Tucson, Arizona – The Tucson Metro Chamber is pleased to announce the forty-seven businesses and five business leaders that have been selected as finalists for the Tucson Metro Chamber Copper Cactus Awards presented by Wells Fargo. This annual event celebrates the accomplishments and innovation of Southern Arizona's small businesses in categories such as work environment, workforce development, community stewardship, innovation, growth and leadership.
“Southern Arizona is home to an abundance of outstanding local small businesses working from the ground up with only a handful of employees, wearing many hats for the overall success of their business,” said Amber Smith, president & CEO of the Tucson Metro Chamber. “It’s a privilege for the Tucson Metro Chamber to recognize our region’s small businesses for their significant contributions and positive impact in our community.”
Award categories include:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Best Place to Work
Nominees were judged on their work environment and the morale of their employees. - Cenpatico Integrated Care Workforce Development
Nominees were judged on workforce training, advancing, promoting people from within; or providing special job-training or exploration opportunities for individuals with special needs. - CopperPoint Small Business Leader of the Year
Nominees were judged on productivity in relation to sales, creativity and innovation in the workplace and their activity in the community. - Cox Business Growth
Nominees were judged on their gross revenue, employee growth and compensation expenditure growth. - Nextrio Innovation
Nominees were judged based on their creative use of innovative processes or products to pioneer change in their industry. - Tucson Electric Power Charitable Non-Profit Business
Nominees were judged on their exceptional leadership, culture, innovation and growth. - Hundreds of nominations were submitted by members of Southern Arizona’s community in support of locally owned small businesses, business leaders and charitable non-profit businesses.
2018 Tucson Metro Chamber Copper Cactus Awards Finalists include:
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Best Place to Work
- Barker Contracting, Inc.
- Home Instead Senior Care
- Leber Orthodontics
- Miura Contracting, A Division of Eagle EGC, LLC.
- Northwest Pet Clinic
- Pima Medical Institute
- Poly Print, Inc.
- Rancho Sahuarita Management Company
Cenpatico Integrated Care Workforce Development
- AGM Container Controls
- JobPath, Inc.
- Linkages
- Maxim Healthcare Services
- OPCS – Old Pueblo Community Services
- Perfection Industrial Finishing
- San Miguel High School
- Southern Arizona Family Services
Copperpoint Small Business Leader of The Year
- Robert Wood and Dr. Nicholas Coles, Arizona Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons
- Jim Beard. Family Air LLC Cooling & Heating
- Scott Lehman. Premier Auto Center
- Kimberly Clifton, Tierra Antigua Realty
- Daniel Stringer, Total Care Connections
Cox Business Growth
- Paxis Institute Corporation
- Chasse Building Team
- Mural Consulting Corporation
- Safeguard
- Staff Matters, Inc.
- The Screamery
- The Lodge at Ventana Canyon Golf & Racquet Club
- Trusting Connections Nanny Agency
Nextrio Innovation
- HDS Companies
- Hodges Eye Care & Surgical Center
- OOROO Auto
- Seeing Machines
- The Gadsden Company, LLC.
- Vector Space Systems
- World View Enterprises
Tucson Electric Power Charitable Non-Profit Business
- Community Home Repair Projects of Arizona (CHPRA)
- Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse
- Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation
- Higher Ground
- Humane Society of Southern Arizona
- Junior Achievement of Arizona – Southern District
- Our Family Services, Inc.
- Rialto Theatre Foundation
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona
- Sister Jose Women’s Center
- Step Up to Justice
- The Drawing Studio
- Treasures 4 Teachers of Tucson
- Tucson Youth Development
- Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona
- Wright Flight, Inc.
The Tucson Metro Chamber Copper Cactus Awards is presented by Wells Fargo and co-sponsored by Casino Del Sol Resort, Arizona Complete Health and Intuit.
The awards will be presented on Friday, October 12 at Casino Del Sol Resort. Cocktails will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. This celebration is open to the public and tickets can be purchased at TucsonChamber.org/CopperCactus.