Keystone Named 2014 Small Business of the Year
Stillwater, Oklahoma – At its annual banquet on Friday, January 16, 2015, the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce named Keystone Engineering and Surveying its 2014 Small Business of the Year. Lisa Navrkal, President of the Chamber, presented the award to Kelly D. Harris, P.E. and President of Keystone, and Carey E. Harris, P.L.S. and Vice President, who together accepted the honor on behalf of everyone at the company.
The selection process begins when Chamber members nominate deserving organizations for an award. A Selection Committee specially appointed by the Chamber reviews nominations in all categories and selects final recipients. In addition to Small Business of the Year, categories include Citizen of the Year, Ambassador of the Year, Young Professional of the Year, Not-for-Profit Business of the Year, and Large Business of the Year. One of the key selection criteria is active participation in community development.
“We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to growing Stillwater,” says Ms. Harris. Mr. Harris adds, “It’s really rewarding to know that our community considers us when making these kinds of nominations.”
Ms. Harris is active as a member of the Stillwater Chamber Board, the Executive Committee, and the Community Development and Infrastructure Committee. As a licensed civil engineer, she makes critical contributions to the Chamber’s ongoing development initiatives. Each year, for example, she assists the Community Development and Infrastructure Committee in making recommendations for updates to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation Eight-Year Plan, which currently includes a proposal to widen North Perkins Road, Stillwater’s busiest business artery. Ms. Harris also serves on the board of the Stillwater Industrial Foundation, which works hand-in-hand with the Chamber on economic development.
Keystone continues to build its business operations and work to improve Stillwater. “We’ve always thought of these two goals as complementary,” says Ms. Harris. “From the start we believed the range of engineering and surveying services we offered would provide a real benefit to the community.”
Since its founding in 2010, Keystone has grown steadily, from four employees, including the Harrises, to fifteen at the present time. Keystone conducts surveying and civil engineering projects for large commercial clients, builders and contractors, partners in the engineering industry, city governments, and the state. The company works particularly closely with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the City of Stillwater, Stillwater Chamber, Oklahoma State University, and Stillwater Public Schools.
Keystone stays up-to-date on current technologies and techniques, and supports future professionals by sponsoring scholarships at OSU-Stillwater and OSU-OKC (read more about Keystone scholarships here).