Manufacturing
Steve Parsons Inovata Foods Corp. Edmonton
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novata Foods services the retail, club store and food service industry in Canada and the US by creating and supplying innovative and convenient meals to the retail public. Inovata’s research and development team takes a product from concept to production for their own label or for clients’ private labels. Established by Steve Parsons, President and founder, and Lisa Parsons, wife and co-founder, in 1989 as The Pasta Mill Ltd., Inovata has continuously expanded. It now operates from a 45,000-square-foot facility in Edmonton and a 100,000-square-foot facility in Tillsonburg, Ontario. When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur? From the very early age of around 12 or 13. What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur? Risk taking, creative problem solving, understanding your strengths/weaknesses and effective delegation. How important have good employees been to your success? Good employees have been critical. What sets Canadian entrepreneurs apart on the world stage? The typical Canadian personality of honesty, integrity and politeness will eventually lead to success in entrepreneurial enterprise. I believe our harsh climate assured Canada was settled by those with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and that is now in our DNA. What was your first job? I have never really had a job outside of being an entrepreneur. From a very young age I have always looked for ways to make money working for myself. I painted fences, picked and sold berries, and started an oilfield painting company when I was 17. What is your passion other than entrepreneurship? Family, cycling, mountain biking, snowboarding, global humanitarian aid and being innovative with food. If you weren’t in your current leadership position, what would you be doing? I would be more involved with international mission work in developing nations. My advice for other entrepreneurs is to start small but dream big. Starting small allows you to make small mistakes that you will learn from. Additionally, you need to have a can-do attitude. Focus on “can” not “can’t.”
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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014