Local mortgage broker celebrates winning Vancouver Island Business Award

[TomW]

Heather Thomson, Alberni Valley Times
Published: Sunday, January 29, 2012
Only a year after starting her business, Sharie Marie Francoeur has been named real estate company of the year.
Francoeur was excited and surprised when she won the Vancouver Island Business Award, handed out by the Business Examiner on Thursday night in Victoria.
"It gives our team some recognition and shows people they can have faith in us," she said. "And it makes me feel more confident in growing my team."
In 2011, Francoeur set up Sharie Marie Mortgage Team in Port Alberni. She grew up here, and had been living in Victoria since she graduated from Alberni District Secondary School five years ago. But her love of the city and its community feel brought her back.
Francoeur thinks one of the reasons she won was the speed at which the company grew. She also established the Mortgage Mentoring Program in Ladysmith, which put her up for the entrepreneur of the year award on Thursday night. Through that program, her company has grown rapidly. She now has 10 licenced mortgage brokers and 13 in training. Two are in Port Alberni, and the rest are around Vancouver Island.
"I wanted to help others mortgage brokers learn, not only what's in the books, but what they will need in the job," she said.
Francoeur was not the only Alberni Valley business to be nominated in these awards. Seven other businesses got the nod, including Van Isle Ford, Kismet Quilts (small business), West Coast SLAM (community leader), Catalyst Paper (forestry/wood products company), NSS Investments (real estate), Trends Design Team and Trends 2 (small business) and Acoustic Wood Ltd. (small business).
"Port Alberni tends to have a really negative image," Francoeur explained. "It is important that business owners in small towns, especially Port, get out there and show what we can really do and start to change that image."
Even being nominated offers advantages. Rosanne Gray, owner of Trends Design Team, said they are grateful for the community support and honoured to be nominated again this year.
"The competition was very tough, and we are very proud to be included in the same category as the other finalists," Gray said. "Trends Design Team will continue to provide professional services to all our customers and look forward to continued success and growth."


© Alberni Valley Times 2012






Congrads to her!