business excellence 2010

Abbotsford News I Saturday, November 20, 2010 B1

PRESENTED BY

Chamber ofChamber ofCommerceCommerce abbotsford

Honouring outstanding organizations and individuals in Abbotsford who strive

for excellence in the community.

EXCELLENCE

who will

B2 Abbotsford News I Saturday, November 20, 2010

The News i s asking you, our reader s :

“Who are the most inf luentialpeople in our c i ty?”

2010A B B O T S F O R D ’ S

M O S T I N F L U E N T I A L P E O P L ET O P 1 0 0

2009

2009

2009

2009

2009

2009

GERRY PALMER

MANPREET GREWAL

DAN RATZLAFF

CHRISTINEWIEBE

LANESWEETING

SKIPBASSFORD

Win an overnight getaway!

Submit your nomineesvia email:

[email protected]

As a token of our thanks, your name wi l l beentered into a draw for an overnight stay at

a luxur y 2 bedroom vi l la at The Fal ls Golf Resor t .

C losing date for nominat ions is November 26th 2010 at 5pm

Please drop off th is bal lot to 34375 Gladys Ave, Abbotsford.

www.facebook.com/myabbynews

Nominee OneN a m e

( f i r s t ) ( l a s t )

O r g a n i z a t i o n

Nominee TwoN a m e

( f i r s t ) ( l a s t )


Nominee ThreeN a m e

( f i r s t ) ( l a s t )


Enter to win:N a m e E m a i l

your life your community.

abbynews.com

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Presented by:

Who are the movers and shakers that make Abbotsford t ick?

For the second year in a row, the Abbotsford News is asking i ts readers to ident i fy the Top 100 Most Inf luent ia l People in the c i t y.

But being inf luent ia l doesn’t mean you have to be famous. Ever yone is e l ig ible for the l ist . Whi le local pol i t ic ians and business leaders receive plent y of t ime in the spot l ight , teachers, coaches and volunteers a lso shape our communit y.

Anyone who has been a mentor, a suppor ter or who made a dif ference is e l ig ible.

“We are not just looking for communit y leaders, but for teachers, for those unsung heroes – people who don’t normal ly seek the spot l ight but deser ve to be recognized,”

explained Abbotsford News publ isher Andrew Frankl in.

The l ist was created last year and more than 100 names were put forward. A judging process wi l l be under taken and a new l ist wi l l be created.

“ It ’s impor tant to put this l ist together based on reader input because we want to seek out those people who we don’t know about,” said Frankl in. “There wi l l l ikely be many new names on this year ’s l ist as some people are moved off.”

Nominat ion forms are avai lable inside edit ions of The Abbotsford News and The Abbotsford News Dai ly as wel l as onl ine at facebook.com/myabbynews.

Nominat ion forms can be dropped off or

mai led to The Abbotsford News at 34375 Gladys Ave. Abbotsford.

You can also submit t your nominat ions by emai l to [email protected].

Anyone f i l l ing out a nominat ion form wi l l be entered into a draw for an overnight stay at a luxur y, 2 bedroom vi l la at The Fal ls Golf Resor t .

But you had better hurr y, the deadl ine for nominat ions is Nov. 26 at 5 p.m.

“This is h ighly coveted l ist . People are real ly excited about i t . I th ink of i t as Abbotsford ’s vers ion of the For tune 500. We are l ist ing the top 100 people in Abbotsford who make a dif ference and hopeful ly, th is wi l l inspire others to do even more.”


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EXCELLENCE

The best in business

Recognizingcommunity

leaders

The Abbotsford Business Excellence Awards have been our business community’s way of recognizing those individuals, businesses and organizations that go far beyond the ordinary.

Whether it is a new enterprise just starting to make its mark, an industry leader that shows head and shoulders above the rest or a well established business that just keeps getting better, this is a celebration to highlight the success of all the nominees.

