Getting down to business
Community gathers to celebrate, recognize local business leaders at annual banquet
About 100 members of the Santa Clarita Valley business community gathered Thursday at Valencia Country Club to recognize local leaders and organizations at the 2018 Top Businesses awards banquet.
The event celebrated leadership and achievement among the SCV’s business leaders.
“We appreciate local businesses and the leaders who make the Santa Clarita Valley a great place to do business,” said Richard Budman, publisher of The Signal, “and the event was a chance to say thanks, and recognize achievements over the last year.”
The honorees included names and places that have played a significant role for SCV commerce and industry in 2018.
The Business Leaders of the Year, for example, include Holly Schroeder, president and CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corp., or SCVEDC, who leads an organization that’s created numerous public and private partnership to help local businesses.
The other honoree for Business Leaders of the Year is John Shaffery, who’s a member of the board of directors for the SCVEDC, and one of the founding partners of Poole & Shaffery, LLP, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary in the Santa Clarita. The SCVEDC was also recognized as the Top Businesses Growth Leader, for its advocacy and work in attracting new business.
The Company of the Year award went to FivePoint Holdings LLC and Landscape Development Inc. FivePoint’s master-planned neighborhoods set for Newhall Ranch will provide thousands of new homes for the population growth expected to hit the SCV as part of the area’s longstanding “One Valley, One Vision” plan.
And, Landscape Development has expanded quickly in the last 12 months, opening numerous new offices, including a Las Vegas location.
Scorpion is being celebrated for its success and growth in 2018 as the SCV’s Employer
of the Year. The internet marketing company has been recognized for its employee-friendly atmosphere.
The Innovation of the Year award had two winners for 2018: Kaiser Permanente has expanded patient care access in the SCV with a brand new, welcoming facility; and Advanced Bionics remains a global leader that constantly creates new technology and help for those with cochlear implants.
The Best Community Impact award went to two organizations: College of the Canyons, which for the last decade has consistently grown its graduating classes, increasing access for local students. The other honoree, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, is adding more than 140 patient beds to its facilities, and continually brings new health outreach to SCV residents.
The New Business of the Year award was presented to Sand Canyon Country Club, which was recently purchased by Steve Kim.
This year’s winners for Ad Campaign of the Year award also showed of SCV’s marketing acumen: “Stolen,” by the city of Santa Clarita creatively demonstrates how residents need to be more mindful of the “designer collection” it makes available for would-be thieves; and “SCV Points Of Interest,” by Valencia Acura, demonstrates not only its vehicles’ curb appeal, but also the Santa Clarita Valley’s. Don and Cheri Fleming, co-owners of Valencia Acura, who are involved in numerous nonprofit organizations, also took home the People’s Choice award.
Ed Masterson of SOS emceed the event, which was sponsored by Mission Valley Bank and Kaiser Permanente.