VENICE, FL - The Venice Area Chamber of Commerce honored Caldwell Trust Company as its 2014 Business of the Year at an event attended by some 300 area business people. The Chamber’s 35th Annual Business of the Year Awards luncheon banquet, held at Plantation Golf & Country Club, was the setting for the announcement of winners in five categories. Caldwell Trust Company was chosen from a field of 12 nominees as the winner in the large business category. Event co-hosts Jim Kuhlman of Stonegate Bank and Tiffany Steffees of A Catered Affair presented a commemorative plaque to R. G. “Kelly” Caldwell Jr., CEO and president of Caldwell Trust Company.
“I am truly humbled by this award,” Kelly Caldwell said, adding that the presentation was especially meaningful because one of the presenters, Jim Kuhlman, is a close friend. He thanked the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce and voiced his particular appreciation to the “hard-working, dedicated team” of Caldwell Trust Company.
Nominees in the competition were required to complete an extensive questionnaire with relevant business information including company history; description of services; mission statement; management philosophy, vision and goals, and much more. Corporate citizenship and involvement with the community were also key elements. Three judges reviewed the applications, selected finalists for personal interviews and chose the winners. In announcing Caldwell Trust Company, the judges noted that the main goal of the business is “to take care of families.”
Caldwell Trust Company, established in Venice in 1993, is an independent trust company with offices in Venice and Sarasota, Florida. The firm currently manages over $760 million in assets for clients throughout the United States. It provides a full range of fiduciary services to individuals, including services as trustee, custodian, investment adviser, financial manager and personal representative. Additionally, Caldwell manages 401(k) and 403(b) qualified retirement plans for employers.
The company is also known for extensive community service and has donated more than $1million in cash to area organizations since its inception. In addition, staff members volunteer untold hours of service on board and committees of charities.
In November 2013, the company celebrated its 20th anniversary and reinforced its commitment to the community when it broke ground for a new $3 million, 11,500-square-foot headquarters building in Venice. “We expect to move into our new home at the end of the year,” Caldwell says. “We’ve been in Venice for the last twenty years and we plan to be here for at least the next twenty.”