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Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Toronto, ON – November 12, 2020 – The Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) hosted its 16th Annual Business Achievement Awards on November 12th, 2020. This event recognizes the leadership and contributions of its members in advancing the agenda of supplier diversity to truly have economic inclusion for Aboriginal and minority owned businesses. Eight awards were given to the recipients who have demonstrated excellence in areas such as business growth, technology innovations, collaboration, employment opportunities, community development and advocacy. A special Recognition Award was also presented for the first time this year to appreciate pivoting of business and retooling done by CAMSC members during this pandemic to encourage and nurture goodwill in business. Hosted by CAMSC’s President & CEO Cassandra Dorrington, the Business Achievement Awards provided an opportunity to celebrate the individual and collective accomplishments achieved this year, including the economic advancement of minority businesses across all sectors. “We are in awe each year at the perseverance and efforts undertaken by all our members. I am honoured to be given the opportunity to personally thank each and every attendee for sharing our vision of a business landscape where supplier diversity is valued by all for the role it plays in creating wealth in Aboriginal and minority-owned businesses, especially during such challenging times,” said Cassandra Dorrington, President and CEO of CAMSC. The awards ceremony was attended by some renowned diversity advocates and leaders such as Gopal Bansal, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, RBC who gave the welcome speech, followed by a very informative keynote speech on Black Lives Matter and importance of diversity and inclusion by Ray Williams, Managing Director & Vice Chairman, Financial Markets at National Bank Financial. Honourable Minister Mary Ng and Honourable Minister Bardish Chagger graced the event with their greetings along with four Mayors. 2020 Winners and Highlights: Supplier of the Year Award was awarded to Triplewell Products Ltd. The company were established in 1988, has operated for more than 32 years. With a humble beginning of 6, they expanded to more than 200 employees, they specialize in fabric automotive interiors, as well as the design, development, and production of high-end transportation. During COVID-19, they pivoted to produce PPE, masks, and medical gowns. Small Business of the Year Award was awarded to Topnotch Employment Services Inc., which has been a leading provider in the staffing industry, servicing clients throughout the Greater Toronto Area for the past 28 years. They provide a full suite of services to a wide range of industries from Administrative, Accounting, IT, Clerical and General Office. The Technology Innovation Award was awarded Signifi Solutions Inc., an innovator in retail solutions. With presence over 25 countries, they design, engineer, integrate propriety robotic dispensing kiosks, smart locker, in-aisle loss prevention solutions and Signifi Screen Safe option, that uses a liquid nano protective coating as an antibacterial barrier. Procurement Business Advocate of the Year Award was awarded to Leonard Jean-Pierre Anthony from TeamRecruiter.com. Leonard has advocated for the inclusion of minority people in all aspects of the global economy past 16 years. Being the founding supplier of CAMSC, since certification in 2005, his company has branch locations in Canada and the USA. The Collaboration Award was awarded to the Diversity Canada Magazine. This magazine helps corporate Canada, Government and the public better understand the business case for inclusion and supplier diversity including what it takes to build a strong program that reflects the values of each company and the customers they serve. The Tier 1 Champion of Supplier Diversity Award was awarded to BGIS. Headquartered in the Toronto area, a leader in the provision of facility management, project delivery, energy & sustainability, asset management, workplace advisory, and real estate services. Globally, they manage more than 35,000 facilities across several markets, and they are the stalwarts in the management of data centers and other critical environments. Corporation of the Year Award was presented to Ford Motor Company, a global automotive company. This company has exceeded 10% annual diverse spend goal for 9 consecutive years and contributes $18.7B to the US and Canadian economy. Nearly 1 Million Jobs have been supported through this. Special Recognition Award was presented to 6 deserving diverse suppliers for extraordinary contributions, activities, or impact as it relates to employees, customers and or communities before, during and post COVID- 19. The winners were – AceTronic, Daytona Freight Systems Inc, Dream Supplies Inc., Redwood Classics Apparel, SIM(Maxtech) and Staff Shop Inc. For more information about CAMSC and the awards gala, visit www.camsc.ca and Award Winners 2020.
(From Left, clockwise) Leonard Jean-Pierre Anthony; Terry Sawh, President, Topnotch Employment Services Inc.; James Wong, Vice-President, Triplewell Products Ltd; Paul Lachhu, Editor-in-Chief, Diversity Canada Magazine; Shamira Jaffer, CEO, Signifi Solutions Inc.; John Castelhano, Vice President, Strategic Sourcing, North America, BGIS; Travis Spencer – Head of Supplier Diversity & Inclusion, Ford Motor Company.
Special Recognition Award Winners (From Left, Clockwise) Jennifer Menard, Founder & CEO, Director, Client Happiness of Staff Shop Inc.; Kim Thiara, President and CEO, AceTronic Industrial Controls Inc.; Isaac Olowolafe, Co-President, Dream Supplies; Kathy Cheng, President, Redwood Classics Apparel and team; Kacee Vasudeva, CEO, SIM (Maxtech); Andy Kahlon, Director, Daytona Freight Systems Inc. About CAMSC CAMSC is a non-profit organization established in 2004 to advance the economic strength of Aboriginal and visible minority communities through business development and employment. CAMSC’s mission is to facilitate business relationships with Canadian corporations and supplier organizations owned by Aboriginals and minorities. Since its inception, corporate members have spent more than $5 billion with CAMSC certified Aboriginal and minority-owned businesses and the network continues to grow. Visit www.camsc.ca For more information, please contact: Daphne Shih Director, Business Development & Partnerships Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council |
AD20 Press Release
