Last night was special.
I heard it in the words of their acceptance speeches, I saw it in the smiles on their faces and I watched it roll down their cheeks in happy tears.
Last night, Springfield Business Journal hosted its 13th annual Dynamic Dozen awards in downtown Springfield’s Old Glass Place celebrating fast-growth companies, but the awards also honored the drive, ambition and dedication it takes to succeed.
The companies on this year’s list – no matter the ranking – are driven. They know what they want, and they go for it. Emcee Greg Burris, Springfield’s city manager, joked about meeting each honoree before, most likely in prison, but in reality we know these faces because they drive our community. They’re the faces we know and trust for everything from home health care to signage, banking to natural foods and everything in between.
The companies in this year’s Dynamic Dozen not only drive the Ozarks - they are the Ozarks.
From everyone at SBJ, congratulations again to the 12 companies on this year’s list and each individual honoree. You’re the reason the Ozarks gets better every day.
Reporter’s notebook
The photographers of SBJ – Wes Hamilton and Heather Mosley – captured many great images during last night’s event. Check out
Wes’ awards photo gallery at SBJ.net and
Heather’s people pics on Facebook.
The following photos are not professional. As audience development director for SBJ, my trusty iPhone is never far from my hand. You may have noticed me tweeting up a storm in the front row last night. The close proximity means I also take a lot of photos.
Here’s my behind the scenes look at last night’s D12 event:
For SBJ’s first event in The Old Glass Place, we were immediately smitten with its downtown charm and ample seating.
Catered by Simply Delicious, this cheese and veggie tower was impressive.
Equally as impressive and – depending on who you ask – far more delicious, I spent some time drooling over the dessert tower.
I limited myself to this cutie, which turned out to have surprise caramel inside. Double score.
Other offerings included turkey, bacon and avocado sliders, meatballs and the belle of the ball – cheese-stuffed and bacon-wrapped peppadews. I’d like to say I only ate the three pictured here, but that would be a lie.
Horses adorned The Old Glass Place as part of the event’s Kentucky Derby theme.
Heather was in her element, shuffling people around and capturing their best side.
My sweet front row view provided a prime picture taking spot. Check out hashtag #SBJD12 on Twitter for more.
And then there were two. This is my favorite moment of the night – the final two companies on stage. Who will it be? The tension was high. Phoenix Home Care grabbed the win, with GigSalad coming in second.
My reporter’s notebook wouldn’t be complete without a selfie. SBJ staffers Brian Brown and Geoff Pickle are ready for anything.
