Grant Thornton LLP Sponsoring Thompson Okanagan BE Event to Celebrate Top Companies
Ashley Ramsay of Yeti Farm Creative receives the Business of the Year Award in 2018, presented by Tyler Krenz of Grant Thornton LLP. Photo by Ethan Delichte of Prime Light Media.
KELOWNA – Nominations are being sought for the Grant Thornton LLP Thompson Okanagan Business Excellence Awards, which will celebrate the best of the best in 17 different business categories at a Gala Event in Kelowna June 16.
“It’s time to get out and celebrate some of the good things that have been happening in the region,” says Mark MacDonald of Business Examiner Thompson Okanagan, which is organizing the event. “With the restrictions of the last two years, people have not been able to get together in larger gatherings to celebrate their accomplishments.
“This event is all about celebrating the best of the best in business in the Thompson and Okanagan regions, and the companies that have not just managed to survive, but thrive during the pandemic deserve an opportunity to be applauded for their efforts and perseverance.”
Mike Miltimore of Riversong Guitars, left, with the Manufacturing Business of the Year award from 2018, presented by Tyler Krenz of Grant Thornton LLP. Riversong tied with Vitalis Extraction of Kelowna in the category.
It is the return of an event that was initially held in 2018, when Yeti Farm Creative was named Business of the Year and GetintheLoop of Kelowna took home the Small Business of the Year award.
Grant Thornton LLP returns as Title Sponsor for the event, and will host a “Breakfast For Champions” round table the next morning for all 17 category winners.
Grant Thornton LLP was also the title sponsor of the 21st Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards, held in March at a sold-out Delta Ocean Pointe Resort in Victoria.
“People were so happy to be able to get out and meet with their colleagues, and several people remarked it was arguably the best event we’ve ever held,” says MacDonald. “We fully expect the Thompson Okanagan event to be equally as successful.”
The Awards event will cover the past two years – 2020 and 2021. There is no cost to enter, and businesses can self-nominate, with the nomination deadline being Friday, April 29. Entries will be adjudicated by a team of independent judges from throughout the region, who will pore over nominations from Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Enderby, Vernon, Lake Country, Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland and Penticton.
Categories this year are:
- Automotive (car and truck dealers, mechanical and body repair, rentals)
- Construction/ Development
- Entrepreneur
- Financial Services (Institutions, wealth management, group benefits)
- Food & Beverage Production (agriculture, seafood, food products)
- Green & Sustainable
- Health Care Services
- Hospitality/Tourism
- Manufacturing
- Professional (legal, accounting, insurance, coaching)
- Real Estate
- Retail
- Technology
- Trades (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, etc.)
- Winery
- Small Business (under 20 employees & under $1 million in sales)
- Business of the Year (over 50 employees & over $1 million in sales)
Other companies that won the last Business Excellence Awards included, from Kelowna: Current Taxi, High Street Ventures, Vitalis Extraction and Refresh Financial; West Kelowna: Carrington Dental Centre; Summerland: True Grain Bread and Swiss Solar Tech Ltd., Penticton: Get Bent Yoga and Dance, Redhead Mare, The Nest & Nectar, Big Bear Software Ltd., Glow SUP Adventures, Duffy Baker Construction and Poplar Grove; Vernon: Pickle Ball Depot; Lake Country: Sip Happens Wine Tours; and Kamloops: Riversong Guitars and Main Street Clothing.
“All of the companies that won their categories in 2018 are still in business today, which is amazing,” says MacDonald. “It shows how solid they are, to be able to get through these past two years with all the challenges they presented.”
The Official Program for the last Thompson Okanagan BE Awards, which includes information on each finalist, is still available online at: https://issuu.com/markmacdonald7/docs/tobe_2018_book_for_website
For information on sponsorship and nominations for the BE Awards, please contact Mark MacDonald at 1-866-768-2684 Ext. 120 or via email at: mark@businessexaminer.ca
Nomination forms can be downloaded through https://form.jotform.com/220906814039253