The Altona and District Chamber of Commerce is looking to celebrate the best in local business this spring.
The nomination deadline for the chamber’s annual awards is coming up fast—March 6 is the last day to put a worthy candidate forward to be honoured.
“We find it very important to celebrate the success of the businesses, the entrepreneurs, as well as the not-for-profit organizations that make such a difference in our community,” said chamber executive director Stephanie Peters.
The chamber has four honours it hands out each year.
Two are Business Excellence awards, one for companies with 11 employees or more and one for those with 10 employees or less.
“We’re looking for a business that deserves to be recognized for their business goals and growth, exceptional customer service, and overall positive impact on the community,” Peters explained.
Then there’s the Entrepreneur of the Year award, given to someone who has been in business for at least three years and has demonstrated excellence in staffing and employee quality growth, quality control, marketing strategies, expansions/innovative ideas, overall contribution, and impact on the community.
Finally, there’s the Non-Profit of the Year award, presented to an organization that is fulfilling its mission in the community and making contributions to its well-being.
“We have a lot of chamber members who are not-for-profit organizations and we felt that it was important to have that category,” Peters said. “We’ve got so many great non-for-profit organizations in the community that are contributing socially, culturally, economically to the community.”
Peters shared they’ve already received numerous nominations since they opened earlier this year, but they’re hoping to see a few more come in through the final weeks of the nomination period.
The nomination form is available online at altonachamber.com. It’s a simple form to fill out—nominators are asked to list three ways their candidates have made a positive impact on the area and why they think they should receive the selected award. You can opt to have your nomination remain anonymous, if you wish.
“And if people feel more comfortable, they can came into our office and we can help them fill out the form,” Peters said.
The awards will be presented at a gala slated to take place on Thursday, April 23.
“It’s a really good opportunity for the community to get together for a fun evening to celebrate those whoa re so deserving of recognition,” Peters said, adding that other entertainment for the night and ticket information is expected to be released soon.
