells of Wells Technology who not only launched a successful business but an academy to give people a second chance. And I wanted to do something different. Start a business that not only creates products but creates some jobs for the people of our communities who are really needed but each of us has a special opportunity to reach somebody else according to who we know or who our culture is and I found these young Native American people who are on the street and need help or somebody to reach. Other award recipients include Security Bank, USA for Wellness in the Workplace, Lake Bemidji Bed and Breakfast for Best New Business, Concordia Language Villages and United Way of Bemidji for Business of the Year and Hannah Anderson for Entrepreneur of the Year. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.