Expect an entrepreneurial vibe tonight at the 2024 Business Excellence Awards presented by the Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce.
The WLS Convention Centre is expected to be packed with a record number of 44 nominees in various business award categories.
The Oct. 24 gala celebration is the local culmination of Canada-wide Small Business Week activities.
“Small Business Week is an annual celebration of entrepreneurship which is very near and dear to my heart,” said Chamber president Donna Schellenberg.
She told the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Small Business Week kickoff lunch on Monday, Oct. 28, that her own business, To The Core Pilates & Nutrition, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2025.
“Each year, more than 10,000 businesses come together at events just like this one to celebrate and network the achievements of small businesses within Canada, “ said Schellenberg. “Here in Lloyd, we take this time to host our annual celebration of business excellence. I hope many of you will join us on Thursday. We’re going to recognize and award the outstanding contribution of our local businesses.”
The Chamber reaches out annually to the public to nominate the best in businesses in Lloydminster.
Aside from a record number of nominees this year, Schellenberg noted the Chamber also had a lot of new businesses nominated this year.
The recipients of most awards will be decided by three anonymous judges except the award for customer service, by a public vote and the non-profit of the year, by the Chamber board.
The Chamber also recognizes a business member who has provided the community with years of business leadership with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award
“As Chamber president, I do have the honour of selecting the Lifetime Achievement winner,” said Schellenberg.
“It’s the highlight of the evening and I can’t wait to announce it on Thursday,” she said.
Schellenberg thinks it’s phenomenal that previous winners have such a diverse background.
“We have all sorts of people that have contributed for their lifetimes here, within Lloydminster and they each do it with their own special flare and contributions,” she said.
Schellenberg told the mixed audience of Rotarians and Chamber members how Lloydminster is a community built by entrepreneurs.
“They are the backbone of our community. They are the driving force behind, not only our economy, but also Canada’s economy,” she said.
Statistics indicate 99.9 per cent of businesses in Canada have fewer than 100 employees, with the Chamber’s membership mirroring that trend at 97.6 per cent.
“Our city is driven by small business,” said Schellenberg.
“The spirit of small business is one of innovation and community engagement reflected in the nominees for Small Business of the Year.”
The nominees for that honour are Border City Furniture, Domino’s Pizza, Maz Entertainment, Trophy Gallery, Ward Tirecraft Lloydminster and Sheepskin Loft.
“They all have a vision of what they want their business to be and they have the drive to build a business they can be proud of,” said Schellenberg.
She also noted the Chamber currently has 505 members representing 26.9 per cent of the business licences in Lloydminster.
“The Chamber is a voice for small business through tireless advocacy efforts,” stressed Schellenberg, with the Lloydminster Food Trade Pilot, a successful example of advocacy for food businesses operating in the city.
Chamber efforts will eliminate federal inter-provincial licensing requirements within city boundaries.
Teri-Lynn MacKie, executive director of the Chamber told Rotary the amendment will soon be posted in the Government of Canada’s newspaper the Canada Gazette to make it official.
“As soon as that is published that means the regulatory amendment has been made and Lloyd will be looked at as one whole city, so there will be no interprovincial trade barrier,” said MacKie.
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