The American Business Ethics Award (ABEA) recognizes U.S. companies who exemplify high standards of ethical behavior in their everyday business conduct and in response to specific crises or challenges. Established in 1994 by the Society of Financial Service Professionals, this award program embodies the Society's 75-year advancement of sound business ethics in insurance and financial services, especially among its nearly 20,000 members.

Beginning with the 2007 program, the American Business Ethics Awards are sponsored by the Foundation for Financial Service Professionals.

The awards are presented in three categories:

• large companies (with over 2,500 employees
• mid-sized companies (with 250-2,500 employees)
• and small companies (with fewer than 250 employees).

NOTE: Financial service companies and nonprofit organizations are excluded from award consideration due to their close association with the Society.

Video from 2006 ABEA Program

• Short Clips
• ABEA Program Introduction: Ward Anderson
• CMA Award Presentation
• MEDRAD Award Presentation
• General Dynamics Armament & Technical Products Award Presentation
• Concluding Remarks: Ward Anderson

2007 ABEA Program
MetLife, sole sponsor of the 2007 American Business Ethics Award program, joins the Foundation for Financial Service Professionals in congratulating the recipients of the 2007 awards as well as the companies selected for an Honorable Mention. “MetLife has always been committed to upholding the highest standard of ethical conduct in all that we do,” according to Michael J. Vietri, CLU, executive vice president of MetLife’s Agency Distribution Group. “Therefore it is with great pleasure that we sponsor the 2007 American Business Ethics Awards, to show both our appreciation to those in the field who strive for the best, and to illustrate our continued commitment to building and maintaining a strong ethical business structure.”

The awards will be presented at the Foundation Awards Dinner on September 26, 2007 in Montreal . The event begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be held at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel.

The 2007 American Business Ethics Award recipients are:

• Small Company: Donald Haack Diamonds, Inc. (of Charlotte , NC ) nominated by Janice Stevens to the Charlotte Ethics in Business Award conducted by the Charlotte Chapter

• Midsize Company: Freese and Nichols, Inc. (of Fort Worth, TX) nominated by Viqui Litman to the Greater Tarrant Business Ethics Award conducted by the Fort Worth Chapter

• Large Company: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (of Austin , TX ) self-nominated by company employees

Companies selected for an Honorable Mention certificate recipients are:

• Small Company:
• Coulter Non-Profit Management (of McLean , VA ) nominated by Cherilyn Cepriano to the National Capital Business Ethics Award conducted by the National Capital Chapter
• Hollstadt & Associates (of Burnsville , MN ) nominated by Jim Christian to the Minnesota Business Ethics Award conducted by the Twin Cities Chapter

• Midsize Company:
• Ruppert Nurseries (of Laytonsville, MD) nominated by David Forrester to the National Capital Business Ethics Award conducted by the National Capital Chapter
• American Security Programs, Inc. (of Dulles , VA ) nominated by an employee to the National Capital Business Ethics Award conducted by the National Capital Chapter
• Premier, Inc. (of Charlotte , NC ) nominated by Brian Kenny to the Charlotte Ethics in Business Award conducted by the Charlotte Chapter

• Large Company:
• Kennametal Inc. (of Latrobe , PA ) nominated by employee David W. Greenfield to the Pittsburgh American Business Ethics Award conducted by the Pittsburgh Chapter
• Gibraltar Industries (of Buffalo , NY ) nominated by an employee to the Buffalo-Niagara Business Ethics Award conducted by the Buffalo Chapter

Congratulations to all the 2007 ABEA honorees!

2008 ABEA Program

Nominations are being accepted through March 31, 2008. A company may be nominated for consideration by a customer, client, employee, consultant, vendor or any other person who believes that the company's ethics program is commendable. Nominated companies will receive the official ABEA Call for Entries from the Foundation for Financial Service Professionals . Click here for the Nomination Form.

Nominated companies are required to complete an official Entry Form and provide documentation of ethics-in-action at their company. The deadline for submitting entries is June 16, 2008. Click here for entry submission requirements.

An independent panel of ethics experts drawn from the business, academic, public service, media, and consulting communities serve as judges for the ABEA program. The judging criteria are stringent, and the result is an award that is as coveted as it is difficult to achieve. Click here for the ABEA judging criteria.

The crystal award statue, created by internationally renowned designer Peter Wayne Yenawine of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, signifies the roots of ethics in the ancient world, strong ethical foundations, aspirations to high standards of business conduct and the multifaceted nature of ethics in our daily lives.

Ineligible for Award Consideration:

• Award recipients from the prior five years.
• Nonprofit companies and financial service companies are not eligible to participate. A financial service company is defined as one that earns more than 25 percent of its revenues from providing financial services or from the sale of financial products.

For additional information on the 2008 ABEA program, contact G. Ronald MacDonald, CLU, ChFC, CAE at rmacdona@financialpro.org or at (800) 927-2427, extension 2532.

For a list of past ABEA recipients, click here.