Roughly 820 members of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce attended the organization�s banquet Friday night; partaking partly to �come see who� would win the chamber�s prestigious Rush H. Limbaugh Award.

The award ended up going to the man who coined the locally famous phrase �come see why.�

Bob Neff, general manager of Ford Groves, won the award, which goes to a person who has �expended exceptional effort on behalf of the community for a sustained period of time,� according to the chamber.

Neff, in addition to his involvement with the chamber as chairman of the board of directors in 2016, founded the Guardians, now known as BackStoppers. Neff also has served on the board of directors of the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross and Salvation Army, according to the chamber. He previously served in several committee roles with SoutheastHEALTH, including president of the hospital�s foundation.

The award � and a handful of family members who attended � caught Neff by surprise.

Guests take their seats at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner Friday at the Drury Plaza Conference Center in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS

�This is by far the most honored I have ever felt,� he said. �I didn�t know this was going to happen.�

Marco Construction Products won the chamber�s Small Business of the Year award. The business was founded in 2009, and distributes professional grade construction products and equipment. Marco Construction is owned by Megan and Todd Marchi.

Todd Marchi, son of Dennis Marchi, a former Limbaugh Award winner, noted the company began in a difficult economic climate but help from many sources � including supportive family members and financial institutions � helped the company succeed.

Brandy McIntire earned the 2017 Ambassador of the Year Award, having recruited 25 new members and attending 44 ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings.

�The annual dinner is a great time to celebrate our successes and look forward to the year ahead,� chamber president and CEO John Mehner said. �We congratulate Brandy McIntire, Marco Construction Products and Bob Neff for their incredible commitment to the chamber and the region. We are truly blessed to have so many amazing businesses and individuals who choose to make this community home.�

bmiller@semissourian.com

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