2005 Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Awards

November 3, 2005

Collier County Program, 7:30 a.m. at Hilton Naples & Towers

Lee County Program, 11:30 a.m. at Holiday Inn Select Bell Tower

with

Dave Dravecky

Former Major League Pitcher

Former major league pitcher Dave Dravecky is a nationally known inspirational speaker and a role mode who teaches by example, telling audiences about his own journey through more adversity than the average person can even comprehend.

On August 10, 1980, he pitched a winning game for the San Francisco Giants. It marked Dravecky’s return to the major-league mound, less than a year after surgery that removed a cancerous tumor from his pitching arm and after doctors told him he’d never pitch again. Five days later, the entire stadium echoed with the crack of a career-ending fracture. The journey continued, with a second fracture a few months later, intensive treatment following the cancer’s return, and finally, the life-saving amputation of his arm.

Within their life’s work, Dravecky and his wife, Jan, have authored eight inspirational books that use their experiences of conquering adversity to help others do the same.

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Lee or Collier county for-profit businesses that have been in operation for at least three years and employ five to 400 people are eligible for the awards. Applications, which must be submitted by Monday, Sept. 12, can be requested by calling Stacey Trippe at (239) 433-7189. Independent judges will select one winning entry from Lee County and one from Collier.

The Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Awards are endorsed by

Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce

Economic Development Council of Collier County

Edison College

Florida Gulf Coast University

Gulfshore Business

Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce

International College, Lee County Economic Development Office/Horizon Council

Southwest Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber of Southwest Florida and The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce

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History of the Blue Chip Awards

The Blue Chip Enterprise Awards program was established nationally in 1990 to honor successful small businesses and to help them to learn from one another’s experiences. For-profit businesses that had been in operation for at least three years and employed five to 400 people were eligible to compete in the program, which recognized small businesses that had overcome adversity to achieve success. The book “Insights and Inspirations: How Businesses Succeed,” was published each year to chronicle the personal and professional sagas of all state and national honorees.

Oswald Trippe and Company began coordinating the Blue Chip Enterprise Awards program in Southwest Florida in 1993. The number of applications and state honorees increased steadily year and, in 1997, Computer Rescue Squad earned national Blue Chip Enterprise honors. In 2000, six of the 13 state honorees were from Southwest Florida.

The following companies were state honorees in the Blue Chip Enterprise Awards program:

2000 Cornerstone Financial Advisory, Inc.

Komputer Integration Service Specialist (K.I.S.S.)

Leather Medic, Inc.

Pinchers Crab Shack

Unified Marine, Inc.

Wellington Academy, Inc

1999 The Chiropractic Practice of Dr. Lana Perkins

Markham Norton Stroemer & Company, CPA

1998 Easy Picker Golf Products

R.J. Wire and Cable

1997 Computer Rescue Squad (National Winner)

King Landscaping & Sod of Southwest Florida

1995 The MARC of the Professionals

1994 Fireservice, Inc.

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In 2000, the national sponsors announced that the Blue Chip Enterprise Award program was being restructured. Oswald Trippe and Company, committed to the continued recognition of Southwest Florida’s successful small businesses, adopted the new Blue Chip Community Business Award.

Lee County Collier County

2004 *Invest SW Title Services *Arturo’s Ristorante Italiano

All Out Bail Bonds Abbie Joan Enterprises

Arthur Printing Corporate Dimensions, Inc.

Intergraphic Group, Inc.

Schumann Law Group, P.A.

2003 *PRiority Marketing *Clean Air & Allied Supply

Apollo Information Services Gates McVey

Aubuchon Homes, Inc. Gulf Coast American Fabrication

Bonita Springs Sports and Litchfield, Nelson and Company

Physical Therapy Center

Carla Bonten Realty, Inc.

Community Rehab Services, Inc.

Entech Computer Services

Klocke of America, Inc.

P & M Property Management

Suzi’s International Models

Wiebel Hennells Carufe Urish

Popeck & Company, LLC

2002 *Christ Centered Book and Music *The Thomas Riley Artisan’s Guild

Building Service Management, Inc. Business Solution of Naples, Inc.

Fafco Solar Premium Travel of Naples

Insta-Print, Inc. William Farms

Larue Pest Management

Red Salon and Spa

2001 *Gulf Coast Printing Services *Ark Naturals Products for Pets

Dan’s Plumbing Holland Salley, Inc.

Gouse’s Fine Furniture Legris & Associates

Home-Tech Consolidated, Inc. Reynolds & Associates, CPAs

The Shell Factory

Southern Trust Auto Outlet

* winner

Blue Chip Key Note Speakers

2005: Dave Dravecky, Former Major League Baseball Player

2004: David DeNotaris, “Feeling Your Way Through Life”

2003: Bill Butterworth, “Butterworth Gets His Life Together But It Falls Apart Before He

Can Show His Friends!”

2002: Dan Clark, “Chicken Soup for the Soul”

2001: Peter Vidmar, Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast

1999: John Naber, Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer

1998: Bill Clement, ESPN Sportscaster and Pro Hockey Player on Stanley Cup Team