Entrepreneur of the Year

The recipient of The Entrepreneur of the Year Award exemplifies the following characteristics:

• The nominee demonstrates perseverance in the face of adversity and overcoming obstacles, learns from experience, fosters teamwork and builds loyalty.
• What new approaches of technologies have been implemented? What investment has been made in the Tri-State? How well does the nominee adapt to change and develop products and services ahead of the market?
• The nominee has earned respect from staff, competitors and advisers; is a strong communicator; influences others; and demonstrates involvement in the wider community.
• The nominee has made a noticeable impact in terms of job creation and leadership in the marketplace and is a regional, national or global player.
• Is a viable company that is a member of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana.
• Have been in operation for at least two years.
• Maintain a responsible and rewarding workplace environment

• The achievements of the organization must be relevant (i.e. should have taken place within approximately the last 12-18 months).
• Nominated organizations must be based in the Tri-State Area, even if their work serves populations outside of the Tri-State.
• Organizations nominated must be a nonprofit organization or a program of a nonprofit organization. Unincorporated nonprofits and coalitions of nonprofits may also apply. Government entities, business entities and individuals are not eligible to apply.
• Provide a copy of non-profit status (must be 501 (c) 3 or 501 (c) 6 organization) certificate must be submitted with entry.
• Is a viable company that is a member of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana.
• Have been in operation for at least two years.
• Maintain a responsible and rewarding workplace environment.

The recipient of the Non-Profit Business of the Year Award exemplifies the following characteristics:

• Must have 1-25 full-time equivalent employees (including all independent contractors)
• Business is physically located in the Tri-State region.
• The nominee has earned respect from staff, competitors and advisers; is a strong communicator; influences others; and demonstrates involvement in the wider community.
• The nominee has made a noticeable impact in terms of job creation and leadership in the marketplace and is a regional, national or global player.
• Is a viable company that is a member of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana.
• Have been in operation for at least two years.
• Maintain a responsible and rewarding workplace environment.

The EXPO Small Business Award Organizers is a collaboration The Chambers marketing committee members and The Chambers board of directors. The program sponsors have worked together to develop the award criteria, award application process, award selections and award brunch program and ceremony.

We strive to recognize a mix of excellent small businesses that:

• Represent communities from the entire Tri-State area.
• Have less than 25 employees.
• Are strong supporters of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana.

Each year starting around November 1, we solicit nominations from as many sources in the community as possible. This includes e-mails to small businesses and those that provide services to small businesses, business and civic associations, articles in The Chambers newsletter, which is embedded in the Evansville Business Journal.

Anyone can nominate a company.

The nomination process is extremely easy and only takes about one minute.

Anyone can nominate more than one company.

A company only needs to be nominated once.

Award winners ARE NOT chosen by how many nominations they receive.

Self-nominations by employees and owners, nominations of minority and women-owned firms are encouraged.

Supplementary material is discouraged and will not be returned.

Representatives of the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center and The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana will narrow the nominations to 10 per category.

An independent panel of Chamber board member judges, who work for or own companies with more than 25 employees, will review the nominations received and decide on the recipient for each award.

The award recipient will be announced on March 11 at The Chamber Small Business Awards brunch.

To submit an online nomination form, please click here. The nominee will receive a notification of its nomination.