A pair of Northern Ontario companies have maintained their status on the list of Best Managed Companies in Canada.
McDougall Energy, a Sault Ste. Marie-based fuel distributor, is on the list for the 11th consecutive year, while the engineering firm J.L. Richards has been on the list for nine years.
Canada's Best Managed Companies is a national business awards program that recognizes Canadian companies that establish best practices in their field.
McDougall Energy first made the list in 2011, and in 2018 reached “Platinum” status, which denotes that the company has demonstrated strategy, capability, and commitment to achieve sustainable growth for seven years or more.
“Receiving this esteemed designation for the 11th consecutive year is an accomplishment the entire McDougall Energy team and I are especially proud of. This honour celebrates the collective effort of all employees across the organization who have contributed to our company’s ongoing success and sustainability,” said Darren McDougall, president of McDougall Energy, in a May 10 news release.
“Through the hard work of our team, we have been able to prosper and adapt to the challenging business landscape that has emerged. This award validates our team's diligence, commitment, and resilience over the past year. I want to thank Canada's Best Managed Companies' judges, coaches, and sponsors for this award and recognition.”
Established in 1949, McDougall Energy is now in its third generation of family ownership. The company markets and distributes heating oil, propane, gasoline, diesel fuel, and commercial lubricants, in addition to being a branded retailer. In 2021, the company closed four acquisitions and a fifth in the first quarter of 2022, enabling McDougall to extend its services into new and existing regions of eastern and southwestern Ontario.
J.L. Richards (JLR) has also reached Platinum status through the program, after first landing on the list in 2013. Headquartered in Ottawa, the national engineering firm maintains offices in North Bay, Sudbury, and Timmins.
In Northern Ontario, the firm is perhaps best known for designing the Vale Living with Lakes Centre in Sudbury, an offshoot of Laurentian University that focuses on research into the protection and management of northern aquatic ecosystems.
“We are incredibly proud of this achievement, and to be recognized once again alongside so many of Canada’s great business leaders is a testament to our exceptional team and steadfast business model,” said Saverio Parrotta, JLR's CEO and president, in a news release.
“JLR is continuously reshaping how we do business and identifying opportunities for business excellence and innovation. Being one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies is a solid confirmation that we are doing our part as a business to be outstanding.”
The Best Managed program is sponsored by Deloitte Private, CIBC, The Globe and Mail, Salesforce, and TMX Group.
