Enterprise Renfrew County's clients Ross and Kim Meadows (owners of Meadows Unquie Décor), wins New Business of the Year awad and Chris and Val Hinsperger (owners of Bonnechere Caves), wins Small Business of the Year at the 2008 Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce Awards. The Gala was held January 31, 2009 and had 50 nominees representing all of Renfrew County in 10 catagories.
The Leader, Eganville, Ontario - February 4, 2009
Local businesses win top honours at UOV Chamber awards night
Meadows Unique Decor & Gifts selected for New Business of the Year award and Bonnechere Caves chosen for Small Business of the Year award
By Neil Etienne Staff Writer
Pembroke -- With well more than 50 solid nominees representing the entire county in 10 categories, three local enterprises and one Cobdenarea farmer were honoured this past
Saturday evening by their peers in the Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Better still, three of the four were presented awards for their efforts, leaving at least one Eganville business couple at a loss for words. When the dust had settled and the winners announced
in each category, Eganville’s Meadow’s Unique Décor and Gifts and Bonnechere Caves held trophies, as did Cobden-area farmer Dean Faught, while locally based Literacy Plus just fell short in its bid.
Meadow’s Unique Décor was one of three finalists nominated for the New Business of the Year award. Operating in Eganville for almost three years, this was the last season they would
have qualified for the honour, and faced off against Ottawa Valley Living and Westside Tap ‘n Grill, both of Pembroke. When Meadow’s was declared the victor, the thrilled owners, Ross and Kimberly Meadows headed to the stage to claim their award. In front of a large, very well dressed and appreciative crowd at the Germania Hall in Pembroke the local duo gave their thanks for the nomination and the trophy.
One of two special emcees for the evening, Daphne Gebhart-Turcotte, the assistant public affairs manager for CFB Petawawa, explained that the downtown Eganville operation had “raised the bar in marketing, attracting new visitors to this gem of the Ottawa Valley.” “Their efforts and the spill over effect on all of the village’s business community have been extraordinary,” she said. “In less than three years, Ross and Kim have entrenched themselves in the area through their inclusive approach to marketing, seeing everything they do as fitting into the bigger picture of marketing the entire area.”
An elated Mr. Meadows could only say at first he was shocked and happily surprised to win.
“I didn’t expect that at all,” he said. “I’m shaking.” Deferring to his life and business partner, Mrs. Meadows was equally thrilled but slightly more composed. “We’re following our dream and we won an award for it, it couldn’t be better,” she gleamed. With a bit more time to think, Mr. Meadows added that while they are thrilled with the recognition, it wouldn’t have been possible without community support. “We love Eganville and we really want other people to start up (business) there; this is the proof, you can be successful in a small town,” he said. “It’s a gas, but we just want the people of Eganville to know, without them, we’d be nothing.”
In the Small Business of the Year Category, the Bonnechere Caves rose as the cream of the crop, with Dr. Christy Natsis & Associates and MyFM Radio - 104.9 as the other two nominees. Not their first nomination, but their first victory, co-owners Chris and Val Hinsperger were equally thrilled to have won and the kind words for their efforts. “Bonnechere Caves has grown into a model for other tourist operations and local businesses as Chris embraces the broader community, including youth in his effort to achieve his goals,” Mrs. Gebhart-Turcotte said, praising his zeal for marketing not just the caves, but the region as a whole. And while his first love may be the caves, Mr. Hinsperger said it is his goal and pleasure to promote everyone within the region, businesses and tourist attractions alike. “How fortunate and blessed we are to work and live in the Ottawa Valley,” he said. “When it comes right down to it, the pleasure of being here is all about the people we get to hang out with.”
Meanwhile, Literacy Plus, nominated in the Community Organization of the Year category against
Algonquin College and the Pembroke Regional Hospital Auxiliary, was not called forth for a trophy, but honoured nonetheless with the nomination after being in operation since 1993. Office Manager Sue Rupert said before the event winning would be a great coup, but the nomination was thrill enough, giving the local organization excellent promotion and exposure within the county.
Cobden-based farmer Dean Faught garnered the Farm Enterprise of the Year Award, and although not on hand to accept the accolade, Mrs. Gebhart-Turcotte explained that “nominees must meet strict criteria in this category and this year Dean Faught stood out amongst his peers.” “Demonstrating a commitment to preserving farming in the Upper Ottawa Valley, Dean and his family have been involved in the agricultural industry for many years,” she said. “Two years ago a devastating fire could have ended that legacy, but through perseverance and good management during times of economical turmoil, the Faughts rebuilt their farm; now the business, located on Highway 17 near Cobden is thriving, serving many in the local farming community.”
In the other categories, Pembroke’s Sarah Bowles won in the Young Entrepreneur category for her diaper service, Shawn Watson of Watson Mechanical won for Home-Based Business of the Year, EPI Manufacturing won in the School to Work Transition Employer Award category and Karen Boire and Lisa Miller shared the Citizen of the Year award for creating Red Fridays. The Pembroke Regional Hospital Auxiliary won for the Community Organization of the Year and Ottawa Valley Algonquin College took home top prize for Large Business of the Year.
The Lifetime Business Achievement Award was presented to Molly Van Bavel of Cut- Rite Family Hairstyling and Indulgence Spa in Pembroke.
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