Winners of the 13th Annual Small Business BC Awards Announced

VANCOUVER, Feb. 26, 2016 /CNW/ - Between October 1 and November 30, 2015, Small Business BC, the province's premier resource centre for entrepreneurs, asked British Columbians to nominate and vote for their favourite small businesses in the 13th Annual Small Business BC Awards competition.

The businesses with the highest number of votes in each award category were announced as the Top 10 Semi-Finalists on December 11, 2015. The Top 5 Finalists moved on to face a panel of judges who determined the best business in each of 10 award categories.

On Thursday, February 25, 2016, the winners of this year's Small Business BC Awards were announced at the 13th Annual Small Business BC Awards Ceremony at the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel. The winners are:

PREMIER'S PEOPLE'S CHOICE Presented by the Province of British Columbia Shiraz Café and Restaurant - Prince George	BEST APPRENTICE TRAINING Presented by Industry Training Authority and BCIT KYBE Electrical Contracting - North Vancouver
BEST COMMMUNITY IMPACT Presented by Vancity COCO Cafe - Nanaimo	BEST COMPANY Presented by Dell All Inclusive Marketing Inc. - Vancouver
BEST CONCEPT Presented by MNP LLP Filaprint – Tumbler Ridge	BEST EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR Presented by Yellow Pages Big Bro's Barbershop - Vancouver
BEST EMPLOYER Presented by WorkSafeBC North Construction Ltd. - North Vancouver	BEST INTERNATIONAL TRADE Presented by Livingston International Republica Coffee Roasters Inc. - Fort Langley
BEST ONLINE MARKETER Presented by Sage Glitter & Spice - South Surrey	BEST WORKPLACE Presented by WellnessFits Left - Maple Ridge

Recipients of Small Business BC Awards were recognized with the Premier's Prize in the amount of $1,500 cash. The winners were also offered a one-year All-Access pass to Small Business BC education resources and experts, and one-on-one business mentorship opportunities with notable advisors from award sponsors.

"We'd like to congratulate the winners of this year's Small Business BC Awards and wish them the best of luck as they move on to grow their very successful operations," says George Hunter, CEO at Small Business BC. "The participation of greater numbers of nominees from even more communities across the province this year has made for an entertaining and very high-spirited competition."

More details on the winning companies and participants in the 13th Annual Small Business BC Awards can be found at www.sbbcawards.ca.

Quotes

"Small businesses are the backbone of communities across BC. The Premier's People's Choice Award is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate a small business that goes the extra mile for its neighbours." – Premier Christy Clark.

"Small businesses like Shiraz Café and Restaurant are an inspiration to other entrepreneurs and highlight the important relationship small business owners have with people in their communities. It's obvious from the quality of this year's nominees, along with the hundreds of votes submitted from clients, friends and neighbours, that small businesses in BC are having a positive impact locally and strengthening our provincial economy." – Coralee Oakes, Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction and Responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch

"IBC is proud to once again sponsor the Small Business BC Awards, and to have the opportunity to recognize hard-working entrepreneurs for their dedication to communities across the province. We are so pleased to see the significant growth in participation for this year's competition, as a clear indicator of the impact small businesses have here in BC. On behalf of IBC, I congratulate all the finalists and wish them continued success as they move forward into the next round of this year's competition."  – Bill Adams, VP, Western and Pacific, Insurance Bureau of Canada

Quick Facts

• Over 4,000 entrepreneurs have participated in the Small Business BC Awards since its inception
• There is a new award category for Best Apprentice Training sponsored by BCIT and ITA
• The Province of British Columbia and Premier Clark support the Small Business BC Awards through the Premier's People's Choice Award and the Premier's Prize of $1,500 cash given to each winner

About Small Business BC
Small Business BC provides entrepreneurs with the information and guidance necessary to build a solid foundation for their business. Through a wide range of products, services, education and resources there's a piece that fits with every business. No matter what stage or what skill level, when an entrepreneur finds themselves asking "How do I...?" Small Business BC is the one to call.

About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is pleased to celebrate 50 years as a valuable resource for insurance information. Since 1964, IBC has been working with governments across Canada to make our communities safer, championing issues that directly affect Canadians and the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry. IBC is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, car and business insurers. Its member companies represent 90% of the P&C insurance market in Canada. The private P&C insurance industry employs over 118,600 Canadians, pays more than $7 billion in taxes and levies to the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and has a total premium base of $48 billion.

SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada

Media Contact: Mark Blendheim, Communications Manager, Small Business BC, Direct: 604-775-5607, [email protected]