Southeast Alberta innovators showcased in major collaboration

Innovators in southeast Alberta recognized

“Meet Southeastern Alberta’s Industry Changemakers, Trailblazers, Thinkers, and Inventors” — in collaboration with Verge Economic Development, APEX Alberta, Community Futures Entre-Corp, Medicine Hat College, and Alberta Innovates. 

A new campaign, Innovators to Watch in SE Alberta, came from the idea to highlight and celebrate different companies who are creating unique and novel products and services in Southeast Alberta.  There are many innovative companies across the region that deserve recognition. 

Access to supports is available for companies such as these; however, many businesses do not know how to navigate the innovation ecosystem.  “This can lead to entrepreneurs not accessing services that can help them to start and grow their companies.  Seeing business owners who are doing it, or have done it, let’s others know that they can do it too”, says Tracy Stroud, Regional Innovation Network (RIN) Coordinator, for APEX Alberta.

APEX will be working with economic development professionals from across the region to promote local innovative companies, starting with Verge Economic Development.  “Together, we will be delivering the Innovators to Watch SE Alberta campaign to feature innovative companies and create awareness of what is possible within our corner of the province,” said Theresa Hardiker, Executive Director of Verge. 

At least 10 interviews and video footage will be released. The first video to launch will feature T.R.A.D. Worm Industries Ltd, headquartered in Cypress County. This company utilizes diverted organic landfill waste to feed earthworms, producing beneficial worm castings — a high-quality soil amendment that promotes optimum plant growth.  

Owner and operator Roxanne Doerksen from T.R.A.D. Worm Industries Ltd, has received support from the APEX partners (Medicine Hat College, Alberta Innovates, and Community Futures Entre-Corp) in the past, resulting in her earning thousands in start-up dollars.  She continues to work with APEX Alberta and Verge Economic Development to grow her business.

“Regenerative agricultural and regenerative turf management has found its place in soil management.  T.R.A.D. worm industries has a team of 4 full-time employees, 3 summer students, and 5 subcontractors to fill the vermicast product orders coming in from across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and West into British Columbia.  The credit for success of the business is split between the science behind vermicast itself, the imaginative employees who explore new research projects that allows for the company to expand, from organizations such as APEX funded by Alberta Innovates, Community Futures Entre-Corp, Verge Economic Development, and Medicine Hat College.  Without these mentors, while the science may have continued to grow the company itself would not have flourished”, says Doerksen. 

To see the first video from the Innovators to Watch series, visit https://bit.ly/3zys2s5. For more information on working with APEX Alberta visit http://www.apexalberta.ca and for Verge Economic Development visit: http://www.verge-ed.ca

Innovators in southeast Alberta recognized