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Green Mobility Comes to Halifax
“I believe that business can change the world and that it is a noble thing to do,” says Pam Cooley. “It’s an amazing reflection of how you can move through the world.”
Pam Cooley is the president and co-owner of CarShareHFX, a young, award-winning company based in Halifax. Cooley co-owns the business with Peter Zimmer, who works as the general manager. Both are committed environmentalists and life-long community activists.
The premise of car-sharing is simple: use a car only when you need to, save money and live a greener life. For a flat yearly fee and a small hourly rental, members have access to a fleet of fuel-efficient cars or vans, on an hourly or daily basis. Fees are all-inclusive. Vehicles are parked in nine central locations on the Halifax peninsula and in downtown Dartmouth. Access is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Members book their vehicles online or by telephone.
In January, CarShareHFX won gold as the best new company of the year at the Halifax Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. The company’s registered name, CarShareAtlantic, reflects the owners’ ultimate hopes to expand across the Atlantic Provinces.
“CarShare is a terrific business that is both entrepreneurial and environmentally progressive,” says Colin MacLean, CEO of the Waterfront Development Corporation. “We are inspired by their vision, and pleased to be a partner.”
CarShare is also ideal for those who deliberately choose a car-free life, but need regular transportation. “CarShare is absolutely perfect for me,” says Halifax MP Megan Leslie, of the New Democratic Party. “The riding of Halifax is bigger than people might think it is. I can walk or take a taxi or bus downtown, but once I need to get off the peninsula, I need a car.”
CarShare’s newest client is the provincial Department of the Environment. Using CarShare, says Solveig Madsen, an environmental analyst with the Department, “supports a new transportation option in our community that is environmentally preferable to individually owned vehicles.”
In the future, Cooley hopes CarShare will be part of “regional mobility strategies” at all three levels of government and across the business communities. “We want a people culture,” concludes Cooley, “not a car culture.” By Marjorie Simmins
Major Drilling Explores New Ground
Ten years ago, Francis McGuire joined Major Drilling as president and CEO and turned the company around from two-dollar shares by finding a niche. By focusing on hard to reach deposits in remote locations, McGuire was able to steer the company towards enormous growth. Until the economy collapsed, that is. From January 2008 to January 2009, stocks fell from just shy of $65 to just over $13.
Business has been regrowing slowly since then, which might explain why Major Drilling recently spent $4-million to buy SMD Services (a startup from Huntsville, Alabama) and invested another $5-million in a new division called Major Drilling Environmental. “During the last recession, environmental drilling proved to be very resilient in North America. Furthermore, the addition of sonic drilling expertise, which we are acquiring through SMD, will enhance our specialized drilling capabilities globally” notes McGuire.
It might be another example of McGuire’s strategic brilliance, but it’s one which won’t be showing significant dividends in the short run. “This will be still a very small part of Major’s business … it will only account for less than five per cent of its revenue initially,” according to CFO Denis Larocque. By Martin Connelly
Best in Class Now in it’s 17th year, Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies is a yearly awards program for excellence in Canadian owned and managed companies with revenues over $10-million. Firms have to apply to be considered, and after one win they are eligible to retain the designation as a Requalified Member for two years subject to an annual review. Winners who reapply and maintain their status for a minimum of six years are awarded membership to the Platinum Club. Of the four Atlantic Provinces, only PEI awaits representation in the 50 Best ranks. The program is sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC Commercial Banking, National Post and Queen’s School of Business. By Martin Connelly
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