Staff
With the deadline for nominations for the 19th-annual business awards coming up this Wednesday (Feb. 18), interest in the awards is building, the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce said.
As of late yesterday, Chamber manager Annely Armstrong-Thorstad noted at least one nomination had been received for nearly all of the nine categories.
Given that in most years, people have tended to submit nominations at the very last minute, she said this is a very good start.
“We’ve had people calling to ask more questions about the categories, which is new,” Armstrong-Thorstad remarked.
“We’ve never had that before—we would get forms in but really didn’t have calls or anything.
“That’s good.”
Armstrong-Thorstad said the fact the public knows it will be voting on the nominees in each category seems to have gotten people more engaged this year.
The award categories include:
•Business of the Year;
•Employee of the Year;
•Business Woman of the Year;
•Entrepreneur of the Year;
•Home-based Business;
•Customer Service Award (Business);
•Customer Service Award (Individual);
•Small Business Trainer of the Year (subject to being renamed); and
•Tony Beyak Memorial Volunteer of the Year.
Nomination forms are available at the Chamber office (located upstairs at the Northern Lights Credit Union) and La Place Rendez-Vous, as well as online at www.fortfranceschamber.com
Nominations close Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Return forms to the Chamber by e-mail at thefort@fortfranceschamber.com, by fax at 274-8706, or in person.
Voting will begin the next day (Feb. 19) via a link to the Chamber’s website, and continue through March 2.
The awards gala, which again will be sponsored by Tbaytel, will take place Thursday, March 12 at La Place Rendez-Vous.
For more information, call the Chamber (274-5773) or visit www.fortfranceschamber.com
