This award goes to a business leader who has created a successful and growing rural business and who
gives back to the community through mentorship, developing others, collaborative partnerships, and
investments that serve the greater business community.

Criteria:

• Rural business success story based in Oxford County
• Proven leadership, integrity/consistency – across all aspects of the business
• Community involvement – ex. support given to other businesses in the region and/or local
  charitable events and organizations

• Current Oxford Fresh participant
• In business greater than 1 year

This award goes to an employer who has developed an employee onboarding program that is welcoming,
inclusive, and supportive of newcomers joining their workforce.

Criteria:

• Strong commitment to evolve hiring practises with a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens
• Ability to adapt and implement innovative hiring strategies
• Hiring performance – increase in newcomer employee numbers, year over year (%)

This award is presented to a Starter Company participant who has demonstrated good business planning efforts and has implemented those efforts to start or expand a rural small business with proven performance results.

Criteria:

• Business performance – increase in revenue, year over year (%); increase in number of clients or employees; physical location expansion
• Successful completion of the Starter Company program
• In business greater than 3 years

This award goes to an agri-food business in Oxford County that has navigated significant economic disruption. Through ingenuity, hard work, determination, creativity and sheer grit, this business demonstrates excellence by having steered the company to be a thriving agri-food operation.

Criteria:

• Demonstrated ingenuity, grit and adaptability with new business strategies
• Business performance – increase in revenue, year over year (%); increase in number of clients or employees; physical location expansion
• Personal growth and development displayed through navigating significant economic disruption (such as supply chain, war, interest rates, commodity pricing fluctuations, etc)

This award is presented to a long-standing business in Rural Oxford that has grown and made their mark on an international scale. As a staple business, industry leader and large rural employer, this company helps to enrich the thriving Rural Oxford economy.

Criteria:

• Long term business success (20+ years)
• Strong community involvement
• Innovative business strategies
• Recognized business leadership as a role model