Tulsa Regional Chamber staff working on the Tulsa Small Business Awards, a Chamber tradition since 2014, wanted to create an experience befitting the achievements of its honorees.

So, they turned down the lights and turned up the glitz, hosting a nighttime awards event for the first time on Thursday at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Tulsa-Warren Place.

More than 425 people showed up to toast the feats of nine people, including Small Business Person of the Year Shawn Collins, president and CEO of the land surveying company Sisemore & Associates.

“The term ‘small business’ I think is kind of a little disservice to us because it’s 100% my life and my business, and I think about it all the time,” Collins said. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my entire life besides raising five daughters.”

Referencing his family, which includes seven children (two sons) and 13 grandchildren, Collins compared running a company to being a parent.

“I think about my business as my child,” he said. “It keeps me up at night. It makes me happy at times. It makes me confused at times. I think of that as the legacy for me. I would like to refer to myself as a legacy business owner.”

Presented by Andy B’s, the event was emceed by KJRH-2 evening anchor Karen Larsen and included remarks from Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum.

Bynum talked about some of the city’s best business success stories, detailing the modest start of companies such as NORDAM and Williams. The market value of Williams went from $25,000 in the 1950s – when John Williams assumed leadership of the company – to $430 million in 1979, when he retired, Bynum said.

“But I’m also mindful of small businesses that stay small,” the mayor said. “…The businesses that you are building, that you created, that you are building up, they are providing not just for you – you’re the owner – but for all the folks who work there. For their kids, for their educations, for their livelihoods, for all the wonderful things they get to do in their life, it is all funded by that small business. So, tonight is a night to honor what you’ve accomplished as a small business.”

Tulsa Small Business Award winners are nominated by their peers and are then asked to complete an award application sharing examples of their innovation and response to adversity. Independent judges from outside our region determined the honorees.

“As we celebrate 10 years of these awards, it’s important to recognize the real impact small businesses have on our community,” said Kathleen Pence, chair of the Small Business Connection and owner of Pence Law firm. “From creating jobs to driving innovation, small businesses are a vital part of Tulsa’s identity. The connections we make at events like this strengthen our local economy and empower business owners to continue their important work.”

In addition to Collins, the eight other people receiving awards Thursday were: