Canada's Best Managed Companies Show a Strong Investment Mindset

Winners Set the Bar High With a Customer-Centric Approach


TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - March 10, 2015) - Today, Deloitte announced the winners of the 2014 Canada's Best Managed Companies awards program, recognizing excellence in Canadian owned and managed companies. This year's winners are characterized by their continued focus on customer relationships as the foundation for growth. Best Managed companies have exhibited exceptional business performance and outstanding leadership in the Canadian marketplace, sharing an investment mindset that places them amongst the best in class.

Through the recession, Best Managed companies continued to invest while most companies mined cash flow and remained conservative on investments. The investment risk taken by Best Managed companies contributes to strong growth and financial performance, putting them ahead of other organizations that waited until the economy reset in the post-recession to make investing in their business a priority.

"Investing involves risk because the outcome is unknown," said Peter E. Brown, National Co-Leader of Canada's Best Managed Companies program and Senior Practice Partner at Deloitte. "However, remaining stagnant poses a greater risk than the risk of potential failure because investing is critical to growth."

Technology is a key investment area and priority for Best Managed companies whether it's systems implementation, consolidation or upgrades to the front end or the back office. Best Managed companies invest in technology to help maximize productivity. It also provides access to data to enable greater efficiency with business processes and to gather insights to help strengthen customer relationships.

"CIBC celebrates the accomplishments of this year's winners who have reached the highest levels of business excellence," said Jon Hountalas, Executive Vice-President, Business Banking, CIBC. "They demonstrate the significant impact that Canadian private companies make from coast-to-coast by pursuing innovation and investing in meeting the needs of their clients."

Best Managed companies also take innovative approaches to remain competitive forging strategic alliances and partnerships to enter a new geography or sector. M&A deals were predominately smaller and focused on horizontal and vertical integration to help with cost management and to secure a larger portion of the customer market from its competitors. The 2014 Best Managed winners are agile and adapt to customer needs and expectations by continuously challenging themselves to evaluate their strategy between focusing on a niche market or real diversification.

"Best Managed companies take a customer-centric strategy. The decision to diversify or take a niche approach will be unique to each company. What sets a Best Managed company apart is the ability to execute on the strategy," said Mike Runia, National Co-Leader of Canada's Best Managed Companies program and Ontario Managing Partner, Deloitte. "Goals become a reality when every individual within an organization is committed and understands what they can do to help actualize the strategy."

The 2014 Best Managed recipients include:

     
Company Name  Sector  Region
     
AFD Petroleum (http://www.afdpetroleum.com  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Alberta
     
Albi Homes Ltd. (http://www.albihomes.com)  Luxury Home Building  Alberta
     
Almag Aluminum Inc. (http://almag.com)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Ontario
     
BEST Service Pros (http://www.best.ca)  Facilities Services  British Columbia
     
Blue Water Group (http://www.bluewatergroup.ca)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Atlantic
     
Boire & Frères inc. (http://www.boire.qc.ca)  Aviculture  Quebec
     
BrandAlliance (http://www.brandalliance.com)  Promotional Marketing  Ontario
     
BroadGrain Commodities (http://www.broadgrain.com)  Agricultural Commodities  Ontario
     
Callisto Integration Corp. (http://www.callistointegration.com)  Technology, Media, Telecommunications (including: printing, publishing)  Ontario
     
Campus Living Centres (http://www.campuslivingcentres.com)  Provision of privately owned or managed student housing  Ontario
     
CFR Chemicals Inc (http://www.cfrchemicals.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Alberta
     
Croesus Finansoft (http://croesus.com)  Technology, Media, Telecommunications (including: printing, publishing)  Quebec
     
Dental Corporation of Canada (http://www.dentalcorp.ca)  Dental  Ontario
     
Distech Controls (http://www.distech-controls.com)  Technology, Media, Telecommunications (including: printing, publishing)  Quebec
     
Eclipse Automation (http://www.eclipseautomation.com)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Ontario
     
F. Ménard Inc. (http://www.fmenard.com)  Agrifood  Quebec
     
Fenplast Portes & Fenêtres (http://www.fenplast.com)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Quebec
     
FFUN Enterprises Inc. (http://www.ffun.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Saskatchewan
     
Forbes Bros Ltd. (http://www.rsline.ca)  Powerline and utility construction  Alberta
     
