Article Originally Published on Charlotte Business Journal, click here to read the original by Jen Wilson

The ever-growing Charlotte region is home to an increasing number of businesses, large and small, that span a variety of industries. Each is led by a chief executive who navigates challenges — both specific to their company’s particular sector and more general issues that apply across the board — and shares successes with their teams.

The Charlotte Business Journal‘s Most Admired CEO Awards program, now in its third year, turns a spotlight on these local leaders.

This signature awards program honors Charlotte-area chief executives or those with an equivalent title, such as managing principal or executive director, who demonstrate admirable leadership qualities. Nominations were open to the public and came from members of the business community, within the honorees’ organizations and externally.

The CBJ editorial team has selected 35 honorees across 18 categories.

Each has shown a strong record of innovation in their field, outstanding financial performance, a commitment to quality, a strong vision, a commitment to diversity in the workplace and contributions to the metro community. In an upcoming special report, CBJ will profile all of the honorees; see coverage of past years’ programs here.

In addition, a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient will be named in the weeks to come.

An event will be held March 25 at The Westin Charlotte to celebrate this year’s class of winners. Find more details and register here. 

---

Congratulations to the 2020 class!

These are honorees, listed in alphabetical order by category:

Banks & Credit Unions

• Steve Fisher, F&M Bank
• Lee Fite, Fifth Third Bank

Commercial Real Estate

• Brett Gray, Cushman & Wakefield
• Johnny Harris, Lincoln Harris

Construction

• Brian McManus, Hoopaugh Grading Co.
• Marcus Rabun, Myers & Chapman

Energy

• Jayson Waller, PowerHome Solar

Family-Owned Business

• Liz Etheredge, Mecklenburg Paint Co. Inc.
• Marcus Smith, Speedway Motorsports
• Ed Weisiger Jr., CTE (formerly Carolina Tractor & Equipment Co.)

Financial Services

• Tom Finke, Barings
• Matt Potere, Sunlight Financial

Food Service

• Dan Beem, Hissho Sushi
• Landon Eckles, Clean Juice
• Conrad Hunter, Foxcroft Wine Co.

Government

• Dena Diorio, Mecklenburg County

Health Care

• Lindsay Muns, Charlotte Radiology
• Stuart Ross, ACO Med Supply

Law

• Janeen Hogue, The Miller-Hogue Law Firm
• Christopher Lam, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings

Manufacturing 

• John Marrino, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

Nonprofits

• Karen Calder, Classroom Central
• Williams Jones, Thompson Child & Family Focus

Professional Services

• Tana Greene, MyWorkChoice (a Greene Group company)
• Amy Noland Pack, AccruePartners

Public Companies

• Darius Adamczyk, Honeywell International Inc.
• Charles Harrington, Parsons Corp.

Residential Real Estate

• Pat Riley, Allen Tate Cos.
• Marcie Williams, RKW Residential

Retail

• Tom Coker, Reid’s Fine Foods
• Charlie Malouf, Broad River Retail

Sports, Entertainment & Tourism

• Dan Rajkowski, Charlotte Knights
• Fred Whitfield, Hornets Sports & Entertainment

Technology

• Mark Mahoney, Jackrabbit Technologies
• Bob Youakim, Passport

Hissho Sushi is the proud recipient of a Smart CEO Future 50 Award for 2016. The honor was presented to the company at a Rock & Roll themed ceremony at the Hilton Center City hotel (Charlotte, NC) on Thursday, April 21, 2016.
SmartCEO recognizes 50 of the region’s fastest growing, mid-sized companies. Winners in large “Blue Chip” and small “Emerging Growth” categories were also announced. These companies represent the future of the region’s economy and embody the entrepreneurial spirit critical for leadership and success. The winners were chosen based on a three-year average of employee and revenue growth.
This collective has had a significant impact on their community. Combined revenue of the Charlotte Future 50 is $1.5 billion. The average tenure for business is 13 years and they provide employment opportunities for almost 11,000 people.
In 2016, SmartCEO will honor Future 50 Winners in the following markets: Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Long Island, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.  To learn more go to www.smartceo.com
Hissho Sushi, headquartered in Charlotte NC, is a thriving sushi and Pan-Asian franchise business which operates in more than 875 locations in 39 states plus the District of Columbia.  Philip Maung, the CEO, came to the United States from Myanmar in 1989 with only $13 in his pocket, and started his sushi business in 1998.

Charlotte SmartCEO Announces the 2016 Future 50 Award Winners

50 Greater Charlotte companies to be recognized for fast growth in SmartCEO’s Future 50 Awards program

https://staging.hisshosushibeer.bar/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/02/chceo_Future50_PreEventPR_2016.pdf

Charlotte, NC (Feb. 18, 2016) — SmartCEO is pleased to announce the 2016 Future 50 Award winners. The program recognizes Greater Charlotte’s 50 fastest-growing mid-sized companies that have experienced outsized growth based on a combined three-year average of revenue and employee growth. The 2016 Future 50 winners collectively generate more than $1.53 billion in annual revenue and employ over 10,300 individuals. This impressive group will be recognized in SmartCEO magazine and celebrated at a black-tie-optional awards ceremony on April 27, 2016 at the Hilton Charlotte Center City.

Please see below for a complete list of winners and for program details. To share in the excitement leading up to the event, follow us @SmartCEO #Future50.

