Excellence in Food Service

Candidates for this category can be independent business owners, franchise owners or organizations that provide catering and meals and have demonstrated excellence in food services. These businesses cater to their customers and aid in promoting other businesses within our area. 

Guidelines

• Excellent customer service
• Demonstrates initiative and enthusiasm for the business
• Has a positive reputation with customers and the business community

Customer First

For Retail and Service sectors: Candidates for this category can be independent business owners or franchise owners who have demonstrated excellence in a retail business or service-related operation in a number of areas, including creative marketing, sales, client service, human resources, etc. and are viewed by peers as being a leader in business excellence. 

Guidelines

• Demonstrates initiative and enthusiasm for the business
• Consistently demonstrates congeniality and helpfulness to customers and clients
• Has an excellent reputation with customers and the business community

Warm Welcome

For Tourism sector: Much of the Leamington district area’s local economy is based on tourism and many local businesses really go above and beyond for our visitors. Candidates for this category are businesses that cater to the specific needs of tourists and aid in promoting other businesses within our area.

Guidelines

• Consistently demonstrates congeniality and helpfulness to tourists
• Displays exceptional professional and ethical qualities
• Demonstrates enthusiasm for promoting Leamington and the surrounding area
• Has gone beyond the realm of their own business to assist tourists and visitors

Small Business Excellence (Under Nine Employees)

The small business sector encompasses a variety of businesses that make up our community. This award recognizes a small business showing excellence in some or all of the following categories: new or innovative product or service, quality of merchandise/customer service, job creation, growth potential, market served and community involvement.

Guidelines

• Maximum of nine employees in any sector
• Positive reputation within the business community
• Commitment to community service

Small Business Excellence (10-50 Employees)

The small business sector encompasses a variety of businesses that make up our community. This award recognizes a small business showing excellence in some or all of the following categories: new or innovative product or service, quality of merchandise/customer service, job creation, growth potential, market served and community involvement.

Guidelines

• Maximum of 50 employees in any sector
• Positive reputation within the business community
• Commitment to community service

Industrial/Manufacturing Excellence

Leamington and the surrounding area boast a number of leading industries. Many of them have earned global recognition and respect. They provide employment, stability and an enhanced quality of life for many Leamington and area residents.

Guidelines

• Commitment to product development and quality
• Expanding market base
• Environmental commitment

Grow South Essex

The South Essex area boasts many businesses ranging from greenhouse operations to vineyards to field farming to flowers to fishing. Many of the products produced in this area are distributed throughout Canada and exported to the United States and beyond. These local businesses deserve to be recognized for their innovative approach to the local industry. 

Guidelines

• Research and development, new varieties, growing of processing techniques
• Food safety and security programs in place
• Marketing and/or merchandising programs

Innovation

Entrepreneur of any age – Without imagination and a willingness to take risks, many of the innovative products and valuable services in today’s marketplace would not exist. The entrepreneur takes a vision and turns it into a profitable reality. This award recognizes an individual from the community who exemplifies the qualities of the business visionary.

Guidelines

• Demonstrates leadership, daring and creativity
• Steady revenue growth
• Demonstrates personal and financial commitment
• Unique marketing concept

Welcoming Accessibility

Creating welcoming and accessible communities is a shared responsibility. It takes the effort of many caring people from every walk of life to ensure that everyone in our community has the right to live with dignity and to actively participate in the community. This award recognizes a local business that has made a significant contribution towards the development of a welcoming and accessible community. 

Guidelines

• Demonstrates a commitment through their actions and attitudes encouraging the inclusion of all people
• Demonstrates leadership in creating and welcoming an accessible community through volunteer or employment opportunities
• Has an excellent reputation with customers and the business community
• Is actively involved in the community

Invest in a World Class Workforce

This business, organization or association leads the way in preparing for future opportunities and anticipating change in the marketplace by investing in skills development and training, providing career growth opportunities and modeling lifelong learning.

Guidelines

• Extent of quality of skills development opportunities
• Achievements of the organization or individual, which may be attributed to training
• Participation in career development activities (co-op, mentorships, apprenticeships, etc.)
• Exceptional commitment to equity and diversity in the workplace

Youth Excellence

The leaders of tomorrow are the youth of today. The recipient of this award is under the age of 25 and is attending secondary school or a post-secondary education. They are involved in extra-curricular activities in the community and may even be working a part time job. They balance school, volunteering, sports, work and family. They are recognized by their teachers, peers, community and friends for the depth of their character, their integrity and the standards they strive to reach. 

Positive Professional

For the Professional sector: Candidates for this category include lawyers, doctors, accountants, etc. that operate their business by promoting it with a passion and positive community mindset.

Guidelines

• Displays exceptional professional and ethical qualities
• Demonstrates initiative and enthusiasm for their business
• Consistently demonstrates congeniality and helpfulness to customers
• Has an excellent reputation with customers and the business community
• Active involvement in the community

Young Entrepreneur

The Young Entrepreneur award recognizes outstanding achievement by entrepreneurs under 30 years of age. The award is given to the business person that best exemplifies the qualities of effective leadership, has innovatively applied know-how and has excellent potential for growth. The recipient of this award shows an elevated level of social, cultural and environmental awareness and has demonstrated commitment to the wider community. They are engaged in continuous learning or other improvement opportunities designed to advance the economic, social and environmental prospects of the enterprise. 

Alf Bennie

Named after the first president of the Leamington District Chamber of Commerce, the Alf Bennie Award recognizes an individual in the community who has made a difference either through volunteering or community involvement. The recipient of this award had made a difference in the community. Sometimes these differences are planned actions, and other times they are spontaneous. Either way, the award winner has contributed through their deeds or actions and has affected the lives of the people they have come in contact with in a positive way.