San Francisco Chamber Of Commerce Announces Winners Of The 22nd Annual Excellence In Business Awards

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Oct 04, 2013, 12:33 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients of its prestigious Excellence in Business (Ebbies) Awards presented by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, at the 22^nd Annual Ebbies Award Gala held the evening of Thursday, October 3, 2013.

"The Chamber salutes all of this year's winners, who embody the innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship for which San Francisco is known," said Bob Linscheid, President & CEO, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

The competition's most prestigious award – the United Airlines Excellence in Business – was presented to Walgreens. Founded in 1901, the company grew to over 8,100 stores through innovation, inventing the Chocolate-Malted-Milk-Shake, pioneering self-service stores, connecting its pharmacies via satellite computer network, developing drive-thru pharmacies, and offering a range of omni-channel shopping services.

The Kaiser Permanente Economic Development Award was presented to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). With an economic footprint of over $55 billion in sales and payroll, SFO has created more than 288,000 jobs in the San Francisco region.

The Recology & Wells Fargo Emerging Growth Award was presented to Nextdoor, a community-based social media platform that allows users to connect with people in their neighborhood. Launched in 2010, Nextdoor has used the power of technology to build stronger and safer neighborhoods in over 20,000 neighborhoods.

The Comcast Innovation through Technology Award was presented to Splunk, the San Francisco-based software firm with a disruptive mission: to make machine data accessible, usable and valuable to everyone.

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company Small Business Award was presented to Edible Excursions, the food-based tour company. Showcasing tasty picks throughout the San Francisco region, a dozen guides lead 25-40 intimate food forays restaurants, cafes and artisan food destinations.

The Degenkolb Engineers and Hathaway Dinwiddie Building San Francisco Award was presented to The Presidio Trust. Over the past 15 years, the Presidio Trust, working closely with many partners, has revitalized historic structures, restored open spaces, and created extraordinary experiences for visitors.

The Chamber Community Champion Award was presented to Webcor Builders, the largest San Francisco Bay Area-based builder, for their innovative and efficient approach to construction, wide range of experience and cutting edge use of advanced technology and building landmark projects.

The Bain & Company Change Leader Award was presented to Beth Sutkus Thompson, Executive Director, KIPP Bay Area Schools. KIPP Bay Area Schools operates public charter schools in educationally underserved communities, developing in students the knowledge, skills and character essential to thrive in college, shape their futures, and positively impact the world.

The 22^nd Annual Ebbies Awards Gala is made possible with the generous support of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, United Airlines, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Kaiser Permanente, Degenkolb Engineers, Hathaway Dinwiddie, Recology, Wells Fargo, Bain & Company, Comcast, and others.