The high calibre of the nominees makes it a formidable task for our judges to select a recipient in each category. In fact, all nominees should be equally proud of their accomplishments and feel truly honoured, for to be distinguished by one’s peers is the most meaningful form of recognition.

Congratulations to all this year’s nominees on behalf of the Business Excellence Committee.

Allan AsaphChair, Business Excellence Committee

Chamber of Commerce executive director David D. Hull with the coveted award.

JOHN VAN PUTTEN Abbotsford News

Allan Asaph

The 15th annual Business Excellence Awards night – Wednesday, Nov. 24 this year – is shaping up to be another success.

Almost 400 tickets have already been sold, and about 500 guests are expected at Tradex for an evening of top-quality dining by CTC Catering, decor by Valley Weddings and corpo-rate entertainment by musical comedian Todd Butler.

David D. Hull, executive director of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, says it is sure to be another fine evening of showcasing the best in local business.

“Abbotsford has a really vibrant, thriving business community. They are a spirited entre-preneurial lot. A lot of that is reflected in the Business Excellence Awards: the number of nominations that we receive, the number that participate, the people who come out for the event.”

To be as fair as possible in determining the recipients of each award, the format for judging was changed three years ago to an interview with each nominee, as opposed to an application package only.

“What we’ve done is taken the subjectivity out of it,” says Hull.

Each business owner submits a 250-word description of his or her company, the company logo, and attends a 20-minute interview with a panel of three judges from the Chamber of Commerce. Before they arrive for their inter-views, nominees get a list of the questions in order to level the playing field.

About 120 businesses were nominated for a coveted glass trophy this year.

Simply being nominated shines a great light on

the quality of a business, says Hull, and deciding between nominees in each category is always a struggle for the judges.

Unlike many interviews in the business world, however, interviewing nominees for these awards is always a good time, both for the business own-ers and especially the judges.

“They really enjoy it and they take it so seri-ously,” says Goldie VanGarderen, event coordina-tor for the Chamber. “One group was in here for an hour and a half trying to deliberate. They had three (businesses) in mind, and they couldn’t decide which one they wanted to choose.”

There are 10 categories for this year’s Business Excellence Awards:

Home Based Business Excellence Sponsored by: Click Media Works

Retailer Excellence Sponsored by: Prospera Credit Union

Manufacturing & Producer Excellence Sponsored by: Sevenoaks Shopping Centre

Agricultural and Agri-Business Excellence Sponsored by: TD Canada Trust Agriculture

Services Service Industry Excellence Sponsored by:

Firstbase Services Ltd. Eric Vanderham Young Entrepreneur of

the Year Sponsored by: The Rotary Clubs of Abbotsford

Non Profit Organization of the Year Sponsored by Baker Newby LLP, Lawyers

New Business of the Year Sponsored by: KPMG Enterprise

Established Business of the Year (1-19 Employees) Sponsored by: Tradex

Established Business of the Year (20+ Employees) Sponsored by: The Abbotsford News

Abbotsford has a really vibrant, thriving business community

David D.Hull


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Entertainer bringsmusic and stand-up

Musical comedian/satirist Todd Butler will bring his quick wit and impressive guitar skills to Tradex this month for the entertainment portion of the Business Excellence Awards.

Butler is a self-described Weird Al Yankovic meets This Hour Has 22 Minutes hybrid who likes to riff on local and national politics as well as Canadian trivia in general.

“I poke fun at people in the news, like Tiger Woods and Conrad Black, that kind of stuff,” he said.

Butler’s latest number, which he’s currently working on from his home in Courtenay, B.C., is a ribbing of our recently resigned premier, called What if Gord Was One of Us?

Despite the heavy slant toward political humour in his routine, Butler said it’s not a partisan view; everyone’s made fun of equally.

It’s good, clean fun though.Doing corporate entertainment

is one of Butler’s favourite kinds

of shows because he gets to be funny without lowering the bar for an inebriated club audience.

