Star Graphics, Inc., Airport Travel Agency, and DuPont Goodrich Federal Credit Union, all of Beaumont, are the winners of the 2012 Torch Awards for Marketplace Trust presented Tuesday night, May 8, by the Better Business Bureau in Southeast Texas during its 15th annual awards presentation banquet.  The event was held at the Beaumont Civic Center with over 500 in attendance. 

          The BBB Consumer Education Foundation, Inc. made a $10,000 contribution to continue funding endowed scholarships at Lamar University College of Business, bringing total contributions for the past 15 years to $150,000. 

(Past BBB Board Chair Barry Bryant with Lamar University College of Business Dean Henry Venta)

          KFDM-Channel 6 TV in Beaumont and Tim Sudela, President of American Valve & Hydrant in Beaumont, each received this year's recognition as the "Friend of the BBB."  Mark Sanborn, President of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., was the keynote speaker.  

(Bill Leger & Kelli Phillips with KFDM, BBB President/CEO John Paschall and Tim Sudela, and Mark Sanborn)

Finalists for this year's awards included: 

For-Profit Large Category

Anderson Ford Mercury of Cleveland

Copy and Camera Technologies of Beaumont

Star Graphics, Inc. of Beaumont

For-Profit Small Category

Airport Travel Agency of Beaumont

American Steam-A-Way & Summer’s Flooring of Port Neches

Main Dish Studio Kitchen of Beaumont

Not-For-Profit Category

Buckner Children & Family Services of Beaumont

DuPont Goodrich Federal Credit Union of Beaumont

Spindletop Center of Beaumont

         Star Graphics, Inc. was the For-Profit Large Business winner, Airport Travel Agency was the For-Profit Small Business winner, and DuPont Goodrich Federal Credit Union was the Non-Profit winner.

(Star Graphics, Airport Travel, DuPont Goodrich Federal Credit Union)

         Larry Beaulieu, former General Manager of KFDM-TV, was the Master of Ceremonies at this year's award gathering.  Jessica Guidry and Brian Glenn of KBTV-TV, Jackie Simien and Kevin Steele of KBMT-TV, Bill Leger and Kelli Phillips of KFDM-TV, and Mary Sturgill and Greg Picazo of KJAC-TV, introduced award finalists and announced the three winners. 

(Beaulieu, Guidry, Glenn, Simien, Steele, Sturgill, Picazo)

         Proceeds from the Torch Awards for Marketplace Trust presentation banquet, and silent auction benefit the BBB Consumer Education Foundation, Inc., to support the endowed scholarships at Lamar University College of Business.      

          The Better Business Bureau in Southeast Texas would like to thank everyone involved with the Torch Awards for Marketplace Trust. More people attended the event this year, more items were donated to the silent auction, and more entries were received for the Torch Award. Most importantly, the BBB would like to thank the Diamond partners, who made their commitment at the end of 2011 to help with the 6-month process.  Thank you CHRISTUS Hospital, Classic Southeast Texas, Conn's, Neches Federal Credit Union, and Universal Coin & Bullion.   

            For more information about BBB, visit www.bbb.org.  In Southeast Texas, call 409/835-5348 or 855/BBB-SETX.

(Better Business Bureau in Southeast Texas Professional Team)

To see all the photos from the event, please visit:

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