National Commercial Bank's (NCB) group managing director Patrick Hylton (second left) and chairman, Michael Lee Chin (fourth left), with the winner of the NCB Nation Builder Award, Boss Furniture Limited's Omar Azan (left); Michelle Smith of Chocolate Dreams (third left), winner of the Strength (Start-up) Award; Bernadette Barrow, NCB's assistant general manager, small and medium enterprises; and Keith Hamilton of Hamilton's Industrial Machine Shop, winner of the Innovation Award, at the ceremony on Tuesday, at the Hilton Kingston hotel, New Kingston. - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

It was a surprised Omar Azan who ascended the platform of the Hilton Kingston hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday night to collect the National Commercial Bank's (NCB) Inaugural 'Nation Builder Award'.

Azan, one of the heads of Boss Furniture Limited, was collecting the award on behalf of his 21-year-old company.

"I am absolutely stunned," Azan said after collecting the award.

The Kingston-based Boss Furniture company is the largest upholstery and bedding manufacturer in the English-speaking Caribbean.

It copped the award for outstanding entre-preneurial performance, sound operational practices and its contribution to community development.

The Montego Bay-based Hamilton's Industrial Machine Shop copped the 'Innovation Award'. Chocolate Dreams, a company known for its hand-made chocolates, was presented with the 'Strength (Start-Up) Award'.

Economic, social contributions to Jamaica

The three companies copped the top prizes from a field of nine contenders.

Bernadette Barrow, NCB's assistant general manager, small and medium enterprises, said the companies were being awarded for their economic contributions to Jamaica and their social contributions through community outreach and development programmes.

The award is open to small- and medium-enterprise customers with an annual turnover under J$500 million. The companies must also have been in operation for the last three years.