LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 27, 2018) — Greater Louisville Inc., the Metro Chamber of Commerce, has announced the 26 companies and three business leaders in the running for the 2018 Inc.credible Awards presented by Citizens Union Bank. The annual awards celebrate small businesses within the Greater Louisville region.
GLI will recognize finalists in seven categories this year. All finalists are listed below in alphabetical order.
Very Small Business of the Year Award (1-9 employees)
The winning company exemplifies both business and civic leadership. Community involvement, management practices and overall financial performance are the primary criteria for this category.
• Ashley | Rountree and Associates assists nonprofit organizations in growing philanthropy and achieving self-sustainability in order to help the communities become a better place for all who live and work in them.
• Helping Other People Excel (HOPE) is a leadership development and coaching firm, specializing in professional development for leaders at every level of the organization. This company collaborates with organizations and individuals to create a training strategy that will best meet their developmental needs.
• Hi-Five Doughnuts is Louisville’s first female owned and operated doughnut food truck and storefront. The company uses local ingredients to make delicious brioche style doughnuts from scratch. All of their glazes are made from scratch and they hand roll and cut all of their doughnuts.
• Louisville Family Fun is a company that efficiently provides current information to Kentuckiana families and beyond about events and entertainment options in the Louisville Metro area. They strive to save families money by providing pertinent details that allow families to explore together in the least expensive way possible.
• RE Solutions LLC is a relationship based alternative to a typically transaction driven business. They help clients with any of their real estate needs as a trusted real estate advisor. They serve their clients by advocating, consulting, & negotiating on their behalf.
• WordsFresh is the only writing agency in the Louisville region and one of the few in the country. This company helps businesses and organizations persuade, inspire, and educate audiences – from marketing campaigns to technical reports to internal communications.
Small Business of the Year Award (10-100 employees) presented by Focal Point Business Coaching of KY
The winning company exemplifies both business and civic leadership. Community involvement, management practices, and overall financial performance are the primary criteria for this category.
• Elite Homes builds the highest quality homes in the Metro Louisville market by selecting their locations carefully and controling the look and feel of each community. Many of their developments offer in-community amenities such as pools, clubhouses, workout facilities, parks, and lakes.
• Office Resources, Inc. creates work environments that energize and inspire, help attract and retain talent, support corporate culture, demonstrate their customers’ unique brands, and add to the functionality, effectiveness, and value of their facilities.
• PMR Companies is a premier, multi-regional property and asset management organization. The company works to maximize clients’ returns, create a rewarding and enjoyable environment for their associates and provide the best possible customer service to residents, commercial tenants, and vendors.
• SmartBox is a dental marketing service that helps dentists find patients. They customize their dental marketing services to focus on the online channel, where more than 90 percent of people begin their search for a dentist.
• Solid Light, Inc. designs and builds visitor experiences that engage, enlighten, and inspire. From initial concept through final installation, a talented team of designers, writers, filmmakers, architects, fabrication specialists, and project managers create innovative solutions to fit any project.
• Venture First is a boutique financial services firm that caters to high-growth, venture-backed companies and their investors across the United States. They use their rapid-fire analytical tools to provide their clients with the financial and strategic tools to be successful.
Healthcare & Wellness Award
This award recognizes a business that is contributing to the fields of health and wellness, whether by introducing innovative solutions to the healthcare field or by providing excellent service for individual health and wellness.
• Fieldtrip is a creative agency fixated on making work that works in the community. The value of these services are anchored by the company’s unique desire to immerse themselves into the world of their clients and to operate with constant curiosity.
• Milk and Baby provides clothing for new moms so that they are strong, empowered, and self-confident. They strive to provide them with superior customer service, as new motherhood is a tough time.
• My Health E is a patient advocacy service designed to educate and empower patients with knowledge, helping them to find local health education classes and events. Their goal is for everyone to find health and wellness education events in their area.
