Business Impact Stories
Filtering Options
Filter Options
Use filters below to change your results.
Title | Province | Category |
---|---|---|
Avalon LaboratoriesPrior to the pandemic, Avalon Laboratories was focused only on environmental testing, so they pivoted to medical diagnostic testing capabilities. They are Atlantic Canada’s one and only private medical diagnostic laboratory.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Health/bio-sciences |
Ballet By The Ocean (Atlantic Ballet of Canada)The Ballet by the Ocean is an example of an innovative approach to performing arts within the constraints of the ongoing pandemic. The new objective of the Atlantic Ballet Theatre Company is to turn Ballet into a signature experiential tourism experience
|
New Brunswick | Tourism, Women Entrepreneurship |
DF BarnesD.F. Barnes Services Limited offers specialized maintenance, fabrication and construction services to the oil and gas, energy and maritime sectors. During the COVID pandemic, it launched a new PPE line of business to support the local health care system.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Advanced Manufacturing |
MacKenzie Atlantic Tool & DieMacKenzie Atlantic Tool & Die Ltd. is a full-service CNC manufacturing company focusing on automated processes that service the defense, aerospace, medical, environmental and, oil and gas sectors.
|
Nova Scotia | Advanced Manufacturing |
QuannessenceQuannessence formulates and manufactures professional skincare products in Summerside, Prince Edward Island for retail distribution in Canada and the United States.
|
Prince Edward Island | Health/bio-sciences |
RimotRimot is a technology company located in Dartmouth, NS that provides organizations with continuous insight into their remote business critical infrastructure.
|
Nova Scotia | Health/bio-sciences, Advanced Manufacturing |
Top Dog ManufacturingTop Dog manufactures polyurethane safety equipment and other protective garments for the food processing, agriculture, childcare and healthcare industries, from its facility in Prince Edward Island.
|
Prince Edward Island | Advanced Manufacturing |
Nu-AirNu-Air in Windsor, NS designs and manufactures a series of heat recovery ventilators for commercial and residential buildings.
|
Nova Scotia | Advanced Manufacturing |
Brilliant LabsThe great majority of Brilliant Labs' work is about support for youth, educators, schools, and community groups and was all done in person prior to the pandemic.
|
New Brunswick | Education, Advanced Manufacturing |
Université Sainte-AnneUniversité Sainte-Anne is the flagship institution for Acadians and other francophones in Nova Scotia, and is recognized for the excellence of its education and research programs.
|
Nova Scotia | Education |
A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd.A.F. Theriault produces diverse types of vessels designed and built in the predominantly francophone community of Meteghan River, Nova Scotia to serve Canada's unique, expansive coastline and our network of coastal marine communities.
|
Nova Scotia | Advanced Manufacturing, Oceans |
Fireworks Feast: from fine dining to gourmet picnicsFireworks Feast, part of the Inn at Bay Fortune and Inn at Fortune Bridge family of visitor destinations, was one of many popular summer experiences hit by the hard reality of a pandemic.
|
Prince Edward Island | Tourism, Food sector |
Celtic Colours Festival SocietyCeltic Colours is one of Canada's premier musical events. This nine-day festival normally takes place in more than 50 communities across Cape Breton Island. It extends the tourism season and contributes $18.7 million to the local economy.
|
Nova Scotia | Tourism |
Atlantic Ballet Atlantique CanadaIn May 2022 Moncton-based Atlantic Ballet Atlantique Canada (ABAC) will celebrate its 20th anniversary. In just two short decades, the only professional ballet company in Atlantic Canada has toured original creations throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
|
New Brunswick | Tourism, Women Entrepreneurship |
Roots Rants Roars - My Food HikeRoots, Rants and Roars is a two-day food festival based in Elliston, Newfoundland and Labrador – the root cellar capital of the world. Founded in 2009 by Tourism Elliston, a non-profit organization to promote tourism and boost economic development on the Bonavista Peninsula, it has grown to become one of Canada’s top culinary festivals.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Food sector, Tourism |
Brilliant LabsWhen the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools across the region, parents and teachers were faced with the challenge of occupying and engaging children stuck in quarantine. For Brilliant Labs, that challenge presented incredible opportunity.
