Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards

Transcription

Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards
KGHM International – Ajax Project
Small Business of the Year
Selection Committee Package
Contents
Nominee 1 | Aglow Bridal Lounge ............................................................................................................... 3
Nominee 2 | All Aboard Games .................................................................................................................... 6
Nominee 3 | All by Design ............................................................................................................................ 7
Nominee 4 | Beautiful U Design Inc. ............................................................................................................ 8
Nominee 5 | Bolacco Caffe ......................................................................................................................... 10
Nominee 6 | Boomers Auto Center ............................................................................................................. 13
Nominee 7 | Brandy Maddison Event Planning & Design.......................................................................... 14
Nominee 9 | Broad Spectrum Pest Solutions .............................................................................................. 18
Nominee 10 | Common Sound .................................................................................................................... 20
Nominee 11 | D-JUNK Enterprises Co. LTD ............................................................................................. 23
Nominee 12 | Erwin’s Fine Baking & Delicatessen.................................................................................... 26
Nominee 13 | First Comes Love Gowns & Events ..................................................................................... 28
Nominee 14 | Fountain Tire (Commercial) Mt. Paul .................................................................................. 30
Nominee 15 | Frankly Coffee and Bistro .................................................................................................... 32
Nominee 16 | Fundamental Foundation Fitness (F3 FIT) ........................................................................... 34
Nominee 17 | Gateway Repairs Truck & Trailer Ltd .................................................................................. 36
Nominee 18 | Grassbusters Lawn and Yard Care ....................................................................................... 38
Nominee 19 | Imagine Laserworks ............................................................................................................. 40
Nominee 20 | Insight Natural Healing ........................................................................................................ 41
Nominee 21 | Inspire Chiropractic & Wellness .......................................................................................... 44
Nominee 22 | Joy Factory Films Inc. .......................................................................................................... 46
Nominee 23 | KamCity Mechanical Ltd. .................................................................................................... 48
Nominee 24 | Kamloops Dance Academy .................................................................................................. 49
Nominee 25 | Kamloops Insurance ............................................................................................................. 51
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Nominee 26 | Kamloops Naturopathic Clinic ............................................................................................. 52
Nominee 27 | Kent Wong Photography ...................................................................................................... 56
Nominee 28 | Lizzie Bits Baby Co.............................................................................................................. 59
Nominee 29 | Mostly Mental Shuttles......................................................................................................... 62
Nominee 30 | Mount Paul Golf Course ....................................................................................................... 64
Nominee 31 | Nature's Face & Body ........................................................................................................... 66
Nominee 32 | Noran Printing Ltd. ............................................................................................................... 68
Nominee 33 | Presidium Network Operations Consultants ......................................................................... 70
Nominee 34 | Rainbow’s Roost .................................................................................................................. 73
Nominee 35 | Rhinotec Computer Services ................................................................................................ 76
Nominee 36 | RTOWN ............................................................................................................................... 78
Nominee 37 | Scoopz Ice Cream Parlour .................................................................................................... 80
Nominee 38 | Someday Retrievers & Hunt Club ........................................................................................ 81
Nominee 39 | Spruce Goose & Chop N Block ............................................................................................ 83
Nominee 40 | Stewart Mortgage Corp. ....................................................................................................... 85
Nominee 41 | Sweet Spot Cupcakes............................................................................................................ 87
Nominee 42 | The Great Canadian Dog Academy ...................................................................................... 90
Nominee 43 | Thrive Business Strategies.................................................................................................... 92
Nominee 44 | Treetop Flyers Zipline .......................................................................................................... 96
Nominee 45 | Tyler Meade Photography .................................................................................................... 98
Nominee 46 | Visual Expressionz ............................................................................................................. 100
Nominee 47 | Volkswagen of Kamloops Nominators’ Comments: ......................................................... 103
Nominee 48 | WiRD Art ........................................................................................................................... 106
Nominee 49 | ZERO Tolerance DD's Services Ltd. .................................................................................. 108
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Nominee 1 | Aglow Bridal Lounge
Nominators’ Comments:
Aglow Bridal Lounge has created a new experience for brides. They are creating a personalized
experience that allows their clients to get the "Say yes to the dress" experience right here in Kamloops
with their VIP Bridal Experience that is unique and innovative.
Nominee Submission:
1. Provide a short overview/promotion of your business. (Limit 300 words)
a. Aglow Bridal Lounge is here to give brides the ultimate wedding dress and décor
shopping experience. From finding the perfect wedding gown, to transforming banquet
halls into fairy-tale venues, we stand for “Love, Laughter and Happily Ever After”! We
are a family run business committed to providing Kamloops residents with quality
products and exemplary customer service. Our greatest honor is to contribute in a
positive manner to one of the most important events in our customers lives. Aglow
Bridal Lounge has become a well-known name in the community through years of
dedicated work and has built a reputation for excellence among wedding industry
professionals. We are committed to the highest level of customer service and we always
try to go the extra mile for our customers. We try to make every bridal experience in our
store special and offer bottled water, treats in the change rooms and a celebratory toast
to the “finding of the gown”. We have grown from a small home based business in 2010
to a prospering store front retail outlet that opened in 2013. Brides that we worked with
since 2010 are now referring their friends and family. Aglow Bridal Lounge strives to be
different. We carry a large selection of Canadian made wedding gowns, cutting-edge
decorations and state-of-the-art photo booths. We are always sourcing out new
products that will make every event unique. Aglow Bridal Lounge is a business that stays
true to their own style and carries products that we know our customers will love. We
strive to carry products no one else does in Kamloops. For example: illuminated cake
stands, LED backdrops, luxurious linens and non-traditional wedding gowns and
accessories. We also provide set-up and tear-down services to bridal couples, event
planners and various foundations, schools and charities in the area.
2. Describe your quality product and/or service. (Limit 300 words)
a. Aglow Bridal Lounge has an inventory of high quality event décor and attire. In 2010
when we first started out in the event decorating industry, we carried linens that were
made overseas. These products got us started, but we soon discovered we needed to be
able to provide our customers with higher quality products that stood the test of time.
We started bringing in products that were made in the US and Canada that had a longer
lifespan and enriched our customer’s décor vision. We work closely with both the client
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and the various venues and event professionals to ensure everything runs smoothly on
the day of the event. Now with our clothing storefront, we are committed to selling
products that are of the highest quality. Our chosen bridal designers have a keen eye
and our known for their amazing attention to detail. Many of our garments are made in
Canada or in factories that are closely overseen by the distributors. Our wedding gowns
are made with high quality workmanship and materials that are reflected in the fit of
the garment. You can always tell a poorly made gown from a high quality one. When a
customer gown is ordered, we ensure that it arrives in a timely fashion and is properly
steamed prior to pick-up. Our attention to detail and commitment to growing our
knowledge base, ensures the highest quality service possible.
3. Outline the success your business has achieved. (Limit 300 words)
a. To maintain success, we have always had to think outside the box. Whether it is figuring
out how to hang ceiling draping without putting hooks in a ceiling or helping a bride find
a wedding gown on a strict budget or timeline, we are always willing to take on a
challenge. Every day that we get to help a bridal couple decide on wedding décor is a
day we get to be creative. We often give our opinion or expertise and aid a customer in
deciding on the perfect décor that will bring together their vision. In the store, we have
also devised some creative marketing strategies. For example: we have created a
tradition in the store in which a bride who has found her dream dress gets a photo
taken wearing our “Aglow Bride” satin sash. The photo is then uploaded to our
Facebook page. The bride and her friends/family are able to interact with the post and
tag themselves. This creates an incredibly large audience reach through our Facebook
page. While the photo commemorates the bride finding the dress for her, it also helps
us advertise our brand. We have also started a VIP bridal appointment program. Brides
can now book after-hours appointments and have the entire store to themselves for a
small fee. We bring in treats and refreshments for them and they get to try on as many
dresses as they wish. If they find their dream dress during the appointment, the fee is
then applied to their purchase! Each VIP bride gets a swag bag filled with promotional
items and coupons from some of our favorite local vendors. We love working with other
businesses and gladly pass on the business information of those we work with.
4. Explain how your business has demonstrated innovation and/or creativity. (Limit 300 words)
a. To maintain success, we have always had to think outside the box. Whether it is figuring
out how to hang ceiling draping without putting hooks in a ceiling or helping a bride find
a wedding gown on a strict budget or timeline, we are always willing to take on a
challenge. Every day that we get to help a bridal couple decide on wedding décor is a
day we get to be creative. We often give our opinion or expertise and aid a customer in
deciding on the perfect décor that will bring together their vision. In the store, we have
also devised some creative marketing strategies. For example: we have created a
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tradition in the store in which a bride who has found her dream dress gets a photo
taken wearing our “Aglow Bride” satin sash. The photo is then uploaded to our
Facebook page. The bride and her friends/family are able to interact with the post and
tag themselves. This creates an incredibly large audience reach through our Facebook
page. While the photo commemorates the bride finding the dress for her, it also helps
us advertise our brand. We have also started a VIP bridal appointment program. Brides
can now book after-hours appointments and have the entire store to themselves for a
small fee. We bring in treats and refreshments for them and they get to try on as many
dresses as they wish. If they find their dream dress during the appointment, the fee is
then applied to their purchase! Each VIP bride gets a swag bag filled with promotional
items and coupons from some of our favorite local vendors. We love working with other
businesses and gladly pass on the business information of those we work with.
5. Outline how you foster excellent customer and/or employee relationships. (Limit 300 words)
a. We strive to provide the best bridal shopping experience there is to offer. Finding the
perfect wedding dress is a day all brides remember and we want to ensure our brides
leave happy and confident in the purchases they have made. Our staff are
knowledgeable and can answer questions the customer may have. They are not
commissioned and are never instructed to pressure customers to purchase. We are truly
committed to helping the customer find exactly what they are looking for in a fun and
comfortable atmosphere. We strive to remember customer’s names so we can interact
with them during appointments and can greet them when they revisit us. We are always
punctual when returning calls or emails and stand by the quality of our products and
services. Our employees are a very important part of our success. They are taught by
our example and training is on-going as styles and techniques are always changing. A
large and varied supply of manuals, books and information is made available to them. In
many cases our consultants have become an important part of the “experience” for our
couples. On many occasions we have had brides ask for a consultant that they have
previously worked with in the store. We are very proud of our employees and consider
them an extension of our family.
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Nominee 2 | All Aboard Games
The level of customer service that is provided at this store is second to none
Nominee Submission:
a. We are an event centre where we promote social interactions through board games and
collectible card games. With these events we provide product for the same.Our
intention is for people to leave happy with a smile.
a. Our primary product is Magic: the Gathering. We spend the majority of our time
providing a socially interactive gaming experience. We help the community by providing
a safe place for both extroverts and introverts to share their time together and make
new friendships.
a. From a purely dollar style success, I have been able to turn a $12000 investment into a
$1.5 Million company. Socially I have been able to make a community of hundreds of
players that respect one another, watch their language, help others, and have fun.
a. Our success has come at the hands of the community itself. Instead of focusing on
selling products, we instead focus on making this a welcoming location. The customers
spend up to 8 hrs a day in the store having a good time, and in turn they want the
company to succeed and thus buy products. This isn't a company that would exist if we
only sold games, we sell an experience that everyone seems to enjoy. We also offer an
excellent introduction to games with board game rentals.
a. From the moment you enter the store you will feel welcome. We greet everyone with
"Welcome to All Aboard Games!". We provide tables for all sorts of social games (8
tables that support 4-8 people). My staff is excited and able to teach and participate in
hundreds of games. Playing games in store costs nothing, and to ensure activity, my
staff is allowed to participate in the games themselves.
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Nominee 3 | All by Design
Im nominating All By Design Danielle is amazing Business preson, Her work is unbelievable.
Nominee Submission:
a. All by Design is a custom home design firm that specializes in exceptional architecture
and functional spaces. We provide a high level of services and cutting edge technology
by staying up to date with education and training. Design locations range from
Kamloops to Shuswap and Sunpeaks as well as rural areas around BC.
a. All by Designs custom home packages are exceptional in quality due to the up to date
training and education of our designers. Recent upgrades to our training program
include a diploma in Architecture and Engineering as well as a Bachelor of Building
Sciences. With every design comes creativity and a one of kind project.
a. Proud designer of the (award winning) 2015 Y-Dream Home/TRU Training House. The YDream Home won 2 awards: Tommy Award: Best Public Private Partnership Keystone
Award: Best Public Private Partnership All by Design has recently won the following
awards: Keystone Award: Best Renovation $300k+ Keystone Silver Award: Best House
Design Keystone Silver Award: Best Interior Design
a. With every design we take on we consider environmental factors like passive solar and
passive ventilation. A lot of client want to consider alternative energy resources but
don't have the budget for costly upgrades to solar panels etc. There are several
affordable techniques we use that if designed properly can have a positive effect on the
overall design for very little cost.
a. We treat every customer with great respect. When we are tending to a clients needs
they are the only person that matters at that moment in time, we are never too busy to
answer questions and making clients happy is our number 1 goal. With house design it is
also important that clients know we are here for them until their project is complete!
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Nominee 4 | Beautiful U Design Inc.
1. Sheryl has been a long time small business owner in Kamloops. Her business has been in the
community for over 30 years. She has grown her business from offering only a few services to
offering a wide range of services for all skin types. Sheryl has invested in the highest quality
state of the art machines to give the highest results. Her strong business focus and quality
service is very well known throughout Kamloops. Sheryl ensures everyone receives the best
customer service and leaves Beautiful U eager for their next appointment and Sharing the name
Beautiful U to friends and family. Sheryl donates generously to many organizations for
fundraiser and other charitable events. Most recently to one of her own staff members as she
was raising funds to go build in Fiji for habitat to humanity.
Nominee Submission:
a. Beautiful U is a Medi-Spa. We have been in business for over 30 years. We provide our
clients with the most innovative and cutting edge laser and anti-aging Medical
Aesthetics and body treatments in a clinical yet warm and comfortable environment.
a. All of our staff is Medically aestheic trained and kept up to date with all new trainings on
treatments we offer. We pride ourselves in keeping up to date in new treatments being
offered in our industry to be able to share the knowledge with our clients. We use only
the top quality products on our clients and ensure they have the products to follow up
at home.
a. Beautiful U has grown from a home business offering only electrolysis to a office with
over 5 rooms and two dozen treatments. Ranging from Laser treatments including hair
removal vein treatments to radio frequency, body contouring and many other anti-aging
treatments. Sheryl has Sheryl has lectured for the American Academy of Family Practice
(Scientific Assembly), specifically discussing the importance of anti-aging products with
peptides, sun care and sunscreen.
a. We are constantly researching what is the best out there. What is new in our field, what
can we offer our clients. How can we better support our team.
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a. Our clients are treated in the up most elite manner. From the moment they enter
Beautiful U's doors to the moment they leave we want them feeling like there is no
other choice but to be serviced by us. Our clients are our business. Our Employee
relationship is a family. We treat each other with respect and support each other to be
able to grow and be the best we can be.
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Nominee 5 | Bolacco Caffe
Fantastic quality of food, beverage and service, every time.
A warm, caring and amazingly friendly establishment that serves up its best coffee, homemade
delicacies and other offerings in a truly inviting way to the community of Sun Peaks.
Konrad has constantly provided the best customer service I have received at Sun Peaks. His café runs
efficiently and the quality of his coffee, food and other beverages is first class.
Konrad's quality control is second to none. He is always ensuring that the customer is 100% satisfied and
he backs this up by his friendly welcome. He not only remembers your name but also your favourite
order. Even after being off the mountain for a year once you return he remember all details. Konrad and
his family and staff make Bolacco's a place that you always want to come back to.
Because Konrad has been part of Sun Peaks for so many years he is happy to pass on his knowledge of
the Resort and weather conditions and promotes these with a passion.
Konrad & Bolacco's make the experience of coming to Sun Peaks even more enjoyable. .
Nominee Submission:
a. Since our inception in 1996, Bolacco Caffe has been a family run and owned cafe that
prides itself on making sure that each customer that comes through our doors really
feels like family. Every berry scone baked, every latte steamed, and every kolbassa
sizzled is made with our customers in mind. You can find the owners, Konrad and
Elizabeth, working behind the counter day in and day out either welcoming you back for
another season or meeting you for the first time and storing your name in their
elephantine memories! If you've been coming to Bolacco long enough, you would see
Konrad and Elizabeth's three children grow up behind the counter as they helped their
parents with the family business since the beginning!
a. Bolacco Caffe serves Italian coffee, sandwiches, and pastries. Konrad and Elizabeth
learned the art of making delicious coffee while they lived in Rome, Italy. Every espresso
pulled has a beautiful creme layer, milk is steamed so that the froth is delightfully dense,
and each cup is made exactly how our customers want it - down to the last sugar
granule! Pastries are baked fresh on the premises with small batches made every few
hours for ultimate enjoyability! The signature pastry, created by our master baker
Elizabeth, is a beautiful berry scone that has blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries
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topped off with a hint of citrus! Our other pastries include piping hot apple turnovers,
overflowing muffins, divine cinnamon buns, and other seasonal bites. Our sandwiches
are always made fresh as ordered. Our signature sandwich is the kolbassa sandwich,
which is a juicy Polish sausage on a hearty ciabatta bun topped with lettuce, tomato,
mayo, pickle, and slathered with our secret famous Bolacco mustard! Other popular
choices are the tuna salad, tuna melt, Bolacco BLT, ham & cheese, cheese melt, turkey,
salami, and wild salmon sandwiches.
a. The idea of being your own boss and of living in a place as beautiful as Sun Peaks was
literally the dream of two young immigrants, Konrad and Elizabeth. When they opened
their doors for the first time in 1996, they were living the dream. Their vision for Bolacco
was quite simple - genuine hard work day in and day out to deliver the best experience
they could! Konrad and Elizabeth never imagined that Bolacco would become the local's
hang-out spot, the top rated coffee shop on Yelp! for numerous years in a row, receiving
multiple certificates of excellence for their business, and having customers keep
returning year after to year to feel as if they had never left. Konrad and Elizabeth have
poured their heart and soul into making Bolacco what it is today by sticking to the same
principles with which they started - simply making sure each person that comes through
their door is taken care of and each scone, latte, or sandwich is as delicious as the next.
They pay attention to and care about all the small details that make our finished
products as popular and tasty as they are!
a. Over the years, the economic landscape of Sun Peaks changed as businesses came and
went, but one thing stayed constant over the past 20 years - Bolacco Caffe. We are the
longest-running, locally-owned business that has operated under the same owners,
Konrad and Elizabeth. Changing with the times was critical to survival and they did just
that. They expanded their menu, renovated Bolacco, and most substantially added a
commercial oven to bake their pastries fresh on the premises. However, the one thing
that didn't change was their mission statement - simply making sure each person that
comes through their door is taken care of and each scone, latte, or sandwich is as
delicious as the next. They have never forgotten their roots and the simplicity of
working hard to make sure each customer is taken care of like family - that is the
foundation of all their creativity.
a. Building relationships based on integrity and trust with customers over the years and
starting new ones every day on that same foundation takes genuine dedication to the
very roots of Bolacco. We strive to make our customers feel appreciated by
remembering their names and orders for the next time they stop by. We make sure that
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everything our cusomters get from Bolacco, whether it's the homemade berry scone,
that chai latte with just the right amount of spice, or the kolbassa sandwich with extra
mustard, is made from the heart. Nothing comes out of Bolacco that we ourselves
wouldn't eat or drink - nothing but the best for our customers! If something isn't to the
customer's liking, we always make sure to figure where we can do better and what we
can do for that customer to make sure they walk away happy. From the Bolacco family
to yours, we strive to make you feel at home when you are in our shop.
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Nominee 6 | Boomers Auto Center
Steve has always been honest, friendly and very reasonable in his business practice. If you ever drive by
there is a reason his lot is so full and its not that himself and his team are slow but is due to the fact that
it is no secret in this town how he runs his business for many years in this community. Great work !!
Nominee Submission:
a. We strive to complete quality repairs to your domestic, foreign, car and light truck. We
are open six days a week and try very hard to accommodate clients outside of regular
business hours whenever required.
a. We try to use North American made products whenever possible. We also take pride in
repairing instead of replacing an item when that is possible.
a. We have been open for 38 years, that is a success in itself. We have many families that
the third generation is coming through our doors and we are very proud of that.
a. We have " Gone Green " wherever possible with diligent recycling of plastics, metal and
biodegradable cleaning products. We have a self contained parts washer that separates
the oil and grease residue during the cleaning process for proper disposal.
a. We have " Gone Green " wherever possible with diligent recycling of plastics, metal and
biodegradable cleaning products. We have a self contained parts washer that separates
the oil and grease residue during the cleaning process for proper disposal.
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Nominee 7 | Brandy Maddison Event Planning & Design
1. Brandy Maddison created Brandy Maddison Event Planning & Design in Kamloops and with all
her hard work, her business is growing by leaps and bounds. She started a Wedding and Event
Planner and now she has expanded into floral design. She has been attending workshops to
hone her skills and all her hard work shows in every event she creates. Brandy goes above and
beyond her clients' expectations every time. When she is not busy making her clients' dreams
come true, or travelling to workshops, she's bringing workshops to Kamloops for other people to
enjoy with her.
Nominee Submission:
a. I am the owner, planner, stylist and florist of Brandy Maddison Event Planning & Design.
I have always had a passion for design and a love for creating spaces that move the
couple and their guests when they enter the venue. Something that sets us apart, are
the small details and decor touches that represent the couple and their personality.
