Beacon: 2022 Toast To Trusted Leaders

BEACON

Toast To Trusted Leaders 2022

Toast to Trusted Leaders

Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio was thrilled to honor the 2022 Torch Award, Spark Award, and Students of Integrity Scholarship recipients at this year’s Toast to Trusted Leaders event held at COSI.

The event celebrated role models in our community no matter where they are on their journey – an established business, a startup entrepreneur, or a future leader. Those recognized embody the BBB standards of trust and set an example for others to follow.

Thankyou

To Our Event Sponsors

In its 28th year, BBB’s Torch Awards for Ethics honors organizations whose leaders demonstrate a high level of personal character, ensure that the organization’s culture meets the highest standards of ethics, and consequently generates trust with its customers and the community.

These Torch Award winners embody BBB’s mission of advancing business trust by building a community of trustworthy businesses and giving consumers peace of mind.

JUDGES

Nevin Bansal, Outreach Promotional Solutions; Small Biz Cares

Tracey Fate, Grange Insurance

Shannon Lee, Leadership Columbus

Marchelle Moore, Encova Insurance

Parag Shah, Nationwide

Congratulations 2022 Finalists: Baker Creative, Bo Lacey Construction, Buckeye Heating & Cooling, Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP, Color World Housepainting, Columbia Gas of Ohio, CPMedia & Marketing, GBQ Partners LLC, Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Grossman Law Offices, iPromo, Muth & Company Roofing Inc, Ohio Basement Authority, Punch Fitness, Real Music Records, Sight Unseen Travel, Universal Windows Direct of Columbus, Victim Investigations Co LLC, Z Promotions

Baker Creative focuses on culture and environment as an integral part of their creative brand. Their customer-centric approach melds with an employee work-life balance making for an awardwinning, full-service brand management and global marketing firm. Baker Creative’s success undeniably depends on the individual and collective efforts of its employees. Each team member offers expertise toward the goal: associates have the opportunity to participate in training programs supporting growth and enhanced credentials. Ideas are welcomed, valued, and received positively, feeding off each other’s creativity and enthusiasm while being encouragingly critiqued. Work/life balance is achieved at Baker Creative with Friday typically being a day away from work, where community service is encouraged and endorsed. Taking a mandated break during the day to refresh in the outdoor green conference room or in the test kitchen inside the office is enhanced by the opportunity to enjoy fresh produce seasonally from the community garden planted at the company headquarters.

Providing value-added construction services since 1984, Bo Lacey

Construction is a full service general contracting company that focuses on its community and employees. Bo Lacey’s promise is to establish lasting relationships with their customers by exceeding their expectations and gaining their trust through exceptional performance by every member of the construction team. With a foundation of giving back, Bo Lacey leads charity driven projects, feeds the homeless, supports future leaders through 4-H sponsorship, and more. Bo Lacey keeps the community at top of mind when executing projects or finding leads. “In order to find acceptance into the community you serve, you must gain trust first.” The company annually gives to 12 non-profit organizations with an overarching goal “to show our community that we’re here and we’re here for them.” Bo Lacey serves food to the community through People Helping People every month, regularly donates school supplies directly to teachers, and every Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, the company donates to local nursing homes ensuring no one is left behind or forgotten.

For more than five decades, Carlile, Patchen, and Murphy has demonstrated strong character with a leadership team who embraces an open door policy, strict ethics, and a robust pro bono program. The attorneys at CPM are trusted partners offering complex business and personal legal solutions. Carlile, Patchen, and Murphy’s team leads by example to demonstrate high character and communicate expectations meeting monthly as an entire team, monthly by department, monthly individually, and as needed. All doors are open. CPM also treats others how they would want to be treated as if they were the consumers striving to provide the best customer experience possible, owning the rare moments when mistakes are made, engaging in fair billing. Every bill that leaves the CPM office is a bill they themselves would pay as a customer. Clients are solicited to identify areas of success or need for improvement. Perhaps most importantly, “CPM has a no-jerks policy. No one here is allowed to be a jerk to anyone else.”

