Our total has hit 62 in national and state competitions over the past 12 years. All are greatly appreciated with one of the most recent being a big one – a Grand Award in the APEX competition.

The winning entry was “Let’s Make a (Business) Deal,” a five-article package written by Rebecca Patrick and Tom Schuman in the September-October 2011 edition. Stories included a focus on deals involving the Colts' move to Indianapolis, different paths to growth for Franklin Electric and Herff Jones, information and analysis from authorities in the "business deal" world and a one-on-one interview with Mickey Maurer, leading dealmaker in both the private and public sectors.

There were nearly 3,400 APEX entrants with only 100 earning the Grand Award, a first for BizVoice® in this competition. In the writing categories, BizVoice® earned one of 10 Grand Awards among 580 entrants. Although this was a writing category, kudos also to creative director Tony Spataro for his design work on this package. The words shine a little more when there is a strong look to the articles and publication.

The judges’ comments were: "Superbly researched, interviewed and written articles on the ‘art of the business deal.’ A range of valuable information from case histories to anecdotes to specific tips makes this series a worthwhile read."

In April 2013, Matt Ottinger and Symone Skrzycki earned a first-place headline writing award in the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists “Best in Indiana Journalism” competition.

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