“I found that I had enough mate-rial that was funny and clean, which is basically what they want,” he said. “With comedians, you never know what you’re getting, especially with stand-up, and the last thing 300 bankers and their wives or husbands want to hear is somebody swearing and doing off-colour jokes.”

Being only one in a handful of professional comedians in the corporate circuit, Butler said he gets a lot of gigs, such as the B.C. Municipalities Convention two years ago, where he won over the crowd.

In addition to his jokes, Butler appeals to most audiences with his impressive finger-picking and flat-picking numbers which he’s been perfecting as a professional guitarist and teacher for the past 40 years.

He can even play Dueling Banjos behind his head.

Getting into the comedy side of performing wasn’t a big leap for the guy who has always seen the world from a skewed perspective.

Starting in high school, he played in bands seven nights a week, and found that if he changed the words to well-known songs, he’d get a laugh… and occasionally threatened.

“Bikers don’t like it too much when you mess with Born to Be Wild,” he said with a laugh.

Some CBC radio listeners may remember Butler from his days as a host and performer in Madly Off In All Directions, but these days he’s back to his roots, doing his comedy for live audiences.

“I try to pick songs that every-body knows… It tends to be more on the country and folk side, but I also parody AC/DC songs, and that kind of stuff. The whole show is little snippets that all kind of tie together. It’s very much like stand-up with a guitar.”

To find out more about Todd Butler visit www.toddbutler.com.

Todd Butler will bring his unique brand of musical humour to Tradex forthe Business Excellence Awards.


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‘One of the best nights I can remember’It was Oscar night last

year at this time for Toews Sewing and Pianos.

The long-standing local company was among the win-ners at the 14th Abbotsford Business Excellence Awards, taking the Established Business of the Year award, sponsored by the Abbotsford News.

The firm’s Calvin Toews called it “exciting” and likened the experience to a Hollywood triumph.

“It’s like winning an Academy Award, that’s how cool it was over there,” Toews said of the 2009 event at Tracex. “It was one of the best nights I can remember.”

He said the award has sig-nificantly enhanced the pro-file of the Toews business, a family operation with a staff of five, which was already something of an institution in the Fraser Valley.

After setting up shop in Chilliwack in November 1949, the business moved to Abbotsford five years later and has now been in the

community for 56 years.Throughout its history, the

Toews shop has offered sales and repair services for sew-ing machines and pianos.

By continuing to specialize in the finer points of both fields, Toews said his shop is able to offer a degree of expertise sometimes lacking in an era of big-box retailers and disposable products – a quality he believes was key to winning last year’s award.

“Focusing in on a thing and sticking with it, I think that’s what it’s all about,” Toews said. “There are about 8,800 parts in a piano, which is something not everyone knows about.”

The trophy is on prominent display at the Toews shop at 2518A Clearbrook Road. While there’s no hard evi-dence how much the award may have improved business, Toews suspects it probably has.

“I think it makes people feel more confident about (making a purchase),” he said. Calvin Toews of Toews Sewing and Music, winner of last year’s award for Established Business of the Year.



Congratulations to all Business Excellence Awards winners and nominees!

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Nominated for BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010

“The feeling of “The feeling of being nominated for such an honour such an honour is indescribable.”is indescribable.”

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EXCELLENCE

Excellence deserves recognition and on Nov. 24, ten worthy nominees will be rewarded.

The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and The Abbotsford News are presenting the annual Business Excellence Awards, which honour outstanding orga-nizations and individuals in Abbotsford who strive for excellence in the community.

Guests at the awards gala will be treated to entertain-ment by Todd Butler.

With over 20 years experience, Butler’s skills are honed to a fine point and he swings easily from lam-basting politicians in political parodies to interpreting the latest news stories with a twist. The gala begins at 5:30 p.m. at Tradex at the Abbotsford Airport.

Tickets are $62 and tables of eight are available for $496. This year more than 80 nominees will vie for the 10 awards.

