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KINGSPORT CHAMBER AND KOSBE CALLING FOR ENTRIES IN PRESTIGIOUS ANNUAL AWARDS CELEBRATION

Five businesses and two individuals were honored at a sold out awards program in 2008.

KINGSPORT, TN – September 25, 2009 – Today, the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE) will begin accepting applications and nominations for its Annual KOSBE Awards from Kingsport Chamber members and nonmembers.   This year there are five areas of competition:  one award for Young Entrepreneur (under age 40), one for New Business (in operation for at least 12 months but not more than 36 months), two awards for Business Excellence (employing Under 10 Employees and employing 10 Employees and Up in 2009), and one Impact Award for an outstanding individual and small business advocate nominated by a business who is entering the contest in one of the preceding categories.  Selections will be made based on reported past financial performance, growth in number of employees, business staying power and history, story of success overcoming adversity, community involvement, marketing creativity, and presented strategies for growth.  

The competition is open only to legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry, or legally established small business entities carrying on business for tax purposes in the City of Kingsport.  Entrants must hold an ownership stake in the business that is the subject of his/her entry.  The business profiled in any submitted entry must consist of no more than 150 employees, and the 2008 reported revenue of the business must not exceed $10 million USD.

Five businesses and two individuals were selected from 38 applicants and nominations, and honored in 2008:

Weston Leonard of Elixir Media Group won the Young Entrepreneur Award in a category for people 40 or younger. Other finalists were Urban Synergy and Bahama Breeze. 

Sherrie St. Germain of Café N’Orleans won the New Business Award, given to businesses in operation for 12 to 36 months. The other finalists were Region 1 Golf Packages and Sugar Mama, a waxing and beauty studio.

Charles Phillips of Flowers by CopperCreek won in the Business Excellence category for businesses with two to nine employees. That category included other finalists Bristol Kingsport KOA and Hillhouse Graphics.

Larry Burris of Lake Pointe Advertising and Awards won the Business Excellence Award for businesses with 10 to 29 employees.

Peggy Helton and Sandy Jarnigan of Interim Healthcare of East Tennessee won the Business Excellence Award for businesses with 30 to 150 employees.

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, this 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 in 2007, nominated Dotson.  Other finalists for the award were Steve Lahair of Chef's Pizza and Bill Testerman of Blakely Mitchell.

Dr. Jerry Miller with Holston Medical Group (HMG) received an Achievement Award for his years of work with HMG, which he founded in 1977, and healthcare dating back to his general practice in Nickelsville starting in 1966.

Twenty-one additional businesses have been previously recognized by the Kingsport Chamber and KOSBE for their contribution to the business community and growth potential:

Past Winners
Discovery Ice Cream (2007)
Mason Distributors/Trigger Beeler's Salsa & BBQ Sauce (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)

This year’s awards chairperson, Angie Chapman, also a Partner & Investment Advisor Representative for Integrity Capital Management, says the annual awards present a unique opportunity to celebrate the recession-proof vitality of emerging small businesses as well as established businesses with substantial history in our local area.  “Last year’s event proved to be a great networking opportunity for more than 125 business leaders in our community, and we are looking forward to a record turnout this year to show support for the strength of small business in Kingsport,� said Chapman.

Several changes have been implemented for this year’s awards program including the addition of three nonlocal judges (including officials of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the State of Tennessee Economic & Community Development Business Enterprise Resource Office and the U.S. Small Business Administration), the selection of a downtown venue, the consolidation of size categories, and a $25 application fee that includes one free ticket to the awards celebration event.  Also, applicants will be encouraged (but not required) to submit a 2-minute video meeting prescribed content guidelines along with their paper or online application.  Each winner will receive a KOSBE helm award on stage, recognition during Kingsport Chamber and KOSBE events, digital award emblem to display on their company literature and web site, spotlight on Kingsport Chamber and KOSBE web sites, recognition in Times-News, and one free class enrollment (valued at $800) in the two-day class entitled “Achieving World-Class Results� offered by nationally-renowned Pal’s Business Excellence Institute.  According to Aundrea Wilcox, KOSBE Executive Director, “The publicity and credibility associated with winning this competition alone is invaluable to a small business owner, and a stepping stone that can lead to the business growth and personal fulfillment that they desire.� 

Starting at 12:00 PM EST on September 25th, application and nomination forms will be available in person at the Office of Small Business located inside the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce, at 151 East Main St, Kingsport, TN, or online at www.kosbe.org until 11:59:59 PM EST October 30th, which is the contest deadline.  A panel of  judges will review all submissions and select semi-finalists based on some or all of the following methods:  completed application form, telephone interview, in-person interview, and video or oral presentation.  The finalists and winners will be announced at a recognition and celebration event on Thursday, December 10, 2009, 5:30 PM –7:30 PM, at BANQ which is located in the heart of Downtown Kingsport in the historic First National Bank Building, at 255 Broad Street –2nd Floor, Kingsport, Tennessee. 

Preceding award presentations, keynote speaker Michael Strickland, Chairman of Knoxville-based Bandit Lites, the second largest lighting hire company in the world, will share the inspirational and educational story of how he (starting at the age of 12) turned a $25 idea into a multimillion dollar business.  Founded in Kingsport, in 1968, Bandit Lites has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia; and has been serving a variety of A-list artists and entertainment clients, including but not limited to WWF Wrestling, R.E.M., Jimmy Buffet, Garth Brooks, and the Super Bowl half-time show, for over 40 years.

The title sponsor of the 2009 Annual KOSBE Awards is Southeast Community Capital.  Additional sponsors include Citizens Bank, Clark & Company Development,  GTS Refreshment Services, Integrity Capital Management, Kingsport Times-News, Leinbach Building Services, Pal’s Business Excellence Institute, Plastic Surgery Center of East Tennessee, Triten Insurance & Financial Services Inc., Urban Synergy, and Wilson Worley Moore Gamble & Stout PC.

For more information and tickets visit KOSBE's web site, www.kosbe.org, or call (423) 392-8811. 

About KOSBE
KOSBE is a nonprofit economic development organization that represents a partnership between the City of Kingsport and the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce, and a proud Strategic Resource Partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Press Contact:
Aundrea Wilcox, Executive Director
Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce
Office of Small Business Development
& Entrepreneurship (KOSBE)
151 East Main St
Kingsport, TN 37662
Phone (423) 392-8801
Email awilcox@kosbe.org
www.kosbe.org