Better Business Bureau Honors Top Businesses
Wed Apr 30, 2008
Author: Greg Junek
Source: Tyler Morning Telegraph
HONORED: At left, David Hayes, of Hayes RV, receives one of the 2008 Torch awards from BBB President Kay Robinson at the BBB Torch Award dinner Tuesday at Villa di Felicitia. Middle, Troy Bevill, of Proforma Horizon Total Source, receives one of the Torch awards at the dinner Tuesday. Right, Camille Brown of Stepping Stone School stands with her company’s Torch Award at the dinner.
The Tyler Morning Telegraph newspaper received the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics for a business of 56-200 or more employees at the Central East Texas Better Business Bureau Torch Award ceremony Tuesday night at Villa Di Felicita.
Businesses in four size categories received the awards. The category of 56-200 or more employees was the largest category.
Nelson Clyde IV, president of T.B. Butler Publishing Co. Inc., publisher of the newspaper, received the award from Jeff Austin III, who represented Austin Bank, the 2006 award recipient company of the same category.
“We are blessed to serve this community; we feel privileged to do it,” Clyde said. “Many of you are our customers and we’re just grateful to be able to do what we do.”
Stepping Stone School in Tyler received the award for the category of 21-55 employees. Executive Director Camille Brown accepted the award.
Hayes RV Center in Longview captured the 10-20 employee category honor. Owner David Hayes accepted the award.
The award for a business in the smallest category, one to nine employees, went to Proforma Horizon Total Source in Whitehouse. Troy Bevill accepted the award for his company.
Kay Robinson, BBB president, said about 275 people had registered to attend the invitation event, the BBB’s third in four years.
Torch Award recipients were nominated by other businesses or members of the community. They could also nominate themselves, Ms. Robinson said. The BBB received 64 nominations.
A judge panel of Tom Mullins, Tyler Economic Development Council president and chief executive officer; Doris Sharp, director of technical preparation at The University of Texas at Tyler; Mark McDaniel, Tyler deputy city manager; and Dawn Franks, Fourth Partner Foundation program officer, chose the award recipients.
The BBB system established the Torch Award in 1996 to promote ethical business practices and to heighten public appreciation for businesses that incorporate these practices in their operations. The Central East Texas BBB began having awards ceremonies in 2005.
