Moore Pediatric Therapy Clinic Services, of Carthage, is the winner of the 2009 "Good to Great" contest for small businesses in Moore County.

Glenn Phelps, Chairman of the Sandhills chapter of SCORE, and Patrick Coughlin, president of the Moore County Chamber of Commerce, jointly announced the winning company.

Moore Pediatric Therapy Services (MPTS) specializes in helping children with developmental delays and sensory integration needs. It is building a new clinic in Carthage, scheduled to open in early summer, which will allow it to see children more often.

MPTS will use the $1,500 award to stock the center so it can better serve the youngsters being treated there.

The "Good to Great" contest is sponsored jointly by SCORE and the Moore Chamber of Commerce, with generous support from Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates.

Administered by the Small Business Center at Sandhills Community College, the contest is intended to encourage small businesses to develop ideas for success by answering this question: "How can my small business take advantage of the $1,500 prize to make itself more successful?"

"The number of entries this year was very encouraging, exceeding any previous year, and made the selection of a single winner a great challenge," Phelps said.

The panel of judges for the contest was comprised of members of SCORE, Moore County Chamber of Commerce, and the Management and Business Technology Department of Sandhills Community College. Marilyn Neely, director of the Small Business Center at SCC, chaired the panel.

The contest prize will be presented to Moore Pediatric Therapy Clinic Services at noon Friday, May 22, during a luncheon at Table on the Green. The public is invited to attend. Anyone interested in attending is asked to make a reservation by calling Phelps at 692-8126.

The Sandhills SCORE Chapter provides assistance to small businesses in a variety of ways, including free seminars hosted by the SCC Small Business Center on topics of interest to new and experienced business owners, as well as free confidential counseling.

The chapter is always seeking additional motivated volunteers. More information on SCORE's activities can be found on its Web site, www.sandhillsscore.org.