EOY Prairies 2015

Legacy Builders 2015

Celebrating legacy builders in the Prairies.

© 2015 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved.

“Entrepreneur Of The Year” is a registered trademark of EYGN Limited.

Proudly honouring energy, passion and innovation Special supplement published by Business in Calgary and Business in Edmonton.

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Celebrating Canada’s entrepreneurial stars Canada’s top entrepreneurs truly are stars of the business world. They burn brightly and light the way for others. They soar across the landscape, each one unique. They shine with an intensity unmatched by others, in an environment where the sky is no limit.

Everyone looks up to the brightest entrepreneurial stars.

That’s why EY is proud to support and guide Canada’s best and brightest entrepreneurs.

For over 20 years, we’ve honoured their achievements with the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards.

The legacies these men and women are creating stand as inspiration to future generations of entrepreneurs, just as they’ve been driven to succeed by the innovators of the past. They’re always searching for better — probing paths less travelled and transforming the world with new ideas, products, services and ways of doing business.

Storytelling is a powerful thing. I encourage you to read the stories in these pages of this year’s award finalists. I have no doubt you’ll be inspired by their passion and energy.

These stars are certainly worth looking up to.

Great stars need a supporting cast. We’re thankful to the sponsors who have joined us to shine the spotlight on the legacy builders. This year’s national program sponsors are TEC Canada, La Presse, RDI, TMX, Merrill DataSite, Kira Talent, Air Canada and The Printing House Limited. Our regional sponsor is Business in Calgary and Business in Edmonton magazine.

I invite you to join us to celebrate entrepreneurial success at the Prairies awards gala in Calgary on 15 October 2015. For tickets and more information, contact Louise Hyland at louise.hyland@ca.ey.com.

Rob Jolley Prairies Director, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

Table of Contents Manufacturing Shaun Semple - Brandt Group of Companies - page 8 | David Welsh - priMED Medical Products Inc. - page 10 | Gary Haley - Vantage Foods Inc. - page 12 | Peter Dueck, Sid Dueck - Vidir Machine Inc. - page 14

Real Estate and Construction Bert DeBruin, Jeanette DeBruin - AltaPro Electric Ltd. - page 15 | Brian Halina - Chemco Electrical Contractors Ltd. - page 16 | Bob Dhillon - Mainstreet Equity Corp. - page 18

Energy Services Scott Dodds - High Mark Crane Ltd. - page 20 | Mike Schnell, Chris Challis - Maverick Oilfield Services Ltd. - page 22 | Troy Ferguson - Redrock Camps Inc. - page 24 | Ashley Godwin, Kyle Melnyk - TAHK Projects Ltd. - page 26

Agricultural and Environmental Innovation Dr. Jianhua Zhu - BioNeutra Global Corporation - page 28 | Darryl Nelson, Warren Nelson - Nelson Environmental Remediation Ltd. - page 30 | Norbert Beaujot - SeedMaster Manufacturing Ltd. - page 32 | Shane Olson - Shercom Industries Inc. - page 34

Special Citation – Social Entrepreneur Alfred Nikolai - Habitat for Humanity Edmonton - page 36

Emerging Entrepreneur Dale Kearns - BrightPath Early Learning Inc. - page 38 | Jeremy Leonard - Canada Pump and Power Corporation - page 40 | John Stevens - ENTREC Corporation - page 42 | Todd Van Vliet - Frac Shack International Inc. - page 44

Business-to-Consumer Products and Services Patrick Priestner - AutoCanada Inc. - page 46 | Louis Stack - Fitter International Inc. - page 48 | Milt Reimer - FXR Factory Racing Inc. - page 50 | Greg Stahl - New West Truck Centres - page 52

Technology and Communications Geoff Lyon - CoolIT Systems Inc. - page 54 | Alex Webb - F12 Networks - page 55 | Lindsay Dodd - Savvia Inc. - page 56 | Geoffrey Thompson - Vintri Technologies Inc. - page 57

EY Family Business Award of Excellence James Richardson & Sons, Limited - page 58

Oil and Gas Pat Wilson - Camex Equipment Sales & Rentals Inc. - page 60 | Liam Balfour - New Wave Energy Services Group Ltd. - page 62 | Pat Carlson - Seven Generations Energy Ltd. - page 64 | Josh Thompson - WISE Intervention Services Inc. - page 66

Professional and Financial Services Shannon Bowen-Smed - BOWEN - page 68 | Fayaz Chunara - FC Telec Consultants Ltd. - page 70 | Vivian Manasc - Manasc Isaac Architects - page 71 | Melanie Wildman - WLF Medical - page 72

Business-to-Business Products and Services Joe Sunner, Harry Sunner - Durabuilt Windows & Doors Inc. - page 74 | Christopher Micetich - NAEJA Pharmaceuticals / Fedora Pharmaceuticals - page 76 | Jack Tremain - Pumps & Pressure Inc. - page 78 Published by O.T. Communications | www.otcommunications.com | Canadian publications mail sales product agreement No. 41126516 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation deptartment: 1025 101 6th Ave. SW, Calgary, AB T2P 3P4 | info@businessincalgary.com

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

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To judge talent, you need lots of it.

It takes talent to know talent. We couldn’t celebrate the Prairie’s brightest entrepreneurs without the powerful insights of our judges. We’re truly grateful.

Saurabh Agarwal

Prabha Vaidyanathan

Allison Grafton

Dale Wishewan

Steve King

Anita Wortzman

Principal, Warburg Pincus

Founder and Partner, Rockwood Custom Homes

President & CEO, Alaris Royalty Corp.

Ashif Mawji

President, Trust Science

CEO, Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.

President & CEO, Booster Juice

CEO, Acumen Corporate Development

Meet our Prairies leadership team Saskatoon Rob Jolley

Evan Shoforost

Program Director, Entrepreneur Of The Year

Managing Partner 306 934 8000 evan.shoforost@ca.ey.com

780 638 6656 rob.m.jolley@ca.ey.com

Louise Hyland

Greg Keller

Program Specialist, Entrepreneur Of The Year

Office Leader, Entrepreneur Of The Year

403 206 5372 louise.hyland@ca.ey.com

306 649 8218 greg.keller@ca.ey.com

Calgary

Winnipeg Kent Kaufield

Joe Healey

Managing Partner

Managing Partner

403 206 5100 kent.d.kaufield@ca.ey.com

204 954 5568 joe.a.healey@ca.ey.com

Dean Radomsky Office Leader, Entrepreneur Of The Year 403 206 5180 dean.w.radomsky@ca.ey.com

Edmonton Ross Haffie Managing Partner 780 423 5811 ross.m.haffie@ca.ey.com

Industry Manufacturing

Shaun Semple Brandt Group of Companies Regina

S

haun Semple is President and CEO of the Brandt Group of Companies. Founded in 1932, the company that delivers innovative equipment solutions and started with 60 employees has now grown into a multinational company, employing more than 1,900 people and servicing markets in more than 20 countries on six continents.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur at an early age. I always dreamed about working at Brandt because that is where my father worked.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

You need to be able to do three things: build relationships, have the vision to see what things can be and take risks.

How are you reshaping the world?

We’re bringing down the myth that in order to be a large company you need to be in a major centre, and that in order to grow to a significant size you must go public.

What’s your legacy? “ “We took a small, legacy Regina-based “ company and grew it into a multinational company — and we kept it local.“

What’s the one thing that you cannot live without?

Family. Close family ties are what keeps us grounded and based in Regina.

To what do you attribute your success?

I owe my success to my family, and specifically to my father, who always believed in me.

What motivates you?

I am motivated by building. I love dreaming, seeing something that no one else sees or believes is possible, developing and seeing a plan through to the end and watching the new project thrive.

My best advice for entrepreneurs is to follow these three rules: do what’s right, do your best and treat others as you would want to be treated.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

BLOOD, SWEAT & GEARS. It is humbling and gratifying to be acknowledged as an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist. Our success as a company is due to the tireless efforts of an outstanding team, and for me, sharing this success with them is the best reward of all.

Thank you.

brandt.ca

Manufacturing

David Welsh priMED Medical Products Inc. Edmonton

T

he business’s motto really says it all: “manufacture, deliver, protect.” In order to successfully achieve this hard and fast standard, priMed has ensured that its employees are integral, contributing members of the greater team, because their mission is an important one: protect those on either side of the health-care desk.

David Welsh is the catalyst of the company, always encouraging innovation, ingenuity and community.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Both — innate skills like leadership, confidence and salesmanship are necessary, but so are things like experience, mentorship and exposure to other entrepreneurs.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Confidence, vision, the courage to take a calculated risk and the ability to problem solve with creativity.

What’s unique about your business?

Our business model is unique and innovative in itself, and we’re always looking to change and grow as a business.

What sets Canadian entrepreneurs apart on the world stage?

We have a unique balance of innovation, family values and social corporate responsibility.

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

We’ve developed a work culture that is engaged and committed and that inspires teamwork.

What’s your legacy?

“To improve the safety and protection for clinicians, patients and the public through our high-quality products; to be identifiable as a high-quality employer. “

To what do you attribute your success?

My great team of passionate and committed people.

How do you define success?

Achieving a balanced life between work and family, and having the desire and excitement to go to work each day.

My best advice for entrepreneurs is start now. Don’t be afraid. If a disaster happens, chances are it can be turned into something great.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Manufacturing

Gary Haley Vantage Foods Inc. Calgary

F

ounded in 1997 by CEO Gary Haley, Vantage Foods Inc. is a private label manufacturer of retail-ready fresh meat products. Now operating four modern facilities in Canada and the U.S., and with 1,300 employees, Vantage supplies major chain supermarkets with merchandising programs designed to increase consumer satisfaction and deliver superior retail meat department performance.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Because I was born into an entrepreneurial family, finding my own entrepreneurial path was instinctive.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Entrepreneurship can be learned — however, entrepreneurship hardwired into their DNA.

What’s your legacy? the

ultra-successful

have

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

A healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo, relentless focus on customer needs, a dedicated team, innovation and integrity — and a little luck doesn’t hurt!

What sets Canadian entrepreneurs apart on the world stage?

Internationally, Canadian entrepreneurs are perceived as fair and polite, trustworthy and reliable.

To what do you attribute your success?

We live and breathe our core values as the essence of our culture and a key source of our competitive advantage. We surround ourselves with great customers and outstanding employees, and it is our stated priority to look after them in every way.

How do you define success?

Integrity, defined as daily delivery of our Brand Promise to customers, and relationships as measured by the exceptional calibre of our retail partners, suppliers and employees.

My advice to entrepreneurs is to find a business you’re passionate about.

Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, a choice that is demanding but very rewarding. Surround yourself with great people. Look after your customers and employees and the business will largely look after itself.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

“To leave a culture of excellence and integrity and to serve as a role model for my children, employees and aspiring entrepreneurs and personally to make meaningful financial contributions to children’s charities.“

1300 People Created This Masterpiece

Each one is integral to the integrity of our Brand Promise.

Hats off to our employees—the champions who come through for Vantage every day.

And thank you to our retail partners.

Together we are a winning team.

vantagefoods.net

Manufacturing

Peter Dueck, Sid Dueck Vidir Machine Inc. Arborg

I

nnovative storage solutions are what put Co-Presidents Sid and Peter Dueck’s company on the radar, but it has been the business’s ongoing success that has solidified their place in the entrepreneurial world.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Sid: Both. Establishing a business is hard and you learn from your mistakes, but it is how you react to those mistakes that defines you as an entrepreneur.

Peter: Made. The key ingredients are opportunity and a mentor.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Sid: Leadership and vision.

Peter: Resilience, passion and relationships.

What would winning Entrepreneur Of The Year mean to you?

Sid: It would be an honour to be recognized for what our team has been able to achieve over the last 30 years.

Peter: It would be an affirmation of the value of community and teamwork. Every associate contributed to the collective success, and I owe gratitude to each of our staff.

Looking back, what’s one thing that you would do differently, professionally speaking?

Sid: I wished I’d pursued more university training in business.

Peter: Make difficult decisions sooner.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Sid: A commercial pilot flying international routes.

Peter: A cowboy.

What’s your legacy?

Peter: “The golden rule: treat people the way you want to be treated.”

Sid: “I want to be viewed as a man who gives back to make our community and the global community a better place.“

To what do you attribute your success?

Sid: My upbringing. Family, community and God were very important.

Peter: Our emotional quotient (EQ). Learning not to give up or fly off the handle keeps us in the game. EQ is a combination of genetics, family and faith.

Our best advice for other entrepreneurs is to surround yourself with loyal, dependable people and work hard to create a positive culture within your business.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Real Estate and Construction

Bert DeBruin and Jeanette DeBruin AltaPro Electric Ltd. Edmonton

H

ubert (Bert) and Jeanette DeBruin have been working side by side since the inception of AltaPro Electric in 1987. Starting with smaller residential projects, the company has since evolved to include multi-family, commercial and industrial projects throughout the Edmonton and surrounding areas.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Bert: Determination, the ability to adapt to an ever-changing market and innovation.

Jeanette: The ability to create a healthy culture and be real. Continuous learning, and always continuing to develop your business.

What’s unique about your business?

Bert: We develop people and career hire. In the trades, this is uncommon.

Jeanette: We have our own training and mentoring program.

How are you accelerating growth in Canada?

Bert: Our in-house training facility of a miniature building allows people to have supervised training.

Jeanette: We designed our prefabrication shop inside our warehouse so that young workers can be developed to reach their full potential.

What’s your legacy?

“The intentional development of leaders in order to set them up for success now and in the future. “

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

Bert: We’ve designed our own software that’s ideal for electrical projects and business management.

Jeanette: We adopt the latest technology, which engages all levels, from field to office, collaborating with labour, material and project management requirements.

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

Bert: Working with people and developing them to their highest potential.

Jeanette: We enjoy seeing how each person is designed for greatness.

How do you define success?

Bert: A healthy culture where people enjoy their career.

Jeanette: A workplace where people feel valued and appreciated.

Our best advice for entrepreneurs is make sure you own your goals and know your vision. You need perseverance, and you need to take naysayers with a grain of salt.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

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Real Estate and Construction

Brian Halina Chemco Electrical Contractors Edmonton

B

rian Halina, President and CEO of Chemco Electrical Contractors, believes in taking care of people. His former business partners describe him as “the best business partner you could hope for, a man of integrity, honesty and respect and an employer who always felt a responsibility to his employees.”

What’s unique about your business?

Chemco is the largest non-publicly traded employeeowned electrical and instrumentation company in Canada.

What’s your legacy?

What’s next for the business?

We will continue to expand across Canada and build strong joint-venture partnerships with Aboriginal communities.

How are you reshaping the world?

By building a company that maintains a strong sense of humanity.

What’s the one thing you can’t live without?

My family.

What was your first job?

Filling in trenches and laying grass sod for a company called Doug Smith Electric.

Bob Reid, the manager at the time, hired me after calling my uncle to see if he knew anyone looking for work. Eventually, he and I became partners, and in 1976 we acquired the company, renaming it to Chemco Electrical Contractors in 1978. The rest is history.

“Building a company that is founded on family values.

The company is based on community and the philosophy that ‘we all pull together,’ no matter what.“

What was your most difficult career experience and what did you learn from it?

On January 2, 1996, I had to tell my employees the company was in trouble and that I had no work for them. The employees rallied together, and we navigated through that storm. I learned that a big part of entrepreneurial success is to surround yourself with people who have a “can-do no matter what” attitude.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs is to always take full responsibility for your actions. Treat people with respect, and dare to dream big.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

We Build Industry

“It’s a tremendous honour to be nominated for this award and a true reflection of everyone’s dedication in the Chemco family. It is through the combined effort and talents of our team, clients and our suppliers that we have been able to build and grow our organization.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey for over 50 years.”

Brian Halina President & CEO

Committed to providing the energy industry with construction solutions. From engineering through to commissioning we have the experience and expertise to bring our clients projects in on time and on budget.

www.chemco.com

780.436.9570

Real Estate and Construction

Bob Dhillon Mainstreet Equity Corp.

Calgary | TSX:MEQ

S

ince 2000, Mainstreet Equity Corporation has grown its portfolio from 272 units with approximately $17 million in market value, to 9,159 units (YTD) with approximately $1.3 billion in market value. The Founder and largest shareholder, Bob Dhillon, started his career in his teens and continued to evolve the size and scope of his investments while earning an MBA. Today, Dhillon is involved in several ventures including overseas property development.

What makes you stand out from others?

Taking risks while being innovative and creative, and swimming upstream.

How are you reshaping the world?

I am using my intellectual capital, as well as lessons I learn being on the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation board, to help teach the world how to provide affordable housing in emerging markets.

What’s your legacy?

“To be the world’s best capital allocator in real estate. “

To what do you attribute your success?

Never giving up, working hard, taking big chances and educating myself at every possible opportunity.

What funding methods have you used over the years?

Internal cash flow from my business, as well as flipping and reselling real estate. Also the capital, debt and mortgage banking markets.

Where do you want to be in the next 10 years?

I would like to teach the world about being an entrepreneur and all the skills I have learned in real estate, and to mentor all those who want to learn.

How do you define success?

Internal happiness, freedom, the ability to give and the ability to do whatever you want to do whenever you want to.

The best advice I have for entrepreneurs is to always take advice from people who have achieved some level of success. Generally speaking, people taking advice from relatives and friends are people who are not successful.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Can you keep moving forward without getting stuck?

Let’s talk about how EY can help you find new ways to thrive. ey.com/ca

© 2015 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved. 1634611

Energy Services

Scott Dodds High Mark Crane Ltd. Edmonton

H

igh Mark Crane & Rigging provides “more than a lift.” The company offers a wide range of lifting, raising and transportation services for oil, gas and construction companies across Alberta. Founder Scott Dodds leads by example and tenacity, challenging his team to excel daily and providing each client with the quality equipment and service they deserve. High Mark’s expansion into the United States earlier this year marks another milestone for the uplifting company.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

In Grade 3, I wrote down three things I would do.

The first was to be a millionaire by 40, the second was to be a business owner and the third was to write a book. So far, I haven’t written that book.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Entrepreneurs are created. You become what you think about, read about and listen to.

What’s your legacy?

“I made use of very little to do a lot — with the help of many people. “

What are common misconceptions about your business and/or entrepreneurship in general?

A common misconception about entrepreneurship is that success is overnight.

This usually is not the case.

How can Canada support a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem?

By having other entrepreneurs teach our kids in the school system about entrepreneurship and how to handle money.

What funding methods have you used over the years?

RPOs (rental purchase options) and traditional lease and bank financing.

To what do you attribute your success?

Winston Churchill’s quote: “Never, never, never give up.”

What was your most difficult career experience and what did you learn from it?

Nearly going broke. I learned very quickly about fiduciary responsibility.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs echoes the words of Churchill. Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

MORE THAN A LIFT

THANK YOU The strength of our company is that of our employees.

Thank you for your hard work, commitment and accountability you bring with you to work every day.

Working in partnership with our clients we strive to provide excellence and pride in the work that we do. Thank you to you for your loyalty and belief in us.

I am proud and honoured to share this recognition with my valued team, as well as our clients. Their shared dedication and belief in High Mark Crane & Rigging has led us to where we are as a company today.

-Scott Dodds

1320 77 Ave NW, Edmonton AB | Ph. 780-450-2188| highmarkcrane.com

Energy Services

Mike Schnell and Chris Challis Maverick Oilfield Services Ltd. Calgary

W

hen asked what business they’re in, Mike Schnell and Chris Challis both reply, “The people-building business.” After 37 years in business, the entrepreneurs of Maverick Oilfield Services Ltd. attribute their success to putting people before the bottom line.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Chris: I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so it was kind of a natural progression.

Mike: I had to be an entrepreneur. There were no jobs where I grew up. From early on, I knew I had to carve out my own path.

What’s unique about your business?

Chris: We put people first — always.

Mike: Our apprenticeship program. We’ve helped produce three of the top pipefitters in all of Alberta. We’re very proud of this.

What sets Canadians apart on the world stage?

Chris: We take more risks.

Mike: The four seasons. Canadians have to be ready for everything.

What’s the one thing you can’t live without?

Chris: Honesty and integrity.

Mike: Same thing. Without that, you’ve got nothing.

What’s your legacy?

Chris: “Leaving people better off than they were before they met me.“ Mike: “I want people to say, “If you want to get the job done and done right, phone Mike.“

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

Chris: Seeing my kids succeed.

Mike: Seeing my grandkids succeed.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

Chris: My dad. He led by example.

Mike: My dad. He told me, “You can do that,” and so I did.

[Regarding plans for future growth], while the cornerstone of our business is oil and gas services, we are looking to diversify into other market opportunities and energy sectors. There’s so much economic and political change right now, but we aren’t going to get caught in a downdraught. Where there is change, there is opportunity.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

THANK YOU Entrepreneurs are critical for economic development and innovation and it is an honour to be included in this group of exceptional finalists. Mike and I come from very diverse backgrounds but have very similar values, one of which is caring for our people. We know that our success depends very heavily on the people we have around us. Only by having the right people in place are we able to be a part of the 2015 Entrepreneur Of The Year group.

We would like to especially thank all those who have been with Maverick for well over 25 years and those who have recently joined the team. Without you we could not have the company we have today or be even considered as Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists. Thanks to the entire team at Maverick and affiliated companies, Latigo Trucking Ltd. and Legion Rig Services LLC. This honour we share with you.

-Chris Challis CEO

Pipeline Installation

Transportation

Facility Construction

320, 15 ROYAL VISTAPLACE NW CALGARY, AB 403.234.8822 |MAVOIL.COM

Energy Services

Troy Ferguson Redrock Camps Inc. Calgary

T

roy Ferguson, Founder and CEO of Redrock Camps, is leading one of today’s premier Canadian camp companies in providing turnkey hospitality and modular workforce accommodation solutions. Founded in 2006, Redrock has grown exponentially. Ferguson credits the company’s success to high principles, collaboration and value creation for all stakeholders.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

I think entrepreneurial spirit comes from within but has to be unlocked for most. Experience, selfawareness and someone who believes in what you have to offer are key ingredients.

What’s next for the business?

Redrock is a remote logistics business that just happens to provide camps. As we reach further for our resources and continue on the path of appreciation for Canada’s First Nations peoples, I see my company helping to create and sustain communities.

What would winning Entrepreneur Of The Year mean to you?

It would mean so many positive things, but the most noteworthy would be gaining the added confidence to share what I’ve learned with our future Canadian entrepreneurs.

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

I’ve created a place where people are allowed to imagine. Letting people put their imaginations to work ultimately results in innovation.

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

All things aviation. I fly for fun every chance I get.

What’s your legacy?

“If I can look in my rear-view mirror and know that I helped one kid unleash the entrepreneur within, and that they, in turn, create jobs and value for others to help their families get a chance, I’ll be the happiest old guy around.“

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

My mother doesn’t realize it, but she’s a brilliant lady. She taught me everything I’ve needed without even knowing it.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs is that everything you do is important and will shape your strength as a leader.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Taking Care of Workers on the Resource Frontier Remote Camp Hospitality Customized Modular Workforce Accommodation Attract and retain skilled labour with Redrock.

Redrock offers heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has contributed to our success. Without you, we would not be the company we are today.

Corporate Head Office Suite 1500, 340 - 12th Ave SW Calgary, AB T2R 1L5 Tel 403.264.7610 | www.redrockcamps.com

Operations Centre Unit 16, 12808 – 170 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5V 0A6

Energy Services

Ashley Godwin, Kyle Melnyk TAHK Projects Ltd. Sherwood Park

R

aising safety and quality standards in the oilfield industry: that was the challenge, but it didn’t take long for a mental exercise to turn into a successful business innovation for Ashley Godwin and Kyle Melnyk, Founders of TAHK Projects Ltd. What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Ashley: You need to be driven, dedicated, have wit and a sense of humour.

Kyle: Flexibility.

What’s unique about your business?

Ashley: We have a pipeline and facility division.

Kyle: We focus on what we know best; and are able to offer our clients the best in both areas.

Common misconceptions about your business/entrepreneurship in general?

Ashley: In the beginning everyone thought we were making lots of money and keeping it to ourselves.

Kyle: We were working 20 hours a day to make the business successful, some people thought it came easy.

What’s your legacy?

“Inspiring people to do better, be better and reach higher.“

How can Canada support a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem?

Ashley: Greater government consideration should be given for new and established companies.

Kyle: Providing financial breaks and subsidies for training of both owners and employees.

What’s the toughest feedback you’ve ever received and how did you learn from it?

Ashley: Someone we respected once said we needed to focus more on project control.

Kyle: We didn’t give project control much thought then, but now it’s one of our best strengths.

How do you define success?

Ashley: Quality of life.

Kyle: Family, health and wealth.

Our best advice for other entrepreneurs is not to expect rewards in the beginning. Focus on being dedicated and work hard. Support your business and it will support you.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Agricultural and Environmental Innovation

Dr. Jianhua Zhu BioNeutra Global Corporation Edmonton | CNSX: BGA

B

ioNeutra Global Corporation is an Edmontonbased success story. The company specializes in the research, development and production of food ingredients for nutraceutical foods. Founder, President and CEO Dr. Jianhua Zhu patented BioNeutra technology, which naturally transforms starch molecules from local agriculture cereal crops (such as corn, wheat, barley and potato) into functional health molecules. BioNeutra produces VitaFiber™, which is a popular dietary fibre, prebiotic and a low-caloric nutritive sweetener.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

It’s important to have innovative and creative ideas, but entrepreneurs must be organized and work as a member of a team.

What’s unique about your business?

Agriculture isn’t traditionally considered a business, but it is. We provide valueadded services for the business of agriculture.

What’s your legacy?

“Developing health concepts that improve the quality of life.“

What sets Canadian entrepreneurs apart on the world stage?

Canadian entrepreneurs tend to be more collaborative and open-minded.

What’s the one thing that you cannot live without?

I cannot live without my family.

What funding methods have you used over the years?

I’ve sourced funding from friends as well as individual and professional investors.

How do you define success?

Working hard and achieving health aspects that help make life better.

Entrepreneurs should know this about working with others — it’s all about collaboration and teamwork. That’s the catalyst for being effective in whatever you do and for professional and personal success.

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What transforms around the corner to around the world?

Through our global Entrepreneur Of The YearTM program, EY has helped thousands of companies grow from local to global. ey.com/acceleratinggrowth #BetterQuestions

Agricultural and Environmental Innovation

Darryl Nelson, Warren Nelson Nelson Environmental Remediation Ltd. Spruce Grove

D

arryl and Warren Nelson are, first and foremost, farm boys. In 1992, they founded Nelson Environmental Remediation Ltd. (NER) in an effort to diversify their family’s construction company. Today, NER delivers effective and certain thermal soil remediation under extreme conditions.

The brothers are proud to call themselves the first generation of “dirt cleaners” in a family line of “dirt farmers” and “dirt movers” (road cleaners).

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Darryl: I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. It’s the only thing I’ve ever known.

Warren: Probably the day my father died. I was 13. I knew then that it was time to roll up my sleeves and get busy working.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Darryl: Strategist, ambassador, inventor, investor, coach, student, visionary.

Warren: Courage, tenacity, fairness, level-headedness and the ability to listen and take good advice.

What would winning Entrepreneur Of The Year mean to you?

Darryl and Warren: Recognition of a unique company and a lifetime of work.

What’s the one thing that you cannot live without?

Darryl: The feeling of making a difference.

Warren: Mother Nature.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Darryl: A successful entrepreneur.

Warren: A farmer.

What’s your legacy?

Darryl: “Creating the only company capable of delivering thermal soil remediation under the conditions we operate in.“ Warren: “Helping Mother Nature by cleaning contaminated soil and contributing to a healthier earth.“

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

Darryl: Coaching and mentoring younger people.

Warren: Farming, my dog and antique equipment.

Our best advice for entrepreneurs is to not get discouraged when things don’t come as easily or quickly as you want them to. Stick to it, and don’t let immediate problems get in the way of future goals.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Nelson Environmental Remediation Ltd.

» Global Customers

» Onsite Service

» Guranteed Results » Cradle to Grave Site Management

» Liability Elimination

Nelson Environmental Remediation is an Alberta based environmental solutions corporation. Our Thermal Desorption technology is an innovative ex-situ process for remediation of contaminated soils, sediments and sludges. Thermal desorption safely recycles contaminated soil from liability to valuable asset for reuse. Soil is preserved while eliminating liabilities of transportation, long term disposal and backfill importation.

» Full service, turnkey operations for excavation, remediation and reclamation. » Over 40 years of earth moving, soil handling and environmental construction, reclamation and remediation experience.

Call to discuss our “Clean Dirt, No Doubt!” guarantee Phone: 1-888-960-8222 Web: www.NERglobal.com

Agricultural and Environmental Innovation

Norbert Beaujot SeedMaster Manufacturing Ltd. Emerald Park

S

eedMaster Manufacturing Ltd. President Norbert Beaujot is passionate about seeding and the technology that can be used and innovated to increase the world’s food production.

SeedMaster’s equipment is recognized as leading agricultural technology, and the team’s innovations are helping to conquer world hunger.

What’s unique about your business?

We manufacture high-tech equipment for farmers, and that includes computerized functions and automation. Some of our automations include auto steering, auto calibration and auto packing.

Common misconceptions about your business/ entrepreneurship in general?

Where farmers are in terms of technology. Our customers run multimilliondollar operations, which is now the norm in western Canada.

What’s your legacy?

“Advancements in seeding and food production.“

How are you reshaping the world?

We’re significantly adding efficiency to food production, which, in turn, helps reduce world hunger. The more efficient farmers can be, the greater the crop yield.

To what do you attribute your success?

We are entirely focused on an industry that we feel passionate about and have a very deep understanding of the problems involved with seeding.

