A firearm training equipment manufacturer and a Bible software CEO were among the winners of the 27th annual Whatcom Business Person of the Year awards dinner.

The event was held Wednesday, March 20, at the Best Western Lakeway Inn. The awards were given out by Business Pulse Magazine and the Whatcom Business Alliance.

Bob Pritchett, CEO of Logos Bible Software in Bellingham, was named Business Person of the Year. The company has more than 300 employees with offices in three downtown Bellingham buildings. Other nominees were Mike Lewis of Lewis Publishing and Bob Warshawer, former owner of Black Rock Cable.

NextLevel Training of Ferndale was named the Start-up Business of the Year. The company offers laser equipment to improve shooting accuracy, particularly for law enforcement. CEO Mike Hughes was a contestant in the marksmanship show "Top Shot" in 2011. Other nominees were Rover Stay Over of Lynden and Scratch and Peck Feeds of Bellingham

Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics in Ferndale won the Small Business of the Year award. The company has posted significant growth, particularly in online sales, of its wild salmon and other organic food products. Other nominees were Hand Crank Films of Bellingham and Samson Estates Winery of Everson.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Nick Kaiser, founder and chairman of Saturna Capital in Bellingham. The financial investment firm was founded in 1989 and has around $4 billion in assets under management.

Reach Business Editor Dave Gallagher at 360-715-2269 or dave.gallagher@bellinghamherald.com. Read his business blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/business or follow him on Twitter at @bhamheraldbiz.