Chamber Honours Businesses
Story by: Amanda Persico
Photo by: Susie Kockerscheidt
And the Winner is ...
- Excellence in Small Business - Kim Mortson, Body
Design
- Excellence in Large Business - Dean Smalley, A
& B Courier
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Business Community Service
- Sharon Bates, Tangles Hair Salon
- Best New Venture/Start Up - Jake Gaston, Elias
Heating & Air Conditioning
- Environmental Leadership - Cathy Nesbitt, Cathy's
Crawly Composters
- Entrepreneur of the Year - Dr. Nancy Mehi, Mehi
Veterinary Mobile
This year's East Gwillimbury Chamber of Commerce business awards took on an international flair, with flags representing different countries and an Olympic podium.
Of the more than 200 chamber members, more than 26 were nominated and seven businesses took home the gold.
`Like the Olympics, it's not easy
to achieve gold. All our businesses
work really hard all the time.'
The Olympic theme is timely and seemed to fit the wide variety of business owners in East Gwillimbury, chamber president Linda Shaw said.
"It can be very lonely being in business by yourself" she said. "We wanted to show there is a team at the chamber behind you just like the Olympic athletes."
Businesses were nominated by fellow chamber members and a selection committee was set up to visit the companies and interview owners.
"Like the Olympics, it's not easy to achieve gold," Ms Shaw said. "All our businesses work really hard all the time."
This year's winners are spread across business sectors, from the fitness and health care sector, to financial and composting.
"We have a wide range of businesses," Ms Shaw said. "From a mobile vet clinic to a virtual assistant."
"It's encouraging to know that East Gwillirnbury is such a small place, but our businesses are known across the province. Their services, stretch wider than East Gwillimbuy,"
Dr. Nancy Mehi of Mehi Veterinary Mobile was named entrepreneur of the year. Dr. Mehi makes house calls for people with disabilities, seniors and families with multiple pets who find it difficult to come to an animal clinic.
The chamber was an avenue through which Dr Mehi learned about other small businesses in the area and where others learned about her services.
"There are so many businesses in East Gwillimbury," Dr. Mehi
said. "It's great to be acknowledged and honoured by the chamber's
support."
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