Local businesses up for awards
Every kind of business, from restaurants, optometrists and a furniture store to environmental consultants, lawyers and a country singer, have made the finalists lists for two prestigious local business awards programs.
This week, both the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Westside Board of Trade released their lists of finalists.
The Kelowna chamber uses the moniker Business Excellence Awards and the Westside board, Key Business Awards.
The Kelowna chamber will hand out trophies Oct. 13 at the Delta Grand hotel.
The Westside board’s ceremonies are Sept. 29 at 19 Okanagan Grill. Business Excellence Awards Big business of the year – Sun-Rype Products – Northside Industries – Natures Formulae Health Products Mid-sized business of the year – Associated Property Management
– Diversified Rehabilitation Group – Venture Academy Small business of the year – Ecoscape Environmental Consultants – Highstreet Ventures – i-Sight Optometry – Touchstone Law Group Rising star – BNA Eatery & Brewery – Intraline Canada – Stikshen Social entrepreneurism – Two Hat Security/Community Sift – Mamas for Mamas – Urban Matters Young entrepreneur of the year
– Rachel Clarida from Hatch Interior Design
– William Walczak from Hiilite Creative Group – Ariele Parker of Marketer Inc. Sustainability – Ogo Car Share – Evergreen Building Maintenance Hospitality and tourism – Gray Monk Winery – Let’s Go Transportation – The Harvest Golf Club Marketer of the year – Csek Creative+Pulse – Fortune Marketing – Hiilite Creative Group Technology and innovation – AAA Internet Publishing (WTFast) – Cape Communications – Lighthouse Chiropractic A business leader of the year will be named a week before the awards and honoured at the gala. Key Business Awards finalists Large business of the year – Best Western Wine Country Hotel – City Furniture & Appliances – Global Roadway Maintenance Small business of the year – L’Oven Farm Fresh Foods – Manchester Signs, Printing & Graphics – Terracom Systems New business of the year – Just4Fun – Oh Natural Foods – Stickle & Strawn Optometry – The Ten Spot Young entrepreneur of the year
– Brandon Andres of LumberJack Clearing
– Scott Moran from Professional Forager
Aboriginal business of the year – Sncewips Heritage Museum – Pat Raphael Derrickson Tourism and hospitality – Distinctly Kelowna Tours – Just4Fun — Sncewips Heritage Museum Community service – Central Okanagan Community Food Bank – Suk Temsqilx Arts Council – Westside Health Network Green business of the year – Habitat for Humanity Restore – L’Oven Farm Fresh Foods Platinum service provider – Blenz Westbank – Fifth Avenue Automotive – Paynter’s Fruit Market Performing arts – country singer Ben Klick – Ali K Zam Productions (magician Leif Thordarson)
– saxophonist and high school music teacher Craig Thomson.