Briefcase

Lawrence chamber seeks nominations for award

The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the second annual Excellence in Commerce Award. The award program honors Douglas County companies that are excelling in one of five areas: manufacturing/distribution, technology, service, retail and hospitality. A sixth award, the Bob Billings Rising Star Award, will be given to an outstanding emerging company.

“We are really excited about the opportunity to honor these Douglas County businesses that are raising the bar for all area companies,” said Lynn Parman, vice president of economic development for the chamber.

Nomination forms may be obtained by contacting Tawnya Johnson, of the chamber, by phone at 865-4427 or by e-mail at tjohnson@lawrencechamber.com. Nomination forms are due by 5 p.m. July 7 in the Chamber office, 734 Vt.

Personal finance

Firm advises job seekers not to take summer off

Summer means a hiatus for corporate recruiters, right? Maybe not.

While summer is often the season of reduced interviewing and recruitment activity, this year might be slightly different, according to Clear Rock, a Boston-based career coaching and development firm. U.S. businesses are preparing for a resurgence of activity this fall, as the economy continues improving and the uncertainty of a November election outcome passes.

“After vacations are out of the way, many managers get right back to business as usual, and this includes filling vacancies and adding staff,” said Greg Gostanian, a Clear Rock managing partner. “Most businesses don’t take the entire summer off.”

Many job seekers take a summer break from the hunt, but Gostanian said the summer was rich with networking possibilities, such as picnics and parties.

Motley Fool

Name that company

My history began in 1933 when Vernon Rudolph bought a doughnut shop and recipe from a French chef. I’m based in Winston-Salem, N.C., today, and my more than 360 stores in 44 states and several nations make more than 7.5 million doughnuts per day — nearly 3 billion per year. The sprinkles I use each year would fill 33 18-wheeler trucks. In 1976, I became a subsidiary of Beatrice Foods, but in 1982 a group of franchisees made me an independent company again. I went public in 2000, and my stock soared for years before slumping recently. Who am I?