Small business celebrated at 1st Business Excellence Awards event

By Cindy Kibbe

Monday, July 16, 2007

Published: Friday, Oct. 31, 2003

Eleven small-business owners and executives and three New Hampshire residents who have devoted their careers to supporting and aiding both business and their communities were honored Oct. 15, 2003, at the first New Hampshire Business Review Business Excellence Awards.

More than 200 guests attended the ceremony at The Event Center at C.R. Sparks in Bedford to honor the winners.

The Business Excellence Awards are designed to honor and recognize owners of businesses with 100 employees or fewer for their industriousness, determination and innovation.

Sharron McCarthy, publisher of New Hampshire Business Review and vice president of McLean Communications, and Jeff Feingold, editor of the Business Review, welcomed the attendees to the awards ceremony.

“We wanted a hallmark event to recognize small-business owners,” McCarthy told the audience. “These aspiring individuals keep the New Hampshire business landscape as vibrant as our fall foliage.”

Feingold said the inspiration for the award was that often it’s the high-profile “big guys” who are recognized, while “95 percent of businesses” in the state are considered small businesses and aren’t honored for their hard work and community efforts. He also introduced the New Hampshire Business Review Business Excellence Hall of Fame, created to honor those who have given a lifetime of support to businesses and communities across the state.

Emcee Ally McNair, former host and contributing correspondent for New Hampshire Public Television’s “New Hampshire Outlook” program announced the winners, quoting baseball legend Yogi Berra, “You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough in the second half, you give what's left.”

In truth, she said, “that is what all of our winners have done - worked harder, longer and smarter and have achieved better things for it.”

Sponsoring the event were Public Service of New Hampshire, Fleet Bank and Good Leads, with support from New Hampshire Public Radio, New Hampshire Public Television and The Telegraph.

Judges were Lara Chulack of UBS Financial Services, Mary E. Collins, state director for the Small Business Development Center, Roy Duddy, director of the state Office of Business and Industrial Development, Patricia Goodman, director of student services at New Hampshire Community Technical College-Nashua, and Eileen Kennedy, business editor of The Telegraph.

Named to the New Hampshire Business Review Business Excellence Hall of Fame were:

• George Bald, commissioner of the state Department of Resources and Economic Development, for his career-long commitment to economic development throughout the state.

• Businesswoman and May Gruber, longtime president of Pandora, the multimillion-dollar sweater and sportswear company, for her singular achievements in

business and her philanthropy both in Manchester, the state and beyond.

• David Putnam, chairman emeritus of Markem Corp., for his achievements at the helm of one of the state’s largest manufacturing firms and a career devoted to “giving back” to the Keene community in particular and the state as a whole.

The Business Excellence Awards were handed out to business owners in 11 different categories. Winners were:

• Law: David Gottesman, Gottesman & Hollis P.A., Nashua

• Business Services: Susan O’Neil, @Web Site Publicity, Peterborough

• Financial Services: Jules J. Brayman, Brayman, Houle, Keating & Albright, CPAs, Nashua

• Real Estate: Jeff Woodburn, Historic Properties Inc., Pembroke

• Non-Profit: Jim Doremus, The Friends Program, Concord

• Retail: Ed Potenza, Innovations Day Spa & Wellness Center, Merrimack

• Communications: Thomas Obrey, PixelMEDIA Inc., Portsmouth

• Hospitality: Tom Boucher, T-Bones/Cactus Jack’s, Bedford

• Technology: Christopher J. Crane, TradePoint Systems LLC, Nashua

• Health Care: Dr. Neil Sullivan, Vasculart, Hampton

• Construction: Dave Bryan, Blackdog Builders, Salem

Winners received an impressive etched trophy as well as a citation from Governor Benson.

“What made this night truly special was that it gave the business community of New Hampshire a chance to honor people who rarely receive such recognition -- the owners and executives of the state’s small businesses,” said Feingold. “And they truly deserve this recognition.”

