San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Announces Winners Of The 21st Annual Excellence In Business Awards

BlackRock, Central Market Partnership, One Kings Lane, GoPago, Gumas Advertising, Exploratorium, Recology and Josh Golomb presented with Top Awards Honoring Business Excellence

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients of its prestigious Excellence in Business (Ebbies) Awards presented by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, at the 21^st Annual Ebbies Award Gala held the evening of Thursday, October 25^th at the at the Westin St. Francis.

"The Chamber is proud to recognize businesses for their many accomplishments and contributions to San Francisco," said Steve Falk, President & CEO, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. "The Chamber salutes all of this year's award winners, who exemplify the creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship that continue to drive our city and economy forward."

The competition's most prestigious award – the United Airlines Excellence in Business – was presented to BlackRock, one of the world's leading asset managers serving millions of investors worldwide. Working with the purpose of serving its clients by earning their trust and confidence, BlackRock has grown from a one-room office in New York into a 10,000 person organization, still driven by its original mission. Today, BlackRock's assets under management total $3.56 trillion across equity, fixed income, cash management, alternative investment, real estate and advisory strategies.

The Kaiser Permanente Economic Development Award was presented to the Central Market Partnership, a public-private initiative launched by the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development to coordinate efforts to revitalize the Central Market neighborhood. Guided by the Central Market Economic Strategy, this multi-agency effort is helping to implement solutions that reinvest in the long-blighted stretch of Market Street between 5th Street and Van Ness Avenue and restore it as San Francisco's downtown arts district.

The Recology & Wells Fargo Emerging Growth Award was presented to One Kings Lane, a fast-growing, online marketplace for the home bringing its members exceptional value on a spectacular collection of top-brand, vintage and designer items. Launched in 2009, One Kings Lane now boasts more than 300 employees across offices in San Francisco, New York and Beverly Hills.

The Comcast Innovation through Technology Award was presented to GoPago, the San Francisco-based mobile application provider that is changing the way consumers and brick-and-mortar businesses use smartphones and tablets for mobile commerce. With a mission to get all local neighborhood businesses on the smartphone, GoPago is helping modernize neighborhood businesses and drive growth in the local community.

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company Small Business Award was presented to Gumas Advertising, a nationally recognized full service advertising agency specializing in integrated branding, advertising and interactive marketing campaigns. Through its commitment and extensive work with "challenger brands," Gumas Advertising has become one of the country's foremost Challenger Brand marketing experts, helping companies take on their better funded competitors - and win!

The Degenkolb Engineers, Gensler & Hathaway Dinwiddie Building San Francisco Award was presented to the Exploratorium. Founded in 1969 by physicist Frank Oppenheimer, the Exploratorium is a pioneering museum of science, art and human perception that has given birth to more than 1,000 informal learning institutions all over the world. In the spring of 2013, the Exploratorium will relocate from the Palace of Fine Arts to its new 9-acre science campus at Piers 15-17 on San Francisco's waterfront. The $300 million project will transform two historic piers and provide vastly expanded and stunning space for the museum's exhibits, classrooms and teacher-training programs.

The Bain & Company Change Leader Award was presented to Josh Golomb, President and General Manager, DaVita Rx.  Golomb's vision and proven leadership abilities have helped DaVita Rx grow from a single pharmacy in San Mateo, California into a company of nearly 9,000 employees providing chronically ill patients with superior service enabling them to be healthier and live longer. Today, DaVita Rx is the largest full-service pharmacy created specifically for the unique needs of kidney patients.

"Josh embodies the drive, determination and business know-how which makes him an exceptional leader and agent of change," said Nils Behnke, a partner in Bain & Company's Healthcare Practice and board member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. "We congratulate him on this recognition and wish him success along his career path."

The Chevron Community Champion Award was presented to Recology, the employee-owned resource recovery company that has helped make San Francisco's the greenest city in America. Recology is not only helping San Francisco reduce waste, it is supporting the local economy by consistently purchasing local goods and services and hiring directly from the communities in which the company operates. Recology's continued commitment to San Francisco is helping to divert 80 percent of the city's waste away from landfills, while supporting the local small businesses that are powering the economy. The Chamber Community Champion Award was created by the Chamber's Small Business Advisory Council (SBAC).

The Ebbies were created in 1991 by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce to honor San Francisco businesses for their vision and innovation and to celebrate their many contributions. The 21^st Annual Ebbies Awards Gala is made possible with the generous support of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, United Airlines, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Kaiser Permanente, Degenkolb Engineers, Gensler, Hathaway Dinwiddie, Recology, Wells Fargo, Bain & Company, Comcast, Chevron and others. More information on the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the Ebbies is available at www.sfchamber.com.

Founded in 1850, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce is recognized as the preeminent business organization for advocacy, networking and economic growth. The Chamber  delivers on its mission to attract, develop and retain business in San Francisco by representing companies and organizations that make San Francisco a preferred destination for businesses and visitors.

SOURCE San Francisco Chamber of Commerce