Thirty-five finalists will be honoured at the 28th Annual Business Excellence Awards on October 21st at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort where eleven category recipients will be announced, along with the Business Leader of the Year recipient.


Presented by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and Platinum Sponsors the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, the popular Kelowna event is part of the annual Small Business Week® activities (October 18-24, 2015).

 

"As we celebrate the 28th anniversary of the Business Excellence Awards and recognize this talented group of entrepreneurs, we are impressed with the depth and breadth of Kelowna's dynamic business community," says Caroline Grover, CEO for the Kelowna Chamber. "We are equally inspired by the innovation and tenacity demonstrated by the finalists and their companies."

 

The Business Excellence Awards program celebrates achievement in our business community with finalists in each category selected from a wide group of nominations. The panel of judges visits all of the finalists and will judge them on the growth and development of their business, customer service, employee relations and community service.

 

The Business Excellence Finalists for 2015:

RISING STAR AWARD

  • Cottage Quilting Ltd.
  • Express Employment Professionals
  • Float Space

 

Sponsored by: FortisBC

 

 

MICRO BUSINESS AWARD (1-3 employees)


  • CareSmart Seniors Consulting
  • Magnetix Matchmaking
  • Meadow Vista Honey Wines

 

Sponsored by: Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board

 

 

SMALL BUSINESS AWARD (4-15 employees)


  • Bellamy Homes
  • Giobean - Coffee the Italian Way
  • Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery

 

Sponsored by: Prospera Credit Union

 

 

MID-SIZE BUSINESS AWARD (16-50 employees)

 

  • Ecora Engineering & Resource Group
  • Edgecombe Builders Group
  • SK Form & Finish Inc.
  • Yeti Farm Creative

 

Sponsored by: BDO Canada LLP

 

 

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AWARD


  • Arion Therapeutic Farm
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Open For Change

 

Sponsored by: Urban Systems Ltd.

 

 

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR


  • AJ Hazzi, Vantage West Realty Inc.
  • Yuriko Larson, Vintage Origami
  • Shane Pizzey, Aspire Health & Performance

Sponsored by: Accelerate Okanagan

 

 

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

 

  • 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
  • St. Hubertus Estate Winery
  • Summerhill Pyramid Winery

 

Sponsored by: Interior Savings Credit Union

 

 

DISTINCTION IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM AWARD


  • BC Golfguide.com
  • Hotel Eldorado
  • Urban Distilleries

 

Sponsored by: Tourism Kelowna

 

 

MARKETER OF THE YEAR AWARD


  • marketer inc.
  • Smart Betty Media
  • McManus Marketing & Communications

 

Sponsored by: Pushor Mitchell LLP

 

 

TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION AWARD


  • QHR Technologies Inc.
  • QuestUpon
  • TELUS

 

Sponsored by: UBC Okanagan

 

 

LARGE BUSINESS AWARD (51+ employees)


  • BigSteelBox Corporation
  • Emil Anderson Construction
  • KF Aerospace
  • Sun-Rype Products Ltd.

 

Sponsored by:Grant Thornton LLP

 

 

BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR

 

The recipient of the prestigious Business Leader of the Year award sponsored by MNP LLPwill be announced prior to the Awards dinner.

 

Ticket Prices: Early bird price $100.00 plus GST to 4 pm Oct. 9. After that date, ticket prices are $125 plus GST. Ticket sales will close at 4 pm Oct. 16.  Click here to reserve your seats for this popular event!

 

-KCC

   

 

About the Business Excellence Awards

The Business Excellence Awards are an annual ceremony that celebrates outstanding business success in Kelowna and surrounding area. Since their birth in 1987, 200 awards have gone to well deserving businesses. 
Each year, nominations are received for the business and individual awards from across the valley. 
Once nominations close, we throw a party in their honour and the nominees are provided a detailed nomination package to complete.
Completed packages are then reviewed by an experienced group of judges by which a group of finalists are selected. We then host a second party for all those nominees who submitted packages to become semi-finalists, at which we announce the finalists!
The finalists are then visited in-person by appointment at their place of business by the judges in September.
The finalists are profiled during the Business Excellence Awards ceremony during Small Business Week in October and the recipients are announced that evening.
Both the finalists and the award recipients receive valuable publicity before, during and after the event. The employees of these companies also feel a sense of pride in their employer.