Rock the vote for Saskatchewan finalist in quest for $100,000 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award grand prize

Joel Pinel maps out next big step for WOW Factor Media

MOOSE JAW, SK, May 22, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) announced today that the turning point project, "Equipment Edge", submitted by local businessman Joel Pinel, 28, will represent Saskatchewan in the finals of the 2013 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award.

Joel's project shows how buying new equipment will enable his company WOW Factor Media to take the booming new high-rise market by storm. He'll need support from every corner of the country to come out on top and win the $100,000 BDC grand prize!

A family-owned print and marketing company, WOW Factor Media has its sights set firmly on a new opportunity: manufacturing directional and custom-built signage for the growing market of new high-rise buildings. Having earned a solid reputation for meeting the design and printing needs of Prairie businesses, Joel is preparing to capture a piece of the booming building market. To be first out of the starting blocks in producing way-finding signs for units currently under construction, he needs to purchase new printing equipment. "This is an opportunity to fast forward our business by producing top-quality signs that will give us a real competitive edge," says Joel.

Seizing new business opportunities is the hallmark of this young entrepreneur, who started his first business venture in Grade 8. The big break came when Mosaic Potash hired WOW Factor Media to create the print media material for the Moose Jaw arena to which it had naming rights. "This gave us momentum and we kept growing," says Joel. "We have 15 full-time and two part-time employees, and are moving to a new location triple our current size. The new equipment will allow us to enrich our current offering. We're proud to keep jobs here and contribute to our tight-knit community."

"All the finalists competing for the 2013 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award presented sound turning point solutions that could provide a solid springboard for future growth and success," says Michel Bergeron, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Public Affairs at BDC. "Joel's proven ability to turn a potential business opportunity into a success story bodes well for WOW Factor's future as he plans for expansion."

"Being a successful entrepreneur means knowing where you are and where you want to be, never getting discouraged and always knowing your goal," says Joel. "I ask my hometown and Canadians across the country to help me point WOW Factor in the winning direction. Vote for our project, Equipment Edge, to give us a leg up as we take a big step forward!"

Voting for the 2013 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award contest runs from May 22 to June 11. To support your favourite project, log into the contest microsite and vote once a day. Follow the contest through updates on Facebook at "BDC Entrepreneur", Twitter at @BDC_News and LinkedIn. The BDC Young Entrepreneur Award winner and runner-up will be announced on June 17. The runner-up will receive $25,000 in consulting services.

About the BDC Young Entrepreneur Award contest
Created by the Business Development Bank of Canada in 1988, the BDC Young Entrepreneur Award contest pays tribute to remarkable Canadian entrepreneurs between 18 and 35 years of age. Nine finalists were short-listed to compete for a $100,000 grand prize. The winner will be selected by public vote and the contest runner-up will receive a second prize of $25,000 in consulting services.  The Financial Post and La Presse are the media partners of the 2013 BDC Young Entrepreneur Award. www.bdc.ca/yea

About BDC
Canada's business development bank, BDC puts entrepreneurs first. With almost 2,000 employees and more than 100 business centres across the country, BDC offers financing, subordinate financing, venture capital, securitization and consulting services to more than 28,000 small and medium-sized companies. Their success is vital to Canada's economic prosperity. www.bdc.ca

SOURCE: Business Development Bank of Canada

Maria Constantinescu
Senior Advisor, Public Relations
Business Development Bank of Canada
[phone]
[email protected]