2022 Business Distinction Award Recipients announced
Hundreds of business leaders converged on the Fairmont Hotel Waterfront for the annual Business Distinction Awards, presented by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade through the Scale-up Centre for SMEs (SCS), on November 1st. The awards were presented to businesses that have gone above and beyond to set themselves apart in one of six distinct categories.
The Business Distinction Awards are an evolution of the Business Reinvention Awards, which were introduced to recognize businesses which reinvented, adapted and showed resiliency in the face of the challenges and barriers in 2020.
"The Business Distinction Awards recognize organizations in our region that exemplify a dedication to innovation, sustainability and community-building," said Bridgitte Anderson, President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. "The recipients of the 2022 Business Distinction Awards are a cross-section of the very best our region has to offer."
"Celebrating homegrown success stories in our business community is vitally important and taking time to recognize these accomplishments following a couple of very challenging years is key," said Kim Osborne, CEO of Chemistry Consulting Group and Chair of the SCS Executive Committee. "It is an honour to be able to work together with the committee to highlight the success of businesses in the Lower Mainland."
Winners
Business Growth up to $5M in revenue –
Acuva Technologies Inc.
Acuva's contribution to Canadian innovation includes 24 patents (granted and pending) globally and exporting UV-LED disinfection technology to 18 countries. Acuva has a strategic relationship with UBC, providing engaging career opportunities for researchers, engineers and business grads.
Business Growth over $5M in revenue
Acuitas Therapeutics
Acuitas Therapeutics is a key contributor to the top mRNA vaccine that addressed the COVID-19 pandemic – COMIRNATY®, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been administered to billions of people worldwide. Acuitas' lipid nanoparticle delivery technology allows the mRNA molecules to get into the cells.
Community Impact
Ceres Terminals Canada
Going into the second year of the cruise shut down in Canada, Ceres stepped up to support the vaccination launch for COVID 19 in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health region by providing the non-clinical staff at eight mass vaccination clinics in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. In addition, Ceres Terminals supported numerous pop up clinics and spearheaded the vaccination program for Seafarers coming into the Ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
Digital Transformation
Vancouver Mysteries
In November 2020 Vancouver Mysteries started adding virtual games to their product offerings in response to the pandemic. The team has been involved in the development of the games, design, testing, training, marketing videos, and operation of the games. Virtual games have allowed them to continue to employ team members when outdoor games were shut down or when sales were low, or who were uncomfortable with/unable to accept outdoor games in person due to health concerns.
Environmental Stewardship
Salt Spring Coffee
Salt Spring Coffee's CEO and Co-Founder, Mickey McLeod, believes that we are in a climate crisis and that businesses have an important role to play in helping to address climate change and restore the environment. For this reason, environmental stewardship has been a fundamental part of Salt Spring Coffee since the very beginning.
Employer of the Year
BTY Group
The employee experience is a top priority to BTY to support positive word of mouth both internally and externally. All employees are brand ambassadors. Roughly 23% of hires come through employee referrals where a referral program is in place, providing employees with a $1000 bonus if a referral is hired and passes probation.
About the Scale-up Centre for SMEs (SCS)
The Scale-up Centre for SMEs (SCS) is an initiative of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. The SCS works to understand the trends, forces, and issues impacting SME growth, innovation, and competitiveness and develops programming and policy to address these issues. Based on the goals of helping companies to discover gaps, engage with experts, and create solutions to address obstacles to growth, the SCS connects, educates, and inspires SMEs in British Columbia.