Conference is a ‘tremendous learning and networking opportunity

for industry professionals’

Northeast PHP 2017 conference chair Peter MacIntyre (left) and conference participant Lincoln Maskey discuss plans for this year’s event. (CBC)

The government of P.E.I. has given a $8,000 grant to Northeast PHP 2017 — a major IT conference being hosted

in Charlottetown from Aug. 9 to 11.

The Rodd Charlottetown will host the IT conference, marking the second consecutive year that Northeast PHP has

been hosted on the province. 

“Northeast PHP 2017 gives increased profile to the industry here and that may attract new start ups or business

expansions to our province,” said Lincoln Maskey, a senior software engineer with iWave Information Systems an a

conference participant in a government news release.

“Beyond that, this is a tremendous learning and networking opportunity for industry professionals on the Island and

one that will pay dividends for the IT sector.” 

Building on last year’s success

The government of P.E.I said the IT sector contributes roughly $200 million annually to to the provincial economy

and employs over 1,800 people.

“We had an amazing response from the many presenters and delegates who came to Charlottetown last year for the

2016 edition of the conference,” said conference organized Peter MacIntyre.

“This year we are trying to build on that success.”

Original Source http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-it-conference-grant-1.4229135?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3BuCNylggvRDe%2BIdWzfWWDEg%3D%3D

Superfood in a Canadian bottle proves the right mix

A western PEI company is having great success sharing Prince Edward Island’s abundant wild blueberries with the rest of the world.

PEI Juice Works(link is external) General Manager Jackson Platts says they recognized the opportunity to juice in bulk with the explosion of the craft brew market along the eastern seaboard. About 75 per cent of PEI Juice Works’ 100 per cent blueberry juice is shipped to China, Taiwan, Japan, Barbados, the U.S. and Europe.

Blueberries, which are considered a superfruit high in antioxidants and believed to have restorative qualities, are in high demand worldwide.

 “We can juice anything and – with the demand for peach, nectarine, tart cherry, cranberry, strawberry with the growing production of radlers and fruit beers – we are now supplying breweries, wineries and cider companies.”

Each 375 ml bottle of juice contains just over one pound of wild blueberries. The addition of rhubarb, tart cherries and cranberries has created three unique blends that complement the natural essence of the wild blueberries.

The company doesn’t waste anything. They’re now using the skin of blueberries, dried and ground to a powder, for the commercial animal food market, and the nutraceutical industry. “You’ve got to find a way to pay the bills,” Platts joked.

“We continue to try to develop new products and new markets. Prince Edward Island is a great place to do business.”

Platts said the company has lots of supply from blueberry growers, along with a world-class cleaning, sorting and freezing facility with Wymans. “We have had very good support from Trade Team PEI, ACOA, the National Research Council, BioFoodTech and Innovation PEI. We received a lot of support to go on trade missions.”

Their biggest customer, China, sees the value in the PEI brand. A Canadian flag stamped on the bottle makes it even more desirable. “It’s a big niche to have that maple leaf on your bottle,” Platts said.

Monaghan Farms potatoes make great chips

There’s a good chance that the next bag of Frito Lay potato chips you tear open will contain chips from Prince Edward Island-grown potatoes.

Historic Freetown-based Monaghan Farms collaborates with local growers to supply product to Frito Lay plants in Canada, the United States, Southeast Asia, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. It turns out they grow varieties of potatoes that are just what the chip giant is looking for; Monaghan Farms is now Frito Lay’s largest supplier of raw product for export and were their top Canadian supplier in 2007.

 “These potatoes are bred with certain characteristics which are ideal for making potato chips with a low sugar content, which is what gives them their lighter appearance, and high solid that limits oil waste and optimum round shape,” said seventh-generation potato farmer Derrick Curley.

Derrick’s family emigrated from Ireland during the 1840s potato famine and named Monaghan Farms after the Irish county of their homeland.  The Curley family still farms the original acreage where Thomas Curley established his original mixed-use farm.

Over the years the potato acreage grew, and in 1982 Monaghan Farms started selling potatoes in the processing market.  Monaghan Farms’ relationship with Frito Lay – the largest player in the potato chip market – began in 1987 when Derrick’s father, Terry Curley, took a potato sample to Frito Lay’s Kentville, Nova Scotia plant to see if it met their standards.

It did. They have supplied the Kentville plant ever since.  

