Alignable.com, an online referral network for small businesses announced the results of its month-long North American search for local business leaders who have gone above and beyond to help peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 61,000 votes were cast and 25,000 recommendations were submitted during the process.

"To see so many business owners celebrate their peers was awesome -- 60 votes landed every minute at the height of the contest," said Eric Groves, Alignable's Co-Founder and CEO. "This frenetic level of participation is a testament to the strength of the business relationships forged and reinforced over the past year."

After sorting through the results, the company recognized 2,962 business owners in the U.S. The owners of those businesses have been named their local 2021 Local Business Person Of The Year. Thousands of communities were engaged as part of the process but 10 had the most votes: Houston, Texas; Calgary, Alberta; Tucson, Arizona; San Antonio, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Toronto, Ontario; Brooklyn, New York; Edmonton, Alberta; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Winners have received badges on their Alignable profiles. According to the company, in past years, the awareness generated during and after this contest has helped drive additional connections, prospects, and new business for many winners.

We hope the popularity of this year's contest will lead to even greater awareness and business success for 2021's winners," said Alignable's Co-Founder and President Venkat Krishnamurthy. "We've already heard from some members that the surge in networking, referrals, and recommendations that occurred during 2021's contest got them off to a stronger start this year."

Two Texas companies with automotive industry affiliations are among those earning accolades. Renae Lorentz from Lorentz Automotive in Lewisville and Alex Sagcal from Sam Pack's Five Star Ford and Chevrolet in Carrollton were among the state's recognized winners. Lorentz has been in the auto repair business for over 40 years. She leads a team of automotive technicians and customer service representatives. In addition to traditional repairs, Lorentz also has muffler and transmission shops.

Alex Sagcal works in public relations at Sam Pack's Five Star Ford and Chevrolet. The company's Facebook page has over 3,300 followers and is growing the company's Instagram following.