2021 Oakville Chamber Awards

OAKVILLE AWARDS F O R

B U S I N E S S

E XC E L L E N C E

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 6 Y E A R S

of

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

P R E S E N T E D B Y R B C R O YA L B A N K

The best way to support a community is to be a part of it.

At the heart of every community, you’ll find organizations fuelled by committed people who are passionate about building a better future for us all.

We are inspired by our friends at The Oakville Chamber of Commerce and their continuous efforts to make a positive difference in our community.

® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. VPS106897

90780 (02/2020)

Congratulations to tonight’s finalists.

Bell is proud to support the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Oakville West.

Proud to support the 26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence Congratulations to all of the award recipients who have demonstrated exemplary models of excellence and community service within the Oakville community. kpmg.ca

Let’s do this. © 2021 KPMG LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership and a member rm of the KPMG global organization of independent member rms afliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.

table of contents 7

Welcoming Remarks

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Master of Ceremonies: Chris Mei

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32

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Message from the Mayor

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Meet the Finalists & Award Recipients About the Rotary Club of Oakville West Rotary Club of Oakville West Community Builder Award Recipient

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About the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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Supporting Oakville Youth

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CN Charity/Not-For-Profit Excellence Award Recipient

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Categories & Qualification Criteria

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About the Oakville Chamber of Commerce

25

Selecting the Award Recipients

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Business Icon Award Recipient

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Meet the Judges

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Thank you to our Partners

Welcome to a world of creating amazing business partnerships.

A proud supporter of the OABE.

26TH ANNUAL OAKVILLE AWARDS for BUSINESS EXCELLENCE!

T

he Oak ville Chamber of Commerce and the Rotar y Club of Oak ville West are excited to host the 26th Annual Oak ville Awards for Business Excellence, vir tually for the second year in a row. If you haven’t already, you can watch the awards presentation on the Oak ville Chamber of Commerce’s

Facebook page and website at oak villechamber.com. We are proud of this year’s production and hope you enjoyed the show!

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought its challenges and has been tough for many of our local businesses.

This year, it is especially important to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary resilience our businesses exhibit in persevering through the pandemic. Throughout the judging process, these finalists have exhibited the entrepreneurial spirit and drive that is essential to running a successful business. We need them in Oak ville as important contributors to our economy and the engine of our community-wide recovery.

We are extremely proud of the wealth of outstanding businesses here in Oak ville. We congratulate the 25 businesses that were nominated and named as finalists for one of the prestigious awards. We also celebrate the recipients of our three named awards, which are selected by the Oak ville Awards for Business Excellence Committee.

All of the finalists have demonstrated business excellence and should be honoured by their nominations and being recognized by their peers or customers. We are pleased to recognize our OABE finalists for the valuable contributions they make to Oak ville’s economic health: creating jobs, driving innovation, and creating an outstanding quality of life. We offer our congratulations to all of the finalists and the award recipients and offer best wishes for their continued success.

We are optimistic that next year, for the 27th Annual Awards, we will be able to gather in person and have our largest celebration yet!

Doug Eglington

Chair of the Board Oakville Chamber of Commerce

&

Ahmed Ezzat President Rotary Club of Oakville West

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MASTER of CEREMONIES

Chris Mei

Chris Mei is the Writer, Producer and Host of the podcast “This Day in Weather History” at The Weather Network.

I know what you are thinking, and I hear you; we all thought that the way we presented the OABEs last year would be a one-off. I think we all believed in our hearts that this global situation was controllable and that we would all be together at the Oakville Conference Centre right now. I am always honoured and proud to be called on to act as your Master of Ceremonies for this prestigious annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence ceremony and that will never change. This year is infinitely more important than ever as now we have gone into Year-2 where small to medium-sized businesses have barely been able to do anything normally.

Our economy is DOA without you, and we thank you, and we love you!

Again this year, I want to thank the dedication and perseverance of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Oakville West for insisting that, despite this global quagmire we are all suffering, we do our level best to utilize the full potential of all available modern technologies to forge ahead and celebrate businesses in our community! YOU are what we are all about. YOU are what keeps our economy growing and flourishing for generations to come. But YOU are who have been hit the hardest by this disaster. Last year I was excited and proud and humbled to be a part of making this THE most memorable event to date for you because you deserve this! This year for me is different. I carry on my sleeve the desire to make this such an awesome event for you, because in my heart I am anxious for you all to get back to full strength – and fast!

We have been in and out of stay-at-home orders, so it has been MANY weeks since my last haircut, so it is what it is. AND last year’s tux will NOT fit this year – so that too is a bit different; thank goodness I own 2 and this one’s fit is a bit more “forgiving”.

I said this last year, but it still holds as much gravity now as it ever will: I miss all of YOU at all the wonderful galas and fundraisers I see you all throughout the year. I miss celebrating your successes and achievements with you. I miss my work with theatre and dance in Oakville, and especially my seasonal work with the post-show “Artist Chat” sessions with the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts at the Paradiso Wine Bar throughout the regular theatre season. We are an amazing community, and this is an amazing Town. We will survive this; we will do everything we can to get back to where we left off and we will pray that we never see this ever happen again! Be well, stay safe and we will be together in one place soon.

Cheers, Christopher Mei 26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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Dar Nabati

film.ca cinemas

congratulations Congratulations to our OABE Visit Oakville Tourism Excellence Award finalists and all of the 2021 nominees.

VisitOakville.com

Howard Iron Works

Mayor

A MESSAGE FROM THE

and recipients of this year’s Oakville Awards for Business Excellence.

I would also like to recognize and thank both the Rotary Club of Oakville West and the Oakville Chamber of Commerce for organizing the 26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence.

Both groups have been a vital part of our community with their commitment and tireless efforts in providing services and creating forums that truly enhance business relationships in our community.

Your members’ passion and support contribute significantly to the quality of life residents enjoy and Oakville’s reputation as one of the best places to live, work and raise a family.

Please accept my best wishes for continued success.

‘‘

‘‘

On behalf of the Town and Council, I want to congratulate the finalists

Sincerely,

MAYOR ROB BURTON

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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Corporate & Commercial • Civil Litigation Labour & Employment • Estates & Trusts Real Estate • Environmental & Municipal

ABOUT THE

Oakville Awards

FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence are dedicated to recognizing exemplary models of excellence and community service by Oakville’s businesses and the invaluable contribution they make to Oakville’s economic development, unique character, and outstanding quality of life.

Being recognized by one’s peers, either by nomination or award recipient, is a thank you for the hard work and risk nominees have incurred. As ambassadors for business in Oakville, finalists and award recipients provide guidance and inspiration to new and seasoned businesses as well as young, aspiring entrepreneurs. They help foster the spirit of adventure and enterprise, risk and reward for young people and so it is fitting the proceeds from the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence help support the Rotary Club of Oakville West’s youth programs.

Since its inception in 1995, the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence has raised almost $1,000,000 for Rotary’s youth initiatives, including the Oakville Rotary Education Awards, Camp Enterprise and the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Dreams Take Flight, and the Nottinghill Youth Centre in Glen Abbey.

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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Supporting

Oakville Youth & More!

