Stop the Presses: SBJ's 40 Under 40: southwest Missouri's future

The staff of the Springfield Business Journal is pleased to congratulate the 2000 40 Under 40, a selection of outstanding Ozarks businesspeople.

The 40 Under 40 are being recognized for their outstanding commitment to professional excellence, leadership and contributions to the community all in light of their relatively tender ages of 39 years or younger.

We're proud of their accomplishments, and we're proud to present them to you in the special, magazine-style publication inserted in this issue.

These are the people who will continue to shape the future of Springfield and southwest Missouri. You will want to get to know them.

This special publication and several others to be released later this year are part of this weekly newspaper's effort to thank our readers for their support and friendship during our first 20 years in the publishing business.

We look forward to bringing you Springfield's "Top 40" year after year, for many years to come.

Economic Impact nominees sought

Now a new search is under way.

SBJ is seeking candidates for the 2000 Economic Impact Awards and the SBJ Lifetime Achievement in Business Award, to be presented July 20 in conjunction with this newspaper's 20th anniversary celebration.

On behalf of the entire Business Journal staff, I urge you to submit nominations for these awards.

The Economic Impact Awards are sure to be among the most prestigious business honors in southwest Missouri.

There will be five recipients, nominated by SBJ readers like yourselves and selected by a panel of business and community leaders. Eligible businesses are those within a 50-mile radius of Springfield that have made a significant economic impact on the area in the last 12 months.

Also, an individual will be honored with the SBJ Lifetime Achievement in Business Award.

One business will be selected from each of five categories Real Estate, Retail, Financial Services, Information Technology and Telecommunications.

Award winners and finalists will be profiled in another glossy, four-color publication and honored at a reception and banquet.

Please call our office and request a nomination form.

Once we receive the completed nomination forms, we will immediately send an application package to your candidates.

A short letter, detailing the reasons why an individual should be honored with the Lifetime Achievement in Business Award will go directly to the panel of judges for consideration.

Thank you for your support and participation in what we believe will become one of the most important business events in southwest Missouri.

If you have any questions about the nomination or selection process, please contact me or Keri Franklin at the SBJ office, 831-3238. We look forward to hearing from you.