2004 ALUMNI RECIPIENTS

Steve Barkhouse, 39

Biggest achievement: Having been recognized by my peers and respected judging panels with awards ranging from company of the year to national renovator of the year and now this.

Best skill: Vision: from visualizing a completed building project from a napkin sketch, to clearly seeing the details of our company, staff and clients 10 years from now.

Most admired businessperson: My partners: Kirk Haw for his loyalty and calm strength and Fred Barkhouse for his perseverance and honour and both for their zealous confidence and support.

Biggest business lesson learned: The value of partners. Whether they be legal business partners or the partners you choose to work with as part of the corporate team. Each of these people can significantly influence the success of the business, your happiness, your stress, your income, your working and leisure time, your reputation and on and on. Being surrounded by people who not only have similar values and ethics, but who encourage me to be better both for myself and for them, is truly uplifting. To be a part of a team, a family, with that trust and confidence in one another and the garnered trust and confidence of clients is a joy and a privilege.

Favourite charity: Ronald McDonald House, because it is run so professionally, is a joy to support.

Professional recognition that would mean the most: : I have worked throughout my career promoting my industry to youth. I speak at high schools and job fairs, conferences and teacher PA events and I sit on advisory boards for college courses. I would be most honoured by receiving industry invitation to continue these efforts.