TORONTO, October 1, 2014 – Three Canadian small business owners were recognized for their success in building business through ecommerce today as part of eBay Canada’s 10th annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. eBay Canada, a long-time champion of Canadian small businesses – is thrilled to announce that Darrell Renaud, Holly Parkes, and Michel Robidoux are this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Decade-preneur and Up & Comer of the Year, respectively.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the award, which recognizes Canadian entrepreneurs who harness online commerce opportunities to build successful, lucrative businesses.
“eBay has long celebrated entrepreneurial spirit in Canada,” said Andrea Stairs, country manager of eBay Canada. “Over the past 10 years, we have heard from thousands of Canadian entrepreneurs who have benefitted from online commerce and have seen their business grow and flourish, reaching markets around the world. This year, by recognizing a Decade-preneur and an Up & Comer, we’re paying homage to seasoned entrepreneurs who have seized e-commerce opportunities, as well as rewarding new sellers who are harnessing the power of e-commerce to make their dreams a reality.”
More than 230 eBay sellers entered this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year competition. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner will receive $3,000, and the Decade-preneur and Up & Comer of the Year will each receive $2,000. The Entrepreneur of the Year Awards program was announced earlier this year and was open to full- and part-time eBay sellers aged 18 years and older. All entrants were considered for the Decade-preneur and the Up & Comer of the Year categories, if applicable.
Entrepreneur of the Year
As the 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year, Darrell Renaud, founder of Scouttech Outfitters, has turned his passion for the outdoors into a successful career. He started selling outdoor gear and apparel on eBay in 2003, straight out of high school, and has since expanded the business to employ six staff. Scouttech Outfitter’s online success – including nearly $1 million worth of sales on eBay – has allowed Renaud to open a brick-and-mortar store in his home town of Mississauga, Ontario.
Decade-preneur
In its 10th year of recognizing entrepreneurial excellence, eBay Canada is thrilled to award the Decadepreneur award to Holly Parkes of Joanie’s House of Treasures. Based in Barrie, Ontario, Holly has leveraged e-commerce to sell antique items on eBay for 11 years, and successfully expanded her family’s business to penetrate the lucrative Chinese antiques market. With almost $2 million in sales in 2013 alone, Holly’s success is a great example of how online commerce can easily adapt to take advantage of changing markets and new customer segments, whether next door or around the world.
Up & Comer of the Year
The Up & Comer of the Year award was introduced this year to honour the drive and passion of sellers who are new to eBay. Michel Robidoux, founder of Le Monde du Foyer, is the proud recipient of this year’s award. A resident of Sainte-Julie, Quebec, Michel worked in hardware stores for over 20 years before launching his eBay business – selling fireplaces – in 2012. Michel’s story demonstrates how e-commerce can complement traditional retail: In his case, eBay provided an effective way to attract more buyers, and drive incremental sales, without investing further in retail overhead. Michel’s early sales have solidified his commitment to growing a long-term successful online business.
Up & Comer: Honourable Mention
To recognize yet another successful entrepreneur who is new to ecommerce, eBay Canada is pleased to announce that Karyn Mayuk of Cloth Buttique has received an honourable mention for the Up & Comer award. In 2012, Karen started selling premium cloth diapers via eBay to address the lack of high-quality baby products available in her hometown of Dauphin, Manitoba. She has since doubled her sales – selling to customers across the country and around the world – and has now opened a retail store to further grow her sales and range of products.
About eBay Canada
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay Inc. connects millions of buyers and sellers globally on a daily basis through eBay, one of the world's largest online marketplaces, and PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily, and quickly send and receive online payments. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay Classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. eBay is visited by more than 7 million unique Canadian per month (comScore Media Metrix: March 2014).
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For more information, media please contact:
Megan Vickell
eBay Canada
mvickell@ebay.com
416.934.2028
Andrée Gage
Edelman (on behalf of eBay Canada)
Andree.Gage@Edelman.com
416.849.3147
