Newsroom Notes: Definitions abound for 'innovator'

That’s because in 2006, SBJ added Innovator of the Year to the lineup of awards presented each summer during the Economic Impact Awards.

Adding to the debate this year is the fact that the special focus of this week’s edition of SBJ is Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

When we solicit award nominations for Innovator of the Year and other EIA categories (there’s a total of seven this year, and the nomination period is under way), we’re invariably asked these questions: Is an innovator someone who invents something new? Can an innovator be a business as well as an individual?

The answer to both questions is “yes,” but defining an innovator doesn’t stop there. According to the application, the Innovator of the Year Award honors companies or individuals who have introduced and employed a new idea, method or device in such a way that it creates a new and positive dimension for performance. Specific innovations may be linked to improvements in efficiency, productivity, quality, service, competitive positioning or market share.

What that really means is, there are many ways to define innovation and an innovator. In 2007, Green Circle Shopping Center and its owners, brother-and-sister duo Matt and Lindsay O’Reilly, beat out 1984 Arcade and U.S. Photonics for Innovator of the Year honors. While there’s certainly nothing unusual about a shopping center going up in Springfield, the O’Reillys’ innovative take lies in using green building to develop the property. While focus on green building is on the rise, the duo’s use of green techniques to build their center from scratch sealed the deal with the judges.

For another way to view innovation, consider 2007 finalist 1984 Arcade. As the name of the business implies, video games have been around a long while – and particularly those games featured at the downtown venue.

But what’s innovative in that case is the fact that 1984’s owners are brave enough to bring to life their arcade in a time when many others have closed.

In this week’s special edition of In Focus, innovation is abundant, whether it’s the local mom who’s launching a jeans-decorating business; the merging printing and mailing industries; or two young men who are blazing a trail for an out-of-state pizza franchise.

No doubt, innovation abounds in the Ozarks. There’s no time like the present to think about nominations for the 2008 Innovator of the Year Awards, especially since the nominations deadline is April 21. Keep in mind that SBJ is looking for nominees in these categories, too:

• Lifetime Achievement in Business

• Charitable Organization of the Year

• Entrepreneur of the Year

• Economic Impact – General contractors

• Economic Impact – Engineering firms

• Economic Impact – Certified Public Accounting firms

Nominations can be made online at www.sbj.net, where criteria for each category is posted. An independent panel of judges allows SBJ to maintain its hands-off status in choosing honorees.

The Springfield area is full of businesses that are growing and doing exciting things to boost the local economy and we need your help in recognizing them. Nominate a company today.

Maria Hoover is features editor at Springfield Business Journal. She can be reached at mhoover@sbj.net.

Event Details

What: 2008 Economic Impact Awards

When: 5:30 p.m. July 17

Where: The Oasis Hotel & Convention Center, 2550 N. Glenstone Ave.

Tickets: Available through July 14 for $45 apiece or $320 for a table of eight at www.sbj.net.[[In-content Ad]]