Prairies' most disruptive and innovative entrepreneurs named finalists of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ program

CALGARY, July 6, 2016 /CNW/ - EY is recognizing an impressive group of Prairies entrepreneurs for their financial performance, vision, leadership, personal integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. Today, the firm named 50 finalists across 10 categories in its EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Prairies 2016 awards program.

"Our entrepreneurs are building a better working world one company at a time," says Rob Jolley, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Prairies Program Director. "In this region, we are consistently impressed with the calibre of men and women who are leading businesses, driving our economy forward and providing jobs to thousands of people. Our judges have a tough job narrowing down these fantastic stories into winners. We have a top notch group of finalists."

An independent panel of judges will name winners in a number of diverse categories, and one of the category winners as the overall Prairies winner. That winner will then compete with winners from Québec, Atlantic, Pacific and Ontario for the Canadian Entrepreneur Of The Year title. The Canadian winner will go on to compete with winners from more than 50 countries for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year, in June 2017.

The Canadian Entrepreneur Of The Year program is in its 23rd year of recognizing, celebrating and telling the inspiring stories of the country's most impressive entrepreneurs from all areas of business and different stages of their entrepreneurial journey.

The Prairies winners will be announced at a gala in Calgary on 13 October 2016.

More information

Follow @EYCanada, #EOY and #EOYPrairies on Twitter for the latest event updates.

Visit ey.com/ca/eoy for more program details and a complete list of category finalists and gala dates in the regions.  

The 2016 Prairies EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists

Automotive and Transportation

Jason Sailer, Ryan Sailer and Scott Sailer
Southland Trailer Corp. | Calgary
www.southlandtrailers.com
Southland Trailer Corp. manufactures and sells a complete line of steel and aluminum livestock and horse trailers in western Canada with all the fabrication and customization done in-house.

Walt Morris
Walt Morris Group of Companies | Winnipeg
www.waltmorris.ca
Walt Morris Group is comprised of nine automotive companies serving the Winnipeg area providing auto body repair, vehicle rental, detailing, finance and leasing services, and has grown to include Red River Co-op Speedway and Exclusive Bus Lines.

Vaughn Wyant
Wyant Group | Saskatoon
www.wyantgroup.com
Wyant Group represents a wide range of the world's foremost automotive brands at dealerships across Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

Business-to-Business Products and Services

Murad Al-Katib
AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. | Regina
www.agtfoods.com
AGT is a supplier of pulses, staple foods and food ingredients from the best pulse growing regions in Canada, the United States, Turkey, Australia, China and South Africa, shipping products to over 120 countries around the world.

Margot Micallef
Oliver Capital Partners Inc. | Calgary
www.olcapa.com
Oliver Capital Partners is a mergers and acquisitions advisory and corporate services provider to public and private companies.

Gordon Garside, Dennis Johnson and Mark Johnson
Weiss-Johnson Group of Companies | Edmonton
www.weiss-johnson.com
Weiss-Johnson provides full HVAC, plumbing, electrical and fireplace services to the residential and commercial construction industry.

Business-to-Consumer Products and Services

Richard Pierson
CMS Famous Toys Ltd. | Edmonton
www.cmsfamoustoys.ca
CMS Famous Toys is a family-owned and operated national children's toy wholesale distributor and seasonal Halloween retailer.

Henri Rodier
Coventry Homes Inc. | Edmonton
www.coventry-homes.com
Coventry Homes builds single-family and multi-family homes in the Edmonton area with a commitment to quality craftsmanship and customer service.

Elmer Hildebrand
Golden West Broadcasting Ltd. | Altona
www.goldenwestradio.com
Golden West owns 41 TV stations and 20 community websites with a focus on serving local communities with family-friendly content and local, weather and sports new in Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Zee Zaidi
Remedy Café | Edmonton
www.remedycafe.ca
Remedy Café designs and offers a unique combination of Asian and American food as well as Asian tea blends mixed with dried fruits and spices. Products are sourced from local and Canadian producers, farmers, gardeners and bakers.

Cleantech and Environmental

Craig Dunn
Borealis GeoPower Inc. | Calgary
www.borealisgeopower.com
Borealis GeoPower Inc. is a team of world-class geoscientists, engineers and project developers that have come together to enable geothermal power and heat production throughout the Canadian energy market.

Daniel Bulat, Ted Hart and Terence Treflak
Envirosoft Corporation | Calgary
www.envirosoft.com
Envirosoft Corporation provides engineered, fit-for-purpose environmental and regulatory solutions for a broad range of business and industry sectors.

Jesse Curlett and Josh Curlett
CleanTek Industries Inc.| Rockyview
www.cleantekinc.com
CleanTek Industries Inc.is a technology-driven enterprise that imagines, designs, patents, manufactures and markets technology-based equipment for mining, construction, military, government and oil & gas sectors.

Larry Donovan, Barry Farquharson and George Ritchie
NovaGreen Inc. | Killam
www.novagreen.ca
NovaGreen's proprietary solution suite effectively transforms low-value biomass into a number of high value, environmentally friendly nutrition and green tech solutions, which are increasingly used in a wide range of processed food and nutrition applications.

Emerging Entrepreneur

Frank Lonardelli
Arlington Street Investments | Calgary
www.arlingtonstreet.ca
Arlington Street Investments is a Calgary-based real estate development firm committed to projects that revitalize and enhance neighbourhoods across Canada.

Kevin Read
Nomodic Modular Structures Inc. | Calgary
www.nomodic.com
Nomodic Modular Structures is a turnkey design-builder of custom sustainable prefabricated buildings that are built for durability and environmental sustainability, reducing maintenance costs and long-term expenses.

Dan Sly
Right Choice Camps & Catering | Edmonton
www.rightchoicecamps.ca
Right Choice Camps & Catering offers turnkey remote modular workforce accommodations including catering and housekeeping to the resource and remote industries within Western Canada.

Michael Duchnij
SuperPro Painting Systems International Inc. | Edmonton
www.SuperProPainters.com
SuperPro Painting provides painting services in multiple vertical markets.  The company incorporates painter training programs and franchising opportunities. 

Energy

Jeff Strank
Empire Camp Equipment Ltd. | Edmonton
www.empirecamp.ca
Privately-held rental provider of camp and well site buildings for the energy, mining and construction sectors.   

Suzanne West
Imaginea Energy Corp. | Calgary
www.imagineaenergy.com
Imaginea Energy Corp. is an energy company that produces oil and gas while focusing on sustainability and community responsibility.

Ron Hozjan and Brian Schmidt
Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. | Calgary
www.tamarackvalley.ca
Tamarack Valley Energy identifies, evaluates and operates resource plays in the Western Canadian sedimentary basin using a rigorous, proven modelling process to manage risk and identify growth opportunities.

Mike Miller
Tundra Process Solutions Ltd. | Calgary
www.tundrasolutions.ca
Tundra provides a variety of solutions for industrial, light industrial and commercial process applications in the oil & gas industry by supplying equipment, full facility and in house custom solutions to any application.

Health and Wellness 

Greg Christenson
Christenson Group of Companies | Edmonton
www.cdlhomes.com
The Christenson Group designs and develops Urban Village communities--walkable, sustainable neighbourhoods for a variety of multi-family lifestyles.

Louis Stack
Fitter International Inc. (Fitterfirst) | Calgary
www.fitter1.com
Fitterfirst designs, manufactures and distributes products that help people from elite athletes to seniors to children, encouraging them to stay mobile, healthy and active at work and play. Products include everything from home gym equipment to products as a solution to the sedentary work day.

Albert Friesen
Medicure Inc. | Winnipeg
www.medicure.com
Medicure is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for the U.S. hospital market. 

Danny Turner
The Organic Box | Edmonton
www.theorganicbox.ca
The Organic Box is a team of farmers, producers, warehouse and delivery staff working to deliver food that is grown without pesticides, herbicides or insecticides to consumers.

Manufacturing

Kristi Cawthorn Zadderey
Startec Compression & Process Ltd. | Calgary
www.startec.ca
Startec designs, builds and maintains the mission critical compression and refrigeration systems that drive production for industrial and recreational refrigeration in the oil and gas industry.

Wendy Going
Timber Tech Truss Inc. | Lethbridge
www.timbertechtruss.ca
Timber Tech Truss designs and manufactures engineered floor and roof systems for wood construction single family, multi-family, agricultural and commercial projects.

Kurt Feigel Sr.
Universe Machine Corporation | Edmonton
www.umcorp.com
Universe Machine is a family-owned machine shop providing services and products for several industries, including oil & gas and forestry.

Real Estate and Construction

Tom Redl
Chandos Construction Ltd. | Edmonton
www.chandos.com
Chandos Construction is a 100% employee-owned general contractor that aims to be the most progressive and collaborative contractor in Canada.

Brent Clegg
FWS Group of Companies | Winnipeg
www.fwsgroup.com
FWS Group of Companies is a design-builder with a fully integrated approach to construction that unifies owners, consultants and contractors, resulting in accountability, improved cost control and shorter time frames.

Paul Douglas
PCL Constructors Inc. | Edmonton
www.pcl.com
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and Australia that has diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial and buildings markets.

Jeff Granberg
PD Group of Companies Inc. | Edmonton
www.parkderochie.com
PD Group of Companies Inc. provides a full suite of coatings, blasting, fireproofing, insulation, scaffolding and containment services to industrial customers.

Technology and Communications

Bryan de Lottinville
Benevity, Inc. | Calgary
www.benevity.com
Benevity is a global leader in workplace giving, volunteering and grant management programs. Many leading brands rely on Benevity to connect their people to the millions of causes that matter to them.

Kelly Kimo
Production World Inc. | Edmonton
www.productionworld.ca
Production World produces music and media for both corporate and private clients in Canada and internationally.

James Giesbrecht, Rick Kuffel, Trevor Maguire and Rudi Wierckx
RTDS Technologies Inc. | Winnipeg
www.rtds.com
RTDS Technologies Inc. provides Real Time Digital Simulators (RTDS®) and simulation services, a specialized computer hardware and software to the electrical power industry.

Amit Gupta
Solido Design Automation Inc. | Saskatoon
www.solidodesign.com
Solido provides variation management software that enables the creation of electronic devices like smartphones, tablets, PCs, cars and TVs.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities in 50 countries.

The 2016 Prairies independent  judging panel consists of Anita Wortzman, CEO, Acumen Corporate Development Inc.; Ashif Mawji, President and CEO, Trust Science; Prabha Mitchell, CEO, Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.; Roy Ben-Dor, Principal, Warburg Pincus; Steve King, President and CEO, Alaris Royalty Corp.; Allison Grafton, President, Rockwood Custom Homes Inc.; and Dale Wishewan, President and CEO, Booster Juice.

This year's program national sponsors are TEC Canada, La Presse, RDI, The TMX Group, The Globe and Mail Inc., Merrill Corporation, Kira Talent, Air Canada and The Printing House Limited.

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. Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada.

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)

Sasha Anopina, [email protected], 416 943 2637; Julie Fournier, [email protected], 514 874 4308; Leigh Kjekstad, [email protected], 604 648 3807