WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – For the 37th year, the Whatcom Business Alliance and Business Pulse hosted the Annual Whatcom Business Awards Black & Gold Gala at Semiahmoo Resort.

At the gala event, outstanding achievements of business leaders in the Whatcom County business community were recognized.

The award winners were:

Start-Up Business of the Year: Neeter House of Luxury

Award runners-up: Black Noise Records, Plantage and Sasquatch Pest Control.

Small Business of the Year: Elements Hospitality

Award runners-up: Comphy Co, HighCraft Cabinets and Northwest Navigation. 

Business Person of the Year: Billy VanZanten, WRS

Award runners-up: Kent Bouma – WECU, Ty McClellan – Hardware Sales, Tiera Nipges – Pacific Facility Solutions. 

Whatcom Lifetime Achievement: John & Mimi (Brooks) Ferlin, Brooks Manufacturing

Jon B. Strong Employee of the Year: Karen Dykstra, WRS

Public Service Award: Steven Sundin, City of Bellingham