October 2012 Business in Edmonton

October 2012 $3.50 businessinedmonton.com

CHAMPION of business

Gord Reykdal’s Long and Winding Road to the Top. small business week:

Off the beaten path

Three small business owners talk about the joys of going solo.

Event planning: more than just a party

Skyscraper progress

Downtown lease rates soar as high rollers gobble up prime office space.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the yearÂŽ 2012 Prairies Region

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | October 2012

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www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | October 2012

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CONTENTS

october 2012 | Vol. 01 #02

View our electronic issue of this month ’ s magaz ine online at www. busines sinedmonton. com

Features

Regulars Each and every month

Location, vocation, vacation. The October issue’s got it covered.

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Cover

OFF THE TOP Fresh News across all sectors.

champion of business 10

By mark kandborg

Gord Reykdal’s Long and Winding Road to the Top.

economic factors

By Jason Brisbois

18

The Industrial Heartland Evokes Awe and Trepidation.

130 Edmonton economic development corporation

Company Profiles 111 A bsolute Completion Technologies By mary savage

Celebrating their 10th Anniversary.

119

Features

the Carpet Studio By mark kandborg

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Celebrating their 25th Anniversary.

132 penta completions By mark kandborg

Masters of the deep.

111 small business week: Off the beaten path Three small business owners talk about the joys of going solo.

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October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

By mark kandborg

Š 2012 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved.

Who will soar?

Join us to celebrate the Prairies’ high-achieving entrepreneurs at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards gala on October 11 in Calgary. To learn more, contact PrairiesEOY@ca.ey.com. ey.com/ca/EOY

See More | Growth

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Features

continued

Location, vocation, vacation. The October issue’s got it covered.

PUBLISHER Business in Edmonton Inc.

Associate PUBLISHER Brent Trimming

brent@businessinedmonton.com

EDITOR

Skyscraper progress

Mark Kandborg

By Mark Anderako

COPY EDITORS Devon Babin Nikki Mullett

Lisa Johnston

Downtown lease rates soar as high rollers gobble up prime office space.

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Art Director Kenji Doshida

kenji@businessinedmonton.com

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS Jessi Evetts Clement Lemay-Chaput

ADMINISTRATION Nancy Bielecki Jamie Chell info@businessinedmonton.com PHOTOs: Avison Young, Edmonton

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Jason Brisbois

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Devon Babin Mark Anderako Mark Kandborg

PHOTOGRAPHY Cover photo by Epic Photography Inc.

ADVERTISING SALES Paula Taylor Evelyn Nykyforuk Rachel Katerynych Bobbi Joan O’Neil Carla Wright

paula@businessinedmonton.com evelyn@businessinedmonton.com rachel@businessinedmonton.com bobbi@ businessinedmonton.com carla@businessinedmonton.com

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year ®

DIRECTORs OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING John Quark Kim Hogan

john@businessinedmonton.com kim@businessinedmonton.com

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2012 Prairies Region

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127 Event planning: more than just a party

by Devon Babin

Proper planning and attention needed to host a successful corporate event.

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October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

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OFF THE TOP

NEWS of the month

“My primary goal in this new position will be to ensure our organization continues its long history of stellar financial performance.

Our current business model is both proven and effective,” says Fowler.

business

Busy, prosperous time for Canadian Western Bank Group

New face introduced as company announces expansion Edmonton headquartered Canadian Western Bank Group (CWB) has been making a name for itself lately, garnering a lot of attention for two significant moves it has made in the last few weeks.

The first change comes in the way of new management at the financial institution. The bank recently announced that Chris Fowler will be the new president and chief operations officer (COO) for the group. He will be replacing Larry Pollock, CWB’s long-serving president and chief executive officer (CEO) who will keep the CEO title until he steps down March of next year at 2013 Annual Meeting of shareholders.

“I am honoured to have been Chris Fowler selected as CWB’s president and COO, and am very excited to take on the opportunity of building on the highly successful and growing organization that Larry and the rest of our team, including our more than 1,900 employees, have created,” says Fowler. “My primary goal in this new position will be to ensure our organization continues its long history of stellar financial performance. Our current business model is both proven and effective.”

Fowler is 52 years old and holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of British Columbia. He started his banking career in 1985 with the Continental Bank of Canada. Fowler joined CWB in 1991 and since then has taken on successively more challenging and senior roles with the company.

“I am so very pleased with the Board’s decision to choose a member of our executive team as the new president of CWB. I have worked with Chris for over 21 years and have witnessed first-hand his capabilities and commitment to leading our team, taking care of clients and growing our companies,” Larry Pollock announced in a media release. “Chris’s ability to inspire our employees, shape our

business strategies and protect our award-winning corporate culture will ensure CWB’s continued success.”

Even with this important move, CWB isn’t sitting still waiting for the dust to settle. CWB’s wholly owned affiliate, National Leasing Group Inc. announced recently that is has pruchased Global FC Inc., a privately held commercial leasing company based in Quebec.

“Under the leadership of Martin Gagnon and Mathieu LeFebvre, and through an unwavering commitment to serving the needs of its customers, Globale FC has built a high performing sales team with an outstanding reputation,” says Chris Noonan, National Leasing’s partner services manager.

“National Leasing recognizes Québec as an important and growing market, and we are very pleased to welcome the employees of Globale FC to our team.”

National Leasing provides financial solutions to businesses across Canada.

It is a leader in commercial equipment leasing and are is recognized as one of the largest Canadian lessors in small to mid-ticket transactions.

“National Leasing has been a strong partner of Globale FC for the past 15 years,” commented Martin Gagnon, President of Globale FC. “Our team is very excited about this opportunity to lead National Leasing’s growth in Québec.” BIE

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | October 2012

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ECONOMIC FACTORS Jason Brisbois

The Industrial Heartland Evokes Awe and Trepidation

by Jason Brisbois

I

t’s human nature to take much of what we see for granted, especially when we see it frequently. For example, as I regularly drive along Baseline Road past the familiar refineries and adjacent tank farms, I rarely think about the massive corporate investment they represent – their huge contribution to the region’s economy and the fact that they are just the tip of the iceberg known as Alberta’s Industrial Heartland.

To put it in perspective, the Heartland is the second largest geographic area in the world zoned for heavy industry after Marl, Germany. Spanning 225 sq. miles and five municipalities immediately northeast of Edmonton, it is Canada’s largest hydrocarbon processing region. It represents over $30 billion in capital investment and is home to over 40 companies in refining, upgrading, petrochemical processing and manufacturing as well as encompassing light industry, residential areas and farmland.

The Alberta Industrial Heartland Association, comprised of the municipalities representing the Heartland, is responsible for the region’s development strategy. The association publishes a self-guided tour book and about once a year I grab the latest version and head out to get reacquainted with the area, telling myself this is the economists’ and engineers’ equivalent of touring Disneyland.

At the end of my annual pilgrimage I am left with simultaneous feelings of awe and trepidation. Awe at the massive scale of the plants and infrastructure in the region and what we are capable of building to exploit our

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vast hydrocarbon resources. Trepidation at the thought of the legacy we may be leaving future generations and the highly unlikely chance that one day the whole thing might go “boom.” This may be why they call economics the dismal science.

These musings caused me to question how something this big got started.

Neil Shelly, executive director of the Heartland Association, explained that it all began in the late 1950s when nat-

in 1999 and definitive boundaries set for the Heartland Region that strategic planning began in earnest.

By the early 2000s the area had achieved critical mass and companies were purchasing numerous sites for current and future development.

In 2007, eight companies were planning oil upgraders – which if nothing else demonstrates just how exuberance in the industry is catching on. Within three years most upgrader plans

To put it in perspective, the Heartland is the second largest geographic area in the world zoned for heavy industry after Marl, Germany. ural gas prices were very low (sound familiar?) and there was no pipeline system to move the gas to alternative markets. At that time, petrochemical companies such as Dow Chemical and fertilizer manufacturers like Sherritt Gordon were searching for new plant sites with access to natural gas, labour, water, and room to grow. The Fort Saskatchewan area fit the bill and the rest, as they say, is history.

In those days there was no consolidated development plan for the Heartland. The surrounding municipalities cooperated in zoning plans and the Fort Saskatchewan Regional Industrial Association was formed to share development efforts. In 1983, Shell added its refinery to the industrial mix, locating in Fort Saskatchewan because development in the Baseline Road area was being restricted. But it wasn’t until the Heartland Association was formed

October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

had been shelved in favour of renewed corporate interest in natural gas byproducts such as specialized plastics.

Today, companies like Williams Energy are looking at the Heartland as a plant location to produce products such as the superabsorbent, plastic fibers used in adult diapers. I can imagine the rush for free samples at the plant opening.

The Heartland’s development strategy changes with the times. It is hard to say what the Heartland will look like in twenty years, if the environmental movement so opposed to the oil sands will turn its sights on the region, or if development will continue unopposed.

I look forward to future annual tours and wonder about the feelings they might invoke. BIE

Jason Brisbois is the director of the Western Centre for Economic Research at the University of Alberta School of Business.

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OFF THE TOP

NEWS of the month

business

Cha mber and World Trade Centre Edmonton speak up for Northern Gateway Project Canada’s largest Chamber of Commerce by membership is standing up to show its support for the Northern Gateway Pipeline Projects.

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce (ECC) and World Trade Centre Edmonton (WTCE) have both submitted letters of comment in support of the Northern Gateway Pipelines Project to the Joint Review Panel (JRP). This action comes as the JRP’s public hearings recently began.

“We view this project as an exercise in nation-building, as was the St. Lawrence Seaway project which successfully opened the entire country to international trade routes and markets,” writes Ken Barry, volunteer chair of the Edmonton Chamber’s board of directors. “It is imperative to expand access to crude oil markets beyond just one customer. This expansion is crucial in order to sustain economic growth in Canada and avoid a land-locked glut of Canadian crude oil.”

The ECC is the nation’s largest chamber, with the support of nearly 3,000 members. World Trade Centre Edmon-

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October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

The ECC is the nation’s largest chamber, with the support of nearly 3,000 members. ton, the international arm of the ECC, has a membership of over 9,000 businesses belonging to chambers of commerce from northern Alberta (including Edmonton and Red Deer), northern British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

“World Trade Centre Edmonton is the most active World Trade Centre in Western Canada, and as such we feel compelled to speak out in support of this Project,” writes Martin Salloum, president of the WTCE. “We feel that the Project is an integral piece of infrastructure towards ensuring that Canada becomes a significant participant in the global energy sector.”

If approved this $5.5 billion project will see twin buried pipelines carry bitumen from Burderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, B.C. and the Pacific Ocean where it can be shipped to Asian markets. According to Enbridge, the pipelines will have a capacity of 525,000 barrels-a-day, potentially bringing in millions in tax revenue for the provinces and creating 1,150 long-term jobs in Canada, with approx. 380 of those located in Alberta. BIE

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small business week Off the beaten path

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Off the beaten path Three small business owners talk about the joys of going solo By mark kandborg

R

obert Frost told us that taking the road less traveled by makes all the difference. For the small business owner that ‘less traveled’ road requires courage, perseverance and focus. To get anywhere, you need to find a reason every morning to pick up and keep moving. If you’re looking for smooth pavement and clear road signs, you’ve made a big mistake. But if you want to find out what you’re made of, this is the place to be.

And the view, as we’re about to hear from three hearty souls on Edmonton’s small business path, is like no other.

The path of Daniel, owner of trending restaurant Corso 32, led him to the home of his father – small, picturesque town of San Pietro in the mountains of southern Italy. “I went,” he says simply, “to look at food.” Of course, Costa looks at food a little more closely than most. A bonafide gastronomic wunderkind, he was already a chef for the venerable Jack’s Grill at 20-years-old. But that road was wellpaved. So, “I kept going back,” he says. “I wanted a deeper understanding. I knew if there were answers, I’d find them there.”

Daniel Costa, owner of Corsa 32.

Costa explains that when it comes to food, each region of Italy is like it’s own country. “They stick to what they eat. Certain cuts of pasta, types of meat. Each town is different from the next, even though the next town might be only five minutes away. My grandmother spent her whole life an hour from the beach,” he says.

Costa’s insatiable appetite for knowledge led him from village to village, kitchen to kitchen. “I worked in a bakery, in a pastry shop. I cooked with an all-hazlenut shell burning oven. Can you imagine that? People would hear that I was coming. They wanted to teach me. I’d start at five in the morning with two aunts and two grandmas preparing lunch in the backyard for 30 people. We rolled tripe, made pasta by hand,” he says. These unique experiences taught the young chef what he calls the basis of all great cooking – simplicity. “It’s more important to take ingredients away than to add them.”

Costa knew that eventually he had to open a restaurant of his own. A place where he could spread his wings. Corso 32,

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October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

named for the address of his father’s house in San Pietra, is a flagship for Costa’s creativity and soul. “Everyone told me to start slow. I disagree. You only get one chance. You’ve got to give it everything right off the bat,” he says.

Giving it everything means putting in the time and effort

“I went,” he says simply, “to look at food.” Of course, Costa looks at food a little more closely than most. to roll the pastas by hand, making every dish from scratch. If you’re lucky enough to get a table at this Jasper Avenue hotspot – he’s now taking reservations months in advance – you’ll see Costa in the open kitchen hard at work. If he happens to look up as you come in, he’ll give you a welcoming wave (he is Italian, after all) but his focus never strays for long. Daniel Costa, like all great artists, speaks to your heart through his creations. Passionately and with love.

Jillian Kaliel, owner of Studio J Urban Spa, also has an obvious love for people and expresses that love through her work. It may be no coincidence that her heritage is Italian, too. Although her path initially led her to Burbank, California to study film make-up at the renowned Westmore Academy, it didn’t take long for her to realize that the quiet intensity of film sets wasn’t for her. What she really needed, although she didn’t know it yet, was a place where she could laugh out loud without worrying she would be fired for it.

Her background in make-up and esthetics allowed her to start up a small business in a spare room at her parents’ house. “They were very generous,” she says. “My first clients were friends and family, but the house was getting a little too busy. Pretty soon I had to open my own little shop

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small business week Off the beaten path

“My timing was exquisite. It was 1997, the end of a downturn. You really would have had to have been not paying attention to fail,” Potvin says.

downtown.” Her west end clients followed her there and, as news spread of this new girl with the mad skills who liked to laugh, it didn’t take long before she outgrew that, too.

Kaliel knew what kind of spa she’d always wanted to visit. So she decided to build it. “I found space in a beautiful old building on Jasper, kitty corner to the Hotel MacDonald,” she says.

“When they handed me the keys, it was just an empty shell.”

With a flair for design and a very clear vision, Kaliel marshalled forces from an extensive pool of talented friends and family and went to work. “I wanted elegent, yet fun and urban,” she says. Even though she was moving from 500 square feet to nearly 4,000, she didn’t want a big spa feel. “Big spas can be great, but they can come across as impersonal. I wanted Studio J to be a fun place to be. I don’t have a lot of water sounds and birds chirping. It’s a whole different vibe.”

Her loyal fans seem to love it. So do some new ones. “The hotels send us a lot of very special clients. I think they know they’ll be taken care of.” The list includes actors, CFL and NHL players and lots of touring musicians. “Neil Diamond was in for a manicure and pedicure the other day,” she says.

“His wife had trouble getting him to leave. He was laughing and joking with my other clients. That’s what I like to see.”

Has taking the road less traveled been worth it? “Some mornings it would be nice to just get a paycheck,” she admits. “But I wouldn’t change a thing. I love what I’ve created. I love that I work where people are happy to see me, to see each other. Studio J makes people happy. We bring confidence to people and that gives me confidence. Helping people all these years is what keeps me going.”

Rod Potvin, owner of Milton West Construction Ltd., is the epitemy of “can do” spirit. You could say his journey was initially right on the beaten path, working as project manager for Alberta Infrastructure. But after 28 years, it was time for a change. He started his own company, doing exactly the same kinds of things he’d been doing for nearly three decades. Only now different people were paying him. “My timing was exquisite. It was 1997, the end of a downturn. You

Rod Potvin, owner of Milton West Construction Ltd.

“They were very generous,” she

says. “My first clients were friends and family, but the house was getting a little too busy. Pretty soon I had to open my own little shop downtown.”

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October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

Jillian Kaliel, owner of Studio J Urban Spa

really would have had to have been not paying attention to fail,” he says, displaying a matter-of-fact attitude that’s become a kind of signature.

Potvin believes that when it comes to running a small business, time management is key, which means building a team you can trust and letting them take charge. That’s why he doesn’t believe in using labourers. “I only hire apprentices.

Most companies discourage that, but think about it – labourers come and go. Demographics change. Pretty soon you’ve got a labourer as a carpenter and he doesn’t know what he’s doing. The next guy you hire could be a lunatic. He starts a fire and you’ve got $12 million in damage. You’ve got to know and trust your crews.”

There’s another benefit to having self-sufficient crews, Potvin says. “I’m a fantastic guy to work for, but not always to work with. I’m a perfectionist. Perfection is great, but sometimes production is important.” Potvin believes in quality service as opposed to quantity. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, his crews work constantly, building and renovating commercial and residential spaces at an astounding rate.

Potvin has the final word on taking the road less traveled.

“There’s nothing I don’t like about it. There are a lot of challenges, but that’s the same whether you work for someone else or for yourself,” he says. “If you work for someone, they do the time for your crimes, so to speak. But if it’s your company, the buck stops with you. You’re the captain of your own ship. You might hit the rocks, but you chart your own course. Anyone that gets up in the morning and strives to do better should consider having their own business. It’s just friggin’ fun.” BIE

standing outside the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street with all senior management, board of directors, lenders, our bankers, auditors and legal counsel.

Champion of Business

By Mark Kandborg

If you take a hard look at most bona fide champions, you’ll likely find some common traits. Top among these would be skill, stamina, the ability to think on their feet and, perhaps most important of all, the ability to get back in the race when they’re knocked to the ground.

G

ord Reykdal, chairman and CEO of The Cash Store Financial Services Inc., has all of these qualities in abundance. If the game of business was an Olympic event, chances are good that Reykdal would have a medal around his neck and the Canadian national anthem would be playing in the background.

The equivalent of a gold medal was

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awarded to Reykdal last year in the form of the Ernst & Young Prairies Region Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the business-to-consumer products and services category. It’s easy to see why. Cash Store Financial is Canada’s leading provider of alternative financial services, employing over 2,000 associates at 529 branches across Canada with outlets in over 200 com-

October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

munities as well as 25 branches in the United Kingdom. The company recently reported quarterly revenues of $48.4 million and is currently listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. Local boy makes good. But the road to the summit has had its twists and turns. And one major detour.