I n n o r m a l t i m e s , f u n d s r a i s e d f r o m t h e O a k v i l l e Aw a r d s f o r B u s i n e s s E xc e l l e n c e ( OA B E ) s u p p o r t t h e R o t a r y C l u b o f O a k v i l l e We s t ’ s ( R C OW ) s p o n s o r e d y o u t h p r o g r a m s . F o r a s e c o n d y e a r, i t i s v e r y d i f f e r e n t ! T h e COV I D -1 9 p a n d e m i c h a s a f f e c t e d e v e r y o n e l o c a l l y a n d g l o b a l l y. H o w e v e r, f u n d s f r o m t h e OA B E s w i l l s t i l l p r o v i d e b u r s a r i e s f o r R o t a r y Ed u c a t i o n Aw a r d s r e c i p i e n t s .

O a k v i l l e R o t a r y E d u c a t i o n Aw a r d s (O R E A ) : B u r s a r i e s a n d s c h o l a r s h i p s a r e a w a r d e d a n n u a l l y

t o g r a d u a t i n g g r a d e 1 2 s t u d e n t s . U n f o r t u n a t e l y, n o t a t t h e R o t a r y Aw a r d s B a n q u e t t h i s y e a r a s i t h a s b e e n c a n c e l l e d o n c e a g a i n d u e t o t h e p a n d e m i c . H o w e v e r, t h r e e O a k v i l l e R o t a r y C l u b s d o n a t e d $ 6 5 ,0 0 0 t h i s y e a r t o w a r d s p o s t- s e c o n d a r y e d u c a t i o n , s u p p o r t i n g 3 1 s t u d e n t s f r o m 1 0 h i g h s c h o o l s i n O a k v i l l e . T h e a w a r d s w e r e p r e s e n t e d t o t h e r e c i p i e n t s v i a Zo o m o n J u n e 9, 2 0 2 1 .

Tw o o t h e r y o u t h i n i t i a t i v e s t h a t m e a n a g r e a t d e a l t o u s h a v e a l s o b e e n c a n c e l l e d f o r t h i s y e a r, C a m p E n t e r p r i s e a n d R o t a r y Yo u t h L e a d e r s h i p ( RY L A ) . T h e s e t w o p r o g r a m s t e a c h y o u t h l e a d e r s h i p a n d o f f e r b u s i n e s s m e n t o r s h i p ex p e r i e n c e s . T h o u g h t h e y o u t h p r o g r a m s h a v e b e e n c h a n g e d a n d / o r c a n c e l l e d , t h e r e i s s t i l l m u c h n e e d i n o u r c o m m u n i t y. To t h a t e n d , R COW continues to donate funds to local food programs that suppor t youth at risk .

In an ef for t to help those in need during this pandemic , the five Oak ville Rotar y Clubs are collaborating to redirec t funds raised to those in immediate need who may have slipped through

t h e c r a c k s i n g e t t i n g p a n d e m i c s u p p o r t . T h e c l u b s c r e a t e d t h e O a k v i l l e R o t a r y R e l i e f Fu n d

(O R R F ) i n 2 0 2 0 a n d h a v e d o n a t e d c l o s e t o $ 5 0,0 0 0 t h i s p a s t y e a r t o l o c a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s i n n e e d .

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Fun ds are a lso d o nate d an d l ever ag e d to sup p o r t Rot ar y Inter nat io nal Proje c t s t hat impa c t t h e gl o b al co mmunit y in a m eaningf ul way. O ur m os t re cent p roje c t s in clu d e: Po l io - Pl us: to er a dic ate Po lio gl o b all y – Af r ic a is n ow w il d p o lio f re e! O nl y t wo count r ies l ef t .

WASH : to p rov id e water, s anit at io n an d hygien e to t hird wo r l d count r ies – a n ew p roje c t p lann e d fo r t h e D o minic an Rep ub lic .

H e l p I n d ia B r eat h e: to p rov id e f un ds fo r ox yg en co n cent r ato r s to h elp t h ose f ight ing COVID -19.

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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Congratulations to this year’s finalists and award recipients.

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oakvillechamber.com 202 1

2020

CATEGORIES & QUALIFICATION CRITERIA The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence were created to recognize companies that excel in their business category.

FINALIST REQUIREMENTS 1

3

The business must reside (have a

The business must not have won an OABE

physical presence) in Oakville.

in any judged category in the last 5 years.

OABE nomination process must be followed.

2 The business must have been in operation more than 36 months (as of December 31, 2020) under its present ownership structure within the Town of Oakville, with the exception of the Cogeco Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the KPMG Young Professional or Entrepreneur of the Year

4 Finalists were assessed on: Business successes Profile/reputation Innovation Investment in the business Business practices

(YPEG Award), which must have been in operation more than 24 months (as of December 31, 2020) Note: Nominees are not required to be members of either the Oakville Chamber of Commerce or the Rotary Club of Oakville West (or any other Chamber or Rotary Club). =

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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RBC Royal Bank Large Business of the Year

This award recognizes a business of more than 20 employees and/or primarily serves the provincial, national, and

Bell Small Business of the Year

This award recognizes a business of 1-5 full time equivalent employees and/or primarily serves Oakville and Halton Region and/or generates up to approximately $2 million in revenue annually.

international markets and/or generates approximately $10 million or more in revenue annually.

Henderson Partners LLP Mid-size Business of the Year

O’Connor MacLeod Hanna LLP Professional Services Provider of the Year This award recognizes a person or employee

team with a professional designation or whose

This award recognizes a business of

practice is regulated by a provincial regulatory

5-20 employees and/or primarily serves

body within Canada.

the regional/provincial markets and/or generates between $2 million-$10 million in revenue annually.

Finalists were considered from the following professional categories: Legal Accounting Engineering Medical or Dental Financial Human Resources

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oakvillechamber.com

The Morris Mercanti Service Industry of the Year

This award recognizes a business that primarily earns revenue through providing products and services.

Finalists will be considered from the following service industries (but not limited to): Retail Food Services

KPMG Young Professional or Entrepreneur of the Year (YPEG Award) This award recognizes an individual who personally exhibits extraordinary energy, inspiration, leadership and / or innovation in their business pursuits. Nominees must be under the age of 40 (as of December 31, 2020).

Health & Wellness Education

Cogeco Entrepreneur of the Year

This award recognizes an individual who personally exhibits extraordinary entrepreneurship, energy, inspiration, leadership and / or innovation in their business pursuits.

Visit Oakville Tourism Excellence of the Year

This award recognizes an Oakville business that has contributed to the local visitor economy by: Marketing Oakville to visitors Attracting visitors to Oakville Providing an exceptional experience to visitors Partnering with visitor-minded businesses to create/ contribute to visitor experiences and/or advocating for the value of the local tourism industry

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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Rotary Club of Oakville West Community Builder Award

CN Charity or Not-for-Profit Excellence Award

This award recognizes a business that has, over a

This award recognizes a charity or not-for-profit

period of time, demonstrated exemplary business

organization which is highly regarded in the

practices and dedicated involvement in the community.

community and raises funds or provides services to

The recipient is selected based on: Commitment to corporate social responsibility Community engagement Environmental stewardship Local sourcing Employee engagement

improve the lives of people within the community.

