Hillbilly Hills Cookies, a Dunrea based business, offers unique and custom artful sugar cookies in many different styles. Owner Lori Bessant tells bdnmb.ca that she has been in business for 4.5 years. She started out by making cookies for friends and family after her son was born in 2016.  She found out shortly thereafter that she was so busy with cookies she was able to stay home and do this full time. Where does the business name come from, you ask? Lori's husband’s nickname is hillbilly and Hillbilly Hills is the name of their farm. Forbidden Flavours on 18th has been a huge supporter of her business since the beginning, and they are currently the only retail location in Brandon where the cookies are available. You can also place custom orders by visiting the company's Facebook page as delivery in Brandon can be arranged for Monday and Friday mornings.  Typically they are booking custom orders out 2-4 weeks however currently Hillbilly Hills Cookies is booked up until the middle of September. Most of their regulars have placed their orders for 2021 already.

All Points Electric Ltd, a fixture in the local business scene for the last 29-years, will be closing effective August 19th, 2020. The announcement was made earlier this evening on their Facebook page. Brent Mathers started All Points Electric in January of 1991 and Darren Wright has owned and operated the business for the past 11 years. As stated in the post, everything is for sale including the building, equipment, trucks, materials, and the customer list. All Points Electric offers residential and commercial solutions - from repairing lights to Government service contracts.

Brianne Roblin always wanted to own her own business. After bouncing ideas off her husband, the couple realized that their best option for a retail outlet was one they had frequently visited themselves. Once Upon A Child is set to open their Brandon, MB location later this fall, nestled just off 18th Street behind Supplement King and Wayback Burgers. With over 380 locations across Canada and the USA, Roblin felt that it was a business model that could thrive in the Brandon and Westman area. "From an early age, I loved "Bag Days" at the local thrift store in the town," said Roblin. "You could fill a bag for $5.00; this was how I got all of my clothes growing up. My mom raised three kids on a single income; we knew nothing different." The company prides themselves on selling gently used kid's clothing, shoes, toys, furniture and baby supplies. The business model is simple. The store buys your gently used items, puts them on the shelf and sells them to other consumers, thus, helping eliminate waste and saving thousands of gallons of water and millions of barrels of oil. "I have been a Once Upon A Child Customer now for eight years, and I look forward to taking in my daughter's items and exchanging those items for the next size up," added Roblin.  "Our goal is to provide an alternative shopping experience for everyone in the Westman Community." Construction continues on the new storefront, and a grand opening is tentatively slated for the fall. Roblin adds that the first few months, the store will be in a strictly "Buying" mode, in order to build up an inventory. For up to the minute details on jobs, and the grand opening, visit them on Facebook. How It Works: * Bring your gently used items. We buy ALL seasons, all day, every day. No appointment necessary * We will review your items carefully based on current style, safety and condition standards * We will offer you a payment on the spot for all items accepted Selling Tips: * Clothing should be of current style, in ready to wear condition and neatly organized. Two-piece outfits placed together * Toys, equipment and furniture, should include all original parts, be clean and in good working condition. * To ensure safety and quality standards, were unable to buy car seats, recalled items and products that do not meet current safety standards.

Westoba Credit Union (WCU) was recently recognized as a finalist in a national awards program that shines the spotlight on organizations who are leveraging technology to revamp their approach to digital operations. IT World Canada (ITWC) Digital Transformation Award program receives nominations from companies and public sector organizations coast to coast in Canada. An independent panel of industry experts judges the award winners based on several key considerations. WCU was named a finalist for the 2020 Digital Transformation Award in the Small Private Sector category. Judges were impressed with Westoba’s implementation of new processes and infrastructure that brought much-needed network stability to an organization serving urban and rural communities. “Digital transformation needs to be a team effort, it’s not something IT does and then layers onto a company,” said lead judge Gary Davenport. “By forming a working group to focus on the institution’s pain points and digital future, it guaranteed employee buy-in of the required changes. That’s a lesson others can still learn.” WCU Board of Directors identified the organizations digital future as a major focus to stay relevant in the financial industry. “Having our hard work recognized nationally is very exciting for our organization,” said WCU’s President and CEO Jim Rediger. “We take pride in our team approach in everything we do. It enables us to continuously improve service and offer new technology to our members.” Norman Neil, Senior Director of Information & Digital Technology at WCU said speed, stability, autonomy, and security are critical to a solid IT network architecture. “Our members have seen improved service time and peace of mind regarding security with these changes.” said Neil. “It has opened the door for future technologies, and we are excited about the direction we are going.” (submitted)

Whether you are planning an event, stocking up the freezer, or heading to the lake for a weekend EK Meats may just have what you're looking for. The Brandon based business launched in June of this year proving customers with an avenue to order a wide variety of frozen food products including proteins (bacon, ribs, burgers, breakfast sausage, chicken breasts) and appetizers (battered mushrooms, macaroni bites, chicken wings, spring rolls, mozza sticks, chicken fingers, & more). To order, simply visit their Facebook page to see the current week's menu for options and pricing details. Once an order has been placed (via Facebook or text) the order is then ready for pickup at their location at D-730 Richmond Ave E on Wednesday afternoon of each week.