By Jessica Mitchell
The Journal Record
 

As a testament to Oklahoma's growing progress in business innovation, The Journal Record in April will present 50 awards at its largest-ever Innovator of the Year banquet.

The awards include the biggest class of On the Brink winners as well as a new category - the Creativity Award. The first honoree of the Creativity Award will be the Kirkpatrick Foundation for its Oklahoma Creativity Project, which developed new interest in creativity grants and directed philanthropy toward creative endeavors through the contribution of seed money and support for the project.

J. Donald Capra, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation president emeritus and winner of the 2006 overall Innovator of the Year award, will deliver the keynote speech at this year's event scheduled for April 5 at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center.

"This year we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Innovator of the Year and the centennial of our state," said Mary Melon, publisher of The Journal Record. "This event gives us the opportunity to recognize the creative spirit that has made Oklahoma the great state that it is today."

An overall winner will be announced from the 30 innovators at the banquet. These innovators, along with the winners of "On the Brink" awards, will be profiled in the Innovator of the Year magazine to be published April 6.

The Innovator of the Year award winners for 2007 are:

* Advanced Chemical Solutions, Oklahoma City.

* The Banta Companies, Oklahoma City.

* Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Oklahoma City.

* Grant Thornton LLP, Oklahoma City.

* Heartland Homes, Oklahoma City.

* The Homeless Alliance, Oklahoma City.

* JK Autoimmunity Inc., Oklahoma City.

* LifeGuard America LLC, Tulsa.

* Martin Bionics LLC, Oklahoma City.

* The Michael Group, Oklahoma City.

* Monte Cassino School, Tulsa.

* OK.gov, Oklahoma City.

* Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City.

* Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Oklahoma City.

* Oklahoma Digital Forensics Professionals Inc., Tulsa.

* Oklahoma Prosperity Project, Oklahoma City.

* OnlineMedsource.org, Norman.

* P Bar Farms, Weatherford.

* Redlands Community College, El Reno.

* Secure Piers, Oklahoma City.

* sixThings, Oklahoma City.

* SouthWest NanoTechnologies Inc., Norman.

* St. Anthony Heart Hospital, Oklahoma City.

* TAParchitecture, Oklahoma City.

* U.S. Shooting Academy, Tulsa.

* The University of Oklahoma, Norman.

* The University of Oklahoma, Office of Technology Development, Norman.

* The University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences, Norman.

* Western Oklahoma State College, Altus.

* White Fields, Piedmont.

These additional companies with promising new products, services or technologies will receive "On the Brink" awards:

* Altheus Therapeutics Inc., Oklahoma City.

* Blackwell Plastic Solutions, Blackwell.

* Central Oklahoma Wakeboard Center, Guthrie.

* DNA Solutions, Oklahoma City.

* Impact Technologies LLC, Tulsa.

* Laura's Mix, Tulsa.

* LuXsine Energy Co., Sapulpa.

* ONCONOS LLC, Oklahoma City.

* Payne Farms, Thomas.

* PreDENT, Norman.

* Pure Protein, Oklahoma City.

* Selexys, Oklahoma City.

* Sol Inc., Norman.

* The University of Oklahoma, Norman.

* The University of Oklahoma, School of Electrical & Computing Engineering, Norman.

* TriCord Hurricane Products, Tulsa.

* Veracity Technology Solutions, Midwest City.

* Virtual Technologies, Oklahoma City.

* Wireless Where, Norman.

Sponsors of the 2007 Journal Record Innovator of the Year Awards are the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology; i2E; First Fidelity Bank; The State Chamber; Crowe & Dunlevy and OETA.

Tickets for the banquet are $75. Corporate tables are available for $1,500 and include a table for eight, advertising, preferred seating and recognition. Tables for eight are $600.

In 2006, the 28 Innovator of the Year winners and three "On the Brink" innovators honored companies and individuals from a variety of industries including agriculture, education, construction, health care, government, manufacturing, advertising and communications, as well as the service and nonprofit sectors. Almost 400 people attended the awards ceremony last year.