Aviation services company recognized for excellence
Have you ever heard of Strategic Aviation Services? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean the Kelowna-based company doesn’t do exceptional work.
Strategic Aviation won the trophy for large business of the year Wednesday night at the Kelowna Business Excellence Awards at the Delta Grand hotel.
Strategic is a multi-faceted company that offers services to airlines and airports, from passenger check-in, ticketing and boarding, baggage and cargo handling to on-board food, aircraft towing, lavatory servicing and plane de-icing.
The company started and is headquartered in Kelowna, and it counts Kelowna International Airport and Penticton Airport among its customers.
It has 14 other airport customers, including those in Vancouver, Ottawa, Halifax, Victoria, St. John’s and Regina.
And it has an array of airline clients, from Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, Sunwing, Air North and Central Mountain Air to Porter, Flair, Canadian North, Enerjet, Air Tindi and Northwestern Air Lease.
Strategic has grown to have 800 employees at 22 bases across the country.
As a sign of the times with recreational-use marijuana now legal, the award for technology innovator of the year went to Vitalis Extraction Technology.
Vitalis designs, manufacturers and instals the high-pressure machinery used to process cannabis. Vitalis has customers across the world. “It’s quite a process, getting to the winners’ circle,” said Carmen Sparg, president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the awards.
“From 320 nominees, to 107 semifinalists, to 33 finalists. And now, we’re delighted to announce our 11 winners for 2018. Our independent judging panel ensured we recognized the most outstanding talent we have in the Kelowna area.” The full list of winners: — Large business of the year: Strategic Aviation Services
— Mid-sized business of the year: Highstreet Ventures
— Small business of the year: Faction Projects
— Micro business of the year: Hatch Interior Design
— Technology innovator of the year: Vitalis Extraction Technology
— Business leader of the year: Dale Wentworth of Wentworth Music — Rising star: Start Fresh Kitchen — Marketing campaign of the year: SK Form & Finish
— Arts and entertainment: New Vintage Theatre — Social leadership: Refresh Financial — Not-for-profit excellence: Kelowna Community Resources.