Four local business leaders — Bill Penny, Jim Schwartzburg, Dale Willey and the late Sidney Ashton Garrett — were inducted into the Lawrence Business Hall of Fame on Wednesday night at the Kansas Union. Pictured from left are Stew Ashton, Penny, Schwartzburg, Judith Ashton, Willey and Scott Ashton.

Four local business leaders were inducted into the Lawrence Business Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Kansas Union on Wednesday night.

Bill Penny (Penny’s Concrete), Jim Schwartzburg (Packer Plastics), Dale Willey (Dale Willey Automotive) and the late Sidney Ashton Garrett (Brown Cargo Van) were honored for their contributions to the Lawrence business community.

“All four of these individuals have got great stories about how they built their businesses,” said Larry McElwain, chairman of the Hall of Fame: Penny poured concrete at many of the buildings at Kansas University; Schwartzburg discovered a niche when he started making plastics cups with team logos on them; Willey competed not only against other Lawrence car dealers, but the Kansas City market; Garrett found success in an industry (trucks) that is typically thought to be dominated by men.

“When Sidney talked to me about her business, it was always about extra benefits for her employees,” said her brother, Stew Ashton. “She was generous yet careful. She always knew what was going on.”

Willey said it’s not surprising that the community has produced so many accomplished business leaders.

“In Lawrence, there are a lot of people who just get after it and do things,” he said. “There’s tremendous opportunity here for people just to get involved.”

The Lawrence Business Hall of Fame, located at the new Lawrence Public Library, is a project of Junior Achievement of Lawrence, which teaches free enterprise and entrepreneurship to students.

“We want to tell people that business is a good thing and business has a place in our society,” Penny said. “It helps provide not only jobs but value in people — and people are the center of what all of this is about.”