ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

(Toronto, Ontario) – On Thursday, October 24th, in the incredible space of the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Rob and Geraldine Brouwer were awarded EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 for Ontario. Only 10 Ontario Entrepreneurs were honÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ed with this recognition.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is a nomination driven award that recognizes innovative entrepreneurial achievement among individuals and companies that demonstrate vision, leadership and success.

The process began when nominations opened in March 2024. In May, Rob and Geraldine received confirmation that they were finalists for this prestigious award.

“We were both surprised and excited when we got the notification that we had been nominated for this year’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year for Ontario. When we started ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ 12 years ago, we never anticipated how many people shared – and continue to share – ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ passion for healthy pet food,” says Geraldine Brouwer, Co-Founder.

In his acceptance speech, Rob Brouwer quoted the African proverb “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” – to reflect on the fact you need a team of great people to help you fulfill a vision.

“When we started ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, there were a handful of friends, family and community connections helping to bring ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ pet food to as many Ontario pets as possible. Today we have over 200 teammates moving this vision forward. We are available in over 1,500 pet specialty stores that we deliver to directly to across Canada,” says Rob Brouwer, Co-Founder.

“It is this type of honÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ that makes us pause and reflect on where we started and where we are today. It’s incredible to think that the brand we launched 12 years ago [ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½] has helped to drive the demand for raw pet food across this country,” adds Geraldine Brouwer.

After accepting the award, the event emcee, Dayo Kefentse from Dayo Media and Communications said, “You’re both giving me partner goals.”

“You have to love what you do and we’re so fortunate to not only to love what we do but love who we are doing it with. We balance each other with ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ strengths. We also try to ensure that shop talk doesn’t interfere with family time. It seems to be working!”, says Geraldine Brouwer.

“We are deeply grateful to Zahra Binish and Zahra Jamani for their trust and support in endorsing ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ nomination for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Ontario award. We also wish to express ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ appreciation to Ayesha Hasan [Program Manager] and the Co-Directors, Chris Gordon and Stephanie Lamont, whose incredible efforts made the entire jÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ney from nomination to the spectacular awards ceremony seamless. It was a privilege to be part of such a well-curated, inspiring event, and we are honÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ed to have been included.”

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About Big Country Pet Co.

Big Country Pet Co. is not just any pet food company – we are proud that ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ flagship brand, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, that is Canada’s leader in the frozen raw pet food category. We provide ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ consumers with healthier food options for dogs and cats, including complete frozen and gently cooked meals, supplements, and treats, as well as distribute third-party premium pet products. We are dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadian pets and the people who love them through high-quality and innovative products. With a profound passion for pets, we continually strive to set new benchmarks for pet nutrition, safety and well-being. In 2024, the Globe and Mail and Canadian Business Magazine once again recognized Big Country Pet Co. (listed as ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½) as one of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies.

For More Information Contact:

Sarah Ripley
Director of Marketing
Big Country Pet Co.

sarah.ripley@bigcountrypetco.ca