|
New Brunswick | Technology, innovation |
Kognitiv SparkThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought many obstacles and challenges to businesses and organizations across all sectors. However, in the midst of these readjustments, startup Kognitiv Spark has encountered something else as well – an increased demand for its flagship product, RemoteSpark.
|
New Brunswick | Technology, innovation |
Discover Saint JohnWhen COVID-19 first hit, marketing organization Discover Saint John could not imagine the full impact and complete loss of the 2020 tourism season. Amidst the chaos, its Executive Director Victoria Clarke and her team continued to work from home, developing strategies to salvage the season for their city and region.
|
New Brunswick | Technology, tourism |
Wabanaki MapleA new company’s first few years are challenging, with unexpected obstacles and setbacks around every corner. For Wabanaki Maple, a newly established New Brunswick business and ACOA client, having to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic along with other growing pains was the most unexpected challenge of all.
|
New Brunswick | Food sector, women entrepreneurship |
Ethical SwagEthical Swag Inc. offers an e-commerce solution for sourcing sustainable, customizable promotional products. As consumer attitudes change, people are increasingly looking for environmentally and socially conscious choices. The company has been audited to a global standard for social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
|
Nova Scotia | Women entrepreneurship, export |
MotryxMotryx has developed a quality assurance technology to assist hospitals, laboratories and research institutions monitor their blood transportation system without jeopardizing the blood samples.
|
Nova Scotia | Women entrepreneurship, innovation, technology |
The Soap CompanyAfter a lifetime of chronic skin issues caused by synthetic ingredients, Founder and CEO Leigh McFarlane has created simple, gluten-free, nut-free products that are either unscented or scented with only essential oils.
|
Nova Scotia | Women entrepreneurship |
AtlanTick RepellantWhen Lisa Ali Learning’s two sons became ill with Lyme disease three years ago in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, she was driven to act. After they recovered, she wanted to ensure her children, and their dog would be safe from ticks while continuing to enjoy the outdoors. Lisa’s solution led to the creation of AtlanTick Repellent Inc.
|
Nova Scotia | Women entrepreneurship |
MetalfabMore than 50 years ago, a metal fabrication company opened its doors in Centreville, NB, and started selling top-quality products including farm and playground equipment. Today, the company sells only one type of product: fire trucks and related equipment.
|
New Brunswick | Advanced manufacturing, Innovation, Process improvement, Seize opportunity |
Red RoverIn 2012, Nicola Mason and Adam Clawson incorporated Red Rover Craft Cider – and broke new ground in New Brunswick. Until they opened their company in Fredericton, there were no cider-makers in the province and no local cider on liquor store shelves.
|
New Brunswick | Export, Food sector, Innovation, Key partnerships |
Riverside Lobster InternationalA decade ago there wasn’t a ready-to-eat lobster-processing facility in southwest Nova Scotia – the largest lobster district in the country. David Deveau forever changed that reality when he opened Riverside Lobster International.
|
Nova Scotia | Food sector, Innovation, Regional challenges, Workforce |
G. E. BarbourFor Sylvia MacVey, President and CEO of G.E. Barbour, located in Sussex, New Brunswick, there has never been a better time to be a woman entrepreneur.
|
New Brunswick | Women entrepreneurship |
PEI Mussel KingWhen Esther Dockendorff's father came home from lobster fishing 40 years ago and said he wanted to start a business "growing" mussels, no one was sure how the new venture would go. Forty years later, Mussel King is a leader in mussel cultivation and processing in Canada.
|
Prince Edward Island | Women entrepreneurship |
CeltxIt was the turn of the millennium, and Mark Kennedy and Chad House were itching to introduce a disruptive technology that would reshape an industry. It didn't take long to find a home for their energy and expertise.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Digital industries, Export, Innovation, Process improvement |
Sustane TechnologiesAs a professional working in the pulp and paper sector, Peter Vinall was always cooking up ways for companies to lower costs. Now, as the co-founder and president of Sustane Technologies, he is cooking up ways to reduce municipal waste – literally.
