June 3, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: William Burns, Director of Communications
(410) 269-0642, (301) 261-2858

Maryland Chamber Announces Small
Business of the Year Award Winners

Baltimore, MD (June 3, 2010) – The Maryland Chamber of Commerce today honored three outstanding small businesses and one non-profit organization during its annual Small Business of the Year Awards Luncheon at the Westin BWI Airport Hotel. A new category was also honored this year: the Large Company Partner in Business Award, which recognizes Maryland companies with more than 200 employees that have made a significant commitment to local small and minority-owned firms as a part of its business plan. The awards program is designed to recognize the dedication, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by small businesses in Maryland.

“Congratulations to the 2010 Small Business of the Year Award winners,” said Kathy Snyder, CCE, President & CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. “Through their vision and hard work, they are helping Maryland's economy grow. Today we honor their financial success, as well as their commitment to their employees, customers and communities.”

This year’s winners are:

Small Business of the Year – 1-10 Employees
Café 611 is a downtown Frederick restaurant providing catering and event services to the Frederick community. Founded in March 2007, Café 611 has turned major challenges from potential adversity into customer growth, increased sales, and profitability. Prior to owners Randy and Karen Jones buying business, a nightclub that had a nefarious reputation in the community inhabited the space. In addition, a construction project with resounding noise and building vibrations blocked off the street, detouring both vehicle and pedestrian traffic from Café 611’s front door. This, combined with the economic downturn, created a formula for failure. But Café 611 innovated and created a new business plan that included new hours, products and services, and launched a campaign to create a positive public relationship. It thrived. Today Café 611 continues to grow and offers services such as off-site catering, and an affordable venue for large social gatherings. Café 611’s nomination was supported by the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.

Small Business of the Year – 11-50 Employees
Miller’s Minuteman Press is a full service marketing, design, print and production company that supplies and manufactures printed materials, graphic design, direct mail and promotional products. In 1999, after obtaining the necessary immigration visas and work permits, Keith Miller relocated from South Africa to Baltimore without any print experience and no business network in the area. He obtained a Minuteman Press franchise in December 1999 and has since grown the business substantially by acquiring four additional stores and a central production facility. The company has also seen steady growth in sales and employees over the past ten years. The growth Miller’s Minuteman Press has been in large part due to holding customer service and delivering top quality products as top priorities, as well as actively staying on top of trends and looking for ways to capitalize on the changing business landscape. The company provides its employees with continuous training in the latest technologies and the use of equipment. Miller’s Minuteman Press will add a Digital Communications Division in 2010. Its nomination was supported by the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce.

Small Business of the Year – 51-200 Employees
Murthy Law Firm, which practices exclusively in the area of U.S. immigration law, was founded in 1994 by Sheela Murthy, Esq. with the belief that the country’s strength lies in its diversity. Today, Murthy Law Firm employs nearly 70 qualified professionals to serve its clients, which include small and mid-sized companies, Fortune 500 companies, as well as individuals going through the U.S. immigration process. The practice is focused on business immigration, and helps American companies grow stronger and center their operations in the United state by building their workforces from the best and brightest highly-skilled workers in the IT, medical and other industries. Murthy Law Firm works to provide employers and employees with immigration strategies, and the firm has clients in almost every state in the U.S. and in countries around the world. The Maryland Chamber supported Murthy Law Firm’s nomination.

Non-profit Partner in Business Award
The Maryland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure partners with Maryland businesses to further its mission to save lives and end breast cancer forever. The Race for the Cure began in Maryland as a 500 participant 5K in 1992. Since then, it has blossomed into the largest footrace in the State of Maryland and is in the top eight affiliates out of 125 Komen affiliates across the country. Partnerships with Maryland businesses have helped the Race become the largest sponsored event in the state. In addition to sponsorships, area businesses partner with the organization on workplace giving programs and pink dress down days to raise funds and awareness. Each year, 75 percent of the money raised in Maryland through the Race for the Cure remains in the state to fund breast health services and programs. This year, it is funding 27 local non-profit organizations offering breast health outreach and breast cancer screening and support programs statewide. Its nomination was supported by the Hunt Valley Business Forum.

Large Company Partner in Business Award
Pepco, which supplies electricity to 778,000 homes and businesses in the District of Columbia and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, has demonstrated a partnership and commitment to small businesses through ongoing involvement and outreach by advocating for small and diverse businesses throughout the service territory. In 2009, Pepco’s direct spending to diverse suppliers and subcontracts totaled $47.5 million or 20.39 percent of its total utility procurement for goods and services. Pepco’s supplier diversity initiative is widely recognized as a model for the utility industry nationwide and its external outreach is aggressive and wide reaching in engaging suppliers who are interested in learning more about contract opportunities processes and practices. Pepco’s nomination was supported by the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce

Nominees for the awards program are required to be a member of the state or a local chamber of commerce, have a permanent business location with employee(s) in Maryland, and have been in operation for a minimum of two years. The judging panel for the awards program was comprised of representatives of Maryland’s business media, including the Gazette of Politics & Business, Baltimore SmartCEO Magazine, Baltimore Business Journal, and Corridor Inc. Criteria upon which the nominees were judged included performance, growth, innovation, creativity, competitiveness, community involvement and more.

This was the awards program’s ninth year. Previous winners include Global Design Interactive, Savage River Lodge, Savantage Solutions, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, impactHR, Choptank Transport, MEDEX Global Group, Advance, Millennium Marketing Solutions, Maryland Works, Howard Bank and many others.

About the Maryland Chamber
The Maryland Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit coalition of 820 businesses who employ more than 442,000 people in the state. Its mission is to maximize opportunities for its members and their employees to grow and prosper. For more information about the Chamber, visit its website, www.mdchamber.org or call (410) 269-0642 or (301) 261-2858.
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