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Small Business Week's gala recognizes New Brunswick firms

Hailed by the premier as New Brunswick's trailblazers in business, 15 companies were honoured with Innovation Recognition Awards Monday night.

Standing before a packed banquet room at Danny's Conference Centre in Beresford, Shawn Graham lauded the firms, each nominated for creating and adopting innovative practices.

"For much of our province's history, our economy was based mainly on industries that harnessed our natural resources,'' Graham told the gathering. "But now, at the outset of the 21st century, we're thriving more and more on account of our human resources.

"Increasingly, we're using our own vision to be competitive in the knowledge economy. And in light of the ground-breaking work being done by the companies represented here tonight, it's clear that we are succeeding."

Nominated by business development agencies across the province, the winners include one company that uses wireless technology to monitor and control the flow of sap in its production of organic maple syrup (Canadian Organic Maple of Bath); another that uses reverse osmosis as a means to clean drinking water (Atlantic Nuclear Services of Fredericton); and, one that manufactures cushy bicycle seats and sells them via the Internet to buyers all over the world (Spongy Wonder of Riverview).

"New Brunswick is home to many dynamic and motivated companies," Business New Brunswick Minister Victor Boudreau said. "Although these recipients come from different industries, they recognize the importance of constantly growing and adopting innovative practices.

"They are great entrepreneurs. They have shown great vision and continue to re-invest their success back into their companies."

Other winners were Tire Recycling Atlantic Canada Corp. of Minto; IC Agency Canada of Bathurst; Sticks and Stones Fabricating of St. Stephen; Energy Systems and Design Ltd., of Sussex; Confection 4e Dimension of Saint-L