|
Nova Scotia | Clean technology, Get to the next step, Innovation, Research & development, Seize opportunity |
Hebert's RecyclingWhat goes around, comes around is a philosophy that’s good for the environment and good for business. Hebert’s Recycling, a third-generation family-owned and operated business headquartered in Miramichi, understands the impact of this approach firsthand.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Advanced manufacturing, Innovation, Process improvement |
Prince Edward Island Brewing CompanyThe Prince Edward Island Brewing Company is satisfying a Canadian thirst for buying local and supporting independent enterprises. “We are responding to consumer demand,” says Jeff Squires, president of the Charlottetown-based brewery.
|
Prince Edward Island | Advanced manufacturing, Food sector, Innovation, Traditional sectors |
Empowered HomesAs the owner of an energy audit company, Joshua Green always recommended the use of programmable thermostats. He recognized, however, that for homeowners with electric baseboard heating that recommendation could not be followed. There was no smart thermostat on the market for them. Until now.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Clean technology, Commercialization, Export, Seize opportunity |
Blue Roof DistillersOn the southeast edge of New Brunswick, directly off the Trans-Canada highway in Malden, you will find Strang's Produce, a sixth-generation farm. Here you will also find Blue Roof Distillers, which opened its doors only last year. What connects the two? Potatoes.
|
New Brunswick | Food sector, Process improvement, Seize opportunity |
AffinioTim Burke and Stephen Hankinson have built their company on one irrefutable reality: there is power in numbers. The two entrepreneurs launched Affinio in 2012 following a simple test they were running on a mobile app.
|
Nova Scotia | Digital industries, Innovation, Restructuring, Seize opportunity |
Kinduct TechnologiesThe Big Five sports leagues know a winner when they see one – and they all see one in Kinduct Technologies, the human performance data and analytics software company.
|
Nova Scotia | Digital industries, Health/bio-sciences, Innovation, Seize opportunity |
TelelinkIn its 54 years of operation, The Call Centre Inc., has consistently done one thing: it's refused to stand still. The St. John's response centre, which operates under the name Telelink, started as an answering service for businesses that needed to be connected to customers 24/7.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Digital industries, Get to the next step |
Truall Building ComponentsWhen Marco Gagnon purchased Truall Building Components in 2008, the Saint-André, New Brunswick, company was in receivership. Shortly after the purchase, the 2008 recession took hold of the world economy. “For a while, I thought we were crazy,” says Marco with a laugh.
|
New Brunswick | Advanced manufacturing, Process improvement, Workforce |
Amalgamated DairiesThere is strength in numbers. Amalgamated Dairies Limited (ADL) has lived by that successful philosophy since 1953 when seven independent dairy producers joined forces.
|
Prince Edward Island | Food sector, Key partnerships, Process improvement, Traditional sectors |
IMV Inc.In the 1980s, an expanding seal population threatened the East Coast fishery. Researchers at Dalhousie University developed a contraceptive vaccine to help balance the ecosystem. Out of that innovation grew IMV Inc., and a potential cure for many cancers.
|
Nova Scotia | Health/bio-sciences, Innovation, Oceans, Research & development |
RAP TechnologiesIf at first you don't succeed, keep pushing forward. This is Kent Ferguson's motto and the foundation on which he is building RAP Technologies, a green start-up that is using recycled materials to produce a weighted runner for lobster traps.
|
New Brunswick | Get to the next step, Innovation, Oceans, Seize opportunity, Traditional sectors |
Anaconda MiningFor Anaconda Mining, innovation helps define the corporate culture. The publicly-traded Canadian gold mining and exploration company, with operations in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, is no stranger to finding innovative technology solutions to operational challenges.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Innovation, Key partnerships, Process improvement |
Suncoast SeafoodFor Suncoast Seafood, providing the highest-quality processed lobster products to the American, Canadian, European and Asian markets requires both great shellfish and equally great technology.
