NEW YORK — Megan Duckett, president of Rancho Diminguez, CA-based custom theatrical drapes manufacturer Sew What? Inc., was named 2014 Stevie Awards Silver Winner – Female Entrepreneur of the Year at a Nov. 14 award ceremony at the Marriot Marquis Hotel in New York. Duckett’s award was in the Business Services of 11 to 2,500 employees category.
The Stevie Awards, founded in the wake of the Enron scandal in 2002 as the American Business Awards, were renamed “Stevie” in reference to the Greek word that means “crowned.” They were founded to highlight positive achievements among business owners that stand in contrast to the negative perception of business left in the wake of the massive accounting fraud discovered at Enron.
More details from Sew What? (www.sewwhatinc.com):
The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees and the companies they run — worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards. More than 1,200 entries were submitted this year for consideration in more than 90 categories, including Executive of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Women Helping Women, and Communications Campaign of the Year. “Every year we receive the most amazing and inspiring stories of achievement from women-owned-and—run organizations around the world,” said Michael Gallagher, founder and president of the Stevie Awards.
This is the eighth honor awarded to Ms. Duckett and Sew What? as a Stevie Awards winner, having been recognized by the prestigious organization nearly every year since 2006, when it was named “Most Innovative Company of the Year — Up to 100 Employees.”
Ms Duckett’s own path to success began as a 19-year-old Australian immigrant, launching her sewing business from the kitchen of her home, which ultimately led to her creating one of the pre-eminent manufacturers of theatrical drapes and stage curtains for the entertainment industry today.
Sew What? now provides custom and digital backdrops, custom scrims, curtain tracks, pipe and drape systems, and other “soft goods” supplies for stage, film and television productions, as well as rock and roll tours, fashion shows, trade shows, and other special events. In addition, their sister company, Rent What? Inc., provides rentals of theatrical drapes, drops, curtains and supplies to the entertainment and special events industries.
“This award, as an entrepreneur who offers exceptional business services, is a great source of pride both for me personally and for Sew What? as a company,” said Ms Duckett in hearing of the honor.
“We’re very committed to providing the ultimate experience in drapery products and in customer service. We’ve manufactured drapes and soft goods for numerous major artists, including Maroon 5, Slip Knot, Green Day, Sting, James Taylor, Dave Matthews Band, Madonna, Rod Stewart and Don Henley. But we’re also dedicated to providing that same level of service when we work within smaller budgets and drapery projects for elementary, middle and high schools, community theaters, churches and college auditoriums.”
About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in six programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.
