Bill Darr, founder of American Dehydrated Foods Inc. and International Dehydrated Foods Inc., is Springfield Business Journal’s 2011 Lifetime Achievement in Business honoree, chosen by a panel of independent judges. Darr will be honored during the July 21 Economic Impact Awards banquet, which coincides with SBJ’s 31st anniversary.
The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce was chosen to receive the 2011 Business Advocate of the Year honor, in recognition of its efforts to support and enhance the southwest Missouri business community.
The judges also have selected finalists for Economic Impact Awards and Philanthropic Business of the Year, and the honorees will be announced during the banquet.
Economic Impact Awards are presented to companies based on their overall positive effect on the Ozarks’ economy. Listed alphabetically and by category, the finalists are:
• Rooks – for companies that have been operating locally for one to five years – Arvest Bank, O’Reilly Hospitality Management LLC and Springfield First Community Bank;
• Bishops – for companies that have been operating locally for six to 15 years – Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. LLC, Integrity Home Care and Liberty Bank;
• Knights – for companies that have been operating locally for 16 to 29 years – Citizens Memorial Healthcare, Ozarks Technical Community College and Penmac Staffing Services Inc.; and
• Kings – for companies that have been operating locally for 30 or more years – Drury University, Family Pharmacy Inc. and Jack Henry & Associates Inc.
The finalists for Philanthropic Business of the Year are: Bank of America, Children’s Miracle Network and Junior League of Springfield.
Judges for the 2011 awards were Brian Allen, president of Pension Consultants Inc.; Isabel Eisenhauer, business consultant with Missouri State University’s Small Business & Technology Development Center; Conrad Griggs, business development officer, The Bank of Missouri; Louise Knauer, senior vice president of community relations and marketing, Community Foundation of the Ozarks; and Dennis Jones, district director for Score-America’s Counselors to Small Business.
The Economic Impact Awards banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. July 21 in the O’Reilly Family Event Center on the campus of Drury University. Tickets are $65 apiece and are available at
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