Sitting down with each couple during a coffee chat and hearing their story is my
favourite part. At Brandy Maddison Events we have worked very hard on our "brand"
and who we represent. We strive to be supportive and build relationships with all
businesses that we get to work with so we can all come together to create amazing
designs as a team and in the end complete a successful day with happy clients.
a. I have always believed in quality over quantity. This is the heart of BME. My services are
unique in the fact that I really hear what my clients are looking for and what they want. I
ask ask specific questions to really dig deep and hear their story to find out their dreams
and visions to bring them to life on their wedding day. I offer a beautiful selection of
decor rentals, items that are very unique and different. I customize each wedding with
pieces that are true to the couple and their personalities. Floral artistry is another
service that just sort of fell into my service that I offer. I love working with florals
because after all the design and decor is set being able to add the flowers to the overall
look brings everything to life and can be breath taking. With my planning services I run a
highly organized schedule so that each client feels calm and at ease throughout the
planning process. I make myself available to them and ensure that I build rapport to
make the process flow effortlessly.
a. My first success was definitely having the courage of starting my own business. I just
kept following the happy and exciting moments and went for it, I didn't let the fear stop
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me or slow me down. After one year in business I went from 4 weddings to 12 weddings
in the second year. And it just keeps growing. I went from running my business along to
having an incredible team of 6 who help and support me every step of the way. Being
apart of Homes For The Holiday's last year was a wonderful opportunity. They must
have known how much I love the holiday season. Getting to show the community some
Christmas spirit through design and creativity was a wonderful feeling to share. Another
great opportunity was getting asked by Style Me Pretty a top wedding blog to be apart
of their vendor list. As well as getting featured on their blog with a styled shoot I
collaborated with a team of incredible vendors. The one thing I learnt from this was to
keep dreaming and never give up on your goals. Before their yes, I heard many no's and
I am so grateful for those no's because they taught me to never give up, and to keep
pushing and growing as a person and as a business.
a. Brandy Maddison Events is unique and I think people know that when they hire me,
they are going to get a design package that is custom-made. I work with beautiful
pastels and create floral arrangements that I only hope will take people's breath away.
Details are important to me and nothing gets undecorated or unnoticed. I find the
beauty in the small details that may otherwise be overlooked. I do feel there is a
difference between a typical event and something my team and I have worked on it's a
feeling when you enter the space. I dong just show up to decorate because its
something I'm supposed to do, I go above and beyond to bring life and light to every
event. Examples of innovations and creativity: White paper cranes hanging in the ceiling
because the bride had some Japanese roots. This couple also has a love for their dogs,
so much they were in the wedding party. So we incorporated little mini gold dog
figurines at each table setting holding each guests name card. Another bride wanted her
wedding to be magical and glow, so we hung glass hanging candle holders above each
table and along the backdrop so as you look around the room the space glowed with
ambience.
a. My customer service starts from the minute I get that first email inquiry. I have a
detailed outline of my process and how I want my clients to feel from the very first
contact up until their 1st wedding anniversary. Working with someone for an entire
year, you build those relationships, you build friendships, they become a part of you and
I have always wanted to show someone that they matter and they are loved on because
I am grateful for them and value their business. For my team I hold meetings and we go
over our yearly schedule and discuss a plan of how we are going to make it happen
together. Any chance we get we work on building our relationships, whether it’s taking
everyone out for dinner, meeting for a coffee, a road trip, Christmas gathering, gift
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giving, thank you cards in the mail. My team is incredible and they are professional,
polite, and hold themselves to the highest standards to represent Brandy Maddison
Events name. And they do this because they love where they work and I make sure they
know they are appreciated and valued and that they matter. I believe in loving on my
clients, staff, vendors and suppliers. Creating friendships with those in this industry or
even people you’re in contact with daily is very important. Supporting each other, being
there for one another, lending a hand when someone needs your help. Is what working
together in this community means to me.
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Nominee 8 | Brazilian Dog Guru
I'm nominating Fernando because he has changed our family with the work he has done. The dog facility
has gone way over and above my expectations from a business. He and his staff go out of their way to
make you feel comfortable and like you are part of the "family". He does amazing work training and
caring for the dogs!!!
Nominee Submission:
a. We are locate at the north shore Kamloops. A kennel that provide boarding , grooming,
day care and training. We are open 7 days a week and 15 hours at day we have
somebody looking after the pets.
a. We are proud how clean our kennel is. We have priority our dogs. In every single
services we have top professionals in Kamloops.
a. In few years we have over 8 thousand people in Facebook and over 1000 visit a month
in our website. Emails come from everywhere. Even USA asking about when I would be
there for training. People outside town choose us with their pets.
a. We try to keep up with all new things. Facebook , website, best products... We are
constant updating the business to have better products and services to our clients.
a. I have 7 years of working in different countries. Before I came to Canada I have 21
people under me with 11 different nationalities. it's important to be able to read people
and have the best approach.
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Nominee 9 | Broad Spectrum Pest Solutions
Jesse is always an honest and hard worker! I have seen nothing but amazing work always with an
attention to detail and personally getting to know everyone he works with and for.
Nominee Submission:
a. Broad Spectrum Pest Solutions Ltd. was started in January 2013 by Tom and Candace
Broad. Although we are a fairly new company Tom Broad has been in the pest control
industry within Kamloops since 1993. Candace looks after running our office while Tom,
along with technicians Jesse Royce and Tim Arkinstall, look after field operations. We
provide structural pest control for residential, commercial and industrial customers. We
strive to give our customers extremely high quality service at fair prices. We absolutely
love what we do and appreciate the community for supporting us. We also look forward
to all the new exciting challenges that await us in the future.
a. We provide services that vary from one extreme to another and that is one of the
reasons for choosing a name like "Broad Spectrum". We deal with everything under the
sun like rodents, birds, insects and even wildlife. We pride ourselves in our integrated
pest management approach to each problem that is presented to us and encourage new
challenges and solutions. We specialize in structural termite treatments and large
exclusion projects.
a. Starting with just a husband and wife team we have experienced excellent growth since
our inception. We were able to hire our first full time employee in our first year of
operation. We have had several seasonal/part time employees and now we have grown
to accommodate a third fulltime technician. We have been able to more than triple our
gross sales from out start up year.
a. We try and demonstrate innovation by having our finger on the pulse of our industry.
We communicate with others in our industry on an almost daily basis and embrace the
latest and greatest products and equipment made available to us. We try and take in as
many conferences and workshops as possible in order to be ahead of our competitors.
When it comes to creativity we have to embrace it on a daily basis as there is no room
for a cookie cutter approach in our industry. No two jobs are every exactly the same and
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that's what makes each new challenge so exciting. If we need something for a particular
job and its not available then we either make it ourselves or build it out of something
else ( for example we have outfitted all our high pressure spray equipment with quick
couplers normally used in the hydraulics industry so we can switch back and forth
between application devices).
a. With our customers, we try to learn a little bit more about them each time we see them
so that through an ongoing conversation they can see how much we care about them
and their wellbeing. We try to put ourselves in their situation and treat them how we
would like to be treated. We always try to go above and beyond in our service so that
we know when we leave each job, we feel proud of the service we have just provided.
With our employees, we try to ensure that they know how much we appreciate them
and their commitment to provide top quality service by acknowledging their efforts on a
regular basis. We try and take time each day to talk about what is new in their lives and
with their loved ones. We try to always be more to them than just employers and
consider them part of our family.
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Nominee 10 | Common Sound
1. I have had the pleasure of working alongside Jesse + Ian of Common Sounds DJ for the past
couple of years and they always continue to impress me with their professionalism and
dedication to what they do.
I have had nothing but amazing response from my past brides + grooms and other clients who
have used their services, and I am constantly amazed at how they are always learning new
techniques and sourcing new music, lights, and equipment to ensure their clients are getting the
best quality for their events.
Jesse has true talent when it comes to reading a crowd, but it is his hard work ethic and
dedication to his craft that really put his business to the top of the pack. His calm and radiant
personality could put anyone at ease to know that they will deliver for every occasion. I am
confident that they would be well deserving recipients of any of these awards!
Nominee Submission:
a. We provide DJ services and Audio/Visual systems for weddings, corporate events,
private parties, fundraisers and large sporting events. Our company has five DJs located
in Kamloops, two DJs in Whistler, and one DJ in Vancouver, making us one of the biggest
DJ and audio/visual companies in British Columbia.
a. Common Sound provides two main service types: DJ services and audio/visual services.
In terms of our DJ service: We aren't just people who push the play button. We bring
people together through music. We strive to make our clients’ day memorable not just
for themselves, but also for all of their friends, families, and loved ones. For weddings,
we help with planning, event day coordination, and master of ceremonies duties, as well
as working with the event venues and partner vendors to make sure their service quality
is maximized alongside our own. We have come up with unique algorithms that ensure
that the day and its soundtrack flow as smoothly and seamlessly as possible. Other than
at weddings, we provide our services at many other events for businesses on both a
local and national scale. At these events, our role is centred around promoting the
satisfaction and pride felt by both the clients and the employees of these businesses. In
terms of our audio/visual service: We make the event sound great, look great, and
operate flawlessly. Our goal is to make sure that every technical aspect of our clients’
day is carried out flawlessly, making sure they can get the most out of their event. We
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use high quality equipment, innovative techniques, and talented technicians to
accomplish this goal. At Common Sound we aim to ensure that both guests and hosts
walk away feeling closer to one another. We do this by perfecting the art of unifying the
energy of sound, music and lighting.
a. We have built our company to be the largest DJ company in Kamloops over a period of
less than three years. This year we will provide our services for more than 35, 000
people over the course of at least 62 weddings, 30 private parties, and 25 fundraisers numbers that lead in the industry. We have also recently become a name partner in the
Kamloops Bridal Fair, which is the largest bridal fair in the BC Interior. Our true success is
centred on the fact that these numbers continue to climb in Kamloops, and throughout
BC and across the country. This success has allowed us to develop innovative initiatives
surrounding event sustainability, the details of which will be publicly announced later
this month. Our sustainable initiatives are where I believe we can have the most success
in the industry on a national level.
a. We have achieved great success with our proprietary algorithms that use music and the
energy of sound to facilitate social interactions both at weddings and private events. It's
incredibly hard to put our innovative systems and our techniques into 300 words, but
essentially, our view of music is different than that of many of our competitors, locally
and nationally. Our view of a Common Sound that unifies all ages, races, genders, and
nationalities allows us to create a consistently unique and memorable experience from
event to event.
a. Superior customer service and amazing results are how we establish positive
relationships with our new clients. Because we are participating most often in one of the
biggest days of our clients’ lives, making sure that their experience is as seamless and as
fun as possible goes a long way. 99% of our new business results from word of mouth,
so our client relations are obviously very important to us. Also because our business
comes from word of mouth, there must be an initial level of trust felt by our new clients,
and we believe that we exude this confidence genuinely and easily, making creating a
positive relationship so much easier. Our employees love working for Common Sound
because we believe in sharing the tools and systems that we've spent a decade
developing with our Common Sound family. This helps make their jobs easier when it
comes to performing, and helps our team provide a service of consistent quality.
Because of our exceedingly high customer satisfaction rate, our new DJs are able to
enter relationships with Common Sound clients in a very trusting state. Furthermore, we
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have strong and positive relationships with other local industry vendors, which
contribute even more to the job satisfaction of our DJs, as working as an industry team
occurs so seamlessly.
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Nominee 11 | D-JUNK Enterprises Co. LTD
Hard working young man and the business is amazing
Nominee Submission:
a. D-JUNK is an efficient, friendly, quick and reliable, eco-minded, full service junk removal
company. We are capable of taking away all types of junk, from residential household
items such as furniture, appliances, electronics, yard waste, and anything else around
the house and yard, all the way to construction materials like wood, drywall, gyprock,
metal and paint. Whether the junk is spread out over a property, or neatly stacked in a
pile for us, we will collect it from where it sits, so our customers don’t have to lift a
finger. When it comes to the disposal of the junk we collect, we ensure we take items to
the proper disposal sites, donation sites, hazardous material sites, and recycling depots.
We take pride in helping to keep Kamloops clean and beautiful, while providing a service
that many people are unable to provide for themselves. At D-JUNK, our satisfaction
comes from the smiles of our customers, the beauty of our city, and the heartwarming
thanks we get in return for completing the tasks that were thought to be impossible. DJUNK didn’t stop at junk removal. We also are fully equipped and insured to do small
moves, large moves, and also deliveries. We also enjoy going to customer’s homes to
help move items from upstairs to downstairs or vice-versa if they don’t have the
manpower or friends to help with such tasks. Our full service junk removal, moving and
delivery company is proud to provide all types of services to our customers. Satisfaction
absolutely guaranteed.
a. At D-JUNK, our quality service is our customer service and the capabilities and strength
of our team. To start it all off, we are very pleasurable to talk to on the phone, clear to
understand, and work at a first come, first serve basis. If we miss a call from a customer,
they can expect us to call back within the hour. When we show up at a customers’ door,
we greet them with happy smiles and an extended out hand and a firm shake. We make
sure to introduce ourselves with our names so our customers know who is coming into
their house so they feel comfortable, and at home, as they should. With wide open ears,
we listen to our customers every need and every task. We like to make sure we don’t
miss out on a single detail about what our customers want us to complete for them. A
very big part of D-JUNK is our capability to complete any task at hand, and in a very
quick and timely manner. We don’t stand around looking at our task, we dive in hands
first and work non-stop until the job is done. Multitasking is a big thing for us. We are
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able to load up our trailer in the blink of an eye, while maintaining a personable
conversation with our customers. At the end of it all, we make sure to sweep, rake, or
tidy the area of work so it looks as if there was never anything in the area to begin with.
We are extremely proud to greet people as a new customer to us, and leave their
property as a new friend.
a. When D-JUNK first arose in Kamloops, we were using a small truck and trailer
combination which had minimal capacity for junk items. Taking on certain jobs
composed of multiple trips to disposal sites for just one customer, and would take a
lengthy amount of time to complete the task at hand. As more work started to come our
way, we realized very quickly that a new trailer was in order, something that could hold
more and take more weight. Six months after opening D-JUNK, we were able to buy a
large dump trailer which increased our capacity, and made our trips to the dump
relatively faster as we now had the power to dump our junk with the push of a button.
As the jobs kept coming, they also started getting larger in size, eventually being too
large for the truck we were previously using to haul with. One year after opening DJUNK, we were able to afford a 1 ton pickup truck which is capable of taking on any load.
Immediately after purchasing the new truck, we built walls up on our trailer, which
again increased our capacity, allowing us to take on larger loads. In one year we went
from doing multiple loads for one customer, to fitting multiple different jobs into one
load. We now have a second trailer, which is a moving and delivery trailer. In three years
we went from a small time company, to a full time, well known junk removal company.
We are also very proud to say we already have contracts with multiple different
property management groups to remove junk frequently. Today, we feel success every
time we start our truck, complete a job, and most of all, shaken the hand of an
extremely satisfied customer.
a. When removing our customers’ items, it’s not always an easy task, and that’s what we
enjoy. Whether it’s removing an appliance, a large piece of furniture, or finding a way to
move things, we always think of creative and smart ways to get the job done. We take
pride in making sure we do not damage the customers’ property or home, so that
means using the right tools for the job. When we do not have the right tools, we
improvise, and always get the job done efficiently while always being safe. Behind the
scenes of D-JUNK, we go the extra mile to break down mattresses and couches to
remove any metal before it heads to the dump. We save our Freon items such as
fridges, air conditioners, and freezers, and call someone in to properly drain and dispose
of the Freon in the units. By doing this, we are able to ensure safety for not only our
local environment, but also our ozone layer. Once the Freon is drained, we take the
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units to their proper disposal sites to complete the recycling process. For electronics, we
enjoy saving them up, cutting the cords off those items to retrieve the copper, and will
also always take electronics to our local electronics disposal site. When doing jobs, we
ensure to organize our trailer in accordance to where we have to dispose of the items
we have. We keep alike items together as everything has its rightful place to go. All
wood goes to the wood pile, all metal goes to the metal yard, electronics go to the
recycling depot, and any other items also go where they should. It takes a lot of
creativity and innovation to make sure we are doing our job properly and efficiently.
a. At D-JUNK, we take extreme pride in leaving a customers’ house as a good friend shortly
after showing up as strangers. We enjoy talking with our customers, getting to know
them, and listening intently to what they would like us to do for them. We are very
friendly people and we love to talk as well so our customers are able to get to know us
on a personal level, and not just as a company. Our customers appreciate how we
always show up with a smile and a handshake and ask them how their day has been
going. We enjoy getting the job done as quickly as possible so we have time to chat with
our customers. Some of the things we hear include how timely we respond to their call,
how happy they were with how we sweep, rake or shovel the area completely clean,
how polite and courteous we are towards them, as well as the way we are very
energetic and willing to do any task they ask. We appreciate our customers as much as
they appreciate us. We make sure that when we are giving our customers the D-JUNK
experience, it never ends with a bad tone. We are always willing to work with our
customers and make agreements that everyone can sleep well about, and our
customers are always willing to call us back again. At the end of the day, we feel very
special and satisfied to have been able to help many people accomplish tasks they
couldn’t complete their self, and we are proud of the services and excellent customer
service we provide.
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Nominee 12 | Erwin’s Fine Baking & Delicatessen
Erwins Fine Baking has a long history of providing exceptional service and 'made from scratch' products.
What some people may not know is the incredible community spirit that these guys have. From feeding
the homeless to feeding the 'good karma' sandwich to an unsuspecting customer, these guys work
tirelessly and often what seems endlessly to give their very best on all levels.
Nominee Submission:
a. Erwin's Fine Baking & Delicatessen is a traditional scratch bakery. We steadfastly use
time honoured methods and the highest quality ingredients to prepare the finest
breads, pastries, desserts and foods for our clients. Our unique deli selection along with
our groceteria and local products enhance our product offering.
a. Our bakery is unique in the way we create our products and the range of our offering.
Product knowledge and pride of ownership is something that we work to instill in
everyone who represents us. Our clients can expect clear answers to their questions,
recommendations if needed and friendly, helpful service. We have firmly held to our
core values and refused to compromise on quality in any way in spite of economic
pressure. We employ highly skilled Red Seal Bakers; provide them with fresh, quality
ingredients ensuring that they are able to create products to be proud of. At the front
end staff is given the knowledge and support to empower them with the ability to
exceed clients expectations. We have developed strong relationships with many of our
clients; greeting them by name; knowing their favourites; taking a few moments to
catch up on things. We have a rare retail opportunity for long term relationshipssometimes decades long-beginning with a wedding and/or shower cake, often followed
by a baby shower cake, then a first birthday cake. We are lucky to be able to share so
many milestones. Nothing is more gratifying than sharing news with someone you've
grown to know over time and numerous interactions.
a. In the most succinct terms our success can be measured by the fact that we are not just
operating, but thriving without cutting corners, compromising standards or sacrificing
quality after several challenging years that have seen a significant decline in activity in
the area immediately surrounding our location. By continually monitoring and adjusting
our product offerings, making use of social media, and engaging the community in a
variety of ways we are able to identify our niche market and continually move forward.
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We follow the adage that to be successful you must be either a) the first, b) the best, or
c) the cheapest. We have chosen being the best.
a. Interestingly what has made us innovative within our industry is that we have chosen to
adhere to time honoured traditions rather than follow the crowd. Where bakeries have
sacrificed quality, eliminated skilled artisanal bakers and eliminated or degraded
products in order to meet ever lower price points, we have not. Even when developing
new items (our Breakfast Buns and Cruffins for example) we steadfastly adhere to the
use of highest quality ingredients, exceptionally skilled bakers and invest in our front of
store staff to ensure they have the information to truly be of service to our clients. We
have chosen to resist popular business trends instead focusing on our core value of
producing the best products possible. We focus our resources by reinvesting in quality,
be it upgrading equipment, sourcing better ingredients or finding packaging solutions to
reduce waste. Our Token Program is undoubtedly our best recent example of a creative
solution to the issue of panhandling in our city. It has afforded the RCMP, By-Law
Officers and the C.A.P. Team a means to encourage people to move along while also
providing them with something hot and delicious to eat.
a. Employees First. We believe that supporting our employees in any way we can will pay
for itself. Employees who feel they have input, are valued and rewarded will be more
productive and provide a higher level of service for our clients. We are quite fortunate in
having incredible individuals making up our core team. They are exceedingly dedicated
to the business and their roles; they take personal pride in providing outstanding quality
and service. They routinely go above and beyond the call of duty; making decisions and
acting in ways that make us proud to have them here representing us. Since 1971 the
customer relationships developed are too many to mention individually so let us sum up
with a few key points that speak to those relationships. We are now happily welcoming
second generation participants into our annual Gingerbread Workshops. We have
followed families as they evolve through marriages, birthdays, engagements,
anniversaries and end of life celebrations through our role of providing cakes; desserts
and catering. There are always those who we hold close to heart; the ones who bring
laughter and hugs into our little business. Who come to visit even after they've moved
away or had life changes that mean we don't see them as often as before. For some we
created a favourite or special sandwich (hence "The Mike Bun"), adapted recipes to
accommodate changing diets (the Turkey Sausage Rolls). It is a wonderful feeling to be
part of something that is woven into the community and the fabric of peoples' lives. We
are very lucky.
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Nominee 13 | First Comes Love Gowns & Events
1. A business that has grown and blossomed into an amazing and welcoming community. The staff are
amazing and the owner is a delight. Doing business with this company was better than with any other
business I attended this year.
