GBCC executives say the idea for the award ceremony came about as the organization looked for ways to stimulate the community's awareness of businesspersons who offered excellent customer service and who are making progress even in the slow economic times.
Among the businesses nominated for the Company of the Year in the category for businesses with 50 employees or less are Zorba's, Atlantic Medical, Wendy's, Prestige Auto, Pelican Bay Hotel, Sunrise Medical, OBS Marine, Butler's Specialty Store, Discovery Cruise Line and Bellevue Business Depot.
In the category for the Com-pany of the Year with 50 or more employees, Bahamian Brewery and Polymers International, Ltd. are the nominees.
Keith Rolle of Gizmos & Gadgets and the Stop N' Shop Mall; Kenth Symonette of Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken (Mone Investments) and Magnus Alnebeck of Pelican Bay Hotel are the three finalists for the Businessperson of the Year Award, while Candy Laing of Expressions Boutique; Peter Taylor of Tyler's Express Food Market and Erik Russell of Keen I Media are in the running for the Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award are Maitland Cates, Chancery Corporate Services; Jeff Butler, Butler's Group; Joan Davies, Paint Fair; Dr. Wiona Pratt and Hanns Hahn, Discovery Cruise Line.
In the category of Philanthropic Business/Business-person of the Year are Waugh Construction, Furniture Plus, Jeff Butler and Hanns Hahn.
Nominees will be judged on a number of criteria, including the age of the business; the contribution to the Bahamian economy; management/employee relations; contribution to employment and employee training and the contribution to the community.
The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges appointed by the Board of Directors of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce.
