Transitions were celebrated March 27 during the Grow Ellsworth County Annual Meeting.

Paden’s Place, which sold and is now Ele’s Corner, and Robson’s, which sold and is now Raised Rustic, were both honored.

“We had a couple of transitions downtown in Ellsworth — business owners that had been serving the community for over 10 years,” GEC Executive Director Stacie Schmidt said. “We thought that was worth a big celebration.”

Both businesses were honored with legacy awards.

Aaron Johnson, who previously owned Paden’s Place, worked his way up through the business.

“Years before I bought Paden’s, I worked there,” he said. “I thought I knew the business. I learned really quick I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. It’s a financial puzzle you put together over the years.

“Many lessons were learned. One humbling lesson was I’m not the secret to the success, as it is my staff. We had so many great staff members.”

He was the third owner of a 38-year-old business.

With longtime ownership came long-term relationships.

“Travelers would pass through every year and stop at Paden’s, stop in. We learned their faces and names,” Johnson siad.

In addition to several staff, he thanked his mom, Nancy, and son, Landin. Johnson said as he transitioned into a new career in insurance, Landin assumed more responsibility at the restaurant.

“Paden’s can seat around 150 people,” he said. “There were times he was in the kitchen by himself cooking.

“It takes an individual who can handle the pressure. I want to say thank you to him. In the summertime he worked countless hours — it takes a certain individual to do what he did. I am so proud of the young man he has become.”

Alice and Ken Robson also celebrated their 40 years in business.

“We had to learn from the ground up. We had so much great support,” Alice Robson said. “We had downtown business meetings all the time. We had people buying locally.

“Forty years ago, people did not go to Salina every day to shop. We had two dress stores, a shoe store, a jewelry store — you did not have to leave town.

“That has changed. So, what’s the next niche? How can we find a way in a crazy retail environment and still be viable and fun and still provide for our family?”

The couple honored the new owners, Olivia and Trent Stevenson.

“We wish Olivia and Trent the very best in that space and tradition,” Ken Robson said. “We hope you will support them as well.”

In addition to the awards, the annual meeting included keynote speaker Marci Penner, who, with the Kansas Sampler Foundation, is coordinating the Big Kansas Road Trip, which will be in Ellsworth County May 2-5.

Penner said across the county, 128 individual experiences are available to visitors during that weekend.

“I don’t know if you thought you were a tourism county,” she said. “Do you know people will come from all over the state — beyond the state — to see these things?

“Cattle branding. They can go to Oak Creek Mini Jerseys and see those animals. They can do bourbon tasting. They can tour two missile silos. They can be entertained by Pickin’ and Pie at the Holyrood depot. There’s a farm that will show you how all the machinery works on the farm. You can watch “Paper Moon.” You can participate in swing dance.”

Penner said visitors want to do five things: connect, create memories, engage, experience rural Kansas and invest.

“Some of them have never seen a cow, have never been in a small town,” Penner said. “They’re curious about what a small town might deliver. Why do people want to live in a small town?

“They want to engage with you. They want to get to know you. They really want to get a feel of what rural (Kansas) is like. I think they have some misconceptions about who we are and why we choose to live here.”

She said several hundred visitors are expected to visit Ellsworth and Lincoln counties, as well as Lucas, over the span of several days.

“It’s through connection that you want to create things together,” Penner said. “The road trip is so much fun and is adventure a la carte. You choose what you want to do, when you want to do it. People are going to be crawling all around your county. I hope you get to meet many of them.”