2. First come love bridal, goes above and beyond for their customers. To them it isn't just a job that they
go to because they have to, they go because they want to help someone look beautiful and make them
have the most amazing experience. They make you feel comfortable and help you meet all your needs.
They are all welcoming, friendly and make you want to come back. On top of there amazing service and
knowledge they also have beautiful dresses and really do know how to make a place look great for you
event ! Thank you girls for all that you do I cannot wait to wedding dress shop there !
3. This business has outstanding customer service for their industry.
This business has grown from a small home based business to a successful downtown Kamloops
storefront. The owner is a young entrepreneur with amazing ideas and creative skills.
Nominee Submission:
a. FCL offers full service wedding services. We help our clients from the beginning stages of
wedding planning fully through to their wedding day. We ensure their experience is
stress free and provide a variety of services to suit any clients needs. We offer anything
from a simple planning assistance to full service decorating setup and take down
decorating services. We innovate new and exciting ways to do things or products to
offer. We offer ceiling drapery, Photo Booths, and so many different styles of rental
linens and decor! We have a bridal shop in downtown Kamloops specializing in wedding,
prom, and bridesmaids gowns. We offer exclusive hand picked designer lines and try to
make sure we always have something for everyone who comes into our store!
a. For our decor we have created packages where our clients have access to our entire
inventory. We find this to work great with our customers because they don't have to
worry about cost as much. They book our package and they can have anything they'd
like out of our inventory. Its stress free and easy to understand. Clients have the
creative freedom to create their dream wedding, and we help them to put it all
together. For our bridal store we pride ourselves on our exclusive designers. So you will
only find the gowns we carry in our store and nowhere else in town. This helps us to
stand out from the competition and give brides a great selection. Every gown is hand-
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picked by our team and we visit US markets twice a year to make sure we are keeping
up with all of the current trends.
a. I am very proud of my little business! I started as home based running linens out of my
garage and meeting for consults with clients at Starbucks. We hand ironed everything at
home and it was becoming to be too much. When I found out I was pregnant with my
first son (4 years ago) we decided that something had to give! We found a storefront
space in Valleyview and started our storefront for decor and added in consignment
gowns. Once feeling out our client base and deciding what we were missing we decided
to go full on bridal shop. We started the renovations and moved the decor out into a
storage room. We transformed our space to what we needed it to be. We have since
moved again and now are so proud of our new downtown storefront space! We did
some extensive reno's and now have a large beautiful storefront on Victoria Street! I
feel so lucky and proud of the work my husband and I have put into this business and
are so excited to see what the near future has in store for us!
a. I consider us to be very innovative. We have always sought out new products and
services, whether it be for the decor or bridal end of this business. For decor, we are
always keeping up with whats popular and current, or new trends showing up in the
market and seeing how we can incorporate them into our business! We find we are the
forerunners in our field making sure we bring in all of these different items or services,
test them out and find out our competition will usually follow suit. We have brought in
many different retail products that have become trendy or popular in our field, robes or
personalized hangers for example. For the decor business we have brought in photo
booths, ceiling drapery, and new chairs as an example. We are always searching for new
bridal designers whether they're well known already or just starting out in the industry.
a. I think one thing that really makes a big difference in customer service is how you
manage your employees. I am very open with my staff regarding my expectations as
well as the freedom they have. It is easier for my staff to provide excellent customer
service when they know what they're able to offer the customer as well as their
limitations. We also make sure everyone is well trained and have specific words we say
to each customer so there are never any miscommunications or confusions. My staff is
always well dressed and present when dealing with customers, we have exercises we do
for practice when it’s slow and always make sure to smile and be pleasant. We all put
our client’s best interests first and make sure we can make whatever they want happen
as often as we can.
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Nominee 14 | Fountain Tire (Commercial) Mt. Paul
1. Had my car into his location. I needed more work done than I could afford. Doug worked with
me to have the things fixed first that would keep me safe on our roads. We later fixed the
balance of issues my car was having. Being a woman going into a mans world you feel defeated
befor you start. This was not the case for me. I felt comfortable with what he was telling me was
wrong with my car. Explained I should fix the safety things first then come back to have the
balance completed. No pressure. I left there and went and got a second opinion and I did not
feel the same at the second location I went to. I took my car back and had it repaired. This man
deserves the highest award you can give. Thanks
Nominee Submission:
a. We are a automotive repair facility. We look after commercial vehicles as well as
passenger vehicles. We employ approx. 20 people. I pride myself on our low staff
turnover and I base this on that they are not just employees they are a part of our
Fountain Tire family.
a. Our products are anything automotive related, our tire product is Goodyear tires. We
pride ourselves on our high level of customer service. We don't believe in the one time
sale we believe in giving the customer great service with great prices and keeping a
good customer relationship with them.
a. We have achieved success by being honest and having integrity. We know its expensive
to repair or purchase tires for any type of vehicle and I truly believe we are successful
based on the fact that we put the customer first and the sale second. Our staff will take
the time to go over what needs to be completed and we will repair it as per the
customers instructions We do this to make them feel more at ease that we are fixing
what needs to be done or what they can afford..
a. When I purchased this location it was not doing well, We gained the trust of the
customers through honesty and integrity. If a customer needed tires and we had a huge
sale coming up such as our 4 four the price of 3 we would tell them to wait to get there
tires. Yes we could of sold them the tires at the time they are here but if they chose to
wait we waited for them to return to get the sale price.
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a. We provide customer feedback from the services they received through an email. We
look at this very seriously and correct any issues that may come up and we pass on the
great feedback to our employees on this as well. Our employee relationships are great, I
pride myself on the fact that my employee turnover is low and I always put them first.
It’s the inverted pyramid employee on the top boss on the bottom.
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Nominee 15 | Frankly Coffee and Bistro
The new owners took a restaurant that not many people knew of let alone visited...re- constructed it's
menu with delicious choices...baked in house goodies that bring rave reviews...just like home. The
friendliest people and their staff also... a fun place to hang out.
Nominee Submission:
a. At Frankly Coffee and Bistro, we are proud to be locally owned and operated. Located
downtown in a quaint heritage building, we are proud to serve great coffee, and
delicious homemade food and baking. Did you know that we also do catering as well as
rent out the coffee shop as a private venue? We pride ourselves on our friendly service
and on knowing many of our customers by name. We are committed to quality and
believe that this shines through! We have worked hard to create a community feel at
Frankly Coffee and Bistro through partnerships with groups like the BC Wildlife Park. We
are committed to quality and to helping the community!
a. At Frankly Coffee and Bistro, we serve quality products. From our Organic, Fair-trade,
Spirit Bear Coffee, to our freshly made soups, to our homemade baking, we strive to
provide our customers with the best possible experience and products. We use fresh,
wholesome products such as real turkey breast that we cook in house, and real butter in
our homemade baking. As mentioned, we serve an Organic, Fair-trade coffee that we
grind as we use, and we hand press all of our espresso shots. For the products that we
do not make in-house, we try as much as possible to support other great local
businesses such as Craig's Bakery for our breads and Blackwell Dairy for our milk. Aside
from our products, we also provide friendly customer service to our patrons. We love
the community feel of knowing our customers by name and of having people leave with
a smile on their face. We try to go the extra mile for each person who comes through
the door with both our excellent products and our great service!
a. As a family-run business, we believe that success looks like many different things at
Frankly Coffee and Bistro. To outline a few successes would be: profitability, community
involvement, and personal growth. Firstly, profitability is a good sign of positive growth
in a business, and we have seen an increase of roughly 50% in our daily sales in the past
year. In order to turn that additional revenue into profit, we have worked tirelessly to
manage our expenses and we have been able to drastically cut both our food cost and
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our labour expense. Secondly, community involvement is a different form of success in
our business. We would not exist without our fantastic customers, and we want to be
able to give back to the community as a way to say thank-you. In the past year, we have
partnered with the BC Wildlife Park because of our Organic, Fair-trade coffee, Spirit Bear
Coffee. Proceeds from the sales of this coffee are donated to the Spirit Bear Foundation.
The BC Wildlife Park currently holds the only Spirit Bear in the world in captivity, so we
are thrilled to be able to partner with them as they help to rehabilitate and care for our
Wildlife! Finally, personal growth is a great way to measure success. As a family team,
each of us have seen different areas of growth in our life in the past year. There is too
much to recount here, but some very cool projects have taken place, such as Ruth
Verbree's book "My Life With a Cop - How to Survive the Ride." Although it's a long story
including a battle with PTSD, Frankly Coffee and Bistro has been instrumental in helping
us grow personally and collectively as a family.
a. At Frankly Coffee and Bistro, we have been innovative in how we have chosen to use
our space. The business is currently open until 4pm most days, so the space is unused
during the evenings. Because we are closed in the evenings, we are able to rent the
space out as a private venue for meetings, parties, etc This works great as a venue, and
also provides us with extra opportunities to cater and make use of our liquor license.
We have hosted many private events at Frankly Coffee and Bistro, from birthday parties,
to Christmas gatherings, to Business meetings. It is a great and innovative way for us to
create extra revenue streams outside of our normal operating hours. We have also
shown innovation through our use of technology. In the past year, we have made great
use of social media and have increased our online footprint by more than 300%. Social
media has been a valuable tool for us in moving our business forward through creative
ideas such as online contests.
a. At Frankly Coffee and Bistro we are able to foster excellent customer relationships
because have an amazing loyal customer base. We think we have the best customers
and we are so fortunate to be able to get to know many of them on a first name basis. It
is amazing what you can find out about someone in the short space of time it takes to
make a latte. I think when people say their hairdresser is their therapist, they could
often replace hairdresser with barista. A coffee shop is often considered a person's
"third space" and we recognize that this needs to be a comfortable and safe space to be.
Sometimes that means a smile and a laugh, and other days it means a complimentary
cookie to get through a hectic afternoon. We foster excellent relationships by seeing
each customer as a unique individual who is deserving of our time and attention.
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Nominee 16 | Fundamental Foundation Fitness (F3 FIT)
Robert started the fitness F3Fit several years ago, and since then has offered his services with the
Kamloops Storm, Kamloops Classic Swimming, Special Olympic team Showshoe Athletes and theTRU
Varsity Swim team. He has also encouraged F3Fit to enter teams/entrants in Boogie the Bridge for the
last three years, coaches a Femme Sport Competition team, , assisted at the MS Walk and held various
Educational Events at his place of business. Robert isan uber excellent coach at F3Fit and will always
work with the customer to obtain the best possible health results! He is non assuming and forward
looking and ready to assist at a moments notice!
Nominee Submission:
a. F3 Fit offers a variety of services, including individual and group training - either in the
gym or on location. Sport specific training for teams and athletes, body building
coaching and private 1 on 1 training. Our goal is to help everyone learn the
fundamentals, build on their skills and improve so they can look, feel and do their best.
We pride ourselves on a community atmosphere where everyone is welcome no matter
their age or ability. Anyone who walks through the door is considered an athlete,
regardless of whether or not they see their athletic ability. We give everyone the tools
to learn, build and improve.
a. We offer individual and group training. Sport specific training, body building coaching
and private 1 on 1 training. We take the time to know each client and understand that
each person is unique in their goals and abilities. That's why each person that walks
through the door is given the attention and care that they deserve in order to be able to
learn, build and improve on their physical goals. By applying these values, and sharing
our knowledge and passion in what we do, each client is able to get the best out of the
service they choose.
a. The success of the business comes from the success and transformation of others. We
work hard in producing programs that produce results so that they can experience real
changes - whether it be increased athletic performance, a change in physique or
increased mobility. We also look at the success of the teams we coach, an example of
which is the Strength and Conditioning team of Kamloops Classic Swimclub, who won an
excellence award this year. - Since opening, we have increased the number of clients
steadily. Starting with 1 client in 2012, we now have 400 clients regularly in the gym, not
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including the athletic teams that we train. - Our success allows us to give back regularly
by sponsoring and attending events raising thousands of dollars for the community,
including the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Kamloops Hospice Society. - For us,
success is always being better than you were the day before.
a. We want to make sure that everyone who enters the gym has an experience that
exceeds their expectations. We like to be able to utilise new technology and ways to
keep our clients accountable - for example, a client using snapchat to "check in" on their
at home workouts, or send pictures of their food to stay on top of their goals. We are in
the process of producing an online video resource library for clients showing the
fundamental moves that support and add value to their training. - We like to always be
on the leading edge of fitness research so by always staying on top of new theories and
practises, we stay committed to learning how to get our clients faster recovery, stronger
gain and bigger results. - By partnering with other Kamloops businesses like Nature's
Fare - we are able to put on events to build a stronger community - working together to
make Kamloops healthier. We developed a program called "In it to win it" - An
adventure fitness competition, encouraging teams to work together for a grand prize and in the process challenge each other and have a lot of fun getting fit. There is a
difference between belonging to a gym and feeling like you belong in a gym. Everything
we do fosters that feeling of community.
a. To operate a gym and be able to grow in an oversaturated marketplace you need to
stand out from the crowd. - We believe in going above and beyond when it comes to
our clients. We have been able to partner with other businesses to increase the services
offered through the F3 FIT family to include more specialised mobility awareness &
special events that focus on community building and education in healthier living. We
motivate and inspire our clients to be continually accountable by using Instagram,
Facebook and snapchat. We have developed a referral scheme that gives existing clients
credit into their "Fit account" when new members are introduced. We believe in
creating an atmosphere were people want to come to the gym, not feel they have to.
There is an atmosphere here that you don't get in every gym. We help people believe
that even if they can't do something today, we will give them the tools to turn a "can't
do it" into a "can't do it... yet
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Nominee 17 | Gateway Repairs Truck & Trailer Ltd
Norm & Heidi have grown there business consistently over the years. Moving into a new larger space,
hiring new employees, growing their client list. They are moving towards bigger things.
Nominee Submission:
a. Gateway Repairs Truck & Trailer Ltd is an independent vehicle and commercial transport
repair facility located in the Gateway Industrial Park, serving the needs of the
transportation industry. We have recently expanded into a brand new 6000 sq ft
building, allowing us to provide better accessibility and faster service to our customers
a. We are the Thompson Okanagan Dealer for VMAC under hood air compressors, and
provide full service to a variety of transportation industries. We are able to service all
types of vehicles from automotive right through highway trucks and trailers, with 90'
drive through bays, and an automotive hoist for smaller vehicles and pick up trucks.
a. Gateway Repairs Truck & Trailer Ltd was started from a sole proprietorship in a single
bay on an hourly rental, developed into an incorporated business, and has built a
reputation for quality consistently for 7 years to the point of expanding into a 6000 sq ft
building with several employees. Our name has become associated with honesty and
integrity for this industry.
a. Our business in based on fair value, consistent quality service, and respect for our
customers and employees. Our happy, positive outlook creates an atmosphere that
people want to be around, and our commitment to quality repairs keeps them coming
back. We approach each repair to a customers vehicle as if it was our own, and consider
the best way to serve our customers needs instead of just considering each job to be
money in our account. We work with Inclusion Kamloops and employ part time workers
to give opportunity to those outside of the normal workforce. We believe that the
employment of apprentice mechanics is critical to the industry and we want to pass on
our knowledge.
a. We, my spouse and I, greet each new and returning customer with smiling faces, a
happy atmosphere and a bright clean work environment that people want to be part of.
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We encourage our employees to participate in the business success by being part of our
decision making process on various aspects of the day to day operation. We pride
ourselves in having an atmosphere that our employees look forward to coming to each
day. We have installed an exercise facility into our building that our employees are
welcome to use to stay in the best physical shape possible to promote their health and
prevent injury.
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Nominee 18 | Grassbusters Lawn and Yard Care
1. I would like to nominate Mike Marshall of Grassbusters Lawn and Yard Care for Small business
of the year and Young Entrepreneur of the year awards. He is 31 years old this year, and started
his business the summer of 2014. He has doubled his clients each year (now at 81 year-long
clients and 50+ odd jobs), and continues to offer new services and take on new jobs. He wakes
up by 5am each morning to plan the day, leaves the house by 6:30am- does hard physical labor
in extreme heat/ rain/ wind all while handling phone calls and e-mails from his cell. He doesn't
arrive home until dinnertime (5:30-6pm) and then recored all services done/ payments made/
changes to be applied- has his dinner and packs his family (3 kids- boys aged 5, 3 and 18 months)
and his pregnant wife, into the family van and travels to various locations within the city to give
free quotes on lawncare services. Once home, after everyone is in bed, Mike is still up finishing
quotes for the day and replying to e-mails. He usually heads to bed finally around 10pm.
I have never met a harder working, more determined, driven individual. Mike is willing to do
whatever it takes to provide the best life possible for his family.
Nominee Submission:
a. We are a local lawn and yard care company that prides ourselves on quality, efficiency,
accuracy and speed. We love our community and enjoy participating in maintaining it's
beauty.
a. We offer a wide range of year-long services that include everything from residential
weekly maintenance to commercial weed-eating, landscape changes and even snow
removal. We provide aerating, de-thatching, general yard cleanup, pruning, tilling, pond
clean-up and much more!
a. Since our start-up we have significantly grown both financially and with our clientele
each year. Our business is continuing on a steady uphill climb, and we forsee our best
year yet! We started with 1 man with an idea, an abundance of passion and truck- and
we now employ 3 additional workers and have a steadily busy schedule!
a. Each year, we have added another aspect to our business- whether it is aerating,
pruning, pond cleaning, etc. We do our best to operate our business as paper-less as
possible- utilizing e-mail, text messaging and online operations.
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a. We strive to maintain personal relationships with each and every one of our clients and
employees. We offer seasonal coupons and discounts as well as seniors rates. Our
employees are compensated competitively and treated to regular 'extra's' -such as free
lunches- while at work.
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Nominee 19 | Imagine Laserworks
Doug has stood by what he does and service he provides? He has done an amazing job getting his
business off the ground
Nominee Submission:
a. Imagine Laserworks helps you stop smoking, lose weight, end addictions, eliminate
stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain and a variety of other treatments.
a. Imagine Laserworks acupuncture treatments mimic Asian acupuncture without the use
of needles. Proven to work when nothing else has for most customers. Owner
personally struggled with quitting smoking for years,quit after one laser treatment and
bought a franchise.
a. Imagine Laserworks has an 85-94% success rate. The true success though is through
seeing our customers being able to achieve what they set out to do.
a. Imagine Laserworks has redefined the use of Asian acupuncture, using laser light to
create the same or better results. We are always researching new and improved
treatments and adapting accordingly.
a. We are here to ensure our customers success. Doing whatever it takes, including open
availability during business and non business hours. Calm, soothing and relaxed
coaching through the process and 8 weeks of follow ups provided free of charge after
first treatment. When the customer succeeds, we succeed.
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Nominee 20 | Insight Natural Healing
Tracy goes above and beyond to take great care of her clients. Without her, I couldn't do the amount of
work that I do, and settle down to sleep at night. She is a genuine person that has a huge heart and a
sterling work ethic.
Nominee Submission:
a. Insight Natural Healing assists our clients struggling with feelings of being lost,
misplaced and disconnected. Living in a world full of judgement and putting unrealistic
expectations upon yourselves, can result in disappointment and feelings of failure. It can
be easy to become too busy being occupied by others' needs that you are unsure of
what makes you truly happy. This can cause frustration, depression, self-judgement,
hate, self-doubt, which can lead to folding yourself back. Insight Natural Healing
provides proven tools to assist you to reconnect with the things that you enjoy, to
honour yourself daily and to find happiness within you again. A support for you to
explore and find your passion and purpose, which will inspire you everyday to maintain
your happiness and personal growth. With your increased sense of self-connection you
will see and feel a vast difference in all your relationships and life's ups and downs.
Reconnect with you and start enjoying your life to it's fullest. It's a journey worth taking.
a. Balance Coaching Stay balanced in Life, Work, Home & Business Insight Natural
Healing's Balance Coaching system is uniquely designed to suit our clients' personal
needs. It is proven to assist in the stability of maintaining a consistent flow in life, work,
home and/or business for our clients. We assist our clients in creating extraordinary
results in their lives, careers, and/ or business. By deepening their balance in life, they
improve their performance and enhance their quality of life. By providing greater
awareness and well-being, our clients are able to progress forward with ease and joy in
their daily lives. This allows Insight Natural Healings clients to release stress,
acknowledge overwhelm and find the balance that works for them. Our program is
proven to improve the lives of our clients with each session. "Take the Step to Insight, to
an Extraordinary Life!" Working With Us, You Will Gain: - Consistent results - Personal
insight - Work-life Balance - Flow in your daily life - Self-discovery - Clarity on purpose
and direction - Pain release - Stress Management Strategies - Improved sleep - A unique
program designed for you It is all about you! Clients of Insight Natural Healing, are ready
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to progress forward in their lives. Often, our clients know something is "off", but are
unsure in what way.
a. Insight Natural Healing was launched in 2013, from my personal journey of deep
depression to finding happiness, and seeing the need in our general society for personal
reconnection. There are too many unhappy people hiding behind a mask with a smile.
