PolyBrite International, Inc. of Naperville IL is one of the top 75 finalists for the prestigious 2012 Chicago Innovation Awards reflecting a cross section of the Chicago and surrounding regions’ business communities.  The final ten winners will be announced Monday, October 22 and celebrated at an event with over 1,500 business and civic leaders at Chicago’s Harris Theater.

The Chicago Innovation Awards, celebrating its 11th year, is the only organization in the country dedicated to honoring the most innovative new products or services brought to market or to public service from a specific region.  This year almost 400 nominations were received.

The innovation nominated by PolyBrite International –is its Borealis® A19 LED lamp.  The innovative Borealis A19 has been designed for use in residential, commercial, hospitality and retail applications providing an exceptional replacement for traditional incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).  The Borealis A19 LED lamp consumes up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent lighting and provides at least 50,000 hours of operation.
 
The Borealis A19 lends itself perfectly to any type of lighting fixture that allows for standard Edison screw based lamps and delivers exceptional energy reduction without compromising the quality of light and the environment.  The classical look of the lamp and the patented design is available in a sophisticated clear filament or frosted lamp, providing the same look and feel as standard household lamps used today.  PolyBrite’s goal has been to provide a product that can seamlessly be integrated in a customer’s current system while substantially decreasing their energy use and maintenance costs. 
 
“The most important message of the Chicago Innovation Awards is one of confidence and courage,” said Thomas D. Kuczmarski, co-founder with Chicago journalist Dan Miller of the awards.  “The economy is challenging but each nominee believes the simple truth that a powerful new product or service will find a rewarding market and has the courage to pursue their vision.”
 
As one of the Top 75 finalists, PolyBrite International will receive a scholarship to attend a day-long executive education program on September 18th titled “The Practical Innovator,” taught at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.  It is a full-day executive education course teaching the practical skills of innovation.

This year 13 judges, representing a range of Chicago’s business community, will be involved in an exhaustive and complex judging process to select the final ten winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards as well as ten “Up & Comer” award winners for smaller organizations still in the start-up phases of their innovations. In addition, each of the 75 finalists is automatically in the running for the annual “People’s Choice Award,” selected through online balloting at www.chicagoinnovationawards.com.