Nomination Deadline Extended for 2017 Mayor’s Small Business Awards

2016 Small Business Award Winners photo, Maui County: (left to right) Teena Rasmussen; Dennis and Shaun Walsh of Skullbase; Caroline Killhour of Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center; Cody Christopher, Travis Morrin and Jaron Blosser of Three’s Catering LLC dba Three’s Bar & Grill; Mayor Alan Arakawa; Cheryl and Michael Rock of Mele Ukulele; Pam Tumpap; David Tucker and Robert Campbell of Maui Printing Company Inc.; and Jonathan Miller of eDesign Group, Inc.

The nomination deadline for the 2017 Mayor’s Small Business Awards has been extended to Friday, Feb. 17 by 12 p.m., according to a joint announcement today by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

The Mayor’s Small Business Awards recognize outstanding businesses in our community that have 100 or fewer employees and have had a Hawaiʻi General Excise Tax license for no less than two years.

Other criteria include demonstrating business leadership in a changing economic environment, creating a quality work environment for their employees, exhibiting the aloha spirit and exemplary customer service, developing partnerships with other sectors of the community, and demonstrating other exceptional qualities or traits.

This year’s event includes the following six award categories:

· Exceptional Small Business of the Year (10 or fewer employees)
· Exceptional Small Business of the Year (11 to 35 employees)
· Exceptional Small Business of the Year (36 to 100 employees)
· Outstanding Non-Profit Business (100 or fewer employees)
· Young Small Business Person of the Year (under age 40 as of March 7, 2017)
· Lifetime Achievement Award (for any individual doing business in Maui County for more than 20 years; no limit on number of employees)

Completed nomination packets must be received at the Maui County Business Resource Center at Maui Mall on or before 12 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017; only those entries received on or before the deadline will be considered. Submittals must include the nomination form, nomination criteria form, one typewritten letter of recommendation from other sources, and a high resolution (minimum 300 dpi) digital photograph of the nominee. No self or employer nominations will be accepted.

Nomination forms are available online at www.mauicounty.gov/MCBRC and www.mauichamber.com. Paper copies may be picked up at the Maui County Business Resource Center at Maui Mall; the Maui Chamber of Commerce; and American Savings Bank, Bank of Hawaiʻi, Central Pacific Bank, and First Hawaiian Bank branches.

For more information about nominations, additional details on available sponsorships or event ticket purchases, please contact the Maui County Business Resource Center at (808) 270-5767 or the Maui Chamber of Commerce at (808) 244-0081.