IN THIS ISSUE ► Why the Situation in Greece Saving Canada’S How to Successfully Matters to Canadians Venture Exchange Partner with Partners There Is Another Way

JULY 2015 Volume 8 Issue 7 www.cbj.ca

IN THIS ISSUE ► Why the Situation in Greece Saving Canada’s How to Successfully Matters to Canadians Venture Exchange Partner with Partners There is another way...... Plug and Play

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A report by the Fraser Institute Costley-White was President of Blackburn Radio reveals job growth in Canada’s Inc. and a man who I had the pleasure of inter- public sector grew by 22.6% between 2003 and viewing in April, 2012 for a feature in CBJ. His 2013 while the private sector increased by just family’s media ownership dates back 163 years, 10.7%. In other words, newly created government- to 1852, when Josiah Blackburn bought a weekly related jobs outpaced private-sector jobs by a newspaper and named it The London Free Press. two to one margin. We need less government, yet The Blackburn’s holdings grew to include CFPL more people are being added to the public payroll radio and television stations. – and quite often with outrageous compensation Australian-born media baron Rupert Murdoch that would rarely be recognized in the private will soon hand over the chief executive job at sector. Ontario is by far the biggest offender, entertainment conglomerate Twenty-First Century where it certainly pays to suck on the public teat. Fox to his sons James and Lachlan, who will work Kudos to Newfoundland and Labrador where the as partners. The 84-year-old Murdoch is the private sector actually managed to grow at a faster founder of News Corp. and remains one of the rate than the public side. most enigmatic, controversial figures in the history Speaking of dysfunctional government of international media, but there is no disputing his finances – Greek PM Alexis Tsipras believes EU major influences on both print and broadcasting. lenders are looking to humiliate his government Did you know? Ted Turner, 76, and Rupert through stringent austerity measures. Given that Murdoch absolutely detest one another. In fact, the Mediterranean country is virtually bankrupt, in 1997, the American who founded Turner having to eat a little crow should be the least of Broadcasting, including CNN, challenged Tsipras’s worries. Bank machines are empty and Murdoch to a pay-per-view boxing match. Turner people have been told their daily withdrawals from thought it was a win-win situation. He’d have a their accounts are limited to the equivalent of $70 chance to let out his frustrations on his media CDN. If Greece is kicked out of the euro zone and adversary in the ring while also raising money for can no longer use the shared euro currency of charity. Murdoch wasn’t as keen on the idea and 19 countries, it’s going to set off a ripple effect of never did publicly respond to Turner’s challenge. economic misfortune on a much broader scale. On a sad note, we want to offer our condo- Angus Gillespie lences to the family of Richard Costley-White, who @CanBizJournal died peacefully at home on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 at age 48, almost one year after being diagnosed with Central Nervous System Lymphoma. Be FEATURED... Be FEATURED... Be NOTICED... Be NOTICED...

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SERVICES COMMUNICATIONS EDUCATION FINANCE SERVICES 080 NAUTEL 162 PRAIRIE WEALTH MANAGEMENT Making your financial and retirement dreams a reality

068 112 A World Leader in Manufacturing AM, FM BRENTWOOD COLLEGE Redefining Education THE EMPLOYMENT SOLUTION and Digital TV Broadcast Transmitters THE EMPLOYMENT SOLUTION CBJ Team

Angus Gillespie | Editor-in-Chief | [email protected] Alex Geddes | Associate Editor | [email protected]

Vladimir Lukic | Creative Director | [email protected] Anisa Saeed | Jr. Ad Designer | [email protected]

Contributors | Mark Borkowski, Joe Connelly, Melonie Dodaro, Marsha Friedman, Dorothy Knight, Renée Robertson, Ian Russell, Samita Sarkar, Ennio Vita-Finzi, Jay York

GEORGE MEDIA INC. #601 - 30 Eglinton Avenue West Mississauga, Ontario | L5R 3E7 CANADA Table of CONTENTS JULY 2015 | VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 7 040

CBJ FEATURES WHY THE SITUATION IN GREECE MATTERS TO CANADIANS By Mark Borkowski 012 SAVING CANADA’S VENTURE EXCHANGE By Ian Russell 020 CANADA’S STACKED DECK (INTERNATIONAL TRADE) By Ennio Vita-Finzi 028 FIVE STEPS TO INTEGRATING COACHING INTO YOUR TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY By Renée Robertson 034 COVER: THE EXPANSION OF CLOUD COMPUTING By Angus Gillespie 040 YOU CAN THRIVE WHILE MIXING FAMILY WITH BUSINESS By Marsha Friedman 048 STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS: DO THEY WORK? By Mark Borkowski 052 HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY PARTNER WITH PARTNERS By Joe Connelly 056 HASHTAGGING YOUR WAY TO SOCIAL MEDIA RELEVANCE By Jay York 064 DO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES CREATE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT? – By Melonie Dodaro 070 040 020

024 056

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Element_CanadianBusiness_Fullpage_Ad.indd 1 4/22/15 2:46 PM Funny BUSINESS Table of CONTENTS JULY 2015 | VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 7 Business in Action

078

ARCHITECTURE NUMBER TEN ARCHITECTURAL GROUP Leaders in Sustainable Design and Best Practices Management 078

CONSTRUCTION KANDY OUTDOOR FLOORING Expanding Home Experiences 092

TECHNOLOGY SMART TECHNOLOGIES Technology for the Connected World 102 EARTH ALIVE CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES Making the Greatest Environmental Impact with the Smallest Footprint 112

AUTOMOTIVE CAPILANO AUDI Accelerating the Future of New and Pre-owned Automobiles 122

HEALTHCARE UMANO MEDICAL The Next Generation of the Medical Bed 132

MANUFACTURING BOREAL LASER 142

SERVICES MTL AUTO PARTS Canada’s Leading Online Auto Parts Store 150 THE EMPLOYMENT SOLUTION 156

FOOD & BEVERAGE HEMP OIL CANADA 166

EDUCATION BRENTWOOD COLLEGE Redefining Education 174 102

112

132 WHY THE SITUATION IN GREECE MATTERS TO CANADIANS By Mark Borkowski and Rahim Madhavji WHY THE SITUATION IN GREECE MATTERS TO CANADIANS By Mark Borkowski and Rahim Madhavji 14 Why the Situation in Greece Matters to Canadians

caused Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel to question whether the Greek government is taking the issue of debt repayment seriously.

Time is running out. By refusing to raise taxes, Tsipras has forsaken his most powerful tool in reducing the Greek debt load. It is beginning to look increasingly possible that Greece default on its credit obligations, the repercussions of which will be felt on a global scale. Since 2012, private institutions have been divesting their stakes in Greek debt, with almost the entire amount being held by public entities now. This has been a consolidation of exposure Mark Borkowski to a Greek default, as well as an overall market desensitization to the Greek debt crisis, but it will The issues with Greece are well still most definitely be impactful to other nations. documented. The financial crisis of 2008 was catalyzed by the default of a single firm (Lehman brothers). GREEK DEBT REMAINS north of $380 billion, So how does the current Greek situation affect and has had a number of sanctions imposed on Canadians? How does a Greek default affect them by creditors. The country’s GDP comprises Canadians? less than 0.4% of the global economy (Greece would be Canada’s fourth-largest province), but new developments in the Greek saga can be felt Global Market Impact globally. Greece’s Left-wing Prime Minister, Alexis The main reason the Greek debt crisis impacts Tsipras continues to revolt against the auster- global markets, trade, and exchange rates, is ity that the Troika (International Monetary Fund, because it introduces global uncertainty. European Central Bank, European Commission) “Broader markets can be impacted by is supposedly imposing on the nation. Tsipras’ changes in Greek sentiment, as we have seen has refused to make any further cuts to Greek recently. When positive news comes out of pensions, and has also ruled out the idea of a tax Greece, global equities tend to tick upwards, as increase. The Prime Minister’s tepid action has both institutions and individuals move away from 15 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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safe investments. The inverse is also true.” said people become more conscious about spending, Rahim Madhavji of KnightsbridgeFX.com hurting the housing market, the job market, and For Canadians, this impacts the TSX as well the economy at large. as the Dow Jones, NASDAQ, and S&P 500. Your retirement savings shrink on mundane negative Greek sentiment, with the possibility of markets Impact on Trade panicking in the event of a Greek default. Since The trade impact the Greek crisis has on the the Greek debt crisis has been in the public eye Canadian economy is abstract. Although Canada for several years, the market impact of a Greek and Greece are not prominent trading partners default is very uncertain. A default is partially there will still be an impact on the Canadian priced into the market, but could still have a very economy. A steep drop-off in European eco- material effect on Canadian investors. A Greek nomic conditions could certainly hurt Canadian default will scare investors, causing them to exports to the Eurozone. In the event of a move assets from riskier equities to safer options. default, it is very unlikely that a Canadian reces- This could harbour a new bear market, where sion would be triggered. 16 Why the Situation in Greece Matters to Canadians

Greece’s Left-wing Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras continues to revolt against the austerity that the Troika (International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank, European Commission) is supposedly imposing on the nation. Photo Credit: 360b / Shutterstock.com 17 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Although Canada and Greece are not prominent trading partners there will still be an impact on the Canadian economy.

“The global financial system is based on trust Impact on the Dollar and once there is a crack in the window, people Similar to Greece’s impact on the market, the link will start to lose faith and run. The crack gets between the Greek debt crisis and Canadian dol- bigger and the system freezes. A Greek default lar prices can be determined. It was mentioned in could spread widespread panic that could have the aforesaid text that the main reason the Greek widespread trade implications. If Greece defaults, debt crisis affects the world’s major economies will other nations be less likely to enter contracts so intimately is the uncertainty it causes. When with Italy or Spain? This global uncertainty is there is negative sentiment about the Greek what could have a widespread impact, despite debt crisis, then markets react accordingly to the Greece’s relatively small size. Other countries increased uncertainty in the market. that have a large amount of debt may become “In the event of a Greek default, the Canadian untouchable as refinancing their debt may be dollar is likely to weaken relative to the US dol- difficult, the cost will increase, and a self-fulfilling lar. Flows will move in to the safe haven US default may occur, simply because of Greece.” dollar. As global uncertainty increases, money 18 Why the Situation in Greece Matters to Canadians

As global uncertainty increases, money will flow to government bonds, lowering their yield.

will flow to government bonds, lowering their which for a resource-heavy country like Canada, yield. U.S. treasuries will be amongst the most would further suppress the dollar. This lower dol- highly sought after, which will widen the spread lar will serve to cushion the recessionary impact between U.S. and Canadian government bonds. by helping exports.” said Rahim Madhavji of A perceived weakening global economy will also KnightsbridgeFX.com put downward pressure on commodity prices, 19 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

to happen. If Greek elected officials are unwilling to work with their creditors to take reasonable measures to reduce their debt-load a Greek default is all but assured. A default could trigger a global recession, but if Mr. Tsipras is unable to meet his debt repayment obligations, it’s the only choice the Troika will have. While the probability is low that Greece exits the euro zone, the impact if it leaves could be devastating. Think back to the U.S. recession in 2008 and its impact on the stock market, labour market, and international trade. Don’t leave all your eggs in one basket and have a plan if you think your work or investments could be severely impacted. We’ve had these Greek negotiations before and that’s why there is no panic. The boy already cried wolf before. We all expect a deal to get done. Only time will tell.

Rahim Madhavji is President of KnightsbridgeFX. com, a currency exchange company that helps Canadians get better exchange rates than the banks. Mark Borkowski is president of Toronto, Canada based Mercantile Mergers & As global uncertainty increases, money will flow to government bonds, lowering their yield. Acquisitions Corporation. Mercantile specializes in the sale of mid-market companies in Canada. The Bottom Line At this point, it’s an axiom that a lot is at stake with the Greek crisis. It is in everyone’s best interest for Greece to remain in the Euro, even North American economies. The global economy would prefer for this Saving Canada’s Venture Exchange By Ian C.W. Russell Saving Canada’s Venture Exchange By Ian C.W. Russell 22 Saving Canada’s Venture Exchange

and commodity prices receded. The Index is now hovering around financial crisis lows. Can Canada’s Venture Exchange be saved? The Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC) believes so.

The numbers say it all • The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index is down 72% from its most recent peak in March 2011 and down 80% from its all-time high in May 2007. • Issuers listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) raised just over $5 billion in 2014, Ian C. W. Russell, compared to $11.6 billion in 2007. President and CEO, IIAC • Total financings raised on the TSXV were only one-tenth as much as total financings Recent years have been particularly raised on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) challenging for Canada’s Venture in 2014, compared to one-quarter as much Exchange, an important source of in 2007. funding for small-cap, early stage • The total market value of the TSXV’s 2,347 companies as well as mid-sized companies was $26.9 billion at the end Canadian businesses that have of 2014. By comparison, the market value outgrown access to angel networks or of companies on the Canadian Venture private equity and are turning to public Exchange was more than $100 billion in markets to raise much needed funds 2001. to meet their strategic objectives. • Trading volume fell 27% over the 2007 to 2014 period (40% over the 2011 to 2014 period). BETWEEN 2002 AND 2007, the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index greatly outperformed virtually all major indices in the world. After a big dip dur- The home of a diverse ing the global financial crisis, the Index trended range of companies higher until March 2011 as confidence returned, Roughly 60% of issuers listed on the TSXV are and then fell sharply as economic growth slowed junior mining and exploration companies, and 23 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

roughly two-thirds of equity capital raised on the TSXV in 2014 was resource related (i.e. mining and oil and gas). The TSXV is also home to many companies in the biotechnology, application software, medical (devices, instruments, diagnos- tics and research), industrial products, real estate services and asset management sectors. Companies that grow and mature may even- tually list on the TSE. In fact, about 20% of the companies on the S&P/TSX Composite Index graduated from the TSXV. The TSXV is an intrinsic element of Canada’s capital markets and, as such, it must be nurtured Roughly 60% of issuers listed on the TSXV are and preserved. The challenges the TSXV faces junior mining and exploration companies, and are not insurmountable, but they do require our roughly two-thirds of equity capital raised on the TSXV in 2014 was resource related (i.e. mining immediate attention and decisive action. and oil and gas).

What ails the TSXV? triggered partly by anxiety about Greece’s future The challenges the TSXV faces are multi-faceted. within the Eurozone and growing anticipation the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates by the end of 2015. During times of uncertainty Weak resource prices and intense market volatility, small-cap stocks The drop in the price of crude oil and other tend to get hit the hardest as investors flee commodities led to capitulation in resource smaller speculative stocks in a flight to quality. stocks listed on the TSXV. Because many of the issuers on the TSXV are junior resource-based companies, they do not have the size, nor are Unfavourable demographics they sufficiently diversified to weather a plunge Canada’s population is aging. Older investors are in commodity prices. generally more risk averse and, hence, tend to avoid speculative equities (like junior resource plays) in favour of more balanced portfolios that Increased market volatility emphasize dividend and income streams. Large swings in stock markets have been 24 Saving Canada’s Venture Exchange

Older investors are generally more risk averse and, hence, tend to avoid speculative equities (like junior resource plays) in favour of more balanced portfolios that emphasize dividend and income streams.