The nominees are:

Home Based Business› Cinderella Slip-Ons› Clayburn Comforts Soap & Bodyworks› Gail Winchester Salons› Gingerbread House Preschool› Theresa Chevalier

Retailer Excellence› Homestead Nurseryland & Florist› Kingston Flooring› Kitchen & Bath Classics› Life Cycles Bike Shop› Ronald Allan Clothiers › Roses & Rutabagas› Simply Perfect Flowers› The Mad Butcher› The Valley Feed Bag› TimeMasters Jewellers› Valhalla Pure Outfitters

Manufacturing & Producer Excellence› Abstract Alloy Manufacturing› Unitex Sales› Valley Master Mason Mable and Granite

Agriculture & Agri-Business› Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm and Meadery› Mt. Lehman Winery› Nutriva Group

Service Industry E› 360 Fabrication› Fraser Valley Hearing› J’s Pizza (Immel Street)› Little Farmhouse in the› Maggie Reimer (RBC Do› Merle Norman › Ocean Stationery & Offi› PetroCan Service Statio› Prism PC› Relevention Marketing› Restaurant 62› ServiceMaster Clean of› Shelley Gossett, PREC› Sumas Mountain Projec› The Baron Bar & Grill› Westview Executive Sea› Wild Orange Spa

Eric Vanderham Yof the Year› Danielle Knowles, Red P› Dustin Russell, LAunch› Kelsey Vanderhorst, KV› Shyla Slade, Valley Wed

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Non Profit Organization of the Year› Abbotsford Agrifair› Abbotsford Food Bank› Abbotsford Downtown Business Association› Abbotsford Rotary Club› Abbotsford Special Olympics› BC Chicken Marketing Board› BC Egg Marketing Board› Canadian Cancer Society (Abbotsford Region)› CARE Abbotsford› Elizabeth’s Wildlife Centre› Food for the Hungry Canada› Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery› Fraternal Order of Eagles (Abbotsford) › The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford

New Business of the Year› Formaggio Fine Foods › House Calls Home Nursing› KV Bijou› Launch Man› Lepp Farm Market› Magnuson Ford› Tutor Doctor

Established Business of the Year(1-19 Employees)› Canadian Western Bank› Champagne & Lace› Classic Party & Balloon Supply› Clayburn Village Store › Concept Plumbing and Gas› Eximus Real Estate Team› J-B’s Candy Shoppe› MD Cosmetic and Laser Clinic› Nomad Auto Sales› Numbers Unlimited Bookkeeping› SciencePure Nutraceuticals› Whatcom Road Veterinary Hospital

Established Business of the Year(20+ Employees)› Cannor Nursery› Hallmark Assisted Living› Ramada Plaza & Conference Centre› RDM Lawyers› Tradex› Valley Personnel

0 Business Awards nominees



Chocolatier ‘Silly Bonka’ nominatedPhil Bonk had a good life with a wife, three

kids and a job as an accountant, but there was one thing he couldn’t have – candy.

A diabetic his whole life, Bonk couldn’t have sugar, though he’s always had a sweet tooth.

But then five years ago he got the idea to give up bean counting and learn every aspect of making gum drops and candy apples in his own business.

“I’ve always loved candy because I couldn’t have it,” he said. “Part of the thing was to actually make a good candy that diabetics would like.”

So naturally his three kids, ages nine, 12 and 14, were delighted when their dad opened J-B’s Candy Shoppe on Pauline Street.

They got to drop in after school to see how business was going and test the product.

Bonk learned how to make chocolate, including the sugar-free variety, and also caramel, fudge, and candy of all kinds.

Though some of his sweets are imported, the candy man makes about 75 per cent of everything he sells.

Jelly beans, taffy, suckers, truffles, caramel corn – you name it, you can find it at J-B’s Candy Shoppe.

It’s no coincidence he’s become affection-ately known by some of his loyal customers as ‘Silly Bonka,’ the talented chocolatier.

