U.S. Chamber Honors Knoxville Small Business with 2010 Community Excellence Award

Customers & Community Support 'Prestige Cleaners' for its Business Success

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today at America's Small Business Summit 2010, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce honored Prestige Cleaners of Knoxville, Tennessee with the Community Excellence Award, recognizing the success it has achieved in the eyes of its employees, customers, and community.

"If you want to know about the quality of a company, just talk to its customers," said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. "Prestige Cleaners received an outpouring of support from across America. Today we are proud to honor its achievements."

Prestige Cleaners was named one of the U.S. Chamber's seventy-five Blue Ribbon Small Business Award® winners on March 1. Each business had the opportunity to invite members of its community to show support for their business by voting online between Monday, March 1 and Friday, March 12. With nearly 1,500 votes, Prestige Cleaners became the second recipient of the annual Community Excellence Award.

The award, part of the U.S. Chamber's DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Awards program, sponsored by Sam's Club®, is designed to recognize companies that showcase exemplary business practices in the areas of employee development, community involvement, customer service, and strategy.

"Prestige Cleaners has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to Knoxville by both investing in the expansion of their business, as well as through corporate citizenship," said one online voter. "They are an example for all small businesses to follow."

Prestige Cleaners was founded by Eddie Mannis in March, 1985 with used equipment, three employees, and one store. Today, Prestige is one of the largest independently owned dry cleaners in the United States. The company has 10 locations and 5 delivery routes as well as a state-of-the-art processing plant and a training and education center. For more information about the company and specific services provided, please visit their website at: www.prestigecleanersinc.net

More information on the award and America's Small Business Summit is available at: www.uschambersummit.com

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

# # #