The 2007 Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence is dedicated to recognizing exemplary models of excellence and community service by Oakville’s businesses. The annual program, now in its 13th year, is organized by The Rotary Club of Oakville West, in association with the Oakville Chamber of Commerce.

The “OABE” culminates in a prestigious Gala Dinner and Award ceremony.  This year’s dinner event for the 2006 Awards will be held Thursday April 3, 2008 at the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre (Wyecroft and Bronte Rd).

The proceeds from the Gala Awards Dinner, including the considerable support from our many sponsors, provide for the Rotary Club’s numerous youth and academic programs such as the Oakville Awards for Academic Excellence, the Oakville Youth Development Centre, and Camp Enterprise.

Since its inception the OABE has generated over $250,000 in youth support and student awards while honouring over 150 exceptional entrepreneurs and businesses in our town. An excellent record in itself!

What are the 6 OABE categories?

Oakville’s Entrepreneur of the Year:
This award recognizes an individual who personally exhibits extraordinary entrepreneurship, energy, inspiration, leadership and / or innovation in their business pursuits.

Oakville’s Restaurateur of the Year:
This award recognizes a person or employee team of a public eat-in food service establishment located in Oakville.

Oakville’s Small Company of the Year:
This award recognizes a company of approximately 20 full time equivalent employees and/or that primarily services Oakville or the surrounding region.

Oakville’s Large Company of the Year:
This award recognizes a business of many more than 20 employees and/or that serves the Canadian market and International markets.

Oakville’s Professional Service Provider of the Year:
This award recognizes a person (possibly 2-3) who exhibits extraordinary service, community support and client management in a professional service role related to one of the following:

• Personal health care, Wellness or Fitness
• Legal, Financial, Insurance, Real Estate, or Accounting, Consulting or Business Coaching 
• Information and communications technology, Printing, Web or marketing agency
• Home maintenance, repair, landscaping

Oakville’s Environmental Leader of the Year:
This award is for a company that exhibits a significant proactive concern for, and proven success with, conducting business processes in such a way as to leave the environment (water, earth, and air) better off because of their company’s products, services or investments.

How many award trophies are given out?
Trophies are awarded to the winners of each category. Runners-up are recognized as well. The Judges select finalists in each category. Of the finalists, one is selected as the excellence winner. The Judges reserve the right to allow for a category tie or to designate a large and small winner in a category when appropriate. In these cases an additional award is presented.

Who is eligible to win an OABE?
This competition is open to Oakville businesses that have existed for a minimum of two years. The business must be located in the Town of Oakville. Size does not matter! The Judges are looking for excellence in business, not size.

Who is not eligible to win an OABE?
These are business awards. Therefore the competition is not open to governments, associations, centres or organizations which operate on a not-for-profit basis. Businesses that have won an OABE in the past three years are not eligible to win in the same category. They may however win in a different category. The competition is also not open to the Judges or their employers, or to members of the OABE Organizing Committee or their employers.

How is a business nominated for an OABE?
Typically a customer or a supplier nominates a firm they recognize as excellent. Sometimes Oakville businesses self nominate if they feel they have succeeded and excelled and possibly many in Oakville are not aware of them. Nomination forms are available from November 1 to December 17 on the www.OABE.ca site. The deadline for nominations for the 2006 awards closes December 17, 2007. Neither nominees nor nominators need be Rotary Club members or Chamber of Commerce members.

What if I am not certain about the appropriate category?
The Judges reserve the right to move a nomination to a more appropriate category if necessary.
Does one have to obtain a company’s permission before nominating them?
Not necessarily. Businesses are usually honoured and flattered to be nominated by their customer or suppliers even without consultation. However, you might want to tell them as a courtesy. Most people like to know they are appreciated. In any event they may choose to have their nomination withdrawn.

What does a nominated company have to do to participate in the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence?
All eligible nominees will be contacted and invited to qualify for the award competition by submitting insightful information for the Judges’ consideration. The Judges do not probe commercially sensitive information, but ask nominees general questions such as:

What differentiates you, in your business? 
Why do employees want to work for you?  
What has been the growth of your business since it was formed? 
How do you and your business give back to the community? 
How do you demonstrate customer service?

When are the Awards presented?
The Gala Awards Dinner for the 2007 Oakville Awards for Business Excellence will be held April 3, 2008 at Carmen’s in the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre at Bronte Road and Wyecroft.

What are the sponsorship opportunities associated with the OABE and the Gala Dinner and Ceremony?
Sponsorships are still available for the 2007 Oakville Awards for Business Excellence (OABE) ... a joint project of the Rotary Club of Oakville West (RCOW) and the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. Please see the sponsorship outline on the web site.

How do I get tickets to the Gala Award Dinner Event on April 3, 2008?
Watch the web site and the Oakville Beaver for details and order forms.

2007 OABE Awards Timetable
(Dates are approximate)

November 1: Launch of Nomination process through Chamber of Commerce, Oakville Beaver, Rotary Clubs of Oakville (4) and other business press.

December 17, 2007: Close of Nominations at 5 pm.

January 20: Tickets for the 2006 OABE Gala Award Dinner go on sale.

Week of Feb. 18, 2008: Celebration for nominees at the Oakville Conference Centre.

April 3, 2008: The 2007 OABE Gala Award Dinner and Ceremony is held at the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre from 6pm to 10:30pm.