No one needs to live this way. Instead of living someone else's dream, or societies view
of living a successful life, I encourage my clients to find their own. In 2013, Insight
Natural Healing was focused on assisting individuals suffering from physical pain. I was
happy to be seeing a client a month, it was a hard year, but full of discoveries and
growth. As a sole proprietorship, I knew this journey wasn't going to be an easy one, but
I was determined and on a mission to assist more people to find happiness. In 2014,
Insight Natural Healing joined BNI, expanded clientele and increased the services
available. I began to work in Berwick on the Park with residents there, assisting with
physical pain and general comfort. In 2015, again, Insight Natural Healing grew in
clientele and expanded the services available to assist with not only physical pain, but
mental pain also. 2016 has been a great start with growth in coaching clients and the
ability to invest in business coaching. My book and online program will be launched to
assist even more individuals and to continue the growth. I am excited to see what the
rest of the year brings! In the last three years of business, Insight Natural Healing has
grown and is continuing to grow to assist more people in our community. Currently,
Insight Natural Healing is assisting individuals in Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, and Maple
Ridge, with plans of expanding internationally. It is an absolute passion to assist my
client on their journey to finding their happiness and balance.
a. Insight Natural Healing is a unique business that requires to continuously be innovative
and creative. Each year, I invest in new training and skills to add to the value of the
services and programs available. Insight Natural Healings programs and services are all
customized to meet the needs of the client. Not one session is the same as we are all
unique and have different needs at different times, I use a wide variety of tools and
techniques depending on the client. Insight Natural Healing is a business that can assist
more than one target market. From starting foundational work to abundance and
success, we can assist a wide range of individuals and business owners. However, one
unique market that needs more attention is one that is often forgotten. Insight Natural
Healing has a program to specifically assist moms. As a mom, you build the foundation
not only for yourself, but also for your home, husband, and most importantly children,
who will be the future. If you have a strong personal foundation as a mother, you can
give that gift to your children. Unfortunately, today, we have a lot of unhappy moms
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who are just getting by each day by putting on a smiling mask to hide what is really
happening within. The Finding YOU In MOM program is not just for the moms, it is for
every person they come in contact with. A ripple effect of happiness and strength.
Resulting in happier children, who grow into happy teenagers, who then grown into
happy and successful adults. It all starts with Mom. "When a mother heals her own
relationship with herself and lets go of judgments, then her children have the best
chance for a happy and healthy relationship with themselves."
a. The clients of Insight Natural Healing are treated with the utmost respect, receive much
gratitude and appreciation and are left feeling special and uplifted. From a testimonial
received from a client "...going the extra mile for her clients is completely the norm for
Tracy." A client from the Berwick On The Park shared that "Tracy is a breath of fresh air,
filled with refreshing energy that leaves you feeling happy and rejuvenated." Insight
Natural Healing mails cards out regularly to give gratitude, appreciation and birthday
wishes to our clients. Without our clients, we would not be. I am being thankful for my
clients and being able to be a part of their journey, wherever they are on it. It is a true
gift for me to be able to assist individuals in bettering their lives. For them to trust in me
to be a part of it, is truly incredible and should be recognised. I love giving gifts to assist
in improving my client’s journeys. Sometimes the gift of a journal, colouring book, a
book, or something they have been wanting can be just what they need to brighten
their day and bring them happiness. One of the residents at the Berwick felt so lonely,
felt as though she was losing the use of her hands, but had expressed that she wanted
to do more to assist in exercising and practicing her hand eye coordination. Insight
Natural Healing brought her an adult colouring book filled will beautiful flowers and
coloured pencils. This allowed her to colour when she felt lonely, using bright colours to
enliven and increase her happiness.
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Nominee 21 | Inspire Chiropractic & Wellness
Lucy is a young woman whom has worked very hard to launch her own business. She puts in endless
hours and days to ensure every client is taken care of. Her business is thriving and this is all due to her
amazing customer service.
She always is on time and does a remarkable job on all my esthetic needs. She is friendly and the prices
are on par. I enjoy my appointments every time I go
Nominee Submission:
a. Inspire Chiropractic & Wellness studio is committed to making Kamloops the healthiest
community in BC. Our mission is to educate and adjust as many families as possible back
to optimal health through natural chiropractic care. Chiropractic is a central lifestyle
strategy that successful people use and that when your nervous system is free and clear
from nerve interference your body can reach optimal health. We are driven to check
more kids, more families as we see that people need a better way to better health and
we know that we are the solution.
a. We provide specific chiropractic care to the community of Kamloops. We take our
mission to educate very seriously as we believe in empowering our families (first) then
inspiring them to change their lifestyle for the better. We know that families that are
under care in our office are healthier and safer then the ones who are not and we
achieve this through specific chiropractic care. We know that an inability to adapt to
stress will ultimately lead to health problems and that when your "power is turned on"
from the adjustment you can better adapt to stress and ultimately increase your
performance, recovery, state of health and quality of life.
a. We have been opened for 4 years and are the only paediatric/ prenatal certified and
focused chiropractors in Kamloops. From the beginning we were very clear on what are
mission was and who we were meant to serve and we have been blessed with a very
busy practice who serves hundreds of people a week and mostly families. We have hired
coaches and mentors from day 1 (actually we were still students) so that we could
better communicate and sell what we do with confidence and certainty. Now we have a
very profitable practice which is filled with families and we have so much fun!
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a. We have always prided ourselves in and visualized being the premiere chiropractic and
professional office in Kamloops. We have a modern, paperless, cutting edge practice
which contributes to the patient process on a daily basis in terms of flow and
convenience as well as the overall patient experience. We have invested in state-of-the
art technology to measure and assess function of the nervous system and we use this to
address our patients' health concerns from the root cause so we can not only get them
feeling better but we can keep them that way. We set specific goals with each patient
and our technologies help measure the progress and ensure we are on the right track.
We have an open adjusting area/office to better accommodate all of the families that
come and get checked at our office, this makes is convenient and enjoyable for mom (
and dad:)
a. We have always been very clear on educating and empowering our team with the right
tools for them to be successful in the office ( and in life). We have weekly team
meetings, weekly team trainings and quarterly team building sessions to help us
accomplish this. Twice a year we invest in bringing our team to an offsite training to
train with other Wellness Chiropractors, refine our communication and our systems and
better serve our community. We are here to serve and to educate, the stronger the
team, the more the impact we will have in our community. This ripples directly into our
patient experience! We pride ourselves in delivering a VIP experience to every single
person that walks into the door and being the "best part of their day". We make our
"goodbyes" better then the "hellos" and our hellos are outstanding. We always strive to
go above and beyond and look at feedback/mistakes/criticism as opportunities for
growth and learning. We love our patients, they are truly family to us and we are
honoured to serve this amazing community.
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Nominee 22 | Joy Factory Films Inc.
Joy Factory Films is a team of 4, locally owned by Nathan Froese. They operate out of Kamloops
Innovation.
Joy Factory has demonstrated success through their creative and artistic work. You can see examples of
their work here: http://www.joyfactoryfilms.com/work
It's no doubt that they make great videos as they take on more projects every year, and continue to
expand the type of work they take on by adopting new ways and technologies to their toolbox. This last
year, they purchased a drone to add aerial images and video to their work and added a green screen
wall to their office.
They've proven themselves to be strong in their industry and are supported from local community they've worked with Tourism Kamloops, Tourism Sun Peaks, City of Kamloops, The Chamber of
Commerce, Left Field Cider, Kamloops Innovation, and many other local businesses.
They give back to the community by sponsoring the Kamloops Film Festival, donated gear and
equipment to Valleyview Secondary students, and volunteer and give talks at Discover the World of
Information Technology conference for high school students.
Word of mouth and their quality work has been a main marketing activity for them. Through referrals,
it's clear that Joy Factory Films produces great work and has positive relationships with their customers.
Their employees are a close group of 4 and can be seen out on a shoot together, recording a podcast in
their office, or out for a beer at Red Collar. Their positive team dynamic flows out of their office and into
the rest of the Kamloops Innovation offices. Joy Factory has been an awesome business to have a part of
the tech community in Kamloops, and produces high quality videos and work for their customers. I'm
thrilled to nominate them for Small Business of the Year.
Nominee Submission:
a. Joy Factory Films Inc is a film production company in Kamloops that captures ideas,
emotion and beauty through cinema.
a. We create promotional videos, commercials, and online content for clients looking to
showcase their business or products in a new and different way to potential customers.
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a. We're in our 6th year of business and have grown and improved with each flip of the
calendar. The company started in our parents basement and now operates out of
Kamloops Innovation with 4 full-time employees, incredible increases in production
value, and endless possibilities for further expansion.
a. Being in a creative industry, it is in our nature to always improve and take our products
to the next level. We've gone from filming on DSLRs to a cinema quality camera, the
ability to create animation projects for clients, and aerial videography
a. We foster excellent customer relationships by working hard to match their vision and
capture it on film, most of the time going above and beyond what's expected.
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Nominee 23 | KamCity Mechanical Ltd.
Their a small business! They work hard to provide good service and would recommend them for all your
heating and cooling needs! Their staff is friendly and work hard to make things awesome for the
customer!
Nominee Submission:
a. We are the only Lennox and Rheem dealer specializing in replacement of existing
heating, cooling and hot water systems in Kamloops working on behalf of Costco. We
also do installations and services to heating, cooling and water systems for non Costco
members.
a. Costco has been known for Quality customer service, premiere offers from Recognized
brands for years. We are supplying this same service, and quality to Costco members as
well as the general public. We also our proud to be dealers for the quality products
which Lennox and Rheem provide.
a. FortisBC recognized KamCity Mechanical Ltd last year for pulling the most gas permits in
the Kamloops area for both gas heating as well as gas hot water tanks. Costco has given
KamCity Mechanical Ltd the top 10 Award for all of Canada for two years in a row.
a. When Costco/Lennox program was first launched here in Kamloops it was a sub par
performer. Since KamCity Mechanical Ltd became involved in the Costco Lennox
equation it has become a top 10 performer. We brought in technology to be able to set
up an appointment on the spot for the member rather than getting back to them later
with an appointment. I feel this one thing has been a game changer. This and having a
full time lead generator in Costco almost every month of the year has made it what it is
today.
a. We focus on doing quality work for all of our customers, and if a customer has a concern
we make it a priority to deal with it quickly.
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Nominee 24 | Kamloops Dance Academy
Kamllops dance academy is a long time running studio. My children have been attending this studio for
16 years. Sandi has a standard way of running her studio, respect , love and supportive. She and her staff
are all accredited teachers ( check it out with other studios in town) and also makes sure her students
are tested every 18 months to make sure they are learning dance correctly. She regularly gets asked to
have students perform at various events around town . Sandi works many hours and gives so much to
each and everyone of her students and extends that to their families .
Nominee Submission:
a. Kamloops Dance Academy was established in 1985 in Valleyview. Providing classes in
ballet, tap and jazz in the beginning and expanding in the early 90's to include hip hop,
musical theatre and contemporary/lyrical, KDA has grown in size and in stature in it's 32
years. Affiliated with the National Association of Teachers of Dancing out of England,
KDA is also an exam school; all of our teachers are fully certified and students work from
syllabus in ballet, tap and jazz classes. Kamloops Dance Academy is a family oriented
dance school providing a positive learning environment.
a. Kamloops Dance Academy offers classes in ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre, pointe,
lyrical/contemporary and hip hop. We have a parent and tot program starting at age 2
for students and we also offer adult programs. We have students ranging in age from 272!
a. Kamloops Dance Academy holds the highest credentials in Canada with the National
Association of Teachers of Dancing. All of our instructors at the school have a minimum
of an Associate degree, with several teachers holding both higher credentials and
several of them. Recently over 270 examinations were taken by KDA students Our
annual production at Sagebrush Theatre is well attended and well received each year.
Our performance team includes "KCrew" which has achieved high awards in Kamloops
and the Okanagan, most recently 2nd place overall at the Crystal Classic Grand
Championships in Kelowna.
a. Kamloops Dance Academy stays current with the dance industry by several of our
teachers and students attending workshops outside of the city often. Our annual dance
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camp attracts faculty that are industry leaders from across the country. In house, we do
such things as children's parties, organized by teachers and older students to make
things extra fun. :-) Our teachers have received several choreography awards from
Industry professionals as well.
a. As a business owner, I try to conduct myself with integrity each day. It is important to
me that every student in the school feels at home and not only enjoys their experience
here but is given the best instruction possible. As one small example, I don't take online
payments because it is important to me that people need to come in to the studio from
time to time so that I know the parents as well as the children. I want to maintain the
atmosphere that exists here where the parents are involved in the student's activities.
Parents volunteer throughout the year at the studio to maintain the high standard of
the experience here. My teachers go above and beyond, and have great relationships
with both parents and students alike. Walking in to the common area on any day at the
studio you would often find things like a group of parents having a quiet visit while
enjoying seeing their dancers work hard in class, as well as a few older students working
on homework together on their break between classes. There are always lovely little
moments like one of the "big girls" helping a little one tie their shoes or help with a
piece of choreography that they are struggling with. The atmosphere is truly lovely, I am
proud to say and something I am passionate to continue.
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Nominee 25 | Kamloops Insurance
1. I believe that Kamloops, BC recognizes local businesses and are proud when the business is an
honest and dependable one. Kamloops Insurance ensures that their clients are well taken care
of and fully satisfied with the insurance products offered. Kamloops Insurance always puts their
best forward in helping their clients when they're in need, you get nothing but the best from this
company.
Nominee Submission:
a. General Insurance Brokerage...completely independent and local.
a. General insurance placements, automobile, personal lines and commercial lines.
a. Opened late 2009 with 2 people and no revenue and now have millions in gross sales
and 10 licensed brokers.
a. We have developed a mobile reminder app. Have an interactive website where clients
can submit data forms for home insurance quotes...automobile decals can be ordered
and delivered.
a. Employees are given authority to make decisions and backed. We believe the customer
runs our business our sole purpose is the creation and retention of customers.
Employees are rewarded for all new business.
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Nominee 26 | Kamloops Naturopathic Clinic
Dr. Steven Jones, ND and his practice of Naturopathic Doctors are always using cutting edge technology,
upgrading courses and being at the forefront of the medical industry. He has run a successful small
business in Kamloops for 15 years.
Nominee Submission:
a. Naturopathic Medicine is a well established, distinct primary health care system that
focuses on current scientific medical knowledge, combined with modern, traditional
and, for the most part, natural therapies. It involves the prevention, diagnosis and
treatment of physical, mental and emotional ill health. Fundamentally, there are a few
defining principles that I follow in order to deliver a unique brand of medicine to the
Kamloops and surrounding area. Firstly, I focus on prevention of disease. By educating
individuals on all of the factors that determine health, it is possible to teach people on
how not to get sick. A second principle is that of treating the whole person, as opposed
to simply treating one symptom. Most conditions today are complex and chronic. So to
be successful, we have to study all aspect of the disease. Understanding this, I treat an
individual and all factors that are causing their ill health. A third principle is treating the
underlying cause of disease. A person is not a set of symptoms. Conventional medicine
often targets individual symptoms. I believe the best approach is to identify and then
treat the underlying causes of health issues. Finally, it is my philosophy to treat using the
least invasive, proven natural therapies I established the Kamloops Naturopathic Clinic
(KNC) in April 2000. Starting out on my own, I envisioned and wanted to develop a
Naturopathic Practice that would serve every individual in the family, and offer services
that were not readily available in Kamloops and surrounding area. And so it began, my
long term plan, to build a business that would change this. My health care philosophy
emphasizes empowering individuals to learn, actively participate in, and advocate for
their own unique health and wellbeing in an environment that fosters education,
partnership and customized care.
a. Our services fall into two general categories: assessments and treatments. First, the
scope of assessment tools available at our clinic is by far the largest in the Thompson
area and we are well known for this. Some assessments are commonly used day to day,
such as routine blood work, urinalysis and basic clinical physical exams. However, we
also offer several tests that are not routine and give a much more comprehensive
picture of potential underlying causes of disease. These tests look for sub-clinical and/or
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metabolic imbalances that lead to ill health, before disease develops. These involve inhouse lab test as well as out-of-house lab tests sent to specialty labs. Example: we are
the only clinic in the region, and one of only three in the province, that provides SIBO
testing in-house, which diagnoses bacterial infections in the small intestine. Out-of-clinic
tests include special tests for infection, heavy metals, metabolic disorders, genetic
mutations, and many others. Second, we provide several traditional Naturopathic
treatments such as evidence based diet plans, supplementation of nutritional
deficiencies, botanical medicine, and acupuncture. However, we are also well known as
a leader in several evidence-based, innovative treatments and technologies that are not
offered anywhere else in Kamloops and surrounding. For example, we are the only clinic
in the interior of BC that offers Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP), a treatment
for cardiovascular disease. Also, KNC offers other unique therapies that no other clinic
offers such as Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), both for treatment of pain
and regeneration of tendons, ligaments and joints. Some of the more advanced
therapies we use are intravenous therapies to enhance immunity, detoxify, improve
mood and sleep, and improve cardiovascular health. All of these tools are targeted
toward and encouraging a balanced, holistic approach to treatment of disease and
improved wellness.
a. I chose Naturopathic Medicine as a career because of its fundamental principles and its
scope of practice. I believe Naturopathic Doctors have the potential to make a
significant difference in peoples lives. So success for me is whether or not I can facilitate
these philosophies into people’s lives, and be a productive clinician. In April 2000, the
KNC started on a very small scale. I rented one room about 10’ by 12’. I started with only
a handful of patients. Success was demonstrated when, after a few short years I had to
expand to accommodate the growth. I moved into a 1250 sq ft fully functioning
Naturopathic Medical office. I also had to hire an Associate since the Practice was so
busy. Again, after a few more years of learning, and adding new technology, and as my
patient base grew, I had to expand again. I am now in a 2,800 sq ft office. Here there are
two staff, a full IV suit, 8 treatment rooms, four Naturopathic Doctors, and two more
associates. Our patient base has grown substantially. We have developed a reputation
that attracts patients from as far away as the Lower Mainland, Eastern Canada,
California, and the Yukon. We also make a point of developing relationships with other
medical practitioners and associates to serve the community better. We often get
referrals from allopathic physicians as well, and the local hospital. I was also nominated
as ‘Entrepreneur of the Year – Under 40’, several years ago, for which I am grateful.
With the recognition of the community, patients from across the miles, an ever
expanding patient base, the need for Associates as the clinic grows, and recognition as a
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nominee for a business award for the second time, not only do I feel successful, but also
humbled and honored.
a. It starts with thinking outside the box. I want to be able to offer patients more in terms
of assessment tools and therapies, but also a new way of thinking about health. I believe
that learning is life long and that in order to be innovative, one has to continue learning.
With learning comes creativity. I have spent countless hours and dollars on continuing
education, way outside of what is required by regulation. I have travelled to Europe, and
extensively throughout North America year after year expanding my education and
imagining how to incorporate these new ideas and technologies into my practice. I
continue to do this since technology changes so quickly. As such, I am always adding
new assessment tools and treatments to my practice. To show this, I have numerous
board certifications and diplomas. For example, we are one of only three clinics and BC
to offer SIBO testing (the presence of small intestinal infection), which generally has the
clinical diagnosis of IBS. From a traditional medical perspective, there isn’t a test for this
condition. However, we have one. A second example is that we are the only clinic in the
interior of BC that offers Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP), a treatment for
cardiovascular disease. In fact, at the time I brought EECP to Kamloops, we were the
only clinic in western Canada that offered this therapy, the only province other than
Ontario. We are also well known, and stand out because we are the only clinic in the
Thompson area that offers Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), both of which
are used to treat pain, and the regeneration of ligaments, tendons and joints. Further,
we are the only clinic in Kamloops to offer various supportive cancer therapies, immune
therapies, and intravenous vitamin/minerals treatments.
a. I believe that excellent patient (customer) care starts with recognizing that the
relationship between the doctor and the patient is just that, a relationship. I recognize
that it is a two way street. Like any relationship, its foundation is built on respect and
trust. We have to eliminate the old school paradigm of doctor knows best. An
authoritarian voice does not support openness and empowerment, but rather fear. Too
often the doctor is thought of as being in the power role/position. Too often the patient
does not feel listen too. I must listen to, and involve my patient. As I stated earlier, most
diseases today are complex, chronic and multifactorial, with poor lifestyle habits as the
root cause. So it is essential that relationships be build with patients, to be able to teach
and foster an environment for learning. Most conditions take month to treat. On
average, appointments at our clinic are thirty to sixty minutes. I will often see a patient
several times. By spending time with patient, I can develop trust and respect to built this
relationship. Patient then feel involved in their care and are therefore more likely to
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fully participate in an open and honest way. This is empowering for the individual. From
the ‘doctor’ perspective, you become a teacher (the Latin derivation of Doctor), and a
co-participant in the persons overall health and wellbeing. With staff, they must know
that you treat them fairly and with respect. The boss is not always right. They should
feel comfortable discussing ideas and problems, and this should be encouraged. It is my
responsibility to give them the training, mentoring and proper resources to do their job
properly. I must also let them know that I appreciate their work, and pay them well.
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Nominee 27 | Kent Wong Photography
Kent is always the person who steps forward to help out and to participate in functions. His work is
exceptional and his commitment has been long term, not just a year or so.
Nominee Submission:
a. Photography is an art form; it's about the careful and skillful management and marriage
of light, composition and posing. Although based in Kamloops, we can travel to your
location. While our business revolves primarily around commercial/architectural
photography, we are still in the business of "Helping People Feel GOOD About
Themselves!”
a. Kent Wong Photography understands the importance of service quality without which
there would be no clientele. To this end, mentors such as Peter Legge, Anthony Robbins
and Brian Tracy have been instrumental in shaping and guiding the business. Kent Wong
Photography understands that the majority of people are gun-shy when it comes to
having their photos taken so every effort is made to ensure the comfort of the client
through a tranquil atmosphere of visual pleasure (great images to look at, offactory ease
(pleasant aromas) and auditory peacefulness (quiet but upbeat background music) plus
a professional yet personable manner. Each year, despite the multitude of years in the
business (36 of which have been in Kamloops), Kent continues to pursue professional
development so that the client always benefits from such progressive knowledge. Every
effort is made to ensure that client images are perfect beyond the client's expectations.
