Small Business of the Year winners. Photo by Bruce Maxwell
Four Tarrant County businesses received the 2014 Small Business of the Year Award today from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. The annual awards were announced just prior to Mayor Betsy Price’s State of the City address February 13.
The winners, in their respective categories are: • Emerging Business – Shoot Smart — upscale indoor shooting range and training center; • One to 10 Employees – Four Day Weekend, Inc. — improvisational comedy theater, corporate communications and training center; • Eleven to 50 Employees – Care N’ Care Insurance Company, Inc. — Medicare Advantage PPO plan for seniors; • Fifty-one to 150 Employees – CE-DFW Warehouse Solutions — warehouse equipment service and repair.
“These award-winning businesses represent the very best of thousands of Fort Worth innovators and risk-takers who have started their own enterprises, overcome obstacles and charted new territory,” said Bill Thornton, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber. “Their success stories illustrate why Fort Worth is growing and attracting major employers, entrepreneurs and talent from all over the world.” Recipients were categorized by either emerging business or number of employees, and judged on business growth and performance, sound business strategies and practices, customer service strategies, business challenges, unique and innovative approaches, and community involvement. The winners were chosen from a record-setting field of 95 nominees, 40 applicants and a total of 12 finalists in four categories. Each finalist was judged on their written application and a site visit by business owners and professionals from the ranks of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, including a few past award winners. Students from Texas Christian University’s Neely Entrepreneurship Center were also among the judges. The 2014 Small Business of the Year awards program is presented by Community Bank. Additional sponsors include Charter Business, The Neely School of Business Entrepreneurship Center at TCU, Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel and the Fort Worth Business Press. Profiles of all the nominees were published in the Feb. 10 issue of the Fort Worth Business Press.