After years of hard work, several great businesses and organizations received the recognition they deserve at the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence. The awards held on March 27th at the Oakville Conference Centre recognized ten recipients.
Recognition categories:
- Large Business
- Mid-Size Business
- Small Business
- Professional Services Provider
- Service Industry
- Young Professional or Entrepreneur
- Conservation Leadership
- Community Builder
- Charity or Not-for-Profit
- Business Icon
Over 550 people filled the ball room - a sold out event. The room buzzed with excitement to see who would be recognized at the 24th annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence
Award Recipients announced before the event:
Oakville Soccer Club - Community Builder Recipient sponsored by Genworth
The May Court Club of Oakville - Charity or Not-for-Profit Recipient sponsored by CN Rail
Geotab - Business Icon Recipient
These awards didn't take place unless the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Oakville West worked together. Fifteen judges took an extensive and rigorous look at who won. going to walk away as their categories' award.
Award Recipients
Large Business Award sponsored by RBC
In only eight years, this company, formed by 7 partners, has grown tremendously to revenues in excess of $10 Million and more than 150 employees.
They are one of Canada’s most respected field sales organizations for selling, merchandising, technology and strategic consulting helping their clients be successful in their critical market channels with the use of technology.
With clients that include Maple Leaf Foods, Jamieson Natural Source, Quaker Foods and Foodland Ontario, this company’s mission is to be "The first choice for Tier One organizations seeking to optimize their field sales investment".
Mid-size Business Award sponsor by Bell Canada
The founders of this company say they are all steak. We hope tonight’s win gives them a tiny bit of well-deserved sizzle for their sizable accomplishments.
Founded in 2010 and completely self financed, their intent was to improve the health of Canadians through prevention. They developed a gold standard behavior change technology platform that serves 12000 organizations and 3,000,000 Canadians focusing on rewarding employees for modifying 5 key risk factors: physical inactivity, smoking, excess weight, low fruit and vegetable, and excessive use of alcohol.
They have demonstrated tangible cost savings to the health care systems and employers of over $73/ per employee/ per year – a cost savings of almost $220 million/year.
Small Business Award sponsored by Henderson Partners LLP
Sounds Good AVS Solutions is the premier provider of home theatres, music systems, lighting control and smart home solutions. Their commitment to delivering the highest quality service and advice, validated by exceptional online reviews, over the past decade truly impressed the judging panel.
With the help of a consulting firm, this Sounds Good AVS Solutions recently undertook a strategic review that resulted in new engagement, focus and initiatives that accelerated their annual revenue growth rate dramatically. The company’s commitment to its employees and to its vision is truly impressive.
Professional Services Award sponsored by O'Connor MacLeod Hanna LLP
MNP Oakville location is part of a dynamic national accounting firm that has grown revenues by over 50 per cent in the last 5 years – both organically and by acquisition.
Lead by a culture that values entrepreneurialism, this firm launched a Future Leaders Mentorship program partnering with the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, The Town of Oakville and Sheridan in proud support of the Oakville business community.
Service Industry Award sponsored by Morris Mercanti
Oakville Academy for The Arts serves clients as young as 6 months to well over 65 years old. The Academy invests in their students, teaching far beyond the arts – Including leadership, compassion, community spirit, and work ethic. Operating 7 days a week and employing 125 staff and instructors, over 3000 students attend classes every week. The Academy specializes in dance, royal conservatory music, art, musical theatre, as well as preschool and toddler programs.
Young Professional or Entrepreneur Award sponsored by KPMG
Blake Wyatt Wyatt Development Group - Real Estate Development - Water Walk in Bronte
Blake Wyatt is passionate about real estate, particularly customized, architecturally-innovative design.
He studied Urban Land Economics at UBC and started his career as a realtor. In 2011, he moved to Ontario, working in project financing, before starting his own company in 2013.
His latest project “Water Walk at Bronte Harbour” – a collection of townhouses here in Oakville, where he lives – has already won a design award and is breaking ground soon.
Outside of work, he is involved with the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and mentors young people looking to get into the industry.
Conservation Leadership Award sponsored by Oakville Hydro
Mauser Packaging Solutions owns and operates a plastic packaging and manufacturing facility. The facility operates continuously to supply food grade packaging to industries throughout North America. Electricity is critical to the production process and a major cost of production for the plant.
Over the years, this organization has reduced its energy use by taking advantage of energy-saving programs, updating all of their lighting to LEDs and replacing their industrial chillers to more efficient units.
Wanting to do more, and in collaboration with Oakville Hydro, they identified compressed air as a major use of electricity. The findings showed a potential energy-saving close to 50% of the existing system. An upgrade to the entire compressed air system included new compressors, air dryers, larger capacity air receivers, reconfigured supply piping and a plant wide instrumentation monitoring system.
The energy savings results have been dramatic. In the first year, the new system reduced electricity use by enough to power over 100 homes for a year.
We are also thrilled that this energy-saving technology is now being rolled-out in their other facilities throughout North America.