We believe that if we can see something non-flattering, then so will the client; to this
end, many times we will retouch an image above and beyond what the clients have
asked for and not charge them for it (and many times the clients aren't even aware that
we have gone the extra mile with the retouch work). Any redos are done without
hesitation or further charge and in an expeditious manner - the client is ALWAYS right
and we guarantee our products and our service! We over-deliver whenever possible. If
our lab produces additional prints, these are given to the client at no extra charge.
a. Success can be measured in many ways: 1) When we hear that "if you want the job done
right the first time, go see Kent" 2) When we get nominated by our peers for the
Chamber's Business Excellence Awards each year for many years (in 2002, we were the
recipients of the Chamber's Home-Based Business Award) 3) When we receive repeat
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praise from our many corporate, family and wedding clients or are given the honour of
capturing the clients' special moments or events 4) When we receive a Certificate of
Appreciation for my contributions to the City of Kamloops 5) When I became a recipient
of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal 6) when I was bestowed with a
Constituent Citation for Service by the Professional Photographers Association of BC 7)
when I earned my Master of Photographic Arts designation and my Fellowship with the
Professional Photographers Association of BC 8) when I've had a thriving photography
business since moving here in 1980 (36 years).
a. In the photography industry, it's about doing business such that it surpasses the client's
expectations. This could entail a less-used approach to marketing such as offering
lessons and lectures to the general public and fellow pros ("giving it away" is a phrase
we often hear). We believe in our clients experiencing their senses when they are at our
residential studio. Their eyes see that we are not "just a basement operation." Their
ears hear quiet background music. The noses smell aromatic non-cloying fragrances in a
clean environment. They are able to touch all our products (the albums, the hung
portraits, the framed prints). These are designed to help the clients feel at ease. When
the client expresses their wishes and desires, we show them examples of what others
have done in order to give them options they may not have thought about while also
giving them suggestions based on their own personalities and lifestyle. We give them
suggestions on their cosmetics, jewellery, items of clothing, any props and anything that
would make their session enjoyable and memorable. Caring about the client is the key.
Many times, they are not really sure what they want until they see the many
possibilities and that comes from listening, suggesting, understanding and showing. We
offer ballroom dance lessons to help wedding clients with their first dance. Continuing
education is paramount in keeping abreast of current trends in photography. Attending
annual courses and getting together with colleague photographers for days of shooting
to share ideas and practise different ways of looking at a subject matter all go a long
way in giving the client something new and exciting to fulfill their fantasy of the perfect
image.
a. When Kent Wong Photography had employees, it was understood that human resource
is the most important resource. To that end, the employees were always asked for their
opinion of different aspects of an assignment. We all dressed in logo-ed golf shirts and
similar-coloured slacks and dress shoes so we looked like a team when we were on
assignment. The employees were always treated with courtesy and many times they felt
like family. They went on professional development trips wherein their tuition, travel,
accommodations and food were paid for. Clients are always under-promised and over57 | P a g e
delivered. They would often receive extra product or extra time during their scheduled
session at no extra charge. They were always treated with professionalism, a goodly
amount of humour and plenty of time, all to help them feel at ease. Many times we will
deliver their product to their home or business at no extra charge. We always make sure
the client understands the photographic process with time spent on explanation to
further help their experience with us.
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Nominee 28 | Lizzie Bits Baby Co
Lizzie Bits Baby Co. is a store unlike any other in Kamloops.... not only do they carry amazing, earth
friendly products for baby and mom, (including maternity and nursing wear!!) they offer free meetups
tailored to a variety of family dynamics - single parents, spouses who work out of town, bottle feeding,
breast feeding, loss, in addition to fun arts & crafts. The staff are amazingly friendly, welcoming, and
helpful, and always willing to help and have a visit when you pop in to the shop. They remember me and
my little one by name, and I feel like part of a community when I'm there. Jenn is truly following her
dream of owning this amazing little shop and in my opinion, has shown incredible determination,
perseverance, entrepreneurial spirit, leadership and creativity to get to where she is today.
Nominee Submission:
a. Founded in 2009, Lizzie Bits Baby Co. was born to fill two needed niches in the
Kamloops, BC marketplace – children’s consignment clothing and cloth diapers. Over the
past 7 years, Lizzie Bits has evolved to be so much more: it is a place to gather and to
support our fellow parents. It is also the best spot in Kamloops to find great quality
name brand children’s and maternity clothing, natural parenting items, baby carriers,
cloth diapers and nursing products. Lizzie Bits continues to fill needed niches in the
community: maternity and nursing clothing. We do our best to look at what the families
of Kamloops need, and deliver that to them with top quality items. Lizzie Bits has also
become a place for education and fun! Featuring our Learning Lounge, Lizzie Bits Baby
Co. brings the community together by offering art classes, dance parties, Tiny Tunes,
Teddy Bear Picnics, prenatal classes, support groups, fertility talks and so much more.
Our vision is to provide a space where new and experienced parents feel comfortable
asking questions and learning about new products during this very special time in their
lives. Our goal is to provide the best selection of quality brands for pregnancy, newborns
and toddlers. We welcome everyone into the Lizzie Bits family as they navigate
parenthood.
a. Lizzie Bits strives to support Canadian made products, and small businesses. We have
multiple products designed and created by Mompreneurs who are just starting up, as
well as companies that are based in Kamloops who create quality made items. Canadian
made, ethical, sustainably made and readily available are of greatest importance to us.
Our top priority is that families are using products that are safe to use, gently on the
environment, and conscientiously made. Our products are tested by our staff to ensure
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that we can stand behind the products that we sell and we aim to carry natural products
that are safe for families and healthy for children. Our staff are taught to treat each
customer as a friend, and we are always complimented on our welcoming environment.
We do not just “sell” products; we teach parents what products will compliment each
other, and how we can make their lives easier. Whether it be for a teething baby, a
toddler who won’t sleep, or an infant with diaper rash, our customers know they can
come to us with their problems and we will do our best to find a solution. We aim to act
as personal shoppers for our customers to make sure they leave with the perfect
purchase. Staff are trained and retrained on all of our major products to ensure they
know all they can about the use of the product. We offer multiple avenues of support
and learning through educational classes, seminars and services. Cloth diapering 101
and car seat safety checks are some of the ways we help to educate our customers. We
also host a learning lounge, providing a sense of community through music classes, large
motor skill activities, and Momma Meet ups.
a. Our greatest success lies within the happiness of our customers. Posts on our Facebook
Page written by happy customers illustrates that: — “Why would I ever shop anywhere
else? Thank you so much to Jenn & her team for paying it forward and continually
encouraging me to shop locally! Xoxoxxx Aja + Ophelia” — “Thank you once again, Lizzie
Bits! It is always such a treat to stop into the store. We are currently enjoying our
beautiful chimparoo wrap. Little one was signing 'up' the second it was out of the box
with a HUGE smile on her face. We might have to stop by again soon and pick up
another!” Financially, we continue to meet and exceed our sales goals on a monthly
basis. We work hard to bring in new and exciting products, and showcase them with a
“Feature of the week”. On an average day, we make approximately 25 sales. Of those,
an average of about 5 customers are brand new, and 20 of them are returning. This
demonstrates that not only do we have a high repeat customer base, we also continue
to excel in our niche market in Kamloops. Without any investment in marketing, we
continue to gain sales and prove ourselves to be a store that not only supports our local
Kamloops families, but reaches to the Okanagan and the Cariboo as well.
a. Our Learning Lounge is by far our best demonstration of our innovative and creative
retail location. In it, we host multiple events including: Tiny Tunes, Lively Littles,
Colouring Hour, Expectant Momma Meet up, Babies on the Move, Cloth Diapering 101,
and Momma Meet ups. These events help to foster relationships with our customers,
and encourage moms to meet other moms. Families are thrilled to to use our space; to
bring their children to our Tiny Tunes to learn new songs; or to learn about how to cloth
diaper their infant. We know that sometimes, mom’s just need a place to go to so they
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can get out of the house, and this is that place. — “Ladies, we had so much fun at the
meetup this morning (even though we got there 40min late!!) thanks for the
conversation, the laughs, and getting me out of my funk. ?” We are constantly on the
lookout for local businesses that may want to use our space to share their information:
We have made this space available for people to host learning session for RESP
Contributions, and programs such as Birth Gab. We have chosen to use this space as our
learning lounge, rather than turning it into more retail floor space, because we are so
very proud of the events that we offer.
a. Our customers are the most important aspect of our successful company. We do our
very best make our customers feel as though they are at home when they walk through
our doors. Customers often drop in just for a quick nursing session or simply to get out
of the house. Lizzie Bits Baby Co. has become, in many people’s cases, a home away
from home: A no sales pressure environment to meet with their friends, let their
children play while they have a cup of tea or coffee and relax with other like-minded
individuals. As our way to thank our customers that support our shop we present them
with an loyalty program that offers them a gift certificate for 10% back of their total
purchases (pre-tax). Each gift certificate is accompanied by hand written thank you
notes as our way to show gratitude for helping to keep our doors open. Our team of
staff are encouraged to create personal bonds with shoppers to foster a caring and
nurturing atmosphere. Every receipt is emailed to customers and we make sure
everyone knows that if they reply to their email receipt it goes directly to the owner’s
(Jenn) cell phone and is answered at all hours of the night. Our employees are
absolutely the backbone of Lizzie Bits. Our amazing staff are what keeps the business
growing and successful. We offer a flexible work schedule, and work around the needs
of our staff. We have staff who are currently attending University and require specific
scheduling. Others are Mothers, and we offer the flexibility required when a child falls
ill, or it’s Spring Break and there’s no one to take the children. When interviewing, we
do our best to ensure that the successful candidate will mesh well with our current
employees.
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Nominee 29 | Mostly Mental Shuttles
Dylan, (Mostly Mental Shuttles) goes beyond what would be expected from a shuttle company.
-organizes and hosts two weekly group rides (for enjoyment, non profit)
-takes time with younger riders, providing experienced mechanical help and riding advice to help them
enjoy and join in mountain biking
Is a great ambassador for the sport of mountain biking and promoting Kamloops as a destination spot to
ride.
Nominee Submission:
a. We are BC's premier mountain bike shuttling and guiding service. We started in 2010 at
the Kamloops Bike Ranch and have continued to grow each year. Our favorite part of
this business is to share our love for mountain biking and to show case what our great
city has to offer. Since 2010, we have had the opportunity to coach people of all ages,
offer weekly group rides, and provide a service for visitors from all parts of the world.
Anything bike related, we'll be there!
a. We are a mountain bike shuttle and guiding service. We provide the knowledge,
guidance, transportation and excitement for all riders that choose to explore biking in
our area. Our shuttle driver coaches riders of all ages/abilities, volunteers time for a
variety of biking events, provides an energetic enthusiasm for the sport, and wants
nothing more than to see riders have as much fun as we do when it comes to biking.
a. We offer a service in Kamloops that no one else can or does. We started with a small
vehicle and bike rack to shuttle people from the bottom of the Kamloops Bike Ranch to
the top. Now we have grown to now use a 15 passenger van and bike trailer with the
ability to explore all the local trails, and even some out of town excursions. All riders
now get to experience a luxury shuttle vehicle filled with stoke and excitement!
a. Because our business is one of a kind we do not fit the mold of any other regular
business. Everything from our business name, to what we do, started with one small and
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unique idea. Most people thought we were crazy when we first started to explain our
business idea. "How can you be successful when you only charge $2 per lap of the Bike
Ranch?" was one of our most common questions. People doubted (and some still do)
the possibility of our success due our very distinct ideas. How are we proving these
people wrong. We stay true to what we believe riders want/need and are not afraid to
push the boundaries. Creativity and the unique business idea is what we are all about!
a. This comes natural for us, we love what we do so much, that it's impossible not to share
our enthusiasm. Our excitement keeps our riders wanting to come back for more and
sometimes even to push their limits to achieve new personal bests. We always aim to
treat people how we would want to be treated and ensure everyone goes home happy
at the end of the day (even if it's by doing something as small as a high-five!).
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Nominee 30 | Mount Paul Golf Course
Linda and Dan have been a part of the community and have supported many community golf events at
Mt Paul Golf for many years. The golf course is a great place to relax with friends, have fun playing a
round of 9 or hit a bucket of balls. The staff have been wonderful and the venue always looks good! For
many years, I have worked as part of the Howling Coyote fundraising committee and each September,
we have been able raise funds for Aboriginal student bursaries and part of our success is due to this
couple's assistance and commitment to community!
Nominee Submission:
a. We are a 9 hole executive golf course/ driving range / restaurant located in the heart of
the Mount Paul Industrial park. One of the areas we strive to excel at is providing a
welcoming environment to our customers. We have always had a reputation of a place
the customer enjoys coming to. Whether it is the little things that we do or the simple
fact that we know the majority of the customers by name. In all the areas of our
business we provide a quality product with knowledgeable staff who will look after the
customer at a competitive price point. In each area we continually tried to put back into
the business in order to improve the quality of the product for the customer.
a. Our key people who head up our different departments are focused on making sure
they are always looking to improve the product for the customers. We make sure that
whatever we do the effect it will have on the customer is first and foremost in our mind.
Having a facility that is centrally located means that we get customers from all over the
region, when we are able to look after them efficiently and with great service we get
many repeat encounters with them.
a. Like many industries the golf industry has seen a slowdown in recent years. We have
continually worked to improve our product in the each of the 3 core areas, golf course,
driving range and restaurant. We do this with upgrades in equipment, improving the
skills of our key people. These allow us to improve the product to our customer as well
as to create a better work environment for our staff.
a. We have over the years come out with different ideas on promotions or methods to tie
in different aspects of our business together. We have offered range ball and food
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promotions as well as golf and food promotions to make sure the customer has a
chance to see the other parts of the business. Adult junior golf tournament that ties in
the promotion of the junior golf camps and getting a parent or grandparent out to golf.
We have had days where we donate a portion of the range proceeds to various
charities; this will expose us to groups that might not normally know a lot about us and
at the same time offers a community service to worthy causes.
a. One of the areas we try to impress upon staff is that you must be able to enjoy yourself
at work, you still have to get the job done but it is not a crime to enjoy work. If your staff
are enjoying their work the customer will see that and it is infectious. Our management
understands mistakes will be made it how they are dealt with that makes a difference,
as a group we identify the problem and try to solve it without finger pointing, make sure
everyone knows what went on and how to correct properly the next time so we don't
repeat the mistake. The customer must always be looked after, if we don't have the
answer for the customer immediately then a name and number will be taken and the
information will be passed onto the customer as soon as possible, keeping the customer
informed of the progress
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Nominee 31 | Nature's Face & Body
1. Exceptional, natural face and body products. Huge variety of soaps and products to choose from, all
homemade and natural!!
2. I nominate Carolynne for the Small Business Award, for Nature's Face and Body. Even tho she is a busy
Mom and she has a full-time job as a nurse, she has been working extremely hard for the past 4 years to
introduce healthier skin and beauty products to the people of Kamloops. For example, she has
researched all the chemicals added to the face creams, body lotions, soaps, makeup and the list goes on.
She makes her paraben free healthy products, creams, lotions, deodorants to name a few with all
natural ingredients and scents them if the customer wants it scented with Pure Essential Oils. I believe
she is making a difference in what people put on their body to keep them healthy. Did I mention how
wonderful the scents are? Thank you
Nominee Submission:
a. Nature’s Face & Body is a locally owned and operated family business with the goal of
providing reasonably priced natural and organic products. The concept of creating
natural and organic products was revealed when owner/ operator Carolynne McKenzie
and Steve Sattele discovered that so many of the products ranging from household
cleaners to makeup and lotions were full of toxins, hormone disruptors and chemicals.
This insight provided a need for change. No longer were we just thinking of ourselves –
we care about our customers, their families and their furry friends. We care about the
environment and we care about the products coming from disenfranchised countries.
We are meticulous about the products we carry. We will only bring in products that are
either natural or organic. We buy from suppliers that guarantee quality ingredients and
fair trade. We stand behind our products. We 100% believe in the product’s wholeness
and goodness. Our family uses and supports our products as well. We do not support
suppliers that engage in animal testing. The products used on one’s body, is absorbed
into the body; this includes lotions, shampoos and cleaning products that are indirectly
deposited in the environment.
a. Nature’s Face & body supplies a multitude of products ranging from eco-friendly
cleaning products to shampoos and conditioners, to lotions and mineral makeup. We
offer a vast selection of unscented products which is in high demand. Our company
offers one-of-a-kind aromatherapy bracelets with essential oils that can be utilized as a
natural stress reliever. Nature’s Face & Body ensures its customers are educated on the
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vitality of using natural and organic products. Nature’s Face & Body offers our products
at a reasonable price so everyone can afford to use our safe and quality products.
Nature’s Face & Body offers online shopping with free delivery in Kamloops over $25 as
well.
a. Nature’s Face & Body started from the ground up. This included researching harmful
and toxic ingredients. We discovered that so many of the products ranging from
household cleaners to makeup and lotions were full of toxins, carcinogens, hormone
disruptors, chemicals and so many things we couldn’t pronounce. We knew we had to
change. We created products that we would use ourselves and be proud to offer to the
public. Due to changing technology and customer needs, Nature’s Face & Body adapted
from a retail storefront to an online business. Since then Nature’s Face & Body has
tripled our wholesale clientele in the last year through word of mouth and social media.
Nature’s Face & Body is proud of the long term customer support and new clientele the
company serves.
a. From the beginning we knew that in order to be successful we had to offer quality but
we also wanted to individualize our product. Many of our products are available scent
free and we can tailor most products for client wants and needs. Many of our customers
appreciate scent free products because of sensitivity or because their work environment
is scent free. For those customers that enjoy scents, we custom scent their products to
their specifications. When we began our business 4 years ago there were few like ours.
We take it as a compliment that so many businesses have followed our lead and are
producing products similar to ours.
a. Every customer we serve is important to us and treated with respect. We welcome
people to call or email us to inquire about our products and ask questions. We also
encourage people to research our products and ingredients. If we do not have a product
and we are unable to make it, we will do our best to help customers find a business that
can supply the product that meets their needs. We always appreciate feedback from our
clients so we can continue to improve our products and client satisfaction.
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Nominee 32 | Noran Printing Ltd.
Exceptional service in all areas.
Nominee Submission:
a. Noran Printing is the largest locally owned and operated commercial print shop in
Kamloops. The owners, Ryan and Jenn Holowaychuk, both born and raised in Kamloops
are firm believers in community and in keeping business local. Noran is your one stop
shop for all your printing and marketing needs. From Business Cards and Letterhead to
Signs, Banners and Vehicle Decals we also offer our customers Embroidered apparel and
promotional products.
a. Noran is your one stop shop for all your printing and marketing needs. From Business
Cards and Letterhead to Signs, Banners and Vehicle Decals we also offer our customers
Embroidered apparel and promotional products. We employ a friendly, knowledgeable
team that offer our customers ideas and solutions to enhance their businesses and
events.
a. Noran Printing is a well-established company in the Kamloops community. We are 100%
local, we employ a handful of staff and are proud supporters of many events that take
place here and around Kamloops. In 2015 Noran was honoured to receive the Business
in the Arts Award presented at the Mayors Gala. That was a highlight and a testament to
our success in the Kamloops community. Major Sponsor Ribfest the past 3 years. Season
Sponsor for Western Canada Theatre for three years. Season Sponsor for The Kamloops
Symphony Orchestra six years. And much more each and every year.
a. When we took over the business in 2009 we purchased Noran’s loyal customer base.
The equipment that was included in the purchase was old and out of date. In order to
keep up with client demand and offer new and up to date products to our customers we
came up with ways to integrate new technology with what we currently had available.
Noran Printing has grown and adapted to the changing needs of our customers and we
are excited to see what the future has in store.
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a. We continue to foster excellent relationships within the community. Ryan believes in
helping each other out wherever possible. If there is something you need that we can
do… we do it. And we hope that if in the future we are looking for a hand the
relationships we have built with people and businesses are there to extend the same
offer. We employ a small staff that are friendly and knowledgeable about our products
and our values. Kamloops is a great place to live and work and we look forward to many
continued years of success.
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Nominee 33 | Presidium Network Operations Consultants
I would like to nominate this business for their outstanding commitment to service and personal
commitment to prompt and professional service . Their attention to detail and outstanding work ethic.
Their commitment to customer service is outstanding
Nominee Submission:
a. Presidium Networks is Kamloops’ Premier IT services provider. Specializing in network
management to ensure speed and reliability, over 30 years of combined experience
enables us to deliver cost effective, dependable solutions to businesses of all sizes. From
our headquarters in Kamloops, we deliver service across the interior of BC to more than
70 small and medium businesses. We utilize enterprise grade monitoring and
maintenance software to ensure that our client computers, servers, and network
devices are always running and available, and that errors and issues are resolved before
they impact business. Our unique approach to technology management is based on our
commitment to building a solid understanding of your business, strategies, and goals.
With this information, we can provide ideal and robust solutions to empower your
business through technology. Our approach to customer service is simple. We strive to
be friendly, polite, personable, and knowledgeable throughout each interaction. It is our
goal to ensure that not only are any issues resolved in a timely manner, but you and
your staff are empowered with knowledge whenever possible.
a. Presidium Networks strives to deliver top tier quality for both our products and services.
