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Marc Pelland, Maxim Dufour and Marc Mohammed from Woodchuck Inc. win BDC's Young Entrepreneur Award for Québec. |
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Where passions meet.
Longueuil, Québec – October 21, 2002 - Take two young people with a passion for skateboarding. Combine them with one who has a passion for business and you've got a winning formula. The three entrepreneurs are winners of the Business Development Bank of Canada's (BDC) Young Entrepreneur Award for Québec. Marc Pelland, 29, Maxim Dufour, 29, and Marc Mohammed, 29, own Woodchuck Skateboards Inc. and will be honoured at a ceremony this evening in Vancouver, along with the winners from Canada's other provinces and territories.
"We complement each other," says Maxim of the trio's business success in what they call an "industry of passion." Maxim and Marc Mohammed, both avid skateboarders, founded the skateboard manufacturing and distributing business in 1996. Marc Pelland, equally avid about business, joined as a third partner four years later. As Maxim explains, "As the company grew, we realized that passion for the sport will get you to a certain level, then you need the business infrastructure to take that passion and create a vision for business and the organization to support that vision."
The infrastructure they've built has been instrumental in the company's growth in the last few years, with Woodchuck growing from eight employees to about 60 today. It expects to have more than 100 employees next year. The company, which distributes its high-end products under its own brand and two others, caters to the burgeoning skateboarding market in more than 20 countries throughout Europe and North America.
With expected annual sales of $3 million for this year, the partners have no intention of stopping there. "We have a lot of room to expand," explains Marc Pelland. "We intend to keep growing quite aggressively. We want to be in the top three players in the industry in our market."
"Marc, Maxim and Marc are role models for young Canadian entrepreneurs, demonstrating what business innovation is all about," says BDC President and CEO Michel Vennat. "It is an honour to pay tribute to their accomplishments."
BDC's Young Entrepreneur Awards recognize the achievements of Canadian businesspeople between 19 and 30, rewarding young entrepreneurs from one business in each province and territory. Winners are chosen by a selection committee based on a number of criteria, from operating success and innovation to involvement in the new economy, community work and export performance. The entrepreneur's age at the time the company was founded and any exceptional challenges he or she had to overcome are also considered in the selection process.
This year, BDC has added a new dimension to the Awards, inviting recipients to a special day of training during which they will meet academics and business leaders who have made their mark in a particular business sector. Consistent with BDC's commitment to support assessment, planning, and implementation of business solutions, the BDC Forum will also feature made-to-measure consulting sessions delivered by members of the Bank's Consulting Group.
BDC's Young Entrepreneur Awards celebrate the achievements of this year's winners this year with the theme: You're the Brain. You're the Power. You're the Boss. Let Us Tell the World. One of the 13 winners will also receive the Export Achievement Award, sponsored by Export Development Canada.
The Business Development Bank of Canada is a financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada. BDC plays a leadership role in delivering financial, investment and consulting services to Canadian small businesses, with a particular focus on the technology and export sectors of the economy.
-30- For more information on October 21 and 22:
Media Room
1-877-BDC-9753 (1-877-232-9753)
(604) 648-7635
For more information after October 22:
Nathalie Charland
Manager, Media Relations
(514) 283-7929
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