Truffles are his favourite treat to make.The original recipe was from an expert

chocolatier in Creston, which he then

tweaked to make his own.“I had to turn the temp up a little bit and

cook them a little longer to get the same texture and consistency,” he said. “With chocolate, sometimes it’ll bloom and you just don’t know why. You could do the same thing at a different location or a different altitude and it’ll turn out differently. It’s a funny little temperate item.”

Chocolate makes up the majority of sales, but about 20 per cent of customers come in for the ice cream.

In terms of wholesale, caramel corn is his number one seller.

Bonk’s personal favourite is the irresistible caramel pretzel twist, though he knows he shouldn’t sample them too often.

It wasn’t all sweet times from the start, of course, but Bonk said this year J-B’s Candy Shoppe has “turned that corner.”

Priding himself on being a truly local sup-plier, he uses as many locally sourced ingre-dients as possible, including apples to make candy apples from Willow View Farm and the Apple Barn, here in Abbotsford.

In recognition of his success, Bonk’s venture has been nominated for Established Business of the Year (1-19 Employees) for the 2010 Abbotsford Business Excellence Awards.

“I was quite surprised, and thankful, of course, that a little shop like ours would be nominated,” he said, before getting back to his latest batch of fudge. Phil Bonk with a tray of his sweet wares from J-B’s Candy Shoppe.


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The Abbotsford TD Business Banking Group would like to congratulate all last year’s winners and wish good luck to all the nominees of the 2010 Business Excellence Awards.

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Award gets a positive ReactionLast year’s Retailer of the Year

award is the first thing customers see when they walk into Reaction Fly and Tackle.

The Whatcom Road fishing supplies firm took the trophy at the 2009 Abbotsford Business Excellence Awards, after having won for customer service the year before.

And Reaction’s Terry Skipper said the boost to his business, though difficult to measure, is not in doubt.

“It’s definitely had an impact, no question,” Skipper said. “In our minds it’s a fairly sig-nificant award, and we proudly display it.”

The six-year-old business offers a wide range of fishing tackle and fly-tying equipment in retail sales, as well as wholesale to other retailers. It also offers regular courses and seminars – interest in women’s-only “casting clinics” has surged, he said.

Skipper said its success in the awards competition is likely the

result of a strong emphasis on customer service, and ensuring it kept its staff of five fully employed through the recession.

“We did everything in our power not to lay anyone off,” he said. “There are not too many businesses who would put their employees first, and we did that in spades.”

In addition to serving as an impressive piece of shop decora-tion, the awards have allowed for greater opportunities in networking in the business commu-nity, he said.

“There’s definitely more visibility there.”

Skipper said he would strongly encourage non-members to consider joining the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce for the same reasons.

The benefits are there for busi-nesses “of all sizes,” he said.

As for the possibility of stepping into the winners’ circle one more time? Skipper said it’s somebody else’s turn.

Terry Skipper of Reaction Fly and Tackle said winning a Business Excellence Award had a positive impact on the Whatcom Road store.


“In our minds it’s a fairly significant award, and we proudly display it.

Terry Skipper

EXCELLENCE


Thank You

31135C Peardonville RdAbbotsford, B.C. V2T 6K6

604-855-3722 www.prismpc.ca

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See You at the Fair!

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It is an honour to be nominated for Non-Profit Organization of the year!

Congratulations to all nominees and recipients.

July 28 - August 1, 2011

See You at the Fair!

Abbotsford Exhibition Park32470 Haida Drive, Abbotsford, BC • 604.852.6674

July 28 - August 1, 2011

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Campbell’s has a sweet businessWhen Judy Campbell learned that

Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm and Meadery had been nominated for an Abbotsford Business Excellence Award in the agri-business category, she was “surprised.”

Upon reflection, Judy is just as sur-prised to be helping to run a business related to bees.

