Markham Voice - Winter 2020 - A LEGACY of Entrepreneurship in Markham Van Velzen Family

2020

Winter Issue P UBL IS H ED BY:

A LEGACY

of entrepreneurship in Markham

Van Velzen family pg 8

Algae Makes the Future Greener – pg 6

Brad Morris 2019 Anthony Roman Award recipient – pg 11

Markham Celebrates Excellence Mardi Gras – pg 18 TROES Corp. Wins Investors Pitching Competition – pg 20

1-866-468-3530 care@gointelecom.com www.gointelecom.com

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

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2019

Spring Issue

Published by:

2019

PU BLISH ED BY: Spring Issue PUBLIS HED BY:

The Markham Board of Trade is the voice of business in the City of Markham. Established in 1981, MBT is a not-for-profit, membership based association. We advocate on your behalf with all levels of government through a broader regional, provincial and national network of boards of trade and chambers of commerce.

Market and grow your business, save money on a wide range of products and services and connect with the right people through our outstanding events. Call us today at 289-844-3017 or find us online at markhamboard.com and take the first steps in joining MARKHAM’S PREMIER BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS! 4S Consulting Services Inc

www.4sconsult.com Annie’s Havens Ltd.

www.annieshavens.ca

GO Integrated Health

LOUIS JOHNSON ENTERPRISE

PeopleToGo

Growth Alchemy Group, Inc.

Mahlena Speaks

ROCK FINANCIAL GROUP INC.

about.me/mahlena

www.rockinc.ca

Holam Law PC

McOuat Partnership

School Boards’ Co-operative Inc.

Humber Valley Landscaping Inc.

Mortgage Alliance

Speedpro Imaging GTA North

www.gointegratedhealth.ca

Markham Celebrates www.growthalchemy.com

Excellence in Business Hollywood Style Markham Celebrates

Auction Network

www.auctionnetwork.ca

www.holamlaw.com

Bayview Golf & Country Club

www.bayviewclub.com

www.hvlandscaping.com

Blast Media

ICICI Bank Canada

www.blastmedia.ca

www.icicibank.ca

CleanMark Service Group

www.cleanmark.com

pg 10

Intelecom Solutions Inc.

www.gointelecom.com

Excellence in Business Hollywood Style

Clearoute Ventures Inc.

www.clearoute.com

domeservicesgroup.com DYNAMIC Downsizers Inc.

dynamicdownsizers.com

GBS Manufacturing & Sourcing

guanbaosourcing.com Go Fitness Inc

Downtown www.kamranetessam.com

Markham

MultiDimensional Healthcare NLI Solutions Inc.

Platform for You? pg 9

www.nlisolutions.com Smart City Accelerator

Research Program Comes Inc. to Markham

Italdoor & Woodworking Limited

Nurse Next Door Home Care Services

www.ladiesgolfclub.com

Pace Credit Union

LeTip – Toronto East/Markham

www.letipmarkham.com

www.northstarsuccess.com

www.nursenextdoor.com

Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto

pg 6

www.mdhconsulting.ca Is LinkedIn the

North Star Success

www.italdoor.com

www.peopletogo.com

www.mcouatpartnership.com

InTrend Mortgage Inc.

www.intrendmortgage.com

DSG Dome Services Group

louisjohnsonenterprise.com

www.pacecu.ca PANDAPAY

www.pandapay.ca

gogirltransformation.com

pg 16

www.sbci.org

speedproGTAnorth.com TELUS

www.telus.com United Legal Services PC

unitedlegal.ca

Upper York School

www.upperyorkschool.ca World Financial Group

wfgconnects.ca/marilyn Your Pure Space

www.yourpurespace.com Downtown Markham Zenith Private Wealth Counsel pg – 6 Holliswealth

zenithprivatewealth.com

Is LinkedIn the Platform for You?

pg 9 Learn more about the value of membership at markhamboard.com

pg 10

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! Corporate:

Title Sponsor:

