Business leaders gathered at the Nicollet Island Pavilion on Business Ethics Awareness Day in Minnesota on May 11 to honor three companies with the 17th annual Minnesota Business Ethics Award (MBEA).
The MBEA was founded by the Twin Cities chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals and the Center for Ethical Business Cultures (CEBC) at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. Joining these two organizations as a sponsor is the Twin Cities chapter of Financial Executives International.
The recipients of the award are:
- Small Company Category (under 100 employees): The Ackerberg Group, Minneapolis. Founded in 1964, the Ackerberg Group is a commercial real estate firm that develops, manages and leases properties.
- Mid-Sized Company Category (100 to 500 employees): King Solutions Inc., Dayton. Founded in 1989, King Solutions improves the flow of materials through supply chains through the use of global transportation, warehousing, fulfillment and technology solutions.
- Large Company Category (more than 500 employees): HealthPartners, Bloomington. Founded in 1957, HealthPartners provides health care services and health plan financing and administration. It is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation.
Each MBEA recipient received a crystal award along with a congratulatory letter from Gov. Mark Dayton, who also issued a proclamation declaring May 11 as Business Ethics Awareness Day in the state.
“This year’s MBEA winners have made exemplary strides in creating business cultures that aspire to achieve high ethical standards,” said Brian Volkmann, MBEA co-chair. “They endeavor to make the best out of any situation while serving the interests of all stakeholders.”
The finalists for the MBEA were lauded for their commitment to ethics in business. They are: Lakeview Bank, Lakeview; Peoples Bank Midwest, Maplewood; Star Choice Credit Union, Bloomington; FirstService Residential Minnesota Inc., Bloomington; Premier Disability Services LLC, Minneapolis; and Ecolab Inc., St. Paul. All were recognized as outstanding ethical Minnesota businesses.
The award luncheon keynote speaker was Emery Koenig, former vice chairman and chief risk officer of Cargill; he spoke about the critical importance of values and ethics across Cargill’s entire 150-year lifespan.
The MBEA recognizes Minnesota businesses that exemplify and promote ethical conduct in the workplace, the marketplace and the community. Since its founding in 1999, the MBEA has recognized 49 Minnesota-based businesses, ranging in size from less than 10 employees to more than 150,000. Information about the MBEA and a list of past MBEA recipients can be viewed here.
