Tag: oakville awards for business excellence

Sold Out Crowd Celebrates Business Excellence in Oakville

March 28, 2018  

Recipients include representatives from iCare Home Health, Florence Meats, Naylor Building Partnerships Inc., Positive Accounting, La Parisienne Creperie, Zarr Tech, Canlan Ice Sports Corp, Piper Foods Inc., Crime Stoppers of Halton and FCT (Absent: Paul Ferri of Limitless Training Systems).


Oakville celebrated business leaders in their community at the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence Gala on Tuesday, March 27 where over 560 guests gathered at the Oakville Conference Centre. Presented by the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West, this annual event attracts business, community, government and political leaders, as well as professionals and entrepreneurs from the local business community.

“The Oakville Chamber is thrilled by the tremendous support shown by the business community at tonight’s gala,” said Ken Nevar, Chair of the Board, Oakville Chamber of Commerce. “We offer our congratulations to all the finalists and award recipients.”

The Genworth Community of the Year Award was awarded to Piper Foods Inc./McDonald’s Restaurants. John Piper, Owner of Piper Foods Inc.  accepted the award. Known for their extensive support of local organizations including Dog Guides of Canada, Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Oakville Hospital Foundation, they recently completed a pledge of $250,000 towards construction of the new hospital. An active partner in the Region of Halton’s hiring program, Piper Foods participates in workshops educating young people to better prepare them to find a job. John Piper takes pride in preparing people of all ages and backgrounds to enter or re-enter the workforce by providing entry-level positions in the community, coupled with a solid training program. Investing in team members’ personal development is key to their business philosophy and each year, the company awards 4 scholarships for a total of $4,000.  Piper Foods Inc. became the first ever double recipient at the Awards Gala, also receiving the Franchisee of the Year Award.

The CN Charity/Not-for-Profit Excellence Award was presented to Crime Stoppers of Halton. Accepting the award on behalf of Crime Stoppers of Halton was Jan Westcott, Vice-Chair of the Board. Since its inception in 1988, the organization has been helping keep Halton Region a safe place to live, work and play. They have received over 18,000 anonymous tips on criminal activity which have led to the arrest of 1,188 individuals. Furthermore, these tips have recovered almost $3 million worth of stolen property, taken $18 million worth of illicit drugs taken off our streets, and seized 92 weapons. Crime Stoppers of Halton has strengthened their presence in our community by attending community events, conducting presentations at high schools through its Youth Initiative Program, its Roadside Sign Program, Community Secure Shred Events, hosting fundraising concerts and leading community awareness campaigns. Crime Stoppers of Halton’s dedication to preventing and solving crime contributes to Halton Region’s designation as Canada’s Safest Regional Municipality for the past 8 years.

This year’s Business Icon Award was presented to FCT. Michael LeBlanc, Chief Executive Officer of FCT accepted the award presented by John Sawyer, outgoing President of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. From its beginning as the first title insurer in Canada to revolutionary valuations solutions, FCT has expanded its products and services to support customers across the real estate and recovery lifecycles. With more than 800 employees across Canada, including more than 300 at their home office in Oakville, the company focuses on creating a work culture where every employee has the opportunity to be great. In 2017, FCT launched their new brand identity “we’re invested” – which focuses on how they’re invested in customers, colleagues and the community. “FCT has an amazing business success story and as the Chamber of Commerce, we are so proud that they call Oakville home” commented John Sawyer.

In it’s 23rd year, the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence Gala continues to grow year over year, recognizing the important contributions of local business to the community. “We received a significant number of nominations from the Oakville community. The judges carefully reviewed all of the nominations and determined a list of 57 finalists, from which the award recipients were chosen” stated Lois Knepflar, President, Rotary Club of Oakville West.

To learn more about the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence, or to nominate a business for next year, please visit www.oabe.ca or contact Karen Pomfret by phone at 905-845-6613 ext. 210 or e-mail karen@oakvillechamber.com.

The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West are proud to list the award recipients of the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence:

RBC Royal Bank Large Business of the Year

Naylor, Building Partnerships Inc.

Bell Mid-size Business of the Year

Florence Meats

Small Business of the Year

iCare Home Health

KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year

Matthew Zarrillo of Zarr Tech

Young Professional & Entrepreneur of the Year

Paul Ferri of Limitless Training Systems  

Professional Services Provider of the Year

Positive Accounting

Franchisee of the Year

Piper Foods Inc. / McDonald’s Restaurant

The Morris Mercanti Restaurateur of the Year

La Parisienne Creperie

Oakville Hydro Conservation Leadership Award

Canlan Ice Sports Corp.

Genworth Community Builder of the Year

Piper Foods Inc.

