Ernst & Young celebrates Ontario finalists for 2009 Entrepreneur Of The Year(R)

    Firm says today's entrepreneurs are tomorrow's market leaders

    TORONTO, July 7 /CNW/ - Entrepreneurial-minded companies are growing with
incredible speed and quickly entering into the ranks of the world's largest
corporations, Ernst & Young said today when unveiling this year's finalists
for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards.
    "By embracing the entrepreneurial spirit, this year's finalists are
growing businesses, creating jobs and building communities despite daunting
economic challenges," says Colleen McMorrow, National and Ontario Director of
the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards. "Entrepreneurs who seize
the opportunities that arise in adversity can ignite a spark, and propel our
economy forward."
    Historically, economists, academics and industry leaders have agreed that
recessions foster the innovative thinking synonymous with entrepreneurship. As
referenced in Ernst & Young's publication, Entrepreneurship and innovation,
many of today's most recognizable brands were actually born during recessions.
Many of these so-called "downturn babies" now have market capitalizations in
the hundreds of millions, or even billions, of dollars.
    "Innovation stimulates economic growth, and that means there is no time
like a downturn to take advantage of entrepreneurial thinking," says McMorrow.
"Companies cannot afford to be paralyzed by fear. The global recession
represents an unprecedented opportunity for growth."
    A recent Ernst & Young survey, Seizing opportunities, shows many
entrepreneurs already have the right idea. Ninety-three percent of respondents
said that, despite the economic downturn, they are broadening their customer
base and entering new markets.
    "It's reassuring to see that many entrepreneurs are already taking bold
steps forward," McMorrow notes. "No company is ever too big to have an
entrepreneurial focus. By building the right corporate culture, even large
corporations can think outside the box and drive new ways of doing business."
    The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards recognize the spirit and contribution
of entrepreneurs here and around the world. The Canadian program is in its
16th year of honouring the country's most impressive entrepreneurs from all
areas of business.
    The Ontario winners will be announced at a banquet on October 21, and the
overall winner will represent the region at the national banquet held in
Vancouver on November 24.

    The 2009 Ontario finalists for Entrepreneur Of The Year are:

    Business-to-business products and services

    Razor Suleman
    I Love Rewards | Toronto
    iloverewards.com
    Provides web-based rewards and recognition programs, ranging from
    employee recognition to sales incentives, as well as tailored solutions.

    Liz Scott
    Organizational Solutions Inc. | Burlington
    orgsoln.com
    Provides cost-reduction strategies pertaining to disability management.

    Kerry Shapansky
    Pareto Corporation | Toronto
    pareto.ca
    Marketing services company focused on retail and business-to-business.
    Primary services include direct marketing, retail promotions, retail
    merchandising and incentives.

    Oliver Bock, Gabrielle Chevalier, Mark Smith
    Solutions 2 GO Inc. | Mississauga
    solutions2go.ca
    Video game distributor.

    Business-to-consumer products and services

    Danièle Bertrand, Dufflet Rosenberg
    Dufflet Pastries | Toronto
    dufflet.com
    Manufacturer and distributor of premium fine pastries, desserts and
    confections across North America.

    Anthony Longo
    Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. | Mississauga
    longos.com
    Family-owned grocery retailer that helps consumers create adventurous,
    genuine food experiences for their family at a fair price.

    Shaun Francis
    Medcan Health Management Inc. | Toronto
    medcan.com
    Provides a combination of outpatient preventive, diagnostic and primary
    health-care services that are typically not reimbursed through Medicare
    or conventional insurance.

    Ronnen Harary, Anton Rabie, Ben Varadi
    Spin Master Ltd. | Toronto
    spinmaster.com
    Designer, developer, manufacturer and marketer of consumer products, as
    well as the production of television and other media properties, for
    children.

    Cleantech

    Ian MacLellan
    ARISE Technologies Corporation | Waterloo
    arisetech.com
    Developer of proprietary technologies for the manufacture of high-
    efficiency photovoltaic (PV) cells and for the production of lower-cost
    7N+ high-purity silicon for PV cells. Also provides turnkey PV solutions
    for solar farms and rooftop installations.

    Timothy Haig, Kevin Norton
    BIOX Corporation | Oakville
    bioxcorp.com
    Technology and manufacturing company that employs proprietary
    technologies in biodiesel production.

    Cameron Manners
    Nu Flow Inc. | Oshawa
    nuflowtech.com
    Manufactures and installs in-place epoxy pipe lining systems to
    rehabilitate deteriorated or failing mechanical piping systems.

    George Scott
    Scott Environmental Group | Kingston
    scottindustrialservices.com
    Provider of industrial and environmental services, an eco-technology
    business with an organic waste-processing plant and electronic waste-
    collection facility.

    Emerging entrepreneur

    Naman Budhdeo
    Flight Network | Oakville
    flightnetwork.com
    Provider of discount airfare through the internet.

    Robert Deluce
    Porter Airlines Inc. | Toronto
    flyporter.com
    Regional passenger carrier serving Toronto, Ottawa, Thunder Bay,
    Montréal, Québec City, Halifax, New York and Chicago, with seasonal
    flights to Mont Tremblant.

    Cameron Piron
    Sentinelle Medical Inc. | Toronto
    sentinellemedical.com
    Diagnostic imaging company focused on breast cancer detection using
    magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

    Jason Smith
    Solidifi Inc. | Thornhill
    solidifi.com
    Technology-based provider of property valuation, collateral risk
    management and data analytic services to the North American financial
    services industry.

