PROFIT MAGAZINE NAMES CANADA'S TOP WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Gabrielle Chevalier of Solutions 2 Go tops 12th annual PROFIT W100 ranking of Canadians who found success despite tough times

TORONTO, Oct. 13 /CNW/ - The women of the PROFIT W100 have been through it all—including a nasty recession—and have honed their business skills in the process to come out the other side as formidable business leaders. Take Gabrielle Chevalier of Mississauga, Ont.--based Solutions 2 Go Inc., a video game distribution firm that has grown to become the biggest in North America. The grandmother of four has had her share of challenges in this competitive arena, but still has ambitions to grow sales from $750 million to $1 billion company—and is beginning to look beyond the games market.

Top-ranked Chavalier is the subject of just one of several stories of successful women entrepreneurs recounted in the pages of the November 2010 issue of PROFIT magazine. All told, the W100 firms generated an impressive $2.2 billion in revenue and provided the equivalent of 10,792 full-time jobs. Over the past three years, their businesses have grown by an average of 115%. A full 95% turned an operating profit last year—impressive numbers that illustrate the determination, skill and business savvy of the 2010 W100.

The W100 ranks entrepreneurs on the size, growth rate and profitability of their companies.

This year's top 5 winners, ranked by combination of revenue, growth rate and profitability:

Rank	Name	Company	Type of business	Revenue ($)
1.	Gabrielle Chevalier	Solutions 2 Go Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.)	Video-game distributor	$751,520,601
2.	Susan Niczowski	Summerfresh Salads Inc. (Vaughan, Ont.)	Produces salads, dips and appetizers	$50-$75 million
3.	Betty Anne Latrace-Henderson	Airline Hotels and Resorts  (Saskatoon)	Hotel owner and operator	$45,993,586
4.	Gloria Rajkumar	Simac Canada Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ont.)	Medical assessments for insurers and employers	$10-$15 million
5.	Lisette (Lee) McDonald	Southmedic Inc. (Barrie, Ont.)	Medical products distributor	$32,926,045

For more about the PROFIT W100, visit

www.PROFITguide.com /W100 or pick up a copy at newsstands across the country.

TOP SECTORS 2010
Sector by sector, here's what the W100 do:

Business services Manufacturing  Consumer services  Wholesale/distribution  Retail Construction  Software development Agricultural production Natural resources  Media  Other

43 16 12 10  8 6  5  1 1 1  3

How we ranked them:
The W100 are ranked by a composite of the size, growth rate and profitability of their businesses. All growth rates were based on base-year revenue of at least $200,000, and figures were verified through financial statements. To qualify, women must be owners or significant stakeholders who at least share chief decision-making responsibilities. This is a ranking of entrepreneurs, not companies, so some participants are ranked on the combined performance of several qualifying firms.

About PROFIT Magazine:
PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success is Canada's preeminent publication dedicated to the management issues and opportunities facing small and mid-sized businesses. For 28 years, Canadian entrepreneurs and senior managers across a vast array of economic sectors have remained loyal to PROFIT because it's a timely and reliable source of actionable information that helps them achieve business success and get the recognition they deserve for generating positive economic and social change. Visit PROFIT online at www.profitguide.com.

For further information:

To arrange interviews or obtain more information and statistics from the 2009 PROFIT W100 ranking, please contact:

Louise Leger
[email protected]
416-764-4125