We partner with Tier 1 hardware wholesalers in Canada to ensure we provide the best
products at the best prices for our valued customers. Partnering with brands such as HP,
Dell, and Lenovo for computers and servers as well as Philips, Olympus, and Dragon for
voice solutions, we do not sacrifice quality while providing excellent regular deals and
specials. The service side of our business is backed by our commitment to exceptional
support. From first point of contact to completion, all issues and requests are tracked in
our “fanatical” ticketing system. From there, the clock starts ticking on issue resolution.
We call it our “fanatical” ticketing system because issues are automatically followed up
on an hourly basis to ensure no issue or task is missed and a resolution is reached as
soon as possible. Throughout the process, we are in touch with business staff and
stakeholders to provide regular updates on status. Combined with our remote support
ability, which enables us to respond immediately to most tasks and issues without
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having to incur the delays of travel time and without interrupting work in your business,
we believe our support model is the most effective in the industry.
a. Since our founding in September of 2011, Presidium Networks has been providing
expert technology services to its customers. The first few years of our business saw
exponential growth, growing from a hand selected base of 5 customers in our first year
up to our current total of over 70 businesses. Geographically, we have grown from a
core customer group in the downtown sector of Kamloops to 8 cities across the interior
of British Columbia. In order to support this tremendous growth, and increased demand
generated by the success of our customers businesses, we have incorporated a number
of customer management (both business and technology) software solutions and
business processes. With automated maintenance software performing the ‘easy tasks’
in the background, to automated management ensuring that customer equipment
continues to run as effectively and efficiently as possible, to support processes such as
simplified quoting, remote support, and ticketing, we leverage the finest tools available
to streamline our support delivery. From a beginning staff complement of only our two
partners – Garreth Mawdsley and Justin Givens – we now work on a near full time basis
with many dedicated contractors. Scaling up to as many as six technicians, we adeptly
handle even the heaviest workloads, often maintaining several consecutive projects in
and out of the Kamloops area. With the hardware sales division of Presidium Networks,
we have an annual turnover of nearly $250,000 in hardware sales delivered to almost
every Canadian province, to colleges, retail outlets, and other IT departments.
a. We pride ourselves on exceptional work, reliable solutions, and fast response times. In
order to accommodate a growing customer base and increasing demands from existing
customers, we have implemented software tools and processes that are unheard-of in
smaller markets such as Kamloops. After extensive research and collaboration with
other IT consulting firms from larger cities like Vancouver, San Francisco, and Toronto,
we have brought “big city” IT consulting to smaller cities and towns. This includes
innovative, cutting edge tools for service delivery and customer management as well as
business processes that enable us to support a large number of clients, multiple
simultaneous projects, and ensure reliability of systems exceptionally well. We consider
the innovative use of tools and procedures in our business to be one of our biggest
achievements to date. Supporting more customers than many IT companies, all while
keeping our staff compliment minimal and response times rapid, enables our success.
Additionally, these processes also allow us to maintain familiarity with our customers.
Customers needn’t worry about the ‘revolving door’ of technicians working on their
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equipment. Customers are greeted with the same friendly faces each time, providing a
level of trust and enabling efficient support. Finally, we consider the process of learning
and improving to never be complete. We work hard to learn from each and every
interaction we have with our customers and their equipment. When we can identify a
deficiency, or something that can be improved upon, we invest as much time as
required to ensure that our model is as efficient as possible and results in the best
possible outcomes for our clients. This commitment to continued learning and
improvement represents one of the most fundamental goals of our business.
a. One of our key pledges to our customers is that we will always deliver friendly,
personable, and trustworthy service. Our business acts as a ‘virtual IT department’ to
our customers, and a key part of this is familiarity. We work hard to not only resolve IT
requests and issues, but also to empower staff and stakeholders by breaking down
issues into plain English, ensuring the staff understand the issues or tasks and what is
involved. This level of involvement functions to make sure everyone is comfortable with
the work being done, and makes users more effective at using technology to accomplish
business goals. User education on the specifics of issues and requests allows users a
better understanding - enabling them to ask more insightful questions and be more self
sufficient (and thus efficient) with technology in the future. In addition to providing
technical knowledge, we also work hard to foster relationships with all of our
customer’s staff and users. In creating a personal relationship with individual staff, we
remove the burden of “IT Anxiety” - where users are reticent to reach out for support
due to a social barrier between the user and the technician. Users are always treated
with respect and this leads to a typically negative situation (when something is broken
or not functioning correctly) becoming a positive interaction. In addition to our
interactions with customer staff, we also work to foster excellent relationships
internally, between our staff and contractors. To do this, we enable our staff and
contractors to focus on the areas of their strengths and interests. Our experience
dictates that people work best when they are confident and fundamentally stimulated
by the work they are doing. This cultivates an environment in which our team is able to
work within their comfort zone while also building skills in areas that they are drawn to.
We strive to ensure that accomplishments and success are rewarded appropriately,
which leads to a sense of pride in work that results in better service levels and
satisfaction with customers. Finally, we develop a business culture that encourages
casual, but regimented, work to ensure that everyone is working in a positive, friendly,
and fun work environment while not sacrificing effectivity or professional conduct.
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Nominee 34 | Rainbow’s Roost
No-one is doing anything like Rainbow's Roost they are very unique, they treat all their staff like close
family, putting kamloops on the map, only using local produce and supplies, not trying to make money
more into providing a tailored service for anyone and everyone
The Rainbow's Roost provides unique opportunities to celebrate special events in a farm setting. Sheila
and Ed are always around and so kind and welcoming to all they meet. There is such a diversity in their
product and everyone who goes there is always so happy.
Nominee Submission:
a. Rainbow’s Roost is a family-owned and operated farm and events centre located along
the bank of the North Thompson River in Kamloops, BC. Our property includes 53 acres
of fields, creeks, ponds, wild flowers, and other natural vegetation, making it an ideal
location for weddings, corporate retreats, kids camps, festivals, art shows, and much
more. Complemented with over two acres of lawn and a 3,000 square foot post and
beam event hall, we are able to provide a diverse range of authentic, indoor, and openair experiences. Our property also features a zip-line, geocaching activities, carriage and
pony rides, fishing in our stocked pond, a petting farm, and a chance to adventure
through our property and enjoy numerous creeks, animals, and natural vegetation. The
Rainbow's Roost has many activities to keep the entire family engaged throughout their
stay. Through exploration and programs, we provide opportunities for our younger
generations to learn about sustainable farming, develop skills such as how to rope a
cow, spin wool, and fish, and enjoy the outdoors in a fun and engaging way. We have to
admit, the adults love it too! We are The Rainbow’s Roost, Acres of Wonder, and
Everything Under One Roost!
a. In today’s busy era of technology, on-the-go lifestyle, and crazy schedules with family
and kids, we are able to offer our customers a relaxing, down-to-earth and back-tonature experience that they not only love, but truly appreciate. Being able to visit
Kamloops from a larger centre and allow children to have a truly authentic farm
experience is a significant draw to our property. For weddings it offers a much more
intimate and relaxed setting where your entire family and loved ones can enjoy a
farming experience while still having the same features and amenities of larger
conference centres. That same experience applies to our corporate retreats and office
parties. Businesses are increasingly looking for something new for their staff events, and
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rather than hosting at a local hotel or conference centre, they are able to enjoy our
unique, relaxed setting only 20 minutes from Downtown Kamloops. Our goal is to make
everyone who visits feel like a part of our family. We love helping plan events from
beginning to end, and work to ensure events goes off without a hitch. We strive to
guarantee each of our visitors has a unique experience by teaching them something and
making them feel appreciated by us. Whether this means searching for a pair of baby
ear muffs or warming baby bottles, driving our guests home at the end of the night,
keeping kids occupied in the downtime during weddings with farm tours, and all the rest
that our farm has to offer, we go out of our way to see to it that each and every one of
our guests feels special, appreciated, and welcome, not only at Rainbow’s Roost, but
throughout the rest of Kamloops as well.
a. When we consider how we achieve business success, we don't measure it by
streamlining systems, optimizing inefficiencies, and measuring the little minutiae of our
business. We look at the relationships we create and the way we make a difference in
our clients and customers lives, children and adults alike. For example, when we hold
events and we notice people watching our animals or exploring our farm, we engage
them, and educate them even further about the land, animals, and living sustainably.
Although this doesn't turn into immediate, measured business success, it contributes to
our overall goal of educating and changing people's lives. We measure this success by
tracking how many repeat customers we have, and how excited people are to
experience nature with us. We see the smiles on their faces when they leave, and we
know they're coming back. This is why we have been so fortunate to be as busy as we
have been over the years. Another indicator which demonstrates our success is our
relationships with our staff. The staff we attract are excited about their work, and
volunteer experiences. They are dedicated to the goals of the Roost, and even travel
from the lower mainland each summer to work for us!
a. As owners of a family-based farm, we have innovated by investing hundreds of
thousands of dollars in a beautiful 3,000 square foot post and beam hall, commercial
kitchen, and property enhancements including land reclamation. This allows us to host
events and generate an entirely new revenue stream for our business. We can now
leverage our beautiful property to educate children on sustainable farming through our
kids camps and birthday parties, and host weddings and corporate retreats with an
experience that our guests really can not find anywhere else. Our animals freely roam
the property and are present during weddings and events, farm to plate meals are
served to our guests, and we are fully licensed in our hall. Now that’s a truly innovative
and unique approach to farming! These innovations give us the ability to offer an
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increasing number of experience to our customers. It has also helped us grow our
existing farm business by increasing our sales in beef, pork, and lamb. As well, we have
grown our staff and revenue, and seen a huge increase in clients and visitors!
a. Customer service at the Rainbow's Roost begins with a clear understanding of, and
belief in our mandate. We are there to provide incomparable experiences to our guests.
So, how will we do this? * We will look, dress, and speak in a respectful manner * We
will know our company policies and procedures * We will be proficient in our jobs * We
will provide great service, and go above and beyond expectations * We will be attentive
to customer needs * We will strive to be the best at what we do At the Rainbow's roost
we recognize that our business is only as strong as our employees. For our business to
thrive, it is critical that we our employees feel valued. Therefore, we build strong
employee relationships by: * Paying competitive wages * Working as a team to set goals
and policy * Providing growth and advancement opportunities * Providing opportunities
for volunteer and community involvement * Providing incentives * Providing education
* Providing employees and their families play opportunities * Treating employees fairly
and respectfully
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Nominee 35 | Rhinotec Computer Services
Darrin has services our office IT needs for the last several years. He is always willing to go above and
beyond to make sure that our office is running smoothly. He has help our office stream line the most
appropriate systems for our use, saving us money. Rhinotec Computer Services is always available to
service us day or night.
Nominee Submission:
a. RhinoTec Computer Services was founded by Darrin Rein, an easy going, average guy
from Kamloops, who just genuinely likes to help people out. With his 15+ years of
Information Technology (IT) experience, he is a technician that likes to take a very
casual, down to earth approach when it comes to the crazy world of IT. RhinoTec
Computer Services is all about service and support. Darrin’s professional approach goes
far beyond the typical “break fix”. He tries to explain what he fixes in a simple, easy to
understand way and will always make recommendations to prevent future incidents.
The bottom line is Darrin likes helping people, whether it’s maintaining that network
server or removing a virus off your home computer, doing a simple memory upgrade or
migrating your business to the latest technology. He will come to you and your business,
and help you make informed decisions, implement cost effective solutions and provide
the support during and after deployment.
a. With over 15 years of industry experience, RhinoTec Computer Services maintains a high
level of commitment to their customers. With flexible availability Darrin can
accommodate customer’s normal business schedules to try and soften a company’s
down time. He is always looking out for his customer’s best interests, providing
consultation on all levels of technology. RhinoTec is able to deal with other technology
vendors like mobile phone companies, VOIP systems, point of sale, and internet service
providers to try and save their customer money. Remote support has become essential
to providing support; RhinoTec can often fix issues within minutes or after regular
business hours, which in return means more up time for the customer. Keeping a system
secure is of the highest priority. RhinoTec can recommend a variety of hardware and
software based security measures that can keep your systems free of viruses and
malware. Recommending excellent backup solutions to keep your data secure in the
event of a disaster, Darrin can provide suggestions for different levels of backup and
partnered with a service contract will continue to monitor and test those backups.
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a. In RhinoTec Computer Services’ 3 years of operation it has made some great
accomplishments. The most notable achievement has been the steady growth of repeat
and contract customers. Most of the service area is around the interior of BC, but
RhinoTec has been asked to provide their skills as far as Cranbrook, Victoria, and Prince
George. Darrin has also overseen complete office design projects where he has provided
assistance to new and existing businesses looking to open new offices or expand their
technologies. If you are building or renovating an existing office, RhinoTec can offer
assistance with your infrastructure, making recommendations on network wiring,
wireless access point deployment and server closet setup (because the last thing you
want in a new office is to not have enough power outlets or network ports to
accommodate your hardware - like point of sales devices, network multi-function
printers, or network accessible storage which can sometimes be over looked).
a. As technology changes RhinoTec Computer Services changes with it. With cloud
solutions starting to become increasingly popular and affordable RhinoTec is here to get
you to the cloud. RhinoTec is saving companies thousands of dollars by implementing
new virtualized systems which allow a business to reduce their hardware spending by
50% in certain cases. With email now the single most important tool in business, Darrin
has helped dozens of clients move to more robust hosted email servers that do a much
better job of making sure mail gets to where it is supposed to be, in your customers
inbox. Users are sometimes overwhelmed when it comes to implementing new
technology. RhinoTec Computer Services can manage all areas of your technology,
talking the same language with other technology vendors and translating it back to the
client in a much easier to understand language which allows the customer to make a
more informed decision. Technology is a never ending learning curve. Darrin is often
found posting issues in IT forums to get a different opinion on some of the more
complicated or unexplainable issues that seem to happen. Of course he is always willing
to provide help to colleagues with their challenges as well, because sometimes a fresh
perspective is all you need to get through some of those tougher problems.
a. At this point RhinoTec is just a single man operation. I do hold my relationships with my
clients in the highest regards. I always try to extend to my clients that I am approachable
and that they should feel free to discuss any issue with me. I will on occasion drop in on
regular clients just to make sure things are operating to standard. When I am working in
outlying areas such as Sun Peaks I always try to make sure everyone is aware that I am
going to be in the area should they need anything. With social media I can easily get
word out to my clients when I am going to be around and my clients can easily contact
me. This is an area in which RhinoTec plans to grow.
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Nominee 36 | RTOWN
Small Business of the year: Achieving outstanding results for other businesses is their goal, passion and
value. The results speak for themselves.
Nominee Submission:
a. RTOWN's purpose is to help local businesses succeed. We act as an extension of a local
business' team by integrating digital marketing tools to help them get customers, listen
to them and keep them. We are a one-stop shop providing an end-to-end customer
acquisition and retention solution to help small businesses eat big business' lunch.
a. RTOWN is a "do it for you" service for all things web marketing (websites, search
marketing, social media, online reputation management) mixed with a product line
(customer voice and the RTOWN Loyalty App) which provide actionable data and a
digital customer retention tool respectively. Our customers sleep well at night knowing
they have a trusted subscription service that handles the internet and mobile marketing
for them so they can focus on what they do best - run their business.
a. In three years, RTOWN has grown to support over 250 small businesses around the
province of BC. RTOWN currently has a presence in 5 markets (Whistler, Vancouver,
Kelowna, Prince George & Kamloops). We are running profitably and growing rapidly
through customer acquisition. No outside funding.
a. Our business model design is a subscription service. Which historically is rare for digital
marketing companies. We don't charge large one-time fees. Instead, we break our
pricing up into monthly subscription amounts to ease the burden on our customer's
cash flow. In addition to business model creativity, we also have tools that our
competitors do not provide. The RTOWN Loyalty App helps local businesses, often for
the first time ever, build a customer list and track the ROI of their reward/loyalty
programs. Customer Voice is a digital customer analytics software that gives insights
into customer behavior and preferences to help our customers make smarter business
decisions. Social, mobile and local. We are the cutting edge, trusted partner for local
business marketing needs.
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a. One of RTOWN's core values is "Remarkable Customer and Team Experience." We hold
annual RTOWN retreats where every RTOWNer gets together to play together and work
on the big picture of the business together. It's a strong team culture. Strongest I've ever
seen in almost two decades of business experience. Our customers are loved as an
extension of the love RTOWNers have for our business and purpose we live to fulfill. We
also hold a daily huddle where the entire team celebrates their team members and the
support they are given as well as customer success stories that align with company
values. Celebration of company values is a regular affair and reinforces why we exist and
who we serve....local businesses.
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Nominee 37 | Scoopz Ice Cream Parlour
After haveing her lease ended in her former location one year after buying the business she has worked
tirelessly to get a new location and get it refurbished.
Nominee Submission:
a. Scoopz Ice Cream Parlour is the local hot spot to get a cool treat! 48 Flavours of
premium hard ice cream to choose from. Open seasonally April-September. 11am-9pm
every day. New location: 265 Lorne Street in the Sandman Hotel across from Riverside
Park!
a. We carry Foothills Creamery hard ice cream. A premium product you can count on. We
pride ourselves with fast and friendly service. After a couple visits, we'll know your
name and have you favourite flavour memorized!
a. An ice cream shop is a very unique business. Our level of success depends on sunshine.
We are also open seasonally which has it's challenges with leasing and staffing. The fact
we are able to return every year is amazing. 2016 has been a big year for us with
returning to our original location on Lorne Street. The full construction of the space was
a big project and we are really happy with the result! This is my 16th year scooping,
purchasing the business in 2014.
a. 2016 has been the year of change. New logo, new look, new space basically a new
brand. I really wanted to incorporate the history of Scoopz with a fresh look. I think I've
been able to capture that with the new logo and decor of the shop!
a. I just love the Kamloops community. We have had the same regular customers for
YEARS! They have seen me graduate high school, get married and start a family of my
own. I love that myself and my staff not only develops a relationship with each other,
but with the people of this great community. I am so grateful for my wonderful
employees. I believe that my lengthy experience doing this job helps with expressing my
appreciation for them, I've been in their shoes. I would do anything for my staff and in
return they are always willing to help! It's really is a big family!
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Nominee 38 | Someday Retrievers & Hunt Club
Incredible service and the people are awesome. Definitely will be recommending them and taking my
puppy there when he is older.
I would like nominate Someday Retrievers because I believe that this business has absolutely excelled in
providing both services, facilities, trained staff and even a dock diving pool and holding events such as
Dock Diving. It is an amazing thing to see such a great facility in Kamloops.
They provided excellent customer service and were able to train my puppy and teach me
Nominee Submission:
a. My name is Linda Cline, I am the Owner/Operator of Someday Retrievers. For over 20
years, I have been breeding pure bred Labrador Retrievers for hunting, service, law
enforcement, and bomb and drug detection, as well as family pets. My dogs have been
sold throughout North America, as well as China, Argentina, Sweden and other locations
worldwide.
a. Over the past 20 years, I have successfully developed a reputation as a trusted breeder
of Labrador Retrievers, the number one registered Canadian Kennel Club pedigree. This
breeding business has expanded our services to include boarding and training of all
types of dogs at our facility located on my 38 acre property. My pure bred Labrador
Retrievers are sought after worldwide by avid hunters, law enforcement agencies for
drug and bomb detection, as well as service dogs for people with disabilities. We are
also one of the leading breeders of family pets. We also sell training equipment for dogs
of all sizes. Finally, I am a licenced Groomer and we offer grooming services for our
boarding pets upon request.
a. I have always been an animal lover from my days riding horses as a young woman to
farming on our 160 acre ranch in the Upper Hat Creek Valley. Many years ago I was
exposed to the hunting talents of Labrador Retrievers. This led me into the world of field
trials where I competed throughout North America. This eventually led me to breeding
these magnificent animals. My breeding program expanded over time and so did my
client base. Many of these new clients were avid hunters, who wanted to experience
their dogs at work. This lead me into training dogs for hunting and obedience. These
hunters also want to work with their dogs in the field, which led to the establishment 12
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years ago of an organized pheasant hunt. Three years ago, I lost my husband of 36
years, and was challenged with the responsibilities of maintaining my property and
growing my business. I am proud to say that I not only achieved this objective, but I
have successfully expanded my business year over year since that time. The
acknowledgement of this hard work is culminated with my nomination for the
Excellence Awards of Kamloops Chamber of Commerce. Today I breed and sell some 40
puppies a year. Many of these dogs are family pets, some are used for hunting or service
work. Our kennel facility has more than doubled in size during this time allowing 30 dogs
to be boarded and trained at our facility. Finally, our pheasant hunts have grow from
meager beginnings of some 5 to 10 hunters. This year we will accommodate over 100
hunters and their dogs at Douglas Lake Ranch this Fall. I have been written up in
"Women's Outdoor World" magazine, the "Kamloops Daily News", as well as local TV
promoting our facilities.
a. Our 38 acre property is designed with dogs in mind, ATV runs and our 41' pool are
added attractions. Web cams allow owners to check in on their dogs while they are
boarding. Recently, a water park environment was created complete with fire hydrants
allowing dogs to cool off in Summer. Dogs can also enjoy our 41 foot dock diving pool at
the owners request. We also offer classes to the public. We also use Social Media to
promote our services, provide video updates on training activities and acknowledge our
successes of our boarding and training clients. Our Website and Facebook page is loaded
with great information for those interested in our facilities and training techniques. And
of course for sharing pictures of our adorable puppies, which everyone wants to see.
