(Getty)
Better Business Bureau (BBB) Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia's mission is to promote trust in the marketplace, and a key way we accomplish this is by shining the light on companies that run their organizations with trust at the foundation and intertwined throughout their operation. That’s exactly what we did at BBB’s Annual Torch Awards for Ethics luncheon, which was held on May 1st at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
BBB proudly announced five winners of our 2024 Torch Award for Ethics, eight award finalists, and recognized ten Student of Integrity scholarship recipients during the event.
BBB’s Torch Awards for Ethics were established locally in 1989 and presented annually to gain public recognition for businesses and non-profit organizations committed to operating their organizations with a strong focus on ethics and trust. The Torch Award is designed to promote the importance of ethical business practices and the willingness and efforts made by outstanding businesses to ensure that our marketplace remains fair and honorable for all consumers and fellow businesses.
Companies were nominated for BBB’s Torch Award and asked to provide information demonstrating their focus on the 4Cs of Trust: character, Culture, Customers, and Community.
They were asked to share details for the following areas of their operations:
- how a company’s leadership uses internal and external communication and/or activities that help their organization intentionally build and maintain an ethical culture and practice,
- how the organization implements the best management practices and encourages employees to pursue and develop expertise in their areas of responsibility,
- how human resource practices prepare, support, recognize, and provide opportunities for growth in both competency and ethical behavior for employees and
- examples of the company’s community support and service activities within their industry and community
The following companies were recognized as BBB’s 2024 Torch Award for Ethics Winners and Finalists:
Category I (1-10 employees) Winner: Resource 1 Tier 3 Data Security (Chattanooga); Finalists: East Tennessee Auto Outlet (Etowah), Gennett Forestry Consulting, LLC (Hixson), and One Price Framing (Chattanooga)
Category II (11-25 employees) Winner: LearningRX (Chattanooga); Finalists: Clean Heating & Air and Clean Crawlspace (Dalton), Midian Roofing, Inc. (Rome), and Yogi’s PrimoPromo (Chattanooga)
Category III (26-99 employees) Winner: P&C Construction, Inc. (Chattanooga); Finalist: Double D Piping (Cleveland)
Category IV (100+employees) Winner: Lawson Electric Company, Inc. (Hixson); Finalist: Cleveland Utilities Authority (Cleveland)
Non-Profit Organizations Winner: United Way of the Ocoee Region (Cleveland); Finalist: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga (Chattanooga)
Winners of BBB’s local Torch Awards for Ethics are eligible to compete for the International Association of Better Business Bureau’s (IABBB) International Torch Award for Ethics, which is offered annually and is open solely to North America companies that have recently received a local Torch Award.
During our local event, we were proud to recognize three Chattanooga-based companies that have recently won an award or honorable mention from IABBB.
In 2020, Walden Security was one of four companies selected as winners of IABBB’s Torch Awards for Ethics. First Volunteer Bank, now known as Builtwell Bank, received an honorable mention for the 2021 International Torch Award, and Lawson Electric Company, Inc. received an honorable mention for the 2018 International Torch Award.
BBB also reached a milestone at this year’s event, as we have now awarded more than $200,000 in Students of Integrity scholarships during the past twenty years to deserving high school seniors located throughout Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. As part of their entry, students are asked to include an essay on the importance of ethics in business and our community, and BBB received nearly 100 applications.
Of those, ten students were selected for 2024 scholarships, which were graciously funded by the following local businesses: Cleveland Utilities Authority, Double Cola Company, Food City, North American Credit Services (NACS)/MedSrv, P&C Construction, Inc., Scenic Community Credit Union, Shaw Industries, Truist, TVFCU, and United Community Bank.
The following students were selected for BBB’s 2024 “Students of Integrity” scholarships from nearly 100 entries: Emalee Collins of Armuchee High School, Frances Cuaresma of Dalton High School, Will Foster of Grundy County High School, Noah Houston of Boyd-Buchanan School, Kylie Hurd of Sonoraville High School, Emily Lin of Heritage High School, Caden McMahan of Ooltewah High School, Lena Nguyen of Notre Dame High School, Kaylee Nichols of Armuchee High School, and Sarah Pritchard of Cleveland High School.
BBB’s special commemorative Torch Awards for Ethics insert will be offered in print and digitally in the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Sunday, May 19th. The publication will highlight BBB’s 2024 Torch Award Winners, Finalists, Scholarship Recipients and Event Sponsors.
BBB is now taking nominations for the 2025 Torch Awards for Ethics, which can be submitted at BBB.org/chattanooga under the Torch Awards for Ethics event link or by contacting BBB at 423-266-6144.