Business practices The recipient of this award was determined solely at the discretion of the Rotary Club of Oakville West and was not open for nominations.

The recipient must be: A registered charity or not-for-profit organization Operated for a minimum of five years in Oakville or Halton Have an office or facility in Oakville or Halton Make a substantial contribution to the social well-being of Oakville The recipient of this award was determined solely at the discretion of the OABE committee and was not open for nominations.

Business Icon Award This award recognizes a prominent Oakville business which is highly regarded in the business community.

The recipient must be: Headquartered and operating for a minimum of five years in Oakville Have a national or international profile Provide significant local employment opportunities Make a substantial contribution to the social and economic well-being of Oakville Recognized as a leader in its field The recipient of this award was determined solely at the discretion of the OABE committee and was not open for nominations.

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oakvillechamber.com

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Congratulations

TO ALL THE

OABE

FINALISTS! Kudos to Rotary Club of Oakville West & Oakville Chamber of Commerce for all you do in our community.

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Selecting the Award Recipients THE JUDGEMENT PROCESS

H

ow did we get to this point? The judging process starts in late February where upon the Judges receive the two question sets that are completed by each Nominee. Question Set One captures the basic information about each Nominee and makes sure that they qualify for the category for which they were nominated.

Question Set Two contains questions which help the Judges assess more detailed information about the Nominee. Do they have a vision and strategy for growth? What kind of innovative products or services have they developed? Have you invested in the business? What sets your business apart from other businesses and makes you great?

Conflicts of interest are declared at our first meeting to ensure that a Judge does not participate in the review of any nominee with whom they have a direct relationship, or their firm has an association with. Judges are grouped into teams of three and assigned categories for which they are responsible.

Each team develops their own action plan.

and virtual and telephone interviews are then held with each Nominee.

We then meet back as a group – all 16 of us virtually this year – to pick the Finalists. Each judging team puts forth their case for whom their choices are.

The balance of Judges then have the opportunity to grill the team and satisfy themselves as to the choice.

Sometimes the Judges are stuck between selecting two great Finalists as the Award Recipient, and use the group’s input to make the final choice. At any rate, our final meeting is always lively and fun!

It’s a lengthy process and needless to say, we get to know an awful lot about each of our Finalists.

But we all enjoy it, and I would like to take this opportunity to give a heartfelt thank you to each of the Judges!

– Kerry Colborne, Lead Judge

Nominees’ websites and social media are reviewed,

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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meet the

judges

Lead Judge

Kerry Colborne

Kerry is the Founder and Principal Broker of Force 10 Capital Management Inc., which specializes in the financing of commercial real estate and private mortgages. Kerry has a passion for her community, she serves as the Head Judge for the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence and is a member of the Heritage Advisory Committee. Kerry is also a Past Chair of the Board of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and Past Treasurer of the Oakville Arts Council.

Michael Allington

Michael runs a wealth management practice at RBC Dominion Securities.

In addition to his banking and investment experience, Michael has built invaluable knowledge managing and advising retail businesses.

Michael works with professionals and established families to build, manage and preserve their financial wealth. Michael is an active member of the Rotary Club of Oakville West and a volunteer coach.

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Debbie Avery

Debbie has worked at CIBC for over 30 years and currently acts as Manager, Commercial Banking in Oakville serving the Halton commercial market. She is a past Director of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and has been involved in the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence in various capacities for over 15 years.

Michele Bailey

Michele is the founder of The Blazing Group, a brand and culture agency born of her strategy-first approach to business, flair for sharing stories, and desire to enhance employee wellness while pursuing business goals. Her advertising agency, Blazing, is turning branding inside out with My Big Idea ® , an employee mentoring and wellness program designed to propel individuals forward in their quest for personal and professional success.

Michele is pushing her clients and others to take it one important step further; to make true gratitude integral to the way business is done.

Marybeth Edge

Marybeth is a respected and trusted leader with a passion for supporting businesses.

With over 25 years experience in helping entrepreneurs attain their dreams, she has developed a reputation as a critical thinker and a collaborative leader. She is known for energizing business groups and building relationships in order to bridge gaps and advance complex issues.

She is currently on the board of the Directors of Haltech Regional Innovation Centre where she is a member of the Strategy Committee as well as Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

James Forsyth

James is the Senior Manager of Commercial Services, responsible for leading the commercial account manager team out of TD’s Halton Commercial Banking Centre. In this role James is responsible for leading and developing his team of account managers, new business development, deal structuring, local market management, managing operational and credit risk, and credit adjudication. James has 10 years of progressive commercial banking experience with TD Bank and has managed credit deals ranging from $500k - $40MM in size.

Melisa Gaetani

Melisa is one of the partners at Tino-Gaetani & Carusi CPA’s. Melisa prides herself in ‘outside the box thinking’, challenging the status quo and being a partner and advocate for her clients.

Melisa has deep roots in the Oakville community, sitting on a variety of boards as well as serving as a mentor and coach to youth.

In addition, Melisa holds a Ph.D. in accounting and teaches at various universities in Ontario. Melisa won the Young Professional or Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2020 OABEs.

Cynthia HastingsJames

Cynthia is the Co-founder of BestLifeRewarded Innovations Inc. With a focus on disruptive technology, Cynthia’s passion lies in creative problem solving to optimize population well-being. Throughout her career, she’s held various senior roles in digital development for high-profile banking and healthcare clients. Her entrepreneurial ventures include rxBriefCase. com, the leading provider of pharmacist education online and BestLifeRewarded Innovations, the leading health behaviour change platform which was recently acquired

by People Corporation.

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Robert Krizman

R o b e r t is a l a wye r wit h H a l t o n l a w f ir m , O ’ Connor Ma c L e o d H a n n a L L P. H e ha s b e e n p r a c t is in g b u s iness l a w fo r m o r e t h a n 20 yea rs.

H is p r a c t ic e in c l u d e s s a l e s a n d a c q u is it ions of b us i n es s es , co r p o r a t io n r e o r g a n iza t ions, fina n ci n g t r a n s a c t io n s , p r e p a r in g a n d n e got i a t i n g com m e r c ia l c o n t r a c t s a n d agreemen t s , a n d a s s is t in g c l ie n t s w it h se tt i n g u p t h ei r b u s in e s s . H is c l ie n t s cover a wi d e r a n g e o f in d u s t r ie s a n d in c l u de sm a ll, me di u m , an d l a r g e b u s in e s s e s .

Christine Langevin

Christine is the principal of a boutique accounting firm fo r t h e p a s t 2 3 y e a r s i n O a k v i l l e a n d i s a fo u n d i n g D i r e c t o r o f t h e Ke v i n F l y n n Mental Health Foundation.

S h e s e r ve s a s Tr e a s u r e r on the Independent Wine Education Guild Board of Directors, Chair of t h e A u d i t a n d F i n a n c e C o m m i t t e e fo r H R PA Board of Directors, Chair of the Oakville C e n t e r fo r t h e P e r fo r m i n g A r t s B o a r d , a n d Charter President of the Halton Civitan Club.

