The San Fernando Valley Business Journal received several awards in recent weeks, including a couple of national honors. At the annual conference of the Association of Area Business Publications on June 9, the Business Journal received a first-place gold award for best overall design in the small tabloid category (papers with circulation of less than 10,000). The Business Journal also received a third-place bronze award for best scoop for a story written by Senior Reporter Shelly Garcia. Also, on June 7 the Business Journal was named “Small Business of the Year” by the Valley Industry and Commerce Association. Garcia earned the best scoop honors for her Oct. 30, 2000 story, “Midwestern Chain Plans Assault into L.A. Area,” on plans for the Wisconsin-based Kohl’s Corp. to move into Southern California, including stores in the San Fernando Valley. The Business Journal received its award for design, according to judges who were members of the faculty of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, for its “ability to arrange a high number of elements into small spaces without cluttering the page.” The Association of Area Business Publications is a national organization with more than 80 member magazines and newspapers in the United States and Canada. The VICA recognition as “Small Business of the Year” was announced at the organization’s “Excellence in Business Awards” dinner at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City. Other finalists for the award were Box Brothers of Woodland Hills and Mike’s Roofing of Van Nuys.
