Two Penticton businesses vying for best in B.C. status

PENTICTON – Two Penticton businesses made the semi-finalists list for the 12th annual Small Business B.C. Awards.

The two Penticton businesses in the top 10 are White Kennedy LLP for Best Workplace and SO Country Radio with Dennis Walker for Premier People’s Choice.

“I’m very pleased. The comments I have received indicate to me that people respect what I’m doing,” said SO Country’s Dennis Walker, who operates an internet radio station in Penticton.

White Kennedy LLP was recognized for its reputation of providing the best overall place to work.

“We’re proud to be nominated and included in the top 10,” said White Kennedy LLP partner Peter MacIntosh.

“We pride ourselves on being a good workplace for our employees. We compete with much larger centres for our people, so we have to treat them better,” MacIntosh said, adding the firm continues to grow and expand in the South Okanagan.

The Best Workplace Award goes to the business that provides the happiest, healthiest and most supportive work environment for their staff. The award also recognizes business’ efforts to encourage both mental and physical health in its employees through education, incentives and activities for all staff members.

British Columbians nominated their favourite small businesses between October 1 and November 30. This year, more than 460 nominations from 70 communities were submitted to the B.C. government sponsored awards. Six nominations came from Penticton.

Ten semi-finalists now face a panel of judges who will review their applications and narrow down the field to the top five finalists in each category. The finalists will be announced January 30, 2015, and invited to provide a Dragon’s Den style pitch on why they should be named the best in B.C.

The Small Business BC Awards ceremony takes place in Vancouver on Feb.26.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.