A Vanderhoof-based butchery has been announced as a finalist in a category for the prestigious Small Business BC Awards.
The Speckled Sow is among the Top 5 finalists for Business Impact Award category with the winners scheduled to be announced in June.
Prince George-based Wall to Wall Renovate Recycle, Restore are also among the Top 5 in this category. The other finalists are Campbell River based Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours and 49Below from Oak Bay
The Speckled Sow owners, Vanderhoof couple Brittany and Matthew Giesbrecht, are still surprised and excited at the announcement.
“It’s exciting and we’re proud to represent northern B.C.,” said Brittany. The Giesbrechts officially started their business in 2017 after they saw there were limited options for hunters and farmers to get their animals processed.
“There was a lack of facilities for meat processing and we wanted to help local farmers and hunters,” added Brittany. Since then the business has grown and their deliveries spread across northern B.C. all the way to Haida Gwaii.
Their goal is to provide their area with real meat that is not processed in a giant factory. “We want you to know where your meat is coming from and how it got to your freezer,” they said.
The annual Small Business BC Awards is a celebration of entrepreneurship where small businesses are recognized for their exceptional achievements. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Small Business BC Awards with 613 nominations across 84 communities in BC. To select the finalists in each category, over 74,000 votes were cast and then nominees were narrowed down by a panel of business experts.
The Small Business BC Awards started out as a simple business planning contest and has evolved to become the largest and most recognized awards program dedicated to small businesses in Western Canada.
“British Columbia is home to an incredible variety of small businesses who deliver important services, produce quality products and are closely linked to the communities they serve,” said Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.“These Small Business BC Awards finalists are an important part of a StrongerBC economy and are all winners in that regard.”