Nominations are now being accepted for this year’s Lennox and Addington Economic Development Awards. Held Nov. 17 at the Strathcona Paper Centre, the night will honour the best local businesses in four categories: tourism, small firm (50 employees or less), agricultural and manufacturing.

"We’re looking for businesses that have had a great year not only in 2011 but are doing something interesting and successful in Lennox and Addington County,” said Manager of Economic Development Stephen Paul.

This year will mark the sixth time the county has hosted the awards. Paul says between the four categories they typically get 25-30 submissions from the public. The winners are then voted on by a panel made up of councillors and business owners.

“We see these awards as a way of raising awareness of companies and the great things they’re doing,” said Paul. “The evening is really about showcasing the talent that is here and those that are a big part of the economy.”

Along with celebrating a job well done, Paul says the awards help spread the word about some of L&A’s not-so-visible success stories.

“There are lots of businesses that are doing extremely well and they are under the radar here in L&A,” said Paul. “I think these awards certainly create more recognition of what they do and how successful they are.”

The final award of the night is the Lifetime Achievement Award, given to an individual who has made a positive impact on L&A’s business landscape.

The keynote speaker for the event is long time voice of the Toronto Blue Jays radio voice Jerry Howarth. For over 30 years Howarth has provided radio play-by-play for the team, including their back-to-back World Series title years in 1992 and 1993.

“We think it’ll be extremely interesting to hear a little about about the behind the scenes of what he does on a daily basis,” Paul said of Howarth. “He also ties it very closely to how businesses can work together in leadership and how teams work together to be successful.”

To nominate a business visit www.LennoxAndAddington.com or call 613-354-4883. The nomination deadline is Sept. 30.

Tickets for the award dinner are $45 and can be ordered through that same number.