Opening Up

Chamber Small Biz Awards Go to Kristo, C&M Properties

V1 Staff |

A well-known orthodontic business and an up-and-coming homebuilding firm were honored recently as Small Businesses of the Year by the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce. Kristo Orthodontics, which was founded in Eau Claire by Dr. Steve Kristo and now has 11 locations across west-central Wisconsin, was chosen as Small Business of the Year in the 26-150 employee category. C&M Properties & Construction, owned by Cody and Molly Filipczak, which over the last 12 years has grown from building four homes a year to 68 a year, was named Small Business of the Year in the 1-25 employee category. Other winners include Sarah Stokes of Stokes+HERZOG, a marketing and public relations firm, who won the Woman of Achievement Award; Commonweal Development Corp. (Dan Clumpner and Stuart Schafer), who won the Community Development Award; and Eau Claire Police Chief Jerry Staniszewski, who was named Public Employee of the Year. Awards were given at the chamber’s 103rd annual meeting April 18 in the Davies Center at UW-Eau Claire. For a complete list of winners, visit eauclairechamber.org.