An environmental consulting firm was one of the big winners recognized for business excellence at the North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting.
FRi Ecological Services was the recipient of the Small Business of the Year award.
Co-owners Cameron Haddow and Rod Bilz were recognized at the chamber gala held at the Clarion Resort Pinewood Park, Nov. 19.
The former Ministry of Natural Resources' staffers have vast experience in the natural sciences, catering to both public and private sector clients. They're experts in project development, ecological field investigation, permits and follow-up monitoring. They're also a sponsor of local trail organizations and a Mattawa bike race.
They split the small business award with Burrows Country Store and Garden Centre, established in 1915. The retail store has developed a professional home landscaping arm and are a proud sponsor of many community endeavors in the Gateway City.
Joining them on the podium was Bob Everest, president of Nortek Computers, who won in the Business of the Year category.
With 30 years under their collective belts, Nortek can boast having clients such as Research in Motion, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Lockheed Martin and IBM.
Everest are engineering specialists focused on computer repair, hard and tape drive remanufacturing and in working with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) hardware suppliers. The company has experienced triple-digit percentage growth in the last two years and has expanded their workforce by 50 per cent.
