A meal is prepared at a Supperworks work station.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Who says you can't jump and whoop it up on the job? That's what the leaders and staff at Mobilize did when they learned their company was among the 50 most honourable mentions in The Globe and Mail's Small Business Challenge contest.
"We were jumping for joy in our office," says Benjamin Guth, program manager at Toronto-based Mobilize, part of the Diamond Global Recruitment Group, which brings young Canadians from different parts of Canada to work in customer service jobs that employers can't fill with local talent. "It's an amazing feeling that this is real and people are recognizing us."
Sponsored by The Globe and Mail and Telus Corp., the Challenge contest is an annual competition with a $100,000 payout for the grand prize winner, and Telus services or devices for 10 regional winners.
This year, to mark its fifth year milestone, the Challenge contest also selected three most promising startups and 50 honourable mentions from the more than 3,300 small businesses that threw their hats into the ring.
"It's awesome because we get to recognize more companies this year than we have been able to in the past," says Katherine Scarrow, a Challenge judge and digital content strategist at The Globe.
Here are the 50 honourable mentions in this year's Challenge contest:
Megacomfort International Inc. (Toronto) www.megacomfort.com
Stasis Preserves (Toronto) www.stasispreserves.com
Saul Good Gift Co. (Vancouver) www.itsaulgood.com
Chart Communications Inc. (Toronto) http://urbantoronto.ca
New Space Technologies Ltd. (Vancouver) www.newspace.ca
Keeners Car Wash (Vancouver) www.keenerscarwash.ca
Khalsa Woodcraft (Surrey, B.C.) www.instagram.com/Khalsawoodcraft
Groovy Goat Farm & Soap Co. (Ingonish, N.S.) www.groovygoat.ca
Petland Vernon (Vernon, B.C.) www.petland.ca
Junkery (Halifax) http://junkery.com
QuickLinkt Solutions (Saskatoon) www.quicklinkt.com/index.php
Faraci Mode Designs (Winnipeg) http://faracimode.com
GoodHome Painting Co. (Vancouver) www.goodhomepainting.com
Nova Coffee Service Ltd. (Lower Sackville, N.S.) www.novacoffee.com
Meadow Vista Honey Wines (Kelowna, B.C.) www.meadowvista.ca
Assurance Designated Driver Services (Winnipeg) www.assurancedd.com
Home Place Inn and Restaurant (Kensington, PEI) www.thehomeplace.ca
Fitz's Mobile Welding Inc. (Bay Roberts, Nfld.) www.facebook.com/fitzswelding
Swingman Entertainment Group / Sandlot City (Toronto) www.swingmanlive.com
Art Carlos Delgado (Toronto) www.artcarlosdelgado.com
Elder Caring Inc. (Toronto) www.eldercaring.ca
Toronto Safecracker (Toronto) www.torontosafecracker.ca
Equestrian Factory Outlet Canada Inc. (Holland Landing, Ont.) www.equestrianfactoryoutlet.com
Intrigue Media Brantford (Brantford, Ont.) www.intrigueme.ca
Mobilize (Toronto) www.mobilizejobs.ca
Forbes Wild Foods (Toronto) www.wildfoods.ca
Pineberry Manufacturing Inc. (Oakville, Ont.) www.pineberryinc.com
Sign Language Interpreting Associates Ottawa Inc. (Ottawa) www.sliao.ca
LinkTiger Inc. (Vancouver) https://linktiger.com/
The Depanneur (Toronto) http://thedepanneur.ca
Fabric Spot (Markham, Ont.) www.myfabricspot.com
Mission Business (Toronto) http://themission.biz
Pikanik Creations Corp. (Surrey, B.C.) www.pikanik.ca
LBC Contracting Ltd. (Thunder Bay) www.autoflexsuspensions.com
Bacata Food Group Inc. (Maple Ridge, B.C.) www.naturesclassic.com
Bannikin Travel & Tourism (Toronto) http://bannikin.com
Mariclaro Canada Inc. (Snow Road Station, Ont.) www.mariclaro.ca
PC Computer Cleaning Inc. (Calgary) www.pccompclean.com
DSM Enterprises Ltd. (Calgary) www.squashcannon.com
Haute Goat (Campbellford, Ont.) http://hautegoat.com
Pursu.it (Halifax) www.pursu.it
Maritime Way Scientific Ltd. (Orleans, Ont.) www.maritimeway.ca
Hygiene Performance Solutions (Mississauga) www.hygieneperformancesolutions.com
Coco Café and Cedar Opportunities Co-operative (Nanaimo, B.C.) www.cococafe.ca
Gold Cross Home Care Inc. (Hamilton) http://goldcrosshomecare.com
SupperWorks Inc. (Oakville, Ont.) www.supperworks.com
Smale Farms Ltd. (Mossley, Ont.)
Peter McCann Architectural Models Inc. (Toronto) www.mccann.on.ca
InspectaCar Inc. (Calgary) www.inspectacar.ca
Inrol Custom Simulations and Training Services (Calgary) www.inrol.ca
Dispatch Talent (Toronto) www.dispatchtalent.com