Village Media is thrilled to announce the Northern Ontario Business Awards (NOBAs) will be returning this fall, once again celebrating the extraordinary Northern businesses, individuals and initiatives making significant contributions to our region.
This year’s event, which has been tailored to the times with a new format, marks the 34th year for the time-honoured, northern tradition.
In respect of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event will move to a virtual format that still allows us to recognize the impressive achievements of nominees and winners.
Do you know a person or business whose exemplary work deserves to be acknowledged?
Nominations can be submitted online at noba.ca/nominate until Oct. 16. Submissions will be vetted by a judging panel.
In the absence of a gala dinner and ceremony, winners will be featured in a profile and video, which will be published on NorthernOntarioBusiness.com and Village Media’s additional Northern Ontario websites, including Sudbury.com, SooToday, TimminsToday, BayToday and ElliotLakeToday.
This year’s categories include:
• Company of the Year (1-15 Employees)
• Company of the Year (16-50 Employees)
• Company of the Year (51+ Employees)
• Entrepreneur of the Year
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year
• Innovation Award
• First Nations Business Award of Excellence
• Entrepreneurial Community of the Year
• Export Award
• Judges' Choice Award
The rich history of the NOBAs spans three decades, serving to heighten the visibility and influence of business in the North and bring peer recognition to the business leaders who create prosperity and economic growth.
“Since 1986, NOBA has brought Northerners together to celebrate their achievements. More than 300 businesses and business leaders have been honoured,” says Abbas Homayed, publisher of NorthernOntarioBusiness.com.
“The year 2020 has been full of challenges, but we did not want to cancel this important awards program. We have found a creative way to continue the NOBA tradition.”
Hosted by Laurentian Publishing for the last 33 years, the torch has now been passed to Village Media, the Sault Ste. Marie-based digital news company that acquired NorthernOntarioBusiness.com in March.
Village Media CEO Jeff Elgie is a past NOBA recipient, named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009.
“As a previous NOBA winner, we understand the importance of NOBA to Northerners, and we’re delighted to be able to continue its mission of honouring business excellence in the North,” he says.
For more information, please visit noba.ca, or email Abbas Homayed at ahomayed@sudbury.com or Jasmyn Rowley at jasmyn@villagemedia.ca.
