Great River Engineering receives 2018 Small Business Award

During the Chamber’s annual event on May 2 at the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center, Great River Engineering received the 2018 W. Curtis Strube Small Business Award.

The Springfield-based civil engineering and surveying firm was selected by a panel of independent judges from a group of finalists that included Atlas Security Service, Complete Automotive, OzAir Charter Service and Revel Advertising.

Great River Engineering (GRE) has provided engineering services for more than two decades. Its clients include cities, county governments and state offices throughout Missouri, along with clients in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas, along with numerous private developers.

“You work hard every day, and it’s nice to see once in a while that what you do makes a difference,” GRE Principal Mel Eakins said in front of more than 330 attendees at the award luncheon. “In our business, we’re servants to the community, and we owe our success to our communities and to the dedication of our staff.”

The company has experienced significant growth over the years, including a move to a larger office in Springfield early in its history followed by the recent opening of offices in Kansas City and St. Louis. GRE currently employs 35 engineers, surveyors, design professionals and administrative staff.

The Small Business Award is named for Dr. W. Curtis Strube, late director of the Breech School of Business Administration at Drury University, who was a dedicated advocate of small business and founder of the Small Business Council.

Honorees are determined by written applications scored by an independent panel of judges, consisting of the previous Small Business Award recipients, local business experts, and volunteers from the Chamber’s Small Business Council.

This award, presented by the Chamber’s Small Business Council since 1992, celebrates the success of the organization’s small business members. More than 85 percent of Chamber members have 50 or fewer employees, and the Chamber realizes the important role those businesses play in our local economy.

Check out this video, created by 1996 Small Business Award recipient Opfer Communications, honoring the five finalists!