The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana will announce the recipients of the 5th Annual Small Business Awards on Thursday, July 11, at The Centre in Downtown Evansville, at the kickoff brunch for the 8th Annual Tri-State Business EXPO.
Each year, The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana celebrates small businesses that have made a positive impact on our community — either through philanthropic activity or economic contribution. Member companies with fewer than 25 employees are eligible to be nominated for one of three awards: the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Nonprofit of the Year Award or the Small Business of the Year Award.
An independent panel of judges is tasked with reviewing nominations and selecting five entries per category to be finalists. The Chamber, and the independent panel of judges, expects to receive dozens of nominations again this year for the three awards.
Awards are presented to all employees of the company, not just the owners. While small-business owners have the vision and take the risk, The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana recognizes that employee teamwork makes a company successful.
Criteria and guidelines for the awards, and an online nomination form, can be found at www.ccswin.com/about and navigating to the “Awards” section. Only completed nomination forms received by Friday, March 29, will be reviewed by the award selection panel.
Past award recipients are companies, organizations, and entrepreneurs that have played an integral role in the success of our community. Past award recipients, by category, include:
Entrepreneur of the Year Award
2012: Chris Jourdan, Wireless Zone
2011: Julie Karger, Scott Hendrickson, and Brian Jackson of Watch Evansville
2010: Tom and Lisa Slade, Alphagraphics2009: Tracy Zeller, Tracy Zeller Enterprises
Nonprofit of the Year Award
2012: VNA+
2011: Habitat for Humanity of Evansville
2010: Tri-State Food Bank2009: WNIN
Small Business of the Year Award
2012: Boyd Electric
2011: Husk Signs
2010: Information Technology Architects Inc.
2009: Woodward Commercial Realty Inc.