Pine Cone Hill Founder Recognized for Small Business

Her name was announced  a couple months ago, but Annie Selke, president and founder of Pine Cone Hill Inc., was honored Monday as the state's Small Business Person of the Year.

Selke was one of 11 individuals and businesses from Massachusetts recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C., on Monday as part of National Small Business Week. She will also be honored at an event in Worcester on June 8.

Selke started Pine Cone Hill in 1993 from her home. The home design company has expanded from whole sale fabrics and furniture to include handloomed braided and woven rugs and tableware, linens and accessories with Dash & Albert Rug Co. and Potluck Studio. The company employs 85 in Western Mass. and occupies 200,000 square feet. It's housed in a former textile mill renovated through a SBA loan program in 2004 and also has an outlet in the Lenox Shops.

Also cited was Richard Lafrance, CEO of Lafrance Hospitality Co., of Westfield

For more information on Small Business Week 2010, including information on all award winners, visit nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/. 

Qualprint Calendar Nabs Silver

Qualprint's 2010 calendar nabbed a silver award from the 2010 Calendar Marketing Association.

We especially like the calendar full of Berkshire scenes was dedicated to the late Joel Librizzi, a professional photographer who served for 26 years as one of the calendar contest judges for the company. Joel, who died in June 2009, spent his career as a photojournalist at The Berkshire Eagle. He was well known as a talented artist and generous friend.

The National Calendar Award was given in the division of Most Creative Marketing Application for a custom/corporate calendar. The annual full-color calendar is produced, printed and distributed each year by the company. It's printed on FSC certified stock using soy-based inks.

The calendar was designed by Lisa Kirchner, a graphic and digital production artist at Qualprint, and more than 10,000 have been circulated throughout New England.
Winning criteria included the quality of photographs and graphics and complete execution of the calendar subject and theme. The images appearing in the calendar are chosen in an annual photography and art contest sponsored by Qualprint for the past 27 years.

AIER Redesign Nets EXCEL Award

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The redesign of the American Institute for Economic Research's "Research Reports" has scored an EXCEL Award for production designer Jonathan Sylbert.

He was one of 175 winners representing 91 associatons recently selected by Association Media & Publishing from 1,000 entrants. Winners were chosen for taking bold chances in a variety of categories. Other winners included AARP, National Education Association, The Conference Board and the American Cancer Society.

Sylbert worked at Rudolph de Harak & Associates, a graphic and industrial design firm in New York City, prior to moving to the Berkshires. He has worked at AIER since 1996. He is also chairman of the Monterey Select Board and president of the Monterey Preservation Land Trust.

AIER won the bronze award for the Most Improved Newsletter to Newsletter. Sylbert was the project leader for AIER's comprehensive redesign that was six months in the making and included input from many AIER staff members and selected outside experts. The redesign, which was for both Research Reports and Economic Bulletins, was introduced to readers in January 2009.

AIER is one of the oldest economic research organizations in the United States. Founded in 1933, it is an independent, non-profit organization; AIER's unbiased research and publications address a wide variety of economic issues including personal finance, monetary policy, business cycles and property rights.

Southern Berkshire Chamber Seeks Nominations for Business Person of the Year

The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for "business person of the year."

If you know someone who fits the criteria, send the Chamber the person's name, along with a few paragraphs about why you've nominated him or her (the Chamber won't accept a nomination without explanation), to ed@rnetworx.com by Friday, April 30.

The criteria are:

Personal Qualities: integrity, entrepreneurial ability, personal contributions outside of immediate business interest, role model to other business people;  leadership and vision

Managerial Skills: leadership quality, productivity, maintaining a positive work  environment, successful performance, fullfilling organization's goals and mission

Contribution to the Southern Berkshires: policies and projects that have a positive impact on the community, collaboration between business and community, business support of the community.

Last year the Chamber Board selected David J. Bruce, president and chief executive officer at Lee Bank. Bruce has held his current position at Lee Bank since 1989 and is responsible for all aspects of the operation of the bank and its holding company Berkshire Financial Services.

Winstanley Picks Up 23 Regional ADDY Awards

LENOX, Mass. — A tin of bandages, a Petri dish, and Ben Franklin with a black eye were among the winning entries submitted by Winstanley Partners at the regional ADDYs on March 18, presented by the American Advertising Federation and the Western Mass. AdClub at CityStage in Springfield.
 

A Petri dish full of HoHo virus won Winstanley one of 10 gold ADDYs.