CN Charity or Not-for-Profit Excellence Award

Crime Stoppers of Halton

Oakville’s Business Icon Award

FCT



Piper Foods Inc. to be recognized as the Genworth Community Builder of the Year at the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence Gala

March 16, 2018  

 The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West are pleased to announce that Piper Foods Inc./McDonald’s Restaurants will be the recipient of the Genworth Community Builder of the Year Award at the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) Gala. The Gala dinner will take place at the Oakville Conference Centre on Tuesday, March 27th.

“The Genworth Community Builder Award recognizes a business that has, over a period of time, demonstrated exemplary business practices and dedicated involvement in the community. This year the chosen recipient of this award is Piper Foods Inc.” stated Lois Knepflar, President of The Rotary Club of Oakville West.

John Piper has worked his entire career in the McDonald’s family. Starting as a ‘crew kid’ when he was a teenager, serving customers with a smile, learning that if you take care of the guest the rest will follow. He held many different positions inside the corporation over his time with them. In 2003, John and his wife Marg founded Piper Foods Inc., where they and the team started with three McDonald’s restaurants here in Oakville. More recently, in late 2016, Piper Foods purchased two additional Oakville locations. These locations have seen tremendous growth since they became part of Piper Foods Inc. The Piper Foods team believe in creating an exceptional guest service in the restaurant as well as being an engaged member of the community.

A pillar of the Oakville community, Piper Foods is known for their extensive support of local organizations and the Oakville Hospital Foundation. Having recently completed their pledge of $250,000 towards construction of the new hospital, Piper Foods will continue its support of the Foundation by sponsoring signature events and collecting coin box donations at their restaurants. John also served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors for nine years and chaired the committee for the Annual Golf Tournament. Piper Foods also supports many community organizations including the Dog Guides of Canada, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and multiple local sports teams and athletes.

An active partner in the Region of Halton’s hiring program, Piper Foods participates in workshops educating young people to better prepare them to find a job. John takes pride in preparing people of all ages and backgrounds to enter or re-enter the workforce by providing entry-level positions in the community, coupled with a solid training program. Investing in team members’ personal development is key to John’s business philosophy and lead to the introduction of a yearly $1,000 scholarship awarded to a McDonald’s team member to assist with post-secondary education cost. With the expansion of the company, Piper Foods is pleased to award 4 scholarships per year for a total of $4,000.

Celebrating 15 years in the Oakville community, Piper Foods Inc. were thrilled to be recognized at the national level by receiving McDonald’s Canada prestigious Community Involvement Award.

 “Piper Foods. Inc. is immersed in the Oakville community, through their outstanding community support, generous donations, and dedication to preparing today’s youth for tomorrow’s workforce. This year Piper Foods celebrates their 15th Anniversary, and we couldn’t think of a better way to honour them” stated Ken Nevar, Chair of the Board, Oakville Chamber of Commerce.

 

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, March 27th

Time: 5:30pm – Registration & Reception; 6:30pm – Dinner & Awards Gala

Location: Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road

Tickets: $125 per person; $87.50 per person for Nominees

Purchase tickets online or by emailing info@oakvillechamber.com or calling the Oakville Chamber of Commerce at 905-845-6613.

Crime Stoppers of Halton to receive the CN Charity/Not-for-Profit Excellence Award at the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence Gala

March 15, 2018  

The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West are pleased to announce that Crime Stoppers of Halton will be the recipient of CN’s Charity/Not-for-Profit Excellence Award at the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) that will culminate in a Gala Dinner on Tuesday, March 27th at the Oakville Conference Centre.

“The CN Charity/Not-for-Profit Excellence Award honours not-for-profit organizations who are highly regarded in the area for raising funds and providing services to improve the lives of people within our community. This year Crime Stoppers of Halton has been chosen as the recipient of this award” stated Lois Knepflar, President of the Rotary Club of Oakville West.  

Crime Stoppers of Halton is a charitable organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, made up of citizens representing all areas of Halton Region. Their mission is to help solve and deter crime by providing a means of reporting criminal activity, with guaranteed anonymity, through cooperation with the Halton Regional Police Service, the media, and the community.

Since its inception in 1988, the organization has been helping keep Halton Region a safe place to live, work and play. They have received over 18,000 anonymous tips on criminal activity which have led to the arrest of 1,188 individuals. Furthermore, these tips have recovered almost $3 million worth of stolen property, taken $18 million worth of illicit drugs taken off our streets, and seized 92 weapons.

Crime Stoppers of Halton has strengthened their presence in our community by attending community events, conducting presentations at high schools through its Youth Initiative Program, its Roadside Sign Program, Community Secure Shred Events and hosting fundraising concerts.

Crime Stoppers of Halton has also led community awareness campaigns to alert tractor trailer drivers of concerns relating to cargo theft throughout the region, and a campaign to combat illegal cigarettes and other tobacco products.

After securing a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Crime Stoppers of Halton was able to redesign its website with the view of better serving all residents of the region. The new site continues to be a secure method of communication with tipsters, but is also utilized to post crime alerts, information on missing individuals, wanted suspects and unsolved crimes to various social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Moreover, users can translate the website to 28 different languages!

During 2017, Crime Stoppers of Halton volunteers have volunteered over 600 hours and participated at over 50 events in the region. This includes 30 active volunteers and 10 members of the Board of Directors – all from various backgrounds and living throughout Halton Region. Crime Stoppers of Halton is proud of their ability to recruit and engage younger volunteers –with 60% of their volunteers under the age of 30.

“Crime Stoppers of Halton’s dedication to preventing and solving crime contributes to Halton Region’s designation as Canada’s Safest Regional Municipality for the past eight years. We present Crime Stoppers of Halton with the Charity Excellence Award to honour their 30 years of ensuring that everyone in Oakville has a safe place to live, work and play” stated Ken Nevar, Chair of the Board, Oakville Chamber of Commerce.

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, March 27th

Time: 5:30pm – Registration & Reception; 6:30pm – Dinner & Awards Gala

Location: Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road

Tickets: $125 per person; $87.50 per person for Nominees

Purchase tickets online or by emailing info@oakvillechamber.com or calling the Oakville Chamber of Commerce at 905-845-6613.

FCT to be recognized as Oakville’s Business Icon at the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence Gala

March 14, 2018  


The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West are pleased to announce that FCT will be the recipient of Oakville’s Business Icon Award at the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) Gala. The Gala dinner will take place at the Oakville Conference Centre on Tuesday, March 27th with an expected audience of over 600.

“The Business Icon Award recognizes a prominent Oakville business which is highly regarded in the business community and this year FCT has been selected as the recipient of this award” stated Lois Knepflar, President of The Rotary Club of Oakville West.

Forward thinkers Pat Chetcuti and Tom Grifferty founded FCT in 1991, pioneering the title insurance industry in Canada. Today, with offices across the country, the company has stayed true to its core values while expanding its services across the real estate and recovery markets.

From its beginning as the first title insurer in Canada to revolutionary valuations solutions, FCT has expanded its products and services to support customers across the real estate and recovery lifecycles. Recognizing gaps in existing processes, they have invested in creating innovative solutions to help customers work more efficiently every day. FCT’s products and services include: residential and commercial title insurance; residential mortgage processing and valuation solutions; and default and recovery solutions.

More recently, FCT has turned its focus to digitizing the real estate lifecycle. This includes investments in products like DealTap, which allows realtors to close a transaction digitally, and more recently Certified Resale Home, a comprehensive pre-listing home inspection with an 18-month warranty.

With more than 800 employees across Canada, including more than 300 at their home office in Oakville, the company focuses on creating a work culture where every employee has the opportunity to be great. In 2017, FCT launched their new brand identity “we’re invested” – which focuses on how they’re invested in customers, colleagues and the community.

FCT believes in giving back to the communities in which they live and work through their community investment initiatives that focus on homelessness. Each employee is given a volunteer day to serve their community and work as a team to support local charities through fundraising.  Three years ago, FCT began awarding scholarships to deserving post-secondary students to support their education.

A recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Genworth Community Builder of the Year award in 2015, FCT has been named by Great Place to Work (GPTW) as one of the Top 50 employers in the Large and Multinational category for three years in a row. In 2016 and 2017, FCT was also recognized by GPTW as one of the top employers for women.  And in 2017 FCT was named a 2017 Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance.

“FCT is a highly respected organization that serves the Oakville community. Their commitment to building excellence, recognizing their employees, and giving back to our community is an example for us all. We are proud to honour them this year with the Business Icon Award” stated Ken Nevar, Chair of the Board, Oakville Chamber of Commerce.

 

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, March 27th

Time: 5:30pm – Registration & Reception; 6:30pm – Dinner & Awards Gala

Location: Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road

Tickets: $125 per person; $87.50 per person for Nominees

Purchase tickets online or by emailing info@oakvillechamber.com or calling the Oakville Chamber of Commerce at 905-845-6613.

 

Congratulations to the Finalists for the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

February 7, 2018  



The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West are pleased to present the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) that will culminate in a Gala Dinner on Tuesday, March 27th at the Oakville Conference Centre. The finalists for this year’s awards were officially announced at the OABE Nominee Reception held on Tuesday, February 6th at the Holiday Inn Oakville – Centre.  

