Dennis Parass Named Niagara Entrepreneur of the Decade
MEDIA RELEASE FROM NIAGARA ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
EMBARGOED UNTIL 10:00 PM, OCTOBER 24, 2003
RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED
2003 NIAGARA ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
(October 24, 2003 – Niagara Falls, ON) – The 10th Annual Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards took place this evening at a gala awards ceremony held at the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel in Niagara. The awards honoured recipients in ten categories.
In addition to the annual awards categories, the Entrepreneur of the Decade Award was added this year to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the awards. The Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards is proud that Dennis Parass, of Handling Specialty has been honoured with this award.
Now celebrating Handling Specialty’s 40th anniversary, Dennis Parass began his career with the company in the early 1980’s. Today, the Grimsby based company has achieved international recognition as an innovative problem-solver serving the automotive, aerospace and entertainment industries, to name a few. Almost every product that goes out the door has been custom-engineered and manufactured, earning the company, and Dennis Parass, a reputation for being able to think outside the box, identify the heart of the challenge and successfully arrive at a creative solution. The talent and perseverance of Dennis Parass continues to reap impressive results, with Handling Specialty lifts found at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, General Motors, Las Vegas and Walt Disney World.
Handling Specialty won a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest underwater hydraulic stage, found at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas for the Cirque du Soleil show “O”. But perhaps the highest accolades come from colleagues for the man himself. Dennis Parass is known as a “visioneer”, an engineer with vision, and just as important, admired by those who know him as a man of wisdom and integrity
“Having such a deserving group of nominees made it very difficult for the judges to make their decisions”, said Meredith Simon (Brock University), co-chair of the Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. “We congratulate each and every nominee for their important contribution to the Niagara Community”, said Doug Frazer (Kwik Mix Materials), co-chair of the Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
This year’s recipients include:
Hall of Fame Historical Award – (bestowed) – the late Ablan Leon, Leon’s Furniture Ltd. - Welland
Brock University, Faculty of Business Lifetime Achievement Award – (bestowed) – Bill Goertz, and the late Abraham (Ed) Regier, Niagara Credit Union - St. Catharines
Casino Niagara Cares Community Contribution Award – (bestowed) – the late Frank Branscombe, River Realty Development Ltd. - Niagara Falls
Innovative Small Business Award – Nicolette Novak, The Good Earth Cooking School – Beamsville
Bell Canada Emerging Entrepreneur Award – Kelly Exelby & Cheri O’Reilly, White on White – St. Catharines
CIBC Established Enterprise Award – Keith Cumming, Prime Way Companies Ltd. – Welland
KPMG Family Enterprise Award – Laurence Cohen & Steven Cohen, Salit Steel Ltd. – Niagara Falls
Niagara College Technological Innovation Award – Francis Balogh, Star Headlight & Lantern Co. of Canada Ltd. – Niagara Falls
PBB Global Logistics International Trade Award – John Howard, Vineland Estates Winery - Vineland
Niagara Entrepreneur of the Decade – Dennis Parass, Handling Specialty – Grimsby
Sponsors of the 2003 Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Awards include:
Platinum
Bell Canada – Brock University, Faculty of Business – Casino Niagara Cares – CIBC
KPMG Enterprise – Niagara College – PBB Global Logistics
Gold
Alderson, Caters & Hardy Inc. – Business Development Bank of Canada
The Institute For Enterprise Education
Silver
Cogeco Community Television – General Motors of Canada Limited, The St. Catharines Plants Hernder Estate Wines – Lincoln Fabrics – Niagara Economic & Tourism Corporation
The Review – Small Business Club Niagara Inc. – The Standard – The Tribune
Bronze
Kwik Mix Materials – MicroAge Niagara – RVW Printing – Horn Abbot Ltd, Trivial Pursuit
- 30 -
For information, contact Organizing Committee co-chairs:
| Meredth Simon Brock University, Faculty of Business 905-688-5550, Ext 3897 |
Doug Frazer Kwik Mix Materials 905-834-6177 |
