Updated: October 16, 2012 at 12:00 am
Six area companies, a team of businesses leaders and Pikes Peak Community College were honored Tuesday by the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance as part of the seventh annual Excellence in Local Industry Awards.
The awards, given during a reception attended by about 150 people at The Broadmoor hotel’s Colorado Hall, honored contributions made to the Pikes Peak region by corporate, civic and individual members of the community.
The awards were a staple of the Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corp.; Tuesday’s awards were the first since the EDC merged this year with the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce. The new organization recently rebranded itself as the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance.
Tuesday’s recipients included:
• Corporate Social Responsibility Award, which honors companies that go beyond philanthropy and compliance in their operations: Colorado Springs-based Intecon LLC, a defense contractor with experience in deploying and maintaining personnel in the U.S, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and other nations around the world. The company’s list of activities includes involvement with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Rotary International Scholarship Fund, Toys for Tots and several others. Other finalist: Agilent Technologies.
• Business Climate Award, presented in recognition of actions that significantly improve the climate for new and existing employers: Frontier Airlines. The carrier began service in Colorado Springs with flights to Denver in 2008. In May, Frontier launched non-stop flights from the Springs to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle and Portland. The flights have aided many companies, especially those in aerospace and defense, and have made the Pikes Peak region a more accessible business location. Other finalist: Western Cyber Exchange.
• Company to Watch Award, which honors up-and-coming employers in the Pikes Peak region: Chromatic Technologies Inc., a custom, special-effects inks and coatings manufacturer. CTI’s patented inks help attract consumers and support advertising messages. One of CTI’s most recognizable products is its temperature sensitive inks, which turn the mountains blue on the cans of Coors Brewing Co. products. In 2010, CTI expanded its ink technologies into security and anti-counterfeiting capabilities, and health care. Other finalist: NAVSYS Corp.
• Pioneer Award, which recognizes an employer with a long-standing legacy in the Pikes Peak region: Olson Plumbing & Heating Co. Olson’s roots date to 1917, when “Olson the Plumber” served local residents on a three-wheeled motorcycle. Olson Plumbing & Heating grew to become one of the Front Range’s largest residential and commercial plumbing, heating, and mechanical contractors; the company’s honors include a recognition for teamwork and design excellence for its work on surgical suites at Penrose Hospital. Other finalist: The Gazette.
• Local Industry Chairperson Award, which honors organizations that have demonstrated exceptional work beyond the other recognized categories: Pikes Peak Community College. PPCC, with president Lance Bolton, has partnered with the former Chamber and EDC and the Southern Colorado Manufacturing Consortium — helping to forge a coalition to improve the workforce for the region’s manufacturers. After hearing local manufacturers express frustration last year in finding skilled welders and machinists, PPCC and Bolton worked with employers to provide customized training to meet specific company needs. Other finalist: National Museum of World War II Aviation.
• Manufacturing Company of the Year Award, presented to a manufacturing or construction company that has invested and innovated in energy efficiencies and environmental improvements, among other areas: Linear Manufacturing of Colorado Springs. Linear produces printed circuit boards for the medical, aerospace and electronic device industries. The company offers electro-
mechanical assembly services including sub-assembly, box build and complete product contract manufacturing. The company employs some of the area’s most highly skilled electronic industry workers, while founder Jay Palace has more than 30 years of domestic and international business experience in sales, marketing and manufacturing. Other finalist: Atmel Corp.
• Industry Team Cluster Award, presented to the chair and co-chair of one of the Business Alliance’s six Industry Cluster Teams for outstanding leadership, innovation, and positive outcomes for their industry sector: Aerospace & Defense, co-chaired by Stan VanderWerf of Advanced Capitol LLC and Bob Wolski of EM-Tek Inc. The team is composed of 20 industry experts and is working on several initiatives designed to expand and promote the local aerospace and defense industry, such as working to increase non-stop flights out of the Colorado Springs Airport. Other cluster teams: Bioscience & Medical Device Manufacturing; Pikes Peak Cleantech; Data Storage and Data Centers; Health Information Technology; and Sports.
• Master of Ceremonies Innovation Award, voted on by attendees at Tuesday’s reception and which recognizes a fast-growing company that has demonstrated a product or service innovation or development of technology to enhance a traditional industry, among other strengths: Maxx HD Sunglasses. The company’s high definition sunglasses are sold to athletes and are provided to more than 20,000 retailers. Maxx is an official supplier to Major League Baseball and sells MLB insignia sunglasses in stadiums across the country. It also sells licensed collegiate products and is negotiating a National Football League license. Other finalist: RT Logic.
—
Contact Rich Laden: 636-0228 Twitter @richladen
Facebook Rich Laden
That’s a smart answer to a diifcfult question.