Pillars of the Niagara-on-the-Lake business community are being recognized by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce among finalists of the annual Niagara Business Achievement Awards.

Silversmith Brewing is one of five nominess for the Business of the Year award, while two other businesses, Centennial Construction & Contracting Niagara Inc. and Rugged Books Inc., are nominated for an Excellence in Business Award for businesses that has 26 or more employees, among four nominees.

The brewery has been operating out of the more than 100-year-old church on Niagara Stone Road since 2011, serving its award-winning Black Lager among other brewpub offerings.

Recognition of the company’s success from the chamber of commerce began when it received an award for Outstanding New Business in 2014.

Centennial Construction & Contracting Niagara Inc. has been in operation since 1992 and runs its construction services out of its home base on Townline Road in Glendale.

Rugged Books Inc., also on Townline Road in Glendale, specializes in providing a variety of refurbished tech devices, including laptops and tablets, for customers.

Three businesses from NOTL are nominated for the Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality award: Budapest Bakeshop, Silversmith Brewing and Two Sisters Vineyards.

Budapest Bakeshop, located on Queen Street in Old Town, was founded by a husband and wife duo in 2018, Anett and Todd Kane, serving up sweet and savoury Hungarian baked goods.

Two Sisters Vineyards, which began its journey as a vineyard in 2007, previously won the Business That Gives Back Award in 2022 in the chamber’s Women in Business Awards.

Two figures whose organizations operate, in part, in NOTL are set to be bestowed awards for Community Leadership and Entrepreneur of the Year: Janice Thomson and Mark Sherk, respectively.

Thomson previously held the role of chair for Niagara Parks’ board of directors from 2010 to 2018 and is currently president and CEO of Niagara Falls Tourism. She was honoured as the town’s citizen of the year in 2016.

Sherk is president of Verge Insurance Group, which runs Reimer Verge Insurance Brokers in Virgil.

The awards gala will be held on Thursday, June 13, when the winners will be announced.

For more information, and to purchase a ticket for the upcoming awards gala, visit nbaa.gncc.ca.

Here is the full list of nominees:

Business of the Year: Peters Construction Group; Sid Grabell Contracting; Silversmith Brewing; Subaru of Niagara; Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

Environmental Leadership Award: Destiny Copper Inc.; Infinite Harvest Tech; Links for Greener Learning; The BMI Group

Excellence in Agribusiness, Farming & Rural Achievement: AG Inspired Cuisine; Cherry Lane; SunOpta Inc.

Excellence in Business Award, 26 employees or more: Centennial Construction & Contracting Niagara Inc.; FBT Inc.; Rugged Books Inc.; Turkstra Lumber

Excellence in Business Award, up to 25 employees: A.S. Security & Surveillance Inc.; Cheekbone Beauty; Destiny Copper; Frank + Co. Construction Ltd.; Invittco Inc.; Joe Apps Technology Support; Niagara & Halton Skilled Trades Academy; Oddbird; OEMCHEM Inc.

Excellence in Business, Not-for-Profit Award: Bethlehem Housing & Support Services; Birchway Niagara; Innovate Niagara; Nature School Niagara; The Hope Centre; Wellspring Niagara; YMCA of Niagara

Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality: Budapest Bakeshop; Safari Niagara; Silversmith Brewing; Two Sisters Vineyards

Outstanding New Business: Cannery Lofts; Gather Tasting Room; Hotel Philco; Nana Luxury Event Decor; Paradigm Healthcare Services

Technology & Innovation Award: Destiny Copper Inc.; Joe Apps Technology Support; SunOpta Inc.; Zoom Innovations Inc

Young Professional Award: Shannon Braun, Bethesda Community Services; Meaghan Erb, Bethesda Community Services; Nour Hage, Civiconnect; Frank Musso, Frank + Co. Construction Ltd.; Bianca Silvestri, Gather Tasting Room; Matthew Guarasci, Invittco; Justin Duc, Oddbird; Alka –, Paradigm Healthcare Services; Walid Al Hilaly, Zoom Innovations Inc.

Bestowed Awards:

Community Leadership (sponsored by Niagara Region Economic Development): Janice Thomson,Niagara Falls Tourism, Niagara Health Board of Directors, Niagara Parks Commission Board of Directors. This award recognizes an individual or individuals whose leadership has been a significant force for good in the community.

Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Meridian Credit Union): Mark Sherk, Verge Insurance Group. This award celebrates an entrepreneur who has made an outstanding contribution to business and the economic prosperity of Niagara.

Innovative Leader Award (sponsored by CAA Niagara): David Adames, Niagara Parks Commission. This award celebrates prominent businesses who are leading their industry through innovation, research, and development.

Builder of the Year: Gabriel DeSantis, DeSantis Homes. This award is presented to a company that has helped transform the region through new building and construction.