Millwood Golf |amp| Racquet Club: Small Business of the Year

Millwood Golf & Racquet Club President and founder Keith Keltner accepts the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's 2004 W. Curtis Strube Small Business of the Year Award. An independent panel of judges selected Millwood out of five finalists.

"I'm speechless and that's quite unusual for me," Keltner said at the May 5 awards luncheon. "I never run out of words."

Millwood is among only 5 percent of U.S. country clubs to turn a profit last year. This year's sales are expected to top $4 million. Millwood started in 1995 and has grown to 500 members. It employs 30 full-time.

The award celebrates the importance of small business. In the Springfield area, 97 percent of businesses have fewer than 100 employees and 85 percent employ fewer than 50, according to the chamber.

Finalists were Amberg Entertainment, Andy's Frozen Custard, Custom Manufacturing & Polishing Inc. and Wood Brite Inc.