The Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce announced the 2017 Business of the Year finalists today for central Alberta’s most prestigious business awards. An independent adjudication committee comprised of local business leaders selected 12 finalists from more than 60 nominees in this annual celebration of business excellence.
In the 1-10 full-time equivalent employees category, the finalists are: Breathing Room Yoga Studio & Cafe, Fetch Haus Red Deer and The Bra Lounge. For the 11-20 full-time equivalent employees category, the finalists are: 360 Fitness Personal Training Red Deer, Dance Magic Studio and Shek Interiors Ltd. In the 21 or more-full-time equivalent employees the finalists are Central Alberta Tile One Inc, Collins Barrow Red Deer LLP and Olymel.
This year, the Chamber saw 22 nominees for the Young Entrepreneur Award, which was more than double of the nominations received for last year’s inaugural award. This year, the finalists in the Young Entrepreneur category are Postma Electrical Services Ltd., The Curvy Brush Painting Company and Wild Brewing Co.
“It’s exciting to see a record number of nominations for this year’s awards,” said Robin Bobocel, CEO of the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce, “The quality of these finalists is a strong reminder of the innovative nature and resiliency of central Alberta’s business community. I’m particularly proud of the number of young and new entrepreneurs that we are seeing as part of this process; it signals a bright future for the region’s economy.”
Businesses are nominated by the public, and chamber volunteers interview nominees to develop material for the adjudication committee. The committee then conducts a comprehensive evaluation to determine the finalists. As an outcome of this process, the winners are also determined, however the results are sealed and embargoed until the awards ceremony.
Winners of the 2017 Business of the Year Awards will be announced at an annual ceremony, to be held at the Red Deer College Arts Centre on Oct. 18th.
Tickets for this exciting event are available online at www.reddeerchamber.com or at the Chamber office, 3017 Gaetz Ave.
– Fawcett