Kitchener, ON – On Thursday, February 19th, 2015 the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce and the Waterloo Region business community came together to honour the extraordinary contributions of the organizations and volunteers who were nominated for the 2015 Business Excellence Awards at its annual Gala. Host, CTV’s Meghan Furman acted as host and Master of Ceremonies for the evenings Gala celebrations.
Business of the Year (Over 50 Employees) Award
Business of the Year (11-50 Employees) Award
Business of the Year (1-10 Employees) Award
Employee Engagement Award
Environment and Sustainability Award
Health and Wellness in the Workplace Award
Hospitality/Tourism Award
Innovation Award
Michael R. Follett Community Leader Award
Non-Profit/Charitable Award
Volunteer of the Year Award
Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce 2014 Business Excellence Award Recipient Details
Business of the Year (Over 50 Employees) Award
Ontario Drive & Gear (ODG)
Ontario Drive & Gear was founded in 1962 as a subsidiary of a gear manufacturing company, now has 240 employees, has outgrown factory space numerous times and is currently prepping over 30,000 additional square feet for a Design Centre, corporate offices and manufacturing area.
Using the Lean Manufacturing philosophy, they have developed processes and tools that have become a benchmark to all manufacturers in the Region and beyond, are a feature presentation for the Association of Manufacturing Excellence Canadian Conference, and are a lead tour site for many different manufacturing and educational groups.
With a niche product, the Argo, that is being exported globally, major new applications are being found in the Palm Oil industry in Malaysia, the versatility recognized by the oil ministry in Iraq, and by search and rescue organizations in many countries. Recently, they have attracted over 90% of the rover mobility funding from the Canadian Space Agency, and simultaneously, leveraged previous CSA contract funds and developed a terrestrial version. This rover has been sold into the agricultural industry and as a military support vehicle.
Business of the Year (11-50 Employees) Award
Caudle’s Catch Seafood
Caudle’s Catch Seafood started 29 years ago as a humble 2-person business with a small retail presence, modest wholesale business, and weekends at the Waterloo Stockyards and has grown to five local retail locations and Canada-wide wholesale operations with over 30 employees. From their Kitchener facility, they distribute over 25,000 pounds of fresh and frozen seafood to stores and restaurants across Canada each week – including every Red Lobster location in Canada, and 82 Loblaws locations in Ontario.
They have mutually beneficial long-term relationships with seafood suppliers on both coasts, and throughout the Great Lakes Region which has opened the opportunity to import products from around the world. Recognizing a void in the retail market, they developed a line of fresh, oven-ready seafood products for their retail locations. They have also developed a unique training process – including an on-site kitchen – for wholesale customers to enhance their product knowledge, and increase their ability to sell seafood with confidence.
Business of the Year (1-10 Employees) Award
Zoup!
Zoup! was the first in Canada and has been a successful international expansion, opening 3 stores in 4 years of business. They assisted in finding local vendors, helped adapt existing technology and systems, and guided headquarters through unfamiliar business practices in Canada. An instant local hit, they have had a minimum 20% growth year over year and have climbed to be the top performing franchise in the system for 2014.
They have also been recognized by peers for franchisee of the year, personal achievement, and passion for the brand. As a representative on the Franchise Advisory Council, the local owner provides ongoing input to corporate and helps shape programs that benefit the entire network, and also has a role that coaches and mentors all new Canadian franchisees though on-site training.
Employee Engagement Award
Economical Insurance
Shifts in technologies and business goals required the largest change to the technical curriculum in the 12 year history of Economical Insurance training program. In 2014 they completed the largest training development and delivery project in company history by executing training for over 18 revised roles to over 600 new and existing employees in a 7 week timeframe. This involved 25 facilitators and four months of extensive training development and a newly created on-the-job training function that resulted in the addition of six additional full time training roles.
With a learning platform that comprises all technical training for the lines of business, leadership development, employee development, eLearning, broker training and a resource library to provide a pro-active, long-term approach to development that meets both business and employee needs. An internal Business Writing course is offered for employees whose second language is English and in 2014, two management leadership conferences were held for almost 300 attendees.
Environment and Sustainability Award
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University has a Sustainability Office that is committed to environmental awareness and action on campus and beyond. Through engagement, projects, and programming, they are creating a culture where sustainability is integrated into daily operations. WLU coordinates sustainable practices within construction, renovations, maintenance operations, conservation, energy, food, procurement, transportation, waste, and water through education, operations, and community partnerships. A Green Team, made up of 15 students, staff and faculty, have taken the initiative to hold themselves accountable to reducing their Greenhouse Gas emissions by 25% over 10 years and measure all 3 scopes of energy.
WLU recently completed a major sub-metering project that monitors electricity, water, and natural gas in all buildings and then into an energy management system with real-time energy dashboard and touch-screen interactive kiosks that display this information located in the two student areas. They also provide options to staff and faculty such as discounted bus passes, a carpool database, and emergency ride home program.
Health and Wellness in the Workplace Award
Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro
Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro has a wellness team of 9 employees from 7 departments that work on 5 targeted items over the year and reports on Wellness to their Board of Directors. There is an individual and group component to their mental and physical wellness program. One-on-one coaching sessions are available with a wellness coordinator to create a Personal Profile and track health numbers. Topics of broad interest or necessary learning are delivered to all staff during safety meetings, recorded and placed on an electronic training system to let all staff revisit them.
Large wellness fairs are held including on-site medical assessments, they have pedometer challenges, walking groups led by a wellness coordinator, yoga classes and core strengthening classes offered by certified instructors before work and at lunch times, lunch and learns, information kiosks, and have Festive Fitness Challenges to keep active and help balance extra calories. They also have a Wellness Library, monthly Wellness Newsletter, two daily stretching groups, Wellness Boards, an annual Healthy Life Style Incentive program.
Hospitality/Tourism Award
Drayton Entertainment
Founded in 1991, Drayton Entertainment has grown into one of the country’s leading arts organizations with a circuit of 7 live theatres in 5 Ontario locations and entertains 225,000 theatregoers annually. A key to their success has been the strategic partnerships cultivated within the hospitality and tourism industry, and the cross-selling of Dinner & Theatre Packages, Dinner & Accommodation Packages, and Weekend Experiences coupled with other signature attractions.
The organization is an anomaly in that it receives $0 funding from any level of government or arts council for annual operations. Instead, 84% of the budget is realized through ticket sales and the remaining 16% through fundraising. Over the past 4 years their budget has increased over 50%. The Ontario Tourism Regional Economic Impact Model estimates their economic impact in Waterloo Region in 2014 to be over $35 million in total visitor spending, including food, accommodation, recreation and entertainment.
Innovation Award
St. Mary’s General Hospital
When St. Mary’s General Hospital launched real-time emergency department wait times on its website, it was a first in Ontario and gave patients access to live information they never had before. The site was developed using more than 800hrs of research and local software, which enabled them to take historic and live data from internal reporting systems and turn it into a patient-friendly webpage that is more than 90% accurate in predicting when patients are seen in the emergency department.
The community and staff have embraced this technology. The wait time website receives on average 4,000 to 5,000 visits a month and allows staff to focus on providing patients with the best care possible, rather than answering the common question “how long is the wait?” In the first 12 months after going live they saw a 12% reduction in volumes of less severe patient cases. Data suggests that these patients are instead going to family physicians and Urgent Care Clinics, making better use of scarce resources in our health system.
Michael R. Follett Community Leader Award
Maureen Cowan – Cowan Insurance Group
Maureen Cowan is a resident of Waterloo Region, a proud business leader, community supporter and long-term Chamber advocate. She has participated on various boards and committees with examples including, Conestoga College, The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation and the Greater Kitchener and Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. She is a recipient of the 2014 Cambridge YMCA Women of Distinction Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded in 2013.
She strongly believes in organizations giving back to communities that support business growth in their communities, so has actively encouraged employee participation in charitable causes across Waterloo Region. In addition, she Chairs a Foundation that has donated over $19 Million to charities across Canada, including regional organizations such as Capacity Waterloo Region, Pathways to Education, the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, Lutherwood, the Perimeter Institute, and KW Counselling Services.
As Co-CEO of Princeton Holdings Limited, a private holding company headquartered in Cambridge, she oversees a group of Companies that have been in business for approximately 90 years including Cowan Insurance Group, Frank Cowan Company, The Guarantee Company of North America, Millennium CreditRisk Management, Cowan Asset Management and Fountain Street Finance. Today, the group of Companies are leaders in their areas of expertise and collectively provide approximately 1000 jobs, with over 250 in the Waterloo Region. She is described by those who know her as a consummate professional with a very big heart.
Non-Profit/Charitable Award
Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort
Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort’s success is rooted in the hardworking volunteers who started it 80 years ago for the love of skiing, and it has evolved into a community organization with a professional dedicated year-round staff of 19 and over 400 part-time seasonal employees. As a not-for-profit four season recreation facility that is steward to the land it leases from the Grand River Conservation Authority, the leadership team actively seeks new events and programs and has instituted events such as: Oktoberfest, Mighty Machines and B.A.D, Adventure Race which has allowed them to attract 8,000 additional guests annually.
In 2014 they increased operational efficiency through cost control measures, working with the saveONenergy program, education, cross training, partnerships, and improvement of overall systems and were able to save an estimated $1 million, providing them with much needed capital for infrastructure maintenance. In the past year 240 different school groups for a total of 10,000 students participated in the Winter Season; 66 different school groups with 4,100 students took part in the Green Season activities and through programs, events and camps they assist creative learning to an estimated 35,000 youth.
Volunteer of the Year Award
Al Hayes –WalterFedy
Al Hayes from WalterFedy, has been an integral member of our family physician recruitment team spanning many years and a number of critical initiatives, assuming several roles and making significant contributions over the past two years that have furthered and ensured the continued success of this critical health care initiative. Al was part of the push for new leading edge medical facilities which has become a reality at The Boardwalk Medical Centre and he played a role in the recent strategic review of the Chamber Health Care Resources Council structure and mandate to ensure that, going forward, we better serve the health care needs of the community.
Taking on the leadership role with the Health Council’s Ad Hoc Fundraising Committee in our most recent physician recruitment fundraising campaign, he brought many new corporate investors on board.
As Chair of the Family Physician Liaison Task Force since 2011, Al has been involved with the successful planning and hosting of our annual physician recruitment weekend. Always there when needed, he has been an outstanding ambassador for K-W and a welcoming influence with visiting young practitioners. Under his encouraging leadership this past year, the Chamber successfully recruited fifteen new family physicians to serve the community.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Lesley Warren – Lesley Warren Design
Lesley Warren Design started in 2007 in the basement of a house, and has shown steady, sustainable growth and has grown to a team of 7 working from a custom built studio. A commitment to relationships and service excellence has contributed to a client base that has more than tripled in the last year and revenues 26% higher year over year.
Lesley Warren has created strategic partnerships with businesses whose services compliment theirs, and who share their philosophy, values and commitment to service excellence. By encouraging and fostering a collaborative, supportive and enjoyable work environment, leading by example and providing the tools and training needed for employees to succeed, she has built a strong team.
