STEPHENVILLE, N.L. — FRANK GALE
THE WESTERN STAR
STEPHENVILLE, N.L. — Cecil Ryan is quite proud of his small business.
Being named this year's recipient of the Leo Bruce Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence during Small Business Week is a badge of honour that makes him stand a little taller.
“This is excellent. Small business is the hub of this area and I truly believe that small businesses keep each other going,” he said in an interview last week after humbly accepting the award.
Ryan is the owner-operator of Amgwes Safety, a business he started in May 2014 upon his return to the Bay St. George area from Alberta, where he had worked as a glazier for 35 years.
His business has more than 700 clients and he said most of them work for small businesses.
While most of his work is in Newfoundland and Labrador, he does some in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as he has interprovincial certification as a National Construction Safety Officer.
As a Red Seal journeyman glazier, he took a week from work recently to go to Ottawa and build a new curriculum for his trade.
For his efforts he received the Red Seal Canadian Standard of Excellence Award on behalf of the administrators of the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal program.
The result is Ryan can now teach instructors how to teach the new curriculum.
Amgwes also received an entrepreneur of the year award through the Qalipu Business Network last year, another achievement in which Ryan takes great pride.
He employs a second worker, Lory Benoit-Jesso, who is responsible for booking safety courses and submitting tenders. She’s a big part of the business success of Amgwes Safety, Ryan adds.
Cecil Ryan’s community involvement:
• Safety and security on the restoration of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Port au Port West.
• Safety and security for the Bay St. George Powwow in Flat Bay for the Bay St. George Cultural Revival Committee.
• Providing first aid training for various Duke of Edinburgh programs in the Bay St. George area.
Source: Cecil Ryan of Amgwes Safety