Diversity & Inclusion Award
This award recognizes a small business that demonstrates a commitment to inclusive hiring, buying, selling and is a champion of diversity and inclusion.
• Benson Group LLC is a solution for Human Resources Management, Workforce Training, and Organizational Development. The company focuses on people so much that they incorporate a holistic approach to human life to business practices and strategies.
• El Kentubano, LLC is a free monthly publication catering to the local Hispanic Community of Louisville, KY. The publication has become the voice of the Cuban Community of Kentucky, and it is today an obligated reference for the whole Hispanic Community of the Louisville Metro area.
• Peptides International, Inc. addresses the need for quality products and services in the field of peptide synthesis. The company is a trusted source of high purity, quality products ranging from innovative resins to complex custom peptide synthesis.
Non-Profit of the Year Award presented by Ladyfingers Catering
This award is presented to the small business that is seen as a leader in the Greater Louisville community. This business has made significant contributions to advancing arts and culture in Greater Louisville and sees community investment as a core part of the company’s values.
• Anchal Project provides careers in design and eco-friendly textile production to women forced into the commercial sex trade in Ajmer, India and Louisville, Kentucky. By investing in individual women and purchasing sustainable products, we can break the cycle of exploitation together.
• Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center seeks to transform the community by sharing the love of Christ in word and deed, to facilitate community development, and holistic healthcare through the empowerment of the residents in the community.
• Waterfront Botanical Gardens develops experiences that promote appreciation and understanding of plants and for a more harmonious, sustainable world. Their vision is to create a botanical garden and conservatory that inspires the Louisville community.
• WaterStep provides safe water to communities in developing countries through empowerment, equal access and transformative hope. They are working for a day when no person has to drink unsafe water.
• Wayside Christian Mission provides emergency services to the homeless in Louisville, including shelter, food, clothing and other essential services. They also offer emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing for homeless men and women.
Innovation Award presented by Middleton Reutlinger
This award recognizes a business that provides innovative product or services. Innovative solutions can include technologies, programing, processes, systems, etc.
• Oasis Solutions serves businesses throughout North America with software consulting, development, training, and support. The company is an award-winning business management software partner for Sage software, NetSuite, and Adaptive Insights.
• Switcher, Inc. focuses on mobility, usability, and interactivity. They are are uniquely positioned to be the go-to solution for creating social video when businesses want to do more using the devices they already have. This company has a global footprint with customers in over 115 countries.
• Triblue is a company that provides products to the petroleum industry that reduce the cost of oil production and gas processing by up to 90 percent. The company also developed a system to treat wastewater.
2018 Small Business Leader Award
This award is presented to a small business leader who is stimulating a supportive work environment and exhibits a real commitment to the welfare of their employees. Their efforts bear fruit in a well-motivated, integrated workforce and a successful small business in the Greater Louisville region. This business leader is dedicated and has proven their self as innovative, engaged, and civic-minded.
• Tendai Charasika is the CEO of SuperFanU, a fan loyalty and engagement platform for colleges and universities allowing them to engage and communicate with their fan base.
• Louis Straub is the president of Independence Bank, a financial service that offers on online banking and innovative products.
• Anna Tatman is the president of Rosa Mosaic & Tile Company, a craftsman company that offers surface finishes which include tile, terrazzo and stone.
There will also be a People’s Choice Award presented by Right Angle, which can be voted on here. All of the 26 company finalists are eligible for that honor.
“The Inc.credible Awards are a chance for Greater Louisville to really celebrate all the small businesses that make our region unique and vibrant,” Kent Oyler, president & CEO of GLI, said. “We are always excited to see the innovative business solutions that are being pioneered by these players in our community.”
Since 2000, the Inc.credible Awards have recognized more than 100 small, local businesses for their ongoing contributions to our community’s economic vitality. The awards will be presented at the Inc.credible Awards Celebration on May 8 at 4:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Center for Performing Arts. To attend the 2018 Inc.credible Awards, register here.
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