Business Excellence Awards 2026
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Congratulations to this year's finalists! Click below to learn more about each one.
Special thanks to our volunteer judges for their time and thoughtful evaluation throughout this year's process:
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Melanie Cacciotti, Chief of Staff, Cambrian College
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Josée Gatien, Managing Partner, Northern Insurance Brokers
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Travis Gillard, President, WAT Supplies
Best Place to Work
Sponsored by Collège Boréal
Greater City Concrete Works (GCCW) builds the foundations that support progress across northern Ontario. Driving construction excellence across the region, GCCW delivers dependable, high-quality concrete and civil solutions designed for durability and performance. With a strong local presence, the company supports mining, infrastructure and commercial projects through skilled execution, modern equipment and a commitment to meet demanding timelines. GCCW’s strength lies in its hands-on expertise, safety-first culture and ability to adapt to complex site conditions without compromising quality.
From foundational work to large-scale pours and specialized applications, GCCW delivers results that stand the test of time. Rooted in local knowledge and powered by a dedicated team, GCCW contributes to the growth and resilience of northern communities as a trusted construction partner.
J.L. Richards & Associates Limited (JLR) has been part of the Sudbury community for more than 50 years, supporting projects that strengthen regional infrastructure, public spaces and essential services across northern Ontario. With a locally based, multidisciplinary team of engineers, architects and planners, JLR combines deep regional knowledge with technical expertise to deliver practical, durable solutions for municipal, mining, industrial and institutional clients.
JLR’s approach to business excellence is grounded in stewardship. The Sudbury office supports clients by making informed design and engineering decisions that consider durability, operation and future adaptation. As a 100 per cent employee-owned Canadian firm, JLR’s people are invested in delivering work that continues to serve their communities well beyond project delivery.
Through continuous improvement, community involvement and a strong local presence, JLR remains committed to supporting the growth and long‑term success of Greater Sudbury and the surrounding region.
NOSM University is Canada’s only independent medical university, established in 2002 and achieving standalone status in 2022. Rooted in northern Ontario, it was created to address regional health inequities through socially accountable medical education and research grounded in the needs of the communities it serves.
Its internationally recognized distributed, community-engaged learning model places students in more than 90 communities, where they train alongside health professionals in rural, remote, Indigenous and Francophone settings. With campuses in Sudbury and Thunder Bay, the university collaborates with more than 500 partners and a network of more than 1,800 faculty across the north.
Guided by its mission to strengthen northern communities and health systems, NOSM University has trained more than 1,000 physicians since its inception, with more than half practising in northern Ontario and nearly half entering family medicine to improve access to care where needed most.
Business of the Year
Sponsored by Baker Tilly
Serving northern Ontario and the Sudbury community, AIM Recycling provides safe, reliable metal recycling solutions that maximize the value of scrap.
When you partner with AIM Recycling, you’re choosing a family-owned and operated business committed to the highest standards in the industry. The company combines trusted expertise with high-quality equipment to deliver efficient, dependable service.
Whether you’re a one-person operation or a large enterprise, AIM Recycling Sudbury builds customized recycling programs that turn scrap metal into real returns, without hassle or hidden fees.
At Innova Wealth Partners, their mission is to provide financial peace of mind through best-in-class service, trusted relationships, specialized products and comprehensive planning. They understand that family, health, wealth and, for some, faith are life’s highest priorities. Building on this foundation, they have strengthened their team, expanded their services and implemented strategies that help clients, both individuals and corporations, achieve their goals with confidence.
Where big-city expertise meets small-town service, Innova provides tailored guidance across a diverse client base. Their dedication to excellence extends beyond client service as they continue to refine processes, invest in their people and embrace new technologies to elevate the standard of care in the industry. Innova Wealth is committed to growth, innovation and leadership, making a lasting impact on their clients and the broader community.
Magna Mining is a producing mining company focused on copper, nickel and precious metals within the world-class Sudbury Mining District. Their McCreedy West Mine is currently in production and is complemented by a portfolio of highly prospective past-producing properties.
Magna is well-positioned to deliver long-term value through steady production, exploration upside and near-term development opportunities. They are committed to responsibly developing high-quality mineral assets while generating lasting benefits for employees, local communities and stakeholders. Through continued investment, job creation and strong local partnerships, they aim to contribute meaningfully to the region.
