Nuhn wins 2026 Business of the Year
CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
When Simon Nuhn decided to start his blacksmithing trade shoeing horses in 1902, he had two options on where to set up shop: Goderich or Wartburg. The answer was remarkably simple, according to his grandson Dennis Nuhn.
“He was a wise man,” Dennis laughed. “He said, ‘If I could go to Goderich, I’d only have half a business.’ If you’re in Goderich, you got farms on one side and water on the other.”
Simon Nuhn evidently made the right decision settling in Perth County. After nearly 125 years, Nuhn Industries Ltd. has grown and thrived in Sebringville, located just a stone’s throw away from Stratford. It has gone from making horseshoes, wagons, wheelbarrows and the like to manure pumps, tanks and state-of-the-art agitators known as “lagoon crawlers,” becoming a worldwide powerhouse in agricultural equipment.
On Nov. 5, Nuhn’s excellence was recognized by its neighbours when it won the 2026 Business of the Year award by the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce during its 30th annual awards night, along with picking up the Enterprise Award as well.
Dennis and his son Ian Nuhn, the president and vice president of Nuhn Industries, respectively, called the awards an honour.
“It was a nice surprise,” Ian said. “… It's a huge honour. You don't really think about this stuff when you come to work every day. You know, you come to work every day to give it your all and do your best. And then it's nice when what you do every day is accepted by the community as being Business of the Year … It's a huge honour. It's really rewarding.”
Like many businesses in the region, the last few years have been difficult trying to manage an unpredictable world. The COVID-19 pandemic made nearly every business on the planet pivot, including Nuhn Industries as it adapted its operations to accommodate social distancing and health precautions. It had to deal with resulting supply chain issues as the pandemic impacted input costs and inflation skyrocketed. Then, trade disruptions were agitated by the protectionist measures of the United States. Ian summed up the last six years succinctly as “not easy.”
Still, despite the challenges, Ian said 2026 was the best year of their operations to date. While other businesses have paused capital expansion, deciding to wait for the next few years to see how the current trade war with the U.S. will develop, Nuhn Industries is currently building and planning a massive expansion across the street from its Line 34 headquarters, planning to open in time for its 125-year anniversary.
“I have a saying,” Dennis said. “If everybody’s going left, go right.”
“It really is true,” Ian agreed. “It’s been tough, and you know it’s the easy decision to play it safe … When people are all going one way, we usually do go the other way, and history has proven that we usually are right in that sense. … You don't know this when you go into a building project like that, but in hindsight now, the timing of it was perfect. There's a lot of government programs to support manufacturers that were announced for people in our position, whether it's through FedDev or through, you know, just the new budget federally too. In hindsight now, it was the perfect move and the perfect time to do that.
“That’s our key to success and key to growth: inventing new things, reinventing ourselves,” Ian continued. “So whether it's new products that we're inventing or reinventing new processes of how we make our current (products), we're always reinventing ourselves one way or the other.”
Nuhn was not the only business recognized last week. In addition to Business of the Year and the Enterprise Award, the chamber awarded:
Skilled Trades Award: Hayle Construction
Retail Award: Olive Your Favorites
Non-Profit / Charitable Award: United Way Perth Huron
Service Award: Malt Staging & Design
Professional Award: Pesce & Associates
Hospitality Award: The Boat House
Trailblazer Award: Closet Collective
Emerging Entrepreneur Award: Sculpt & Sweat
Pace Setter Award: Scott Wildgust
A special highlight of the evening was the recognition of Bob Downham as the 2026 Business Leader of the Year, honouring his leadership, accomplishments and contributions to the local business community.
The evening featured a video tribute and remarks recognizing his achievements and the lasting impact of his work.
As the chamber marks 30 years of recognizing business excellence, the celebration also provided an opportunity to reflect on the important role local businesses play in building a vibrant and prosperous community.
“Having the opportunity to return to the chamber as executive director during this milestone year makes this celebration particularly meaningful,” said Brad Beatty, executive director of the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce, in a media release. “Over the past 30 years, these awards have celebrated countless examples of hard work, entrepreneurship and community leadership. Our business community continues to evolve, but the dedication and spirit behind its success remain constant. We are proud to recognize this year’s recipients and look forward to supporting the next generation of business excellence.”
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