Osoyoos Home Hardware walked away with the prize for best large business during last year’s South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. Staff members from the successful local business, which has been owned and operated by Larry and Frances Sologuk since 1985 and has been part of the retail landscape in Osoyoos since 1942. (File photo)
The Watermark Beach Resort is nominated in three different categories in the upcoming Business Excellence Awards sponsored by the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce (SOCC).
The awards will be presented at an awards dinner and SOCC annual general meeting on Friday, Jan. 23 at the Spirit Ridge Resort Conference Centre, said SOCC Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Dancey.
The event gets underway with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and the awards ceremony is at 8 p.m.
Osoyoos Credit Union and Expert Hearing Solutions are nominated in two categories and a number of other businesses from Osoyoos, Oliver and Okanagan Falls are nominated in a single category.
This year’s awards add a new category of Best Workplace Environment to the three existing categories. That category must be nominated by staff.
Traditionally the awards have been for Entrepreneur of the Year, Small Business Excellence (up to six employees) and Large Business Excellence (more than six employees).
Nominations for these categories were open to anyone, but nominations closed on Dec. 31.
Entrepreneur of the Year:
• Ingrid Jarrett (Watermark Beach Resort, Osoyoos)
• Greg Wheeler (Remedy’sRX, Oliver)
• Dr. Chris Scheuren (Chiropractor, Osoyoos)
Small Business Excellence:
• Nunes – Pottinger Funeral Service and Crematorium (Oliver)
• Expert Hearing Solutions (Oliver)
• Jane Long Chartered Accountant (Osoyoos)
Large Business:
• Vintage Hospitality (Oliver and Okanagan Falls)
• Watermark Beach Resort (Osoyoos)
• Osoyoos Credit Union (Osoyoos)
Best Workplace Environment
• Osoyoos Credit Union (Osoyoos)
• Expert Hearing Solutions (Oliver)
• Watermark Beach Resort (Osoyoos)
• Hester Creek Estate Winery (Oliver)
Dancey said the choice of Spirit Ridge as the location for the event reflects the Chamber’s policy of trying to use different members.
Last year’s event was at Watermark and the previous year’s was at Walnut Beach Resort.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
