2026 Small Business of the Year Award finalists named

The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce has announced the finalists of the 2026 Small Business of the Year Awards. Ten businesses and organizations have been named as finalists for the awards.

The Small Business of the Year Award recognizes business growth, community involvement and innovative efforts in the Wausau region. Returning in 2026, the recipients will be named during a livestreamed program at the Chamber’s Business EXPO at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 16.

“We are excited to offer the Small Business of the Year Awards in this way again this year,” said Brian Otten, marketing director with the Chamber. “The EXPO is a day-long celebration of businesses in our region and the addition for the first time last year of this awards program to the day was the perfect opportunity to spotlight these exceptional small businesses.”

Dylan Eckhart and Kyle Pozorski of WAOW Newsline 9 will serve as the emcee for the event.

The finalists in each of the categories are:

Business Award Finalists:

• Chase Outdoors LLC
• CWAV LLC
• NorthStar Restoration Services
• The Palms Supper Club
• Restlawn Memorial Park LLC

Charitable Non-Profit Award Finalists:

• Adaptive Communities Inc
• Bridge Street Mission
• The Open Door of Marathon County Inc
• Wausau Curling Club Inc
• Wausau Events Inc

Each of this year’s finalists will be interviewed in the coming weeks, with the videos available on the Chamber’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The 2025 Small Business of the Year Award recipients were In The Lite Electric in the Business category and Habitat for Humanity of Wausau - Restore in the Charitable Non-Profit category.

Thousands will assemble on Thursday, April 16 at the Central Wisconsin Convention + Expo Center in Rothschild for Business EXPO 2026. The Business EXPO is the largest Chamber trade show in the nation and will feature hundreds of exhibitors. The EXPO features an exhibitor-to-exhibitor time from 9 a.m. to noon, before opening to the public from noon to 5 p.m.  The event will feature a mascot parade at 1 p.m. and the Best In Show Awards will be presented around 3 p.m. Admission to the event is free.

New this year, several food trucks will offer lunch options for exhibitors and attendees in the area south of the Convention + Expo Center’s Ballroom.

The EXPO will be followed by the Fun@EXPO networking event from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at bantr in Rothschild. Fun@EXPO is the region’s largest business networking event of the year, offering a unique opportunity to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones. Food and beverages at the event will be supplied by numerous Chamber member restaurants, caterers, distributors and breweries. The cost for a wristband to enter is $25 at the EXPO or at the door.

The presenting sponsor for the Small Business of the Year Awards and Business EXPO is M3 Insurance. The EXPO is sponsored at the platinum level by The Dirks Group and SDS Painting Company, at the silver level by Health In Motion, Ho-Chunk Gaming – Wittenberg, In The Lite Electric, Jim Kryshak Jewelers, Lakeland Care, Vitality Bar, Weston Memory Care and Yach’s Body & Custom. The print media sponsor is The Business News. The television sponsor is WAOW/WYOW Television Inc. The radio sponsor is Midwest Communications. The printed map sponsor is RotoGraphic Printing Inc and the Best In Show Awards sponsor is New Pulse Marketing.

A very limited number of additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Kaycee Packard, Director of Programs & Events, at kpackard@wausauchamber.com or 715-848-5955 to learn more.