Three Women Business Owners Honored with NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer Awards

Award recognizes innovation, growth and community service

For Immediate Release
June 24, 2009


Chicago, IL – Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) and the National Association of Women Business Owners^® (NAWBO^®) will recognize three women-owned businesses with the 8th annual NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer Award. The award demonstrates the two organization’s long-standing commitment to the success of women-owned businesses. Each winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and be honored at NAWBO’s 2009 Women’s Business Conference in Chicago on June 25.  

The Trailblazer award is part of Wells Fargo’s Women Business Services program. Established in 1995, the program uses outreach and education to help women business owners increase their access to capital and other financial services. The program forms key national and community relationships, conducts primary research, sponsors events, and provides financial information and resources to support the success of women-owned businesses.  Since 1995, Wells Fargo has loaned more than $34 billion to women business owners nationwide.

The winners were selected from a nationwide pool of applicants and evaluated on their companies’ business performance, innovation, growth, and service to the community.

This year’s winners are:  

·    Wayzata, Minn. – based Hope Chest for Breast Cancer, sells donated upscale furniture, designer clothing and decorative accessories through two retail stores in Minnesota.  A portion of the stores’ earnings funds breast cancer programs including emergency financial support, education, research, treatment and hospice care. Owner Barbara Hensley, who started the company after losing her sisters to the disease, will be honored.
 

·    Pacific Grove, Calif. – based Psi Bands develops, manufactures and sells stylish acupressure wrist bands for the relief of nausea due to morning sickness (pregnancy), motion sickness/travel, chemotherapy, and anesthesia. Since launching in October 2007, P Psi Bands are now carried by multiple nationwide retail chains and online stores. A portion of the company’s proceeds support Fertile Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive information and support to cancer patients whose medical treatments may cause infertility.  Owners Romy Taormina and Carla Falcone will be honored.
 

·    DeSoto, Tx. – based Warrior Group is a construction services business providing construction and project management for permanent modular and conventional construction projects. The company has pioneered new building techniques, including a proprietary lifting and setting method for placing and securing buildings on foundations.  In 2007, owner Gail Warrior-Lawrence, who will accept the award, started the Heart of a Warrior Charitable Foundation to provide educational enrichment programs for underserved children in Texas.

“It is our honor to recognize these three women-owned businesses with the Trailblazer award,” said Joy Ott, regional president for Wells Fargo in Montana and National Spokesperson for Women Business Services program. "These business owners are running successful businesses, and have also found the time to give back to their communities and make a difference in the lives of others. They are all inspirational and embody the talent, passion and strength demonstrated by trailblazers.”

“It is inspiring to see women business owners continuing to prosper throughout the country,” said Helen Han, NAWBO executive director. “This is the eighth year that we have presented this award and every year, we are impressed by the fortitude and drive of our applicants.  We are privileged to welcome these business owners to our talented group of trailblazers.”

Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance through more than 10,400 stores, over 12,000 ATMs and the internet (wellsfargo.com) across North America and internationally. 

About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo is America’s #1 small business lender in total dollar volume according to the most recent Community Reinvestment Act data (2007) and the #1 SBA 7a national bank lender in total dollar volume (2008). Wells Fargo has loaned close to $39 billion to women, African American, Latino and Asian business owners since 1995.  For more information, speak with a Wells Fargo banker, visit wellsfargo.com/biz or call the National Business Banking Center at 1-800-CALL-WELLS. |

About NAWBO
Founded in 1975, NAWBO propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. Thirty years later, NAWBO is still the only organization that solely represents the interest of women entrepreneurs in all industries. The organization’s mission is to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of its members and promote economic development; to create innovative and effective change in the business culture; to build strategic alliances, coalitions and affiliations; and to transform public policy and influence opinion makers. Visit www.nawbo.org for more information.
 

NAWBO Media Contact:                                   Wells Fargo Media Contact:
Drizen-Dohs Corporate Communications                Wells Fargo
Christina Jorgensen, ext. 103                                   Sarah Toffoli
Lauren Astor, ext. 115                                            (415) 396-0866
(818) 772-9555                                                      sarah.toffoli@wellsfargo.com
media@nawbo.org