    Financial services

    Alan Grujic, Sergei Tchetvertnykh
    Infinium Group Inc. | Toronto
    infiniumgroup.com
    Independent electronic trading firm specializing in alternative
    quantitative and arbitrage strategies.

    Wesley Hall
    Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc. | Toronto
    kingsdaleshareholder.com
    Provides strategic shareholder communication and consulting services.

    Vincent Beretta
    Walkaway Canada Incorporated | Toronto
    walkawayprotection.com
    Develops, markets and administers innovative, web-enabled, credit-related
    products for the retail automotive and recreational vehicle industry. A
    pioneer in the "vehicle return program" insurance category.

    Information technology

    Mark Leonard
    Constellation Software Inc. | Toronto
    csisoftware.com
    International provider of software and services to select industries in
    both the public and private sectors.

    Kevin North
    Dyadem International Ltd. | Richmond Hill
    dyadem.com
    Provider of risk management software solutions for products and
    processes, with a focus on the development of quality lifecycle
    management and risk lifecycle management solutions.

    Tom Jenkins
    Open Text Corporation | Waterloo
    opentext.com
    Developer of enterprise content management software, used by corporations
    and government agencies in 114 countries.

    Manufacturing

    Felix Comeau
    Alcohol Countermeasure Systems Corp. | Toronto
    acs-corp.com
    Manufacturer of alcohol interlocks and breath alcohol testers.

    Steve Mai
    Eclipse Automation Inc. | Cambridge
    eclipseautomation.com
    Designer and manufacturer of custom turnkey automated systems for various
    industries.

    Allan Carswell
    Optech Incorporated | Concord
    optech.ca
    Develops, manufactures and markets support of advanced laser-based survey
    instruments.

    Media and entertainment

    Aldo Cundari
    Cundari Group Ltd. | Toronto
    cundari.com
    Canada's second-largest independently owned and operated communications
    agency.

    Darren Throop
    E1 Entertainment | Toronto
    entertainmentonegroup.com
    Independent entertainment content owner that acquires film, television
    and music rights, and exploits these rights in all media in more than 190
    countries.

    Christina Jennings
    Shaftesbury Films Inc. | Toronto
    shaftesbury.ca
    Independent film and television production company.

    Martin Perelmuter, Farah Perelmuter
    Speakers' Spotlight (Ad-Mar Consulting Ltd.) | Toronto
    speakers.ca
    Speakers' bureau representing and booking extraordinary speakers, leading
    thinkers, expert trainers and inspiring individuals.

    Mining and metals

    Ronald Little
    Orezone Resources Inc. | Ottawa
    orezone.com
    Junior mining industry, gold exploration and development company
    operating in west Africa.

    Peter Marrone
    Yamana Gold Inc. | Toronto
    yamana.com
    Gold producer engaged in mining and related activities, including
    exploration, extraction, processing and reclamation. Yamana has
    significant properties in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Central
    America.

    Social entrepreneur

    Robert Drynan
    Camp Oochigeas | Toronto
    ooch.org
    Privately funded, volunteer-based organization that provides kids with
    cancer and kids affected by childhood cancer with a unique opportunity
    for growth through challenging, fun, enriching and magical experiences.
    Camp Oochigeas provides year-round camp programming at their site in
    Muskoka, at the Hospital for Sick Children, as well as at various
    locations throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

    Kathryn Babcock, Beverley Wybrow
    Canadian Women's Foundation | Toronto
    canadianwomen.org
    Funds, researches and shares the best approaches to ending violence
    against women, moving low-income women out of poverty and building
    strong, resilient girls.

    Diane Dupuy
    Famous PEOPLE Players | Toronto
    fpp.org
    Theatre group dedicated to the integration of people who have
    developmental disabilities.

    Julie Toskan-Casale
    Toskan Casale Foundation | Toronto
    toskanfoundation.org
    Committed to supporting and strengthening community-based grassroots
    organizations that reach out to at-risk people and provide them with
    immediate relief and long-term stability.

    Technology and communications

    Osama Arafat
    Q9 Networks Inc. | Toronto
    Q9.com
    Provider of outsourced data centre infrastructure services.

    Marzio Pozzuoli
    RuggedCom Inc. | Woodbridge
    ruggedcom.com
    Develops communications networking equipment for use in harsh
    environments.

    Christopher Cawston
    SCI Ltd. | Markham
    scitorque.com
    Developer and provider of retail process solutions for the automotive
    retail channel, through a current offering of lead consolidation,
    processing and delivery systems, lead and lifecycle management and multi-
    channel marketing products.

    Young entrepreneur

    Sam Zaid
    Apption Software Corporation | Ottawa
    apption.com
    Provides artificial intelligence solutions for enterprise modernization
    and business automation.

    Tina Gokstorp, Stephanie McLarty
    CTAR Corp. | Ailsa Craig
    ctarcorp.com
    Provides asset recovery for cable/telecom companies (e.g., resale,
    donation, recycling of obsolete/excess equipment).

    Greg Overholt
    Students Offering Support | Waterloo
    studentsofferingsupport.ca
    Raises marks (through university peer review sessions) and raises money
    to raise roofs (funds sustainable development projects around Latin
    America).

    Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is sponsored nationally by Global
Television Network, National Post, La Presse and RDI.

    About Ernst & Young

    Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and
advisory services. Worldwide, our 135,000 people are united by our shared
values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by
helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their
potential. For more information, please visit ey.com/ca.

For further information: Amanda Olliver, amanda.olliver@ca.ey.com, (416)
943-7121; Brooke McLachlan, brooke.mclachlan@ca.ey.com, (604) 899-3597;
Marie-Eve Graniero, marie-eve.graniero@ca.ey.com, (514) 874-4313