Student of Integrity Scholarships also awarded
October 21, 2010, Saint Paul, Minnesota – The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) announced the recipients of the 2010 BBB Integrity Awards at a ceremony held at the Minnesota History Center in Saint Paul last night. Kathy Tunheim, President and CEO of Tunheim Partners, Inc., was the keynote speaker at the event.
The BBB Integrity Awards are presented each year to companies who exemplify ethical behavior and display integrity in all aspects of their operations; toward their employees, vendors, customers, and within their community. Companies must also uphold BBB standards. Winners are chosen by an independent panel of judges.
“The Integrity Awards are always the highlight of our year,” said Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of the BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota. “It’s the night we get to focus our attention on – and applaud – the companies that shine brightest in our region and set the standard by which other companies are measured.”
The 2010 Integrity Award winners are:
- Category I (1 to 10 employees): Thread Logic. Thread Logic in Jordan, MN is a small-town embroidery company with a national clientele.
- Category II (11 to 50 employees): Victory Auto Service and Glass. Victory Auto Service and Glass in Fridley (with locations in Ham Lake and Brooklyn Park) is an automotive repair company which provides customers with dependable service.
- Category III (51-99 employees): Lehman’s Garage. Lehman’s Garage in Bloomington (with locations in Chaska, Eagan, Minneapolis and Savage) provides quality service to its auto body, service, glass and dent removal customers.
- Category IV (100+ employees): Right at Home. Right at Home in Bloomington specializes in providing non-medical care for seniors to help them remain living independently in their homes.
Businesses that were chosen as finalists were: EDS Builders, Inc., Kamarron Design, Inc., Latuff Brothers Auto Body, Schmit Towing, Inc., Carpet King, Inc., ORBIT Systems, Inc. and Empire Today, LLC.
Another component of the event is the Student of Integrity Scholarships, sponsored by Best Buy. Two scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who demonstrate, through essay, their understanding of integrity and how they apply it to their lives. Judges decisions are based more on the students’ commitment to ethics and integrity than on grade point average. “We were blown away by this year’s essays,” said Mackenzie Kelley, BBB event coordinator and coordinator of the scholarship awards. “We all know that young people today are faced with many challenges. These essays reminded us that many youth are handling those challenges admirably.” Winners of this year’s Student of Integrity Scholarships are:
- Shamis Adam, Central High School, Saint Paul, MN – $10,000
- Valerie Kloeckl, Sibley East Senior High School, Arlington, MN – $5,000
Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2011 BBB Integrity Awards and may be made by customers, vendors, or even the company itself. Visit www.thefirstbbb.org for more information or call Mackenzie Kelley at 651-695-2482.
