2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Runners-Up

Manufacturing 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Runners-Up

Robert Meggy, President and CEO, Great Little Box Company Ltd.

In the nearly 30 years since Bob Meggy bought the assets of a bankrupt box maker that would become his Great Little Box Company, he’s gained more stature within the B.C. business community as an employer than as a manufacturer. His company’s reputation as a great place to work is well deserved, the product of one of his core values: “People are your biggest asset,” he says. “We try to treat people very well, so they want to grow with the company.” And it certainly has grown, acquiring seven companies in six years. – David Godsall

Muhammad Amir, President, SPF Precut Lumber

Muhammed Amir came to B.C. from Pakistan by way of Dubai, not knowing the first thing about the lumber industry. Jobless, he recalls thinking to himself, “it’s either real estate or wood.” Thanks to his background in the shipping industry, wood proved to be the smart choice. Starting in 1990 with his wife handling the bookkeeping and a leased fax machine, Amir used his knowledge of global trade to spot new niche markets. “We have always looked for opportunities to get into markets where Canadian products have never been sold,” he says, describing his strategy. Whatever he’s doing, with double-digit revenue growth in each of the last 10 years, it’s working. – David Godsall

Business-to-Business Products and Services 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Runners-Up

Doug Morneau
, Founder and Chief Executive, Rhino Marketing Inc.


Doug Morneau started out writing marketing plans from his home office, and followed the traditional growth path: incorporating and then expanding gradually by bringing on a few employees. What set him apart, though, was seizing opportunity during the recent economic downturn. “It’s just the way that I’m wired,” the 48-year-old says. “Lots of times when people see trouble and chaos, I see opportunities.” As major firms pared back marketing budgets, Morneau saw an opening for a smaller player like Rhino. Today Rhino has 22 employees. – David Jordan

Ross Waters
, President, C.G. Industrial 
Specialties Ltd.


Ross Waters found a way to not only get excited about industrial valves, but to build an industry-leading company around them. “The tap on your bathtub is a valve,” he explains, “but we wouldn’t go there; it’s too easy.” Instead, his company specializes in valves that are subject to extremes of temperature, pressure, erosion or abrasion. When Waters took over the company from his father in 1980, it was strictly a manufacturer of gaskets and seals. He steered it to distributing specialty valves, and today the 58-year-old’s biggest thrill is hitting the road to share his enthusiasm with prospects and existing clients. – David Jordan

Professional and Financial Services 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Runners-Up

Andrew Kemp, President, CMW Insurance Services Ltd.

The day after finishing exams at UBC, Andrew Kemp started a 19-year career at a large international insurance brokerage firm. In 2004, frustrated with the bureaucracy of a large company, he joined CMW Insurance Services Ltd. and became president in 2006. “I realized that a large company just wasn’t conducive to the best things for our clients or for the employees,” he says. Kemp introduced process and procedure to the fast-growing company and has helped it grow from $35 million in premiums to $62 million today. – Matt Law
 

Darren Latoski and Steve Evans, Acting CEO and Acting CFO, Sunstone Realty Advisors Inc.

Darren Latoski and Steve Evans got together in 2001 to found Sunstone, under which they established a number of real estate investment funds. Ten funds under the Sunstone banner have raised $350 million to date, primarily in Canadian retail centres and in apartments in the U.S. southwest. In 2007 they established the Pure Industrial Real Estate Trust, with the goal, according to Evans, of becoming “the dominant industrial landlord across Canada.” Adds the 42-year-old Evans, “real estate is something we understand.” – Matt Law

Mining and Metals 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Runners-Up

John Greenslade, CEO and Director, Baja Mining Corp.

Negotiating deals seems to be a specialty of John Greenslade, a lawyer by training. Through targeting development banks, export credit agencies and a consortium of Korean companies, his junior mining company obtained over $1 billion in financing in 2010. He says his company received the largest loan ever given to a mining company, in the quickest time frame, while also being the smallest business the Export-Import Bank of the United States has ever worked with. The 62-year-old credits his success to hiring the best and bringing technical advisors onboard early. His advice for other entrepreneurs? “Don’t think you know everything.” – Schenley Brown
 

Mark O'Dea, CEO, Fronteer Gold Inc.

Mark O’Dea, 43, changed direction toward entrepreneurship from academia after coming second in Goldcorp’s mining exploration competition in 2000. “I have no formal business background at all,” O’Dea admits. He has directed Fronteer Gold toward an innovative exploration model based on data and science. “At one point we had four or five PhD’s working here and that was just unheard of in such a small company starting out,” he says. Fronteer was acquired by Newmont Mining Corp. for $2.3 billion in February this year. – Schenley Brown

2011 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Runners-Up

Jason Zanatta, President, Novo Textiles Co. Ltd.

Most people wouldn’t think of textile manufacturing and distribution as a high-risk enterprise, but that might be because most people wouldn’t think of Jason Zanatta when they picture a typical textile industry executive. Describing his business philosophy, Zanatta says, “You look at all the success stories and the common thread is that at some point they took big risks for big rewards.” Throughout his career, from the personal loan he took out at just 22 to buy his first shares in the company to the high-inventory strategy he’s pursued since, he’s done exactly that. – David Godsall
 

Steve Curtis, CEO, Zag Group Inc.

What do search engine optimization, Czech-made absinthe and hip-hop-inspired fashion have in common? They’re all chapters in the story Steve Curtis’s ZAG Group, and all trends the quick-thinking CEO has ridden over 10 years in marketing and e-commerce. “We looked for the trend and we followed the trend,” he says. But recently, having developed a new drink based on the kava plant, his focus has shifted: “Now we’re trying to invent a product and create a market where none exists.” Given the success he achieved by spotting trends, one can only imagine what he’ll do now that he’s making his own. – David Godsall

B2C Products & Services 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Runners-Up

Kenneth Armstrong, President and CEO, Sussex Insurance Agency

When Kenneth Armstrong was looking for a business opportunity, insurance seemed like a no-brainer. “Everybody needs it, you never have bad debts and you’re never out of stock,” he says. Armstrong opened his first Sussex Insurance Agency outlet in North Vancouver in 1976. When it came time to expand, he took a page from his former career in retail at Firestone Tire and Rubber and opted for the franchise route. Today the 67-year-old Armstrong oversees 37 Sussex franchises. “That’s proof of a good company,” he says; “everybody wants a piece of you.” – David Jordan
 

Gary Mauris, President and Co-Founder, Dominion Lending Centres Inc.

Gary Mauris was a go-getter from an early age. “I was the kid in high school who always had three jobs,” the 43-year-old recalls. His first venture in self-employment involved placing cigarette vending machines in nightclubs. After selling that business, he got into distributing ATMs; he would place 6,000 across Canada before selling that company. Sensing an opportunity in the under-sung mortgage brokerage business, he launched Dominion Lending Centres in 2006, intent on building a national brand through aggressive advertising. Today Dominion has 390 offices across Canada; it recently branched into equipment leasing and Mauris plans to move into insurance and wealth management. – David Jordan

Cleantech & Information Technology 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Runners-Up

Thomas Ligocki
, President and CEO, Clevest Solutions Inc.


Thomas Ligocki, 38, escaped to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1985 with nothing but his family and a determination to succeed. “I didn’t speak a word of English,” he reveals. Now his company offers wireless management of mobile workforces, particularly for utilities. The concept not only reduces paper usage, but also more effectively manages workers to keep utilities running smoothly. “I get excited about making a difference,” Ligocki says. – Schenley Brown

 

Alexander Fernandes
, President, CEO and Co-Founder, Avigilon Corp.


Alexander Fernandes, 43, wanted the best of the best surveillance for his small business, but it didn’t exist. Now Avigilon Corp. is at the forefront of high-definition surveillance systems thanks to his company’s constant technological innovation. Avigilon has grown at an annual rate of more than 100 per cent, and Fernandes credits his success to perseverance. To him, entrepreneurship is like an adventure into new territory: “You’re going to get an endless stream of seemingly impossible obstacles to overcome and you can’t be faint of heart; you have to enjoy that adrenaline.” – Schenley Brown