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Pat Madden

Pa t is a Vice P resi dent a t KPMG E nterpri se. He works wit h pri vate bus i ness owners a nd KP M G P artners a cross E a st ern C anada.

Prior t o t his role, he spent 25 yea rs in Commerci al Ba nking, inc ludi ng m a na gem ent posit ions in Oa kvi lle and Burlingt on. A long-t im e H a lt on resi dent, both his son a nd da ught er were born i n Oakv i lle a nd he feels t his ha s been a great place to ra ise a fa m ily.

Richard Rizzo

R icha rd R iz zo i s a tax pa rt ner a t Bateman M ackay L L P a nd ha s been practi ci ng for a bout 15 years . He specia lizes in the areas of corpora t e reorgani zati ons, Ca na dia n t a x mi ni mi zati on st ra t egies a nd estate and succession pla nning. R icha rd’s di verse cli ent port folio includes sm a ll t o m edi um-s i zed fa m ily owned businesses in vari ous i ndus tri es including const ruct ion, m a nufacturi ng, wholesa le a nd ret a il, professio nals and t echnology sect ors.

Victoria Mida

Victoria is a Tax Manager in the Private Company Services practice at PwC Canada. Victoria designs and executes tax planning for Canadian private companies and their shareholders. She advises her clients in areas including corporate reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, and distribution planning.

Victoria is a Chartered Professional Accountant (“CPA, CA”) and a proud Oakville resident. She serves as a Director on the Board of Visit Oakville and is passionate about coaching and developing young professionals.

Les Ross

At PearTree Canada, Les Ross works closely with charitable donor clients to significantly reduce their after-tax cost of giving. Les has over 35 years of financial markets experience in banking, tax and wealth planning. Les is an accredited Financial Planner, Chartered Investment Manager and Master of Financial Advice in Philanthropy. Les is a long-time Oakville resident, Rotarian and serves as a member of the Community Legacy Building Committee of the Oakville Community Foundation. He is also active in the local and GTA chapters of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Linda Stalker

Linda is a Certified Financial Planner, a Financial Management Advisor and a Certified Executor Advisor. She has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years. She is the Director of Wealth Advisory Services at Henderson Partners LLP and is a member of their leadership team helping to guide its strategic direction. Linda’s clients are senior executives, professionals and owners/ managers of small and mediumsize enterprises. She leads her clients through financial challenges in order to help them fulfill their legacy.

James Smyth

James is a Manager in the Assurance practice at PwC Canada. As part of the Private Company Services group, James has managed audit and review engagements for both public and private companies in various industries including retail and consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, food and beverage, and professional services. James has taken on a leadership role in the business transformation initiatives at the firm. James is a qualified Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a member of CPA Ontario.

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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Oakville Public Library - 16 Mile Branch (photo taken prior to COVID-19)

WE BUILD MORE THAN PROJECTS, WE BUILD COMMUNITIES. At PCL, we put our culture of ownership, resilient entrepreneurialism and solution provider thinking to work for our partners, clients and communities.

We are proud to contribute to the thriving business community in Oakville and are honoured to be a finalist for the 26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence.

Bronte Village Animal Hospital Infinite Care, Optimum Health

All animals deserve compassionate veterinary care. Call today!

905.465.1738

brontevillagevet.com 2385 Lakeshore Road West

905.847.9424

mobilitymatters-rehab.com 2387 Lakeshore Rd West

Thank you for all your support!

Putting a piece of your Heart & Soul into everything you do Personal Training Semi Private and Group Classes

2080 Speers Road 905-469-1076 info@merakifitness.ca www.merakifitness.ca

MEET THE FINALISTS & AWARD RECIPIENTS

RBC Royal Bank Large Business of theYear Congratulations to

VIROX TECHNOLOGIES INC. VIROX.COM

“Deliberately Different.” Virox Technologies Inc. has engineered the next generation of disinfectants in the war against pathogens.

From inception, Virox set out to dispel the notion that to kill pathogens with powerful chemicals, one had to compromise personal and environmental safety. The result, Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP), is the first registered, broad-spectrum disinfectant based on hydrogen peroxide. Starting with just 10 employees, Virox now employs more than 160, and is a world leader in disinfection and infection prevention in both human and animal health markets. Virox has played an important role in the fight against COVID-19. Receiving a grant from the Ontario government under the Ontario Together Fund, the company built a highspeed production line to more than double the production capacity of pre-saturated disinfectant wipes. Given its modest beginning, the Virox team is thrilled to be nominated in this category.

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CHARTWELL WATERFORD RETIREMENT RESIDENCE CHARTWELL.COM

Chartwell Waterford Retirement Residence is a fivestorey seniors’ community located in North Oakville.

Chartwell offers a wide spectrum of seniors’ housing choices, from independent retirement residences to assisted living services and long-term care. Over the course of the pandemic, the Chartwell team created a safe and engaging environment for residents, families, and employees. Existing roles were repurposed within the community to focus on seniors living in their own homes. Staff made daily calls to ensure they were comfortable and had the support needed to stay safe. The experience has brought the Chartwell team together to keep the most vulnerable in our society safe.

PCL CONSTRUCTORS CANADA INC. PCL.COM

PCL, the largest general contractor organization in Canada and one of the largest in North America, is proud to base its GTA and Hamilton area operations in Oakville. As an employee-owned company, their greatest investment is in their people. The Oakville office was designed to achieve LEED V4 Silver for Interior Design and Construction. The healthy work environment exemplifies natural light, digitization, and above all – sustainability. The past year has had its challenges, but the PCL team has been resilient as they continued to work on essential projects in the GTA, including two hospitals. In brief, PCLers passionately live by their motto: Together we build success.

Henderson Partners LLP Mid-size Business of the Year Congratulations to

INOVEX INC. INOVEX.CA

Inovex builds technology and custom software solutions to drive innovation and operational efficiency. The company aims to develop a collaborative approach with their customers by looking through a lens of empathy, efficiency, and innovation to continually improve current and future software. Inovex works closely with Sheridan College on research projects as well as hiring and providing placements for students. Their customer base runs locally as well across the country and they recently landed their first international contract. The Inovex team doesn’t just build digital solutions for the client, they build digital solutions together with the client.

based business keeps it local from their clubhouse designed by Oakville architect Bill Hicks to purchasing from local food suppliers and sourcing local organic meats and craft cheeses to feature on the menu at the 19th Hole Bistro. They are committed “stewards of the land” with a strong sense of corporate environmental responsibility.

Over the years they’ve transformed previously manicured areas that weren’t in play into naturalized areas that allow for the development of natural corridors for wildlife protection.

SUTTON GROUP QUANTUM REALTY INC. SUTTONQUANTUM.COM

Sutton Quantum was founded in 1994 by Tina Gardin.

The brokerage and agents are proud members of the local community and are involved in numerous neighbourhood and charity initiatives. From the early days of the pandemic, the team was quick to adopt and promote new enhanced safe showing practices and implemented protocols to operate as an essential service. As a brokerage, they realized top volume for regional area of service. In addition, 2021 saw the launch of a private-label mortgage program; RedQMortages, the first of its kind in terms of major institutional virtual mortgage shopping. The Sutton Group Quantum Team was proud to participate in

OAKVILLE EXECUTIVE GOLF COURSES ANGEL’S VIEW & MYSTIC RIDGE OAKVILLEGOLF.CA

the “Show Oakville Your Love” Campaign designed to promote and support local business, donating proceeds raised to Oakville charities.

