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On Saturday March 1, 2003 the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship honored three entrepreneurs by presenting them with the 2003 Nebraska Distinguished Entrepreneur Award. This award is given annually to honor outstanding entrepreneurial achievement in the state of Nebraska.
These entrepreneurs join a very prestigious group of previous award winners. This group includes, Jim Clifton's Father, Donald Clifton in 1988 for founding SRI, Dallen Peterson in 1988 for founding Merry Maids Inc., Donald Everett in 1991 for founding Runza, C.L. Werner in 1992 for founding Werner Entreprises, Rose Blumkin in 1993 for founding Mrs B's Warehouse, the Hawkins family in 1998 for founding Hawkins construction, and Paul Hogan in 2000 for founding Home Instead Senior Care. The Nebrasaka Center for Entrepreneurship will continue to honor outstanding entreprenuial acheivement in the future.
Jim Clifton began his career in Lincoln in 1977 by starting a marketing research company with a $5,000 loan from Union Bank. In his first year of business he used this $5,000 as seed money and was able to generate $80,000 in total sales. Following acquisitions, including the renowned Gallup Organization and worldwide expansion, his organization's billings exceeded $200 million. Jim has been CEO of The Gallup Organization since 1988. The Gallup Organization is one of the world's largest think tanks and providers of public opinion polling and management consulting. Under Jim's fourteen-year leadership, Gallup has enjoyed a ten-fold increase in billings volume and expanded from a predominately U.S.-based company to a global organization with offices in fifty cities in 24 of the world's largest nations. Mr. Clifton's current projects include the creation of a 75-acre Gallup University campus on the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska and a living internet-based record of "what man thought" named the Gallup WorldBrain which stores 65 years of polls on almost all issues the world has faced.
Jim and Jennifer Blackburn are second and third generation owners of a small, family owned business started by Jim's father and Jennifer's grandfather, E.A. "Bud" Blackburn. Blackburn Mfg. Company was founded in 1953 and began like any other small business, with two employees and a dream. Blackburn Mfg. produces small marking flags seen all over the world and used for different marking purposes. Now, 50 years later and over 60 employees in two locations, Blackburn Mfg. is the leader in the marking terrain industry selling their product around the globe. Jim has been acting President/CEO since 1980. His oldest daughter Jennifer joined the company in 1994 and currently serves as Senior Vice President of the company. She will become the third generation President/ CEO upon Jim's retirement.
Ed and Holly Swanson opened Nebraska's first commercially licensed winery in 1994. Cuthills Vineyards has made a real impact since its beginning, producing 18 different wines from 100% Nebraska products. Since Cuthills Vineyards opening they have been awarded over 80 international medals, including Best Winery Improvement from Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, 1996 Outstanding New Attraction in Nebraska and the1996 Rural Development Initiative Award for Nebraska. In addition the installation of Nebraska's first automated bottling line for wine production, testifies to the groundbreaking success of Ed and Holly Swanson. With over 60 grape cultivars on trial plus over 500 new hybrids from their own breeding program, Cuthills is a reliable and helpful resource for those interested in propagating and growing grapes in Nebraska and western Iowa. They have also worked to grant apprenticeships to four future wineries and currently sponsor workshops at Cuthills. The annual Wine & Wings Festival is now in its 8th year and attracts nearly 3,000 visitors from fourteen states. Cuthills was a founding member of the Nebraska Winery & Grape Growers Association and Ed serves on the Nebraska Grape and Winery Board; Holly is a member of the Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism Advisory Committee.
Current Award Winners
