PepsiCo Inc., the soda and snack food company in Purchase, has been honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its efforts to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The company received the 2008 Energy Star Partner of the Year Award and the Sustained Excellence award. The Sustained Excellence award is for businesses that have shown a commitment to energy efficiency for a number of years.

PepsiCo said its buildings use energy-efficient equipment and motors. The buildings have energy-efficient windows and skylights. The company also uses systems to capture waste heat.

Five Westchester enterprises will be honored this evening at the Business Council of Westchester’s 2008 Business Hall of Fame awards dinner, being held at the Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle.

Three of the businesses are run by women, representing the first time the business association has recognized so many women in one year, said Marsha Gordon, Business Council president and chief executive.

The winners include Georganne Chapin, president and chief executive of Tarrytown-based Hudson Health Plan, which provides health insurance to low- and moderate-income Hudson Valley residents.

Chapin, an advocate of universal coverage, will be presented the Women in Business award. For her non-profit company to be recognized “as entrepreneurial and influential is just great,” Chapin said.

Sharon Rowe, founder of Eco-Bags Products Inc. in Ossining, a maker of reusable bags and other “green” products, will take home the Business Council’s Entrepreneur award.

“It’s a terrific honor,” she said.

Rowe said it was exciting to be part of a very large movement, still in its infancy that’s embrace environmentally conscious concepts. It’s a movement that’s making the world “a cleaner, better place to live in,” she said.

Other winners include Stacey Cohen, owner of Co-Communications in Mount Kisco, who will be given the Small Business award; and Entergy Nuclear Northeast (now Entergy Nuclear), operator of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan, which will receive the Business Council’s Corporate Citizenship award.

Red Oak Transportation, a Harrison-based limousine service, will also get an award. Andy Stoppelmann, who along with brother Edward runs the business, said it “quite fitting” for Red Oak to win the Family Business category, because his family had been in the transportation business since the 1930s.

“To be recognized for maintaining that family philosophy is quite rewarding (and) quite exciting,” Stoppelmann said.

Tonight’s dinner caps the Business Council’s annual Hall of Fame program. The winners were first announced in February.

Four companies based in Westchester County ranked among the top 50 companies for diversity in a list compiled by the publication DiversityInc.

PepsiCo Inc. of Purchase, Pepsi Bottling Group of Somers, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. of White Plains and IBM Corp. of Armonk made the list.

The rankings evaluate companies on diversity measures that include commitment by the chief executive officer, human capital, organizational communications and supplier diversity.

Verizon ranked No. 1 on the list for the second time in three years.

Opticon Inc., an Orangeburg-based developer of barcode scanning technology, announced that it was the winner of the AT&T Wireless Developer Program Fast-Pitch Platinum Awards 2008 in the best network compatible Device category. This award recognizes new cellular network devices that are compatible on the AT&T wireless network.

McLaren Engineering Group, an engineering firm based in West Nyack, recently received an award recognizing its work on the Weehawken Ferry Terminal in New Jersey. The Northern New Jersey District Council of the Urban Land Institute gave the 2007 Special Infrastructure Award to the design team that included McLaren, the New Jersey Transit/New York Waterway and other recipients.

Pernod Ricard USA, a Purchase-based producer of spirits and wine brands, announced that its premium brand portfolio won 47 medals at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The awards included seven double gold and seven gold medals for the company’s whiskey brands. The company also was awarded the competition’s “Best Blended Scotch” title for Chivas Regal 25 Year Old and “Best Irish Whiskey” title for Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve.

The Orange County Chamber of Commerce seeks nominations for the region’s annual Averell Harriman International Trade Awards.

The awards recognize Hudson Valley businesses for achievement in eight categories: exporter of the year (sales up to $10 million); exporter of the year (sales between $10 and $50 million); importer of the year; new to international (in international marketplace for 2 years or less); service provider of the year (banks, insurance, freight forwarders); trade partner of the year (not-for-profit, government, education); foreign direct investment company of the year (international company contributing to the economic base of the Hudson Valley); and international company of the year (sales over $50 million).

More information and nomination forms are available on the Orange County Chamber of Commerce Web site.

Nominations are due by Saturday.

The Business Council of Westchester seeks nominees for its Rising Stars program that recognizes the efforts of younger Westchester adults in the world of business.

Modeled after similar “Forty under 40” programs across the country, Rising Stars honors individuals in Westchester aged 21 to 40 who demonstrate leadership skills.

Anyone who works in Westchester and remains under the age of 40 through Dec. 31 is eligible for consideration.

Entries are only accepted via e-mail and must be received by Friday, April 18. Nomination forms and directions for submitting them can be found at the Business Council’s Web site (www.westchesterny.com).

A ceremony will be held June 19 at the Purchase headquarters of MasterCard International to recognize the winners.

