Langley businesses that have excelled in the past year were honoured by their peers at a Langley chamber of commerce celebration on Thursday, Oct. 24.
The Langley Business Excellence Awards singled out eight businesses and leaders, in categories including business of the year, environmental leadership, entrepreneurial excellence, and non-profit of the year.
The recipients thanked their co-workers and employees, their communities, and their fellow Langley businesses as they received their awards.
Yvonne Hopp of the New Directions English Language School became choked up as she received the George Preston Memorial Businessperson of the Year Award.
"I need to breathe," Hopp said after learning she had won. "Not sure if I need a defibrillator."
She noted that it was an incredible honour, because she had known Preston, a former Langley mayor and business owner, personally.
"As a child, he inspired me," she said. It was meeting students from Quebec on an exchange trip, visiting his house in Langley, that set her on a path to learning French and eventually creating a language school.
Hopp said that what all the award recipients have in common is that they needed someone to believe in them, and they need to believe in someone else.
"I'm so fortunate that I have people who believe in me," she said, as she spoke of her team at New Directions.
Les Ferris, the communications specialist at Centra Windows, accepted the award for employer of the year on behalf of the employee-owned firm.
"I never felt proud to come to work, until I worked at Centra Windows," Ferris said.
He said they measure success in terms of how their revenue helps – how many kids it can send to college, how many workers can retire comfortably, and how many people can afford to buy a home.
“These awards represent an opportunity for us to recognize the talent, creativity, and dedication of our local business community, and showcases to the rest of the region that Langley is clearly a great place to do business," said Cory Redekop, CEO of the chamber.
The winning businesses were:
• Entrepreneurial excellence: Chops Consulting
• Environmental leadership: Darman Recycling
• Charitable or non-profit organization of the year: Big Brothers Big Sisters Langley
• Employer of the year: Centra Windows
• Langley community spirit award: The Barley Merchant Taproom & Kitchen
• George Preston memorial businessperson of the year award: Yvonne Hopp, New Directions English Language School
• Business of the year (up to 24 full-time employees) Thunderbird Show Park
• Business of the year (25 or more full-time employees) Otter Co-op.