Columbia Gas is one of Ohio’s leading energy companies and the largest provider of natural gas service in the state. Located in central Ohio, the company is dedicated to delivering safe, reliable energy that drives value to customers. Columbia Gas appreciates their customers and their perspectives. The company promotes transparency and empathy, asking employees to put themselves in the customer’s shoes. “If we can empathize with our customers and understand the challenges they experience, then we have the power to address those challenges head-on.” Employees are encouraged to go above and beyond for customers, having both the power and responsibility to work with leadership to find resolutions. As a utility distribution company, Columbia Gas understands there will always be challenges, however, “keeping customer safety at the forefront and providing honest and open communication can turn a challenging interaction into a more positive one.”

Clients are the heartbeat of CPMedia & Marketing. Honesty and integrity are the lifeblood that accounts for their long-standing success. With a culture supporting trust first, CPMedia & Marketing employees bond together to offer a wealth of collective experience spanning many industries, markets, and platforms, enabling their clients to stand out from the competition. CPMedia & Marketing feels that its greatest assets are its principles and integrity. This is clearly echoed in its support of clients and community through longstanding volunteer participation in Brady Ware Women’s Leadership Conference, Women’s Small Business Accelerator (WSBA), Women’s Economic Leadership Development (WELD), Ohio Women’s Coalition (OWC), Dublin City Schools/Young Professionals’ Academy, Miracle League Of Central Ohio, Visit Dublin, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Women’s Board. In addition to heavy support in the community, all team members have the opportunity to take part in online learning courses through LinkedIn Learning. “This way, team members can determine what skills they want to develop to further careers.”

GBQ has empowered growth of their people, their communities, and their clients’ businesses for 70 years (and counting!). Named among the country’s Top 100 largest accounting firms, this purpose-driven tax, accounting, and consulting firm and their team of 200+ associates play a significant role in addressing environmental, social, and economic matters. Through countless committees and initiatives, GBQ promotes a culture of accountability and ethical conduct while creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace where diversity is valued and celebrated. Whether empowering growth through sound business practices, community sponsorship and contribution efforts, or reduce/reuse and conservation initiatives, you can count on GBQ to empower a future-ready company with engaged, innovative employees, and a healthier planet. Who is empowering your growth?

the Torch Award for Ethics Recipients & Spark Award Winners

Muth & Company Roofing is founded in the principals of hard work, commitment, and doing what’s best for the customer. Celebrating their 30th year of business, Muth & Company Roofing carries this commitment through its many acts of service and sponsorship including its Give Where You Live program. Muth stays ethical by regularly recycling, being honest and forthcoming to customers, and holding each other accountable. Muth empowers and encourages staff in multiple ways including a scrap metal recycling incentive, annually awarding staff for sales, great service/reviews, training, and quality control, and full and transparent communication with the customer. “No homeowner should be blindsided or intentionally or unintentionally backed into a corner. One way we ensure this happens is through our contracts which walk our customers through all (potential) unexpected and expected fees, the job phases, what to expect and who is in charge for each project.” Following the completion of a project if any services are required Muth completes those within 72 hours, which holds staff accountable and shows dedication to customers’ needs.

The Spark Award recognizes business owners 35 and under or business owners of any age operating for less than three years. Entrepreneurs have a unique opportunity to spark trust as they build their business with Character, foster a collaborative Culture, and give back to their Community.

Selected for their high level of character, authentic culture, and commitment to community by a panel of judges, BBB of Central Ohio is proud to present the Spark Award to:

JUDGES

Brian Browning

JUDGES

Founder & CEO, StartBlox, Inc.

Mike Cook

Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, RevLocal

Brian Browning, StartBlox, Inc.