|
New Brunswick | Export, Innovation, Oceans, Process improvement, Traditional sectors |
JMN EnterprisesFor 20 years, JMN Enterprises Inc., has successfully built its wood products company on three key pillars: diversity, flexibility, and quality. Today the family-owned and -operated company has upwards of 40 employees at peak times, 50 different products for sale, and a 20,000 square foot manufacturing plant.
|
New Brunswick | Innovation, Traditional sectors |
CarbonCure TechnologiesCarbonCure Technologies has brought a breath of fresh air – and much more – to the ready mix concrete market. The Dartmouth-based company retrofits concrete plants with a technology that recycles waste carbon dioxide to make a stronger, greener product.
|
Nova Scotia | Clean technology, Health/bio-sciences, Innovation, Seize opportunity |
Kaneshii Vinyl PressGideon Banahene wants to bring music to his customers' ears. Literally. Gideon is the owner of Kaneshii Vinyl Press Limited, Canada's newest full-service vinyl record pressing facility and the only company of its kind in Atlantic Canada.
|
Prince Edward Island | Get to the next step, Seize opportunity |
Prelam EnterprisesIn 2005, Prelam Enterprises Ltd. introduced Just'a Drop, an odour neutralizer used in advance of using the toilet. Today, the innovative product is sold in such stores as Walmart, Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart.
|
New Brunswick | Commercialization, Export, Health/bio-sciences |
Virtual Marine TechnologyMore than 14 years ago, Anthony Patterson was a student at Memorial University in St. John's. He was exploring how to improve the way lifeboats were launched during hurricanes. What he discovered was a much bigger issue - and a much bigger commercial need.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Digital industries, Innovation, Oceans, Seize opportunity |
FonemedMore than 20 years ago, Fonemed, LLC started with one client in Oregon. Today, the Canada-U.S. telehealth company has 2,300 client groups serving more than 10 million people in North America alone.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Digital industries, Get to the next step, Health/bio-sciences, Research & development, Seize opportunity |
Ébénisterie Foxwoods MillworkWhile old-world quality is central to the custom woodwork designed and fashioned by Ébénisterie Foxwoods Millwork in Beresford, New Brunswick, new advances in technology are enabling the company to grow its market share.
|
New Brunswick | Advanced manufacturing, Process improvement, Regional challenges, Traditional sectors |
J&S OystersWhen Luc Léger launched his company, J&S Oysters, in 2014, he sank 33 cages that year in Cocagne Harbour. In 2017, that number reached 1,520. Modernization has always been central to the New Brunswick company’s increasing success.
|
New Brunswick | Food sector, Get to the next step, Oceans, Process improvement, Traditional sectors |
PhotoDynamicEntrepreneurs at a Nova Scotia start-up have something to smile about. PhotoDynamic is poised to change the oral health of individuals around the world who produce a lot of plaque, or bacteria, on their teeth.
|
Nova Scotia | Get to the next step, Health/bio-sciences, Innovation, Seize opportunity |
Thompson Potato CompanyCustomers, staff and potato lovers will all benefit from a recent expansion at Thompson Potato Company. The Victoria, PEI, company has completed a new state-of-the-art ventilated storage expansion and installed optical sorting equipment to increase processing capability.
|
Prince Edward Island | Food sector, Process improvement, Traditional sectors |
Dubé FarmsThe Dubé family has been growing potatoes since the late 1800s. Today, Mike Dubé and his father George oversee 1,200 acres of land as well as a packing and storage facility with a capacity of 6,500 tonnes. Their operation employs up to 30 employees for the planting, growing, harvesting, and packing season.
|
New Brunswick | Export, Food sector, Innovation, Traditional sectors |
Lennox Island Development CorporationIn the 1930s, the federal Department of Fisheries (as it was then known) operated a thriving oyster hatchery in Ellerslie, PEI. In the decades that followed, however, the marine centre fell into disrepair and the hatchery dried up.
