Capital Iron goes from 'Scrap Heap' to 'Top of the Heap' Winning the Family Enterprise of the Year Achievement Award

OAKVILLE, ON, April 05, 2014 (Press-News.org) The Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (CAFE) today announced that Capital Iron of Victoria, British Columbia, was selected to receive the prestigious Family Enterprise of the Year Achievement Award (FEYA) for 2014 at a spectacular gala dinner to be held at the Westin Bayshore Resort & Hotel in Vancouver on May 22, 2014. The national award is given annually by CAFE to recognize and promote the achievements of Canadian family businesses and the vital contribution they make to their local communities and Canada's economy.

From its beginnings as a humble scrap business in 1863, Capital Iron has evolved into a traditional general store for the modern consumer offering a wide range of products from hardware, clothing and home decor to camping equipment, barbecues, and gardening supplies. As their tagline "There's No Store Like It!" suggests, Capital Iron has built a long-standing reputation as the best store in town with second to none selection, all the while maintaining the unique charm of its historical location, built in 1890 and recognized as a Heritage Canada historical building.

Capital Iron is currently owned and managed by the Black family and is an integral part of the Vancouver Island community employing more than 100 people and donating between 5 and 10% of profits each year to various charitable causes.

"The Capital Iron family is thrilled and honoured to be this year's recipient of CAFE Canada's FEYA Award. There is a long list of distinguished winners and we are excited to be included in that number. CAFE is the single most important organization we belong to and we look forward to the symposium in Vancouver," said Capital Iron President, Mike Black.

"Congratulations to Capital Iron and the Black family. Clearly, the secret to their success is the inherent 'family-ness' of their business coupled with their focus on supporting and giving back to their community," noted Paul MacDonald, Executive Director of CAFE.

Capital Iron will share their family business story with more than 200 leaders of family businesses from across Canada at the CAFE FEYA Award gala which will also feature a keynote presentation delivered by Canadian business icon, David Chilton, author of Canada's all-time best-selling book, The Wealthy Barber and panelist on the hit T.V. series The Dragons' Den. The FEYA Award gala is held in conjunction with the CAFE Family Business Symposium running May 21-23, 2014.

"We congratulate all of the nominees for the 2014 CAFE Family Enterprise of the Year Achievement Award for their innovation and contribution to their local communities," said Yannick Archambault, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at BMO Harris Private Banking. "The hard work and determination that drives their business is the same passion that drives our economy forward as a whole. We are proud to be associated with an organization such as CAFE that celebrates the accomplishments of Canadian family businesses and look forward to continuing to work with them and support their efforts."

Prior recipients of the CAFE FEYA Award include larger companies such as E.D. Smith & Sons Ltd. and Rogers Communications and smaller companies such as Beau's All Natural Brewing Company. CAFE and the FEYA Award program receive support from platinum sponsors BMO Harris Private Banking, and silver sponsors Northland Wealth Management, KPMG Enterprise and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA).

For more information please contact:
Lorraine Bauer, Managing Director
Canadian Association of Family Enterprise
T: 905-337-8375; TF: 1- 866-849-0099
E: lorraine@cafecanada.ca
http://www.cafecanada.ca

About CAFE
For the past 30 years the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (CAFE) has been helping business families succeed by bringing them together to share peer support, knowledge and experience. Through our peer group forums, workshops, seminars, resources and conferences, CAFE helps business families and their advisors share best practices and build their collective skills to meet the unique challenges of owning and operating a family business. CAFE is where Canadian family businesses connect with peers and resources for success.

About BMO Harris Private Banking
Backed by the stability and resources of BMO Financial Group, professionals at BMO Harris Private Banking are responsible for the successful management of wealth by providing expert advice and highly personalized services in banking, investment management, estate, trust, succession planning and philanthropic services - all in a coordinated approach. BMO Harris Private Banking is able to service clients in a variety of languages in 35 offices across Canada.