Economic and Business Development Commission Awards 2026

(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)

A town’s character shows up in the details: who builds, who serves, and who keeps showing up long after the ribbon cutting. We’re at the 2025 Community Pride Awards in Raynham, Massachusetts, celebrating the projects and people that make the community stronger and more connected.

We recognize two major examples of local economic development and commercial investment. Advantage Truck Group is honored for a state-of-the-art heavy-duty truck dealership and repair facility that expands the town’s industrial footprint while stressing a mission of giving back to the community it serves. Noria Corporation is recognized for transforming a key Route 138 site near Route 495, replacing an older property with a modern gas station and convenience store that reflects long-term confidence in Raynham’s business corridor.

Then we shift to the kind of leadership you can’t always measure on a balance sheet. Citizens Award recipient Ryan Schleicher shares what volunteer youth sports really provides: fitness, friendship, structure, confidence through struggle, and a place for kids to be kids in a screen-heavy world. We also honor Reverend James A. Tilby for 35 years of ministry paired with decades of public service as a firefighter, EMT, and fire chaplain, including disaster response and critical incident support that quietly holds communities together.

If you care about civic engagement, small town values, and how local business and volunteerism shape real quality of life, this ceremony is full of reminders worth keeping. Subscribe for more community stories, share this with someone who loves their hometown, and leave a review with the name of someone who deserves recognition next.