Lauren Edwards, Next Step Business Consulting

Derek DeHart

Head of Product, battleface

Lauren Edwards

Adam Koos, Libertas

Principal, Next Step Business Consulting

Adam Koos President, Sr. Financial Adviser, Libertas

Katie Robinson

Co-Founder & CMO, Fortuity

2021 SPARK CLASS

Renter Mentor*

Prescription Bliss

Fonte Cucina*

Veteran Companion Animal Services*

Branch Insurance

Collaborate and Elevate makes it easy for others to reach new heights professionally. Hundreds of businesses and organizations around the US are benefiting from improving their bottom line while empowering others in the community. “We believe in doing life and not being transactional, and Collaborate and Elevate embodies that spirit and energy.” Community is everything for the company. The business focuses on bringing others together, digitally or in person. They host Ohio Tech Happy Hour events around the state, which is a casual monthly happy hour for new and old Ohioans interested in connecting with fellow entrepreneurs, investors, and tech folks! Collaborate and Elevate members and community include universities and ecosystem builders like ESG companies, business accelerators, angel investors, venture capitalists, and non-profit organizations, all benefiting from connection, competitive intelligence, and more!

180 Demo is a professional demolition company specializing in interior demolition work on commercial renovation projects. They are passionate about fair-chance employment, supporting their employees to grow in a new direction, and using their business as a way to provide career and growth opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, and to cause change in the criminal justice space. Everything 180 Demo embraces is centric to their vision of creating the national model of guiding formerly incarcerated men and women into the construction industry with a goal of bringing the model to the national level. 180 Demo remains focused on the local community and the people directly nearby. After recently moving office locations, 180 Demo is now based intentionally out of the Hilltop, close to local bus lines, and very close to the Hilltop area. Most of the employees either live in these neighborhoods currently or originally were from there. 180 Demo has created a culture of being accessible, welcoming, and understanding of the unique aspects of living in these neighborhoods.

Benesafe Solutions manufactures, produces, and sells a 100% plant-based pesticide spray that is safe for people, pets, and the environment. Their solution is designed to effectively kill, repel, and prevent mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks without posing a threat to nature and allow families to enjoy the outdoors again without compromising the environment or their safety. “A leader is someone who excels at many skills, but the most important one is listening. A true leader will listen to their employees, peers, and others to improve the organization and the community surrounding it.” Benesafe Solutions is an impact-driven organization using its position as a small business to support organizations that focus on animal welfare, sustainability, and conservation initiatives. These efforts include donations to Mercy for Satos, Center for Health and Animal Welfare, and Best Friends Animal Society. Benesafe Solutions has also joined Small Biz Cares to plant trees, remove invasive species, and most importantly make the community a better place.

Since BBB’s Students of Integrity Scholarship Awards inception in 2002, ten high school seniors have been recognized yearly from BBB of Central Ohio’s 21-county service area who personify high character through leadership, community service, overall personal integrity, and academic accomplishments.

Student honorees are selected by a panel of judges from the business community to each receive a $1,000 scholarship paid to the college/university of their choice.

This year’s recipients are:

Sara Moore, Newark Catholic High School

Evelyn Neeley, Lancaster High School

Cole Scarborough, Lakewood Local High School

Kora Garee, Northridge High School

Tiara Takyi, Westerville South High School

Eric Riebel, Delaware Christian School

Aditya Chittari, New Albany High School

Samuel Jones, Buckeye Valley High School

Jackson McCoy, Jonathan Alder High School

Emma Wethington, Madison Plains High School

JUDGES

Hillary Bates, Highlights

Erin Ensign, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium & The Wilds

Scott Failor, Nationwide

Jacqueline LaMuth, The Ohio State University, Retired

Theresa Potter, Franklin University

Janet Tressler-Davis, Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce

To learn more about BBB of Central Ohio’s Torch Awards, Spark Awards, and Students of Integrity Scholarships, visit CenterforCharacterEthics.org.

Congratulations to all Recipients and Finalists

2023 Torch Awards for Ethics and Spark Awards: Looking Ahead

Applying for a BBB Torch Award for Ethics or Spark Award is an excellent goal for the new year! Make it easy by planning now and collecting information along the way. BBB invites you to review the application process to help streamline your efforts.

Torch Award Application

Spark Award Application