Moose Jaw-based company Prestige Environmental took home the Meritorious Service Award from the Saskatchewan Public Works Association at their annual conference on Feb. 25.
Steve Karmarznuk, operations and field service manager at Prestige Environmental, was on hand to accept the award, and was pleased with the recognition.
The Meritorious Service Award is given each year in recognition of the private sector and academic institutions that play a key role in providing public works services.
It is awarded based on the recipient’s work in enhancing the quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of services provided by public agencies.
In an emailed statement from the SPWA, Prestige Environmental was chosen for this year’s award because of their quick response time and continued willingness to assist with crucial situations like water main breaks, service leaks, or environmental spills.
“Prestige does not only great work but works with customers and the public very well. They are always willing to accommodate regardless of how dirty the job,” said a representative from the SPWA in an email.
For Karmarznuk, this recognition is a satisfying acknowledgement of the effort Prestige Environmental puts in every day to provide quality services to their clients across the province.
As a small business, he credits the team at Prestige Environmental for always doing great work and the company’s commitment to a quick response with services as a large part of its success.
“If they phone me at one o'clock with an emergency, within half an hour we're there with trucks,” said Karmarznuk. "So that's what it means, it is really good customer service and that's what I pride myself on.”
This is the first award the company has received since opening three years ago, and Karmarznuk admitted he was shocked to be the recipient but feels good about the recognition.
“When I leave that customer smiling, no matter what, that's [what's important], so that's pretty much all it is. It's nice to get something to recognize that,” said Karmarznuk.
Prestige Environmental is working on expanding its services, said Karmarznuk, adding the spray-injection truck for pothole repair to their fleet last year as well as a jetting trailer to flush sewer lines and storm drains. He hopes this award will help with business in the future.
“Now we can say, look, we won the best service award in Saskatchewan, that's got to say we're not too bad,” said Karmarznuk.
