Gala honours Kitchener-Waterloo businesses and leaders

The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce honoured local businesses and leaders Thursday night at their Business Excellence Awards Gala.

The event was hosted by CTV Kitchener's Alexandra Pinto.

The following were recognized for their contributions to the community:

• Business of the Year Award (over 50 employees) – Grand River Hospital
• Business of the Year Award (11-50 employees) – Diva International Inc.
• Small Business of the Year Award (1-10 employees) – FourAll Ice Cream
• New Business of the Year Award (under two years) - Friendlier
• Young Professional of the Year Award – Armen Bakirtzian (Medical Innovation Xchange)
• Community Builder of the Year Award – Morty's Pub
• Health & Wellness in the Workplace Award – Kei (A Kuntz Company)
• Innovation Award – eHealth Ontario
• Non-Profit/Charitable Award – Anishnabeg Outreach
• Service Excellence in Hospitality & Tourism Award – Canoeing the Grand
• Environment & Sustainability Award – AET Group
• Volunteer of the Year Award – Steve Ashton, President of Reeve and Company
• Employee Engagement Award - Axonify

Martha George, president of the Grand Valley Construction Association, was also given the Michael R. Follett Community Leader of the Year Award.

"I get to do what I love to do every day, and I get a trophy. It's very rewarding. I'm very fortunate," she told CTV News. "Any opportunity that I have to put a public, positive face on construction, that's what I like to do."

George added that a big part of her job is educating others about construction.

"The industry is a really dynamic industry, it's a very complex industry that's really not well understood. Overcoming some of the challenges, to help members through their day-to-day challenges in the industry, is really what I do."