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Markham VOICE Winter 2020

After-Hours & Breakfast Networking Series:

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Women’s Networking Sponsor:

IN THIS ISSUE Publisher/Editor Richard Cunningham President & CEO

COVER STORY

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Advertising information David McGrew 289-844-3020 dmcgrew@markhamboard.com

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Director of Membership MaryAnn Quagliara 289-844-3017 maryann@markhamboard.com Design: Lisa Mervin, L.J. Sales Printing: Canmark Communications Circulation/Distribution Marketing Kitchen

A Legacy of Entrepreneurship

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Your comments are always welcome. Please email info@markhamboard.com © February 2020. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in parts, or as a whole, without prior written permission of the Markham Board of Trade Publication Agreement Number 41245573

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Algae makes the future Greener

Markham Celebrates Excellence Mardi Gras Style

20

The Revolution of Energy Storage

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Three Ways Parenthood Builds Communication Skills

15

Top 40 Employers in Markham 16 Economic Statistics you Need to Know

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Markham Marketplace

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markhamvoice.com Markham’s Exclusive Business Magazine

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

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Pond Technologies move towards a sustainable future is often seen as a zero-sum proposition, forcing us to choose between business and the environment. But one Markham-based company is doing things differently, using action on climate change as an opportunity for collaborative, and profitable, innovation.

Pond Technologies is a Canadian cleantech company using algae to help existing industry transition to low-carbon operations. Pond’s multi-leveled system not only captures CO2, but derives value from these emissions by producing a valuable natural byproduct.

For over a decade, the team at Pond has been fine-tuning their proprietary growth technology, gathering data and building

The Algae is on its way to becoming a sustainable raw material of the future

Protect & Secure Your Valuable Assets

6

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

AI systems, perfecting conditions for optimal algae growth.

Hungry for CO2

Expelled from our factories, power plants, and cars – CO2 is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. While algae, like plants, grow via photosynthesis, consuming CO2 at impressive rates.

Here’s how it works: Emissions from smokestacks and other industrial facilities are redirected to large tanks, called bioreactors. The reactors are “plug and play”, container-size tanks that integrate easily with existing industrial facilities. The emissions are moved through the algaefilled reactors where Pond’s technology capitalizes on algae’s natural appetite for

CO2. Conditions are optimized using lighting, sensors, and computer algorithms, maximizing algae growth and CO2 conversion. Emissions are cleaned, oxygen is output, and algae is grown.

The algae produced during the sequestration process can then be upgraded into value-added products with wideranging commercial and social benefits.

Clean animal feed, ingredients for cosmetics, bioplastics, food dyes, and a range of valuable human nutraceutical supplements are among the many algaebased all-natural products that can be produced from Pond’s bioreactors.

Algae is on its way to becoming a sustainable raw material of the future, and Pond is positioning itself to be a leader in this space.

A Compelling Option for Investors and Industry There are more than 10,000 large emitters in North America alone, every one of them a potential commercial partner. Pond is now public (TSX.V: POND) offering both the everyday investor and bigger industry players the opportunity to join the move towards a low-carbon economy.

Pond has been granted patents in the U.S., Europe, China, and the Gulf Region and has pilot sequestration installations underway at St. Marys Cement, a major cement manufacturer in southern Ontario.

Of note for Markham residents is Pond’s project with Markham District Energy (MDE). To be constructed adjacent to MDE’s Your home away from home

Warden Energy Centre, this project will capture CO2 emissions from MDE’s combined heat and power facility and grow algae-based nutraceutical products.

“As a company owned by the City of Markham, MDE is very supportive of the City’s goal to achieve Net Zero emissions by the year 2050,” said Jack Heath, MDE Board Chair and Markham’s regional councilor. “We are very excited to part of this Canadian innovation.”

With the world struggling to meet climate change targets, the need for solutions that are both sustainable and commercially-viable is more urgent than ever, making innovative solutions like Pond’s a crucial part of the way forward.

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Markham VOICE Winter 2020

John van Velzen leaves a legacy of entrepreneurship in Markham

E

ntrepreneurs born or made? Audrey Jamieson, daughter of long-time publishing entrepreneur John van Velzen, leans toward nature, noting that studies show entrepreneurs exhibit key differences from most people, such as a higher tolerance for risk, greater resilience and perseverance. All these characteristics, she notes, are evident within her family. Her father, brother and herself all built thriving businesses in the Markham area.

As Jamieson recounts her family history, however, it becomes clear that nurture is definitely part of the mix.

When starting out in sales in the 90s for her father’s company, Camar Publishing, the elder van Velzen asked her, “Did you sell anything today”. “Yes,” Audrey proudly reported, “I sold 3 classified ads”. He then asked her how many said ‘no’ that day.

Again, Audrey proudly reported none.

He responded, “Well then, you didn’t sell anything you just took their order.”

Growing up in a sort of sales incubator

8

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

probably helped Jamieson build an early career as a star sales performer, skills that she would then parlay into the rapid success of her own firm, Marketing Kitchen.

“You can’t start a business without taking risks,” she says, referring back to those entrepreneurial characteristics, “and you can’t make a success of it without resilience and perseverance.”

Her dad was a classic case in point.

Bored with a very successful finance career with large companies such as Carling O’Keefe, van Velzen ditched it all for a chance to buy a small publication called This is Ontario. The magazine was a giveaway in duty-free shops that focused on travel and tourism, but van Velzen negotiated distribution in The Beer Store locations.

Circulation sky rocketed from 35,000 to 1,000,000. Alas, so did the costs, and after 4 years of heavy losses, van Velzen was forced to pack it in.

It didn’t hold him back for long. Says his daughter, “A good entrepreneur knows that

failure is part of the growing process. It gives you the insights you need to succeed, so you can actually look at it as not being failure at all.”

The experience also fuelled van Velzen’s love of publishing, and he went on to work for Torstar’s Harlequin magazine division. It wasn’t long before he and colleague Phil Whalen offered to buy the division, to which Harlequin agreed.

Camar Publications on Steelcase Road in Markham was launched in 1980.

They soon had a series of titles under their banner that came to be loved by Canadians: Photo Life, Canadian Gardening Magazine, Canadian Workshop Magazine and Outdoor Canada.

Van Velzen knew then that the most secure strategy was to rely on loyal paid subscribers rather than fickle advertisers. The company focused on maintaining consistent quality.

The numbers grew, with some of the magazines reaching over 100,000 paying subscribers.

Rob Van Velzen

“My Dad is an amazing numbers guy,” became one of Markham’s Top 100 employers. doubled the company’s footprint and says Jamieson. “He knew how to target and Then, bad news struck. confidently moved next door into 40,000 retain paid subscribers, and he also knew the Cancer took the young, brilliant van square feet. value of those subscribers to advertisers.”

Velzen in the prime of his life and at the “The new space gave Marketing Kitchen a blank canvas to really define a culture of It was during this time, in 1993, that van height of his company’s success, in 2011. The innovation and creativity,” says Jamieson. It is Velzen’s oldest son and Jamieson’s brother, business was sold to The Data Group of the first direct marketing production Rob van Velzen, founded Fulfillment Companies and his sister went along as part company in Canada to install the Konica Solutions Advantage Inc., later known as The of the deal.

AccurioJet KM-1 variable inkjet press, a game FSA Group.

“That was a double whammy for me,” changer allowing infinite flexibility and FSA started as a small fulfilment company Jamieson recounts. “Not only did I lose a creativity for clients. on Hood Rd. in Markham which soon became brother, but I lost an amazing boss and Marketing Kitchen’s impressive client one of the largest and most innovative mentor. Over the years, he personally roster includes companies such Tangerine marketing companies in Canada. A key mentored a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs.”

Bank, Wayfair, Canadian Cancer Society and moment in its growth was in 2001 when the Rob van Velzen was awarded the Anthony Plan Canada, to name a few. company boldly moved into a large, stylish Roman Award posthumously by the Now with 40 full time staff members, and state-of-the-art facility on Rodick Road.

Markham Board of Trade.

Jamieson expects Rob van Velzen 2020 to be the best knew the optics year yet. “Direct would pay off, and “You can’t start a business without taking risks,” she says, referring mail is alive and soon many Fortune back to those entrepreneurial characteristics, “and you can’t make thriving, it’s targeted 500 companies came a success of it without resilience and perseverance.” and has a high level on board, and the of engagement”, she business was says. “Unlike our employing over 200 people. inbox, our mail box is uncluttered.”

Jamieson knew her new role within a large “My brother was a huge visionary,” says What’s the secret to this family’s business corporate environment would not suit her.

“So along comes the third entrepreneur in Jamieson. “He could easily see two years success? Both Jamieson and the elder van into the future and rarely were his predictions the family, and probably not the last,” Velzen agree that you need to know your she jokes. wrong. He embraced change, he was a quick market and never lose confidence in your In 2014 she founded Marketing Kitchen by decision maker and he never sweat the business. Stay hungry and never get small stuff.” purchasing the assets of a small direct mail comfortable, since anything and everything Jamieson herself worked at FSA for 15 company whose owners wanted to retire. She could change on a dime. years. She became the firm’s #1 sales person moved it to Markland Road in Markham and Most importantly, take care of your staff. and fell in love with the direct marketing the business grew faster than Jamieson could “If you treat your team well and they enjoy industry. FSA had become an industry leader have imagined. She hit her 5-year goal in less where they work, everything else just falls with annual revenues of $19 million and than 2 ½ years. On her 5th anniversary, she into place.”

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Prevention or Due Diligence what creates a safety culture?

How can one best define workplace safety culture for an organization?

Workplace safety culture starts with the senior management’s commitment, from which flows the staff accountability. All of this is tied up tight through strong systems and processes.

Technology can be very helpful in making the systems and processes easy and effective, while keeping your program alive.

In fact, use of technology can make the whole workplace operate efficiently with improved productivity. Technology is the way forward today, and often it is companies who leverage the strengths of technology that end up staying on top of everything.

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Protection vs. Prevention – An Overview Due diligence is about making sure you have done everything ‘reasonable’ under the circumstances to mitigate risks to ‘protect’ your workers.

Protection of your workers is the major focus of due diligence. That’s also what the Occupational Health & Safety act requires.

However, the big question you must ask yourself at this stage is how good is ‘reasonable’ for building a safety culture? The answer is ‘not good enough’ on most occasions since an organization with a sustainable safety culture is expected to go beyond ‘reasonable’. This brings us to the concept of ‘prevention’. If you go beyond reasonable, you are likely working on ‘prevention’ rather than ‘cure’ for your workers.

Prevention is about not having an adverse thing happen at your workplace. Prevention and due diligence are very close concepts, but have a totally different meaning. They are like chalk and cheese.

They look the same, yet, they are they are so different from each other, especially from a

Prevention or protection, what are you looking for?

point of view of building a safety culture.

Let’s now see which of the two helps in building a safety culture. When you eliminate or remove a hazard, you prevent it from causing any future damage at your workplace.

On the other hand, protecting your workers by providing them with personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last and the least effective, reliable, and sustainable step in the hierarchy of controls. That clearly says it all as far as what you need to do as an organization to have the most effective, reliable, and sustainable safety program.

Due diligence is the minimum you can do, which is reasonable to protect your workers’ health and safety. However, is ‘reasonable’ enough to help you build a safety culture? The answer is no. It’s crucial for you to note that prevention works at a level well beyond what is reasonable in the given circumstances.

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Brad Morris recipient of the 2019 Anthony Roman Award

M

arkham Board of Trade, annually selects an individual who is an outstanding community leader.

The award is named after the late Anthony Roman who served as a public servant for more than 20 years. He was a champion of many Markham community causes including the preservation of Markham’s heritage. Mr. Roman was also instrumental in attracting IBM and American Express along with hundreds of tech companies to Markham.

This year’s recipient shares many similarities with Mr. Roman. They both have a great love of the community and to making a difference.

Mr. Morris has served as the Board Chair of the Canadian Women’s Professional Hockey League and was recognized by CWHL as humanitarian of the year. He is a strong advocate of opportunity for women and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the ladies First Hockey Foundation of Canada. Prior to Morris work with CWHL he served as the chair of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada. The youngest person to take the position at the time.

Mr. Morris has also served as the Chair of the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation and as a board director at the hospital.

He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 in recognition of his extensive volunteer work.

Morris is currently the General Manager of Grote Industries Canada a leading worldwide innovator and distributor of lighting, electrical and safety systems for all forms of vehicle and transportation markets.

Mr. Morris has been a member of the Unionville/Markham Community since 1976 and is a proud husband and father of 2 incredible young women.

Congratulations to Brad Morris.

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Markham VOICE Winter 2020

THREE WAYS

Parenthood Builds Communication Skills

By Chad Heard

My

son is seven. He likes Pokemon, basketball, and riding his bike. His least favourite things include eggplant and beets.

It would be easy to characterize my role as his father as a one-way information street, but the reality is I’m learning just as much.

For those with children, my experience is likely universal. You may see some of yourself in this short list of what my son has taught me, but the act of storytelling is equally universal. We do it with our children, and organizations do it with their audiences.

When launching anything new into the market – be it product, program, or promotion – you’re initiating an information transaction. With your audience’s attention, your goal is to educate and entertain. Here’s how a seven year old taught me to do that a little better:

1. Spend some time with word choice.

Everyone is working with a slightly different vocabulary, so an organization’s storytelling must be composed to help rather than hinder.

That new employee may not be familiar with corporate acronyms; customers categorize your products differently than you; and journalists will scrub all of your hip lingo as they write their articles.

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2. Be patient and never, ever assume a baseline understanding.

My son asked me when he could drive. I explained lessons would start at age 16, but he would need a licence, buy HIS OWN car, and get insurance.

His response: “What’s insurance?”, then “Why do I need it?”, followed by “Why does it cost money to repair things?”, and so on. Every business communications campaign involves bringing a new element into being, which inevitably leads to questions, so make sure you’re ready.

3. Visuals provide a frame of reference.

Once my son saw my driver’s licence it immediately materialize the concept so he could move into the abstract areas that confused him.

Video and images help move people along the learning journey. Visual storytelling is immensely powerful and should play as big a role in any launch planning as time allows.

With proper advanced planning and a little strategic forethought, the ROI of a communications campaign can tilt further into your organization’s favour and can help drive sustainable growth.

Chad Heard is a strategic business communications consultant helping organizations execute better launch campaigns. Read more of his work at www.heardcomms.ca.

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Markham VOICE Winter 2020

15

11:40

TOP 40 EMPLOYERS in Markham, 2019 1. IBM Canada Ltd.

15. Veoneer Canada

2. TD Financial Group

16. Honda Canada

3. City of Markham

17. First Student Canada

4. Markham Stouffville Hospital

18. Weins Canada

5. CGI Information Systems 6. Aviva Canada 7. The Miller Group

19. Homelife Bayview Realty Inc. 20. GE Grid IQ Innovation Centre

29. Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa 30. Ceridian 31. Giesecke & Devrient Security Card Systems Inc. 32. J.D. Barnes Ltd. 33. Global Credit and Collection

