Carlsbad Chamber recognizes business leaders

The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce celebrated the best in business among its membership at its Annual Business Awards Dinner, held Friday, March 6 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.

The awards ceremony, which had “A Sea of Opportunity” as its theme, honored businesses that are forging the future, making new discoveries and charting new courses for their industries and lifting the name of Carlsbad.

“Our program recognizes some extraordinary leaders, and demonstrates that Carlsbad is a city with a passion for discovery, innovation and industry,” said Ted Owen, president and CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber.

During the evening, the chamber presented awards in the following eight categories:

• Businessperson of the Year – Peter M. MacLaggan, Poseidon Water, LLC

and Tim Stripe, Grand Pacific Resorts, Inc. (tie)

• Clean Technologies Award: NRG Energy, Inc.

• Information and Communications Technology Award: 5D Robotics

• Nonprofit Association: Kids For Peace

• Action Sports Award: Spy Optic

• Manufacturing Award: Carlsbad Technology, Inc.

• Life Sciences Award: Alphatec Spine, Inc.

• Hospitality & Leisure Award: The Alps Group of Hotels (Holiday Inn Express & Suites Carlsbad Beach

In addition, the evening offered a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award to Keith Kennedy of Kennedy and Associates, which helped the Chamber grow the Carlsbad Village Faire into the largest one-day street fair in the United States.

The Chamber also presented The Phoenix Award to Sound (formerly Sound Eklin), a company that provides veterinary digital imaging. The company’s headquarters was destroyed by the Poinsettia fire of May 2014. Within 13 days of the fire, the company rebranded itself and moved into a new facility that allowed it to increase its manufacturing by more than 200 percent.

During the evening, the chamber also recognized the achievements of the 2014 board of directors and inaugurated its 2015 board members.

More than 400 people, including prominent and high-profile business leaders, elected officials and community members, attended the awards dinner, which featured a cocktail reception and exquisite cuisine at the world-renowned resort.

NRG Energy was the event’s presenting sponsor. Other sponsors included AT&T; Carlsbad Technology, Inc.; Caruso Affiliated; Grand Pacific Resorts, Inc.; Jeff Kassebaum Photography; LEGOLAND California Resort; Omni La Costa Resort & Spa; SDG&E, Tip Top Meats/European Delicatessen & Gourmet Food; Tri-City Medical Center; Wells Fargo; and Westfield Carlsbad.

For more information, call (760) 931-8400 or visit www.carlsbad.org.

About the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce

“Speaking for Business, Listening to the Community,” the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce is proud to be the voice for North County businesses. With more than 1,600 members, the Carlsbad Chamber is the second largest chamber in the county and the 10th largest in the state. For further information about the chamber, please contact (760) 931-8400, or visit the Web site at www.carlsbad.org.