The highest distinction of the OIQ - Engineer A. Karel Velan receives the 2014 Grand Prix d'excellence from the Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec

MONTREAL, May 16, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Engineer A. Karel Velan, founder of Velan Inc., won the 2014 Grand Prix d'excellence 2014, the highest distinction awarded by the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec to its members. This prize has been awarded every year since 1991 in recognition of outstanding professional practice by a Québec engineer. The engineer who receives this prize serves as a model for the profession and is known and recognized for his or her visionary qualities, ability to innovative and social commitment.

"This prize recognizes the innovativeness, entrepreneurial spirit and outstanding character that Mr. Velan has shown throughout his career," said Stéphane Bilodeau, Eng., Ph.D., President of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, at the award ceremony held on May 13 in Montreal. "The Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec is proud to have such a leader as one of its members," he added.

In the beginning of the 50s, Mr. Velan founded Velan Engineering Ltd. and marketed his first product, a steam trap that he designed. This was the first of many innovative products that would earn this engineer around a dozen patents. Since then, Velan Engineering has become a world leader in the field of industrial valves. The firm, which is headquartered in Montreal, currently employs about 2,000 people at 17 production facilities worldwide.

Its founder generously gives his time and resources to help others. One example of this is the Maison Olga, a women's' shelter run by the non-profit organization La rue des Femmes. Mr. Velan is also an astronomy enthusiast and has published two works in this field. As an inventor and a philanthropist, he has provided funding to the Astrolab of Mont Mégantic and to the Velan Astronomy Pavilion in Mont-Tremblant.

Mr. Velan has received many awards and distinctions for his contributions to the profession, humanitarian causes and business: He was named a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Senior Engineers in 2013 and a Knight of the National Order of Québec in 2005; he received the Canada Export Award from Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada in 1991.

Through its policy on rewarding professional excellence, the OIQ seeks to recognize the achievements of engineers whose careers offer an example of how the values of the profession can be fulfilled: competence, responsibility, ethics, and social commitment. The recipient of this prize is also chosen on the basis of his or her leadership, know-how and self-management skills.

About the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec
Founded in 1920, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec has a membership of approximately 60,000 engineering professionals in all fields, except forest engineering. The mission of the OIQ is to ensure the protection of the public by supervising the practice of the profession within the framework of its constituent laws and ensure that the profession serves the public interest. For more information, go to http://www.oiq.qc.ca.

APPENDIX

RECIPIENTS OF THE GRAND PRIX D'EXCELLENCE
The highest distinction awarded by the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec

Year	Recipient	Title (when the file was submitted)
1991	Mr. Camille A. Dagenais, Eng.	Former President, SNC Group
1992	Mr. Roger Nicolet, Eng.	President, Nicolet Chartrand Knoll
1993	Mr. Roland Doré, Eng.	President, Canadian Space Agency
1994	Mr. Roger Blais, Eng.	Professor Emeritus École Polytechnique
1995	Ms. Michèle Thibodeau DeGuire, Eng.	CEO, Centraide
1996	Mr. Guy Saint-Pierre, Eng.	President, SNC-Lavalin
1997	Mr. Claude Chamberland, Eng.	Executive Vice President, Alcan
1998	Mr. Jean-Guy Paquet, Eng.	CEO, National Optics Institute
1999 Tie	Mr. Frank A. Dottori, Eng. ------------------------ Ms. Danielle W. Zaïkoff, Eng.	President - Tembec ----------------- Expert Engineer - Hydro-Québec
2000	Mr. Jean-Guy René, Eng.	CEO (Peru) Hydro-Québec International
2001	Mr. Fassi Kafyeke, Eng.	Department Manager  Advanced Aerodynamics Department, Bombardier Aerospace
2002	Mr. Élie Saheb, Eng.	CEO, James Bay Energy Corporation
2003	Mr. René Dufour, Eng.	Chair of the Board, Niocan inc.
2004	Mr. Pierre Bouchard, Eng.	President, STAS-UNIGEC
2005	Mr. André Harvey, Eng.	Former President, Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE)
2006	Mr. Bernard Lamarre, Eng.	Consultant, SNC-Lavalin
2007	Mr. Martin Roy, Eng.	President, Martin Roy and Associates
2008	Mr. Pierre Desjardins, Eng.	President, Les produits N.C. ltée
2009	Mr. André Bazergui, Eng.	CEO of CRIAQ Professor Emeritus, École Polytechnique
2010	Mr. Wilfrid Morin, Eng.	President and CEO of Teknika HBA
2011	Mr. Robert Louis Papineau, Eng.	CEO of École Polytechnique de Montréal
2012	Mr. Serge Gendron, Eng.	President, AGF Steel
2013	Mr. Pierre-Claude Aïtcin, Eng.	Professor Emeritus Université de Sherbrooke
2014	Mr. A. Karel Velan, Eng.	Founder of Velan Engineering Ltd.

Image with caption: "From left to right : Mr. Stéphane Bilodeau, Eng., President of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec and Mr. A. Karel VelanEng., founder of Velan Inc., at the award ceremony. (CNW Group/Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140516_C2825_PHOTO_EN_2199.jpg

SOURCE: Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec

Aline Vandermeer, Communications Advisor, Communications and Public Affairs Department, Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, Tel.: [phone] or 1 800 461-6141, extension 3253