Celebrating 2016: Looking Back At Our 20th Year

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. But looking back we’d say our 20th year in business was an amazing one! Here’s our 2016:

20th Anniversary

From two guys selling Skeet & Ike’s nut butters out of the trunk of their car in 1996 to this family of Left Coasters:

Image credit: Thrifty Foods.

We celebrated at CHFA West with the friends we’ve made over the years. Ian, our co-founder, even whipped up a batch of original recipe Skeet & Ike’s coffee chocolate nut butter to share.

Food Community

One of best things about being in the sustainable food industry is the spirit of community and collaboration. We shared and were inspired at the B Corp BLD  Conference and Feeding Growth: Scaling Your Progressive Food Business workshop series.

Awards

Since day one the idea has been that when you do the right things, success will follow. We’re honoured to be recognized as a company that’s about People, Planet and Prosperity:

• Winner of BC Food Processor Associations’ Leadership and Product of the Year (Bronze) awards
• Winner of the Burnaby Board of Trade’s Healthy Workplace award and finalists for Sustainability and Leadership awards
• Named one of Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers
• Ian Walker, our president and co-founder, is a finalist for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award and is featured in BC Business magazine
• Named one of PROFIT’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies
• Named one of Business in Vancouver’s 100 Fastest Growing Companies

Partnerships

We started exciting new partnerships. Some of them were with:

• The BC Governent’s BC Buy Local Program through the Investment Agriculture Foundation
• Nonna Pia’s, Peeled Snacks and Barnana brands
• Farmer Direct Co-op

Image credit: Farmer Direct Co-op

Our People

As a celebratory bunch we take every opportunity to have fun and be good to each other and our community.

We got our hands dirty with Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society.

It’s certainly been a memorable year. Thanks for sharing it with us! We’re looking forward to the new year and best wishes from your friends at Left Coast Naturals.