We also offer a pick up and delivery service for dogs as far away as Vancouver. We also
provide a guest suite to overnight visitors who are picking up their new puppies or for
others with dogs in training or boarding.
a. We foster excellent customer relationships by getting to know our clients when they are
at our facility. We take time to learn as much as we can about their dogs and what they
hope to achieve. All our staff wears company shirts and work together as a team
ensuring that critical information about our clients and their pets are shared with
everyone. We take pride in greeting our customers with a smile and are courteous,
friendly and respectful. Our staff holds regular staff meetings to communicate changes
and modifications in procedures, and to share ideas, thoughts and concerns.
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Nominee 39 | Spruce Goose & Chop N Block
Brody and his fiancé Heather purchased the shop about 3 years ago and have been going non-stop ever
since. They recently purchased a large smoke house to now produce their own cured meats. They
continue to diversify their product and understand better the needs of their customers. The recently
underwent a huge renovation in the shop to really make it their own.
Nominee Submission:
a. We are a local butcher shop and deli in the heart of Aberdeen/ Mt. Dufferin. We pride
ourselves on our commitment to providing our community with access to local,
sustainable, and healthy products of the animal variety. Our mission is not only to
participate in our community but help its members taste our areas unique "terroir". We
bring our animals in whole and process them all the way to ready to enjoy deli meats,
charcuterie and sausage. This gives us full control over all the production process and
ingredients used.
a. We pride ourselves on our DRY AGED beef, grain or grass finished. All our beef are dry
aged whole for at least 21 days then cut and presented in our store. This gives the beef
a unique flavour and texture profile different from the conventional system of mass,
centralized production. We always have experienced butchers behind the meat case to
answer any questions you might have about either the products or process. We
maintain close relationships with our purveyors in order to communicate the
requirements of our customers and to assure that all our animals are handled with the
upmost respect and care.
a. The Chop N Block has been in existence for over 18 years experiencing varying degrees
of success with its many owner/operators. When Heather and I took the reins 3 years
ago, it was basically a corner store waving the flag of a local butcher. All the beef came
steak ready from Alberta and the bulk of the other products were simply repacks of
commercially prepared products. We are almost now exclusively BC Beef, pork, lamb
and chicken. Another achievement is all of our deli, charcuterie, and sausage is made IN
HOUSE. We have tripled our staff and have still managed to increase our bottom line
while increasing sales by 12-15% annually.
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a. The craft/business of butchery is actually the reverse of innovation. When I look to
design our products, process and services I imagine our place in the community 100
years ago. When people got to know the butcher personally and the butcher knew the
rancher personally. This process got undercut by big business but we are able to
maintain and flourish by providing service and flavours that cannot be found elsewhere.
a. Our store is built so there is no "back area" you can see us producing all day. I can speak
with guests as I cut meat or stuff sausage. We maintain detailed phone and email
customer lists to inform them when premium products are available and to make sure
that they get their turkey when provincial supply is low.
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Nominee 40 | Stewart Mortgage Corp.
Jamie has been with the Family business taken over form his Father, who has worked with Kamloopsians
for over 30 years. it has always been a small & caring business, that has so many repeat customers as
they have been so well cared for and had their needs met in everyway. Jamie is one of the nicest people
I know, who is genuine and really knows his stuff backwards & forwards! He keeps up on everything in
the markets so he is on top of any new happenings in the marketplace.
I would highly recommend Stewart Mortgage Corp as one of Kamloops oldest & best small businesses!
Nominee Submission:
a. Stewart Mortgage Corp. is a local, family owned Mortgage Broker serving the Kamloops
and Surrounding Area since 1982. Stewart Mortgage brings lenders and borrowers
together, and provides professional, reliable service equally to both parties. We are the
only independent Mortgage Broker in Kamloops. Not being tied to any larger chain or
franchise allows us more options and freedom in doing what we feel is best for our
clients. We look forward to continuing to provide reliable service and honest advice to
the Kamloops community for many years to come.
a. At Stewart Mortgage we guide Clients through the sometimes confusing financing
process to help them make informed decisions for their mortgage needs. Whether
Client’s need a quick service on an originating mortgage, or advanced funds, we provide
them with honest, professional and reliable service. We specialize in construction loans,
first and second mortgages on residential and commercial properties and private
lending with over $10 million dollars of private mortgages under administration in our
office. We often use these private mortgages to help clients with short term funds or
rebuilt their credit. At Stewart Mortgage, we aren’t confined to one specific lender. We
access hundreds of different banks and mortgage lenders across Canada to get the best
rate and product tailored to each unique client.
a. In 2017, our company will be celebrating 35 years serving the Kamloops area. During
this time we have built some amazing partnerships with other local professionals. We
have many repeat clients that we have dealt with for 10+ years and strive to build long
lasting relationships with every client we serve. We have been fortunate to be able to
grow our business year after year allowing us to give back to the community by
sponsoring local sports teams, charities and non profit organizations. As we continue to
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succeed and grow further we look forward to finding new ways to serve our clients and
the Kamloops community.
a. One of the most exciting things that we do is help people rebuild their credit and do
credit counselling. We take the time to help our clients rebuild to a position where they
can buy their own property and get out of renting. This can sometimes be a multiple
year process without revenue for Stewart Mortgage Corp but we find this process very
rewarding. We love to see people succeed and watch them realize the possibilities they
once thought impossible. We feel this sets us apart and builds life long relationships
with these clients.
a. We take the time to get to know our clients, earn their trust and allow them to get to
know a bit about us. This process builds trust, which is the foundation for any good
relationship. To continue to deserve that trust and build on the existing relationships,
we are always looking for innovative new ways that we can provide the best service to
our clients. We’ve aligned ourselves with an amazing network of other local
professionals and businesses to help our clients get the best deals on many services in
town. We meet clients whenever and wherever is most convenient for them, often
outside of normal work hours and outside the office. We foster open communication
with our clients to help us discover ways we can continue to provide the highest level of
service in a constantly changing community. We pride ourselves on our honest advice,
proving to our clients that we will always do what is best for them, as supposed to what
is most profitable for our company or any other lender.
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Nominee 41 | Sweet Spot Cupcakes
When Natalie took over this business and she recognized a desire from the community and made it a
reality. She values her customers and all her products are made from scratch and she has many products
that accommodate different dietary preferences.
Nominee Submission:
a. Sweet Spot Cupcakes is a business that focuses on quality and great taste. We strive to
keep our customers happy by making them feel comfortable and appreciated from the
time they enter the store to the moment they leave. Our cupcakes have a little
something for every sweet tooth out there, with over 18 different flavors available every
day. We use quality ingredients and consistency in our baking to assure the customer
always has the same experience when purchasing the product. We also focus our energy
on weddings and custom cakes for all occasions. We make icing cake, fondant cakes and
sculpted cakes, and enjoy the experience of sitting down with our customers and
designing their custom cake. No matter the size, the customers have many different
flavors to customize their cakes, and the designs are endless. We are so honored to be
included in helping the community members celebrate their special occasions. The smile
on their faces upon cake delivery and knowing we have made their vision a reality is
priceless and all the thank you we require. Sweet Spot Cupcakes is not just a cupcake
store, it's a store that we believe provides our customers with an experience in helping
make their special occasion a truly unique one, in turn making the experience as a whole
a special one.
a. We offer the same 18 flavors of cupcakes for purchase in our store front everyday, to
maintain quality and to assure that our customers can always have their favorites on
hand. We also had seasonal flavors and test flavors throughout the year, many of which
become regular flavors. We also offer custom cupcakes that will help the community
with their celebrations, whether birthday parties, anniversaries, wedding, or any other
kind of occasion that requires a little something sweet and customized. Again, allowing
our customers to have a say and decisions on the cupcakes purchases. We also have 12
cake flavors and a variety of fillings that the customers can use to mix and match for a
customized cake. Our product is made with quality products that are prepared in a
consistent way to assure the customers always have the best quality product we can
provide. We work with future bride and groom to help make their wedding day vision a
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reality, which is such a special feeling. To be trusted and included in their special day
make us so proud and honored. We have recently introduced soft serve ice cream to our
facility, which is a high quality ice cream, that provides are customers with a cool treat
to stay refreshed on the hot summer days.
a. Purchasing an existing business with loyal customers definitely had its challenges to
overcome. Kamloops has a loyal community and I had to convince them that they would
be taken care of by me and my staff as they had been in the past. We had to work on
making them feel comfortable and trusting towards us and our product. An
accomplishment I feel we have achieved, with a now loyal customer and referral base
business. The wedding bookings have double this year, and our sales have increased by
37% . Growing my business is definitely an achievement I am very proud of, but being
trusted to be a part of someones special celebration is a much greater accomplishment.
My customers come to me with a vision of what they would like the cakes/desserts to
look like for their special day and trust in me to create it and make their visions come
true. To be able to say we can make what they want and have them overjoyed by the
results is such a proud moment. I have also had the honor of join a foundation called
Icing Smiles, which is a foundation that has local "Sugar Angels" provide special
customized cakes to sick kids and their siblings in the community. Being a Sugar Angels
has allowed me to provide smiles to families and kids that have struggled with
challenges that most of us could not even relate to. We have donated and worked with
many charities and special events in the community to show our support and to help
give back to the community that supports us on a daily basis. Without them we
wouldn’t be, giving back helps us say thank you. We have also done fundraisers in store
that have helped communities.
a. Everyday we are working with challenges, whether calculating and baking the correct
amount of cupcakes and cakes required for the orders and store front, to making sure
our customers receive the top quality product we promised. them. We use our creativity
everyday, we try to make all orders special for each individual customer and we also
focus custom cakes. Which can be a custom icing cake, that the customer can help
design, to a fondant cake that is purely one of a kind and made only based on the
customers theme and/or event. We focus our day to day business on customer service,
we pride ourselves on the relationships we build with our customers, and on making
sure they feel comfortable and appreciated when they come to our store.
a. As mentioned, our focus on customer service is at the top of the list. Every customer is
greeted with a smile and our staff is always there to listen and discuss what they may be
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looking for. We have often found ourselves spending hours with a customer to design
their special event. But at the end of the consultation, they leave feeling they designed
something amazing, and it's then our job to make it real. Seeing that smile and ahh upon
pickup is such a heart-warming feeling. We like our customers to feel appreciated,
comfortable and important, by providing them with the sense of importance they
deserve. As for the employee relationships, I try to focus on the positive more than the
negative. I prefer to encourage my staff by letting them know how important they are to
us, and how they help make our business the success it is, versus only outlining the
negative items. I hire my employees based on personality and how they would be with
their coworkers and customers over if they have kitchen/baking experience. The good
positive working environment is required when we are a small company that relies so
much on every team member to make the business a success and grow.
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Nominee 42 | The Great Canadian Dog Academy
Each and every person I refer to for Dean's services speak glowingly about how well he is able to retrain
the brains of dogs...and their owners too! Dean's work is si very powerful, that I attend his lectures, even
though we don't have a dog! His work is important and profound.
Nominee Submission:
a. The Great Canadian Dog Academy is a completely unique company in Western Canada.
Owner, Dean Audet, is the #1 Ranked Dog Psychology & Behaviour Modification Expert
in Western Canada. People with dog's with behaviour issues from Victoria to Winnipeg
come to The Great Canadian Dog Academy when nobody else can help. 100% Success
Rate! 100% Money Back System Guarantee! 1000's of dog's and people's live have been
changed and quality of life improved due to the "Cowboy Logic" dog psychology system.
Making a difference one dog at a time!
a. Our Dog Psychology system teaches people dramatically improved and effective
communication and relationships with their dog. Why the dog was expressing the
behaviour issues, strategies to resolve the issues and strategies on how to ensure that
they do not re-surface in the future. Western Canada is filled with many very talented
dog trainers. We are not dog trainers. We are behaviour experts and there is no
company in Western Canada that teaches a system even remotely close to this and also
no company has 100% success rate and 100% money back system guarantee. Dean has
been told that he has a gift from God with the dogs and with teaching humans the tools
they will require to have great success at home with their dogs. Making a difference one
dog at a time!
a. The Great Canadian Dog Academy has grown from serving Kamloops area to serving
Western Canada as clients from every major city have been begging us to come to their
city as they did not have any resource like us in their area. We could no longer ignore
the demand. Our local clients have lovingly pressured us to open our kennel to the
public. Hence The Buckhorn Dog Ranch boarding facility. They have come to understand
that when they come to our seminars learn the system and then bring their dog to us
when they go on holidays and we implement the same system that we teach all day long
with their dog every day, the dogs return to the owners more balanced, calm, fulfilled
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and happy than when they arrived. We have doubled our revenue in the last 3 years.
Making a difference one dog at a time!
a. With this dog psychology expertise, Dean also operates Luckyshoes Retrievers, breeding
high end Labrador Retrievers. We have been producing very well balanced and very well
behaved dogs for many years. We are humbled and excited to be producing amazing
Autism Support Dogs for children with Autism. My greatest joy at work comes from
watching these very special and gifted children connect with these special dogs. To hear
the parents say that their child has never been that calm before, never been that happy
before, never allowed a hug like that before, never been that controlled of their
emotions before.... makes all of the long hours and hard work worth it. We also make
special efforts to go to elementary schools to share the puppy love with children in Kgrade 6 and teach them the basics of how to properly and safely interact with dogs and
why. Making a difference on dog at a time!
a. We literally get to do this one dog at a time. In our very in depth seminars we teach
effective communication and successful relationship skills between owners and dogs.
Some how many clients have transferred these true principals into other areas of their
lives. Their testimonials are our legacy. One lady wrote, "I think you saved our marriage.
My husband & I have been going to counselling for 2 years. We learned more about
ourselves and each other in your 2 day seminar than we have in the last 2 years. Oh and
our dog is way better too." Some have followed up and confessed that they were
alcoholic and that they are now dry for some time thanks to what they learned in the
seminar. One client with PTSD had not been out of her home in 2 years. It took her a
while to attend a seminar using her dog as her motivation. She informed us that the
skills she learned at the seminar have given her skills to manage her anxiety and she has
lived what we would call a normal life since. In one city a lady stayed until all others had
left at the end of the seminar. Her and her husband approached me. She was in tears as
she hugged me 3 times and expressed her deep emotions of gratitude and unbelief that
we were able to have such a dramatic improvement in her dog in such a short period of
time. She thought that if we could not help her after the previous 2 years of trying with
5 different dog trainers that she would have to put the dog down. Her husband jokingly
apologized and assisted his wife to the vehicle. About 10 minutes later she returned for
one last thank you and a promise to tell the whole world about The Great Canadian Dog
Academy.
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Nominee 43 | Thrive Business Strategies
Nominators’ Comments: Cindy is the 'unsung hero' of the successes of so many of our businesses here
in Kamloops. Her dedicated training and deep love of her work is transferred to those lucky enough to
work with her, in terms of profit, work/life balance and success!
Nominee Submission:
a. I am Cindy Piva, President and founder of Thrive Business Strategies (Thrive), a Business
Coaching firm that works with business owners and CEO’s not only in Kamloops but
around North America. Business owners often find themselves working day to day and
over time realize they are not reaping the benefits of ownership they once thought they
would. Some reasons for this are because they lack direction, planning, and Vision, or
they have lost the joy and motivation they once had for running their business, or they
get caught up in all the “hat’s” they wear as an owner, and as their company grows, they
have a hard time keeping up, work long hours, endure added stress, and often end up
bottlenecking their own company without knowing it. I work with these owners and
CEO’s to help them not only get clear on where they want to take their business in the
future, but then help them map out a plan to get there, and implement the plan along
the way. I am very proud and honoured to help owners not only take their business to
new heights they never thought possible, but also help them get the joy of ownership
back. Thrive’s motto is “Taking your business to the next level”, and this is what we do –
we help them understand how to “scale up” and plan their business, even help them
train staff if needed- and as a result, they make more money, work less hours, have less
stress, and enjoy the benefits of business ownership rather than feeling “owned” by
their own company. This truly is a “labour of love” for me as well. I am proud of the fact
that many clients have been nominated for Chamber awards, and that 2 clients won
2015 Business Excellence Awards.
a. Thrive’s vision is: To help Canada’s economy one business owner at a time. This may
sound altruistic, but at Thrive I really take business ownership to heart, and really care
about each client I work with. I also really understand and have a passion for business,
am Kamloops born and bred, and have been a business owner in Kamloops for over 26
years. Prior to starting Thrive in 2009, I formerly built, owned, operated for 18 years,
and then sold Pineridge Golf Course, so have first-hand ownership experience from
concept to operating to succession. I also have a Business degree from UBC, a Master
Business Coach designation, and truly love business, study concepts, strategies and case
studies, understand best business practices, and know how each area of a business is
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intertwined and work together. So where I am able to add value and what makes the
service and coaching at Thrive unique is my vast knowledge of business and how to help
a client understand when each strategy may be needed and how to apply it. Combine
this knowledge with my client’s deep knowledge of their own industry and business,
then 1 + 1 does not equal 2 but equals 3 or 4. When we begin masterminding and
brainstorming their business, future goals, and strategies together, we truly create a
synergy that is unparalleled and hard to describe, but incredible. And to be able to then
watch clients set out as action plans and implement what we discuss is the true measure
of success. This process really does help the Canadian economy. I am privileged to work
with successful owners who are motivated to learn, grow and make necessary changes,
both personally and professionally. Am also honoured to work with clients from not just
Kamloops, but all over North America.
a. As owner of Thrive Business Strategies, I attribute the success of Thrive to the amazing
business owners I work with and care about. I truly believes that if my clients are
successful then I am successful. And my clients have soared. As an example of the
success of my clients, here is a testimonial quote: “I have been working with Cindy of
Thrive Business Strategies since November of 2013. She has literally given me my life
back. What I mean by that, is she has given me a strength within my company that I
didn’t know I had. She has given me a new voice of a strong leader. I now have more
time, make more money and have less stress than I have ever had since starting the
business 12 years ago.” Sonia Donaldson, owner, Sun Peaks Spa o Was awarded Coach
of year from the Professional Business Coaches Alliance (PBCA), an organization that
upholds the highest standards for business coaches. Feel honoured to be a part of this
association, let alone receive “Coach of the Year” from my peers. O Received the first
Master Coach designation from the PBCA. o Nominated 3 years in a row for Kamloops
Chamber Business Excellence Awards, and made finalist once. o Teaches in the PBCA’s
Master Coach Academy for the PBCA. Facilitate a Master Marketing Class to coaches all
over North America. o On the executive board of both the Canadian and the US arm of
the PBCA o Have had many clients nominated for Chamber of Kamloops Business
Excellence Awards, and 2 winners – Jason Paige of Acres, 2015 Business Person of the
Year and Isabelle Hamptonstone of Brain Train International, 2015 Best Home based
business. O Was President of Kamloops West Rotary in 2015-16, recently became past
president.
a. • Create own material based on continual reading about best business practices,
information from the PBCA, and relating it to experience. • Write White Papers, create
videos, worksheets, and workbooks that help clients understand and apply the concepts
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to their own business. • Create powerful solutions for many levels of business
ownership. Thrive works with all levels of business from start-ups to mature 30+ year
old companies, and from solopreneurs to owners with 100 employees and less. Each
level of ownership requires different tools and concepts, and am able to help all levels
keep on track, implement, learn and grow. • Creative with owners from details to big
picture. The focus can’t just be on day to day but able to keep owners focused on the
big picture as well, and help them map it out. Able to be flexible with what is needed. •
Currently working on a webinar series and a future book • Also help business owners be
creative themselves in finding their own solutions – which is not easy to do, but is
extremely powerful. • Thrive has a great team that is outsourced by contract so am
able to do what I love and do best: Coach clients and create material to help clients.
Most of the work that is outsourced is to other Kamloops businesses, and include
website domain and server maintenance, bookkeeping, social media management,
graphic design, video production, printing, etc. This enables me to spend more time with
clients, both virtually and in person. I also work with 2 Virtual Assistants who make my
life much easier. And I believe in coaching and have a PBCA business coach of my own
who keeps me focused and on track. Am blessed to have a great team of experts that
helps leverage Thrive, and has enabled Thrive to grow like it has.
a. Able to build a trusted relationship with clients that is confidential and authentic. This is
what makes Thrive special – the ability to connect on a deeper level. oA quote from a
client that explains: “I have worked with Cindy Piva of Thrive … over the past few years
as I transitioned from being a manager into the ownership role at Acres Enterprises, a
30 year old, established construction company. This transition was accompanied by a
huge learning curve, which Cindy has been instrumental in helping me navigate. With
Cindy's guidance, I have been able to focus on what's really important. She has helped
me in all areas of my business- from analyzing my strengths and weaknesses as an
individual to setting my goals for the future of the business and developing a plan of
how to reach these goals with a step by step breakdown. Cindy has given me the tools
needed to identify my businesses' areas in need of improvement and in keeping me
focused on the critical path items. The immediate success that I have experienced thus
far is due. in great part to Cindy's expertise in business strategies, her guidance, and her
clarity.” Jason Paige, President, Acres Enterprises, Chamber Award 2015 Business Person
of the Year o Able to take conversations beyond a regular discussion by establishing a
safe environment that allows clients to talk freely. o
Truly care about each client and
the results they want to achieve, and think of their business as if it was my own. O Have
dozens of testimonials from clients reinforcing this. O Once this relationship is
established, able to take a raw view of their business, without judgment or criticism, and
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work together on their plan going forward. O This connection is what allows the
incredible synergy to evolve.