This year, the award recipients will be chosen from finalists in nine categories: Small Business of the Year, Bell Mid-size Business of the Year, RBC Royal Bank Large Business of the Year, Professional Services Provider of the Year, Franchisee of the Year, The Morris Mercanti Restaurateur of the Year, KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year, Young Professional & Entrepreneur of the Year (YPEG Award), and Oakville Hydro Conservation Leadership Award.

At the awards gala, the recipient of the Genworth Community Builder Award, Charity or Not-for-Profit Excellence Award, and Oakville’s Business Icon Award will be announced.

  • The Genworth Community Award recognizes a business that has, over time, demonstrated exemplary business practices and dedicated involvement in the community.
  • The Charity or Not-for-Profit Excellence Award honours a charity or not-for-profit organization which is highly regarded in our community and raises funds or provides services to improve the lives of people within our community.
  • The Business Icon Award recognizes a prominent Oakville business which is highly regarded in the business community.

“The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence received an overwhelming number of nominations from the Oakville community. The judges carefully reviewed all of the nominations and selected a list of 56 finalists” stated Ken Nevar, Chair of the Board, Oakville Chamber of Commerce. “I congratulate all of the finalists. It is truly an honour to be nominated by your customers and peers and to be recognized for your dedication, business practices, and community service.”

Working in partnership with The Rotary Club of Oakville West, the majority of funds raised from the Gala Dinner will be donated directly to the club’s local youth programs.

“Since its inception in 1995, the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence has raised almost $1,000,000 for our youth initiatives including the Oakville Rotary Education Awards, Camp Enterprise and the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards” said Lois Knepflar, President of the Rotary Club of Oakville West. “We look forward to a fantastic evening to celebrate business excellence, while supporting the youth in our community.”

The Finalists for the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence are:

Small Business of the Year

A.S. Security & Surveillance Inc.

Addison Music Learning Centre

Akita Natural Skin Care Products Canada

Caju Multimedia Inc.

DCM Event Management

Expert Island

iCare Home Health

Innovative HR

Oakview Funeral Home

Painters Place

Preferred Muffler, Brake & Auto Inc.

Qi Tranquility Spa

Resultel Technologies Inc.

Speckles Art Studio

Wines Unlimited

 

Bell Mid-size Business of the Year:

Automacs Collision Inc.

Cameron’s Brewing Company

ClubRunner

Florence Meats

JNB Auto Centre Inc.

Mico Systems Inc.

SupperWorks

Total Tech Pools and Leisure Inc.

 

RBC Royal Bank Large Business of the Year:

Caravan Logistics Inc.

D’Orazio Infrastructure Group Limited

Glen Oaks Funeral Home and Cemetery

iFLY Toronto Indoor Skydiving

Naylor Building Partnerships Inc.

Rona

 

Professional Services Provider of the Year:

Bazar McBean LLP

Lakeshore Woods Pharmacy

Positive Accounting

The Milley Team (HollisWealth, A division of Industrial Alliance Securities Inc.)

 

Franchisee of the Year:

Liaison College (Oakville Campus)

Piper Foods Inc. (McDonald’s Restaurant)

 

The Morris Mercanti Restaurateur of the Year:

Bronte Sports Kitchen

La Parisienne Creperie

Oliver & Bonacini Café & Grill

The Pipes and Taps Pub

 

KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year:

Allie Ochs of Swiss Bionic Solutions

Ayse Kilic of Akita Canada

Dawn Porter-Schofield of Cornerstone Mediation

Jane Wilson of PoleFit Nation

John Thistlewaite of BCIS, Inc.

Matthew Zarrillo of Zarr Tech

Nicoletta Medeiros of Allure Laser Skin Studio

 

Young Professional and Entrepreneur of the Year (YPEG Award):

Derek Lee of Media Rez Studios Inc.

Dr. Denise Handscomb, ND of Abaton Integrative Medicine  

James Montague of James Montague the Event Planner

Morsal Haidary of Lash Out Lounge and Spa

Paul Ferri of Limitless Training Systems

Oakville Hydro Conservation Leadership Award:

Canlan Ice Sports Corp.

Iovate Health Sciences International Inc.

Mancor Industries

Oakville Honda

Pinty’s Delicious Foods Inc.

 

The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West thank Platinum Partner RBC for their generous support of the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence and Nominee Reception.

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, March 27th

Time: 5:30pm – Registration & Reception; 6:30pm – Dinner & Awards Gala

Location: Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road

Tickets: $125 per person; $87.50 per person for Nominees

Purchase tickets online or by emailing info@oakvillechamber.com or calling the Oakville Chamber of Commerce at 905-845-6613.

 

 

Read the May/June Issue!

