Mississauga's
Pioneering Technology has been recognized as one of the leading innovative small businesses in Canada by the 2011
Innovations@Work Awards handed out by Rogers and
Profit magazine. The awards recognize Canadian companies that have fewer than 20 employees--
in the words of the organizers, "the only award of its kind in Canada, it celebrates the next generation of innovative small
companies whose big ideas move their businesses and their industries
forward."
Pioneering was recognized for its Safe-T stovetop cooking system, which is designed to prevent cooking fires, the leading cause of household fires in Canada. According to
a recent profile in Profit, the system was designed in 2000 by Indian-born former NASA engineer and Pioneering founder Reza Shah after a small cooking fire in his own kitchen almost bunt down his own home. The element shuts itself off if it reaches a temperature higher than 350 degrees celsius and keeping the power off until they have cooled down.
After initially encountering resistance in the market, the company shifted its marketing focus substantially in 2006 and 2007. The changes brought success--the company has now reported a profit in six consecutive quarters.
Pioneering CEO
Kevin Callahan greeted the innovation award as evidence the years of hard work are paying off. "We have worked
hard to develop and bring some of our innovative product solutions to
market. We have done a lot of heavy lifting ... and we are now seeing the benefits."
Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Kevin Callahan, CEO, Pioneering Technology; Profit Magazine