PDF - Halifax Chamber of Commerce

Transcription

DISPLAY YOUR PASSION
SONIC BOOM
INTRAPRENEURSHIP
Helping companies
showcase their value Pg 20
Blending business
and music Pg 22
Building a culture
of innovation Pg 30
BUSINESS VOICE
H A L I F A X C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E | J U LY & A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 | V O L U M E 2 5 I S S U E 0 6
dynamic
infusion
Immigrants critical to Nova Scotia’s economic future
PAGE 14
HALIFAX’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE
LEED. NEVER FOLLOW.
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Wharf is the first commercial property in Atlantic
Canada to earn LEED EB: O&M certification from
the Canada Green Building Council.
It’s where your business needs to be.
For leasing information, contact us at
902- 421-1122 or visit purdyswharf.com.
CONTENTS }
Demographically, Nova Scotia is in big trouble.”
Paul Pickering,
15
Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia
COVER STORY
14
Dynamic Infusion
Immigrants critical to Nova Scotia’s
economic future
04 Events
05 President’s message
06 New & noted
09 Members in the news
14 Energy infusion
Immigrants critical to Nova Scotia’s
economic future
20 Display your passion
Young entrepreneurs help companies
showcase their value
22 Profile: Sonic Entertainment
24 All ships rise
25 Working for you
Illustration: rawpixel/123RF
27 Trends
32 Halifax partnership
33 City desk
Display your passion
Young entrepreneurs help
companies showcase their value
20
38 Where are they now?
SPECIAL FEATURE
34 Aerospace and defence
Photo: Clayton Morrissey
Board of Directors
Volume 25 Issue 06
Carol MacMillan, The Shaw Group, Chair
Mark Fraser, T4G, Vice Chair
Rob Batherson, Colour, Past Chair
Business Voice is published 10 times a year for
members of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce
and Metro Halifax’s business community. Views
expressed in Business Voice are those of the
contributors and individual members, and are
not necessarily endorsed by, or are a policy of,
the Halifax Chamber of Commerce
Directors
Cynthia Dorrington, Vale & Associates
Level Chan, Stewart McKelvey
Lori Barton, Beaumont Advisors Limited
Don Bureaux, NSCC
Jamie O’Neill, Uprise Consulting
Margaret Chapman, Corporate Research Associates
Mark Sidebottom, Nova Scotia Power Inc.
Michele Williams, Grant Thornton LLP
Captain (N) Sutherland, Maritime Forces Atlantic
Sreejata Chatterjee, LeadSift
Gavin MacDonald, Cox & Palmer
Paul Bent, CPA, ICA, CD.D
Robert Dean, WBLI
Saeed El-Darahali, SimplyCast
Chamber Staff
Patrick Sullivan, President and CEO
Nancy M. Conrad, Senior Vice President, Policy
Colin J. Bustard, Director of Finance and Administration
Becky Davison, Marketing Manager
Melissa MacDonald, Communications Specialist
No part of this publication may be reproduced
without written consent of the publisher. While
every effort has been made to ensure accuracy,
the publisher cannot be held responsible for any
errors or omissions that may occur.
Please address editorial enquiries
and changes to information to:
Halifax Chamber of Commerce
100-32 Akerley Boulevard, Dartmouth,
Nova Scotia B3B 1N1
Tel: (902) 468-7111
Fax: (902) 468-7333
info@halifaxchamber.com
www.halifaxchamber.com
Business Voice is published by
The Chronicle Herald, Custom and Community
Publishing Department
Publisher: Sarah Dennis
Vice President, Business Development: Jeff Nearing
Editor:@e[o<_jpfơjh_Ya`ǃ_jpfơjh_Ya6^[hơbZ$Yơ
Design Department Manager: Julia Webb
Layout & Design: Pete Ross
Contributing Writers: Erin Elaine Casey, David
Pretty, Jon Tattrie, Carol Dobson, Becky Davison,
Kayla Cotton, Courtney Osborne, Mike McCarther,
Gregory Phipps, Ian Munro, Mike Savage
Customer Relations Specialist: Jennifer MacLean
Sales Executives: Peter Coleman,
Victoria MacDougall, David A. McNeil
902-426-2811 x1163
Cover photo: V.J. Mathhew/123RF
Disclaimer
Business Voice magazine makes no warranties
of any kind, written or implied, regarding the
contents of this magazine and expressly
disclaims any warranty regarding the accuracy
or reliability of information contained herein.
The views contained in this magazine are those
of the writers and advertisers; they do not
d[Y[iiơh_boh[ǃb[Yjj^[l_[mie\8ki_d[iiLe_Y[
magazine and its publisher The Chronicle Herald.
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40032112
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to
Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
Copyright 2016 by The Chronicle Herald
All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article,
photograph or artwork without expressed written
permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.
2717 Joseph Howe Drive
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2T2
Tel: (902) 426-2811
TheChronicleHerald.ca
BUSINESS VOICE
3
CATAGORY
EVENTS
CHAMBER EVENTS
DATE: July 13, 2016
TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 pm
LOCATION: Halifax Chamber
of Commerce Building
The Links at Brunello
DATE: July 20, 2016
TIME: 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
LOCATION: 120 Brunello Blvd,
Timberlea
For a full and up to date list of our
Chamber events, please visit
www.halifaxchamber.com/events
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
NETWORK
SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR
SIGNATURE EVENTS!
DATE: August 19, 2016
TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 pm
November 2, 2016
HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA
December 1, 2016
2017 HALIFAX
BUSINESS AWARDS
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
NETWORK
DATE: July 15, 2016
TIME: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
2016 FALL DINNER
January 26, 2017
2017 ALL SHIPS RISE
CONFERENCE
DATE: August 17th, 2016
TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 pm
February 15, 2017
SPRING DINNER 2017
May 4, 2017
THANK YOU TO OUR JUNE SPONSORS:
For You, Your Employees,
and Your Business
1
2
FOR YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES
* " +$ " ( %" ! (#
* %$ #%" #&#
* "# " $( # !" $ # !")#
#&# "! "$
FOR YOUR BUSINESS
* !"#& " $$ $ !$$& " "
$ %" %### #
* ' " ## $ '
$"& $ & " # % %$ #
* " % # (## %" %### #
* $" #%" !( $ #!# " %" +$
Take advantage of our National Buying Power.
Contact our Business Development Team to get started
4
1-844-856-9876
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
An introductory message
Looking forward to working with Chamber members
president@halifaxchamber.com
I believe a strategic plan requires input from all
stakeholders, and I look forward to working with the
board and our members to develop a plan over the coming
months that will take us toward a prosperous future.”
PATRICK SULLIVAN
PRESIDENT & CEO
I am pleased and humbled to have
been chosen as the incoming President
and CEO for the Halifax Chamber of
Commerce. I am lucky enough to have
spent my formative years in Halifax with
parents that grew up here, although my
father was in the Canadian Forces and
spent my early years living away.
I attended Mount Saint Vincent
University and like many young people,
left early in my career and spent time in
Toronto. During the course of my career I
have lived both here in Halifax and Toronto
and have been back and forth a number of
times with my wife, Patti and my children.
In 2012, I came back to Halifax
from Toronto and joined government.
There, I gained valuable insight into the
inner workings of government through
a number of budget cycles and seeing
two elected governments in power. After
more than 25 years in the private sector,
my time with government was interesting
and a significant learning opportunity.
It’s one that I hope to take advantage of
in the coming years.
My immediate goal at the Chamber
is to begin the learning process from
Valerie, the board, the staff and most
importantly, our members, about how
I can best serve the Halifax Chamber of
Commerce. I would like to take advantage of Valerie’s knowledge for as long
as I can to ensure a smooth transition
from the outgoing CEO to my new role.
The board has pledged it’s support and
I will certainly take advantage of this
strength. I hope to reach back to previous
governors to learn from their significant
experience with the Chamber and the
business community in Halifax.
Valerie has built a strong team at the
Chamber and I have now met everyone.
They will be my day to day guides as
I begin my time at the Chamber and I
know I will need their counsel and support as we move forward.
I began my career as a marketer,
learning from the consumer and I believe
the most important thing I can do as the
incoming CEO at the Chamber is to learn
from our members. I plan to spend the
next few months of my new role meeting
members, attending events and listening.
I will listen to what our members want,
BUSINESS VOICE
what they need in a Chamber and a
CEO, and how they see the future for
the Halifax business community.
The Chamber’s strategic plan,
currently in place since 2013, will run
to 2018. That is only a short 18 months
away. I believe a strategic plan requires
input from all stakeholders, and I look
forward to working with the board and
our members to develop a plan over the
coming months that will take us toward
a prosperous future.
I look forward to meeting and working
with you as we move forward together.
5
NEWSMAKERS
CATAGORY
NEW & NOTED
We welcome our new Chamber members
ATLANTIC PHOTO SUPPLY
COLORWORKS INC.
DURASPACE
We operate the only professional photo
lab in Atlantic Canada and offer photo
prints from wallet size up to mural.
Create photos on canvas prints, fine
art prints, photo gifts and home decor
photo products with your own photos.
Quality printing is our commitment.
Complete camera shop from digital
cameras to telescopes, studio lighting
and all photographic gear.
Allen Sutherland
202 Brownlow Avenue, Unit CCF
Dartmouth, NS
902-423-6724
www.atlanticphotosupply.com
PERSONAL CARE & SERVICES –
Photography
Paul Susnis has been painting and
decorating all his life, so when he came
to Nova Scotia in the mid-1980s to open
a paint store he wanted to do it right, by
offering the best possible products and
friendly personal service.
Paul Susnis
3667 Strawberry Hill, Halifax, NS
902-455-1337
cw.accounting@eastlink.ca
www.susnispaint.com
INDUSTRIAL & MANUFACTURING –
Paint/Paint Equipment
David Wilcox
Bedford, NS
902-316-3611
dwilcox@duraspace.org
duraspace.org
COMPUTERS, IT & TECHNOLOGY –
Computer Software
CANADIAN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNTING SERVICES
Ehab Mdoukh
177 Main Street, Unit 302, Dartmouth, NS
902-830-8669
ehab@cbmasi.ca
FINANCE & INSURANCE – Bookkeeping
D.P. MURPHY HOTELS AND RESORTS
Hospitality … Like Never Before, in the
Maritimes. The portfolio of accommodation properties includes eight
year-round properties throughout the
Maritimes, and one seasonal resort
which is located in the National Park,
Prince Edward Island. Our Company’s
focus is always on the customers.
Christie Neate
250 Brackley Point Road
Charlottetown, PE
902-368-3727
cneate@dpminc.com
www.dpmurphyhotelsandresorts.com
TRAVEL & TOURISM – Accommodations
(General)
FLUFFY BOTTOM BABIES INC.
