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Candy Bouquet Founder Wins
Business Executive of the Year

Arkansas Business staff
Arkansasbusiness.com Daily Report

Judges in Arkansas Business' 17th annual Arkansas Business of the Year competition named Margaret McClain McEntire Business Executive of the Year for 2004.

McEntire, the founder and CEO of Candy Bouquet International, received the award during a sold-out banquet Thursday night at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. More than 900 business leaders from across the state attended the annual awards ceremony.

Judges chose McEntire from a list of five finalists. Other finalists for Business Executive of the Year were Phillip Baldwin of Southern Bancorp. of Arkadelphia, Bob L. Burns of Farmers Bank of Magnolia, Chris Hubble of Hubble-Mitchell & Associates of Little Rock and Bob Shults of Financial Centre Corp. of Little Rock.

McEntire calls herself "living proof that a housewife can do anything if she puts her mind to it." The company that the mother of six founded 16 years ago, Candy Bouquet International, now has more than 700 franchisees in 44 countries. While the home office in Little Rock employs only 37 and its revenue is a trade secret, the franchised stores employ about 5,500 people worldwide and the family of stores has total revenue of more than $60 million.

William Vickery, executive director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in Little Rock, won Nonprofit Executive of the Year. Since Vickery took over the nonprofit organization in 1997, ticket sales and donations have soared. In 1997, ticket sales were $422,000, and for its fiscal year that ended June 30, 2004, sales were $1.47 million, a 347 percent increase. Donations also increased from $420,000 in 1997 to $1.39 million in 2004, a 332 percent increase.

Other winners were Communications Development of Maumelle, MediSav Homecare Pharmacies of Charleston and Southern Bancorp. of Arkadelphia, which won in their respective categories. Arkansas Hospice of Little Rock won Nonprofit Organization of the Year.

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