Organizers of the 19th Annual Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards are looking forward to a large number of entries from award-worthy businesses this year as the Dec. 8 nomination deadline is now around the corner on the calendar.
“It’s been another good year for business on Vancouver Island, and we expect that to be reflected in the number and quality of the entries this year for the Gala, which will be held in Nanaimo on Jan. 24,” notes Mark MacDonald of the Business Examiner, which coordinates the event.
“These awards always bring out new, exciting ventures that make our judges’ job a little tougher each year as they decide who wins each award.”
Black Press is a Platinum Sponsor of the Awards this year, and RBC Royal Bank and Grant Thornton LLP are the event’s Gold Sponsors.
This year, winners of each of the 17 categories will be invited to a special “Breakfast For Champions” roundtable the following morning, hosted by RBC Royal Bank, Grant Thornton LLP and Business Examiner.
Categories this year are:
• Automotive (car and truck dealerships & fleet sales)
• Construction/ Development/Real Estate
• Entrepreneur
• Food & Food Production (agriculture, seafood, food products)
• Green & Technology
• Health Care
• Hospitality
• Industrial Manufacturer
• Manufactured Wood Products
• Ocean Products
• Professional (legal, accounting, insurance, coaching)
• Construction/Development/Real Estate
• Retail
• Small Business (under 20 employees & under $1 million in sales)
• Tourism
• Trades (automotive repair, plumbing, electrical, roofing, etc.
• Business of the Year (over 50 employees and over $1 million in sales).
“Each year, nominations are generally evenly split between companies south of the Malahat, and those from north of the Malahat,” says MacDonald.
“That’s not surprising, as the population of both areas are very close, but it also shows the strength of the economy on Vancouver Island is spread out.”
The nomination deadline is Dec. 8, and companies can self-nominate. There is no charge to participate. Nomination forms can be downloaded at www.businessexaminer.ca/events.
For more information on the event contact MacDonald at 1-866-758-2684 ext. 120 or email: mark@businessexaminer.ca