London Inc. Weekly 10 • 19 • 2018
LHBA honours local residential construction achievements
MEMBERS OF THE London Home Builders’ Association (LHBA) gathered earlier this week at the Best Western Plus Lamplighter Inn & Conference Centre for the annual Awards of Creative Excellence to honour members for personal commitments to the association and housing industry and celebrate achievements in new homes and renovations.
Over 35 awards were presented in a variety of categories, and top honours included:
2018 Builder of the Year: Wastell Homes
2018 Renovator of the Year: CCR Building & Remodeling Inc.
2018 Supplier of the Year: Strik, Baldinelli Moniz Ltd.
2018 Sub-trade of the Year: Sloan Stone Design
In addition to category awards, the 2018 Mowbray Sifton Award was presented to Mark Vaandering of Millennium Construction & Design Inc. Named after the LHBA’s founding president, the award honours a member for an outstanding contribution to the association over the past three years.
As well, two recipients were honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards―Bruce Baker of AGM Surveying & Engineering, and Garry Wastell of Wastell Homes―for their dedication to the London area residential construction industry.
To view the complete list of award winners, click here. 
$7-million gift creates John F. Wood Centre for Innovation in Business Learning
THIS WEEK, THE Ivey Business School announced the receipt of a $7-million gift from John F. Wood to establish the John F. Wood Centre for Innovation in Business Learning.
Building on Ivey’s global reputation for teaching excellence, the new centre will allow Ivey to continue playing a leading role in addressing the significant disruptions facing business education worldwide.
Among elements funded by the gift will be the John F. Wood Chair in Innovation in Business Learning, to be held by the Director of the Wood Centre. The gift will also establish the John F. Wood Course and Curriculum Development Fund to support faculty in developing new courses and teaching programs, expand Ivey’s educational outreach to secondary school students, provide permanent administrative support for the Centre, and establish the Ivey John F. Wood Centre Global Symposium on Innovation in Business Learning.
“To have a successful alumnus come forward and offer such strong support for Ivey’s work on innovation in business learning is a validation of not only our teaching and research contributions in this area to date, but also of our unique ability to deliver new teaching innovations going forward,” said Ivey’s acting dean, Mark Vandenbosch. “John’s extraordinarily generous gift will benefit students at Ivey and throughout management education for generations to come.”
John F. Wood has enjoyed a business career spanning more than five decades, including senior leadership roles in real estate development and appliance manufacturing firms. Currently president of Guelph-based Coldpoint Holdings Ltd., Wood was president and chief executive officer of W.C. Wood Company Limited from 1984 to 2009, which was North America’s second largest manufacturer of household freezers, refrigerators and dehumidifiers.
WinAir named as a finalist for provincial award
AVIATION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE firm WinAir has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Ontario Business Achievement Awards’ (OBAA) SME Business Excellence Award.
The award (announced and presented in Toronto on November 21, 2018) acknowledges a small- or medium-sized enterprise that exemplifies forward-thinking in all aspects of their business. This year marks the first year that the SME Business Excellence award will be presented.
This year’s awards celebration will mark the 36th anniversary of the event, which is presented by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
“We are delighted to have WinAir recognized by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce as a finalist for the Ontario Business Achievement Award for SME Business Excellence,” said WinAir managing director, Kyle Vergeer. “While we are a global company, we pride ourselves on the fact that we are owned and operated in Ontario and remain on the cusp of technological advancements. Our entire team looks forward to the awards ceremony in November.”
PSD unveils new office space and expands workforce
MARKING ITS 15TH anniversary, research, consulting and software firm PSD (Public Sector Digest) has officially unveiled its new downtown head office.
PSD completely renovated the ninth floor at 148 Fullarton Street and it now houses a state-of-the-art data centre linked to Start.ca’s fibre internet connection and includes features like a modern lounge for staff to unwind.
After a third year in a row with 50 per cent revenue growth, PSD’s plans include further expansion within North America, as well as growth in targeted global markets. With a staff of 70, the firm says its London head office now has capacity for an additional 30 research, sales, and programming staff.
PSD’s Burlington branch is also doubling in size and staff will move into the additional space in mid-November. The Burlington location provides PSD with greater access to its client base in the GTA and its expanding client base in Ontario and beyond.
With a client list that includes hundreds of municipalities across Canada and the United States, universities, provincial and federal agencies and departments, and a broad range of private sector firms, PSD specializes in providing customers with strategic roadmaps and software solutions for enterprise asset management and budgeting.
Featured Business Event
ReForest London Tree Depots | October 21, 27, 28, 2018
REFOREST LONDON TREE Depots are pop-up stations that offer free trees to anyone who is a resident of London. A variety of species are available and staff and volunteers are on hand to assist with your selection. Some of the species include sugar maple, red maple, tulip tree, fruit trees and white oak. Donations appreciated.