Charles Dominick's company caterers to customers in more than 50 countries, but Dominick never has to leave Moon Township.

Since 2000, Next Level Purchasing, located at 1315 Coraopolis-Heights Road, has offered on-line courses for purchasing professionals.

When students complete the courses, they receive a certification that is globally recognized at companies that are looking for the "cream of the crop" employees.

For its efforts over the past six years, the company was recognized as the Innovative Business of the Year at Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce's Annual Celebration of Excellence event.

The award recognizes a business that has developed a new technology, innovative product or service, or applied a business system or service in an innovative way.

Sally Haas, chamber president, says, "Next Level Purchasing clearly exemplified the determination and energy that it takes to be an innovative leader in the business community."

Dominick says he is grateful for the recognition.

"The Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce services a wide area that includes a lot of prestigious companies. To be chosen in this field and in the region is a real honor.

"It's particularly satisfying to be recognized for innovation. We always try to be ahead of our time, and for a third party to recognize that is very rewarding."

More than 50,000 students have taken the company's free course, and thousands more also have enrolled in the company's Senior Professional in Supply Management course.

Students learn to do a better job at purchasing, saving their company money, supporting the operation of the company and reducing the risks.

For example, Dominick explains that if a purchaser is responsible for buying various parts to make automobiles, he has to make sure the supplier is reliable in making the components and that those components meet quality specifications and are delivered on time.

Dominick graduated from Central Catholic High School. He also has a business management degree from Duquesne University.

After graduating, he thought he would give the world of purchasing a try since purchasing was his favorite class in college.

In his 10 years in the field, he was responsible for various purchasing functions at a small manufacturer and a large, internationally renowned university.

He developed and implemented techniques that saved his employers millions of dollars. In a matter of four years, he tripled his salary. In the mid 90s, he began working for USAirways in an office off of the Parkway West. He liked the area so much, he decided to move from Bloomfield to Moon in 1998.

In 2000 he started his own business, with an initial investment of only $2,000, to help other purchasing professionals also have a rewarding career.

During the early stages of his company, he worked from home by himself on the internet.

He now has three employees who work out of the Moon office, and independent contractors are used for graphic design and accounting.

"We are very proud to be located in Moon Township and able to serve throughout the globe. We serve all of them from Moon, and there's no place we'd rather be."

Dominick and his wife, Sharon, have two children, Marleena, 4, and Carson, 2. Sharon has her own business, Sharon Dominick Photographery in the same plaza as her husband.