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The Buffalo Niagara Partnership celebrated 140 of the region's top employers at the inaugural BNP Economic Champions event on Nov. 18, presented by KeyBank. More than 400 Western New York leaders, change makers and innovators joined us at The Admiral Room to raise a glass to their successes and the peers driving Buffalo Niagara's economy forward.

Moog Inc. President & CEO Pat Roche accepted the 2025 Business of the Year award, while all Economic Champions (click here for the full list) in attendance were honored with a certificate, courtesy of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority.

"My job this evening is just to acknowledge the great place in which we're all based, to help you all celebrate what we as a community and a business community can bring – because this is the vibrancy that supports the growth of our city going forward – and that we should support one another and recognize the successes that are out there," Pat Roche said.

"I feel humbled that we are the first company on this list, but there are many more that will follow after us and be recognized by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. So I feel this is a great idea to get out, think about what we do that's positive and keep doing more of it."

Thank you to all of the evening's event sponsors for making this celebration possible and for supporting the employers that are building momentum across our region.

• Pinnacle Partner: KeyBank
• Visionary Sponsor: Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
• Smile Booth Sponsor: Amazon
• Fresh Connections Sponsor: Wegmans
• Media Sponsor: The Buffalo News
• Video Sponsor: Lemur Studios
• Corporate Sponsors: Erie County Industrial Development Agency, Great Lakes Building Systems, Inc., Hodgson Russ LLP, Lumsden & McCormick, LLP

Relive the excitement and celebrations from the signature happy hour: