Emokhare Paul Anthony
Daily Herald
Two Prince Albert businesses and one entrepreneur are on the list of finalists for the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 ABEX Awards.
Prince Albert businessman Aaron LeMoal of E.T. Flooring and Design is among five nominees up for the ABEX Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. LeMoal said the news came as a welcome surprise.
“I’m pretty excited. It’s a huge honour to be nominated for this award,” LeMoal said. “I wasn’t really sure if I would be accepted to be a finalist. I was pretty excited to be nominated for something like this. It’s a huge honour.”
LeMoal was also nominated for Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Samuel McLeod Business Awards. He said it’s exciting to be nominated again.
“it’s a Saskatchewan award, and I’m in a small city, so it’s a pretty cool thing just to be nominated for,” he said.
“I researched everyone there, and it looks like there’s a lot of great candidates.”
Two Prince Albert businesses are also up for awards. Arbor Memorial has been nominated for the Community Involvement Award, while Lake Country Co-op was nominated for the Growth and Expansion Award.
Arbor Memorial manager Austin Atchison said they were surprised, but deeply honoured to be nominated. He credited Arbor’s staff for their efforts, which led to the nomination.
The ABEX Awards highlight the best of Saskatchewan’s business community. In a press release, the Chamber said the finalists this year have shown exceptional innovation and dedication
to driving economic growth and community development.
“We are pleased to see businesses of all sizes, from smaller local businesses to larger enterprises, apply for these awards. The caliber of applications has been incredibly strong,” Chamber CEO Prabha Ramaswamy said.
In addition to announcing the finalists for the eight application-based categories, the Chamber also announce the recipients of four special awards.
“We are proud to celebrate their success and contributions,” said Ramaswamy.
These recipients are independently selected by the ABEX Judging Committee.
For more than four decades, the ABEX Awards have honoured outstanding achievements
and significant contributions to Saskatchewan’s vibrant business landscape. This year’s gala event will take place on September 21, at TCU Place in Saskatoon.
