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The Community Credit Union Business Excellence Award recognizes a business that has exhibited visionary leadership; achieving growth by introducing new products or ideas, expansion or exportation of goods or services and valuing employees and safety in the workplace.

The business is actively involved in the community through fundraising and partnerships in support of organizations or individuals working to better the community. It establishes partnerships and supports the local business community with leadership while actively looking to the future, focused on long-term results and job creation.

What started as a hobby business in Stewiacke about eight years ago, has flowed into becoming a leader in the beverage and alcohol industry across Atlantic Canada and is now reaching further with product being carried at Ontario’s LCBO stores.

Coldstream Clear Distillery is a family-owned business with parents and founders, Robert (Class of '89) and Elaine Giffen, working alongside their three children Liam, Olivia and Riley (Class of '14) and about 85 employees.

The business has experienced exponential growth since its inception, carrying on a long-time family tradition of distilling, a story told on the label of their signature spiced rum about Simon Giffen, Halifax’s first distiller in 1749.

The business was initially started as a craft vodka distillery and has expanded its range to include 10 types of spirits. A true turning point in their growing success was tapping into the development of ready-to-drink products, of which they now offer a compliment of 13. A new lager is soon to enter the market.

Along with the flagship store at Mastodon Ridge in Stewiacke, their footprint has now reached Dartmouth and Antigonish and they have moved the head office and main production to Truro.

During its exponential growth since inception, the company has maintained a focus on innovation and expansion to meet consumer demand. The company bought an 11,000 square-foot building in the Truro Industrial Park in 2018.

This increased production and enabled more efficient packaging reaching an processing average of 200 cans per minute.

They have already outgrown this space, and are once again in expansion mode increasing to more than 48,000 square-feet. This will house the new brewing line as the company prepares to launch its Lager.

Even the pandemic didn’t slow down the company’s growth as they adapted and changed to meet new demands. They were one of the first alcohol companies in the province doing home delivery with up to five trucks on the road across Nova Scotia, a service which still continues today. They pivoted to manufacture hand sanitizer at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and supplied countless first responders and businesses with this key protection to fight the virus.

They are focused on environmental stewardship with every piece of packaging is recyclable, from bottle and cans to can toppers and boxes.

They say the secret ingredient to their success isn’t just what is found the in the bottles and cans but is their employees, a dedicated, extremely passionate team where everyone strives to be their absolute best.

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