Americans cast thousands of votes for 171 nominees during the nominations phase of the eighth annual Independent We Stand Independent Small Business of the Year Award, also known as the Indie Award.
Each year, Independent We Stand, a national small business movement, gives consumers the ability to honor locally owned businesses whose owners go out of their way to give back to their communities and provide a great customer experience.
This year, the winner will receive a branding, advertising and public relations makeover valued at $25,000, in addition to other prizes. All quarter-finalists receive an Independent We Stand Premium Membership for life. The release of these quarter-finalists precedes Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24, encouraging holiday shoppers to support small businesses. Independent We Stand asks consumers to take it a step further by only supporting small businesses instead of nationally franchised and commercial big box stores.
Semifinalist voting begins Nov. 19 at IndieBizAward.com and runs through Dec. 16. Independent We Stand will announce the winner of the Indie Award on Dec. 19.
Of the 2018 quarter-finalists, eight included home improvement retailers, which are listed in alphabetical order below:
- A & B Paint Supply, Peru, Illinois
- Caribou Jack’s Trading Co., Soda Springs, Idaho
- H&H Supply, Marion, Kentucky
- Indian Trail Hardware, Indian Trail, North Carolina
- Jerry’s Lawn Mower Sales & Service, Long Beach, Mississippi
- K&K True Value Hardware, Bettendorf, Iowa
- Lakeland General Store, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota
- United Veterans Construction and Landscape Solutions, Inc. (UVETS), Fort Worth, Texas
The winner of the 2018 Indie Award will receive a prize package valued at more than $25,000. For more information on The Indie award or to vote for your favorite small business, visit IndieBizAward.com.