Long game, short game, they got it all! For three decades, family-owned & operated Oakville Executive Golf Courses welcomes golfers of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. This Oakville-

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

33

Bell Small Business of the Year Congratulations to

ACE COWORKING

advertising on Google. Piece of Cake is proud to have been in a position to not only help local small businesses survive but thrive.

TANIA HALDAR PHOTOGRAPHY TANIAHALDAR.COM

Tania Haldar is a corporate headshots and brand

ACECOWORKING.CA

marketing photographer in Oakville. In a profession

Coworking is not just about renting a

that at times can be oversaturated and dominated by

desk or an office – it’s about collaborating,

well-established names, Tania owes the growth of her

connecting and participating in a diverse,

business to a strong work ethic and a very satisfied

dynamic community of entrepreneurs and

clientele who have become her best source of referrals.

professionals. It is with this vision in mind that

Tania is thrilled with the OABE nomination, an event

Nancy Fornaserio, owner of ACE Coworking,

she was once hired to photograph. She recently moved

launched her business in 2017. ACE provides

her in-home studio to her own commercial space to

flexible office space, desk and meeting

accommodate her growing portfolio. Having blazed

room rentals, plus an active community

a path in this crowded market, she intends to keep

environment to local entrepreneurs, small

moving forward.

business owners, consultants, freelancers, and remote workers.

PIECE OF CAKE DIGITAL MARKETING POCDIGITALMARKETING.COM

Piece of Cake Digital Marketing has been a part of the Oakville community for over 22 years, starting when the internet was just becoming “a thing”. Sarvy and her partner Roger, believe digital marketing should be accessible to small businesses and should be, well…”a piece of cake”. It’s been a challenging year for many small businesses and with the cooperation of many suppliers, they have provided relief to their clients in the form of no charge e-commerce

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solutions, reduced SEO costs, and free

oakvillechamber.com

O’Connor MacLeod Hanna, LLP Professional Services Provider of the Year Congratulations to

INSTITUTE FOR HORMONAL HEALTH HORMONALHEALTH.CA

The Institute for Hormonal Health is the premier integrative medical clinic in Canada

Marie. Another COVID project was to create a line of specializing in the treatment of health issues that are hormonal in origin. The Institute for Hormonal Health has created a program that integrates the evidencebased science of both Western medicine and naturopathic medicine and anchored them on a foundation of nutritional science. This integrative approach enables the IHH team to treat the root causes of hormonal issues, and not just the symptoms. A customized online platform streamlines the flow of information to and from patients, collecting data, evaluating areas of concern and education through a series of videos. This same platform allows for patients to be seen remotely using secure video conference.

This innovative virtual approach allows the clinic to treat patients throughout Ontario, the rest of Canada and some internationally.

lavender calming massage oils and bed sprays to help with anxiety in pets. The rehabilitation clinic is now open and the response has been overwhelmingly positive, receiving referrals from clinics throughout Southern Ontario.

KIWI DENTAL OFFICE KIWIDENTAL.CA

Kiwi Dental is a family dental clinic established in 2017, starting from scratch with zero number of patients, three employees and a lot of uncertainty.

Since that date, the clinic has grown to 12 employees and surpassed all their business goals. During the pandemic, Dr. Nourian found ways to help the local community through free dental consultations and to provide as much assistance as possible during difficult times. Dr. Nourian is the founder, owner and principal dentist with over 15 years experience in the dental industry with an entrepreneurial spirit and a vision to create a practice where one can receive excellent dental care and have an awesome experience.

BRONTE VILLAGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL BRONTEVILLAGEVET.COM

Dr. Tina McGrath opened Bronte Village Animal Hospital in 2016 as an integrated veterinary clinic combining traditional veterinary care with alternative medicine, such as acupuncture physiotherapy, and chiropractic care. The pandemic put a halt to plans for a rehabilitation clinic and Dr. McGrath used this time to write e-booklets for rehabilitating dogs who suffer knee injuries. In addition, the website was redesigned to improve marketing with an online presence, which included an online store to supply e-booklets that are now used by clients as far away as Sault Ste

The Morris Mercanti Service Industry of the Year Congratulations to

CORE 1 |

CORE1.CA

Core 1 is Oakville’s Apple Specialist store since 1987. It has established itself as a Downtown Oakville destination by providing

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

35

exceptional customer service and tailoring the shopping experience around each person who walks through the door. After a temporary suspension of operation in March 2020, Core 1 reopened with a revised online shopping model, shifting to provide services online and worked with team members to ensure they were providing a safe and transparent experience to staff, customers, and the community. In a year where most everyone needed to transition to virtual work, Core 1’s team stepped up to the plate and provided support and repair services to over 10,000 clients.

TORAGUCHI MARTIAL ARTS GOJUBUDO.COM

Toraguchi Martial Arts is a full-service karate school that caters to both children and adults, specializing in Japanese Goju Karate. Their continued success during the lockdowns of COVID-19 is a result of the hard work and innovation they bring to all aspects of their business. The team quickly adapted their curriculum to an online format and supported a virtual delivery model by purchasing proper lighting and audio to ensure a quality experience. To bring in additional revenue, they created an online store to sell products and services. The pandemic has forced this team to be nimble and agile, this new way of doing business complements their pre-existing onsite programs and offers something for everyone.

LUCY’S BOUTIQUE AND ALTERATIONS LUCYSBOUTIQUEOAKVILLE.CA

Ban Putros is the owner of Lucy’s Boutique and Alterations. A first generation immigrant, Ban and her husband moved her young family from war-torn Iraq to Canada in the hope of creating a better life for her children. To bring in extra income she started a sewing business from their 800 sq ft apartment, turning a hobby into a thriving business. Her skill and welcoming personality built up a loyal clientele which allowed her to move the business to a storefront on Kerr Street. The pandemic put a stop to the wedding/prom dress demand, which was the crux of her business. Being ever resourceful, Ban starting making Health Canada approved masks with filters and offering them on e-commerce. What started as a hobby in a new land has grown to become a landmark in Kerr Village, and Ban adapted to survive this year.

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Cogeco Entrepreneur of the Year Congratulations to

LINDSAY BOARDMAN OF MERAKI FITNESS & SPORTS PERFORMANCE MERAKIFITNESS.CA

Lindsay Boardman is the owner of Meraki Fitness & Sports Performance, a private training studio. Meraki (May-Rah-Kee) “to put a piece of your heart, soul and creativity into all that you do”, is the perfect way to describe Lindsay’s entrepreneurial journey with Meraki.

The fitness industry has been hard hit by the COVID-19 restrictions and Lindsay firmly believed Meraki should be considered an

essential service playing an impactful part of overall health through physical fitness and mental wellness. To meet the Public Health guidelines, Lindsay developed Parking Lot Bootcamp, a 45-minute outdoor class. The initial offer started with just 3 classes a week, but soon grew to eighteen. Focusing on customer retention has provided stability to the business and is more cost-efficient. Over the last 3 years, Meraki has retained 86% of their initial clientele. Lindsay is especially proud of this and is confident once the lockdown is lifted, she will see the Meraki community come back.

