"When an organization is grounded in co-responsibility and opportunity-seeking, there is an atmosphere of empathy." Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ, President, Gonzaga University.
March 3, 2009—Spokane, WA---For the fourth year in a row, the Better Business Bureau held an evening ceremony to present regional business winners the coveted "eagle," 2009 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. On March 2nd, 2009, in the Wolff Auditorium at the Jepson Center on Gonzaga University campus, the BBB celebrated the 2009 Winners and Honorable Mentions in elegant style.
2009 Torch Award Winners and Honorable Mentions
The 2009 Winners are:
Roundy’s Kawasaki and Seadoo, Inc.
www.roundyskawasaki.com Spokane, WA
(1-12 employees)
Click here for video
Crimson & Gray
www.crimsongray.com Pullman, WA
(13-99 employees)
Click here for video
PCO, Inc.
www.pcopen.com Liberty Lake, WA
(Over 1,000 employees)
Click here for video
Northwest Farm Credit Services
www.farm-credit.com Regional
(100-999 employees)
Click here for video
Big R Store (on Trent)
www.bigrstore .com/spokane -wa Spokane, WA
(Entrant part of larger corporation)
Click here for video
2009 Honorable Mentions are:
Moscow Food Co-Op
www.moscowfood.coop Moscow, ID
The Warehouse Athletic Facility
www.warehouseathletics.com Spokane, WA
Merlin Information Services
www.merlindata.com Kalispell, MT
These winners automatically qualify for the International Torch Awards through the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
Award Submission Assistance from Business Students of Gonzaga University & WSU's College of Business and The Avista Center for Entrepreneurship at Spokane Community College
GU, WSU and SCC business students assisted businesses with the application process and a group of objective judges representing our service area reviewed applications and deemed five regional businesses Winners, and three as Honorable Mentions. Awards were given in an elegantly simple celebration in the Wolff Auditorium of the Jepson Center on GU campus which included acceptance videos shot and edited by Broadcast Journalism students coordinated by Dan Garrity (Broadcast Journalism instructor at GU) who along with students focused on asking winners "WHY" they felt their business was ethical.
Scholarships Awarded
This year, Wheatland Bank , a past recipient (2006) of the Torch Award, graciously offered up a $1,000 scholarship award to the "best" acceptance video project shot, produced and edited by a GU broadcast student team.
New this year, Kim HOTStart Manufacturing Company , of Spokane, WA., also a past recipient (2007) of the Torch Award, presented a $1,000 scholarship to the best application presentation compiled by students. The winners were Soumenjit Mitra and Kirsten Gable (PCO, Inc. application).
The winning video, voted by the audience present, was Big R Store on Trent produced by Corrine Buchanan, Shalyn Clark and Eddie Leshinski.
Special Thanks
Besides thanking our winners for surviving the application process and making it through to the end, we'd like to thank the following for their overall enthusiasm and gifted implementation of these awards:
*Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ, President of Gonzaga University, for speaking to the value of ethics.
*Joel White of Joel C. White Co. for MCing the event and giving support to the judging process and Dr. Michael Stebbins, of InVia , for his overall guidance and support.
*Our six judges: Judi Williams, Founder and Chair, Telect, Inc.; Monica Hampton, Store Manager, Huckleberry’s ; Bert Caldwell, Business Reporter, Spokesman-Review ; Caroline Wyatt, VP of Human Resources, Yoke’s Foods ; John Pederson, Director of Membership Development, Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce ; Mike Metcalf, CLU, IR, Metcalf Financial Services , Spokane, WA.
* Quisenberry Marketing and Design and Mark Keas, of MDI Marketing for coordinating collateral materials for the celebration, and to Brian Steverson, Gonzaga University Professor, for his overall as sistance with the celebration .
* Clinkerdaggers (Torch Award winner, 2008) for sponsoring the 2009 Awards Luncheon, The Davenport Hotel and Tower (Torch Award winner, 2007) for its support in the way of reduced room rates for Torch event attendees, Yokes Fresh Markets (Torch Award winner, 2006) for sponsoring the judging event, and Wagstaff , Inc. for its BBB Foundation Charter Sponsorship support.
We are especially grateful to the Spokane Chapter of the Society of Financial Services Professionals and Joel C. White Company of Spokane, WA. for providing valuable supportive underwriting this endeavor.
A Tradition Continues
The BBB Torch Awards program helps illuminate the importance of regional business conscience and responsibility to upholding a fair and honest marketplace, and consistently delivering trust. Each year, this competition is open to all service-area businesses wishing to apply, both accredited and non-accredited, with one winner selected from each "company size" category by an independent panel of judges with expertise in business ethics.
Award Criteria
The award is open to for-profit businesses that provide goods or services to retail and wholesale markets in our service area of Eastern Washington, North Idaho and/or Montana. Non-profit organizations or businesses whose primary markets are local, state, or federal governments are NOT ELIGIBLE for this award. Companies do not need to have a full-scale ethics program in operation in order to compete. Nominees must be in good standing with the BBB; however, accreditation with the BBB is not a requirement. They simply need to demonstrate that they meet the judging criteria.
The Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics awards are presented to companies in recognition of their outstanding commitment to exceptional standards in relationships to their consumers, employees, suppliers, competitors, shareholders, and surrounding communities. Each one of these BBB Torch Award winners started somewhere by measuring their own character first, then by example, leadership and getting the right people assembled, was able to successfully move his or her company forward.
Applications and Nominations for 2010
Be on the lookout for application and nomination deadlines starting the fall of 2009. Throughout the year, we hope that you will keep in mind and take note of those businesses you wish to nominate, or encourage to apply. It may be your own!
MEDIA
The contact designated for speaking to media about this coveted award is Jan Quintrall, President, BBB: (509) 232-0530 or (800) 248- 2356.