BIZZ BUZZ
After operating for 43 years as a privately-held firm, Burlington’s Byrne Engineering has been purchased by Ameresco Canada Inc. Toronto-based Ameresco is Canada’s largest independently-held energy services provider.
Byrne is a consulting engineering firm specializing in mechanical, electrical and structural engineering for projects in Canada and overseas. The purchase of Byrne is part of Ameresco’s strategic business plan to grow its engineering consulting division, allowing the company to provide value-added services to clients and expand its areas of expertise to include transportation, structural engineering and industrial engineering.
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Another Burlington engineering firm, JMP Engineering, is a finalist in the Data Management Solutions category for the 2009 Microsoft Partner Network IMPACT Awards. The firm last year won the category for its mobile civil engineering solution, APEX.
JMP was chosen as a finalist this year for its Civil DataWorX, a real-time control system for managing and monitoring operations for site personnel. Targeted at infrastructure projects, the technology is designed to improve construction quality while minimizing costs.
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Don Smith, owner of Burlington-based Smith’s Funeral Services, has received the Ontario Funeral Service Association’s Humanitarian Award. Don’s community and charitable activities include serving as a past chairman of the Salvation Army Board of Hamilton/Burlington, and co-chairman of the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital “Tomorrow is Here” capital campaign. He is also a member of the Christian Veterinary Missions of Canada, and has twice travelled to Sierra Leone to volunteer for a project that helps farmers become self sufficient.
In 2008, Don was recognized as Philanthropist of the Year for Halton Region and this year is also being named Philanthropist of the Year by Burlington Community Foundation.
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Tricia Hellingman is president of Hellingman Communications, a Hamilton-based public relations and marketing agency. You can email her at thellingman@hellingman.com. BizzBuzz appears every other Friday.