|
Prince Edward Island | Food sector, Indigenous, Oceans, Seize opportunity, Traditional sectors |
SubC ControlEight years ago Chad Collet and Adam Rowe were working in a basement trying to launch their subsea video company. “We developed things quickly. We made lots of mistakes,” says Chad, the company’s chief technology officer.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Aerospace, Export, Innovation, Oceans, Seize opportunity |
Jumping Bean CoffeeWith every small purchase, customers of Jumping Bean Coffee make a big impact – on their taste buds and the environment. Not only does the Mount Pearl, NL-based company serve up a delicious brew, customers can relish each sip knowing the coffee is both fair trade and organic.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Clean technology, Food sector |
Maison BeauSoleilMaison BeauSoleil, which produces, packages and ships premium oysters, has a new pearl in its production process. The Néguac, N.B., company has developed a one-of-a-kind automated system that sorts, counts and boxes oysters.
|
New Brunswick | Food sector, Innovation, Oceans, Process improvement |
Novonix Battery Testing ServicesDr. Chris Burns gets a charge out of answering seemingly unanswerable questions. As a PhD candidate at Dalhousie University, Chris was looking to determine how long lithium batteries would last.
|
Nova Scotia | Get to the next step, Innovation, Seize opportunity |
Terra Beata FarmsMany people looked at the stretch of land for sale in Heckman's Island, Lunenburg, and all they saw was a bog. Evelyn and David Ernst saw an opportunity.
|
Nova Scotia | Export, Food sector, Restructuring, Seize opportunity |
Orenda Software SolutionsToday public image is as important to companies – or more so – than any other part of their operations. Orenda Software Solutions, based in Membertou, N.S., provides unique insight into just how well companies, their products, and their people are being perceived.
|
Nova Scotia | Digital industries, Get to the next step, Key partnerships, Regional challenges |
Jaza EnergyToday, more than one billion people are living without electricity. Jaza Energy is helping to light the way for those in some of the most remote areas on earth using an innovative form of clean technology.
|
New Brunswick | Clean technology, Innovation, Seize opportunity |
Atlantic Grown OrganicsBusiness was booming for Marc and Krista Schurman, owners of Atlantic Grown Organics, the label for their family farm in Kensington, PEI. To meet that demand, they realized their greenhouse production would need to be year-round.
|
Prince Edward Island | Food sector, Seize opportunity |
Advanced Extraction SystemsWhen David Campbell co-founded Advanced Extraction Systems two years ago, there was already an established market in the pharmaceutical sector for the specialized technology his PEI-based firm had to offer. However, he knew that when the laws regarding cannabis use changed, that market would explode.
|
Prince Edward Island | Export, Health/bio-sciences, Key partnerships, Seize opportunity |
BASE EngineeringBeing successful in the global marketplace requires companies to know two things very well: their industry and their clients. "We rely on our customers and our expertise to tell us what's needed," says Steve Belyea, president of BASE Engineering.
|
New Brunswick | Advanced manufacturing, Export, Seize opportunity, Workforce |
QRA Corp.For Jordan Kyriakidis's customers, failure is not an option. His company, QRA Corp, helps clients ensure the systems they develop are failsafe.
|
Nova Scotia | Aerospace, Commercialization, Digital industries, Get to the next step, Key partnerships |
Somru BioScienceAt present, 70% of Somru BioScience's clients are based in North America. It is an important market for the biotechnology company that develops antibody technology, which can be used to accelerate the drug-development process.
|
Prince Edward Island | ExportHealth/bio-sciences, Key partnerships |
Superior Glove WorksSuperior Glove Works Limited has been in business for 56 years. There is one reason for its longevity, says President Tony Geng, and that is innovation.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Advanced manufacturing, Innovation |
Green Power LabsGreen Power Labs' first foray into the global market was a matter of luck – an engineer in Australia called the Nova Scotia company out of the blue – but its continued success on the international playing field has been the result of forethought and planning.
|
Nova Scotia | Clean technology, Commercialization, Export, Key partnerships |
Genoa Design InternationalGenoa Design founder Leonard Pecore graduated from the Marine Institute in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador with a certificate in shipbuilding design during the early 90s, at a time when shipbuilding in Canada had seen better days.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Digital industries, Innovation, Key partnerships, Oceans, Workforce |
FireadyCustomers today want to purchase high-quality products – and they want to purchase them from companies that share their values. One of those values dear to customers is a commitment to the environment.
