Mitchell Named Top Exec at Awards Banquet

Elise Mitchell, president of Mitchell Communications Group Inc. of Fayetteville, was named Business Executive of the Year Oct. 10 at the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s annual Business of the Year banquet.

“I never would have achieved this kind of recognition if it were not for the great clients I have, who allow me to partner with them, and the group of professionals who are on my team,” Mitchell said after the event. “I’m amazed and of course delighted.”

Mitchell’s public relations and marketing company, which she launched in 1995, now has a client base that includes Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. of Lowell and Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale.

About 400 people attended the banquet, which was held at the Springdale Holiday Inn.

“I came away from that night so energized about where our region is going because the caliber of the people in that room was unbelievable,” Mitchell said. “They had all raised the bar in their niche, whatever it was. I was struck by how thrilled I was to be in the company of those leaders.”

Mitchell said she woke up in the middle of the night after the event and turned on the light in her bedroom.

“I looked at that award to make sure my name was really on it,” she said.

“What a tremendous honor for me to receive it. I know that any of the honorees for the Business Executive of the Year award could have won that honor. When you recognize businesses of different sizes and nonprofits, you give a chance to people who are small, like me.”

Fayetteville-based Eureka Pizza won Business of the Year in category III, which includes businesses with 76-300 employees.

“It was remarkable for me to come here in 1988 with $500 in my pocket and start the Razorbucks coupon booklet,” said Rolf Wilkin, owner of Eureka Pizza. “I started Eureka Pizza in 1992, and 10 years later to receive the Business of the Year award is a testament to the opportunity that we all have here in Northwest Arkansas.”

Eureka Pizza has 16 stores and had revenue of $8 million last year.

Collier Drug Stores of Fayetteville won Business of the Year in category II, which includes businesses with 26-75 employees. Mel and Meredith Collier, great-grandchildren of the company founder, accepted the award. Mel Collier said his father, Carl Collier, was still at work at the Dickson Street store while the banquet was taking place.

“My first impression was that there were no losers in that whole group,” Carl Collier said later, referring to the 15 companies, nine people and five nonprofit organizations that were nominated for awards. “In every category, as I looked at those businesses, they exemplified what I think of as good ethics, good quality and service in our capitalistic system. We were proud to be included in that group.”

Founded in 1917 by M.M. Collier, the company now has six stores and brought in $14 million in revenue last year.

IFworld Inc. of Fayetteville won Business of the Year in category I, which includes businesses with 1-25 employees. IFworld provides Internet, network support, e-commerce and Web-design services.

“We were just amazed,” said Jeremy Webb, a co-owner of the company. “We were honored to win in that group with that competition.”

The 300-member Junior League of Northwest Arkansas won Nonprofit Organization of the Year.

“What an incredible honor to have our hard work be recognized in the community,” said Robin Baldwin, president of the Junior League. “We are all still thrilled. I think the key message is we as a League believe the women in our organization are gaining the confidence and passion to achieve our goals.”

Tom Hough, chief professional of the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County, was named Nonprofit Executive of the Year. He has served in Boys Clubs since 1979 and was named top professional in the Southwest region this year by the Boys & Girls Club of America.

“I’m humbled by it,” Hough said of the award. “When I look at who else was [nominated], I’m honored … What your newspaper group has done is wake up the business world to realize nonprofits are a business.”

Judges for the awards were: Susan Barrett, president and CEO of Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas Inc., Rogers; Mary Ann Greenwood, president and investment adviser, M.A. Greenwood & Associates Inc., Fayetteville; Steve Hankins, chief financial officer, Tyson Foods Inc., Springdale; H. Collins Haynes, CEO and design principal, Haynes and Associates Ltd., Rogers; and Coleman Peterson, executive vice president, People Division, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville.

Darin Gray, publisher of the Business Journal, said the 29 nominees showed that Northwest Arkansas’ economy is somewhat insulated from the national recession.

“I was quickly reminded of just how blessed we are to live in Northwest Arkansas,” Gray said. “What we primarily saw [in the awards ceremony] was companies with 100 employees or fewer who are helping drive the local economy.”

Click here to read more about the winners and nominees.