The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has named three finalists in each of its 16 business excellence award categories, marking the 39th year of the program.
The finalists were revealed earlier this week during an event at Laurel Packinghouse in downtown Kelowna. The winners will be announced at an awards gala on Friday, Nov. 20, at the Delta Grand. A separate honour, business leader of the year, will be announced Nov. 2 and is chosen independently by the chamber’s panel of judges.
Chamber CEO Ester Pike said the pre-gala event signals that the organization is nearing the conclusion of the program during the chamber’s 120th anniversary year. She said the awards give members and the community insight into local business leaders and not-for-profit leaders, while raising the profile of innovators across the Okanagan.
Categories Span Tourism to Digital Transformation
The 16 categories cover a wide range of sectors, including tourism, hospitality and visitor experience; arts and entertainment; agriculture, food and agribusiness; sustainability and environmental impact; and digital transformation. Finalists in the tourism category include Loyly Floating Sauna, Red Bird Brewing and Volcanic Hills Estate Winery, with Volcanic Hills Estate Winery also a finalist in the agriculture and agribusiness category.
Other categories recognize ethics and integrity, equity and inclusion, Indigenous business, and not-for-profit and social impact work. Large business finalists include Bannister Motor Group, Canco Petroleum Ltd. and Stantec Consulting Ltd., while mid-size business finalists include Energyplex Entertainment Centre, Ford Salon and Unicast Inc.
Individual Honours Also on the List
Several categories recognize individuals rather than companies. The Young Entrepreneur & Emerging Leader of the Year finalists are Barbara Egan of Alive Counselling, Shawn Gauba of Connects Wireless and Dr. Brittany Schamerhorn of Ivy Health Clinic. Schamerhorn is also a finalist for Rising Star & Emerging Business of the Year, alongside Stephanie Horman of Cabin 5 Canada and Renée Warren of The Pink Skirt Project.
The Top Sales & Client Experience Professional of the Year category features Greg Porttas of Pinnacle Roofing, Simon Ward of Royal LePage Kelowna and Bradley Krauza of Interior Beverages.
Winners across all 16 categories, along with the business leader of the year, are set to be announced in the coming weeks, culminating in the Nov. 20 gala at the Delta Grand.
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