Management Recruiters of Wausau and Van Der Geest Dairy Cattle Inc. were named the 2004 Small Business of the Year Award winners Monday by the Wausau/Marathon County Chamber of Commerce.

The announcement was made at a breakfast ceremony at The Rose Garden during the kickoff event of the chamber's annual Small Business Week.

Management Recruiters of Wausau, one of the most successful branches of a national staffing placement company, earned the award for retail/service businesses.
 
"I'm absolutely overjoyed," said Laurie Prochnow, president of Management Recruiters of Wausau. "I think it's a tremendous affirmation of all the work of everyone in the organization."

Van Der Geest Dairy Cattle, which produces more then 23,000 gallons of milk every day, won in the manufacturing category.

"I'm shocked and honored, of course," said president Mary Kay Van Der Geest, who was particularly happy the chamber honored an agriculture business. "When people hear agriculture they think everyone is just a farmer when it's very much a viable business."

The dairy farm has grown to extraordinary heights since Mary Kay Van Der Geest, and her husband, Gary Van Der Geest, moved to the town of Maine in 1969 and purchased a 120-acre farm with a 17-stall cow barn.

Today the business employs about 70 people, occupies 4,000 acres and has 3,000 head of cattle.

The company continued to thrive even after the death in 2000 of Gary Van Der Geest, whom Mary Kay Van Der Geest honored in her short acceptance speech at the breakfast.

The chamber award continued a year of honors for Prochnow and Management Recruiters of Wausau. Earlier this year, officials from the parent company invited Prochnow to participate in a special program for the top 10 percent of its affiliates around the world.

Prochnow started with Management Recruiters of Wausau in 1990 as an account executive and four years later acquired the business from her boss and mentor. Since that time she's taken the one-employee firm to a firm that employs 21.

Between 2002 and 2003 she oversaw the business as it increased its revenue by 43.5 percent and expects more growth in the future.

The company's 10-year plan predicts a staff of 60 for the company by 2008, which could increase sales by 800 percent compared with 2003.

The other eight finalists for the Small Business of the Year Awards were: Aqua Finance Inc., Brickner Chrysler Center Inc., Handcrafted Furniture Co. Inc., Interim HealthCare, JAS Clothing & Tailoring, K-Tech Kleening Systems, Northway Communications Inc. and Wausau Manor/Applegate Terrace.

Past winners

Following are the past recipients of the Wausau/Marathon County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Awards.

• 2004: Managment Recruiters of Wausau LLC and Van Der Geest Dairy Cattle Inc.
• *2003: REI and Wausau Container Corp.
• 2002: Vortex Tool Co. Inc.
• 2001: Crystal Finishing Systems
• 2000: WireMaid Manufacturing
• 1999: Industrial Recyclers
• 1998: Norlen Inc.
• 1997: Stainless Specialists
• 1996: Wausau Financial Systems
• 1995: Riiser Wausau Energy
• 1994: Kinzie & Green
• 1993: Wausau Carriers
• 1992: Hsu's Ginseng Enterprises
• 1991: Something's Brewing
• 1990: CW Paper
• 1989: Becker Communications Inc.
• 1988: Fred Mueller Automotive
• 1987: L&S Electric
• 1986: Hadley Office Products
• 1985: Badger International
• 1984: Kohlman's IGA Foodliner
• 1983: Wimmer Construction
• 1982: Pepsi Cola Bottling of Wausau