CLEANTECH
Perry Gerwing
Earthmaster Environmental Strategies Inc.
H
ard work and long hours were expected growing up in a farming community in rural Saskatchewan, but Perry Gerwing recognized that the additional key to long-term success lay in education. After obtaining a bachelor of science degree in agriculture and a masters in soil science, he started his first entrepreneurial venture. He identified the need for soils expertise in the drilling and environmental assessment industry and started an environmental drilling company, while still being a top performer at his full-time job at an agricultural consulting firm in Calgary. His initial venture grew and he sold the firm at a tidy profit in 1992. Gerwing then worked for seven years as an environmental adviser at an energy-producing company but eventually succumbed to his entrepreneurial nature and started his own consulting firm, Earthmaster Environmental Strategies Inc., in 1998. The company began with a small home office and three employees with a model to offer environmental services to the upstream oil and gas sector while advancing environmental stewardship among industry players. The strategy was successful as the company now occupies 10,000 square feet of prime office space in Calgary and employs 35 people. Gerwing is proud to be involved in developing industry-leading environmental technologies along with researchers in Canada, China and Israel, who are deployed commercially in the field. These environmentally-friendly technologies offer significant cost savings to clients in addition to reducing their environmental footprint. As Earthmaster has grown, Gerwing has diversified his investments, now owning a total of four companies, and is always on the hunt for the next opportunity. Earthmaster, meanwhile, recently opened offices in Estevan and Winnipeg in addition to its three Alberta offices. Gerwing has fostered a culture of quality performance whereby Earthmaster provides a quality service and product to the client, while ensuring his employees enjoy a positive work environment. “Employee satisfaction breeds positive energy and, along with hard work and dedication, ensures quality service to our clients and a healthier environment for everyone.�
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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012