High listing fees and Consolidation among small associated costs investment dealers Listing fees for the TSXV are in the $7,500 to Increased regulatory compliance costs, high $40,000 range (depending on the total value of costs associated with keeping up with technol- the shares listed). The addition of accounting ogy, and stiff competition have led a number of and auditing fees ($25,000 to $100,000), legal boutique dealer firms who focus on the small- fees ($75,000 +), underwriters’ commission cap market to either exit the industry, or merge (up to 12%) other related fees (e.g. securities with large players. Others have registered as commission fees and costs related to prepar- exempt market dealers. ing valuation reports) and ongoing expenses to meet continuous disclosure and corporate governance requirements of the exchanges The rise of the exempt market and securities regulators can be bring the costs Increasingly, small companies are bypassing the of going public on the TSXV to more than public markets because it is more economi- $300,000. This represents a significant cost for cal to raise funds in the less regulated exempt many junior companies. market. Ordinarily, they would have turned to 25 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal public markets to distribute new share offerings policymakers in the form of tax and regulatory because of the liquidity advantage they offer, but changes. with activity on the TSXV slowing considerably, For example, the federal government could the liquidity advantage has evaporated. There is implement legislation to provide for the defer- less reason for small firms to utilize public mar- ral of income taxation on taxable capital gains kets. Retail investors still interested in riskier, incurred in a taxation year when the proceeds more speculative companies are forced into the are reinvested in small business shares within a exempt market. six month period. This would, in effect, unlock significant amounts of capital tied-up in low- return investments and would encourage The increase in private equity investors to take advantage of opportunities Recent years have seen an increase in support offered by small-cap companies with faster of viable early stage companies by private equity growth potential. and venture capital firms in a number of sectors There have been calls to delist TSXV com- including natural resources, software and infor- panies that fall outside the listing standards so mation technology. This has allowed issuers to investors have a small number of higher quality defer listing until they are at a more mature stage. stocks to choose from, but most stakeholders believe the market should determine which companies succeed and which fail. Structural issues There have also been calls for regulators to The standards advisors use in assessing the suit- make it easier for companies to raise capital and ability of investments for their clients have been maintain their listings. raised. Key factors advisors are required to take The Canadian Securities Administrators have into account include the client’s age and time responded by lightening the regulatory load horizon. These investor suitability requirements on companies residing on the TSXV, while at are a key element of the Client Relationship Model the same time ensuring investor confidence is reform initiative, and may preclude investments in not compromised. One of the most important riskier, more speculative stocks listed on the TSXV. changes aims to streamline venture issuer dis- These trends foreshadow the continued ero- closure by providing issuers the option to provide sion of trading on the TSXV. quarterly “highlights” disclosure rather than full interim Management’s Discussion and Analysis in respect of financial years beginning on or What can be done? after July 1, 2015. The quarterly highlights would The only real hope of stimulating activity include a brief discussion of the issuer’s opera- on the TSXV is going to have to come from tions, liquidity and capital resources. Additionally, 26 Saving Canada’s Venture Exchange

The only real hope of stimulating activity on the TSXV is going to have to come from policymakers in the form of tax and regulatory changes.

venture issuers may use a scaled down form of disclosure requirements are staying private for disclosure for executive and director compensa- longer. Others are turning to the exempt mar- tion arrangements. Moreover, a venture issuer’s ket for cheaper sources of financing. This raises initial public offering (IPO) prospectus will only important questions with respect to the roll and need to include two instead of three years of his- regulation of the exempt market and to levelling torical audited financial statements. the playing field. It is also important that we have a better It is also worthwhile to look at what other understanding of the type of firm or inves- jurisdictions are doing to boost demand, increase tor operating in exempt markets. This can be liquidity, reduce volatility and improve market done through better data collection. We know quality for stock of some smaller companies. that small and medium-sized businesses fac- In the U.S., for example, the Securities and ing high listing fees and associated costs as Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a two- well as ongoing expenses to meet continuous year pilot program aimed at boosting liquidity 27 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

the day rather than through continuous trading. In general, continuous trade increases stock liquidity, price accuracy and value for most stocks (see, for example, studies by Amihud, Mendelson and Lauterbach), but continuous trading may not suit well thinly-traded small-cap stocks (see, for example, Easley, Kiefer, O’Hara and Paperman). Spreading the thin volume over the day may generate volatile and inaccu- rate transaction prices that may deter potential traders. Therefore, it may be more optimal to concentrate all trade in one or a few auctions.

In the U.S., the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a two-year pilot In summary program aimed at boosting liquidity of small- Creating a healthy environment for funding cap stocks. small, growing companies should be a top prior- ity for policymakers and regulators. The search of small-cap stocks. The program will reward for solutions begins with a diagnosis of the prob- brokers for making markets in less-liquid stocks lem. It is not enough to blame weak economic by widening the amount they earn when buy- conditions and poor resource markets. Whistling ing and selling shares. Instead of trading in past the graveyard is no answer. The issues pennies, stocks will trade in 5-cent increments. affecting financing and trading on Canada’s This will apply to approximately 1,400 thinly- Venture Exchange are multi-dimensional and traded stocks issued by companies with market require action on many fronts. capitalization of $3 billion or less that trade at We need to put our best minds together to a volume-weighted average price of at least create a strong and sustainable venture capi- US$2.00 per share every trading day. The goal is tal marketplace that will enable small Canadian to increase brokers’ interest in trading these less businesses to achieve their desired objectives active stocks so they do not become neglected. and their full potential. CBJ The pilot program will begin on May 6, 2016. It may also be useful to explore whether Ian C. W. Russell is the President and CEO of it makes sense to arrange auctions for thinly- the Investment Industry Association of Canada traded small-cap stocks intermittently through (IIAC). www.iiac.ca CANADA’S “STACKED DECK” By Ennio Vita-Finzi CANADA’S “STACKED DECK” By Ennio Vita-Finzi 30 Canada’s “Stacked Deck”

chances of winning the contract, the Canadian reminded himself optimistically that going through an international RFQ was still a valuable learning experience. While he waited, his mind wandered, remembering the disappointing loss at his first poker game the previous week - his gut told him that the deck had been stacked against him from the start, and that today would probably be no different. After a surprisingly short time the Brazilian walked out and the Canadian’s name was called. As he walked into the suite, the Japanese executive bowed slightly and offered his business card with both hands. Having done

Ennio Vita-Finzi his cultural research, the Canadian did the same and the man asked him to sit. Suddenly, breaking into a huge smile, the Japanese executive said: A Canadian consultant with only “Ah… I finally meet the Canadian!” He con- domestic clients adventurously tinued: “I have long waited to meet a Canadian decided to answer a multinational businessman. In Japan we have great admira- RFQ. Without any experience tion for Canada – your values and reputation are outside of Canada, he nevertheless well-known in my country. In addition, you must thought that telling clients that he be aware that our two Governments are cur- was bidding internationally would rently discussing ways to establish a Free Trade enhance his reputation. As he waited Agreement, so…” outside the Hotel suite where the He opened the folder containing the con- Japanese principal was holding the tract and added: “I am looking forward to meetings, he secretly marveled at talking business with a Canadian. Your proposal having made the short list. is very fair – but I expected nothing less… so let us do business together!” As he listened to his THE LAST BUT one consultant’s name was future client explain the details of the contract, called and the sleek Brazilian businessman the Canadian realised that unlike his disastrous smiled confidently as he walked by to meet the poker game, Canada’s global reputation had principal. Waiting alone and wondering at his STACKED THE DECK IN HIS FAVOUR, providing 31 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

When Canadian business executives take their first steps to penetrate a new foreign market, they begin negotiations with the undeniable benefit of enjoying a global reputation as the best country in the world. 32 Canada’s “Stacked Deck”

Canada has an excellent international business reputation in Japan.

an amazing advantage at the very start of this Canadians seeking to compete in foreign markets exciting negotiation. often feel the deck is stacked against them if they lack international experience have to compete against local products, must outperform other Background: A Stacked countries’ exporters, face cultural barriers that Deck could block their entry or are unable to commu- The expression “stacking the deck” usually refers nicate because of linguistic handicaps. to dishonest card players who pre-arrange the sequence in a deck of cards in order to win a game. Therefore when a situation is said to be No. 1 Country “stacked against you”, the belief is that there The Reputation Institute (www.reputationinsti- is usually little chance of winning. Similarly, tute.com), a global private consulting firm based 33 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

perception for fairness and a global popularity which in any international negotiation creates a positive atmosphere and provide untold opportunities, even before serious discussions ensue.

An Essential Asset Naturally, this first advantage must be followed up by entrepreneurial business savvy, awareness of what international trade represents, and the ability to recognize and seize trade opportunities as they appear and by maintaining high ethical business standards. These attributes can all be acquired through training (e.g.: www.FITT.ca), as well as the support and assistance of knowledgeable intermediaries or by practical and gutsy hands- on trial-and-error experience. Knowing that Canadians begin international negotiations with a negotiating deck already stacked in their favour is an asset that many are often not aware of. CBJ Canada has an excellent international business reputation in Japan.

Ennio Vita-Finzi is a Certified International Trade in New York and Copenhagen, publishes an Professional (CITP), former Trade Commissioner annual report aimed at helping countries bolster and past-President of the Canadian Council their reputations around the globe. Entitled “The for the Americas. He has been a multinational World’s Most Reputable Countries”, Canada was executive and entrepreneur and is now a chosen as No.1 among 50 countries for the last College lecturer, keynote speaker and author three years, only to be edged out by Switzerland based in Montreal. [email protected]. in 2015 by only .01 points (75.63 vs 75.62). As a result, when Canadian business executives take their first steps to penetrate a new foreign market, they begin negotiations with the undeniable benefit of enjoying a global reputation as the best country in the world; this includes a FIVE STEPS TO INTEGRATING

INTO YOUR TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY By Renée Robertson FIVE STEPS TO INTEGRATING

INTO YOUR TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY By Renée Robertson 36 Five Steps to Integrating Coaching into Your Talent Management Strategy

look like? Well, something like this: “So, how do you think your presentation on ABC went?” The employee is given time to reflect, respond and be an active participant in the conversation. The manager continues to ask thoughtful questions such as: “What would you have done differently?,” ”What actions will you take?,” or “How can I support you?” Do you notice the difference? This is a coaching conversation—the employee is empowered to act while being supported by their manager. The employee gains confidence knowing that they own the outcome while feeling acknowledged and supported by their manager. Now more than ever, there is a great opportunity to bring coaching into organizations. According to Gallup’s study on the global Renée Robertson workplace, only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged at work or are psychologically COACHING MEANS MANY things to many people. committed to their jobs and likely to be making Many times a certain technique that is referred positive contributions to their organizations. to as “coaching,” isn’t really coaching at all; it’s Therefore, 63% are not engaged. If this is the actually counseling or feedback. For example, case, then why not integrate coaching into your you may have heard or had this happen to you talent management strategy, not only to increase – a manager will say, “Let me give you some employee engagement, but to achieve other talent coaching around ABC,” and they proceed to development goals such as developing certain explain to an employee why the employee failed competencies like problem-solving, strategic to accomplish a task. The manager then explains thinking or filling your talent pipeline with ready- the way ABC needs to be done. More times than now talent for upward or lateral assignments? not, the recipient of this so-called “coaching” In order to integrate coaching into your tal- walks away disillusioned by what they think was ent management strategy, the following five steps a coaching experience and perhaps, deflated and should be taken: unmotivated. As a result, coaching can get a bad 1. Educate Your Leaders: Start at the top and rap and employees may begin to disengage. educate your executives on the differences and So what does a real coaching conversation benefits of coaching versus counseling. Interview 37 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Start at the top and educate your executives on the differences and benefits of coaching versus counseling.

them on their perspectives on coaching and in an excellent position to coach executives in the assess their willingness to participate and support company. Alternatively, you may choose to utilize a coaching initiative. Explain the benefits of coach- external coaches. If so, you can submit a request ing and ask them where they see applications for via the International Coach Federation Coach coaching inside their organizations. Referral Service website or ask colleagues for rec- 2. Identify Coaches, Participants and ommendations. Executive Sponsors: Look for individuals and Simultaneously, you will want to identify can- managers that can become trained to be internal didates to participate in the coaching program. coaches inside your company. These individuals Therefore, review your succession planning and may be inside your talent management and orga- consider top talent managers, directors and nizational development areas or could exist inside executives. Participants should be excited to be the business itself. Consider having talent manage- part of the program and willing to make a com- ment or Human Resources executives trained and mitment. Just as important as identifying the credentialed by the International Coach Federation coaches and participants is to make certain that as professional coaches. As a result, they will be you have executive sponsorship. Determine which 38 Five Steps to Integrating Coaching into Your Talent Management Strategy

While training your coaches, be sure to establish a clear and consistent process for enrolling clients, coaching time and exiting clients.

executives would like to sponsor the program build upon its success. Make certain everyone is and be a participant. Request that they support clear on the goals of the program, time commit- you in your coach and participant identification, ment and their roles and responsibilities. marketing efforts, during participant enrollment 4. Train: Enroll your internal coach can- and throughout the program’s life cycle. didates in a coach-training program that is 3. Manage Expectations: Be sure to clearly designed to train individuals that work inside set expectations with your internal coaches, indi- companies as a coach. If you choose to enroll viduals being coached, the executive sponsors internal employees to become coaches, ensure and, of course, your managers and colleagues. they’re being coached by a coach with experi- It is best to run the initial program as a pilot and ence coaching internal coaches. In addition, 39 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

score or setting up a simple impact study. It doesn’t have to be a rigorous measurement such as ROI. If your program is embraced and utilized (coaching clients show up and participate in the coaching), then that’s a great sign. Interviewing them or surveying them on the benefits they received is also an excellent idea. In addition, be sure to ask the managers of the program’s participants about the changes they may have noticed in their employee’s behaviors after being coached. In a time where we’re surrounded by change and have so many demands on our personal and professional lives, the need for coaching is at an all-time high. Coaching is a model for engagement, empowerment and accountability. It teaches those being coached to be responsible and to “own” their results. By engaging in coaching, you’re making a decision to replace mediocrity with high- performance. So let’s ask ourselves, who and what company doesn’t want full engagement and high- performance? CBJ While training your coaches, be sure to establish a clear and consistent process for enrolling clients, coaching time and exiting clients.

Renée Robertson is a two-time International Coach Federation Prism Award Winner for Internal be sure to train the individuals who are to be Coaching, in addition to being the CEO of Trilogy coached on the role and responsibilities of the Development. She shares her insights and first- participant. While training your coaches, be sure hand experience in her new book, The Coaching to establish a clear and consistent process for Solution: How to Drive Talent Development, enrolling clients, coaching time and exiting cli- Organizational Change and Business Results. To ents. The key here is to ensure that everyone learn more, visit www.trilogydevelopment.com. participating has a similar experience. 5. Measure Success: Prior to starting the program, determine how you will measure its success. It may be done simply by using a Net–Promoter By Angus Gillespie 41 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

The massive growth explosion more than 57,000 people are anticipated to be of cloud computing has led an employed in this country via what it calls the astounding number of top tier “cloud economy.” technology companies to climb A private cloud is owned and operated onboard and be part of the data by one company. The advantage to this is the sharing in what has fast become a allowance for controlling the way resources are multibillion dollar industry, especially services are customized and executed. Private those that see the need to diversify, cloud provides more control over resources. if not reinvent themselves altogether. A hybrid cloud uses the core foundation of Nobody wants to be the Eastman a private cloud combined with the strategic use Kodak of the high-tech world. of public cloud services. A private cloud can’t exist in isolation from the rest of a company’s IT CLOUD COMPUTING, AT its core, essentially resources and the public cloud. Most companies refers to transferring computer data and storage with private clouds will evolve to manage to multiple offsite locations available on the workloads across data centres, private clouds Internet. This permits application software to be and public clouds— creating a cross between the operated using Internet-enabled devices. Cloud two, or a hybrid, if you will. Virtual Machines are designed for maximum According to IDC, total public cloud scalability and performance, supporting complex spending for both business and personal use requirements faced by businesses on a daily in Canada is projected to grow to $2.5 billion basis. Clouds are most often identified as being by next year. This is despite the fact a good public, private and hybrid. With Box’s successful number of companies have yet to embrace the IPO earlier this year, there are now at least entire cloud concept and the ones that do still 25 publicly-traded companies in the cloud don’t fully comprehend the benefits behind it. computing market worth more than $1 billion. The fastest growth will be from Public cloud Public clouds are owned and operated by infrastructure with a strong 45% increase by enterprises that allows for quick and affordable 2016. Although Microsoft is entering Canada access to computing resources that can ulti- with both feet, there will be no shortage of mately link with other businesses or individuals. competition from some major players already There are no costly requirements to purchase in the game – namely: Bell, CenturyLink, hardware, software or supporting infrastructure, Cogeco, IBM, iWeb, Long View, RackForce, which is owned and managed by the cloud pro- Rogers, SherWeb and Telus. Despite not having viders. In a report prepared by the Information local data centres, Amazon Web Services and and Communications Technology Council, Microsoft hold over 50% of Canadian market 42 COVER FEATURE » The Expansion of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing, at its core, essentially refers to transferring computer data and storage to multiple offsite locations available on the Internet.

share. It’s Microsoft’s hope that once they have a took on a much more significant position. physical presence, that percentage will increase Companies such as Microsoft and IBM have been significantly. able to successfully transform their companies Microsoft, a company that got its start in the and remain relevant through innovative ideas, mid-1970s by young visionaries Bill Gates and one of which is being at the forefront of cloud- Paul Allen, dominated much of the 1980s and based computing. 1990s with its Microsoft Office software and Recently Microsoft announced that Azure, Windows operating systems. But as the millen- Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online will be nium struck, file sharing and cloud computing delivered from Toronto and Quebec City as of 43 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Kevin Turner, Worldwide Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft, was in Toronto to officially announce physical locations in Canada will be set up in Toronto and Quebec City for cloud computing services. CBJ Photo

next year, further strengthening Microsoft’s more opportunity to Canadian businesses and footprint in Canada’s competitive cloud land- government organizations, helping them fully scape. realize the cost savings and flexibility of the cloud. “Soon, the Microsoft Cloud will be truly These new locally deployed services will Canadian,” says Kevin Turner, Worldwide Chief address data residency considerations for Operating Officer, Microsoft, who travelled to Microsoft customers and partners of all shapes Toronto to make the major announcement. “This and sizes who are embracing cloud computing substantial investment in a Canadian cloud dem- to transform their businesses, better man- onstrates how committed we are to bringing even age variable workloads and deliver new digital 44 COVER FEATURE » The Expansion of Cloud Computing

Janet Kennedy, President of Microsoft Canada, says delivering cloud services from data centres on Canadian soil opens up significant new cloud-based possibilities. CBJ Photo 45 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

services and experiences to customers and employees. General availability of Azure is anticipated in early 2016, followed by Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online later in 2016. Janet Kennedy, President of Microsoft Canada, says delivering cloud services from data centres on Canadian soil opens up significant new cloud- based possibilities for organizations who must adhere to strict data storage compliance codes. “We’re very proud to be delivering the Microsoft Cloud right here in Canada, for the benefit of Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs, governments and small businesses. Delivering the flexibility of hyper-scale, enterprise grade, locally deployed public cloud services is the ulti- mate Canadian hat trick.”