Ivy Liu
1595 Bedford Highway, Bedford, NS
902-443-5005
ơZc_d6ǃbkƃoXejjecXơX_[i$Yơ
SHOPPING & SPECIALTY RETAIL – Retail
(General)
LIVE ART DANCE
As a key presenter and advocate for
contemporary dance, Live Art Dance
is the only company east of Quebec to
program an annual series of nationally
and internationally recognized artists.
Live Art has distinguished itself as a premiere dance presenter and has anchored
Halifax’s presence on the international
dance-touring map.
Deb Twohig
6068 Quinpool Road, Halifax, NS
902-420-0003
deb@liveartdance.ca
www.liveartdance.ca
ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT –
Theatre
ECONOMY SHOE SHOP /
SEAHORSE TAVERN
Victor Syperek
1663 Argyle Street, Halifax, NS
902-423-8845
argylecobblers@eastlink.ca
RESTAURANTS, FOOD & BEVERAGE –
Restaurant
6
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
NEWSMAKERS
NEOCON INTERNATIONAL
RESOURCE OPPORTUNITIES CENTRE
SOSHEL TECH INC.
An award-winning automotive design
house and production facility with
export sales making up 98 per cent of
portfolio with products such as interior
cargo storage and protection that create
vehicle sizzle. Grade “A” clients include
Nissan, Honda, Ford, Toyota and GM.
Founded in 1993 in Nova Scotia, Neocon
employs well over 200 engineers, technicians and plant personnel.
Pat Ryan
35 Akerley Boulevard, Dartmouth, NS
902-468-6663
pryan@neoconinc.com
www.excoautomotive.com/neocon
Manufacture/Process
The Resource Opportunities Centre is
a nonprofit community development
organization which serves the Prospect
Communities and operates the stateof-the-art Prospect Road Community
Centre. A volunteer board, an Executive Director, a staff of 40+ people and
countless volunteers promote the ROC's
vision of a welcoming, innovative, and
thriving community.
Shirley Jollimore
2141 Prospect Road, Halifax, NS
902-852-2711
executivedirector@prospectcommunities.com
www.centre.prospectcommunities.com
NOT-FOR-PROFIT GROUPS –
Community Centres
We’ve created a solution FOR the
restaurant industry BY people who
have worked in the industry and have a
passion for it. Featured is a new mobile
app that allows restaurants to connect
directly with restaurant-goers to feature
their specials and deals while collecting
data and feedback from their guests.
Matt Nicholson
Fredericton, NB
506-478-3827
matt@getfeaturednow.com
www.getfeaturedapp.com
COMPUTERS, IT & TECHNOLOGY –
App Development
PROVINCIAL WOODWORKERS
AND LAB SYSTEMS LTD.
SCOTTISH LION IMPORTS
Steve Mageau
23 Gloster Court, Dartmouth, NS
902-468-3034
steve@provincialwoodworkers.com
www.provincialwoodworkers.com
Millwork
RECTOR COLAVECCHIA ROCHE
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
Rector Colavecchia Roche is a clientfocused firm of chartered accountants
for businesses seeking expertise, value,
and trust they can build on. We invest in
long-term relationships with our clients
to help them achieve financial and personal success. We have in-depth expertise with land developers, construction
companies, professionals and non-profit
organizations.
Lawrence Roche
230-3 Spectacle Lake Drive
Dartmouth, NS
902-463-9571
decisionsmatter@grcpa.ca
www.rcrca.ca
FINANCE & INSURANCE – Accounting
Innis Campbell
Bedford, NS
902-818-1265
info@scottishlion.com
www.scottishlion.com
SHOPPING & SPECIALTY RETAIL –
Wholesale
SMARTCAT MARKETING
SmartCat Marketing is a collaboration
of top talents. We deliver positive
experiences and results in graphic
design, web site development, online
marketing, social media strategies and
advertising direction. As a SmartCat
client you can expect us to give you
back your time and respect your budget.
We deliver customized marketing
programs at competitive rates.
Nicole Gallant
Dartmouth, NS
902-209-9626
smartcarmkt@gmail.com
www.smartcatmarketing.ca
ADVERTISING, PR & MEDIA –
Graphic Design
BUSINESS VOICE
THE MORTGAGE GROUP
ATLANTIC LTD.
The Mortgage Group, an award-winning
Canadian mortgage company, has been
providing residential and commercial
mortgage services since 1990. In Atlantic
Canada with a team of over 40 Mortgage
Brokers, we can provide the best mortgage to meet your current and future
needs. Contact us today. You will be glad
you did.
David Skinner
2 Bluewater Road, Suite 115
Hammonds Plains, NS
902-835-6420
davidskinner@mortgagegrp.com
FINANCE & INSURANCE – Mortgage
STONE HEARTH BAKERY A DIVISION OF METROWORKS
Stone Hearth Bakery is a kosher
commercial bakery with a primary goal
to operate a viable social enterprise
supported by a work adjustment skills
training program. Proud to produce
premium quality European-styled
breads, bagels and specialty baked
goods that are distributed throughout
the Maritimes and can be found in
most major grocery stores.
John Hartling
7071 Bayers Road, Suite LL05, Halifax, NS
902-454-2851
jmattatall@mymetroworks.ca
www.mymetroworks.ca
RESTAURANTS, FOOD & BEVERAGE –
Bakery
7
NEWSMAKERS
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK
UPPER CUTZ BARBER SHOP
VSI WORLDWIDE TRADING INC.
Nova Scotia offers comprehensive
home and business moving and
packing services. Our goal is to exceed
customers' expectations by customizing
our moving services to specific needs.
We move apartments, condominiums,
homes, businesses, and everything
in between. We’re here to help with
managing relocation stress.
Kevin Hayes
192 Joseph Zatzman Drive, Unit 3
Dartmouth, NS
902-444-2636
kevin.hayes@twomen.ca
www.twomenandatruck.ca
TRANSPORTATION – Moving/Storage
At Upper Cutz Barber Shop we specialize in fading and train our staff to provide
exceptional haircuts and service. Our
barbers Christy Goodwin, Jamie Tucker
and Michelle Parent who have a huge
passion for men’s hair styles. Open seven
days a week to. Book us online https://
bookyouruppercutzbarber.resurva.com.
Christy Goodwin
6494 Bayers Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia
902-425-2889
sassy_cuts@hotmail.com
uppercutzhfx.ca
PERSONAL CARE & SERVICES –
Hair Services
VSI Worldwide Trading exports vehicles
to markets where they are otherwise
not available. Primary market is Western
Europe, other markets include South
America and the Middle East. VSI has
partnerships and can source vehicles
from Mexico & the Caribbean. In addition to exporting sourced/sold vehicles
VSI helps individuals and organizations
ship their vehicles abroad.
Carolanne Lawrence
45 Borden Avenue, Unit # 04
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
902-481-8153
ca@vsiworldwide.com
www.vsiworldwide.com
BUSINESS & PROF. SERVICES –
Import/Export/Trading
INDIVIDUAL MEMBER
Una Hassenstein
902-722-1340
una.hassenstein@novascotia.ca
OTHER – Individual Member
Are you a new member? To submit your 50-word description for New & Noted, please contact
Melissa MacDonald, Communications Specialist at Melissa@halifaxchamber.com or 902-481-1238
within the first six months of membership.
SHAPING
Linda Yates
AST Class of 1998
Ordained Minister
LEADERS
Leaders come in many forms. AST helps
develop post-graduate students to meet
the theological and ethical challenges of
today’s world. For over 40 years, AST has
provided an arena for ecumenical teaching
and research, public discussion, and
community engagement. Welcome to a
different kind of university.
astheology.ns.ca
8
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
NEWSMAKERS
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
How our members are growing Halifax
QUEEN’S MARQUE: A $200M
INVESTMENT TO BRING CULTURE
TO HALIFAX WATERFRONT
MORE THAN $61,000 RAISED AT
10TH ANNUAL CUA LUNG RUN
SHUCK SEAFOOD + RAW BAR
OPENED END OF APRIL
On May 7, The Lung Association of
Nova Scotia raised more than $61,000
for lung health in Nova Scotia! More
than 300 walkers, runners, families and
strollers took to the course in downtown
Halifax to help raise funds and awareness
for lung health in Nova Scotia. With an
emphasis on fundraising, this was a free
event where participants were encouraged to fundraise as much as possible
leading up to the day of the event. The
top fundraiser was CUA President & CEO
Marie Mullally and the top fundraising
team was the CUA Crusaders. The next
Lung Association of Nova Scotia event is
the Runway Run in Fall 2016.
At Shuck Seafood + Raw Bar, an RCR
Investment Company, we take great
care to source products that have a positive impact on our environment. Award
winning Chef Luis Clavel uses a delicate
hand on seafood dishes to highlight the
quality and freshness of the product and
we have an ever changing selection of
raw bar items. Sommeliers Melissa Carey
and Ana Correa designed an eclectic yet
affordable wine list that is complemented
with local craft beer, Nova 7, cider on tap
and signature cocktails. The interior is
simple and understated with board and
batten construction and exhibits a traditional yet modern East Coast vibe.
The Queen’s Marque proposal is a joint
venture from Armour Group Ltd.
and the Waterfront Development.
It includes a hotel, office space and a
residential building, combined with art
installations and roughly 23,000 square
metres of plazas, courtyards and other
public space. Two of the buildings are
shaped like ships in port, tapering on the
water side. Waterfront pedestrians can
walk under the buildings as they are supported in part by dock-like pilings. The
project is scheduled to go before Halifax’s
Design Review Committee Thursday for
a pre-application presentation. A formal
application will follow. The expected
completion date is slated for 2019.
TALENTWORKS IS PLEASED TO
ANNOUNCE THE ACQUISITION
OF STRICTLY STAFFING
Strictly staffing has built a well-known
brand in the professional contract staffing
space. This purchase will allow Talentworks to continue building our capacity to serve a broader client base with a
wider range of recruitment services. We
welcome current staff and clients aboard
and look forward continuing to provide
the quality service Strictly Staffing clients
and contractors have come to expect.
Get your message out on target and on time.
A full-service commercial printer with direct-mail capabilities, unique in Atlantic
Canada, Bounty Print offers a wide range of services for all your printing needs
including a newly installed wide format division.
Bounty’s industry-leading team has the knowledge and experience to deliver
great value and impact for your next print project.
BOUNTYPRI NT
YOUR FULL-SERVICE COMMERCIAL PRINTER
902.453.0300
W W W . B O UNT YP R INT . CO M
BUSINESS VOICE
9
NEWSMAKERS
SMART WOMEN IN
MEETINGS AWARDS 2016
SMART Meetings magazine recently
honoured the talents and triumphs of
25 female event professionals in North
America. Characterized as executive
leaders, doers, innovators, entrepreneurs
and rising stars Leanne Andrecyk,
managing partner with ZedEvents
great productions, was honoured as
1 of only 2 professionals selected from
Canada. Leanne currently sits on the
editorial board for Corporate Meetings
& Events magazine, serves as VP of
marketing and communications for MPI
Atlantic Chapter and is a member of the
judging committee for the Chamber’s
Halifax Business Awards. Winners
were judged on innovation, industry
involvement and philanthropic activities.
