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Tag: oakville awards for business excellence
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Sold Out Crowd Celebrates Business Excellence in Oakville
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
Small Business of the Year
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
Franchisee of the Year
Piper Foods Inc. / McDonald’s Restaurant
The Morris Mercanti Restaurateur of the Year
Oakville Hydro Conservation Leadership Award
Genworth Community Builder of the Year
CN Charity or Not-for-Profit Excellence Award
Oakville’s Business Icon Award
Piper Foods Inc. to be recognized as the Genworth Community Builder of the Year at the 23rd Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence Gala
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
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
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
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.
Akita Natural Skin Care Products Canada
Preferred Muffler, Brake & Auto Inc.
Bell Mid-size Business of the Year:
Total Tech Pools and Leisure Inc.
RBC Royal Bank Large Business of the Year:
D’Orazio Infrastructure Group Limited
Glen Oaks Funeral Home and Cemetery
Naylor Building Partnerships Inc.
Professional Services Provider of the Year:
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:
Oliver & Bonacini Café & Grill
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:
Iovate Health Sciences International 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.