Gerrie Electric Wholesale Limited (http://www.gerrie.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Ontario
     
Grascan Construction Ltd. (http://grascan.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Ontario
     
Hibar Systems Limited (http://www.hibar.com)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Ontario
     
Integral Energy Services Ltd. (http://www.integralenergy.ca)  Oil & Gas Electrical & Instrumentation Construction  Alberta
     
International Language Academy of Canada (http://www.ilac.com)  Education  Ontario
     
Le Groupe Maurice (http://www.legroupemaurice.com)  Real Estate (including: engineering, construction, architecture)  Quebec
     
LMC Group of Companies (http://www.lmc-ltd.ca)  Real Estate (including: engineering, construction, architecture)  Atlantic
     
Locweld (http://www.locweld.com)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Quebec
     
Mike & Mike's Organics (http://mikeandmikes.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Ontario
     
Minard's Leisure World (http://www.minardsleisureworld.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Saskatchewan
     
NAMCO Machine & Gear Works Ltd. (http://www.namco.ca)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Alberta
     
Number Ten Architectural Group (http://www.numberten.com)  Real Estate (including: engineering, construction, architecture)  Manitoba
     
Pelican International (http://www.pelicansport.com)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Quebec
     
Prodomax Automation Inc. (http://www.prodomax.com)  Industrial Automation  Ontario
     
Rocky Mountaineer (http://www.rockymountaineer.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  British Columbia
     
Scout Logistics Corporation (http://www.scoutlogistics.com)  Transporation and Logistics  Ontario
     
Skyline Group of Companies (http://www.skylineonline.ca)  Real Estate (including: engineering, construction, architecture)  Ontario
     
South Shore (http://www.southshore.ca)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Quebec
     
Spectra Premium (http://www.spectrapremium.com/accueil.html)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Quebec
     
Stelpro (http://www.stelpro.com)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  Quebec
     
STI Technologies Limited (http://www.smartsti.com)  Healthcare IT  Atlantic
     
Structube (http://www.structube.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Quebec
     
Superior Lodging Corp. (http://www.superiorlodgingcorp.com)  Real Estate (including: engineering, construction, architecture)  Alberta
     
Terrapro Group Inc. (http://www.terraprogroup.com)  Oil & Gas Services  Alberta
     
The Hidi Group (http://www.hidi.com)  Real Estate (including: engineering, construction, architecture)  Ontario
     
The K-Line Group (http://www.k-line.ca)  Utility Contractor  Ontario
     
Trailer Wizards Ltd. (http://www.trailerwizards.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  British Columbia
     
Tundra Process Solutions Ltd. (http://www.tundrasolutions.ca)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  Alberta
     
Vega (http://www.myvega.com)  Consumer Business (including: retail, wholesale distribution, transportation, travel)  British Columbia
     
Weston Forest Products (http://westonforest.com)  Distribution and remanufacturing of lumber  Ontario
     
WhiteWater West Industries Ltd. (http://www.whitewaterwest.com)  Manufacturing (including: life sciences)  British Columbia
     

A complete list of Best Managed winners, Requalified winners, Gold Standard winners, Gold Standard requalified winners and Platinum Club winners is available here: https://www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca/en/meetourwinners/Pages/Home.aspx

About Canada's Best Managed Companies

Canada's Best Managed Companies continues to be the mark of excellence for Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $10 million. Every year since the launch of the program in 1993, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies have competed for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management skills and practices. The awards are granted on five levels: 1) Best Managed winner (one of the new winners selected each year); 2) Requalified winner (award recipients that have re-applied and successfully retained their Best Managed designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review); 3) Gold Standard winner (After three consecutive years of maintaining their Best Managed status, these winners have demonstrated their commitment to the program and successfully retained their award for their 4th consecutive year); 4) Gold Standard requalified winner (Award recipients that have applied and successfully retained their Gold Standard designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review); 5) Platinum Club member (Winners have maintained their Best Managed status for seven years or more). Program sponsors are Deloitte, CIBC, National Post, Queen's School of Business and MacKay CEO Forums. For further information, visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.

About Deloitte

Deloitte, one of Canada's leading professional services firms, provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services. Deloitte LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, is the Canadian member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.

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Contact Information:

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Deloitte
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Marilyne Plouffe
Deloitte
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