Outstanding Business Achievement Awards

Supplied by the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce…
Sault Ste. Marie, ON – It was a celebration of entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, community and social responsibility as the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce (SSMCOC) handed out its Outstanding Business Achievement Awards on Saturday evening.

“This year, a record 182 individual nominations were received by the Chamber, across a wide range of award categories,” says Paul Johnson, President of the Sault Chamber. “They were nominated by their customers, their peers and the community. All of the businesses nominated, including those that chose not to let their nominations stand, deserve to be recognized for achieving excellence in one or more aspects of their business.”

The SSMCOC, which has been presenting its business awards since 1985, used this year to re-brand its awards and its awards presentation event. Several new awards were created as the Business of the Year and the Marketing Awards were presented to different business sizes. The awards were re-christened as the “Outstanding Business Achievement Awards” and the presentation event took on the look and feel of a Hollywood-style award show.

“For both the Business of the Year and the Marketing Awards, we re-aligned our nominations to recognize businesses in different size classifications… micro-businesses, small business and medium-large businesses,” says Rory Ring, SSMCOC CEO. “We felt that it was important to acknowledge that businesses in these different classifications have very different needs and very  different access to resources, and as such they can have a very different outlook on what constitutes success and achievement.”

The recipients of this year’s Outstanding Business Achievement Awards were:

Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre received the Employer of Choice Award, sponsored by the Human Resources Professional Association – Algoma Chapter. This award is presented to a business or organization that has good people and community practices; demonstrates good Human Resources or Management policies or practices; actively supports professional development of staff; has good employee relations and employee and training communications; demonstrates good health, safety and wellness practices and demonstrates broad community involvement.

The Voyageurs’ Lodge and Cookhouse received the Customer Service Award – Business or Agency, sponsored by Gliss Steak & Seafood. This award is presented to a business or agency that raises customer service to new standards of excellence.

Josh Ingram of the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association was presented with the Customer Service Award – Individual, sponsored by Smyl’s Highland Ford. This award is presented to an individual that raises customer service to new standards of excellence.

Jeronamo Solutions was presented with the Business of the Year Award – Micro Enterprise, sponsored by the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation. This award recognizes a business, with one to four employees, which successfully demonstrates positive growth, a progressive attitude toward employee relations, a positive public image, a reputation for excellence in customer service and contributions to the community.

Community First, A Division of Your Neighborhood Credit Union Limited received the Business of the Year Award – Small Business, sponsored by Palmer Construction Group, in memory of Mike Rainone. This award recognizes a business, with five to ninety-nine employees, which successfully demonstrates positive growth, a progressive attitude toward employee relations, a positive public image, a reputation for excellence in customer service and contributions to the community.

The Ontario Finnish Resthome Association received the Business of the Year Award – Medium to Large Business, sponsored by Superior Auto Group. This award recognizes a business, with 100 or more employees, which successfully demonstrates positive growth, a progressive attitude toward employee relations, a positive public image, a reputation for excellence in customer service and contributions to the community.

Christina Trevisan and Kaitlin Pelletier of Elite Dance Force were presented with the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, sponsored by EAZY Express Inc. This award is presented to a young entrepreneur, or in this case entrepreneurs, (aged 18- 39) that demonstrates an innovative / creative approach to creating, marketing and promoting his / her business in addition to maintaining a positive public image and contributing to community activities.

Sault Ste. Marie YMCA was presented with the Diversity Award, sponsored by WINMAR. This award recognizes a business or organization that embraces, celebrates and applies holistic inclusion and participation of a diverse people making the workplace a better environment in which to work, and the community a better place in which to live, work and raise a family.

The Algoma Arts Festival Association received the Marketing Award – Micro Enterprise, sponsored by The Community Development Corporation of Sault Ste. Marie & Area. This award recognizes a business with one to four employees that demonstrates a superior and novel marketing strategy to attract new business and retain repeat business through the creative use of limited resources.

Community First, A Division of Your Neighborhood Credit Union Limited received the Marketing Award – Small Business, sponsored by Algoma Office Equipment. This award recognizes a business with five to ninety-nine employees that demonstrates a superior and novel marketing strategy to attract new business and retain repeat business through the creative use of limited resources.

The Ontario Finnish Resthome Association was presented with the Marketing Award – Medium to Large Business, sponsored by KiSS 100.5  and Country 104.3. This award recognizes a business with 100 or more employees that demonstrates a superior and novel marketing strategy to attract new business and retain repeat business through the creative use of resources.

Paul Caputo was presented with the STRIVE Young Professional of the Year Award, sponsored by KPMG LLP. This award recognizes an exceptional young man or woman (aged 19 to 40) who successfully demonstrates excellence in their field in addition to maintaining a positive contribution and commitment to the Sault Ste. Marie community.

Algoma Power Inc. received the Safe Work, Sound Business Award, sponsored by Safe Communities Partnership. This award recognizes a business that uses a safe work management system, participates in workplace and / or community injury prevention programs and has exceptionally good injury frequency and injury severity performance.

The Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Corps were named the recipients of the Chamber’s Volunteer of the Year Award. Initiated in 1985, the Volunteer of the Year Award was designed to recognize an individual whose time, commitment and contribution to the Chamber over the years, or during the past year, has been outstanding.

David Orazietti received the SSMCOC President’s Award. Initiated in 1982, the President’s Award recognizes someone who makes an exceptional effort, going above and beyond the call of duty, in any area of business and community development.  This recipient of this award is selected by selected by the Chamber’s Past President.

Dr. Ron Common was presented with The Paul Dalseg Community Achievement Award, sponsored by the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes a businessperson in Sault Ste. Marie who has demonstrated exemplary interest in the community, and in so doing, has made a major, outstanding and unique achievement or contribution to the life of the community.  It is intended to recognize the leadership and community-mindedness of businessmen and women.

Joe Ruscio was presented with the Skipper Manzzutti Award for Business Achievement, sponsored by the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce. Named after one of the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce’s dedicated past presidents, Captain Feliciano “Skipper” Manzzutti, this award  recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding business achievement within the past year, or number of years. Like the award’s name-sake, the recipient of this award has set a high standard for exemplary entrepreneurial and community minded achievement.

Johnson concludes that, “in striving to be the best in their sector, in service or in some aspect of operations, each of our recipients and the award nominees have raised the bar for all local businesses and business people. They have pushed our business community to aspire to more than just the status quo and in doing so, they bring greater prosperity and opportunity to our community. They make Sault Ste. Marie a better place to live and to work.”

In addition to this year’s individual award sponsors, the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce would like to thank event sponsor, The Machine Shop and Kevanna Fine Photography.

The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of 700 plus business and agencies in Sault Ste. Marie and has been serving the needs of this community since 1889. The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce will lead the way as the voice of business, advancing economic prosperity for its membership and the business community. For more information, visit www.ssmcoc.com