OKLAHOMA CITY – Altus has risen to the top of this year’s Oklahoma Main Street award program with more than a dozen businesses nominated.
The program, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, recognizes businesses for their efforts to improve main street districts in communities across the state. Community main street organizations nominate enterprises and judges outside the state program decide awards based on economic vitality, organization, promotion and design.
Oklahoma Main Street Director Buffy Hughes said it's an honor for any business to be nominated.
“It demonstrates to the community, to the public in the state of Oklahoma what is happening in these communities and what some of their accomplishments are,” Hughes said. “It shows they’re really working the program.”
Ten Altus businesses were nominated for 13 awards— the state’s second greatest number of entries. The No. 1 spot went to Ponca City, which saw 13 contestants nominated for 16 awards.
Among the 170 entries, the types of businesses nominated varied widely from banks and clothing stores to hotels and eateries.
The Altus businesses nominated were:
• NBC Bank for the Premier Partner award.
• The late Freddy Perez, a volunteer for Main Street Altus, for the Outstanding Public Official award.
• Barbie Crawl, for Best Main Street Retail Event.
• Altus Merchandise Line, an apparel boutique, for Outstanding Image Promotion.
• 12 Days of Christmas for Creative New Event.
• Hudson Hall, an event venue, for Best Interior Design Project Over $25,000; secondly for Best Adaptive Reuse Project Over $25,000 and thirdly for Best Facade Rehabilitation Over $25,000.
• First Baptist Church for Best Facade Rehabilitation Under $25,000.
• The Enchanted Door, a gift store, for Best Branding.
• Shape Up, a fitness and accessory studio, for Best New Business.
• The Booterie shoe store for Business of the Year.
One business in Duncan, Jeanne Kay Designs, a screen printing boutique, received a nomination for the Best Adaptive Reuse Project Under $25,000.
A community program director will be awarded the Program Director of the Year and a Local Program of the Year will also be decided.
Winners will be announced during the 34th Main Street Banquet on Tuesday, Sept. 24, in Oklahoma City.
Altus winners last year were Best Branding to Perry & Co., a hair salon, and Outstanding Entrepreneur Endeavor to The Studio, a dance class center.
Although the program does not give out cash with the awards, members enjoy networking opportunities, access to data and resource centers, legislative advocacy, consultation and training, among others.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce’s website, since the program’s launch in 1986, local programs have generated more than $2.2 billion in total public and private reinvestment, created 21,600 new jobs and helped in the development of nearly 9,000 new or expanded small businesses.
Main Street America began nationally in 1980 to revitalize main streets and historic areas. Since its inception, the program has helped rehabilitate 335,000 buildings, started 175,000 new businesses and generated $101 billion in local reinvestment nationwide, according to mainstreet.org.