Industry Manufacturing
Shaun Semple Brandt Group of Companies Regina
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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