JONATHON ROOT OF TREEHOUSE CREATIVE TREEHOUSECREATIVE.CA

Jonathon comes from a family of entrepreneurs, and launched a community magazine called Look Local with his father in 2012. Working closely with small businesses in the community, he became passionate about supporting them and helping them succeed.

He found many local businesses and community organizations needed help with affordable graphic design, web design, photography and video, all of which he and his team were implementing daily with Look Local Magazine. Treehouse Creative was born from that demand, and has grown organically by leveraging the talented design team at Look Local, and through many of the relationships that originated from the magazine.

Look Local continues to thrive and evolve, and in the last year launched an online marketplace at looklocal.ca

JENNIFER WATSON OF WATSON INVESTMENTS WATSONINVESTMENTS.COM

Jennifer Watson’s first business endeavours started at a young age running several small businesses from door-to-door flower sales to babysitting operations

where small businesses can showcase and sell their products. Treehouse continues to support small businesses in the community, with an added focus on social media and e-commerce.

through a private club chit system. These early

NOLAN MACHAN OF OAKVILLE NEWS INC.

experiences helped her learn about business people

OAKVILLENEWS.ORG

and more importantly herself. Today, Jennifer is an

Nolan Machan has always held a deep interest

owner and partner in Watson Investments a holistic

in building community. Working in real estate, he

wealth management firm. Seeking better ways to

launched an online news source, Oakville News in

service clients, grow and manage the business, and

2012, as a way to promote the town to people who

implement improvements along the way is a huge

might be looking for a place to live outside the city.

part of entrepreneurship. Jennifer achieves this by

Starting as an independent writer, Nolan expanded

outside the box thinking and strategic implementation.

to include news from community leaders, political

This finalist thrives on growth, innovation, reinvention,

elections, and businesses, and worked in partnership

and new technologies. Being an entrepreneur is an

with the Sheridan Journalism program to provide

incredible experience with challenges and reward but

writing opportunities to students. Just before the

most of all, Jennifer deeply enjoys helping others.

pandemic hit, he realized that to continue building the 26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

37

site he would need to bring in some partners. With the insight and investment brought in, the Oakville

while keeping an eye on his own business,

News site was re-designed with more capacity

exemplifies excellent entrepreneurial

and offers more ways to connect with the Oakville

leadership.

Community. The site has 270,000 page views per day, 4,500 e-newsletter subscribers, and 7,000 followers on Twitter. Safe to say, Oakville News has established itself in the community.

KPMG Young Professional or Entrepreneur of the Year Congratulations to

JONATHAN MINNAAR OF PAD PRINT EXTREME INC. PADPRINTEXTREME.CA

Jonathan Minnaar is the owner of Pad Print Extreme, a print studio focused in the event and promotional gifting market. Jonathan is the new owner of the business, having worked at the company 6 years prior to ownership. Given that their main source of orders was completely cut off by the

NICK DAVIS OF NICK DAVIS GROUP ROYAL LEPAGE REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC. THENICKDAVISGROUP.COM

Nick Davis is the owner of Nick Davis Group Royal LePage Real Estate Services Inc., a full-service real estate group in Oakville. Nick has been an entrepreneur since his early twenties and his love of real estate guided him to make real estate a fulltime career. While many businesses slowed down during the pandemic, Nick kept busy managing Nick Davis Coaching & Recovery, a service that provides personal coaching and guidance to clients through recovery and personal development. He also wrote and published his book TAKE OFF, which was listed #1 on the Amazon Hot New Releases in Business and Financing. The Nick Davis Group believes in giving back to the community and in providing concierge service for its clients. “Beyond the Sale” is both a logo and a team mission.

shutdown, Jonathan had to quickly rethink his product line. By using social media channels he was able to connect with new clients producing ventilators, laser-cut face shields and branded “no touch” keys. He also reached out to local businesses and offered free branded products to help them promote their own businesses. Building community

REBECCA POINTON OF SPINCO OAKVILLE SPINCO.CA

Rebecca Pointon is the owner of SPINCO Oakville, an indoor cycling studio found at the heart of Downtown Oakville. Rebecca believes that success has a formula; teamwork, commitment, and ambition all have helped her achieve success in her own business. First time clients come for the spin classes, but stay for the

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sense of home and community that Rebecca and her team provide. Their mantra is “one Team, One Bike” which signifies the importance of community. Growing up in BC and moving to Oakville without knowing anyone was challenging at the start, but this young entrepreneur has formed strong relationships with local Oakville businesses, members of the community, and local charities. She is excited for what the future holds and for new business opportunities on the horizon.

Visit Oakville Tourism Excellence Award

DARNABATI.CA

Dar Nabati is Canada’s first fully plant-based Middle Eastern Restaurant located in Downtown Oakville attracting vegan and non-vegan guests from Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Their unique menu attracts many first-time visitors to Oakville, many of whom are unaware of the Town’s history and beautiful waterfront parks. A strong social media presence markets their delicious food to over 3,000 followers and positive reviews continue to flow in despite the challenges of operating a restaurant during the pandemic. Dar Nabati’s unique food, excellent customer experience and support of the local community all contribute to promoting tourism in Oakville.

Congratulations to

FILM.CA CINEMAS INC. |

DAR NABATI

FILM.CA

Film.ca is Kerr Village’s friendly neighbourhood cinema and a well-known supporter of the community. The pandemic forced a creative rethinking of ways to run their business. Through their social media channels, they released a number of popular video campaigns that reached Oakville and beyond. They also produced a special holiday video called “The Search for Santa Clause” and amassed 16.5K views on Facebook alone. Videos like these show the beauty of Oakville and all it has to offer. As the cinema screens sit silent during the lockdown, the venue is rented out as film sets for movie and TV show productions, bringing crews and cast into Town. The Film.ca team works to provide the best experience possible for visitors. The team works to excel at being not just a cinema, but an important part of Oakville tourism.

HOWARD IRON WORKS PRINTING MUSEUM & RESTORATION HOWARDIRONWORKS.ORG

Liana and Nick Howard set about to bring a lifelong dream to reality, building a museum of printing history with a focus on machinery from the 1830’s to the 1950’s. Checking out various locations in the GTA, the Howards’ settled on Oakville for a geographic strategic reason and a sprinkle of nostalgia, as Bill Howard started the parent business in Oakville in 1967. Before the Pandemic, the museum welcomed visits from schools and special interest groups and opened the facility for various events, print fairs and workshops. Being one of only a very few Printing Museums in North America that offer the size and diversity and scope of the Collection, Liana and Nick hope to make their collection in Oakville a must-see destination.

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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ABOUT THE ROTARY CLUB of OAKVILLE WEST

R

otary is a non-religious, non-political organization comprised of over 30 thousand ser vice clubs and 1.2 million member-volunteers throughout the world.

We are committed to making a lasting change through humanitarian projects that help people and build stronger communities.