“Frito Lay’s high standards for quality and sustainability make them a great company to work with,” Derrick said.

Although throughout the years, Monaghan Farms has grown potatoes for Frito Lay, McCains, Cavendish Farms and Humpty Dumpty, today it grows only chip potatoes for Frito Lay.

Derrick says Monaghan Farms has succeeded because of the partners, growers, and employees they are fortunate enough to work with.

“Within the potato agriculture business there are always many variables at play that result in a successful year,” Derrick said. “A lot of it is out of our control, so it is necessary to be flexible and be able to adjust, which keeps this lifestyle exciting and nerve racking at the same time.”

Keeping boats afloat

Their stock may be getting low as boating weather comes to a close for the year, but Mermaid Marine(link is external) will be ready to supply North American boaters for the 2017 season.

Staff at the successful wholesale marine distributor in Charlottetown are busy packing orders to ship to 1,000 boat dealers across the continent. The company supplies everything from engine parts to lifejackets for commercial and pleasure boats.

Having technicians on staff to answer dealers’ questions also sets Mermaid Marine apart. 

“Customer service is our number 1 priority,” said General Manager Ron Savidant. “That’s how we have done so well.”

Owner Patrick Villeneuve oversees the staff of 25 at their 21,000-square-foot location in the Charlottetown Industrial Park. The company was founded by Villeneuve’s father Pierre in 1973 in Montreal, and is a perfect example of an Island enterprise that started out small and became big. 

The elder Villeneuve often traveled across the Island en route to deliver diesel engines to his clients in the Magdalene Islands. He saw the need for marine products in Prince Edward Island, so in 1983 he packed up and moved to the Island to set up shop.

The company began with just five employees in 1983, and has grown. Now, Mermaid Marine is in the market for even more staff. They’ll need the additional help, since the company offers more than 18,000 items that can be ordered from its 700-page annual catalogue.

And business – just like the wind that any mariner will find this time of year in the Northumberland Strait – is brisk. 

PEI is fortunate to have a vibrant and growing business community

Prince Edward Island businesses continue to deliver the highest quality service to the marketplace.

“For the small population we have PEI does wonderful things, we must have more geniuses per capita than anywhere else. We need to do a better job of advertising all we can do.” – Esther Dockendorff, president of PEI Mussel King

Exporting around the world

Prince Edward Island is an exciting place to do business! Islanders like Dockendorff are helping PEI’s business community grow every day. PEI Mussel King is a family owned and operated business that has continuously operated since 1978. PEI Mussel King exports their product throughout the world to countries in Asia, the Middle East and across the USA. PEI Mussel King – proving that Island businesses continue to deliver highest quality products and services to the marketplace.

The soft-spoken Island entrepreneur and 2015 Exporter of the Year would rather be behind the scenes of her successful Mussel growing and shipping business in Morell, PEI. Unfortunately she has been getting a lot of requests lately to step forward and share the secrets to her family business’s huge success.

Business is booming for Mussel King, the Island business her late father Russell Dockendorff started in 1978. While Russell Dockendorff helped make PEI the largest producer of North America’s cultured mussels, Esther and her team took it a step further. Dockendorff, who remembers the first shipment of mussels that left the island for Calgary, her Dad getting the kids to help get the 180 kg shipment to the airport on time, and help stop a leaking container, is now overseeing the growing and shipping of the premium fresh and frozen Prince Edward Island Blue mussels in shell to far flung growing markets in the Persian Gulf, Japan, Europe, Israel, Egypt and China.

“If you want to get into business you really have to want to get into business because it’s your life – it’s not an 80 per cent life, you have to have a fire in your belly.” she said.
  
Their customers have grown, but so have their products. A key to their ongoing success is innovation and adaptability.

With the support of the provincial government, Mussel King has stepped from the low-margin commodity market to the production of more lucrative value-added products like “Mussels in Minutes.”
Dockendorff has some advice for aspiring Island entrepreneurs before you approach government with an idea – make sure it is well hatched and be prepared to work hard.

“Government is not a cash cow, you’ve got to have ideas that make sense and you’ve got to be able to make money. Don’t go to government if it doesn’t make sense,” she said.  “It’s Islanders’ money and we’re putting it to work for Islanders. This government is very supportive and Premier MacLauchlan is “very driven for business success,” she said.

We approached government with our ideas and a solid business plan and we were very happy they supported us.”

When PEI businesses succeed, we all succeed