Businesses honored for area impact

The business community gathered at the Tower Club July 20 to honor the finalists and Lifetime Achievement award winner in the first Springfield Business Journal Economic Impact Awards.

Five businesses were chosen for the category awards by an independent panel of judges. Criteria for the awards were: amount of revenue growth from 1999 to 2000, employee base growth in that same period, economic impact on the southwest Missouri region and community involvement. More than 50 nominees were originally submitted for consideration.

The winners of the 2000 awards are: Murney Associates, Realtors, in the real estate category; ProTel Communications Systems in the telecommunications category; Nixa Hardware & Seed in the retail category; Liberty Bank in the financial services category; and Jack Henry & Associates in the information technology category.

The Lifetime Achievement award went to John Q. Hammons, local developer and philanthropist.

Though only one person was chosen for this year's Lifetime Achievement award, there were many nominees. They are:

Patti A. Penny, owner of Penmac Personnel Services. Founded in 1988, Penmac now has 27 offices in five states. Her successes in business have been featured in U.S News & World Report and Inc. Magazine. Her community involvement includes being past president of the Springfield Board of Education.

Tom Wirt, president of Wirt Development Corporation. Wirt started his own corporation in 1977 doing repairs and renovations to the James River Power Plant. His work has since progressed to larger development projects like Hammons Tower, the Cox hospital expansion and all Dillon's stores in the area. Wirt is also active in the community through his involvement with the Ronald McDonald House and King's Way United Methodist Church.

Ray Thomas, vice president and general manager for Alltel in Missouri. Thomas has supervised Alltel's expansion into the Missouri market and also stays active in community affairs. His commitments include a board position with Easter Seals, and activity with the Children's Miracle Network and the Regional Girls' Shelter.

Hearld R. Ambler, Baird, Kurtz & Dobson. Also known as "Mr. BKD," Ambler joined the firm in 1948 and retired in 1988. He still remains involved with the company and works on special projects. He is also one of the founding members of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, a 10-year volunteer with the Southwest Missouri Office on Aging's Tax Counseling for the Elderly program, and he is active with the Kiwanis Club.

Stack, president and chief executive officer, SRC Holdings Corp. Stack began with Springfield Remanufacturing in 1979 as the plant manager. In 1983, he bought the company from IH and turned it into what Inc. Magazine called "one of America's most competitive small companies." He is the author of the book, "The Great Game of Business." Stack is also the winner the Curt Strube Business Ethics award.

J. Neal, investment broker with Edward Jones. Neal has more than 20 years in the banking industry and a history of community involvement, including roles as an instructor with Ozarks Technical Community College and the University of Missouri Extension Office, as well as being a co-chair for Seniors & Law Enforcement Together.

K. Manley, retired homebuilder. As a developer, Manley has built more than 2,000 homes in the Springfield area. He has worked as an instructor at Southwest Missouri State University, a member of the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission and the Vision 20/20 committee.

Turner, chairman and chief executive officer of Great Southern Bank. Turner has been at the helm of Great Southern since 1974. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from having $85 million in assets to just under $1 billion. Turner is past president of Springfield Baptist Hospital, board member of the Greene County Red Cross and the Springfield Girls' Club.

Also featured at the event were speakers Joe Driskill, executive director for the Missouri Department of Economic Development, and Laurie Murphy, a motivational speaker whose clients include Motorola and Frigidaire.