BDC SMALL BUSINESS WEEK 2023
INTRODUCING OUR CONTEST WINNERS
In celebration of the 2023 BDC Small Business Week™, we hosted a contest on behalf of our Small Business Program and Indigenous Small Business program to give four small businesses in Manitoba the energy efficiency upgrades they needed for free.
The four winners of this contest received a free Premium Upgrade and a $500 credit on their energy bill.
The first winner we’re featuring is Rae’s Bistro, a local restaurant located in Winnipeg’s North Kildonan neighbourhood.
RAE’S BISTRO
From their humble beginnings in 2018 to the vibrant dining experience offered today, the owners of Rae’s Bistro, Danny Van Lancker and Jillian Flynn, have always ensured that social and environmental responsibility are top of mind. Rae’s Bistro began as a small local food establishment, relying on a limited set of cutlery and upcycled furniture. Fast forward to today, Rae’s Bistro boasts an elegant selection of local beer, fine wine, craft cocktails, and homemade comfort food, all in an upbeat environment.
Danny and Jillian were looking to make even more improvements to their restaurant. By participating in our 2023 Small Business Week contest, Rae’s Bistro was able to make energy efficiency upgrades to their lighting systems at no cost. As one of the winners of the contest, they upgraded 40 fluorescent lamps to energy-efficient LED lamps, and we covered all project costs. They can expect to save nearly 1,200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity every year.
We covered 100% of the labour and material costs as part of the contest prize and awarded Rae’s Bistro with a $500 energy bill credit. Now their team can continue to offer a delightful dining experience, all while saving energy.
“Rae’s Bistro is our dream; we have put everything we own financially and emotionally into it. This spring we started the next phase of our redesign and renovation, and the already completed lighting upgrades will be a huge asset.”
— Danny, Co-owner of Rae’s Bistro
ESDALE PRINTING COMPANY
Esdale Printing Company is a commercial printing facility that’s been serving Winnipeg since 1935. Operating out of the St Boniface Industrial Park, they offer office printing, digital services, signage, display prints, and more. The company prides itself on being a leader in the sustainable printing industry within Manitoba.
“Esdale is very focused on being the most environmental printer in Manitoba,” said Darren Hughesman, President of Esdale Printing. “We use only certified FSC papers and are one of only a few FSC certified printers in Manitoba.”
As one of the winners of our 2023 Small Business Week contest, Esdale Printing was awarded a $500 energy bill credit, and we covered 100% of the labour and material costs of their facility’s energy-efficient lighting upgrade. We helped them make significant upgrades to their lighting systems which included new, energy-efficient LED linear lamps, occupancy sensors, and dimmers. These changes will result in them saving approximately 10,000 kWh of electricity each year and $500 annually on their energy bills.
Thanks to Efficiency Manitoba’s Small Business Program, Esdale Printing can combat rising costs due to inflation while continuing to provide exceptional printing services in a facility that now uses less energy.
“With the help of Efficiency Manitoba, we were able to reduce costs and become more energy efficient at the same time.”
— Darren Hughesman, President of Esdale Printing
ARE YOU A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER?
If you’re the owner of a small business and looking to make energy efficiency upgrades, we can help! Our small business programs are full-service solutions to help your business become more energy efficient. We’ll install free basic energy-saving products and complete a free lighting and pitched roof attic insulation assessment of your business to see if you could benefit from a Premium Upgrade.