By: LeNá Powe
On October 1 the Birmingham Business Alliance honored entrepreneurs, small businesses and executives at the organization’s annual Small Business Awards Celebration at the Sheraton Hotel. With over 400 attendees the Birmingham region’s best and brightest were recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to the Birmingham region. The event was sponsored by Charter Business, Wells Fargo, Alabama Media Group, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and AT&T Alabama.
Bob Dickerson, executive director of the Birmingham Business Resource Center was named Small Business Executive of the Year. As the BBA’s Executive of the Year, and in partnership with Samford University’s Brock School of Business, Dickerson will serve as Executive in Residence at the Brock School of Business. Throughout the 2013-2014 school year he will be available to lecture classes, advise Brock School of Business incubator tenants, and participate in a variety of school activities.
Susan Matlock, who is retiring as executive director of Innovation Depot was recognized for her work in developing one of the most celebrated business incubators in the country. Other honorary award recipients were:
• Glyn Agnew and Cassandra Ferguson, both of AT&T Alabama, as the Jesse J. Lewis Jr. Small Business Advocates of the Year.
• Law firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as Small Business Champion of the Year.
• Birmingham Barons as Legacy Business of the Year.
In nine competitive award categories recognizing small business in Birmingham, more than 80 companies qualified as nominees. After review by an independent panel of judges, three finalists emerged from each category and one was named an award recipient:
• Slice received the Emerging Business of the Year Award; Fleetio and Kemp Management Solutions LLC were named finalists.
• Urban Cookhouse received the Retail Business of the Year Award; Gus Mayer and Dorothy McDaniel’s Flower Market were named finalists.
• Tonya Jones of Tonya Jones Salon Spa received the Young Professional of the Year Award; Krista Conlin of KC Projects and Nicole Beachum of NicoleBeachum.com were named finalists.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham received the Nonprofit of the Year Award with a budget of less than $1 million; Metro Changers Inc. and PreSchool Partners were named finalists.
• First Light Inc. received the Nonprofit of the Year Award with a budget of more than $1 million; The Arc of Jefferson County and Pathways were named finalists.
• Proventix Systems Inc. received the Technology/Biotechnology Business of the Year Award; ProctorU and Atlas RFID Solutions were named finalists.
• Sain Associates received the Small Business of the Year Award, with one to 50 employees; Sain Engineering Associates Inc. and Marketing 24/7 Inc. were named finalists.
• McSweeney Holdings received the Small Business of the Year Award, with 51 to 250 employees; Bruno Event Team and TherapySouth were named finalists.
• SARCOR LLC received the Dr. A.G. Gaston Emerging Minority- or Woman-owned Business Award; KC Projects and Cheeriodicals were named finalists.
“Telling the story of Birmingham’s small businesses to the world is essential to our work at the Birmingham Business Alliance,” said Brian Hilson, president and CEO of the BBA. “That’s why once a year we honor small businesses and their champions, to understand what these companies do and how they operate, which reveals a lot about Birmingham’s thriving economy.”
