Ernst & Young’s popular Entrepreneur of the Year award has named its regional finalists for 2014.
Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates the contribution and spirit of entrepreneurs everywhere. The Canadian program is in its 21st 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.
“Entrepreneurs continue to defy the odds, and the impossible,” said Rob Jolley, EY’s Prairies Entrepreneur Of The Year program director. “We’ve been celebrating top talent for over two decades and yet every year these local business leaders exceed our expectations.”
EY said this year’s 2014 Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists in the Prairies represent 37,00 jobs in Canada.
In a new survey, EY found that Canada’s 2013 program finalists recorded average revenue growth of 37% year over year in 2012. That’s above the global average of 29% for developed countries. Seventy-four percent also have an international footprint — compared to 41% in Australia.
“Revenue growth is only half the story,” says Jolley. “What really sets our finalists apart is their ability to create jobs across the Prairies — and Canada. Our survey shows that last year’s finalists increased employment at an average pace of 25% in 2012.”
Among the startup names to make the final cut was Frank and Oak cofounder Hicham Ratnani, Michael Litt and Devon Galloway of Waterloo’s Vidyard and Vern Brownell of Burnaby’s D-Wave Systems, Inc, among others.
The 2014 Prairies finalists for Entrepreneur Of The Year:
Business-to-Business Products and Services
Mark Repchinsky
Advance Coating Solutions Inc. | Edmonton, Alberta
advancecoating.com
Provides diverse industrial coating solutions for companies in the oil and gas industry throughout Western Canada, the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
Cal Fairbanks, David Bischoff
ComplyWorks Ltd. | Calgary, Alberta
complyworks.com
Provides clients with compliance management solutions proven to streamline contractor and supplier pre-qualification and efficient supply-chain processes.
Al Side
Side Group of Companies | Grand Prairie, Alberta
northernmetalic.com
Core business interests involve property and land development, rail reload and transportation, wholesale industrial and oilfield distribution, vehicle rental, leasing and sales, as well as investment and finance.
Ken Greer
Western Ag | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
westernag.ca
Provides commercialized research technology, the Plant Root Simulator Probe, for use in assessing the soil resource in order to optimize production of food, fiber and fuel crops.
Business-to-Consumer Products and Services
Harry Sunner, Joe Sunner
Durabuilt Windows & Doors | Edmonton, Alberta
durabuiltwindows.com
Proven leader in product innovation serving new construction, renovation and commercial markets.
Brent Zettl
Prairie Plant Systems Inc. | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
prairieplant.com
Combines innovation and plant technologies into deliverable plant-based systems for emerging biopharmaceutical and agricultural market applications as well as pharmaceutical-grade cannabis.
Roger Newton
The Canadian Brewhouse | Edmonton, Alberta
thecanadianbrewhouse.com
Operates in the restaurant/hospitality industry with 12 locations.
Emerging Entrepreneur
James Bachynsky
Calgary Shooting Centre | Calgary, Alberta
theshootingcentre.com
An indoor range and sporting goods store.
Craig Howes, Heather Murphy
Go Tire Inc. | Red Deer, Alberta
gotire.com
Provides mobile services, including tire changeovers and maintenance, windshield repair and replacement, auto detailing and additional service lines.
Regan Davis, Bailey Epp, Stephen Glanville
STEP Energy Services Ltd. | Calgary, Alberta
stepenergyservices.com
A privately owned, technically focused, oilfield service company providing specialized coiled tubing units and associated pumping/support equipment to service the horizontal well market in Western Canada.
Danielle Bragge
The Headhunters Ltd. | Edmonton, Alberta
theheadhunters.ca
A premier Canadian recruitment firm dedicated to securing top performers for top companies.
Energy Services
Pat Wilson
Camex Equipment Sales & Rentals Inc. | Nisku, Alberta
camex.ca
Specializes in oilfield transportation equipment, delivering customer-specific oilfield transportation solutions to clients around the world.
Mike Dunn
Enerbuilt Technologies Inc. | Nisku, Alberta
enerbuilt.ca
Provides flameless heating services and equipment to companies with oil and gas and industrial operations and projects.
