thebahamasweekly.com - GB Chamber of Commerce holds 2nd Annual Excellence Awards

From thebahamasweekly.com -

GB Chamber of Commerce
GB Chamber of Commerce holds 2nd Annual Excellence Awards
Nov 17, 2009 - 8:40:54 AM

Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas - The Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce held their 2nd Annual Excellence Awards on Saturday, November 14th with a gala evening at the Regency Theatre.

50 persons in all were nominated this year in six categories: 1) Outstanding Business Person of the Year; 2) Developing Entrepreneur of the Year; 3) Company of the Year; 4) Philanthropic Business Person of the Year; 5) Business Student of the Year; and 6) Lifetime Achievement.

Here are this year's winners:

1a) Company of the Year (50 employees or less) went to Bahamas Wholesale Agency (BWA)

Nominees were Flamingo Air; Island Bedding: Freeport Jewelers; Cool Breezes Restaurant; Barefoot Marketing; Professional Brokers; Frank's Ice Cream; Bahama Buy & Sell; Magnolia's Restaurant; GT Brokers; and Freeport Gases Ltd.

1b) Company of the Year (50 employees or more) went to Sawyer's Food Store

Nominees were Cable Bahamas; The Garden of the Groves; Furniture Plus; Bahamian Brewery & Beverage; and Freeport Restaurant for Kentucky Fried Chicken

2) Outstanding Businessperson of the Year went to Donald Roberts of Dolly Madison Furniture.

Nominees were Donald Dean, The Architect Incorp.; Jeremy Cafferata, Freeport Ship Services Ltd.; Jeffrey B. Butler Sr., Butlers Group of Companies; and Frank Outten of Frank's Ice Cream

3) Developing Entrepreneur of the Year went to Noel and Britton Clarke, Agave Restaurant.

Nominees in that category were Ruthann Newton-Lightbourn, 1.9.6; Debbie Borsetto, Now That's A Party; and Derick & Reannah Singh, Cruzin Café.

4) Philanthropic Businessperson of the Year went to Frank Outten

Nominees in that category were Shuffel Hepburn and Eddie Whan.

5) Business Student of the Year went to Dreshon Rolle of Jack Hayward High School, who gains an academic scholarship.

Other nominees were Vonette Malakius of St. Georges High School and Carissa Gaitor of Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

And the distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award went to Havard Cooper of Doris Minette Holding.

The President's Award, presented by Gregory Moss, GBCC President went to The Grand Bahama Shipyard.

Guests were entertained with performances by the Grand Bahama Youth Choir, Wilfred Solo & the Magnetics, as well as the Starlighters.