Sep. 30, 2009 (Business Wire) -- The Chicago Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI-Chicago) announced today that St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ) of St. Paul was selected as the winner of the 2009 Midwest Annual Report Awards competition. The competition has honored the finest in annual reports among Midwest public companies since 1991.
St. Jude Medical was selected from among a pool of nearly 700 Midwestern companies. The program committee also announced nine other reports that comprise the Top 10 reports for the year. In alphabetical order with the exception of the winner, St. Jude Medical, the Midwest Annual Report Awards 2009 Top 10 winners are:
- St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, Minnesota
- Abbott, Abbott Park, Illinois
- CME Group, Chicago, Illinois
- Eaton Corporation, Cleveland Ohio
- Lubrizol Corporation, Wickliffe, Ohio
- Manpower Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, Illinois
- The Mosaic Company, Plymouth, Minnesota
- O’Reilly Automotive, Springfield Missouri
- Wausau Paper Corp., Mosinee, Wisconsin
“On behalf of NIRI-Chicago, the American Institute of Graphics Arts-Chicago Chapter, and DePaul University, congratulations to first-place winner St. Jude Medical and the other winners this year,” said contest chairman Steve Carr, managing director, Dresner Corporate Services, and a NIRI-Chicago board member. “The winners represent different industries, market caps and exchanges, but are united by their sophisticated achievements in investor relations, as demonstrated by the quality of these annual reports.”
Added Patricia M. (Patty) Paul, NIRI-Chicago president and principal, ButtonWood Associates: “Our Chapter’s goals include broadening members’ understanding of investor relations matters and sharing experiences, and the Midwest Annual Report Awards advances these goals. It represents a dynamic assessment of the latest trends in annual reports and recognizes the best in engaging, informative reports.”
“The St. Jude Medical 2008 annual report, and the effort that goes into its production each year, reflect the dedication we have to our physician customers and the patients they serve. We view the annual report as a unique opportunity to tell our story, and in doing so, to highlight the stories of the many patients and physicians whom we’ve been fortunate to work with over the prior year. St. Jude Medical remains committed to advancing the practice of medicine by developing products which reduce risk and contribute to successful patient outcomes,” said St. Jude Medical chairman, president and chief executive officer Daniel J. Starks, commenting on the recognition by the NIRI-Chicago Chapter.
The Midwest Annual Reports Program is unique among annual report competitions in that three independent professions sponsor and evaluate annual reports from all public companies in the eight-state Midwest region. The judges are members of NIRI-Chicago; three leading Chicago-area graphic designers representing the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), Chicago Chapter; and professors from DePaul University's Department of Finance. Judges from the disciplines represented by the organizations (investor relations, graphic design and academia) evaluate the reports submitted based on stringent criteria. No fees or memberships are required on the part of companies submitting annual reports to participate in the competition.
About NIRI-Chicago
The Chicago chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI-Chicago) works to advance the practice of investor relations and meet the growing professional development needs of those engaged in the field. The members of NIRI-Chicago include corporate officers, consultants, service providers, academics and others involved in the practice of investor relations, which is a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance. NIRI-Chicago is one of the largest NIRI chapters in the United States and the recipient of several NIRI awards for large chapters, including Best Chapter, Best Special Events and Best Communications. More information is available at www.niri-chicago.org.
