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Coquitlam business owners win entrepreneur awards

Two Coquitlam business owners were rewarded for their entrepreneurial endeavors at the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards on Oct.19, during small business week.

Two Coquitlam business owners were rewarded for their entrepreneurial endeavors at the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards on Oct.19, during small business week.
Staples Business Depot Retail Award Winner, Laramie Tan-Amit, grew her accounting business at a steady pace during the first five years of business. In the last two years her strategies changed and the business accelerated, as she introduced Jeepney Mart, a retail business providing Philippine products, money transfers, tax returns and full accounting services to the Filipino community in the Coquitlam market area. She now has a second location in Vancouver and is discussing a proposal from the Mashager Groups of Saudi Arabia to act as their money transfer representative across Canada. Tan-Amit is proud of her contributions to the Filipino community and her business reputation of providing professional ethical service to her customers at a fair price while creating employment for seven people during these tough economical times
Charles Baverstock of Stonebridge Operations Incorporated took home the Construction & Manufacturing Award. Stonebridge provides electrical services to residential, strata, commercial and long term care facilities, specializing in lighting design, home automation with iPod, IPad and IPhone integration, and home automatic standby generators. The construction industry has had its ups and downs over the past few years, but this winner showed that perseverance, hard work and strategic thinking can make all the difference. With sales having doubled in his second year of business, Baverstock is an example of what it takes to build a business.
Also recognized as finalists at the awards were seven Tri-Cities business owners.
Mike Londry, of Westside Pest Control and Wasp Wizard Nest Removal Services was a finalist for the Coast Capital Savings Credit Union Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Dave Bruce's, Marine Repairs company was a finalist in the Service Award category, presented by the City of New Westminster, as was Salman Bazogh's accounting firm, Accountech Business Services Ltd.
Justin Gignac is a Canadian Youth Business Foundation Youth Entrepreneur Award finalist. His company, Custom Creation Carpentry Inc., designs, manufactures and installs custom millwork.
Jack Poniatowski of Sphere Communications was a finalist for the TouchSquid Technology Inc. High Tech Award.
Justin Johnson's company, JJ's Custom Plumbing, was a finalist for Construction & Manufacturing Award.
The last finalist, Karen Gill of Friendly Explorers Child Care Centre was a finalist for the Alliance Printing Perseverance Award.
The Entrepreneur of the Year Awards recognizes graduates of the Douglas College Self Employment Program, 2011 marked the sixteenth year of the program and 3,300 businesses launched. This year, 27 finalists were nominated for awards in nine categories, plus the overall winner. The celebrations were held at the Executive Plaza Hotel in Coquitlam, and were attended by over 400 program alumni and special guests.
For more information on the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and the Douglas College Self Employment Program, please contact 604-777-6012 or visit their website at www.douglascollege.ca/selfemployment.