Loren Lein and Kerry Ingredients and Flavors were the honored guests at the 68th Annual Banquet and Meeting of the Blue Earth Area Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 19.

Lein received the 2008 Community Service Award. Lein was introduced by Mike Enger, who did a little ‘roasting’ as well as presenting the award.

Lein thanked his family and friends for their support, which he said enabled him to spend over 30 years in public service while still running his insurance business.

Doug Klukow, manager of Kerry in Blue Earth, accepted the Business of the Year Award for 2008 from Shelly Greimann, executive director of the chamber.

Klukow detailed how both Kerry and the local plant came into existence, and a little background on what is done at the Blue Earth plant.

He also went into detail on how the company recovered from a devastating fire in October 2007.

Greimann, in her introduction, thanked Klukow and the Kerry company for their support of Blue Earth, and for continuing to locate here after the fire.

The annual meeting was chaired by incoming chamber president Lori Nauman of the Faribault County Register.

Three new directors were elected to the board; David Lein of State Farm Insurance, David Frundt of Frundt and Johnson Law Office, and Michele Hard of Michele’s Sales and Service.

An annual budget for 2009 was presented and accepted at the meeting. It showed income of $104,500 and expenses of $101,630.

Entertainment for the evening was the Magic of David Russell Berndt, Berndt, of Blue Earth, performed magic and entertained with comedy.