MANCHESTER, NH – The best of New Hampshire’s business community took center stage recently for NH Business Review’s 15th annual Business Excellence Awards ceremony. The Business Excellence Awards recognized the Granite State’s top business leaders for their innovation and achievements November 1 at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester. Recipients included leaders from Sunrise Labs, Moore Nanotechnology Systems, Primary Bank, Palmer Gas & Oil and more.
NH Business Review launched the Business Excellence Awards in 2002 to recognize New Hampshire’s business leaders who work tirelessly to cultivate and grow the Granite State economy. Previous winners include Maria Devlin, who was honored for her globally recognized efforts working for the American Red Cross in New Hampshire, and Amy LaBelle, who was selected for growing her winemaking business from a hobby to a winery with 140-percent annual growth.
“To see how New Hampshire’s business community has grown and flourished over the past 15 years is truly remarkable,” said Jeff Feingold, editor of NH Business Review. “It has been an honor to watch businesses come to our state, thrive and expand over the years. Each of the 2017 recipients play a significant role in New Hampshire’s overall economic success and we are proud to take this opportunity to recognize their achievements, impact and innovation.”
For 2017, NH Business Review honored 17 individuals, including Kyle York who led Dyn though a nearly half-a-billion-dollar acquisition by Oracle; Suzanne Foster for directing a market strategy shift at Medtronic through firsthand personal experience; and Martha Stone for transitioning Cross Roads House from a dilapidated homeless shelter to a $5 million, state-of-the-art facility that to date has provided more than 5,000 nights of secure shelter to individuals and families.
Additionally, Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University, was named the 2017 Hall of Fame honoree for being an educational visionary whose embrace of technology and innovation has not only had an impact on Southern New Hampshire University, but also education across the state and country. Colleagues and peers commented on his pioneering commitment to improving higher education in a video that was presented at the ceremony. The video can be viewed here.
Winners of the 15th annual Business Excellence Awards are:
Business & Professional Services:
Small: Nancy Clark, Drive Brand Studio (North Conway)
Large: Nick Brattan, New England Document Systems (Manchester)
Real Estate & Construction:
Small: Dylan Cruess, TFMoran Inc. (Bedford)
Consumer Services:
Small: Robert Lawton, Funspot (Weirs)
Large: Bill Ermer, Palmer Gas & Oil (Atkinson)
Nonprofit:
Small: Martha Stone, Cross Roads House (Portsmouth)
Large: William Rider, The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester (Manchester)
Health Care:
Small: Dr. Robert Chaikin, Belknap Dental Associates (Dover)
Large: Doug Dean, Elliot Health System (Manchester)
Financial Services:
Small: William Stone, Primary Bank (Bedford)
Large: David Mansfield, The Provident Bank (Portsmouth)
Manufacturing:
Small (tie): Nicole Carrier, Throwback Brewery (North Hampton)
Small (tie): Leonard Chaloux, Moore Nanotechnology Systems (Swanzey)
Large: Suzanne Foster, Medtronic (Portsmouth)
Technology:
Small: Eric Soderberg, Sunrise Labs (Bedford)
Large: Kyle York, Oracle Dyn (Manchester)
Hall of Fame:
Paul LeBlanc, Southern New Hampshire University (Hooksett)
Award winners will be featured in the upcoming issue of NH Business Review. To view a list of previous winners, please visit NH Business Review’s archives.
The 2017 Business Excellence Awards are sponsored by Citizens Bank (Presenting Sponsor); Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Turnstone Corporation (Silver Sponsors); and Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer, Connection, Inc., Tufts Health Plan, Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire and NH Public Television (General Sponsors). A portion of the proceeds from the November 1 reception will benefit CASA of New Hampshire.