– Dan Rogers is the General Manager at the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce and can be reached at manager@vernonchamber.ca.
VERNON – The best of Greater Vernon’s business and community leaders were celebrated at the 2017 Business Excellence Awards on March 10th with Swan Lake Nurseryland winning the prestigious ‘BDC Business of the Year Award’. Swan Lake Nurseryland Fruit Market & Garden Centre has been locally owned and operated for almost 60 years.
“Each of our award winners represent vibrant organizations who have given back to the community in many ways,” says Markus Schrott, Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce vice-president. “We congratulate the winners and also acknowledge the many deserving nominees.”
The individual awards went to Roy Wood of Thermotech Insulation who was named ‘Business Person of the Year’ while the ‘Community Leader Award’ went to Brian Martin of SunFM. Nick Moffat of Nicholas Alexander Landscaping was named ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’. His company was tabbed as ‘New Business of the Year’ just a couple of years ago.
The ‘Newsmaker of the Year’ was Restoration Lands Inc., which opened a manufacturing centre just outside of Vernon last year. The company has ambitious plans to bring to new life to the former glass plant. Predator Ridge won the ‘Tourism of the Year Award’ while the ‘Small Business of the Year Award’ went to Sun Country Cycle. Farm Bound Organics was named the ‘New Business of the Year’.
The others to be recognized included:
- Employer of the Year: Maven Lane
- Green Business of the Year: Element Eco-Design
- Manufacturer of the Year: Helmut’s Sausage Kitchen
- Non-Profit of the Year: Teens Count Too Society
- Customer Service Excellence Award: OBC Automotive
Presented by Valley First, this year’s Awards Gala drew a crowd of close to 340 to recognize the top businesses and organizations in thirteen different categories.
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The Greater Vernon Chamber recently launched a new program aimed at helping members of the chamber proudly show their commitment to high customer service standards. The program allows those members of the chamber who agree to abide by a specific code of conduct to access marketing material that conveys that they are “Chamber Certified”.
“Extensive research has shown that people are more likely to frequent a business when they know they are involved in their local chamber,” says Dauna Kennedy Grant, chamber president. “Now we are giving those members who agree to the code of conduct additional tools to help show their civic pride.”
The code of conduct includes an agreement to conduct business in an honourable manner that reflects well on the business, the chamber and the community at large. The code of conduct also calls on each participating member to agree to lend a hand to help promote the community and whenever possible lend their expertise to help others grow and prosper.
The marketing tool kit that comes with the program includes a bright window cling and a table top tent that consumers can look for when they are shopping local. Electronic images have also been developed to allow participating businesses to show they are “Chamber Certified” on their website and in electronic communication.
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Finally, the Greater Vernon Chamber is pleased to welcome a number of new members including North Okanagan Youth & Family Services, Roko Services, Strategic Video, Okanagan Studios, Secure-Rite Mobile Storage, Transformational Results Consultants, NOR Renovations, Dancing Scot Forge, Davies Wildfire Management Inc., Vernon Christian School, Ezzzy Moving & Cleaning, and 3% Realty. Welcome to the Chamber network, the most influential business association in the country!