The Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana has seen a lot of misdeeds. But Wednesday was a chance to laud businesses and individuals for their honesty and integrity.

More than 400 members of the business community attended the BBB's fifth annual Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics & Student of Integrity scholarship luncheon at the Grand Wayne Convention Center.

“Our Torch Awards represent those businesses that do it right,” said Mike Coil, president and CEO of the BBB. This year marks the BBB's 90th anniversary. For the first time, nonprofit agencies were among those honored from about 25 business nominees.

Those honored were:

♦For-profit companies with 1-25 employees: Windows Doors & More. President Kevin Hunter accepted the award after a customer described how her home was destroyed by falling tree branches after an ice storm that resulted in her home catching fire. The insurance company did not want to pay to replace things such as her cabinets with high-quality items. But Hunter said he'd take care of her. The company gave her things outside of what the insurance company would pay for.

Runner-up was Wagner-Meinert, which provides engineering, design and construction services.

♦For-profit companies with 26-200 employees: Indiana Stamp Co. President Tom Beaver recounted how he was faced with several important business decisions and he took someone's advice: “Tom, you only have to remember to do the next right thing.”

Runner-up was Notre Dame Federal Credit Union.

♦For-profit companies with 200-plus employees: Brotherhood Mutual Insurance CoThe company pays for employees' college education if there's a way to find a use for it in the insurance business.

Runner-up was ITT.

♦Nonprofit organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana. The agency expects to match more than 1,800 children who have experienced abuse or who come from homes with a divorce, death or a parent with mental illness, with an adult mentor. “This goes to the staff and donors,” said Executive Director Josette Rider, “and on behalf of the kids. Because that's for whom we do it.”

YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne was the runner-up.

♦The 2010 Individual of Integrity: Sister Elise Kriss, president of the University of Saint Francis. Kriss discussed how she uses Christ as a model but also looks to those on her staff as well as her fellow nuns. “I think I try to learn from the integrity that others portray,” she said.

These students received $1,000 scholarships after writing an essay about an ethical dilemma that taught them something: Robert J. Lauter of Lakewood Park Christian School in Auburn; Michele S. Hook, of Eastside Junior-Senior High School in Butler; Emily Schutz of Elkhart Christian Academy; Natalie Caruso of Angola High School; and Elizabeth Slabaugh of Bremen High School.