The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce has announced the winners of its 2011 Small Business of the Year Awards. This year’s awards will honor the ‘Top 10’ small and high-growth businesses in the Greater Boston region, with Little Sprouts, a leader in early childhood education, recognized as the ‘Small Business of the Year.’ An awards luncheon for all the honorees will be held at the Colonnade Hotel on Thursday, October 13, at 12 p.m.

Now in its 27th year, the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year Awards recognize the achievements of Greater Boston’s small and growing for-profit companies with gross revenues of more than $1 million who display strong financial performance, achievement in management, workplace excellence, product innovation, and community or social responsibility.

“In recognition of the significant impact that small business has on our region’s economy, this year the Chamber will honor Greater Boston’s ‘Top 10’ small businesses, led by Little Sprouts, an innovative leader in early childhood education,” said Paul Guzzi, president & CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber. “The 2011 winners are an excellent representation of the entrepreneurial spirit, focus on excellence, and commitment to the community that define our region’s small businesses. We look forward to honoring them on October 13,” added Guzzi.

The 2011 Small Business of the Year, Little Sprouts, is dedicated to improving early childhood literary rates and closing the education achievement gap, to help ensure a better future for children in Massachusetts. Founded 28 years ago in the Merrimack Valley, Little Sprouts now serves over 1,500 children in 13 locations across the state—with plans to open a 14th location in Brighton later this year.

The organization supports families across 56 cultures, 23 languages, and a wide range of social, economic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. It has established itself as an active leader in early education by working on policy issues and curriculum development at the federal and state levels. Little Sprouts has received the “Preschool Centers of Educational Excellence” award from the US Department of Education for the past seven years, and was recognized by the Boston Business Journal as a 2011 Pacesetter—one of the region’s fastest-growing privately help companies.

The additional nine companies to be honored include:

• Baystate Financial Services
• Burtons Grill
• Charles River Apparel
• Enzymatics
• Get in Shape for Women
• Hollister
• IdeaPaint
• Lupoli Companies
• Where, Inc.

Previous Small Business of the Year Award winners include Sagamore Plumbing & Heating, Inc., Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods, Inc., Infoscitex Corporation, RDK Engineers, Hartney Greymont, Baker’s Best, Elizabeth Grady, Cafco Construction Management Inc., The Piantedosi Baking Company, Stacy’s Pita Chip Company, Finagle a Bagel, Boston Duck Tours, Gentle Giant Moving Company, Nantucket Nectars, and J.P. Licks.

About Little Sprouts Inc.: Little Sprouts has been a leader in providing award-winning early education since 1982. Little Sprouts is a group of humanitarians that believe in the power of literacy to change the world; social, emotional, intellectual and physical literacy for children, youth, teachers and families. Little Sprouts believes in the commonality in humanity. They embrace that unity is best achieved by celebrating diversity. To learn more about how you can join Little Sprouts in transforming early education, visit us at: www.littlesprouts.com