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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Whitehorse, Yukon -- October 17, 2000
Twenty-nine year old Whitehorse resident, Andrew Robulack, has spearheaded a highly successful Internet company that has raised the profile of the Yukon on the Internet. Now his business is being honoured by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) with its Young Entrepreneur Award for the Yukon. Andrew will receive the Award at a gala presentation tonight in Ottawa where he will be joined by other young winners from every province and territory.
Pixelar Strategies, the first Yukon-based company to offer live content on the Internet, has quickly become a fixture in the Yukon communications landscape. The three-year-old company provides interactive web design, development, consulting, strategy, site hosting, and Internet-based marketing plans, including advertising on the Web. Before Pixelar, the Yukon had minimal visibility on the Net.
The Young Entrepreneur Awards are linked to the BDC's Mentor Program, under which each winner is twinned for a year with a leading Canadian business personality. Throughout the coming year, Mr.Gary Hewitt, President, Artic Star Printing, will assist Andrew to further grow his business. Business leaders with extensive experience such as Mr. Hewitt act as guides and counsellors, helping young entrepreneurs broaden their business acumen and their network of contacts.
"After all the hard work and energy, it is tremendously rewarding to be recognized by an organization like the BDC," said Andrew. "It has been a bit of roller coaster ride and a lot of hard work, but it has also been loads of fun. Owning my own business means complete liberation. I'm in control, and I like the fact that my success or failure will be based on my own skills and efforts."
As the northern Canada market is limited in scope, Pixelar has had to adapt to a variety of business environments, from tourism marketing and resource management, to First Nations government and film production. "It is very important in this market to be able to undertake a variety of challenges and propose different solutions," said Andrew. "That is what make us unique."
"Andrew's creativity and dedication truly embodies what we consider to be the spirit of entrepreneurship," says Michel Vennat, President of the BDC. "He is a great ambassador for the Yukon's business leaders of tomorrow."
The BDC established the Young Entrepreneur Awards more than 13 years ago to honour the achievements of Canadian businesspeople between the ages of 19 and 30. Thirteen prizes are awarded - one for each province and territory. Each year, the selection committee weighs a myriad of criteria that include company growth; involvement in the new economy; innovation; community work; and export performance. The entrepreneur's age at the time the company was founded and any exceptional challenges that had to be overcome are also considered.
The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is a financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada. BDC plays a leadership role in delivering financial and consulting services to Canadian small business, with a particular focus on the technology and export sectors of the economy.
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For more information or a photo of the winner(s), contact:
Denise Arab
Media Relations
Business Development Bank of Canada
(514) 283-7929
e-mail: denise.arab@bdc.ca
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Erin Folk
Quay Strategies Inc.
(604) 687-2824
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