Winners of the third annual HSBC International Business Awards announced

- Companies selected based on achievements in international trade and their global business strategies by independent panel of expert judges in international business -

VANCOUVER, Nov. 8, 2013 /CNW/ - HSBC Bank Canada has announced the winners of the third annual HSBC International Business Awards, celebrating the very best of Canadian companies doing business in the global marketplace.

Drilling equipment that is so modular it can be transported by canoe in Latin America, innovative treatment technology turning wastewater into a useful resource in China, sustainably-sourced BC lumber used to build homes in the US, and leading-edge software used by automaker engineers in India -- all products and services developed by four innovative Canadian companies receiving a 2013 HSBC International Business Award for successfully growing their businesses abroad.

Selected from 11 finalists, the 2013 HSBC International Business Award winners are:

• OPAL-RT Technologies - Headquartered in Montreal, QC Awarded
  International Business of the Year - Small to Medium Enterprise
  
  
• Canfor Corporation - Headquartered in Vancouver, BC Awarded
  International Business of the Year - Large Enterprise
  
  
• BioteQ Environmental Technologies - Headquartered in Vancouver, BC Awarded for
  Leadership in International Trade - Asia-Pacific
  
  
• Energold Drilling Corp. - Headquartered in Vancouver, BC Awarded for
  Leadership in International Trade - Latin America
  

In addition, Bassett & Walker International, Inc. - a two-time HSBC International Business Award winner headquartered in Toronto - was honoured with a special Excellence Award for Leadership in International Trade.

Entries were reviewed for technical and business merit by an independent panel of experts in international business from Canadian Business, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Export Development Canada, the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University and the Sauder School for Business at the University of British Columbia.

Paulo Maia, President and Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Bank Canada, said: "This year's winners represent the best of Canadian companies doing business internationally, and we are thrilled to recognize them for successfully expanding into the international marketplace.

"We know that companies that do business internationally tend to grow faster over the longer-term than companies focused solely on domestic activity.  However, many Canadian businesses who could export don't because they either aren't aware of the opportunities and support available or they don't feel confident enough to take advantage of them."

For Canadian businesses looking to grow internationally, HSBC encourages looking into markets where there is significant growth.  HSBC research shows that the top three markets for Canadian exports are currently the US, China and the UK. However, the fastest growing corridors of Canada's export growth by 2030 will be Asia and the Middle East.

Commented Maia: "Financial institutions have a crucial role to play in helping Canadian businesses to grow through export development, and HSBC is uniquely well-placed to do this because we operate in all the key emerging markets around the world."

About the 2013 HSBC International Business Award Winners:
All applicants/winners are required to: be majority Canadian-owned (50.1%); be headquartered in Canada; generate at least 10% of their revenue from activities outside of Canada; and have had minimum sales of C$5 million for each of the last two fiscal years.

OPAL-RT Technologies - Montreal, QC Founded in 1997, OPAL-RT is a world leading developer of open, Real-Time Digital Simulators and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing equipment for many markets.

Those tools are used by engineers and researchers at leading manufacturers, utilities, universities and research centres around the world to test before they build cars, planes, boats, motors, and electric networks.

While in the past, simulation tools were expensive and used only by rich industries, OPAL-RT has decided to democratize the use of those tools by integrating commercial off-the-shelf technologies in its systems. Today, all engineers can now afford to use simulation tools for their developments. www.opal-rt.com

Canfor Corporation - Vancouver, BC
Canfor is one of the world's largest and most respected integrated forest products manufacturers. Canfor products are found in every corner of the globe, and it has been a leader in opening up markets for BC wood in China. Canfor has more than 5,000 employees and operations in BC, Alberta, Quebec, and the United States. It produces more than 5 billion board feet of softwood lumber a year and has a majority interest in Canfor Pulp Products, a leading North American supplier of NBSK pulp and high-performance kraft paper.  www.canfor.com

BioteQ - Vancouver, BC
This previous HSBC International Business Awards finalist's capabilities are in recovering dissolved metals and in removing sulphates from water contaminated by mining, metallurgical operations and power generation.  Vancouver-based BioteQ develops proprietary process technologies to treat wastewater to comply with water quality regulations for re-use or safe discharge to the environment. Its technologies selectively recover metals to produce by-products with commercial value and reduce or eliminate residual waste. By generating revenue through the sale of recovered metals and reducing the environmental liabilities created by contaminated wastewater, BioteQ's technologies can lower the life cycle costs for water treatment. www.bioteq.ca

Energold Drilling Corp. - Vancouver, BC
A two-time finalist in the HSBC International Business Awards, Vancouver-based Energold is one of the world's largest specialty drilling solutions companies, servicing the minerals and energy sectors in 24 countries. Known for its award-winning drilling rigs, which are powerful yet highly mobile due to their modular nature, their specialty line of equipment can be delivered to remote sites by donkeys, canoes, and manual labor, bypassing the need for road and infrastructure to save clients time and money. Active in the Americas, Africa and Asia, it operates over 250 rigs (up from just six in 2006) and employs over 2,400 people at peak season, providing social benefits in the frontier areas it services while minimizing impact on environments.  www.energold.com

Bassett & Walker International, Inc. (BWI) - Toronto, ON
A two-time winner of an HSBC International Business Award, BWI procures and sells agricultural commodities such as meat, fish, dairy and vegetable protein products, and derivative products. The firm serves as a principal buyer and seller of these goods in order to control and keep quality, competitive prices and delivery fulfilment. The 21-year-old Toronto based company has offices in Brazil, Australia, China and the United States, and business relationships in more than 55 countries.

BWI alleviates all producer and processor risks associated with international trade and tailors solutions for every client. Its proprietary technology accelerates trade transactions by providing clients with instantaneous market intelligence, documentation, account information and shipment tracking. www.bassettwalkerinc.com

About HSBC Commercial Banking
For nearly 150 years, we have been where the growth is, connecting customers to opportunities. Today, HSBC Commercial Banking serves businesses ranging from small enterprises to large multinationals in over 60 developed and faster-growing markets around the world. Whether it is working capital, trade finance or payments and cash management solutions, we provide the tools and expertise that businesses need to thrive. With a network covering three quarters of global commerce, we make HSBC the world's leading international trade and business bank.

About HSBC Bank Canada
HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, is the leading international bank in Canada. With around 6,600 offices in over 80 countries and territories and assets of US$2,723bn at 30 September 2013, the HSBC Group is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations.

SOURCE: HSBC Bank Canada

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