Finalists and winners were honored Feb. 15 at the eighth annual Arkansas Business of the Year Awards banquet held in the Bill Clinton Balroom of Arkansas’ Excelsior Hotel in Little Rock.
The Martin & Martin advertising agency of Little Rock won Category I for companies with 1-25 employees.
Stone & Ward advertising agency, also based in Little Rock, won Category II for companies with 26-75 employees.
United Medical Inc. of Wynne was the winner in Category III for companies with more than 75 employees.
The Business Executive of the Year was Robert East, chief executive officer of the East-Harding Construction Co. in Little Rock.
The first Nonprofit Organization of the Year winner was Heifer Project International, whose international headquarters is in Little Rock and whose ranch is in Perryville.
Here’s a pictorial look back at an evening dedicated to Arkansas businesses.
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CATEGORY III WINNER: Representatives of United Medical Inc. of Wynne, led by Randal Caldwell (holding plaque), were on hand to accept the company’s award. The company was founded in 1983 and sells or rents medical equipment and supplies throughout Arkansas and the Mid-South.
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CATEGORY II WINNER: Mille Ward and Larry Stone (holding plaque in center) and other employees of Stone & Ward advertising agency in Little Rock accept their award. The company, formed in 1991 as a spin-off from the Resneck Stone Ward agency, today has annual billings of $17.3 million.
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CATEGORY I WINNER: Tim and Cheryl Martin (holding plaque) and other staff members at the Martin & Martin advertising agency of Little Rock were on hand to accept the company’s award. Martin & Martin enjoyed a successful year highlighted by the addition of the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield advertising account.
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EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: Robert East, chief executive officer of East-Harding Construction Co. in Little Rock, is pictured with his wife, Cynthia.
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR: Jo Luck (holding plaque) and her staff accept the first Nonprofit Organization of the Year award on behalf of Heifer Project International.
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GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS: Tim Martin of Martin & Martin accepts his company’s award as Arkansas Business Publisher Wythe Walker Jr. (far right) and judge Ben Scroggin of Mercantile Bank of Central Arkansas look on.
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EQUIPPED FOR SUCCESS: Randall Caldwell of United Medical Inc. accepts his company’s award as Arkansas Business Publisher Wythe Walker Jr. (far left) and judge Bill Scholl of Boatmen’s National Bank of Arkansas look on.
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CREATIVITY’S THE KEY: Millie Ward of Stone & Ward accepts her company’s award as Arkansas Business Publisher Wythe Walker Jr. (far left) and judge Bill Scholl of Boatmen’s National Bank of Arkansas look on.
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THE ADVENTURER: Bob East of East-Harding Construction Co. accepts his Business Executive of the Year award as judge Jack Fleischauer of First Commercial Bank looks on.
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SERVING A CAUSE: Jo Luck of Heifer Project International accepts her organization’s award as judge Charlotte Gadberry looks on.
Olivia Farrell, chief executive officer of the Arkansas Business Publishing Group, introduces the finalists for Business Executive of the Year.
Arkansas Business Publisher Wythe Walker Jr. salutes the finalists.
Arkansas Business Editor Jeff Hankins introduces the Business of the Year finalists.
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