On Friday, April 11, the Heritage Centre atrium rang with applause for four local businesses selected as the winners of this year’s Niverville Chamber of Commerce (NCoC) Business Excellence Awards.
The 2025 Business of the Year award went to Talk to the Tail. Niverville Physiotherapy and Sport Injury clinic took the award for Outstanding Customer Service, while Best New Business was awarded to Santa Lucia Pizza.
Receiving this year’s esteemed Alex Fast Sr. Memorial Award was Gordon Daman of Red River Group.
Nominations for all the awards were received from the community at large and winners were determined by an independent panel prior to the event.
Guests of the dinner and gala were also treated to a panel discussion moderated by Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce. In the hotseats this year were Chuck Allen of Earth and Hide, Sara Matwychuk of Talk to the Tail, and Graham Taylor of Lineage Distribution.
Why Niverville? That was just one of the questions Davidson posed to all three local business owners. While all had different reasons for opening their business in this community, each agreed that it was the right choice in the end.
Chamber president Elvin Krahn says that the annual awards night is important when it comes to focusing on local companies that not only meet but exceed customer expectations.
“Business can be hard and success in business is in part the result of that hard work,” says Krahn. “As a Chamber, recognizing those milestones and celebrating success and outstanding service or business model can inspire and motivate.”
To further inspire local businesses to strive for high ideals, Krahn calls the panel discussions a way to focus on the innovations and creativity local businesspeople have explored.
“To celebrate those who work to compete in our markets and drive improvement for all, that’s a win for the whole community,” he adds.
The Chamber serves as a not-for-profit advocacy and support organization for businesses of Niverville and the surrounding area, providing resources, networking, and education opportunities all year-round. The board consists of ten local businesspeople who volunteer their time to Chamber commitments, as well as one paid executive director.
