Two local companies received provincial recognition last week.
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce announced the recipients of the 2026 Manitoba Champions Awards. These awards recognize individuals and organizations whose leadership, innovation and community contributions help drive Manitoba’s economic success and strengthen communities across our province.
Among the 10 recipients being honoured for helping shape Manitoba were Decor Cabinets of Morden and PhiBer Manufacturing of Crystal City.
“This recognition means a great deal to us because it reflects the collective effort of our entire team,” said Decor director of marketing Marcos Gaubert. “At Decor Cabinets, we’ve always believed that strong businesses are built through people, and this award is a reflection of that foundation.
“When we think about human resources, we think about our people. The skill, commitment and mindset they bring every day are what drive our performance and allow us to continue growing. Our role as a company is to create an environment where they feel supported, challenged, and able to develop,” he said. “When people are engaged and growing, the business moves forward with them. We’re proud to be part of the Manitoba business community, and this recognition reinforces our commitment to continue investing in our people and contributing to the region.”
“It’s an honour,” said Derek Friesen, CEO of PhiBer Manufacturing. “It’s exciting for our staff to be recognized for their hard work and some of the things that they have been working on and achieving a level of excellence that we have pursued, so it’s a nice tip of the hat to those in our organization who have worked so hard to bring excellence.”
PhiBer is very much a rural Manitoba success story, Friesen noted.
“We’ve worked really hard at becoming more of a global brand and working towards that,” he said. “One thing that I really love about this is just because you come from a small place that doesn’t mean you can’t aspire to excellence or pursue more. Something like this maybe just reminds our staff and reminds us and others too … that small beginnings in small places are not a drawback. It’s okay to come from those places.”
Friesen attributed much of their success to “trying to pay attention to our customers and understanding their needs and coming up with solutions to help meet those needs. And I think the other thing for us has been trying to come up with creative ways of connecting to our customers.
“I would also have to say our staff are a big reason for our success. Their ideas, their hard work … some of the vision might come from me, but they execute it.”
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce will be presenting the awards May 12 at the Club Regent Event Centre in Winnipeg.