Alvin Pyke
Helical Pier Systems Ltd. | Sherwood Park, Alberta
hpier.com
Provides engineering, manufacturing and installation services for heavy industry including oil and gas, electrical power transmission and distribution companies, and commercial projects.
Quinn Holtby
Katch Kan Ltd. | Edmonton, Alberta
katchkan.com
Designs and manufactures equipment that makes drilling rigs cleaner safer for workers and reduces the environmental impact of drilling operations.
Manufacturing
Steve Parsons
Inovata Foods Corp. | Edmonton, Alberta
inovatafoods.com
A national frozen food manufacturer that supplies private label products, its own Bassili’s Best line of products and co-packs for international food companies.
Mike Fata
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods | Winnipeg, Manitoba
manitobaharvest.com
The world’s largest hemp food manufacturer to grow, make and sell hemp foods.
Dan Leckelt, Lindsey Leckelt
Silent-Aire Manufacturing Inc. | Edmonton, Alberta
silent-aire.com
Manufactures custom HVAC units for the institutional, industrial and data center markets.
Oil and Gas
Wayne King
Grit Industries Inc.| Lloydminster. Alberta
gritindustries.com
Develops, manufactures and distributes innovative products and technologies used in the energy production, energy services and natural gas distribution industries, including burner systems, cold weather technologies and secondary containment.
Bill McCaffrey
MEG Energy | Calgary, Alberta
megenergy.com
Focuses on sustainable in situ development and production in the southern Athabasca oilsands region of Alberta.
Muthu Palanisamy
Metalcare Group Inc. | Fort McMurray, Alberta
metalcare.com
Services the oil and gas, petroleum and petrochemical, chemical, power generation, and pipeline industries.
Professional and Financial Services
Greg Burghardt
Arrow Engineering Inc. | Edmonton, Alberta
arrowonline.ca
Provides excellence in mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering services, as well as automation and commissioning.
Laurie Goldberg
People Corporation | Winnipeg, Manitoba
peoplecorporation.com
An employee benefit, pension and human resource consulting firm.
Greg Sutton, Brick Marnee
TinyEYE Therapy Services | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
tinyeye.com
Provides speech-language pathologists to school districts through tele-practice, a delivery model commonly referred to as online speech therapy.
Real Estate and Construction
Sjoerd Huese, Travis Penner
Bridge Road Construction Ltd. | Winkler, Manitoba
bridgeroad.ca
A development, construction, property management and investment company.
Justin Bobier
Crystal Creek Homes | Calgary, Alberta
crystalcreekhomes.ca
A full spectrum builder, experienced in all aspects of new home construction.
Radhe Gupta
Rohit Group of Companies | Edmonton, Alberta
rohitgroup.com
Residential and commercial real estate, land development and capital financing.
Philip Milroy
Westcorp | Edmonton, Alberta
westcorp.net
A vertically integrated investment company focused on income producing real estate including residential, commercial and hotel properties.
Technology and Communications
Audrey Brattberg, Elmer Brattberg, Holly Brattberg, Susan Brattberg
Global eTraining and the Brattberg Group | Edmonton, Alberta
globaletraining.ca
Delivers computer-based technical training at the college level.
Greg Chudiak, David Beresford
Pandell | Calgary, Alberta
pandell.com
Delivers industry specialized software-as-a-service (SaaS) products and services to the energy and government sectors.
Jory Lamb
VistaVu Solutions Inc. | Calgary, Alberta
vistavusolutions.com
A leading business management software provider serving North American energy service and oilfield product manufacturing, distribution and rental companies.
Wayne Karpoff
Willowglen Systems Inc. | Edmonton, Alberta
willowglensystems.com
Develops technology in the industrial automation arena; specifically SCADA software and hardware products.
Special Citation — Social Entrepreneur
Social entrepreneur is a unique special citation awarded to an entrepreneur whose achievements have driven large-scale social change and improved people’s lives or quality of life.
Shaun Loney
BUILD and others | Winnipeg, Manitoba
buildinc.ca
A social enterprise, non-profit contractor and training program for people who face barriers to employment.
The 2014 Pacific finalists for Entrepreneur Of The Year:
Business-to-Business Products and Services
Thomas Leavitt
Leavitt Machinery | Langley
leavittmachinery.com
Provides sales, rental, servicing and operator/safety training of new and used material-handling equipment in western Canada and the US.
Rick Gibbs
Neutron Factory Works | Delta
neutronfactoryworks.com
The only industrial contractor that provides electricians, refrigeration mechanics, welders and fabricators, millwrights and PLC programmers under one roof.
Scott Edmonds
Webtech Wireless Inc. | Burnaby
webtechwireless.com
Provides fleet telematics solutions that improve efficiency and accountability and reduce costs.
Business-to-Consumer Products and Services
Natacha Beim
CEFA Early Learning | Vancouver
cefa.ca
Academically prepares children, aged one to five, through a progressive curriculum of games and play.
Brad Trotman, Mike Trotman, Mitch Trotman
Trotman Automotive Group | Surrey
trotmanautomotivegroup.com
A family-owned and -operated company that has been recognized as one of the most progressive, industry-leading dealer groups in Canada.
Charles Chang
Vega | Burnaby
myvega.com
The leader in the plant-based natural health and performance products industry.
Emerging Entrepreneur
Vern Brownell
D-Wave Systems, Inc. | Burnaby
dwavesys.com
The world’s first quantum computer company, tackling challenging problems with a breakthrough approach to computation that integrates superconducting and quantum mechanics.
Franck Point
Madeleine (Canada) Investments Ltd. | Vancouver
faubourg.com
A bakery chain providing an authentic Parisian experience to the people of Vancouver.
Lisa Tuningley
T-Rail Products Inc. | Surrey
t-railproducts.com
Provides rail source innovations to Canada’s rail transportation industry, from sourcing materials to project management.
Energy
Larrie York
Frontier Power Products Ltd. | Delta
frontierpower.com
Active in the engine and electrical power generation industries in Western Canada.
Carlos Villavicencio
Natural Trade Ltd. | North Vancouver
naturaltrade.ca
Specializes in wholesale, trading and exporting softwood and hardwood lumber in North America.
Aaron Rokstad
Rokstad Power Corporation | Coquitlam
rokstadpower.com
Constructs high-voltage power lines and related infrastructure for utilities and infrastructure contractors.
Entertainment and Hospitality
Sergio Cocchia, Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia
Absolute Spa Group – Crew Management Ltd. | Vancouver
crewmanagement.com
A group of companies formed in 1992 that focuses on hotel management as well as the Absolute Spa Group and its affiliates.
Jason McLean, Sacha McLean
The McLean Group of Companies | Vancouver
mcleangroup.com
Comprising a real estate development and investment division, Vancouver Film Studios film and TV production facility, and Blackcomb Aviation helicopter and jet charters.
Thomas Haas
Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie | North Vancouver
thomashaas.com
Manufactures fine chocolate and patisserie.
Information Technology
Ho Kim
CAMACC Systems Inc. | Saanichton
camacc.com
Designs, builds, installs and services advanced high-definition video and digital storage technology across many sectors.
Stephane Bourque
Incognito Software Inc. | Vancouver
incognito.com
Creates and sells off-the-shelf telecom provisioning, administration and management software geared for the worldwide market of internet service providers.
Jack Newton
Themis Solutions Inc. | Burnaby
clio.com
Offers a cloud-based practice management platform for small to medium-sized law firms.
Mining and Exploration
Bradford Cooke
Endeavour Silver Corp. | Vancouver
edrsilver.com
A Vancouver-based silver mining company operating three silver mines in Mexico.
Ross McElroy, Devinder Randhawa
Fission Uranium Corp. | Kelowna
fissionuranium.com
A uranium exploration company that has successfully found and developed two major uranium deposits in Canada’s Athabasca Basin.
Mark O’Dea
True Gold Mining Inc. | Vancouver
truegoldmining.com
Discovers and advances gold, copper, nickel and uranium deposits worldwide.
Manufacturing
Dan Eisenhardt, Hamid Abdollahi
Recon Instruments Inc. | Vancouver
reconinstruments.com
The world leader in Heads-up Display technology for sports and high-intensity environments, providing performance information, navigation and more, direct-to-eye, in real time.
Jake Fry
Smallworks Studios/Laneway Housing Inc. | Vancouver
smallworks.ca
Builds beautiful small homes, proponent and pioneer of laneway bylaw lobbying and consulting.
