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Capping a big year in which it received a significant investment from the Coca-Cola Co., Honest Tea was named the No. 1 company in The Gazette's first P&B 53 awards contest at a dinner Thursday in Bethesda.

Honest Tea, headed by president and "TeaEO" Seth Goldman, has been successful in commercializing a line of lower-calorie beverages, including its signature product, organic bottled tea produced in several flavors. This year the Bethesda company introduced its first line of Green Energy Teas and used a renewable energy source — wind power — to offset the energy consumed in production, from tea gardens to bottling plant to warehouse, according to company information.

Honest Tea beat out Viable, a Rockville telecommunications company, led by president and CEO John T.C. Yeh. Viable this year launched a prototype of its first videoconferencing hardware for deaf and other hearing-impaired people.

Rounding out the top five were Discovery Communications of Silver Spring; Vocus, a Lanham public relations management software company; and Bethesda real estate company B.F. Saul.

A total of 92 companies applied for The Gazette of Politics & Business Exceptional 53 awards, which are based on a company's revenue growth, employee satisfaction, community service and innovation in its field of expertise. Judging was by the state Department of Business and Economic Development, with assistance from the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, Rockville Economic Development Inc., Enten & Associates and Cliff Chiet, publisher of The Gazette of Politics & Business.

For a complete list of the winners, see:

http://www.gazette.net/images/Anna/PB53_2008.pdf