NEWS

For Immediate Release Better Business Bureau 2706 Gannon Road St. Paul, MN 55116 651.699-0011 651.699-7665 (Fax)

Contact:  Barb Grieman, Vice President: Office:  (651) 695-2459 Cellular: (612) 709-2874

Better Business Bureau Honors Companies for Integrity
Student Scholarships for Integrity also Awarded

October 29, 2008, Saint Paul, Minnesota – The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) announced the recipients of the 2008 BBB Integrity Awards at a ceremony held at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis last night.  Mike Veeck, president of the Saint Paul Saints, was keynote speaker at the event.

The BBB Integrity Awards are presented to businesses in Minnesota and North Dakota that have demonstrated a solid commitment to conducting their business practices in an ethical manner.  Companies must show integrity in how they treat their customers, employees, and vendors.  Winners are chosen by an independent panel of judges.

“These companies show that ethics and integrity are core values of their organizations,” said Bert Hubbell, president and CEO of the BBB.  “ They join an elite group of businesses that understand that dealing fairly and honestly with employees, customers, and vendors is important not only to their profitability, but to the marketplace as a whole.”
The 2008 Integrity Award winners are:

• Category I (1 to 10 employees):  Quality Coaches, Minneapolis. Quality Coaches in Minneapolis is a neighborhood car shop that fixes both everyday rides and rare racecars.
• Category II (11 to 99 employees):  Metcalf Moving & Storage.  Metcalf Moving & Storage, a Minnesota company since 1919, provides complete moving and storage services for families and businesses, with offices located in St. Paul and Rochester, Minnesota.
• Category III (100 + employees):  Best Buy Co.  Best Buy Co., headquartered in Richfield, is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products with a commitment to growth and innovation. Best Buy was founded in St. Paul in 1966 and has approximately 150,000 employees.

Businesses that were chosen as finalists were:  Signature Home Services, St Paul, MN; On the Level Homes of Distinction, Chaska, MN; Vision Remodeling, Inc., Little Canada, MN; The Chuba Company, Elk River, MN; Complete Basement Systems, Mankato, MN; Victory Auto Service & Glass, Fridley, MN; Certes Financial Pros, St Louis Park, MN; and Rochester Athletic Club, Rochester, MN.

“The BBB Integrity Awards program highlights the importance of corporate conscience and responsibility in fulfilling a company’s obligation to the marketplace to do what is right and fair,” said Sarah Hilliker, Director of Accredited Business Services and coordinator of the Integrity Awards.  “These organizations demonstrate to the business community that adhering to BBB ethical standards is the hallmark of successful, competitive companies.”

Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2009 BBB Integrity Awards and can be made by customers, vendors, or even the company itself.  Visit www.thefirstbbb.org for more information or call Sarah Hilliker at 651-695-2417.
Another component of the event is the Student of Integrity Scholarship Award.  Six scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who demonstrate, through essay, their understanding of integrity and how they apply it to their lives. Judges base their decision on the students’ commitment to ethics and integrity and less on grade point average.  “The essays reveal how much pressure students feel in today’s society,” said Barb Grieman, vice president of the BBB and coordinator of the scholarship awards.  “These scholarship winners confirm that we have ethical business leaders coming up the ranks.”  Winners are:

• Andy Showalter, Maple Grove Senior High, Maple Grove, MN - $5,000
• Jessica Kuehlwein, Johnson Senior High, St Paul, MN - $1,000
• Leyla Sahal, Washburn High School, Minneapolis, MN - $1,000
• Jeff Hoernemann, Andover High School, Andover, MN - $1,000
• Chelsea Breza-Berndt, St Charles High School, Utica, MN - $1,000
• Molly Gorder, Apollo High School, St Cloud, MN - $1,000

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The mission of the Better Business Bureau is to promote through self-regulation, the highest standards of business ethics and conduct; and to instill public confidence in responsible businesses through programs of education and action that inform, protect and assist the general public.  Contact the BBB at www.thefirstbbb.org or 651-699-1111, toll-free at 1-800-646-6222.