Two women entrepreneuers, a nonprofit chief executive, a family business and a giant energy company are the winners of the Business Council of Westchester’s 2008 Business Hall of Fame awards.

The small business honoree is Co-Communications, a Mount Kisco-based public relations and marketing company owned by Stacey Cohen. The 10-year-old company serves clients primarily in the tri-state area.

The entrepreneur award goes to Eco-Bags Products Inc. of Ossining. Founder Sharon Rowe started the company in 1989 to find a way to get rid of all the plastic bags littering her neighborhood. Her reusable mesh bags are sold around the country.

The family business award goes to Red Oak Transportation, a limousine company based in White Plains. The company traces its legacy to the current owners’ grandfather, who started Bell Transportation in the 1930s. Brothers Edward and Andy Stoppelmann started Red Oak Transportation in 1999.

The women in business award goes to Georganne Chapin, president and chief executive officer of Hudson Health Plan. The nonprofit is a provider of state-sponsored managed health care services. More than 75,000 low-income people in the Hudson Valley area receive services from Hudson Health Plan.

The corporate citizenship award goes to Entergy Nuclear Northeast, operator of Indian Point. Entergy is being recognized for investing millions of dollars in Westchester County area nonprofits, educational institutions, health organizations and community groups since 2000.

The winners will be honored at an awards dinner at the Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle on April 16.

Nutrition 21 Inc., the Purchase-based company that markets nutritional supplements, said its director of scientific affairs, Vijaya Juturu, received the Tinsley Harrison Award. The award is given each year to honor an author of the best manuscript published in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, the company said. Juturu wrote about research indicating that Diachrome, when added to diabetic medications, has beneficial effects. She received her award at a ceremony in New Orleans.

IBM Corp. has been named the the top green information technology vendor for 2008 by IDG’s Computerworld, a major tech industry publication.

The rankings were published in the February 18 issue of Computerworld. It is the first time that the publication has ranked tech companies for their environmental initiatives.

Armonk-based IBM’s environmental programs include “Project Big Green,� a $1 billion initiative announced in May 2007 to reduce energy use by IBM and its clients. This program, which involves the installation of energy- efficient computers and a five-step approach to energy efficiency, can result in energy savings of 42 percent for the average data center, according to IBM.

“This is reflective of IBM’s long-term commitment to the environment, and of the global success with clients that we’ve seen with our cross-company Project Big Green initiative, as we assess and implement strategies for our clients to be able to double their computing capacity without increasing energy use,â€? said Steve Sams, vice president of IBM Global Site and Facilities Services.

The Computerworld rankings were designed to recognize tech vendors that are developing energy-efficient products and using technology to lower carbon emissions. The survey also included a list of top green IT users. Highmark Inc., a health insurer based in Harrisburg, Pa., ranked first on that list. To view the full surveys, go to www.computerworld.com/topgreen.

Six Lower Hudson Valley builders were among the winners of the 2007 Pinnacle Awards presented Tuesday by the Builders Association of the Hudson Valley Inc., a New Windsor-based trade organization.

Absolute Remodeling Corp., South Salem; Comstock Residential Contracting LLC and Comstock Development Inc., Briarcliff Manor; Nadler Modular Structures, Spring Valley; New Concord Development, Valhalla; Perry Goldman, New Home Sales & Marketing Inc., Croton-on-Hudson; and Unicorn Contracting Corp., Garrison, were recognized for achievement in seven categories.

Tortoise Investment Management LLC, a White Plains-based investment management firm, was named a “Top Adviser for 2008” by Reuters AdvicePoint. Tortoise was listed as a top adviser in the New York state category, the Middle Atlantic Category and the New York metro/tri-State category.

Westchester County has been named one of the Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year in recognition of its programs to use information technnology to attract businesses, create jobs and generate economic growth.

The list of communities also includes Dundee, Scotland; Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada; Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea; Northeast Ohio; Tallinn, Estonia; and Winston-Salem, N.C. The list was compiled by the Intelligent Community Forum, a non-profit international think tank.

“This just reinforces what we’ve known all along – that we are at the forefront when it comes to technology, education and economic development,� County Executive Andrew Spano said in a written statement. “For years, we’ve had some of the most innovative policies and programs, as well as one of the best telecommunications infrastructures in the U.S.�   

The Intelligent Community Forum said that a key accomplishment for Westchester was building a fiber network that now serves over 3,500 companies. The 800-mile fiber optic network, operated by Cablevision’s Lightpath, also links local governments, libraries, hospitals and schools.

Westchester also was recognized for programs to improve the skills of the work force, including a growing immigrant population.

On May 16, one of the top seven communities will be named 2008’s Intelligent Community of the Year during the group’s annual summit in New York City. 