With a focus on operational excellence and disciplined growth, Magna is building a sustainable, multi-mine operation. By advancing existing assets and pursuing new opportunities, they are positioning the company for long-term success, supported by strong values that guide decision-making.
Community Impact
Sponsored by TD Bank Group
Community Builders is the leading social enterprise contractor in northern and central Ontario, working hard to solve two of Canada’s biggest issues: the affordable housing crisis and the skilled labour shortage. This dual-purpose organization is making a difference by building homes while also building futures.
Community Builders is a construction company with professional crews offering renovation and new-build services to housing providers, non-profits, general contractors and private homeowners. These projects support onsite job training and skills development through paid 12-week Skilled Trades Training programs for individuals with barriers to employment. Graduates gain hands-on construction training, employment readiness skills, safety certifications, tools and PPE.
The program's effectiveness is reflected in results, with 89 per cent of trainees securing meaningful employment after graduation. Community Builders is recognized as a member of the Fair Chances Coalition, Buy Social Canada and the Ontario Living Wage Network
ICAN Independence Centre and Network, a community support service agency, was founded more than 40 years ago by a small group of individuals who recognized that people living with physical disabilities deserved greater independence and opportunity. Today, ICAN serves a broader community, including seniors and individuals living post-stroke, offering programs such as supportive housing, caregiver respite, community outreach, assisted living, rehabilitation, life skills training and personalized support services.
Working directly with clients to achieve their goals, ICAN helps people remain safely at home while staying active and connected. Its person-centred approach removes barriers and enhances quality of life. Through innovation, compassion and dedication, ICAN transforms lives and continues to support a more inclusive and accessible community for all.
Located in Capreol, the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum and Heritage Centre was incorporated in 1993 to preserve and celebrate the railroading, mining and lumbering industries that shaped northern Ontario. Founded by volunteers, local historians and community leaders, the museum fulfils its mission through engaging exhibits, programming and community events.
The museum’s vision is to support Capreol’s economic vitality and northern Ontario’s tourism sector by becoming the region’s leading rail and community heritage destination. It offers guided and self-guided tours and provides space for local organizations like the Capreol Needlework Club and the Sudbury Railway Modellers, enriching opportunities for residents and visitors. The museum also leads Capreol’s Communities in Bloom initiative, coordinating volunteers, businesses and municipal staff to enhance public spaces. These efforts have earned national recognition, including the 2025 National Population Award (under 5,000 residents) and the National Outstanding Achievement Award for Heritage Preservation.
Emerging Business Leader
Sponsored by Greater Sudbury Plumbing, Heating and A/C
Brooke Sagle is the visionary behind Sleek Studios, a six-division beauty company that began as a single chair and has grown into a luxury eight-chair studio in Sudbury’s south end. Known for her elevated standards and strong execution, Brooke has built a brand rooted in intentional client experience and exceptional results. She identified a gap in the industry and developed her signature Sleek Secret Method, a specialized extension technique for fine and thinning hair, while also launching her own premium Sleek Secret Extensions line to support it.
Through the Hair Loss Lab, Brooke leads in advanced, confidence-restoring solutions, including SMP, toppers, scalp treatments and mesh/meshless integration, offering customized, natural results for clients experiencing hair loss. Sleek Bridal Beyond delivers luxury bridal, destination and concierge experiences.
Sleek Studios also leads through education, mentorship and industry events, empowering stylists and business owners to grow and scale while setting a new industry standard.
YES Theatre is a community-driven professional theatre company based in Greater Sudbury, dedicated to creating meaningful connections through live performance. Formed through the amalgamation of Youth Entertaining Sudbury and the Sudbury Theatre Centre, the organization blends professional excellence with deep local roots.
It produces a wide range of work from large-scale musicals and concerts to new plays, while supporting the development of emerging artists through education, mentorship and new works programs.
At its core is a belief in “Citizen Artistry,” empowering artists who live and work in the community to create work that reflects and strengthens it. With performances staged at the Sudbury Theatre Centre and the Refettorio, YES Theatre prioritizes accessibility, collaboration and artistic innovation, positioning itself as a cultural hub that inspires, entertains and brings people together across northern Ontario
The Reliable Group is a third-generation, family-owned business founded in Sudbury in 1952. What began as a small door-to-door window-cleaning operation in downtown Sudbury has grown into a diversified organization serving communities across northern Ontario.
