St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 2, 2009 – The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois recognized 10 businesses and two charities Friday at the TORCH Awards luncheon at the Chase Park Plaza.
Build-A-Bear Workshop and Maxine Clark, its founder and “chief executive bear,” were recognized for the company’s worldwide commitment to exceptional business ethics and customer satisfaction. Robert A. Reynolds, CEO of Graybar and last year’s top recipient, presented the award to Clark.
In her keynote speech, Clark said Build-A-Bear’s customers “are the heart of our business. They inspire us. They challenge us. They make us smile. Our customer-centric focus is what makes us the company we are today: innovative, curious, successful and growing.”
In addition to Build-A-Bear, the BBB gave TORCH trophies to nine area companies and two nonprofits in recognition of their commitments to business ethics and customer satisfaction. They are:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois, Belleville
- Callier & Thompson of Manchester
- Clarkson Eyecare of Ellisville
- Crider Health Center of Wentzville
- Fish Window Cleaning of Ballwin
- Fry-Wagner Moving & Storage of Earth City
- Gerold Moving & Warehousing Co. of Belleville
- The Gutter Cover Co. of St. Peters
- Lighting Service Inc. of St. Louis
- Mosby Building Arts of Kirkwood
- Seniors Home Care of Webster Groves
Three high school students received “Student of Ethics” awards of $2,500 each to be applied toward college expenses. They were selected from 230 applicants who submitted essays, transcripts and recommendations. The winners are:
- Jill Barry of Clarence, Mo. a senior at South Shelby High School.
- Lara Redmond of Arnold, a senior at Fox High School.
- Sara Schleifer of Maryville, a senior at Collinsville High School.
Charter Communications Inc. was an underwriting sponsor of the event. Event sponsors were Schnuck Markets Inc. and Delta Dental of Missouri. Graybar was a contributing sponsor.
Contacts: Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-645-3300, mcorey@stlouisbbb.org
Chris Thetford, Director of Communications, 314-645-3300, communications@stlouisbbb.org
The BBB is a non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. The BBB provides objective advice, free business Reliability Reports, charity wise-giving reports, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information.