TAHLEQUAH, OK – The Cherokee Nation recently honored hundreds of Native-owned businesses during the tribe’s annual TERO Certified Indian Owned Business Awards Banquet at the Chota Conference Center.
The Cherokee Nation Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) has 692 Indian-owned companies and 119 artists that are TERO-certified vendors able to do business with the tribe and compete for government contracting jobs. In fiscal year 2022, TERO vendors earned approximately $27 million in contracts with the tribe.
“I believe that we can raise up a generation of entrepreneurs that share in this entrepreneurial spirit if we continue to celebrate our TERO vendors and artists,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “The annual TERO banquet is not only about celebrating these Native-owned businesses, it is about sending a message to the people of Cherokee Nation that we value hard work and our TERO businesses.”
Eight of the tribe’s TERO-certified businesses received special recognition for their outstanding performance as part of the annual awards banquet.
Allen’s Construction of Stilwell received the Certified Indian Business Construction Company of the Year. Allen’s Construction has been a TERO vendor for 13 years and, since then, has completed thousands of construction and rehab projects for the Cherokee Nation.
“I am honored to receive this award,” said Allen Coldwell, owner of Allen’s Construction. “I have been a TERO vendor since 2009 and my team does a lot of work with the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation for the construction of rehabilitation homes, so we are grateful to stay busy. My team works very hard. I am happy to see that hard work pay off.”
The eight certified Indian-owned businesses awarded for 2022 are as follows:
• Certified Indian Women-Owned Business of the Year: Tahlequah Printing, Tahlequah
• Certified Indian Business Community Leadership Award: CPR, Tulsa
• Certified Indian Business Customer Service Award: One Source Water, Tahlequah
• Certified Indian Consulting Firm of the Year: Tiger Natural Gas, Tulsa
• Certified Indian Retail Business of the Year: Cross H Trailer Sales, Wagoner
• Small Certified Indian Business of the Year: C & L Site Services, Tahlequah
• Large Certified Indian Business of the Year: Stout Construction Company, Owasso
• Certified Indian Business Construction Company of the Year: Allen’s Construction, Stilwell
The tribe also honored AST Storage of Jay with a Re-Entry and Justice-Involved Program award for their work with the tribe’s re-entry program.