The Olds & District Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year with 16 or more employees is B & M Home Hardware and the Business of the Year with 15 or fewer is the Cocoa Tree Bake Shoppe.
Those are just two of the awards handed out during the chamber's 2018 Business Awards Recognition and Celebration, held Oct.10 at the Olds College Alumni Centre.
In total, eight awards were handed out.
Other winners were: People's Choice: Otto's Home Appliances; Youth Employee of the Year: Nolan Layden of World Class Contracting; Exceptional Customer Service: Cindy Smith of Advanced Telecom; Business Ethics: Shoppers Drug Mart; Community Spirit For Profit: Hildebrand Motors; Community Spirit Not For Profit: Olds Fashioned Christmas.
Master of Ceremonies Murray Elliott said this year's event appeared to have attracted a record crowd.
"We're pushing 265, 270 -- we're getting near capacity, " Elliott said. "I think in light of a pretty soft economy out there that's slow to recover that means a lot. So thank you so much for coming out tonight and being a part of this and making the chamber successful."
Melanie Hepp, who with her husband Brian helped present the awards, echoed that thought.
"This is a packed house. Brian and I were saying -- I don't think we've ever been to the business awards where you can barely squeeze between the tables," she said.
"So hats off to all of the small businesses and big businesses for coming out tonight and making this such a special evening."
B & M Home Hardware owners Bruce and Mary Beiber thanked all those involved -- including their staff -- for enabling them to win the Business of the Year award in their category.
"We started the business, just a small business of eight people and have grown it to 65 people now," Mary said. "We so enjoy Olds. It's a great community.
"We love it when people come into our store. They always have such great comments about everybody's store, their business. It's just awesome."
"Many times in the grocery stores people will stop me and say, 'you know that employee' -- and you think in the back of the mind, he's going to say 'well he's a -- bird' (laughter). They go on to say how much appreciation they have for the quality of service they got," Bruce said.
"We have 65 loyal staff that do their job every day, and they're the reason we won this, not us," he added. "We're going to enjoy our 25th year of business next year and it seems like it's just been five."
Cocoa Tree Bake Shoppe owner Candice Klimek also thanked all those involved for enabling her firm to win the business of the year for 15 employees or less.
"I'm so shocked right now," she said. "There are so many amazing businesses nominated."
"Otto’s AVU – Otto’s Home Appliance has built a reputation for carrying on the family trust, showing they truly care about and support the community," a presentation regarding the People's Choice award said.
"Authenticity in business conduct, respect, dedication they show to all their clients and customers makes the staff proud to be part of this business and happy to carry on the traditions of reliable service, great competitive value, and business integrity."
The Youth Employee of the Year award is presented to employees who go above and beyond work practices and showing exemplary work ethics.
Layden was nominated by Colin Mueller of his employer, World Class Contracting.
"Nolan came to them from Olds High School work program and surprised them with his ability to fit in on a 10- to 15-man crew ranging from ages of 18 to 60," Brian Hepp said.
He said Layden was "first on site in the morning, showing leadership and initiative, taking on tasks like safety meeting paperwork with a carefree and happy attitude that proved contagious for all the men.
"A quick learner, taking the trade very seriously, Nolan quickly became one of the top apprentices within the company, and earned the respect of the entire organization," he added.
As Smith received the Exceptional Customer Service award, the crowd was told it goes to those employees who provide "more than expected each and every day," Brian Hepp said.
"The detail in the stories is remarkable in caring attention, extraordinary service going far and beyond the regular excellent service -- from after-hours delivery and followup to bare bones pricing, to generous gifts to people in desperate situations and definite need of an unexpected kindness."
Camie Leard of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Alberta presented the Business Ethics award to Shoppers Drug Mart.
It was noted the award goes to a business that complies with the following eight standards: building trust, advertising honestly, telling the truth, being transparent, honouring promises, being responsive, safeguarding privacy and embodying integrity.
The crowd was told Shoppers Drug Mart meets all those standards.
"Active in community service through the Rotary Club of Olds, they use the four-way test in all they undertake: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?" Melanie Hepp said.
"Shoppers shows leadership in business and community. The values are represented in the way they do business every day," she added.
In addition, the store supports many local projects like the Olds Grizzlys, Rotary initiatives, Olds hospital fundraising drives, Shoppers Drug Mart’s Run for Women, Mountain View Seniors' Housing and the Terry Fox Run.
"Shoppers Drug Mart models the best attributes in the way they show concern for customers, their training and care of staff, to their environmental stewardship in the little ways that add up to big impact," Melanie Hepp said.
Melanie Hepp told the crowd that Paul Hildebrand of Community Spirit For Profit award winner Hildebrand Motors is well known for supporting the community in a number of ways, including a term as president of the chamber of commerce.
He has also coached high school volleyball, assisted with fundraising activities for the splash park, new athletic fields and Olds hospital.
Hildebrand has also been active in the Olds softball community and is a strong supporter of the Olds Grizzlys junior A hockey team.
Hildebrand is an enthusiastic member of his church. He is active in the Motor Dealers Association and has served on its board.
"Paul is a true philanthropist, offering assistance to individuals and organizations without public acknowledgement, through his business and personal contributions," Melanie Hepp said.
Olds Fashioned Christmas, the Community Spirit Not For Profit winner, has been helping community residents and businesses celebrate the lead-up to Christmas for 25 years in November and December.
It has done so with the help of the Town of Olds as well as various local organizations and more than 300 volunteers.
"Olds Fashioned Christmas Committee takes pride in family-friendly, inclusive events, free to all, and celebrating all that is special in our community," Brian Hepp said.
Lorraine Pillar of the Olds Fashioned Christmas Committee accepted the award on behalf of the group and thanked all who participate in the committee, volunteer and provide venues for it.
"We are so lucky that we have so many great volunteers; some who have been on the committee right from the start and they're still on the committee and we get new people on the committee, so we thank everybody," Pillar said.
"And Brian and Rita Thompson are just an inspiration to this committee. They have been involved in this event probably from the beginning and it is their stories throughout the years that keep the spirit alive and this committee going," she added.
