Hanover’s Perspective
Hanover Has Voted: See The Heart of Hanover Finalists!
The community response to The Heart of Hanover Awards has been tremendous! Thanks to your enthusiasm and community spirit, this celebration of our local businesses has been bigger and better than ever before. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate and vote—your support truly shines a light on the people and places that make Hanover such a special place to live, work, and visit.
In the inaugural Heart of Hanover Business Awards, community members who nominated a business in each of the seven categories were entered into a drawing to win a Hanover Economic Development gift bag filled with local prizes valued at $158. This incentive aimed to encourage comprehensive participation in recognizing outstanding local businesses across categories. The winner of this year’s drawing is Cody Bryant!
We’re thrilled to announce that more than 600 businesses were nominated through 10,296 cast ballots—highlighting the vibrant diversity and excellence of our local business community. From those nominations, 10 outstanding businesses with the most nominations rose to the top in each category and entered the final voting round. After two weeks of community voting where an impressive total of 22,441 votes were cast, 3 finalists in each category have emerged as this year’s top contenders in The Heart of Hanover Awards.
Top 10 Nominated Businesses in each category (in alphabetical order):
- Destination Business of the Year: Ashland Theatre, Freckled Flower Farm, Hanover Tavern, Hanover Vegetable Farm, Historic Polegreen Church Foundation, Intermission Beer Company – Brewpub & Arcade, James River Cellars Winery, Kings Dominion, Meadowgate Alpacas, Rhythm Ranch Homestead
- Health & Wellness Business of the Year: Elrod & Dunham Dentistry, Good Vibes RVA, Jazzercise Mechanicsville, Montpelier Family Chiropractic, Old Mechanicsville Health Spa, Pulse Barre Studio, Root Modern Dentistry, Scherm Family Chiropractic, Vitalize Functional Medicine, Your Path Counseling Center
- Manufacturer of the Coolest Thing Made in Hanover County: 580 Pottery, Center of the Universe Brewing Company, Closet Factory, Day Three Bath & Body, Hanover Foils LLC., Naked Goat Soap Co., Porvair Filtration Group Inc., Virginia Artesian Bottling Co, Virginia Favorites Montpelier VA, Whispering springs farm
- Nonprofit Organization of the Year: Alix’s Fosters Kitten Rescue, Beaverdam Ruritan Club, CJs Thumbs Up Foundation, Downtown Ashland Association, Hanover and King William Habitat for Humanity, Moments Of Hope Outreach, Sawyers Warriors, The Arc of Hanover Thrift Store, The Lucky Paw Foundation, The Montpelier Center For Arts & Education
- Restaurant of the Year: Ash & Olive, Hooked Seafood & Raw Bar, Industrial Taphouse, Olde Towne Smokehouse, Red Rooster Country Store, Rise and Shine Diner, Roma Italian Restaurant Catering & Events, The Caboose Market & Café, The Giambancos Italian Grill, Third Base Grill
- Retail Business of the Year: Crimson and Clover Thrift, For Posh Sake, Green Top Sporting Goods, Los Regios Tienda Latina, Plum Pickings, Red Poppy Pickin, Refunkit, ReMix Market RVA, The Local Cup, Through the Garden Gate
- Service Business of the Year: AeroTech Mechanical LLC, Blazer Heating Air and Plumbing, Creative Enterprise Powerwashing LLC, Custom Vacations and Travel, EAT Kitchen and Catering, Kristie Bradley Photography, Manning Memorial Services, PawsCienda Pet Resort, S&S Painting LLC, Walls Insurance Agency Inc.
Top 3 Finalists in each category (in alphabetical order):
- Destination Business of the Year: Ashland Theatre, Freckled Flower Farm, Hanover Tavern
- Health & Wellness Business of the Year: Good Vibes RVA, Pulse Barre Studio, Root Modern Dentistry
- Manufacturer of the Coolest Thing Made in Hanover County: Center of the Universe Brewing Company, Naked Goat Soap Co., Virginia Artesian Bottling Co.
- Nonprofit Organization of the Year: Alix’s Fosters Kitten Rescue, The Arc of Hanover Thrift Store, The Lucky Paw Foundation
- Restaurant of the Year: The Caboose Market & Café, Red Rooster Country Store, Rise and Shine Diner
- Retail Business of the Year: For Posh Sake, Green Top Sporting Goods, Refunkit
- Service Business of the Year: Blazer Heating, Air and Plumbing, Creative Enterprise Powerwashing LLC, PawsCienda Pet Resort
We know you’re just as excited as we are to find out who the winners will be. Thank you again to everyone who nominated, voted, and supported their favorite businesses. Your engagement not only uplifts our local entrepreneurs but also strengthens our community’s connection and pride. Stay tuned for the big reveal on June 11!
This inaugural event is made possible through dedicated collaboration of Hanover County Economic Development, Hanover Education Foundation, Hanover Chamber of Commerce, and Richmond Times Dispatch, as well as the generous support of our sponsors. Leading the way is the Hanover County Economic Development Authority, joined by our Heartbeat sponsor, Luck Companies, and Pulse sponsor, Accent Professional Recruiting.
For more information, visit Hanover Business Recognition Programs.