West Virginia University has been selected the Large Business of the Year for 2014 by the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce.
The University is among four winners recognized Friday in the Chamber’s Best in Business Awards for 2014. The others were: BlaineTurner Advertising, Small Business; Mona Supply Co., Medium Business; and Bartlett House Inc., Non-Profit Business.
The late Hilda Rosenbaum, for whom Ruby Memorial Hospital’s Rosenbaum Family House is named, was posthumously awarded the Earl L. Core Award, the Chamber’s highest honor.
In honoring WVU, the Chamber noted that the University is in various stages of construction or development on approximately 20 capital projects. A recent study by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research put the total economic impact of these projects at $1 billion, with more than $700 million benefiting Monongalia and surrounding counties alone. WVU employs more than 6,000 employees on its Morgantown main campus and more than 20,000 system-wide.
“West Virginia University is pleased to receive the Greater Morgantown Chamber of Commerce’s Large Business of the Year award,” President E. Gordon Gee said.
“The award recognizes the successful partnership between the University and the community, and the many ways the University contributes to our community, especially in economic development. A prime example of that partnership is the new baseball stadium, which will bring a minor league team to our city, as well as field the WVU baseball team and area leagues. The project was truly a joint effort of our state, county and locally elected officials, private businesses, developers, the Chamber and WVU.”
BlaineTurner Advertising is taking home the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year award. The 12-person firm, headquartered in Morgantown since 1986, has received national and international awards for its creative work in healthcare, tourism and manufacturing. BTA combines media, public relations and consumer research into a single department, allowing all three disciplines to work hand in hand. The team is relentless about reaching consumers in new, smart, and unexpected ways—via paid media, non-traditional, local marketing, digital and social media strategies, and smart, strategic creative based on accountability. During every one of its 28 years in the Morgantown community, BTA has fostered, supported and promoted a number of local charities and non-profit organizations.
The wholesale beer and beverage distributor Mona Supply Company is the Chamber’s Medium-sized Business of the Year. Mona Supply was founded in 1979 and employs 23 employees. “As a small to medium sized business we are proud to be recognized by the Chamber of Commerce. Businesses of our size are the strength of our nation and help drive its economy,” said Larry Oleksa, owner of the company.
The 2014 Non Profit of the Year is Bartlett House, Inc. The organization addresses homeless issues, provides emergency food, and transitional and permanent supportive housing. Bartlett House was founded in 1985 and since 1990 has been housed at 1110 University Ave. The house serves Morgantown’s homeless 365 days a year.
The Morgantown community’s highest honor, the Earl L. Core Award, will be given posthumously to Hilda Rosenbaum. A beloved Morgantown businesswoman, Mrs. Rosenbaum knew first-hand the hardship of out-of-town hospital stays—her daughter Nancy was diagnosed at the age of 6 with cystic fibrosis. At that time, Morgantown didn’t have pediatric specialists, so the Rosenbaums traveled around the country in search of treatment for their daughter. They spent many nights sleeping on cots or in chairs in her room before losing their daughter to the disease. Her financial commitment led to the creation of The Rosenbaum Family House at WVU Hospitals’ Ruby Memorial and has had a positive impact on more than 10,000 families from throughout the state, and hosting guests from as far away as Greece, Israel and Taiwan.
The mission of the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce is to be an advocate for the business community and to provide dynamic business and civic leadership to develop and sustain a prosperous economy and a vibrant community. The organization is a non-profit, member-based organization with over 400 members throughout the region and state. Founded in 1920, the Chamber has been active in the progression of Morgantown and serves as the voice of business to local, state and federal governments.
