Better Business Bureau of New Hampshire Announces 2017 Torch Awards Winners

Concord, New Hampshire – The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of New Hampshire is pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics awards, which share the stories of companies committed to ethical business practices for their employees and customers. Winners for small, medium, and large-sized businesses were celebrated at the organization’s 17th annual awards event on June 14.

The winners are:

• Financial Focus of Wolfeboro and President and CEO Susan John, CFP (small);
• Phaneuf Funeral Homes of Manchester, Boscawen and Littleton, and fourth-generation Funeral Director Arthur O. “Buddy” Phaneuf (medium); and
• CruCon Cruise Outlet of Moultonborough, and Founder and CEO Sandy Cleary (large)

“This is the 17th year that the Better Business Bureau of New Hampshire has sponsored the Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics. Each year the light gets brighter as the public hears of yet another group of leaders who bring ethical standards to every aspect of their business. It’s visible in relationships with customers, employees, vendors, and the community at large,” said Howard Brodsky, chair of the NH BBB Board of Directors.

Financial Focus, located in Wolfeboro, is a comprehensive financial services company rooted in competency, honesty, compassion, integrity, and respect. Ready to assist customers during important life events, Financial Focus often works outside of the traditional financial services realm when they help a family research assisted living facilities or sort out the best approach to saving for college. Within the community, the firm provides pro-bono asset management and financial planning to non-profit organizations, and individual members of the Financial Focus team help in many ways, including participating in volunteer activities with the Central New Hampshire Visiting Nurse Association, where John is a member of the board of directors, and through donations and fundraising activities for LIFE Ministries Food Pantry.

Phaneuf Funeral Homes, with locations in Manchester, Boscowen and Littleton, is a family of crematoriums and funeral homes known for compassionate service and serving New Hampshire for more than 110 years. The company’s many accolades – including the Achievement of Excellence recognition from the Granite State Quality Awards and Recognition Program and the Corporate Livewire 2017 Innovation & Excellence Award – are eclipsed by the kind words and heartfelt thanks from families who were able to say meaningful final goodbyes to loved ones. The company, led by fourth-generation Buddy Phaneuf, created a social services program for needy families unable to pay for end-of-life services, and helps family members of those lost to addiction find financial assistance to cover funeral expenses. The company supports more than a dozen hospice organizations, 15+ churches, Easter Seals, and New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery to provide final resting places for the unclaimed remains of four New Hampshire military veterans.

CruCon Cruise Outlet, out of Moltonborough, is an online travel agency specializing in cruises that grew from a two-person startup to a 120-person business thanks to a staff of committed employees and a passion for always doing things well and right. Employees are treated to luxe lounges and in-house gyms, and meals provided by a professional culinary team. Led by Founder and CEO Cleary, the company is one of the most recognized names in the cruise and travel industry, having also won 2017 Business of the Year by New Hampshire Magazine and an Outstanding Women in Business Award in 2014. CruCon gives back by supporting many philanthropic endeavors, especially those that benefit youth and families in the Granite State. Those entities include a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Laconia, CASA NH, Lakes Region Children’s Auction, Children’s Cancer Caring Center, Sandwich Children’s Center, blood drives and fundraisers.

Finalists for the awards were also recognized at the Torch Award event. They are: Kristy Lacroix of Wheelchair Escapes of Newton and Jeffrey Bradley of IndoorDoctor of Derry for the small business category; David Bryan of Blackdog Design/Build/Remodel of Amherst and Dr. Robert Chaikin of Belknap Dental Associates in Dover for the medium business category; and Bill Ermer, owner of Palmer Gas & Oil of Atkinson and Steve Singlar and Bob Goldstein of Single Digits Inc. of Bedford.

Also at the Torch Awards event, five student recipients of the BBB Student Ethics Scholarship Award were honored with a $2,000 cash award to be used towards their higher education expenses. They are:

• Emily Choate, who is affiliated with an employee of The John L. Carter Sprinkler Company in Bow, is a graduate of Hollis High School and is attending Dartmouth College, where she is pursuing a double major in neuroscience and government;
• Adam Clark, who is affiliated with and employee of The Concord Group Insurance Company in Concord, is beginning his junior year at the University of Southern Maine where he majors in business administration. Adam grew up in Yarmouth, Maine.
• Jeffrey Simpson, wo is affiliated with an employee at the Raynor Door Company in Manchester, is entering his senior year at Ava Maria University in Florida, where he is majoring in biochemistry as a pre-med candidate. Jeff is from Manchester, New Hampshire.
• Kristopher Hewes., son of Nathan Hewes of Hanover Transfer and Storage, is a graduate of Fall Mountain High School and is entering his junior Year at Wentworth Institute of Technology where his major is electrical engineering.
• Ava Rohacek, daughter of Carl Rohacek of Abode Furniture in Portsmouth, is currently majoring in mechanical engineering at the University of New Hampshire and plans to transfer to Northeastern University in the fall to continue her studies.

“I want to congratulate our 2017 finalists, winners and scholarship recipents for putting ethics first and demonstrating that doing well by doing good is an excellent practice in business and in life,” said Robert Shomphe, president and CEO of the New Hampshire BBB.

For 105 years, BBB has helped consumers find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2016, consumers turned to BBB more than 100 million times for business reviews on more than four million companies, and charity reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at www.bbb.org. The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for 114 local, independent BBBs across North America, including New Hampshire’s, which is based in Concord.

The Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics is designed to promote the importance of ethical business practices and the willingness and efforts made by outstanding businesses to ensure that the marketplace remains fair and honorable. The 2017 judge were Dr. Sylvio Dupuis, former mayor of Manchester and president of Notre Dame College, Dr. Susan Huard, president of Manchester Communiyt College, and Paulette Scarpett, president anf CEO of the BBB for the State of Connecticut. The awards are given out annually to the top small, medium-sized and large business categories based on the number of employees. Learn more at bbb.org/concord.

Scholarship recipients photo (left to right): Adam Clark, Emily Choate, Jeffrey Simpson, Kristopher Hewes

Not in attendance: Ava Rohacek

Award winners photo (left to right): Howard Brodsky (chair of the NH BBB Board of Directors) , winners Arthur Phaneuf, Sandy Cleary and Susan John, and Robert Shomphe (president and CEO of the New Hampshire BBB).

ABOUT BBB:

For 105 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping consumers find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2016, consumers turned to BBB more than 100 million times for Business Reviews on more than 4 million companies and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at www.bbb.org. The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for 114 local, independent BBBs across North America; (the United States Canada and Mexico) as well as home to its national programs on dispute resolution and industry self-regulation.

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