Celebrating regional entrepreneurship

This October saw the winners of the Apeldoorn Business Awards 2022 announced. The event serves as a showcase of Apeldoorn’s rising entrepreneurship sector, as well as connecting professionals and businesses in the Apeldoorn region with one another. Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng served again as a jury member, choosing between nominees from around Apeldoorn who have made the biggest impact on the region. The selection process for candidates includes compiling a comprehensive list covering six categories of businesses in Apeldoorn. Selected business are then asked to provide certain pieces of information about themselves to be reviewed by the jury. Only three nominees are finally selected for each category, which are visited by judges and evaluated based on things like social responsibility, impact on the city of Apeldoorn, innovation and uniqueness or distinction from competition. Over the course of some weeks, Feng and her fellow jury members deliberated between which business would be the winner of the prize.

The event, hosted at Theater Orpheus for the first time since the global COVID-19 pandemic, was a distinct success, with worthy businesses recognised and many star professionals and Apeldoorn figures in attendance. Following the event, an after party was held at Café Confetti. Feng was enthusiastic about the awards. ‘Again, this year, I am so amazed by all of Apeldoorn’s rising businesses; we really are lucky over here to have so many creative and talented people looking to improve the area with their businesses and strategies.’ Having just celebrating Wittenborg’s 35th anniversary in November, with over a decade of that spent in Apeldoorn, Feng remarked that the move to Apeldoorn, with its growing business sector, was the one of the best decisions the school has made to date. Feng notes her participation in the awards is also an opportunity for Wittenborg to give back to the region that has welcomed her by recognising worthy local talent.

This year, more than 500 businesses were nominated, with just 18 passing through to the final round of judging. One of the biggest winners of the night was Wolfswinkel Groentechniek, who won the Apeldoorn Public Prize with 2,370 votes from Apeldoorn residents.

The winners of the Apeldoorn Business Awards 2022 are as follows:

• Retail Category: Autobedrijf Boks
• Wholesale & Services Category: Albert van de Scheur
• Tourism & Hospitality Category: Sizzles at the Park
• Industry & Technology: BBA Pumps
• Central Management Category: Herenboeren Wenumseveld
• Rabobank Social Organizations Category: Orpheus
• Municipality of Apeldoorn Public Prize Wolfswinkel Groentechniek

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences congratulates all winners and hopes to see them continue to flourish and impact Apeldoorn for the better.

WUP 19/12/2022
by Olivia Nelson
©WUAS Press