Mazzei Electric was named Business of the Year at the Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards this past week. NEWS BULLETIN photo

Mazzei Electric was named Business of the Year at the Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards this past week. NEWS BULLETIN photo

Vancouver Island’s best in business recognized at awards gala

Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards were presented this past week

A lot of folks on Vancouver Island are powered up thanks to Mazzei Electric, and that business was rewarded for its efforts.

The Island-based electrical contractor was named Business of the Year at the Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards this past week.

The 19th annual awards, presented by Grant Thornton LLP, were held at a gala event Thursday at Nanaimo’s Vancouver Island Conference Centre.

Mazzei Electric’s win came in the category for 50 or more employees. Mazzei, of Nanaimo and Victoria (as well as Fort St. John), also received a Business Excellence Award last year, when it was the winner in the Builders and Trades category.

Small Business of the Year for this year was V.I. Creature Teachers of Campbell River.

“Every year there are some amazing success stories that are told at this event,” said Mark MacDonald of Business Examiner, event coordinator, in a press release. “There is a lot of hard-working business people who have put everything they have into their companies, and it’s great to have an evening to celebrate their efforts.”

There were 85 finalists across 17 categories.

Other winners included:

Automotive – Cowichan Auto Repair, Duncan; Brewery – Twin City Brewing, Port Alberni; Construction/Development/Real Estate – Tectonica, Nanaimo; Entrepreneur – McTavish Academy of Art, Saanich; Food and Food Production – Urban Bee Honey Farm, Victoria; Green – J. Zsiros Contracting, Courtenay; Health Care – Bayshore Home Health, Saanich; Hospitality – Crystal Cove Beach Resort, Tofino; Manufacturer – VMAC, Nanaimo; Professional – Waymark Architecture, Victoria; Retail: M&N Mattress, Parksville; Technology – Trich Analytics, Victoria; Tourism – Surf Sister Surf School, Victoria; Trades – Westcom Plumbing and Gas, Sooke; Wood Products – D&H Woodworks, Sooke.

Black Press was a platinum medium sponsor of the BE Awards.

Alberni Valley News