Kansas City is well-known for attracting and helping small businesses and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce acknowledges that fact every year by hosting one of the largest Chamber small business award celebrations in the country.
This year marked the 30th anniversary of the Chamber’s Small Business awards with a luncheon where the Top 10 Small Businesses were recognized, and the Small Business of the Year was awarded the annual Mr. K Award. The ‘Mr. K Award’ goes to a company that has shown growth or sustainability of their business with strong employee relations and a record of giving back to the community. Congratulations to the 2016 Mr. K Award winner, k12itc!
Six years ago, the EDC had the opportunity to work closely with k12itc founder, Brad Sandt with the growth of the company. Sandt left his position as the head of informational technology for the Park Hill School District to start k12itc, a company focused on customized technology solutions for public and private school districts. Since opening, the company has grown from 3 to 29 employees, revenues have grown 18,000%, and they have partnered with over 80 school districts. We are extremely proud of the work they have done and continue to do, in adding value to our city’s education technology sector.
The EDC also worked closely with several of the 2016 Top 10 Small Business award winners:
Alpha Energy and Electric Inc., an energy and electrical engineering construction company, opened in 2005 in a two-room office space. The company recently expanded to a 10,000 sq ft corporate headquarters in Kansas City, MO, and has opened additional locations in Knob Noster, MO, Ft. Riley, KS, and Lagos, Nigeria.
Centric Projects provides full general construction services. In 2013, the company invested $1.8 million into renovating their current building in the Crossroads Arts District. They have grown to over 50 employees, most in high-paid, technical jobs.
Lead Bank, founded in Garden City, MO, opened its newest branch in the Crossroads Arts District in 2015. After a $2 million renovation, the bank aims to provide customers with a new way of banking, merging virtual and physical elements with state-of-the-art technology and design. Lead Bank is also a partner in our LaunchKC grant program, providing free office space to LaunchKC winners in order to help facilitate startup growth in KCMO.
Posty Cards specializes in producing corporate greeting cards and calendars. The 68-year-old business invested $6.4 million into renovating their existing facility, adding 25,000 square feet of new space, and created 22 new jobs.
Blooom, Inc. – The EDC worked with Blooom indirectly through LaunchKC. Blooom became a Registered Investment Advisory in 2013 and was one of ten winners of $50K in the 2015 LaunchKC grant competition. To date, Blooom employs 21 people and manages almost $200 million in investments.
DuBois Consultants, Inc., a KCMO civil and structural engineering firm, was the recipient of the Diverse Small Business of the Year Award honoring a company who values and promotes diversity.
DuBois was started in 1988 by a handful of individuals who were dedicated to tutoring youngsters in math at the WEB DuBois Learning Center, a long-standing educational institution in Kansas City, Missouri. As a group, they set out to form a viable community business as an example of teamwork and commitment to their young students; as an avenue of employment for local residents; and as a way to contribute to the restoration and maintenance of the community.
Today, DCI provides each client with specialized services in site development, water supply distribution, urban hydrology, stormwater management, erosion control, and structural design (new construction and renovation).
Congratulations to all the Small Business Award winners! We look forward to following your progress and supporting your efforts to grow!
To learn about the KC Chamber’s Small Business Celebration programming, please visit http://www.kcchamber.com/
Sources:
Alpha Energy & Electric
Blooom, Inc
Centric Projects
DuBois Consultants
K12itc
KC Chamber
KCStar
LaunchKC
Lead Bank