Salina Post
Two Salina businesses were recognized with awards during the Kansas Department of Commerce's 2025 "To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards Ceremony."
On Thursday night at the Robert W. Plaster Center at Pittsburg State University, GeoProbe Systems was honored with the with the 2025 Governor's Exporter of the Year, and VP of Great Plains Manufacturing, James Hall was honored with the inaugural Randi Tveitaraas Jack International Business Development Award.
The Governor’s Exporter of the Year award has been given to a Kansas company for more than three decades. The award brings statewide recognition to companies for their export efforts and showcases companies as role models of exporting success in Kansas.
The 2025 Governor’s Exporter of the Year winner, GeoProbe Systems, was founded in 1987 by two engineers who manufactured and introduced the first direct push machines and tooling to the environmental industry — changing the way soil, groundwater, and soil gas samples are collected. Since those first methods went to the field, GeoProbe has invested heavily in engineering to continue developing new designs and innovative techniques for fieldwork, diversified across a wide range of drilling industries – garnering a global reputation as a drilling industry leader.
The ceremony had at least nearly 500 people in attendance.
Grey Snow Management Solutions won the 2025 Governor’s Award of Excellence.
“Grey Snow and GeoProbe have dynamic missions and visions that align with our commitment to moving Kansas forward and supporting customers and communities across the state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Companies like these advance our state’s exporting efforts, contribute significantly to their local economies, and are more than deserving of these awards.”
A record 431 businesses, organizations, and individuals were nominated in 11 different categories for this year’s To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards.
Nominees were reviewed and scored for various criteria, including business expansion, employee recruitment and retention practices, training and educational programs, capital investment, and support for local community events. A total of 372 Merit Awards and 59 Regional Awards were presented at the event. Additionally, one nominee in each category was designated a Statewide Winner, making them finalists for the Governor’s Award of Excellence.
“Kansas businesses are the backbone of the record-setting success our state has experienced over the last six years,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “All the businesses recognized at To The Stars are worthy of celebration because they exemplify our famous work ethic and determination, further solidifying Kansas as the best place in the nation to do business.”
To kick off the awards ceremony, emcee Melissa Vincent recognized two Kansans who have been inducted into the Kansas Business Hall of Fame for their significant contributions to economic growth. This year’s contemporary honoree, Marci Penner, is a rural champion and author from Inman who is the executive director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation. The historical honoree, Emerson Carey, Sr., is an entrepreneur and philanthropist from Hutchinson known as a salt manufacturer and industrial leader.
The Kansas Department of Commerce also introduced two new award categories: the Small Business Champion – Corporate Partner Award that highlights corporations demonstrating exceptional commitment to small business — and the Mainstreet Momentum Award that honors a business continuously working to improve downtown areas and commercial districts through growth and engagement.
The 2025 Statewide Award winners are below:
Agribusiness – Liquid Art Winery and Estate, Manhattan
Apprenticeship Champions and Partners – American Implement, Garden City
Business Innovation – Shed Lifestyles, LLC, Kansas City
Healthcare/Nonprofit – Special Olympics Kansas, Inc.
Mission. Mainstreet Momentum – Grand Central Hotel and Grill, Cottonwood Falls
Manufacturing/Distribution – LeDuc Memorial Designs, Concordia
Non-Traditional Talent Pools – AllMetal Recycling, LLC, Wichita
Retail/Service – Grey Snow Management Solutions, Cloud
Small Business Champion – Corporate Partner – Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, Inc., Norton
Under 30 Entrepreneur – Braiden Werth, Werth Eye Group, P.A., Hays
Welcome Back – Davey and Kim Froman, Miners and Monroe, Pittsburg
Other Exporter of the Year finalists were SOR Controls Group of Lenexa and Harlan Global Manufacturing of Kansas City.
At the end of the awards ceremony, the agency introduced the new Randi Tveitaraas Jack International Business Development Award. It will recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advancing Kansas in the global economy.
The award was named in honor of Randi Tveitaraas Jack, who recently retired from the Kansas Department of Commerce after more than 37 years of outstanding service to the state. The agency recognized James “Jamie” Hall, Vice President of Great Plains Manufacturing in Salina, as the inaugural recipient.
A full list of the 2025 To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards winners and photographs from the event can be found here.