Canadians Using Cloud Canadian customers of all sizes are already in the Microsoft Cloud. Even today, Microsoft delivers cloud-based email, Office 365, and CRM Online to more than 80,000 Canadian businesses. Companies like Air Canada, Quebecor and Hatch are saving money while empowering their employees to collaborate, be more productive and mobile with Office 365, Yammer, and Skype for Business. “Information systems and technology continue to be a differentiator for Hatch as it helps us to gain advantages in the marketplace – our use of Microsoft cloud is an integral part of this success. We are now able to focus on our business while benefiting from all the innovation

Toronto Mayor John Tory had high praise for the Microsoft announcement, saying it will provide a significant boost to his city’s digital infrastructure. CBJ Photo 47 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Microsoft offers with a Service Level Agreement Toronto into the 21st Century,” says Tory. we can count on,” says Christopher Taylor, “Toronto is home to a skilled and talented work Global Director, Hatch. force that is ready to bring ideas to life. The City Diply.com is a great example of an is committed to investing in state-of-the-art Ontario-based start-up leveraging Microsoft infrastructure that’s needed to attract good jobs Azure, the company’s cloud-based infrastruc- and fuel innovation. ture. The company delivers 850M page views Tory noted that it’s estimated that more per month on Microsoft Azure and owns no than 14,000 jobs in Toronto are connected to servers. Diply.com is able to rent servers from cloud computing. Microsoft by the hour based simply on the “We have the good fortune in Toronto to demand they receive. have located in one place the centre for inno- “We only pay for what we use,” said Gary vation and the centre for financial services in Manning, CTO and co-founder at Diply.com. one city,” he says. “That has led us as well to “We estimate our cost per 1,000 users is only have a huge deep pool of talent here in Toronto $0.07! We’d never be able to build that back- that is causing our economy to grow rapidly. end infrastructure ourselves.” Microsoft cloud will add to that.” Ontario’s Deputy Premier and President Kennedy declined to say how many jobs of Treasury Board, Deb Matthews, applauds would be created or how much the com- Microsoft’s commitment to enabling Ontario pany was spending on the centres, but Mayor businesses to compete globally. Tory estimated that more than 14,000 jobs in “This commitment by Microsoft will further Toronto are connected to cloud computing. enhance the ability of Ontario’s innovative busi- “We’re bringing Toronto into the 21st ness sector to thrive and compete with the best Century,” Tory says. “Toronto is home to a skilled in the world,” says Matthews. “To date more and talented work force that is ready to bring than 3,200 Canadian startups have benefited ideas to life. The City is committed to investing from joining the free BizSpark program, many in state-of-the-art infrastructure that’s needed to of which are based in Ontario. By bringing the attract good jobs and fuel innovation.” power of the cloud to Canada and providing The bottom line for cloud computing is that free access through BizSpark, our entrepreneurs it’s the best way for businesses to focus on their can truly compete with the best in the world.” core operations, rather than spending time and Toronto Mayor John Tory was also at the money on tedious technology issues. CBJ Microsoft event and praised the news as a significant boost to his city’s digital infrastructure. “Together with Microsoft, we’re bringing Can You Thrive While Mixing Family with Business? By Marsha Friedman Can You Thrive While Mixing Family with Business? By Marsha Friedman 50 Can You Thrive While Mixing Family with Business?

and operated, according to the Small Business Administration. While we’re not perfect, I think we owe at least some of our business’s success to learning how to work every day alongside the people we married or gave birth to. Here are a few things I have discov- ered that can help keep things running smoothly when family and business mix: Arrange for the entire staff to spend fun time together. This is important for nurturing genuine caring, which is essential to forming a tight-knit team, just like a tight-knit family. Co-workers who Marsha Friedman care about one another tend to jump in to help when they see someone struggling, so whatever’s I ONCE AGREED to be a guest on a radio talk “broken” quickly gets fixed. They encourage one show that I thought would focus on market- another, and they’re more honest about their feeling tips. But – as I always warn people preparing ings, so disputes tend to be aired and resolved for their first talk radio interviews – the host can rather than allowed to fester. Some of that caring sometimes take the conversation in a completely comes from spending time together doing non- different direction. work activities. For example, several weeks ago In this case, the hosts had noticed all the we took a Friday afternoon off so the whole office Friedmans working at EMSI Public Relations, and could go bowling. These fun events help relation- there certainly are several of us: my husband and ships expand and grow. me, our two sons and our daughter-in-law. That Don’t talk about work during your commute prompted the hosts to ask about the dynamics of – or once you get home. For many younger mar- working in a business with so many family members. ried couples with children, this may be easy. They As I quickly pointed out, we aren’t the only fam- head straight from the office to the day care to pick ily at EMSI. There’s also a mother and daughter and up their kids. From then till bedtime, it’s all about the in the past there have been other married couples. children. But for my husband and me, it would be “But, that said,” I added, “our whole company easy to rehash the day’s events, dissect problems, is really like one big family, whether or not the or work through plans after we leave the office. employees are related by blood or marriage.” Instead, we talk about family things, friends, movies, My business is not that unusual really. After the weekend ahead. It’s important to have a healthy all, 90% of small businesses are family owned interest in concerns and activities beyond the office 51 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Don’t talk about work during your commute – or once you get home.

walls; you can’t be happy if you’re consumed by just loved ones close as well. Sure, problems can arise one aspect of your life. when your colleague is also the person you share If there’s a quarrel, whether it’s between nights and weekends with, but working out ways to spouses or unrelated employees, keep it con- minimize them, or avoid them entirely, can benefit tained. Some experts say you should never display all of your working relationships. anger at work, and others say doing so can be a The benefits of working with husbands, sons good thing. But I can’t think of any instance when and daughters far outweigh any disadvantages. It people who witness a blow-up are more pro- creates a culture of family that, if you’re lucky, not ductive, creative, resourceful or innovative in the only draws together everyone in the office, but aftermath. Angry outbursts create tension, and extends to your clients as well. CBJ when you’re really angry, you’re likely to say things you later wish no one else had heard. At our office, Marsha Friedman is a public relations expert tempers do occasionally flare. Most of us take with 25 years’ experience developing publicity those arguments for a walk outside or at least close strategies for celebrities, corporations and media the office door to resolve our differences without newcomers alike. Using the proprietary system upsetting everyone else. she created as founder and CEO of EMSI Public My husband, sons, daughter-in-law and I Relations (www.emsincorporated.com), an award- thoroughly enjoy working together every day. And winning national agency that secures thousands I know our mother and daughter enjoy having their of top-tier media placements annually. STRATEGIC PARTNESHIPS

Do They Work?

By Mark Borkowski STRATEGIC PARTNESHIPS

Do They Work?

By Mark Borkowski 54 Strategic Partnerships - Do They Work?

will come together hoping to gain a greater market share or to achieve greater efficiency. Because of these potential benefits, target companies will often agree to be purchased when they know they can- not survive alone. What is the distinction between mergers and acquisitions? Although they are often uttered in the same breath and used as though they were syn- onymous, the terms merger and acquisition mean slightly different things. When one company takes over another and clearly established itself as the new owner, the Mark Borkowski purchase is called an acquisition. Mergers have different variations. The old adage that “one plus one” makes three is the special alchemy of a merger or an acquisition... What are the benefits? Synergy is the magic force that allows for enhanced THE MOST PRACTICAL perspective on strategic cost efficiencies of the combined business. Synergy partnerships is that they become an association takes the form of revenue enhancement and cost between two companies by which they agree savings. By merging, the companies hope to benefit to work together to achieve a strategic goal. from the following: This is often associated with long-term supplier- • Staff reductions - As every employee knows, customer relationships. This is only one of many mergers tend to mean job losses. Consider all reasons to merge operations. Cost savings is the money saved from reducing the number another. Sharing management is another strong of staff members from accounting, market- reason for doing a merger. ing and other departments. Job cuts will also Two companies together are more valuable include the former CEO, who typically leaves than two separate companies – at least, that’s the with a compensation package. reasoning behind mergers & acquisitions. • Economies of scale - Yes, size matters. This rationale is particularly alluring to compa- Whether it’s purchasing stationery or a nies when times are tough. Strong companies will new corporate IT system, a bigger com- act to buy other companies to create a more company placing the orders can save more on petitive, cost-efficient company. The companies costs. Mergers also translate into improved 55 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

purchasing power to buy equipment or office supplies - when placing larger orders, companies have a greater ability to negotiate prices with their suppliers. • Acquiring new technology - To stay competitive, companies need to stay on top of technological developments and their business applications. By buying a smaller company with unique technologies, a large company can maintain or develop a competitive edge. • Improved market reach and industry visibility - Companies buy companies to reach new

markets and grow revenues and earnings. A Synergy takes the form of revenue merge may expand two companies’ market- enhancement and cost savings. ing and distribution, giving them new sales opportunities. A merger can also improve a or a supplier and company. Think of a cone company’s standing in the investment com- supplier merging with an ice cream maker. munity: bigger firms often have an easier time • Market-extension merger - Two compa- raising capital than smaller ones. nies that sell the same products in different That said, achieving synergy is easier said than markets. done - it is not automatically realized once two • Product-extension merger - Two companies companies merge. Sure, there ought to be econo- selling different but related products in the mies of scale when two businesses are combined, same market. but sometimes a merger does just the opposite. In • Conglomeration - Two companies that have many cases, one and one add up to less than two. no common business areas. CBJ From the perspective of business structures, there is a whole host of different mergers. Here Mark Borkowski is president of Toronto based are a few types, distinguished by the relationship Mercantile Mergers & Acquisitions Corp. between the two companies that are merging: Mercantile is a mid-market M&A brokerage firm. • Horizontal Merger - Two companies that are www.mercantilemergersacquisitions.com. in direct competition and share the same product lines and markets. • Vertical Merger - A customer and company HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY PARTNER WITH PARTNERS By Joe Connelly HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY PARTNER WITH PARTNERS By Joe Connelly 58 How to Successfully Partner With Partners

history and experience tells us that most business partnerships collapse or wither away, and only the small minority benefits each other to the extent that a long-term bond is formed. So what lessons can we take from the winners who have learned to partner successfully? One of the key requirements and one that companies who have mastered partnerships realize are to partner with the winners – the companies who can bring something to the party that have real value for your company, and even more importantly real value for your customers. It’s this joining of value propositions, executed well, that can really provide massive differentiation. Joe Connelly Consider Amazon.com and their partnerships with their worldwide shipping suppliers, or, if you are a car enthusiast and watch connois- In the complex world of business seur, the endearing partnership between Bentley with so much interaction, and Breitling. What about the smart partner- specialization and expertise ships between Starbucks and bookstores, and necessary, companies often have their co-location strategy – and so it goes on. to embrace working with outside Partnerships can really raise your brand, leverage entities. When handled properly, the strengths of the other partner, and provide these mutually beneficial working a larger forum to showcase yours. So consider relationships over time can morph these 10 partner-proven success recommenda- into extremely close cooperation and tions on how to create a partnership, and how to true win-win partnerships. make it both enduring and mutually beneficial to you, your business partner, and of course your WHEN YOU ATTAIN an enviable position with joint customers. another company, know that the combined 1. Transparency is key: while still keep- efforts of both sides are greater than the sum of ing within the clear requirements of protecting the individual parts – some people might even company confidential information. However refer to it as the start of a ‘business marriage’. But try and share openly especially when either 59 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Partnerships can really raise your brand, leverage the strengths of the other partner, and provide a larger forum to showcase yours.

opportunities or challenges are encountered. when the inevitable happens, and things start to This pro-active sharing really helps cement the go wrong. Choose positivity and a commitment partnership and keeps communication flowing. to resolve issues as your modus operandi, and 2. Hold each other positively accountable: both sides will surely reap the ensuing rewards. and learn to talk openly about performance. 4. Kill assumptions: for surely its assumptions Partnerships thrive when both sides believe the that are the number one cause of confusion, other side is executing well against both individ- the creation of distrust, and ultimately the rea- ual and joint goals. Plan them, document them, son why partnerships break apart. Choosing measure them and review them as a joint team. to openly air assumptions and explore them is Note variances and do what is necessary when key, as is a collectively positive process when recovery action is required. assumptions uncover an issue that needs reso- 3. Expect things to go wrong: as is common lution. Be as open as possible, and positively with any relationship, business or otherwise. Its challenge each other - the result will be an even often said that the true strength of a relationship stronger, more enduring and more competitive is not what you do when things are going well, partnership. but instead what pro-active action you undertake 60 How to Successfully Partner With Partners

Don’t become competitive with each other: as this will surely cause friction and division.

5. Don’t become competitive with each between you. In these cases building a true co- other: as this will surely cause friction and divi- dependency model will prove to be much more sion. By picking your partners wisely, and beneficial. It’s just a simple example of the “divide working with them in a spirit of open commu- and conquer” approach to strategy that plays to nication, especially when it comes to individual the strengths of each party. and joint strategy, try and steer away from any- 6. Periodically revitalize and renew thing that will potentially create competition the agreement: and look for ways of joint 61 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

7. Understanding the expected outcomes is vital: and must be periodically reviewed. The best partnerships in my opinion are the ones that have clear, measurable goals, but instead of leading to a singular destination, are viewed as successes along a continuous journey. This way both sides have to diligently work at it, and both sides always have something to look forward to through future outcomes. 8. Don’t make the partnership one-sided: since this will surely begin to generate resent- ment. Instead ensure that both sides are equally committed, both in terms of resources applied, and the importance of joint success being achieved. This more balanced approach can really keep a partnership from veering off-track. 9. Protect your intellectual property (IP): at all costs. Ensure there is no ‘bleed’ of intellectual property amongst the companies, and be clear on the ownership of any newly created IP through partnership activities. It’s often this joint creation IP that causes most friction, so handle these challenges, and opportunities, quickly and with a balanced viewpoint. 10. Celebrate successes: since it’s in these joint celebrations that success is often truly appreciated. In addition, it’s through celebrat- improvement. Markets change, customers’ ing that both companies can come together change, and technologies change - in fact all more openly and freely as ‘one team’. Its well things change. An agreement that worked well known that teams who celebrate together are yesterday may not be as potent today, and even more often than not more likely to work through less so tomorrow, so take the time to check-in challenges together, since the strength of the and ensure the agreement is still meeting the relationship will have increased through these needs and goals of both parties. celebration activities. Besides, celebrating is fun. 62 How to Successfully Partner With Partners

Consider outsourcing, and creating partnerships with companies that have skills, knowledge, products and services that are simply better than yours, or better than you could create in a timely manner.

