Mr. K Award finalists: RFP360, KC Bier Co., Charlie Hustle among Chamber’s Top 10 Small Businesses
April 8, 2019 | Startland News Staff
From one of Kansas City’s most popular breweries to a startup that streamlines the RFP process to an apparel company known for its big heart, 10 small businesses received surprise visits Friday — each now a finalist for the prestigious Mr. K Award.
“The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce showered us with confetti today when they hand delivered our Top 10 Small Business award! #FeelingFortunate #CelebrateSmallBiz #Innovation #Growth #BuildingABetterKC,” posted RFP360, a Kansas City-based firm innovating the RFP process.
RFP360 was named one of Startland’s Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2018. Click here to check out its progress over the course of the previous year, and here to read about the hiring of the company’s first CEO.
Charlie Hustle, Top 10 Small Business honoree, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
Fellow Top Small Businesses KC Bier Co. and T-shirt trendsetter Charlie Hustle also have startup roots. Click here to read about the brewery’s strategy for expansion, and here to learn more about the hometown apparel company’s full-court business offensive.
The Chamber’s Top 10 Small Business honorees were selected from a pool of 80 nominees. One will be chosen for the Mr. K Award — named for legendary Kansas City entrepreneur Ewing Marion Kauffman — which is presented to a company that not only shows growth and sustainability, but also has a record of giving back to the community.
A winner is expected to be announced at the Chamber’s May 23 Small Business Luncheon.
Lead Bank was awarded the distinction in 2018.
The full Top 10 Small Businesses list includes:
- Agforce Transport — third-party logistics and supply chain provider.
- Charlie Hustle — vintage T-shirt company.
- IBC, Inc. — commercial construction firm.
- KC Bier Co. — Kansas City-based, German-style craft brewery.
- Lever1 — integrated professional employer organization services.
- Odimo — collaborative architectural and planning firm.
- RFP360 — full-circle RFP management solution.
- Ripple Glass — state-of-the-art glass recycling.
- TREKK Design Group — woman-owned civil engineering firm.
- VeriShip — parcel shipping intelligence company.
Honored to be recognized today as a @kcchamber #KansasCity Top 10 Small Business of the Year. Thanks to all of #KC for your ongoing support of #KCBierCo! Prost! https://t.co/NsokflPmYO
— KC Bier Co. (@KCBierCo) April 5, 2019
Featured Business
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Chicken N Pickle splits spotlight with the Chiefs as FOX News broadcasts live from OP location
While the national focus this week is on football — and the Kansas City Chiefs’ drive for their third straight Super Bowl championship on Sunday — hometown pickleball got its share of the spotlight early Thursday thanks to a visit from “FOX & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy. Doocy — a Kansas City Chiefs fan who…
Crows Coffee expanding to Troost with on-site roasting, wholesale bakery (and eventually a new social activation)
A decade after opening the first Crows Coffee and two more cafes later, owner Zach Moores is undertaking a major expansion — this time with a project encompassing more than 10,500 square feet on Troost Avenue. While much larger than he planned, the two buildings Moores recently purchased pushed him to expand his vision for…
How the Chiefs inspired this Kansas City immigrant to embrace his new home (and start his own business)
Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. Robert Galica, an immigrant from Mexico City and a Chiefs fanatic, started hosting tailgates at Arrowhead Stadium in a school bus…
Brimming with gratitude: Super Bowl caps viral popularity as KC-stitched hat brand returns home
When Taylor Webb watches the Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl rematch Sunday from a crowded spot at Power & Light, he’ll be surrounded by friends and fellow Chiefs fans — and with any luck, a sea of caps bearing his trendsetting signature upside-down “Kansas City” design. Odds are good for the Kansas City native, who recently relocated…