June 16, 2017  

 The latest Business Advocate Magazine issue features the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE), Breakfast with Patrick Brown and the Annual Town Economic Update with Mayor Rob Burton. Read the member profiles on past OABE Award Recipients: Access Abilities, Florence Meats and Naylor Building Partnerships Ltd.

YMCA of Oakville to receive Oakville’s Charity/ Not-for-Profit Excellence Award at the 22nd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence Gala

March 14, 2017  

The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West are pleased to announce that the YMCA of Oakville will be the recipient of Oakville’s Charity/Not-for-Profit Excellence Award at the 22nd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) that will culminate in a Gala Dinner on Wednesday, March 29th at the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre. “The Charity/Not-for-Profit Excellence Award honours not-for-profit organizations who are highly regarded in the area for raising funds and providing services to improve the lives of people within our community. This year the YMCA of Oakville has been chosen as the recipient of this prestigious award” stated David Abboud, President of the Rotary Club of Oakville West. For more than 50 years, the YMCA of Oakville has played a crucial role in improving the quality of health and life for residents in Oakville. The YMCA’s original mandate in Oakville was to provide a room registry for factory workers; later it provided a day camp for kids, expanded to provide physical fitness opportunities and finally childcare services for working parents.  Today, the YMCA of Oakville continues to offer these programs with a dedication to the health of both individuals and the Oakville community. The YMCA of Oakville brings the community together with a focus on inclusiveness and accessibility for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through all stages of life. Each November, people from all walks of life join together for YMCA Peace Week to promote and celebrate peace and kindness in the community. The highlight of which is the Peace Week Breakfast celebrating youth, adults and groups in Oakville who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in our community. They are recognized for the positive impact they’ve made on the lives of others through their charitable work, helping those less fortunate, and taking action to inspire positive social change. In 2016, the YMCA of Oakville provided more than $726,000 in membership assistance, including the YMCA Strong Kids campaign, to support more than 2,200 individuals and their families. The YMCA of Oakville invests in youth through the Peter Gilgan Foundation bursaries, which assist recipients with their post-secondary education and the charitable organization is a large provider of youth employment in Oakville. “The YMCA of Oakville also serves more than 31,000 people in our community each year. With their dedication to inclusiveness and bringing our community together, the YMCA of Oakville is an exemplary model of Charitable/Non-for-Profit Excellence. Through their inclusive programming they work to ensure that everyone in Oakville has an opportunity to succeed” stated Caroline Hughes, Chair of the Board, Oakville Chamber of Commerce. The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West thank their event partners for their generous support of the 22nd Annual Awards for Business Excellence. Platinum Partner RBC Royal Bank Diamond Partners Bell Canada Genworth Canada Cogeco Edge Hospitality Henderson Partners LLP, Chartered Accountants KPMG Oakville Hydro O’Connor MacLeod Hanna, LLP Gold Partners Euro-Line Appliances Inc. Snap-on-Tools Virox Technologies Inc. Silver Partners Access Abilities Business Development Bank of Canada Halton Region Economic Development Department Holiday Inn Oakville – Centre Town of Oakville Economic Development Department Bronze Partners Duncan McLeod, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage HighView Financial Group Metrican International Inc. Naylor, Building Partnerships Inc. Via Rail Canada Supporting Partners Charles Havill, Chartered Accountant Chisholm Academy Dorado Web Technologies Dr. Simon Pong Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Intelligent Office Oakville Oakville Centre for Vision, Dr. Ronald Gall, Optometrist The Oakville Beaver   Event Details: Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 Time: 5:30pm – Registration & Reception; 6:30pm – Dinner & Awards Gala Location: Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road Tickets: $125 per person; $87.50 per person for Nominees Purchase tickets online or by emailing info@oakvillechamber.com or calling the Oakville Chamber of Commerce at 905-845-6613.     About the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) are dedicated to recognizing exemplary models of excellence and community service by Oakville’s businesses. The Oakville Chamber of Commerce in partnership with The Rotary Club of Oakville West organizes the OABE now in its 22nd year. The proceeds from the Gala Awards Dinner, including the considerable support from our many Partners, provide funds for the Rotary Club’s numerous youth and academic programs such as the Oakville Awards for Academic Excellence, the Oakville Youth Development Centre, and Camp Enterprise.   About the Oakville Chamber of Commerce The Oakville Chamber is the voice of the Oakville business community, providing member benefits including: advocacy, corporate benefits, networking opportunities, business development and educational forums. Its mission is to foster a healthy, engaged and sustainable business environment and economy in Oakville.   About the Rotary Club of Oakville West The Rotary Club of Oakville West (RCOW) members are neighbors, friends, and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in Oakville, Halton and around the world. Overall Rotary has over 1.2 million members in thousands of clubs in most countries. The Rotary motto is “Service Above Self” and speaks for itself. Members of Rotary clubs are known as Rotarians and are well known for their successful Polio Plus vaccination efforts. RCOW, is well known locally for its youth academic excellence awards, its support of youth leadership programs and for its 22 year history with the OABE. Interact is the high school level for Rotary and Rotaract is the service club for 18-30 year old university and college students. RCOW meets every Tuesday morning from 7:15 AM to 8:30 AM at the Holiday Inn Oakville Centre, 590 Argus Rd. Oakville Ontario.

Bot Construction Group to be recognized as Oakville’s Business Icon at the 22nd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence Gala

March 6, 2017  

The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West are pleased to announce that the Bot Construction Group will be the recipient of Oakville’s Business Icon Award at the 22nd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) Gala. The Gala dinner will take place at the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre on Wednesday, March 29th. “The Business Icon Award recognizes a prominent Oakville business which is highly regarded in the business community and this year Bot Construction Group has been chosen as the recipient of this prestigious award” stated David Abboud, President of The Rotary Club of Oakville West. Bot Construction Group has been proudly building Canada’s infrastructure for more than half a century. The company was founded by Silvio Bot in 1957 in Oakville, beginning as a small concrete forming company serving the local market. Over the decades, Bot Construction expanded its services and operations province wide and beyond, to become one of Ontario’s largest privately owned and operated civil engineering and construction companies and a leader in the transportation infrastructure sector. Their work includes highways, bridges and the installation of other public infrastructure projects. Bot Construction draws their workforce from the local community, and showing support for the communities in which they live and work is a longstanding tradition for the organization. They state it is the strength of their people that has earned them their reputation for excellence. Employees are recognized through the Bot Construction Service Awards. The Silvio Bot Charitable Foundation was established to commemorate the life of their founder through giving to others. Bot Construction proudly supports various local charitable organizations in the Oakville community, including a donation of $100,000 to the Oakville Hospital Foundation. Bot Construction is committed to protecting their employees and the environment. They established an Environmental Protection Program, which received the Green Leadership and Sustainability Award in 2012 from the Ontario Road Builders’ Association. In 2016 they received the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association Certificate of Recognition for their construction operations. Recently, Silvio Bot (receiving the award posthumously) was inducted into the Ontario Road Builders’ Association Hall of Fame. The induction recognizes Silvio’s strong relationships with his peers in the road building industry. “Bot Construction Group is a highly respected organization that serves the Oakville community. Their commitment to building excellence, recognizing their employees, protecting the environment and giving back to our community is an example for us all. This year Bot Construction celebrates their 60th Anniversary and we couldn’t think of a better way to honour them” stated Caroline Hughes, Chair of the Board, Oakville Chamber of Commerce. The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West thank their event partners for their generous support of the 22nd Annual Awards for Business Excellence. Platinum Partner RBC Royal Bank Diamond Partners Bell Canada Genworth Canada Cogeco Edge Hospitality Henderson Partners LLP KPMG Oakville Hydro O’Connor MacLeod Hanna LLP Gold Partners Euro-Line Appliances Inc. Snap-on-Tools Virox Technologies Inc. Silver Partner Access Abilities BDC Holiday Inn – Oakville Centre Town of Oakville Economic Development Department Bronze Partner Duncan McLeod, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage HighView Financial Group Metrican International Inc. Naylor Group Inc. Via Rail Canada Supporting Partner Charles Havill Chartered Accountant Dorado Web Technologies Dr. Simon Pong Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Intelligent Office Oakville Oakville Centre for Vision, Dr. Ronald Gall, Optometrist The Oakville Beaver   Event Details: Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 Time: 5:30pm – Registration & Reception; 6:30pm – Dinner & Awards Gala Location: Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road Tickets: $125 per person; $87.50 per person for Nominees Purchase tickets online or by emailing info@oakvillechamber.com or calling the Oakville Chamber of Commerce at 905-845-6613.   About the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) are dedicated to recognizing exemplary models of excellence and community service by Oakville’s businesses. The Oakville Chamber of Commerce in partnership with The Rotary Club of Oakville West organizes the OABE now in its 22nd year. The proceeds from the Gala Awards Dinner, including the considerable support from our many Partners, provide funds for the Rotary Club’s numerous youth and academic programs such as the Oakville Awards for Academic Excellence, the Oakville Youth Development Centre, and Camp Enterprise.   About the Oakville Chamber of Commerce The Oakville Chamber is the voice of the Oakville business community, providing member benefits including: advocacy, corporate benefits, networking opportunities, business development and educational forums. Its mission is to foster a healthy, engaged and sustainable business environment and economy in Oakville.   About the Rotary Club of Oakville West The Rotary Club of Oakville West (RCOW) members are neighbors, friends, and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in Oakville, Halton and around the world. Overall Rotary has over 1.2 million members in thousands of clubs in most countries. The Rotary motto is “Service Above Self” and speaks for itself. Members of Rotary clubs are known as Rotarians and are well known for their successful Polio Plus vaccination efforts. RCOW, is well known locally for its youth academic excellence awards, its support of youth leadership programs and for its 22 year history with the OABE. Interact is the high school level for Rotary and Rotaract is the service club for 18-30 year old university and college students. RCOW meets every Tuesday morning from 7:15 AM to 8:30 AM at the Holiday Inn Oakville Centre, 590 Argus Rd. Oakville Ontario.  

