And the Envelope, Please

Celebrating its 35th year, the London Chamber 2018 Business Achievement Awards shines the spotlight on the city’s best

Photo: Michael DeLorenzi, president of Northern Commerce, a finalist for this year’s Large Business of the Year Award

WHEN THE BRIGHTEST innovators and trailblazers of London’s business community gather at the London Convention Centre on March 21, they’ll have plenty to celebrate. The annual London Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Awards gala is the crowning event of the city’s bustling business calendar, and with well over 1,000 business and community leaders in attendance, the event has grown to become the largest of its kind in Canada.

This year’s finalists represent a broad spectrum of the local business community—everything from technology companies and food-and-beverage producers to health providers and professional services firms. Over the past few months a distinguished line-up of volunteer BAA judges have meticulously reviewed and reduced a long list of nominees to 22 finalists in nine categories (including the new Beyond Borders Award, introduced this year). And while hard statistics like revenues, employment growth and bottom-line results are all important criteria in selecting the finalists, less concrete qualities like innovation and improving quality of life in the region are equally critical.

Included in the BAA program is the Corporate Icon Award. Characterized as a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for corporations, the Corporate Icon Award is given annually to a business that has demonstrated excellence in a certain aspect of business, making either an immediate impact or substantial long-term contribution to the economic progress of the London community. Unlike other BAA awards, the Corporate Icon Award is announced in advance of the awards gala. The recipient of the 2018 Corporate Icon Award is Jones Packaging.

To learn more about the event and for ticket information, visit www.londonchamber.com.

Small Business of the Year Finalists
Anderson Craft Ales
Bentley Hearing Services
Carswell Partners
Exodus Escape Rooms

Medium Business of the Year Finalists
C & V Income Tax Services
Globally Local
Wastell Homes
WinAir (AV BASE Systems)

Large Business of the Year Finalists
Digital Echidna
Northern Commerce

Agribusiness Finalists
Bonduelle
Gray Ridge Egg Farms (L.H. Gray & Son Ltd.)

Beyond Borders Award Finalists
Armatec Survivability
Big Blue Bubble Inc.

Corporate Social Responsibility Finalists
KPMG LLP
rTraction
Environmental Leadership Finalists
3M Canada
London City Centre

Excellence in Human Resources Finalists
Arcane Digital
Diebold Nixdorf

Innovation Award Finalists
Canadian Centre for Product Validation
Predator Bird Services

Corporate Icon Award Recipient
Jones Packaging