In The News

According to an article in the Toronto Star, Markham tech firm Fresco Microchips Inc. is on the verge of becoming a major player in the television industry. Technology developed by the company was recently purchased by "consumer electronics giants" LG Innotek and Panasonic Electronic Device.

"�the company, headquartered in Markham with design centers in Ottawa and California, is meeting the challenge of decoding and processing TV signals from analog to digital in a shifting marketplace. Manufacturers must create hybrid products for North America, as it undergoes a transition to digital, as well as for emerging markets elsewhere. Fresco's patented technology also offers TV manufacturers a single chip that is not only cheaper but has a universal application.

Greggain, who co-founded Fresco with three colleagues in 2004, believes the company is poised to soar after consumer electronics giants LG Innotek and Panasonic Electronic Devices recently chose Fresco technology for their next-generation television products. The privately held company started with 10 employees and has grown to 48."

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original source Toronto Star

As reported by in the Globe & Mail, Toronto-based Rightsleeve, an online promotional products and design company, recently won the Dell 2009 Small Business Award for "innovative use of technology". The Globe quotes Mark Graham, president and founder of Rightsleeve, as saying  "the combination of our internal operations as well as how we rolled out our online platform is what caught Dell's attention."

"Always "curious about the impact that technology could have on a business," Mr. Graham used technology to differentiate Rightsleeve right off the bat."

"I wanted a Web presence," says Mr. Graham. "I recognized that technology and branding combined could give us a competitive advantage."

"While it was trendy to go online at that time, the technology available didn't have the flexibility the fledgling company needed, nor was it cost effective for a small organization. So Mr. Graham decided that the only route was to bring the development in-house.

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original source Globe & Mail

The Canadian Solar Industries Association's annual conference, held this week at Toronto's Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, signals the beginning of significant growth in Canada's solar power industry. According to the Globe & Mail, Ontario's new "Green Energy Act " is acting as a major impetus for this growing industry and is reason for optimism about the future of solar energy in Canada.

"The law, with its "feed-in tariff" that pays big bucks for solar-generated electricity (and other renewables), is prompting individuals and companies to plan new solar energy projects all over the province. To get the higher prices, some of the hardware must be made in Ontario, and that has pushed manufacturers to set up shop in the province. On just one day last week, two companies announced they will build new solar panel plants in Ontario - Canadian Solar Inc. and Opsun Technologies Inc."

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original source Globe & Mail

Montana Steele, a Toronto-based advertising company, has received 46 National Sales and Marketing Award nominations from the National Association of Home Builders; more than any other North American company. The awards known as the "Nationals" will be presented in 2010 at the International Builders Show. Toronto's Toy Factory Lofts, Liberty Market Lofts, Festival Tower, Bohemian Embassy, and One Bedford are among some of the major developments Montana Steele are being recognized for.

"To receive 46 nominations from such an esteemed group as the NAHB is overwhelming," says Joe Latobesi, partner, Montana Steele. "We are very proud of the work we're doing in the Canadian real estate industry and we are thrilled to see that work being recognized by our peers in the US."

"Clearly, the sheer number of nominations we received - and the number of projects we were able to submit for consideration, demonstrates that our market is thriving and reinforces the growing realization that the Toronto real estate industry is setting the bar for architecture, design, marketing and development around the world."

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original source Toronto Star

According to the National Post, the number of coffee shops in Toronto has been growing significantly over the past decade. Interestingly the proliferation of coffee shops isn't limited to larges chains. Independent coffee shops are emerging and succeeding in neighbourhoods all across the city.

"Toronto has become a city that runs on coffee. Our downtown is thoroughly caffeine-fuelled, as made obvious by the per-square-metre concentration of Starbucks, Timothy's, Second Cups, Tim Hortons and other chains, along with a handful of independent cafes. Then there are the city's loose orbit of coffeetowns, neighbourhoods where coffee shops easily outnumber vegetable stands --or even bars.

