Press Release from the Better Business Bureau

Steve J. Bernas President & CEO

Tel: 312-245-2514
Fax: 312-832-1907
Cell: 312-848-8437
Web: www.chicago.bbb.org

BBB
330 N. Wabash Ave Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611


BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU®
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve J. Bernas, Better Business Bureau of Chicago & Northern Illinois, 312.245.2514; President@chicago.bbb.org

PRESS RELEASE

Nominations being accepted for the BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics

The Torch Awards are presented annually to outstanding businesses from Northern Illinois in recognition of their commitment to exceptional standards in relationships with their customers, employees, suppliers, competitors, and the surrounding communities. Like the BBB Torch logo, this award is helping to illuminate the importance of a corporate conscience and accepting the responsibility of creating a fair and honest marketplace.

The Torch Award is open to all for-profit Chicago and Northern Illinois based businesses. An individual may nominate the company he or she works for, owns, or is affiliated with, or any company that individual does business with, or any company, which the nominating individual believes, meets the Torch Award criteria. A company can also be nominated by an organization (i.e., Chamber of Commerce, academic institution, ethics organization, trade association, etc.).

Candidates for the 2008 Better Business Bureau’ Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics will be evaluated by a prestigious independent panel of judges from the business and academic community against these criteria:
High ethical standards of behavior toward customers, suppliers, shareholders, employees, and communities;
Demonstrated ethical practices surrounding their buyer/seller relationships;
Marketing, advertising, communications, and sales practices which reflect a true representation of the nominated business;
Acknowledgment of ethical marketplace practices by industry peers and in the communities where they do business;
Management practices and policies that give long-term value to shareholders, customers, employees, and vendors.
Training programs that assist employees in executing ethics policies.

Companies are judged in five categories based on the following employee head counts: 1-9; 10-99; 100-999, 1,000-7,499 and 7,500+. Recognition and awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza. To nominate a company go to our website www.chicago.bbb.org and click on the torch award at the middle of the page; e-mail tjoyce@chicago.bbb.org or mail to BBB Torch Award, 330 N. Wabash Ave., #2006, Chicago, IL 60611. Deadline for completed entry is September 5, 2008.
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As a private, non-profit organization, the purpose of the Better Business Bureau is to promote an ethical marketplace. BBBs help resolve buyer/seller complaints by means of conciliation, mediation and arbitration. BBBs also review advertising claims, online business practices and charitable organizations. BBBs develop and issue reports on businesses and nonprofit organizations and encourage people to check out a company or charity before making a purchase or donation.