Business Excellence Awards Announced

The Tempe Chamber of Commerce presented two companies with Business Excellence Awards, the organization’s top honor for commerce, at its June 16 Annual Luncheon.

The Dhaba was named the Small Business of the Year. Caliente Construction was named the Large Business of the Year.

“The Dhaba and Caliente Construction are outstanding examples of the type of business that makes our city thrive,” said Mary Ann Miller, president and CEO of the Tempe Chamber. “Their passionate dedication to their customers, staff and the community are unparalleled. We are proud they’re part of the Tempe Chamber, and we celebrate their continued success.”

Caliente Construction

Caliente Construction was founded in 1991 by Arizona natives Tom and Lorraine Bergman. Over the next decade, the company steadily grew, becoming an established presence and developing a strong and diverse customer base throughout the Valley’s private and public business community. After Tom’s death in 2005, Lorraine took over and weathered the real estate recession of the late 2000s. Today, it is an award winning company recently recognized as Arizona’s 28th largest contractor and as the 5th largest woman-owned business in Arizona.

The Dhaba

In the 13 years since its founding, The Dhaba / India Plaza has become a comprehensive destination for Indian food and culture, serving more than one million customers to date. It has earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Its focus on quality, the local community, customer service, music and dining resulted in its being selected as ASU’s only South Asian-approved caterer. Owner Raveen Aurora was selected by the National Restaurant Association as the Face of Diversity in Arizona for his leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion in the community.

The four remaining finalists for the award were:

ARCpoint Labs 

ARCpoint Labs is a national leader in the drug testing field. Its three full-service toxicology labs in Tempe also offer alcohol screening, DNA and clinical testing, corporate wellness programs and employment background screening. It is among the fastest-growing third-party providers in its industry. ARCpoint Labs’ services encompass both on-site and off-site pre-employment, random, post-accident and reasonable suspicion drug testing. In addition, it serves many judicial, athletic and medical clients along with American Airlines and US Airways.

Bullock Training & Development 

Bullock Training & Development specializes in sales, management and leadership training for small- to mid-sized businesses. President Tracy Bullock managed strategic business development for 30 years with Procter & Gamble and now helps business owners, CEOs, and top salespeople accelerate their competitive advantage in the Arizona market. She was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award, named Top Female Executive, and is noted in Cambridge’s Top 101 Industry Experts for her work.

Edward Jones 

Edward Jones is a leader in the financial services industry, with more than 7 million clients in North America and Europe. The company is focused on building personalized customer relationships and adheres to a quality-oriented, long-term investment philosophy. Locally, its Tempe campus employs hundreds of workers and conducts broker training and mutual-fund processing. It has 12,500 offices worldwide and is extensively involved with charitable causes, including the Valley of the Sun United Way and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Tempe Mission Palms Hotel

The Tempe Mission Palms Hotel has been serving the community and its visitors since 1985. It is the No. 1-rated hotel in Tempe on Tripadvisor.com and received the Four Diamond AAA award for six consecutive years. It employs 200 people and was recently presented with the Conference Center of the Year recognition. It features a rooftop pool and offers several restaurants, including the award-winning Mission Grille, Harry’s Place Lounge and poolside Cabana Bar & Grill.