SYRACUSE, N.Y. — CenterState CEO on Tuesday recognized the efforts of more than 300 regional businesses during its annual Economic Champions Celebration at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Cener at Oncenter.

The event recognized 306 companies and organizations for “driving the region’s economy forward” through job creation; business expansions; investments in operations; new business openings; and commitments to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).

Together, recipients were recognized for their aggregate creation of more than 4,725 jobs; over 890,000 square-feet of expansions; and nearly $1 billion in capital investments, CenterState CEO said in its announcement.

“In a sign of positive economic momentum,” 118 businesses opened new storefronts, offices and facilities; 51 celebrated a milestone anniversary; 159 were received significant awards and achievements and 43 participated in efforts that advance DEI in their workplaces and community, per the news release.

Companies are nominated as Economic Champions by CenterState CEO and the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce; the Upstate Minority Economic Alliance; the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc.; peers, employees and staff; as well as self-nominations.

“The annual Economic Champions Celebration is a reminder of the power of gratitude and of the importance of celebrating our individual and collective accomplishments,” Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO said. “This event is our opportunity to acknowledge and recognize the hard work of our business community. Thank you to those who choose to invest their hard-earned capital in buildings, in facilities, in their employees and in making our community a better place to live and work. My hope is that all those we celebrate through this event know they are appreciated for the role they play in the region’s growth and in Central New York’s continued transformation.”

CenterState CEO also presented its Community Visionary Award, sponsored by Wegmans Food Markets, to Novelis, which has a plant in Oswego. The award is presented to an organization that “embodies a vision of economic opportunity and is creating a significant impact on community prosperity,” CenterState CEO said.

On its website, Novelis describes itself as a “leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and a world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling.”

Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, which specializes in aluminum, copper and metals; and a flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group based in Mumbai, India, the website says.