Chillicothe (May 13, 2025): R. David Strickland, owner of Dave Strickland-State Farm Insurance and co-owner of Chillicothe Monument/Hardy Memorials, has been honored as the 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce.

The presentation took place at the Chamber's Annual Awards Dinner, presented by Adena Health, on Tuesday, May 13, at Bell Manor. Strickland’s honor was one of five awards given by the Chamber.

Strickland has grown the State Farm business from about 1,200 households with 3,000 policies in 2003 to 5,000 households and 16,000 policies today. After establishing Chillicothe Monument with two co-owners in 2015, the company has seen exponential growth and established itself as a solid community contributor with work to restore and clean monuments at Soldier’s Circle in Greenlawn Cemetery.

Other awards handed out:

• A Special Recognition award was presented to Diane Carnes for over five decades of service to the real estate industry and a strong record of community service, primarily in Ross County.
• Printex Same-Day Printing won the Legacy Award, presented to businesses with over 25 years of operation. Celebrating its 50th year in business, second-generation business owner Jeffrey Marshall II will soon relocate operations to the former Anderson’s Drug Store on East Main Street. His father, Jeff Marshall, was the Chamber’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012, before his passing in 2016.
• Rock For Tots won the Corporate Citizenship award for contributing more than $2 million to more than 35 different agencies that assist needy families and children in the region in the past 40 years.
• Joshua Walter was named Young Professional of the Year. Walter is the regional manager for Direct to Business Wholesale and serves as an ambassador for the EPIC Young Professionals group.