Business Also Wins Community Excellence Award, and Other Finalists Recognized at Annual Small Business Summit
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recognized Golden Openings from Urbandale, Iowa as the 2017 winner of the $25,000 prize for its annual Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award, presented by MetLife. The annual award celebrates the achievements of small businesses and honors their contributions to America’s economic growth.
The Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award recognizes a small business that exemplifies the spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, and individual initiative. The winner demonstrates success and leadership across business growth performance, innovative business strategies, community engagement, as well as customer and employee relations.
Golden Openings was selected by a panel of judges from eighteen finalists under consideration for each of the five Business Achievement Awards and the one Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award.
Golden Openings grew from an idea in 1997 when large-functioning ceremonial scissors did not exist, and it has since become a “one stop shop” for ceremonial event needs. Golden Openings now has customers all over the world and is a one-of-a-kind business that organizes all of the details for special events, grand openings, and ground breakings.
Selected through online public voting, the special events business was also recognized with the Community Excellence Award. Golden Openings received significant support for its outstanding commitment to community engagement and public leadership. The Community Excellence Award honors an organization that positively impacts the quality of life in its community and serves the needs of its customers, employees, and neighbors.
“Golden Openings is a model of how small businesses strengthen their communities and local economies,” said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “In business for the past twenty years, Golden Openings has helped thousands of businesses decide how to open their own doors and make a continued impact in their communities. The Chamber is proud to honor Golden Openings as both the 2017 Dream Big Small Business of the Year and as the recipient of the Community Excellence Award.”
The Business Achievement Award winners are:
- Community Excellence Award: Golden Openings (Urbandale, Iowa)
- Emerging Business Achievement Award: 3 Daughters Brewing (Tampa, Florida)
- Green/Sustainable Business Achievement Award:TerraCycle, Inc. (Trenton, New Jersey)
- Minority-Owned Business Achievement Award:Nightlight Pediatric Urgent Care (Sugar Land, Texas)
- Veteran-Owned Business Achievement Award:Tar Heel Basements (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)
- Woman-Owned Business Achievement Award:ProjectXYZ, Inc. (Huntsville, Alabama)
“All of us at MetLife want to congratulate Golden Openings as the Small Business of the Year and Community Excellence Award winner,” said James Reid, executive vice president for Regional & Small Business Solutions at MetLife. “Our heartfelt congratulations also go to the Business Achievement Awardswinners, all of whom display some of the best in American entrepreneurship. We wish them all much future success.”
Award winners were announced at the Dream Big Awards Celebration as part of the 2017 Small Business Summit, which took place September 10-13, 2017 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.
