February 3, 2014- “Hi, I’m Paul Pittao and coincidentally, I also was the recipient last year of the award I’m presenting this year – the Business of the Year Award.”
“So that we don’t scare away any of this year’s award recipients, just because you receive the award, it does not automatically mean you get to serve on the Board of Directors the following year!! That was just pure luck.”
The Business of the Year Award is a COMPANY award and recognizes a business or organization for special accomplishment in one or more areas, including:
* Environmental consciousness
* Product research and development
* Marketing innovation,
* Increased sales
* Business development or turn-around
* Employee relations
* Product service and quality
* Good business ethics
* Excellent customer service and
* Demonstrated good corporate citizenship
This year’s nominees are Ellison Travel & Tours owned and operated by Doug & Cathy Ellison, Grand Bend Motorplex owned and operated by Paul Spriet and Westland Greenhouses owned and operated by Anita and Paul Van Adrichem.
Once again, our Nominations Committee was challenged with selecting just one recipient of this award. Each of these businesses contributes a massive amount to the community not only in terms of gross revenue and taxes, but also in terms of employment, supporting other local businesses and operating in a way that enriches the product or service offerings found locally.
Our second nominee – Grand Bend Motorplex – is well known to all of us, but did you know the Motorplex brings 60,000 people into the Grand Bend Area on an annual basis and employs 86 people. As our Chamber Manager is fond of saying, that’s 60,000 “money-spending tourists” in search of food, drink, items to buy and things to do at other local attractions, which translates into $10.8 million of local visitor spending! The Motorplex’s multi-city advertising and marketing campaigns – more than $100,000 each year! – was noted as one of the methods by which it attracts these thousands of motorsports fans annually.
One of the largest motorsports facilities in Canada, the Motorplex is only one of two venues that offers Drag Racing, Road Racing, Oval Track Racing and Motorcross. It’s also the location of the largest Drag Racing event in Eastern Canada and the second-largest location for the International Hot Rod Association’s MOPAR Nitrojam Nationals – 2nd largest for number of spectators but LARGEST in terms of race entries!
With the recent addition of the Road Race track, the Motorplex is now able to host race series and racing clubs, such as the SOAR Motorcycle series, Canadian Automobile Sports Car Club, Ducati Club of Canada, Porsche Canada and other racing and vehicle enthusiast clubs. Many of these types of organizations are from the Toronto/GTA area, and represent NEW out-of-area visitors discovering the Grand Bend Area for the first time.
The Motorplex enables charity groups to raise money through various functions held during key events as well as monetary donations to community and athletic organizations and school clubs
{fcomment}
Discussion about this post