Promoting Excellence in Small Business

Two of ten winners of the Chamber’s 2008 Excellence Awards Honoring the Region’s Small Businesses are featured in this issue: Family Business of the Year, H.A. Steen Industries, Inc.; and Emerging Business of the Year, The Borden Agency. Be sure to look for additional winners in upcoming issues. Nominations for the 2009 Excellence Awards are now being accepted.

Family Business of the Year, H.A. Steen Industries, Inc. (Terry L. Steen)

Herman A. Steen,
H.A. Steen Industries, Inc.

Herman A. Steen founded General Neon Signs in 1930 just prior to the Depression era, which was eventually sold and marketed nationally. In its stead, an outdoor advertising division was created in 1952 and later formally incorporated as H.A. Steen Industries, Inc. Today, the company operates two divisions: Steen Outdoor Advertising and Big Mountain Imaging.

Steen’s dream was to create a family business, open to every family member, regardless of education or skill set. They were encouraged to participate in all aspects of the company, with the idea that each person could find a niche that best suited his or her interests and abilities.

Steen’s son, Terry, joined the company full-time in 1965, after completing his studies at the University of Maryland, and serving three years in the U.S. military. During his early years as company president, Terry focused his attention on the acquisition of high-traffic, premium billboard locations throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The additional inventory paved the way for the company to expand from local to national, giving clients the opportunity to reach their own geographically expanding customer base.

The business also expanded by utilizing the talents of family members to become its own supplier and customer for major expense items. It developed its own real estate sector, which owns the majority of the company’s billboard locations; created its own construction company to build and install the sign structures; and developed a large-format printing division to manufacture and supply the billboard art work.

The company has received prestigious awards from the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, American Red Cross, as well as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Its well-designed, tasteful graphics are the company’s hallmark, as is its commitment to select advertisers that meet reasonable community standards. Its commitment extends to hiring primarily from the community and providing a strong internship program that often leads to full-time employment. The company donates over $1 million annually in public ad space and print products to local charities and public awareness campaigns for organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the Sunshine Foundation, Komen Race for the Cure, and the City of Philadelphia.

After nearly 80 years and 110 employees, including eight third-generation Steen family members and several members of other families, it is truly a "family" business that values its entire staff.

The award was sponsored by Firstrust Bank.

To be considered for the 2009 Family Business of the Year award, a company must be family-owned and have made significant contributions to both the community and industry. Company story/history and plans for long-term business success and growth under family ownership are also important considerations.

Emerging Business of the Year, The Borden Agency (Larry Borden)

Larry Borden,
The Borden Agency

Learn It. Plan It. Do It. Evolve It. That is the four-step approach The Borden Agency uses to create compelling consumer experiences for some of the world’s largest brand names.

The agency’s explosive growth literally transformed it from a boutique mobile event marketing consultancy to a nationally recognized full-service mobile event marketing agency. It offers consultative and full-service agency expertise to develop and execute grassroots, guerilla and mobile marketing campaigns. Their clients rely on The Borden Agency to develop relevant experiences by using creative marketing tactics.

The Borden Agency covers the gamut: from concept development, brand integration, and budget creation to event selection and routing, contract negotiations, exhibit manufacturing, staffing and daily management. Their overall goal is to achieve solid measurable results for every client.

The elements of their world range from hiring street teams to promote new products for Dunkin’ Donuts to designing, building and producing a 1,600-square-foot traveling beauty pavilion for Avon Products, destined for festivals and fairs across the country. Affixing Rexy, a 20' T.Rex, atop a trailer for a cross-country trek to promote the DVD release of "Night At The Museum" recently netted Twentieth Century Fox an impressive one billion unpaid media impressions and contributed significantly to first week sales of 6 million DVDs.

Operating across the United States, Canada, and soon internationally, The Borden Agency helps corporations reach consumers where they live, work and play. Their impressive client list includes many Fortune 1000 companies including Avon Products Inc.; AT&T; Twentieth Century Fox; Charming Shoppes, Inc.; The Children’s Place; DeBeers; GE; Graco Baby Products; Mountain Dew; Sunny Delight; Milwaukee Electric Tool; RIM (Blackberry); and Warnaco.

The Borden Agency’s dedicated staff of 20 is credited with providing the essential fuel that has propelled the company and created a uniquely satisfying culture.

The award was sponsored by Verizon Wireless.

To be considered for the 2009 Emerging Business of the Year award, companies must have been in business three-to-five years (or be a recently merged company) with extreme growth in five years or less. The company must also show future promise due to quantifiable strides.