The Business Journal earned three national journalism awards from the Alliance of Area Business Publications. Photo by Gabriel Dillard

The Business Journal’s coverage of breaking automotive news, the human side of manufacturing and a volunteer-run school were recognized by the Alliance of Area Business Publications (AABP) with national awards last week.

The AABP represents business-to-business publications from across the U.S., Canada and Australia. The Editorial Excellence Award winners were announced Friday during the AABP’s annual conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Business Journal earned a trio of awards — a gold and two silver — competing in the division for small, tabloid-sized publications.

The awards were judged by faculty members from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

The gold award in the category of Best Feature, Series was earned for a series entitled “Connecting with the human side of manufacturing/distribution.” It featured stories about Heartland Compass, the employer-led employee support network; the Dinuba 8, employees at a fulfillment center on the job together for three decades; and Fresno manufacturer Total Concept Enterprises helping women in recovery expand their business productivity.

The writers in the series were Frank Lopez and Ben Hensley.

“This set of stories does exactly what it promises: The pieces explore the people who make businesses go – from the creators of dog treats that raise money for nonprofits to the eight employees who have worked together at the same company for 27 years. Engaging leads and thoughtful quotes make for stories that are interesting and informative,” according to a judge’s comments.

Managing Editor Gabriel Dillard won a silver award in the category for Best Scoop with the story “Fresno luxury dealerships moving to fast-growing Clovis intersection,” about CJ Wilson’ s plans to expand his BMW, Audi and Porsche dealerships to Clovis.

Frank Lopez took home a silver award in the category Best Feature, Single Story,” for his profile “Fresno Freedom School offers kids a path to self-reliance through farming.” The volunteer-run school teaches West Fresno children everything from ag science to automotive classes, nutrition and life skills.

“This uplifting story highlights the valuable work of volunteers while also providing readers important historical context about past discrimination in agriculture,” the judges said about Lopez’s story.