Today, the company operates across four divisions: cleaning services, maintenance products, manufacturing and industrial solutions. The cleaning division provides professional facility maintenance, while the product division supplies a full range of cleaning equipment and sanitation solutions. The manufacturing division produces over 50 locally made chemical products, and its industrial division specializes in complex chemical blending for industrial clients.
While the business has expanded significantly, it continues to be guided by its founding values of service, quality and community. The Reliable Group remains focused on innovation, local job creation and supporting the industries and organizations that keep northern Ontario running.
Indigenous Business Partnership
Sponsored by Canadian National Railway (CN)
Aki‑eh Dibinwewziwin Limited Partnership (ADLP) is one of Canada’s largest Indigenous and Canadian‑owned underground mine contracting partnerships and a leader in responsible mining in the Greater Sudbury Basin. Majority owned by Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nations, with Technica Mining as operating partner, ADLP reflects a powerful model of collaboration grounded in shared values, technical excellence and respect for the land.
Established to advance long‑term economic reconciliation, ADLP ensures First Nations have meaningful ownership, participation and benefit in mining activities on their traditional territories. Guided by its name— “to be owned by the earth”—the partnership integrates Indigenous knowledge, sustainable practices and industry expertise to deliver safe, high‑quality underground mining services.
Through strong partnerships, community investment and the creation of high‑value careers, ADLP is helping shape a more inclusive, sustainable and forward‑looking mining industry that benefits today’s communities and generations to come.
Z’gamok Enterprises is wholly owned by Sagamok Anishnawbek and was created to maximize economic development opportunities for the community. Today, the organization exists to contribute to the foundation of Mino Bimaadiziwin (the Good Life). Through its divisions, Z’gamok Construction, Z’gamok Mining, and Z’gamok Aggregates, it delivers value to clients with an unwavering commitment to health, safety and environmental stewardship.
Rooted in Indigenous values, Z’gamok focuses on community wealth creation, local employment and training, reinvestment into community priorities and embedding Anishinaabe teachings into its governance and operations.
Z’gamok’s approach to partnerships goes beyond business. Z’gamok actively engages partners in culture and tradition, creating relationships built on respect, understanding and shared experience. It represents a new generation of Indigenous economic development, where true partnership means growing together and building a future rooted in respect, opportunity and shared success.
Innovation
Sponsored by Cambrian College
Avalon Tech Solutions is a Canadian technology company specializing in advanced automation and smart software systems for the healthcare sector. Its flagship product, SmartyPrints, is a pharmacy labeling solution designed to streamline operations in hospitals, retail pharmacies and healthcare institutions.
The system combines high-quality label production with intelligent automation, enabling accurate, efficient and reliable labeling that integrates seamlessly with pharmacy workflows. The standalone printing system uses custom-built software that enhances productivity, reduces human error and supports compliance with industry standards. Optimizing labeling processes helps pharmacies minimize medication waste, improve inventory management and enhance patient safety.
Avalon Tech Solutions is committed to delivering reliable, scalable and forward-thinking solutions that empower healthcare providers to operate more efficiently while maintaining the highest standards of care and accuracy in medication labelling.
MIRARCO (Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation, and Applied Research Corporation) has delivered forward-thinking solutions to the mining industry since 1998. As the not-for-profit research arm of Laurentian University, it brings together academic and industry experts to tackle complex challenges through applied research. Its multidisciplinary team works across five core domains: biotechnology, geomechanics, safety, software and energy, developing practical innovations that enhance efficiency, sustainability and safety in mining operations.
In 2025, MIRARCO expanded its capabilities with the opening of the Mine Waste Biotechnology Piloting Facility, a 10,000 square-foot space dedicated to advancing biotechnology research. This milestone supports the commercialization of cutting-edge bioleaching and bioremediation technologies, enabling the recovery of critical minerals from mine waste while reducing environmental impact. Through collaboration, innovation and a commitment to sustainability, MIRARCO continues to shape the future of mining.
Sofvie is a safety performance platform that creates safer, more reliable and more productive workplaces. It replaces paper and disconnected tools with a centralized system for safety and operational data, connecting frontline teams and leadership in real time.
The platform allows teams to track hazards, inspections, incidents, work execution and corrective actions, so they can see emerging risks earlier and act faster. Mobile workflows and dashboards streamline communication, cut admin work and reveal trends for predictive, data‑driven decisions.