8. AMD Technologies Inc.

21. Shoppers Drug Mart

9. Homelife Landmark Realty Inc

22. Estee Lauder 23. Morrison Hershfield

10. Huawei Technologies Canada Co. Ltd

24. Aecom Canada Ltd.

36. Burman & Fellows Group Inc.

11. TD Insurance

25. The Linkage Group Inc.

37. Scholastic Canada Ltd.

26. The Home Depot

38. Jonas Software

27. Scm Insurance Services

39. Cole Engineering Group Ltd.

12. Allstate Insurance 13. Enercare Home Services 14. Johnson And Johnson Inc.

28. Ac Nielsen Company

34. Honeywell Acs 35. WSP

40. Allergan Inc

Though storing, sorting and accessing documents in an efficient and effective manner is a critical priority for every organization, the results of our survery indicate that the vast majority of people find their current process frustrating, time consuming and dependent on ‘gate-keepers’ and ‘experts’.

WINwithHoneycomb offers an effective and intuitive solution to accessing documents.

Honeycomb is a stand alone system which requires no IT integration or support, offers 24/7 365 day anytime, anywhere access, access to documents, photos, videos, no limit of file type, has NO per user fee, access for all employees, offers an intuitive search method which is easy to use and is delivered with direct access to dedicated account manager. Current install base include offices as small as three staff to global organizations with over 1000 people.

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Markham VOICE Winter 2020

ECONOMIC

STATISTICS 2019 Tax Rates (%) COMMERCIAL

INDUSTRIAL

Toronto

22.8%

2.33%

Mississauga

1.94%

2.16%

Vaughan

1.62%

1.87%

Markham

1.57%

1.81%

Industrial Inventory, 2018 (Q4) Total inventory (sq.ft.)

34,798,274

Vacancy rate – class A

1.2%

Average net rent (sq.ft.)

$8.06

Commercial Office Inventory, 2018 (Q4) Total inventory (sq.ft.)

8,559,048

Vacancy rate – class A

5.2%

Average net rent (sq.ft.)

$17.53

Mother Tongue Breakdown (2016 Census) English

36.4%

Chinese

38.7%

South Asian

11.1%

All Other

13.8%

All values are in Canadian Dollars. Source: Colliers International

TOOK IT TO THE STUDS ON DEMO DAY?

IT.

For only $125 you can drop 2,200 pounds (1 tonne) of construction materials and garbage at the Community Environmental Centre.

We accept almost everything including: Concrete* Drywall* Electronic Waste* Garbage* Polystyrene Foam Recyclables

Refrigerated Appliances* Scrap Metal Shredded Paper Tires* Wood*

*Fees and/or limits may apply.

Small businesses and residents pay the same fees.

SCRAP YOUR WASTE AT

Elgin Mills Community Environmental Centre 1124 Elgin Mills Road East City of Richmond Hill

york.ca/wastedepots

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

17

Congratulations

Markham Business Excellence Award Recipients

High Quality and Service NLI SOLUTIONS

NLI Solutions founded in 2003 as a loyalty supply company, recently entered the retail fulfillment market.

This past year they were awarded the Air Miles Loyalty contract.

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Markham VOICE Winter 2020

Food Service & Hospitality THE UNIONVILLE ARMS

A pub, a dining establishment, a place where everybody knows your name, celebrating it’s 30th year on main street, The Unionville Arms redefines the term “local watering hole”!

Global Business Excellence LEA GROUP

If you ride a bus in Markham, stroll through Yonge Dundas Square, take a highway in Nairobi, a bridge in Kolkata, then you’ve experienced one of LEA Consulting’s hundreds of global projects.

Business advisors with over 20 years of experience servicing various industries and providing personal services in: The Donald Cousens Conservation & Environmental Leadership Award CROWN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.

Widely recognized for their leadership in sustainability, Crown Property Management raises the bar in three key areas - human, economic and environmental impacts.

Entrepreneurship MARA TECHNOLOGIES INC. Part of the Invotek Group of Companies, Mara Technologies provides electronics manufacturing services and solutions for a broad range of global clients.

Business Employer of Excellence ASTELLAS PHARMA CANADA INC.

A multinational pharmaceutical company, Markham based Astellas Canada, promotes work/life balance through flexible scheduling; training and career development; a wellness program; and volunteerism.

