The Orillia District Chamber of Commerce (ODCC) celebrated some of Orillia’s top businesses and the people who operate them on Thursday evening.
The ODCC held its annual Business Achievement Awards on the big stage at the Orillia Opera House, where 15 awards were handed out.
Winning the most prestigious award, the Chris Bellchambers Hats Off Award, was Derek Kerwin, the owner of Men in Kilts.
Kerwin was recognized for demonstrating outstanding community spirit by always looking for a way to help, maintaining a positive attitude, and donating countless hours of his time to community initiatives, just as Bellchambers did while serving the community as a long-time volunteer.
Kerwin, an organizer of community food drives and cleanups, is a volunteer for several charity organizations, local events, and initiatives. Kerwrin also recently founded a non-profit motorcycle club that helps abused and bullied children and donated $10,000 to Barrie tornado victims.
“Thank you to Orillia for having Men in Kilts in it,” he said. “Supporting us and everything we do is why I try to support all of you in any way that I can.”
Winning the Strengthening Orillia and Lake Country award was Mclean & Dickey Insurance. They also won the milestone award.
On hand to accept the award was principle broker Danielle Tisi who was recognized on behalf of her company for fostering community involvement, through the actions of the business and by supporting their employees in community endeavours.
“We try to support as many local events, charities, and teams as we can,” Tisi said. “For us, it’s not about just writing a cheque, it’s so much more than that.”
Mclean & Dickey Insurance has a policy, she explained, where they encourage employees to donate 14 hours of their time to local organizations or charities. That time is then later reimbursed to employees and Tisi believes it helps to build a stronger company culture.
“Our employees know that it is vital for them to be a part of our team and our community,” she said. “They see it firsthand; they see the impact that they are making every day in our community and the contributions that are made.”
The Young Entrepreneur of the Year was awarded for the first time during the ODCC event on Thursday night. Receiving the award was Grace Schofield, co-owner of Pocket Skate & Vintage, a popular clothing retailer in downtown Orillia.
“I never would have dreamed that I would be accepting this award,” said Schofield, who started her business three years ago at just 21 years old. “I just love waking up every day and getting to do what I do.”
Here is a full list of award winners:
Business Growth Award – De Palma & Associates
Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award – Paris Vision Care
Customer Service – Will Marshall Insurance Brokers
Diversity and Inclusion Award – Bent Law Legal Services
Employer of the Year Award – De Palma & Associates
Entrepreneur of the Year Award – DWN Craft Chocolatier owner Dawn Nita
Innovation Award – AWAKE
New Business of the Year – Paper Planes Play Café
Not-for-Profit or Charitable Organization Award – Hospice Orillia
Small Business of the Year – Cloud Gallery
Sustainability Award – Green Storage Orillia
