SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Minnesota and North Dakota announced its 2004 BBB Integrity Award winners. The fifth annual BBB Integrity Award recognizes companies that display outstanding ethics in dealing with customers, employees, vendors, and the community.

"These companies truly demonstrate the meaning of ethics in business," said Jane Driggs, BBB president. "They show that the BBB's mission of business self-regulation works."

Winners were honored at the BBB's 2004 Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon, which took place at the Minneapolis Hilton.

O'Connor Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Inc. is the mid-sized company category winner. The company specializes in service and replacement of existing residential and commercial plumbing, heating, and cooling systems. The firm is celebrating its 60th year serving the southeast Twin Cities metro area. For more information, visit www.oconnorphc.com or call John O'Connor at 651-437-4177.

Barr Engineering Company is the winner in the large company category. This consulting firm specializes in engineering, environmental, and information technology services, with a staff of more than 250. Barr was incorporated as an employee-owned firm in 1966 and has offices in Minneapolis, Duluth, and Hibbing, Minn.; Jefferson City, Mo.; and Ann Arbor, Mich. For more information, visit www.barr.com or call 800-632-BARR.

Local Integrity Award winners also are eligible to compete for the National BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.

Publication date: 06/21/2004