With a focus on supporting the community, employees are given 5 paid days per year to participate in the Changing Tomorrow Today campaign.

Jack Eigenmacht B.Comm, CPA, CA, LPA, CFP

905.305.9722 x 228 E: jack@eigenmachtcrackower.com

www.eigenmachtcrackower.com 345 Renfrew Drive • Suite 202 Markham, Ontario L3R 9S9

Community Relations and Cultural Enrichment SOFINA FOODS INC AND THE SOFINA FOUNDATION

It started with a simple goal, and a humble dream – make a difference in the lives of children and families in need. The Sofina Foundation is making a difference by making lives better!

Backup and Disaster Recovery Cloud Services Project Consultation IT Support Services

Women Led Business SE Health

Today, under the leadership of President and CEO Shirlee M. Sharkey, SE Health has grown into one the largest not-for-profit health care organizations in Canada, delivering over 21,000 care exchanges daily by a team of 9,000.

Accounting & Auditing • Business Plans & Start-Ups • Estate & Financial Planning Taxation – Personal & Corporate

Innovation NOVO PLASTICS INC.

Novo Plastics founded in 2006 is a manufacturer of engineered plastic products supplying food and automotive sectors.

TeamLogic IT of Markham

888.245.7063 www.teamlogicit.com/markhamON

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

19

TROES CORP.

Wins Investors Pitching Competition

T

ROES is an acronym for “The Revolution of Energy Storage,” and they expect that their technology and market development will be the testimony for the revolution of Energy Storage.

The company was founded by Vienna Zhou, a technology and investment consultant. Zhou created the firm V Tech specializing in the Cleantech and Renewable Energy industry. By collecting a wide scope of clients, including renewable project developers, project investors and end users such as government offices, the company accumulated rich technology insights as well as ecosystem resources during its years of operation. After a comprehensive study of industrial trends and market needs, the timing was right and the VTech entered the Energy Storage industry through the creation of TROES. TROES has gone on to develop, design and manufacture safe, long-lasting, cloud-based BESS’s focusing on the Commercial, Industrial and Micro-Grid market segments. Although everyone is familiar with the concept and usage of the “Battery”, the majority of the applications and benefits of the large-sized BESS’s are still unknown; and there are many!

Some examples of major benefits are: bill reduction (Peak shaving), comfortability and resiliency (self-supply and power backup), electricity cost reduction (Community Micro-

20

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

Grid), decrease of capital expenditure and reduction of utility infrastructure upgrade cost (Non-Wires Alternative), power grid congestion alleviation, peak shifting, voltage adjustment and power quality (Electricity Quality Management). It all sounds complicated but results on a lot of cost

reduction and better management of energy.

With so many applications, TROES’ BESS’s contribute highly to the global and national energy saving initiatives and are environmentally friendly (Cleantech), being in full alignment with governmental policies and incentives.

The global demand for more electricity nowadays includes the increasing interest in electric vehicles and the need for investment in electricity generation along with the

expansion of the transmission and distribution networks. All this, plus the rise of renewables and the global trends for Cleaner Energy as well as relevant government policies and incentives are some of the catalysts to the Energy Storage market growth. Demand for storage will remain strong for the next 5-10 years and beyond.

According to Bloomberg NEF, the global additions to the BESS capacity from 2018 to 2050 will be 1,291GW, which is just part of the future electricity needs. In value, the global market is estimated to grow annually by 21% through 2025 - from USD 5 billion to 19 billion.

TROES believes they are in the right industry, at the right time; an early-stage company with high growth potential. While still a start up their technology, customizable solutions and marketing positioning have received very strong response from the market and are scaling up very fast. The company has already deployed systems in Ontario and across Canada, with potential projects in the US, Mexico, Europe, China, SE Asia and Australia.

Apart from the surge in business their potential for growth was recognized by winning the “Made in York Region” investors pitching competition last November. TROES competed with 40 participating companies and was awarded the 1st prize of $10,000. This symbolic prize serves as a recognition for TROES’ business model, current progress and future potential.

“It was also a great honour and recognition for us to welcome The Honourable Frank Scarpitti, Mayor of the City of Markham last November at our offices” says Vienna.

TROES was also selected as one of the “5 supported companies by ventureLAB (the region’s innovation hub) to Watch in 2020”. They are hosted at ventureLAB’s incubator space, in the IBM building, where they are constantly surrounded by innovative, next generationthinking, tech companies, which create an unbelievably inspiring and supportive environment for vision and growth.

“We are very proud to be part of Markham’s Tech Community and very grateful for everyone’s support” says Zhou. “We look forward to contributing further to Markham’s development and sharing more “Made in Markham” success stories”.

For more information about TROES Corp., visit their new website at: troescorp.com and follow them on LinkedIn at: www.linkedin.com/company/troescorp/

There’s a hero in all of us Some are hands-on. Others donate.

Thank your Markham Stouffville Hospital hero.

Your donation of gratitude will help purchase life-saving equipment to support exceptional patient care close to home.

Give and save lives. Donate today! mshf.on.ca • 905-472-7059 @MSHospital

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

21

MARKHAM MARKETPLACE Your local HVAC Specialist

COMMERCIAL HVAC INDUSTRIAL HVAC AIR QUALITY & GAS DETECTION

391 Steelcase Road West, Units 14 & 15 Markham, ON L3R 3V9

905-470-2424 | triair.ca

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN VENTILATION Emergency 24 hour Service Available

(905) 940-1414 www.networxav.com Professional & Commercial Audio & Video Systems Sales – Service – Installation Serving Markham Since 2011

Roosters is far more than a barbershop.

Our precision haircuts, trims, shaves and facials are a true experience, with hot steam towels, cleansing facial massages and moisturizing lotions. All with the best barbers and stylists in the business.

YOUR BEST SOLUTION FOR TRADE SHOW DISPLAYS & GRAPHICS

CONTACT US TODAY! 905-940-2378

Small Business Specialists Grow your business with effective marketing solutions Business plans for start-ups Free initial consultation www.bizmetrics.ca | 416-577-7654 solutions@bizmetrics.ca 22

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

MARKHAM MARKETPLACE Voted #1 Computer Repair in Markham.

Give your business the IT support it needs to grow

• Preventive Maintenance • Managed protection and backups • Hacker prevention and removal • Microsoft Cloud Service Provider

Call Us Today

416.410.5030

It’s not a virus, it’s a hacker.

www.idealogical.com

www.twinbytes.ca • 905-471-5904

Managed IT Services IT Consulting Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Business Process Automation Cyber Security Monitoring

2900 John Street, Suite 400 Markham, ON L3R 5G3

info@idealogical.com

PAINTING

Residential, Commercial, Industrial Restoration, Drywall Plaster, Stucco

®

We offer 204 rooms, include 25 Suites, Indoor Swimming pool, Sauna and fitness room Banquet Spaces: 10 000 sq ft all with natural daylight Selection of meeting packages and menus For Reservation: sales.coordinator@edwardvilagehotel.com 905-477-2010 ext. 5523

Markham VOICE Winter 2020

23

NOW SELLING AN EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION OF LUXURY TOWN MANORS. Kennedy Manors offers inspired and elevated living in luxury three-storey townhomes.

Ideally situated on the west side of Kennedy Road, just north of 16th Avenue, steps to The Village Grocer and minutes from Main Street, Unionville. Also close to Markville Shopping Centre and an abundance of Markham’s finest amenities.

OVER $150,000 IN UPGRADES INCLUDED

Large homes from 1,725 sq.ft. to 2,730 sq.ft.

Priced from $1.2 Million

KYLEMORECOMMUNITIES.COM 905.887.9950 Specifications are subject to change. Illustrations are artist’s concept. E.&O.E. © Kylemore Communities. All rights reserved. Brokers protected.