Reflejos honors suburban businesses
Twenty-seven companies and organizations in finance, health and other areas were honored Wednesday during the first Reflecting Excellence Awards hosted by Reflejos Bilingual Journal and held at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.
Reflejos, published by Arlington Heights-based Paddock Publications Inc., sought to honor companies that serve the Latino community through their services, products and community activism throughout the suburbs.
Winners are:
ŸFifth Third Bank, Wintrust Bank/Elgin Estate Bank, Ramos Tax & Services in Elgin, Old Second Bank and ABC Bank in the financial services category.
ŸRenz Addiction Counseling Center in Elgin, St. Charles and Streamwood, Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet, Homer Glen and New Lenox, Centegra Hospital in McHenry and Woodstock, Northeast DuPage Family & Youth Services in Addison, and St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates in the health institutions category.
ŸElgin Fresh Market, Cicero Law Firm in Chicago, JJR Marketing in Chicago, Otto Engineering in Carpentersville and Abbott Laboratories in Libertyville Township in the workplace category.
ŸPace Bus and Metra Rail in the transportation services category.
ŸCentro de Informacion in Elgin, Hanover Park and Carpentersville, Mano a Mano in Round Lake Park, Administer Justice in Elgin, Palatine Opportunity Center and Inglesia San Jose in the community service category.
ŸElgin Community College, Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Harper College in Palatine, University Center of Lake County in Grayslake and McHenry County College in Crystal Lake in the education institutions category.
Reflejos, which reaches more than 230,000 suburban readers and has a bilingual format, began seeking nominations in July. The publication wanted to recognize area businesses and organizations that help sustain the local economy while making positive contributions to the Latino community through products, services or company policies.
“I believe it is very important for Reflejos to recognize Hispanic-owned businesses because the great impact they have on the region’s economy oftentimes goes unnoticed,” Reflejos Editor Marco Ortiz said in announcing the awards program.
“We also want to recognize companies whose owners are not Hispanic but contribute to the Hispanic community because they are a model of the kind of leadership that other companies could simulate,” he said.
Reflecting the excellence of the Latino community has been part of Reflejos’ focus since it was founded in 1990. Now a part of the Daily Herald Media Group and the largest and longest-running Latino publication in Chicago’s suburbs, Reflejos continues to pursue ways to highlight the achievements of its bilingual audience.