September Business Briefs

i5 web works Designs New Website for GRACE Gala 2010

i5 web works (www.i5ww.com), a Southlake-based website development and Internet marketing company, has designed a new website for the 7^th Annual GRACE Gala (www.GraceGala.org), a black-tie fundraiser for Grapevine Relief And Community Exchange (GRACE). This is the fifth year i5 web works has donated its expertise to the GRACE Gala, in addition to designing and hosting the organization’s primary website (www.gracegrapevine.org).  

The re-designed GRACE Gala website combines a custom design and state-of-the-art technology to offer viewers both a visually-appealing and functional experience:

• event details with photos and ability to purchase tickets
• sponsorship information with application
• auction item donation form
• raffle rules and ability to purchase raffle tickets

Berkey’s Hires Baber-Sandefur to Oversee Community Relations

Berkey’s Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning (www.berkeys.com) hired Sandra Baber-Sandefur to manage its community relations program. A Grapevine native and former executive director of the Southlake Chamber of Commerce, Baber-Sandefur will oversee the company’s marketing, sponsorships and special events.  

Spine Team Texas Named ‘Best Place to Work’ by Dallas Business Journal

Spine Team Texas (www.spineteamtexas.com) has been named to Dallas Business Journal’s annual ‘Best Places to Work’ list for the second consecutive year. This annual program is a highly regarded designation which recognizes the area’s top employers in Dallas-Fort Worth. Hundreds of companies in North Texas compete for the honor, which is awarded in the categories of small, midsize and large companies. With 135 employees, Spine Team Texas is one of 23 midsize companies throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area on the 2010 ‘Best Places to Work’ list. All honoree companies will be recognized at a special awards luncheon on Thursday, September 23, when the rankings will be revealed.

Entertainment Schedule Announced for Southlake Oktoberfest 2010

Southlake Chamber of Commerce presents the 9^th Annual Oktoberfest, October 1-3at Southlake Town Square. The popular German festival, which is expected to attract more than 25,000 people from throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, is free admission to the public and hours of operation are Friday, 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. A variety of live entertainment will be presented throughout the three-day family event, including local, regional and national performers:

Pieter Andries, Creators of Fine Jewelry, Uses New Diamond Technology

Pieter Andries, Creators of Fine Jewelry (www.pieterandries.com), can now help customers find the truly perfect diamond with the Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool (ASET), the newest technology in diamond cut evaluation. Available exclusively to members of the American Gem Society, an elite group of jewelers who maintain the highest professional standards in the industry, the ASET allows users to quickly determine a diamond’s light performance, which is a product of the quality of the cut.

According to Pieter Andries, a certified gemologist and president of the Southlake-based custom jewelry store, he and his staff will use this technology to select stones for inventory and to educate clients about the importance of cut in relation to beauty and value.

 “The use of the ASET in diamond presentations allows our clients to clearly see the light performance of a diamond, which not only determines the beauty of the diamond, but can also determine up to 50 percent of its value,” Andries explained.