Success Stories

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the Kootenays!


Get Inspired by these entrepreneurs

There are many exciting and innovative small, medium and large size businesses operating in our region. Browse our success stories and let them help you imagine your Kootenay opportunity.

Fiona Richards and her partner Doug Jones were both professional artists living in Calgary when Western Living magazine ran a…
After 15 years of studying and working in the lower Mainland, Morgan Dehnel Ph.D., P.Eng. was ready to move to…
In designing and manufacturing their extremely durable, stylish line of canoes in Nelson, Bob & Colleen Hellman feel they have…
Spearhead Timberworks Inc. is a multi-faceted, value-added manufacturing company specializing in the design and fabrication of architectural timber and steel.…
Identifying the need to supply and service the area’s elderly population, Endre Lillejord made the decision to invest in Castlegar.…
Ron Ross brought his skis with him when he came to the West Kootenay area to do some engineering contract…
Gordon Grieves of VMS Group decided to return to Castlegar after receiving trades and apprenticeship training in the Lower Mainland.…
As the world’s leading manufacturer of stone wool, we’re proud to say that 2019 was our 20th anniversary in Grand…
At the age of 19, Rupert Taylor visited Quebec and while there was told by an ex-Fernie resident about Fernie’s…
Kootenay Forge is Canada’s leading producer of quality hand-forged home accessories. Their extensive line of wrought-ironwork comprises bathroom and kitchen…
In 1913, Monrad Wigen started a small box factory in Wynndel, with help from his father, O.J. Wigen. Horses delivered…
In 1970 long time residents Dale and Judy Garrett moved to Hosmer after Dale was hired to work for McGauley…
After graduating from UBC dentistry in 1993, Ray Chow relocated to Sparwood to become an associate for the local dental…
Yasodhara Ashram is a yoga retreat and study centre located in Kootenay Bay. Founded in 1963 by Swami Sivanada Radha,…
Creating a strong foundation for a vibrant community is what keeps the Royal Theatre going. Owners Lisa and Jason Milne…
Established in 1998 for the purpose of developing thermal Design and Optimization tools for electronic applications, Qfinsoft Technology Inc. is…
Having been a software developer for almost 30 years, Thoughtexchange founder and CEO Jim Firstbrook believed powerful online tools could…
The decision to purchase the already successful Columbia Gardens Vineyard and Winery was an easy one for owners Tersia and…
In 2006 the three Mose brothers started Dusk Building Systems in the Columbia Valley. Two brothers, Sheldon and Wade Mose…
In 1992, 23-year old Elana Rosenfeld and her then partner Leo Johnson moved from an established tourism-based community in Alberta…
Shad Tourcotte grew up in Christina Lake, but moved to Vancouver to attend college. After ten years of city life,…
Jennifer has a long time relationship with Nakusp. She grew up in Toronto but spent her childhood summers visiting her…
Halcyon Hot Springs was originally developed as a resort in 1893 but abandoned in 1955. When Sabine and her husband…
Clark Dennill has specialized in wooden longbows, handcrafted from yew, for over 25 years. Every solid Pacific Yew bow is…
Cezary Ksiazek is originally from Poland where he finished the Merchant Marine Academy and graduated with a Master of Science.…
Bron and Sons Nursery in Grand Forks is one of the largest container plant producers in Western Canada.As a wholesale…
Freeman’s Country Supply is a family owned and operated business in beautiful Rock Creek, BC. Well rooted in agriculture, the…
Canadian Timberframes is proud to be in their second decade of being the premier supplier of exceptional timber frame structures…
Becoming a small business owner in Golden, BC, was a dream come true for Caleb Moss. While attending University of…
Kootenay Meadow Farms, formerly Kootenay Alpine Cheese, is a multi-generational, certified organic, grass-based farm located in Creston, British Columbia. Their…
Bad Duck Caramel is a passionate family business with an important mission – to provide candy lovers with magnificent caramel.…
Burton City Cidery’s bright banners and timber frame building stand out on the stretch of highway between Nakusp and Fauquier.…
Rocky Mountain Optometry is an eye care clinic with three doctors, 11 employees and three locations throughout the Elk Valley,…
In downtown Creston, Canyon Street is home to many successful, locally-owned businesses. The Golden Flour Bakery is one of those…
Since 1903 the McCormack family has been farming and logging in Burton, B.C. Early on, the family planted a fruit…
Cool blue beautiful mountains and valleys make for curvy winding highways, perfect for exciting and scenic motorcycle touring. And many…
What started out as a skin care and bath product business radically changed direction and has turned into a booming…
Thanks to Etsy and Instagram, Rouvè Hembling’s eco-friendly zero waste kitchen wares have found their way to fans in Denmark…
Schutter Farms JV is a grain and hay farm located just five kilometres south of Invermere. The father and son…
Terra Aqua taps into Revelstoke’s liquid abundance One of Revelstoke’s biggest transformations has taken place largely out of site. In…
Track Street Growers blossoms through community For a couple that hosts an annual garlic festival, it’s only fitting that one…
Terra Firma Farm leading way for local food If there’s one business that can stand in as an exemplar of…
Revelstoke’s Downie Timber rides the cutting edge of cedar milling   Chris Berarducci’s workstation looks like the helm of the…
Revelstoke Mountain Resort is the beating heart of Revelstoke’s tourism economy “I wouldn’t have even considered myself a winter person…
Owned and operated by Jeremy and Keely DeVries and their family, this organic dairy farm is an important business in…
Founded in 2009, this unique and vibrant coffee and gift shop has become an important tourist destination for those who…
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