On Tuesday night, 14 Mortenson executives and employees joined Dr. Wayne Mortenson for the Business First: Business of the Year Awards Gala carrying high hopes for a great win. We are so grateful to have had a fantastic and successful year, opening 6 new locations in the Louisville area and expanding beyond our Kentuckiana roots to Georgia and Iowa.
After a fun hour of mixing and mingling with other finalists and excellent business teams, we enjoyed a delicious dinner before the awards ceremony began. A statement that was read during the introduction of the ceremony set the perfect tone for the evening: "We are all winners," a statement that could not be truer. The Cascade Ballroom in the Kentucky International Convention Center was certainly filled to the brim with winners.
There were 5 categories: Non-Profit Organization of the Year, Small Company of the Year, Medium Company of the Year, Large Company of the Year, and Very Large Company of the Year. There were 3 finalists in the non-profit, small, medium and large categories, and 4 finalists in the very large category. It was great to watch short video clips of all the finalists' businesses before the winners were announced. Louisville is lucky to be the origin of so many superior businesses that have fantastic visions for great success. We are so proud to share that we won BUSINESS OF THE YEAR in the large company category. We want to congratulate our fellow finalists in the large company category, Mr. "P" Express, INC. and CandyRific LLC. for their eminent success in 2011.
There are so many factors that we contribute to our growth and success, especially in 2011. Dr. Wayne says that "having a recognizable brand has helped [Mortenson's] local expansions." We also contribute our success to having an exceptional leader, Dr. Wayne, who has a clear mission, vision, and set of core values that are clearly understood and practiced by Mortenson employees. Mortenson Family Dental is committed to making dentistry easy for everyone in our community. We take pride in our patient experience and in making dental visits enjoyable, comfortable, and personable for our patients. We give incentives to see the dentist by offering evening and weekend hours. Mortenson accepts most dental insurance plans and has an internal discount plan exclusive to Mortenson patients all in an effort to make the cost of dental treatments and needs achievable and accessible to everyone.We strongly believe in the importance of giving back to our community and provide a free day of dentistry to new and existing patients about once every quarter. Most importantly, we believe in thanking our patients. Establishing lasting and rewarding relationships with our patients is so important to us. Whether it be at individual office Patient Appreciation events, or simple reminders or giveaways on our social media platforms, we always take great care in ensuring that our patients know how much we value and appreciate them. The growth we have experienced over the years is the result of our patients whose continued patronage and faithful support have been vital to our success.
How does the Business of the Year selection process work?
Business First considers many factors in making the selections for Business of the Year finalists and winners. Factors include financial performance, increased market share, new products or services and major new clients. Also considered are contributions to the community and how the businesses and organizations treat their employees and clients. After the finalists were chosen, a panel of 5 judges were recruited to select the winners.
Tuesday night was such an amazing and humbling experience for everyone. We cherish our employees, patients and community as a part of our Mortenson family and extend our most sincere thanks to you for your loyalty to Mortenson Family Dental. As 2011 comes to a close, we look back with great joy and gratification and we look forward to the new year filled with happiness, excellence and success!
