Thank you to all of our 2008 small business contestants.  Five businesses and two individuals were selected from 38 applicants and nominations and honored at a sold out awards program.  

 

1. Weston Leonard of Elixir Media Group won the Young Entrepreneur Award sponsored by Clark and Co. in a category for people 40 or younger. Other finalists were from Urban Synergy and Bahama Breeze.
   
   
2. Sherrie St. Germain of Cafe N'Orleans won the New Business Award, given to businesses in operation for 12 to 36 months. That award was sponsored by Integrity Capital Management. The other finalists were Region 1 Golf Packages and Sugar Mama, a waxing and beauty studio.
   
   
3. Charles Phillips of Flowers by CopperCreek won in the Business Excellence category for businesses with two to nine employees. That category, sponsored by Leinbach Services, included other finalists Bristol Kingsport KOA and Hillhouse Graphics.
   
   
4. Larry Burris of Lake Pointe Advertising and Awards won the Business Excellence Award for businesses with 10 to 29 employees. Blackburn, Childers and Steagall sponsored the award, which had no other finalists.
   
   
5. Peggy Helton and Sandy Jarnigan of Interim Healthcare of East Tennessee won the Business Excellence Award for businesses with 30 to 150 employees. Sponsored by Rodefer Moss & Co., that category had no other finalists.
   
   
6. Charlie Dotson of TCI Group won the Impact Award, given to someone judged to have done the best job helping and mentoring a start-up small business. Unlike the other small business awards, that award was based on nominations from those who entered in the other categories. Paige Goforth, owner and founder of Tutoring Solutions and winner of a KOSBE award last year, nominated Dotson. Other finalists for the award, sponsored by Triten Insurance, were Steve Lahair of Chef's Pizza and Bill Testerman of Blakely Mitchell.
   
   
7. Dr. Jerry Miller received the inaugural Achievement Award for his years of work with Holston Medical Group, which he founded in 1977, and health care dating back to his general practice in Nickelsville starting in 1966.

Above, Charles Phillips of Flowers by CopperCreek
arranges a bouquet of flowers in his shop at 442 Shelby St.

Click here to read the Times-News article. 

Cafe N'Orleans (2008)
Elixir Media Group (2008)
Flowers by CopperCreek (2008)
Dr. Jerry Miller of Holston Medical Group (2008)
Interim Healthcare of East Tennessee (2008)
Lake Pointe Advertising and Awards (2008)
Charlie Dotson of TCI Group (2008)
Discovery Ice Cream (2007)
Mason Distributors/Trigger's Salsa & BBQ (2007)
Tutoring Solutions (2007)
AYP Automotive Service Center (2006)
Greenbelt Bicycle Rentals (2006)
Lucent Glow (2006)
tricitiessports.com (2006)
Clean & Safe LLC (2005)
Landmark GIS (2005)
Max Max Coffee (2005)
Decor Exchange (2004)
Tennessee Valley Manufacturing Solutions Inc (2003)
Professional Industrial Solutions LLC (2002)
Effective Fitness (2001)
MR Cleaners (2000)
Creative Solutions Design Group (1999)
Carter Chiropractic (1998)
Tactical Systems Inc (1997)
Warranty One Mobile Mower Repair (1996)
Wellness Revolution (1995)
Auto Masters (1994)