The diversity of L&A County's businesses and organizations was once again higlighted at the annual Economic Development Awards held in Napanee on November 17th. 

Manufacturer of the Year was awarded to Willy Dog Hot Dog Carts.  Willy Dog builds and designs a variety of vending, hot dog, and concession carts. The high quality construction of their products make Willy Dog the premier choice for hot dog cart vending since 1989. They custom build their products and welcome specialized design requests. Ulitizing 18 local trades people, Willy dog has experienced improved efficiency since relocating to their Napanee production facility in 2010. Napanee’s accessibility to a skilled labour force and strategic location for shipping are contributing factors to their successful operation.

Finalists for Manufacturer of the year were Rogan Kitchen Manufacturing and Bag to Earth.

Hook's RONA won the 2011 Small Firm of the Year title.  Hook's RONA is a hardware retailer that supplies hardware & building materials  to contractors and the general public in the Land O' Lakes area. The business is an economic force in the northern part of Lennox & Addington County, providing jobs and service for local residents. As a result of their long-standing commitment to sales and service, Hook's RONA received the distinction of being named the Best Hardware Store of the Year for all of Canada at the Outstanding Retailer Awards in 2011.

Kiley Paving and L&A Mutual Insurance were finalists in the Small Firm of the Year category.

Tourism Product of the Year was given to the North American Gaeltacht in Stone Mills Township. The North American Gaeltacht is an organization legally known as Cumann Na Gaeltachta, and is the first gaeltacht in the world outside of Ireland. Located near Tamworth in Stone Mills Township, it is an area dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Irish language, music, dance, history and all other aspects of the Irish Culture. The organization holds an annual week-long summer immersion camp drawing people from across Canada, the United States and Ireland. In addition, the Gaeltacht also hosts an “Oireachtas”, a festival/competition of music, dance, singing, poetry and literature.

Tourism Product finalists included the Flinton Country Bluegrass Jamboree and the Waterside Summer Series.

Paulridge Berry Farm received the Agricultural Operation of the Year honours for 2011.  Paulridge Berry Farm has enjoyed a place in the summertime plans of L&A County families for over 30 years.  The berry farm consists of 20 acres of strawberries, 10 acres of raspberries, as well as peas, beans, potatoes and sunflowers. As a primarily pick-your-own farm, Paulridge's customers have the opportunity to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and to experience the satisfaction of truly home-grown food.  In addition to the berry operation, they farm 600 acres of soybeans and 200 acres of wheat.

Agriculture finalists included Lynch Farms and Kaiser Lake Farms.

For information about additional award winners, please visit www.lennox-addington.on.ca/economic-development-awards