The aim of the awards is to recognize businesses and business persons who have demonstrated commitment to community building.
For the Company of the Year Award for businesses with 50 employees or less, the nominees are Barefoot Marketing; Flamingo Air; BWA (Freeport) Ltd.; Freeport Gases Ltd.; Cool Breezes Restaurant; Freeport Jewellers; Island Bedding; Frank's Ice Cream; Bahama Buy & Sell; Professional Brokers; Magnolia's Restaurant and GT Brokers.
The nominees for the same award for businesses with more than 50 employees include The Garden of the Groves; Sawyers; Furniture Plus; Cable Bahamas; Bahamian Brewery and Freeport Restaurant (Kentucky Fried Chicken).
Vying for the Businessperson of the Year Award will be Jeffrey B. Butler Sr., Butlers Group of Companies; Jeremy Cafferata, Freeport Ship Services Ltd.; Donald Dean, The Architect Incorp.; Frank Outten, Frank's Ice Cream and Donald Roberts, Dolly Madison Furniture.
The competitors for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award are Derick & Reannah Singh, Cruzin Café; Ruthann Newton-Lightbourn, 1.9.6; Noel and Britton Clarke, Agave Restaurant and Debbie Borsetto, Now That's A Party.
The Philanthropic Business-person of the Year Award nominees are Frank Outten; Eddie Whan and Shuffel Hepburn.
Businesspersons are not the only ones who will be honoured, as student nominees will also be competing for the Business Student of the Year Award, which earns the winner a scholarship.
The nominees in that category are Dreshon Rolle, Jack Hayward High School; Vonette Malakius, St. Georges High School and Carissa Gaitor of Tabernacle Baptist Academy.
The winner of each category will be determined by the age of the business, the nature of the business, business achievements, contributions to the Bahamian economy, management and em-ployee relations, training, conduct and contributions made to the community or charity.
The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges appointed by the Chamber's board of directors.
