Arlington, VA., March 24, 1998 -- The Council of Better Business Bureaus today announced the 20 businesses that are finalists for the 1998 Better Business Bureau National Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.
"These companies and businesses are being recognized for adhering to exceptionally high standards of business practices in their relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, industry peers and the communities in which they do business," said James L. Bast, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the umbrella organization for the nation's 135 Better Business Bureaus (BBBs). "The finalists vary by size, location and type of business, but they have in common an exemplary commitment to doing the right thing."
The independent panel of judges reported that this year's competition was particularly close, with numerous high quality businesses nominated through local Torch Award competitions conducted by Better Business Bureaus across the country.
The finalists for the 1998 BBB National Torch Award hail from 12 states. Listed in alphabetical order by size category, the companies are:
Large-Size Category (more than 1,000 employees)
- Commercial Financial Services, Inc. (Tulsa, OK) -- debt collections
- Jewel-Osco (Chicago, IL) -- retail food and drug
- Mary Kay Inc. (Dallas, TX) --skin care and cosmetics
- McKee Foods Corporation (Collegedale, TN) -- food products
- Praxair, Inc. (Danbury, CT) -- industrial gases
- (Praxair Technology Center - Tonawanda, NY)
- Ukrop's Super Markets, Inc. (Richmond, VA) -- retail grocery chain
Medium-Size Category (100-999 employees)
- Abt Electronics & Appliance (Morton Grove, IL) --consumer electronics and appliances
- Airtron Heating/Air Conditioning (Dayton, OH) -- air conditioning services/equipment
- Betts Cadillac/Betts Lexus (Des Moines, IA) -- automobile dealership
- Century Communications (Colorado Springs, CO) -- cable services
- Highlights for Children, Inc. (Columbus, OH) --magazine publishing
- JK Moving & Storage, Inc. (Sterling, VA) -- moving/storage company
- The Siebenthaler Company (Dayton, OH) -- landscaping/lawn care
- Texas Recreation Corporation (Wichita Falls, TX) -- manufacturer, recreation-related products
Small-Size Category (less than 100 employees)
- Action Business Systems, Inc. (Baltimore, MD) -- office equipment sales and service
- Basement Waterproofing Nationwide, Inc. (Edgewood, MD) -- waterproofing
- Fletcher Communications (Waco, TX) -- marketing and communications
- Huff Equities (Philadelphia, PA) -- commercial real estate
- Illinois Service Federal Savings & Loan Assn. (Chicago, IL) -- savings and loan
- Spring Break Travel, Inc. (Chapel Hill, NC) -- travel agency
This is the third annual Better Business Bureau National Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics competition. The winners of this year's national award have been selected from the above group and will be announced at a ceremony on March 31, 1998 to be attended by leaders from business, consumer, academic, government and news media sectors. Bob Schieffer, Chief Washington Correspondent for CBS News, will be the keynote speaker.
"The finalists selected for this prestigious award provide proof that adhering to BBB ethical standards is the hallmark of successful, competitive companies. Through the national competition, and all of the local competitions, the Better Business Bureau system is sending an important message: consistently practicing business in an ethical fashion is as important as any other aspect of corporate management," said Gale Duff-Bloom, chair of the Council of Better Business Bureaus and president of marketing and company communications for J.C. Penney Company, Inc.
About the BBB National Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics:
The Judging: The award-winning companies were selected by an independent panel of ethics experts drawn from the business and academic communities: Kathleen Calligan, CEO of the Better Business Bureau, Nashville, Tennessee; Professor Thomas Dunfee, Department of Legal Studies, The Wharton School; Robert Mercer, former CEO of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and former chair of the Council of Better Business Bureaus; Professor Laura Nash, Institute for the Study of Economic Culture, Boston University; and Diana Treftz, president of Cascade Pest Control, a 1997 BBB National Torch Award finalist.
Award Criteria: Companies were evaluated against criteria that included commitment to and demonstration of ethical practices in the marketplace; high standards of behavior toward customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and communities; truthfulness and accuracy of advertising and sales practices; ethical reputation among industry peers and in communities in which they do business; long-term value of ethics policies to shareholders, customers and employees; and training and communications programs to assist employees in carrying out established ethics policies.
Previous Recipients: The Council of Better Business Bureaus established the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in 1996. Previous national award winners include: Sony Electronics Inc., of Park Ridge, NJ and Dollar General Corporation, Nashville, TN (large size companies); Certified Transmission Rebuilders, Inc., of Omaha, NE and Jordan's Furniture, Avon, MA (medium size companies) and E. E. Ward Transfer and Storage, of Columbus, OH and Cuglewski, Timko, & Associates, D.D.S., Inc., Parma, OH (small size companies).