Business Excellence Awards 2003 Winners:

Jules Brayman *Winner, Finance

Brayman, Houle, Keating & Albright, PLLC

12 Cotton Road

Nashua, NH 03063

595-8000

jules@bhka.com

Donna M. Robinson, CPA *Nominator

Brayman, Houle, Keating & Albright, PLLC

12 Cotton Road

Nashua, NH 03063

595-8000

donna@bhka.com

Thomas Obrey *Winner, Communications

PixelMEDIA, Inc.

222 International Dr., Suite 175

Portsmouth, NH 03801

430-2033

tj@pixelmedia.com

Erik Dodier *Nominator

PixelMEDIA, Inc.

222 International Dr., Suite 175

Portsmouth, NH 03801

430-2033

erik@pixelmedia.com

Christopher J. Crane *Winner, Technology

TradePoint Systems, LLC

44 Franklin St.

Nashua, NH 03064

889-3200

ccrane@tradepointsystems.com

Cathleen Thomas *Nominator

TradePoint Systems, LLC

44 Franklin St.

Nashua, NH 03064

889-3200

cthomas@tradepointsystems.com

Susan O’Neil *Winner, Business Services

@Web Site Publicity

PO Box 755

Peterborough, NH 03458

924-8222

info@websitepublicity.com

Chester Bowles *Nominator

Region 14 Applied Technology Ctr.

182 Hancock Rd.

Peterborough, NH 03458

371-0310

cbowles@conval.edu

David Gottesman *Winner, Law

Gottesman & Hollis, PA

39 East Pearl St.

Nashua, NH 03060

889-5959

dgottesman@nh-lawyers.com

Anna Barbara Hantz *Nominator

Gottesman & Hollis, PA

39 East Pearl St.

Nashua, NH 03060

889-5959

ahantz@nh-lawyers.com

Dave Bryan *Winner, Construction

Blackdog Builders, Inc.

7 Red Roof Lane

Salem, NH 03079

898-0868

dbryan@blackdogbuilders.com

Gail Butterfield *Nominator

Blackdog Builders, Inc.

7 Red Roof Lane

Salem, NH 03079

898-0868

gbutterfield@blackdogbuilders.com

Jim Doremus *Winner, Non-Profit

The Friends Program

249 Pleasant St.

Concord, NH 03301

226-3884

jdoremus@friendsprogram.org

Martin Murray *Nominator

PSNH

PSNH Energy Park

PO Box 330

Manchester, NH 03105-0330

634-2228

murrame@psnh.com

Dr. Neil Sullivan *Winner, Health Care

Vasculart

19 Hampton Rd., Bldg. A, Ste. 8

Hampton, NH 03842

778-2417

info@vasculart.com

Kelly Whalen *Nominator

Calypso Communications

208 Market Street, Ste 300

Portsmouth, NH 03801

431-0816

kwhalen@calypsocom.com

Ed Potenza *Winner, Retail

Innovations Day Spa & Wellness Center

228 Naticook Rd.

Merrimack, NH 03054

880-7499

epz207@msn.com

Linda Bonetti *Nominator

Merrimack Chamber of Commerce

PO Box 254

Merrimack, NH 03054

424-3669

info@merrimackchamber.org

Jeff Woodburn *Winner, Real Estate

Historic Properties

422 Pembroke St.

Pembroke, NH 03275

485-8300

jeff@historicprop.com

Wendy Libby *Nominator

Historic Properties

422 Pembroke St.

Pembroke, NH 03275

485-8300

wendy@historicprop.com

Tom Boucher *Winner, Hospitality

T-Bones/Cactus Jack’s

Millyard Technology Pk

19 Technology Way

Nashua, NH 03060

595-7300

tb@tomboucher.com

Brian Johnson *Nominator

Shorty’s Mexican Roadhouse

9 Dublin Court

Bedford, NH 03110

488-1548

bjohnson@shortysmex.com

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