NEWS RELEASES
PETTIGREW ANNOUNCES NAMES OF WINNERS OF THE CANADA EXPORT AWARDS
September 24, 2001 (9:30 a.m. EDT) No. 133
PETTIGREW ANNOUNCES NAMES OF WINNERS OF THE CANADA
EXPORT AWARDS
International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew today announced the names of the ten
companies that are the winners of the 2001 Canada Export Awards. The Minister will
present the awards to the winners tonight in Montreal, at a gala dinner to be held by the
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
From east to west, the winning companies are:
• Grand Atlantic Seafoods, St. John's, Newfoundland;
• Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, Windsor, Nova Scotia;
• The Shaw Group Limited, Halifax, Nova Scotia;
• FieldTurf Inc., Montreal, Quebec;
• LAUZON, Distinctive Hardwood Flooring, Papineauville, Quebec;
• Teknion Corporation, Toronto, Ontario;
• The Pressure Pipe Inspection Company Ltd., Mississauga, Ontario;
• Kitsaki Meats Limited Partnership, La Ronge, Saskatchewan;
• Global Thermoelectric Inc., Calgary, Alberta; and
• Fincentric Corporation, Richmond, British Columbia.
"Canadians throughout the country profit from the dynamism and success of Canada's
export companies," said Minister Pettigrew. "This year's winners have had a highly
beneficial effect on their communities -- last year, they provided over 6700 jobs and
generated over $657.5 million in export sales."
Six of the winning companies will also receive special achievement awards:
• Fincentric Corporation -- Challenging Markets Achievement Award;
• Global Thermoelectric Inc. -- Innovation and Technology Achievement Award;
• Kitsaki Meats Limited Partnership -- Aboriginal Business Achievement Award;
• LAUZON, Distinctive Hardwood Flooring -- Continuous Quality Achievement Award;
• The Pressure Pipe Inspection Company Ltd. -- Smaller Exporter Achievement Award;
and
• The Shaw Group Limited -- Job Creation Achievement Award.
The name of the winner of the prestigious Exporter of the Year Award will be
announced this evening during the awards presentation ceremony. A news release
about the winner will also be issued at that time.
The following sponsors have joined with the Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade to recognize the excellent work of Canada's exporters through these
awards: Export Development Corporation, Pratt & Whitney Canada Inc., Canada
Economic Development for Quebec Regions, Sun Life Financial, the National Post,
RBC Financial Group, and the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
"We greatly appreciate the contribution of the sponsors of the Canada Export Awards,"
said Mr. Pettigrew. "Their commitment enables us to celebrate the achievements of
Canada's exporters and to give Canadian companies even more encouragement to
expand their business in export markets."
For the second year in a row, the presentation ceremony for the Canada Export Awards
will be broadcast live on the Web, starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. To view the
webcast, go to the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters site at www.cme-mec.ca.
For more information about the 2001 Canada Export Awards, or to obtain an application
form for the 2002 awards program, please visit the Canada Export Awards Web site at
http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/awards-prix.
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A backgrounder is attached.
Profiles of the winning companies are available on request.
For further information or to arrange an interview, media representatives are asked to
contact:
Sébastien Théberge
Office of the Minister for International Trade
(613) 992-7332
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
Backgrounder
Since 1983, the Canada Export Awards have recognized over 200 Canadian companies
that have distinguished themselves through their spirit of innovation and the excellence
of the goods and services that they export around the world.
Established by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, these awards
spotlight the success and achievements of Canadian companies that have expanded
their activities beyond Canada's borders. These exporters become symbols of Canadian
success abroad, and of the health of the Canadian economy.
For Canada, trade remains the primary engine of economic growth. In fact, Canadian
exports of goods and services totalled $249 billion for the first six months of 2001, an
increase of 6.5 percent compared with the same period last year. In 2000, Canadian
exports increased by nearly 15 percent over 1999 and totalled $477.9 billion -- close to
45.3 percent of Canada's gross domestic product (GDP). This was the highest
percentage of any of the G-7 economies.
To be eligible for the Canada Export Awards, companies must be based in Canada and
have actively exported their goods or services for at least three years. Finalists and
winners are selected according to several criteria, including their ability to meet
worldwide competition, their spirit of innovation, their willingness to take risks, and their
commitment to excellence.
This year, the Canada Export Awards are taking place on September 24 at the Annual
Convention of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters at the Sheraton Hotel in
Montreal. The presentation ceremony is being hosted by Robert Guy Scully.
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