|
New Brunswick | Clean technology, Commercialization, Process improvement |
W.P. GriffinA consumer demand for washed potatoes over 30 years ago set a Prince Edward Island company on a path to innovation that has allowed it to remain a market leader.
|
Prince Edward Island | Commercialization, Food sector, Innovation, Process improvement |
Tronos Leasing and MaintenanceTronos Leasing and Maintenance located in Prince Edward Island first launched in 2001 to provide maintenance services for Tronos Aviation owned assets. Up until that time the UK-based company was an aviation leasing company only, providing jets to main line carriers like United and US Air.
|
Prince Edward Island | Aerospace, Commercialization, Innovation |
RtTech SoftwareRtTech Software, located in Moncton, New Brunswick, is a software company that specifically operates within the industrial space, helping companies optimize their productivity to maximize their returns. But RtTech had to focus on getting the right staff in order to get there.
|
New Brunswick | Commercialization, Digital industries, Export, Innovation, Research & development, Restructuring, Seize opportunity |
Rollo Bay HoldingsRollo Bay Holdings, owners of Keenan Potatoes, is the largest agriculture entity in Eastern Prince Edward Island specializing in reds, yellows and russets for consumer and food service industries.
|
Prince Edward Island | Export, Food sector, Innovation, Traditional sectors, Workforce |
QuorumThe next time you're shopping for a new car, take a moment to think about what might be under the hood at your local dealership. For Quorum, it would hope it's their flagship dealership management software XSELLERATOR – a comprehensive solution that automates, integrates, and streamlines every department in a dealership.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Digital industries, Innovation, Key partnerships, Workforce |
Kenney & RossThe next time you bite into your frozen TV dinner you might be consuming some of the food-based gelatin products produced by Shelburne Nova Scotia-based Kenney & Ross.
|
Nova Scotia | Export, Innovation, Oceans, Seize opportunity, Traditional sectors |
J.D. IrvingJ.D. Irving (JDI), based in Saint John, New Brunswick, employs thousands of employees across the region. The company's core business operates in the forest products sector and includes the manufacturing of lumber, pulp and paper, and tissue products.
|
New Brunswick | Advanced manufacturing, Export, Innovation, Research & development |
Frontier Power SystemsPrince Edward Island-based Frontier Power Systems' innovation is providing light to some of Canada's most northern communities – regions where access to energy sources has remained almost impossible.
|
Prince Edward Island | Clean technology, Innovation, Process improvement |
Eastern Fabricators IncorporatedEastern Fabricators International (EFI) in Georgetown, Prince Edward Island, opened its doors to customers in January 2013, providing specialized manufacturing of equipment, including automation solutions for the food processing sector.
|
Prince Edward Island | Clean technology, Commercialization, Get to the next step, Innovation, Key partnerships, Research & development |
BluedropNewfoundland and Labrador entrepreneur Emad Rizkalla believes that, today, innovation is the only way for businesses to hedge their bets. And, as it turns out, the biggest challenge for Rizkalla was finding the capital investment necessary for growth and continued investment in innovation and R&D.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Digital industries, Export, Innovation, Oceans, Restructuring, Workforce |
Louisbourg SeafoodsThe old saying "necessity is the mother of invention" could describe how Louisbourg Seafoods started in 1984. Jim and Lori Kennedy were both displaced fish plant workers following the collapse of the Atlantic ground fishery. The two recognized an opportunity where many did not.
|
Nova Scotia | Food sector, Innovation, Key partnerships, Oceans, Regional challenges, Seize opportunity, Workforce |
IPL PlasticsThe next time you dive into your favourite yogurt snack, take a look at the packaging. Chances are it may have come from IPL's plant in Edmundston, New Brunswick.
|
New Brunswick | Advanced manufacturing, Export, Innovation, Traditional sectors |
Dynamic Air SheltersMaking the shift from professional balloonist to being the premier solutions-based provider of protective structures may not seem like a logical path, but it's exactly how Dynamic Air Shelters was born.
|
Newfoundland and Labrador | Advanced manufacturing, Export, Innovation, Research & development, Workforce |
Page details
- Date modified: