GREAT BEND–A Great Bend business is one of five finalists for the Governor’s Award of Excellence,  the top award given to a business by the state.

Benefit Management, Inc. is among 100 businesses that were nominated in one of four categories: manufacturing/distribution, service, retail and hospital/non-profit.

The Kansas Department of Commerce has named 24 Regional Business Excellence Award winners and 76 Merit Award winners as part of Business Appreciation Month, the Department’s annual celebration of Kansas businesses and their contributions to their communities and the state economy.

The winners will be announced  June 17 at the Team Kansas Awards Banquet in Wichita.

The five finalists for the Governor’s Award of Excellence are:

· Benefit Management Inc., Great Bend
· Galaxy Technologies, Winfield
· Geary Community Hospital, Junction City
· Grandstand Glassware and Apparel, Lawrence
· LifeTeam, Newton

Benefit Management Inc., founded in 1995,  provides customized, high-quality health benefits administration programs to self-insured companies, association plans and to state and federal high risk pools nationwide.