McHenry County businesses and organizations Action Packaging, McHenry County College and Phoenix Woodworking all received awards at the McHenry County Economic Development Corp. 15th annual dinner and awards banquet Wednesday night at the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn.

About 400 people attended, including business leaders, politicians and community members. This year’s theme, “Powering Business, Energizing McHenry County,” highlighted innovation, collaboration and leadership in the community that creates a strong local economy.

Woodstock-based Action Packaging received the “Welcome to McHenry County Award” for moving into the county earlier this year after being in DuPage County the past 45 years.

The third-generation woman- and family-owned packaging manufacturer and distributor specializes in packaging and supplies for the health care, industrial and food service sectors.

Woodstock offered an incentive package to the company for the move, of reimbursements for 17% of eligible project costs up to $1.2 million, through a tax-increment financing district, with a stipulation that Action Packaging add 35 new jobs.

Woodstock city officials said Action Packaging is growing nationally and was recently named one of 50 fastest-growing privately held companies in the Chicago area by Crain’s Chicago Business. Officials added that the company made the Inc. 5000 list “as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country for 2024 and 2025.”

Crystal Lake-based McHenry County College won the “Community Partner Award” for its partnerships with organizations and businesses to provide resources for future generations of workers.

“Receiving an honor for collaborating with your community feels a bit like a fish receiving an award for swimming,” MCC President Clinton Gabbard said. “It is absolutely, positively our privilege and our responsibility to seek out opportunities to collaborate with each of you and the organizations you represent.”

The “Business Cornerstone Award” went to Woodstock-based Phoenix Woodworking Corporation. The architectural millwork company creates custom pieces for commercial and public spaces across Illinois and Wisconsin including Chicago, Rockford, MCC and Elgin.

Phoenix Woodworking also received Woodstock Chamber of Commerce’s “Manufacturer of the Year” award earlier this year.

“I love where I live,” President Sandra Pierce said. “McHenry County, to me, is a land of visionaries.”

McHenry County Administrator Peter Austin was also honored for his 20-year career with the county with the “Outstanding Contribution Recognition” award. Austin announced in August he will be retiring at the end of this year.

Among the achievements under Austin’s tenure were the county receiving its first AAA+ bond rating and becoming debt free, the widening of Rakow and Randall roads, and a new Valley Hi nursing home and its new Heart of the Valley memory care wing, officials said.

This year’s keynote speaker was Nicor Gas President and CEO Wendell Dallas, who spoke about the importance of community and collaboration. Nicor has about 80 employees in its Crystal Lake office, Dallas said.

“It’s the energy of the people that makes a difference,” he said. “It’s the people who keep this county vibrant, it’s the people who keep this county moving forward.”

Nicor, which delivers natural gas to 2.3 million customers in northern and western Illinois, asked for a $314 million rate increase in January – equivalent to about $91.50 per year or a 9.21% increase for residential customers, according to the company.

Administrative judges have suggested Nicor to cut its request by $109.8 million. The Illinois Commerce Commission is expected to make a final decision by Nov. 24.

This year’s MCEDC annual award winners are:

• Action Packaging - Welcome to McHenry County Award
• McHenry County College - Community Partner Award
• Phoenix Woodworking Projects - Business Cornerstone Award
• Peter Austin - Outstanding Contribution Recognition

MCEDC is a nonprofit public-private business advocacy group that helps leverage resources in the county to support economic development, according to the organization’s website.