The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce recognized five small businesses this week for significant contributions to their communities and the local economy with annual Small Business Awards.
“In San Diego, small businesses represent more than 95% of businesses. They are the backbone of our region’s economy, fueling innovation, creating jobs, and bringing character to our communities,” said Jerry Sanders, president and CEO of the chamber.
“Their determination, innovation, industriousness, and generosity embody the chamber’s mission to make San Diego the best place to live and work,” he said.
The awards for businesses with 50 or fewer employees were presented in five categories before a crowd of 300 at a reception Wednesday on Harbor Island. The winners were:
- Armed Services YMCA San Diego, the winner in the “community minded” category, has made a profound impact on San Diego’s military community through programs relevant to the unique challenges of military life, allowing the families they serve to feel lifted, connected and supported.
- Beach Break Insurance Agency, the winner in the “customers first” category, is dedicated to putting customers first and maintaining personal relationships with clients, even having agents on call 24/7, which has earned them a 5-Star Google review rating.
- San Diego Tequila Tour, the winner in the “outstanding emerging business” category, was forced to pivot its model due to COVID but bounced back quickly to resume leading tours and has achieved a 90% perfect rating on its over 300 customer reviews.
- Woman owned and operated Girlie Garage, the winner in the “outstanding minority, woman, veteran, disadvantaged” category, is dedicated to empowering and educating women about their vehicles so they can be more confident and safer on the road.
- Computers 2 Kids, the winner in the “peak performance” category, met the need of more than 85,000 kids and families across the United States during the pandemic by providing key technology.
All award nominations were evaluated by a panel of former award winners and chamber ambassadors, who reviewed applications and scored them based on how well they met the award category criteria.
The chamber is the largest on the West Coast, representing more than 2,000 businesses and an estimated 300,000 jobs.