The spotlight shone brightly on Huntsville small businesses when the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce presented the 36th Annual Small Business Awards at the Von Braun Center North Hall.

In all, over 850 businesses were nominated, and 14 businesses and individuals were recognized for their outstanding support for the local economy and the important products and services they provide. The awards are also a celebration of the people they employ.

Jeff Gronberg, board chair for the Chamber pointed out that all Huntsville big businesses were once small businesses. As a past small business winner himself as president and CEO of deciBel Research, the award is a steppingstone for a company to take them to the next level.

“Huntsville has been a very resilient community, and I think it’s a large credit to all of these people that are out here today as to how they have been able to react to all of the things that have been happening,” says Gronberg. “To be able to come out and celebrate that and be able to still survive as a small business now and be recognized for it, it’s going to be just tremendous to see.”

Top awards went to Jamie Miller of Mission Multiplier, winner of the Russell G. Brown Executive Leadership Award; Lauren Gowins of Bold Agency for Emerging Business of the Year; Lee Marshall with Kids to Love for both Nonprofit of the Year and Woman-Owned Business of the Year; Bishop’s Flowers for Retailer of the Year; and Quinton Young with the Huntsville Housing Authority won for Young Professional of the Year.

Two Government Contracting awards were presented to PPT Solutions for Technology Business of the Year and Aetos Systems for Professional Services Business of the Year.

In other categories the winners were: Redstone Title Services for Professional Services Business of the Year; Ruchi for Culinary Business of the Year; Laughlin Service Funeral Home for Service Business of the Year; Southern Reclaimed Salvage Barn for Local “Creative” of the Year; nou Systems, Inc. for Technology Business of the Year; and Limbaugh Orthodontics for Medical Practice of the Year.

This year’s judging was completed by Chambers of Commerce from locations in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, and Canada.