You can read the full feature in the online edition at www.herald.ca/s5D
YOUNG N.S. ENTREPRENEUR READY
FOR PRESTIGIOUS G20 YEA SUMMIT
Sean Court, a 22-year-old Nova Scotian
entrepreneur will head to the G20 Young
Entrepreneurs’ Alliance Summit 2016
(G20 YEA) in Beijing, China from Sept.
7-8, 2016. Court operates Halifax-based
Beaumont & Company, an exhibit and
display firm that helps clients display
their value. “While at the summit I hope
to do my best to meet and network with
as many of the 800-plus young entrepreneurs in Canada and from the G20
nations. I plan to develop national and
international networks and contacts to
help grow ties to Atlantic Canada and
engage the G20 leaders and policymakers
in the cause of entrepreneurship.”
10
DARTMOUTH-BASED METAL FABRICATOR CHERUBINI METAL WORKS HAS
WON ITS FIRST QUEBEC CONTRACT
Cherubini Metal Works will supply
an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 tonnes of
steel for Montreal’s $3.7-billion Turcot
Interchange. The contract includes
fabricating box girders for use in a
300-metre bridge that will take six to
eight lanes of traffic. “This is our first
major project in Quebec and solidifies
work for the company and our employees
for the next year,” said Steve Ross,
General Manager. Cherubini is currently
completing work on the $22 million Sir
Robert Bond Bridge in Newfoundland and
will begin work on the St. Peter’s Canal
bridge in Cape Breton this summer.
HEALTHWIZE WELLNESS CENTRE
IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE A
NEW PRODUCT ACQUISITION
HEALTHWIZE Wellness Centre now
offers Black Mica is a unique water treatment. The treatment removes chlorine
(100%), fluoride (86%), 250 contaminants, 186 industrial chemicals, 99.95%
pharmaceutical drugs, reduces lead,
arsenic & mercury (undetectable levels),
kills 4 types disease-causing microorganisms, reduces 99.85% bacteria, viruses,
parasites, pulls 86% heavy metals from
the body adding 100 beneficial minerals.
Dr. Brain Clement, Hippocrates Health
Institute says, “one of the most beneficial products he’s seen.” It’s incredible
watching the “curing process” — those
contaminants settling in your water jug
as “yellowish dust!” For additional info.,
contact Wendell @ (902) 443-2946 or
e-mail healthwize@ns.sympatico.ca
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
VENOR ANNOUNCES
NEW TEAM MEMBER
Venor, an Atlantic Canadian talent
management firm, is pleased to
announce the addition of Brittany
Stewart to its Halifax office. Brittany
will bring her fresh perspective and
caring, customer driven approach to the
team. “As a young professional, I am
excited to work for a local company and
look forward to growing and building
relationships in this region. It’s an
exciting time to join and be part of great
initiatives happening in our community
focused on retaining our young talent.”
Venor specializes in professional
recruitment, executive search, career
management and early stage talent
preparedness and placement. venor.ca
NEW MERCHANDISE CROWD
PURCHASING COMPANY
LAUNCHES IN CANADA
CROWD-SWAG.COM, of Duggan
International Group, a new merchandise crowd purchasing website has
officially launched. Crowd-Swag allows
event organizers, charities, fundraisers,
musicians & artists, schools, reunions,
sport teams and everyday people can
upload their designs to the Internet design
site; create a campaign and sell direct
to their audience. “Instead of putting
out upfront money and buying a bunch
of tees or other types of merchandise —
hoping participants or fans will buy from
you, Crowd-Swag gives people a venue to
sell direct with zero risk and hassle,” says
company president, Darlene Duggan.
NEWSMAKERS
Never before have there have been
more than 600 speakers, 80% from
across 108 nations, speaking in a single
forum. Never before has India seen such
a large gathering of powerful women
coming together to discuss, learn, forge
partnerships and do business together.”
For more information:
www.halifax@dressforsuccess.org
TIC TALKERS TOASTMASTERS
DRESS FOR SUCCESS HALIFAX
Brenda Saunders/Todd continues to help
women around the globe, as she recently
spoke at the World Economic Forum
International Conference in New Delhi,
India. Dress for Success Halifax
President, Julie Morine says: “Never
before has any organization or chamber
taken up such a mammoth task of having
women from across the globe discuss
global issues that concern the world
at large and take leadership positions.
“The proof is in the pudding”, says
President, Anne Marie Drake, when she
announced that “Brenda Saunders/Todd,
Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) of
TIC Talkers Toastmasters Club is
doing exactly what she has been trained
to do through her membership at our club
on Tuesday’s from 12-1pm. She recently
spoke as a main stage speaker, as well
as, two panelist sessions at the Women’s
Economic Forum, with 1,500 attendees
from 105 countries that took place in
India and we are very proud and pleased
to have been able to provide the environment for her to practice and hone this
skill.” If you want to develop speaking or
leadership skills, please email:
contact@tictalkers.ca
NEW TERM BEGINS FOR NOVA SCOTIA
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® PRESIDENT
The Nova Scotia Association of
REALTORS® is pleased to welcome new
President Roger Sanford for the 2016-17
term. A REALTOR® in Pictou County
for over 30 years, Stanford has moved
through the Executive Committee on the
NSAR Board of Directors and will now
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BUSINESS VOICE
11
NEWSMAKERS
a great understanding of small and
medium sized businesses in our region.
Superior customer service is foremost
her first priority with her clients. She
joined Advantage Wireless because
of the extensive portfolio of superior
solutions offered, such as Mobility, Fleet
Management and VOIP Solutions, while
still being locally owned, knowing that
she could enhance her clients experience
making an immediate impact with
excellent customer service.
serve more than 1,500 members. During
his term as President, Sanford will oversee
an awareness campaign for buyers and
sellers. He notes: “To accomplish this, we
all need to Play A Part. As Nova Scotia
changes over the next year, let’s continue
to not only be a part of it, but lead. You
need to know that each one of us makes a
difference to the provincial economy.”
THIS YEAR MARKS THE 35TH NS
LEADERSHIP PRAYER BREAKFAST
The annual breakfast invites people who
find themselves in leadership positions to
come together for a time of prayer for our
province, it’s communities and its people.
Brian McConaghy, founder of Ratanak
International, was guest speaker to
over 300 attendees. Mayor Mike Savage
was MC, Premier Stephen McNeil read
scripture, Police Chief Jean-Michel Blais
and Michelle Porter (Souls Harbour
Rescue Mission) led in prayer, and
Linda Carvery and Bill Stevenson
presented inspirational music. Co-chairs
of NSLPB are David Finlayson and Bruce
Havill. The event is held in the spring
each year and all are invited to attend.
HOME INSTEAD HAS “THE TALK”
ADVANTAGE WIRELESS
WELCOMES ADDITION TO ITS
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS SALES TEAM
Advantage Wireless is excited to
welcome Sarah Hendsbee to its Business
Solutions Sale team, joining April of 2016
as a B2B Senior Wireless Solutions Sales
Adviser. She brings with her a wealth
of industry experience while having
Home Instead Senior Care Network
has launched a new public education
program, Let’s Talk About DrivingSM.
The new program offers free resources
and tips to help families build a roadmap, together with their senior loved
one, for limiting or stopping driving
when the time is right. To view
program resources and tips, visit www.
LetsTalkAboutDriving.ca or, contact
Home Instead Senior Care by calling
902-429-2273 to learn how family
caregivers can help seniors plan ahead
for driving cessation.
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Dynamic infusi
A ny doubts about the critical role that
immigrants will play in Nova Scotia’s
future economic growth will be quickly
quelled in a conversation with Paul
Pickering. He’s the workplace culture
coordinator for the Immigrant Services
Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS).
“Demographically, Nova Scotia is in
big trouble. We’re looking at a workforce
that’s projected to shrink by 15 per cent
over the next 20 years. This is not a fiveyear blip — this is a long term, potentially
devastating problem. Even if we bring
every group in Nova Scotia up to full
employment, we’re still at a deficit. We
need to be looking at any underemployed
14
population which certainly includes
bringing in more immigrants.”
Doing so requires that we confront
some lingering negative presumptions
about immigration, chief of which is the
belief that immigrants take jobs from locals.
“Immigrants actually create jobs,”
says Sherry Redden, Business and Workforce Integration Manager at ISANS.
“They’re three times more likely to start
businesses. Of the 230 new clients we
worked with last year, 71 of them opened
new businesses. They’re also 70 per cent
more likely to still be in business after
three years, while the national average is
about 48 per cent.”
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
According to Redden, immigrants
also bring valuable global connections
with them. “They have markets they can
connect with to export their products and
markets for the things they need to create
products,” she says.
Product diversification is another
unexpected windfall, with one example
springing up from the local community
gardens that ISANS helped refugees grow
all over Halifax. While many people grow
pumpkins en masse and then discard
the leaves, farmers from the Bhutanese
community use these leaves to make
delicious traditional recipes. Redden
observes that this is just one instance
COVER STORY
ion
Immigrants critical to
Nova Scotia’s economic future
By David Pretty
Illustration: rawpixel/123RF
Demographically, Nova Scotia is in big trouble. We’re looking at a workforce that’s
projected to shrink by 15 per cent over the next 20 years. This is not a five-year blip —
this is a long term, potentially devastating problem.”
— Paul Pickering, Culture Coordinator, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)
of cultural awareness “increasing the
economic base” of something that was
once thought to be useless.
Paul Pickering is also quick to point
out that “far from the idea that immigrants take jobs, the vast majority of
people are stepping into skills gaps and
bringing experience and expertise that
the market can use. So they actually
complement the existing workforce.”
And then are the logistical problems
that immigration can address. “The
BUSINESS VOICE
average number of children that came in
with a recent group was seven,” Pickering
illustrates. “We’ve got rural schools
closing because there aren’t enough
kids, but seven to 10 kids would save that
school. One or two families coming into
15
COVER STORY
I think one of the
biggest challenges that
most immigrants face
is finding sustainable
employment or a
way to build a business
that’s not taking
on someone else’s
problems.”
— Ashwin Kutty
President & CEO,
WeUsThem
Photo: Paul Darrow
a region can literally change that entire
community.”
Pickering maintains that it’s not
enough to treat immigration as an easy
solve for our workforce woes — new
arrivals have to be placed in positions that
LET’S DO
BUSINESS
TOGETHER
16
they want to assume. “Native-born Nova
Scotians have a 60 per cent chance of
working in their field, while immigrants
have a 40 per cent chance,” he says. “This
suggests that the pharmacist may be
driving a taxi cab and although taxi cab
902 469-8151
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
drivers are wonderful and we need them,
if you’re trained as a pharmacist, it probably isn’t what you want to do.”
