Staff photo by Connor Cummiskey Staff members of the New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC) and representatives of the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce gathered at the NUMC lobby Monday morning to hear the Chamber’s announcement of NUMC as the 2017 Business of the Year.

NEW ULM — The New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC) was named the 2017 Business of the Year Monday morning.

The New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce surprised NUMC staff Monday when representatives of the Chamber dropped by to announce the award.

“The Chamber believes that this center, the New Ulm Medical Center, is a magnet,” President and CEO Audra Shaneman said. “It attracts talent, being one of the biggest employers in the area; it attracts patients by expanding to new services and attracting resources like Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, Virginia Piper Cancer Institute and the Heart of New Ulm Project to the community.”

NUMC appreciates the recognition, according to President Toby Freier. The staff appreciates the recognition for what he described as the privilege and responsibility of serving New Ulm’s health needs.

“One, we are surprised and two, we are grateful that we have been chosen as the Chamber Business of the Year,” Freier said.

The award began in 1974 with the Schell’s brewery receiving the first recognition. In 1979 the Union and Loretto hospitals were recognized by the Chamber.

This is the second time NUMC has been awarded business of the year. The first was in 1986, according to Shaneman.

Shaneman said the award was given for “the longevity of the Medical Center in our community, extensive Chamber involvement and significant economic impact through employment, services provided and expansions the board has chosen to recognize the medical center again for its contributions.”

NUMC is the first business to be explicitly named as an individual business of the year more than once, according to Shaneman.

In comments afterward, Freier shared his commitment to the importance of collaboration between NUMC and the local business community.

“We are not going to have a strong healthcare community without a strong business community and we are probably not going to have a strong business community without a strong healthcare system,” he said.

Connor Cummiskey can be emailed at ccummiskey@nujournal.com.