Dick Johanson speaks at the 2018 60 Ideas in 60 Minutes event in Fresno, hosted by The Business Journal. File Photo

Six businesses have been selected as finalists for the Better Business Bureau’s 2023 Celebration of Ethical Leadership Awards.

These awards recognize companies’ work to go above and beyond to promote trust and ethics in the marketplace. These finalists were determined through an evaluation process carried out by a team of judges including Alicia Bly with Johanson Transportation Service, Dave Blanchfield with Archer & Hound Advertising, Glenna Gates with Spherion Staffing and Karen Lynch, an attorney at McCormick Barstow.

The local BBB’s coverage area ranges from Central California to the Inland Empire.

The finalists are separated into small, medium and large business categories. ABC Non-Emergency Medical Transport, LLC, in Fresno and Katz Locksmith in Upland are the small business category finalists. Echelon Security Group, Inc., in Visalia and Art Douglas Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in Fresno are finalists for the medium business category. SAN MAR Properties, Inc. and Central Valley Community Bank in Fresno are the large business category finalists.

The celebration is part of an alliance between  The Ethics Center and Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fresno State, and the Better Business Bureau Serving Central California & Inland Empire Counties.

The “Ethical Leadership” award was created in 2017 as part of this effort, where Richard Johanson, founder of Johanson Transportation, was recognized for his ethical leadership in the community, according to a news release.

Three winners, one from each category, will be announced during the Sept. 6 broadcast on KSEE24 at 7-8 p.m. and live stream on https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/cvt/.