Business Champions Awards 2009

And the award goes to...

To win, champions persevere where others falter to overcome adversity. This year’s Business Champions encountered a year as difficult as Connecticut’s economy has seen in decades — and succeeded. The five companies — Okay Industries, Munson’s Chocolates, ConnectiCare, FM Facility Maintenance, and Riverview Realty & Development Corp. — that you’ll read about inside all faced fallout from the ongoing recession including changed market conditions and consumer demands, increased business costs, employee worries and more.

Each company responded in ways unique to their industries and business practices to stay on track and remain profitable. What they share, even in these challenging times, is a willingness to continue strategic, long-term planning, a commitment to controlling costs through greater efficiencies and new technologies, and the boldness to continue to offer something new to customers while competitors play it safer until the economy recovers.

This year’s seventh annual Business Champions Award recognizes privately held companies from the greater Hartford region who have demonstrated extraordinary growth and innovation throughout 2008. Private companies are critical to our economy. Though typically smaller than publicly held corporations, together, they create most of the jobs in Connecticut. They are a major source of the new ideas, products and services that fuel Connecticut’s economy. And, they’re major supporters of the communities they serve, contributing thousands of dollars annually to nonprofit charities across the state.

The Hartford Business Journal and MetroHartford Alliance are proud to bring you this year’s winners. They were selected by a panel of judges from a record-breaking number of nominees after carefully reviewing and tabulating nominee-submitted business results for the past year. Please join us in congratulating this year’s winners. We’ll be looking for you next year!

Stories by: Kevin Moore, contributing editor

Click HERE for information about the judges

Winner: Innovation/Reinvention
FM Facility Maintenance

Winner: Work Force Development
ConnectiCare

Winner: Sustainability
Munson’s Chocolates

Winner: Overall
OKAY Industries

Winner: Revenue
Riverview Realty & Development Corp.