The Nicholas Awards are named in honor of Robert E. Nicholas, a pioneer commercial developer in the early 1900s in downtown Oak Park. In selecting winners, an OPDC committee considers the amount of each business investment, its innovative product or concept, the prestige the business brings to the community and the ripple effect created by a new or expanding business. Many award winners received support from OPDC.

For a list of winners from years past, visit our Previous Award Winners page.

2012 Nicholas Award Winners

• Green Home Experts – 811 South Boulevard
• Oak-Leyden Developmental Services – 411 Chicago Avenue
• Demo Duck and Heave-Ho Productions – 115 North Oak Park Avenue
• Lemonmade Style & Snips for Kids – 187 North Marion Street
• Harlan J. Berk Rare Coins – 455 North Harlem Avenue
• West Cook YMCA Interior Renovations – 255 South Marion Street
• Jason and Peter Skiouris – 1047-53 West Madison
• Bee Home and Garden – 128 Chicago Avenue Building Renovation
• Kellie Scott, Divine Consign and Trends Expansions
• MacSpecialist – 805 Lake Street
• Geri and Don McLauchlan – 900-912½ Madison
• Cardiology and Vascular Specialists – 7035 West North Avenue

This year, the OPDC Annual Meeting Awards Committee encouraged OPDC to recognize a business for its staying power and longevity.  This provides an opportunity to celebrate part of the business vitality of Oak Park sometimes taken for granted.  The inaugural Gloor-Longwell Award is presented to celebrate the long-standing commitment of a business in the community, both honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of its ownership and recognizing its impact and staying power.  The new award is named for A. Richard Gloor and Llyn Longwell who have served as Founding Directors of OPDC since its establishment in 1974, and have themselves been Oak Park entrepreneurs who changed their business models to meet changing times.

The Gloor-Longwell Award was proudly given to Barnard’s Schwinn located at 6109 West North Avenue.  Currently owned by 3^rd generation family, Greg and Jeff Hajduk, this Oak Park shop began in 1911.  For over 101 years, old fashioned values and principles like being courteous, interested, enthusiastic, and fair have sustained this business that just keeps rolling along to the delight of the entire community.