Tim Qualheim, Regional Vice-President, S&C Electric Company accepted the award on behalf of S&C. Six companies in five categories were recognized with the award, and three companies, including S&C were given awards for Honorable Mention. More than 1,700 companies were nominated for the award this year, the largest number in the 12 years that the BBB has given out the award.
Steve J. Bernas, president & CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois, explained, "The Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics honors companies that make a demonstrable effort to promote ethical business practices, and we are pleased to see the number of businesses who, in the eyes of their customers and other associates, meet that threshold."
The awards recipients are selected by an independent panel of judges each year. Bernas went on to say, "This year's participants and winners have reaped many rewards as a result of their commitment to achieving and maintaining high ethical standards including stronger customer loyalty, enhanced reputation, and greater employee commitment. The variety in entries and the subsequent winners and honorable mentions reflect an increasing interest by more and more companies to use ethical business practices in their operations as the primary method of self-regulation. This belief is the cornerstone of the BBB system.”
Companies are judged in five categories based on their number of employees. The presentation of awards is just the tip of the iceberg for companies that do it right by working with their customers, suppliers and other organizations in a professional manner. It remains important for people to inform the BBB when they have done business with a company that did an exemplary job. Many of the nominees for this award were the result of consumers alerting the BBB to companies who 'do it right'.
The winners of the award for 2008 are Life Care Innovations, Inc., Promoworks, Luna Carpet & Blinds, Inc., Empire Today, LLC, IBM Corporation, and Sears Holdings Corporation. Honorable mentions were awarded to: Exterior Design Inc., Mega Home Improvement and S&C Electric Company.
About S&C Electric Company
S&C Electric Company, headquartered in Chicago, IL, specializes in the development and manufacture of innovative products for the electric power industry, as well as the delivery of comprehensive, expert services for this industry. Information about S&C is available at www.sandc.com/torch