It’s an opinion shared by local
entrepreneur Ashwin Kutty. Originally
from India, Kutty’s parents immigrated
to Nova Scotia to look for education
opportunities for their children. After
completing his studies at Dalhousie
University, Kutty went on to hold several
key positions with the Nova Scotia Health
Authority. His work experience inspired
him to co-found WeUSThem, an awardwinning marketing, communications,
advertising and public relations agency.
Kutty may have found considerable
success as a business innovator in Nova
Scotia, but this didn’t translate to his
entire family. “Our biggest challenge was
trying to find a business that was part of
our skill set as a family and whether or
not we could run it,” he says. Despite an
extensive background in construction
and real estate, his family couldn’t find
“a clear pathway to success, a pathway to
actually build something together.”
The family tried to open a convenience store in Rawdon, but soon realized
that it “wasn’t their business” and they
shut it down. According to Kutty: “I think
one of the biggest challenges that most
immigrants face is finding sustainable
employment or a way to build a business
that’s not taking on someone else’s problems. We have to find a sustainable way
to hold on to immigrants because people
are returning to employment or entrepreneurial ventures in their home countries,
which is what happened with my family.”
COVER STORY
Photo: Contributed
We do this in partnership with ISANS at our Spring Dinner. We reach out to our corporate
table purchasers and ask if they’d be willing to give one seat to an ISANS client. This is a
small, yet impactful, way of making connections in the business community. At our most
recent Spring Dinner. We had a record 28 tables host ISANS clients for the evening.”
— Melissa MacDonald, Communications Specialist, Halifax Chamber of Commerce
This sentiment is echoed by Sherry
Redden: “Often times immigrants can’t
get loans, so they have to find a job and
invest their own money to start a business, which may be three to four years
down the road. They need a place where
they can get employment and language
services in addition to information about
laws and permits. They want a settlement service that sees them as a whole
person.”
According to Redden, ISANS has
“taken this to heart” and developed a
curriculum that addresses these specific
requirements. Clicking on the “Do Business” tab of the ISANS website reveals
a slew of valuable resources, including
information on market research, import
and export laws, financial institutions
and sources for community support. In
addition to their comprehensive, 67-page
Connections guide, ISANS also hosts an
ongoing series of free seminars about
such diverse and practical topics as business plan creation, developing communication skills, job search strategies, details
on provincial employment standards and
growing awareness of cultural sensitivity.
All of this, according to Redden,
forms a “holistic package” designed
to get people as “settled” as much as
business-savvy. It’s a strategy well in-step
with Ashwin Kutty’s philosophy: “We
need to understand the basics of what
people actually require. We need education for our children, a roof over our head
and food for our family. And those three
components are served by the Chamber
BUSINESS VOICE
through their networking opportunities
or they can go to ISANS and develop their
language skills or build a business plan
to position themselves for some level of
success. Not to just go through the immigration process but to communicate with
people locally.”
HOST TABLE
One unique communication opportunity is the Host Table program offered
by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce
through their Driving Diversity initiative.
“We do this in partnership with ISANS
at our Spring Dinner,” says Melissa
MacDonald, Communications Specialist
for the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
“We reach out to our corporate table
purchasers and ask if they’d be willing
to give one seat to an ISANS client.
17
COVER STORY
Photo: Paul Darrow
It was a great inspiration for my new small business as a makeup artist. I was able to
start working just few months later and this event was a big open door for my career.”
— Joelle Peskett, Makeup Artist
This is a small, yet impactful, way of
making connections in the business
community. At our most recent Spring
Dinner. We had a record 28 tables host
ISANS clients for the evening.”
The last event back in April proved
to be particularly memorable for Joelle
Peskett, an aspiring business owner who
emigrated from Lebanon in 2011.
A graduate of the Christian Chauveau
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2016
COVER STORY
hoping to “meet and interact with local
business people” but the experience
turned out to be life-altering.
“I met the president of the Chamber
of Commerce, a very beautiful, strong,
kind woman by the name of Valerie
Payn,” Joelle relates. “I did the makeup
for her photo shoot and she was very
pleased that I organized it in such a
short period of time. It was a delightful
experience and I consider it to be one of
my greatest achievements in Halifax.
It was a great inspiration for my new
small business as a makeup artist. I was
able to start working just few months
later and this event was a big open door
for my career.”
The “Driving Diversity” program
is just one initiative that the Halifax
Chamber of Commerce has spearheaded
to foster a welcoming and inclusive
business climate for immigrants.
The Chamber hosted a roundtable
recently with the Nova Scotia Office of
Immigration to “discuss immigration
issues facing Nova Scotia and how
the business community can help,”
MacDonald says. She also notes that
their annual pre-budget submissions
consistently make a case for increased
immigration which, in turn, has led to
a strong working relationship with the
provincial government on this issue.
“Immigration is a key part of the
Chamber’s plan to see Halifax become
one of the top three growth cities in
Canada by 2018,” MacDonald says.
“To do that Halifax needs to be a more
competitive city and in order to be
competitive we need to grow, which
means we need to attract and retain
talent and keep them at the top of their
game.”
ISANS continues to do its part.
Sherry Redden gives considerable
praise to Paul Pickering “who does free
sessions on workplace culture, diversity
training, the challenges and benefits of
hiring immigrants as well as the business
support programs that encourage people
to hire immigrants.” She also mentions
the unflagging support of Atlantic
Chamber of Commerce Vice President
Glenn Davis, who “has been sending
out information to all 52 chambers about
our programs and services that promote
hiring immigrants across the province.”
Ashwin Kutty was scarcely aware
of such resources when he founded
WeUsThem a decade ago, but he’s since
witnessed the benefits first-hand.
Halifax needs to be a more competitive city and in
order to be competitive we need to grow, which means
we need to attract and retain talent and keep them
at the top of their game.”
— Melissa MacDonald, Communications Specialist,
Halifax Chamber of Commerce
“I was talking to someone who recently
immigrated here to further his family’s
education,” Kutty explains. “He was
looking for some stable mechanism of
employment or for doing business here.
So I talked to him about what ISANS and
the Chamber provides for networking
possibilities.”
After connecting with some
executives in town and learning what the
possibilities were based on his education
and experience, they discovered that
securing an official CPA and various
other certifications was integral to
moving on to the next step. According to
Kutty, he’s “looking forward to pursuing
BUSINESS VOICE
that right now with the hopes of getting
to a financial position with a local
company” and, thanks to ISANS, “his
wife is now working as a translator for
Syrian refugees.”
“That’s a story where learning
occurred based on direct feedback from
potential employers, from folks that can
speak to what the requirements and needs
are, rather than having someone guess
their way through it,” Kutty observes.
“I think if we focus on the specific
needs of immigrants, and literally meet
them as they arrive to tell them about
all these different venues, I think that
would be great.”
19
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
James Court, left, and Sean Court
at the Moncton Coliseum in front
of a custom, interior-lit LED trade
show booth their company designed,
fabricated and now installs at seven
shows across Canada.
Photo: Clayton Morrissey
Display your passion
Young entrepreneurs help companies showcase their value By Erin Elaine Casey
Find your passion and make a job
out of it. We hear it all the time — from
motivational speakers, the latest business
how-to books, and our favourite TED
Talks. But as most of us know, it’s easier
said than done. Many would-be entrepreneurs, even in their 40s and 50s, still
don’t know what they want to be when
they grow up.
Laurie Cameron, President and
CEO of CEED Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, thinks
young entrepreneurs have something
to teach us about harnessing passion.
“We’re recognizing young people as a
force that’s having a big impact in business and innovation,” she says. “Let’s
encourage that energy and creativity.
We need to think about how we build
the climate to unleash that hidden but
dynamic potential.”
That’s what makes Sean and James
Court so special. At just 22 and 23 years
old, they’ve turned their passion for
helping other entrepreneurs showcase
their products and services into a highly
specialized enterprise. The brothers own
Beaumont & Co., a business that designs,
20
builds, installs, and stores one-of-a-kind
custom exhibits and displays for trade
shows, sporting events, festivals, and
retail locations. It installs worldwide for
businesses of all sizes, national brands,
special events, and conferences. Clients
include Atlantic Lottery, Kent Building
Supplies, several provincial government departments, and both American
and Canadian customers in the seafood
industry.
James and Sean are part of the
new generation of young entrepreneurs
diversifying the business landscape in
Halifax and beyond. “We offer turnkey
solutions,” explains James. “Normally,
if a larger company is attending several
trade shows, they have their own team
to manage this, but it takes up a lot of the
marketing department’s time. It causes a
lot of stress and headaches, and we take
those away. We become a small arm of
these larger companies.”
The brothers grew up in Charlottetown, PEI and spent several years working in the family advertising business.
This hands-on education prepared them
for working with many different kinds of
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
clients, and gave them an appreciation
for how hard it is for businesses to set
themselves apart from the competition.
“We really pay attention to what
our clients’ needs are, and help them
display the value of what they’ve built,”
says Sean. “We realize how much hard
work people put into their companies,
often generationally. When we see that,
we have no shortage of passion. They’ve
built it up, built the products, everything
is perfect, but they need help standing
out at international trade shows. It’s not
easy to stand out, but especially in Atlantic Canada, with so many great products,
they really should be standing out.”
Beaumont & Co. is standing out in
its own right. The company offers a full
range of display services, and does it
sustainably. Traditional banners, booths,
and other exhibit components are made
of vinyl and other materials that are
time-consuming to transport and set up,
but Beaumont uses 90 per cent fabric and
recyclable aluminums. It’s lightweight,
portable, and the fabrics are biodegradable. It’s greener, easier to set up, and
much more affordable to ship and store.
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
Sean and James are deeply committed to giving back in other ways, too, sponsoring events and doing whatever they
can for the community. They are currently
looking for more talent for their offices on
the Bedford Highway, and plan to hire coop students and graduates to work in sales
and project management. “We really want
to sponsor and help younger entrepreneurs, say 18 to 39. We want to give them
a chance,” explains James.
“The younger generation has a lot of
big innovative products and services, but
sometimes they’re not given a foot in the
door from larger businesses,” adds Sean.
He’d like to see more “bridging the gap”
between newer and more established
businesses. “We do see many good things
happening such as larger corporations
incubating entrepreneurs and corporate
responsibility guidelines ensuring some
supply chains include small businesses.
We need to keep thinking about who’s
going to fill the gaps — who are the next
entrepreneurs? There’s got to be more
hands-on, measurable, tangible investment in younger entrepreneurs.”
Beaumont & Co. is also focused on
helping other companies export more
effectively, to the United States and
farther afield. Its own export strategy
includes attending more than 50 trade
shows a year, including NACS — the
National Association for Convenience and
Fuel Retailing — in Atlanta, Georgia this
fall. Beaumont & Co. is also a major sponsor and official custom exhibit and display
provider for the DEFSEC — the Canadian
Defence Security and Aerospace Exhibition Atlantic show — in September.
