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SBJ publisher Dianne Elizabeth presents Edwin C. Rice Jr. with the Lifetime Achievement in Business award.
SBJ publisher Dianne Elizabeth presents Edwin C. Rice Jr. with the Lifetime Achievement in Business award.

SBJ awards local influential businesses

Posted online
Springfield Business Journal held its sixth annual Economic Impact Awards at the Tower Club last night, honoring local businesses and entrepreneurs for their contributions to the region’s economy.

The Lifetime Achievement in Business Award was presented to Edwin C. Rice Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co.

Rice’s company has operated locally for 100 years. He has also participated in the community for 50 years, serving on the boards of the Downtown Rotary Club, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and City Utilities.

Among the category winners were O’Reilly Automotive Inc. for retail/wholesale, Kraft Foods Inc. for construction/manufacturing and CoxHealth for services.

Three new categories were added for this year’s event.

The Entrepreneur of the Year award was given to Marisol International LLC. The company provides air and ocean transportation solutions worldwide.

UMB Bank was named Innovator of the Year for its work with the city of Springfield, Urban Neighborhoods Alliance and center city housing.

The Nonprofit of the Year award went to Ozarks Food Harvest, which is responsible for distributing about 5 million pounds of food to hungry families each year.

Awards were given based on a company’s revenue, payroll, employment and contributions to the community.

The event took place Thursday at the Hammons Tower Club. About 300 people were in attendance.

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