Entrepreneurs create jobs that build a better working world in Canada - and beyond
VANCOUVER, July 4, 2013 /CNW/ - EY is proud to announce the 2013 Pacific 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.
"We've been celebrating the achievements of local entrepreneurs for 20 years now and their stories still continue to amaze and impress us," says Ron Voyer, Pacific Entrepreneur Of The Year program director. "These entrepreneurs have put Pacific Canada on the map — growing local industry and creating jobs and opportunities that continue to attract the attention of global players."
The theme of job creation 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 created 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 the big corporations or government, but from entrepreneurs who represent 66% of job creation within the OECD and 85% within the EU.
"There's no denying the impact entrepreneurs have on job creation," says Voyer. "And our Pacific Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists are no exception — their relentless focus on turning innovative ideas into realities is helping pave the way to a better working world."
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. Voyer adds: "Research shows that entrepreneurs recognize that their businesses have a crucial role to play in tackling the youth unemployment crisis — but to reach their potential they need our support. It's up to all of us to empower the next generation."
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 Pacific winners will be announced at a gala on 4 October. The overall winner will represent the region at the national gala held in Toronto on 27 November.
The 2013 Pacific finalists for Entrepreneur Of The Year:
Business-to-business products and services
Randy Bartsch
Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service | Abbotsford
ecotex.ca
Provides linen services to hospitals and medical facilities in the western United States and Canada.
Shannon Rogers, Warren Roy
Global Relay Communications Inc. | Vancouver
globalrelay.com
An expert in compliance messaging solutions, including compliance archiving, messaging, mobile and collaboration.
Barbara Ross-Denroche
The Refinery Leadership Partners Inc. | Vancouver
refineryleadership.com
A global leadership development firm.
Business-to-consumer products and services
Jeff Booth, Robert Banks
BuildDirect Technologies Inc. | Vancouver
builddirect.com
An online platform for anyone to buy high-quality building materials in volume quantities for less money than retail.
Tom Skidmore
GLENTEL Inc. | Burnaby
glentel.com
A leading provider of innovative and reliable wireless communications services and solutions, offering a choice of network carrier and wireless or mobile products to consumers and commercial customers.
Charles Chang
Vega | Burnaby
myvega.com
Leading formulator of plant-based health and sport performance products.
Cleantech
James Dean
dPoint Technologies Inc. | Vancouver
dpoint.ca
Manufactures and sells polymer membrane materials and energy recovery ventilation (ERV) exchanger technology that significantly improves the energy efficiency, health and comfort of commercial and residential buildings.
Glenn Johnson
Endurance Wind Power, Inc. | Surrey
endurancewindpower.com
Manufactures wind turbines designed to provide an efficient, reliable, safe and quiet, renewable form of energy for distributed wind power applications.
Andrew Bamber
Minesense Technologies Ltd. | North Vancouver
minesense.com
Provides a proven platform for the sensing and sorting of low-grade ore to a level of sensitivity unprecedented in the industry.
Emerging entrepreneur
Shahrzad Rafati
BroadbandTV | Vancouver
broadbandtvcorp.com
Helps content creators become more successful online by providing them with advanced tools and technology.
Jamie Garratt
Idea Rebel | Vancouver
idearebel.com
A digital marketing agency that develops world-class social, mobile and web experiences.
John Skinner
Painted Rock Estate Winery Ltd. | Penticton
paintedrock.ca
An ultra-premium Okanagan estate vineyard/winery competing with wines on the international stage.
Information technology
Igor Faletski, John Boxall, Peter McLachlan
Mobify | Vancouver
mobify.com
A platform for launching fast, adaptive websites for every device and screen.
Markus Frind
Plentyoffish Media Inc. | Vancouver
plentyoffish.com
Online personals service.
Andrew Reid
Vision Critical | Vancouver
visioncritical.com
Develops insight community technologies, provides solutions that enable businesses to engage with thousands of customers continuously to gather insights that help drive better decisions.
Manufacturing
Elana Rosenfeld
Kicking Horse Coffee Co. Ltd. | Invermere
kickinghorsecoffee.com
Canada's number-one selling Organic Fair Trade coffee, recognized nationally and abroad for its exceptional quality, distinctive, sophisticated and fun-loving brand.
Mark Wolverton
Lush North America | Vancouver
lush.com
Manufacturer and retailer of fresh, natural, handmade and ethically produced hair and skin products.
Jan Stimpson
White House Design Company Inc. | Burnaby
symplithebest.com
Designs, product develops, markets, manufactures and wholesales lifestyle women's wear.
Mining and metals
Clive Johnson
B2Gold Corp. | Vancouver
b2gold.com
A Vancouver-based gold producer with three operating mines and a strong portfolio of development and exploration assets in Nicaragua, Colombia, Namibia and Uruguay.
Jeffrey Stibbard
JDS Energy & Mining, Inc. | Kelowna
jdsmining.ca
Focuses on delivering quality engineering, construction, procurement management solutions, heavy equipment leasing, evaluation design, transport solutions, open pit and underground mining operations.
Robert Quartermain
Pretium Resources Inc. | Vancouver
pretivm.com
A gold exploration and development company focused on advancing the Brucejack Project in northern British Columbia, which is one of the largest and highest-grading undeveloped gold projects in the world.
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 Pacific judging panel consisted of Peter Barnes, 2010 Pacific Entrepreneur Of The Year, Mining and metals category winner and Founding Shareholder, DeepGreen Resources; Wanda Costuros, Corporate Director; Fred Davidson, 2012 Pacific Entrepreneur Of The Year, Mining and metals category winner and President and CEO, Energold Drilling Corp.; Steven Gula, 2012 Pacific Entrepreneur Of The Year, Manufacturing category winner and President, NII Northern International Inc.; Diane Johnson, 2011 Pacific Entrepreneur Of The Year, Special citation winner and President and CEO, Descriptive Video Works; Mary Jordan, Corporate Director and Chair, Vancouver Airport Authority; Donald McInnes, 2011 Pacific Entrepreneur Of The Year, Cleantech category winner and Executive Vice Chairman, Alterra Power Corp.; and Catherine Osler, President, TEC Canada.
For more information on the program, FAQs and key dates, please visit ey.com/ca/EOY.
For more information about the Pacific Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards gala on 4 October 2013 and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Sandie Atkinson 604 643 5486 at [email protected].
Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada: #EOY20, #EOYPacific.
This year's national program sponsors are National Post, La Presse, RDI and Merrill DataSite. In the Pacific region, Canada Wide Media is the platinum sponsor, Hunt Personnel-Temporarily Yours and Sauder School of Business are the silver sponsors, and Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver is the patron sponsor.
About EY's Entrepreneurial Services practice
EY'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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Sarah Shields
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Erika Bennett
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