John Davina, well-known businessman and owner of Kal-West Mechanical is retiring and has sold the company after owning the business for over 30 years.
Kal-West services the region in plumbing, heating HVAC, refrigeration and mechanical services. John’s retirement bucket list is super long and he is going to start reducing it immediately. Do not worry, things will not change for Kal-West as John has turned the company over to four great employees to keep the legacy of Kal-West alive and to move the company forward into bigger and better things for the future. The four gentlemen that have purchased Kal-West are Jason Schellenberger (Class B Gas License ,and Red Seal in plumbing) is an estimator and a project manager; Keith Pearce, sales representative; Terry Smith (Journeyman plumber and licensed gas fitter), general foreman and John Defher (Journeyman plumber and licensed gas fitter), general foreman. As a testament to all of these capable employees, they refused to allow another buyer to take over this reputable company. Call 250-765-6610 www.kalwest.com
Congratulations
More grand prize winners have come forward in the Maxine DeHart Grand Finale United Way – Ramada Hotel Drive-Thru Breakfast.
Congratulations to Tracy and Doug Attenborouse (London Drugs 43″ TV); Katie Jenion and Lynette Stebner (Canadian Home Builders Association Central Okanagan Electric Dewalt Drills) and Shirley Strachan (Interstate All Battery Centre Charge & Go Booster Pack).
Kudos to AST Health Care (Courier) who partnered with PowerPlant to transport the bars from the lower mainland to the Ramada at no cost.
20th Anniversary
The Kelowna office of the Great Little Box Company celebrated their 20th anniversary in business located in a brand new facility at 3502 Spectrum Court, near the airport off Innovation Drive. In 1982 Robert Meggy purchased Great Little Box out of receivership.
At that time, the company operated out of 5,000 square feet with three employees. Now, still independently owned by Meggy, the company has grown with over 280 employees and a 250,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Richmond and three branch locations in Kelowna, who opened their doors in 1998, Victoria and Everett, WA. Although the name is Great Little Box, the company does a lot more than just boxes.
They manufacture labels, folding cartons, protective packaging and. of course, corrugated boxes. Doree Quayle is the vice-president, sales. www.glbc.com
Well-known businessman Steve Harvey of Business Finders Canada is the new President of the Entrepreneurs Organization Okanagan Chapter. This unique worldwide organization is a first of its kind in Kelowna that provides entrepreneurs with global learning and a monthly confidential forum to discuss real business with other entrepreneurs.
The goal is to have their members learn and grow both personally and in their business and to help create more world-class businesses in the Okanagan. Contact Steve at steve@businessfinderscanada.com or 250-808-2838.
Long-time local company Campion Marine has been purchased by KV Private Equity, as the fourth investment of KV Private Equity Fund. Founded in 1974, Campion manufactures a highly desirable range of recreational fiberglass boats that are distributed globally via local dealer partners. KV was attracted to Campion due to the strength of its brand, loyal dealer network and the long term employee dedication. Brock Elliott, president of Campion will stay on for about six months during the transition.
Jonathan Herman is the COO of KV Private Equity.
Celebrations
Happy 55th Anniversary Bob and Sonja Rosco (Oct. 22).
Two well recognized companies in the property management industry are joining forces. RE/MAX Management Solutions and Associated Property Management (2001) both full service professional property management companies have merged operating under Associated Property Management. APM owners Rob Zivkovic and Sean Paulson, along with RE/MAX owner Cliff Shillington share a similar vision. Now based out of four locations in Kelowna and West Kelowna and with more than 35 licensed property and strata managers they can continue to advance their services throughout the Central Okanagan.
Services also include commercial and industrial, rental pool, vacation rentals, tenant placements, property assessments and non-residential owner’s tax investment advice. Contact Rob at rob.zivkovic@associatedpm.ca or Cliff at cshillington@remax.net.
Congratulations to Helen Dawson who is celebrating 20 years with the Kelowna Hostesses this month.
Sherry Barton Vivid Hair Studio has opened in Kettle Valley Village at 102-5315 Main Street (lower level parking lot off McArren Road). Sherry has owned salons for many years in Kelowna as well as participating in national and international hair shows and competitions and hair judging. Sherri has just recently received her new 2018 world judge’s certificate from France, with only one in ten given in Canada and the only one in BC behind the chair. Her new location is two minutes past Summerhill Winery in Kettle Valley. Call or text 250-215-8237 for an appointment.
