NEW RICHMOND – St. Croix Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) celebrated the winners of its Business of the Year awards, honoring outstanding businesses and organizations for their exceptional growth, community impact, and contributions to the local economy. The six award winners recognized were: Rodent Barriers LLC as the Emerging Business of the Year, Homestead Veterinary Clinic as the Small Business of the Year, Krumm Exteriors, LLC as the Large Business of the Year, Operation HELP as Non-profit of the Year, Limitless Cycling as County Impact Award of the Year and Tom Borowski for the Director’s Award.

"St. Croix County is home to some truly remarkable businesses and organizations, and this year's honorees are a perfect reflection of that.,” said Tom Loonan, SCEDC’s 2025-2026 Board President and Attorney at Eckberg Lammers. “From emerging entrepreneurs to long-standing community pillars, each winner represents what makes this region such a special place to do business."

Each of the winners received a glass award from SCEDC, a legislative citation from Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, Sen. Rob Stafsholt, and Rep. Rob Kreibich, as well as a citation from Sen. Tammy Baldwin, and a citation from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

The SCEDC Annual Banquet was the SCEDC’s top attended banquet in history, drawing a crowd of 254 attendees at Ready Randy’s in New Richmond.

“Nights like this remind us why we do what we do. Watching our community come together to celebrate innovation, service, and dedication — it’s energizing,” said Melissa Meschke, executive director for SCEDC. “We are incredibly proud of this year's winners and grateful to everyone who joined us to honor them.”

Representatives from healthcare, manufacturing, higher education, insurance, banking, childcare, construction, utilities, commercial real estate, municipalities and more industries were present.

This year's honorees represented the breadth and vitality of St. Croix County's business community. Hudson-based Rodent Barriers LLC, founded in 2023, earned the Emerging Business of the Year award after remarkable early success with its patented rodent-intrusion barriers — a product now protecting infrastructure across multiple Midwest states. Homestead Veterinary Clinic was named Small Business of the Year, a testament to the Baldwin clinic's steady growth and deep community roots since Dr. Danielle Johnson opened its doors in 2011.

Krumm Exteriors, LLC took home the Large Business of the Year honor, reflecting nearly three decades of craftsmanship, expansion, and investment in the region under owner Penny Austad. On the nonprofit side, Operation HELP was recognized as the inaugural Non-Profit of the Year for 35 years of service to families in need and its innovative new Alliance Center — a 20,000-square-foot hub bringing essential services together under one roof.

Limitless Cycling, a program of River Valley Trails, received the inaugural County Impact Award for making outdoor recreation accessible to residents of all abilities through adaptive bikes, Trackchairs®, and a growing volunteer network. Finally, the Director's Award was presented to Tom Borowski, a former SCEDC board member and former President of Hudson Hospital and Clinic whose leadership and dedication to Hudson left a lasting mark.

The event was sponsored by St. Croix County, Xcel Energy, Derrick Building Solutions, St. Croix Electric Cooperative, Royal Credit Union, Eckberg Lammers, Hiawatha National Bank, Citizens State Bank, First State Bank and Trust, FNC Bank, OEM Fabricators, Studio EA, Twin Cities Metro Certified Development, Alera Group, City of River Falls, Hudson Hospital & Clinic, Westfields Hospital & Clinic, B&B Electric, Baldwin Lightstream, Northwood Technical College, Oso Clean, First National Bank, Security Financial Bank, and Krumm Exteriors.

Submitted by SCEDC