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Copper Cactus Awards
2021 Copper Cactus Awards
Tucson Metro Chamber Rewards Winners in Zoom-Formal Event
By Mary Minor Davis
Tucson Metro Chamber Interim President and CEO Michael Guymon kicked off the 24th annual Wells Fargo Copper Cactus Awards this past fall in “Zoom-fashion style,” sporting a coat and tie above a pair of shorts and flip flops.
The annual small business recognition returned live this past year, welcoming a crowd of more than 400 attendees and celebrating the 33 finalists selected from 225 nominees. Eleven awards were presented, with a new recognition for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, presented by DPR Construction.
“If these past 18 months have taught us anything, it’s that all businesses are essential and by pure grit and determination, they can continue to grow and succeed even in the most difficult of times,” Guymon said in his welcome. “The Chamber salutes you for your contributions to the region’s economy.”
Biz
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA BEST PLACE TO WORK
3-50 employees:
Better Business Bureau Serving Southern Arizona
www.bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-servingsouthern-arizona The BBB Serving Southern Arizona has been helping people find and recommend businesses, brands and charities they can trust for over 65 years. The Tucson office receives an average of 3,200 calls monthly.
51-200 employees:
Premier Auto Management
www.scottsaysyes.com Premier Auto Management auto sales has locations in Arizona and Texas. The company strives to provide a “respectful car-buying experience that builds longterm relationships with a great culture of dedicated employees.”
COPPERPOINT’S SMALL BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
Joshua Belhumeur, Brink Creative Group www.brink.com Brink is “a brand strategy and creative agency producing content and experiences people can’t help but love.”
COX BUSINESS GROWTH
Paragon Space Development Corporation
www.paragonsdc.com Engineering, design, analysis and manufacturing of life support and thermal control technologies for space, defense and commercial industries. President and CEO Grant Anderson won the CopperPoint Small Business Leader of the Year award in 2020.
DPR CONSTRUCTION’S DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION CHAMPION
Community Investment Corporation www.cictucson.com CIC is the first recipient of this new award category. It’s a nonprofit economic development organization dedicated to providing education, home ownership assistance, grants and funding for small businesses and nonprofit enterprises to improve economic prosperity in Pima County. CIC won the 2020 Copper Cactus Tucson Electric Power Social Impact Award.
NEXTRIO’S INNOVATION
Startup Tucson www.startuptucson.com Startup Tucson is committed to transforming Southern Arizona through entrepreneurship and innovation. It works to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of entrepreneurs in the community through high-quality, low-cost technical assistance, mentoring, and community building. It’s innovative program, “Remote Tucson,” works to attract individuals employed in high-paying remote work positions to permanently relocate to Tucson. The program attracted 22 employees in its pilot year and was recognized by the national and international press.
PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S EMPLOYER/ EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
AGM Container Controls www.agmcontainer.com Founded in 1970, AGM Container Controls has led in the design and fabrication of environmental control hardware for the military, defense, aerospace, industrial and container markets. In 2019, over 20% of its workforce was attending college.
TECH PARKS ARIZONA’S START UP OF THE YEAR
SaiOx Inc. www.saiox.com SaiOx has cultivated a team of executives with extensive experience bringing medical devices to market. SaiOx’s patented breathing device utilizes heliox technology in a novel system to provide relief to the 24 million Americans suffering from COPD. This technology provides a more efficient solution to the ongoing problem.
TUCSON ELECTRIC POWER’S SOCIAL IMPACT Revenues up to $500,000:
Greater Tucson Leadership www.greatertucsonleadership.org For 41 years, Greater Tucson Leadership has provided adult learners with the skills and confidence to become leaders in this community, with GTL alumni found across Tucson’s business, nonprofit and government sectors.
Pamel Crim Better Business Bureau
Revenues $501,000-$2 Million:
YWCA Southern Arizona ywcatucson.org YWCA Southern Arizona has served Tucson since 1917 with a mission to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity. It provides integrated and bilingual community, leadership and economic development programs, including workforce, family wellness and social services that promote multi-generational solutions to end poverty and violence.
Revenues $2 Million-$5 Million:
Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona www.womengiving.org WFSA is the only philanthropic organization dedicated exclusively to empowering women and girls. Since its inception over 30 years ago, it has distributed over $9 million, making a long-lasting impact for women and girls here. WFSA provides direct service programming, research, advocacy, philanthropy and grant-making. Formerly known as the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, it recently expanded its scope and is now the Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona. Scott Lehman Premier Auto Management
Grant Anderson Paragon Space Development Corporation
Howard Stewart AGM Container Controls Joshua Belhumeur Brink Creative Group
Danny Knee Community Investment Corporation
Liz Pocock Startup Tucson
Manny Teran SaiOx
Kasey Hill Greater Tucson Leadership Magdalena Verdugo YWCA of Southern Arizona Amalia Luxardo Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona
