 |
|
 |
NEWS |
    
Product
News |
Rapid City Journal Staff Writer - Dan Daly September 30, 2000 Brewer, Comuniq, Prodan top chamber of commerce winners. A veteran banker, a technology development company with international ties and a fan of vintage vehicles won top Rapid City business awards Friday. The 1,400-member Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce honored them at its 114th annual banquet. The theme of the affair was to recognize the "Producers and Directors of Change." Key among them is John Brewer, president of Rushmore Bank & Trust. He received the coveted George Award. It is presented yearly to a community volunteer who is not content to let the mythical other guy, George do what needs to get done. Chamber board Chairman Bill Duhamel listed Brewer's community work through the chamber (Brewer as vice president of the Convention Visitors Bureau was active in racial-reconciliation efforts and O'Harra Stadium renovation); the Children's Home Society; Rapid City Community Development Corp. (20 new homes for low-income families in five years); the United Way (chairman of the $1.25 million campaign in 1996); Rotary (helped build the theater at Storybook Island); and international trade missions delegate to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. Duhamel said the Brewer "by the level of involvement in the community-support activities (must) be the leader of the first magnitude. The Rapid City Convention and Visitors Bureau presented its Black Hills Hero Award to John Prodan. The ward since 1990 presented to a person instrumental in bringing a large event to the region. Prodan is credited with bringing the 35th International Studebaker Drivers Club Convention to Rapid City. The top Rapid City Economic Development Partnership honor is the Magnet Award, It is bestowed on a new company or one that has had a significant local expansion. This year's winner is Comuniq, the Norwegian technology development company that rooted itself her in 1998. Its development sprouted from a long-standing relationship with South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Starting with seven employees, Comuniq now employs more than 35 and plans for further expansion. The company says it provides top-paying high-technology jobs previously unavailable here. Jonas Hahn, newly appointed president of Comuniq ASA, Norway; Bernt Askildsen, president of Comuniq, Inc., USA, and manager Robbin Walton cited the community support for helping the company grow. They said the help would pay dividends. "Comuniq has had a healthy growth cycle through the last two years focusing on developing the future platform for the converged Computer Telephony market. The long research and development effort has not paid off with deployment of systems globally. When moving into the mainstream market, other demands surface in an organization requiring us to continue staffing up in Rapid City," Askildsen said. "We feel that as a company it is important to support the local businesses," Walton said. "As the company continues to grow on an international level - the demand for more products will increase the benefit for the local businesses." The banquet at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center marked the start of Dennis Popps' one year term as chamber-board chairman. He succeeds Duhamel, the president of Duhamel Broadcasting Enterprises. Popp is chief executive officer of Black Hills workshop and Training Center for people with disabilities. |