At 18 years old, Gord Reykdal decided to begin his journey on the road

Cover story

Champion of Business

Gord Reykdal in his first entrepreneurial business with his gravel truck. (1975)

Rentown – Gord’s first major company – 1987.

Bell Ringing for the Opening of Trading on August 18 to mark our listing on the NYSE.

“I asked myself, ‘Did I fail?’.

The answer was yes. But then I asked a more important question. Why?”, Reykdal recalls. “I had used the wrong financial structure. It was too leveraged.

I learned a lot from that mistake.” to success. Literally. Fresh out of high school, he eschewed the usual option of business school, put some money down on a gravel truck and went to work. His choice of experience over education paid off, and his natural affinity for commerce allowed him to buy a house and a Corvette, but he was quickly outgrowing the one-man/onetruck business model.

Eager to start something new, Reykdal kept a firm hand on the wheel and scanned the horizon for the next big thing. He suddenly realized it was all around him. And the unexpected passing of his father was a huge motivator, he says, to “pick something and do it.”

Edmonton in the ’80s was a kind of mini gold rush redux. Young workers

Getting listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1987 with Rentown – only 29 years old and a CEO of publicly listed company (Gord is 3rd from left in front).

from across the country were descending on the town in droves with little more than a bus ticket, the clothes on their back and the dream of a high paying job in the oil patch. For most of them, the dream came true and soon they had the first of many nice, fat paycheques. But no credit. This was the opportunity that Reykdal had been looking for.

These young men, and they were mostly men, had the beginnings of a good income but lived in empty apartments. They wanted things – especially electronics – and they didn’t want to wait. So at 23 years old, Gord Reykdal mortgaged his house, sold his beloved Corvette and started Budget TV and Rentals. It was a good idea.

Ralph Waldo Emerson famously opined that if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door. Gord Reykdal didn’t build one, he just provided a way for you to buy it.

Reykdal had found a big, untapped market, and by the time he was 30 years old, he had four stores in Edmonton and he was well on his way.

He joined with similar companies in Calgary and Vancouver and combined them under the new company name of Rentown. He needed more capital to increase his customers’ demand for inventory, so he went public and searched for a lender to support his continued growth; he found it south

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | October 2012

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Cover story

Champion of Business

The product Reykdal was really offering was access to funds, plain and simple. Once again he had found a niche market that was being underserved. And once again he was on to something. of the border. Duly impressed, the financial giant backed him on the spot.

Soon he had an inventory of $350,000 in every store and customers eager to sign on the dotted line. The road ahead appeared smooth and endless.

That’s when the detour appeared right in front of him. Except at the time it seemed, and felt, more like a cliff.

Reykdal calmly explains what that cliff looked like. “It was 1990, and the bank called the loan,” he says. “My company had never defaulted. We tried to fight them off, but it was a demand loan. In retrospect, it was a bad way to finance. I had no way out.”

The financing company wanted $30 million dollars. And they wanted it now. Ironically, this was the kind of immediate need that Reykdal had helped his customers satisfy all those years. But he couldn’t satisfy this one.

The finance company ripped the company from him and ran it as their own.

Then they went after him personally.

“They thought I had money that wasn’t accounted for. That was not the case, but they wouldn’t believe me.” The lender petitioned him into bankruptcy so they could access his personal records. Once those records

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were opened, it became clear that Reykdal was telling the truth. But the damage was done.

“I’d lost my company and I was broke. Now I was the one with no credit.”

This is where the story would end for most. But a champion dusts himself off and gets back onto the track.

“I asked myself, ‘Did I fail?’ The answer was yes. But then I asked a more important question. ‘Why?’” Reykdal recalls. “I had used the wrong financial structure. It was too leveraged. I learned a lot from that mistake.”

How do you put that knowledge to work when you’ve just driven off a cliff?

You bounce.

And if you’re clever, you grab onto something. Which is how Reykdal was able to start up a new company with zero credit. “I created it under my wife’s name,” he says. Reykdal knew what had gone wrong before so he formed RTO Enterprises with a new structure. One that was impervious to the type of attack that had befallen Rentown. He simply found investors to put up equity capital. Starting with a single store on Stony Plain Road. He

October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

then acquired 14 more in a process he refers to as a “reverse merger”.

He was climbing his way steadily back up the side of the cliff when someone handed him a branch. “A former employee of the financial corporation in Chicago that I’d been dealing with signed an affidavit revealing that what they had done to me was part of a larger plan of operation,” Reykdal says. “They’d done the same thing to other companies. When their head office found out what was going on, they fired the Chicago team and sent in their cleanup crew.”

Armed with this new information, Reykdal set up a meeting. “They were expecting trouble. They had a room full of people, and I walked in alone,” he says. “They had no idea what I was going to do. So I told them. I want to buy my company back.” When they’d called the loan, he owed them $30 million. Now he was offering them 10.

“They were vulnerable. What I was really offering them was a way out. They asked me where I got my education from. I told them ‘bankruptcy.’ That kind of broke the ice.” Once they realized that he had no axe to grind and that he was focusing his energy on

PHOTO: epic photography

business, not anger, they shook hands and the deal went through. One hell of a deal, in fact.

“That was on September 23, 1994,” Reykdal points out. It had been only three years since he’d gone sailing over that cliff. Reykdal indicates a large frame on the wall of his office. “They gave it to me as a gift when the deal was signed.” A large metal key ring with 41 keys lies beneath the glass.

Keys to the 41 stores he thought he’d never see again.

Six years later, with Reykdal back in the driver’s seat, that number grew to over 100 stores. Then he sold his interest in the company. “It was time to move on,” he says, simply.

Enter The Cash Store Financial Services, Inc. It made perfect sense. If you’re giving consumers a better way to buy a mousetrap, you don’t need to carry the mousetraps, too. The product Reykdal was really offering was access to funds, plain and simple. Once again he had found a niche market that was being underserved. And once again he was on to something.

By 2007, Cash Store Financial was on the cover of Profit 100 magazine’s 50 fastest growing companies in Canada. In fact, it was number one on the list, with $154 million in sales. Three years later, Reykdal rang the bell to open trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. That cliff had receded to a tiny spot in his rear view mirror.

It’s easy to chalk up all this success to luck, hard work and a particular form of genius. But Reykdal has another, simpler explanation. “At the outset, I was guided by an adherence to four core values,” he says. “Honesty, integrity, loyalty and team work. They’ve

22

“Everyone has to understand what makes the business work. When everyone shares in the profitability, everyone’s got the same focus. If the company makes more money, they do too.”

been the cornerstone of everything I’ve done.”

They’ve been the key to his success, he says.

“The foundation has to be strong. It’s important that everyone embrace these four values.

Investors, employees, everyone. You have to surround yourself with the right people and make sure that everyone’s on the same page.”

It’s been nearly 12 months since the announcement of last year’s Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year awards. Reykdal has a unique perspective, and believes this year’s winners will find it to be an invaluable experience.

“Acknowledgement of entrepreneurs is wonderful,” he says. “This is an exceptionally well-run and structured program. Very professional. The recognition, networking, appreciation and understanding of the businesses is invaluable. And once the finalists are selected, the momentum is excellent.”

Reykdal describes the gallery event in Calgary as “an Academy Award style event. First class. None of the finalists know the decision in advance, so when the announcements are made, there’s a real excitement that everyone gets caught up in.”

The media coverage doesn’t hurt, either. “I really can’t pick holes in the process. The achievement awards are not to be taken lightly. The winners are all very deserving,” he says. With a smile, he adds, “But I might be biased.”

The medal around his neck certainly doesn’t seem to be slowing him down.

As he heads into the turn for another lap, Cash Store Financial is poised to become a mainstream provider. “We’ve dropped the barrier between the con-

October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

sumer and the service provider. We’re essentially where the banks left off 20-years-ago,” he says. “I’m very excited about where we’re going. We could be re-branded as a bank to every man.”

When pressed for some entrepreneurial advice, Reykdal responds in his signature forthright style. “Plan for the worst, but don’t expect it. Find a way to make it work. There’s always a way, even if you don’t see it at first. Align your goals with everyone, no matter what their job is. Your common goal should be profitability, and the key to that commonality is transparency. Everyone has to understand what makes the business work. When everyone shares in the profitability, everyone’s got the same focus. If the company makes more money, they do too.”

Reykdal’s words offer both inspiration and comfort to the oft-embattled entrepreneur. “Maintain your vision, but don’t be afraid to give up some control. As the saying goes, it’s better to be a small part of a big thing than a big part of a small thing. The harder you work at it, the more successful you’ll be.”

Reykdal boils his message down to a single point, as applicable to himself as to the throngs of entrepreneurs slugging it out day after day. “No one who’s successful ever gives up.”

It’s been said that a champion runs faster when he’s running up hill. Poetic overstatement perhaps. But looking back at the race he’s run so far, in the case of Gord Reykdal, it just might be true. BIE

Commercial real estate

Skyscraper progress

Skyscraper

progress Downtown lease rates soar as high rollers gobble up prime office space

By Mark Anderako

Over the years, the City has explored more ways to entice business, shoppers and residents to the downtown core than Paul Simon has sung of ways to leave a lover.

A

n apt analogy, given they’re really wooing people’s love and money. Too often have we jumped on the renewal bandwagon, only to watch it squeak along the dusk-til-dawn deserted streets and over the horizon to the brassy ‘burbs, where the ‘live here, work there’ mentality has prevailed for decades.

Well, the City has a vision for Downtown Edmonton, and this time they intend make it a reality.

“Experience a sophisticated urban lifestyle... live and work in a centre of life-long learning, iconic architecture, design innovation and sustainable choices,” proclaims the City’s New Downtown Plan. Pretty words, bigleague aspirations. Money talks and copy walks, but judging by the toppling vacancy and sky-rocketing asking rates, we may be in for, dare we say it … a boom.

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Witness the spectacle and ride the latest, greatest wave of excitement sweeping downtown Edmonton. Careful, don’t trip over that two-by-four!

Watch out for that crane bucket over head! Things are a little dusty right now, but you’re about to see a miraculous transformation take place like never before. We promise!

How hot is Edmonton’s downtown office market? Not as hot as Calgary, which opened six new towers in 2011 alone. However, real estate services company Avison Young identifies 32 ongoing or potential projects in downtown Edmonton, City Centre Airport, Station Lands and other locales. The projected addition of 2.25 million sq. ft. of office space over the next 35 years is the equivalent of adding 40 of our seven-storey “World Trade Centre” buildings.

The City has a vision for Downtown Edmonton, and this time they intend make it a reality.

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | October 2012

23

Rental rates are affected by lease terms, property sizes, views, location proximity and market conditions. Rates reflect rent paid pay per square foot, quoted either on a monthly or annual basis. Urban office leasing is usually quoted as an annual rate, while industrial and retail are quoted as monthly rates.

Class A Buildings

1st and Jasper Williams Engineering rendering

PHOTO: Avison Young, Edmonton

Class Distinctions

Highest quality buildings commanding the highest rates – prime locations, best looking and constructed, with good access and high quality infrastructure.

Rates: Downtown Financial $23-$27 Government and Non-Financial $19-$21*

Class B Buildings A little older, offering good management, targeted by value-added investors looking to return buildings to Class A status via improvements to facades and common areas.

Rates: Downtown Financial $15-$19 Government and Non-Financial $17-$20*

Class C Buildings Older buildings with outdated infrastructure, requiring extensive renovations in less desirable areas, commanding lowest rental rates, taking the longest time to lease, often targeted as re-development opportunities.

Rates: Downtown Financial $10-$12 Government and Non-Financial $10-$14* * SOURCE: COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL EDMONTON Q2 2012 REPORT

24

October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

Not surprisingly, the biggest gorgers of prime downtown A-Class space are companies in the energy and financial sectors. As rig activity increases, so grows these companies’ office administration requirements, along with those of construction, engineering and professional service firms also serving the energy sector.

These companies are rapidly expanding, thanks to pumped-up productivity and rip-roaring job growth, all pointing to a robust office space market. And that means the prime space pickings are getting slim, as only

Commercial real estate

Skyscraper progress

“The revitalization that’s going on with respect to work on Jasper Avenue is going to be Commercial real estate Skyscraper progress outstanding.” ~ Wosnack

eight properties downtown can offer 30,000 square feet of contiguous space, let alone the 50,000 that many companies covet.

Avison Young reports that rental rates have jumped significantly, especially in AA class buildings which have seen rates leap from $23.40 to $29.00 per square in the last year alone. Since the peak of 18.9 per cent in 2000, the central core office vacancy rate has toppled to the current 7.8 per cent, which approaches the national average of five per cent for only the second time in the last 27 years.

Asking rates for Downtown Class A offices had been declining steadily since 2009 in order to fill large vacancies caused by the economic downturn and to backfill vacancies created by EPCOR Tower. Leading the way early this year was Manulife Place, which in just two months raised the asking rate from $20.00 to $27.00 per square foot, a 40 per cent increase. The long

and short of it? Unless there’s a major economic meltdown, most downtown office tenants will find limited options when their current leases expire or new premises are required.

Demand is, of course, dictated by the market and shaped by global trends, the city’s role in the provincial and national economy, and the impact of Calgary as the primary head office location in Alberta.

“Where Edmonton has long been the city where many companies have either maintained a token presence or none at all, new development and vibrancy can attract new business to the city itself,” states Avison Young in their 2011 Q2 Report.

While companies are devoting less space to each worker, they’re creating more open, inviting, collaborative work environments. Enticements such as refined “green” buildings, collaborative work spaces, improved ventilation and air-conditioning sys-

tems and floor-to-ceiling windows offering abundant natural light have businesses on the move from the suburbs to downtown. Despite higher costs per square foot, retaining and attracting employees with great locations and access to transit helps mitigate cost per employee.

Phil Goh, senior associate with Colliers International, is bullish on the office market. “We’re in great shape comparatively, especially on a global scale, so that’s going to lead to a tightening of the vacancy rate and increased rental rates, which may even lead to some new construction and some shuffling around of tenants downtown,” he says. “If you’re a smaller tenant downtown you still have lots of options. Any building downtown is going to have vacancy holes that can accommodate a tenant anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 square feet. It’s really when you get above 10,000 square feet that you have few options and reduce

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25

Commercial real estate

Arena District Rendering

your leverage with a landlord.”

Other than the EPCOR Tower, recent office projects in downtown Edmonton have tended to focus on upgrading older, C-Class buildings, such as the Intact Insurance building on Jasper. Many office buildings in the 30-to 35-year-old range have been modernized over the last few years, as landlords attempt to entice and keep quality tenants in growth phases, striving to meet their mid to long-term needs by promoting investment in spaces and work environments.

Cory Wosnack, principle with Avison Young, has been in the biz for 18 years. He weathered the mid-’90s, when the market was challenging and the downtown was struggling. “We’ve seen it become one of the most interesting office markets in all of Canada, one that’s moving investors from right across North America.”

Wosnack says employers and real estate decision makers used to make choices based on what their properties say about their brands to clients.

“Now they’re asking, how do we make a real estate decision in order to win more business? What does our space say about our culture and our work environments to our staff and to the new employees we’re trying to hire?”

Of course, great downtowns are

26

DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

tourism magnets. The new downtown arena and entertainment district is expected to generate the kind of vibrancy needed to meet the city’s vision. Says Wosnack, “It’s not about the Oilers.

It’s about what comes with an entertainment district. The arena can be a catalyst for many other things that will bring a vibe to downtown, a cool factor that employers will want to be associated with.”

Boosting the Jasper Ave vibe is the former EPCOR Tower and Bank of Montreal Building, soon to be unveiled as First & Jasper by GE Capital Real Estate. The retrofitted tower and new two-storey podium will boast 200,000 sq. ft. of office space and the status of one of Edmonton’s only LEED-EB Gold designations. A major occupant will be Williams Engineering Canada, which has been headquartered in Edmonton for three decades and has

October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

The new downtown arena and entertainment district is expected to generate the kind of vibrancy needed to meet the city’s vision.

Says Wosnack

PHOTO: City of Edmonton

PHOTOs: Avison Young, Edmonton

Skyscraper progress

committed to 33,000 square feet. Naseem Bashir, president and CEO, extols downtown’s many advantages.

“The revitalization that’s going on with respect to work on Jasper Avenue is going to be outstanding. The new construction will make it more people [friendly] with more places for people to feel comfortable and proud of where they go to work. The city has a great vision of what it wants to become and is taking the right steps to get where it’s going. The key decision to build the arena downtown is also one of the reasons why we stayed downtown. It’s driving investment back into the core.”

Now that’s the kind of winning attitude that will put and keep Edmonton in the big leagues, even though the price of progress may come with a bit of sticker shock. BIE

Celebrating the game changers Prairies 2012

Founded and produced by

Special supplement published by

© 2012 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved.

“Entrepreneur Of The Year” is a registered trademark of EYGN Limited.

We’re the Real Deal.

Noorudin & Anis Jiwani Aliya’s Foods Ltd, Edmonton, AB

Here at AFSC, we are proud to help Alberta business people like Noorudin and Anis find unique financial solutions to establish and grow their operation.

AFSC is Alberta’s Business & Farm Lender. Call today and ask about the lending product that’s right for you.

Edmonton District Office (780) 427-2140

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www.AFSC.ca

A i h

An AlliAnce of Business And community orgAnizAtions

st depends “ The economy of Provo activities. a lot on oil and gas The energy sector is one of the engines that drives the Alberta economy – without a healthy energy industry, Alberta’s growth will not be as strong.

”

Pak Wong, Motel Owner at the Greenhead Motel in Provost, Alberta

www.albertaisenergy.ca Alberta is Energy showcases the men and women of Alberta, their careers, challenges and accomplishments. Our goal is to build awareness of how the energy industry touches all of our lives. Alberta is Energy is supported by Alberta’s business associations and our more than 3,500 members. We are Albertans – from the high-rise office workers to the general store employees – with a vested stake in the long-term responsible development of Canada's oil and gas resources.

Director’s Message You’ll be inspired At Ernst & Young, we’re big believers in the transformational power of Canada’s entrepreneurs. That’s why we’ve proudly celebrated their achievements for nearly 20 years.

We use the term “game changers” a lot in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program, and with good reason. A game changer is a creative innovator who breaks the mould and creates something new, improves a product, process or service, or develops a new way of doing business to increase profitability.

Game changers are people who advance the world in some way — big or small — and leave things better than they found them.

The Prairies award finalists you’ll read about in these pages show that our region is home to some of the most dynamic innovators in the world. These men and women are creating the growth that generates jobs, inspires generations, and helps empower Canada to realize its full potential as a nation.

We’re proud to share their success stories with you.

I hope you’ll be as inspired as I am by these achievements and the people behind them. As we look ahead to the next 20 years, we continue to look to Canada’s entrepreneurs for the ingenuity, innovation and inspiration that change the game for us all — for the better.

Rob Jolley Partner, Ernst & Young LLP Prairies Director, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year

4

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Table of Contents Meet the 2012 Prairies Entrepreneur Of The Year Judges – page 8 Meet the 2012 Prairies Entrepreneur Of The Year Leadership Team – page 10 REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION Jeanette DeBruin, Bert DeBruin - AltaPro Electric - page 12 | Mario Pagnotta, Alex Pagnotta - Pagnotta Industries, Inc. - page 14 | Jeff Jessamine - Sprague Group of Companies - page 16 | Wayne Chiu - Trico Homes - page 18 |

CLEANTECH Perry Gerwing - Earthmaster Environmental Strategies Inc. - page 20 | Dan Balaban - Greengate Power Corporation - page 22 | Evan Chrapko, Shane Chrapko - Himark bioGas - page 24 | Don Guenette, Dan Guenette - Infratech Corporation - page 26 |

MANUFACTURING Henry Friesen - Convey-All Industries Inc. - page 28 | Dean Spence - Dynamic Solutions/DSI Thru-Tubing - page 30 | Nicholas Donohoe - ICI Artificial Lift Inc. - page 32 | Jason Parks - Profab Corporation - page 34

ENERGY - PRIVATELY HELD Blaine LaBonte - Cougar Drilling Solutions - page 36 | Dean Shaver - CSI Canada Safety - page 38 | Lance Torgerson - Noralta Lodge Ltd. - page 40 | Gerald V. Chalifoux - Petrospec Engineering Ltd. - page 42 |

BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Dr. Alan Ulsifer - FYidoctors - page 44 | Dianna Davidson - Magellan Vacations - page 46 | Ryan Pomeroy - Pomeroy Lodging LP - page 48 |

EMERGING Ken James - Oak Point Energy Ltd. - page 50 | Lyle Michaluk, Cliff Wiebe - Poseidon Concepts Corp. - page 52 | Regan Stevenson - Sunpeak Multiwise - page 54 |

TECHNOLOGY Glenn Yuen, Trevor MacFarlane - Dynamic Risk - page 56 | Marcos Lopez - Solium - page 58 | Tara Kelly - SPLICE Software Inc. - page 60 |

PROFESSIONAL AND INVESTMENT SERVICES Terry Stephenson - Blackjack Investments Ltd. - page 62 | David Aplin - David Aplin Group - page 64 | Chris Izquierdo, David Cronin - DevFacto Technologies Inc. - page 66 |

ENERGY - PUBLICLY TRADED Don Caron - Bri-Chem Corp. - page 68 | Brian Vaasjo - Capital Power - page 70 | Jim Rakievich - McCoy Corporation - page 72 |

BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Maury Van Vliet, Scott Van Vliet, Todd Van Vliet - Environmental Refuelling Systems Inc. - page 74 | Kim Caron - Executive Mat Service Ltd. - page 76 | Angela Santiago - The Little Potato Company Ltd. - page 78 | Published by Business in Calgary & Business In Edmonton | www.businessincalgary.com • www.businessinedmonton.com Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept. • 1025 101 6th Ave. SW Calgary, AB T2P 3P4 6

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Awards acknowledge innovation, hard work, collaboration and vision.

TEC Canada congratulates all of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists and award recipients.

TEC Canada is dedicated to helping good leaders become great CEOs. Discover how our unique approach to leadership development based on mutual support and fierce honesty will bring you the growth and bottom line results you seek.

Leaders in good company.

800.661.9209 | tec-canada.com

Visit our website for the many awards our members win! Celebrate their success and join us on LinkedIn and Twitter

Meet the 2012 Prairies Entrepreneur Of The Year Judges Curt Vossen

President, Richardson International

Curt has dedicated his career to Canadian agriculture. He is actively involved in many industry and community organizations. He serves as chairman of the Grain Insurance & Guarantee Company, Prince Rupert Grain Co. and CentreVenture, a community development corporation in Winnipeg. Curt is a member of the World Presidents’ Organization, the Chief Executives Organization, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, and the Business Council of Manitoba.

Kelley Smith Vice President, Corporate Development, Viterra Inc. Kelley is responsible for leading Viterra’s business acquisitions, divestitures and other growth strategies and facilitating the development and reporting of the company’s strategic plans. She has been an active member of the community, serving on various boards and committees, and is a Chartered Business Valuator, a Chartered Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant.

Linda Hohol

Corporate Director

Linda retired in 2007 after serving five years as president of the TSX Venture Exchange. Prior to that role, she had a distinguished 26-year career with CIBC, serving as senior vice president Alberta and NWT, and executive vice president wealth management. She currently serves as a director on the boards of Export Development Canada, EllisDon Construction, NAV Canada, Canadian Western Bank, Canada Foundation for Innovation and the United Way of Calgary.

Mike J. Duff President and CEO, Design Group Staffing Inc. Design Group is one of Canada’s largest privately held staffing firms. Mike is also the owner of several auto dealerships in Edmonton, among other business interests. He is a sponsor of NorQuest College and a cabinet member of the University Hospital Foundation Campaign for a Prostate Health Clinic. Mike was the winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in Professional Services in the Prairies region in 2006.

Stephanie Yong Director, W. Brett Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence, University

of Saskatchewan

An entrepreneur herself, Stephanie offers programs to help students create feasible and sustainable businesses. She is also a lecturer at the Edwards School of Business, with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and evaluation of business ventures. Stephanie has used her experience as a business strategist, entrepreneur and university lecturer to stimulate awareness and recognition of entrepreneurial trends and develop experiential programs to enhance the entrepreneurship agenda.

Tony Franceschini Corporate Director and Community Volunteer Tony served as president and CEO of Stantec from 1998 to 2009 and has served as a director since the company became publicly traded in 1994. He also serves as a director of several publicly traded companies and is active in several community organizations, including the Alberta Health Services Board, Junior Achievement of Northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories, the Edmonton Economic Development Authority, and the University of Alberta Hospital Foundation.

8

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Cautious Optimism

T

he sixth annual Ernst & Young Capital Confidence Barometer finds that, despite a favourable deal-making environment, leading global corporations are not yet ready to engage in mergers and acquisitions. Canadians, however, are more optimistic.

Of the 1,500 executives surveyed globally, 31% say they expect to pursue an acquisition in the next 12 months – down from 41% in October 2011. In the US, expectations for deal-making are relatively flat, with 34% of companies planning an acquisition in the next year, compared with 36% in October 2011.

The story in Canada is significantly more positive. Nearly half (48%) of Canadian participants say they expect to pursue an acquisition in the next 12 months, up from 45% in October 2011 and 32% in April 2011. The number of Canadian businesses looking to sell has also increased, with 31% planning to divest compared with 23% in October 2011. Canadian companies are keen to put their capital to work as they approach their capital agenda with a desire to do more than just sit on the side-

lines. Is this an opportunity for Canadians to leap ahead of their global counterparts?

M&A fundamentals are stronger than they have been for some time. Credit constraints are lower and corporate cash balances are high, while confidence is rising moderately following a prolonged period of macroeconomic instability. The valuation gap between buyers and sellers is also narrowing.

While Canadian M&A expectations are ahead of their global counterparts, they are still below historical levels.

Why? While Canadian corporate executives are in a more confident frame of mind, particularly compared to the rest of the world and to the US, they are still fundamentally cautious. Persistent market volatility, austerity measures, structural issues (primarily the Eurozone crisis) and potential for slowing growth in emerging markets have continued to fuel conservative behaviour.

For the time being, caution continues to impact M&A.

What is your perspective on the state of the global economy today?

Strongly improving

9% 0%

Modestly improving

14%

Strongly declining

in the local economy has more than doubled.

32% 34%

48% of Canadian

25%

Modestly declining

46%

respondents are planning an acquisition.

31% of Canadian

0% 6% Apr-12

52% of global respondents feel the global economy is improving.

In Canada, confidence

34%

Stable

HEADER

Oct-11

respondents are planning a divestiture.

To find out more, please contact Joe Healey, Winnipeg Leader, Entrepreneurial Services and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The YearÂŽ.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

9

Meet our Prairies leadership team Ernst & Young is the global leader in advising, guiding and recognizing entrepreneurs. Our Prairies professionals offer high-achieving, fast-growing entrepreneurial companies the knowledge, experience and resources to help them reach their goals at every step in their lifecycle. Contact one of our leaders today to learn how we can assist you.

Prairies

Edmonton Rob Jolley

Ross Haffie

Program Director, Entrepreneur Of The Year

Managing Partner 780 412 2388 ross.m.haffie@ca.ey.com

780 638 6656 rob.m.jolley@ca.ey.com

Kristy-Lynn Gray

Saskatchewan

Program Manager, Entrepreneur Of The Year

Evan Shoforost Managing Partner

403 206 5476 kristy.gray@ca.ey.com

306 649 8242 evan.shoforost@ca.ey.com

Calgary

Greg Keller Managing Partner

Office Leader, Entrepreneurial Services and Entrepreneur Of The Year

403 206 5100 kent.d.kaufield@ca.ey.com

306 649 8218 greg.keller@ca.ey.com

Kent D. Kaufield

Winnipeg Dean Radomsky

Craig Roskos

Office Leader, Entrepreneur Of The Year

Managing Partner

403 206 5180 dean.w.radomsky@ca.ey.com

David Van Dyke

Joe Healey

Office Leader, Entrepreneurial Services

Office Leader, Entrepreneurial Services and Entrepreneur Of The Year

403 206 5177 dave.a.vandyke@ca.ey.com

10

204 933 0209 craig.m.roskos@ca.ey.com

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

204 954 5568 joe.a.healey@ca.ey.com

© 2012 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved.

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REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION

Bert and Jeanette DeBruin AltaPro Electric Ltd.

“

When the going gets tough, the tough get going” is a favourite expression of Bert DeBruin. As the oldest son of 10 siblings, he learned quickly about how to spot an opportunity and what it takes to succeed. In 1987, the family business was started out of the necessity to work two jobs in the late ’80s after the recession. AltaPro Electric Ltd. – a design-build electrical contracting business – was built on adversity right from the start.

“Our lessons on perseverance through tough times were necessary to survive in today’s market,” says Bert, who works alongside his wife, Jeanette. Growing up on a dairy farm, Jeanette is no stranger to hard work either. Today with over 90 employees the business is “all about people.” They are good at what they do, namely design-build commercial and industrial electrical contracting.

The attributes of their team are: solid, trusted, genuine, forward thinking, value integrity, and creative, among others. The team consists of highly-skilled trades people, who Bert and Jeanette say will be the future of tomorrow – leading by example.

AltaPro has experienced explosive growth over the last few years and the goal for the future years is to maintain a steady growth of sales and profit based on superior service. All of this comes with a genuine desire to develop their employees’ talent, while encouraging them to be aware of the importance of community. The firm and its employees donate considerable time and money to various charitable causes. “When you care about people, you win a community spirit,” says Jeanette.

“This is important in the success of any company.”

12

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Our Tra de i s E l ec tr i c al .

Our E xpe rt i se i s D esi g n - B u il d .

Our S t re n g t h i s Peo p l e .

We are honored to be recognized as finalists for the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur Of The Year Prairie’s Region”.

We wish to thank our people at AltaPro Electric who share the same vision in helping us build a dynamic team.

People are our greatest asset and ssuucess is only possible with you. Thank you for sharing your skills and leadership.

DESIGN-BUILD

•

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

13415 - 149 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5L 2T3 • Phone: 780-444-6510 • Fax: 780-483-4073

W W W . A LT A P R O . C A

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION

Mario and Alex Pagnotta Pagnotta Industries Inc.

S

tarting out with nothing but a shovel and a wheelbarrow, Mario Pagnotta got his start in the construction industry after immigrating to Canada from Italy at an early age with his wife. He had only enough money for the plane ticket over, but soon found employment with a friend and began a journey of hard work and relentless determination as he pursued further education at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in English and added some technical skills, working his way up through the construction industry to a general superintendent role.

His efforts culminated in the formation of Pagnotta Industries in 1992, targeting large concrete structural components. They took out a large line of credit on their house to start up the business, which has grown from a handful of crew members to more than 250 employees today. He’s known for his honesty in a business where quality is highly valued – and sometimes rare. When he brought his son, Alex Pagnotta, under his wing into the business, he proved how clearly he had many of his father’s traits and now serves as the company’s general manager. The pair work closely together as the company continues its upward trajectory.

Pagnotta’s sights are now set on further expansion; the company already operates in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan, but aims to create a presence in Manitoba. Priorities for future growth are based on developing the right talent. If he had to do it all over again, it’s clear he would: “I definitely would,” he says. “I have always believed in this company and have always had the support of my wife and kids.”

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Pagnotta Industries would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the great companies that have become finalists for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year.

Construction is a collaborative process, it takes a great team with different strengths to bring a project in on time and on budget. We would like to thank all of our employees both in the field and in the office for all of your hard work and dedication. This has been a great year for Pagnotta Industries, and with your help we look forward to many great years in the future.

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION

Jeff Jessamine Sprague Group of Companies

L

ook around Edmonton and you’ll see the mark of the Sprague Group of Companies almost everywhere – from the Yellowhead Trail and Whitemud Freeway to the bulk of Edmonton’s light rail transit system and Rexall Place, numerous highrises, hospitals and educational facilities, even the Heritage Classic. Suffice it to say, the Sprague Group’s footprint is everywhere – and increasingly outside of their home turf. Much of that can be attributed to Jeff Jessamine and his team of dedicated, visiondriven employees. It is said that decisiveness is a key trait of a leader. Perhaps nobody exemplifies this trait better than Jessamine.

At age eight, Jessamine saw himself owning a large construction company rather than taking over the family farm, and he started working toward his dream as soon as he could – he took his first job in the industry at 16, began his career at Sprague-Rosser as a tradesman, and has spent the last 14 years working his way up to president and chief executive officer, filling every critical role within the company along the way.

His personal experience with every facet of the company’s operations has given him a thorough understanding of what he needed to do when he became CEO of the company: He has been able to re-engineer the leadership, overhaul corporate culture, and set an entirely new vision for the company. This has taken the Sprague Group from teetering on the edge to a thriving firm with a global footprint and over 600 employees.

He has purposely surrounded himself with visionary people to help direct the Sprague Group into the future. “I consider my management team to be specialists in their respective disciplines,” says Jessamine. “These co-workers of mine have the opportunity to work wherever they want; they are in high demand … but they choose Sprague because they believe in me, and my vision.” The mark of a true leader: decisiveness and empowerment.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Our most valuable assets don’t sit on the balance sheet.

www.sprague-rosser.com

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION

Wayne Chiu Trico Homes

W

ayne Chiu, who immigrated to Canada in 1982, is a graduate of mechanical engineering from the University of Manitoba. He is also a qualified master builder and the founder and CEO of the Trico Group of Companies. Chiu always longed to tap into his entrepreneurial spirit. In 1987, he saw an opportunity to work for a renovation company in order to gain valuable experience in the real estate and project management industry he was so passionate about. Two years later, Chiu started the Trico Group of Companies.

Since then it has been an explosive journey of growth and its subsidiary, Trico Homes, has become a well-respected and successful homebuilder. “The company I started in 1989 has grown beyond my most ambitious expectations,” says Chiu. It has expanded to over 100 employees yet remains a family-oriented work environment.

In order to fuel the growth of the Trico Group, Chiu brought on board some talented individuals to help guide the strategic direction of the company. “At the beginning, we were an entrepreneurial operation in which I made all the decisions,” says Chiu.

Realizing his own limitation, he added the talent necessary to grow the company and build the right team to make it what it is today.

Chiu, who holds an institute certified director designation, has extensive board governance expertise in both the public sector and business community. He maintains his involvement in many worthwhile community and entrepreneurial ventures. Wanting to give back to the community that fostered his success, in 2008, Chiu and his wife, Eleanor, who is also a business partner, founded the Trico Charitable Foundation with a focus on social entrepreneurship and education.

This is evidently a company built on trust, respect, integrity, community and an unyielding desire to be one of the leaders in the industry.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Modest or adventurous, Trico Homes does leave a lot to the imagination Trico Homes’ Stanton I was chosen as one of the Best New Homes at the Calgary Homebuilder’s Association SAM Awards. Creative design options such as this cheeky “Peekaboo” ensuite shower really got people talking. And if you think the shower is transparent, wait till you discover Trico’s “nothing-to-hide” approach to building your perfect home.

Get to know us better at: tricohomes.com

Innovation The Stanton I model starting from $

485,900*

Photo of The Stanton I *Price includes home, lot & GST.

Trico Homes is proud to build in these fine communities Calgary Beacon Heights 217 & 221 Sherwood Heights NW

Evanston I The Ascent 987 & 991 Evanston Drive NW

Cranston 15 & 19 Cranarch Landing SE

Evanston I The Village 12 Evanswood Circle NW

Cranston I Manor Lane 157 Cranarch Place SE

Mahogany 344 & 348 Mahogany Blvd SE

Evanston I The Ascent 994 Evanston Drive NW

Montreux 291 Tremblant Way SW

Condos Nolan Hill 393 Nolanfield Way NW 51 Nolan Hill Gate NW Redstone 64 & 68 Redstone Avenue NE Sage Hill 51 Nolan Hill Gate NW

Montreux Villas 295 Tremblant Way SW

Out of Town

New Products.

New Ideas. New Trico.

Cimarron, Okotoks 5 Cimarron Springs Court

Heritage Hills, Cochrane New Brighton (York29) 92 & 94 New Brighton Landing SE 8 Heritage Green

CHBA - Calgary Region

Hillcrest, Airdrie 18 & 22 Hillcrest Street Cooper’s Crossing, Airdrie 1157 Cooper’s Drive

Celebrating 2011 25 Years

tricohomes.com

CLEANTECH

Perry Gerwing

Earthmaster Environmental Strategies Inc.

H

ard work and long hours were expected growing up in a farming community in rural Saskatchewan, but Perry Gerwing recognized that the additional key to long-term success lay in education. After obtaining a bachelor of science degree in agriculture and a masters in soil science, he started his first entrepreneurial venture. He identified the need for soils expertise in the drilling and environmental assessment industry and started an environmental drilling company, while still being a top performer at his full-time job at an agricultural consulting firm in Calgary. His initial venture grew and he sold the firm at a tidy profit in 1992.

Gerwing then worked for seven years as an environmental adviser at an energy-producing company but eventually succumbed to his entrepreneurial nature and started his own consulting firm, Earthmaster Environmental Strategies Inc., in 1998. The company began with a small home office and three employees with a model to offer environmental services to the upstream oil and gas sector while advancing environmental stewardship among industry players. The strategy was successful as the company now occupies 10,000 square feet of prime office space in Calgary and employs 35 people. Gerwing is proud to be involved in developing industry-leading environmental technologies along with researchers in Canada, China and Israel, who are deployed commercially in the field. These environmentally-friendly technologies offer significant cost savings to clients in addition to reducing their environmental footprint.

As Earthmaster has grown, Gerwing has diversified his investments, now owning a total of four companies, and is always on the hunt for the next opportunity. Earthmaster, meanwhile, recently opened offices in Estevan and Winnipeg in addition to its three Alberta offices. Gerwing has fostered a culture of quality performance whereby Earthmaster provides a quality service and product to the client, while ensuring his employees enjoy a positive work environment. “Employee satisfaction breeds positive energy and, along with hard work and dedication, ensures quality service to our clients and a healthier environment for everyone.�

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

CLEANTECH

Dan Balaban

Greengate Power Corporation

A

fter he graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of science degree, Dan Balaban worked as a management consultant with two of the world’s leading professional services firms – before catching the entrepreneurial bug. In 1999, he ventured out on his own by founding Roughneck.ca Inc., a leading provider of software solutions to the Canadian oil and gas industry. But he saw an even bigger opportunity in the world of energy and had a vision to go beyond what was being done at the time in Canada’s wind energy industry.

In 2007, at the age of 32, he founded Greengate Power Corporation and set about acquiring more than 200,000 acres of land leases to develop wind energy projects at an unprecedented pace – initially funded entirely with his own money. Armed with “an SUV as his office and a wind map” of Alberta, he started building a company that today has a management team of 10, who make extensive use of consultants to help execute its growing list of projects in Alberta. It is currently developing eight wind energy projects across the province totalling 1450 megawatts of power and last year completed the sale of its 150 MW Halkirk I Wind Project – a move he described as demonstrating the “significant value of Greengate’s world-class, Alberta-based wind energy projects.” Next up is Greengate’s 300 MW Blackspring Ridge I Wind Project, which is expected to be Canada’s largest operating wind energy project upon completion.

Not only is he actively growing Greengate, but Balaban is a founder of the Alberta Clean Electricity (ACE) coalition and a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). He is also a member of the boards of the Independent Power Producers Society of Alberta (IPPSA) and the Pembina Institute.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Congratulations to the entire Greengate Power Corporation team. I am truly honored and privileged to share this recognition with you!

-Dan Balaban Greengate Power Corporation is a leading Canadian developer of wind energy projects.

Later this year, Greengate plans to commence construction of Canada’s largest wind energy project, the 300MW Blackspring Ridge I Wind Project.

Wind Energy generates new investments, creates local jobs, and cleans our environment.

To learn more, please visit us at: www.greengatepower.com

Greengate Power Corporation | Suite 710, 407 - 2nd Street S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 2Y3 T: 403-930-1300 | F: 403-514-0567 | E: info@greengatepower.com www.greengatepower.com

CLEANTECH

Evan and Shane Chrapko Himark bioGas

T

wo Alberta farm boys, Evan and Shane Chrapko, were taken by their parents to an auction to buy themselves one sow and one cow – instead of getting an allowance. It was a move that taught the boys about upfront investment, marshalling resources for operations (such as input costs like food and medicine), and it laid the foundation for their entrepreneurial careers. This was complemented by the university education that dad and mom Chrapko insisted the boys and their two sisters had to achieve: Evan became a chartered accountant and also obtained an Ivy League law degree. Shane earned a B.Sc. in agriculture and also became a certified professional agrologist.

After several extremely successful software ventures (cumulatively creating nearly $1 billion in liquid shareholder exit value), the duo teamed up with family friends, Bern and Mike Kotelko.

They fearlessly dove into a cleantech venture – Himark – converting manure from the Kotelkos’ Top-5 Canadian feed lot into green electricity. After patiently building the company from the ground up (literally), and applying for patents around the world, Himark turned the corner to profitability. The largest biogas plant in the world (under construction in the U.S.) is 100 per cent based on Himark’s technology. Evan and Shane are looking to convert disease-ridden waste into energy (biogas) and deliver game-changing algae technology with 500 employees around the world within five years.

When asked what being an entrepreneur means to them, both brothers responded without having to think about it: “Leave the world a better place than what you found it.” Keeping true to these values instilled on the family farm, the Chrapkos established a not-for-profit fund called BioWaste-to-Energy for Canada – an Integration Initiative Corp. (“BECii”). BECii pays cleantech companies in the waste-to-energy sector and in the algae sector to scale up their technologies and inventions, making them more market-ready. This will increase Alberta’s and Canada’s capacity to export cleantech know-how and technology, while creating knowledge jobs “in the back 40.”

24

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

H

WASTE-TO-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING WORLDWIDE

We would like to thank the staff and clients of Himark bioGas for their dedication. Our success is due to our visionary clients and our brilliant and tireless staff. We could not have become a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year for 2012 without you.

Evan and Shane Chrapko

HIMARK HimarkBioGas.com (formerly Highmark Renewables Research)

TM

CLEANTECH

Don and Dan Guenette Infratech Corporation

I

nfratech Corporation was founded in 1987. In 1989 Don and Dan Guenette took over sole ownership of the company, which designs and manufactures incineration-related products and provides state-of-the-art infrared imaging services. Infratech identified a need for specialized equipment in the production well testing industry, which led to the creation of Alberta Welltest Incinerators in 2005, and American Welltest Incinerators in 2012.

The original infrared inspection division propro vided the platform for future growth with regular maintenance work in more than 300 plants across Canada. The incineration division has provided equipment to clients around the world, and AWI is a leader in their industry. Don and Dan’s fiscal approach is “extremely conservative” and while development was not as rapid as could have been, they maintained consistent growth in all economic climates. Don and Dan have strong ties to their community and are committed to balancing business and family.

“Our organization has family roots and we try to maintain the small-company feel and attitude,” says Don. Adds Dan, “We’ve been very fortunate to have some great people working along with us from the very beginning.” As they look to the future, there are challenges in growing their new U.S. operations, as well as supporting and maintaining their existing clientele, but they remain clear about their purpose. “Our main business philosophy is to always strive to be the best at what you do and to not settle for second best,” says Don.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

THANK YOU TO OUR EMPLOYEES & SUPPLIERS We’d like to thank our employees at Infratech and AWI for their hard work and dedication. Over the past 25 years it’s been a privilege working with you and getting to know your families. It’s the individual personalities and individual stories about your family life and time away from work that make Infratech such a special place to work. We appreciate the extra efforts that you show on a regular basis to meet deadlines and help the client meet their goals.

We would also like to extend a special thank you our valued vendors. We’ve been very fortunate to have developed so many strong and lasting relationships with vendors, many of whom we’ve worked with from the beginning, and they are a very important part of our team.

Business becomes much simpler when you build strong working relationships with clients. Our goal is to provide

WWW.INFRATECH.CC TF: 1.888.377.5432

the best products and services in our marketplace, and to keep doing it for a lifetime. It’s been so enjoyable getting to know our clients and in many cases our clients have become friends.

It has been said that “If you want to go fast, then go alone. But if you want to go far, go with family.” Our family at Infratech/AWI has worked with us to go far, and we are certain that together our journey will continue to be successful. We look forward to the future growth of our companies and seeing our staff grow and take on new challenges, that will continue to motivate us for years to come.

Thank you to all that have been a part of our story so far, as we’ve been truly blessed to have you with us on this adventure!

WWW.AWINCINERATORS.COM TF: 1.888.778.0960

MANUFACTURING

Henry Friesen Convey-All Industries Inc.

H

enry Friesen believes that entrepreneurs are 50 per cent “born” and 50 per cent “made.” Coming from the shop floor as a welder since he was 12 years old, Friesen first joined Convey-All Industries after a career in the transportation sector (bulk fuel) when he was approached by his (now) partners to join the company in 1996. Founded in 1983, Convey-All Industries used to be focused primarily on the agricultural manufacturing market. Today, thanks to Friesen the firm caters to the oilfield services (OFS) space to manufacture new conveyor systems for frac sand.

Friesen takes the view that the majority of good business ideas come directly from the customer. His philosophy is to listen to their feedback to seek out new business opportunities. Ultimately, it is the employees who really make Convey-All run smoothly and he places a high value on his staff and on making them happy.

Since pursuing the OFS space, the company has grown significantly under his leadership and the volume of orders for frac sand conveyors has increased exponentially.

Founded by Bob Toews, the company has evolved to keep up with the times and with changing markets and products. At the same time, Friesen knows that supporting the community is a key responsibility of any business and he and Convey-All have donated to numerous causes over the years. This also serves the interests of its employees because they feel pride in being part of something bigger than a company. Friesen works hard to create a sense of family and belonging within the company and looks ahead to continued prosperity as a result.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

“

“It’s truly an honour to be a finalist in the Prairies Region for the Ernest & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year.

The success that I have been involved in at Convey-All is directly attributed to the outstanding people that I’m fortunate to be surrounded by. Our team of dedicated employees strive for excellence, and are not afraid to work hard to ensure we reach the vision for each of the products we produce.

Winkler, Manitoba | 1-800-418-9461

“

www.convey-all.com

I would like to sincerely thank each of our employees for working together to build Convey-All’s ongoing success story.”

Our products are designed together with our wonderful customers, with the goal of designing and manufacturing the best product available for our customer’s job-at-hand.

- Henry Friesen, V.P. Sales & Marketing, Convey-All Industries Inc.

Convey-All prides themselves in industry-leading frac sand storage and conveyors for the oilfield industry.

Convey-All’s multi-compartment seed tenders & high capacity tube conveyors are built to last and get the job done fast.

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MANUFACTURING

Dean Spence Dynamic Solutions Inc.

D

ean Spence started Dynamic Solutions Inc. in 2006 and hired his first employee in late 2008, just as the recession hit. His initial vision for the company was to be an independent firm that designs and manufactures high-quality products to the oil and gas industry. However, the business plan evolved to get through tough economic times and Spence branched out as the economy recovered. By early 2011, the company was growing fast and separated into two divisions to include DSI Thru Tubing Inc. As activity in the oilpatch continued to pick up, he also saw an opportunity in the Windsor market where the manufacturing sector had been hit hard, opening Dynamic Solutions Windsor Inc. in April of 2012. It has come a long way from its start operating out of his garage in the early days. Spence credits his people as a cornerstone of his success, but also views management and capital as the other two critical pieces of the entrepreneurial puzzle.

Today, Dynamic has grown to more than 60 employees and has shown an amazing resiliency to overcome any challenge in its path. It has emerged as a leading tool and service provider for the oil and gas market by combining innovation, service and responsiveness – qualities he instils in his employees. The long-term growth prospects for Dynamic include international markets as Spence continues to build a truly world-class provider of solutions and services as a best-in-class provider for both local and international customers as the company looks to the future.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

When people say

don’t look down, the first thing we do

...is look down.

We’re rebels that way, and it means we get excellent shots.

But we’re not foolish. In fact, we’re extremely careful.

We’ve done the training:

· H2S safety certificates · the right PPE for the job · full liability insurance · injury-free since 2002

We go where you go.

And a few places you can’t.

epicphotography.ca 780-432-3742 photodesk@epicphotography.ca

MANUFACTURING

Nicholas Donohoe ICI Artificial Lift Inc.

N

icholas Donohoe believes firmly that hard work and perseverance are as important as opportunity when it comes to business success. “Problems and obstacles are often a matter of perspective,” says Donohoe, who joined ICI Artificial Lift Inc. nine years ago. “When presented, they seem to cause one of two reactions: immediate inactivity or immediate activity.”

Truly defining moments tend to come when seemingly insurmountable challenges face him. It is a test of his entrepreneurial resolve and Donohoe has proven he’s up for the challenge.

The company was originally founded in 2002 to develop a unique way to produce heavy oil (reciprocating the entire tubing string instead of sucker rods). Although the original technology was innovative, Donohoe and his team have been able to grow the business significantly by improving and adapting the technology to fit different particular market segments. The original technology now only represents three per cent of ICI’s yearly revenues, resulting in the development of additional revenue from this strategy of adapting the first concept.

This year, Donohoe and the team at ICI plan to continue to expand the domestic market, expand further into current international markets – it operates in Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, India, Yemen and the U.S. – establish a physical presence in the U.S., and break into other international markets, such as Venezuela, Africa and the U.K. It also hopes to expand market segments with the introduction of its new Megalift product in North America.

Throughout the growth of the firm, ICI has been a strong supporter of the local community in Lloydminster including support for local sports teams and various community events.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

MANUFACTURING

Jason Parks Profab Corporation

S

ometimes the choices we make can present hidden opportunities and that’s exactly what happened for Jason Parks. After leaving high school with a Grade 10 education, he got a job in a welding shop. Instead of being happy just to get a regular paycheque, Parks ventured out on his own and established what used to be called Professional Fabricating and Welding – a one-man shop with a truck operating out of a small warehouse. Today, that company started in 2003 has evolved in Profab Corporation – a multifaceted company with eight divisions, more than 100 employees and locations in Grande Prairie, Red Deer and Rocky Mountain House. Parks plans to expand his presence to include the Calgary market in the near future.

Parks is the type of entrepreneur who leads by example and through action. He worked alongside his team in the early years on the shop floor to prove his skill to his employees, most of whom were all older and more experienced than him. He now works closely with Josh Storey, the president of Profab, and Doug Fieger, the firm’s sales manager, as the company embarks on another phase of growth in coming years.

Looking back, Parks sometimes has trouble believing his good fortunes. “It was always a dream, but it was a very distant dream and it’s almost kind of surreal now,” says Parks. Among those good fortunes was being named the winner of awards program.

He’s humbled by such recognition, but these days he’s more focused on growing Profab – a company he considers his “baby.”

It’s clear that passion for the business runs deep with Parks.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Pride by Performance

It is an honour to be a finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year. This opportunity would not be possible without my amazing staff and great customers. The company is full of pride inside and out. It is the hard work of my team mates that makes the company succeed.

Thank You! - Jason Parks

Manufacturing | Construction | Machining | Pressure Equipment | Field Services | Coatings | Specialized Equipment

profabcorp.com

ENERGY – PRIVATELY HELD

Blaine LaBonte Cougar Drilling Solutions

B

laine LaBonte started with Cougar Tools in 1991 as a machinist. He worked his way up through the ranks, and, in 2007, he became CEO. In 2010, he rebranded the company as Cougar Drilling Solutions – taking a downhole tool rental company and transforming it into a complete drilling solutions provider: a multinational concern.

One indispensable element to his success is what he learned at the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School. He doesn’t worry about the money. Instead, he focuses on treating his employees, partners and customers with the utmost respect. It seems almost too simple, but it’s worked wonders for LaBonte.

Another indispensable element is personnel. Keeping key people is a big part of LaBonte’s method. “Employee retention through career development is how we retain knowledge and wisdom,” says LaBonte. “The shift supervisor of today becomes the VP of tomorrow.”

LaBonte also implemented a lean operating model during the recession that has allowed the firm to stay productive, growing its revenue while others were struggling. Within the last few years he’s doubled the number of employees and projects next year’s sales at $100 M. Cougar DS has taken big risks and overcome huge challenges to achieve today’s success: global recession, export embargoes, civil wars and endemic corruption in import countries.

Cougar Drilling Solutions’ culture and future success boils down to three things: optimization, collaboration and education. It’s an approach that’s unlike anyone else’s in the industry, and it’s another way Cougar Drilling Solutions, and Blaine LaBonte, is proving itself a world leader.

36

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Our emplOyees represent an incalculable wealth Of knOw-hOw. they’re Our greatest assets.

And, in all fairness, without these individuals, this Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Nomination would never have happened. It’s all down to them. Thank you.

ENERGY – PRIVATELY HELD

Dean Shaver CSI Canada Safety

F

ounded in 2006 in a camper trailer with a laptop and a business card, Dean Shaver overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges to launch CSI Canada Safety that same year. After reaching “worse than rock bottom” following the collapse of his previous trucking business when BSE (mad cow disease) hit the trucking industry hard, he dusted himself off and set about creating a private company offering on-site health and safety services to the energy industry.

Based in Calgary and Bonnyville, Alta., the company now reaches across the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

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Currently employing more than 140 people, it all began after Shaver had his own workplace accident and saw how disjointed and unorganized the health, safety, security and environment (HSSE) industry was at the time. Raised on a farm in Saskatchewan, Shaver hand-picks his management team and puts a lot of emphasis on people and communication to keep up with an ever-changing industry. “CSI Canada Safety has led the industry in setting the highest example of standards for health, safety, security and environment, and so our frame of mind is not that of keeping up with industry changes, but helping the industry change to keep up with us,” says Shaver. “Our people are the heart and soul of our industry.”

Shaver has changed the entire oil and gas industry’s perception of HSSE, possessing a unique ability to create a culture of safety in an industry fraught with dangers. He knows those dangers firsthand, having worked the rigs himself. His skills go well beyond on-the-ground knowledge of safety, however. Since launching and growing his company, he has demonstrated business acumen in every area, bringing in key people he personally identifies with the instincts needed to take the company forward. Expect more explosive growth from CSI Canada Safety in the future.

38

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

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e th ds r fo nee s r ke t y or safe Calgar y w #106 - 3506 118 Avenue SE T2Z 3X1 ed our c Bonnyville en ge y i r Box 8149, Alber ta T9N 2J4 e a p For t St. John ex man e 10904 - 104 Street, British Columbia V1J 4E2 t Est. 2006 o i t n S tr y O s ng Indu Dean Shaver i d i President / CEO s Know Safety No Pain v a o 1-877-919-7473 Pr & G No Safety - Know Pain l Fax: 780-826-7684 i O LET CSI MANAGE YOUR SAFET Y NEEDS

Safety Tech Responsibilities and Expectations • • • • • •

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Work closely with On Site Supervisor to maintain Safety Regulations on worksite Assist in conducting regular Safety Audits and Site Inspections - Documented Ensure quality job-specific JSAs for tasks Promote and execute Hazard Awareness on worksite Assist to ensure quality Safety Meetings on worksite To stop any unsafe work and provide guidance for workers to eliminate hazards with the support of the On Site Supervisor To ensure 3rd parties are aware of company policies and procedures prior to executing their job Assist in Safety Drills, recording of and analyzing to make more effective Tracking any paperwork necessary to ensure Regulatory and Company Standards are kept in compliance To share industry incidents with On Site crews and review procedures to avoid possible incidents/accidents on current worksite In the event of an incident/accident, help On Site Supervisor to conduct a thorough investigation and provide reporting in compliance with Regulatory and Company policies Create and maintain Action Logs with Completion dates maintained Is not part of the conventional crew and does not get directly involved in tasks and general activities that the crew would generally perform. Observe and Assist.

Managing • Drilling Operations • Completion Operations • Construction Operations • Service Rig Operations

Health & Safety Services • HSE Manual Development & Production • HSE Training • Incident/Accident Investigation

Auditing & Training • Rig Startup/Lease Inspection & Auditing • Incident/Accident Investigation • ISNet World & COR Development & Auditing • Well Service BOP Training • Coil Tubing BOP Training

Lloydminster 203, 5101 - 48th Street, Alber ta T9V 3C6 Mail PO Box 12387 RPO 10 Lloydminster, AB T9V 3C6 www.tallrig.ca

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INTERNATIONAL INC. 2006

ENERGY – PRIVATELY HELD

Lance Torgerson Noralta Lodge Ltd.

B

orn in Calgary and raised in the northern Alberta town of Slave Lake, Lance Torgerson returned back to his native hometown after attending the University of Calgary and earning a business administration in management degree from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), with a desire to start a remote workforce accommodation company that went above and beyond what was offered in the industry at the time. “I was told on many occasions that the company would fail,” recalls Torgerson. “It strengthened my resolve to make it work.”

At the age of 25, he formed Noralta Lodge Ltd. in 1997. He borrowed money from his parents, who remortgaged their home to loan him the capital, and started out with his first mobilized camp of 16 beds. “I was immediately all in,” he says. In the beginning, the company was run by Torgerson and one other staff member and has now evolved into thousands of rooms with hundreds of staff.

He remains the youngest town councillor in the history of Slave Lake and is clearly committed to the community in numerous ways as his company grew to one of the largest independent lodging companies in the country. Noralta Lodge Ltd. has hundreds of customers including some of the largest names in the oil and gas sector. When the Slake Lake fires hit, Torgerson immediately offered up his facilities to house displaced residents – one of many examples of giving back to the community over the years.

If history is any indicator, Torgerson’s resolve and determination are sure to take his company profitably into the future.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Thank you

to the Noralta Lodge Family

“A place where we are proud to have family and friends stay & work� is the mission statement that we are committed to at Noralta Lodge Ltd. and I am proud and thankful to our team members as they ensure that this statement is kept relevant and true.

I would like to personally thank each and every member of the Noralta Lodge family for all of your hard work and dedication that has led us to where we are now as a company. Your commitment and passion has been integral in making Noralta Lodge one of the premier lodging companies in the industry.

Thank you! ~ Lance

noraltalodge.com

ENERGY – PRIVATELY HELD

Gerald V. Chalifoux Petrospec Engineering Ltd.

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erald Chalifoux’s entrepreneurial instincts began at an early age, having started a janitorial services company at the age of just 14. Since then, he’s gone on to become a successful engineer who has worked globally and throughout Western Canada for a range of companies in the oil and gas industry. Chalifoux also founded two high-growth oil and gas service companies, including Petrospec Engineering Ltd. where he remains president and CEO. He’s well known for his appetite for generating a culture of enthusiasm based on unique and challenging projects, whether it’s prior to or after launching Petrospec in 1997 in Edmonton.

Identifying the need for turnkey reservoir monitoring solutions to unconventional oil and gas companies, Petrospec originally focused on engineering, consulting and gas well optimization services. The rapid development of SAGD was underserved by reservoir monitoring service companies. Petrospec’s heavy oil experience pushed it deep into the market, at the forefront of demand in the monitoring business. In February of 2011, Chalifoux bought out two partners he originally brought on board in 2002. He later took on a private equity partner to have flexibility to expand the business.

Since then, the company’s staff has grown from 38 to 90 employees. He plans to have a staff of 110 by the end of this year. Keeping employees motivated and engaged has also been a core focus of his management style, placing an emphasis on career development and progression. The result is a company with one of the highest employee satisfaction levels and one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry. Petrospec is a leading technology company and as such, owes its success to a strong and professional group of engineers, technologists, field technicians and administrators.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Dr. Alan Ulsifer FYidoctors

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s a man who’s always liked to build things – whether it was organizing baseball and hockey teams in his youth or getting involved in volunteer groups in his professional career – Dr. Alan Ulsifer has always been driven by innovation. He also doesn’t like to lose. After winning an array of awards from optometry school, he went on to help build the largest revenuegenerating, independent optometry practice in Canada. It earned him kudos and awards from various organizations - rare for a health-care provider. So it’s no surprise he’s onto something even bigger these days.

After building a highly-successful independent optometry practice, he set out to take the industry in a new direction when he, and his partners, launched FYi Eye Care Services and Products Inc. in 2008, the brand more commonly known as simply, FYidoctors. In four short years, FYidoctors has become the largest independent eye care products and services company in Canada – the second largest overall – and is tracking to become the largest in the next year or two. He built the business on a concept of merging independent optometrists from across Canada and creating a model that allowed them to have more control over their practice, their equipment, supply chains and ultimately, their own destiny. Faced with criticism and doubt from suppliers and competitors alike, his vision and courage prevailed.

With an initial merge of 28 practices back in 2008, he and his team built a vertically-integrated company (from lens manufacturing and distribution, to eye care and retail), which is at the forefront of lens technology and proudly sitting at over 100 locations in 2012 while still growing rapidly. His foresight to reestablish the value and demand for modern eye care, with the focal point being a platform of strong independent doctors, is leading the company to become the recognized expert for eye services and vision products in Canada.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

What began as a dream of 30 eye doctors has quickly become a forward-thinking and patient-focused team with over 250 optometrists serving over 100 locations across Canada.

FYidoctors ... giving patients access to advanced eye care and the latest styles in eye wear.

[ thank you ] “I’d like to personally thank all of our talented and dedicated group of optometrists and staff who have made FYidoctors the success it is today. As CEO I often receive the accolades for our corporate achievements but it has always been and always will be the passion of our owner optometrists who drive the direction of this company and the optical industry in our country.” Dr. Alan Ulsifer

www.fyidoctors.com British Columbia | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba | Ontario | New Brunswick | Nova Scotia

BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Dianna Davidson Magellan Vacations

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uxury, jet-setting, top-of-the-line travellers have a unique link to Winnipeg made possible by Dianna Davidson. She has firmly dominated the online luxury hotel booking market in the U.S. and serves hundreds of thousands of well-heeled clients, booking high-end hotels for them around the world. This comes from a proven entrepreneur with good connections, along with expertise from her co-founder and brother, Dan. Yet, as the CEO of Winnipeg-based Magellan Vacations, Davidson has certainly built a distinct business model for a specific target audience.

She started the company in 2001 with the goal to provide a full range of personalized, luxury travel services. She formed strong relationships in a travel market that was becoming conquered by online travel agencies at the time. In the luxury market, this online, personalized model was unheard of – even ridiculed. When Davidson says personalized, she means it. Magellan Vacations is a full-service agency that includes concierge-style, high-touch, one-on-one service around the clock and has built a loyal client base as a result. It is a model that has thrived through all economic cycles.

“One would expect, with a product offering such as ours, that our clients would only be affluent travellers,” says Davidson. “The reality is, we also provide services to executives travelling for business, and for vacationers looking for a special stay.”

As a gifted entrepreneur and manager, Davidson realizes the impact her business has in all walks of life. She and her team at Magellan Vacations have been involved with all facets of the community, including organizations that range from CancerCare Manitoba to the Siloam Mission to the Addictions Foundation to the Winnipeg Humane Society, among others. “We want to make our charitable dollars count, so each year we opt to work with a few select partners, and do what we can to support the organizations that benefit our community,” adds Davidson.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

torontoluxuryhotels.com

BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Ryan Pomeroy Pomeroy Lodging LP

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e started out washing dishes, working the night shift at the family hotel’s front desk and learning every facet of the hospitality industry. He went on to play professional volleyball around the world, but by the age of 24, Ryan Pomeroy tapped into his entrepreneurial instincts and rejoined the comcom pany. As the current president of Pomeroy Inn and Suites Inc. and Pomeroy Lodging LP based in Grande Prairie, Alta., he has built a brand based on a strategy of an unrelenting drive to succeed.

It helped that he comes from a family of entrepreneurs rooted in the North Peace, B.C. region inspired in large part by his father.

Pomeroy quickly learned what it really takes to run a hotel – let alone a hotel chain of family-owned brands. As he grew into his own, he has negotiated major deals, acquired significant financfinanc ing to fuel growth, managed the operation of 60 properties and led the firm through the ups and downs of economic cycles – being tested at times like the recession of 2009. Each time, his business acumen has proven to meet the challenges before him through a strategy of empowering and encouraging his staff to equally rise to the occasion.

Today, Pomeroy Lodging owns and operates 20 businesses, seven of which bear the Pomeroy name. Since being appointed president in 2006, he has closed several major deals to position hospital the company for success in the notoriously competitive hospitality industry. Pomeroy’s approach to operate in regional clusters has been essential to the firm’s success. As he looks forward, he’s now working with Olds College to combine an upcoming four-star property on the campus with a rural hospitality program, demdem onstrating his commitment to building the industry as a whole.

He has also worked closely with many community organizations over his years as president. “By focusing dollars directly back through strategic partnerships and sponsorships not only has each community benefited, it has led to strong brand recognition and customer loyalty,” says Pomeroy.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Celebrating Our People

Dear Team Pomeroy, I want to take a moment to sincerely say thank you for all that you do. The recognition I am receiving is a direct reflection of the hard work that you, our employees do every day to make our company so successful.

Together we have overcome obstacles and reached many milestones. By believing in what we do and taking initiative, the pride we have in our company is contagious.

It shines through our guests in the form of memorable experiences and creates loyal customers that will share those experiences with others.

As we continue to grow and move forward in the years to come, the basis of our business will remain the same, by making sound decisions that are mutually beneficial to our communities, our stakeholders, my family and the families of you, our valued employees.

Sincerely, Ryan Pomeroy

www.PomeroyLodging.com

EMERGING

Ken James Oak Point Energy Ltd.

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or 10 years after graduating from high school, Ken James worked in various cities throughout Canada in all sorts of roles at all levels in the construction and forestry industries, demonstrating his leadership early on. He then decided to study chemical engineering at the University of Waterloo and graduated in 1989 with a dream to start his own company. In 1995, he co-founded KemeX Ltd., an engineering consulting firm.

His work there involved numerous projects in locations throughout the world.

While serving as CEO of KemeX, he led the development of innovative solutions to address issues on many oilsands projects, culminating in the novel 1nSite facility designs. KemeX was acquired by Oak Point Energy in 2011 and James now serves as co-CEO and co-president of that venture. He shares the roles with Bob Nicolay, former president and CEO of Enmax. James credits the team at Oak Point for contributing to his success and the strength of the company. “Exceptional results will only be achieved with exceptional people working in an innovative environment,” he says. “We have ambitious plans that will be feasible because of the intelligence, creativity and strength of our team.”

There is no shortage of challenges facing the team as they embark on an ambitious growth strategy, but there is little doubt that with James’ skills, experience and leadership – along with a strong reputation among industry peers and Nicolay’s proven track record – they will accomplish their goals as they rise to success in their field.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Superior SAGD development through applied engineering innovation

Oak Point Energy is working to transform the way in-situ oil sands development occurs. With our Tier 1 oil sands land and our modular, portable SAGD plant designs, we are bringing a new approach to cost and risk management, operability and environmental performance.

This transformation depends on a team that is dedicated, innovative and creative. The capabilities and commitment of Oak Point’s team were essential to developing our innovative technology and I am truly grateful for their continued contribution to our success.

Ken James Co-President and Co-CEO

403-206-6161 | contactus@oakpointenergy.ca www.oakpointenergy.ca

EMERGING

Lyle Michaluk and Cliff Wiebe Poseidon Concepts

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yle Michaluk and Cliff Wiebe’s story is one of incredible achievement in a short time. “It was an idea founded on responding to necessity,” says Wiebe, president and chief operating officer of Poseidon Concepts. Adds Michaluk, who is chief executive officer: “Our affinity for customers has solid roots.” While working at a junior exploration and production company, the duo conceived, developed, field-tested and rolled out an innovative insulated, modular fluid storage system.

Oil and natural gas well completion costs had been rising due to the proliferation of horizontal drilling with multistage, hydraulic fracturing, and services and equipment were becoming scarce. Wiebe was sure there was a better way of handling the associated large fluid storage needs than the standard small steel tank or the traditional lined pit. He put his 25 years of experience into designing a new type of tank: easy to transport, cheaper to heat and above all huge in capacity at up to 41,000 barrels. The first prototype was tested in early 2010. By early 2011, Poseidon was doing business in the vast U.S. market. Late last year the company split from its parent, went public (TSX:PSN) and began paying a monthly dividend of nine cents per share.

Today, the Calgary-based company has a track record of over 2,000 safely executed fluid handling jobs. Producers have also discovered its profound environmental benefits.

“We are looking to evolve into a full-cycle fluids management solutions provider,” says Michaluk. Now active in 19 U.S. states, Poseidon is forecasting 2012 EBITDA of $210 million and intends to have more than 500 tanks in its fleet by the end of 2012. “Our focus is to keep growing the tank fleet, roll out new, complementary products and services, while delivering a sustainable dividend to our shareholders,” says Michaluk.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

EMERGING

Regan Stevenson Sunpeak Multiwise

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ed up with the poor quality of food available to students in university cafeterias and food courts, Regan Stevenson set out to develop a business plan while studying business at the University of Manitoba for a healthy food company that would provide top-quality, natural, food choices for students and busy families. Stevenson led a new venture team that initially won several business planning competitions and earned over $100,000 in cash and prizes to help turn an intensive class research project into a full-scale business operation. The result was the formation of Sunpeak Multiwise in 2007.

He faced a lot of challenges, including stiff competition from much larger and more established players, along with raising additional capital and marketing their idea.

Determined to succeed, Stevenson persevered and eventually signed distribution agreements with many major Fortune 500 food conglomerates in both food service and retail markets. It got Sunpeak’s products on the shelves of mainstream grocers across Canada, including Whole Foods Market, Sobeys, Vita Health, Choices Markets, IGA Garden Markets and several others.

Stevenson always had a dream to start up his own business, but was determined to first arm himself with the skills it would take to make the venture successful. He describes his style of leadership as “very hands-on, but giving employees room to grow.” He has a “no-door” policy that means employees can access him at any time. As a proponent of sustainability, this company is poised for growth to capture the increasing appetite for local, natural ingredients offered by a truly sustainable, health-conscious company.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Glenn Yuen and Trevor MacFarlane Dynamic Risk

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hree years out of engineering school, in the basement of his parents’ home, Glenn Yuen started a consulting firm with just a single client in 1996. He had been working at TransCanada PipeLines in the field of risk management and saw a tremendous opportunity. By 2000, he had built Dynamic Risk into a specialized engineering and software solutions company that helped pipeline operators manage the safety of their assets.

Trevor MacFarlane joined Yuen in 2000 with a shared vision. Both believed that there was a better way and have committed their energy to building a company that could change the industry and improve safety, reliability and performance of the country’s pipeline network.

They realized that being an engineering software company, they needed to achieve a balance between the creativity they wanted and the process they needed. Operators expect engineering analysis to be accurate and complete – lives are at risk otherwise. They also expect partners to be clairvoyant in their needs. It’s a responsibility that Dynamic Risk enjoys.

“Our approach to leading the business was to start with building an outstanding culture where we have total alignment on vision and values,” says MacFarlane. “The process of building the right culture involves engaging employees in open and constructive dialogue, listening to their concerns and leading by example. We are extremely proud to have created a culture of excellence, diversity and inclusiveness where high-performance teams work throughout the organization to build creative solutions to our clients’ needs,” adds Yuen.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Building a high-performance organization takes a company-wide commitment. We want to thank all our employees and partners for their belief and unwavering support in establishing our vision of being a collaborative, innovative firm with purpose and inspiration. ~ Trevor MacFarlane and Glenn Yuen

#208, 1324 17th Ave SW Calgary, AB • www.dynamicrisk.net

TECHNOLOGY

Marcos Lopez Solium

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hen Marcos Lopez was still in university completing his computer science degree, he developed a passion for building innovative technology. Shortly after starting his own company upon graduation, his team caught the attention of another startup getting ready to launch in 1999 and in 2000, Solium Capital took him and his company onto the team to lead the development of their platform.

That’s when it all started. He saw vast opportunities to build a global technology solution to deal with the complex obstacle course of regulations, tax issues related to stock option administration and trading. Since then, Lopez and the management team at Solium have grown the company to more than 1,600 clients and one million participants in more than 80 countries worldwide. Since its inception, Solium has been a pioneer in its industry. “We take great pride in being leaders of change and delivering the most innovative stock plan administration experience possible for finance and HR professionals, plan administrators and participants,” says Lopez. “We have been incredibly fortunate at Solium to attract dedicated and talented staff who continue to share the entrepreneurial spirit that has helped us succeed. Innovation is part of their DNA.” Within five years, Lopez envisions the company being more than twice its current size with more than $100 million in revenue. They have recently opened a European office and have established an initial footprint in the Asia-Pacific market. While operating globally, he remains cognizant of the local community, supporting organizations such as the United Way. As they embark on a journey of global proportions, Lopez clearly retains a humble approach to life even as the company aggressively pursues a vision of global leadership in their market.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Tara Kelly SPLICE Software Inc.

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y the age of 35, Tara Kelly has started three companies, sold the first at a profit, sold part of the second one and is growing her third company rapidly.

Her entrepreneurial flair started when she was just nine years old, when she wrote her first computer program. Exploring the potential of technology became a passion – one that she has very successfully translated into various business ventures years later.

While working at one of her ventures, a health food and service store in Haysboro, she wondered if there was a better way to remind patients of their appointments. She quickly devised a plan called Simply Health Systems, but again wasn’t satisfied. So, true to her entrepreneurial spirit, pursued a different service model in enterprise marketing and voice messaging. Thus SPLICE Software was born in 2006.

She developed an innovative “voice merge” technology that provides an authentic human voice with personalized interactions across phone, video, texting, websites and email, allowing companies to easily and seamlessly communicate with their clients. Her goals for the future will be an expansion of the finance and insurance market, moving into emerging markets such as South America and South Africa. “International markets definitely have a demand for automated interactions that are humanized and we are very excited about the initial response, but we must choose our path carefully as SPLICE still has plenty of growth available right here at home in North America,” says Kelly.

She has grown her company organically so far, but plans to carry out future expansions through acquisitions as she raises capital to pursue a truly ambitious strategy. “International growth is just around the corner and we will be looking for great partners with local presence,” says Kelly.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Dear family, friends, clients and my fellow SPLICEer’s Being recognized as a Prairie finalist for Entrepreneur Of The Year is a true honour and I am deeply grateful to Ernst & Young for empowering innovators around the world.

My fellow SPLICEer’s, I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to know each of you and to work along side you. Thank you for bringing so much of who you are to work everyday, for making your mark on this company and for helping create a culture that I am so very proud of! May we forever challenge one another to make things a little better in all we do.

To my clients, thank you for allowing us the chance to work with you as a partner to create better communication experiences for your customers. Thank you for sharing the goals and vision of your organization and allowing us to be a small part of making it happen.

Working for you and with you, truly is our pleasure. We appreciate our seat at your table.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and birds of a feather do flock together…So all I want to know is how did I get so lucky to be in a flock with such an amazing bunch! You truly are the mosaic of who I am! Thank you for the unconditional love and support. ...And to my boys, Raymond and Samuel, you inspire me everyday, to reach higher, to try harder, to love deeper and to create value. You make me want to be a better person. There is a great big beautiful world out there, go forward, add value and always believe in your dreams!

My name is Tara Kelly and I believe it can be better!

Tara Kelly President & CEO SPLICE Software Inc.

PROFESSIONAL AND INVESTMENT SERVICES

Terry Stephenson Blackjack Investments Ltd.

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erry Stephenson is not your average accountant. While most people see the profession as being one of caution and an aversion to risk, Stephenson is the polar opposite – aggressive, with an inherent desire to seek calculated gambles.

After 10 years working for a large public accounting firm and for a publicly-traded oilfield service company, he decided it was time to venture out on his own. In 2005, he purchased not one but two companies, identifying their complementary lines of business. From there, Blackjack Investments Ltd. was formed and has since acquired 18 companies, all of them focused on three core areas: construction; environmental consulting and engineering; and equipment rental.

Today, privately-held Blackjack Investments’ strategy is to manage several complementary businesses in the energy and resource sector to help facilitate their growth. A cornerstone of Stephenson’s success to date has been a clear recognition of the people who work with the company – he has 600 to 750 employees at any given time. “Our success has come from continuously delivering timely and innovative solutions to our customers,’’ he says. “This success would not be possible without the hard work, dedication and credibility of our employees, from our trades people in the field, our accounting and administrative groups to our executive group.”

Blackjack Investments’ goal is to grow the top line by 25-45 per cent over the next three years while achieving earnings of 18-20 per cent of gross revenue each year. Because the company has achieved much of its success in smaller communities throughout Western Canada, Stephenson places a great emphasis on contributing to everything from local sports teams to volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, among many other causes. True to his farm roots, Stephenson is a shining example of the Western Canadian entrepreneurial spirit.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

PROFESSIONAL AND INVESTMENT SERVICES

David Aplin David Aplin Group

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avid Aplin is an engineer with an MBA from York University who spent several years working for Canadian National Railway, 3M and Eaton’s. He had an entrepreneurial upbringing and worked with his father in several family-owned businesses. When he found himself looking for work when one of his employers shut down, he discovered there wasn’t a local staffing firm that met his needs. So, in 1975 he set out to create his own – David Aplin Group.

Over the span of 37 years, the staffing company has firmly entrenched itself in the middle of the staffing industry with a model based on providing deep specialization by job category, a wide geographical scope across the country and a broad range of recruiting services. It now has 10 offices in Canada in four major segments: Aplin Professional; Aplin Office; Aplin Executive; and Aplin Outsource. It’s a formula that has proven itself over time as a “one-stop shop” for staffing needs. Aplin has persevered through many economic cycles. During the 2009 recession, Dave’s son, Jeff, was appointed president to steer the company forward.

The strategy worked and, today, the company is thriving again and ingrained into the communities where it operates. Dave says, “Our country works better when there is a spirit of volunteerism and corporate support in local communities. At David Aplin Group, we talk this talk and walk this walk!” The company is proud to match all employee donations to local United Way campaigns.

Many employees take the David Aplin Group corporate challenge to become active volunteers in their local communities seriously and choose to support such organizations as Volunteer Calgary, Kids Up Front and Distress Centres Ontario, among others. Dave is currently setting up the David and Grace Aplin Charitable FounFoun dation – a testament to his commitment to philanthropy as the company embarks on a new era.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

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PROFESSIONAL AND INVESTMENT SERVICES

Chris Izquierdo and David Cronin DevFacto Technologies Inc.

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orn and raised in Cuba, Chris Izquierdo immigrated to Canada 13 years ago. David Cronin is a born-and-raised Albertan. Their paths crossed after working for several firms when the two began working at Time Industrial in Edmonton, having amassed years of technical experience. Over time, they learned what they liked and what they didn’t like in an employer and decided to start their own IT consulting practice in 2007 – DevFacto Technologies Inc. The dream was to create a different kind of company with a healthy workplace that allowed talent to flourish, while building superior software that had a brilliant customer service edge.

“We treat company culture as our most important asset; it is our workforce that makes us different and allows us to continually outperform our competition,” says Izquierdo. “For us it’s a simple formula: happy employees equals happy clients,” adds Cronin. They started out with just $1,000 of personal cash to start up the business. Over the following five years, DevFacto grew to 60 consultants delivering solutions for companies such as Enbridge, PCL Constructors, Viterra and Epcor, among others. It has earned them numerous awards to date – too many to mention – that serves as proof of their commitment to building a truly unique kind of company.

Instead of an HR department, they split the function into two divisions: talent and culture. Their distinct business model has served them well. Staff turnover sits at zero per cent – an amazing feat for any company, especially in Alberta. Community remains close to the hearts of both entrepreneurs as they donate to charities such as the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. As they continue to grow, it’s clear that drive, ambition and determination are their biggest assets.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

ENERGY – PUBLICLY TRADED

Don Caron Bri-Chem Corp.

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on Caron has an eye for opportunity. He carefully sought out intriguing entrepreneurial ventures throughout his career and has continued to use his vast business experience expanding companies ever since.

As a serial entrepreneur, it’s in his blood. Starting at age 13, during summer holidays, he began operating heavy equipment for his father’s road building construction company.

After working several years in construction, he decided to pursue a completely different path in his career, becoming an accountant. Working in a large public accounting firm only set the stage for Caron to subsequently start up a private equity firm where he would seek out and manage highly-successful entrepreneurial business ventures in many diversified industries.

Caron sought out Bri-Chem Corp. in 2006 when the privatelyheld drilling fluids distributor was generating revenues in Canada of approximately $60 million a year with an employee base of 20.

Five years later, after taking over as chief executive officer, its revenues are reaching $200 million with a workforce of over 110 employees. The company completed three acquisitions, diversified its product offerings, entered into the giant U.S. drilling fluids market and accomplished the installation of North America’s first thermal pipe expansion facility for manufacturing of large diameter steel pipe. No small feat.

Today, Caron is focused squarely on the future of Bri-Chem’s continued success. “It is our goal to establish Bri-Chem as the North American leader for the distribution and niche manufacturing of drilling fluids and large diameter steel pipe.”

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

ENERGY – PUBLICLY TRADED

Brian Vaasjo Capital Power

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ithin three weeks of spinning off a group of power generation assets from the municipally-owned Epcor Utilities Inc. into publicly-traded Capital Power Corp.

(CPC) in July 2009, Brian Vaasjo convened a leadership meeting for all management where he laid out a clear vision for the company and culture. Capital Power’s vision is to be recognized as one of North America’s most respected, reliable and competitive power generators. The dramatic and almost immediate shift that occurred speaks volumes about his entrepreneurial leadership style.

Under Vaasjo’s leadership, CPC’s initial public offering, which was the first major IPO after the global recession at the end of 2008, was successfully completed. From these early days Vaasjo implemented the corporate strategy and has worked with his team to develop the company into what it is today.

After 1,000 days of being a public company, six large power plants have been acquired, Capital Power’s interest in Capital Power Income LP has been divested, construction is complete on $2.2 billion of power projects, and more than $1.5 billion is committed to the construction of new Canadian wind projects. “The CPC team, with the support of our board and families, has achieved great things over the last three years – growing the company and at the same time creating a culture that focuses on execution and doing the right thing,” says Vaasjo. Aside from being intricately tied to the community through its various charitable giving initiatives, CPC has become an innovator in power generation and a leader in good governance under Vaasjo’s direction.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

ENERGY – PUBLICLY TRADED

Jim Rakievich McCoy Corporation

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il was trading at $10 per barrel and after a successful career with Manitoba-based Kleysen Transport, Jim Rakievich was recruited to McCoy Corp. to turn around its service operations. He’d already proven his leadership at Kleysen, so 15 years ago he took on the challenge. In 2001, he was promoted into the position of president and chief executive officer of McCoy after demonstrating his unique ability to solve problems. His work wasn’t done yet.

There were operational challenges; the board of directors needed a new leader and Rakievich rose to the challenge. He joined a long line of accomplished leaders in the history of the company first founded in 1914. After 10 years as the CEO, Rakievich has increased revenue to $154 million, refocused operations of the company and delivered products to 44 countries in 2011. “Over the past three years, McCoy has been reshaping itself into a pure play products and services supplier for the global oil and gas industry,” says Rakievich. “This will continue with additional focus on new product development in an increasingly technology-driven industry.”

McCoy, which provides equipment, services and replacement components for the oil and gas sector worldwide, operates in two segments: energy products and services, and mobile solutions. Rakievich has a handle on both of them. When he recalls the early years of his career, he says he took some risks that paid off and learned what leadership, execution and empowerment is all about. It’s one of the reasons Rakievich has been a proponent of McCoy being very active in the community. From the Ronald McDonald House to the Terra Centre for Pregnant and Parenting Teens to the Youth Emergency Shelter Society (YESS), Rakievich has found a formula for success on all levels.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

you EXPECTED WE SuRPASSED

I am honored to be recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist. McCoy’s success is dependent on the qualities and capabilities of our people and none of what we’ve accomplished would be possible without their loyalty and expertise. Thank you to all of our employees, partners and Board of Directors. Every one of you has contributed in making McCoy a successful company.

Jim RakiEvich PrEsIDEnT & CEO MCCOY COrPOraTIOn

suITE 301, 9618 - 42 avEnuE nW EDMOnTOn, alBErTa T6E 5Y4 WWW.mccoyglobal.com

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Maury Van Vliet, Todd Van Vliet, Scott Van Vliet Environmental Refuelling Systems Inc.

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n 2004, Maury Van Vliet was set to retire from his remote helicopter refuelling business. His son, Todd, was practicing law, and his other son, Scott, had come home from managing a large cattle ranch in South America to assist him with the business. Scott saw the potential of refuelling for the booming oilsands business and talked his father and brother into taking a gamble to haul fuel and build tanks to serve the oilsands companies. As a result Environmental Refuelling Systems (ERS) was born in 2005.

The trio, with very different backgrounds, came together and contributed in different ways: Maury with his extensive business experience, Todd with his 20 years of varied legal practice and Scott with his “hard riding” can-do attitude.

From just a few employees, ERS has grown into a company of more than 150 employees today. Two boards were set up – an internal board consisting of Maury, Scott and Todd, to handle day-to-day business challenges, and an external advisory board comprised of people with years of experience and success in the business world.

Between the two, growth has been remarkable and consistent.

Facing all kinds of challenges, not the least of which include logistics and the up-and-down cyclical nature of the business, the trio has demonstrated an uncanny ability to stay a step ahead in this highly-competitive industry with creative (and patented) approaches to various industry needs. Throughout it all, ERS has also demonstrated its commitment to the communities where it works through involvement in all types of local sports teams.

“Coming from rural backgrounds, we recognize the importance of community and the need to contribute to its well-being,” they all agree. As they look to the future, this family trio sees good times ahead.

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Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

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BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Kim Caron

Executive Mat Service Ltd.

K

im Caron sold his home in 1996 to risk it all with his family by building a niche business providing high-end rental mat service. As a self-described “born entrepreneur,” it was in his blood to take the gamble and Executive Mat Service Ltd. was incorporated in 1997. With just one employee, Caron handled every aspect of the business as it started to grow, despite intense competition from more established players in the industry.

Determined not to use debt to finance the growth of his venture, he relied on cash flow to expand into new areas of business, such as industrial towelling, uniform service and janitorial supplies – a strategy he still employs today as the company thrives in its completely self-sustainable facility using recycled energy. He relied – and still does – heavily on surrounding himself with a team of employees and advisers to build the business. Roland Batt was instrumental in sourcing, installing and maintaining production equipment. Today, he’s focused on technology innovation and acts as chief engineer, while Shawn Whitley has focused on developing the company’s award-winning service department.

They are extremely fortunate to have a team that understands the importance of quality and service in developing long-term business relationships – you are only as good as your last delivery is a motto preached at Executive.

The business has come a long way from its start as a one-man operation. Looking to the future, he is staying true to his roots of technological innovation, particularly with respect to safety and clean energy. Executive Mat recently became ISO 14001 (environmental management system) certified and COR Safety Certified.

The future looks bright – and green – for Executive Mat Service.

76

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

“It is a great honour to share this recognition with our team. I have been very fortunate to attract team members that share the same core values that I do. Hard work and a genuine desire to be the best has brought us success and should guide us well into the future.”

ISO14001 Certified COR Safety Certified

Executive Mat and Janitorial Supply #6, 115 - 28th Street SE Calgary, AB T2A 5K4 www.executivemat.com

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Angela Santiago The Little Potato Company

I

t wasn’t the career path Angela Santiago envisioned when she started her agricultural business, The Little Potato Company, in 1997 with a degree in political science. Working alongside her father – a longtime potato advocate since his days growing up in Holland – Santiago spent her first year on a small, one-acre plot near Edmonton. She shopped her baby “creamer-size” potatoes around at local farmers markets and ended up landing some prestigious clients.

Today, The Little Potato Company has grown into the largest brand in the creamer potato market with thousands of acres of the tiny potatoes planted in Canada and the U.S., now sold through major retailers and food-service companies throughout North America. Through technological innovation, determination and persistence, Santiago has overcome numerous regulatory and industry challenges to build a highly-successful business that she is passionate about in every way. She is now even pursuing potato-breeding programs in Canada, Chile, France and the Netherlands.

Her passion also extends to establishing several community relationships with local charities, industry associations and working with several schools to educate young people about the agricultural sector. “Being part of providing a healthy simple food product to people is a humbling and honourable way to make a living and is an exciting business to be part of,” says Santiago.

The best advice Santiago ever received is to “not compromise your values for anything and be willing to lose money for it.” It appears she has taken that advice, but rather than losing money has evolved her tiny operation into a vast, North American entrepreneur success story.

78

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012

Save the potato. potato.

Save Feed the world. world.

Feed

TM

TM

To all our employees, growers, brokers and partners – thank you for believing in our dream and helping it come true.

To all our employees, growers, brokers and partners – thank you forLittle believing our dream and helping it come true.and The Potatoin Company specializes in finding, growing selling unique potato varieties across North America. It is on a The Little Potato Company specializes in finding, growing and mission to save the potato from bland and boring, and to better selling unique potato varieties across North America. It is on a feed the world with this delicious and nutritious vegetable. mission to save the potato from bland and boring, and to better feed the world with this delicious and nutritious vegetable.

w w w.l i ttl e p o tatoes. com | w w w. fa cebook . com/potatopower

Proud sponsor of the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards

Business in Calgary and Business in Edmonton would like to extend our congratulations to the finalists of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year速 2012 Prairies region.

We wish you great success in your future endeavours.

Suite 1025, 101 - 6th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta T2P 3P4 403.264.3270 | info@businessincalgary.com | www.businessincalgary.com

Photo by Cher Compton

#1660, 10020 - 101 A Ave. N.W., Edmonton, AB T5J 3G2 780.638.1777 | info@businessinedmonton.com | www.businessinedmonton.com

You can fly.

Can you soar?

We’ll help.

Big dreams can change the world. That’s why every year we gather the best CEOs, entrepreneurs, advisors and investors to share their thoughts on lifting the economy and shaping the future at the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®.

To learn more and be inspired, visit ey.com/us/SGF.

© 2012 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved.

See More | Growth

Absolute Completion Technologies

10th Anniversary Profile

ABSOLUTE

SUCCESS

BY MARY SAVAGE

Thane Russell, VP Business Development and Technology and Jay Haskell, President and CEO

A

MeshRiteTM Sand Control Manufacturing

Alberta is home to many innovative minds, but Absolute is more than just another Canadian how often do you hear about a local company success story; they bring absolute innovation, that has achieved international success? It’s rare! absolute determination and absolute solutions Beyond the innovative concepts, it takes years, if to the global well completions business – they not decades of perseverance, an extended reserve are “changing the game.”

Glenn Woiceshyn, VP Engineering of resources and an unwavering commitment to succeed. And such is the case with Absolute Completion Technologies Ltd. (Absolute).

Absolute was founded by a group of innovative engineerAbsolute is an Alberta-based firm that has succeeded by ing professionals with extensive knowledge of completion tool designing new technology-based solutions and developdesign and sand control technology. This team had engineered ing unique manufacturing processes to create products that and developed the patented technology to manufacture a revoenhance sand control, flow control and well completion perlutionary sand control product called MeshRite™. formance. Absolute’s founders set out to “build better wells” MeshRite was designed specifically for sand control in heavy and after achieving success in international markets, heads are oil, and employs a filter technology which had repeatedly demstarting to turn in North America. They have stayed true to onstrated superior performance over conventional filter media their objective and as a result, they have helped hundreds of in laboratory testing and proven field results. oil and gas operators achieve better results by helping them to A large international firm made a bid to purchase this breakadopt technological advancements. through product and the MeshRite technology was sold in Absolute has experienced a 40 per cent growth rate – com1999. “In 2002, we approached the company who had bought pounded annually – since 2002. They’ve gone from three the technology because we felt they weren’t maximizing its employees to more than 100 in Canada, while deriving 70 per potential,” says Thane Russell, vice president, business developcent of their sales revenue from outside North America. Their ment and technology. products are installed in 35 countries spanning all the major Absolute bought the technology back and agreed to work continents. They have partnered with one of the largest firms with the firm as their worldwide distribution partner. “We in the oilfield service industry – to provide worldwide disramped up manufacturing and started aggressively educating tribution – yet Absolute has retained independent Canadian clients and repositioning MeshRite in an effort to increase ownership.

History in the Making

Absolute Completion Technologies 10th Anniversary Profile | Page 1

Absolute Completion Technologies

10th Anniversary Profile

worldwide including Canada. acceptance in the global marketRecent enhancements to the place,” adds Thane. “It truly is a laminate technologies by Absogroundbreaking technology and lute and one of its partners have history has proven its merits.”

TM FacsRite Manufacturing yielded a superior filtration During 2002, Absolute manumedia, which is leading to a step change in the performance factured about 2000 linear feet of MeshRite and 10 years later, of the FacsRite product. Early deployment results are very 2012 will see approximately 250,000 feet produced out of their encouraging.

Edmonton facility.

A third innovation to emerge from Absolute is FluxRite™, a In 2007, they started to look beyond MeshRite and into the technology that combines superior sand control with pressure development of new products, including FacsRite™. “We had profile and flow control. “Flow control is a newer concept for been researching advanced filtration technologies for years and Canada, but it has been deployed extensively internationally were closely following the development of fusion-bonded lamover the past five years. There are pockets of the international inates,” adds Thane. “These laminates, combined with a unique industry where the benefits of this very exciting technology screen geometry, proved to be the integral design components are already well understood and in use,” remarks Thane. “Effecin the FacsRite filtration technology.” tive inflow and injection control is critical to the production By 2010, Absolute had developed and patented FacsRite, and by December of that same year, the product was commerefficiency of SAGD or CSS well geometries, therefore we are cialized. Today they see a growing demand for its application confident that FluxRite will have a significant role to play in

MeshRite™ MeshRite™ is a sand control system that’s completely unique in the industry and Absolute is the only company that manufactures it. “Effective sand control involves a few key components, and primary among them is very high retained permeability. Whatever system you put in place, it needs to retain its flow capability through the life of the well,” says Glenn Woiceshyn, vice president engineering. “MeshRite has very high flow capability. Its performance is unique because it has a wide distribution of pore sizes and shapes that give it extremely high retained permeability when tested by virtually any distribution of particle sizes. Simply put, it can handle high production rates with a very low-pressure drop for a very long time,” explains Woiceshyn. “It can be used in any sand control application and we build it to virtually any length and size.”

With MeshRite, the operator gains significant advantages: longer-life wells, higher-productivity wells plus wells that are de-risked with respect to changing sand sizes encountered along the length of the well bore.

“MeshRite can handle a large variety of sand sizes and mechanically, it’s very tough.You can bend it, torque it, compress it, or expand and contract it thermally and it stays together. The filter media is inert to temperature, so neither filtration performance or mechanical integrity is affected even by extreme changes in temperature typical of Canadian operations,” he adds. “These three advantages are powerful incentives for operators to use it in their wells.”

Page 2 | Absolute Completion Technologies 10th Anniversary Profile

Congratulations on the Completion of ten absolutely amazing years.

To all our friends at Absolute Completion Technologies, happy anniversary.

PERFORATED TUBES I N C O R P O R A T E D

www.perftubes.com Absolute Completion Technologies 10th Anniversary Profile | Page 3

Absolute Completion Technologies

10th Anniversary Profile Canada, and in other heavy oil markets.”

Although Absolute’s main objective is to design better performing technology, another key priority is getting people to understand that there are better products available now. “We are trying to raise the level of awareness of new technology within the technical community, and to raise the degree of understanding of how these new products and technologies work within the well bore system,” says Jay Haskell, president and CEO. “When people have a greater understanding of the science that underpins the behaviour of these products, they begin to look beyond the status quo and to realize what’s possible to achieve out of their wells. That’s how we unlock the potential to really improve well performance,” says Jay. “We provide engineering services in an effort to ensure companies are using the right solution – even if it is not our solution. We have a history with many different technologies and applications and we are happy to offer an alternative or a different approach to optimize well performance,” adds Jay. “We have a fairly conservative industry when it comes to new completion technology and it takes time for new solutions

Absolute recognized the importance of perseverance and resiliency in order to succeed. to be accepted,” asserts Jay. “It’s a high capital industry and the risk tolerance is low. It’s not until horizontal wells are on production for a few years and start to show significant problems that people begin to look for new solutions.”

Years ago, Absolute recognized the importance of perseverance and resiliency in order to succeed. “For a company like ours that’s trying to bring new technology to the marketplace, you need staying power, perseverance and resiliency. You have to be in the game for a while before you can start to change the game,” adds Thane.

Looking Forward The Absolute team is looking optimistically to the future.

They have new ideas and an unwavering commitment to provide optimal solutions. “One of the key reasons that we are excited about sand control and flow control is because it’s a

Manufactured in Alberta Absolute started 2012 by moving into a brand-new 36,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Edmonton. Given market demand, they hadn’t even fully moved in when they realized they needed greater production capacity, so they added another 14,000 sq. ft. expansion. The facility is purpose-built, filled with custom equipment that provides large-scale machining capabilities; in fact they have 10 of the biggest milling machines anywhere in Alberta.

Page 4 | Absolute Completion Technologies 10th Anniversary Profile

FacsRite™

M A C H I N E CNC & MANUAL MACHINING

L T D

EJECTOR & DEEP HOLE DRILLING

The FacsRite™ filtration technology is comprised of multiple layers of woven metal screen bonded together to create a dense mesh. The screen elements can be woven in practically any pattern and each weave has a different solids retention capability.

The metal screens are layered to create a pseudo-3D structure then fused together to create an incredibly strong construction, while maintaining all the desired filtration properties. “The industrial process engineering world has been using similar structures for years, but it is a relatively new concept in the oil and gas industry,” says Woiceshyn.

“When we mounted these screen structures inside the wall of the pipe, we found we could create something that was geometrically advantageous with a larger open flow area and large well bore radius – properties that tend to improve well production,” he adds. “That geometry also makes it very easy to deploy in long horizontals, it’s extremely strong and it creates a very efficient well bore.The filtration system has a higher plugging resistance and is made from high-end metals like stainless steel, so it won’t corrode.”

The FacsRite patent was issued in 2010 and since that time, Absolute has commercialized the technology and built the manufacturing process from scratch. Since launching FacsRite, Absolute has increased production ten-fold to support unabated demand.

“All of our technologies were targeted specifically for heavy oil applications and specifically the Canadian market, but we have people interested from all sectors of industry and that’s because FacsRite™ delivers excellent filtration and better strength at a reasonable cost,” Woiceshyn comments.

Absolute Completion Technologies 10th Anniversary Profile | Page 5

FluxRite™

FluxRiteTM Injection and Inflow Control System

Fluxrite™ is a flow control system that marries MeshRite and/or FacsRite with flow control devices to manage both sand control and flow control in a well. It can be used in either injection and production applications. Absolute’s technology allows the well operators to manage the pressure profile along the well bore, thereby optimizing the productive potential of the well.

“When you change a well from vertical to horizontal, you change the flow dynamics in the well. It’s a totally different engineering problem and you have to think of it more like a pipeline than a well,” says Woiceshyn.

“We started to see some interest in flow control around 2005 and we had the technology approved for use in Saudi Arabia, Africa and Southeast Asia. Now we are introducing the technology to Canada,” he adds. “When you look at Saudi Arabia, they won’t drill any wells without this technology.”

As Woiceshyn indicates, Absolute has engineered and supplied all the flow control completions to date in Kuwait. “There are parts of the world where flow control is big news and companies have been running the technology for years, but there are other parts of the world where they have never tried it so it’s a great opportunity for us.”

Page 6 | Absolute Completion Technologies 10th Anniversary Profile

Absolute Completion Technologies

10th Anniversary Profile tremendous platform around which to build better wells. Our platform of sand control technologies is just the starting point for Absolute,” says Thane. “Our success to date has allowed us to hire some excellent people, and they are making a terrific contribution to the company and to industry. We are very proud of the team we have assembled here at Absolute.”

“As the trend continues toward the application of horizontal well construction, new problems with new complexities are emerging. The drilling industry is moving in a direction that dovetails well with the technology areas we are developing.

Drillers are very creative in delivering innovative well bore geometries. However, now industry has to figure out how to complete these wells, produce them and intervene in them when something goes wrong. What do you do with a failing horizontal well that’s 15 years old? You need a whole new set of tools because what you used in a vertical well can no longer be applied. Everything changes,” he observes.

“We are trying to establish a culture around technology adoption that includes education and a higher level of technical

understanding than what we have today. We need to help producers to stop relying on what was done in the past and instead find the technical and economic solutions required for better producing long-life wells. You can only achieve that through experience, investigation, research and development of new technology,” he adds. “We are grateful to work in a province that puts so much emphasis on new technology, and has made world class research resources such as C-FER and Alberta Innovates available to growth companies such as Absolute.”

What’s Next During October, Absolute will be holding an open house where they plan to unveil additional new technologies in three product categories.

For more information, please contact: Jose Francisco Albornoz Technical Advisor Manager - Canada, US & Mexico.

403-266-5027 | www.absolutect.com

Absolute Completion Technologies 10th Anniversary Profile | Page 7

*Mark of Schlumberger. Measurable Impact is a mark of Schlumberger. © 2012 Schlumberger. 12-HO-0026

Heavy Oil

Be confident in your heavy oil plan Realize your field’s potential n

Would precise well placement increase your recovery factor?

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What is the best long-term thermal well design?

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Ensure optimal well construction and efficient completions to get the most from your reservoir. Push conventional boundaries—join the debate.

www.slb.com/heavyoil

Global Expertise | Innovative Technology | Measurable Impact

Page 8 | Absolute Completion Technologies 10th Anniversary Profile

THE CARPET STUDIO 25th Anniversary Profile

BY MARK KANDBORG

The first thing you need to know about The Carpet Studio is that they DO A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN JUST SELL CARPET. “People are often surprised at how much we do,” says company owner and president Marty Van Keulen.

“We’ve expanded so far beyond our original product line that we seriously considered changing the name. But we’ve built up a lot of loyalty, trust and brand recognition over the past 25 years. That’s very important to our customers, and to us.” The issue of a name change was

finally put to bed for Van Keulen when someone pointed out that Radio Shack sold more than just radios. “And it wasn’t a shack.”

After speaking with Van Keulen at length about what they do, I’m left to ponder what they could possibly have changed the name to that would fully represent the company’s present scope. “The Carpet, Hardwood, Tile & Stone, Laminate & Cork, Linoleum & LVT, Area Rug, Window Treatment and Paint Studio”? They’d need some mighty big business cards, that’s for sure.

The Carpet Studio’s beginnings were simple enough. Van Keulen, then an installer, and Frank Van Denbiggelaar started the company in 1987.

The Carpet Studio 25h Anniversary Profile | Page 1

Fort Saskatchewan Hospital.

Owner and president Marty Van Keulen.

The Carpet Studio’s beginnings were simple enough.

Van Keulen, then an installer, and Frank Van Denbiggelaar started the company in 1987. They primarily sold and installed carpet and linoleum, focusing on the Edmonton home building market. But that market was quickly evolving. Builders started asking Van Keulen and Van Denbiggelaar for ceramic tiles for both floors and walls. Then laminate appeared on the scene.

“The market was constantly evolving,” says Van Keulen. “And not just with new materials. It was the early ’90s and the housing market took a dive. So we started working with property management and restoration

companies, replacing damaged flooring, that kind of thing.”

But the service provided by hardwood flooring companies at the time proved to be less than impressive.

“So we decided to supply it ourselves.” They soon opened a commercial flooring department to expand their scope to include grocery stores, hospitals, office buildings and recreation centers. The Carpet Studio recently completed work in the new Fort Saskatchewan Hospital, proving that they can confidently handle any size of project.

In addition to their main showroom in the west end,

ON BEHALF OF BUCKWOLD WESTERN AND ARMSTRONG, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE CARPET STUDIO ON 25 YEARS.

ARMSTRONG® HAND-SCRAPED HARDWOOD

Page 2 | The Carpet Studio 25h Anniversary Profile

25th Anniversary Profile WWW.CARPETSTUDIO.CA

there are Carpet Studio locations in Spruce Grove, south Edmonton and in Jasper. “We’re the only flooring store in Jasper,” Van Keulen says. “We do a lot of work in the hotels there. Plus, I love to ski, so it’s been great.”

As an aside, when Van Keulen says that he loves to ski, he means it. He became an active member of the Ski Patrol 20 years ago. “I’ve learned that if you’re committed to something, it happens. So I volunteer on the mountain every second weekend during the winter,” he says, pointing out that maintaining a balance between work and life is very important to him. “Standing at the top of a mountain first thing in the morning, taking those first runs in fresh snow, there’s nothing like it. It’s so peaceful. Serene. You work hard so you can enjoy the beauty of the world and the people in it.”

Working hard and enjoying people – might that be the key to The Carpet Studio’s success? “At the end of the day, we’re here for the customer,” Van Keulen says. “The average person is so overwhelmed. They go on the internet to do a little research and they get more confused.” Going to big box stores doesn’t help. We’ve all had the experience of wandering up and down aisles, faced with seemingly endless choices and almost no usable information. It’s easy to get lost.

“We offer a lot more services,” Jenica Perschon explains. She’s one of The Carpet Studio’s six interior designers and decorators, and she’s more than up to the challenge. A customer might have seen something online

That’s right. The Carpet Studio staff members will come to your house to get the big picture, both for product selection purposes and to measure and assess the area to determine installation requirements. that they liked, but it may be beyond their budget or the wrong product for their requirements. The experts at The Carpet Studio can show them quality products and discuss what’s best for their lifestyle vs. product longevity, merging their style with their needs. “People don’t just come here to pick flooring. They come here for guidance. They might have a few products in mind and they ask us to narrow it down for them. After we do that, a lot of times a customer will just ask, ‘Which do you think is the best suited? You were in our home.’ We help them decide.”

That’s right. The Carpet Studio staff members will come to your house to get the big picture, both for product selection purposes and to measure and assess the area to determine installation requirements. “That’s another thing that sets us apart from the big box stores,” Van Keulen says adding that seeing the actual home that the products will be going into is a real advantage.

It allows them to take everything into consideration to confidently match the existing elements in the space such as counter tops, cabinets and window coverings.

The Carpet Studio 25h Anniversary Profile | Page 3

To take your interior transformation a step further, the south Edmonton Carpet Studio location also has a full selection of Benjamin Moore Paint and accessory items as well as a new chic wallpaper collection.

There’s something else a customer benefits from

when they walk into The Carpet Studio. “We’re one of the few stores that doesn’t have private labels, Van Keulen says. “Most other outlets put their own labels on products, making it impossible to tell which item comes from which manufacturer.” It’s common practice to change the name of the line or even the colour number.

This serves to strengthen the store brand, but makes it impossible to fully understand what you’re buying. “We don’t do that here. And we never will. We believe in full disclosure. It makes it easier to compare. We’re not afraid to have customers go to a competitor to see how our prices measure up.

We’re very proud of that.”

Let’s take a look at what kind of products customers

Shaw would like to make a point to congratulate Marty and the staff at The Carpet Studio for 25 successful years in business and a job well done!

shawfloors.com shawcontractgroup.com Page 4 | The Carpet Studio 25h Anniversary Profile

25th Anniversary Profile WWW.CARPETSTUDIO.CA

“We’re one of the few stores that doesn’t have private labels, Van Keulen says.

“Most other outlets put their own labels on products, making it impossible to tell which item comes from which manufacturer.” are coming in to see. Take hardwood flooring: things have changed drastically in the last few years. One of the newest trends is toward handscraped finishes. The wood is literally scraped by hand for a deep, rough-hewn texture. Complete with knot holes and chatter marks, these floor coverings suggest old warehouses and heritage homes. “Gloss finishes are easily marked and scuffed,” Van Keulen explains. “But these are incredibly durable.”

Another striking feature of this type of floor covering is the size of the planks. In keeping with the style of days gone by, many products are 5-9 inches wide. “Traditionally, wood planks of that width would present all kinds of problems with shrinkage,” Van Keulen says. “But that’s not a problem now. This is an engineered floor.” Even though it may look like it, this is not your great-grandmother’s hardwood. It’s much, much better.

Hardwood isn’t the only floor covering that has benefited from advances in technology. Carpet has come a long way, too. Maybe farther. “Yarns are super soft now,” Van Keulen says. “They’re beautiful to touch. But the real advances are in stain resistance. That’s huge.”

One manufacturer that The Carpet Studio is particularly impressed with has taken it a step farther. Richmond has incorporated a natural enzyme called OdourAct into their TruResist carpet that eats biological material.

What does that mean to the home owner? “It means that if your pet has an accident on the rug, the enzymes will go to work. You can spot clean a carpet, but it’s so hard to do a thorough job when you’re dealing with animal proteins. Steam cleaning and special detergents used to be the only effective option. Not only are the fibres self-cleaning, in a way, but they stay odour free.

It’s amazing stuff.”

Mohawk, another manufacturer supplied by The Carpet Studio, put their carpet in a cage at the Birmingham Zoo with Ricko the Rhino. After two weeks of rhino abuse, they cleaned it quickly and easily using no spe-

The Carpet Studio 25h Anniversary Profile | Page 5

Using computer imaging, man-made tiles are now sprayed to look like other materials. They’ve come such a long way, it’s unbelievable,” Van Keulen says. cial procedures. As Van Keulen says, even the odour was

“It’s gotten a lot greener,” Van Keulen says. “One man-

gone. A 2,800 pound rhinoceros. Check out the You-

ufacturer in particular has embraced the cradle-to-cradle

Tube video: http://alturl.com/wrfia

philosophy in a big way. If we’re doing a restoration,

Carpet technology has changed in other ways, too.

we’ll take the old carpet off the floor and ship it back

Ames congratulates The Carpet Studio on 25 great years!

17203 102nd Avenue, Edmonton www.amestile.com | (780) 483 8002

Tandus Flooring’s unique product line of hybrid resilient, modular, broadloom and woven products work in tandem to create solutions for nearly every environment.

Shown: Broadloom Style: Breakout Color: Black Metallic

Page 6 | The Carpet Studio 25h Anniversary Profile

Hybrid Resilient Modular Broadloom Woven 800.655.1075 tandus.com

25th Anniversary Profile WWW.CARPETSTUDIO.CA

to them. They recycle and make new carpet out of it.

They even use the residue to operate their facility. It’s not being done in residential applications yet, but it’s coming.”

Being environmentally friendly is important to Van Keulen. “The whole industry is changing, which is a good thing,” he says. “Solid hardwood used to come from clear cutting forests, which can be catastrophic. Now, individual trees are selectively picked.

This allows the sun to penetrate the canopy and actually leaves the forest in better condition.” Manufacturers are using renewable wood like poplar for the core, only utilizing more exotic materials for the topmost veneer. In this way, engi-

neered wood is not only more stable, they’re easier on the ecosystem as well.

Advances in ceramic tile construction have real world benefits to the environment. A mixture of clay and silica sand, ceramic materials now offer a cheaper, greener and often more interesting alternative to slate and other more conventional tiles. “Using computer imaging, man-made tiles are now sprayed to look like other materials. They’ve come such a long way, it’s unbelievable,” Van Keulen says. “We laid down 1,500 sq. ft. of Nu Travertine porcelain and I’m telling you, no two tiles were alike. Sizes are getting larger, too.” Tiles measuring 18” x 36” are becoming more common, especially in major airports

“At the end of the day, we’re here for the customer,” Van Keulen says.

The Carpet Studio 25h Anniversary Profile | Page 7

25th Anniversary Profile WWW.CARPETSTUDIO.CA

and newer show homes, where the goal is to welcome and impress.

Van Keulen points out that while these large tiles are fantastic, they require a new level of expertise to install.

“They have to be totally flat, or they don’t line up properly. There’s very little room for error,” he says. “We’ve gotten very good at it.”

The “we” that Van Keulen’s referring to is the small army of 40 or so seasoned installation crews The Carpet Studio has going out and laying it down on the floors of the city. “The quality of the people here make it worth going to work every day,” he says. “Everybody brings something different, something unique. Some had never

touched a computer until five years ago. Others were born with a computer in their hands.”

He’s especially proud of the fact that The Carpet Studio team includes not only members of his own family, but multiple members from other family legacies as well.

One in particular spans three generations with Wayne Le Blanc, 72, working alongside son Kelly and grandson Hunter, 17. Van Keulen knows that this speaks volumes about the company.

“Even though we’ve grown a lot, it really feels like a family,” he says. Enough to keep bringing him down from the serenity of that snow-covered mountain top?

“Absolutely.”

THE CARPET STUDIO 15620 – 111 AVE, EDMONTON, ALBERTA T5M 2R7 T. 780.452.4044 F. 780.452.1716

12 MCLEOD AVE, 53 STAN WRIGHT INDUSTRIAL PARK, SPRUCE GROVE, ALBERTA T7X 3Y1 JASPER, ALBERTA T0E 1E0 T. 780.571.1145 T: 780.852.5887 F. 780-571-1146 F: 780.852.2207

Page 8 | The Carpet Studio 25h Anniversary Profile

4931 55 AVENUE, EDMONTON, ALBERTA T6B 3P1 T: 780.462.6668 F: 780.462.7455

Corporate Event Planning more than just a party

• Edmonton’s corporate event industry has seen an upward thrust over the past eight months. Going into the busy fall/winter event season, Edmonton’s business community is sure to see some unique and innovative events.

More than just a

Proper planning and attention needed to host a successful corporate event

By Devon Babin

ince 2009, Edmonton’s corporate event planning market has made a gradual comeback after being hit hard by the worldwide financial collapse.

Companies were tightening belts, so lavish parties, flashy product launches and other engagements simply didn’t fit into the budget.

This positive trend upward has seen a particular upswing in the past eight months, with companies putting more focus and funds toward the events they hold.

“People started to have a bit more faith in the economy,” says Tiffany Kemp, director of TBJ Partners. TBJ Partners, an event management company that caters to high-end clients.

But the true test for the corporate side of the event planning industry in Edmonton is coming up as companies begin holding events during the fall,

back-to-school time frame and going into the winter holidays.

“We find the peak seasons for corporate events are late March to early June and late September to early December. January through early March is avoided due to the unpredictability of the weather while the summer raises attendance concerns brought about by vacation commitments,” says Brent Taylor, managing partner of Timewise Events Management Depending on the size of the event planning can take anywhere from a month to an entire year. This can be a problem if decisions such as venue booking are not decided on early in the planning phase. For corporate events there are only so many companies that can handle large-scale occasions.

“There are not a lot of big groups out there,” says Kemp, adding that it’s

It’s a matter of balancing the needs of the companies holding the events with the expected wants of the guests, which are often customers and important business contacts.

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Corporate Event Planning more than just a party

• Transforming a standard space into something unique and memorable is a constant • A culinary focus is of particular importance for corporate events. challenge for event planners.

common to find individuals planning events on their own or with a very limited team.

Taylor says, “Few understand that event design goes well beyond the efficient delivery of theme and décor. It is more about values, objectives, measurement and ensuring effectiveness.

Since the recent recession we have seen an increase in our corporate client business. Corporate managers continue to understand the value in holding events, they are now understanding that they need to be more effective in event delivery”.

One limitation to Edmonton is the lack of venues. While there are options, it does provide a challenge for larger events especially.

“There are only a certain number [of facilities] that can hold that 500 number,” says Kemp. Northlands, Edmonton Expo Centre and the Shaw Conference Centre are among the only options in the city for events involving 500 or more people.

For events of this size, event planning companies have to be creative to ensure they give a fresh look and feel to every occasion. Through creative use of lighting, choosing the right de-

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• Companies and clients are coming together to put on more interactive events with measurables to determine the success of the event afterward.

“More and more promotion is being done via email and social media strategy.” ~ Joan Currie, founder of Currie Communications. cor and making use of new products being offered by suppliers, this task is certainly possible.

“Edmonton and Calgary are short on venues. I was recently in Toronto for site surveys and was amazed at the number of venues being developed. We have a lot of catching up to do in Alberta,” says Taylor. “A couple of great venues that recently opened in the Edmonton region are The Enjoy Centre and Roots on Whyte.”

Roots on Whyte, as an example, can accommodate upwards of 600 people.

With nine-metre glass ceilings, and 1,300 square metres of space, this is an adaptable venue without the stigma of a traditional conference centre.

“When considering a location you must consider the host company’s values and their objectives for the event.

Assess how the venue is going contribute to the success of your event. Our clients are moving away from hosting their events in traditional function

October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

space. Hotels and event centres are no longer the preferred venues. We look for unique venues that reflect the values of our clients’ businesses,” says Taylor.

A company’s image and reputation are crucial to being successful, especially in the fast-paced, cut-throat corporate business world. When throwing events, no matter the occasion, many companies have social and environmental responsibility at the top of their priority list.

“Many companies are looking at something that is less of an environmental footprint,” says Kemp. And they are also willing to go a more ecofriendly route, “even if it costs more.”

“Introducing an element of social responsibility is becoming increasingly important,” says Taylor. “An event recently used shoes in its centerpieces which were later donated to those in need at a local women’s shelter. Attendees are more willing to support

Corporate Event Planning more than just a party

• Lighting and location are key factors in transforming any event into a • Turning unconventional spaces and locations is a popular way to ensure a memorable event. memorable one.

events that are making an impact on the world socially.”

Events and parties are not just times to celebrate – these events are where business gets done. Business and clients are always looking for ways to the measure success and that now feeds into the events they hold.

“Corporate events are becoming more strategic in their design and delivery. Our clients are asking us to help them put a plan in place to increase effectiveness and to measure the impact their event will have,” says Taylor.

It’s a matter of balancing the needs of the companies holding the events with the expected wants of the guests, which are often customers and important business contacts.

As Edmontonians become more aware of the food they eat and the ever-growing options available in the city, quality and intriguing food is now expected at corporate events.

“There is a definite curiosity in the market place,” says Kemp, pointing out that Ethiopian is one cultural cuisine that has been a big hit at recent events her company has held.

“The trend is toward uniqueness and more culturally influenced menus,” says Taylor. “Culinary teams love the challenge and understand their success is found in a menu that delivers wow factor. We are witnessing a fusion of foods from across many cultures.

It is also vital to ensure uniqueness, memorable flavours and proper wine pairings.”

Corporate events are also getting away from the traditional method of presenting to the guests. Instead, things are becoming much more interactive. The way the world communicates today, is much different from even five years ago.

“More and more promotion is being done via email and social media

• Having events at a company’s own facilities can be a good way to showcase products as well as represent the company brand.

strategy. That’s generally the trend for everyone,” says Joan Currie, founder of Currie Communications.

“A solid understanding of attendee demographics is also important,” says Taylor. “Consider what the expectations of your attendees will be. I recently attended an event hosted by a national shoe retailer. We were wine and dined in one of their locations and were encouraged to try on shoes. They created wow factor when we were given a pair of shoes as a party favour.”

Holding an event of a significant size can do wonders for a company’s reputation, or tarnish it completely depending on the result. By hiring the right event management company with the resources and experience to pull off large corporate events, companies are able to execute memorable occasions while representing themselves as competent, financially stable and forward-thinking organizations. BIE

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EDMONTON.COM

Task force focuses on downtown Edmonton

D

owntown is the city’s living room.

That’s the perspective of Edmonton’s Downtown Vibrancy Task Force, a one-year-old group made up of 21 business and community leaders, chaired by Stantec’s Simon O’Byrne.

“Sheila Weatherill was the task force member who came up with the living room analogy, and it captures the point perfectly,” says O’Byrne. “When we think about treating downtown as our collective living room, it’s an idea everyone can relate to.”

While some would see downtown as the city’s living room, some see it as the heart of the city. Regardless of the metaphor, from an economic and social perspective, the task force’s mantra has been “as goes your downtown, so goes your city.”

Supported by Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, the task force itself came about after a larger group of city leaders ranked accelerating downtown’s vibrancy as its top priority.

The task force’s ultimate goal is to see the vision of the City of Edmonton’s downtown plan, approved by city council in 2010, become a reality. A more vibrant, attractive, high-density, mixed-use and walkable downtown is a shared public-private responsibility.

“Vibrancy matters because it works like dominoes. As more people live and work downtown, more business-

es open, more services open — that brings more people downtown. They feed into each other. It spreads into the streets, leading to a 24 x 7, fourseason downtown that fuels our city,” says O’Byrne.

Downtown is seeing this success at work. The Downtown Business Association’s August 28 report on downtown development catalogued almost $5 billion in probable and rumoured major projects over the next five years.

Three areas of focus by the task force are gaining momentum. An ad-

Task force members proudly don “I love downtown Edmonton” aprons at a Downtown Edmonton Community League event.

is in the works, what is yet to come and what is needed to sustain success.

A noon-hour barbecue to recognize businesses that call downtown home attracted thousands last summer.

Plans for this fall include a street breakfast to acknowledge the 40,000 students who add to downtown’s colour and vibrancy. This year’s Downtown X-Posed event is an open

The task force’s ultimate goal is to see the vision of the City of Edmonton’s downtown plan, approved by city council in 2010, become a reality. ditional 3,000 residents by 2017 will add to an already growing downtown population. A new sports and entertainment district will be a catalyst for continued downtown development.

Having more students downtown will enhance downtown’s vibrancy as MacEwan University and Norquest College consolidate their campuses.

Past task force initiatives include last December’s Downtown X-Posed symposium, which brought Edmontonians together for the first time for a wide-ranging discussion about what

house weekend at the end of September, inviting Edmontonians to visit downtown and experience its fantastic diversity, including the arts district, shopping and dining options.

The vibrancy and character of downtown is a critical part of a city’s identity and a key driver in retaining and attracting residents to Edmonton.

Think about places you have visited, and the impressions you have formed based on their downtowns, and you will know what the task force is all about.

Alliance brings together incubators and supports start-ups

E

dmonton is home to the Greater Edmonton Regional Technology Alliance, Canada’s first and only grouping of incubators that nourishes the growth of emerging knowledge-based companies and coordinates the region’s business incubators.

Chair of the alliance since 2010, Edmonton Economic Development

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Corporation’s (EEDC) role is one of facilitator, enabler, networker and cheerleader of the region’s technology advancement. Other alliance members include novaNAIT, Northern Alberta Business Incubator, Business Link and National Institute of Nanotechnology, TR Labs, the National Research Council’s Industrial Research and As-

October October2012 2012 || Business BusinessInInEdmonton EdmontonMagazine Magazine || www.businessinedmonton.com www.businessinedmonton.com

sistance Program, Startup Edmonton, and TEC Edmonton, which saw a record number of start-ups in 2011.

“The Regional Alliance was developed to further establish Edmonton’s well-funded infrastructure for technology development and commercialization. In short, the alliance will help start-ups bring their product

EDMONTON.COM

New alliances have been created, emulating the Regional Alliance model. to market in a nurturing and safe environment,” says Candace Brinsmead, alliance chair and vice-president of innovation and technology advancement at EEDC. The industry early adopter program was an immediate outcome of the alliance, which matches start-ups with large, local and established businesses such as the City of Edmonton and TELUS, similar to a mentor-protégé relationship. Industry early adopter members commit to assessing, mentoring, testing or adopting home-grown technologies.

More than 1,500 people work for nearly 55 companies in the Edmonton Research Park on the city’s south side.

New alliances have been created, emulating the Regional Alliance model.

As a member of the alliance, EEDC’s Edmonton Research Park houses dozens of research-oriented companies in high-opportunity sectors and is designed to maximize synergy and collaboration among these knowledge-

based firms. The park has a role in the execution of the provincial technology commercialization strategy and is a stakeholder in TEC Edmonton, a joint venture with the University of Alberta, and a key player in supporting technology start-ups.

Tickets to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Canada’s largest, sold out in minutes. Other Edmonton summer festivals broke records, including the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival (attracting 680,000), the Servus Heritage Festival (352,000) and the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival (260,000).

Alberta’s capital city hosts more than 30 major festivals year-round, celebrating the arts, film, theatre, culture, winter and sports.

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PHOTO: Edmonton Folk Music Festival/Tom Turner.

Canada’s festival city shines

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Tom Dennehy, PRESIDENT OF PENTA COMPLETIONS.

MasterS

of the

Deep

by Mark Kandborg

T

here’s a lot to be said for focus. It gives a laser it’s power; a plasma cutting torch would be nothing without it; and it’s what Tom Dennehy brings to Penta Completions Service and Supply.

“We’re really focused as a company on what we do,” company president Dennehy says. “We have a very small array of products that we sell.”

What they concentrate on is rod pumping in the oil industry. You’ve likely seen the iconic pump jacks in the field as you’ve driven by. It’s an image that says ‘Alberta industry’ like no other. Penta designs those pumping systems and sells the sucker rods and control devices that optimize them.

Social scientist Malcolm Gladwell suggests that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. Dennehy passed that milestone years ago, and he started out learning from the best of the best.

“We had the very good fortune of working with the two people who were the pioneers in rod pumping design and analysis, Dr. Sam Gibbs and Mr. Ken Nolan,” Dennehy says, proudly. “Those two guys basically invented the science that we use. We were lucky enough to develop a business relationship right when we started and learn from them.”

As technology advances, there’s always more to learn, so Dennehy still bounces the odd question or two off

Having an encyclopedic knowledge of pumping system technology and what it takes to get oil out of the ground efficiently is at the heart of his business philosophy.

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October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

r od string string sidE sidE loading loading rod

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Edmonton

Calgary

EstEvan

9543 - 56 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6E 0B2 Phone: (780) 436-6644 Fax: (780) 435-4565 E-Mail: sales@pentarods.com

610, 910 - 7 Ave SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 3N8 Phone: (403) 262-1688 Fax: (403) 234-0108 E-Mail: sales@pentarods.com

P.O. Box 667 Estevan, Saskatchewan S4A 2A6 Phone: (306) 634-7399 Fax: (306) 634-6989 E-Mail: sales@pentarods.com

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“We’re never going to be the cheapest. But we’re always going to be the best.” ~ Tom Dennehy

Tom Dennehy, PRESIDENT OF PENTA COMPLETIONS.

of the finest minds in rod pumping.

“Our questions are harder now. If we’re stumped, it’s not going to be as easy to figure out as it was in the past.”

It’s hard to imagine Dennehy ever really being stumped when it comes to what he calls “the art and science” of his trade. Having an encyclopedic knowledge of pumping system technology and what it takes to get oil out of the ground efficiently is at the heart of his business philosophy.

“I believe we have to have a reason for the customer to want to deal with us, because there are so many people you could buy these products from,” Dennehy says. “A one-inch sucker rod is a one-inch sucker rod. We had to develop our skill set to a level that they can’t get anywhere else.”

And he’s not afraid to share. Penta holds schools in the spring and the fall where they teach the theory of rod pumping to their customers. “It’s not our job to tell them which way to go. It’s our job to show them all the tools that they have at their disposal to get the job done,” Dennehy says. But, knowledge without will never replace knowledge within.

“As long as someone’s been working here for a year or two, we try to have everyone in the organization partake in our schools so that they have a better understanding of the industry and what we’re trying to do.”

The shipper, everyone in the organization. The receptionist?

“We haven’t put a receptionist through them recently, but we have in the past,” he says. “The better that everyone knows what we do, the better we operate as a company.”

Tom Dennehy is very clear on where the strength of his organization lies.

“It’s the guy that’s sitting outside my office here and the guy that’s packaging up the orders to ship them to the field and the service techs that receive them.”

He’s proud of his people, and they share his approach of helping the customer make the best decision for the best result. “Our salesmen are different, I think, from other salesmen,” he says.

“We have this comment made to us a lot, and I’ll quote it because I think it is more effective that way: ‘I like the way you approach this. Those other guys just want to sell me stuff.’ What we’re really interested in is proving ourselves on this project so there’s no question as to who you go to on the next project.”

This approach is definitely working.

Penta has gotten to the point where they’re doing everything they can to handle the business that they have available to them.

“The only way to grow it from here is to add more people, simply put,” Dennehy says.

Success hasn’t always been certain.

Back in 1987, when Michael Jackson was being listened to on walkmans and Robocop was playing on the big screen, Dennehy was sitting at a table with four co-workers, about to make the biggest decision of their young lives.

“We were working for a company that sold a lot of different equipment.

Then a product came along that was

very special, and we knew it,” he explains. That product was a fiberglass sucker rod. These five men (the name Penta is a reference to the number five) saw that this particular product required some special services attached to it if it was going to be successful.

And the company they were working for wasn’t providing it.

“As a group, we saw an opportunity.

The oil patch is a land of opportunity,” Dennehy says. “So we threw our money in a hat and walked out the door.”

Dennehy laughs at the hubris they showed in that fateful moment. “If I knew then what I know now, I never would’ve done it,” he says. “It was a total shot in the dark. We had no marketing plan. Nothing.”

They believed that hard work would see them through. And they were right.

But just barely.

“We started in July and I think the money was running out by October,” he recalls, leaning back in his chair. But as with all great stories, just as it looked like their dream was over, the phone rang. It was Amoco Petroleum, a big player in the industry, with an order for seven fiberglass strings. “That was the kick start we needed. It was also a mark of approval. We were able to build on that with other people,” he says.

Dennehy sums up Penta Completions’ legacy this way: “We’re never going to be the cheapest. But we’re always going to be the best. Whether it’s a new well or one that’s giving you trouble, you tell us how much, from how deep and we will show you what you need to get that oil out of the ground, as efficiently and reliably as possible. In the end, we will save you a lot of money.”

And you can take that to the bank.

www.pentarods.com

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CALGARY (SALES & SERVICE) EDMONTON (HEAD OFFICE) 610, 910 - 7 Ave SW 9543 - 56 Avenue Calgary, AB T2P 3N8 Edmonton, AB T6E 0B2 Telephone: (403) 262-1688 Telephone: (780) 436-6644 Fax: (403) 234-0108 Fax: (780) 435-4565 October 2012 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

ESTEVAN P.O. Box 667 Estevan, SK S4A 2A6 Telephone: (306) 634-7399 Fax: (306) 634-6989

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