The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for our Outstanding Business Achievement Awards. Nominations are open until April 5, 2024.
Business of the Year Award
Description
These awards are based on a holistic picture of business. Businesses to be considered have distinguished themselves by fostering growth, innovation, marketing strategy, and consumer excellence in their sectors. There are three award categories: 1 to 25 employees, 26 to 50 employees, over 50 employees.
Community Non Profit Business of the Year Award
Description
The Community Non Profit Business of the Year Award recognizes and rewards excellence and innovation among Non-Profit organizations resulting in significant social impact within Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma district. These achievements can be met through the application of creative and practical approaches to benefit the community in general with an emphasis on underserved populations. Qualifying businesses are non-profit or registered charitable organizations that have two primary goals: to achieve social and/or cultural and economic outcomes, as well as to generate sufficient cash flow to continue to support their causes.
Downtown Business of the Year Award
Description
In support of the City of Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Strategy, as well as the strategic plan of the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Business of the Year Award recognizes a business that is invested in the downtown business community and contributes to Downtown Sault Ste. Marie. This award honors their commitment to running a business in the heart of our city and their role in creating a vibrant Downtown.
Indigenous Business of the Year Award
Description
The Indigenous Business of the Year Award is presented to a business which has a minimum of 51% Indigenous or Metis ownership or can demonstrate 51% Indigenous or Metis management and staff. Businesses to be considered have distinguished themselves by fostering growth, innovation, marketing strategy, and consumer excellence, while showing leadership and dedication to the preservation of Indigenous or Metis culture, values and identity.
Community Investment Award
Description
These awards highlight outstanding community service and investment. The recipient puts the community first, by contributing to the well-being of the community as a whole, through initiatives such as sourcing products and / or services locally, retailing / utilizing local products, employment growth, and supporting the community from a charitable aspect. There are 3 awards categories: 1-25 employees, 26-50 employees, or over 50 employees.
Beyond Sault Ste. Marie Award
Description
These awards recognize businesses in any industry for excellence in the development of export markets for their products or services, through implementing a new export strategy, within the last three years, that has positively affected its bottom line. The Beyond Sault Ste. Marie Awards consider businesses that have succeeded in expanding outside of SSM as well as exporting goods and services. There are 2 awards categories: 1-50 employees and over 50 employees.
Innovation Award
Description
The Innovation Award recognizes a business that has successfully incorporated a new idea, device or method and / or has utilized the application of better solutions to meet new requirements, internal needs, or market needs.
Safe Work, Sound Business Award
Description
The Safe Work, Sound Business Award recognizes a business that uses a safe work management system, participates in workplace and / or community injury prevention programs and has outstanding injury-free frequency and injury severity performance.
Employer of the Year Award
Description
The Employer of the Year Award recognizes an employer who has created cultures and communities, through every aspect of their business. To be fair to businesses in Sault Ste. Marie of all sizes, this award does not incorporate tangible aspects of employment, such as salary, benefits, pension, etc.
Leader in Accessibility Award
Description
The Leader in Accessibility Award recognizes an organization that shows leadership in integrating and providing accessible and barrier-free working conditions for employees and accessibility in customer service. This business or organization values the contributions of persons with disabilities, promotes the development of an inclusive workplace culture and is compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. In order to qualify for this award, organizations, who are required to file an accessibility compliance report, must provide verification upon submission of their nomination package.
Diversity Award
Description
The Diversity Award recognizes a business or organization that embraces, celebrates and applies holistic inclusion and participation of a diverse people making the workplace a better environment in which to work, and the community a better place in which to live, work and raise a family
Rising Star New Business Award
Description
The Rising Star New Business Award recognizes a business that has been in operation for no less than 1 year and no more than 3 years, that has demonstrated strong potential via growth, innovation, and leadership. Additionally, the business has demonstrated a culture of risk-taking and trailblazing and has positioned itself to achieve similar successes in the future through new or innovative product or service, quality of merchandise/ customer service, job creation, growth potential, and market served.
Customer First Award - Business, Non-Profit or Agency
Description
The Customer First Award (Business, Non-Profit or Agency) showcases a business or non-profit that places the customer experience at the heart of their business strategy and builds a sustainable culture of customer service within their organization.
Customer First Award – Individual
Description
The Customer First Award (Individual) recognizes an individual who continuously raises customer service to new standards of excellence and is a role model for others in customer service.
Indigenous Professional of the Year Award
Description
The Indigenous Professional of the Year Award is presented to a person who has made an impact in the Indigenous, Metis and Sault Ste. Marie communities and in so doing so, serves as an inspiration to us all.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Description
The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding achievement of young entrepreneur(s) between 18 and 39 years of age. The award is given to an individual responsible for the success and growth of a Sault Ste. Marie-based company. This person(s) exemplifies the qualities of effective leadership, innovatively applies know-how, has excellent potential for growth, appreciates the importance in social, cultural, and environmental awareness and has demonstrated commitment to the wider community. Business partners who are equally responsible for entrepreneurial achievement may be named as co-nominees, and will be a shared recipient of the award.
Sustainability Award
Description
The Sustainability Award recognizes an organization that has taken actionable overt steps to be part of the solution to complex societal issues. By embracing the principles of environmental, social, and governance, they set criteria used to evaluate their organizations commitment to sustainable operations by measuring environmental impact and mitigating future environmental risks; recognizes outcomes impact stakeholders such as employees, customers, suppliers, and the local community; and demonstrates the principles of governance by preventing conflicts of interest, promotes operating in good faith, and demonstrates transparency among their employees and stakeholders.