I’m not sure how many business partner- significant effort. Partnerships are therefore not a ships actually fail, but I suspect the number is small undertaking. Especially in this highly com- very high indeed. It’s the small percentage that petitive business environment where there are make it through, and normally when this success lots of options, and partnering with one company threshold is crossed, partnerships can be highly can by default stop you from partnering with rewarding and through hindsight worth the their competition in the future, no matter what 63 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

simply better than yours, or better than you could create in a timely manner. And think about doing so soon, since more and more companies are realizing that well-chosen, well-executed partnerships can substantially differentiate them from their ever-hungry competition, and through this facilitate significant market-share gains in short period of times. Try this little strategy exercise with your Executive team: think of one strategic partnership (per department) that would really accelerate your business. Now think that you have none of these, and that your main competitor beat you to the punch with all of them. Beginning to feel a bit nervous now? As I often say in my coaching sessions with Executives, “If you are going to lead, then you might as well lead from the front. Don’t be afraid of strategic partnerships, since they really are the smart choice. CBJ

Joe Connelly is Founder & CEO of SalesLeadership.com, a worldwide Executive and Sales Coaching and Consulting company, with offices in Canada and Switzerland. He can be reached at: www.SalesLeadership.com/ Consider outsourcing, and creating partnerships with companies that have skills, knowledge, products and services that are simply better than yours, contact; by email at [email protected]; or better than you could create in a timely manner. or through LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin/com/in/joeconnelly circumstances might ensue. Challenge yourself to think about your business in a different light. Stop trying to create and do everything yourself. Consider outsourcing, and creating partnerships with companies that have skills, knowledge, products and services that are Hashtagging Your Way to Social Media Relevance

Those Seemingly Inconsequential Hashtags are Crucial To Gaining More Exposure for Your Brand By Jay York Hashtagging Your Way to Social Media Relevance

Those Seemingly Inconsequential Hashtags are Crucial To Gaining More Exposure for Your Brand By Jay York 66 Hashtagging Your Way to Social Media Relevance

Not so many years ago, many you. Critics of your brand, or just the usual people probably paid little attention assortment of Internet trolls, may attempt to to that pound sign on the computer hijack your hashtag, putting you or your busi- keyboard. You know, the one that ness in a bad light. looks like this: #. A prime example of a hijacked hashtag happened a few years ago when McDonald’s, THEN ALONG CAME Twitter and what we have apparently hoping for a flattering conversa- come to call the “hashtag,” and social media tion about the restaurant chain, introduced marketing was changed forever. #McDStories on Twitter. Yet not everyone takes advantage of hashtags #McDStories went viral, but not in a good the way they should, and that’s unfortunate way as the Twitter world had a field day tweeting because if you are not using hashtags you are unflattering tales of their alleged bad experiences missing out on exposure for you and your brand. with the restaurant. When you are on social media sites such Don’t let such cautionary tales deter you, as Twitter or Instagram, your goal should be to though. March boldly into hashtagging, but as become part of the conversation. The hashtag you do keep in mind these suggestions for get- allows more people to find your contributions to ting the most out of your efforts. that conversation. Without them, you miss out on • Use proprietary hashtags. One of the lots of eyes that could be viewing your content. advantages to a proprietary hashtag, such For example, let’s say 1,000 people follow as “Orange is the New Black’s” hashtag you on Twitter. Not counting re-tweets, only #OITNB, is that it is linked directly to your 1,000 people will see your posts if you don’t use brand. These hashtags typically are not a hashtag. used as widely as a more generic hashtag, Add the hashtag, though, and you start pick- but the goal is to brand yourself through ing up momentum because the post has the the hashtag with the hope it could go viral. potential of being seen by, and re-tweeted by, • Don’t overdo it. A post littered with too any number of people. A common hashtag, many hashtags can be difficult to read, so such as #love, can position your post to be seen your message might become obscured by potentially millions of people. as your followers see what appears to But be warned. While there are great be gibberish. Perhaps you saw the skit benefits to hashtags, there also are pitfalls. Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon once Hashtags don’t come with exclusivity. Anyone performed in which they spoofed the can use them, so a hashtag can become a device’s overuse by lacing their spoken weapon that works both for you and against conversation with seemingly endless 67 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

While hashtags provide potential for greater visibility, critics of your brand, or just the usual assortment of Internet trolls, may attempt to hijack your hashtag, putting you or your business in a bad light. 68 Hashtagging Your Way to Social Media Relevance

Think geographically. If you are a local company that depends mainly on local clientele, a hashtag that links to your location works well. 69 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

hashtags. It was hilarious and annoying all at the same time. • Twitter itself suggests using no more than two hashtags per Tweet. Certainly, three should be the very maximum on Twitter. A different etiquette exists on Instagram, though, and most Instagram followers will tolerate excess hashtags. Meanwhile, although hashtags can be used on Facebook, there’s little reason to include even one. That’s not the way people use that social media site. • Think geographically. If you are a local company that depends mainly on local clientele, a hashtag that links to your location works well. Hashtags such as #Seattle or #Bangor drop you into numerous conversations about your hometown. Since social media has become such a vital element of any comprehensive marketing strategy, understanding all of the nuances is critical. A hashtag may not look like much, but it’s really a powerful tool that is a double-edged sword. If used correctly it can greatly bolster your marketing reach. Used incorrectly, it can have adverse effects or unintended consequences. With social media, your hashtag is your brand, so use it wisely.

Jay York is a senior digital media and social media strategist at EMSI Public Relations. You can find EMSI Public Relations on Twitter: @emsiPR. www.emsincorporated.com. Think geographically. If you are a local company that depends mainly on local clientele, a hashtag that links to your location works well. Do Your Social Media Profiles Create An Immediate Impact? By Melonie Dodaro Do Your Social Media Profiles Create An Immediate Impact? By Melonie Dodaro 72 Do Your Social Media Profiles Create An Immediate Impact?

Sound harsh? The world is a cruel and unusual place, my friends. Consider this as a general guide to what information should be inside any social media profile and exactly which questions you should be answering for your potential prospects inside its copy.

1. What’s Your WHY Message? When someone asks you why you do what you do, the answer should never be money. When people hire an expert, they need to know that person lives and breathes their subject with the kind of fluency that can’t be faked by one Melonie Dodaro driven solely by monetary gain. I had a client that I was working recently who is a financial advisor based out of First impressions are everything Collingwood (near Toronto). When I first in this world, especially online. assessed his website and social media pro- You have seconds to make a files, I didn’t see anything that stood out from connection with a brand new your average financial advisor so I asked him a prospect before they size you up tough question, “Why did you become a finan- and move on. When I work with my cial advisor in the first place?” The answer I got personal clients one-on-one, the was powerful. first thing we work on is their social He told me a story about how his parents media profiles because I’ve noticed struggled when he was growing up. His dad that when they are done well, every lost his job and then they lost their home. That activity has a stronger impact. struggle affected him very deeply to the point that he was determined to secure his own IF SOMEONE DOES the Google test on you, financial future and inspired to help others do they’re going to check out your social media the same because he knew and understood the presence pretty quickly and make a decision if pain his family went through. you’re worth having further discussions with. 73 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Your prospects need to know that you intimately understand them AND their problems.

2. Identify Your Ideal Clients 4. Build Your Credibility How are your perfect prospects supposed to The first question your social media profiles need know you are right for them? By telling them! It’s to answer is: how are you qualified to help me incredible to me how many people want a spe- with this service? You must quickly demonstrate cific type of client yet never mention it in the copy your authority on the subject you claim to be an that is most often seen by potential prospects. expert in. You can do this by mentioning client results you’ve driven, press quotes and any major 3. Address Their Pain Points awards or accolades. Make sure you tastefully What major problem do you solve for your cli- toe the line of self-promotion so that it doesn’t ents that creates a lot of stress in their lives? crossover into Brag City. Your prospects need to know that you intimately understand them AND their problems. Identify their struggles in your social media 5. 1st Person or 3rd Person? profile and they’ll be much more likely to identify My philosophy is simple. If you’re optimizing for a you as a solution. personal social media profile, always write in the 74 Do Your Social Media Profiles Create An Immediate Impact?

Optimize your LinkedIn profile for keywords such as “LinkedIn Expert” and “Social Selling Speaker” to be found by the people that search for those terms.

first person. If you’re optimizing for a business or especially important on LinkedIn and Google+. company page, write in the third person. In my case, I frequently optimize my I believe that it makes the most sense to LinkedIn profile for keywords like “LinkedIn write your personal profiles in the 1st person Expert” and “Social Selling Speaker” because I because I feel it’s most effective when written to want to be found by the people that search for speak directly to your ideal target market. those terms.

6. Consider Your Keywords 7. Inspire Them to Take ACTION Another thing I always recommend is optimizing It’s great to establish credibility, optimize for for the keywords you want to be found for. This is keywords and do other tweaks that keep your 75 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Ask Yourself These Questions Think about the best clients you’ve had in the past couple years and ask yourself the following questions:

What issues did they have when they approached you? What was the specific problem that they hired you to solve? hat specific language did they use to describe that problem when they initially approached you? What were the solutions you came up with that were successful? You need to answer these questions to the absolute best of your ability and incorporate the answers into all of your social media profiles, website and any other marketing materials you create. Your income for the next several years depends on your ability to execute this task. Always come straight from the heart and don’t Optimize your LinkedIn profile for keywords such as “LinkedIn Expert” and “Social Selling Speaker” to be found by the people that search for those terms. try to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. People can sniff out a fraud instantly and you can do some profile attractive to prospects, but does it inspire serious damage to your credibility before you’ve them to take an action? There should be some even realized it if you come from a place that’s not form of call to action in every social media pro- genuine or lacking in authenticity. CBJ file that encourages the right people to take the next step. Melonie Dodaro is founder of Top Dog Social That next step could be reaching out to Media that helps brands and businesses, use you to start a dialogue or driving them to a free social media marketing and social selling to boost resource that gets them into your email list. visibility, attract new customers and increase Think about the action you want your prospects revenue. Melonie is also the author of The to take next and tell them what to do. LinkedIn Code. To learn more visit www.TopDogSocialMedia.com BUSINESS IN ACTION BUSINESS IN ACTION MTS Centre, Winnipeg MB, In association with Sink Combs Dethlefs

NUMBER TEN ARCHITECTURAL GROUP Leaders in Sustainable Design and Best Practices Management ARCHITECTURE

NUMBER TEN ARCHITECTURAL GROUP Leaders in Sustainable Design and Best Practices Management 80 ARCHITECTURE » Number TEN Architectural Group

Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg MB

ON THE MORNING The Canadian Business 65 of whom work at the head office and Journal spoke with Greg Hasiuk, Partner and another 10 in Victoria. Practice Leader at Number TEN Architectural The genesis of the firm has origins dating Group in Winnipeg, he’d already logged what back to 1954 and a practice known as Waisman would be, for most people, the better part of Ross, which quickly merged with another young a full day on a hectic, loaded schedule. Hasiuk practice called Koop Blankstein the following had been up since a 3:45am wakeup call in year. The fledgling company was very much Regina where he’d been part of a speaking design-driven and almost immediately viewed engagement the previous day. He was then off as pioneers in architectural design in western to catch a 5:30am flight back to the Manitoba Canada. As the organization grew throughout its capital and into his office. Such a whirlwind first successful decade, an expansion of partners agenda is just part of the daily routine for Hasiuk occurred in 1964 and the official corporate name and his associates at Number TEN. It’s that type was changed to Waisman Ross Blankstein Coop of constant shared commitment by the entire Gillmor Hanna. staff that has helped propel this company of 75 Through increasing success became the individuals to the very top within their industry, demand for more room to operate, as additional 81 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

RBC Convention Centre Renovation and Expansion in partnership with LM Architectural Group

staff was brought on board, and so the partners involved in a number of highly-publicized proj- decided to build their own offices at 10 Donald ects including the Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Street in Winnipeg. In the late 1960s the firm’s Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon and the federal savvy telephone receptionist grew weary of con- Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg. Throughout stantly repeating the rather long-winded name of the 1970s and 1980s, Number Ten Architectural the entire partnership group for each and every Group continued to enjoy tremendous prosperity incoming call, and so she took it upon herself and a strengthening reputation in the community to shorten the introductory greeting to “Good at large. Hasiuk joined the team in 1988 by which Morning – Architects at Ten Donald” which then time there was a second generation of partners. morphed into “Architects at Number Ten.” Now he is among the third wave of owners, “Our name kind of grew organically into some 61 years after the doors were first opened. Number TEN Architectural Group and the partners decided to officially change the name in 1970,” Hasiuk reveals. Projects and Structure Dating back to those early, formative years Each project at Number TEN comes with its in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the firm was own unique set of circumstances, characteristics 82 ARCHITECTURE » Number TEN Architectural Group

Nunavut Justice Centre, Iqaluit NU

and requirements, making it next to impossible There are four studios at Number TEN and for Hasiuk to select two or three that stand out they all bring their own distinct areas of specialty as being his favourites, because it’s evident he and expertise. Each studio is led by a partner, clearly feels the same sense of pride in all the who is known as the principal. Support staff company’s projects, regardless of size and scope. within a studio is akin to a working sub-commit- Nonetheless, as an example of some of the more tee. In addition to one of the owners, the teams high-profile, substantial projects the firm has on have a studio lead who is a senior architect or its resume would be the likes of the Winnipeg interior designer who works alongside the studio Art Gallery, the Winnipeg Convention Centre, the principal to organize the group, which is typically Winnipeg Taxation Centre and the MTS Centre, between 10 to 12 people. The groups meet regu- home to the NHL’s Jets. larly to discuss current trends, while sharing new “Some of the projects were done in col- thoughts and ideas. laboration with other architects, which is quite The company also employs its own in- common,” Hasiuk says. “We still do that today.” house videographer, which is quite unique in the 83 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

architecture profession. Hasiuk and his partners Hasiuk says. “We did the new justice centre in recognize video as a very powerful tool that can Iqaluit, which was a fascinating building to design help explain to all stakeholders what has been – because we were asked to design a building that and what can be – accomplished on any given represented the Inuit culture.” project. There is also an experienced manage- Selected as a distinguished member on ment team that supports the studios, including a the list of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, CFO, a manager of operations, marketing man- Number TEN also recently won an award at ager and a creative director. the World Architectural Festival for best future The office is essentially split down the middle design, which was a very proud occasion for with two studios in the public realm and two in Hasiuk and members of the entire team. the private domain. “I have to mention that we did win that “We look at those as two very different types in association with another firm here in town of client groups and different types of processes (Winnipeg) but we were the only North American to get the work done,” Hasiuk says. firms to win. Our creative director flew out to Education and recreation along with civic Singapore to accept the award,” he says. and institutional represents the public side, It’s obvious when speaking with Hasiuk that including art galleries, courthouses, police sta- he has an incredible level of enthusiasm and tions or penitentiaries – anything built on behalf pride in the work that is performed at Number of the government. On the private side is hospi- TEN. A proven process that is orchestrated by an tality and entertainment, which can include the experienced group of professionals, emphasizing likes of hotels and casinos and then there is also a collaborative and integrated system, is what commercial and residential. keeps everything on target. On the commercial front, Number TEN are “We train our staff in what has been a experts in designing retail malls and restaurants long tradition here where we are much like and they do a lot of residential multi-family conductors in a symphony. A good conductor housing. Hasiuk tells us the company is aiming has everyone on the same page,” he says. “As to focus more on the seniors’ market because it’s architects and conductors of large groups such a fast-growing sector. The firm’s Victoria of stakeholders, I think we are really good at office has done a tremendous amount of work in keeping everybody on the same page and that regard. In addition to that, the company has pulling in the same direction. The key to it all always had a strong foothold in the Arctic. is an integrated approach where everyone in “I spent from the year 2000 through the the office feels that they are contributing to mid-2000s doing schools and courthouses up something bigger than themselves.” in Nunavut, which I found incredibly interesting,” The design of a building or structure is only 84 ARCHITECTURE » Number TEN Architectural Group

World Architecture Awards Singapore. Number TEN was a category winner in association with 5468796 Architecture for “Future Project of the Year 2014”. Project showcased was the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

Number TEN Architectural Group Partners, past and present group photo 85 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

response to RFPs is a difficult way to get work. It’s important to keep relationships strong,” Hasiuk says.

Innovation and Technology Currently, Number TEN is partaking in the massive expansion to the RBC Winnipeg Convention Centre with the hope of having the venue fully operational in time for this year’s Grey Cup on November 29. There was also a major project just recently completed at the Assiniboine Park Zoo where Number TEN collaborated with a firm that specializes in zoo design. “We created an entirely new main entrance. World Architecture Awards Singapore. Number TEN was a category winner in association with 5468796 Architecture for “Future Project of the Year 2014”. Project showcased was the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. The Journey to Churchill exhibit is an enclosure for the polar bears where you can walk under the Number TEN Architectural Group water in an acrylic tube and see the bears and Practice Leader, Greg Hasiuk seals on one side swimming above you. The polar bears often come down and stomp on the tube, half the work; it then needs to be built. The blend which can be quite unnerving,” Hasiuk laughs. of professional architects, interior designers, Architecture is becoming more astound- architectural technologists and contract ing and breathtaking with the results that are administrators who can speak the language of being produced. Its complexity requires constant contractors is a huge advantage when it comes upgrading of employee skillsets to stay ahead time to pull the entire project together in the of the curve – something which is not lost on handoff from design to production. Hasiuk and his partners, who ensure staff mem- Excellent quality and dedication to each proj- bers are always right up to date on the latest ect from start to finish is an absolute must in order technologies, including software programs. to gain the trust of clients. More than 70% of the “The projects we’re doing now involve much work that comes through the doors at Number larger teams, and often from different locations. TEN is based on referrals or repeat business. We’re using technology to have collaborative “Getting work by writing proposals in design meetings using remote teleconferencing Number TEN Architectural Group Partners, past and present group photo 86 ARCHITECTURE » Number TEN Architectural Group

Assiniboine Park Zoo South Entry Building, Winnipeg MB

Assiniboine Park Zoo Journey to Churchill Polar Bear Tunnels, Winnipeg MB 87 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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Assiniboine Park Zoo South Entry Building, Winnipeg MB

A sophisticated software platform that Number TEN incorporates is from IMAGINiT Technologies, which is one of the world’s largest providers of business solutions to the engineering industry.