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Nominee 44 | Treetop Flyers Zipline
1. Last summer my family organized my son's 11th birthday party with Treetops Flyers. The professional
staff welcomed the rambunctious boys with massive smiles and energy. Treetops 11 staff handled these
children like pros explaining how the equipment worked and why the safety procedures were so
specific.
The experience was exhilarating and fun for everyone. Even the parents had a ride. My 7 year old was
nervous but was included in the ride up to the top of the main zipline. Once at the bottom, Matt invited
my son to give the mini-zip a try, which made his day. He even tried the quick jump.
During the zipline tour the staff explained unique facts about the geography, environment, flora and
fauna. The look-out sections of the trail allowed the kids to explore (in the river) a little too. I know the
company is very careful to minimize their environmental footprint to this area and have worked hard
with the native community to build the program.
We all felt cared for and very safe on this extreme adventure and feel this is such an added tourism
bonus to the Kamloops area.
Thank you to Treetop Ziplines!
Nominee Submission:
a. Treetop Flyers is an adventure tourism product located in the beautiful village of Chase
BC. Our signature product is a multi-line zipline tour that starts at our base area in Chase
and then heads into Chase Canyon, where guests zipline over 2 waterfalls and down the
heart of the canyon.
a. Our main product is our fully guided zipline adventure but we also offer 2 other unique
adrenaline experiences. One is a trust fall style leap from our 50' tower on a device
called a QuickJump, the other is a new swing that is 100' tall. The Screaming Eagle swing
is unique to the region and one of only a handful in Western Canada.
a. Our business has grown from a business plan that was first done to meet a requirement
for a tourism management course at TRU to the reality of an adventure tourism product
that has hosted guests from all over the world. We have a strong focus on safety and
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customer service and have hosted thousands of guests over the 5 year lifetime of our
business, all while remaining incident free. We were recently awarded a TripAdvisor
certificate of excellence and strive to give our guests an above average experience.
a. We have continually offered new and exciting products, last year opening the 50' jump
from our tower and this year opening the Screaming Eagle swing. A 100' Drop Swing
that is unique to the region. It operates off solar power and was constructed with many
locally sourced, renewable products. We've also implemented a new photo system that
provides both a way for guests to purchase photos of their tour while also providing a
major marketing tool for our company.
a. Our customer service model and our philosophy to service is simple. Make guests feel
welcome, treat each guest like a friend and show gratitude that they chose us to spend
some time with. We strive to respond to guest enquiries promptly and to make guests
feel exceptionally welcome and safe. Our employees are chosen for their sincerity and
personality, our tours are largely unscripted so it is up to the guide to tailor the
experience to the group. Our staff are committed to providing a safe environment and
our training and continuous practice make them confident in their ability to handle
every situation. This confidence shines through in their interactions with our guests.
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Nominee 45 | Tyler Meade Photography
Tyler is always doing things for kamloops
Nominee Submission:
a. Tyler Meade, owner/operator of Tyler Meade Photography. Born & raised in Kamloops
BC. His home town is where he has his head office & pushes the art & technology of
professional photography. Over the 20 years Tyler has become clearly know as "The
Photographer Guy" From local independent business to International Corporations,
Tyler has proven to them all that he can always do the job! Constantly expanding,
educating and treating clients like family makes Tyler always the perfect choice. To top it
off Tyler is a huge supporter to many great causes in Kamloops, the Pink Ribbon
Foundation, RIH, TRU, Boogie The Bridge, SD73 and many others. Always giving back!
a. Tyler strives for nothing but perfection when it comes to the quality of his imaging he
delivers and customer service is always number 1. The proof is in his extensive list of
Kamloops clients and the mass of returning clients. Internationally awarded and local.
Tyler shares his modern worldly knowledge of visual marketing and shares it with all his
Kamloops clients. While keeping the local friendly spirit and clients for life approach.
Home grown attitude with amazing top end results.
a. Tyler Meade has clients in every direction, golf course, hotels, agencies, restaurants,
realtors, the lists goes on and on. Recently Tyler is building up his team and has taken on
School Photo Day for SD73 schools and private schools, TRU Grads and convocations,
Sports leagues photo day and the list continues to grow. This expansion is endless while
he trains staff and adds more clients monthly (big things coming but cannot be shared
yet!). Tyler has many awards for his amazing work. Nominated BC Photographer of the
year, Best in Press BC, Best wedding album BC, Best Figure study BC, Most Creative BC,
Kodak Awarded BC, Best Pictorial BC, Images selected for galleries for BC, Canada and
Internationally, Finalist Young Entrepreneur of Year Kamloops Chamber X2.
a. Tyler leads the way in modern, commercial, event, wedding, portrait & creative
photography. 20 years in Kamloops and always starting and sharing all the new trends in
photography. Tyler has taken his artistic creative mind and continuously challenges
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technology to bring the visual stimulation people dream to have captured. He is part of
many professional North America organizations that work together to take an amazing
industry even farther and bring new ideas to life. Attending the top conferences to see
whats new and innovating in the industry keeps him up in the game. Tyler is truly a
professional artist in a very demanding modern world.
a. Customers first, without them there would be no food on the table. They are the
extended family. Each customer is different and each deserve what they wish for. This is
the backbone to surviving. Tyler always spends time with new clients asking what they
wish for, what they expect and what more can the team offer. Fulfilling the wishes and
going beyond in customer care is the mandate. Either more images included, more
editing, faster turn around, working with budgets, they are all important as the clients
are number 1 and the team will always be thankful for the projects.
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Nominee 46 | Visual Expressionz
-Joy is well educated in the services she provides (unlike most of her competitors)
- successful growth in clientele and profitability since starting in bus.
- her customers love her as she does fantastic work and comes up with really unique ideas
- provides more service (pre and post sale) for clients
- highly regarded in the construction / renovation / real estate industry
Nominee Submission:
a. Visual Expressionz is a full-service Interior Design, Decorating, & Home Staging business
specializing in residential and commercial projects of all sizes. We excel at enhancing
homes for sale, freshening and rejuvenating rooms and redesigning living spaces to
create a more functional and appealing environment. Our commitment is to work
closely with clients based on their needs. We strive to make the process as smooth as
possible while maintaining the highest professional standards. Visual Expressionz is a
proud recipient of the Best of Houzz Service award. It is our belief that we are the only
Designer in the region who was given the honour. Check us out at
www.houzz.com/pro/visualexpressionz/visual-expressionz
a. Visual Expressionz prides itself in working with professional trades’ people along with
only the best products which includes Hunter Douglas Window Coverings. Quality,
unique, creative, custom designs are our specialty. Our mission is to stand above the
crowd. Example Imagine a teenage son’s surprise when his mother commissioned a
bedroom renovation for his birthday. This thirteen year old is an avid skateboarder and
snowboarder with several of each. The underside of these boards are actually works of
art and provided multi-purpose uses. Through the use of boards and fence brackets four
display hangers were made. A professional painter was commissioned to paint a graffiti
wall, and a custom bookshelf (full wall length) was built with either end a bit higher so
that we could attach a half pipe. A four foot snowboard was then used to make a
hanging mirror for the room. We then brought an electrician on board to build a
nightstand out of electrical conduit pipe, and galvanized pipes and elbows were
purchased to make a bench for the end of his bed. His room was a smashing success and
his surprised reaction was priceless. To view the final outcome of this bedroom, visit our
profile www.houzz.com/pro/visualexpressionz/visual-expressionz
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a. Visual Expressionz designs everything from houses to business renovation makeovers.
The renovation of McAllister and Howard Men’s Clothiers was particularly exciting
project. David Fuoco, the client, approached Visual Expressionz about updating his store
to appeal to a younger demographic. We held extensive discussions to generate ideas
and guidelines for the renovations. The challenge of this project was increased by the
need to keep the store operating during the renovation; all work being done outside of
business hours. Being flexible and upfront with everyone, saved the company
approximately $63,000 in potential revenue loss, and helped avoid the possible
migration of customers to competitors. The project was completed on time, on budget
and with many favorable reviews from his customers. We also enjoyed participating in
the design and construction of a house at Paul Lake. Visual Expressionz was brought in
when a young couple wanted their “forever” home. After many hours of discussions, we
were able to come up with a design that not only met their needs, but made their
dreams come true. A close working relationship with the contractor and trades people
followed and saw the project to fruition. I believe it is one of the most beautiful houses
on the lake, with spectacular views from most areas of the home. "Working with Joy
made the home building experience very pleasurable. She had no problem making any
changes that we wanted – no matter how big or how small, and she put forward ideas
that we didn’t think about to make our home much more functional. Her help with all of
the details (lighting scheme, lighting fixtures, carpets and colours) gave our home
fluency and beauty. We highly recommend Joy to our family and friends, professional
and friendly. Thank you Joy.” Jessica Bahnsen Check out our profile at
a. Visual Expressionz designs everything from houses to business renovation makeovers.
The renovation of McAllister and Howard Men’s Clothiers was particularly exciting
project. David Fuoco, the client, approached Visual Expressionz about updating his store
to appeal to a younger demographic. We held extensive discussions to generate ideas
and guidelines for the renovations. The challenge of this project was increased by the
need to keep the store operating during the renovation; all work being done outside of
business hours. Being flexible and upfront with everyone, saved the company
approximately $63,000 in potential revenue loss, and helped avoid the possible
migration of customers to competitors. The project was completed on time, on budget
and with many favorable reviews from his customers. We also enjoyed participating in
the design and construction of a house at Paul Lake. Visual Expressionz was brought in
when a young couple wanted their “forever” home. After many hours of discussions, we
were able to come up with a design that not only met their needs, but made their
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dreams come true. A close working relationship with the contractor and trades people
followed and saw the project to fruition. I believe it is one of the most beautiful houses
on the lake, with spectacular views from most areas of the home. "Working with Joy
made the home building experience very pleasurable. She had no problem making any
changes that we wanted – no matter how big or how small, and she put forward ideas
that we didn’t think about to make our home much more functional. Her help with all of
the details (lighting scheme, lighting fixtures, carpets and colours) gave our home
fluency and beauty. We highly recommend Joy to our family and friends, professional
and friendly. Thank you Joy.” Jessica Bahnsen Check out our profile at
a. Visual Expressionz fosters excellent customer relationships by using the most important
tool in the field, listening. We listen to what our clients are saying, we listen to what our
clients want to achieve and that is our starting point. Going back to McAllister &
Howard, it was imperative that we do the renovations after hours so no revenue or
clients would be lost. “ I own a men's retail clothing store and hired Joy to help me
update and refresh my store. Joy was amazing to work with. She came up with an
amazing design and took care of every detail that needed attention. Joy was there to
constantly monitor progress and to get in touch with trade workers to schedule dates
and any issues that arose. Her designs and ideas were fantastic. I am constantly
receiving compliments on the new look of my store and I am extremely impressed with
the effort and time Joy spent with me. She stayed on budget and delivered an amazing
final product. I would recommend Joy very highly.” David Fuoco
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Nominee 47 | Volkswagen of Kamloops
1. I have known Terry for 25 years. He as always given me first class service anytime I went to his
store. I have admired how he has conducted himself through the Volkswagen upheaval. He has
remained very much the great businessman that he his. I know he is embarrassed by the poor
publicity but he has held himself above it.
The Turtle Race, the Childrens' Water Park and his contributions to the hospital are just a few of
this things Terry does for the Kamloops community.
You are most fortunate to have a man of Terry's calibre and integrity living and working in your
city.
Nominee Submission:
a. We have the Volkswagen dealership in Kamloops which I have owned and operated for
the past 6 and a half years. We are the designated sales, service, parts, and warranty
facility for the Kamloops and surrounding area. Although I have only had the VW store
for 6 and a half years I have been an automotive dealer in Kamloops for over 30 years. In
1990 when General Motors launched the Saturn brand of automobiles we were
appointed as the local dealer. We retained that dealership until GM canceled the Saturn
brand in North America during their bankruptcy restructuring in 2008. Luckily as our
Saturn store came to an end in 2009 we were able to retain every employee until we
started Volkswagen in January of the following year.
a. As much as I would like to take credit for it we are not responsible for our quality
product. The Volkswagen brand has been sold in Canada since 1952 and I think the
quality and reliability of the product speaks for itself. What I would like to take credit for
is the quality of our staff (team members) and our dedication to service. I brought the
Volkswagen brand back to Kamloops in January of 2010 after a twelve year absence
from the city. In the six and a half years since we have achieved tremendous growth in
new vehicle sales, exceeded Volkswagen's targets for both parts and service sales, while
excelling at customer service. We have also been actively involved in community events
and multiple fund raising activities. Even though we have an amazing product none of
the above could be accomplished without our team of people who are hard working,
committed, and passionate about the success of our company.
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a. I touched on some of our successes in the last question, but I will elaborate on those
points. In the short time we have been a Volkswagen dealership we have been awarded
the prestigious 'Wolfsburg Crest Award', this award is presented to a few select VW
dealers who are leaders customer satisfaction, who excel at training and certifying their
staff in all aspects of the business, as well as attaining their goals for new and certified
pre-owned vehicle sales targets. VW of Kamloops was also recognized by the
Volkswagen Corporation for completing their new 'White Frame' brand imaging building
design prior to any other BC dealership. In 2015 we were also recognized as one of the
top growth performers in all of Canada for the Volkswagen brand. We have also been
acknowledged locally for our community involvement and fund raising activities we do
each year.
a. There are many ways to be innovative and creative regardless of the business you are in.
Being in the car business for over 30 years I have some things change dramatically and
as the saying goes, if you are standing still you are going backwards. We are constantly
trying to improve how we do things, in fact we are just in the process of changing our
service check in procedure (customers bringing in their vehicle for service or warranty
work). The new system is an interactive walk around procedure with the customer upon
check-in. We are also constantly working on creative new ways to market to our
customers. In a move away from traditional media we are hosting VIP invitation events,
VW owner show and shine events, off site (non-sales) co-sponsored marketing events.
For example we have partnered with RunClub, Interior Grasslands, and others to
provide vehicles for their events. And stay tuned in September for the first of its kind
marketing promotion with the 'VW Number Scrambler' interactive vehicle which will be
patrolling the streets looking for participants to play and enter to win! It is very difficult
in today's world to cut through the clutter and put your product or brand on consumers
lists. We are always trying new and innovative ideas throughout the store to keep the
Volkswagen name in the forefront when a customer is in market for our services.
a. I truly believe our biggest strength is our stores culture and our people. And at the risk
of repeating an answer from another nomination I would like to re-phrase it here; I
sincerely believe that the direction of the leader filters through all the ranks of any
business, and every leader has a certain leadership style. Hopefully without sounding
self-important, I believe the leadership style I possess has helped my business both excel
and survive through some very interesting times over the last 30 years. My style is all
about fostering relationships, both with our team members and our customers. I think if
you talked to our staff you would find our store has an easy going laid back feel to it, we
still expect 'a days work for a days pay' I just prefer a bottom up strategy versus a top
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down system. Allowing for employee input and participation helps build morale and a
sense of ownership in most cases, and for me this is far superior than an autocratic
system. Obviously there are certain processes everyone needs to follow I just prefer to
promote a more collaborative style than a dictatorial one. Being a small store with this
kind of leadership style we are fully cognizant of the work/life balance. Once again I am
confident if you spoke to any of our staff you would find we go out of our way to ensure
work does not interfere with important family and life situations.....I try and live by a
very simple motto - treat people the same way you would want to be treated. This is
just as important with my team as it is with customers, probably more so, and that has
certainly has helped foster a tremendous working relationship with the people in our
store and in turn propelled us to some great successes.
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Nominee 48 | WiRD Art
Will's work is of a standard that hits the heart with such on overwhelming wave of love, that he has a
100% record for making ladies cry with his work! (its a good job he's a an artist and not a psychologist
...!)
I know from first hand how much this man agonises over giving great service, and his clients shout about
his incredible gifts as he produces for them legacies to keep and legacies to ride (referencing his Harley
Davidson bike fenders that he paints)
Nominee Submission:
a. WiRD Art solves the answer to the age-old question, ‘what do you get for the person
you truly love and deserves the best?’ We provide a full custom Fine Art experience,
producing exceptional and personalized portraits, landscapes and compilations tailored
to your exact needs or taste. Photorealist Artist Will Dallimore creates highly detailed
art on canvas, walls and automotive surfaces. Many of his painted portraits stop people
in their tracks when they realise they can see the heart and soul of the subject and is
even better than a photograph.
a. We provide Fine Art airbrushed paintings, tailored to your exact personal specifications
and taste. Will creates a one of a kind art experience, using extremely fine airbrushes,
brushes and high quality acrylic paints to complete each canvas. Good artwork is
pleasing to look at, exceptional artwork stirs the emotions of the soul. Our goal is to
provide each client with a remarkable, unique painting, offering a product which
soothes the soul, fires the imagination and makes the heart ache with joy. WiRD Art has
a diverse product base from direct fine art commissions, original art, limited edition
prints, art cards, handcrafted signs, art experience packages, murals and automotive art.
We support local business by, where possible, sourcing every item or service for a
painting from Kamloops, from canvas and paint to framing and printing.
a. Six years ago Will did not have the courage to display his art outside of the home. When
his mental roadblocks were released, not only did his production increase, his standard
of work sky-rocketed and he even sold his first painting! This first success lead to
numerous direct commissions and development into a true professional artist. Will is
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now internationally renowned, with clients in Canada, the US and UK. In 2014, Will won
the Peoples Choice Award at the KAC Art Exposed exhibition. His Art has been
showcased at Mike Wiegele’s exclusive Albreda Lodge and has been auctioned through
Sotheby’s Sun Peaks. Will’s work is featured on a competition winning Harley Davidson,
now headed to the 2016 Sturgis Bike rally. His work has been published internationally
in Airbrush magazines, having written ‘How to’ articles to inspire other artists. Will’s
artwork has rendered wives speechless and moved every one of them to tears, when
presented with their own ‘Peace of Soul’ portrait of their children or family.
a. Will is establishing himself as a leader in airbrushed artwork and is entirely self-taught,
experimenting with new techniques, paints and tools to create an original painting. Each
new painting benefits directly from the innovation of the last, where new skills and
creative process is applied. Art is inherently creative, which Will carries through to the
business side of promotion of an artist. By utilizing the skills of both a business coach
and performance specialist, Will has been able to develop the business aspect of his
brain, gaining the confidence to market his art. Will uses social media to connect directly
with collectors, as well as face to face relationship building through organisations such
as BNI, the Kamloops Arts Council and with live painting demonstrations at a variety of
events. Will knows that a direct connection to the artist creates a stronger emotional
bridge to the art itself. Through BNI, WiRD Art has developed a new venture with a
Kamloops professional photographer to provide a full fine art experience, blending the
skills of professionals in their field to offer a one of a kind product. Launched in February
2016, we know of no other artist and photographer working collaboratively in this
innovative way.
a. Having worked in the service industry for over 20 years, Will draws on his customer
experiences to ensure a high quality service to each customer interaction. He recognizes
that each client is unique and tailored assessments are required to align his vision with
the one in the client’s own mind. Each painting commission starts with direct one-onone time with the client, to ensure their specific needs are met. Through the creation
process, regular contact with each client is maintained to ensure they receive a painting
that reflects the vision they have in their head. We provide a step-by-step review of the
painting progression. This empowers the client to drive the visual journey of their own
piece. Where possible the final painting is personally presented by the Artist. Each piece
is delivered with a signed document of authenticity and a full portfolio of photos of the
process from start to finish, telling the story of the client’s own creation. In Will’s own
words “To be trusted as the architect of a client’s dream is an honour to be deeply
respected.”
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Nominee 49 | ZERO Tolerance DD's Services Ltd.
My dad started this service 6 years ago and it has saved countless lives and protected people by driving
them while under the influence.
Nominee Submission:
a. Enjoy yourself and be safe, LET US BE YOUR DD!! B.C. implemented Zero Tolerance; we
are the ALTERNATIVE! ZERO Tolerance DD'S operates in Kamloops, B.C. and surrounding
areas; as a Designated Driving Service that is against drinking and driving. We ensure
everyone has a CONFIDENTIAL, SAFE and NON-JUDGEMENTAL ride home, in customer's
car; with the peace of mind of getting there safely. We offer a very unique alternative to
public transportation when alcohol has been by consumed by the client or they just do
not feel like driving. We are part of your FAMILY.
a. Our drivers come and drive your vehicle. We want you to feel as if it is one of your
friends or family members. We have drivers that are licensed to drive any type of
vehicle from Class 1 to 6. The smiling faces of the drivers meet you and walk with you to
your vehicle. They will ask about your evening and continue the conversation into what
ever you choose. We have both genders of drivers and they all are open and inviting and
non-threatening.
a. The business has increased customer volume each year significantly. Since the
conception 6 years ago; there are over 55,000 business cards circulating in Kamloops.
We assist it removing Drivers under the influence from the road. There is a significant
amount of less impaired drivers due to our service. It is our belief that we are
continuously saving lives.
a. This business was built on quality service and a personal level far exceeding any other
transportation business out there. Our customers remember the personal aspect and
refer the business to friends and family. Kamloops had taxi and limo services. It also had
Operation Red Nose on weekends in the month of December. ZERO Tolerance was a
much needed service filling the gap and void and going the extra mile to ensure the
comfort of all clients.
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a. Our excellent customer service is what continues the business and gains may more
clients. Drivers are hired specifically with their winning personalities. We want the
experience to be memorable whether once a year or every weekend. The customer
needs to leave wanting more and have the feeling of meeting a new friend for life.
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Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards

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