2014 Winners and Nominees

  1. Home
  2. 2014 Winners and Nominees
 

Congratulations to the 2014 RBC Innovation Award Winners:

Innovation Award Winners

(From Left to Right): Derreck Legros, Nicole Reid, Catherine Leonard, Myint Win Bo, Marv Detweiler

Innovative Company of the Year: Auto Flex Air Ride Suspensions

Auto Flex is founded by Derreck and Paul Legros and is located here in Thunder Bay. The Auto Flex Air Ride Suspension system delivers the ideal vehicle ride height under any payload condition resulting in significant handling, safety, cost, and ride comfort improvements for truck owners.  The Auto Flex has third party measured improvements of allowing trucks to brake 20.75 ft shorter from 60 miles per hour, increases acceleration, and results in less wear and tear on vehicles. In the past year the company has tripled their sales.

 

Project of the Year: DST Engineering and Ecosuperior

DST Engineering in conjunction with Ecosuperior have developed an in-situ sediment test that allows for the accurate characterization of soft sediments in Thunder Bay’s harbour. This test greatly aids in the ability to develop an effective strategy to remediate the harbour of sediments from 90 years of pulp and paper mill operation.

Innovation Hero of the Year: Nicole Reid of Yuleys Hexarmor

Nicole is the founder of Yuleys Footwear, a rubber shoe cover for work boots that prevents contaminants from entering indoors. Nicole is a true representative of strong character, determination, perseverance and what a ‘never give up’ attitude can do with an innovative product. Nicole recently sold her company to Hex Armor and is now the Global Sales Manager for the Yuleys product line.

Video including Nicole and her story

Video of Yuleys Product

Young Innovator of the Year: Catherine Leonard of the Eco-Bus

 

Catherine has developed a truly unique business with an environmental and social conscience. The Eco-Bus is a mobile education centre that runs on vegetable oil, solar, wind, and creativity. The Eco-Bus offers curriculum-based and community program that focuses on Environmental Education and Science for students in grades 4 to 8.

 

 

Advisor of the Year: Marv Detweiler

Marv has be instrumental in assisting early stage companies by finding them financing and navigating the investment world. Marv has consulted with numerous companies to help them grow here in Thunder Bay. Marv also works with Ambassadors Northwest and is a true asset to the community at large.

 

The 2014 RBC Innovation Award Nominees:

 

Innovative Company of the Year:

  • Auto Flex Air Ride Suspensions – For their suspension system that uses air instead of springs to improve ride comfort and safety for truck owners
  • DST Engineering – For their cutting edge research and stewardship in environmental sustainability
  • Lake of the Woods Brewing Company – For their diverse company portfolio that includes a brewhouse, a taproom & eatery, a retail store, and an online shop that is shaping Kenora
  • Hupe Manufacturing – Who have developed a unique anodizing process that extends the wear resistance of materials
  • Takemetuit – For their highly accurate indoor positioning system that navigates customers to items of interest in-store on mobile devices

Project of the Year:

  • DST Engineering and Ecosuperior  – For the development of a sediment test to provide more information about the materials underwater in the Thunder Bay harbour to remediate the area
  • Heart of the Continent Project – A cross-border project between Ontario and Minnesota to promote the economic, cultural, and tourism aspects of communities in these regions.
  • Path of the Paddle Committee – A regional tourism initiative that is aiming to be a link in the chain to provide the World’s longest network of multi-use recreational trails to stretch from Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast.
  • Screen for Life Coach – A mobile cancer screening clinic that provides access to women in 60 locations across Northwestern Ontario to get screened for cervical, colorectal, and breast cancer.

Innovation Hero of the Year:

Young Innovator of the Year:

  • Catherine Leonard, The Eco-Bus
  • Christopher Rudnicki, Rudnicki Industrial
  • Greg Togtema
  • Gregary Sanders