Local businesses celebrated at Biz X gala for picking Windsor…and staying

There’s no place like home.

That’s the theme from this year’s Biz X Awards, as it celebrates 20 years of giving out awards to celebrate Windsor businesses that take on retail giants in their own community.

“It is so encouraging to see the growth of small business in our city and how important an award like this from their peers means so much,” said Deb Jones, publisher of Biz X, referring to the famous line from the classic movie Wizard of Oz.

Since 1998, Biz X Magazine has been promoting Windsor businesses on both sides of the border where the publication is available.

Anna Grandi-Pase, owner of the Beautiful Images spa and hair salon, won the Marvelous Manicurist award this year.

“I very much feel excited and honored and overwhelmed all at the same time,” said Grandi-Pase.

She has been in business more than 28 years and attributes her success to the support of the community and her “amazing clients.”

Windsor-Tecumseh MP Cheryl Hardcastle attended the awards gala Nov. 17 at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts, stressing “the smaller business community, in general, is starting to be appreciated on a larger scale.”

“We know there’s innovation, adaptive and responsive people in this community that want to be able to evolve and work with changing times and stay current in an atmosphere, and an event like this helps build that as well,” added Hardcastle.

Biz X published its 2,000th edition in November and featured Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz on the cover.