Waterbury Regional Chamber Announces Recipients of the Harold Webster Smith Awards for 2016

WATERBURY, Conn. - Jan. 8, 2016 - PRLog -- The Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Small Business Councilhas announced recipients of its prestigious 2016 Harold Webster Smith Awards, which were established to recognize companies that have shown achievement and excellence in small business. Recipients of the 19th Annual Harold Webster Smith Awards are All-Star Driver – soon to be named The Next Street – in Watertown for Small Business of the Year; Dan Settani,Viso Bello Day Spa & Massage Therapy Center in Middlebury for Entrepreneur of the Year, and Pisani Steel Fabrication, Inc. in Naugatuck for Manufacturer of the Year. The annual breakfast will be held on Friday, January 29, 2016, from 7:45 to 9:30 AM at the Aria Wedding & Banquet Facility at 45 Murphy Road in Prospect.

Harold Webster Smith founded First Federal Savings of Waterbury in 1935 to help people build and buy homes. He served as CEO until 1937 and as chairman of the board until 1995, when First Federal was renamed Webster Bank in his honor. Today, Webster Bank is the largest financial service organization in New England, and each year, the Chamber honors small business leaders who, like Smith, have the vision to expand, diversify, and prosper. “In honor of Harold Webster Smith’s legacy and small business inspiration,” remarked Lynn Ward, president and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber, “we recognize small companies and entrepreneurs who share his passion for business development and his commitment to positive economic progress of the Waterbury region. Throughout his career, Harold Webster Smith served as an inspiration for countless small businesses. We are very pleased to recognize the many companies that share his ideals.”

The 2016 Harold Webster Smith Small Business of the Year Award recipient, All Star Driver, soon to be The Next Street, is a family-owned driving school based in Watertown and a subsidiary of All Star Transportation. With more than 70 locations, All-Star Driver employs 80 people and is the largest driving school in Connecticut. General Manager Brandon DuFour sits on the board of directors for the Palace Theater, and is board chairman for the Boys and Girls Club in Waterbury, for which he was instrumental in reestablishing a foundation after the organization experienced several challenging years. Known to be passionate about his community, DuFour supports children’s organizations, arts and culture, economic empowerment, and education. He has been recognized as one of the top “40 under 40” in Fairfield and Hartford Counties, and was voted a top business leader under the age of 40 in Greater Hartford by Inc. magazine. Through DuFour’s tireless ambitions and management of All-Star Driver, the company was recently named 1,598th on the list of the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held companies in America.

Recipient of the 2016 Harold Webster Smith Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Dan Settani, of Viso Bello Day Spa & Massage Therapy Center, has owned the spa for 26 years. During those years, Settani has made significant impact in the growth of the business, continually adding services and training employees on new techniques to offer the best services possible. Viso Bello services include massages, facials, laser hair removal, monthly memberships and packages at affordable rates. All massages and facials are customized using 100% organic Eminence products from Hungary and most are also vegan-friendly and gluten free. Notably committed to community, each year Viso Bello has donated nearly $75,000 to local charities. In addition to the Waterbury Regional Chamber, Settani also works closely with Making Strides, Wellmore Behavioral Health, Easter Seals and many more organizations, including local schools and churches. Viso Bello offers their employees a full benefits package, paid vacation, a rewards system for excellent performance, and a bonus system.

The 2016 Harold Webster Smith Manufacturer of the Year Award recipient, Pisani Steel Fabrication Inc. in Naugatuck, was founded in 1988 by Giuseppe “Joe” and Frank Pisani as a welding company. Today the company produces structural steel and miscellaneous metals for the construction industry. Over the years, the privately-held corporation has grown substantially and currently services numerous industries, including government buildings, schools, strip malls, corporate parks, manufacturing and industrial buildings throughout Connecticut, as well as in New England and New York. In 2013, when the nonprofit Holy Land Waterbury LLC was created, Pisani Steel donated $375,000 worth of materials and labor to construct Holy Land’s 52-foot-tall cross, which changes colors according the yearly calendar. Joe Pisani has served on the Waterbury Board of Alderman and the Zoning Board; the boards of the Waterbury Regional Chamber and Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, and is president of the Sacred Heart High School board. His employees supply services to numerous local charities.

The 2016 Harold Webster Smith Awards Breakfast also will include keynote speaker, Joe Brennan, president and CEO of CBIA, the state’s leading business organization that promotes a healthy business climate by supporting economic growth and job creation in Connecticut. Brennan is also president of CBIA’s Education & Workforce Partnership, which supports STEM education in public schools and training programs that enhance the skills of employees at member companies. He has served on numerous legislative and administrative task forces on state and local taxes, economic policy, manufacturing competitiveness, workforce readiness and other issues. He serves on numerous boards, including those of CONNSTEP and the Governor’s Prevention Partnership.

Premier sponsor of the January 29th breakfast is Webster Bank. Small business supporters of the honorary awards event are Barker Specialty Company; Nardelli’s Grinder Shoppes; People’s United Bank; Pisani Steel Fabrication, Inc; Secor, Cassidy & McPartland, P.C.; and Traver IDC.

For costs and reservations, and to learn more about the Waterbury Regional Chamber, visit www.waterburychamber.com, call 203-757-0701, or email to info@waterburychamber.com.