Congratulations to the 2016 Nominees for the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

February 8, 2017  

The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West are pleased to present the 22nd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) that will culminate in a Gala Dinner on Wednesday, March 29th at the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre. The nominees for this year’s awards were officially announced at the OABE Nominee reception on Tuesday, February 7th at the Holiday Inn, Oakville Centre. This year, the winners will be chosen from nominees in nine categories: RBC Small Business of the Year, Bell Mid-size Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Franchisee of the Year, Professional Services Provider of the Year, The Morris Mercanti Restaurateur of the Year, KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year, Genworth Community Builder of the Year, and Oakville Hydro Conservation Leadership Award. At the gala, the winner of Oakville’s Business Icon Award and Charity or Not-for-Profit Excellence Award will be announced. The Business Icon Award recognizes a prominent Oakville business which is highly regarded in the business community. The Charity or Not-for-Profit Excellence Award honours a charity or not-for-profit organization which is highly regarded in the community and raises funds or provides services to improve the lives of people within the community. “This year we received over 150 nominations from the Oakville community; a record number of nominations! The judges carefully reviewed all of the nominations and selected a list of 78 nominees for the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence” stated John Sawyer, President of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. “I congratulate all of the finalists on achieving this honour; it is proof of their hard work and dedication. They truly represent the best of Oakville’s business community.”   Working in partnership with The Rotary Club of Oakville West, the majority of funds raised from the Gala Dinner will be donated directly to the club’s local youth programs. “The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence gala has raised more than $500,000 since it began over twenty years ago,” said Rotary President, David Abboud. “Last year’s dinner set a record for attendance comprised of over 600 business, community and political leaders. We are looking forward to a fantastic evening to celebrate business excellence in Oakville.” The Nominees for the 22nd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence are: RBC Small Business of the Year Avante Boutique Inc. Caju Multimedia Inc. domilya GROUP Inc. Elm Hill Cookies Inc. Icing Marketing Corporation J.H. Gelbloom Surveying Limited JAE associates Ltd. la strada Leisure Industries Inc. Lioness Creations Floral Design MTC Tire Oakville Inc. Nancy Robertson Team, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada Oakville Windows & Doors Inc. Otello’s Banquet & Convention Centre Inc. Syer Hospitality Group Inc. Studio H Design That Pie Place The Management Coach (Grand Plan Management Innovations Inc.) The Millionaire’s Daughter Ultimate Pool Service Inc. Willowglen School   Bell Mid-size Business of the Year: Cheney Window & Door Specialists ClubRunner Florence Meat Supplies Limited GL Chemtec International Ltd. Information Display Systems Canada Inc. JNB Auto Centre Inc. Merriam Music Promotional Source Corporation PSI Payroll Services Inc. Rock Star Real Estate Inc. Total Tech Pools and Leisure   Large Business of the Year: Budds’ Group of Companies Delta Bingo Inc. Direct Response Media Group D’Orazio Infrastructure Group Limited Entripy Custom  Clothing Freshco Retail Maintenance Inc. Javelin Technologies Inc. Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. OS&B (Oakville Stamping & Bending Ltd.) Porsche Centre Oakville Promation (Promation Engineering Ltd. & Promation Nuclear Ltd.) Whole Foods Market Oakville   KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year: Sophia Segal of Business Analyst Solution Brenda Ahenkorah-Benoit of Clinical Trial Referral Network, Inc. Dawn Porter-Schofield of Cornerstone Mediation Jas Brar of Entripy Custom Clothing Jillian Bowman of Epicured Market Inc. Sean Neville of Healthwick Tiffany Richardson of Icing Marketing Corporation Christine Yardley of Print Panther Inc. Allison Christilaw of Reddin Global Inc. Matthew Zarrillo of Zarr Tech   Professional Services Provider of the Year: CHR Health Centre Inc. Christine M. Langevin Chartered Professional Accountants Dynamic Health and Performance Lakeshore Woods Pharmacy North Ridge Family Chiropractic Peter Watson Investments Positive Accounting Scotia Wealth Management/The Jamison Group Tino-Gaetani & Carusi, Chartered Professional Accountants   Franchisee of the Year: BCS – Business Coaching Solutions Corp. EmbroidMe Oakville Par-T-Perfect Quicker Foods Inc. Turtle Jack’s Oakville   The Morris Mercanti Restaurateur of the Year: Croissant Express Bakery Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill The Crêpe Kitchen   Genworth Community Builder of the Year: Mercedes Benz Oakville Ristorante Julia     Oakville Hydro Conservation Leadership Award: Advanced Ceramics Corp. All-Connect Logistical Services Inc. Alliance Labeling Fourmark Manufacturing Lisgar Developments   The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Oakville West thank Platinum Partner RBC for their generous support of the 22nd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence.   Event Details: Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 Time: 5:30pm – Registration & Reception; 6:30pm – Dinner & Awards Gala Location: Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road Tickets: $125 per person; $87.50 per person for Nominees Purchase tickets online or by emailing info@oakvillechamber.com or calling the Oakville Chamber of Commerce at 905-845-6613.     About the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) are dedicated to recognizing exemplary models of excellence and community service by Oakville’s businesses. The Oakville Chamber of Commerce in partnership with The Rotary Club of Oakville West organizes the OABE now in its 22nd year. The proceeds from the Gala Awards Dinner, including the considerable support from our many Partners, provide funds for the Rotary Club’s numerous youth and academic programs such as the Oakville Awards for Academic Excellence, the Oakville Youth Development Centre, and Camp Enterprise. For more information, visit www.oabe.ca .

