Elevate Rapid City held its first annual business awards celebration on June 14 in LaCroix Hall at The Monument. The red carpet networking event included a cocktail hour for networking and taking a souvenir photo at the photo booth provided by 605 Media & Entertainment. Emcees Sarah Carlson and Jason Reuter kept the event flowing and energy high as ten businesses were honored and recognized along with the 24 finalists. Thank you to Depot Music for the stage, sound, and lighting production.
George Award: Julio "Mutch" Usera
The time-honored George Award was established by the Chamber of Commerce in 1981. Named after George Weedman, the award recognizes an outstanding community leader that has gone above and beyond throughout their life to bring about positive change and impact on the Rapid City community; they didn’t “just let George do it.” Accepting the award on his behalf was his daughter, Amber Usera-Morris.
Granite Award: Black Hills Federal Credit Union
Elevate presented a second time-honored Chamber Award, the Granite Award, to Black Hills Federal Credit Union. This award is given to a business that is an asset to the area and is a pillar of our community. To be selected, they must be instrumental in the overall economic well-being of our community and have been in business longer than 10 years.
Small Business of the Year: Unify Home Lending
Unify Home Lending provides expert consultation and financing on residences, second homes, and investment properties. They aim to provide transparent, honest, timely service topped with quality lending products to all their clients. Incorporated in May of 2018 with just one employee as a mortgage broker, Unify has grown to 24 local employees. They are homegrown and every owner lives right here in Rapid City.
Finalists: Rapid City Rush, Architecture Incorporated
Large Business of the Year: VRC Metal Systems
VRC Metal Systems believes their greatest strength is their people. They have an exceptional team, and consistently receive comments from visiting customers about how impressed they are with their team members. The team consists of roughly 20% veterans . They have customers in almost every industry including, Military and Defense, Nuclear Power, Oil and Gas, Aerospace, Automotive, Heavy Industry, Manufacturing, and more, and they have gained a lot of valuable knowledge working in so many different industries, all of them benefiting from VRC’s technology.
Finalists: LIV Hospitality, B9 Creations
Non-Profit of the Year: Black Hills Area Community Foundation
Black Hills Area Community Foundation invests in the people and solutions that positively impact the Black Hills area by guiding philanthropic education, growing philanthropic capital, investing in charitable work, and managing select community initiatives. They have not only taken a leading role in many traditional community foundation sectors but have also helped solve some of the largest issues facing our region such as food security and affordable housing.
Finalists: Monument Health Foundation, Westhills Village
Young Professionals Best Place to Work: Black Hills Energy
Black Hills Energy is proud of their company culture of being a workplace of choice for all. They know that their people are their greatest asset and thus strive to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment where everyone can thrive. A job at Black Hills Energy is not just a job – it is a career journey, which makes them an ideal workplace for young professionals. They invest in their employee’s well-being and development and together create an inclusive culture where everyone belongs.
Finalists: Property Meld, Visit Rapid City
Diversity & Inclusion Award: Qdoba
Qdoba Mexican Eats values their employees and customers by providing a fun, busy and exciting place to work. They strive for their restaurant to be a place that their team and guests feel comfortable coming to no matter their ethnicity, world views, or how diverse they are. Qdoba stresses the importance of treating their team members and guests better than anywhere else in the community! They hire based on skill set, availability, eagerness to learn, and work ethic to create an atmosphere for employee retention. Qdoba strives to create a culture of understanding around what their employees’ lives are like away from the restaurant and any challenges they may be facing. Once they discover issues impacting their team members the most, they adjust to help them.
Finalists: Workforce Diversity Network of the Black Hills, Monument Health
Emerging Business of the Year: Cole-TAC
Cole-TAC’s greatest strength is easy adaptation to change. From listening to customers to trying new technology, they have come to embrace change in order to stay relevant, competitive, and to grow.
Finalists: Vela Creative Co, TerraSite Design
Beautification Award: Holiday Inn Rapid City - Downtown
The new facade at the Holiday Inn Rapid City Downtown is hard to miss, and a true testament to Rapid City’s resilience. After their facility was pummeled by the hailstorm in summer of 2020, huge repairs were imminent. Rather than sticking with things as they were, they decided it was time to reimagine what this beloved hotel could look like.
Finalists: Liberty Superstores, Dream Design International, Inc.
Business Expansion of the Year: Phase Technologies
Phase Technologies is a power electronics manufacturer, founded in 1999, they developed the world’s first digital phase converter called the Phase Perfect Digital Phase Converter. They rely on a team of in-house power electronics and mechanical design engineers to develop innovative products.
In 2021, they employed 64 people, to-date they employ 139 people and have increased their hourly wages more than twenty-three percent. Additionally, they have purchased over one million dollars in new manufacturing equipment and have grown company revenue by seventy three percent.
Finalists: H-S Precision, Monument Health
The 2023 Awards Celebration will be Tuesday, June 13, 2023.