Entrepreneurs create jobs that build a better working world in Canada - and beyond
HALIFAX, July 4, 2013 /CNW/ - EY is proud to announce the 2013 Atlantic Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists today. The announcement marks 20 years of shining the spotlight on leading entrepreneurs revving the job creation engine across Canada and around the world.
"Entrepreneurs have an immense impact on our local and national economies that goes well beyond the bottom line," says Jim Lutes, Atlantic Entrepreneur Of The Year program director. "These business leaders seize the day and create jobs, no matter what the local economic forecast. EY has said it before and we'll say it again — entrepreneurs really are helping build a better working world."
That theme was very clear at EY's World Entrepreneur Of The Year (WEOY) awards held in Monaco last month. Together, the 47 companies gathered at the event represented a remarkable 59,000 jobs in the last three years alone.
That finding was compounded by EY's latest report, Global job creation, which found the leading entrepreneur survey respondents are continuing to hire, not only to support their entry into new markets but to meet new demand for goods and services. Accordingly, the future of job creation is set to come not from big corporations or government, but from entrepreneurs, who represent 66% of job creation within the OECD and 85% within the EU.
"Our Atlantic Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists are no exception to the research," says Lutes. "They're championing new opportunities at home and abroad for the next generation."
From coast to coast our finalists represent 50,909 jobs in Canada.
That's something that WEOY keynote speaker Kofi Annan called a crucial step toward tackling youth unemployment. Adds Lutes: "Job creation is just one way entrepreneurs are helping take action against youth unemployment — they're also inspiring the next generation to pursue their own business ventures by setting an example of what's possible when you put your mind to something."
Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates the contribution and spirit of entrepreneurs everywhere. The Canadian program is in its 20th year of honouring the country's most impressive entrepreneurs from all areas of business. Award finalists are chosen based on their vision, leadership, financial success and social responsibility.
The Atlantic winners will be announced at a gala on 3 October. The gala will also honour Daniel E. (Danny) Williams with the 2013 Atlantic Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of his substantial achievements as a successful lawyer and businessman, and a dedicated public servant.
The overall winner will represent the region at the national gala held in Toronto on 27 November.
The 2013 Atlantic finalists for Entrepreneur Of The Year:
Business-to-business products and services
Francis McGuire
Major Drilling Group International Inc. | Moncton
majordrilling.com
One of the world's largest drilling services companies, primarily servicing the mining industry, with extensive field operations in North, South and Central America, Africa, Australia and Asia.
Bernard J. (Tanny) Collins
PF Collins International Trade Solutions | St. John's
pfcollins.com
Provides international trade solutions including: freight forwarding, customs brokerage, consulting, project logistics, warehousing, immigration, marine agency, and crating and distribution services.
Greg Drodge, Terry King
Talon Energy Services | St. John's
talonenergyservices.ca
Provides full-service energy services and solutions to the oil and gas, resource, and heavy industrial sectors, including: personnel, engineering, fabrication, and construction services.
Business-to-consumer products and services
Jim Crosby
Crosby Molasses Co. Ltd. | Saint John
crosbys.com
Food processing that manufactures an ever-expanding line of dry-sugar-based products and syrups, with distribution in Canada, the New England states and other international locations.
Dwight Fraser
Franchise Management Inc. | Woodstock
fmigroup.ca
One of the largest Pizza Hut franchisee operators in Canada, owning and operating restaurants across Canada and the US.
Ken LeBlanc
PropertyGuys.com | Moncton
PropertyGuys.com
Provides a network of real estate professionals, local expertise, detailed listings, and unique online tools that enable homeowners to sell their own home without paying high agent commissions.
Anne Whelan
Seafair Capital | St. John's
seafaircapital.com
Owns successful and growing companies in the health care, real estate and industrial supply sectors.
Emerging entrepreneur
Bill Pratt
ANG Food Services Ltd. | Dartmouth
cheesecurdsburgers.com
Offers a completely unique gourmet experience at Halifax's first gourmet burger restaurant and a modern Mexican restaurant.
Colin Gillis
IPECC | Halifax
ipecc.ca
Specializes in acting as owners' representatives, provides turnkey solutions which include computer-aided design, construction and relocation management and emergency planning.
David MacKinnon
Novawise, Inc. | Halifax
novawise.com
Makes powerful and flexible mobile data collection software.
Information technology
Tom Gilgan
G2 Research Ltd. | Dartmouth
g2-research.com
Produces analysis software for national security organizations that analyzes location data to produce a "Pattern-of-Life", predict future travel and identify meetings across multiple tracks.
Dave Grebenc, Roxanne Fairweather
Innovatia Inc. | Saint John
innovatia.net
Delivers knowledge management services to clients in both the ICT and energy sectors in three primary areas: documentation, learning solutions and technical support.
Pat d'Entremont, David Nicholson
Nicom IT Solutions | Halifax
nicomit.com
Helps local businesses run more effectively and find new customers by providing IT professional services, web design and internet marketing. Also provides professional advisory services and software products to the seaport industry.
Bill Adams, Greg Patey, Paul Tobin
STI Technologies Limited | Halifax
smartsti.com
Connects physicians, patients, pharmacy and pharma with a variety of card-based programs empowering choice amongst healthcare professionals and patients, improving patient outcomes.
Manufacturing
Jason Aspin
Aspin Kemp & Associates | Stratford
aka-group.com
Delivers innovative products, technically advanced services, integrated systems documentation and world-class training primarily to the marine and offshore industry.
Sean Dunbar
Northampton Brewing Company Ltd. | Northampton
picaroons.ca
Brewing since 1995, Picaroons Traditional Ales is New Brunswick's first new-generation microbrewery.
John Xidos
Techlink Entertainment | Sydney
techlinkentertainment.com
An inventive gaming technology provider based in Nova Scotia, consistently introducing first-to-market offerings in gaming machines, games, systems and responsible-gambling tools.
Professional services
Mike Cormier
Crandall Engineering Ltd. | Moncton
crandallengineering.ca
A locally owned consulting engineering firm providing services throughout Atlantic Canada in civil, municipal, transportation, mechanical and electrical engineering.
Dr. John McManaman
Docbraces | Moncton
docbraces.com
An orthodontic clinic with four practices throughout the Maritimes.
Charlie Oliver
Martek Morgan Finch Inc. | St. John's
martek.ca
Provides various real estate and professional services.
Bob Owens, Dave MacFadyen
Owens MacFadyen Group | Saint John
omg.ca
An independent wealth management firm providing comprehensive advice to high-income, high-net-worth business owners and professionals.
Real estate/construction
Craig Williams
Future Group Company | Torbay
futuregroupcompany.ca
Encompasses land development, residential and commercial construction, real estate services, and residential and commercial civil construction in Newfoundland and Labrador, along with residential construction in Nova Scotia.
Doug Doucet
rcs Construction Inc. | Bedford
rcsinc.ca
A general contractor building and renovating spaces for clients in the commercial, retail, institutional, corporate and hospitality sectors in the Atlantic provinces.
Aris Vautour
Sira Enterprises Ltd. | Moncton
sira.nb.ca
Creates communities for living and is the leader in quality apartment living in New Brunswick.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year
Entrepreneurs turn us on. To new ideas, new ways of thinking and new possibilities. We've shone the spotlight on entrepreneurs for 20 years — and we've only just begun. Nominees are reviewed by an independent judging panel composed of several distinguished business leaders and previous award recipients. The 2013 Atlantic judging panel consisted of Denis Connor, Past Chair, First Angel Network; Melinda Lee, Partner Frosting Cake and Event Design; Earl Ludlow, President and CEO, Newfoundland Power; Mike Mallory, New Brunswick Group Chair, TEC Group; Gerry Pond, Partner, Mariner Partners; Duncan Shaw, 2010 Atlantic Entrepreneur Of The Year winner, President, Mullache Corporation; and Jo Mark Zurel, President, Stonebridge Capital Inc.
For more information on the program, FAQs, and key dates, please visit ey.com/ca/EOY.
For more information about the Atlantic Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards gala on 3 October 2013 and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kathleen Potter at 506 634 2135 or [email protected].
Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada: #EOY20, #EOYAtlantic.
This year's national program sponsors are National Post, La Presse, RDI and Merrill DataSite. In the Atlantic region Progress Magazine is the gold sponsor, RBC Financial Group and McInnes Cooper are patron sponsors.
About EY's Entrepreneurial Services practice
EY's LLP's Entrepreneurial Services practice guides Canadian entrepreneurs by delivering integrated services tailored to their goals and needs at every stage of the business lifecycle. We are the world's leader in advising, guiding and recognizing the entrepreneurs who propel the economy — and community — forward.
For more information, please visit ey.com/ca/Entrepreneurs.
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
For more information, please visit ey.com/ca.
EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
SOURCE: EY (Ernst & Young)
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Erika Bennett
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