Each year, the Greater Concord community celebrates a business, small business, nonprofit and business leader who has demonstrated professional excellence and worked to make a positive impact on the Capital Region. One of this year’s Pinnacle Award recipients has been impacting the city for 200 years, another has established an innovative program within the last year to garner its award, others have plans underway to shape the city’s landscape in the future. The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce is honored to announce the 2023 Pinnacle Award honorees.
The Small Business of the Year Pinnacle Award recipient is Revelstoke Coffee LLC. This modern coffee shop across from the New Hampshire State House has become a landmark in the capital city. Revelstoke has hosted over 15 presidential candidates during New Hampshire’s primary season, and has won multiple awards from statewide and national publications for their house-roasted coffee; they were recently named in Tasting Table’s “The Best Coffee Shops in Every State” 2023 article. Owners Lyndsey Cole and Alex Stoyle are champions for downtown Concord, and provide a welcoming environment for locals to meet and enjoy freshly brewed coffee every day.
The Business of the Year Pinnacle Award recipient is Ledyard National Bank. Since opening their Concord branch at 74 South Main Street in fall 2020, Ledyard has established a strong community presence in the Concord area. Beyond helping their customers plan for their financial futures, this bank supports community initiatives through numerous grants, charitable donations, community donations, and sponsorships. Ledyard supports projects that focus on economic self-sufficiency, low and moderate-income housing, academic and youth programs, land and historic preservation, human services, arts and cultural activities, and more. They are a proud sponsor of Concord Monitor’s Hometown Heroes feature, an ongoing series that highlights local community leaders, and Ledyard’s employees reflect these values by individually giving back to their communities.
The Nonprofit Business of the Year Pinnacle Award recipient is the New Hampshire Historical Society, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. The Society’s museum and collection offer the most complete picture of the social, economic, political, and cultural history of New Hampshire over nearly four centuries–featuring 35,000 objects, 50,000 books, 800,000 pages of 18th and 19th century newspapers, 2 million pages of manuscripts, and 200,000 photographs. The organization’s mission is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire’s past and its relationship to our lives today, with a focus on preparing young people for lives of responsible citizenship, by providing education in social studies, history, and civics. The Society has shown innovation to fulfill this purpose by establishing The Democracy Project—a curriculum for K-6 students who would typically not learn about New Hampshire’s history or the fundamental concepts of American government in school at that time. This year alone, the social studies program “Moose on the Loose” reached 29,000 users and is being adopted by schools throughout the state.
The Business Leader of the Year Pinnacle Award recipient is Amanda Grappone Osmer. Throughout her career, Osmer has been involved in all aspects of the automotive business, and currently represents the fourth generation of her family to own and operate Grappone Automotive Group. She developed the Leadership Grappone program, steered the business away from a negation business model and into a fully transparent market pricing model, serves as a member of the Ford Global Dealer Roundtable, and is currently overseeing the construction of a new 26,000 square foot Mazda dealership facility on Manchester Street in Concord, which will open in the fall of 2023. She developed the “Take the Wheel” program, which provides affordable and reliable transportation to those who need a car to be employed, is a founder of The Dewey School at the Centerbury Shaker Village, and continually gives back to her community through gifts to nonprofits focused on education and the environment.
The Chamber is also bestowing a special award to the Capitol Center for the Arts for the Culinary Artist in Residence program, established in 2023. By leveraging their available commercial kitchen space, the Capitol Center for the Arts has provided a business incubator opportunity for local entrepreneurs in the food and service sector. This program focuses on providing opportunities to New Americans and other underserved individuals. The first participant in this program is Batulo’s Kitchen, run by beloved local food vendor Batulo Mahamed, who specializes in Somali meat pies. In addition to growing her customer base and launching her business, Mahamed’s delicacies will be sold at CCA and Bank of NH Stage concession stands throughout her residency.
The Chamber’s Pinnacle Awards event also includes recognition of the 2023 Concord Young Professional of the Year, Emily Ricard of Bangor Savings Bank. Ricard serves on the Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) Steering Committee as its Events Coordinator, working each month to plan the group’s networking events—an essential CYPN initiative. She also serves on the Capital Area Student Leadership (CASL) Steering Committee, this year stepping up to plan the entire History, Arts, Culture and Community session day for local high school sophomores. Ricard also gives back to the community through volunteer work for many local nonprofits, including Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Circle Program, and The Friendly Kitchen. She excels in her industry as the only Corporate Services Officer for Bangor Savings Bank in the State of New Hampshire, and stands out as a kind and hardworking leader in the Capital Region.
The Chamber is also pleased to announce the W. Grant McIntosh Volunteer of the Year, Jim Figueira of Primerica. Figueira has served as a tireless volunteer for the Chamber for many years, chairing both the Ambassadors and Funds for Education Golf Committee. Figueira goes above and beyond to give back when help is most needed, working before dawn at Beaver Meadow Golf Course to set up for the Chamber’s annual golf tournament, going out of his way to welcome new faces at the popular Business After Hours networking events, and stepping up during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep businesses connected with each other in a time of isolation.
The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce will celebrate Revelstoke Coffee LLC, Ledyard National Bank, New Hampshire Historical Society, Amanda Grappone Osmer, the Capitol Center for the Arts, Emily Ricard and Jim Figueira at the Pinnacle Awards ceremony on Thursday, June 1. This luncheon will be held at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and is generously sponsored by Eastern Bank, Eversource Energy Services, Sanel NAPA and Business NH Magazine. Learn more and purchase tickets for the event at my.concordnhchamber.com/event-calendar.
Incorporated in 1919, New Hampshire’s state capital chamber of commerce—the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce—develops economic opportunities, strengthens the business climate, and enhances quality of life in the Capital region. As largest chamber in the state, it is deeply invested in the local community and dedicated to shaping competitive economic development strategy, advocating for policies and projects that benefit the region, and promoting Concord as a culturally vibrant visitor destination. For more information, please visit concordnhchamber.com.