First published in the August & September 2016 edition of Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce BusinessVIEW magazine.
Two local chamber members have been recognized for their success at the national level. Sutton Financial Group and Saskatoon Funeral Home were awarded the CAFE Family Enterprise of the Year (FEYA) in 2016 and 2011 respectively.
The Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (CAFE) was established in 1983 as a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the well-being, understanding and success of families in business.
The annual award is designed to “recognize, celebrate and promote the achievements of Canadian family businesses and the considerable contribution they make to both their local communities and our national economy.”
“We were a bit surprised and quite honoured to receive the award,” said Stuart Sutton, current partner and son of Bob Sutton who started the business in 1990 and operated it until his retirement in 2014. Sutton has been a member of the Chamber since 2003. The business continues to offer full personal financial planning for families and business owners. It also offers business consulting services in relation to pensions and benefits along with leadership development. Putting clients first and assisting them in their pursuit of financial security and peace of mind has been a major focus for the business when it began as it is today.
In recent years the business has made a smooth transition from Bob’s leadership to its current partners Stuart Sutton, Jay Stark, Tim Hansen and Andrea Hansen. “We have put a lot of effort into making sure the business lasts beyond the original vision my father had,” said Sutton. “The confidence our clients have in us speaks to the level of trust they had in my dad and the level of trust they continue to have with the current partners.”
Serving the community has been at the heart of Saskatoon Funeral Home which received the award in 2011.
“We have always been a service family and feel privileged to be in a position to help people when they really need it the most,” said Morgan Edwards who continues to manage the business his great grandfather started in 1910 (the same year they joined the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, making them one of the longest standing members in the city).
As the fourth generation of the family operating a business in his home community, Edwards said Saskatoon Funeral Home puts a great deal of focus on local involvement, and remains committed to the economic, social and spiritual betterment of our community.
“We’ve learned that if we focus on core values the rest will take care of itself,” he said. The family owned and operated business employs 100 individuals throughout the province with locations in North Battleford and Saskatoon offering full funeral and crematorium services to families as well as family pet crematorium services.
“We’d like to offer our congratulations to Sutton Financial Group for their excellence service to Saskatoon and the surrounding community and the recognition that comes with this award,”said Edwards.