Steve Curtis
Zag Group Inc. | Vancouver
zagglobal.com
Creates natural pharmaceuticals, specifically psychoactive categories such as anxiety, pain, depression and sleep, for both medicinal and recreational purposes.
The 2014 Québec finalists for Entrepreneur Of The Year:
Business-to-Business Products and Services
José Boisjoli
BRP | Valcourt
brp.com
A world leader in the design, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of motorized recreational vehicles and power sports engines.
Mario Champagne
Le Groupe PPP ltée | Québec City
groupeppp.com
Designs, manages and distributes products and services that build, secure and maintain customer loyalty among vehicle owners.
Martin Cousineau
Lobe Réseau inc | Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures
lobe.ca
A portal bringing together all multidisciplinary clinic managers under the banner of Lobe Santé auditive et communication, giving patients access to hearing, language and speech healthcare professionals.
Business-to-Consumer Products and Services
Jean Benny, Vincent Benny, Yves Benny
Benny & Frères | Bois-des-Filion
benny-co.com
A rotisserie founded in 1960, Benny & Co is famous for its roast chicken.
Nicolas Tremblay
Construction Junic | Gatineau
junic.ca
Builds extraordinary homes for all generations, setting the standard for both innovation and quality.
Réal Bouclin
Réseau Sélection | Laval
reseau-selection.com
Offers senior housing that stands out for its welcoming, comfortable, stimulating and secure living spaces, where health and prevention are paramount.
Bassel Atallah, Firas Atallah, Rami Atallah
SSENSE | Montréal
ssense.com
A leading online luxury clothing boutique, carrying over 200 men’s and women’s wear collections, including shoes and accessories, from world renowned designers.
Emerging Entrepreneur
Noémie Dupuy, Michael Elman, David Lipes
Budge Studios | Montréal
budgestudios.com
Creates entertaining apps for kids for smartphones and tablets featuring high profile properties such as Strawberry Shortcake, Garfield, and Caillou.
Frédéric Bastien
mnubo | Montréal
mnubo.com
Lowers barrier of entry for connected object manufacturers and accelerate their time-to-market by enabling them with a comprehensive SaaS-based IoT applications platform
Sonny Lamba, Paresh Vadavia
OPMpros.com | Montréal
OPMpros.com
An award-winning affiliate marketing agency that works closely with major retailers across North America to help maximize online revenues and specializes in affiliate program management across the full range of affiliate networks.
Health Sciences
John Sampalis
JSS Medical Research Inc. | Saint-Laurent
jssresearch.com
A global clinical research organization.
Louis Laflamme
Opsens Inc. | Québec City
opsens.com
Develops, manufactures, supplies and installs fibre optic systems, notably measurement of Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) in medical instrumentation in the oil and gas industries.
Sébastien Blais-Ouellette
Photon etc. | Montréal
photonetc.com
Specializes in optical analysis, designing and manufacturing instruments based on unique patented hyperspectral imaging technologies for research centres around the world and for the industrial sector.
Information Technology
Sébastien Vachon
Korem inc. | Québec City
korem.com
A leader in geospatial technology solutions, providing a full range of geospatial services, and software and data solutions tailored to client needs.
Danny Chazonoff, Joel Leonoff
Optimal Payments | Montréal
optimalpayments.com
A leading provider of online and mobile integrated payment technologies for millions of consumers and thousands of businesses around the world.
Matthew Cassar, Peter Cassar
SherWeb Inc. | Sherbrooke
sherweb.com
A worldwide hosted services leader providing competitive cloud solutions to businesses and partners around the world.
Manufacturing
Marc-André Lesmerises
Carnot Réfrigération Inc. | Trois-Rivières
carnotrefrigeration.com
Designs and manufactures greenhouse gas-free refrigeration and air-conditioning systems for supermarkets, warehouses, arenas and server rooms.
Serge Gendron
Groupe AGF Inc. | Longueuil
acieragf.com
A Canadian leader in the design, fabrication and installation of concrete reinforcing steel (rebar) and post-tensioning.
Michael Cyr
LOCWELD | Candiac
locweld.com
Offers design, detailing, fabrication and galvanizing of steel structures including lattice towers, tubular poles, substation structures, bridges, custom fabrication and much more.
Media and Entertainment
Richard Speer
Attraction Media | Montréal
attraction.ca
Brings together six companies from a range of fields, including advertising, film, television, emerging media, radio broadcasting and distribution.
Michael Green
Hueneye Communications | Lasalle
hueneye.com
A print management company located in the Southwest of Montréal that specializes in Gang-Run Printing.
Jean Labadie
Les Industries Show Canada Inc. | Laval
show-canada.ca
Specializes in set production and architectural support services offering project management, design, engineering, manufacturing and installation and maintenance services tailored to its clients’ needs.
Real estate/construction
Simon Labrecque
Air Ambiant inc. | Longueuil
airambiant.com
Offers simple, effective solutions for complex projects to upgrade mechanical room ventilation systems for large institutional and commercial buildings.
Johanne Bousquet
Chagall Design | Sainte-Julie
chagalldesign.ca
Specializes in commercial development, providing turnkey services, from construction to installation of décor and furnishings to optimize the retail shopping experience.
Élise Beauchesne
Web Estate Management 2009 inc. | Montréal
solutioncondo.com
Web Estate Management Inc. and Web Estate Management 2009 Inc. run SolutionCondo.com, a platform that markets web software dedicated to facilitating the management of cooperatives.
Technology and Communication
Simon Morris
CogniVue Corporation | Gatineau
cognivue.com
Licenses embedded vision processor, IP technology, tools and software that allow companies to develop previously impossible high-performance, low-power vision applications for automotive, consumer and industrial markets.
Pierre Racz
Genetec | Saint-Laurent
genetec.com
A global leader in Vide Management Systems used to protect large and small scale critical infrastructure, government, transportation, retail, and campus environments.
Guillaume Poudrier
Géothentic Inc | Montréal
geothentic.com
Offers a range of eco-friendly, economical and customized geo-location products to solve various corporate vehicle management issues.
Young Entrepreneur
Wayne Burke, Steve Shoiry
Dominion New Energy | Montréal
dneresources.com
Helps customers purchase energy and related products in deregulated energy markets.
Hicham Ratnani, Yifeng Song
Frank & Oak | Montréal
frankandoak.com
The simplest way to shop the latest trends in menswear, with quality designs, personalized services, and a hassle-free online experience. The vertically integrated brand designs, manufactures and sells premium clothing and accessories.
Carmelo Marsala
Spray-Net Inc. | Boucherville
spray-net.ca
Offers consumers a permanent exterior paint solution to change the colour of their existing sidings as well as their doors and windows whether they be in aluminum, vinyl, stucco or PVC.
Special Citation — Social Entrepreneur
Social entrepreneur is a unique category that awards a special citation to an entrepreneur whose achievements have driven large-scale social change and improved people’s lives or quality of life.
Manon Barbeau
Wapikoni mobile | Montréal
wapikoni.ca
A travelling studio that visits native communities, offering audio-visual training workshops in film and music.
The 2014 Ontario finalists for Entrepreneur Of The Year:
Emerging Entrepreneur
Jonathan Webster
EnvAerospace, Inc. | Brampton
envaerospace.com
The world’s first environmental aerospace firm and provider of customized nano coating solutions that improve material wear and fuel efficiency for OEMs and end users of gas turbine engines.
Joseph Jackman
Jackman Reinvention Inc. | Toronto
jackmanreinvents.com
A creative management consulting and activation company focused on retail reinvention.
Neil Sweeney
JUICE Mobile | Toronto
juicemobile.com
A full-service mobile marketing and advertising technology firm that provides advertising platforms and services to the mobile marketing industry.
Jay Klein
PÜR Gum | Toronto
pur-gum.com
An aspartame-free healthy alternative chewing gum. PÜR delivers the highest quality flavors and ingredients to consumers by using simple substitutions and eliminating chemical sweeteners
Energy and Cleantech
Paul Bagatavicius, Dean Rookes, Winston Shim
Corrosion Service Company Limited | Markham
corrosionservice.com
Designs cathodic and anodic corrosion protection systems for industrial structures since its founding in 1950.
Emmie Leung
Emterra Group | Burlington
emterra.ca
A leader in waste resources management, collecting, recycling and marketing packaging, printed paper and scrap tires to convert waste liquids into green products.
Martin Ritchie, Justin Woodward, Christian Wray
JCM Capital | Toronto
jcmcapital.ca
A solar photovoltaic developer with experience managing five solar development funds and developing more than 70 solar PV projects across North and South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Food and Hospitality
Joel Flatt, Todd Parsons
Give and Go Prepared Foods Corp. | Toronto
giveandgo.com
A privately owned manufacturer of quality frozen and thaw-and-sell baked goods, operating for over 20 years.
Sujay Shah
Kii Naturals Inc./Shashi Foods Inc. | Concord
kiinaturals.com
Sources and trades commodities and manufactures all-natural artisan crisps, crackers, cereals, grains, super-foods, spices and seasonings.
Chris Neal, Peter Neal
Neal Brothers Inc. | Concord
nealbrothersfoods.com
Markets and distributes retail food products under both the Neal Brothers brand and also for a variety of other brands.
Mark McEwan
The McEwan Group | Toronto
mcewangroup.ca
Owner of North 44, Bymark, One and Fabbrica restaurants, as well as gourmet food store McEwan. Food Network chef with The Heat and the head judge of Top Chef Canada. Owner of three catering companies, author of two cookbooks and owner of a cookware line.
Health Sciences
Anthony Giovinazzo
Cynapsus Therapeutics Inc. | Toronto
cynapsus.ca
A specialty pharmaceutical company developing a convenient and easy-to-use sublingual (oral) thin film strip for the acute rescue of “off” motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Tom Reeves
Interface Biologics | Toronto
interfacebiologics.com
A commercial stage company that develops a transformative biomedical polymer technology to improve the safety and effectiveness of medical devices.
Dr. Arun Menawat
Novadaq Technologies | Mississauga
novadaq.com
Develops and markets clinically relevant imaging solutions for open and minimally invasive surgical and outpatient procedures that have been shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs.
Manufacturing
Pyarali Nanji
Belle-Pak Packaging Inc. | Markham
belle-pak.com
Manufactures and supplies flexible packaging products to many of the world’s leading brands.
Linda Hasenfratz
Linamar Corporation | Guelph
linamar.com
A diversified global manufacturing company of highly engineered products powering vehicles, motion and lives.
Peter Snucins
Polycorp Ltd. | Toronto
poly-corp.com
Designs and manufactures engineered polymer products for a broad range of customers in the transportation, mining and protective lining sectors.
Media and Technology
James Aitken
Exchange Lab Canada, Inc. | Toronto
theexchangelab.com
Delivers campaigns across digital display, video, social media and mobile channels, evaluating a billion audience interactions daily to find the right audience, at the right time, across digital channels and devices at the most efficient price.
Peter Stavropoulos
FlexITy Solutions Inc. | Richmond Hill
flexity.ca
Works collaboratively with clients in aligning their business goals with technology to help them become high-performance organizations.
Leerom Segal
Klick Health | Toronto
klick.com
The world’s largest independent health agency, laser focused on creating solutions that engage and educate health care providers about life-saving treatments.
James Swayze
Symbility Solutions Inc. | Toronto
symbilitysolutions.com
A global provider of cloud-based and smartphone-/tablet-enabled claims technology for the property and casualty and health insurance industries.
Paul Genier
Veritaaq Technology House Inc. | Ottawa
veritaaq.ca
A leading Canadian IT consulting firm that helps public and private sector organizations achieve their strategic business objectives by leveraging information technology.
Real Estate
Greg Romundt
Centurion Apartment REIT | Toronto
centurionreit.com
A private Canadian real estate investment trust with a focus on multi-unit apartment buildings, student housing and lending.
Michael Cooper
Dream Unlimited | Toronto
dream.ca
A real estate investment, management and development company whose purpose is to build better communities to live in and work in.
Jason Castellan
The Skyline Group of Companies | Guelph
skylineonline.ca
Comprising several entities to oversee real estate investment, development, asset management and property management interests.
Services
Lou Serafini Jr.
Fengate Capital Management | Toronto
fengatecapital.com
A privately held asset management firm specializing in alternative assets including real estate, infrastructure and seniors’ housing.
Liz Scott
Organizational Solutions Inc. | Burlington
orgsoln.com
A disability and workers’ compensation management firm that assists clients in reducing disability cost and lowering durations. Their expertise ensures sustainable return to work.
Edward Kholodenko
Questrade Financial Group, Inc. | Toronto
questrade.com
An online brokerage, providing clients with direct-access trading in the US and Canadian stock and options markets through its IQ trading platforms, as well as Forex and CFD trading.
Kim Langen
Spirit of Math Schools Inc. | Toronto
spiritofmath.com
Canada’s largest “after-school school” for high-performing students. The drill system, curriculum, problem solving and teacher training provide an all-encompassing program producing top Canadian math students.
Alex Handa, Eugene Winer, Justin Van Camp
S-Trip! | Toronto
s-trip.com
Brings students together for once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences where they explore the world, volunteer, seek adventure and celebrate milestones with friends.
Young Entrepreneur
Ryan Marien, Anatoliy Melnichuk, Michele Romanow
Buytopia.ca | Toronto
buytopia.ca
One of Canada’s largest online marketplaces for amazing deals on local goods and services.
Arjun Kumar
Kela Medical Inc. | Whitby
kelamedical.com
Harnesses the power of innovation and technology to pioneer leading-edge solutions and demonstrate the value of a fully accessible personal health record to individuals, physicians and practitioners of the health care industry.
Bill Hennessey
RoyalPak Inc. | Toronto
royalpak.com
Manufactures industrial cleaning products for the janitorial sanitation, automotive, specialty and food plant industries selling to distributors and end users.
Devon Galloway, Michael Litt
Vidyard | Kitchener
vidyard.com
Leading provider of video marketing, video analytics and video management solutions that help small businesses, large enterprises and Fortune 1000 companies maximize the impact of online video.
Special Citation — Social Entrepreneur
Social entrepreneur is a unique special citation awarded to an entrepreneur whose achievements have driven large-scale social change and improved people’s lives or quality of life.
Tim Jones
Artscape | Toronto
artscape.ca
A not-for-profit urban development organization that makes space for creativity and transforms communities.
The 2014 Atlantic finalists for Entrepreneur Of The Year:
Business-to-Business Products and Services
Andy MacGregor, Glen MacGregor
MacGregors Industrial Group | New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
macgregors.ca
Provides solutions to manufacturing, energy, mining, forestry and construction industries and grown a loyal North American and export customer base over 35 years to become a world class organization that is a leader in our products and services.
Larry McConchie
McConchie Trucking Ltd. | Norton, New Brunswick
mcconchietrucking.ca
Specializes in the transportation of over-dimensional loads, including modular homes and modular units for residential and the commercial sectors.
Paul Antle
Pluto Investments Inc. | St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
The private holding company of Paul Antle, Pluto has grown from a small investment in an environmental company into a large diversified portfolio.
Ed Hennessey, James MacDonald
Safety First-SFC Ltd. | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
safetyfirst-sfc.com
Involved in traffic control, small scale manufacturing, retail, product rental, property maintenance, real estate, line painting and providing safety courses throughout the Atlantic.
Business-to-Consumer Products and Services
Bonnie Cook
AbbyShot Clothiers | Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador
abbyshot.com
Provides replica clothing to sci-fi and gaming communities in over 50 countries, partnering with media corporations such as BBC, 20th Century Fox, NBC and Universal.
David Pace
Overhead Door of Nova Scotia | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
ohdns.ca
Supply and install overhead doors and operators for residential and commercial use.
Amy Gordinier-Regan
Skinfix Inc. | Halifax, Nova Scotia
skinfixinc.com
Makes all-natural, over-the-counter medicinal balms to treat skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis and rashes.
Michael Whittaker
Trucorp Investments | Moncton, New Brunswick
trucorp.ca
Comprised of Bonte Foods, the region’s largest processor of quality deli meats and Grinner’s Food Systems, as well as the franchisor of three fast food brands: Greco Pizza, Capt Submarine and the newly launched Frozu frozen yogurt chain.
Emerging Entrepreneur
Stephen Jones
4Deep inwater imaging | Halifax, Nova Scotia
4-deep.com
Specializes in underwater microscopes that can image, count, size and characterize microorganisms in any body of water in real-time.
Marc Mansour
Immunovaccine Inc. | Halifax, Nova Scotia
imvaccine.com
Develops cancer immunotherapies and infectious disease vaccines based on the DepoVax™ platform, a patented formulation that provides controlled and prolonged exposure of antigens and adjuvants to the immune system.
Lisa Walsh
Indigena Enterprises Inc. | Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador
indigenaskincare.com
Makes all natural handmade skincare from indigenous ingredients from the land and surrounding sea.
David Alston, Robert Begg, Jody Glidden, Stewart Walchli
Introhive | Fredericton, New Brunswick
introhive.com
Solves the question of who knows who for businesses by using relationship analytics software to uncover the relationships a company has with customers and prospects.
Hospitality and Tourism
Mohamed Ali Mhalla
Blue Olive | Dieppe, New Brunswick
A food market offering exotic products from around the world, as well as a restaurant specializing in Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern cuisine.
Ben Cowan-Dewar
Cabot Links Venture Inc. | Inverness, Nova Scotia
cabotlinks.com
Owns and operates Cabot Links, Canada’s first and only true links golf course.
Brenda O’Reilly, Craig Flynn
YellowBelly Brewery & O’Reilly’s Pub | St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
yellowbellybrewery.com
YellowBelly Brewery is a craft brewery, located in a historic property and houses a pub, lounge, restaurant and catering facility. O’Reilly’s Pub is an Irish Newfoundland Pub that specializes in local cuisine and features live music.
Information Technology
Steven Burns
Bulletproof Solutions | Fredericton, New Brunswick
bulletproofsi.com
Offers Atlantic Canada and the Maritimes the type of world-class IT service professionals that would otherwise only be available to the very largest enterprises.
Cindy Roma, Sydney Ryan
Telelink | St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
telelinkcallcentre.com
A leading provider of multi-channel 24/7 live safety and inbound customer support solutions to North America’s energy sector.
Rachel Arseneau-Ferguson, Nathalie Levesque
Transmed | Campbellton, New Brunswick
centretransmed.ca
Offers medical transcription, translation and audit services in both English and French.
Jim Fitt
Velsoft | New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
velsoft.com
A global educational content company distributing training materials, eLearning and educational technologies to over 10,000 organizations in 164 countries world-wide.
Manufacturing
Paul Yeatman
GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc. | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
geospectrum.ca
Develops and produces hydro-acoustic devices.
Jeff LeDrew
Jumping Bean Coffee | St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
jumpingbeancoffee.ca
A leader in sustainable, premium coffee and a multi-channel business with operations in retail, wholesale, franchise cafes and coffee roasting.
Terry Malley
Malley Industries Inc. | Dieppe, New Brunswick
malleyindustries.com
Manufactures specialty vehicles, including advanced life support ambulances, police and security vehicles, vehicles for persons with disabilities, and produces thermo-formed plastic products for automotive, aerospace and food industry industries.
Media and Entertainment
John Wesley Chisholm
Arcadia Entertainment Inc. | Halifax, Nova Scotia
arcadiatv.com
An independent TV content production company, operating with commissions for TV series and specials from National Geographic, Discovery Channels and other global broadcasters.
Ed Martin
Best Boy Entertainment — Group of companies | Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador
bestboy.ca
Develops and creates docu-drama TV, travel shows, children’s television, serious social documentaries, film, children’s educational games, and interactive web content.
Greg Hemmings
Hemmings House Pictures | Saint John, New Brunswick
hemmingshouse.com
Produces film, photographic, animation and audio content that creates authentic connections between companies and their customers.
Real estate/Construction
Ted Burden
Brook Construction | Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
brookconstruction.ca
A general contractor for commercial, industrial, and civil construction in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Robert Crosbie
Crosbie Group Limited | St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
crosbiegroup.com
Currently involved in offshore oil and gas services, onshore industrial services, real estate and construction.
Tamara Barker Watson
Whitestone Developments Limited | Lakeside, Nova Scotia
whitestonedevelopments.ca
A construction company that helps customers decrease their carbon footprint by building energy-efficient custom homes, some of which even produce more energy than they consume.