“Over the past several years we have been transitioning from CAD based ‘drawing’ to Revit based ‘building information modelling’ (BIM),” says Hasiuk. “The use of Revit, and other supporting software, has allowed our internal teams, clients and other project stakeholders to better understand our designs using 3D visualization. We also use A360 Collaboration for Revit, which provides members of our project teams with centralized access to BIM project data in the cloud. With the support of our Autodesk software provider, IMAGINiT Technologies, we provide our staff with the right tools and training to get the maximum benefit from these amazing technologies.” 88 ARCHITECTURE » Number TEN Architectural Group

Wild Coast Cottages, Victoria BC.

software and software that allows us to share them much better so they don’t come up on drawings so that we can sketch on top of a plan the jobsite when the contractor is trying to build in Winnipeg and then someone can pick up a it. It’s far more expensive to fix on site than the pen in Portland or Calgary and start drawing on computer,” Hasiuk says. the same document,” Hasiuk says. Nowadays everything is designed digitally on a computer before it’s built. At Number TEN, 2D Community Partnerships drawings are produced from a 3D model. This Bustling with activity each and every day is the type of modelling not only allows the team to boardroom at Number TEN, where experts on visualize spaces better internally and with their energy design and conservation as well as acous- clients, but it allows for enhanced collaboration tics are brought in for consultation purposes. Such with the in-house engineers, because they are in-depth pre-planning has put the company at the now modelling the structure and the mechanical top of the list in terms of having to deal with creat- systems into one integrated model where they ing effective, strong building envelopes. As Hasiuk can better anticipate whether there’s going to notes, nothing can be left exposed because the be a beam in the way of a duct or conflict issues cold penetrates into the buildings very quickly. between various systems on site. Within the community, Number TEN is a proud “We can now see those things and visualize sponsor of The Partners Program at the University 89 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Douglas Park School, Regina SK

of Manitoba, where the mandate is to try and con- considered a must in this day and age. Number nect industry and practice to the academic world. TEN has several of these projects securely under There is also a close working relationship with Red its belt now and will continue to expand that foot- River College. print moving forward. “We are doing a major project for them right “We’ve been working with LEED since 2008,” now called The Skills and Trades Centre, which is he confirms. “One of my partners was the first a huge facility designed to grow the local trades’ LEED certified professional in Manitoba.” capabilities,” Hasiuk states. He and other members All of Number TEN’s major buildings strive for of the Number TEN team are quite often involved LEED Silver at a minimum, but they already have in assisting or leading with educational instruc- several LEED Gold certified buildings completed. tion as well as curriculum workshops at Red River The manufacturers, suppliers and contractors College in order to ensure their programs continue have caught up and are now in a position to to meet the needs of the profession, which often provide architects and designers with what they implements new techniques and methodologies. need, which wasn’t always the case. For many Another aspect of the industry that is fore- years it was a struggle for forward-thinking front in the minds of Hasiuk and his team is the architectural firms to convince various other inherent need for companies to immerse in companies to climb aboard when working on a LEED Certification programs, with best practices new project. LEED has been a great way to move 90 ARCHITECTURE » Number TEN Architectural Group

University of Winnipeg Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex, Winnipeg MB. 91 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

the construction and design industries into a more accountable type of process. “LEED is now trying to stay ahead of the curve so the next big thing is NetZero design or buildings that are giving more energy back into the grid than they take,” Hasiuk says. “There are buildings in Canada now that are cleaning their own bio waste. They plan to scrub and clean their own black water and reuse their grey water and generate power in what is called regenerative design. That’s the next frontier for Number TEN – to get into the NetZero game.” Over the past 26 years Hasiuk has also been personally and professionally involved with a number of initiatives relating to the advancement of Aboriginal communities in both Winnipeg and rural areas and into the north. Number TEN has coordinated an abundance of work with Aboriginal communities and it is an integral point of interest at Number TEN, whether it’s with a community that Hasiuk and his partners plan to continue into centre, school or business they take the time to the future. It is a population that is a growing force learn what each particular culture is all about. in Manitoba and Canada in general. The future looks bright, and is something Hasiuk “We have a really great relationship and thinks about all the time. understanding of issues surrounding Aboriginal “We want to continue to grow and be con- culture. I feel honoured that we’ve had a chance sidered experts and thought leaders in what to work in those communities,” Hasiuk says.” we do,” he remarks. “We want to keep spread- Architecture has the ability to provide an inte- ing our footprint into new markets and find gral piece to the puzzle when it comes to helping great clients and be able to do work that we to improve the standard of living within those find fulfilling and by extension give back to the Aboriginal communities – especially the north. community as much as possible. We take our Hasiuk and his team involve themselves because legacy very seriously.” CBJ they genuinely believe it’s the right thing to do. It’s that level of understanding and human sensi- www.numberten.com tivity that develops a path into successful projects KANDY OUTDOOR FLOORING Expanding Home Experiences CONSTRUCTION

KANDY OUTDOOR FLOORING Expanding Home Experiences 94 CONSTRUCTION » KANDY Outdoor Flooring

BASED IN VANCOUVER, British Columbia, and renovating the interior, she was surprised KANDY Outdoor Flooring has been expanding to discover the lack of options when it came to home experiences since 2011. Using floating improving the floor of the condo balcony. floor deck tile systems that do not attach “I researched for three or four months, to any building surfaces, KANDY beautifies trying to find something that met my taste condo balconies, ground floor patios and and style. I was looking for some options and rooftop decks for residential and commercial there literally was nothing on the market that applications, with a focus on the residential didn’t contravene our building bylaws that said condo market. I wasn’t allowed to glue or nail anything to the surface of the floor or the building in any way. I basically woke up one night and realized Filling a Market Niche there’s an unfilled market niche. I thought Kelly Niessen, who co-founded the company that I could not be the only person who wants with her husband Doug Niessen, tells us that the something nice for their balcony.” inspiration for KANDY stemmed from their own Niessen began researching, and found experience. After buying a condo in Vancouver that almost 20% of homes in Canada were 95 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

owner-occupied condos, that multi-unit hous- service, quality and choice. ing starts have been outstripping single-family “When we were invited to pitch on housing starts for years and that the numbers Dragons’ Den, we went through the process of are only rising as urbanization increases. trying to get our message as succinct as pos- “Our research confirmed there was a mar- sible. Even though we were already doing this ket, and we decided to fill it. We began to offer before we went to pitch, we weren’t articulat- our customers exactly what we couldn’t find: ing it. We really nailed it during preparation. service, quality and choice in outdoor flooring Now someone can ask about the difference options for condo balconies that didn’t contra- between KANDY and what they can buy at vene building bylaws.” Home Depot, for example, and I can explain it very easily: it is service, quality and choice. If those three things are important to you, then Service, Quality and KANDY Outdoor Flooring is a good match for Choice meeting your requirements. That’s our unique KANDY is distinguished from other outdoor value proposition and it really does tell our flooring companies with their commitment to story,” says Niessen. 96 CONSTRUCTION » KANDY Outdoor Flooring

To provide customers with excellent ser- “We are very particular about what exactly vice, KANDY begins their relationship with the happens on a customer’s premise. Everyone is customer by providing a free, no-obligation in- branded. We take off our shoes. There’s a definite home consultation wherein they bring samples methodology, and it’s the same thing with the to customers so the customers can assess their installation. The installer is branded. They take off options in their own environment, and consider their shoes. They tell the customer what’s going how the different styles match their floor, décor, to happen and what to expect. They lay down taste and style. Then, KANDY will measure the runners to protect the customer’s interior floor- space and give customers a firm quote on the ing. In every single case we’re very respectful of spot. Pricing includes the product as well as the person’s home. Being really consistent in our shipping, handling, delivery, installation, custom- professionalism is already setting us apart and is ization and clean up. The company also offers a also going to serve us in the future. It is all about maintenance program. our customers and the experiences that they 97 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal 98 CONSTRUCTION » KANDY Outdoor Flooring

have with us and the results they get to enjoy,” A Solid Growth Strategy Niessen explains. KANDY is a franchise business that has franchise Flooring options include exotic hardwood, partners located in British Columbia, Alberta, and granite and composites in a variety of colours and the Greater Toronto Area. styles. Regardless of which flooring option the “The model lends itself very well to our busi- customer chooses, all of KANDY’s high-quality ness because the customer experience is the most products are manufactured to the company’s important thing to us as a brand. Having franchise unique specifications so that they can withstand partners out in the field who take pride in owner- the Canadian environment. The durable floor- ship will deliver that experience in a far superior ing can be left outside all year long, and the open way than any other business model would allow. profile of the flooring allows for air circulation We also maintain control over the consistency and around the tiles. Water and debris fall through and the brand messaging,” says Niessen. wash away, so the floor remains clean and dry. Franchise partners are given a secured 99 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal 100 CONSTRUCTION » KANDY Outdoor Flooring 101 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

territory with a minimum of 40,000 owner-occu- way that we’re doing it, and there is a global trend pied condos to ensure that KANDY’s target market towards urbanization,” remarks Niessen. is available to them, and franchisees maintain KANDY will also expand their product line exclusivity over that territory. Because KANDY is to include more than flooring options, to things the manufacturer and houses the inventory, there like planters, lighting, and other products that are is a very low overhead cost for franchisees, who complementary to outdoor spaces. work out of their homes rather than retail stores. The company is growing quickly and has Niessen believes that the most important exciting plans for the future, but Niessen finds quality in a franchise partner is alignment with the key to this success lies with sticking to the KANDY’s core purpose of expanding home expe- company’s customer-focused core purpose and riences, and the core values: bring out the best in values, which were identified early on. everyone; be the solution; deliver on every prom- “We have created a culture by design as ise; passion for condo living; and, ever-evolving. opposed to by chance. Everyone that has any- “We’re also looking for someone who wants thing to do with KANDY Outdoor Flooring is to be in business for themselves, but not neces- aligned with those core values. What that means sarily by themselves. It’s great to have a little bit is that our customers are going to have a similar of experience in construction and home renova- experience regardless of who they interact with,” tion, either personal or professional experience, she says. CBJ but it’s the customer service, interaction and communication skills that are even more impor- www.kandyoutdoor.com tant than that,” Niessen states. Although KANDY’s initial focus is making sure every market in Canada is appropriately served, the company is also looking to expand into other countries in the not-too-distant future. “Within five years, we will be expanding into the U.S. There’s a huge market there. We get calls all the time both from people who want our services and products for their own balconies and also people who want the franchise opportunity. We’ll have a considerable presence in the U.S. and possibly other markets as well. We get inquiries from pretty much all over the world. There doesn’t seem to be anyone doing what we’re doing the SMART TECHNOLOGIES Technology for the Connected World TECHNOLOGY

SMART TECHNOLOGIES Technology for the Connected World 104 TECHNOLOGY » SMART Technologies

Founded in 1987, SMART Technologies (SMART) is a world leader in collaboration solutions that are redefining the way the world works and learns. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, SMART is an innovator in interactive touch technologies and software that inspire collaboration in both education and businesses around the globe. The company develops interactive displays and software solutions for teachers, students and business. SMART also offers software solutions for the classroom that enable co-creation and fosters student collaboration on devices while giving teachers real-time insight into learning and contribution.

NEIL GAYDON WAS appointed President and CEO of SMART Technologies in October 2012. Throughout his career, his hallmark has been defining and executing strategy, creating effective structure and changing business culture on a global scale. To date, SMART is the world’s leading provider of interactive whiteboards that are used by over 70 million students and their teachers. SMART Technologies is Headquartered in Calgary, Canada, with international offices globally. SMART has approximately 1,000 employees worldwide and has been committed to innovation and excellence for more than 25 years. 105 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal 106 TECHNOLOGY » SMART Technologies

SMART is best known for developing and the classroom and into boardrooms where implementing the world’s first interactive white- communication in real-time has transformed board back in 1991. Today, SMART’s solution collaboration. Businesses across the globe are portfolio has evolved to include award-winning embracing SMART Technologies. interactive displays, collaboration software, interactive learning software and the all-new SMART kapp® family of products. SMART’s Philosophy SMART Board® became the bridge to con- in Creating Natural nect people to the information they need; to Collaboration teach, learn and explain ideas, which made this We sat down with SMART executives to learn interaction seamless. The SMART Board was more about the company. also the platform for other SMART products. The “Our global success with educators stems popularity of the SMART Board extended beyond from the results they achieve with our products, 107 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

which are known to support natural, student- the questions that drive more innovation to come centered learning,” says Jeff Lowe, SMART vice to solutions that make their product so compel- president of Global Marketing. “Our solutions for ling and so easy to use as a result. business teams increase innovation and boost productivity by working together without the restrictions of traditional tools or distance.” SMART kapp – the Next “It wasn’t just about having a compelling Game-changer strategy” says Neil Gaydon, president and Chief Even though the dry-erase board and flip charts Executive Officer at SMART. “Your fundamental are still commonplace because they are easy culture, how you do things in the company and to use, they don’t fit in with today’s connected how these things join together is really impor- world. SMART kapp is just as simple to write on tant,” adds Gaydon. as the latter but magically allows anyone to cap- The SMART culture is owned and lived by ture, save and share their ideas and thoughts to everyone. “One way to encourage the SMART any device, anywhere and anytime. culture is to build trust among employees,” “Everyone who sees and uses SMART kapp says Gaydon. “SMART holds regular Town Hall falls in love with it as it solves a real problem, meetings where I talk openly about our results makes things easier and seamlessly joins the ana- and our progress both the good and the not so log world of writing with a dry erase pen with the good.” SMART employs are realistic approach digital world of connectivity,” says Lowe. “SMART to reward achievement when they do well and kapp has the capacity to change the world for the inspire better performance when they don’t. masses just as we did in the classroom 20 years SMART employees understand their individual ago.” Not only will the education system benefit contribution to the company and how they can from this new technology but it extends past the impact the business every day. “This not only drives classroom, allowing kapp to be used by everyone. accountability and great execution but it also In schools, SMART kapp enriches small group engenders a sense of belonging,” says Gaydon. collaboration by allowing students to naturally The process of innovation and one of the capture discussion notes and digitally share things SMART strives for is to disprove the myth outcomes with the instructor or with the broader that innovation is conserved by a handful of peo- class via student devices or through front of ple who have creative and innovative ideas. “It’s room display. Class notes can be shared in real- actually about encouraging people to think about time, saved and easily distributed after class, so how something works and making it better,” says students can focus on class discussion, rather Gaydon. When presenting an overall idea, SMART than copying notes. employees continue to relentlessly keep asking No matter what the teaching style or 108 TECHNOLOGY » SMART Technologies

classroom environment is, SMART gives stu- with no IT involvement. This is the future of the dents the best in collaboration technology while classroom and meeting room where mobile and at the same time, enables educators to focus analog, personal and work come together. on the teaching process. When students can naturally interact together, they develop collaboration skills essential to becoming successful Natural Collaboration beyond their academic years- a SMART aim to in the Classroom ensure the learning process is equally as impor- SMART designs its products with educators and tant as the outcomes. students in mind; they ask, discover and learn in The cornerstone of SMART’s simplicity with order to build high-performance solutions engi- SMART kapp is that it fully leverages as a second- neered for classrooms. SMART also evolves its ary to a mobile device. The newest member of software to enable more natural learning than the SMART kapp family, SMART kappiQ, has the we once found in classrooms. ability for multi-way linking, 4K display, inking Nowadays, technology comes quickly and over content and the same experience as kapp naturally to children. Students are frequently 109 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

relying more on personal devices, interact- the “chalkboard.”The company’s most success- ing with technology outside of the classroom ful products to-date is the traditional SMART to explore, share and connect with the world. Board, SMART kapp and SMART amp, a collab- SMART enables educators to bring that same orative learning platform. And it doesn’t stop experience into the classroom. there – SMART makes every effort to equip its SMART’s mission is to equip educators with customers with compelling content and ideas. simple, intuitive technology solutions that allow Over 65,000 digital resources are available students to explore within the classroom just on the SMART Exchange™ website, SMART’s like they do in the world - and ensure that tech- online community for educators. There are nology is not a distraction but complimentary to approximately 50 country-specific versions of the curriculum. the site. SMART Notebook, enables teachers to SMART was the first company to bring create and deliver lessons, access education technology to the front of a classroom. The content and engages students; conferencing SMART Board has become an essential part of software; and interactive learning software with today’s classrooms and is used as universally as lessons available for download in 23 languages. 110 TECHNOLOGY » SMART Technologies