Sharon Whiting is celebrating 20 years of assisting small businesses with her accurate, timesaving, mobile bookkeeping service under the name of ATM Bookkeeping. ATM was started with the assistance of the Community Futures Self-Employment Program and works with the Sage 50 software program. Sharon was recognized by the Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards, receiving a finalist award in the one to three employee category. ATM is a home-based business and can be reached at 250-862-9523 or atm-bkpg@shaw.ca
Two team members at Points West Audio Visual – Acoustics- Healthcare have recently became certified in a very difficult training program. Beau Langevin and Jeff Kirkman have completed both the Level 1 and Level 2 Certifications for QSC QSys training.
This training is for advanced audio visual specialists who specialize in a wide variety of installations in the audio visual industry, training on a full Q-SYS workstation with the latest Q-SYS hardware and software. Topics include public address, teleconferencing, acoustic echo cancellation, softphone, proper gain staging, third-party control, advanced user control design, networking troubleshooting and core-to-core control to name a few. QSC is a globally recognized leader in design, engineering and manufacturing of high performance audio, video and control products. Tracey Cochrane is the owner of Points West www.pointswestav.com.
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is fast approaching on Nov. 11 and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 26 would like to mark the centennial of the end of the First World War with the solemn sound of bells ringing in Kelowna on Nov. 11 known as Bells of Peace. The Legion is encouraging churches with bell towers and others in the community with bells to have them toil 100 times at the setting of the sun on Remembrance Day. Branch 26 is encouraging descendants, preferably youth, of First World War Veterans to do the ringing and to encourage the community to be as creative as they can be.
Pipers will be encouraged to play Amazing Grace or another appropriate piece of music at the cessation. Bells of Peace are modelled on the spontaneous ringing of church bells throughout England when peace was announced. For more details call the Legion office at 250-762-4117.
Accolades
Personal congratulations to Dale Wentworth, founder of Wentworth Music on being named the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year 2018. This prestigious award recognized and celebrates Dale for his outstanding contributions to the business community in the Central Okanagan. John Guidolin has retired after 32 years and almost 20 locations with Scotiabank/ScotiaMcLeod, starting his career as a consumer credit trainee in Richmond to his final day at ScotiaMcLeod Kelowna. John said he was filled with extremely mixed emotions culminating with a flood of memories as he packed up his office for one last time.
Congratulations to Andrew Nash, the first winner of The John Thomson Memorial-Kelowna Executive Roundtable Scholarship in Marketing. The scholarship is an annual $2,500 award for a top marketing student enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration program and is chosen for having the highest marks in three second or third year marketing courses. The award was named after well-known, long-time Okanagan businessman and columnist, John Thomson who was the former marketing manager at B.C Tree Fruits, formed the Kelowna Executive Roundtable and wrote the Thomson Report, a column about business in the Okanagan. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Okanagan University College.
Coming up
The 5th Annual Law vs. Accounting Blood Drive runs until Nov. 15.
Accountants took the win in 2015 and the Lawyers took the win in 2015, 2017 and 2017. Call Gayle Voyer at 250-979-8053 or Gayle,voyer@blood.ca
BrainTrust Canada’s online auction is now live with KelownaNow.com. They have gathered over $18,000 in donations. Bid only on https://auctions.kelownanow.com/products/index/auction:21/
Family Skating Day for JoAnna’s House is Saturday, Nov. 10 from 10 am to noon at the Capital News Centre. Special pricing with hot chocolate sales and photo booth.
Birthdays of the week
Doreen Gray (Nov. 3); Geoffrey Couper (Nov. 7); Joachim Nierfeld (Nov. 7); Sig Ottenbreit (Nov. 8); Rick Mussellam (Nov. 8); Lawrence Syrnyk (Nov. 9); Bernice Sebastian (Nov. 9); Guy Auger (Nov.10); Michael Loewen (Nov. 10); David Maxwell (Nov.11); Paul Cleland (Nov. 11); Jeff Bourne (Nov. 11); Sofia Simeonidis (Nov. 11); Jan Johnston (Nov. 12); Audi Shaw (Nov. 12); Gord Hunting (Nov. 12); Mark Filatow (Nov. 13).
I am truly honoured to be laying the wreath at the Rutland Cenotaph for The City of Kelowna on Remembrance Day.
Maxine DeHart is a Kelowna City Councillor and local hotelier. Phone her at 250-979-4546 or 250-862-7662; fax 250-860-3173, E-mail maxdehart@telus.net.