Built on deep experience in complex, high‑risk environments and headquartered in Lively, Sofvie helps organizations strengthen safety culture and ensure everyone gets home safely each day.
Small Business
Sponsored by Greater Sudbury Development Corporation / Regional Business Centre
Latino Market Saraí is a specialty grocery store bringing authentic Latin American products to northern Ontario. Founded by Sarai Aguirre Pimentel, the business was created to serve Sudbury’s growing Latino community while introducing others to the richness of Latin culture through food.
The store offers a curated selection of traditional groceries, fresh and frozen prepared foods and hard-to-find ingredients from countries such as Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Honduras and El Salvador.
Beyond retail, Latino Market Saraí plays an important role in community building by creating a space where culture, nostalgia and connection come together. The business has shown consistent growth and a clear vision: to become a key supplier of Latin products and inspire small entrepreneurs in other northern Ontario cities to pursue similar paths.
Round Two Fitness and Cycle Studio, founded by Michelle Grano in 2019, is a boutique fitness company redefining women’s wellness and strength in Sudbury. With two locations, Round Two offers coach‑led classes in supportive, private spaces designed for real women, without the intimidation of traditional gyms. The studio is known for empowering clients at every stage of life, including its signature Momma & Me programming, which provides a safe, judgment‑free environment for new mothers.
Michelle’s leadership is rooted in her own journey through grief, using movement as a pathway to healing. That lived experience shapes Round Two’s culture: fitness as recovery, strength and community. In 2025, Round Two expanded with Studio R, a recovery‑focused space offering restorative services, and added a new Valley East location. The studio also launched Pay Fit Forward, a community initiative that raises funds to anonymously sponsor women who need support accessing fitness.
More than a fitness studio, Round Two is a community that builds confidence, connection and stronger women who go on to strengthen Sudbury.
Signature Property Care is a top-rated exterior property maintenance company serving Greater Sudbury. Known for professionalism, reliability and attention to detail, the company helps homeowners protect and enhance their properties through high-quality exterior services. Services include window cleaning, gutter cleaning and repairs, seamless eavestrough installation, house washing, roof cleaning, pressure washing, asphalt sealcoating and custom holiday lighting.
The company’s mission is simple: to deliver exceptional results while providing an outstanding customer experience from first contact to final walkthrough. It prides itself on clear communication, reliable scheduling and consistently exceeding expectations. By combining modern equipment, proven systems and a commitment to excellence, Signature Property Care help homeowners maintain the beauty, safety and value of their properties year-round.
At Signature Property Care, they believe every home deserves a service company that treats it like their own.
Members' Choice: Customer Service Excellence
Sponsored by Technica Mining
Bélanger Ford Lincoln Centre Ltd. has been family-owned and operated since 1971, celebrating 55 years in business in 2026. It has grown to become the largest retail Ford dealership in northern Ontario, serving the Sudbury community with Ford and Lincoln products and a strong reputation for customer service.
Their slogan, “where people make the difference”, represents the approach they take with their customers. The team focuses on being solution-oriented, ensuring customers are well taken care of and supported throughout the sales and service experience.
With programs such as loaner vehicles, pick-up and delivery, and ongoing support after purchase, Bélanger Ford emphasizes convenience and responsiveness. A strong focus on feedback, staff support and long-standing relationships has helped build a loyal, multi-generational customer base.
Yes Buddy Cleaning Services began with a simple idea: to deliver convenient, high-quality vehicle cleaning with a personal touch. Founded in Greater Sudbury by a young entrepreneur with a passion for service and attention to detail, the business has quickly grown into a trusted name in auto detailing and fleet cleaning.
Specializing in interior and exterior detailing, Yes Buddy serves personal vehicles, commercial fleets, heavy equipment and boats, helping clients maintain clean, professional and well-protected assets year-round. Their use of professional-grade products and meticulous approach ensures every job meets a high standard of excellence.
What sets Yes Buddy apart is its customer-first model, offering mobile service, flexible scheduling and pick-up and drop-off options to meet the needs of busy individuals and businesses. With a strong reputation and commitment to quality, Yes Buddy Cleaning Services continues to raise the bar while helping Sudbury look its best.
Thank you to our sponsors who helped make this event possible.
