The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce last week announced the 2014 Small Business Award recipients during the 2014 Small Business Awards Luncheon at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Office Furniture Warehouse won the award for companies with one to 20 employees, while Southtree was honored in the 21-50 employees category and Chattanooga Allergy Clinic was recognized in the 51-200 employees category. The award for Nonprofit of the Year went to The Trust for Public Land.
“During the Small Business Awards, we honor our finalists as exemplars, but I also want to emphasize the important role all small businesses play,” said Ron Harr, Chattanooga Chamber president and CEO, at the event. “Although today is the Chamber’s most visible celebration of our local small business owners, they are a top priority for the Chamber every single day.”
To qualify for a Small Business Award, companies must have owned and operated a business in the Chattanooga MSA for a minimum of three years and have displayed exemplary success within their industry, a high level of community involvement, and corporate citizenship. Nonprofit agencies must be committed to ethical practices, engage in local volunteerism, and exert a positive impact on the community. Award candidates come from the Chattanooga Chamber’s membership.
After the awards presentation, many attendees moved to the adjacent hall for EXPO Chattanooga, the region’s largest showcase of local business. More than 200 exhibitors participated in the all day event.
The Small Business Awards Luncheon’s top sponsors were EPB, Volkswagen Chattanooga, NovaCopy, Sandler Training, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, YP, RJ Young, SoundForce, and Unum.
Source: Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce