TORONTO – To celebrate some of Canada’s most accomplished small business owners, the Air Miles Reward Program hosted the third annual Small Business Achievement Awards, presented by Bank of Montreal, on March 7, 2016.
From start-ups to established enterprises, this year’s honourees shine a spotlight on Canada’s entrepreneurial spirit and outstanding talent across five key categories: Small Business of the Year, Start-Up of the Year, Innovation of the Year, Social Responsibility, and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Small businesses represent 99.8 per cent of all companies in Canada and are the economic engines that power Canada’s job creation and economic growth. The Air Miles Small Business Achievement Awards is proud to recognize small business owners and the significant contributions they continue to make to this country and its economy.
The honoured winners of the 2016 AIR MILES Small Business Achievement Awards, and their business mentors, are:
• Start-up of the Year: Boreal Hearing Centre – Thunder Bay, ON, Betty DeKraker, Doctor of Audiology
Betty DeKraker opened the Boreal Hearing Centre in 2014, which focuses on offering her customers a wide array of the best products and accessories on the market. The clinic achieved exponential growth within its first 18 months, with sales-topping numbers DeKraker hadn’t forecasted reaching until year five.
Mentor: Malcolm Fowler, VP Financial Institutions & Partner Management, Moneris
• Small Business of the Year: Britespan Building Systems Inc. – Lucknow, ON, Ben Hogervorst, President
Britespan Building Systems Inc. was created by Ben Hogervorst and his wife Jenny leveraging key learnings from their previous business, the Ontario dealership for Cover-All Building Systems Inc. After going under receivership in March 2010, the Hogervorsts decided to completely redesign the product, pivoting to building steel-framed, fabric-covered buildings as temporary, permanent, and portable solutions for a wide range of applications across a number of industries. They’ve gone onto commercial success across North America with sales topping $14.5 million in 2015.
Mentor: Michael E. Bonner, Senior Vice-President, Bank of Montreal
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Basma Hameed, Founder and President, Basma Hameed Clinic. – Toronto, ON,
Basma Hameed opened the Basma Hameed Clinic in 2014. The 29-year-old founder and President pioneered cutting-edge camouflage treatments for the skin – first for herself, and then for other patients affected by discolouration caused by burns, surgical scars, and other medical marks. To date, her success has been profiled by CNN, The Doctors Show, and Vogue, to name a few.
Mentor: Sean Wise, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Ryerson University
• Innovation of the Year: Krumpers Solar Blinds – Ottawa, ON – Diana Livshits, President
Krumpers Solar Blinds are designed to enable businesses and homeowners to save on their utility consumption and costs, while reducing their environmental impact. The company’s annual sales are now roughly $1-million, with plans to open a new Toronto showroom in the next year.
Mentor: Amber Mac, President, Konnekt Digital Engagement
• Social Venture: Mealshare – Calgary, AB – Jeremy Bryant and Andrew Hall, Co-founders
Mealshare aims to help restaurants become part of the solution to end global hunger. Participating restaurants donate funds for each menu item they sell that has been assigned the Mealshare logo, which Mealshare then uses to provide one meal to someone in need, either in local communities, or overseas in Mali, Africa.
Mentor: Bryan Pearson, President & CEO, LoyaltyOne