An entrepreneurial spirit and wisdom beyond his years have earned Sean
a spot at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’
Alliance (YEA) Summit, taking place this
September in Beijing, China, in conjunction with the G20 Summit in Hangzhou.
The G20 YEA is a global network of
approximately 500,000 young entrepreneurs and the organizations that support
them. After a rigorous application process, Sean was selected as one of about
35 delegates from Canada.
The delegation has a full itinerary
of meetings and networking, and a
major focus will be looking at how
entrepreneurship is placed in school
systems. They’ll meet with Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau in Shanghai
and work directly with the Business 20 —
or B20 — a coalition that provides a
platform for the international business
community to participate in global
The biggest thing is
to really think hard
about what value
you’re going to bring to
the marketplace. It’s
not that complicated.
Business is made for
people, products are
made for people,
services are made
for people.”
— Sean Court,
Co-Owner,
Beaumont & Co.
economic governance and international
economic and trade regulation.
Sean’s biggest goal while in China?
Bridging with representatives from as
many G20 nations as possible. “I’m
BUSINESS VOICE
honoured to be chosen, so I want to do
my best before I go, while I’m there, and
when I come back,” he says. “It’s a great
platform for Atlantic Canadians in particular. I’ve been reaching out, speaking
to different CEOs, the Chamber, gathering as much information as I can so I can
represent Halifax and Nova Scotia and
then bring it all back home. It’s exciting
to go, but for me it’s even more exciting to
come back and tell people how valuable
their input was.”
The balance of working hard in
their own business while supporting
the growth and sustainability of other
businesses gives Sean and James a
unique perspective. What’s the one piece
of advice the brothers would give to
new entrepreneurs? “The biggest thing
is to really think hard about what value
you’re going to bring to the marketplace.
It’s not that complicated. Business is
made for people, products are made for
people, services are made for people,”
says Sean.
“Ask yourself: How can I create the
most value possible for my potential clients?” adds James. “Focus on the value,
and the rest will come to you.”
21
PROFILE
Photos: Contributed
Sonic boom
Local company blends business and music By Jon Tattrie
t was the early 1990s and Louis
IThomas’
music career was starting to
take off. As a member of Thomas Trio
and the Red Albino, he’d put out two
records, had videos on MuchMusic and
toured Canada.
“Ultimately, when the group I was
in disbanded, I didn’t really have a lot
of interest in continuing on, and trying
to put another band together,” Thomas
says. “I was sort of the pseudo-tour
manager for the band, so I’d met a lot
of promoters and agents.”
He tried his hand as a booking agent
in Toronto. He got a job with one of the
big agencies and started booking bands
across the country.
He later went it alone and heard
about an upstart Newfoundland outfit
22
No one’s going to show
up at your door and
discover you. I think
you need to go to your
audience and have
an excellent work ethic,
those are the artists
I gravitate to now.”
– Louis Thomas,
President, Sonic
Entertainment Group
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
called Great Big Sea and started booking
them shows. He began managing them in
about 1993. He moved home to St. John’s
to work with the band on their break-out
album, Great Big Sea.
Thomas eventually relocated his
fledgling business to Halifax, which he
saw as a middle ground where he could
work with East Coast bands and stay connected to the rest of Canada. “By default,
I started the other things. I started a record company because I couldn’t get one
of the bands I was working with signed,”
he says.
The label needed a name, so he
called it Sonic Records. Someone needed
to promote the concerts, so he started
Sonic Concerts. He added a recording studio (The Sonic Temple), artist
PROFILE
management and concert promotions, all
living today under the Sonic Entertainment Group banner. Thomas is president
of the company.
He still works with Alan Doyle of
Great Big Sea (for his new album, So Let’s
Go, and his new book, Where I Belong,)
Matt Mays, Matt Anderson, Hey Rosetta!
and others. When some cast members of
the Trailer Park Boys decided to try touring as a sketch comedy act, SEG stepped
into help with that. From Thomas’s perspective, a touring comedy troupe is very
similar to a touring rock band.
Though his band broke up two
decades ago, that experience still guides
his work at Sonic. “No one’s going to
show up at your door and discover you. I
think you need to go to your audience and
have an excellent work ethic,” he says.
“Those are the artists I gravitate to now.
“You really need to keep the hunger
when you’re on stage; you can’t phone it
in. It’s similar to playoff sports. You need
to have that attitude.”
Thomas has nine full-time employees, all tax-paying East Coasters, and
he thinks a prosperous future needs
governments that understand the value
of culture as an export and as a draw to
living in the area. “It’s important to help
elevate it and ensure that artists who
are from here… are able to have a global
career based out of Atlantic Canada.”
That sounds like music to the ears
of aspiring East Coast musicians.
Ship Shape
Cox & Palmer is committed to working with suppliers as they
negotiate contracts under the national shipbuilding initiative.
Our lawyers know the industry, are experienced with the complex contracts, and have
a proven track record of helping clients successfully negotiate arrangements that set
them up for success. We are focussed on ensuring that you, as a shipbuilding supplier,
have the independent representation you need to make strategic decisions today
that will support your business in the future.
David Reid
Harry Thurlow
dreid@coxandpalmer.com
902.491.4131
hthurlow@coxandpalmer.com
902.491.4232
BUSINESS VOICE
23
ALL SHIPS RISE
IN THE TOP 50
Congratulations to Chamber
Members who were recognized
in this year’s Atlantic Business
Magazine’s Top 50 CEOs
Kayla Cotton and Becky Davison
at the All Ships Rise Networking
Trade Show on May 13 at Pier 21 .
Cory Bell, President
Lindsay Construction
Chamber Member Since 1976
Don Bureaux, President and CEO
Nova Scotia Community College
Dr. Richard Florizone,
President & Vice Chancellor
Dalhousie University
A special
opportunity
Tom Hickey, CEO
Atlantic Road Construction
and Paving Ltd.
Roger Howard, Regional President
RBC Atlantic Canada
All Ships Rise Networking Trade Show a success
BECKY DAVISON, MARKETING
MANAGER, HALIFAX CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
On May 13, the Chamber staff
travelled over to Pier 21 for the fourth
annual All Ships Rise Networking Trade
Show. The event broke Chamber records
with well over 30 booth holders and 250
guests — it was a networking success. We
will continue to grow this event, and bring
like-minded Chamber members together
in the quest to negotiate contracts and
subcontracts for all of the major projects
in Nova Scotia, and to promote growth in
Halifax.
Our booth holders ranged from
Sandler Sales Training, to the Centre for
Entrepreneurship, Education and Development, to the Black Business Initiative.
On the other side of the coin, with All
Ships Rise now being in its fourth year,
we are moving ahead with our partners
24
and trainers, providing free and affordable support to members. Your Halifax
Chamber strives to promote the importance that every one of us contributes to
growth and development of our city. In
our business and in our community. We
want our members to get involved with
our All Ships Rise initiative to see where
the Chamber can help.
A number of our trainers were booth
holders, or guests at the All Ships Rise
Trade Show, promoting the impressive
and extensive opportunities they offer.
The goal of our training programs over
the past few years has been to offer
resources to our members needs at an affordable cost. Over the next few months
the Chamber team, with the support of
volunteers, will be assessing the training
offered and rebranding the program to
better suit the evolving business environment in Halifax. Please watch out for a
launch of our new program in the fall!
Halifax is at an opportune time
in history, and we want to assist our
members to take advantage of every
single one out there. And perhaps create
a few of their own! We want to thank our
many members, guests, booth holders
and trainers. In particular, our Business
Leaders; BDC, Dalhousie University
Rowe School of Business and the Department of Labour and Advanced Education
and our Business Influencer, the Sobey
School of Business.
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
Roger King, President
Supplement King Canada
Ashwin Kutty, President and CEO
WeUsThem Inc.
Dr. Ramona Lumpkin,
President & Vice-Chancellor
Mount Saint Vincent University
Travis McDonough,
Founder & CEO
Kinduct Technologies
Dan Merzetti, President & CEO
DSM Telecom
Erik Sande, President
Medavie EMS
Ken Shea, President & CEO
East Coast Credit Union
Janet Simm, President & CEO
Northwood Group of Companies
Ian Smith, CEO
Clearwater Seafoods Ltd. Partnership
WORKING FOR YOU
Chamber appoints
new task force chairs
Create a positive business environment
Grow and nurture the skilled workforce
PAUL BENT,
CPA,CA, ICD.D
Paul recently retired
after a 37 year career in public
accounting, 35 of which were
with Grant Thornton LLP. Paul
served in a number of roles
over his 25 years as a Partner in
the Firm including as a client
service partner, a member of
the Firm’s professional standards team and for the last four
years of his career, Chaired the
firm’s National Partnership
Board.
In addition to his experience and insights gained from
his time in public accounting,
Paul has been an active member in the Chamber for a number of years, beginning with
a term Chairing the former
Provincial Affairs Committee,
a predecessor committee of
the Create a Positive Business
Environment Committee.
For the past three years Paul
served under Darren Nantes
on this committee and chaired
the taxation sub-committee
before taking on the position
with the recent retirement of
Darren from the board. Paul
also has extensive experience
in the not-for-profit sector
where he has served on a
number of boards.
DON BUREAUX,
PRESIDENT, NOVA
SCOTIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGE
Paul brings significant
energy and enthusiasm to
the role and is fully aligned
with achieving the goals of
the Chamber as laid out in the
strategic plan. Paul is fortunate
to have a committee comprised
of dedicated volunteers from a
broad cross-section of Chamber members who similarly
share the goals and objectives
of making Halifax one of the
top growing and progressive
cities in Canada.
Early priorities for the
committee include confirmation of the active files to be
pursued in the coming year
and effectively managing the
time and contribution of members to issues of importance to
the Chamber and its members.
Current files including taxation (provincial and municipal) as well as regulation and
red-tape reduction are likely to
remain front and center in the
coming year.
As a sub-committee of
your Chamber board, we want
to be both a catalyst for and
supporter of positive change
(YES) advancing the cause for
our members and our community.
As President of NSCC,
Don Bureaux serves as the
chief executive officer for the
operation of a network of 13
campuses, over 100 programs
in five academic schools and
over 24,000 students and
more than 2,000 staff. For over
two decades, Don worked with
adult learners within colleges
and universities as well as with
national and international professional designation-granting
bodies. His work over the years
has allowed him to collaborate
with educational institutions
in North America, Europe and
Asia to promote the concept
of entrepreneurial cultures
as a foundation for learningcentered environments and
student success.
Don has worked with a
number of foreign educational
institutions and governmental
bodies in the development of
success-based models for both
students and staff within postsecondary institutions. He has
worked with the boards and
staff of numerous not-for-profit
organizations in Nova Scotia in
the areas of board governance,
policy development and strategic planning.
BUSINESS VOICE
As president, Don has
been able to, through positions
of leadership, continue his
work across these disciplines
in communities throughout
Nova Scotia.
