AUGUSTA, Mo. — David Hoffmann, whose Hoffmann Family of Companies is building a tourism venture surrounding his wineries in Augusta, Missouri, on Wednesday was named a 2023 Horatio Alger Award winner.
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Inc. has given the award annually for 76 years to individuals who have succeeded despite facing adversities and who have remained committed to education and charitable efforts in their communities.
Hoffmann was one of 13 individuals chosen to receive the 2023 award from the Horatio Alger Association, an Alexandria, Virginia-based nonprofit membership-based educational organization that has provided more than $245 million in student scholarships since 1984.
He is the founder and chairman of Naples, Florida-based Hoffmann Family of Cos., a conglomerate of over 110 companies and brands in 27 countries, and more than 200 real estate holdings. The family-owned business is anchored by DHR International, a Chicago-based national executive recruitment firm with a Clayton office, while its commercial real estate holdings include the Moneta Building and the 8000 Maryland Ave. office tower in Clayton, as well as an arena in Fort Myers, Florida, and the minor league hockey team that plays in it.
Hoffmann grew up in Washington, Missouri, with no running hot water until his sophomore year of high school, according to a press release. He often joined his father on early morning runs to pick up milk from local farms and deliver it to the nearby community, according to the release.
A former high school quarterback, he received a football scholarship to Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University), latransferringring to the University of Central Missouri, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He began his career with Clark Equipment Co. in North Dakota, later making his way to Chicago, where he founded DHR International in 1989. Shortly after founding DHR, Hoffmann formed Osprey Capital LLC to invest excess cash generated by DHR. Osprey has grown to be one of the world's largest family-owned offices, consisting of businesses owned by the Hoffmann family.
The Hoffmann Family of Companies began a push to build Augusta, Missouri, into a wine and tourist destination in early 2021, having since invested more than $150 million into businesses including four wineries, six vineyards, bike rental services, a luxury tourism yacht, a boutique, restaurants and more. It also is developing a 12-hole championship golf course and five-star hotel.
In announcing the award to David Hoffmann, the association noted the family's "sizable contribution" to the Naples Children & Education Foundation, where he serves on the board, and a seven-figure donation toward the renovation of the Naples Zoo, where the new entrance court is named for the Hoffmanns.
"Philanthropy is central to who I am, and I'm particularly drawn to organizations like the Horatio Alger Association that support deserving young people," Hoffmann said in the release. "An athletic scholarship allowed me to pursue a college degree, so I know firsthand how life changing scholarships can be. The Association takes this a step further by providing other valuable resources to help students of today, and I am proud to become a part of this honorable community."
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