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2008 Business Arts Partnership Award Winners

Small Business: GRIP Technology

Nominated by the Columbus Museum of Art and the Westerville Symphony

The business focus of GRIP Technology is Web design and development. GRIP has been in business for five years and has seven employees.

The partnership between the Columbus Museum of Art and GRIP began in 2002. At that time, GRIP developed the Museum's first Web site and has since been a key partner by leveraging the latest Web technologies to position columbusmuseum.org as a leader within the industry. GRIP was instrumental in initiating a unique event calendar, online exhibition ticket sales, e-mail list development and secure online transactions for all events, membership sales and donations. The Columbus Museum of Art partnership with Grip Technology has increased awareness of the Museum’s mission, exhibitions and programs, along with increased ticket sales for events and special ticketed exhibitions. Most significantly, the partnership has allowed CMA to connect with a technology savvy audience, a significant achievement for a traditionally grounded institution.

GRIP's partnership with the Westerville Symphony began in 2002. GRIP has offered the full range of its capabilities including a new Web site designed around the Westerville Symphony’s most critical needs. The site is easily accessible and allows users to purchase concert tickets, event tickets and make a donation. Staff has access to secure logins where they can check Web orders, assign and manage e-mail boxes with a full line of helpful features.

Medium Business: Cameron Mitchell Catering Company

Nominated by BalletMet Columbus

The Cameron Mitchell Catering Company topped its first canape in 2002. Since then, with great success, it has been established as one of the premier caterers in Columbus. The company has 30 full time employees and contracts with about 100 additional central Ohioans as needed for events.

BalletMet's partnership with Cameron Mitchell Catering Company began in 2003 for The Nutcracker Ball, the organization's gala event. The company has remained BalletMet's exclusive cater for this event for five years, along with acting as caterer for the Dance with the Dancers Martini parties for the past three years. For these major events and other small receptions, the Cameron Mitchell Catering Company has donated at least $62,000 in goods and services to BalletMet. In addition to the in-kind donations, the staff of the Cameron Mitchell Catering Company has donated hundreds of hours to help conceive, plan and implement the vision of each event. The dedication of Cameron Mitchell Catering Company's staff to make sure that BalletMet is perceived as a world class arts institution makes a dramatic impact for event guests. BalletMet calls the impact of the partnership between "immeasurable."

Large Business: National City

Nominated by CAPA, CATCO and Phoenix Theatre Circle for Children

Founded in 1929, National City Corporation is one of the nation's largest financial holding companies. The company operates through an extensive banking network primarily in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Pennsylvania and serves customers in additional selected markets nationally. National City has 1,760 employees and 59 branch banks in central Ohio.

National City began supporting CAPA in 1996, CATCO in 1994 and The Phoenix Theatre Circle for Children in 2005. The company has shared its financial resources as well as its associates with all three organizations. Donations have been for sponsorships, general operating support, education programming, fundraising events and capital projects such as the backstage restoration of the historic Palace Theatre. National City is most closely associated with CAPA for its sponsorship of the Summer Movie Series in the Ohio Theatre in downtown Columbus, attended by 38,000 people in 2007. Further, National City‘s support for CATCO through its financial and legal crisis in 2003 allowed the organization to complete its three-year plan to eliminate nearly $600,000 in liabilities from its balance sheet. In addition to its fiscal support of the Phoenix Theatre, National City identifies and suggests trustees for Phoenix’s board of trustees.

Through its support for CAPA, CATCO and The Phoenix Theatre Circle for Children, National City has impacted each organization’s ability to develop audiences, maintain fiscal solvency and bring outstanding productions and performances to central Ohioans.