“I’d been stung as a child, and I used to have a terrible fear of bees,” she admitted with a chuckle.

As the story goes, Mike Campbell – Judy’s husband – had long desired to keep bees on their eight-acre property at 2595 Lefeuvre Road. Judy, for obvious reasons, was resistant.

But in 1997, a friend from church had a hive in his backyard that he was try-ing to get rid of. Mike prevailed upon Judy to let him bring the hive home, on the condition that it be stationed at the very back of the property.

The growth of that first hive into a thriving business occurred organically. Mike turned out to have a knack for beekeeping, and multiplied his hives. Soon, they were producing more honey than the Campbells could consume themselves or give away to friends, and the hobby became a business.

As part of that transition, the Campbells took a basic beekeep-

ing course from the Ministry of Agriculture, and part of that course involved being stung by a bee to ensure you weren’t allergic.

“I actually got stung, and I survived it,” Judy recalled with a chuckle. “That actually took away the apprehension.

“I still have respect for the bees, but it’s not a fear like I had.”

When Mike retired in 2006, the Campbells took their enterprise to the next level, redeveloping their property to feature a farm store front, honey extraction centre and meadery.

Mead, or honey wine, is just one of an expansive list of bee-derived products the Campbells offer in addition to the honey. The farm store also carries such products as bee’s wax candles, pollen, healing bee hive products, lotions and creams, and raw beeswax.

“In Europe and Asia, it’s not uncom-mon to have pharmaceuticals derived from the beehive,” Judy said. “But our Western culture doesn’t really know about the healing properties. It’s an eye-opening experience for people to come into our store and learn about that.”

The Campbells strive to make their business community-oriented and environmentally friendly. Their event calendar is packed with a wide variety of activities, including school tours, junior beekeepers camps, art shows, craft workshops and wine tastings.

On the environmental front, the Campbells planted shelter-belt trees to stop wind erosion; installed drip irriga-tion, which is more efficient than spray irrigation; and use geo-thermal heat.

“We wanted to be environmen-tally friendly and give people a bit of a model of what can be done with a small acreage,” Mike explained.

For more information on Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm and Meadery, visit bchoney.com.

Judy Campbell pours a glass of Melomel, which is a wine made with fruit and mead.


Proud to be nominated for

SERVICE INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE

2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010

We congratulate all nominees!

r e s t a u r a n t 6262restaurant62.ca

EXCELLENCE


The Rotary Club of Abbotsfordsince 1950

The Rotary Club of Abbotsford-Matsquisince 1985

The Rotary Club of Abbotsford-Sumassince 1996

Service Above Self

Good luck to all those nominated for a Business Excellence Award. MACADAMS LAW FIRM

Tel: 604-850-1675

Fax: 604-850-1937205-2955 GLADWIN ROAD

ABBOTSFORD, BC V2T 5T4website: www.macadamslaw.com

Douglas MacAdams, [email protected]

Proud to be a Platinum Sponsor for the2010 Business Excellence Awards

Marc A. [email protected]

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE

AWARDSTh ank you to our many sponsors

PlatinumMacAdams Law Firm

GoldBaker Newby LLP, Lawyers

Click Media WorksFirstbase Services Ltd.

KPMG EnterpriseProspera Credit Union

Sevenoaks Shopping CentreTD Canada Trust

Th e Abbotsford NewsTh e Th ree Rotary

Clubs of AbbotsfordTradex

BronzeConair Group Inc.

Classic Party & Balloon SupplyCTC Catering

Business inBlack Sponsor

Wilway Lumber

SilverAbbotsford Printing

BMO Bank of MontrealBusiness Development

Bank of CanadaEnvision Financial

Lotusland VineyardsRBC Royal Bank

ServiceMaster Clean of the Fraser ValleyValley Weddings

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Business Excellence AwardCongratulationsCongratulations

to all the

Winners & Nominees

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square foot facil i ty and fr iendly customer service.

business excellence 2010

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