Local Businesses Honored at Annual SCORE Awards

CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Jitka Borowick with Cleangreen was presented with the SCORE Small Business Owner of the Year Award at the SCORE Cape Cod and the Islands Awards Breakfast Thursday morning.

YARMOUTHPORT – Local businesses were honored Thursday at the annual Cape Cod SCORE Awards Breakfast at Old Yarmouth Inn in Yarmouthport.

The Cape and Islands chapter of SCORE has 50 volunteers that offer free and confidential mentoring to entrepreneurs, small businesses and nonprofits.

State Representative Sarah Peake said the awards event is great for SCORE and the small businesses that benefit from the program.

“I think that it highlights the importance of SCORE and their mentoring program and it’s not just new businesses, but businesses that are looking to expand and maybe they need to figure out how to take that next step,” Peake said.

One of those businesses highlighted was Cleangreen, a residential and commercial cleaning business that utilizes natural products.

The owner of Cleangreen, Jitka Borowick, was presented with the award for SCORE’s Small Business Owner of the Year. Borowick said receiving the award made her proud.

“It’s a great accomplishment to show that we are doing something right,” Borowich said. “So I am very honored to be receiving it and tomorrow we will have a big staff meeting and I will be thanking all my employees and the whole team. Because it’s them.”

Borowick started the business eight years ago – just five years after coming to the US from the Czech Republic. She said she hopes her story inspires others that come to the Cape and want to start a business.

“If I can do it, anyone can do it,” she said.

Borowick said her goal when starting the business was to be the best cleaning company on Cape Cod and offer the best customer service. She believes Cleangreen’s customer service sets them apart.

“There are many cleaning companies but it’s the way we treat our clients, our employees and how we give back to the community,” she said. “That’s what makes us different.”

Cleangreen is Cape and Islands green certified and Borowick is always looking for more ways to be ecofriendly.

“She’s the personification of the American Dream,” Peake said. “It’s not easy to come here. She figured out a way to do it. She’s figured out a way to start a business.”

Peake said she is glad to have Borowick add to the economy in a vibrant way and is glad she chose to call Cape Cod her home.

SCORE’s Small Business Champion of the Year was presented to Cape Cod Beer for its commitment to small business on the Cape.

The chapter also presented Better Mousetrap Awards to 18 Cape & Islands small business owners.

Marc Goldberg, the SCORE Cape Cod and the Islands chapter president, said the mousetrap winners are businesses that are growing and were nominated by each of the chambers of commerce on the Cape.

“It’s the fact that they have been successful. They have been profitable and they have made it through that terrible first, second and third year.”

The Better Mousetrap Award Winners were: