The CU-Boulder Corporate Excellence Awards, sponsored by the MBA program, will honor local businesses for their contributions to the community on Feb. 10.
Companies to be recognized include Gold Systems Inc., Global Solar Energy, the Boulder Public Works Department聮s Utilities Division, U S West and Rhythms NetConnections Inc.
The eighth annual awards ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom of the CU campus聮s University Memorial Center. Organizations are commended for their contributions in five categories: entrepreneurial spirit, environmental awareness, sustainable development, community service, and technology and innovation.
The winners are:
o The Entrepreneurial Spirit award goes to Gold Systems Inc., a cutting-edge technology firm that creates automated telephone interface applications. Founded in 1991, it has a client list of 300 companies including 10 of the Fortune 20. Gold Systems Inc. is a privately held company with most growth funded through internally generated funds and profits. Recognized for its rapid growth, it was named to the Deloitte and Touche Fast 500 list and Inc. 500 list.
o The Environmental Awareness award goes to Global Solar, a company that has developed a proprietary process for manufacturing photovoltaic modules. Global Solar聮s manufacturing facility is environmentally friendly because its product converts sunlight into electricity with no emission or use of non-renewable fuels.
o The Sustainable Development award goes to the Boulder Public Works Department聮s Utilities Division. In the early 1980s, Boulder began a program to take advantage of the hydroelectric potential of the water system using hydraulic turbines and generators to reduce excess pressure, turn water power into electricity, generate revenue and provide sustainable, non-polluting electricity. The program helps supply more than 7 percent of Boulder聮s homes with electricity and produces $800,000 in annual revenue.
o The Community Service award goes to U S West. Since 1989, U S West has given $22 million a year to projects in communities. One major project, Widening Our World, teaches participants how to use the Internet, initiates programs designed to nurture small businesses and involves U S West employees in a program that matches time or money donations.
o The Technology and Innovation award goes to Rhythms NetConnections Inc., a North American provider of DSL-based high-speed Internet access and networking solutions. Fortune magazine identified Rhythms as one of its "Cool Companies for 1999."