Two local companies are among those that have been named the 15 Fittest Companies in America, by Men’s Fitness magazine.

Purchase-based PepsiCo and Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon Wireless, which employs nearly 700 workers in Orangeburg, are among those companies that made the list, which appears in the February issue, currently on newsstands.

The magazine’s editors ranked companies based on access to state-of-the-art fitness facilities, cafeterias with healthy and nutritious menu options, preventative medical care, programs for losing weight and quitting smoking, and employee rewards and incentives for staying in shape.

Many of the companies named are in health-related fields, such as drug-maker AstraZeneca, Wilmington Del., and American Specialty Health, San Diego, a health-benefits supplier.

PepsiCo and fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A, of Atlanta, are the only food companies on the list.

Among the other honorees: Google, Mountain View, Calif.; Nike, Beaverton, Ore.; and American Cast Iron Pipe Co. of Birmingham, Ala.

The Rockland Business Association seeks nominees for its 2008 Pinnacle Awards, which recognize RBA members and their businesses for achievement in six categories.

Deadline for nominations is Jan. 25, and winners will be presented their awards during an ceremony April 9.

Nomination forms are available at the chamber’s Web site (www.rocklandbusiness.org). Call 845-735-2100 for more information.

The Business Council of Westchester is seeking nominations for its 2008 Westchester County Business Hall of Fame.

Award categories include corporate citizenship, and four areas of excellence — entrepreneurial, small business, women in business and family business.

Nominations must be received by Jan. 18. and must be submitted via e-mail to Pat Nicolais at pnicolais@westchesterny.org.

Finalists must be members of the Business Council.

An awards ceremony will be held April 16.

For submission information, go to the Business Council’s Web site (www.westchesterny.org) or contact Nicolais via e-mail or at 914-948-2110.

The Westchester County Board of Realtors Inc. has named Realtor Pat Held of Somers, manager of the Mahopac office of Houlihan Lawrence Inc., its 2007 Westchester Realtor of the Year.

The board also named attorney Louis M. Petralia of White Plains its 2007 Affiliate of the Year. The awards were presented during the organization’s recent installation dinner at the Scarsdale Golf Club in Hartsdale.

Held received her real estate salesperson’s license in 1976 and is now an associate broker. She served for 10 years as a director of the board’s subsidiary, the Westchester-Putnam Multiple Listing Service, and was its president from 2004 through 2006.

Petralia has served as a faculty member of the board’s School of Real Estate for more than 20 years. He was key in the board’s drive to increase the required education for real estate licensing in New York.

The Rockland Business Association said today it is seeking nominations for its 2008 Pinnacle Awards, which recognize RBA members and their businesses for achievement in four categories.

Winners will be presented their awards during an ceremony next April at the Park Ridge Marriott.

The deadline for nominations is Feb. 1.

Nomination forms are available at the chamber’s Web site (www.rocklandbusiness.org).

Fifty-six employees of Armonk-based IBM Corp. have received the President’s Volunteer Service Award by putting in more than 100 hours of community service last year.

The company said more than 2,100 workers participate in its volunteer program, which is called On Demand Community. The employees work with people with disabilities, the homeless, students who need mentoring and others.

The company today was honoring the employees who received the award.

Local residents on the list include: John J. Berry, Jeffrey S. Boston, Nancy A. Dugan, Cecile P. Tran,  Meow C. Yee and Gutuan Zheng, each of whom put in 500 or more hours.

Putting in 250 to 499 hours were: James K. Ciulla, Jason L. Crawford, Robert A. Flavin, Matthew R. Ganis, Deborah S. Levin, Christine A. Mackay, James O’Neill, Suzanne Pastore, Pietrina M. Rotolo and Eric C. Semenetz.

With 100 to 249 hours were: Thomas C. Agoston, Sanmi K. Anjorin, Margaret Ashida, Britta Betzin, Pamela L. Bolden, William Brown III, Neil S. Callaghan, Jonathan D. Champlin, Howard H. Chen, Debra M. Czumak, Joseph P. Dolan, Christy B. Donohue, Josulyn R. Evans, Brad R. Gibson and Patricia E. Grauert.

Also: Eroll A. Holness, Eugenia G. King, James J. Kozlowski, Linh H. Lam, Lisa A. Lindblom, Matthew Lovecchio, My Luu, Linda Mariano, William M. McDermott, Sarena Meyer, Jacquelyn S. O’Sullivan, Michael Otten, Larry R. Palmerton, Joao P. Perez, Henry Pruitt, Rahul M. Rao, Peter J. Samardak and Albert M. Schneider.

Rounding out the list are: James Sciales, Donna M. Small, Theresa Tomany, Christopher Ward, Jill A. Whiteman, James J. Wynne and Steven M. Wysmuller.