Chamber selects Small Business of the Year Award finalists

Five finalists have been chosen for the W. Curtis Strube Small Business of the Year Award, to be presented during Small Business Week next month.

The award is given annually by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Council. An independent panel of judges selects the honoree.

The 2009 finalists are:

• Heim, Young & Associates Inc., a financial planning firm founded in 1989 and employing 15, according to its Web site;

• JMARK Business Solutions Inc., an information technology service and support firm founded 20 years ago;

• Pearson-Kelly Office Products, an office equipment sales and service company with eight employees that was founded in 2002. Pearson-Kelly also was a finalist last year;

• Sunbelt Environmental Services, an environmental service provider founded in 1986 that offers services such as hazardous waste disposal and emergency spill response;

• TLC Properties, which was founded in 1988 and manages 16 Springfield apartment communities, according to its Web site.

The Small Business of the Year Award has been given since 1992. Past honorees are Pellham-Phillips Architects & Engineers, Family Pharmacy's Plainview Road location, Amberg Entertainment, Candy House Gourmet Chocolates, Millwood Golf & Racquet Club, PFI Western Store, Environmental Works, Carnahan-White, Aire-Master of America, ServiceWorld Computer Center, Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, Springfield Business Journal, Opfer Communications, Mears Floral Products, Watts Heatway, Big Cabin Wholesale Gifts and Terminal Consolidation Co.

This year's recipient will be named during a luncheon at noon May 6 at University Plaza, 333 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway. The cost to attend is $25 per person. To register, click the link below.[[In-content Ad]]SBJ will profile each finalist and preview Small Business Week events in its April 27 issue.