Owner of Capitol Welding Ltd. wins BDC's Young Entrepreneur Award for Manitoba
(Winnipeg, Manitoba October 17, 2006) From a one-man mobile welding business operating out of the back of a truck, Jeff Ganczar has built Capitol Welding Ltd. into a multi-faceted structural steel business that employs 60 people, occupies a 35,000 square foot facility and regularly takes on multi-million-dollar construction projects. For this remarkable success, Jeff, 31, will be honoured tonight at a ceremony in Moncton, New Brunswick with BDC's Young Entrepreneur Award for Manitoba.
Capitol Welding Ltd. fabricates structural steel and miscellaneous metal items for industrial and commercial markets. Projects include everything from bridgework to buildings, to providing steel work for paper mills, saw mills, mines and hydro electric power companies. While the bulk of Capitol Welding's clients are in Manitoba, the company has expanded its client base to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and into the U.S.
Jeff has never looked back since leaving the relative security of a salaried job and striking out on his own with a welding machine and a truck in 1998. He soon began supplementing his mobile welding work by doing small fabrication projects in his father's garage, moving on to a small shop with one employee and steadily growing from there. "I intend to continue to expand as aggressively as I can," he says.
Building bridges to success
An important milestone came for Capitol Welding in 2000 when Jeff bid on and won - a $500,000 contract to supply metal stairs and access platforms for the floodway gates in Winnipeg. By that point, he explains, he had saved up enough money to bankroll a project of that size. Today, Capitol Welding is embarking on another first fabricating a $3 million plus bridge that will require 900 tons of steel. Jeff is also proud of a major project the company is currently working on that involves replacing a collapsed roof on a saw mill in The Pas, Manitoba. "When the client called me, I got on a plane and went up there. I said we could fix it and by the next day was making preparations to mobilize on-site," he explains.
This can-do attitude, a commitment to bending over backwards for customers and a focus on quality control have served Jeff well. "We have a strong desire to please customers and give them what they want," he emphasizes. "When you own a company, you have more bosses than if you work for somebody. Each of your customers is a boss."
"Jeff stands out as a role model for young Canadian entrepreneurs," says BDC President and CEO Jean-René Halde. "Starting with one welding machine in the back of a truck, he has built a thriving business that generates jobs and fuels the economy. It's a pleasure to recognize his passion, drive and excellence with this award."
For Jeff, one of the secrets to success involves devoting a good portion of his life to his business. "That's what I've done and intend to continue to do," he says. But I don't consider it to be a sacrifice. I really like to work."
Recognition for young entrepreneurs
A major feature of Small Business Week, BDC's Young Entrepreneur Awards recognize the entrepreneurial spirit and business success of Canadians between the ages of 19 and 35. The winners one from each province and territory are selected by a committee based on criteria including success, growth potential, innovation, participation in new economy activities and community involvement. The committee also considers export performance, the entrepreneur's age when the business was started and any special challenges overcome.
Small Business Week partners
National partners help make Small Business Week a success. Western Economic Diversification, WestJet, Rogers, Export and Development Canada, CFIB and Intuit Canada are official partners of the 2006 Small Business Week and Young Entrepreneur Awards. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has been a privileged partner of the event since 1981.
About BDC
BDC is a financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada. BDC actively supports the development and growth of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses through its complementary financial, investment and consulting solutions. BDC is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2007.
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