The winners in each category will be awarded at the Chamber’s annual gala at Carmen’s Banquet Centre on Wednesday, April 10 at 6pm. Pictured: Hamilton Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Greg Dunnett. Photo Credit: Hamilton Chamber of Commerce/X.
The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce recently announced the finalists for the 40th annual Outstanding Business Achievement Awards (OBAAs).
The winners in each category will be awarded at the Chamber’s annual gala at Carmen’s Banquet Centre on Wednesday, April 10 at 6pm.
Tickets for the event, which is presented by RBC Royal Bank, are available at The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce website.
Greg Dunnett, President & CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce said that the group “received a record number of nominations for consideration.”
“This is a testament to all of the hard work being done by talented businesses across our city,” he added.
“We look forward to celebrating the award winners on April 10th.”
OBAA nominees were reportedly evaluated and scored by a panel of judges “on criteria including entrepreneurship and innovation, employee relations, promotion of Hamilton outside the area, excellence in community relations, and evidence of alignment with their mission statement.”
There are nine awards to be presented at the gala.
The Chamber has already announced the recipients for four of the awards, while the winners of the other five will be revealed on April 10.
Hamilton personal injury lawyer and community advocate Rebecca Wissenz has already been named Hamilton Citizen of the Year.
Tiffany Simkins, Founder and President of Creative Guild, a Hamilton-based creative and digital agency, has been named Hamilton CEO of the Year by the Chamber.
Meanwhile, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton and Hamilton and Leggat Auto Group are both receiving the Century Award for celebrating 100+ years in business.
Workforce Planning Hamilton has already been announced the recipient for the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Award.
The Chamber has also announced the finalists for the five awards that are still up for grabs.
Large Business Award Finalists, recognizing private business organizations with 50+ employees, are Architectural Metals North America and Nerva Energy.
Mid-Sized Business Award Finalists, recognizing private business organizations with 10 to 50 employees are 360 Energy, Creative Guild, and Radius Hospitality.
Small Business Award Finalists, recognizing private business organizations with one to 10 employees, are Birmingham Consulting, Get in the Loop Hamilton, and High Season Co.
Not-For-Profit Organization Award Finalists are Indwell and Mission Services.
And Young Entrepreneur Award (Under 40) Finalists are ImaginAble Solutions, Main Stage Rehearsal Studios, and The RN Resume.
The 2024 Judging Committee is made up of:
Maria Artuso – VP, Commercial Financial Services at RBC Royal Bank
Peter Ipema – Sales Representative at GFL Environmental Inc.
Lohifa Pogoson-Acker – Business Owner & Hamilton Chamber Board Member
Tej Sandhu – Owner of MERIT Brewing & Hamilton Chamber Board Member
Norm Schleehahn – Director of Economic Development for the City of Hamilton
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
