Business Leaders in Red Deer were honoured last night at the 35th annual Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

The Red Deer Rebels were named Business of the Year in the 11 to 20 Employee category, Owner/GM and Head Coach Brent Sutter was quick to give the people inside his organization all the credit, including his son.

“My son Merrick oversees the business part of things and it certainly helps me out on that end, because I’m involved in the hockey end of things. He does a great job and he understands how it works, more importantly he knows what business means to the community and it doesn’t work in a community like this unless you have great support. It’s a credit to all of our great corporate sponsorships that we get, our fans and season ticket holders.”

A new category this year was the Young Entrepreneur Award, with Empringham Disposal Corporation picking up that honour.

“Empringham Disposal was started in the spring of 2012 with one truck and four bins. Today, four and a half years later we’re around 200 bins and four trucks. We haul garbage and recycling throughout Central Alberta,” said owner Rio Empringham.

Jo(e) Social Media earned Business of the Year honours in the 1-10 employee category, while Paul Davis Red Deer was recognized in the 21 plus Employees category.