Forty Ninth Parallel makes some really good coffee – and now they’re being recognized for it.
The local coffee bean producer, run by brothers Mike and Vince Piccolo, is set to be inducted into the B.C. Restaurant Hall of Fame, under the coffee and beverage award category. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the hall of fame ceremony, which honours “some of the province’s most innovative and dedicated industry leaders that contribute to B.C.’s world-class restaurant scene.”
“We have been honoured to celebrate exemplary people within the restaurant industry for the last nine years,” noted Ian Tostenson, president & CEO of the British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association, in a press release. “The event gives a platform for them to be recognized by their peers and see how their contribution has affected the industry in a positive way.”
Alongside Mike and Vince, brother Sammy is an award-winning barista and runs Prado Café on Commercial Drive.
The gala will take place on Sept. 29 at the Italian Cultural Center, 3075 Slocan St. in Vancouver, and offers dinner, a live and silent auction, and a tribute to the late George Tidball, who founded the Keg. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.bcrfa.com or by phone at 604-669-2239.
Burnaby entrepreneurs recognized for innovation
EY, a national business firm with a focus on entrepreneurship, has named four Burnaby businessmen as finalists in several categories of the Pacific branch of its Entrepreneur of the Year awards.
The Burnaby selection includes Scott Edmonds, president and CEO of Webtech Wireless, for business-to-business products and services; Charles Chang, president and founder of Vega, for business-to-consumer products and services; Vern Brownell, president and CEO of D-Wave Systems, for emerging entrepreneur; Jack Newton, CEO and founder of Themis Solutions, for information technology.
Other categories include energy, entertainment and hospitality, mining and exploration, and manufacturing.
“The future of entrepreneurship in Canada – and here in British Columbia – is brighter than ever,” stated Lui Petrollini, director of EY’s Pacific Entrepreneur of the Year program. “Our Entrepreneur of the Year finalists defy the odds, and the impossible, to reach new heights – for themselves, and their country.”
The winners will be announced at a gala on Sept. 30, with the overall Pacific winner representing the region at the national gala in Toronto on Nov. 25.
New microgrid lab opens in Burnaby
Schneider Electric Solar Business, a leader in solar power conversion solutions, unveiled its new 15,000-square-foot microgrid laboratory at its Burnaby headquarters, which the company will use to test the safety of its solar products.
A microgrid, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, is a controlled local energy grid, meaning it can disconnect from traditional electrical grids and operate on its own. The lab contains 70,000 pounds of wiring, 300,000 pounds of test equipment and a 1,800-point control structure.
“Our new MicroGrid Lab is one of the largest of its kind in North America and is enabling Schneider Electric to realize its potential as a global leader in solar,” said Jill Tipping, CFO and vice-president of operations at Schneider Electric.
B.C. Premier Christy Clark was on hand for the opening and commended Schneider for its work in the field of solar energy.
“Schneider Electric’s investments in British Columbia are a vote of confidence in our economy and our future as a clean energy provider and technology leader,” said Clark. “Their new MicroGrid Lab will help provide greener, more affordable energy here at home and around the world.”
