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11 | Friday, F ebruary 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | w w w .insideH A LT O N .com OABE com petition gam ers record nominations by Nathan Howes Oakville Beaver Staff A record number of businesses are in the running to be named among the best-of-the-best in the Oakville community. A total 78 finalists were chosen for the 22nd annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE), held by the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Oakville West (RCOW), to recognize the contributions of local businesses in 2016. The announcement was made Tuesday, Feb. 7 during a reception held at the Holiday Inn Oakville Centre. Winners will be revealed during the yearly awards and gala dinner Wednesday, March 29 at the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre. The majority of funds raised from the gala dinner will be donated directly to the rotary club' s local youth programs, including at least 30 scholarships. "It is these businesses that generate the wealth that sustains the community that has such an outstanding quality of life. It is these entrepreneurs that create that wealth. We need to recognize and celebrate what they do for the community," said John Sawyer, Oakville Chamber president. "The support of Rotary is a real bonus. I think more than three quarters of a million dollars has flowed to Rotary for scholarships in the last 22 years." Several teams of judges are involved in the selection process this time, due to the higher volume of finalists, Sawyer said, noting they all have business-related expertise in finance, accounting, business management and legal backgrounds, among other areas. "W e're very excited about it. It just shows the event is gaining momentum. It' s nice to see so many great businesses in Oakville," said Sawyer, adding the previous record for the number of finalists was 55. "This isn't where your friends write in and the winner is whoever gets the most votes. This is properly-judged business awards." Judges interview the nominees according to a set criteria for each category The original 150 nominations received went through a review process to ensure they met the criteria, Sawyer noted. " Just to be one of the final nominees is ... they've won already," he said. Awards will be handed out in nine categories, including: RBC Royal Bank Small Business of the Year, Bell Mid-size Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Professional Services Provider of the Year, The Morris Mercanti Restaurateur of the Year, Franchisee of the Year, KPMG Entrepreneur of the Year, Genworth Community Builder of the Year and Oakville Hydro Conservation Leadership Award. The ceremony will also include Oakville' s Business Icon and Charity or Not-forProfit Excellence awards. The former recognizes a prominent Oakville business that is highly-regarded in the business community, while the Charity or Not-for-Profit Excellence accolade honours a charity or not-for-profit organization, also highlyregarded in the community, and raises funds or provides services to improve the lives of people in Oakville. Greg Duffy, RCOW member, said the Chamber, its members and business community "perfectly complement" what the Rotary Club is trying to do to keep its group growing. "These young people who earn the scholarships, they're amazing. They're not only getting good grades... they're participating in school programs, after-school classes and clubs," said Duffy. 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 Solutions Corp. EmbroidMe Oakville Par-T-Perfect Quicker Foods Inc. Turtle Jacks Oakville The Morris Mercanti Restaura teur of the Year: Croissant Express Bakery Oliver & Bonacini Cafe Grill The Crepe 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 22nd annual OABE gala will take place Wednesday, March 29 at the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Rd. Registration and reception starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $125 each or $87.50 for nominees or Rotary members. Tickets can be bought online at goo.gl/3khX8T, by emailing info@oakvillechamber.com or calling the Oakville Chamber at 905-845-6613. For more information, visit www.oabe. ca. Rotary Club of Oakville West (RCOW) member Greg Duffy, left, and Oakville Chamber of Commerce president John Sawyer, right, at the 2017 Oakville Awards for Business Excellence nominee reception held Tuesday, Feb. 7. | Jayson Mills photo 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 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 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 Franchisee of the Year: BCS - Business Coaching 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 A L L L O C A T IO N S A R E L O C A T E D IN S ID E L O N G O S & A R E O P E N 7 DAYS A W EEK °P p y A t^ m o r e l l f s p h a rm a c y 2 0 1 6 nominees: RBC Royal Bank Small Busi ness 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 Filling prescriptions. Fulfilling expectations. MORELLISPHARMACY.COM I ONLINE PRESCRIPTION RENEWAL I COM POUNDING AVAILABLE I FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED We make transferring your prescriptions easy Have you had your flu shot? No appointment necessary Large Business of the Year: Budds' Group of Companies Delta Bingo Inc. Fast, professional services inside your Oakville and Burlington LONGO'S