“Ask any CEO and they’ll tell you that leading a fast-growing company is one of the most challenging and fun things an entrepreneur can do. Whether they’re just starting out or rapidly trying to scale an established operation, this year’s Future 50 winners have executed their growth visions year after year, created job opportunities and made our region a better place to work and live,” says Jaime Nespor-Zawmon, President of SmartCEO Events. “There is nothing these amazing entrepreneurs can’t do if they put their minds to it. We honor them for their unwavering determination to rise above the rest and build the future of our region, our nation, and the world at large.”

More than 500 local business executives and guests are expected to attend this year’s black-tieoptional awards gala at the Hilton Charlotte Center City to celebrate the winners and their achievements. The event will kick off with a cocktail reception and high-energy networking followed by a video-packed awards ceremony and seated dinner. The evening and celebration will culminate with dessert and additional networking.

2016 Future 50 Awards

Date: Wednesday, April 27, 2016

VIP Reception: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

General Reception: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Location: Hilton Charlotte Center City 222 E. 3rd St., Charlotte, NC 28202

Attire: Black-tie optional

2016 Future 50 Winners

Alan Simonini Homes LLC

Anointed Flooring, Inc.

Armstrong Transport Group

Artisan Signs and Graphics

Avant Garde Technologies

Barton Contracting Corporation

Boxman Studios, LLC

Carolina’s Home Medical Equipment, Inc.

CCS Construction Staffing

CDI Southeast

Command Partners

Costner Law Office, PLLC

ettain group Inc.

Fab Fours, Inc.

The Greene Group

ImagineSoftware (Technology Partners, Inc.)

In-Flight Crew Connections

Independent Advisor Alliance

InfoSense, Inc.

InnerVision Inc.

Intelligent Buildings, LLC

Jackrabbit Technologies, Inc.

Lakeside Project Solutions

LandDesign, Inc.

LBA Haynes Strand, PLLC

LogoNation, Inc.

Lwin Family Co. (dba Hissho Sushi)

modPALEO

Movement Mortgage

NoDa Brewing Company

OrthoCarolina

Party Reflections

Peak 10, Inc.

Red Moon Marketing

Remi

Rhythm Systems

Search Solution Group

SeedSpark

SMD

Something Classic Catering & Cafés

SPAN Enterprises

Spangler Restoration

Strategic Power Systems, Inc.

T1V

TalentBridge

Tattoo Projects

Teguar

Titan Electric

Verigent, LLC

WDS, Inc.

About the Future 50 Awards
The Future 50 Awards program is the largest and most highly anticipated SmartCEO awards program of the year. This program recognizes 50 of the region’s fastest growing mid-sized companies. These companies represent the future of the region’s economy and embody the entrepreneurial spirit critical for leadership and success. The winners, chosen based on a threeyear average of employee and revenue growth, are listed alphabetically, not ranked. The winners are profiled in SmartCEO magazine and celebrated at a black-tie-optional awards ceremony.
 
About SmartCEO
SmartCEO’s mission is to educate and inspire the business community through its award winning magazine, connections at C-level events and access to valuable online resources. SmartCEO’s integrated media platforms reach decision makers in the Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, metropolitan areas. To find out more about the 2017 Future 50 Awards nomination process, email us at CharlottePrograms@smartceo.com. For information about sponsorship opportunities, email us at Charlotte@smartceo.com.

Hissho Sushi has just learned that the Company has been named as one of the Top 100 privately held businesses in North Carolina as recognized by the 2015 Grant Thornton North Carolina 100® (NC100).
The October 2015 issue of Business North Carolina magazine has all of the 100 companies listed by rank, and Hissho is #80.  Given the list, Hissho is very proud to be among these giants of industry.

In a congratulatory note, Grant Thornton states that, “Dynamic companies share five traits: innovation, expansion, talent, culture and agility.”  Since 1984, the Grant Thornton North Carolina 100© (NC100) has celebrated the substantial impact of private companies in North Carolina.

Hissho Sushi has learned that the Company has been named as “2015 Top Business” by Diversity Business.com. 

A winner in 4 categories:

Top 50 Diversity Owned Businesses in North Carolina – 2015 # 4
Top 50 Privately-held Businesses in North Carolina – 2015 # 7
Top 100 Asian Pacific American Owned Businesses in the United States – 2015 # 19
Top 500 Diversity Owned Businesses in the United States – 2015 # 276
Hissho is very humbled by this recognition as the Company continues to “Achieve the Impossible” as our #11 Core Value states.

In a letter to Philip Maung, Hissho’s President & CEO, Kenton Clarke, President & CEO of Diversity Business.com says; “Over 1.3 million businesses in the United States participated in our 15^th annual business survey and you were among the select few chosen based on both your annual gross revenue and the business profile you presented to us.”

The DiversityBusiness.com website states:  “The ‘Top Businesses in America’ program was established in 1999 by DiversityBusiness.com as part of its ongoing commitment to remain at the forefront in championing the entrepreneurial spirit.  The program recognizes and honors individuals who have established themselves as a world class community of entrepreneurs that continue to transform the way we live and advance our economy forward.”

It’s Official!  Hissho has earned a space in the 2015 Inc. 5000 list.  For the 5^th time in 6 years Hissho is named as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and has earned the position of #4028.
Hissho was ranked #124 in the Food & Beverage Industry, #119 in the state of North Carolina and #44 in the city of Charlotte.
The President and Editor in Chief of Inc. 500l5000, Eric Schurenberg, stated that, “Started in 1982, this prestigious list of the nation’s most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success.”
Congratulations to CEO Philip Maung and all of the Hissho employees who have worked hard to earn this honor.  For more information see:  http://www.inc.com/inc5000/list/2015/ & http://www.inc.com/profile/hissho-sushi