March 14, 2011

Deloitte, a Canadian professional services firms that provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services, has named the winners of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies for 2010. The program, established in 1993, recognizes excellence in Canadian owned and managed companies. This year’s winners span an array of industries, including lighting and electrical energy suppliers, and have earned the distinction by “demonstrating business excellence through a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management abilities and practices,” said the folks behind the program.

Combined, this year’s winners generated $11.5 billion in revenue and employed more than 52,000 Canadians, they said.

“After two years of shoring up, deleveraging balance sheets and focusing on cost reduction strategies, Canadian businesses now have growth back on the agenda,” said John Hughes, Deloitte partner, Private Company Services, and national leader of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies Program. “Clearly we’re not out of the woods yet, but one of the most impressive aspects of this year’s award recipients is the focus of management teams and employees on growth and investment.”

Here, then, are the 2010 winners from our electrical industry:
• B. A. Robinson Co. Ltd. (Winnipeg, Man.) – Platinum Membership
Celebrating its 75th year of business in Western Canada, B. A. Robinson Co. Ltd. is now also an official member of “Canada’s 50 Best Managed Platinum Club”– with membership restricted to those who have been awarded the title for six consecutive years or more. B.A. Robinson is a fully diversified distributor of plumbing, lighting and electrical products to the construction industry and retail home improvement market in Western Canada, operating from more than 20 distribution warehouses and showrooms in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northwest Ontario.

• E.B.Horsman & Son (Surrey, B.C.) – requalified
E.B. Horsman & Son has requalified as one of “Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies” for 2010. E.B. Horsman & Son is an independently owned and operated British Columbia-based distributor of electrical supplies. Its primary customers are contractors, OEMs, industrial end users, institutions and systems integrators.

• Hatch (Mississauga, Ont.)
Hatch supplies engineering, project and construction management services, process and business consulting and operational services to the mining, metallurgical, energy and infrastructure industries. The employee-owned multidiscipline firm has 65 offices around the world and manage programs and projects with an aggregate value of US$35 billion.

• Ideal Supply (Listowel, Ont.) – requalified
Ideal Supply is a distributor of electrical supplies and NAPA Auto Parts, with its Electrical and Industrial divisions aligned with Affiliated Distributors (AD).  Founded in 1926, Ideal Supply currently has 28 locations throughout central and southwestern Ontario, and in 2011, is celebrating its 85th anniversary.

• Standard Products (St. Laurent, Que.) – requalified
Standard Products Inc. is a supplier of lighting solutions to the commercial, industrial and residential markets. Standard continually seeks out advanced lighting technologies that address market concerns. Standard has a national infrastructure of 16 sales offices and distribution centres, the latter located in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver.

CLICK HERE for the complete list of winners or for more information on the Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies program.