Your favourite business could find itself in the spotlight but only if you act now.
Nominations for the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious 2019 Business Excellence Awards presented by Valley First officially close Monday, July 15 at noon.
For Kaarina Schrott, winning Small Business of the Year in 2018 was life-altering as it reaffirmed the vision she has for One Step Foot Care.
“It was a dazzling evening to be in the room with so many other great businesses from the community and I really developed a sense of pride for my town. Since winning that award, my company has experienced further growth and I have been singled out as a recognized provider in my field,” said Schrott.
Schrott is looking forward to see which businesses and individuals are recognized this year.
“Nominations have a positive impact on businesses as it provides community recognition, support and awareness for that company, and that may just be the boost they need to get to the next level,” she said.
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There are 11 categories available for the 2019 Business Excellence nominations.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for the public to be directly involved in recognizing businesses, non-profits and individuals who contribute to our community and economy,” said Dione Chambers, general manager of the Greater Vernon Chamber, which conducts the Business Excellence Awards.
“We know there are so many great stories about businesses giving back, going above and beyond or taking the entrepreneurial risk, and we want to hear about them.”
The online nomination form and descriptions of the categories can be found at https://www.vernonchamber.ca/business-excellence-awards. The individual categories are:
• Small Business of the Year sponsored by Community Futures
• New Business of the Year sponsored by MNP LLP
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year sponsored by Nixon Wengers Lawyers LLP
• Employer of the Year sponsored by Telus
• Customer Service Award sponsored by Okanagan Spring Brewery
• Manufacturer of the Year sponsored by the City of Vernon
• Non-Profit Excellence Award sponsored by Lake City Casinos
• Community Leader of the Year sponsored by White House Mortgages
• Business Person of the Year sponsored by Kal Tire
• Tourism Excellence Award sponsored by YLW Kelowna International Airport
• Innovator of the Year sponsored by SilverStar Mountain Resort
A panel will review all nominations and announce the three finalists in each category at a nominee reception Sept. 4 at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre, with the winners will be revealed at the awards gala Oct. 18.
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