The South Lake Business Awards is the premier business awards program presented yearly by the South Lake Chamber of Commerce. This year’s awards gala was held at Clermont’s Performing Arts Center on January 25th.
Nominees gathered in the hopes of being chosen one of the Best.
There were three prestigious awards presented:
Citizen of the Year Award – The South Lake Chamber’s Citizen of the Year Award goes to a South Lake resident who has displayed extraordinary dedication to the community.
Lance Sewell of the Orlando Health South Lake Hospital was chosen as the 2024 Citizen of the Year.
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Oakley Seaver Special Service Award recognizes a nonprofit business, club, organization, educational institution or healthcare facility that has contributed significantly to the community and created a lasting impact or benefit.
Otis and Sandra Taylor, Give A Day Foundation were chosen as the 2024 Oakley Seaver Special Service Award winners
Otis and Sandra Taylor have received other honors in the community, including Chamber Ambassador of the Year, South Lake’s Outstanding Volunteer of the Year by the Community Foundation of South Lake, Volunteer Community Service Award from the Lake County Service Awards, Ann Dupee Gem of the Hills Award.
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Heritage Award – The Heritage Award recognizes businesses or organizations that have shown continued contributions to the business community. The nominee must have been active in the community for 25 years or more.
Revered as the “Choice of Champions,” this organization has helped the city earn the reputation as the training ground for multiple Olympians who come to Clermont to prepare for their upcoming competitions. It currently stands as the largest city in Lake County, boasting a population of over 44,000 residents.
Mayor Tim Murry, City Manager Brian Bulthuis, and the City of Clermont were chosen for this year’s Heritage Award
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Over 80 South Lake businesses received 2024 “Best of South Lake” Awards in their categories.
| CategoryName | Title |
| Best Accountant or CPA | Denise Calderon Certified Public Accountant |
| Best Air Conditioning & Heating | Kalos Services Inc. |
| Best Architect | Powell Studio Architecture |
| Best Assisted Living Facility | Crane’s View Lodge Assisted Living & Memory Care |
| Best Automotive Repair Services | Griffis Automotive Clinic, Inc. |
| Best Automotive Sales | Headquarter Honda |
| Best Automotive Services | South Lake Mobile Window Tinting |
| Best Bank or Credit Union | Seacoast Bank |
| Best Breakfast Spot | Keke’s Breakfast Cafe |
| Best Builder or Contractor | CSL Construction |
| Best Business Consulting or Management Services | Start a Business LLC |
| Best Caterer | Lake Catherine Farms |
| Best Chiropractor | The Joint Chiropractic |
| Best Cleaning Services | Mean to Clean |
| Best Coffee | Foxtail Coffee Co. |
| Best Commercial Real Estate Agent/Agency | Coldwell Banker Tony Hubbard |
| Best Computer Services/IT & Repair | South Lake Computers |
| Best Concierge Service | Rapid Response Courier and Delivery Service |
| Best Counseling Service | Family Life Counseling Center |
| Best Dance School | Caponi’s Cannolis School of the Arts |
| Best Dentist or Orthodontist | Clermont Pediatric Dentistry |
| Best Digital/Print Media | southlake.tv |
| Best Education Services | 360 Florida Real Estate School |
| Best Employee Benefits Provider | Affordable Health and Supplemental Insurance Solutions Inc./Cathy Bateham |
| Best Employee Staffing Company | CareerSource Central Florida |
| Best Engineer | Germana Engineering and Associates |
| Best Entertainment | Once Upon A Creation |
| Best Event Rental Service | Blushin’ Bubbles |
| Best Eye Doctor | Toppino Eye Care |
| Best Financial Services | Reed Family Wealth Services |
| Best Flooring Company | Mark’s Floors |
| Best Florist | Kim E’s Flowers, Inc. |
| Best Golf Course | Clermont National |
| Best Grocery Retailer | Publix Super Markets, Inc. – Citrus Tower |
| Best Gym | National Training Center |
| Best Barbershop | The Tonsorium Mens Grooming Lounge by Juliet LLC |
| Best Handyman Service | Rubio Family Handyman Services |
| Best Health & Wellness Services | Apex Health Direct Primary Care |
| Best Home Improvement Services | Aiesha Mullings Design Studio |
| Best Home Inspector | Superior Property Inspections |
| Best Hotel or Resort | Lake Minneola Inn -Tiki Bar & Grill |
| Best Insurance Agency | State Farm Insurance – Heather Thies |
| Best Jeweler | Pittman Jewelers |
| Best Landscape or Tree Service | Cherrylake, Inc. |
| Best Local Attraction | Citrus Tower |
| Best Major Theme Park | Walt Disney World Resort |
| Best Marketing Service | Threadlink |
| Best Mortgage Company | Kristin Jamieson Mortgage Team Powered by Success Mortgage |
| Best Moving Company | ACE Relocation Systems, Inc. |
| Best Pet Services | Pat the Dog Pet Resort |
| Best Photographer | Sai Photography |
| Best Pizza | Piesanos |
| Best Place for a Burger | The Crooked Spoon Gastropub |
| Best Place for a Sit-Down Lunch | Cheeser’s Palace Cafe and Catering |
| Best Place for a Sweet Treat | Teamont Boba |
| Best Place for BBQ | Black Bear Kitchen |
| Best Place for Dinner | Root & Branch Bistro & Bar |
| Best Place for Drinks | Roasted Spirit |
| Best Place for Lunch on the Go | Chick-fil-A Clermont |
| Best Printer | Graphics Direct Inc. |
| Best Promotional Products | Stephanie Walter Promotions LLC |
| Best Property Management Company | Scates Realty ~ Homes For Heroes |
| Best Residential Realtor | Wheatley Realty Group |
| Best Retail | Sunshine Book Company |
| Best Roofing Company | Titan Roofing Professionals |
| Best Screen Enclosure Company | A1 Aluminum |
| Best Signs & Graphics | Graphics Direct Inc. |
| Best Solar Company | Florida Solar Realtor LLC |
| Best Spa | Serenity Spa & Wellness |
| Best Special Event to Attend | Light Up Clermont |
| Best Special Event Venue | Lake Catherine Farms |
| Best Specialty Cleaning & Restoration | Testerman’s Pro Wash |
| Best Specialty Sport Retail | Trek Clermont |
| Best Title Company | Metes & Bounds Title Company |
| Best Vacation Rental Homes | Swiss Vacation Houses |
| Best Veterinary Services | Mobile Vet to Pet |
| Best Web Design | Threadlink |
| Best Wellness Products | Hemp Wellness with Dawn Edmonds |
| Best Hair Salon or Salon Service | Flying Scissors LLC |
| Best Local Tour & Tasting | Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards |
| Best Pawn Shop | Family Jewelry & Pawn |
| Best Videographer | Visual Harmony Productions |
Though it is impossible to post pictures of all 82 award winners, the South Lake Tablet applauds the work, passion, and fortitude of these and All the businesses in the community.
