Applications and Recognition

Throughout the year, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce recognizes outstanding companies and individuals through various awards and recognition programs. Awards include the Manufacturer of the Year, Human Resources Professional of the Year, Excellence in Workplace Diversity Awards, Safety Awards, and the Best Places to Work in South Carolina. In addition, the South Carolina Chamber recognizes and honors South Carolina’s Business Person of the Year, Public Servant of the Year, and Sgt. William Jasper Freedom Award. The awards process varies for each award so please read below for additional information.

HR Professional of the Year
2010 Date TBA

Do you know a peer, client or co-worker who is a model human resources professional? Each year, the Chamber and South Carolina SHRM State Council recognize the state’s top human resources professional. The award is given to an individual in the human resources field who has made significant contributions to both their organization and the community. All nominees are honored during the reception and dinner held annually in February. The evening culminates with the announcement of the Human Resources Professional of the Year. Congratulations to the 2009 Human Resources Professional of the Year, Thyra Austin of U.S. Food Service Inc. Information regarding the 2010 event will be posted as soon as it is available.

Safety Awards
2010 Date TBD 

The Safety Awards are presented annually based on companies achieving a commendable lost workday case rate during the previous calendar year. The Chamber honors those companies who make workplace safety a priority with a luncheon in March. Click here to view the 2008 Safety Award Winners. 

Silver Crescent Manufacturer of the Year
September 22, 2009

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the Silver Crescent Foundation will join together to host a luncheon to honor South Carolina’s manufacturers while continuing to move South Carolina manufacturers forward. For many years, the two organizations hosted separate events and awards to honor and recognize excellence in manufacturing. The honor will be awarded each year to one manufacturer in each of the three categories: small, medium and large. The award will be presented to recognize outstanding manufacturers that exhibit strong economic impact, quality and environmental improvement, a commitment to the workforce, and involvement and contributions to their communities. The 2009 nominations have closed. Please click here to view a list of 2009 Silver Crescent Manufacturer of the Year Award nominees.
For more information on sponsoring this event, e-mail Tish Anderson, programs and events manager, or call (803) 255-2627.

Best Places to Work in South Carolina
October 8, 2009

For the fourth consecutive year, the Chamber has partnered with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), SC State Council and the publishers of the SC BIZ Magazine to produce the Best Places to Work in South Carolina program. This initiative is dedicated to identifying and recognizing South Carolina’s most innovative and top-notch employers. Those companies selected as “Best Places to Work” will be recognized and honored during a reception and dinner in October. Click here to view the 2008 Best Places to Work in South Carolina companies. The 2009 nominees will be announced in early August and the recognition event is set for early October in Columbia. Sponsorships are available and range from $500 to $3,000. This year’s presenting sponsor is Nexsen Pruet, LLC. For more information on sponsoring this event, e-mail Tish Anderson, programs and events manager, or call (803) 255-2627.

Excellence in Workplace Diversity Awards
October 27, 2009

The Chamber and the South Carolina Diversity Council recognize each year the state’s top companies in the field of diversity with the Excellence in Workplace Diversity Award. The awards are distributed in three categories (small, medium, large) based on the number of employees. Companies will be judged on diversity initiatives, effectiveness and applicability/replicability. All nominees are honored with a reception and dinner in October. Click here to download a 2009 nomination form. The deadline to nominate is September 18. For more information on sponsoring this event, e-mail Tish Anderson, programs and events manager, or call (803) 255-2627

Annual Summit
November 11-13, 2009

The Annual Summit, the Chamber’s annual meeting, is held each November. During the event, several individuals are recognized including South Carolina’s Business Person of the Year, the Public Servant of the Year and the Sgt. William Jasper Freedom Award recipient. In addition, the Chamber and Elliott Davis, LLC recognize and honor South Carolina’s 25 Fastest-Growing Companies during the Summit luncheon. Now in its seventh year, the exclusive ranking recognizes the achievements of private and publicly-owned companies that have contributed to South Carolina's economy. For more information on sponsoring this event, e-mail Tish Anderson, programs and events manager, or call
(803) 255-2627.