The Rotary Club of Oak ville West (RCOW) was chartered on September 12th, 1984 with 21 members – and so began an exciting and enduring philanthropic organization!

As a club, RCOW gives back to the community and for more than 35 years has contributed generously to local and international organizations and projects including the eradication of Polio, and water and sanitation initiatives.

Locally, the Rotary Club of Oak ville West has raised funds to help launch amazing initiatives like the Darling Home for Kids. In 2011 RCOW sponsored the Rotaract Club at Sheridan College, now Halton Rotaract.

In 1995 RCOW founded the Oak ville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) and for many years has partnered with the Oak ville Chamber of Commerce to co -host this premier perennial event. As the beneficiary of the OABEs, the Rotary Club of Oak ville West has annually provided bursaries for students’ postsecondary education. Rotary members get

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tremendous personal pleasure and pride when presenting bursaries to 15-20 deser ving and accomplished Oak ville high school students graduating each year. This is normally at a very special Oak ville Rotary Education Awards dinner where parents and student recipients share in the honour. This year due to COVID -19, the Rotary Education Awards were presented via Zoom on June 9th.

RCOW also supports Camp Enterprise and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards which are youth initiatives that offer leadership and business mentoring experiences. Rotarians who volunteer or speak with the many extraordinarily capable youth attendees about business concepts, entrepreneurial best practices and so many other enterprise related subjects, enjoy the experience almost as much as the young people!

The Rotary Club of Oak ville West helped launch the Interact Club at Garth Webb High School, in addition to sponsoring the Interact Club at Iroquois Ridge. Rotarians assist these high school students with business and life skills that help them develop individually and collectively to give back locally and globally.

It is an inspiring and rewarding experience for youth and volunteer Rotarians.

For more information, please visit RCOW at portal.clubrunner.ca /163.

ROTARY CLUB OF OAKVILLE WEST COMMUNITY BUILDER AWARD RECIPIENT MATTAMY HOMES

T

he Rotary Club Of Oakville West Community

contributed to the hundreds of communities they

Builder Award recognizes a business that

have built homes in.

has, over a period of time, demonstrated exemplary

dedicated

business

involvement

in

the

practices

and

community.

This

year, the Rotary Club of Oakville West has selected Mattamy Homes as the award recipient, because of their impressive legacy.

Mattamy

Homes’

Over the years, Peter Gilgan has hosted the Mayor’s Invitational Softball Tournament in support of the YMCA Oakville, organized a motorcycle Poker Run for the Children’s Wish Foundation, and initiated a longdistance bicycle ride in support of Sick Kids Hospital of Toronto. Peter Gilgan acted as Chair of the capital

corporate

head

office

was

campaign for the new YMCA building on Rebecca

established in Oakville 37 years ago. From their

Street in 1997, followed by a $1 million donation for

humble beginnings in 1978, starting with the sale of

the expansion in 2006. In 2010, Peter made a $10

a single home, Mattamy has gone on to build more

million donation to the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial

than 100,000 homes across North America, all while

Hospital, setting an example for others to follow.

ensuring that community initiatives were supported.

The

Community

Builder

Award

recognizes

Mattamy Homes and Peter Gilgan have truly made

the

a difference in the Oakville Community, and the

values and leadership of Mattamy’s Founder and

Rotary Club of Oakville West is proud to present

CEO, Peter Gilgan, as well as the management team,

them with the Community Builder Award!

and thousands of employees who have generously

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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CN CHARITY / NOT-FOR-PROFIT EXCELLENCE AWARD RECIPIENT ARTHOUSE

A

r t Ho u s e is a c h a r it a b l e o r ga niza t ion

housing loca t ions, coopera t ives, and communi ty

t h a t p r ov id e s f r e e a r t s p r o gra m s for

hubs. I n 20 16, A rt House receive d accredi tati on

ch i ld r e n a n d yo u t h a g e d seven t o

from I m a gine Ca na da for excelle nce i n nonprof i t

s eve n t e e n l iv in g in H a l t on R egion.

a ccount a bilit y, t ra nspa rency a nd governance.

Af ter a s u c cess f u l c a r e e r o n B a y St., founder Do n P a n g m a n k n e w h e h a d m o r e t o cont ribut e and

t u r n ed

se ct or.

his

a t t e n t io n

Vol u n t e e r in g

fo r

to

the

the

cha rit a ble

U n it ed

Wa y

of

Oakv i l l e g ave D o n a n in s ig h t in t o t h e needs of h is commu n i t y a n d t h e s p a r k t o c r ea t e a n a rt b as ed ch a r i t y g e a r e d t o w a r d s a t- risk yout h.

ArtHou s e p r ovid e s f r e e a r t p r o g r a m s a nd a lso p rov i d es h om e wo r k h e l p , c o o k in g , ga rdening, and en v i r on m ent a l e d u c a t io n . F o r m a ny children, ArtHou s e i s t h e ir o n l y e x t r a - c u r r ic u l a r a ct ivit y.

W hen t he COVI D-19 pa ndem ic hi t, D on and hi s t ea m quickly t ra nsit ioned t heir 25 i n-pers on arts progra m m ing t o YouTube a nd Zoom i nteracti ve progra m s open t o hundreds of youth. They also went beyond t he a rt s t o support thei r fami li es , init ia t ing

t he

A rt House

E m ergency

M eals

progra m in Ma rch 20 20 . T hey partnered wi th four loca l rest a ura nt s t o provide more than 6 5 A rt H ouse fa m ilies wit h weekly f resh meals. In A ugust 20 20 , A rt H ouse furt he r ex panded the progra m by pa rt nering wit h F ood for Li fe. Through

ArtHou s e l a u n c h e d it s f ir s t a r t s progra m in

t he pa ndem ic, A rt H ouse ha s strengthened i ts

Oakv i l l e i n 2 0 0 9 , o f fe r in g 2 p r o g r a m s t o 60

m ission t o serve t he whole chi ld – creati vely,

child r en at on e l o c a t io n . F a s t fo r wa rd t o 20 20 ,

phy sica lly, socia lly, em ot iona lly, i ntellectually,

th e offer i n g h a s e x p a n d e d t o 6 4 p r o gra m s, 894

educa t iona lly, a nd nut rit iona lly i n a s afe and

child r en a n d 35 l o c a t io n s . Sin c e 2 0 0 9 , A rt House

support ive m a nner.

h as

en g ag ed

ove r

9,000

v u l n e r a ble

young

child r en b y p r ov id in g 6 3 4 N e ig h b o u rhood a nd Co m m u n i t y P r o g r a m s , d e l ive r e d a t 9 0 subsidized

A rt H ouse “ S hining Bright ly t hro ugh C OVID and Beyond” indeed!

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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ABOUT THE

Oakville Chamber OF COMMERCE

The Oakville Chamber of Commerce was established in 1949 with a mission to foster a healthy, engaged, and sustainable business environment and economy. We are 100% member funded, and we operate with our members’ best interests at heart.

We are here to help you connect, communicate, and build a strong united business community. We are your Podium of Record – where you can come for trusted and valued business advocacy and support.

At the Oakville Chamber of Commerce we don’t sit back and wait for things to happen. We accelerate economic growth and we do it by creating opportunities, championing excellence, investing in the future, and collaborating together. We connect, communicate, and build community where business can succeed.

