Allnorth Consultants Ltd. chief executive officer Darby Kreitz has been named an Ernst and Young Pacific Region Entrepreneur Of The Year.
Kreitz was awarded the honour in early October in the business-to-business products and services category.
After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan in 1992, Kreitz landed a job at Allnorth Engineering Ltd. in Prince George and two years later, he struck a deal with founder Michael Tkachuk to broaden its focus and launch Allnorth Consultants.
The new company would engineer forestry bridges, and under a profit-sharing agreement with Tkachuk the venture's profits would fund the eventual purchase of Allnorth Engineering.
Growth outstripped expectations and Allnorth Consultants acquired its parent in 1997, according to a profile in BC Business magazine.
Today it serves clients in sectors ranging from natural resources to municipal infrastructure and marine services. Its head office in Prince George is home to about a quarter of the company's 400 staff.
In total, Allnorth has 14 offices across Canada. Allnorth and Maple Leaf Loading Ltd., a coal-handling division established in 2005, have combined annual revenues of $120 million.
