SCORE Announces Winners of 2012 Small Business Awards

WASHINGTON (TheStreet) -- SCORE, a Small Business Administration partner organization designed to mentor entrepreneurs, has announced winners for its fourth annual SCORE Awards. The organization has named winners in seven categories highlighting small business and entrepreneurial excellence.

This year, two new categories were added to the list, that of outstanding franchise owner and outstanding green business.

The winners are:

Outstanding minority-owned small business: Bridgeja' Baker, Creative Jewelry by Bridgeja', New Orleans

Outstanding franchise as a small business: Terry Paradise & Marcia Connelley, Massage Envy, Middletown, Louisville, Ky.

Outstanding green small business: Terry Weaver, USA Gypsum, Reinholds, Pa.

Outstanding small business launched by an individual older than 50: Bruce Bohrmann, Bohrmann Knives, Yarmouth, Maine

Outstanding veteran-owned small business: Joel Goldberg, Aurico Reports, Arlington Heights, Ill.

Outstanding woman-owned small business: Tasha Oldham, My Story, Marina del Rey, Calif.

Outstanding non-profit organization: Beth Johnston, Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, Boca Raton, Fla.

SCORE also named The Walmart Foundation and Sam's Club as winner of this year's outstanding corporate supporter award.

"This year's SCORE Award winners are success stories that symbolize the thousands of entrepreneurs who uplift our communities by putting the American economy back on track," SCORE CEO Ken Yancey said. "SCORE is thrilled about the opportunity to play a small role and help advise these small businesses as they pursue success," he added.

Bridget Weston Pollack, SCORE's director of marketing and communications, said it was important to add a franchise category given that "franchises represent a significant portion of small businesses operating in the United States."

Additionally, SCORE wanted to recognize green businesses that take the time to think about the environment because they "really are operating with the triple bottom line in mind at all times."