Ontario Made has announced its 2023 award nominees, and a Northern Ontario company has made the list.
Sudbury-based Local Jerky Plus, which makes varieties of beef jerky, is the sole Northern Ontario entrant on the list of 20 nominees.
The company is nominated in the Merchandising Excellence Award, which recognizes an Ontario Made retailer that demonstrates merchandising excellence of Ontario Made products.
Launched in 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario Made is an initiative of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) as a way to help consumers identify and purchase products that are made in Ontario.
The idea is that by supporting local businesses and manufacturers, it helps create Ontario jobs and boost economic growth in the province, and the awards recognize participants that best use the Ontario Made branding to their advantage.
Owned and operated by Shawn Scott, Local Jerky Plus opened in 2019 as a home-based business but grew quickly, eventually moving into a retail outlet on The Kingsway in a busy retail district of the city.
Scott’s products are now located in hundreds of stores across the province, and he’s looking at further expansion.
Winners of the second annual Ontario Made Awards are expected to be announced in the new year.
During the inaugural awards in 2021, the Sudbury company Brown’s Concrete was named a winner in the Consumer Awareness category.
