Packers Plus Energy Services takes home Canada's Ernst & Young Entrepreneur
Of The Year(R) 2009
Survey reveals leading entrepreneurs are pursuing growth
"By challenging traditional thinking, Packers Plus has developed and proven brilliant new technology that is profoundly changing Canada's energy sector," said Colleen McMorrow, National Director of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards. "As this year's winners, they showed a remarkable level of entrepreneurial spirit and have established what's sure to be a lasting impact on their industry."
Formed in 2000 by Dan Themig, Ken Paltzat and Peter Krabben, Packers Plus Energy Services introduced the StackFRAC(R) system, technology that has ultimately resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of recoverable oil and natural gas. Packers Plus has made reserves, previously thought to be uneconomic, both highly productive and profitable. The trio's invention has simplified pressure-pumping operations and improved completion time. The system also reaches large natural gas and oil resources that can't be tapped through conventional drilling and completion methods.
A recent Ernst & Young survey, Lessons from change - Future market leaders, revealed that leading entrepreneurs, like Packers Plus, have successfully made pursuing growth opportunities their number one priority despite a tough economy. The survey also found that entrepreneurs are placing a renewed focus on the customer - ensuring their loyalty while expanding into new markets.
"Entrepreneurs see the world differently from most people, and Packers Plus is no exception," said McMorrow. "They seek out opportunity in the unlikeliest of economic conditions and take calculated risks to grow despite the challenging environment."
Before joining Packers Plus, Themig, Paltzat and Krabben all worked at multinational oil services companies. Their company was initiated on the foundations of a common belief that innovative completion technologies would fundamentally change the economics and business practices of the oil and gas industry. Now, with almost 400 employees, the company is expanding rapidly on a global basis - with offices and operations in
"Trailblazers like Packers Plus are vital to the world's economic recovery. They see how the world is changing and adapt to new circumstances," said McMorrow. "The economic climate is challenging all businesses, but the future market leaders are responding in their own unique way: by drawing on their extraordinary ability to innovate."
In October, Themig, Paltzat and Krabben were named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 in the Prairies region. They were awarded the national distinction last night, at a gala held in
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The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards recognize the spirit and contribution of entrepreneurs here and around the world. In
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