Several Central Albertans are in the running for Ernst & Young’s 2013 Prairies Entrepreneur Of The Year awards, with winners to be announced on Thursday.
Dallas Lenius and Dean Hall of Force Pile Driving in Red Deer, Merv Pidherney of M. Pidherney’s Trucking Ltd. of Rocky Mountain House and Don Sutherland of Studon Electric & Controls in Red Deer are all Prairies finalists for the annual awards.
Lenius and Hall are competing in the emerging entrepreneur category against businessmen from Spruce Grove, Edmonton and Drayton Valley. Pidherney and Sutherland are both in the energy services category, with the other finalist from Calgary.
Force Pile Driving specializes in pile material sales and installation services, while M. Pidherney’s Trucking provides oilfield construction, civil construction, remediation and reclamation services, sand and gravel sales, concrete supply and delivery, as well as specialty equipment services. Studon Electric & Controls is active in the energy, commercial, industrial, forestry and agricultural sectors.
The other categories for 2013 Prairies Entrepreneur Of The Year awards are business-to-business products and services, business-to-consumer products and services, manufacturing, oil and gas, professional and financial services, real estate and construction, and technology and communications.
The Entrepreneur Of The Year program has job creation as its theme this year.
“Entrepreneurs pack a big punch when it comes to their contributions to our local and national economies,” said Rob Jolley, Prairies Entrepreneur Of The Year program director.
“But what’s even more important is their ability to create jobs and provide opportunities for the next generation.”
The overall Prairies winner will represent this region at a national gala in Toronto on Nov. 27.