The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the 2009 Small Business of the Year Awards at a ceremony on Friday, September 25, at the Tampa Convention Center. Nearly 800 attendees celebrated the accomplishments of Tampa Bay’s small business community and toasted the evening’s big winners.
This year’s event was presented by the Bank of Tampa and represents the 29th year the Chamber has recognized this key segment of the region’s economy. Small business awards were presented in three categories based on the number of employees. Companies are evaluated on financial success, community involvement and ethical business practices. An award was also presented to the Outstanding Small Business Leader of the Year.
The 2009 Small Business of the Year Award winners are:
Outstanding Leader: Scott Riley, CEO of Fintech (CONGRATULATIONS from us! JT)
Financial Information Technologies, Inc. (Fintech) provides eCommerce solutions to buyers and sellers of regulated goods and services. Scott Riley took the reins as CEO of Fintech in 1996 when the company had yet to turn a profit. He identified new sources of capital, shifted the sales focus from distributor to retailer and hired technology experts to allow Fintech customer’s access to real-time data. Today Fintech is growing at a double digit pace.
5 – 20 Employees: Sprinkle Consulting, Inc.
Serving the Tampa Bay area since 1980, Sprinkle Consulting, Inc., specializes in civil engineering, land planning, transportation facilities planning and design, and landscape architecture. Building upon a foundation of smart diversification of its business sectors, Sprinkle Consulting has maintained an average annual growth rate of 20 percent over the last five years.
21 – 50 Employees: Simpson Air
Simpson Air is one of Tampa’s leading air conditioning and heating authorities, specializing in new construction, residential installation and retail services and maintenance. The foundation of the company was established in 1999 as a two-person operation in the back of a home garage. Today Simpson Air has 27 fulltime employees, 17 trucks and an 8,200 square-foot facility.
51 – 250 Employees: MJM Electric, Inc.
MJM Electric, Inc. is a family owned and operated electrical contracting company. The company has historically been an industrial contractor, but also has a robust service department known for its quick response times. MJM recognizes the importance of protecting its people. Its corporate philosophy identifies safety and quality as the company’s first priorities.
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