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

Innovating seed systems and patenting new ideas. At the end of the day, it is all about providing farmers with the tools to grow more food.

What motivates you?

I am motivated by problems, imperfections and the core belief that I can make things better for myself and other people.

We will grow substantially in the next 10 years. We filed for a lot of new patents and with our added production capabilities and projects, we plan to double our present production sales.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

CELEBRATING OUR PAST. INNOVATING FOR THE FUTURE. SeedMaster’s award-winning designs have changed an industry, by improving best farming practices and constantly striving to find a way to do things better, we help progressive farmers continue to increase efficiencies, profitability, and to meet the ever-increasing demands of feeding the world.

SeedMaster’s real strength however, is the long-term commitment and loyalty of our farmers, our network of dealers and suppliers and our staff. We wouldn’t be the company we are today, without the thousands of people that are behind us every step of the way—the pride and glory of being nominated for Entrepreneur Of The Year, belongs to all of them as well.

Thank you for your support.

SeedMaster President & CEO

Norbert Beaujot

www.seedmaster.ca

Agricultural and Environmental Innovation

Shane Olson Shercom Industries Inc. Saskatoon

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hercom Industries Inc. recycles rubber products. Over the course of 23 years, President Shane Olson has converted millions of pounds of scrap tires into valuable products and continues to put them to beneficial use while reducing the impact on the planet.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Both. Entrepreneurial strength lies in being born with instincts and courage, made through finding solutions to adversity.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Courage, kindness and perseverance.

How are you reshaping the world?

Shercom is keeping 40–50 million pounds a year out of the landfills and turning it back into usable, long-lasting products.

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

New ideas require energy and courage, both of which dwindle as we get older.

Empower young staff to swing away!

What was your most difficult career experience and what did you learn from it?

After an initially difficult career experience, I learned three facts: the buck stops here and I am responsible for the choices I made, be thankful for the jobs I did not aspire to and if change is a possibility, then we have hope.

What book are you reading now?

A biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

My advice for entrepreneurs is to walk away from successes, not failures. Your best is all you can give, and that is good enough to find contentment. The long-term reward of success is measured by making the world a better place where customers are better off and friends and family relationships remain intact.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

What’s your legacy?

“To provide an example to my kids and the business community of building a business by serving others, offering respect to competitors and staff, and to learn contentment in whatever happens on a given day.“

Shane Olson, Founder & President

turn scrap scrap tires tires into into amazing: WeWe turn amazing: I want to thank EY for acknowledging us as a leader in the recycling industry.

It is an honour and privilege to be part of this award.

I am grateful to our staff, my family, and our business community for their generous support and the belief that we can make a difference. I particularly want to recognize and thank our customers. Shercom gets credit for recycling - we change the shape of tires - our customers are the true recyclers when they choose to invest in Shercom products. Thank you.

I want to thank EY for acknowledging us as a leader in the recycling industry.

ItShane is an honour and privilege to be part of this award.

Olson, Founder & President

I am grateful to our staff, my family, and our business community for their generous support and the belief that we can make a difference. I particularly want to recognize and thank our customers. Shercom gets credit for recycling - we Rubber Playground Pour-In-Place change the shape of tires - our customers are the true recyclers when they choose to invest in Shercom products. Thank you.

Landscapes Surfaces Traffic Shane Olson, Founder & President

Rubber Playground Pour-In-Place

Landscapes

Traffic

Surfaces

Rubber Mulch - Bark

Curb Ramps

Residential Rubber Paving

Rubber Mulch - Bark

Curb Ramps

Residential Rubber Paving

www.shercomindustries.com www.shercomindustries.com 1.888.SHERCOM 1.888.SHERCOM

Special Citation Social Entrepreneur

Alfred Nikolai Habitat for Humanity Edmonton Edmonton

F

ounded in 1991, Habitat for Humanity Edmonton Society (HFHE) has served more families than any other affiliate in Canada.

Since his appointment in 2005, Alfred Nikolai has increased the average families served from 4.6% per year to an astounding 33.3% annually.

Nikolai pioneered bringing the HFHE model to Métis settlements across Alberta and holds an unwavering belief that everybody in the world deserves a safe family home to call their own.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Both. Some folks look at a new idea and right away they figure out why or how it won’t work. Others visualize a new idea and see how they can make it work.

What is unique about your business?

We are non-profit but operate like a business. We run a medium-size construction, banking, retail and social service organization.

How are you reshaping the world?

Habitat believes everyone in the world needs a safe home. Each home we build creates a funding source to build another home. It’s a sustainable model, locally and globally.

What’s your legacy?

“Our legacy is linked to every child we help get out of the cycle of poverty. “

What is your dream vacation?

Going to a developing nation to build a home in a foreign country for Habitat for Humanity.

Where do you want to be in the next 10 years?

Still involved with Habitat in some way.

What motivates you?

Witnessing the transformation of every Habitat family and working with our volunteers.

In 10 years, Habitat hopes to add at least 10 more communities to our program and to see our building and funding model become viable and sustainable in Aboriginal communities. We also aim to eventually be completely selfsufficient as a charity.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

AWARD-WINNING CONCEPT-TO-COMPLETION PRODUCTION HOUSE FOR WEB, FILM & TV Directors, Writers, Producers, Director of Photography, Film Editor

CORPORATE REELS, COMMERCIAL SPOTS, IN-HOUSE VISUALS, AND PRETTY MUCH ANY OTHER FORMAT ON THE PLANET

YOUR REEL, YOUR WAY © 2015 C.J.S. PRODUCTIONS INC. Calgary . Toronto . New York . Los Angeles

Email/Call us, let’s do it.

hello@LnCStyle.com

587.700.7744

Emerging Entrepreneur

Dale Kearns BrightPath Early Learning Inc. Calgary | TSXVE: BPE:BENTURE

B

rightPath Early Learning is dedicated to providing a learning environment that offers children a complete early learning and care package. BrightPath targets curriculum alongside nutrition, care and programming, and introduces children to technology. Dale Kearns, President of BrightPath, sees this business as the business to be in.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Leadership, perseverance, knowing your strengths and weaknesses and complementing yourself with the right team.

What’s unique about your business?

Many businesses cater to children; we have over 4,500 children every day whose minds and bodies we care for and develop. We can’t think of another business that offers as much reward, and affects families in such a profound way.

What’s next for the business?

Apart from innovation of child development programs, we want to evolve to be more family centric by providing parents with a broader offering of support for their children.

What sets Canadian entrepreneurs apart on the world stage?

We think Canadians hold special value when it comes to social responsibility, and this manifests itself in business dealings in global markets.

If you weren’t in your current leadership position, what would you be doing?

Giving something to others, possibly teaching.

What’s your legacy?

“We hope to have created broadbased innovative childcare in Canada where child development has evolved to include measurable outcomes that are way, way past the concept of daycare. “

What motivates you?

Emerging opportunities in the Canadian market that require multifaceted perspectives in order to pursue. Building something and making it successful.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

My greatest inspiration is my wife, Maria, who has considerable experience in this field and the credentials to back it up.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs is to surround yourself with the best team of people, offer great leadership and take risks.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Unlocking your growth potential Whatever your growth aspirations — whether it’s to grow from local to global, from private to public, from challenger to leader, or from millions to billions — we can help you achieve your goals.

We asked entrepreneurs from startup to standout what they needed to accelerate growth. We’ve developed the 7 drivers of growth to help companies align their capabilities with their growth strategy.

Written by: Colleen McMorrow National Director, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, Canadian Leader, Strategic Growth Markets, EY

1

Customer

2

From the outset, leading companies make customers their focal point. They understand that by putting customers’ needs and desires first, they can achieve a competitive advantage.

Even after becoming market leaders, these companies are constantly thinking about how to keep engaging and delighting their customers in all of their markets.

People, behaviour and culture

3

To win the war for talent, leading businesses build an environment that values diversity and attracts and retains the right people to help grow their businesses — not just great people, but people who share the company’s vision and fit its culture. Leading businesses provide strong leadership and create an inclusive environment where differences are valued and people can innovate to drive the business forward.

Digital, technology and analytics

4

Information is power. It can help business leaders make better, quicker and smarter decisions that improve business performance and manage risk.

Digital technologies — including social media, the cloud, data analytics and mobile — are having a profound impact on businesses across all sectors. They are fundamentally changing consumer interactions while also opening up new business models. The digital enterprise presents the opportunity for CIOs to have a bigger and more influential role in the business.

5

Funding and finance

6

How a business manages its money — and its new investors — will determine its course for the future. Leading companies determine the best financial solution, or mix of solutions, for their business and derive maximum benefits from their management of available funds. To achieve this, CFOs and the finance function have to act more strategically and more commercially.

Transactions and alliances

7

Market-leading companies rarely evolve by organic growth alone. To rise to the top, they seek successful partnerships and strategic acquisitions capable of enhancing their growth, competitiveness and profitability. Leading businesses appreciate that landing the right deal is not about luck.

They make a concerted effort to remain alert, to build profile in their markets and to ensure they’re well positioned to seize an opportunity as soon as it arises.

Risk

To succeed in today’s fast-moving climate, senior executives must have a strategic approach to risk management.

Regardless of a company’s stage of growth, the ability to identify and manage risk stands out as a vital element of success. Companies that aim to become market leaders should not fear risk. They should approach it intelligently to reap its rewards and accelerate their growth.

Market leadership

Operations

Your operating model is the link between your strategic intent and the ability of your organization to deliver on that intent. Having a clear approach that aligns your operations with your strategy will increase your ability to succeed.

Leading companies leave nothing to chance. Instead, they take control by analyzing their operations and ensuring that all parts remain at their most effective at all times, making changes when needed.

Accelerated growth

People, behaviours and culture

Risk

Digital technology and analytics

Transactions and alliances

Operations

Customer

Funding and finance

The EY 7 Drivers of Growth

Emerging Entrepreneur

Jeremy Leonard Canada Pump and Power Corporation Ardrossan

C

anada Pump and Power Corporation (CPP) innovates solutions for industrial marine services and produces specialized pumping systems for harsh environments. CEO Jeremy Leonard leads CPP with integrity and determination.

What’s next for the business?

CPP is still in its infancy but is maturing quickly. The experience of our people is making our company grow up.

What makes you stand out from others?

We safely and effectively solve marine industrial problems with innovative equipment and experienced, qualified and committed staff. CPP also stands out because we assist foster children, sponsor youth sports and act as a corporate citizen who cares about the environment.

How are you reshaping the world?

In Grade 11, I said I wanted to earn enough money to support my family, and then I would try to alleviate poverty in the world. I hope to achieve that.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I wanted to be a secret agent when I was eight. I still want to be a secret agent.

What’s your legacy?

“To instil the desire to improve the human condition in my children and others who listen to my message.“

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

We have a fully engaged research and development group, along with two U.S. patents and two Canadian patents for our Mighty Dredge (an underwater dredge driven solely by computer).

What was your first job?

I used to cut lawns in Milk River, AB for my neighbours.

My advice for entrepreneurs is to plan your life and live your plan. Say what you are going to do, do what you said you would do, and check to make sure that you did it.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

CANADA PUMP AND POWER: Western Canada’s Premier Marine Industrial Equipment and Services Provider

WHO WE ARE:

Engineers, Tradesmen, Supervisors, Operators and Certified Safety Officers

WHAT WE DO:

Our operations group provides marine services to a select group of clients. Our production group manufactures pumping systems, dredges and modular barge units.

HOW WE DO BUSINESS: We say what we are going to do.

We do what we said we would do.

We check to make sure that we did it.

CANADA

PUMP AND POWER

DIVE | PUMP | BARGE | DREDGE

www.canadapumpandpower.com | 1-780-922-1178 | sales@mightypumps.com

Emerging Entrepreneur

John Stevens ENTREC Corporation Acheson | TSX:ENT

E

xperience, integrity and a strong work ethic are three things John Stevens, President and CEO of ENTREC Corporation, attributes to this company’s success. Founded in 2011, the employee-owned, integrated crane solutions provider to the oil and natural gas, construction, petrochemical, mining and power generation industries operates in 13 locations. They employ a diverse team of talent across western Canada and North Dakota.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Entrepreneurs are born, not made.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

In order to be successful, entrepreneurs need to have passion and be risk takers, in addition to having financial literacy skills.

How can Canada support a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem?

Federal and provincial corporate tax policy is very important to ensuring a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem.

What was your first job?

After working on the farm, my first job was driving a fertilizer truck.

What’s your legacy?

“Creating a company where employees are proud to work, and giving back to the communities where we do business.“

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

Apart from entrepreneurship, my passions include two things: cooking and NFL football.

What book are you reading now?

Marcus Buckingham and Jim Collins are my favourite authors. Right now I’m reading Buckingham’s StandOut 2.0.

My advice for other entrepreneurs is to find your passion. Take risks, engage your employees, deliver unbelievable customer service and manage your balance sheet!

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Congratulates all EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists and award recipients!

Emerging Entrepreneur

Todd Van Vliet Frac Shack International Inc. Acheson

F

rac Shack International Inc. designed, manufactured and patented the Frac Shack™ fuel delivery system that significantly reduces risks to health, safety, the environment, equipment and projects. Todd Van Vliet is the inventor, a Founder and the President of this innovative company. He credits his team, their integrity and constant improvement as essential elements in Frac Shack’s success.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Both. I think there is a certain drive and even underlying desperation that entrepreneurs have. It pushes them to go out and get something done the way they believe it needs to be done. Entrepreneurs see and appreciate things others don’t, and they actually take action. On the nurture side, entrepreneurs need to learn many skills that are not natural to them.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

You must be part inventor and part leader, but also a mentor and — most humbling of all — a really good learner.

What’s your legacy?

“I want the people who work with me and for me to feel that they are better people for it.“

How are you accelerating growth in Canada?

I push suppliers to create things that have not been made before and to think of doing things in ways that go against the norm.

What’s the one thing that you cannot live without?

I can’t live without exercise! I need to get out and get the blood flowing.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I really wanted to be an inventor.

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

Rugby. I love the intensity, physicality, discipline and teamwork of the game.

My best advice for entrepreneurs is always to approach the world with a sense of wonder.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

“Ideas are worth nothing without action, and action needs people. Good people are the backbone of our business, and always will be.�

- Todd Van Vliet

Working to make Re-fuelling Safer and more Environmentally Responsible.

International Inc.

145, 26229 Twp Rd 531A Acheson, AB T7X 5A4 | 1.844.296.3744| www.fracshack.com

Business-to-Consumer Products and Services

Patrick Priestner AutoCanada Inc. Edmonton | TSX:ACQ

W

hen he was just 17, Patrick Priestner began his career by working at Chinook Chrysler in Calgary, AB. By the time he was 19, Priestner was the number one salesperson in Alberta. Today, Priestner is the Founder and Executive Chairman of AutoCanada. True to his teenage goal, Priestner grew up to be his own boss.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

When I was a teenager, I watched how my dad was treated very poorly in the auto business. That’s when I realized I never wanted to work for anyone.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Drive, the ability to bounce back from setbacks and failures, and leadership skills.

How are you reshaping the world?

We encourage all of our dealerships to contribute to their communities. We’ve also implemented the Chairman’s Scholarship Program, which provides eligible dependants of dealership employees with financial assistance to pursue postsecondary studies.

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

We strive to hire people with diverse and varied skills, particularly from different age groups.

What was your most difficult career experience and what did you learn from it?

Navigating the financial turmoil of 2008. We also faced a lot of opposition from manufacturers that resisted public ownership structures. Over the years we’ve learned that no matter how big or small, problems are solved one step at a time.

What book are you reading right now?

On the Path to Enlightenment by Matthieu Ricard.

What would I be doing if I wasn’t doing this? I would be a professor of philosophy.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

What’s your legacy?

“We are one of the first auto companies to push consolidation from single-point dealers and family-owned businesses to dealer groups.

We are also the first publicly traded auto group in Canada.“

Business-to-Consumer Products and Services

Louis Stack Fitter International Inc. Calgary

F

itter International Inc. supplies innovative fitness equipment designed to promote physical balance, help people get the most out of life and master the art of aging gracefully.

President and Founder Louis Stack credits the company’s success to perseverance and his ability to overcome challenges.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

A good eye for industry trends, a vision of how things can be better and the persistence to keep marching forward.

What’s unique about your business?

There weren’t any businesses focused on balance when we launched in 1985.

Fitter is a trailblazer for injury prevention, training and athletics, family fitness and active office.

How are you reshaping the world?

As a population, we take balance and mobility for granted. We help people incorporate balance and core stability on a daily basis.

What’s the one thing that you cannot live without?

Integrity. Do what is right all the time. It makes life much simpler!

What’s your legacy?

“To see society benefit from getting balance and core stability products into every home, office and learning institution in North America.“

To what do you attribute your success?

I always strive to make the world a better place to live. My many past injuries and a passion for sport form the backbone for my experience, the tools and an understanding of how to change our everyday lives.

How do you define success?

Living with health, happiness and peacefulness and always giving back.

My advice for entrepreneurs is if you have a strong belief in yourself and your cause and are prepared to always give 110%, then there is not a more rewarding way to make a living and a life than being an entrepreneur.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

ACTIVE OFFICE

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100s of Great Active Office & Balance Products

Standing Platforms Add movement and cushioning to a standing desk

www.fitter1.com 1-800-fitter1

Business-to-Consumer Products and Services

Milt Reimer FXR Factory Racing Inc. Oak Bluff

F

XR is the largest snowmobile apparel manufacturer in the world, making significant gains in the outdoor and motocross markets.

Owner Milt Reimer is passionate about what the company does, where it’s going and being right in the middle of everything that happens.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be an entrepreneur?

Keen intuition of the customer’s wants, a relentless effort to study and improve products and the business savvy to put the people and systems in place to make it profitable.

What’s unique about your business?

We are always reinventing ourselves to stay relevant. We do things to strengthen the FXR brand that may not be traditionally advised in the business world, like selling online, running our own retail stores and doing retail trade shows all at the same time.

How are you accelerating growth in Canada?

Through a strong dealer network, diversification and strategic partnerships like our FXR outdoor collection for Cabela’s Canada. Our three Adrenaline Unlimited retail stores have also really ignited the FXR brand.

What’s the one thing you cannot live without?

Family, friends, great employees, horsepower and speed.

What’s your legacy?

“FXR has created a strong global brand that will outlive me, which is extremely challenging to do in the apparel industry.“

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

A professional motocross racer.

Looking back, what is one thing that you would do differently, professionally speaking?

I would have built a better, more reliable management team earlier to offset my lack of formal business training.

Our plans for future growth involve launching three new companies (this year) that will work in harmony with us and this industry. These companies will also bring in new, great people and build a talent pool to draw on to stabilize growth.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Business-to-Consumer Products and Services

Greg Stahl New West Truck Centres Calgary

N

ew West Truck Centres is a heavy-duty truck company that has expanded both where it operates and what it offers in order to provide leading service in the industry.

Encouraging a team environment and positive attitudes is just one of the ways CEO Greg Stahl has made this company a success.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

My school sold spices door-to-door for fundraising and I enjoyed it. I broke the top-tier selling goal too.

I was 10!

What’s next for the business?

Introduction to the United States market through our newest location in Portland, Oregon.

How can Canada support a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem?

Lower taxes for startups and developing better educational information for entrepreneurs at a younger age. There should be more awareness and support in schools for this career path.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

A heavy duty mechanic. On career day in Grade 2, I brought coveralls and wrenches.

What’s your legacy?

“A strong, vibrant, growing organization that will flourish beyond one individual because it’s truly team based.“

To what do you attribute your success?

The great people on our team who understand the value of teamwork and dedication to achieving common goals.

Looking back, what is one thing that you would do differently, professionally speaking?

I would have become an entrepreneur earlier in my career.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs is stop with the “could have, would have” game. Jump in with both feet, don’t wait. Put aside the reasons for why you can’t do it, and just go for it.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Technology and Communications

Geoff Lyon CoolIT Systems Inc. Calgary

C

oolIT Systems Inc. is a leader in Direct Contact Liquid Cooling (DCLC™) for the data centre and desktop markets. Under the leadership of CEO and CTO Geoff Lyon, CoolIT has 50 patents and more than 1.75 million liquid cooling units deployed around the world.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Salesmanship — whether it’s stock, products or the dream, the ability to close the deal must be a part of the DNA. Also, clear communication to employees, shareholders, customers and your family.

What are common misconceptions about your business/entrepreneurship in general?

Too often, people have a sense that a startup business is either a runaway success or a failure. It’s somewhere in between. There are many highs and lows.

You must learn from the lows and strive for the highs.

What sets Canadian entrepreneurs apart on the world stage?

We’re polite, smart, diplomatic and perhaps not as aggressive as we should be.

What’s your legacy?

“I am certainly proud of what CoolIT has accomplished, and I expect great things going forward.“

What funding methods have you used over the years?

All of them! From savings, friends and family to credit lines, banks, debentures and mezzanine debt.

To what do you attribute your success?

Our company culture focuses on customer problems. We’re curious and constantly challenging ourselves to build elegant, intelligent products.

What motivates you?

It’s a romantic notion that what we do today can have a lasting effect on the world. Building a company that provides rewarding careers in our community is a thrill.

My advice for entrepreneurs is to choose your key people carefully. Don’t just hire based on skills. The emotional fit has to be there. It will define your culture as the company grows.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Technology and Communications

Alex Webb F12 Networks Edmonton

F

12 Networks is committed to being proactive computer and technology consultants by solving and preventing issues. From an early start, CEO Alex Webb realized that the future is all about solutions, not problems; he carries this philosophy into F12’s daily operations.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I had my first job in Grade 9 and knew I wanted to be a business owner. In Grade 11, I started an electronics repair operation in a friend’s basement.

What’s your legacy?

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Business skills to move away from things that no longer work.

How can Canada support a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem?

Encourage business development earlier in our education system. The system is now wired to create workers more than entrepreneurs. That combined with the responsible Canadian culture should create a great result.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

A pilot.

Looking back, what is one thing that you would do differently, professionally speaking?

I would have gone to university. The additional self-educational load on top of building a business was harder than it had to be.

“To build a company that lives beyond myself and to be part of the creation of responsible capitalism where hard-working people get rewarded like they deserve.“

What funding methods have you used over the years?

Friends, family, credit cards, customers, vendors… anywhere I could get it. You never know when you will need capital, and the best way is to show opportunity, constantly demonstrate ROI and pay your bills.

My advice for other entrepreneurs is: success is an accumulation of thousands of small things done well. Do everything as well as can be done.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

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Technology and Communications

Lindsay Dodd Savvia Inc. Edmonton

F

or Lindsay Dodd, CEO of the technology advisory company Savvia Inc., entrepreneurship is fundamentally synonymous with community.

Dodd and his team at Savvia believe that businesses are responsible to the people they serve, and this leadership model has resulted in rapid company growth.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

There wasn’t a specific moment in time when I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. It was more of a gradual immersion into a way of thinking and a way of life.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Curiosity, courage and, of course, passion. Entrepreneurs need to be passionate about their ventures, or they will not succeed.

What makes you stand out from others?

My commitment to community. I believe that business leaders must take an active role in their communities.

What would winning Entrepreneur Of The Year mean to you?

It would validate my belief that entrepreneurs have a great deal of power to help better the lives of others.

What’s the one thing you cannot live without?

My family — they are my source of inspiration, courage, conviction, humility, empathy and energy.

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

Creating a better life for children. So many kids grow up without the basics of food, shelter, health, etc. As community leaders, we need to make sure that the next generation has a chance of living rewarding and fulfilling lives.

My best advice for entrepreneurs is to create a compelling vision. After that, find the right people to help you make that vision a reality, and always support others along the way.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

What’s your legacy?

“To show others that passionate entrepreneurs can do great things for a community. I hope to inspire my children, my staff and other entrepreneurs by demonstrating that a powerful combination of vision, talent and resources can create amazing outcomes for the entire community.“

Technology and Communications

Geoffrey Thompson Vintri Technologies Inc. Calgary

V

intri Technologies is focused on solving material traceability and providing electronic supply chain data to pipeline, supply and service companies. President Geoffrey Thompson’s vision and design was to create and provide clients with pipeline supply chain data that offers 100% data integrity — and he succeeded.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I have had an entrepreneur mentality since a paper route at age 12. After working for a multinational technology and consulting corporation, I knew I wanted to lead and build companies, rather than being a part of a large organization.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

I go by this statement by Wayne Gretzky: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” It’s important to move toward where the market is going, not where the market may be at the moment.

How are you reshaping the world?

Vintri is changing the way pipelines and their service sectors operate.

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

We hired the best people who bring talent and dedication to the company, established a culture of innovation and constantly challenged the status quo.

What’s your legacy?

“To have successfully built four worldclass technology companies and have helped develop talented people who lead successful careers based on the mentorship and leadership provided.“

What’s the toughest feedback you’ve ever received and how did you learn from it?

I received advice to change my management approach to work within a knowledgebased industry. I took an executive coaching program and transformed from commander-in-chief to leading and mentoring.

What motivates you?

Building world-class companies and working with great teams of people.

My advice for entrepreneurs is to never settle. Always continue to achieve your vision and the rewards will be worth it.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

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By Joe Healey Winnipeg Managing Partner

James Richardson & Sons, Limited

EY Family Business Award of Excellence Legacy is in an entrepreneur’s blood. It’s the inevitable product of a lifetime of building and growing a business. And in the case of a family business, the legacy grows stronger with each generation.

That’s why we’re so proud to present the EY Family Business Award of Excellence. This special award recognizes leaders of outstanding entrepreneurial families with a culture and tradition of successfully balancing business and family life, growing the business through innovation, and contributing through philanthropic or social engagement. The families support these traditions with sustainable, long-term strategies that include effective and transparent corporate governance.

This year, for the first time in the Prairies, we proudly present the Prairies regional Family Business Award of Excellence to the Richardson family.

In 1857, fully 10 years before Confederation, James Richardson established a one-man grain merchandising business. From humble beginnings, James Richardson & Sons, Limited has always been propelled by its pioneering spirit and visionary leadership. The organization today is an international corporation with wide-ranging operations in the worldwide grain trade and agrifoods business, energy, real estate, financial services and investments.

Now under its fifth generation of family leadership, the company continues to break new ground. Richardson International Limited is now Canada’s largest agribusiness and the seventh-largest agriculture and

food processing company in the world. Tundra Oil & Gas Limited ranks among the top 20 oil companies in Canada. Richardson GMP has the distinction of being the country’s largest independent wealth management organization.

Guided by the principles of integrity, trust and hard work, James Richardson & Sons, Limited maintains a longstanding tradition of giving back to the communities in which it operates. Through the Richardson Foundation, it supports registered Canadian charitable organizations in the visual and performing arts, education, youth initiatives and the environment.

As a Winnipegger, I see first-hand the diverse and iconic international corporation the Richardson family has built while still maintaining proud Winnipeg roots that weave through all facets of our local community.

Their contribution to the business and social fabric of Winnipeg and the Prairies is evident to all. From their head office in the Richardson Building at the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg, to grain terminals towering above the Prairie landscape or anchoring our ports, to lines of business across Canada and around the world, I can think of no better recipient of the inaugural Prairies regional Family Business Award of Excellence.

A legacy is not about looking back, but envisioning the future. The Richardson family will undoubtedly continue to be an inspiration to entrepreneurs for generations to come.

For further information on James Richardson & Sons, Limited visit http://www.jrsl.ca

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

MOVING. PICTURES.

MEET He’ll tell your story. Seriously.

After more than a decade of creating truly moving pictures, Ewan has evolved. Sure, he can cover all your stills and video needs, but there’s just so much more.

He goes beyond the image to reveal the essence of the person and the heart of the brand. His passion and versatility drive and inform every phase of the project.

From initial concept to final edit, Ewan has got you covered – all to create emotionally moving images and to tell the ultimate story.

So get your story straight.

It just makes sense. hireewan.ca

PHOTOVIDEO

Oil and Gas

Pat Wilson Camex Equipment Sales & Rentals Inc. Nisku

P

at Wilson launched Camex modestly in 1992, working from the back of his pickup truck.

Today the company supplies high-quality new and used transportation equipment to western Canada, the United States and wordwide. Camex has one of the most comprehensive lines of oilfield and construction equipment in western Canada and also manufactures customized oilfield trucks and trailers. Now with five locations, Camex boasts an inventory of over 1,500 pieces of new, used and refurbished equipment.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Right from high school, when I first started working.

What’s next for the business?

Expansion — a new manufacturing facility coming on stream, a new sales, rental and maintenance facility and new product lines.

How are you accelerating growth in Canada?

Diversification of product lines, new facilities to increase manufacturing capability and efficiency, streamlining infrastructure and investing in new hires to accommodate new business and future growth.

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

Expanded product lines, let employees be leaders and strived for perfection.

What’s the toughest feedback you’ve ever received and how did you learn from it?

Low oil prices. Our philosophy is to retain our greatest resource — our employees — though the downturns. Also, properly managing your inventory is critical so you have product on hand when the market turns around.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

My mentor Mike Myshak from Myshak Sales & Rentals Ltd. He’s the reason I’m here today.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs is this: don’t be afraid to lead by example.

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What’s your legacy?

“To be the world’s largest rig moving, vacuum and fluid handling equipment sales and rental business, supported by top-notch employees and discerning customers.“

Success is attributed to the people you surround yourself with and the people you interact with on a regular basis. In this case it’s the dedicated employees of Camex, who have become leaders in the industry and the discerning customers that seek out our company when it comes to their equipment purchases, rentals and special build requests. Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement.

Pat Wilson CEO

CAMEX Equipment Sales & Rentals Inc.

