Fort Collins chamber names small-business award winners

FORT COLLINS — Small businesses took center stage this morning at the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Small Business of the Year Awards.

Winners were recognized at an awards breakfast at the Drake Center that drew about 200 people. Wynne Odell, founder and CEO of Odell Brewing Co., provided the keynote address.

“Small businesses are a big deal in Fort Collins and embody the entrepreneurial and community-centered culture that fuel our city’s economy,” said David May, CEO and president of the chamber.

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Winners are:

Small (1-10 employees) — RJ’s Amazing Entertainment LLC. The company provides a variety of activities including outdoor and indoor games, face painting, airbrush tattoos and more. Rina Jean Bindi founded the company.

Medium (11-50 employees) — Colorado Iron & Metal Inc. This company, was founded in 1995 when Kent Garvin bought Nelson Metals. Now operated by Dan and Marty Garvin, nephews of the founder, the company focuses on scrap-metal recycling. It has locations in Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland.

Large (51-200 employees) — Neuworks Mechanical. Neuworks is a mechanical contractor that focuses on new commercial plumbing and HVAC. It is an active member of the Larimer County Workforce Development Board and is involved in the community through ClimateWise, Drive Electric NOCO, Northern Colorado Prospers, Geometry in Construction and more.

New Kid on the Block (in business for less than three years) — Elevate Chiropractic. Elevate is a full-service chiropractic center that has integrated itself into the Fort Collins community by organizing and donating turkeys for a Thanksgiving drive for the past three years, feeding more than 80 families. In addition, it partnered with the Nappie Project to provide more than 6,000 diapers for families in need.

More than 40 small businesses were nominated, and 12 finalists were selected. Other finalists were: BG Automotive; Craig Vollmer Photography; Jennifer Richardson Insurance Agency, Inc.; Coan, Payton & Payne, LLC; IPS (Independent Plumbing Solutions, Inc.); Keller Williams Realty Northern Colorado; Crafted Leadership, LLC; and Music City Hot Chicken.