Dingwall Guitars wins two business awards

A musical instrument manufacturing company founded by a former rock musician was the big winner at Thursday night’s Saskatoon Awards for Business Excellence (SABEX), taking home two trophies, including one for business of the year.

Dingwall Guitars Inc., which was founded by Sheldon Dingwall and makes boutique electric basses, also won the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce award for the city’s best global exporter.

Open to all private-sector businesses and decided by anonymous judges, the 23rd annual awards gala recognized businesses across a wide range of categories. Dingwall was the only firm to take home two trophies this year.

The SABEX hall of fame inductee this year was Merlis Belsher, who worked as an accountant, lawyer and entrepreneur and is perhaps best-known for philanthropy, including a $12.25 million donation to the university’s new hockey rink, which bears his name. The full list of winners:

Community Involvement: Al Anderson’s Source for Sports and Vendasta Technologies Inc.

Customer Service: Two Fifty Two Boutique Global Exporter: Dingwall Guitars Inc. Growth and Expansion: Athabasca Basin Security

Marketing: WMCZ Lawyers New Business Venture: Sandy Shores Resort New Product or Service: Bridges Health Services Inc. Saskatooning Award: Prairie River Cruises Ltd. Entrepreneur of the Year: Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote and John Cote (Black Fox Farm & Distillery) Small Business of the Year: Complete Technologies and PWM Private Wealth Counsel Business of the Year: Dingwall Guitars Inc. Hall of Fame Inductee: Merlis Belsher Postmedia News