Nominations Open for the 22nd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

August 23, 2016  

OABE logo.new   The Oakville Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Oakville West, is now accepting nominations for the 22nd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE). Nominations will be accepted until September 30th at 4pm EST. The OABE is dedicated to recognizing exemplary models of excellence and community service by Oakville’s businesses. “We encourage members of the business community and general public to nominate any Oakville-based business with whom you’ve had consistently great experience,” notes David Abboud, President of the Rotary Club of Oakville West. “It is a wonderful opportunity to formally acknowledge their hard work.” The 22nd Annual OABE award categories open for nomination are:
  • RBC Royal Bank Small Business of the Year: This award recognizes a business of 1-5 full time equivalent employees and/or primarily services Oakville and district and/or generates up to approximately $2 million in revenue annually.
  • Bell Mid-size Business of the Year: This award recognizes a business of 5-20 employees and/or primarily serves the regional/provincial markets and/or generates between $2 million-$10 million in revenue annually.
  • Large Business of the Year: This award recognizes a business of more than 20 employees and/or primarily serves the provincial, national and international markets and/or generates approximately $10 million or more in revenue annually.
  • Franchisee of the Year:This award recognizes a Franchisee, serving the Oakville market, who is recognized by their customers and their Franchisor for the outstanding operation of their business.
  • Professional Services Provider of the Year: This award recognizes a person or employee team with a professional designation or whose practice is regulated by a provincial, federal or regulatory body.
  • The Morris Mercanti Restaurateur of the Year:This award recognizes a restaurateur with an establishment in Oakville that is open to the public. Please note this is a business award.
  • KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year:This award recognizes an individual who personally exhibits extraordinary entrepreneurship, energy, inspiration, leadership and / or innovation in their business pursuits.
  • Genworth Community Builder of the Year: This award recognizes a business that has, over a period of time, demonstrated exemplary business practices and dedicated involvement in the community.
“The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence celebrates the many contributions our business community makes to the outstanding quality of life we enjoy here in Oakville,” says Kerry Colborne, Chair of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. “Last year over 150 nominations were put forward and we expect a similar result this year. If you know a business that excels in one of the above categories, honour them by submitting a nomination.” All nominations are sent to the OABE Judges, who carefully review the submission and evaluate it accordingly to the category criteria. The Judges are individuals from the professional community who bring a wealth of professional expertise and unique business experiences, having made significant contributions to their own professions. The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence culminates in a gala dinner and award ceremony on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre. The proceeds from the evening, including the considerable support from our Partners, provide funds for the Rotary Club’s youth and academic programs. To be eligible for nomination, businesses must be physically located in the Town of Oakville and cannot have won in any category in the last five years. A complete list of category criteria and eligibility rules can be found at www.oabe.ca. Nominations can be submitted online at www.oabe.ca. Alternatively, forms are available at the Oakville Chamber of Commerce.  For assistance, please call Karen Pomfret at 905-845-6613 ext. 210. awardwhite-1