11 honored at 2013 Business Excellence Awards

Winners came from all over New Hampshire

photo by jodie andruskevich

Eleven businesspeople in nine categories were honored Oct. 22 at New Hampshire Business Review's 11th annual Business Excellence Awards, which recognize the accomplishments of owners of companies with 100 employees or fewer.

More than 250 people attended the event, which was held at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford. WMUR-TV anchor Erin Fehlau was the night's emcee.

A portion of the proceeds from the evening benefited Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire, or CASA-NH, which advocates for children in the state's court system in cases of neglect and abuse.

NHBR Editor Jeff Feingold praised this year's winners not only for the success of their companies, but for their dedication to the state's greater business community.

"We would like to salute all of the nominees, the people who nominated them and the winners themselves for their contributions toward making New Hampshire a great place to do business," he said.

While each winner had a different path to success, what they have in common "is determination, industriousness and the ability to come up with innovative solutions that have allowed their businesses to survive and thrive, regardless of economic conditions, and a commitment to serving their communities," said Sharron McCarthy, president of McLean Communications and publisher of NHBR.

Awards were presented in nine categories.

The winners of the 2013 NHBR Business Excellences Awards are:

• Business Services: Keith Bamford, Daystar Inc., Newington
• Construction: Shane Carter, Ridgeview Construction, Deerfield
• Financial Services: Daniel R. Morrison, Optima Bank & Trust, Portsmouth
• Health Care: Sharon Beaty, Mid-State Health Center, Plymouth
• Hospitality: Keri Laman, Tidewater Catering Group, Manchester
• Media & Marketing: Gail Kimball, Advanced Graphic Communication, Littleton
• Professional Services: Angela Martin, Devine Millimet, Manchester
• Retail/Consumer Services (tie): Arthur O. “Buddy” Phaneuf, Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Manchester
• Retail/Consumer Services (tie): John Stewart, Bedford Martial Arts Academy, Bedford
• Technology: Paul Lachance, Smartware Group, Center Harbor

Larry Gammon, CEO of Easter Seals New Hampshire, was also inducted into the NHBR Business Excellence Hall of Fame. 

Nine judges had the difficult job of evaluating the nominees and selecting the winners. They were:

• Roy Duddy, Public Service of New Hampshire
• Linda Fanaras, Millennium Integrated Marketing
• Greta Johansson, U.S. Small Business Administration
• Dave Juvet, Business & Industry Association of N.H.
• Pat McDermott, Hinckley Allen
• MaryAnn Manoogian, Center for Women’s Business Advancement at SNHU
• Michele Petersen, abi Innovation Hub
• Kim Pope, Citizens Bank
• Chris Way, N.H. Division of Economic Development

The event was sponsored by Citizens Bank, Bank of New Hampshire, Devine Millimet, Merrimack Street Volvo, and the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire.