Irving leads nation with 8 Blue Ribbon Small Business of the Year winners

(IRVING, TX) — Irving is leading the nation again this year with the most winners of the Blue Ribbon Small Business of the Year award.

On Feb. 19, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce selected eight Irving small businesses for the 2014 DREAM BIG Blue Ribbon Small Businesses of the Year. This is Irving’s sixth consecutive year to lead the nation with the most Blue Ribbon winners. This year, Irving accounted for half of Texas’ 17 Blue Ribbon winners.

Irving’s Blue Ribbon Small Businesses are Cooksey Communications, Gail Cooksey; Elemental Methods, Mike and Ann Christopher; Express Employment Professionals, Ari and Mike Overby; Glory House Catering, Jo Ann Goin; Kerri Miene State Farm Insurance, Kerri Miene; La Margarita Restaurant, Adrian De Leon; Larsen Dye Associates Architects, Rick Larsen & Phillip Dye; and MATsolutions, Cary Albert.

The program recognizes standout small business across America. This year’s 100 Blue Ribbon winners were chosen from a record number of applicants and distinguished themselves through their professional accomplishments, community leadership, philanthropy, and customer service and employee relations, according to the U.S. Chamber.

“The Chamber is proud of our thriving small business community,” said Chris Wallace, president and CEO of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber. “Irving’s booming economy combined with our business-friendly atmosphere, and an active Chamber dedicated to our small business community, is the foundation of our city and its thriving small businesses.”

With this year’s Blue Ribbon winners, Irving now has 19 small businesses that have achieved this honor.

Knoxville, Tenn. and Rochester, Minn. are second in the nation with six Blue Ribbon winners each. The Blue Ribbon winners will be recognized in Washington, D.C. during the U.S. Chamber’s Small Business Summit from June 11 – 13.

About the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber is recipient of the inaugural Texas Outstanding Chamber of the Year Award to be the first 5-Star Accredited Chamber in Texas. The Irving Chamber exists to CREATE economic activity for Irving, ADVANCE more than 1,817 business investors who represent more than 150,000 employees and PROMOTE all of our members, including five Fortune 500 Global headquarters and 16 U.S. Small Business of the Year Award Winners. For more information, visit www.irvingchamber.com.