Special Features - 2016 Business Excellence Awards

2016

HARRISON-AGASSIZ

BUSINESS

AWARDS A winning evening…

Retailers, restaurants, home-based businesses and not-for-profits. All of these businesses and more were celebrated during the 2016 Harrison-Agassiz Business Excellence Awards on February 20th. The lively and entertaining evening at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa, included fine dining, 50/50 draw, DJ dance and of course, an outpouring of love and plenty of congratulatory wishes for the winners and nominees.

Remember, local business can only thrive with local customers. So The Observer would like to send out a big 'thank you' to all of you who nominated a business for their excellence. Each nominee was truly deserving of your support. And as you will read in the following pages, each of them is incredibly thankful for all of you, their loyal customers.

Not-for-profit Organization Excellence: Agassiz-Harrison Lions Club; Agriculture & Agri-Food Innovation Excellence: The Farm House Natural Cheeses; Distinction in Hospitality & Tourism Excellence: Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Visitor Information Centre; Retailer Excellence: Agassiz Produce; Celebrating Culinary Excellence: The Black Forest Steak & Schnitzel House; Service Excellence: Muddy Waters Café & Espresso; People’s Choice: Agassiz Remedy’sRx Pharmacy; Harrison Agassiz Chamber Choice: Prospera Credit Union, Agassiz; Home-Based Business Excellence: Todd’s Signs

AWARDS

NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION EXCELLENCE AWARD

Agassiz-Harrison Lions Club James Massie, Production Supervisor of Britco, Agassiz, presents Lion Mohamed Hasanine with the Not-For-Profit Organization Excellence award.

Lions serving for more than half a century

By Hunter Ramey

2016 HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS

Formed over fifty years ago and made up of about forty community minded men and women, the Agassiz-Harrison Lions club would like to thank Business Excellence Awards voters for voting it the best non-profit of the year. Amongst other fundraisers, the group raises funds through the July car show on Pioneer Avenue and through Supervalu raffles. The group donates proceeds to community events such as the Mother’s Day pancake breakfast, Agassiz Parks and Recreation events, the museum and the Agassiz Scouts. In the past, they donated funds to furnish the children’s room in the library, to build the Agricultural Hall and purchase the ‘Jaws of Life’ for the fire department.

Most recently, they awarded four bursaries to AESS graduates, as well as make donations to the Fraser Valley Healthcare Foundation and Honour House (which helps first responders and their families). The Lions live up to their motto, “We serve” through their endless dedication to the community and its people, while having fun too. “Lions smile 90 percent of the time,” said Lion Gerry Ruble. “They are too busy to mope!” If you would like to find out more about the Agassiz-Harrison Lions club email your name and phone number to ahlionstreasurer@outlook.com. award sponsored by:

AGRICULTURE & AGRI-FOOD INNOVATION EXCELLENCE

The Farm House Natural Cheeses Erin Goosen of Tourism Harrison, accepted the award for Agriculture & Agri-Food Innovation Excellence on behalf of The Farm House Natural Cheeses from Coun. Darcy Striker.

More flavour in this cheese

In order to remain viable in an increasing global economy, George and Debra Boyes decided years ago to look at value-added opportunities for their small family Agassiz farm. The couple decided to combine George’s British Royal Agriculture College education and experience in dairy farming with the Swiss cheese making knowledge of Debra and make a go of it in business. The Boyes built their on-farm processing facility and began making cheese in May of 2004 under the name of The Farm House Natural Cheeses. “We changed our milking herd from the more common Holstein breed to heritage breed cows... whose milk has more components and flavour making it extra good for cheese making,” Debra said. They soon added goat’s milk products and then, last year, became a certified organic farm and creamery.

The milk from the farm’s 65 cows and 130 goats is made into cheese, yogurt, fluid non-homogenized milk, and other dairy products.

Though their product range boasts many awards over the years, the Boyes are more honoured by the fact that they contribute to the sustainability of their community and build lasting relationships as well.

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Recognition from the Chamber of Commerce The 2016 Harrison-Agassiz Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards were once again a great success.

Thank you to Sonja, Michelle, Judy, Linda and Sarah for your hard work and enthusiasm. Your efforts resulted in a wonderful evening of networking, fine dining and honouring the excellence of local businesses.

A BIG thank you to the following: • Holly Tree Florist & Gifts, for the winners' beautiful flowers.

• Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa, for the delicious meal as well as the generous grand prize package of an overnight accommodation in a Lakeview guestroom complete with couples massage, dinner at The Copper Room and breakfast the next morning.

Helping you with all your banking needs.

Helping you with all your banking needs.

Personal banking Personal banking

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Business banking Business banking

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Investment advice Investment advice

Agassiz Branch Agassiz 1810 No 9Branch Hwy 1810 No 9 Hwy 604.796.2202 604.796.2202 prospera.ca prospera.ca

WINNER OF THE 2016

HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS AWARD for Harrison-Agassiz Chamber Choice

THANK YOU Agassiz & Harrison for making this award possible!

Winners of the 2016 Agassiz Harrison Business Excellence Awards gathered after the ceremony at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa, February 20.

WINNER OF THE 2016

HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS AWARD for Not-For-Profit Organization Excellence

DISTINCTION IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM EXCELLENCE

Robert Reyerse, Executive Director of Tourism Harrison, presents the award for Distinction in Hospitality & Tourism Excellence to Judy Pickard, manager of AgassizHarrison Museum & Visitor Information Centre.

Making history at the museum

By Hunter Ramey The Agassiz Harrison Museum would like to thank voters for their Business Excellence Award. The Museum opened thirty years ago after renovations made to the CPR station, originally built in 1893. “The rest, you could say, is history,” Judy Pickard said. “We are now about to celebrate our 30th season.” The museum is the perfect place for tourists and locals interested in their community, especially since the Visitor Information Centre moved to the museum in 2009. It is part of the Agassiz Harrison Historical Society, which has been around since the early 1980s (originally called the Harrison Lake Historical Society). Run by volunteers with a love for heritage, the AgassizHarrison Museum, a not-for-profit society, is a great learning experience for community and visitors. “All of our volunteers deserve huge applause for all of their generous time, knowledge and expertise,” Pickard said. In fact, she credits the success of the organization to the efforts of that volunteer base. During the summer months, approximately forty volunteers take shifts working in the Visitor Information Centre, gift shop and as tour guides.

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AWARDS

Agassiz-Harrison Museum & Visitor Information Centre

2016 HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS

To our sponsors, without you, this event would not be possible.

They are: • Britco LP • District of Kent • Harrison Agassiz Chamber of Commerce • Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa • HUB International Barton Insurance • Prospera Credit Union • RIMEX • Tourism Harrison • Village of Harrison Hot Springs

Your community Your community Thank you for your vote of confidence. credit union credit Yourunion community credit union.

AGASSIZ PRODUCE 7266 Pioneer Ave. | 604.796.8444 LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

Thank you

AWARDS

We are honoured to receive the Retailer Excellence Award!

It is our pleasure to serve our community.

Photo: Peter “ALL REQUESTS” Graves

After the awards presentation, guests kicked up their heels to AllTunes DJ Service.

Thank you for nominating Todd's Signs for the Home-Based Business Excellence Award.

Your continued support is appreciated.

2016 HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS

W W W. TO D D S S I G N S . C O M

WINNER OF THE 2016

HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS

AWARD for Retailer Excellence

WINNER OF THE 2016

HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS AWARD for Home-Based Business Excellence

RETAILER EXCELLENCE AWARD

Agassiz Produce Jennifer Peters, Assistant Branch Manager and Cindy Helmer, Branch Manager from Prospera Credit Union, Agassiz, present Jackie Greene of Agassiz Produce with the Retailer Excellence award.

Selling produce in a friendly atmosphere A charming old-style sign on the side of the building says it all: “green grocer and fruiterer.” Located on Pioneer Avenue Agassiz Produce sells a mix of local and imported food, but puts an emphasis on stocking as many locally grown fruits and vegetables as possible. In fact, owner Jackie Greene supplies the store with her own family farm’s produce during the local growing season. Only when seasonal supply is short will customers see imports—and that’s to deliver variety. Greene said Agassiz Produce has weathered a few storms in the 10 years they’ve been in business, including the recent spike in vegetable prices that saw cauliflower costs among others go through the roof. But with a lifetime of produce experience behind her, the Abbotsford product knows how to shake off the challenges and succeed through “a lot of hard work and dedication.” Greene likes Agassiz and she tries to provide the same friendly atmosphere in her store that the people of the town exude themselves. “Our customers are happy with what we provide them,” she said.