1511 Sparrow Drive, Nisku, Alberta, Canada T9E 8H9 Tel: 780.955.2770 Toll Free: 1.877.955.2770 www.camex.com BED TRUCKS WINCH TRACTORS PICKER TRUCKS VACUUM TRUCKS WATER TRUCKS FUEL/LUBE TRUCKS HEAVY HAUL TRAILERS CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT NEW & USED SALES

RENTALS

SERVICE

PARTS

RIG-UP MANUFACTURING

FINANCING

Oil and Gas

Liam Balfour New Wave Energy Services Group Ltd. Calgary

L

iam Balfour, CEO of New Wave Energy Services Group Ltd., attributes focus, a strong team and aggressive marketing to the company’s growth and success. Founded in 2011, the private company now has customers established in all key North American oil resource plays. Today, New Wave is one of few North America-wide, full water management companies.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

In my prior career, I was involved in raising capital for entrepreneurs in the oil and gas sector. Through watching and helping them build those companies, I knew that this is what I wanted to become.

What’s next for the business?

Continued market share growth, both organically or by acquisition, and team strengthening during the current oil and gas market downturn.

How can Canada support a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem?

Canada can support its entrepreneurial ecosystem by making core growth capital available to small and mid-market private companies.

What funding methods have you used over the years?

We’ve utilized common equity to raise cash capital, common equity by way of share exchange for acquisitions, cash flow and conventional debt.

What’s your legacy?

“New Wave’s plan to follow through on becoming the premier frac water management company in North America.“

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

Family is, first and foremost, my passion. Other than that, skiing and golfing.

What motivates you?

I’m motivated by my desire to make New Wave a tremendous success for all of our shareholders.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs is to stay focused on your goals, trust yourself and seek the counsel of respected others when you are stepping outside of your knowledge or experience base.

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ENERGY SERVICES GROUP

ENERGY SERVICES GROUP

Hardworking dedicated

Creative Hardworking Talented dedicated

“New Wave Energy’s continued success is based upon teamwork, drive and the attention to detail by all of our employees. I am honoured to be a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year and would like to share this recognition with our valued customers, employees and shareholders."

Creative

“New Wave Energy’s continued success is based upon Thank you. teamwork, drive and the attention to detail by all of our employees. I am honoured to be a finalist in the EY Liam Balfour Entrepreneur Of The Year and would like to share this Chief Executive Officer recognition with our valued customers, employees and shareholders."

Thank you.

Liam Balfour Chief Executive Officer

New Wave Energy Services #1955 - 140 4th Avenue S.W. Calgary, AB T2P 3N3 403.453.2925

www.newwavees.com

New Wave Energy Services #1955 - 140 4th Avenue S.W. Calgary, AB T2P 3N3 403.453.2925

www.newwavees.com

Talented

Oil and Gas

Pat Carlson Seven Generations Energy Ltd. Calgary | TSX:VII

P

at Carlson, CEO of Seven Generations Energy, focuses on the acquisition, development and value optimization of high-quality tight and shale hydrocarbon resource plays. Founded in 2008, the independent petroleum company has experienced strong growth despite an oversupplied energy market, more than doubling production in the past year.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Diligence, commitment, passion, insight, imagination and opportunism. These personal attributes, rather than highly specialized and technical skills, are what entrepreneurs need to be successful.

What makes you stand out from others?

Seven Generations is set apart by the high quality of its resources, its ideal location, its high degree of autonomy in the control and development of its assets and its level of expertise.

What would winning Entrepreneur Of The Year mean to you?

It would bring me great pleasure to have the people who believed in the company, those who provided seed financing, those who directed and built the company and those who dedicated their resources to the company’s success acknowledged for their amazing collective achievement.

To what do you attribute your success?

I attribute my success to my ability to engage a team of creative and diligent company adventurers.

What was your most difficult career experience and what did you learn from it?

I was terminated from my second executive job, one with a large multinational resource company. The experience led me to build my first highly successful resource company. I discovered my entrepreneurial identity as a result.

What book are you reading now?

Right now I’m reading The Will to Lead by Marvin Bower.

My best advice for entrepreneurs is to maintain perseverance no matter what.

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What’s your legacy?

“Bringing together a team of young, eager entrepreneurs who are able to build a strong, competitive and successful enterprise that is able to compete in the oversupplied North American natural gas market.“

BUILDING AND OPERATING A COMPANY TO LAST FOR GENERATIONS

SEVEN GENERATIONS ENERGY LTD W

e believe that companies have only the rights given to them by society.

While people have a natural entitlement to basic rights, corporations are an instrument created by society to provide its needs and ought to have no expectation of basic entitlements other than equitable rights with other corporations.

We recognize that rights, sufficient to build and operate an energy project, can be granted and taken away by society.

Over the longer term, companies can only expect to thrive if they serve the needs of society in which they exist. To thrive, companies must differentiate, rise above the pack, standout as being among the best with all of their stakeholders.

We accept from our stakeholders a duty to thrive and an understanding of the need to differentiate.

We know energy is necessary, and while its development impacts our environment, our goal is to reduce our footprint by employing responsible and sustainable practices.

We apply innovative technologies to minimize our impact and create future economic benefits for Albertans.

We see ourselves as being in the service business, serving the needs of our stakeholders.

We seek satisfaction for all stakeholders.

Differentiation is imperative.

www.7genergy.com

Oil and Gas

Josh Thompson WISE Intervention Services Inc. Calgary

J

osh Thompson built a company that caters to the many needs of the oil well industry.

No matter what the challenge, from simple to complex, WISE Intervention Services can design the solution. WISE puts high value on community, the environment, the people it works with and safety. It’s a winning mix of quality, experience and leadership that put WISE, and Thompson, on top.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Born. I have always sought challenges and been the one to challenge the status quo. I have tried to guide people over the years in entrepreneurship, and it is not a trainable competency.

What’s next for the business?

Adding strategic means of creating value for our customers. This includes additional entities that contribute to the revenue stream and supply chain of the company.

How are you accelerating growth in Canada?

We are creating a synthetic market interface to assist E&Ps to connect with technology, whereby the customers’ businesses are then enhanced, grown and stabilized in the variety of market conditions we are faced with in the oil and gas sector.

What’s your legacy?

“My legacy will be my tremendous level of commitment, loyalty and integrity to the ventures that I am engaged in. “

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

A farmer.

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

My family. Being a father and a partner.

What motivates you?

The sense of achievement.

My best advice for entrepreneurs is to never give up and always persevere in the face of the challenge before you.

Recognize that change is a must and embrace it often.

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COMPANY PROFILE

WISE INTERVENTION SERVIC Your wise choice for well interventions

“W

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wellbores. WISE’s ability to offer Intervention Services is driving It isISE a great honour to be Inc. a finalist for thechallenging 2015 downhole products, integrated with high capto be the company that clients turn to There for Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards. is a acity coiled tubing conveyance solutions, handling their downhole wellbore challenges. tremendous amount of effort and work that supports a more efficient well intervention A high performance, results-driven well goes into what is before me every day, this operation. intervention services provider to the oil and effort does not only come from me, it comes WISE’s supply chain and industry network gas industry in western Canada and northfrom my colleagues and partners, my friends creates a collaborative partnership that eastern U.S., WISE provides comprehensive and most importantly my family. I am truly extends outside of WISE itself and supports well intervention service solutions designed blessed to have support from you all. Thank you the company in its drive to deliver fit-forto improve well intervention operations and dearly for your dedication to our success together. purpose solutions to the market. WISE’s optimize reservoir performance. WISE specialrevolutionary high capacity coiled tubing izes in providing well/downhole service soluYours truly, equipment—which has been designed to tions by developing products, processes and service today’s deeper, more complex wellservices to work within the various stages of Josh Thompson bore designs—enables this, with capabilities a well’s life cycle. of up to 25,000' (7,600m) of 2" tubing, and WISE’s multiple small, highly experienced 20,500' (6,200m) of 2 3/8" tubing. It comes and specialized teams bring to the table the with conventional unit configuration for expertise that’s needed to effectively analyze, diverse operating functionality, and HR680 prepare and execute successful well interand HR6100 injector heads for reliability, vention service applications. WISE develops wiseisi.com high-performance operations and extended products, processes and services to further 1-403-340-8205 reach applications. advance well intervention, offering operators 950-540 5th Ave SW Calgary, AB, T2P 0M2 WISE’s technological focus will yield new fit-for-purpose downhole solutions that serve opportunities for E&P companies, allowas a toolbox for today’s complex wellbore inter-

Well

Intervention Service

Coiled Tubing Stimulation DownHole

to se Ame ing fo the N activ of th CEO “W ing p clien there have and ships

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Professional and Financial Services

Shannon Bowen-Smed BOWEN Calgary

B

OWEN has been in the recruiting business for 40 years. Shannon Bowen-Smed has been with the company for 31 of those years, 19 as CEO. Inspired by her mother, the founder, Bowen-Smed employs compassion, integrity and innovation to triumph in the marketplace.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

We need to be fair, open and a good listener. I also learned that it really helps if you apply common sense and humility to all that you do.

What’s next for the business?

We are focusing on becoming the Canadian leader in the provision of contractor management services.

What would winning Entrepreneur Of The Year mean to you?

I’ve been blessed in that I’ve won a variety of awards, but many of them revolved around me as a female leader in business. Though biases may persist, pure business is a genderless activity and this award would be a testament to that.

What’s the one thing that you cannot live without?

My BlackBerry and a hug from my kids. (Trust me, they go together as one.)

What’s your legacy?

“Playing a key role in changing how contractors are engaged.

Not only do they deserve that change, industry will benefit from it, too.“

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

We use outside consultants and advisory councils to ensure we retain an objective and unbiased eye in regards to our business. We refuse to accept the comfort of tunnel vision.

What’s your dream vacation?

I love to explore the world with my kids. Meeting new people and experiencing new cultures are high on my to-do list, and a great beach definitely helps.

My best advice for entrepreneurs is that you can go fast alone or you can go far together. Surround yourself with great folks and enjoy the ride.

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Catch and

release?

The flexible workforce is the norm in Alberta.