He believes his experience will support the exciting
work ahead as the Chamber’s
new Chair for the Grow and
Nurture the Skilled Workforce
Task Force. The task force
aims to help increase by 20
per cent the number of skilled
workers in the province by
2018. Don feels that changing the narrative about the
potential of our future is the
first step to making some of the
critical changes needed. He
adds: “The opportunities and
challenges before our province
provide the membership of the
Chamber a chance to leverage our resources and lead by
example to support the intent
of the Ivany Report and the
initiatives being proposed by
government in both education
and immigration.”
25
WORKING FOR YOU
Valuable life lessons
Cooperative education enables personal and professional growth
KAYLA COTTON, PUBLIC
RELATIONS INTERN, HALIFAX
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
26
To place an ad call: 426-2811 ext 1163
COMMERCIAL
REAL ESTATE
OPPORTUNITIES
A university degree is no longer solely
earned after four years of lectures and
exams. Students now have the opportunity to gain valuable life lessons relating to
business culture and confidence outside
the classroom.
Several academic institutions in
Nova Scotia offer programs similar to
Mount Saint Vincent University’s
Co-Operative Education program, which
allows undergraduate students like myself
the opportunity to work for a business or
organization in their chosen field and finish their degree with a year of applicable
experience. In 2014, 80 per cent of co-op
graduates at MSVU secured employment
in their field of study in just six months
after graduation. This means that students
are relieved of the stress that comes from
the dreaded job-hunt after the completion
of their studies.
I’m in my final year of the Bachelor
of Public Relations degree at MSVU,
and currently undergoing my third
four-month work term with the Halifax
Chamber of Commerce. Before my first
day, my friends and family wished me
luck and cautioned that the first day in a
new position was the most difficult. I’ve
found this to be normally true. However
I’ll admit that not once did I feel nervous
or intimidated during my first few days
at the office. I felt confident and eager
to learn, not only because of the warm
and welcoming team, but also because
of the experience I’ve gained during
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
my past two work terms. I’m not alone
with this feeling, at MSVU more than a
remarkable 90 per cent of recent co-op
grad felt prepared for the workforce after
completing their co-op work terms.
MSVU gives students the opportunity
to conduct their own job search, while the
university also has strong relationships
with many employers in government,
non-profit and private sectors. Thus students gain insight to other career options
that they may have not yet realized.
There’s many reasons why it’s advantageous for employers like the Chamber
of Commerce to participate in the co-op
program. Firstly, by gaining access to an
educated and highly motivated labor pool
for a short period, they are provided with
the perfect solution for completing projects or filling temporary workplace niches.
Additionally, the co-op labour pool
is inexpensive for the employer as they
are reimbursed up to half of the minimum
$15 hourly wage that students earn. This
resource, while limited to each fourmonth work period, can be continually
renewed every semester with each new
class of students and builds a strong,
mutually beneficial relationship between
the academic institution and participating
business or organization.
The Halifax Chamber of Commerce
is committed to the growth and support
of business culture. This is achieved by
many initiatives including matching
postsecondary student development to
employer needs. By hiring co-op students, employers are guaranteed to grow
their team with skilled and enthusiastic
young adults with innovative ideas.
Resulting in a stronger workforce and a
positive business environment.
When I graduate and start applying
for full-time positions, I’ll have a year of
practical, real-world job experience that
employers look at first and an edge over
other students who lack this experience.
My time at university has already taught
me a lot more than I bargained for, and at
the Halifax Chamber of Commerce it’s a
new opportunity each day with networking events and communications responsibilities. I’m thankful that the co-op
program exists for me to grow personally
and professionally.
TRENDS
Fairway courtesy
The do’s and don’ts of golfing
COURTENEY OSBORNE,
CPA, CGA OFFICE MANAGER,
GRANITE SPRINGS GOLF CLUB
Now that summer is finally here,
it’s time to enjoy some great Nova Scotia
golfing. After being stuck inside for
several months, golfers are now hitting
the fairways across the province. As a new
golfer, I was very naïve as to what good
etiquette is on the golf course, so I thought
I’d share a few pointers with the readers.
1. ARRIVE EARLY: Arrive at least 15
minutes before your scheduled tee-time.
This allows you to get checked in to the
pro-shop, change clothing if necessary,
gather your golf cart, and stretch/warm
up before your play starts. Often times,
there may be a short walk to the first tee
and the starter’s hut, be sure to give yourself enough time to get there.
2. WAIT FOR THE ‘ALL CLEAR’: Wait until
the group ahead of you is out of shot range
before teeing off. If you do hit your ball
towards another group, be sure to yell
‘FORE’ to warn them of the incoming play.
3. AVOID SLOW PLAY: If you cannot
keep up with the group in front of you,
or you notice a group always waiting
behind you, step aside and let that group
play through. This allows the speed of
play on the course to remain consistent.
There are marshals on most courses who
will help monitor this, but use your judgement to help everyone stay happy. On
a similar note, never look for a lost ball
for more than five minutes. We all like
to save that penalty stroke, but donning
a snorkel and mask to search for a pond
ball is not worth it!
Photo: Chih Hsein Hang/123RF
4. HELP MAINTAIN THE COURSE:
We’ve all seen the huge divots that can
be left when hitting the ball. You can
help maintain the course by doing a few
simple things:

Replace the divot when your shot
is complete.
Rake the bunker (that big hole with
sand) after you have taken your shot.
Keep the golf cart off of soggy fair
ways as wheels can get stuck. Do not
follow directly behind another cart
on the fairway.
Repair ball marks on the green from
where your ball has hit. You will
mostly likely want to do this before
you putt.
5. GREEN PLAY: Congratulation’s…
you have made it onto the green…
the flag stick is in sight. Now what?
BUSINESS VOICE

Don’t step in the line of other
player’s putts.
Do not stand where you might
distract another player.
If you are asked to hold the flagstick,
hold it at arm’s length and attempt to
not let a shadow cast on the player’s
line of putt. The flagstick should be
removed as soon as the player has
completed their stroke.
Lay the flagstick off the green so
as to not damage the green.
Once everyone in your group has
putted, quickly walk to the next tee.
6. ENJOY THE GAME: We all get
frustrated from time to time, but
throwing clubs, using profanity, and
sulking ruin the game for everyone
and can cause some awkward silence.
Remember to take time and enjoy
the beauty around you!
27
TRENDS
Distributed Audio: Sound for All
Quality audio makes the difference between background noise and an intentional facility sound-scape
MIKE MCCARTHER BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT – INTEGRATED
COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS
Distributed Audio Systems – Sound for All:
Hotels, community centres, schools,
malls and stores have always used audio
as a key communication method. Now
that audio has gone digital, the users are
all connected with various smart phones
and tablets, and the ProAudio market has
had to adapt to become more accessible.
This month I sat down with QSC and SF
Marketing to explore the advancements
in digital, distributed audio systems and
the considerations that go into a design.
Picking the Sweet Spot
Depending on the size and purpose of
your facility, the type and quality of audio required will range. For instance, in a
school, mall or recreation facility the primary function of audio is to make public
announcements for targeted messaging
or emergency alerts. In a hotel, convention centre, sports stadium or restaurant,
the primary function of audio is to set the
mood and deliver quality sound to create
a desired atmosphere. While both scenarios involve spreading an audio message,
your criteria for choosing a system could
vary greatly.
Based on your facility and the role audio
is designed to play, it is important to
break down the solution design into four
areas:
1. Speakers & Amplification
2. Wiring & Network Infrastructure
3. Media Streaming & Accessibility
4. System Control
28
A well thought out plan is just as important in this part of your planning process
as at any other time. Pick your goals and
design a system that meets both the goals
and your budget.
Quality Sound – Speakers & Amplifiers
Speakers and amplifiers all operate on
the same basic principles. However, just
like everything else, different brands and
budget levels are going to deliver vastly
different results.
If the primary function of the audio
system is to delivery audible alerts of
voice messaging, a paging speaker may
do the trick. If the system is designed to
deliver background music, live music or
quality sound for atmosphere influence,
a higher quality speaker will be required.
In both cases selecting the right tool for
the job and pairing it to the right amplification and processing system is critical to
achieve the planned outcome.
Media Streaming & Accessibility
When designing a distributed audio solution you must consider the audience and
the users who will be interacting with it.
What audio source needs to be played
through the system? How do the users
connect and control the sources, playlists, volume and overall functionality of
the system? Will users be using personal
devices or facility provided devices? With
advancements in home audio and mobile
technology, many users are looking for a
more personal experience and, depending on your goals, integrating this kind of
interactivity from the onset will result in a
more flexible and accessible system and a
better long term return on investment.
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
System & Zone Control
One of the most recent advancements in
distributed audio solutions is the ability
to leverage existing IT infrastructure to
deploy sound throughout an organization or facility. Imagine connecting any
audio source within the network to any
group of speakers. When designing your
system, decide early how many zones are
required, what type of audio will be played
in each zone, and how users will interface
with the control of the zone.
Wiring & Network Infrastructure
One of the major costs and considerations in
deploying a distributed audio system is the
physical installation, wiring and network
infrastructure required to make it all work.
Make sure when undergoing a new build or
extensive renovation to consider your sound
system. There will never be a better time to
make investments then at this point.
For more information on distributed
audio and a live demonstration on QSC’s
QSYS platform, please join us for a lunch
& learn at the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. While the final date is still being
determined, you can always fi nd the latest information and register to attend at
www.vistacaretech.com/techtrends
VistaCare Communications is a full service
commercial communications and security
solutions integrator based in Dartmouth,
Nova Scotia. www.vistacaretech.com
Customer Connect
A complete, direct-to-home
ﬂyer marketing solution for small business
+
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TRENDS
Embracing intrapreneurship
Building a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship
GREGORY PHIPPS, MANAGING
DIRECTOR, VENTURE CAPITAL,
INNOVACORP
“How can an established company
react to market realities, remain competitive and fundamentally change the way
it operates — internally and externally?”
The answer is simple: Act like a start-up.
This is not a revolutionary or original
thought. The reality is that companies
from all verticals and of any size can
adopt and sustain a start-up culture.
In fact, they must do so, to remain competitive and to stave off obsolescence and
potential death of their brands.
WHAT IS START-UP CULTURE?
When we think of “start-up culture,”
we might picture millennials in cargo
shorts and sandals, padding around an
open-concept office space with bean bag
chairs, scratching out plans on a whiteboard in between games of foosball.
A true start-up culture, however,
involves much more than cool office
space and free snacks. Companies of any
size can embrace and sustain a culture of
innovation by embracing and emulating
many of the practices of start-ups and the
cultural values common among the most
successful ones, including:
Innovation. Entrepreneurial startups always embrace the latest innovations. They leverage technologies that are
cost-effective and enable more efficient
planning, CRM, product development,
and marketing automation. Start-ups
also use cloud-centric tools that allow
employees to contribute and collaborate
anywhere, anytime.
