The Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce handed out the 2015 Business Excellence Awards this past Saturday at a sold out gala event at the St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino.

Awards went out in 11 categories representing excellence in business across the entire cross section of the Cranbrook economy.

Chamber president Dave Struthers was extremely pleased with this year’s awards process.

“The staff, in consultation with chamber volunteers, came together in a collaborative manner to align the awards to reflect the makeup of our business community,” said Struthers. “The addition of the nominees being interviewed by a three person jury panel was very well received. It put a lot of legitimacy to the awards by removing less than subjective public voting.”

Chamber members and guests enjoyed an evening of pomp, circumstance, entertainment, merriment, and frivolity led by the master of ceremony duo of Kyla Cornish and D’Arcy Kennedy. The jovial duo even revved up the evening with a rendition of Happy, captured on video.

Kennedy also highlighted long-time business owner Frank Sandor (Sandor Rentals), who has been doing business in Cranbrook for more than 45 years. Sandor received a standing ovation from the 240 people in the sold-out Pavilion at St. Eugene.

Local band Canadian Crossfire also provided a blues/rock musical interlude at the intermission.

“The entire Business Excellence Awards, culminating in a great gala evening, would not have been possible without the effort and dedication of over 40 volunteers and an extremely hard working Chamber staff,” said Executive Director David D. Hull. “This was my first Business Excellence Awards and I am so impressed. Cranbrook has a very engaged business community and it really showed with BEA 2015.”

2015 Business Excellence Awards Recipients

Hospitality & Tourism – Just Liquid Sports

Non-Profit Organization of the Year – Community Connections Society of Southeast BC

Retailer Excellence – Just Liquid Sports


Business Services – Signal Collision

Business Newsmaker of the Year – Baker Street Professional Centre

Professional Services – Cranbrook Auto Repair

Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Melissa Hambalek

New Business of the Year – Sink N’ Ink Tattoos

Business Person of the Year – Mike Hambalek

Business of the Year 1–15 Employees – Just Liquid Sports

Business of the Year 16+ Employees – Golden Life Management

Please click on an image to enlarge and to begin slide show…

Photos by Carrie Schafer/Through My Eyes Photography and Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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