Aeryon Labs wins Ontario Exporter of the Year award
by Michael Ouellette
The Waterloo, Ont.-based drone manufacturer also takes home Consumer Products & Technology award at Awards gala
Dave Kroetsch, CEO and co-founder of Aeryon Labs Inc. (centre) with his two Ontario Export Awards, including the top award for Exporter of the Year. He is joined by (left) Frank Venturo, senior vice-president and country head of business banking with HSBC Canada, and (right) Daniel Leslie, senior vice-president and head of corporate banking for Canada at HSBC. HSBC was the platinum sponsor of the Ontario Export Awards
TORONTO—Aeryon Labs Inc. was named Ontario’s Exporter of the Year Nov. 25 at the inaugural Ontario Export Awards.
The manufacturer of small unmanned aerial vehicles commonly known as “drones” also won the award for Consumer Products & Technology.
The Ontario Export Awards—the province’s most prestigious awards paying tribute to the success and innovative approaches of Ontario export companies—recognized top exporting companies in Ontario with awards in 10 categories. The awards are a celebration of the contributions exporters have made to both the provincial and national economy.
There was plenty of innovation on tap, with 26 companies vying for nine category awards. The finalists—all of which were small or medium-sized businesses— represented industries across Ontario’s goods-producing and services sectors.
The full list of winners includes:
- Emerging Exporter: Mirus International Inc. in Brampton, Ont.
- Clean Technology: Nuform Building Technologies Inc. in Woodbridge, Ont.
- Consumer Products & Technology: Aeryon Labs Inc. in Waterloo, Ont.
- Food, Beverage & Agriculture: Jaylor Fabricating Inc. in East Garafraxa, Ont.
- Services – Polycorp Ltd. in Toronto
- Value-Added Manufactured Goods: Mircom Group of Companies in Vaughan, Ont.
- Transportation Equipment: Inkas Armored Vehicle Manufacturing in Toronto
- Leadership: Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc. in Kitchener, Ont.
- Business Studies Student Award – Snow Zhao, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto
- Exporter of the Year – Aeryon Labs Inc. in Waterloo, Ont.
“As the organizer of the Ontario Export Awards, Business Information Group couldn’t be more pleased to have the opportunity to recognize and celebrate some of the province’s top exporters,” said Tim Dimopoulos, executive publisher with Business Information Group.
“Competition for the awards was tight, and we congratulate the significant achievement of those who made the finalist round, and those who won awards.”
The 2014 Ontario Export Awards were organized with the support of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), Canada’s largest trade and industry association, and was sponsored by HSBC Bank Canada, UPS, Lincoln Electric Co. of Canada, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise and the Port of Montreal.
The Ontario Export Awards are produced by CanadianManufacturing.com, Plant Magazine and Business Information Group (a division of Glacier Media Inc.)
