Matias Marquez turned his electronic solution to gift giving into Buyatab, a company that benefits consumers, brands, and distributors, and catapulted his company to No. 3 overall on the 2016 PROFIT 500 list of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies, earning him the title ‘Entrepreneur of the Year, Pacific, 2016.’

Businesses in various sectors have been forced to stretch resources as far as they can go. As an answer to this ever-present challenge, Facility Source’s software, maintenance and services are a complete package of next-level facility management solutions. The company’s facility management is used by some of the biggest brands in the world.

Just north of Houston is The Woodlands area of Texas, an area known for petrochemical corporations such as Chevron Phillips, Baker Hughes, and ExxonMobil. TETRA Technologies, Inc. is strategically headquartered here to serve oil and gas industries across the United States. Geographically diversified TETRA Technologies is focused on providing products and services for water management, selected offshore works, decommissioning, and more.

Sky Climber Renewables began in 1955 as a manufacturer of suspended access equipment to get people up the exterior of buildings to perform services. The Sky Climber family of businesses serves many work-at-height industries in the industrial and commercial markets. We spoke with Vice President of Sales and Business Development Chad DiFranco and General Manager Tom Warchol to find out more.

Last May, I spoke with Ontario’s largest solar provider, Grasshopper Solar of Mississauga. We discussed the residential market, the cost of solar and how the general public needs to be educated about the benefits of solar technologies. Now, we celebrate its tenth anniversary and look to President and Chief Executive Officer Azeem Qureshi for the latest developments in the solar industry and within the company itself.

BDA Partners is an investment bank which specializes in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), capital raising, valuation and financial restructuring. BDA primarily executes in cross-border transactions involving Asia and specializes in deals with enterprise values of up to $1 billion USD.

Financial services company Pinnacle Wealth Brokers’ business model focuses on diligent research to provide attractive, unbiased, private investment opportunities for retail investors. Pinnacle has been a forerunner in the private placement of funds for Canadian clients and, as a result of its success, has been recognized as one of the top growth companies in Canada in 2013 by Profit Magazine as well as one of the Fast 50 Growth companies for both 2013 and 2014 by Alberta Venture Magazine.

Independent Financial Concepts Group is a Managing General Agency offering insurance and financial products from Canada’s leading providers, along with financial planning and guidance from highly trained advisors. Business in Focus spoke with CEO Gary Mandel and Eric Benchetrit, Director of Professional Development, to learn about how IFCG’s innovative approach to leadership in the financial services and insurance industry.

The Usand Group is a capital firm headquartered in Manitoba, Canada that works with First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities and organizations. By creating access to funding for economic development, housing and infrastructure projects, The Usand Group fosters long-term growth and stability. As its company states, “We understand how culture fits into vision, and take pride in weaving them together for a one-of-a-kind solution.”

After two years of planning everything from the type of marble for the floors to high-end brass finishings and even the most aesthetic placement of basil leaves on a Margherita pizza, Bottega Louie opened its doors on April 6, 2009 and was an immediate success.

NuGo Nutrition is a lifestyle food company that believes that when it comes to healthy snack food, great taste and nutrition are not mutually exclusive. It was founded more than a decade ago by David Levine and Keith Rohrlick out of a desire to create something better than what was available on the market at the time. They saw a need for a health food snack that did not sacrifice taste for function, and they worked at finding ways to accomplish the task.

Forty five years ago, near Wall St., Mike Carty opened the first Rosie O’Grady’s restaurant with his business partner Austin Delaney. It moved to a second location three years later, in 1975, also in the Wall Street area in Manhattan. In 1977, the third Rosie O’Grady’s opened in Midtown Manhattan, and since 1981, it has been in its current location, 800 Seventh Ave., in the Broadway Theater District of Midtown Manhattan.

Trillions of dollars flow through the U.S. financial system in a multitude of transactions between people, businesses, banks and corporations and whether these actors are aware of it or not, standards and regulations are necessary to the success of these transactions.

Telgian, with headquarters in Phoenix, offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta and Delaware, and inspectors in thirty-five states, has been providing comprehensive physical plant fire protection, life safety and security to commercial, industrial, medical and educational facilities since 1985.

Safety is big business. An entire industry has formed to help workplaces meet stringent safety requirements and keep their workers healthy. From private consultants to personal protective equipment manufacturers, this industry has an answer to every employer’s safety needs.

Heavy North continues to make headlines. The civil construction business has relocated its headquarters, launched two new companies, and survived a forest fire since Business in Focus profiled the firm for the second time last year. This month, we sat down with the team for a third time and learned the latest news.

Wicker Emporium, also referred to as WE, carries contemporary, modern and rustic solid wood furnishings and home décor of the highest quality. For forty-five years, WE has continued to expand its range of products as it spreads to markets across Canada.

Westcana Electric serves residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout western Canada. The electrical contractor boasts offices in Calgary, Prince George, Terrace, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson, and Fort Nelson, so the team can handle maintenance calls anywhere at any time, day or night.

Located in southwestern West Virginia, Mingo County is in the heart of coal country. In response to the decline of the American coal industry, the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority is forming strategic partnerships and embracing new opportunities to diversify the county’s economic base.

Jefferson County, situated a mere 40-minute drive west of Washington Dulles International Airport, is centrally positioned in the Mid-Atlantic business corridor, and is the only county in West Virginia within the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is made up of more than 200 square miles of West Virginia woodlands and cities like Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown, Ranson, and Bolivar. The county is bounded by the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and the Blue Ridge Mountains.