Wendi Fowler is the part owner of The Client Server. She is pictured holding the Small Business of the Year award.
Wendi Fowler wasn’t sure what to think when the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce said her company, The Client Server Inc., was the recipient of the 2007 Small Business of the Year award.
Her heart started to race as chamber members applauded and gave her a standing ovation.
“It was like ‘It couldn’t possibly be us,’ ” she said after receiving the award at a luncheon held at the Spanish Wells Golf & Country Club. “My heart was pounding.”
Her heart had been racing since the beginning of the day, on May 11, when she discovered a lizard on her keyboard that morning.
And, later that day she was holding a prestigious glass award that marked 10 years of hard work and dedication to her industry and the community.
“It’s such an honor,” she kept saying as chamber members and city officials congratulated Fowler on the networking company’s growth and success. “I didn’t expect to get this.”
The company was one of five in the running for the seventh annual award that recognizes small business in the chamber for three years, with less than 100 employees, and in business for at least three years.
Fowler owns the company along with husband of 14 years and business partner Jack Voth. Both have lived in Bonita Springs for 20 years.
“I wish my mom was here to see this,” she said, adding that Voth was away on business but text messages including a photo were sent to him following the award presentation.
The chamber award represents the cap to a week-long stretch of activities geared toward celebrating small businesses.
“It’s bragging rights and it helps them in their marketing strategies,” said Karen Brown, the chamber’s training and development director. “They seem pretty proud of themselves, too.”
And proud of themselves the companies are because the application process can be very selective.
Each company is asked to submit information about its growth, challenges overcome, community involvement and awards.
That is submitted to chamber executives outside the area who rate each business and select a winner.
“It brings encouragement to the staff that they are doing a good job,” said Fay Schnitzlein, accountant manager at The Client Server Inc. She is one of seven full-time employees.
Fowler says that the company’s good job was rewarded but once the shock subsides there is still work to be done.
“I hope it helps us continue with the success we had and we work to get better,” she said. “When they said our name I thought, ‘It couldn’t possibly be us ...’ but it was and that is so unexpected.”
Other nominees for the award were: D & S Gallery, Paradise Jewelry, Spanish Wells Golf & Country Club and Widespread Technologies-Xerox Authorized Agent.