Connect – The Chamber creates opportunities for you to connect with the business community at large.

Communicate – We are the voice of the business community, we advocate on your behalf to all levels of Government.

Build Community – Building the spirit that inspires greater success.

We believe that a thriving business community benefits everyone and we are passionate about our members and supporting local business.

BE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.

Contact Shane Cullis at 905-510-0033 or shanecullis@oakvillechamber.com.

BE SEEN. BE HEARD. BELONG.

BUSINESS ICON AWARD RECIPIENT PROMATION

M

ark Zimny founded Promation in the basement

open to others is a true sentiment to the statement that

of his home in 1995. As it celebrates its 25th

we are all in this together. Promation was recognized by

anniversary, Promation has grown to become

Toronto scientists and industry experts at the University

a leading designer and manufacturer of high-quality

Health Network, University of Toronto, and Mackenzie

tooling,

Innovation Institute for the fast development and low

automation,

customers

in

and

Canada

robotic

and

systems

worldwide

serving

with

three

divisions: Nuclear, Automotive, and Industrial. Striving for continuous improvement, performance, and excellent workmanship,

Promation

adheres

to

established

standards and strong assurance of service quality.

Company founder Mark Zimny and President, Darryl Spector acknowledge that much of their strength comes from the colossal bank of employee skills and dedication that has built up over the years.

The

story of Promation is one of resilience, adaptability and honed survival instincts helping the business navigate downturns, most recently those brought about by the pandemic.

cost of the ventilator.

When Mark founded Promation, one of his goals was to build the business around its people. Recently, the company was named one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers for their ongoing investment in employee development, retirement planning assistance services, deferred profit-sharing program together with charitable initiatives directed to youth engagement, Indigenous communities and women at risk”. Promation prides itself on employing talented Canadians and recently landed immigrants receiving profiles of newlyarrived professional candidates for possible job placing.

President Darryl Spector believes promoting ethnic and

Promation rose to the challenge of COVID-19 by

gender diversity are important values of being a socially

providing personal protective equipment to help stop

responsible member of the business community.

the spread, producing 3D-printed medical face shields for front-line workers – up to 650 face shields per day.

When there were forecasted concerns of ventilator shortages, Promation stepped in and developed a lowcost ventilator that is easy to mass-produce in just 2 weeks, sharing their knowledge with other teams around the world. Making all the design files and related data

Promation faced the challenges brought about by the pandemic and has worked tirelessly to care for its workers, the Oakville community, and the global community. A past OABE Winner in the Large Business Category, we congratulate the team at Promation for achieving this “iconic recognition”.

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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Watson Investments holistic financial planning and evidence-based investment selection, along with the team approach, has led to 30 years of success for clients.

Clients have said: “…the in-depth care the Watson team provides clients, and the comprehensive services to help clients ensure the best portfolio…” “[The Watson] team have made investing simple. For the first time, I feel safe and like I have a solid plan for my future and retirement.”

Schedule a free virtual meeting for a better peace of mind and clarity over your financial future: calendly.com/watsoninvestmentsjennifer/meeting *Investment advice provided through Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (& Watson Securities) a member of IIROC and CIPF.

www.wat s on i nv e st m e nts .co m jennifer@watsoninvestments.com | 905-842-2100 ext.103

MARTIAL ARTS & VIRTUAL SENSEI

Our mission is to offer a complete system of self defence and self-improvement of mind, body and spirit while enhancing your health and managing your energy, all in a safe and enlightening facility.

Offered Programs: Tiny Tigers, Child/ Youth, Adult Karate, Kobudo (Weapons), Competition Team, Toraguchi Elite, Private Sessions

G OJ U B U D O.C O M

905.849.7625 | info@gojubudo.com | 785 Pacific Rd, Suite 15, Oakville

Headshots & Brand Marketing Commercial Photographer With a background in Photojournalism and Graphic Design, Tania Haldar, a Commercial Photographer and resident of Oakville, specializes in the following: 1. In-Studio Commercial Photography and Headshots for LinkedIn, Websites and Social Media Marketing 2. On-Site Lifestyle and Environmental Portraits for Commercial Branding and Marketing 3. Corporate Event Coverage 4. Personal portfolio-building sessions (Glamour, Graduation, Engagement, Couples’ Only, Maternity, Family & all other Milestone Portraits)

t a n i a h a l d a r. c o m

647.993.6474 | mail@taniahaldar.com | Follow: '

1131 INVICTA DRIVE, SUITE #8, OAKVILLE (SECOND FLOOR)

Also check out my voluntary passion project, HPR HEROES, featuring stories of everyday heroes!

Finalist for the Bell Small Business of the Year Award

thank you P L A T I N U M

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oakvillechamber.com

TO OUR PARTNERS

D I A M O N D

G O L D

B R O N Z E

S I L V E R

I N

K I N D

Henderson Property Management Inc., logo design | LOGO 1 | June 30, 2015 © Crossett Design

26th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

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LIEBHERR Driven by innovation and characterized by sophisticated elegant design. Liebherr brings the best of European cooling to North America. With refrigeration solutions ranging from personalized semi built-in appliances and flexible undercounter refrigerators, to wine cabinets that satisfy your thirst for the smartest ways to store wine.

SMEG Smeg brings a taste of Italy right into your kitchen. Offering a complete suite of small and major appliances that express sophistcation and style by perfectly combining design, performance and attention to detail.

AEG AEG’s full range of high performance stainless steel ovens fit seamlessly and efficiently into your kitchen. Whether its a microwave, steam oven or even a coffee machine, AEG appliances will make your kitchen a smarter and happier place to be.

Visit ela.ca to learn more 871 Cranberry Court, Oakville, ON L6L 6J7 - 905 829 3980 - 1.800 421 6332 101-1014 Homer St. Vancouver, BC V6B 2W9 - 604 235 3980 - 1.855 ELA WEST (352.9378)

Treehouse Creative is proud to support this year’s Oakville Awards for Business Excellence.

Congratulations to all the nominees!

T R E E H O U S E C R E AT I V E .C A

The expertise of our team, the strength of RBC. We’re the RBC leadership team in Halton and we’re here to help you reach your goals.

With the guidance of a professional advisor and the resources of RBC, Canada’s largest financial institution, we’ll help you get there. Contact us today.

Greg Belanger, Regional Vice-President, Private Banking, RBC Royal Bank, Halton Adam McInnis, Vice-President & Branch Director, RBC Dominion Securities, Burlington Jeff Bradley, Regional Vice-President, RBC Royal Bank, Halton Joe Pagano, Vice-President & Branch Director, RBC Dominion Securities, Oakville Peter Choma, Vice-President, Commercial Financial Services, RBC Royal Bank, Halton Contact one of our RBC advisors: RBC Royal Bank | Halton | 905-333-8764 RBC Dominion Securities | Burlington: 905-332-2600 | Oakville: 905-469-7000 Personal Banking | Mortgages | Private Banking | Commercial Financial Services Investment Management | Financial Advice | Retirement and Estate Planning

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2021 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 21_90538_Branch_002