The demand for contractors and contract

It can help them weather market swings.

workers has become a well-established

And with the right balance, they can

phenomenon of Alberta’s labour market.

maintain their competitive edge.

The surprising thing is that it’s no longer

limited to big companies.

And since they tend to run lean, they like getting us to handle the management

Smaller firms have long appreciated the

details. They like that we build a complete

benefits of a contingent workforce. Now,

package around competent workers who

a number of them are adopting a balanced

are ready to get to work, immediately.

strategy, with a mix of flexible and

permanent workers.

We currently manage several thousand

contract workers. They’re comfortable with

They’re putting the fixed-cost, fixed-period

us. We’re experienced at what needs to be

advantages of contract staff to good use.

done. And our clients trust us to do it well.

Catch and release? Yes, it’s the sustainable Alberta strategy that might just help us all get ahead.

bowenworks.ca

1 866 MY BOWEN

403 262 1156

Professional and Financial Services

Fayaz Chunara FC Telec Consultants Ltd. Edmonton

F

ayaz Chunara, Principal of FC Telec Consultants Ltd., provides engineering consulting, project and construction management services for the wireless telecommunication infrastructure industry in Edmonton. Founded in 1997, FC Telec has grown to provide support in specifying and procuring products for specialized applications.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Shortly after my second job in 1997. I thought changing jobs would provide a sense of accomplishment, but there was still something missing; it lacked the flexibility to be innovative and creative and the opportunity to try something not “standardized.”

What’s unique about your business?

We accept challenges. We don’t turn away a project just because it wasn’t done before or there is no expertise in-house. We’ve made great alliances by outsourcing.

What’s your legacy?

“My legacy is building alliances, professionally and personally.“

What would winning Entrepreneur Of The Year mean to you?

It would be a great honour to me and the company, but also to the employees who made it happen and the clients who have supported the company.

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

I encourage employees to be creative, to come up with new ideas and to explore opportunities outside the normal course of business for future ventures.

To what do you attribute your success?

I attribute my success to being in the company of other entrepreneurs who think outside the box, as well as to great employees, good alliances and loyal clients.

If you weren’t in your current leadership position, what would you be doing?

Travelling to underprivileged countries to help with development projects.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs is if you fail, try again. Learn from previous failures and repeat until you succeed.

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Professional and Financial Services

Vivian Manasc Manasc Isaac Architects Edmonton

V

ivian Manasc, Architect at Manasc Isaac Architects, founded the company in 1997, with the understanding that green building would positively impact the environment as well as the occupants. The firm sets standards in the field of green building design. One of the company’s passions is to transform aging buildings into healthy, beautiful and financially viable assets.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurs need to have passion, persistence, curiosity, teamwork and vision.

What’s next for the business?

Our focus on sustainable buildings includes leadership in reimagining existing buildings, interior design and new infill building design. We continue to lead in planning and design with Aboriginal communities, and we are opening a studio in Bucharest in the spring of 2016.

How can Canada support a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem?

Eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers including professional licensure.

Increase funding for technology commercialization.

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

Architecture and engaging people in the design process. Teaching and learning.

What’s your legacy?

“We are catalysts for the design of great buildings that are sustainable, beautiful and healthy for both people and our planet.“

What book are you reading now?

The Comeback by John Ralston Saul.

What motivates you?

I am motivated by growing a team and co-creating great buildings.

Our plans for the next 10 years include expanding into Europe and training others in our unique style of architectural and design practice.

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Professional and Financial Services

Melanie Wildman WLF Medical Saskatoon

W

LF Medical is the result of CEO Melanie Wildman’s inspiring personal journey.

Following complications from her bariatric surgery, Wildman was determined to educate and support others — and to change perceptions about obesity and body image.

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I started a free support group for other bariatric patients, who, like me, did not have access to follow-up. It became clear people were faced with unsafe choices, so I created WLF to provide safe and effective bariatric treatment for Canadians.

What are common misconceptions about your business/entrepreneurship in general?

Obesity is often misunderstood as simple math — expend more calories than you take in — but if that worked, no one would be obese. Also, as an entrepreneur, if your mission is to change lives, you have to have a single-minded focus that permeates everything in your life.

How are you reshaping the world?

WLF is changing the way we view obesity and revolutionizing effective treatment. Bariatric surgery is the only proven effective long-term solution to obesity, but surgery alone is not enough. Ongoing support doubles weight loss outcomes and changes the lives of patients, families and communities.

What’s your legacy?

“Fundamentally changing how obesity is perceived in Canada and throughout the world. “

What’s the one thing that you cannot live without?

My iPhone!

To what do you attribute your success?

Determination and old-fashioned hard work, and a willingness to take on huge risks.

What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

I am also an artist, so I feel grounded when painting and sketching.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs: build a team you can put your trust in, then lead by supporting them. Like all entrepreneurs, you start out wearing all the hats, but as you grow, you must transition from being a doer to a leader.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

Business-to-Business Products and Services

Joe Sunner, Harry Sunner Durabuilt Windows & Doors Inc. Edmonton

C

EO Joe Sunner and President Harry Sunner purchased Durabuilt Windows & Doors in the early 1990s. Durabuilt has now grown to include more than 400 talented employees serving the new construction, renovation and commercial markets in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

What’s unique about your business?

Joe: Our unique personal connection and daily involvement in the business makes us leading edge.

Harry: Our relationship with our customers indisputably takes precedence.

What makes you stand out from others?

Joe: Our business culture, keeping our promises and our people.

Harry: Our commitment to continual learning to be industry experts in windows and doors.

How are you accelerating growth in Canada?

Joe: We’ve grown from 10 staff to 400 plus.

Harry: We’ve provided careers in the manufacturing sector.

What have you done to ensure your company remains innovative and entrepreneurial?

Joe: We scour the world for the newest products with the highest environmental standards.

Harry: My teams then improve upon them to produce cutting-edge creations.

To what do you attribute your success?

Joe: The people who believed in us helped accelerate our vision.

Harry: Purpose, intention and tenacity.

What was your most difficult career experience and what did you learn from it?

Joe: It has not been easy for Durabuilt. In the beginning, we experienced many hurdles financially, in finding and retaining loyal staff and learning the business simultaneously.

Harry: We learned to be mentally tough and thick-skinned. Through hard work, honesty and integrity, we seized the moment and won.

Our advice to entrepreneurs is to know your objective and your company’s vision and be resilient. Fulfil the demands of the community without sacrificing the quality of what you deliver, and learn everything you can about your business.

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What’s your legacy?

Harry: “My focus has shifted from my own growth and success to my children. My legacy is helping them realize their own potential while remaining humble and always open to learning from others.“ Joe: “People need to appreciate every moment life offers and never let their heritage and roots be forgotten. My legacy is teaching goodwill, honesty and integrity.“

Business-to-Business Products and Services

Christopher Micetich NAEJA Pharmaceuticals / Fedora Pharmaceuticals Edmonton

N

AEJA/Fedora Pharmaceuticals’ discoveries and inventions are vital and life-altering.

For more than 20 years, CEO Christopher Micetich and his team have excelled as a Canadian pharmaceutical contract research organization with a distinguished reputation for drug discoveries.

More than 100 companies, from small biotech to large pharma, have used NAEJA expertise to deliver, patent and market their next generation of drugs.

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

Absolutely born, but they require tools to succeed.

Education, mentorship, opportunity and hardship are very strong tools that bring out the entrepreneur.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Courage, perseverance, fear of failure… and undying stubbornness.

How are you reshaping the world?

We have discovered and pushed forward what will be the first-choice drug for use in hospitals around the world to treat the most difficult infections. It will save millions of lives!

What funding methods have you used over the years?

Mainly all self-generated income, a few government grants and angel investment in Fedora.

What’s your legacy?

“To both shine a bright light on the Micetich name and to continue the family’s tradition by discovering and seeing to market a drug that will significantly impact the world.“

To what do you attribute your success?

Recognizing and focusing on strengths. Accepting that being a great leader does not mean being great at everything and knowing that people are my greatest asset. The older I get, the more I accept how little I know.

What motivates you?

Challenges and being able and willing to overcome all obstacles that prevent others from even trying motivates me.

My advice for other entrepreneurs is to visualize. Believe in yourself. Go for it. And most importantly, love every minute of the entire journey.

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Š 2015 Ernst & Youngl LLP. All Rights Reserved. ED0617

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Sustainable growth?

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Unique insights to help you grow from challenger to leader. ey.com/acceleratinggrowth #BetterQuestions

Business-to-Business Products and Services

Jack Tremain Pumps & Pressure Inc. Red Deer

W

hen Jack Tremain launched Pumps & Pressure Inc. in 1984, he had only $275.

“The sign cost $200,” he reminisces, “and the desk and chair another $75.” From these very modest beginnings, Tremain built a multimilliondollar enterprise. His philosophy of business is simple: service, competitive prices, product quality and customer satisfaction.

What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

A strong work ethic and the ability to communicate well. Successful entrepreneurs are sponges for advice; they listen to all the advice they can get and then use what works for them.

What’s unique about your business?

Our company offers an extensive range of related products to a wide range of industries. We have something for almost every business or individual.

What would winning Entrepreneur Of The Year mean to you?

Just being named as a finalist is a great honour. Winning Entrepreneur Of The Year would be tremendous for my wife and me.

To what do you attribute your success?

Our people. We have a very dedicated and knowledgeable workforce that ensures our customers’ needs are met at a fair price.

What’s your legacy?

“Our legacy, and the key to our success is building and maintaining solid business relationships.“ Brandon

(204) 728-9303 622 Richmond Ave. East Brandon, MB R7A 7G8 Fax: (204) 728-9305

Burnaby What’s your passion other than entrepreneurship?

My family — I have six grandchildren!

(604) 434-2188 #11 - 5850 Byrne Road Burnaby, BC V5J 3J3 Fax: (604) 434-2198

Where do you want to be in the next 10 years?

I hope to be semi-retired. Two of my sons-in-law are on our management team, and I am confident they will be able to continue on the path I have laid out for them.

My best advice for other entrepreneurs is to never lose sight of your dream, and remember that everything in business is negotiable.

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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015

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