w3r Consulting, an award-winning talent and IT provider based in Southfield, Mich., earned top honors as the 2018 Detroit Lions Comerica Bank Small Business of the Year.
Chosen among the eight Michigan-based Comerica Bank Small Business of the Game winners announced for each Lions’ home game in 2018, w3r Consulting earned the top award based on overall contributions in the small business community and efforts to showcase its position as a Small Business of the Game honoree.
“For nearly 25 years, w3r Consulting has built a valuable service and produced robust partnerships across several industries through talent and data management solutions that generate success for its clients,” said Kim Kersten, Comerica Bank Senior Vice President of Business Banking. “Eric, Keith, Patrick, and their entire team represent the true spirit of a small business built from the ground up, and it is a privilege for Comerica to serve businesses like w3r Consulting. This recognition is well deserved.”
Chief Executive Officer Eric Hardy and Chief Financial Officer Patrick Tomina founded w3r
Consulting in 1995 and then partnered with Executive Vice President Keith Echols two years later. Since the mid-1990s, w3r Consulting has delivered results by building trusted, strategic partnerships in data analytics, talent solutions, and technology consulting services. They have expanded their diverse reach into numerous industries such as automotive, financial, government, health care, insurance, and retail.
“Being selected from among our Michigan-based peers as the Comerica Bank Small Business of the Year is a genuine honor,” said Eric Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of w3r Consulting. “We pride ourselves for our integrity, accountability, innovation, and discipline and receiving recognition at this level from a long-standing partner indicates those values naturally radiate from our people.”
“This award is especially meaningful because we have such a long-running partnership with Comerica Bank,” said Keith Echols, Executive Vice President at w3r Consulting. “At the time, their organization was one of the first banks to provide our fledgling business with a loan 24 years ago and we are committed to maintaining that relationship now and in the future.”
In its second year, the Comerica Bank Small Business of the Game Program showcases “small businesses” in the Michigan market. As an official sponsor of the Detroit Lions, Comerica promoted a winning business at each Lions home game this past season as the Small Business of the Game, offering exposure to the NFL audience through in-stadium, online and social media platforms.
“The Detroit Lions are proud to partner with Comerica Bank to recognize small businesses throughout Michigan,” said Todd Lambert, Detroit Lions Vice President of Corporate Development & Ticketing. “It’s great to see a company like w3r Consulting be acknowledged for their work and we hope that it helps encourage other small businesses to forge their place in Michigan’s corporate community.”
Among the gameday promotional opportunities, the Lions featured each winner during a segment on the team’s in-stadium pregame show.
In Week 3, Hardy and Echols offered insights into w3r’s mission and philosophies, as well as the importance of their relationship with Comerica.
Click for full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hLxeQv9dn4
2018 Detroit Lions Comerica Bank Small Business of the Game Honorees:
– WEEK 1: Woodland Direct
– WEEK 2: Skinnytees.com
– WEEK 3: w3r Consulting
– WEEK 4: Information Systems Resources (ISR)
– WEEK 5: L.I.J.B.S. Towing & Transport
– WEEK 6: Ryba’s Fudge Shops
– WEEK 7: Technosports
– WEEK 8: Client Financial Services