Toronto's caffeinated hubs have emerged in the past decade, each shop unequal parts pit stop and ad hoc social centre, catering to the needs of emerging neighbourhoods where a good barista and reliable wi-fi access in the middle of the day has trumped cheap groceries, for adults who need to be fuelled and connected."

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According to the Globe & Mail, Toronto could see the completion of a 50,000 square-foot aquarium at the foot of the CN Tower within the next three years: "a boon for the nearby entertainment and waterfront districts, and for the burgeoning convention business in Toronto". Ripley's Believe It Or Not, the company behind the proposed attraction is also slated to construct a 47,000-square-foot retail and restaurant on the site. While the proposal is still tentative, as no funding plan has yet been finalized, the Canada Lands Company (CLC), (the Crown corporation which owns the CN Tower) have already signed a long-term land lease deal with Ripley.

"There's a reason they're choosing Toronto - it speaks well of the destination," said David Whitaker, the president and chief executive officer of Tourism Toronto. "We're really starting to find our swagger."
But landing the contract to build and operate an aquarium in the shadow of one of Canada's most popular tourist draws is also a coup for Vancouver business titan Jim Pattison: Ripley Entertainment Inc., is a division of his Jim Pattison Group, the third-largest private company in the country.

"The location is magnificent for us," said Tim O'Brien, vice-president of communications for Ripley, which already owns two major aquariums in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn."

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Celebrity chef and entrepreneur Jamie Kennedy, one of the best-known names in the Toronto restaurant scene, is back cooking in Toronto after disappearing for most of 2009 to deal with various business crises. The National Post reports that Kennedy is now cooking at the Gilead Bistro, a 40-seat caf� located in Corktown, while slowly working to " rebuild his business methodically and creatively" .

"The local-food advocate admits he probably spent too much time on his activism, and not enough on his business at a time when the industry was being decimated by recession.

"I may have been asleep at the wheel in terms of the overall business,'' Mr. Kennedy said. "But I'm home now, I'm a cook first and foremost, this [the kitchen] is where I'm most comfortable."�.

Mr. Kennedy acknowledges he was disappointed at his business failures, but said he is excited at the prospect of returning to his cooking roots. His wildly successful Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar debuted in 2003, but five years of rapid growth led Mr. Kennedy to acknowledge he was spread too thin and lost focus.

As his business presence grew, Mr. Kennedy also became increasingly influential as a food activist; championing the local food movement through public appearances, involvement with farmers markets and an unwavering commitment to his network of local producers.

With his eyes firmly fixed on Gilead for the time being, Mr. Kennedy said he will limit his public appearances as he looks to rebuild his business methodically and creatively."

click here to read the full National Post article

The Toronto Star recently featured Toronto-based architectural company Superk�l as part of their series on businesses and people to watch in 2010. Founded and run by Toronto architects Andre D'Elia and Meg Graham and operating with a 6 person staff, the company has begun to gain both national and international attention. Superk�l is currently working on designs for the indoor and outdoor renovation of the Newmarket Cultural and Conference Centre and was recently recognized by the international design magazine Wallpaper as "working wonders in every field, but especially in residential design."

"In the age of the instantly recognizable, architects Andre D'Elia and Meg Graham take pride in the fact that none of their projects is identifiably theirs.

The pair, partners in life and work, launched an architectural practice seven years ago. And so far, the flow of clients hasn't let up. The name alone, Superk�l, is guaranteed to attract a certain amount of attention but more important, they are gaining an international reputation for their clean, crisp, efficient and always elegant designs."

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The financial crisis hit the global banking hubs of New York and London hard, emboldening other financial centres that are gunning to become world leaders, reports Entrepreneur. The magazine named Toronto, traditionally focused more on Canada, among the top emerging global financial centres.

"According to the Toronto Financial Services Alliance, it's the third largest North American financial services center after New York and Chicago, based on direct employment, and the fastest growing. It's also the hub for Canada's banks, securities firms, insurers and mutual funds."

click here to read the Entrepreneur Magazine article