Passion. Passion is a hard quality to
define, let alone find, among candidates
for employment or internal promotion.
30
@phippsgregory
A start-up culture hires, develops, retains,
celebrates, incents, rewards, encourages
and promotes people who have passion
for the business and its success.
Workspace. Start-ups create
efficient and effective spaces for personal and collaborative output. They value
cool work spaces because they want
employees to look forward to coming
to work and remaining fully engaged
while there. They provide the conditions
for employees to create and work in
comfortable environments, with freedom to personalize their workspaces.
Eschewing corporate rules and rigid
work structures. Rigid corporate policies
and old-school structure is the bête noire
to a start-up. Start-ups hold a philosophy
of collaborating externally and across
the org structure, finding ways to work
smarter, and tossing outmoded, cumbersome corporate rules out the window —
all to ensure efficient and effective, timely
delivery of solutions to customers.
The ability to act quickly and decisively. In start-up culture, there’s always
a collaborative approach to solving
problems, and employees are empowered
to swiftly make decisions that can affect
company performance and success, decisions they can “own” and be held responsible for. When people are empowered to
make decisions and know their contributions are valued, they will step up and
make a difference.
Keeping the aforementioned top-ofmind, established companies can create a
culture of innovation within by adopting
some of the following practices:
Create a role or department to drive
innovation and entrepreneurial behavior.
Some people believe that a mandate for
everyone in a company to think and act
like an entrepreneur must start at the top.
Although there absolutely has to be a
senior-level embrace of the concept, the
action plan can be defined and initiated
at a much lower level in the org structure
and driven both up and down from
there. Establish a new role, with a direct
reporting line to the CEO, and define it
as Chief Innovation Officer.
Encourage intrapreneurship. Create
an internal “ideas” incubator to get new
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
products or services off the ground in
a non-traditional and non-linear way.
Create an opportunity for employees to
share their ideas for innovative solutions,
and you can rightfully declare your
company as being entrepreneurial.
Launch an internal “pitch” competition
to uncover ideas that are of strategic
benefit to the company, and like venture
capitalists — fund the best of them. If
this approach becomes a catalyst to more
efficient service delivery and/or incents
the development of new products or
services, it’s a win-win for the company.
Recruit and reward an entrepreneurial mindset. Injecting any established
company with former entrepreneurs,
venture capital professionals and others with actual start-up experience, is
the best way to kick-start a sustainable
culture that emulates an entrepreneurial
start-up.
Think and act like an owner. If you
want to motivate employees to think and
act like an owner, and all the positive
performance outcomes inherent to that
approach, you’ve got to make them owners. Almost every start-up embraces the
concept of distribution of shares or share
options to employees as an effective
instrument for attraction, retention and
motivation. Corporations of any size can
adopt a similar approach with relative
ease at any stage in their evolution.
Embrace and adoption of those
practices embodied within the start-up
community need not be daunting or
represent a fundamental change to your
business or management practices. Their
implementation will pay rich dividends
in maintaining competiveness, engaging
and retaining high-performing employees, and provide for a solid foundation
for sustaining growth.
Greg Phipps is Managing Director,
Venture Capital at Innovacorp. Greg
has managed more than 70 investment
transactions, in more than twenty
companies, in the IT, telecommunications and healthcare vertical sectors.
Contact him @phippsgregory and
linked.com/in/gregoryphipps
dal.ca/execed/leadership
CERTIFICATE IN
LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION
Stay Ahead of the Competition.
HALIFAX PARTNERSHIP
Keeping score
We need to get the strategic decisions right
The Index provides a useful compilation of facts and
figures about Halifax, its past and future trends, and
how it compares to a number of other Canadian cities.
Perhaps more importantly, though, it represents a
means of tracking progress as the city strives towards
the ambitious future envisioned in the Growth Plan.”
IAN MUNRO, CHIEF ECONOMIST, HALIFAX PARTNERSHIP
Last month the Halifax Partnership
published the fi fth annual edition of the
Halifax Index. This followed the approval
by Halifax Regional Council in April of
Halifax’s Economic Growth Plan 2016-21.
The Index provides a useful compilation of facts and figures about Halifax,
its past and future trends, and how it
compares to a number of other Canadian
cities. Perhaps more importantly, though,
it represents a means of tracking progress
as the city strives towards the ambitious
future envisioned in the Growth Plan. To
borrow a sports metaphor — we are in the
middle of the baseball season, after all —
the Index is Halifax’s box score.
Just as the Blue Jays have their top
line numbers – wins for the season, runs
in a game — our top level focus for Halifax is on growing the economy (GDP)
and increasing the population.
In addition to these headline figures,
though, are many other factors that are
key indicators and drivers of success.
The keenest baseball fans are attuned
to on-base percentages, earned run
averages, and strikeout-to-walk ratios. In
the Halifax Index, we drill down in four
broad areas: people, the economy, quality
of place, and sustainability.
In pursuit of the population growth
objective, are we attracting and retaining
immigrants? Are our young people finding employment here and putting down
roots, rather than heading west?
Which sectors of the economy are
poised for growth? Do consumers have
more money in their pockets compared to
last year? How confident is the business
community about their prospects for the
future?
32
Do residents and business owners
view Halifax as the kind of community
in which they want to stay, invest, and
grow? Do they feel safe? How many citizens are suffering from economic distress
or serious health issues?
Are we on a sustainable path? Is the
city core at risk of hollowing out? Are our
transportation networks keeping pace
with needs?
There are among the many factors
we track and report on in the Index. An
additional feature in this year’s edition is
a special focus on rural Halifax. A winning baseball team needs good players in
the infield and in the outfield. Similarly,
a strong, successful Halifax requires
growth in both its urban and rural areas.
A baseball manager will review the
box score data to determine which pitchers will get to start, how players should
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
be placed in the batting order, and who
will get brought up from the minors. Get
these strategic decisions right, and you
are on the way to the pennant.
The 2016 Halifax Index, tells us, for
example, that workforce participation
rates have been declining and labour
force growth has been modest. This in
turn tells us that we need to redouble
our efforts to attract and retain immigrants and youth. Success on that
front will grow our population, and our
economy along with it. And that is how
Halifax ultimately gets the win.
For all of Halifax’s stats, download
a copy of the 2016 Halifax Index at
www.halifaxindex.com.
Ian Munro is Chief Economist
at the Halifax Partnership
CITY DESK
Recognizing a great idea
Working together to tell a new story
MAYOR MIKE SAVAGE
One of the privileges of being Mayor
is having the opportunity to visit different
businesses and meet new people. For a
couple of years I have been working with
the Halifax Partnership to visit workplaces of all sizes through the Celebrate
Business program.
But, once in a while the request
comes in unexpectedly, as it did recently
when the talented Julia Rivard asked me
to pop by her Gottingen Street Norex
headquarters to welcome hew latest hire
to Halifax. Matt Summers, an entrepreneur who hails from the UK and spent the
past couple of years in Colorado, found
Halifax through a job posting for Halifaxbased web design and invention company
Norex.
He liked the creative job posting
even if the job wasn’t his cup of tea and
he struck up a work relationship with
the company. When Julia was looking
for someone to join the team for another
venture, the promising e-learning tool
Eyeread, Matt found his fit. He and his
young family left Colorado behind for
Halifax, a new job in a city that appealed
to them.
It’s heartening to hear stories like
Matt’s, of people finding that special
combination of interest and opportunity
in Halifax. Before they left Colorado,
Matt and his family explored their new
city through Google Street View, checking out elementary schools, neighbourhoods, where he would work and where
his wife would do her graduate degree.
For me, it was a nice way to start a
Monday, welcoming a newcomer who is
happy to be here. Beyond that, though, it
@MikeSavageHFX
was the perfect way to turn my mind to
the days ahead, as I worked to get ready
to take Halifax’s story on the road to a
luncheon with business and industry
leaders at the Economic Club of Canada,
a sales call I had been contemplating for
some time.
As we worked with the Partnership
to prepare presentation materials, it was
clear that tone would be critical in getting
across the message that Halifax is the
right-sized, perhaps even the perfectsized, city to invest in. We poured over
competitive costs analyses, reports on
start-up communities, housing price
comparisons, the latest figures from the
airport and Halifax Port, urban GDP
predictions, and the city’s new five-year
economic growth plan.
Halifax has the specialness of place,
the deep well of talented people, and a
cost-competitive price of doing business.
People, place, and thing: something
we could confidently hold up. We knew
could show that Halifax has helped grow
impressive companies such as Emera and
Clearwater, while it has also proven to be
a good bet for international heavy hitters
such as IBM and RBC. And, still, it offers
a fit for Matt, someone looking to help
a company move from start-up to going
concern.
It was gratifying to see how leaders in this business community coalesce
around an idea. Whoever I called, whoever the Partnership approached, they all
were quick with an offer to help spread
the word or to fill a table through their
Toronto networks. That’s what we do well
in these parts, each of us in our own way
and collectively working to tell a new
story of Halifax.
LET’S GET
SOCIAL!
Questions? Contact Melissa MacDonald, Communications Specialist
(902) 481-1238 or melissa@halifaxchamber.com
BUSINESS VOICE
33
SPECIAL FEATURE
AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE
The value of networking
DEFSEC event will have 70 companies exhibiting By Carol Dobson
Every September, the world comes
to Halifax in the form of the Canadian
Defence Security and Aerospace Exhibition Atlantic (DEFSEC). For three days,
this year from Sept. 6 to Sept. 8, approximately 1,200 delegates from 12 countries
around the world will come to Halifax to
develop business to business and partnerships between leading suppliers in the
defence and aerospace industry and
members of the business community in
Atlantic Canada.
“This year we will be having 70
companies exhibiting at 100 different
booth spaces,” Colin Stephenson, the
Executive Director of DEFSEC Atlantic,
says. “The conference will take up
50,000 sq. ft. of exhibition and business
to business meeting opportunity spaces
at the Cunard Centre. It gives large
contractors involved in procurement
for the Canadian Armed Forces the
opportunity to meet with local small
and medium sized businesses who can
feed into their supply chain and, by
meeting face to face, can get a sense
if they might be a good fit.”
DEFSEC Atlantic has an open door
policy, whereby local companies are
encouraged to attend. Not only is it a
chance to open doors with companies
supplying Canadian defence and aerospace requirements but also to meet
with representatives from the other
nations who have sent representatives
to the conference.
“The United States has a big block
of booths,” he says. “Other countries
that are attending include the United
Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden —
mainly European countries.”
One of the important reasons why
these European countries are present is
that Halifax, especially, is the gateway
to the Maritime Provinces, and the rest
of Canada, with its position on the Great
Circle Route, a major advantage for companies shipping either into the country
our out via the port.
Not only will NATO allies be represented, but Stephenson says countries like
Israel and Chile will also be in attendance.
DEFSEC Atlantic is the second
largest event of its kind in the country,
combining the elements of both a
34
“Representatives from DCNS present to Canadian
sailors at DEFSEC Atlantic 2015”
Photo: Greg Gidney
The conference will take up 50,000 sq. ft. of exhibition
and business to business meeting opportunity spaces at the
Cunard Centre. It gives large contractors involved in procurement for the Canadian Armed Forces the opportunity
to meet with local small and medium sized businesses who
can feed into their supply chain and, by meeting face to
face, can get a sense if they might be a good fit.”
– Colin Stephenson, Executive Director, DEFSEC Atlantic
trade show and a defence procurement
conference. Throughout the three days
of the event a mixture of seminars and
social events, along with the trade show,
provide excellent opportunities for one
to one networking. The 2015 show had
almost 400 companies represented,
along with exhibitors, government
agencies, and trade commissioners.
At the event’s conclusion, more than
100 business to business and business
to government meetings had transpired.
“This year one of the panels will be
dealing with the human resources challenges facing the aerospace and defence
industries in Atlantic Canada,” he says.
“There is a great need for skilled workers
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
in both of these fields. We’re anticipating heavy retirement in the aerospace
industry as baby boomers start retiring.
We also need skilled workers for the
ship building project. Also, when highly
trained and skilled members of the
armed forces are transitioning out of the
military, we need to have opportunities
available for them.”
Attendance at DEFSEC Atlantic
is open to the private sector and is not
restricted to members of any particular
industry association. As well, members of
the military are encouraged to attend as
it is a chance for them to meet companies
who may potentially have them as end
users of the products on display.
Join Forces and Network!
DEFS
events
development
t ffor supply
l chain
h i d
l
t & partnership
t
hi potential
t ti l
September 6 - 8, 2016
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Cunard Centre on the Halifax Waterfront
DEFSEC Atlantic is a major networking opportunity for the Aerospace, Defence and Security
industries - the second largest of its kind in Canada. Focused on showcasing Atlantic
Canadian opportunities, the show’s worldwide reach creates partnership potential for all
attendees. Incorporating elements of both a trade show and a defence procurement conference,
DEFSEC Atlantic provides access to “the right people” in an engaging and professional setting.
All attendees have an opportunity through B2B/B2G programs, social events and expert panel
discussions, to interact with all levels of defence, industry and government participants.
Right here in Atlantic Canada, large multi-national companies are looking to create partnerships
within the region to complete their Canadian supply chains.
In the heart of the National Shipbuilding Program activity, meet the builders and end users in
the home of Canada’s Navy all in the intimate and scenic setting of the Halifax waterfront.
Visit our web site to learn more and book one of the few remaining booth spaces, or make the
decision to attend as a delegate. Come see what opportunities are waiting for you!
Discover your fit in the expanding opportunities
in Aerospace & Defence at DEFSEC Atlantic!
DEFSEC Atlantic provides many advantages by giving you access to:
- Prime and Tier 2 contractors in a setting where they are focused on supply chain fulfillment,
while there are customers present, the focus is on partnership development
- an event focused on building B2B/B2G relationships and
providing the means to “kick-start” those relationships
through the facilitated B2B/B2G program
- a relevant and informative seminar series
- everything you require in a single venue; with meals provided
for everyone, there is no need to leave through the day
- the right place to find out what procurement programs are on
the horizon and how to become part of them
FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE
E CONTACT:
Colin Stephenson, Executivee Director
Mail & Courier:
166 Ingram Drive
Fall River, Nova Scotia
CANADA B2T 1A4
Produced By The
Office: +1 (902) 465-2725
Fax: +1 (902) 484-3222
Cell: +1 (902) 223-2099
E-Mail: colin@defsecatlantic.ca
Web: www.defsecatlantic.caa
Visit our web site for more information:
defsecatlantic.ca
“Canadian Partnership Potential.
Focused Here, Expanding Worldwide...”
SPECIAL FEATURE
AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE
A strong defence sector
Industry quietly contributes to the provincial economy By Carol Dobson
Halifax is a military town and has
been since June 1749. Of course, back
then, there were only two services,
the army and the navy. Since then, the
fortunes of Halifax have risen and fallen
in times of war and peace. Today, there is
a third arm to the forces and one which
quietly contributes greatly to the provincial economy, our air force and aerospace
industries, and their spinoffs.
“The shipbuilding program is a very
visible part of the defence industry,” Carl
Kumpic, the Vice President of international marketing for IMP Aerospace and
Defence, says. “So while the navy is very
prominent, the army has a presence at
Willow Park, and down at 12 Wing Greenwood, the air force has more visibility.”
According to Nova Scotia Business
Inc., “Nova Scotia has a strong, diverse
defence, security, and aerospace industry
that generates $600 million in annual
revenues and has a workforce of more
than 6,000.” One of the major players
in the industry, since 1970, has been
IMP, which supports both Canadian
and international aircraft fleets as well
as providing manufacturing support to
original equipment manufacturers. A
recent project has involved a rewing program for the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s
Lockheed Martin P-2 Orion aircraft. IMP
has also completed contracts with Egypt,
Mexico, the United States and a host of
other countries around the world.
Even though much of the industry
does tend to fly under the radar, it is a
valuable contributor to the province’s
economy. IMP, for example, employs
more than 4,000 people in well-paid,
stable jobs, including 2,400 in the
Aerospace and Defence business unit.
Their prime contract is with the Department of National Defence ensuring our
helicopters and aircraft, from the Sea
Kings to the Auroras, Hercules, and even
the famed Tutor jets of the Snowbirds are
able to fly safely.
“We have a great capacity to keep
the Auroras flying so they can undertake
coastal defence, fisheries patrols, search
and rescue, and drug searches,” he says.
“And, when we are involved with NATO
or other international initiatives we want
to make sure our people are sent there
with the right equipment and training to
do their job.”
One of the keys to IMP’s success is its
ability to retain highly qualified employees, many with a military background and
to ensure a corporate culture of attracting
and keeping the brightest and the best.
Because of this continuity, the company
has been able to ensure that aircraft, such
as the Sea Kings, with more than a half
century of service, are able to fly safely.
DELIVERING IN-SERVICE SUPPORT—A KEY INDUSTRIAL CAPABILITY IN CANADA
x Proudly 100% Canadian, headquartered
in Halifax, Nova Scotia
x Over 65 years of providing Turn Key In
Service Support to Canadian and
international militaries
x 2400 employees located across Canada
x Six Operating Units
x IMP Aerospace
x Cascade Aerospace
x IMP Naval and Land Services
x IMP Electronic Systems
x IMP Aerostructures
x Canadian SAR Helicopter Services
x A “Key Industrial Capability” now and in
the future
www.impaerospaceanddefence.com
36
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
Nominations for the
Now! Nova Scotia Good News Awards are ofﬁcially open!
We’re looking for anyone and everyone who is making a difference
and helping to move Nova Scotia forward.
The nomination process is easy, and is open to any Nova Scotia-based
individuals, organizations and companies who are helping to create
a stronger entrepreneurial mindset.
We’re looking for people who:
% Choose curiosity over cynicism
% Look for opportunities instead of obstacles
% Engage in action instead of apathy
% Believe that better is always possible
Eight awards will be presented in the following areas:
TOURISM
EXPORTS
STARTUPS
GROWTH-ORIENTED
ENTERPRISES
IMMIGRATION
LABOUR FORCE
POST-SECONDARY
EDUCATION
RURAL INDUSTRIES
Visit NowNS.ca to nominate someone today!
Visit Herald.ca/NowNS to read the latest in our Now!
Nova Scotia editorial series.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Photo: Joseph Robichaud/Tanglewood Studio
A growth curve
Davis Pier Consulting expanding its presence By Carol Dobson
Things have been moving in an upward direction for Davis Pier Consulting
since the company received the bronze
award for New Business of the Year at the
2016 Halifax Business Awards.
“Since we first applied for the award
several months ago, we’ve doubled our
staff, and increased our work both on
Prince Edward Island and internationally,”
Mike Davis, one of the partners in the
company, says. “We outgrew our space in
the Brewery Market and have moved to a
larger, more visible space (located on the
ground floor of the Market).”
Davis, his Partner and Co-founder,
Darryl Pierrynowski, and their team of
17 business consultants, project managers, business analysts, change managers,
and technical architects offer advice to
clients in a number of fields including the
public sector, healthcare, and related
sectors, as well as the private sector.
The firm specializes in implementing
organizational improvement with capabilities in strategy, analytics, change management, and technology. It has developed
38
I think one of our strengths is the ability to help clients solve
tough problems, through either complex analytical approaches
or our ability to manage situations and stakeholders.”
– Mike Davis, Partner, Davis Pier Consulting
an expertise in areas such as operational
improvement, streamlining government
regulation, and helping to manage publicprivate relationships to find solutions.
“I think one of our strengths is the
ability to help clients solve tough problems, through either complex analytical
approaches or our ability to manage situations and stakeholders," he says.
In addition to the company’s expanded work in other provinces, the company
has also begun working with clients in
the transportation and logistics industry.
Prior to opening Davis Pier in April 2014,
both partners had successful practices
here in Halifax with management consulting firms, both local and international.
It’s a company that has a strong
J U LY & AUG US T
2016
commitment to giving back, with
members of the staff being involved in
many volunteer initiatives, ranging from
Ronald MacDonald House, Kids Help
Phone, the Canadian Progress Club, the
Blue Nose Marathon, and the Canadian
Cancer Society. It’s also partnered with
Innovacorp on the 2016 I-3 Technology
Start-Up Competition.
“We’re a traditional management
consulting firm with people with various
levels of experience, with a nice mix of
seniors and juniors,” he says. “Since we
received the award, we’ve had so many
potential partners reach out about collaborating with us. We’ve had some great
discussions that we think will lead to
further expansion and growth.”
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKED.
THEY ANSWERED.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE EXCEPTIONAL NOVA SCOTIANS.
They were among 36 young Canadian graduates selected from over 800
applicants for the 2015 Venture For Canada program. These grads will spend the
next two years honing their entrepreneurial skills at some of Nova Scotia’s
most exciting new start-up companies.
ADAM ANSHAN
QRA Corp
DANNY WILLIAMS
Norex
EMILY MILLER
LeadSift
MICHAEL HARDY
Scrapbook Cafe
MUGDHA MULAY
Norex
RYAN HOGG
Affinio
SAGAR JHA
Metamaterial
Technologies
SHONA NICOLLE
Metamaterial
Technologies
V
Venture For Canada supports Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by matching
promising young graduates with the country’s most innovative start-up companies.
For more information visit www.VentureForCanada.ca
Supporting
Our Community
Great oþce space never goes out of style.
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available for lease at Halifax’s premier retail destination.
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For leasing opportunities contact Sherri Kelsie:
skelsie@20vic.com or 902.454.8666
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