Chamber Honours Best in Business.

WOODSTOCK - Woodstock district businesses took centre stage last night during an evening filled with style and, of course, accolades. A completely refurbished Oxford Auditorium formed the backdrop and the musical strains of The Classical Collection Quartet filled the air for the second annual Business Awards of Excellence dinner and ceremony. "Tonight we are recognizing the excellence of today because it will be the success of tomorrow," Woodstock District Chamber of Commerce president Sheri Stevens told a packed house. Building on last year's success the chamber added an additional award - the Outstanding Retailer Award - as the organization handed out eight in total to area businesses and individuals. It was event that packed the auditorium with chamber members and, for the first time, non members. A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the President's Award to Allan Wilmot, a member of the chamber for the past 61 years and one of the city's most active business people and a tireless community worker since his family moved here in 1923. Wilmot, who was profiled in the Sentinel-Review's 1999 business and industry review, Reflections of the Past, is best known for his years with Canfield Wilmot Ltd., run initially by his father and his business partner and later by him and his brother. Working his way through the Great Depression and two World Wars, he successfully manoeuvred around the vagaries of the economy of the last six decades to become a leading businessman in the Woodstock area. Other major presentations and their recipients were:

Entrepreneurial Award to Muller Systems Corporation:

Community Service Award to Jennifer Paquette of Jen Andrews Holdings Inc. (Tim Hortons West End)

Outstanding Achievement Awards:

• large manufacturing - Brant Form Teck Ltd.,
• small manufacturing - Baird Machines Inc.,
• large commercial - Krusin International and
• small commercial - DeRoo Brothers Inc.

The awards committee was comprised of Kristi Cross, John Davis, Kelly Gilson, Len Magyar, Paul Plant, Earl Shea, Sherri Stevens, Sandra Talbot, Shelley Tucker and John Wylie.

Rogers Community TV assisted in the production of the awards videos prefacing each presentation while Armor Pro Audio Ltd. worked on the lighting and audio/visual services.