Winner of the 2014 CSU Blue Ocean Challenge, Kyle Kirkpatrick, Founder and CEO of Decibullz, Loveland-based maker of custom molded headphones will keynote the Small Business of the Year Awards on Wednesday, May, 20, 2015, at 7:30 a.m. at the Hilton Fort Collins. Kirkpatrick, an extreme athlete and gymnastics coach, will share his entrepreneurial story from a basement startup to winning $250,000 in one of the nations richest business pitch competitions, and catapulting his company from ‘startup to stardom’ in a year.
The awards breakfast will honor 12 local businesses from four different categories as finalists of the 2015 Small Business of the Year Awards. Categories include businesses with 1-10 employees, 11-50 employees, 51-200 employees, and New Kid on the Block, a new category this year, celebrating businesses in operation for less than three years.
To receive a Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award, the company must be a member of the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce at the time the award is presented. Businesses will be judged on four criteria: community involvement and stewardship, commitment to good business practices, overall business growth and innovation, and workplace culture and employee relations.
The event kicks off a day of celebrating local small businesses and will continue with the annual Business After Hours Tradeshow 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. sponsored and hosted by the Hilton Fort Collins.
Tickets for the awards breakfast are $40 for individual members, $50 for non-members or $375 for a table of 10. Booth space is also available for the After Hours Tradeshow and both can be purchased at www.FortCollinsChamber.com or by calling (970) 482-3746.
The Small Business of the Year Breakfast is presented by the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by First National Bank, Ward Petroleum Corporation, Hunt, Spillman & Associates P.C., Aspen Grove Veterinary Care, Coan Payton & Payne, Jax Mercantile, Alphagraphics, and The Mantooth Marketing Company.
About the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce
The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce is the leading membership-based organization in northern Colorado, dedicated to helping businesses succeed. Investing in the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce puts members in contact with more than 1,050 business owners and managers in the market. For more than 100 years, the Fort Collins Area Chamber has influenced efforts to maintain and grow the business community in Fort Collins. For more information about the Chamber call (970) 482-3746 or visit www.FortCollinsChamber.com.