It’s almost time for the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet and awards, as nominations are being reviewed.

This year’s awards include: Community Leader of the Year, Small Business of the Year (one to 15 employees), Business of the Year (16 or more employees), Nonprofit of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year and Young Professional of the Year.

The Chamber asked that nominations be sent in by Jan. 11, giving the board ample time to review them before the banquet on Jan. 28.

Catherine Glover, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber’s awards are a longtime tradition, and it is a way to honor businesses for their contributions to the community in which they operate.

One of the oldest recognitions is for Community Leader of the Year, and several years ago the award for Small Business of the Year was added to the mix, Glover said. The Young Professional of the Year award is this year’s newest addition.

“I know that they’ve been recognizing businesses at the banquet for many, many years,” she said. “Members of the Chamber receive an email that basically has the information of what qualifies for the award for each category, and they send in nominations. … Each year, the board makes the final decision on who wins.”

Last year’s Business of the Year award actually went to two businesses: Coca-Cola Bottling Company on West Fifth Street and Down on Mainstreet on West Main Street, both in Washington.

Glover said that while there are only a handful of awards to give, Beaufort County has plenty of deserving establishments, even if they do not win recognition.

“That doesn’t mean that they’re not well deserving,” she said. “We’ve got so many businesses that could be recognized.”

“We have a lot of great businesses in our area and community leaders, as well,” Glover added.

She said it is important to give them recognition because of the importance of businesses right here in the county for the economy and overall quality of life.

“It’s important that we recognize the hard work and the dedication that a lot of these businesses have to our community,” Glover said. “They just are the vital economic piece of our growth and our future.”