The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber honored four area businesses with the 2014 Blue Ash Business Awards March 13 at Cooper Creek Event Center.

Blue Ash is home to more than 2,300 businesses and is the second largest business district in the Cincinnati area, said Mayor Lee Czerwonka.

“Since the city’s founding in 1961, city council has worked closely with city administration to create a favorable environment where businesses can thrive. We take pride in the safe and comfortable community we provide,” Czerwonka said.

Brian Carley, who become the president and CEO of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber this month, said he is excited to start working with the businesses throughout the region and in Blue Ash.

“Your business diversity, your innovation, your leadership are all important in what makes our region strong and will allow us to get stronger,” Carley said.

The winners were decided by a committee of seven business professionals from different companies throughout the region. The companies were reviewed based on leadership, innovation, strategy, market focus, human resource focus, job creation and financial performance.

Corporation of the Year award went to CTI Clinical Trial & Consulting Services, which provides therapeutic services to the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries. The company started in Blue Ash in 1999 and has offices in 15 countries. CTI has been a part of creating 30 new treatments for life-threatening illnesses.

Corporate Community Service award went to Modern Office Methods, an office equipment company. The company gives away an office-technology make-off to a non-profit company each year and raises money for numerous charities.

Horan, an insurance and finance company, was runner up. Horan’s leadership team has won multiple awards for community service and 75 percent of its employees participate in community service or volunteer events each year.

Business of the Year with 51-250 employees award went to Schulman Associates, IRB, an independent institution review board, that provides and promotes clinical research by protecting the rights of clinical research patients.

ProSource, an office technology company, was the runner up. The company is one of the fastest growing office technology companies in the area.

Business of the Year with 1-50 employees award went to The Business Backer, a small-business funding company, that provides customized funding for businesses that cannot receive traditional funding.

Axiom Consulting, a product development company, was the runner up. The company works with numerous different industries and creates innovated packing for products.

Austin Allison, co-founder and CEO of DotLoop, a technology movement in real estate, was the keynote speaker and spoke about the importance of having a passion for business, which he said is the most important aspect of a successful company.

“We found over time that passion actual creates more profit and when I say profit I am referring to both financial rewards and emotional rewards as it relates to employee satisfaction and fulfillment,” Allison said.