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Joining the Chamber has benefits The Harrison-Agassiz Chamber represents the business interests of two dynamic and different communities: Harrison Hot Springs and the District of Kent. Harrison Hot Springs, a small village in the big outdoors, has been a premier resort destination for over a century and offers access to the largest fresh water lake in South Western BC. The District of Kent is the hub for agricultural activity in the Eastern Fraser Valley and is the "Corn Capital" of BC.

Thank you to everyone who voted!

We are honoured to win The Peoples Choice Award Now let US treat YOU with our Customer Appreciation Week!

March 5-12

• 10% OFF on all Front Store Items* • Refreshments all day • Draw for Vouchers from Heritage Cafe & Sushi Rest.

As the Voice of Business, the Harrison-Agassiz Chamber of Commerce has been serving the needs of the business community in the Kent District and Harrison Hot Springs for more than 25 years. They are a non-profit, non-government organization with nearly 100 members comprised of businesses, professionals and associations who have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic, commercial and tourist interests of our community.

If you have any questions about the Harrison-Agassiz Chamber of Commerce, contact them by email at info@harrison.ca. You can also follow the Chamber on Twitter to stay current with what's happening in Harrison Hot Springs and Agassiz.

Your Independently Owned & Operated Local Drug Store Offering You the Quality, Personalized Service that You Deserve!

Peter “ALL REQUESTS” Graves

The Business Excellence Awards committee, comprised of Chamber Directors, gather for a group photo before greeting guests.

7046 Pioneer Avenue, Agassiz | 604-491-1070 | www.remedys.ca

2016 HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS

The Chamber offers a wide range of benefits including special rates for members at numerous businesses, including The Observer.

CELEBRATING CULINARY EXCELLENCE AWARD

Ian Maw, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa, presents the Celebrating Culinary Excellence award to The Black Forest Steak & Schnitzel House.

A European experience When Vick Ghotra, Sunny Manihani, and their wives Kamal Ghotra and Kiran Manihani took over the Black Forest Steak and Schnitzel House four years ago, they were taking on over four decades of European foodservice history. “It’s so wonderful to run a business in such a small, tight-knit community,” Manihani said. “Sometimes at the restaurant, when it’s busy, customers already know each other and share their dining experiences together.” He added it’s also comforting to see how welcoming the locals are to visiting tourists in his restaurant, creating an inviting environment for everyone. The restauranteurs have been in the hospitality industry for the past 25 years and also own a couple of other German restaurants in New Westminster and Surrey, where they provide a similar European culinary experience to those communities. So what’s the recipe for creating multiple hits among the Valley’s euro-culinary offerings? “The secret to our success is hard work, consistency, and passion for our trade,” Manihani said. And a top-selling German Schnitzel doesn’t hurt either.

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AWARDS

The Black Forest Steak & Schnitzel House

HARRISON-AGASSIZ 2016

AWARDS

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2016 HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS

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SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD

Muddy Waters Café & Espresso Mayor Leo Facio presents the award for Service Excellence to Richard Fife and Jenny Peters of Muddy Waters Cafe & Espresso.

Living their dream

When they purchased Muddy Waters/Baskin Robbins in April of 2012, Richard Fife and Jenny Peters completely changed the menu, sourcing out local, organic food, and providing only homemade options. “Richard and I have been in the foodservice industry since we were both in our early teens,” Peters said. “Starting our own business was our dream.” The two bought the business from Peters’ brother, who founded Muddy Waters in 1994, because they “knew it was the only place for us.” “We absolutely love what we do, where we live, the people we work with and the community we serve,” Peters said. The restaurant gets a lot of local support, and Peters considers Agassiz Harrison to be a true community with business owners, friends and family all working together and looking after one another. And so for nearly four years the pair have been feeding the community in their own way. “We believe in real food, we want our customers to feel good after eating at our establishment,” Peters said.

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HARRISON-AGASSIZ 2016

The tables wer e elegantly se t to reflect the theme: “Celeb rate the Night in Black and White”

Nominees

and presen ters network the award prior to s presentati on

PEOPLES PEOPLES CHOICE CHOICE AWARD AWARD

Owner and staff of Agassiz Remedy’sRx happily hold up their Peoples Owner and staff of Agassiz Remedy’sRx happily hold up their Peoples Choice Award, sponsored

by RIMEX. Choice Award, sponsored by RIMEX.

A A prescription prescription for for success success

With a location in both Agassiz and Seabird, Mohamed Hasanine and Tareq Youssef provide a lot of help to the local community With a location in both Agassiz and Seabird, Mohamed Hasanine and Tareq provide the a lotAgassiz-Harrison of help to the local community through their Remedy’sRx pharmacy businesses.

“We consider ourselves luckyYoussef to be helping and surrounding through their Remedy’sRx pharmacy businesses.

“We consider ourselves lucky to be helping the Agassiz-Harrison and surrounding communities,” Hasanine said. “People are so friendly, appreciative and caring. We don’t think of it as just a “job”, we come here to meet communities,” Hasanine said.

“Peoplefamily.” are so Their friendly, appreciative and caring.

We don’tattention think of it as just “job”, chain we come here to meet with our customers…our extended pharmacies provide more personal than the alarger stores according with our customers…our extended family.”

Their pharmacies provide more personal attention than the larger chain stores according to Hasanine. “Because we’re focused on building relationships with members of the communities in which our pharmacies reside, to Hasanine.

“Because we’re focused onand building relationships withevery members of the communities in co-founder which our Youssef pharmacies reside, we’ve built a reputation for going above beyond our customers’ expectation,” he said. He and distinguish we’ve built a reputation for going above and beyond our customers’ every expectation,” he said.

He and co-founder Youssef distinguish themselves by running a comprehensive pharmacy approach that is everything pharmacy related: prescriptions, home health products, themselves by running a comprehensive pharmacyand approach that is They everything prescriptions, home healththat products, Ostomy supplies, compounding, wound dressings vaccination. are notpharmacy interestedrelated: in the grocery bulk retail models other Ostomy supplies, compounding, wound dressings and vaccination.

They are not interested in the grocery bulk retail models that other companies settle with. “We run a pharmacy only, where patients can talk to their pharmacist anytime with any health concern,” Hasanine companies settle with.

“We run a pharmacy only, where patients can talk to their pharmacist anytime with any health concern,” Hasanine said. “We are offering all of that and more since the first day we opened.” said. “We are offering all of that and more since the first day we opened.” award sponsored by: award sponsored by:

AWARDS

Agassiz Remedy’sRx

2016 HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS

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AWARDS

HARRISON-AGASSIZ CHAMBER CHOICE

Prospera Credit Union Agassiz Staff from Prospera Credit Union, Agassiz were all smiles after they happily accepted the Harrison-Agassiz Chamber Choice award.

Prospering in the Fraser Valley

2016 HARRISON-AGASSIZ BUSINESS

Like many credit unions in BC, Prospera was founded by a small group of people in the community who couldn’t get what they needed within the traditional banking system. “What did they need? Credit. Or in more plain terms, money,” said Cindy Helmer, Agassiz branch manager. “Money to finance their farms and their businesses, money to invest in their hopes and dreams and money to build a future for their families.” Those original members got creative and decided the best way to get the credit they needed was to pool their money together and start their own co-operative bank. Those deep Fraser Valley roots go back to the ‘40s and Helmer said her branch continues to be committed to the health and wellbeing of this community. “We live in a beautiful place where neighbours really care about one another and people help each other,” Helmer said. “We’re very happy to be recognized with this award.”

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HOME-BASED BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD

Todd’s Signs Barb Janzen from HUB International Barton Insurance, presents the Home-Based Business Excellence award to Todd Bazan.

A sign of the times After working and learning the trade in a small sign shop in Chilliwack for a few years in the mid-80s, Todd Bazan thought it was time to set out on his own. With the blessing of his former employer, Bazan started Todd’s Signs in its original location in 1987 in Agassiz. “It was a slow start but over the past 29 years my clientele base has built up over and beyond my expectations,” he said. Since his business’ humble beginnings almost three decades ago, Bazan has moved several times and currently operates out of Harrison Hot Springs. Todd’s signs has adapted to the major changes in the sign-making industry, and produces all types of signage from wood and metal signs, decals, vehicle and boat lettering, illuminated signs—and even large billboards. “I enjoy working in the Agassiz Harrison area where I grew up and basically know everyone,” Bazan said. Though he likes the local feel, the entrepreneur has quite the reach with clients all over B.C. and Alberta.

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