Stanley Ma earns top spot as Québec Entrepreneur Of The Year
(Montréal – 28 October 2010) Stanley Ma of MTY Food Group Inc. has been named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® for the Québec region.
“Striving for success locally and beyond his traditional market, Stanley epitomizes the unique qualities of an entrepreneur,” said François Dufresne, Partner and Director of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year for the Québec region. “The food-services industry is one of the most challenging industries to operate within, but with an innovative business model and an aggressive approach to expansion, Stanley was able to excel during financial uncertainty and demonstrate an unparalleled entrepreneurial drive.”
Founded in 1979, MTY evolved from Stanley’s vision to provide Canadian consumers with a vast diversity of cuisine types. Today, MTY operates over 1,600 restaurants spread over 25 unique banners.
For more than thirty years, Stanley has pursued his vision for MTY, achieving success through his acute leadership and an inspired and devoted corporate team. Paving the way for innovative business management, Stanley has set new industry standards for food-service excellence. The widespread achievements of MTY include ranking 25th in Foodservice and Hospitality magazine in 2008.
Fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship throughout his organization, Stanley promotes innovation and creativity by giving his team the independence to research, test and develop new ideas. Encouraging his staff in all realms of business and philanthropy, Stanley sponsors the Make-a-Wish Foundation, La Leche League Canada, Planetair, ORBIS, and Fondation Madeli-Aide in addition to his ongoing support of the Montreal Chinese Community and Cultural Center.
“It is the mark of a true entrepreneur to embrace risk with confidence and thrive in the face of adversity. As the global economy begins to recover, the strategic vision and innovative nature of local entrepreneurs are revitalizing Canadian business on a global stage,” says Dufresne. “This year’s winners have accomplished the impressive feat of achieving success in times of financial uncertainty. We congratulate and honour the winners of this year’s Entrepreneur Of The Year Québec Awards who continue to influence and inspire future generations of Canadian talent.”
Also honoured by Ernst & Young was Telesystem founder Charles Sirois, who received the Lifetime Achievement 2010 Québec Award in recognition of his commitment to the Canadian communications industry and his substantial entrepreneurial achievements. Since beginning his career in 1978, Charles has shown no aversion to risk and an immense determination to respond to each challenge that faces him with greater innovation. Today, his contributions to Canadian business remain unparalleled. The founding partner and Chairman of Enablis Entrepreneurial Network, Charles supports the next generation of entrepreneurs in developing countries.
Category winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010 Québec Awards:
Business-to-business products and services
Étienne Borgeat
PCO Innovation | Montréal
pco-innovation.com
PCO Innovation is a consulting company specializing in the optimization of product lifecycle management and computer-aided design (PLM/CAD) tools, with a global team of more than 500 consultants and technical experts.
Business-to-consumer products and services
Stanley Ma
MTY Food Group Inc. | Saint-Laurent
mtygroup.com
MTY is one of the leading companies in the Canadian fast-food industry. Of its 25 brands, 21 are fully owned and four are exclusively licensed.
Cleantech
Étienne Veilleux
Distech Controls Inc. | Brossard
distech-controls.com
Distech Controls designs, manufactures and markets innovative building automation solutions, promoting energy and cost-efficient operation of buildings, while maintaining optimum comfort.
Emerging entrepreneur
Jack Dell’Accio
Essentia Group Inc. | Laval
myessentia.com
Essentia Group designs, develops, manufactures and distributes exceptional mattresses and related sleep products that offer health-supporting characteristics, comfort and quality. Its patented 100% natural memory foam mattresses and pillows are designed to provide optimal support and comfort throughout the lifespan of the product.
Health sciences
Guy Michaud
DirectLab Inc. | Blainville
genacol.ca
DirectLab specializes in the innovative design and marketing of natural health products under the trade name Genacol.
Manufacturing
David Bowman, Jean Cloutier, Rob White
Outdoor Gear Canada (OGC) | Saint-Laurent
ogc.ca
OGC is a leading supplier of high-quality, high-value cycling, outdoor and snow-product brands. They also design and build Opus bicycles.
Media and entertainment
Sylvain Viau
Corporation Image Entertainment Inc. | Montréal
image-cie.com
Corporation Image Entertainment develops and produces premium-quality television and film entertainment projects for children and families.
Technology
Michel Farley
Varitron Technologies Inc. | Saint-Hubert
varitron.ca
Varitron is the largest electronics assembler in Québec, with specialized expertise in the medical, defence, automotive, rail, aviation, aerospace, security, automation and telecommunications industries.
What’s next?
As the Québec region’s Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010, Stanley will compete with top entrepreneurs from the Atlantic, Prairies, Ontario and Pacific regions for the national honour of Canada’s Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010, to be presented at a gala celebration November 17, 2010, in Toronto. In June 2011, Canada’s Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010 will move to the world stage to compete with 50 country recipients for the title of Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year®.
About Entrepreneur of The Year
The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards honour the spirit and contribution of entrepreneurs here and around the world. This year, the Canadian program is proudly celebrating 17 years of honouring Canada’s outstanding entrepreneurs from all areas of business. For more information on the program, please visit ey.com/ca/eoy.
Nominees are reviewed by an independent judging panel, which is composed of several distinguished business leaders and previous award recipients. The 2010 Québec region judging panel consisted of Gregor Angus, Executive Vice President, Cossette; Johanne Dion, President, TRANS-HERBe Inc.; Jean Gattuso, President and CEO, A. Lassonde Inc.; Nina Gupta, President, Greenlite Lighting Corporation; Jacques Landreville, Corporate Director; Jacques Larivière, President, Demilec Inc.; Bernard Poulin, President, Le Groupe S.M. International Inc.
Entrepreneur Of The Year is sponsored nationally by Global TV, National Post, La Presse and RDI. The Québec Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are presented in collaboration with Desjardins.
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 141,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.