When John Landgraf first learned that he was named this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year by the Odessa Chamber of Commerce, he nearly thought it was a joke.
However, after realizing that it was the real deal, the longtime Odessa businessman began to reflect on the achievement.
“I’m very honored and delighted to be able to represent the business community from Odessa.”
Landgraf and five others from the Odessa business community were honored Thursday during the Chamber’s annual Entrepreneur of the Year and Business Hall of Fame Luncheon at the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
The event is held to help shine a light on the importance of Odessa’s small business community.
This year’s Buisness Hall of Fame inductees included Willie Balerio, Jr., owner of The Original Dent Shop; Steve Barron, partner of Todd, Barron, Thomason, Hudman, Bebout & Rodriguez, P.C.; Stacey L. Brown, president of Odessa Regional Medical Center; Dr. Matthew Furst, owner of Furst Plastic Surgery; and Ben Montgomery, owner of BCM & Associates, Inc.
As president and vice president of Landgraf Crutcher and Associates (LCA), Landgraf has been the principal in charge of residential community projects spanning thousands of acres as well as commercial land developments, water and wastewater treatment plants, large paving and drainage projects, landfills and large ranch surveys.
“We are so fortunate to have John Landgraf in our community,” Odessa Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Renee Earls said. “He has fingerprints on so many projects that people don’t even realize. He came here many years ago after graduating from Texas A&M. he has raised his family here. He has been involved with so many various projects and community projects and nonprofit projects from his church to the creation of main street Odessa which is now Downtown Odessa to a variety of projects, including the Chamber where he served as chairman many years ago. He continues to serve to this day. He loves Odessa.”
In the past, he was a branch president of the West Texas Branch of the American Society of Civil Enginneers., Chapter Director of Permian Basin Chapter of TSPE and a member of NSPE, Professional Engineers in Private Practice and the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors.
“It’s really just overwhelming to be included with some of the business giants who have been in the community in the past,” Landgraf said. “I’m just flabbergasted, really.”
Landgraf has received several honors over the years including Young Engineer of the Year in 1982 and Outstanding Engineer of the Year in 1992 for the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. He’s also won the Permian Basin Chapter Outstanding Young Men of America in 1978 and 1986 as well as being named Rising Star of Texas by Texas Business Magazine in 1987.
Landgraf said he had to give credit to his employees at LCA.
“We’ve had tremendous loyalty and longstanding people there,” Landgraf said. “We have 30-year employees that deserved to be recognized.”
The Odessa Chamber of Commerce has awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year since 1988.
Earls talked about the criteria that the committee at the chamber uses to determine the Entrepreneur of the Year.
“For Entrepreneur of the Year, they have to be in business for at least 25 years,” Earls said. “We receive many nominations so our committee selects the one that they feel like can be best recognized for this year and all they’ve done throughout the decades they’ve been in the community, not just in their business but also in community service. Some of them have served in public service. It’s someone who is truly committed to making this community better.”
Like Landgraf, Furst was also in disbelief upon initially learning of his Business Hall of Fame induction.
As a doctor, he’s received plenty of medical awards in the past but not many business honors.
“It’s a really great honor,” Furst said. “It’s a nice recognition. As a physician, this is kind of unusual in that medicine comes first for us and business comes second. To be recognized by a business organization is a unique honor for us and we’re really appreciative to the chamber for this honor. It’s a humbling experience to be recognized with all these other businesses in Odessa that are obviously great businesses.”
Thursday’s honorees received a plaque as well as proclamations from the mayor and recognitions from State Rep. Brooks Landgraf and U.S. Congressman August Pfluger.
“This year alone, we probably received 10-15 nominations at least,” Earls said. “We’ll also carry over nominations from previous years. Sometimes, that list is very long and can be 30-40 people. But I think this particular class with John and the other candidates, they could’ve been honored prior to this year and there are others still waiting to be honored. That’s just a representation of what Odessa is. We’re full of entrepreneurs and business leaders who not only work but also volunteer and provide their expertise and dollars to this community to make it better.”
