County of Brant welcomed the local business community for the annual Salute to Brant Business event on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
The evening was an opportunity for networking, enjoying local food and drink, an inspiring keynote address, and celebrating local business achievements with awards.
“It was a wonderful evening celebrating Brant’s business community,” said Zach Gable, Director of Economic Development and Tourism. “This year’s theme, Resiliency of Businesses During Times of Uncertainty, was especially fitting and emphasized the importance of working together through challenging times.”
The event was hosted by Jan Vilaca, also known as Spicy Jan, a local entrepreneur and business coach. Keynote speaker Brock Dickinson’s address “It’s not the end of the world”, focused on understanding opportunities in the next economy though a mix of humour, insight and strategy.
The major highlight of the event was the awards presentation, recognizing the achievements of businesses across five categories: Accessible Brant Award, Brant Farms For All Agriculture Award, Brant Works Innovation Award, Good Times in Brant Award and the Our Future Brant Sustainability Award.
2025 award recipients were:
- Jason’s Wheelhouse – Accessible Brant Award
- McBlain Farms Ltd. – Tyler McBlain and Family – Brant Farms For All Agriculture Award
- Scotlynn – Brant Works Innovation Award
- Afro-CariBrant Festival – Good Times in Brant Award
- Sika Canada Inc. – Our Future Brant Sustainability Award
Nominations for this year’s awards opened in early May and closed on June 25, 2025. Award recipients were selected by a committee of industry experts.
“We are grateful to everyone that took the time to nominate a County of Brant business and support this event,” said Gable. “We look forward to celebrating with our business community again in 2026.”
