Two Williamson County businesses were recently honored for their commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards at a celebration dinner sponsored by the Better Business Bureau. Austin Funeral & Cremation Services was named the 2014 recipient of the Torch Award for Ethical Commerce in the small business category (1-10 employees) and Temple Health & Wellness Center was named a finalist in the same category.
“We were honored to win such a prestigious award,” stated Carol Austin, owner of Austin Funeral & Cremation Services. “Treating others with honesty, compassion, and respect are the guiding principles in how we operate our business, and this award truly represents what we hold in highest esteem,” said Austin.
BBB received over 250 nominations for the 2014 Torch Award for Ethical Commerce after asking for nominations in the fall of 2013. Businesses were asked to respond to numerous questions and provide backup documentation in their entry packets. The completed entry packets were reviewed by an independent panel of judges, and the judges determined the finalists and recipients of the 2014 Torch Award for Ethical Commerce, according to Kathleen Calligan, President & CEO of the BBB serving Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.
“While Middle Tennessee has proven to be home to so many great companies operating with high character; these four BBB Torch Award for Ethical Commerce recipients clearly demonstrated their character on a daily basis, and consistently exceed marketplace standards for ethics in their relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, industry peers and the communities in which they do business,” said Calligan.
BBB Middle Tennessee celebrated the four recipients of the 2014 BBB Torch Award for Ethical Commerce, along with the finalists and all the qualifying nominees, at the celebration dinner held at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel last month.
Amber Woods, a senior at Northeast High School in Clarksville, TN, was named the 2014 BBB Student of Integrity and was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Student of Integrity Finalist, James Wester, a senior at Franklin High School, in Franklin, TN, also received a $2,500 scholarship sponsored by The Integrity Foundation, Inc., the educational arm of the BBB of Middle Tennessee. Belmont will match these scholarships should the students choose to attend Belmont University College of Business.
Recipients of the 2014 BBB Torch Award for Ethical Commerce are:
Small-Sized Business Category with 1 – 10 Employees:
Recipient – Austin Funeral & Cremation Services, LLC (Brentwood)
Finalists – Senior Financial Advisors, Inc. (Murfreesboro)
Temple Health & Wellness Center, Inc. (Franklin)
Medium-Sized Business Category with 11 – 50 Employees:
Recipient – Richards & Richards Office Records Management, Inc. (Nashville)
Finalist – Evans Glass Company (Nashville)
Large-Sized Business Category with 51 – 174 Employees:
Recipient – American Home Design, Inc. (Goodlettsville)
Finalists – Freeland Chevrolet Superstore (Antioch)
Southwestern Advantage (Nashville)
Very Large-Sized Business Category with 175+ Employees:
Recipient – BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc. (Nashville)
Finalist – Reliant Realty, LLC (Nashville)
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