Year in review 2013 – Top Five moments
As 2013 starts to wind down, we reflect on what a big year it was for us at SysGen Solutions Group. We won awards, survived a flood, become United Way superheroes, moved office locations, and more. It was difficult to pick just five, but here are our top moments of 2013.
5. And the winner is… – We were blown away to be nominated for (and to win!) some great awards this year.
In the summer, Lyle Richardet, SysGen’s President, was selected as one of Business in Calgary Magazine’s 2013 Leaders of Tomorrow. Each year, this program acknowledges Calgary business leaders for their personal integrity, community involvement, innovation, and philanthropic activities. Lyle was featured as one of Business in Calgary’s Leaders of Tomorrow in its July 2013 issue.
In October, we were also nominated for the Breakout Business Award by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Our friends at Village Brewery were the deserving winners!
4. Hell or high water – On June 20, 2013, our province experienced a flood like no other. SysGen employees were evacuated from our office in Eau Claire, and we all waited with anticipation to see what would come of our workplace.
But for some, the flood-hit much closer to home – literally. Our own Kelly Heikkinen, a resident of High River, experienced the total loss of her house. To help out, SysGen organized a “Cash for Kelly” fundraiser, with an original goal of $5,000. Within weeks, that goal was smashed, as the donations climbed well over it. We spread the word through the VentureTech Network (a national IT services and knowledge network), and donations poured in from our partners as well, taking our total fundraising amount closer to $9,000 or $10,000!
Just like the resiliency of our own city (who will forget the Stampede’s “Hell or High Water” t-shirts?!), SysGen employees really came through at a time when one of their own was in need.
3. YYC superheroes – We took part in our very first United Way workplace campaign in September this year. With a “superhero” theme, it sure was a fun experience for everyone involved!
We raised a grand total of $3,000 from a range of workplace events, including Dress for United Way, Guess the Baby Picture, Bake Sale, and Silent Auction. The SysGen United Way Committee did a great job planning and organizing everything, so thanks to Sylvia Greig, Euniz Brown, Bill Dapp, Michael Silbernagel, and Cindy Broughton for all their hard work!
2. New digs – While our head office in Eau Claire did survive the flood, we were well aware of the fact that we were quickly outgrowing the space. Our dynamic management team went on the hunt for just the right space and found the perfect one at Barclay Square (1300 8 Street SW), which we moved into in November.
We didn’t waste any time making friends with the new neighbors, bringing them some delicious cookies and a note to say hello and introduce ourselves. We figured it was the least we could do, considering the elevator-hogging we did on move-in day!
1. Faster than ever – Speaking of our growth, that brings us to our top moment of 2013. In the spring, we landed on PROFIT Magazine’s list of Fastest-Growing Companies in Canada.
Every year, PROFIT, the 31-year-old publication for small- and mid-sized businesses, ranks Canadian companies by their revenue growth over five years. This year, we achieved five-year revenue growth of 205%, coming in 284th place on the PROFIT 500.
Lyle was quick to note that this achievement was only possible thanks to our dedicated employees, strong partners, and loyal clients. The office was certainly abuzz with excitement when the press release crossed the wire on Monday, June 3, 2013.
Additionally, Lyle was invited to the PROFIT 500 CEO Summit, an educational conference for entrepreneurs, where he had the pleasure of learning from speakers such as Jeff Adams (Canadian Paralympian and a six-time world champion in wheelchair sports), Jean-Rene Halde (President and Chief Executive Officer of Business Development Bank of Canada), and Bruce Croxon (Founder of Lavalife).
That wraps up our top 5 recaps of 2013! It will be hard to beat all of this in 2014, but we’re confident that we’ll continue to have even more exciting news to share next year.
In the meantime, we wish the very best to our valued clients, partners, and employees this holiday season!
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