SMART Solutions for like AutoCAD, TeklaBIMsight and iObeya. Business SMART solutions for business can change the SMART’s business solutions focus on liberating way industries share and work with digital infor- knowledge workers from unproductive meetings, mation, turning the workplace into interactive, enabling faster decision making and reducing engaging collaboration spaces where teamwork business risk. SMART provides technology and can thrive. SMART works closely with industries services that help turn meetings into a time when to help discover which SMART solutions will best people can collaborate naturally and where work accommodate their customers’ needs. can actually be done. By providingcollaborative SMART Meeting Pro™ software is visual col- solutions to a variety of industries, SMART has laboration software that allows users to create and successfully transformed the way organizations capture ideas in the virtually interactive unbound work with their specialized software applications workspace, as well as make notes over available 111 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

application, keep meetings organized, and com- needs. The SMART team added a fully equipped municate outcomes. This software coupled with computer lab as part of their “Adopt a Village the most extensive range of touch-enabled inter- Program.” active displays enriches collaboration sessions and keep participants engaged. An extensive selection of products are available Looking Forward to meet any organization’s needs. SMART offers SMART is defined by innovation and their desire industries unique ways to transform collaboration to improve the way the world works and learns. and revolutionize the way businesses connect. Their technology helps customers discover Currently, more than 125 blue-chip (Fortune 500) new ideas, new ways of learning and new ways companies in over 50 countries around the world of collaborating. Their easy-to-use interactive are using SMART’s visual collaboration solutions in displays and integrated solutions have greatly industries such as financial services, manufacturing impacted classrooms and meeting rooms around and advanced technology. the world where SMART products can be found in use in over 175 countries. SMART’s ongoing strategies include monetiz- Giving Back to the ing software, expanding enterprise solutions as Community well as increasing investment in leading interactive SMART is committed to being a good corporate flat panels, SMART Kapp and software. Education citizen. In April 2014, the company announced headwinds will likely continue partially offset by an exciting partnership with Free the Children, an interactive flat panels outpacing their interactive international charity and educational partner that whiteboards, education software and services. strives to educate, engage and empower youth SMART continues to be a vibrant, growing, to become active local and global citizens. profitable business based on innovative solutions Since teaming up together, SMART has raised for their customers in education and business. nearly $300,000 in 2015 through a combina- “If our diverse team has one unifying charac- tion of corporate contributions as well as various teristic, it’s a genuine passion for what we do,” fundraising initiatives. With the intent to help says Gaydon. “Everywhere you look at SMART, break the cycle of poverty and teach long-term you’ll find stories of the real-world impact our sustainability, a group of SMART employees products are having. It’s something we take great traveled to Verdara, India, in a “Me to We” cam- pride in and are excited to be a part of.” CBJ paign to help build a school. The employees interacted with the locals and conducted inter- To learn more, visit www.smarttech.com views to better respond to the community’s 112

EARTH ALIVE CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES Making the greatest environmental impact with the smallest footprint TECHNOLOGY

EARTH ALIVE CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES Making the greatest environmental impact with the smallest footprint 114 TECHNOLOGY » Earth Alive Clean Technologies

Since its foundation in 2011, Earth “IT’S A CORPORATION that we run and not a Alive Clean Technologies’ mandate not-for-profit, but we still want to change prac- has been to bring green alternatives tices, change the world and make it a better to the market where chemicals are place for our kids. This is the level at which we presently used. The Montreal-based can do it: helping our clients use better, cleaner biotechnology company began products, while generating healthy profits,” states with the mission of developing CEO David Gilmour. a bio-fertilizer that was effective, inexpensive and organic. Through years of research and development, Being a cost-effective Earth Alive has accomplished this goal catalyst for change and developed microbial technology- Earth Alive seeks to harness the power of nature based products for two major by unlocking the potential of microorganisms industries: agriculture and mining. to address issues caused by climate change and 115 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

BUILDING A WELL IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

PROVIDING ACCESS TO SAFE WATER TRANSFORMS LIVES AND EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD SO THAT GIRLS LIKE HER HAVE A BETTER FUTURE

ONE DROP is a proud partner of Earth Alive

2015 United-Nations “Water for Life’’ Best Practices Award Winner

increasing human consumption. To do this, Earth for mining operations called EA-1. The prod- Alive uses naturally occurring, non-genetically ucts have both been certified 100% organic by modified microorganisms called environmental Ecocert, a worldwide organic certifying body. isolates, identified and isolated using DNA fin- They are not only environmentally sustainable, gerprinting. These microorganisms blanket the but cost effective to use. earth, and can be found in our water, soil and “We all care about the environment, but if we bodies. They produce enzymes, which are cata- want to change habits, the products we introduce lysts that can accelerate biological processes have to be very effective, and economically viable. and keep the environment in balance. Earth It has to make sense financially to use them. That’s Alive, in conjunction with many strategic part- what we come to market with,” says Gilmour. ners such as Denmark-based Novozymes, uses “Imagine going to the grocery store and want- specific microorganisms in two game-changing ing to buy organic food. You see it right beside technologies—the first is a patented, govern- regularly produced food, and it’s the same price. ment-approved microbial bio-fertilizer called It makes your decision that much easier,” Vince Soil Activator. The second is a worldwide pat- Ennis, Vice President of Development tells us. ent-pending microbial dust control technology Earth Alive’s products have been used in 116 TECHNOLOGY » Earth Alive Clean Technologies

the coldest regions of the Chilean Andes to the level. It’s the origin of everything that has to do Nigerian desert. In fact, 90% of the company’s with biology,” explains Michael Warren, Vice revenues come from exports to foreign countries, President of Earth Alive’s Agriculture Division. in regions like Latin America, Africa or Europe. “This technology works everywhere. One of the things we often hear is, ‘Well, here it’s Agriculture’s last frontier different. We do things differently; we have a Microbial bio-fertilizers are a green alternative to different environment.’ What we set out to prove synthetic and chemical fertilizers. As “fertilizer” in both divisions (agriculture and mining) is that is a legal word in Canada, before a company is our products are working everywhere. When legally allowed to call their products a fertilizer we’re talking about microorganisms, we’re talk- and put it on the market, they must go through ing about the foundation of life at the biological a lengthy registration process with the Canadian 117 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

government that can take many years. Last year, more nutrients. Only about 60% of a traditional Earth Alive’s microbial bio-fertilizer was approved fertilizer can be absorbed by a plant. Because by CIFA (the Canadian Food Inspection Agency). the Soil Activator allows plants to absorb more “We are very proud that we sell one of fertilizer at a quicker pace, less is needed. The the few Canadian government-approved product makes farming more affordable, and bio-fertilizers that use microbial technology. can be used anywhere in the world, including Microbial technology is the last frontier in places with poor economic conditions; Earth agriculture,” Warren says. Alive’s bio-fertilizer was actually developed for The Soil Activator technology contains such conditions. It has been proven via third- specialized microorganisms and a synergistic party testing and client use to increase yield for active to help the root system of a crop to a wide range of crops. grow longer and wider, therefore absorbing Although Earth Alive’s bio-fertilizer is 118 TECHNOLOGY » Earth Alive Clean Technologies

Prior to EA-1 application

After EA-1 application 119 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

patented, there are other companies that have approved as a 100% organic product by Ecocert,” also looked into introducing environmentally says Gilmour. friendly alternatives in the agricultural sector. The world’s 25,000 mines use enormous “In the agriculture industry there are other amounts of fresh water and chemicals to pro- microbial technologies, but we mainly see cess ore and keep dust under control on roads. other fertilizers or soil amendments that only Dust control on many mining sites has become use microbes or enzymes in their formula- mandatory, and is crucial to increase productiv- tions. Where we differ is that we also use other ity, conform to health and safety regulations, and organic carriers and ingredients in our formu- prevent dust contamination to the environment. lations that make the products really unique. With the advent of greener technologies, such Our clients believe we have one of the best as the microbial EA-1 product, modern mining performing products in the industry. But com- operations no longer need to use large amounts petition is good, and there is a challenge to of water and chemicals to control the effects of market acceptance when you introduce biolog- dust contamination. Earth Alive’s EA-1 product ical products. If there are other companies out uses a blend of microorganisms that once intro- there that are spreading the message and the duced into the soil, bind soil particles together values of using such technologies then it’s only before they become airborne. EA-1 can reduce good, for everybody,” Gilmour remarks. a mine’s water consumption upwards of 80%, without the introduction of any chemicals into the environment. 100% Organic dust “There are mines that use millions of litres of control technology ground water per day to control dust; EA1 can The other product that Earth Alive has developed reduce this water consumption by upwards of is a microbial dust control technology for the 80%. In many instances, water used by mines for mining industry, which can also be used in other dust control is in competition with human and industrial conditions. The EA-1 dust suppressant agricultural needs. In some regions of the world, product helps corporations reduce their use of it’s negatively impacting that balance,” says Ennis. water and harsh chemicals to control road dust, which are often ineffective and expensive to use. “Microbial technology is still a very new A Canadian company technology. In the dust control field, there are no with a global scope other products like ours on the market. We have As companies in the mining and agricultural a worldwide patent pending product, and EA-1 is sectors — a $4 trillion dollar marketplace — the only dust control product in the world that is seek sustainable, cost-effective alternatives to 120 TECHNOLOGY » Earth Alive Clean Technologies 121 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

traditional methods, Earth Alive has been growing acquired an important new client: a fair-trade, quickly and has exciting plans for the future, con- organic banana cooperative in the Dominican ducting business with clients all over the world. Republic. Earth Alive now ships organic fertil- “Earth Alive really came into the market in a izers to Banelino, a cooperative directed and substantial way just as microbial technology was co-founded by Marike de Peña, the Chair of the gaining recognition. Perhaps a couple of years Board of Fairtrade International. Earth Alive has ago when you spoke about microbial technol- also been conducting business in another coun- ogy in agriculture or dust control, people didn’t try in the Caribbean. As trade opens up in Cuba, understand. People could have been afraid, even. the company has been growing its sales and But we’ve arrived at a moment where the market business relationships in that country as well as is ready to give it a try. It’s a technology that has in other parts of the world. a lot of R&D behind it, and increasing commer- “Microbial technology is an innovative, envi- cial use,” says Gilmour. ronmentally sustainable and economically viable Earth Alive was born from an R & D company, solution for our changing environment, which but changed ownership four years ago to David affects everyone on earth—that’s Earth Alive’s Gilmour. The company has also since gone pub- business. We are good at it, and we intend to lic. The other major shareholder in the company grow our presence substantially in this market in is the One Drop Investment Fund, an arm of the the years to come,” concludes Ennis. CBJ One Drop Foundation. The foundation, based in Montreal, is an NGO started by Cirque du Soleil www.earthalivect.com founder Guy Laliberté, with the mission of fight- ing poverty by providing safe access to water. “We decided last year to finance our growth and gain credibility with big multinational partners and clients. We had two choices when financing the company: to either go with a venture capitalist group or bring the company public on the stock market. We decided to go with the stock market, because we play in a field where transparency is very important. People that we wanted to do business with are starting to do business with us. This confirms our strategy and mission statement are good,” Gilmour explains. As an example, just this year, Earth Alive CAPILANO AUDI Accelerating the Future of New and Pre-owned Automobiles AUTOMOTIVE

CAPILANO AUDI 124 AUTOMOTIVE » Capilano Audi

The level of prosperity of any and enhanced inventory selection of new and enterprise that deals with the public pre-owned vehicles. While the dealership was can directly be correlated with the very successful in its original location, the amount of emphasis that is placed upswing in sales was almost immediately evi- on the customer always coming dent at the new address. first. Such is the motto at Capilano “In the last year that we were at the old Audi in North Vancouver, which has location we were probably doing about 400 been servicing its long list of gratified cars,” says Derek Lau, General Manager at patrons for the last 45 years. Capilano Audi. “Over the past couple of years we’ve been doing about 1,000 cars as we look WHAT BEGAN IN 1970 as a shared facility with to reach that next level.” another dealer, Capilano Audi recognized its Audi headquarters has always held a growth potential and separated to its own long-term vision that every franchise through- standalone facility in 2010. The move has pro- out the world would be a standalone store, vided substantially more physical space for which is certainly apropos and deserving for customer service, a state-of-the-art showroom such a beautiful luxury line of German-made 125 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Coache Collision takes pride in restoring your vehicle to pre-accident condition. We use state of the art technology and equipment with the highest standard of training. Cars are no longer what they used to be. They are impressive units of innovative technology, with precise speci cations set by the manufacturer. At Coache Collision, our factory trained technicians understand those speci cations, and the importance of the safety and performance of your luxury vehicle.

1172 West 3rd St., North Vancouver, BC, V7P 1E6 604-987-2211 coachecollision.ca

automobiles. The plan is for each dealership to “We want it to be more convenient for cus- have its own dedicated facility and staff, which tomers to come here and be able to service their was in fact the fundamental premise behind the vehicle with us,” Lau says. “We’ve increased our move for Capilano Audi. service loaner fleet while a customer’s car is in Lau is extremely proud of the results at the for servicing. We’re always looking for new ways dealership, but is keenly aware that this is a very to add value to the customer experience.” competitive industry and it’s imperative to always Capilano Audi has a very flat organizational keep ones foot on the gas. In proving that the structure, which fosters an environment where customer really does come first, Capilano Audi is everyone feels as if they are an important mem- open seven days a week, 363 days a year, closing ber of the team. Lau sets an excellent example by only on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Focusing being at the dealership six days a week, as are all on generating an excellent customer experience members of the sales staff. is integral to the business plan. A prime example “It helps having an organization without too of that commitment was the increased compli- many levels of hierarchy because we can make mentary shuttle service for local customers that decisions quickly and accommodate customers was implemented in 2013. more easily and get things done without having 126 AUTOMOTIVE » Capilano Audi

Derek Lau, General Manager

to check with multiple layers of management. My comfortable, personable and accommodating.” office is always very accessible,” he says. There has been a growing public trend Many staff members on the sales side towards embracing more efficient and econom- have been with Capilano Audi for more than a ically friendly engine types when consumers are decade and there are service technicians in the looking to purchase new vehicles. The Audi TDI shop who have been with the team beyond 20 turbo diesel technology has been a major suc- years. It’s a competitive advantage over some cess at Capilano Audi and it’s been introduced other dealerships, having knowledgeable and in many more models over the past couple of experienced personnel on the front lines taking years. Audi pioneered TDI clean diesel engines care of consumers. to deliver more torque, lower fuel consump- “We remember the customers on a first- tion and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, name basis and they remember us,” Lau says. compared to equivalent gasoline engines. The “We consider ourselves more of a boutique result of this revolutionary engineering deliv- dealership with an intimate sales experience. ers remarkable performance, while achieving It’s an atmosphere that customers find very increased fuel economy. 127 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

“We have a lot of TDI models in our service loaner vehicle request, if required, and it can all fleet. Many customers who traditionally drove be done electronically on a smartphone, tab- a diesel many years ago – that would complain let, laptop or home computer. Understanding about the smell or the noise – would drive one the needs of expectations of a potential sale is of our new TDI vehicles and be very impressed,” enormous, especially given that, due to space Lau says. “They offer unbelievable fuel economy restraints at the store, much of the inventory is and great driving dynamics. We see more and physically located offsite. more of the diesel models being expanded to “We make use of technology to ensure that other car lines. We’ve had to hire and train staff our database of inventory is searchable by the to make sure they can provide the proper Audi salespeople,” Lau remarks. “If a car is not available experience. We have plans to expand and be onsite we are able to show pictures and provide a sure we are taking care of our customers for description of the vehicle so a customer can still many years to come.” get the vast majority of the information they need Furthermore, there is tremendous excitement before they make a trip down here to see the surrounding a new electric hybrid vehicle com- actual vehicle itself.” ing up on the horizon called the Audi e-tron. The As an extension of the online mobile market- automobile will have four electric motors, one per ing initiatives, social media is becoming a much wheel, and will be introduced in 2016 making its more relevant tool within the automotive indus- debut in the A3. The anticipation for its release is try. However, Lau is quick to point out he would already reaching a fever pitch, with sales of this not want to use Facebook, Twitter or Instagram intriguing car anticipated to be incredibly strong. where direct marketing and sales opportunities Technology in dealerships is also becoming are concerned. a more targeted focal point with each passing “It’s more about brand engagement,” he says. day and those who embrace it are reaping the “It’s a good way to stay in touch as to how our rewards. At Capilano Audi there has been a huge customers feel about their experience with us.” shift to making information much more user In addition to building on customer loyalty friendly; the company website is now updated there is a huge initiative from Audi whereby with complete mobile capabilities. Included is the automaker is constantly introducing new an option to book service appointments in real programs to keep existing customers happy. time, which as Lau points out, many tech-savvy Gaining new customers is also very important customers have come to expect. To that end but the best customer is the one who’s already the customer is able to pick and choose which previously purchased a vehicle, as they know service advisor they would like to deal with and how excellent the experience has been in deal- schedule the day and time as well as a service ing with Capilano Audi. 128 AUTOMOTIVE » Capilano Audi 129 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

“We focus heavily on our database and ensuring we reach out to our current customers on a regular basis,” Lau confirms. “We encourage staff to send Birthday cards or Christmas cards to let the customers know they are on our minds. The strongest push in terms of what we want to achieve here is to increase customer loyalty. We aim to do that through promotions and providing the best service experience possible with every visit.” Lau and his team set ambitious targets for themselves. Each year they strive to make themselves better and to increase sales volumes, which they’ve been successful in doing since moving to the new location five years ago. The competitive spirt is evident within the management team at Capilano Audi and it extends to each individual working for the company. It’s a small, tightly-knit group that produces extraordinarily impressive sales numbers year in and year out. “Everyone here wants to do the best they can and earn as much business as possible on behalf of the store. Those are the type of employees we surround ourselves with when we staff the dealership,” Lau says. While the name Audi is associated with being a high-end automobile, there are very beautiful cars at affordable prices for people who in the past may have assumed they could never afford such a luxury vehicle. To that end there has been a conscious decision from Audi to expand the reach in terms of affordability. As example, the A3 and the Q3 start in the low to mid $30,000s. However, despite the fact Audi wants to broaden 130 AUTOMOTIVE » Capilano Audi 131 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

its potential scope of customers, there is also the inherent need to remember where the core success has come from – and that is still the high-end market. “While it is important to expand our reach and sell the A3s, the Q3s and the Q5s we do want to make sure that our higher-end vehicles such as the A6s, A8s and Q7s are still very visible and sold at high volumes,” Lau states. “The perception and prestige of the brand depends on continually having those higher-end vehicles on the road.” Capilano Audi has enjoyed substantial success and growth through the years, but perhaps just as impressive is the fact the dealership has been able to weather many external storms beyond its control, including economic downturns, some of which have had devastating worldwide effects such the one that began in 2008. The resiliency and ability to navigate through those difficult times is a determining factor for survival and a credit to how the dealership is managed and operated on a daily basis. “I am extremely proud of the company and where it is today. I would like to see us continue to grow over the next few years,” Lau says. “By 2020 Audi Canada has a vision to be a top brand in the import high-group in Canada. A lot of new products will be coming out over the next five years and our product lines will be close to double by then.” CBJ

www.capilanoaudi.com UMANO MEDICAL The Next Generation of the Medical Bed HEALTHCARE

UMANO MEDICAL The Next Generation of the Medical Bed 134 HEALTHCARE » Umano Medical

Umano Medical is driven to find Today, Umano Medical is specialized in high innovative solutions aimed at quality hospital products to meet the medical meeting the specific needs of its industry standards, particularly hospital beds. clients. Since 1920, Umano Medical With almost over 100 employees, 20 of that has been providing expertise and in R&D alone, they also develop specialized excellence in diverse manufacturing products for psychiatric, bariatric and pediatrics sectors and set their focus on the needs. Since the launch of their new medical field in the mid-1980s. platform in January, the company is growing more and more every day. IN RESPONSE TO the growing demand from the Located in L’Islet, Quebec, Umano Medical healthcare sector, Umano Medical offers state- introduced a new management team in 2012 of-the-art technology to design, manufacture that is owned and managed by four executives and distribute world-class medical equipment. with more than 30 years of experience in the 135 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

medical market. Umano Medical has shifted its and a manufacturer to benefit their clients by focus on providing more human technological delivering world-class, affordable products solutions to its clients by reflecting a common backed by customized service. vision for the company’s success. “Since we are humble and empathetic, we have more flexibility to adapt to the market and Improving the the needs of our customers,” says Christian healthcare industry Cariou, President. “We seek to understand the through innovative and customer and encourage a review of every prod- simple products uct by the end user. We can react quickly and One of the main ways Umano Medical’s products bring solutions to our customers much faster are currently benefiting the healthcare sec- than a larger organization.” tor is with the introduction of their new bed. “In Umano Medical believes their evolutionary January of this year, we launched the new prod- medical equipment designs can change the health- uct, our very first hospital bed under the Umano care experience for patients and caregivers. They Medical name,” says Cariou. “We put lots of build on their unique position as both a designer efforts into the development to meet the latest 136 HEALTHCARE » Umano Medical 137 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

requirements in terms of the prevention of falls for the patient.” Over the past two years, Umano Medical has put all of the necessary phases in the organization towards its development. “We are going to the market with this product, with a strong sales and marketing structure in place to be able to serve the Canadian and US markets,” says Cariou. The MedSurg Bed offers excel- LINEA Family Easy Maneuverability lence in the low-height medical bed category. It is designed to maximize infection control and reduce falls, offering better performance and value. Even at a low height of 10 inches, the bed does not lose any of the function of the prod-

TENTE Canada, Inc. uct. The beds also feature a notification system T 226.656.4201 www.tente.com where patients can alert the nursing center if Follow us: they intend to come out of the bed, which also helps in preventing the risk of falls. “There is an increase in the aging popula- Thanks to a full features design, built-in tion and we see that hospitals are looking for new safety characteristics and ease of use, these solutions to better adapt to their requirements”, improve the patient’s well-being and ease the says Cariou. “Having one product that can meet work of healthcare professionals. many of their patients’ needs and expectations is “Up to date, we have received great feedback the primary focus of their line of beds by having on the bed since we launched it this one platform for different specialized beds.” past January. It is quickly being regarded as the Umano Medical beds offer many options to Cadillac of hospital beds,” says Cariou. healthcare professionals and can be adapted to meet the requirements of any demanding hospital environment. Their ergonomic designs give A commitment to quality patients more autonomy and ensure their safety. and service “Another feature the company emphasizes Key elements of Umano Medical’s research and with their beds is infection control; having a prod- development activities are the feedback and uct that is easy to clean and will not capture any requests they receive from healthcare profes- liquids that could cause infection,” says Cariou. sionals. At every stage of design, their team is 138 HEALTHCARE » Umano Medical

on-site, listening to the needs of medical pro- information and ideas reflecting the core prin- fessionals by creating new designs that will help ciples of Umano Medical’s corporate core values. them in their day-to-day interactions with the Their R&D and operations are both based on the products. principle of “Lean” which is a method to elimi- “We want to be present in hospitals but we nate wastes as our employees always focus on are humble in our approach as we value our cus- providing value to our customers. tomers and listen to their feedback,” says Cariou. The company’s internal quality assurance “By providing them with the best services, we will philosophy goes beyond meeting regulatory make our mark in the medical market.” Umano requirements. They test their products relent- Medical’s services go beyond the purchase of a lessly at every stage of production and believe bed, with highly trained staff that is available to that this enduring evolution stems from the aspi- provide ongoing support and service. ration to satisfy their clients. Through their strategic partnerships that they have established with Universities, medical schools and major hospitals, Umano Medical Making their mark in the is consistently pro-active in making sure that medical world their designs reflect the requirements of the As a company, Umano Medical is constantly look- medical professionals. ing for ways to promote better technologies and R&D staff, operation engineers and on enhance their clients’ experience. Growths through the ground team workers constantly share challenging and rewarding endeavours have 139 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

positioned them to emerge as a unique key player Umano Medical is moving ahead with con- worldwide because they are able to adapt their fidence that what they have to offer will make designs to reflect their customers’ specific needs. a significant contribution to the evolution of Umano Medical is expanding within the healthcare technology. They strive to apply their Canadian and U.S. market. Umano Medical is pro- knowledge and expertise towards redefining the jecting a significant growth into years to come. To image of medical technology while designing support that growth, they have fostered great part- products that offer convenient solutions to patients nerships to help them manage their sales team. and healthcare providers. “So far, we have about 30 sales reps cover- ing the North American market,” says Cariou. “We also have a few projects in the pipeline that we will A culture of innovation launch, adding new products in our portfolio dur- The Umano Medical team believes in giving their ing the next two years,” says Cariou. employees autonomy to bring forth new ideas 140 HEALTHCARE » Umano Medical

and growth for the company’s future. Umano Umano Medical is constantly improving their Medical also works closely with the community processes and practices to reflect their com- and supports local projects and associations. By mon corporate objectives. empowering their employees at all levels, Umano “We are much more than our products, says Medical cultivates a sense of pride in the prod- Cariou. “We believe our employees are the foun- ucts they create. dation of our success; we value their contribution As a team of dedicated professionals, by providing them with a working environment 141 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

“We put the needs of the patient first and we listen to end users without guessing what they want,” says Cariou. “We believe this model improves the overall experience for patients and healthcare providers.” CBJ

www.umanomedical.com and culture that support and encourage initiative, personal achievement and team work.” With valuable knowledge and insight gained from serving the medical community worldwide, Umano Medical is uniquely positioned to offer medical equipment that meets the high standards of healthcare providers today. BOREAL LASER INC. MANUFACTURING

BOREAL LASER INC. 144 MANUFACTURING » Boreal Laser Inc.

Boreal Laser Inc. has been developing and building laser systems since 1986. The company came to being as a research contractor for the Canadian Military. In 1996, the company was contracted by an energy company to develop a laser based technology for pipeline monitoring. As a laser monitoring technology, the laser beam is shot through the ambient air, around process units in industrial facilities, seeking out gas leaks or measuring concentrations of regulated gases. 145 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal 146 MANUFACTURING » Boreal Laser Inc.

AS IT HAPPENS in technology driven sectors, Products advances in communications and increas- Over the years the original GasFinder technol- ing demands for higher production, safety ogy has evolved into a family of high precision and efficiency made technologies more reli- industrial monitoring solutions for operations of able, affordable and more widespread across a all sizes and industrial focuses. broader spectrum of industries. Today, Boreal Boreal Laser’s GasFinder brand products Laser offers a product line based on five laser detect Hydrogen Fluoride (HF), Hydrogen based analyzer configurations, and continues to Chloride (HCl), Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), Ammonia work on the development of its platforms and (NH3), Methane (CH4), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), customization options required by an ever more Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), Carbon Monoxide demanding client base. (CO) and Acetylene (C2H2) with no interference The Canadian Business Journal spoke with from other gases. This wide analytical spectrum Hamish Adam, CEO, and Jim Bauer, COO, makes GasFinder products ideal for aluminum discussing the importance of this technology smelters, oil refineries, petrochemical and in the industrial world, the upside of Boreal chemical plants, gas production and processing, Laser products, and the future of Boreal Laser brick and ceramics manufacturing. as a technology solutions provider. The company also created a portable “Aluminum smelting has been our most suc- solution for the research community for the cessful monitoring application. We are also seeing detection of greenhouse gases. “The sales of increase in clientele in the production side of our portable products are coming mainly from aluminium in the Middle East, in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, universities and government research organiza- Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. Worldwide, we have tions with the purpose of identifying the levels installations in over 40 countries,” says Adam. of gases emitted from industries into the atmo- In the aluminium smelting sector Boreal sphere, and to help create regulations for those Laser works with clients such as Rio Tinto industries. “The research community also like the Alcan, Alcoa, and BHP Billiton. The company fact that we are the only ones providing battery also sells products to refineries and pet- operated, and therefore a truly portable product,” rochemical plants predominantly in North says Adam. America and Europe, and wakes inroads in The portable analyzers are primarily Asia and South America. Petrochemical clients used for emissions research; detecting CH4 include BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon hotspots in landfills, measuring NH3 and CH4 Mobil, and Shell; as well as chemical compa- emissions from agricultural sources, as well nies such as DuPont, Honeywell, and Canadian as CH4 emissions from natural gas pipelines and U.S. government environmental agencies. in densely populated and congested areas, HF – We have been in this industry for over 25 years, there are two owners – myself and Daryl Christophe. – Please let me know if you need any more info.. 147 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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and building formidable personal relationships with the industries. While the Boreal Laser products are second to none, the company adapted means to provide product and service faster than the competition, as well as fanatical investment and focus on customer technical support. To this, Bauer said, “We have been doing this for quite some time and we have a good track record of keeping our customer relationships healthy, and this gives us a formidable competitive advantage. We are a smaller company. That’s why we are able to react quickly to customer concerns leak detection in refineries’ HF Alkylation units, or requirements, and we are flexible with fulfill- monitoring, NH3 emissions in coal-fired power ing the customers’ needs. We are able to address generating stations, HF scrubber inlets, outlets, the issues and set things right for them. We are stack monitoring in primary aluminum smelters, prepared to travel anywhere to close a deal, install … and the list goes on. a system, or to fix a problem. There is nothing magic about the power of standing in front of the customer.” To better respond to its customers Customer Market whenever needed and provide early response and The laser based gas analysis technology saw support, Boreal Laser has established local service increasing numbers in technology providers, providers in the U.S.(Houston),” TX, Netherlands, however, according to Adam, the competition and Australia. specializes on different industrial and process Just like many other technology-focused monitoring strata, not necessarily increasing the business areas, the company also noted that competition in the sectors where Boreal Laser customers increasingly seek turnkey solutions and operates. “Yes, the technologies are becoming customizations to their needs, relying on Boreal more available, however, the competition in our Laser to deliver expertise to adjust, modify and environmental and industrial monitoring is fairly monitor the equipment. “10 years ago, the big limited with maybe three or four major competi- companies had their own instrument development tors,” says Adam. facilities to develop and adapt technologies to their Being a technology company, it may come specific needs. Today, the new breed of technical as a surprise that the company maintains its lead- personnel does not have the same interest in ing edge by promoting and investing in marketing understanding the details of how the technology 149 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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works, and we recognize that, and we work new types of lasers at different wavelengths towards more black box, plug & play solutions,” of the spectrum will allow for the Boreal Laser says Adam. technologies to tackle a wide new variety of potential applications, and allow for potential expansion into new selected monitoring niches, Business Growth where the company sees weakness on the part To hone its competitive edge in the market, the of the competition. “We are not going to go after company is developing and commercializing anything and everything. We will seek niches its next generation analyzing platform. The with deficiencies and address those with new platform will allow Boreal Laser even more products,” says Bauer. CBJ flexibility in product customization for the client, consolidation of the company’s position in www.boreal-laser.com the market, and provide additional expansion opportunities in its niche market. The new platform, as well as the company’s significant investment in laser analyzing technology using MLT AUTO PARTS Canada’s Leading Online Auto Parts Store SERVICES

MLT AUTO PARTS Canada’s Leading Online Auto Parts Store 152 SERVICES » MTL Auto Parts

a thing; we got a good name and reputation in MTL Auto Parts is Canada’s local that sense. Since then, we have grown a large and auto parts store. With a combined loyal customer base.” 40 years of experience in car parts MTL Auto Parts attracts customers who want retail and remanufacturing auto parts, to find and replace auto parts themselves, saving MTL Auto Parts has now turned online the cost of doing so at a mechanic shop, and those to create the best and fastest customer who wish to circumvent finder’s fees and then service available. bring the piece to the shop for installation. With a growing reputation for price, quality and customer MTL AUTO PARTS makes buying parts for your service, MTL Auto Parts competes in the space car easy and affordable. With its large online with traditional parts suppliers. MTL Auto Parts is inventory, customers know exactly where to go to also growing its customer base in underserved find a specific auto part, from brakes and bearings rural markets, whose access to parts is limited. to radiators and condensers. MTL Auto Parts has “Recently, due to our free shipping advantage on all what customers need, and with free shipping on our orders, we have increased our customer base all orders, gets it to the customer quickly. in remote communities. We also cater to people in Based in Montreal, MTL Auto Parts is the remote areas, like Northwest Territories, the Yukon, brainchild of Daniel Lewin, President, and Samuel and Northern Quebec.” Maman, Owner. “Our business started out of a Servicing these communities is a source of rebuilding service,” explains Lewin. “We wanted pride for MTL Auto Parts, a proudly Canadian com- to fulfill the needs of these consumers who are pany, one of the few in this space. “We are among having a hard time finding auto parts locally. It the only Canada-based websites,” says Lewin. is very expensive and difficult to buy brand new “A lot of Canadian consumers are starting to catch auto parts in remote areas. My partner’s father on to that. It takes a really long time to ship from is in the rebuilding service and to that we the United States. There are duty fees and customs developed our online auto parts store. We saw and it’s a real mess. We sense a real appreciation a strong demand through eBay, Kijiji, and other from our clients that we are based in Canada, and online listing services, but it was disjoined with that fact helps us excel in that our parts ship faster. no organized inventory.” It gives us a competitive advantage.” Lewin and his partner recognized a huge A challenge the company faces is helping cus- customer demand and serious search volume for tomers who are familiar with traditional stores feel auto parts online. “We decided to make an online at ease with ordering online. “There are as many store for customers from across the country. We people in a few small cities as in one large city, and were amongst the first in the industry to do such these people are being left out,” continues Lewin, 153 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

“We want our customers to know we are the future of the auto parts industry. We are focusing on bringing them the technology needed to make their shopping experience better.” — Daniel Lewin, President 154 SERVICES » MTL Auto Parts

“We sense a real appreciation from our clients that we are based in Canada, and that fact helps us excel in that our parts ship faster, our customer service is based in Montrèal. It gives us a competitive advantage.” — Daniel Lewin, President “OEM Quality at the AfterMarket price”

155 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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“but through modern technology, we are able Lewin says the company plans to continue to target them.” Through online advertising, and, working for the client. “In an industry where people vitally, word of mouth, MTL Auto Parts is gaining can be skeptical or fear being ripped off, our traction in new markets. “We want to attract people long-term goal is to really gain the trust of the who are Internet and computer savvy. We want people and let them know that when they buy from our customers to know we are the future of the us, they are getting the best deal.” CBJ auto parts industry. We are focusing on bringing them the technology needed to make their www.mtl-autoparts.com shopping experience better. MTL Auto Parts is maximizing its growth and plans to start local stores whereby it can increase the speed of delivery by being closer to the client. “Our goal is to get parts to our customers on the same day,” says Lewin. “In the auto business, people need their parts and they need them quickly.” THE EMPLOYMENT SOLUTION SERVICES

THE EMPLOYMENT SOLUTION 158 SERVICES » The Employment Solution

Organizations need talented, IN AN AGE where staffing agencies were fore- innovative, energetic employees. casted to become obsolete, they’re more Employees need opportunities to necessary than ever. join teams, use their skills, meet TES is now in its 40th year as innovators and challenges, and grow. Yet these leaders in the Canadian skills marketplace, and two parties too often never meet, has now been certified in Canada and the U.S. due to the harrowing modern hiring as a woman-owned Diversity Vendor. process. Job postings are drowned in rivers of e-submitted resumes, and talented individuals never get close History to the people who can see their Co-founder and President Frank A. Wilson value and give them a chance. At established TES in 1975, supplying drafters, the same time, today’s fast-moving designers and engineers to clients who needed economy makes getting the right them desperately. The first office, located above skills to the right place at the right a butcher shop, opened its doors in Toronto. time even more urgent. 159 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal 160 SERVICES » The Employment Solution 161 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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“It was three guys and one phone and one Vice President of Information Technology, to big table,” Wilson recalls with a grin during a establish a new IT staffing division of TES. recent interview with CBJ. “At the time, the IT staffing business was He and his two partners took out a $100,000 going through an amazing transformation,” loan to get the company started. In the first year Cook explains. “Companies were growing more of operation, TES not only paid off the loan, but automated, and needed skilled IT staff to assist even turned a $13,000 profit. The team’s unique in the transition.” approach to the business was proving out suc- The decision to add IT staffing solutions to cessful in the market. TES’s repertoire of services brought another major “After opening our Toronto office, we milestone for the company. That same year, TES decided to expand with major engineering cli- changed its name from ‘Temporary Engineering ents,” Wilson explains. “We soon had offices Services’ to ‘The Employment Solution’ to better operating across Central and Western Canada.” reflect its all-encompassing approach. TES thrived over the next two decades. In The company continued to prosper despite 1993, Wilson decided the company needed to periods of economic instability throughout Canada. evolve and diversify. He brought on Steve Cook, Today, TES operates nine Canadian offices - four 162 SERVICES » The Employment Solution

in Ontario (Toronto, Burlington, Mississauga and household-name leaders in several industries, Ottawa), two in Quebec (Montreal – IT Division, including such as energy, information technol- Montreal – Engineering Division), one in Alberta ogy, financial services, telecommunications, (Calgary), and one in British Columbia (Vancouver). manufacturing, and government clients at all TES also services clients in the United States levels. The company’s reputation stems from through its office in Raleigh, North Carolina and it the long-term relationships (some spanning serves clients worldwide through a global network decades) it’s built with clients and candidates. of partner agencies. “We’re very much a delivery-focused organization -- we believe in building long-term partnerships. Rather than just fill requirements, Building Relationships we work to solve problems and meet challenges TES is now one of the largest privately- for our clients,” says Barbi Koifman, TES’s CEO. owned staffing firms in Canada, and serves “We’re adaptable, so they call us ‘the go-to for 163 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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anything that’s not business as usual’.” “Clients’ teams, and our own as well. Several The focus on relationships extends beyond TES staff have been with us for decades. This is the interests of the client. TES also puts extensive a tremendous point of pride for us, and a major time and effort in to getting to know each of its satisfier for clients.” candidate job seekers. Brett Lawrie, Vice President of TES’s No one knows this better than Kate Engineering/Technical division, agrees. “The vol- O’Donnell, TES’s Communications Consultant. ume of tribal knowledge here in the areas of our O’Donnell began as a candidate using TES’s ser- experience is incredible. And we’re selective in vices to find contract work as a technical writer how we build our client list. It keeps us focused before joining TES. on client priorities, and able to create productive “TES was not my first agency,” says O’Donnell. partnerships. That same approach applies to our “But they stood out. The recruiters took the time candidates. We consider ourselves to be their to learn what made a good technical writer and “career agents”.” the environment we work best in. They took the TES’s candidates include new graduates time to find where I would be a good match.” and new arrivals to Canada. These parties often “We build teams,” comments Koifman. bring the skills and passion for their vocation and 164 SERVICES » The Employment Solution 165 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

industry, but struggle to gain critical entry-level ethical business practice and environmental work experience. responsibility and the rights of individual workers. “Our recruitment group itself is extremely It matched our approach, so we made the leap.” diverse,” notes Koifman. “We can provide service Having evened the playing field between in 18 different languages. It gives us an edge in client, agency and contractor, TES is now explor- sourcing the talent.” ing new dimensions in the partnership between a staffing provider and its clients. As VP of Professional Services, Arvin Jain heads a division A Step Ahead that carries out large-scale upgrades, expansions Another major factor in building strong relation- and technology rollouts to client technology ships is trust and transparency. environments: “TES was originally founded on our desire “It’s been a great success with large IT ser- to push back against the trend for agencies to vice providers, as well as financial institutions and take every nickel they could get,” says Wilson. national retail chains. Our teams take the load “There needed to be respect, and people off their in-house IT support departments, and needed to feel like equal partners in the finan- keep business running smoothly through tech- cial part of the relationship.” nology transitions. We’ve done over 5,000 client As a central part of that approach, TES pio- sites in a single year.” neered a “full disclosure” policy. Contractor pay, As Koifman concludes, “At TES, we are taxes, government remittances, overhead and always evolving. We’re looking at what’s next, profit for TES: clients and candidates both got to and how we can be better. That’s the key to see the full breakdown of where every dollar went. our success.” CBJ Over time, this approach is becoming more common in the staffing industry. Likewise, TES is www.tes.net at the forefront of lobbying for a variety of initiatives that expand opportunities and reduce costs for contract workers. “We take our responsibilities to our clients, our contractors and our candidates very seriously,” says Chris Lusignan, Vice President of Finance and Administration. “We were one of the first in our industry to become compliant with the international Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition’s Code of Conduct. It’s all about HEMP OIL CANADA FOOD & BEVERAGE

HEMP OIL CANADA 168 FOOD & BEVERAGE » Hemp Oil Canada

Hemp Oil Canada Inc. is based in including the European Union, Ste. Agathe, Man., in the heart of United Kingdom, South Africa, Asia, the Canadian prairies, some 25 and North America. As such, the kilometres south of Winnipeg. The company is the leader in the research company was incorporated in March and development of new hemp food 1998, the very same month Health ingredients as well as an ambassador Canada re-legalized the cultivation of the global hemp food industry. of industrial hemp. Hemp Oil Canada’s processing facility opened HEMP OIL CANADA actively promotes the in 1999. The company is one of the development of the sustainable industrial hemp largest producers and processors processing industry in Manitoba and Canada, and of bulk hemp food products and works closely with strategic partners, govern- ingredients, bulk wholesale and ment agencies, and producer associations. The private label hemp food products company hemp processing facility is the first and ingredients, exporting to more in Canada to hold FSSC 22000:2011 accredita- than 15 international destinations tion (a food safety management system which 169 3M Canada JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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incorporates ISO 22000, HACCP, Pre-Requisite and produced in Canada in an environmentally Programs (formerly known as GMP)). FSSC friendly and sustainable manner. 22000 is fully recognized by the Global Food “Canada is a major producer of seeds right Safety Initiative (GFSI). The company produces across the board – canola, flax, sunflower. That’s both conventional and Certified Organic, recog- because we have the right agronomy, growing nized by Pro-Cert Organic Systems for Organic, conditions and soils in Western Canada; we have certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union, and the long, hot day and the short, cool night which Halal by the Halal Product Development Services. is ideal for oil seed production, so if you start Led by its founder Shaun Crew, the company with the best seed and conditions it’s easy to is determined to bring hemp food products into make the best product. the mainstream through greater public aware- “Because we are the largest producer ness and media exposure to the exceptional and processor in the world, we are in a fairly nutritional profile of hemp seeds, their good high position, and in that position we want to taste, and environmental benefits, promoting make sure that we raise the bar high enough hemp as a true wonder food packed with vita- for anyone following us. To challenge us, the mins and minerals, free of all major allergens, completion has to become a very reputable 171 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

company in regard to the food safety programs “We spend a lot of time with our growers. and with the management philosophy and I think we are the only company that created a marketing philosophy being such that we are Hemp Production Grower’s Guide kit so we can here to help companies to incorporate hemp provide growers with guidelines to the hemp food ingredients into their products and add production. We have an agronomist on staff who value to their products by incorporating hemp spends a lot of time with our growers ensuring in their recipe and blend. Being a leader, we that they are able to produce premium qual- are here to set the standard for those who are ity crops, creating a win-win situation, because following,” elucidated Crew. if our growers do well, we do well, because the The company contracts with farm pro- seed they are producing is the raw material for ducers across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and everything we do. Partnering with our growers is Alberta to mitigate the potential risk of low very important to us, and many of our growers production in one area. Farmers produce hemp have been with us for over 10 years. Also, if any- at a pre-set price and a guaranteed delivery, so thing, the number of our growers is decreasing the growers know that the crop will be deliv- because our growers are doing more and more ered to the company. acres for us each year,” says Crew. 172 FOOD & BEVERAGE » Hemp Oil Canada

Shaun Crew, CEO and Founder

As one of the earliest domesticated plants, its ugly cousin, marijuana. When people look at hemp has been cultivated by many civilizations the nutritional value of the product, they see the for over 12,000 years as a source of nutrients, value, whether it’s a doctor or a fitness dietician. and fibre to make cloth and even paper. But This message has changed these attitudes. It hemp fell off the grace due to its connection tastes good and it’s good for you.” with marijuana, and hemp still remains a more of With the widespread awareness about the a novelty to the customers rather than a main- nutritional value, Hemp Oil Canada saw double stream foodstuff. But, according to Crew, the digit annual growth for more than 10 years, change has been steadily taking off with more and the company grew by 60 per cent in 2012 educated customers and food producers. alone. “Everybody in the hemp business sees “Compared to 15 years ago, most of the great growth. Companies that used to buy 1,000 major Canadian grocery chains carry some kind pounds now buy 10,000 pounds, and we supply of hemp product. The heath stores also carry all the major companies and manufacturers. We many varieties of hemp products. Hemp is much are experiencing phenomenal growth,” says Crew. more accepted than it was 15 years ago, as the The proof that hemp is not going away any customers got over the connection of hemp to time soon is the fact that in 2014 Hemp Oil 173 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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on your success. cent. “When you create a market, you also create a demand, and we have been running on full We look forward to helping you with your future endeavors. capacity for the past few years. The market and the demand are growing faster than we can build our new plant,” concluded Crew. While he remains Let’s Talk Business. reserved in forecasting the future of Hemp Oil Flexible, attentive and ready to help Canada, the way the demand for hemp products with all the financial needs of your business. moves, he expects additional year-over-year double digit growth, reaching growth between 30 and 60 per cent in the next few years. CBJ

http://www.hempoilcan.com www.caisse.biz BRENTWOOD COLLEGE Redefining Education EDUCATION

BRENTWOOD COLLEGE Redefining Education 176 EDUCATION » Brentwood College

What does Emmy award winning In June 2011, The Canadian Business Journal director Michelle MacLaren have in featured Brentwood’s ‘Tripartite Program,” a common with Olympic gold medalist unique combination of daily academic, ath- Malcolm Howard? Both are alumni of letic, and artistic opportunities for students. This one of Canada’s leading independent approach provides positive exposure to a variety secondary education boarding of different disciplines, while still allowing stu- schools, Brentwood College. dents to pursue the subjects they enjoy. Now, less than four years later, the school LOCATED ALONG THE crystal-clear coastline of has increased and improved its offerings to better Vancouver Island, Brentwood College’s 77-acre serve the needs of its diverse student community. campus offers the best of student living, learning, and extra-curricular opportunities. Since 1923, students from around the world have come to Under New Leadership Brentwood seeking a superior learning experi- In 2012, Brentwood College welcomed Mr. ence. Like MacLaren and Howard, many alumni Bhadresh (Bud) Patel as its fourth Head of have made outstanding achievements in science, School. Patel, after having served for many years citizenship, arts, and athletics. in both teaching and administrative roles with 177 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

other West Coast independent schools, joined as the first externally hired Head of School in Brentwood’s history. Through bringing on Patel, Brentwood brought on new experiences, ideas, and potential for growth. “The first thing we did was develop a community-based Strategic Plan for the school,” Patel explains in a recent interview with CBJ. “We wanted the plan to have a ‘world flavour’ to it, to help us establish ourselves as a school of photo: Sama Jim Canzian photo: global perspective and significance.” In recent years, Brentwood College has been making an increasing impact in the global secondary education arena. As of the 2014- 2015 school year, approximately 25% of the school’s total student population consisted of international students, representing 32 countries. About 7% of international students are based in the Unites States. Of the remain- ing 75%, approximately 65% are domestic Canadians and 10% are ex-pat Canadians. Importantly, Brentwood College practices a philosophy of student choice in its application process, eschewing the perceived practice of admitting students who are ‘sent’ to boarding school. In order to attract what Patel refers to as “mission centred students,” who are It is a privilege to be involved in the design of this world class the right for the school and vice-versa both learning environment - thank you Brentwood College School for the opportunity to be a part of realizing your vision! the parents and more importantly the child applying must show an eagerness to enrol at CHRISTINE LINTOTT Brentwood. Should a student express that they ARCHITECT would prefer not to attend, Brentwood will politely decline admission. “[Our admission standards] have really created 178 EDUCATION » Brentwood College 179 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

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a highly unique student culture,” says Patel. “These at 446 students enrolled. We have 512 students are students who truly want to be here.” for the 2014-2015 year. That’s a large percentage increase in a short period of time.” Patel continues, “We’ve increased our staff Increasing Demand accordingly; were very mindful of class sizes. Brentwood College School is an institution Every one of our faculty members act as advi- with a reputation for fostering highly successful sors to 8-12 student advisees throughout the individuals. To date, the school has produced 23 student’s time at Brentwood.” Olympians, as well as several notable political The 2014-2015 year also brought demand and scientific visionaries. for a new Grade 8 preparatory day school With such a strong reputation, it’s no sur- program. As several school districts in British prise Brentwood continually attracts increasing Columbia decided to include Grade 8 as part of amounts of interested students. Patel notes that secondary school, moving the grade from the he has witnessed significant growth over the traditional elementary or middle school cur- past 3-4 years. riculum, Brentwood recognized the need to “During the 2011-2012 school year, we were educate its younger community members. 180 EDUCATION » Brentwood College

Brentwood’s Grade 8 preparatory day school improvement program. The renovations included program has its own independent timetable, updating or constructing buildings including focus, and attention apart from the upper years. Crooks Hall that meets LEED standards. Students do not receive an official house affili- ation, as they return to their family homes in the evening. Instead, the Grade 8 preparatory Educational Opportunities program aims to prepare students for potential for Every Student enrollment within the Grade 9-12 boarding pro- One of Brentwood’s greatest strengths is its gram while continually providing an innovative ability to adapt to global educational and and creative daily learning environment. workforce trends. In addition to the Tripartite In order to facilitate expanding student offer- program, the school recently introduced its ings and student population growth, Brentwood grade 9-12 STEAM learning program. underwent a $50 million facility rebuilding and STEAM – an acronym for Science, 181 JULY 2015 « The Canadian Business Journal

Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math – Preparing for represents a key offering within Brentwood’s a Bright Future academic program. The School identified these The core aspect of Brentwood’s preparation for five core fields as necessary competencies to the future is its Strategic Plan. Spanning from future career success. 2013-2023, the plan aims to propel Brentwood “Brentwood College is a leader for places forward as a global leader in secondary education. of learning,” says Patel, “Our programs are The Strategic Plan encompasses three core goals: set up to help students become independent • Innovation, establishing Brentwood as a individuals, ready to take on and overcome the globally renowned leading-edge place of challenges of the world.” learning Patel describes this as teaching “Grit and • Sustainability, ensuring that Brentwood Joy;” that is, students learn the skills and atti- remains financially, environmentally, and tude needed to excel in whichever field they academically viable for future genera- choose, and develop the good natured attitude tions to appreciate their success. • Engagement, creating a culture of com- In addition to the STEAM program, Brentwood munity and philanthropy in both current College has also introduced Brentwood TV; a new and future students. multimedia and journalism class that prepares Each goal is integral to the continued suc- students looking to develop careers in the enter- cess of Brentwood College. Should the school tainment and media industries. remain committed to the achievement of each, Brentwood College’s extra-curricular pro- there is no doubt it is on the road to tremen- grams also continue to be very robust. Rowing dous global success. remains one of the school’s historic athletic Brentwood College School’s future, sup- focuses; however, Brentwood offers over 20 ported by dedicated faculty, students, and sports and wellness opportunities including families, is bright. CBJ yoga, volleyball, basketball and rugby. Students interested in pursuing artistic endeavors can For more information on Brentwood College, choose from a variety of different specialized please visit www.brentwood.bc.ca activities within the areas of performance art, visual art, dance, music, and photography. As stated by Patel, “One of the most important things [at Brentwood] is providing opportunities for students to achieve their own personal excellence.” Be FEATURED... Be FEATURED... Be NOTICED... Be NOTICED...

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